“No Weapon That Is Formed against You Shall Prosper”
- CFMCorner
- 1 day ago
- 10 min read
Updated: 5 hours ago
CFM:
Videos, Podcasts, & Weekly Lesson Material
VIDEOS & PODCASTS
Media | Resource Links |
|---|---|
BYU RSC Library | |
Come Follow Church History with Lynne Hilton Wilson | |
Come Follow Me Kid | |
Come Follow Me Scott Woodward & Casey Griffiths | |
Come Follow Up | |
D&C Historical Background | |
Don't Miss This | |
Follow Him | |
Grounded with Barbara Morgan | |
Gospel For Kids | D&C 71-75 |
Seminary Decks | D&C 71-75 |
Hurricane Adult Religion Class | |
Latter Day Kids | D&C 71-75 |
Line Upon Line | |
Meridian Magazine Podcast | |
Our Mother's Knew It | D&C 71-75 |
Saving Talents | |
Scripture Study Central | |
Scripture Explorers | D&C 71-75 |
Scripture Gems | |
Scripture Insights | |
Talking Scripture | |
Teaching With Power | D&C 71-75 |
Thumb Follow Me | D&C 71-75 Not Yet Posted |
The Red Crystal | |
The Scriptures are Real | D&C 71-75 |
The Interpreter Foundation | D&C 71-75
|
Unshaken | D&C 71-75 |
CHAPTER & SECTION SUMMARIES
Resources and Insights for this Week's Lesson
Weekly Reflection: "Are You for Real?" — On Miscommunication, Scripture, and the Lord's Unchanging Voice
Have you ever found yourself completely misunderstood—even when you were sure you were making sense?
This week, I had one of those moments. A text conversation with my son spiraled quickly. He asked if I was "for real," and in my effort to match what I perceived as humor, I leaned in with some clever comebacks. What I missed was that in his teenage slang, "Are you for real?" wasn't an invitation to banter—it was a boundary. While we were both speaking English, our languages were worlds apart.
That experience stayed with me as I studied Doctrine and Covenants 71–75—sections rich with their own communication challenges and needs for divine clarifications.
Miscommunication Moments in the Church
These sections weren't written in a vacuum. They address real miscommunication crises among the early saints. Some escalated far beyond simple misunderstandings, others required patience and clarification, particularly as the Saints were trying to figure things out and manage challenging circumstances.
Consider the crisis with Ezra Booth, whose initial enthusiasm for the restored gospel soured into bitter opposition. What began as questions and disappointments—perhaps legitimate concerns that could have been addressed through patient dialogue—escalated into public attacks against Joseph Smith and the Church through his inflammatory letters published in the Ohio Star newspaper. Booth's accusations spread confusion and doubt throughout Ohio, creating a communication crisis that threatened the very foundation of the early Church community.
The situation became so urgent that the Lord instructed Joseph to temporarily pause his work on the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible—a significant undertaking—to address these pressing issues directly. In D&C 71, we see the Lord directing Joseph and Sidney Rigdon to engage in open communication with the community, to "confound" the false accusations not through silence or dismissal, but through clear, bold testimony delivered "in mildness and in meekness."
This wasn't just about defending doctrine—it was about preventing communication breakdown from destroying relationships and faith. What began as Ezra Booth's personal misunderstandings had metastasized into community-wide contention, causing "confusion and great heartache among many." The Lord counseled that sometimes miscommunication requires immediate, direct intervention to prevent further spiritual damage.
Then we see a different kind of communication challenge in D&C 74, where Joseph is instructed to clarify Paul's teachings about circumcision and marriage. Here, the confusion wasn't coming from opposition but from sincere saints trying to understand how ancient scriptures applied to their new covenant circumstances. Unlike the Ezra Booth situation, this required patient teaching rather than public defense.
Similarly, D&C 75 addresses practical communication breakdowns: How do families survive when missionaries leave for extended periods? How do we balance spiritual callings with temporal and practical responsibilities? The saints needed clear direction because mixed messages were causing confusion and real hardship. In such challenging circumstances, it is not uncommon for misunderstandings to flourish, and these are times when good communication is absolutely essential.
Perhaps we can see striking similarities between these communication breakdowns and those we witness and experience today, both within the Church and in our broader circumstances. Like Ezra Booth's letters in the Ohio Star, social media can amplify personal grievances into public controversies that spread confusion far beyond their original scope. Sincere questions about doctrine or policy—the kind that could be approached through thoughtful and patient dialogue—sometimes escalate into divisive debates that fragment communities and strain relationships.
Just as the early saints struggled to balance spiritual callings with practical responsibilities, modern Church members navigate similar tensions between faith commitments and contemporary pressures. In our polarized world, we see these same patterns playing out repeatedly: misunderstandings that begin in good faith quickly devolve into entrenched positions that seem impossible to bridge. Whether it's disagreements about Church policies, political divisions that fragment families, or social issues that split communities, the escalation follows a familiar trajectory—genuine questions or concerns become hardened and dogmatic opposition, amplified by echo chambers and reinforced by tribal loyalties.
Like the early saints facing Ezra Booth's accusations, we find ourselves needing the same divine approach the Lord outlined in D&C 71: honest and bold declarations of truth, balanced with the "mildness and meekness" that disarms hostility and opens hearts to understanding (on all sides).
These weren't just theological puzzles—they were relationship challenges that threatened unity and faith, revealing insightful principles about communication that remain as relevant now as they were then.
Bridging Understanding: From Human Communication to Divine Revelation
These experiences with miscommunication—both ancient and modern—teach us vital principles that extend beyond our relationships with each other to our most sacred communication: our dialogue with the Lord through scripture. In fact, as we improve our communication with the Lord, we discover that His word provides the wisdom and grace necessary to manage and possibly even heal our most strained and challenging relationships when approached with humility and faith.
