“That Which Is of God Is Light”
- CFMCorner
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
CFM:
Videos, Podcasts, & Weekly Lesson Material
VIDEOS & PODCASTS
Media | Resource Links |
|---|---|
BYU RSC Library | |
Come Follow Church History with Lynne Hilton Wilson | D&C 49-50
|
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 | |
Seminary Decks | Not Yet Posted |
Hurricane Adult Religion Class | |
Latter Day Kids | D&C 49-50 |
Line Upon Line | |
Meridian Magazine Podcast | D&C 49-50 |
Our Mother's Knew It | D&C 49-50 |
Saving Talents | |
Scripture Study Central | |
Scripture Explorers | D&C 49-50 |
Scripture Gems | |
Scripture Insights | |
Talking Scripture | |
Teaching With Power | D&C 49-50 |
Thumb Follow Me | D&C 49-50 |
The Red Crystal | |
The Scriptures are Real | D&C 49-50 |
The Interpreter Foundation | |
Unshaken | D&C 49-50 |
Resources and Insights for this Week's Lesson
Spirit to Spirit: Discipleship in the Midst of Imperfection
Reflections on Doctrine and Covenants 49–50
As we move from last week’s study on the gifts of the Spirit (D&C 46–48) into this week’s revelations (D&C 49–50), a sobering shift occurs. We leave behind the poetic beauty of spiritual inclusivity and enter the gritty terrain of spiritual application—where the Lord confronts real issues within His Church.
Doctrine and Covenants 49 addresses false beliefs held by converts from the Shaker community. It gently but firmly corrects doctrinal misunderstandings about celibacy, vegetarianism, and the nature of Christ’s Second Coming. But it’s in Section 50 that the Lord’s words become especially pointed and personal.
He begins with a truth bomb:
“There are many spirits which are false spirits... Satan hath sought to deceive you... I have seen abominations in the church that profess my name.” (D&C 50:2–4)
That’s strong language—disturbing even. But it's not unfamiliar. The Lord has never ignored the brokenness within His covenant people. He names it, calls it out, and yet extends mercy—teaching us how to move forward not through shame or institutional authority, but through Spirit-to-Spirit transformation.
These verses feel like they could have been written today.
Yes, there are problems in the Church. There were in Joseph Smith’s day, and there are now. Sometimes what’s presented on the outside—a smiling ward photo or polished Sunday School lesson—doesn’t reflect the pain, hypocrisy, or dysfunction happening within. Marriages falter, members hurt each other, leaders make mistakes, policies miss the mark, prejudices pierce, and wounds go unhealed. And we wonder: Where is the Spirit? Where is the power of God?
D&C 50 addresses and answers that. The Spirit cannot dwell in pretension, manipulation, confusion, or pride. But it does come when we are humble, when we seek truth, and when we engage with Christ directly. When the arms of the flesh fail, the arm of the Lord remains and will carry us if we let Him.
“Preach the gospel by the Spirit... receive it by the Spirit... and both shall be edified and rejoice together.” (D&C 50:14–22)
This is not just a formula for teaching—this is the path of healing. Spirit-to-Spirit discipleship is not about consuming podcasts, quoting scholars, or copying Instagram devotionals. (And to be clear—I love those resources. They’re valuable and serve a purpose.) But they are not replacements for scripture. They are not substitutes for prayer. They are not the Comforter.
This is why these study guides exist. Not to answer all the questions, but to point you toward the One who can. The Hebrew and Greek word studies, the cross-references, the conference talks—they are scaffolding for a deeper, more sacred conversation between you and your God.
Because that’s where real change happens.Not on the pulpit. Not in the group chat. But in the quiet wrestling of your soul. In the sacred tension between what is broken in you and what is whole in Him.
That’s why D&C 50 doesn’t just rebuke—it invites. The Lord doesn’t stop with condemnation. He offers a process:
Reason with Him (vv. 10–12)
Receive light and grow in it (vv. 23–25)
Be purified and gain spiritual power (vv. 28–30)
Watch and prepare for His coming (v. 46)
This is the path of discipleship, and it is not easy. We feel it. It hurts. We are chiseled. We are refined. We are scraped down to our foundations, only to be built anew. But the Lord does not leave us comfortless. He gives us the Comforter. And He gives us Himself.
“I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you... He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall.” (D&C 50:43–44)
This week’s lesson is not merely about doctrine. It is about healing. It is about learning to live honestly before God. It is about building a relationship with Him that can endure the confusion, contradiction, and heartbreak of life—and still stand. Still shine. Still rejoice.
So go to the scriptures. Go to the Word. And let the Spirit teach you—face to face, as one friend speaketh with another. There is no greater teacher. And no safer place to land.
Chapter Outlines
📘 Doctrine & Covenants Section Overviews & Outlines
Section 49 Outline
Section 50 Outline
Maps:
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