D&C 21 – Revelation Received at the First Meeting of the Church

Verse 1: The Prophet’s Calling

Seer: Hebrew: re’rh “one who sees” (1 Samuel 9:9), Mosiah 8:16-17.

Translator: Book of Mormon

Prophet: Defining the office and call of a prophet, Anthony W. Ivins explained, “A careful study of the etymology of the word and of the lives, works and character of the prophets of old makes clear the fact that a prophet was, and is, one called to act as God’s messenger. He is to teach men the character of God, and define and make known to the people, his will. He is to denounce sin, and declare the punishment of transgression. He is to be above all else a preacher of righteousness, and when the people depart from the path which he has marked out for them to follow, is to call them back to the true faith. He is an interpreter of the scripture, and declares its meaning and application. When future events are to be declared he predicts them, but his direct, and most important calling is to be a forth- teller, or director of present policy, rather than a foreteller of that which is to come” (Conference Report, October 1925, 20).

Apostle: Greek: apostolos, messenger

Verses 4-5, 9: The Role of Members is Defined

President Harold B. Lee explained this principle: “There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. . . . It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory’ (D&C 21:6)” (Conference Report, October 1970, 152).

Bruce R. McConkie stated it thus, “The test of discipleship is how totally and completely and fully we believe the word that was revealed through Joseph Smith, and how effectively we echo or proclaim that word to the world” (“This Generation,” 7).