Just as the early saints needed clarification about Paul's teachings, and just as we need "mildness and meekness" to bridge our contemporary divides, we also need divine help to truly understand what the Lord is saying to us through His word.
The same humility that prevents communication breakdowns in our families and communities is essential when we approach scripture. We must be willing to seek understanding rather than defend our dogmatic positions, especially when our perceived interpretations and misunderstandings might be limiting our spiritual growth and potential.
The Evolution of Understanding
Consider how our "lenses" for interpreting scripture have evolved throughout Church history. The Law of Moses was the foundational instruction for the Israelites. For centuries, it was understood primarily as a series of strict commandments— "Thou Shalt Nots," the baseline, "good" interpretation. But when the Savior delivered the Sermon on the Mount, He revealed the "better" and "best" interpretations: the law wasn't just about external compliance but internal transformation. "Thou shalt not kill" became "be not angry." "Thou shalt not commit adultery" became "look not upon a woman to lust after her."
This wasn't the Savior contradicting Moses—it was Him revealing the fuller expression of the Law, corresponding to terrestrial rather than telestial understanding. The "good" translation of "Thou shalt not kill" gives way to the "better" call to "first be reconciled to thy brother, and then the best comes as we "offer our gifts, our broken hearts and contrite spirits, upon the Lord's altar." This process of refinement allows the Atonement to work in and through us, helping us to understand the higher call, to "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, and do good to them that hate you."
At its pinnacle, this progression of refinement rewards not just our "good behavior," but outlines our celestial transformation—allowing us to become the kinds of beings who live celestial law because it has become our nature.
These same principles apply to how we interpret scripture today: we must seek interpretations that surpass the limited scope of contemporary culture and reach toward eternal truths. What might seem like a "good" understanding in our current context may only be scratching the surface— when, in reality, profound spiritual treasures are waiting to be discovered by those willing to seek and work for deeper understanding.
When Prophets Need Clarification
This is precisely what Joseph Smith did, and this was the pattern of his life. D&C 74, like so many others, exists precisely because Joseph asked for clarification. In this case, he sought deeper insights into Paul's writings on marriage and circumcision. Think about this: the Prophet—translator of the Book of Mormon, seer of the First Vision, receiver of continuous revelation—still needed divine help understanding ancient texts. He didn't assume his calling exempted him from the work of careful study and seeking further light.
If Joseph needed clarification, how much more do we? But notice Joseph's approach: he didn't simply pray for instant understanding. He studied, wrestled with the text, recognized his limitations, and then went to the Lord with specific questions born from diligent effort.
Joseph's example demonstrates that the Holy Ghost serves as our ultimate "translation app"—the divine interpreter who can help us understand not just what the words say, but what the Lord means for us personally. However, this divine assistance doesn't come simply because we ask for it. Like Joseph, we must first do our part: research the context, study it out in our minds, examine the patterns of how the Lord teaches His children across all scripture, compare passage with passage, seek understanding through multiple sources, ponder deeply, and then pray for clarification and revelation.
The Lord honors this process. He expects us to "study it out in your mind" (D&C 9:8) before seeking confirmation. When we approach scripture with the same diligence Joseph demonstrated—combining faithful study with humble inquiry—we position ourselves to receive the same kind of revelatory understanding that produced sections like D&C 74.
This divine pattern of progressive revelation is captured perfectly in D&C 71:5-6: "Now, behold this is wisdom; whoso readeth, let him understand and receive also; For unto him that receiveth it shall be given more abundantly, even power." The Lord promises that when we truly receive His word—not just read it, but understand and internalize it—we qualify for even greater revelation and spiritual power. It's a beautiful cycle: faithful study leads to understanding, understanding leads to receiving, and receiving opens the door to "more abundantly."
Context Matters, Purpose Remains
When we encounter confusing or seemingly contradictory scriptures, we can again follow Joseph's example: compare passages, looking for similarities and differences based on their contexts. Different situations often require different approaches. The Lord's counsel to missionaries in D&C 75 differs from His guidance to families in D&C 74, just as His instructions to enemies in D&C 71 differ from His promises to the faithful.
But these varying approaches don't invalidate the Lord's central purpose: "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). Whether He's correcting, instructing, comforting, or calling, His ultimate goal never changes.
Resolving Sacred Misunderstandings
Sometimes, like my text exchange with my son, our misunderstandings arise with those we love most—including our Heavenly Father. When we struggle with His words, feel confused by His timing, or question His methods, we can apply the same principles that heal human relationships:
Step back. Remember that He loves us infinitely. Remember all He has done for us—particularly the Savior's atoning sacrifice. Maintain trust and honesty in our prayers and study. Then, through work, humility, patience, and grace, understanding can come.
The Lord's Consistent Voice
Despite evolving language, changing cultures, and our own limited perspectives, God's voice remains remarkably consistent throughout his scriptural records. In D&C 71, He counsels to "confound your enemies… in mildness and in meekness." In D&C 75, He promises that "he who is faithful shall overcome all things." The tone echoes throughout all scripture: humble boldness, faithful endurance, divine companionship through difficulty.
These chapters remind us that communication is sacred work—whether we're interpreting ancient revelation or navigating modern relationships. It requires listening, interpreting in good faith, seeking divine help, and sometimes stepping back to realign with the Lord's language, not just our own.
So as we wrestle with ancient words and present-day relationships, let's remember: the Lord's voice is still speaking. The Holy Ghost is still translating. And if we seek with humility, comparing scripture with scripture, remembering His love and our need for His grace, we can begin to hear what He's been saying all along.
Are you for real? In the Lord's case, the answer is always yes—and His reality is more loving, more patient, and more consistent than we sometimes dare to believe.
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