Lesson 26: Go Ye Into All the World, and Preach My Gospel
Lesson 26: “Go Ye into All the World, and Preach My Gospel”
Student Reading
D&C 42:6; D&C 88:81;Our Heritage,pages30–32; D&C 112:19–22; Mark 16:15; D&C 18:15–16; D&C 60:2; D&C 123:11–12; Ephesians 2:19; Helaman 6:3; Moroni 6:4D&C 42:6
And ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel,two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices as with the sound of atrump, declaring my word like unto angels of God.
D&C 88:81
Behold, I sent you out totestifyand warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned towarnhis neighbor.I have commented before on how tightly connected apocalypticism and missionary work are in the Doctrine & Covenants (this was also the case in earliest Christianity). Does this work on our day? Methinks not so much, Harold Camping aside.
D&C 112:19–22
19Wherefore, whithersoever they shall send you, go ye, and I will be with you; and in whatsoever place ye shall proclaim my name aneffectualdoor shall be opened unto you, that they may receive my word.
20Whosoeverreceivethmy word receiveth me, and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth those, the First Presidency, whom I have sent, whom I have made counselors for my name’s sake unto you.
21And again, I say unto you, that whosoever ye shall send in my name, by the voice of your brethren, theTwelve, duly recommended andauthorizedby you, shall have power to open the door of my kingdom unto any nation whithersoever ye shall send them—
22Inasmuch as they shall humble themselves before me, and abide in my word, andhearkento the voice of my Spirit.The idea that our presence is interchangeable with God’s is so powerful. We can do what they would do if present, answer each other’s prayers, be God’s hands.
Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, andpreachthe gospelto everycreature.This verse wasn’t in the original copy of Mark, just as a little side note. We can still get the message from Matthew 28:19-20
19¶Go ye therefore, andteachallnations,baptizingthem in the name of theFather, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20Teachingthem toobserveall things whatsoever I havecommandedyou: and, lo,Iam with you alway,evenunto theendof the world. Amen.
D&C 18:15–16
15And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be onesoulunto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
16And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into thekingdomof my Father, how great will be yourjoyif you should bring manysoulsunto me!Worth reflecting what exactly it means to “bring a soul unto God”
D&C 60:2
But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open theirmouths, but they hide thetalentwhich I have given unto them, because of thefearof man. Wo unto such, for mineangeriskindled against them.This makes me think of how the two mistakes we can make are: not doing something, and doing it wrong.
D&C 123:11–12
11And also it is an imperative duty that we owe to all the rising generation, and to all the pure in heart—
12For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who areblindedby the subtlecraftinessof men, whereby they lie in wait todeceive, and who are only kept from the truth because theyknow notwhere to find it—
13Therefore, that we should waste andwearout our lives in bringing to light all thehidden thingsof darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven—This verse resonates with me, though the wording is a bit harsh. What truths are all of us kept from because we “know not where to find them”?
Ephesians 2:19
Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Helaman 6:3
Nevertheless, the people of the church did have great joy because of the conversion of the Lamanites, yea, because of the church of God, which had been established among them. And they didfellowshipone with another, and did rejoice one with another, and did have great joy.
Moroni 6:4
And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.
I am really glad these verses are included in this lesson. Beautiful principles, and a caution against taking for granted those already in our community.
Additional Teacher Reading
Our Heritage,pages29–33,36. D&C 112. (so no extra readings really, but there are more quotes/stories)1Verily thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Thomas: I have heard thy prayers; and thinealmshave come up as amemorialbefore me, in behalf of those, thy brethren, who were chosen to bear testimony of my name and tosendit abroad among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, and ordained through the instrumentality of my servants.
2Verily I say unto you, there have been some few things in thine heart and with thee with which I, the Lord, was not well pleased.
3Nevertheless, inasmuch as thou hastabasedthyself thou shalt be exalted; therefore, all thy sins are forgiven thee.
4Let thy heart be of goodcheerbefore my face; and thou shalt bear record of my name, not only unto theGentiles, but also unto the Jews; and thou shalt send forth my word unto the ends of the earth.
5Contendthou, therefore, morning by morning; and day after day let thywarningvoice go forth; and when the night cometh let not the inhabitants of the earth slumber, because of thyspeech.
6Let thy habitation be known in Zion, andremovenot thy house; for I, the Lord, have a great work for thee to do, in publishing my name among the children of men.
7Therefore,girdup thy loins for the work. Let thy feet be shod also, for thou art chosen, and thy path lieth among the mountains, and among many nations.
8And by thy word many high ones shall be brought low, and by thy word many low ones shall beexalted.
9Thy voice shall be a rebuke unto the transgressor; and at thyrebukelet the tongue of the slanderer cease its perverseness.
10Be thouhumble; and the Lord thy God shallleadthee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.
11I know thy heart, and have heard thy prayers concerning thy brethren. Be not partial towards them in love above many others, but let thylovebe for them as for thyself; and let thy love abound unto all men, and unto all who love my name.
12And pray for thy brethren of the Twelve.Admonishthem sharply for my name’s sake, and let them be admonished for all their sins, and be ye faithful before me unto myname.
13And after theirtemptations, and muchtribulation, behold, I, the Lord, will feel after them, and if they harden not their hearts, andstiffennot their necks against me, they shall beconverted, and I will heal them.
14Now, I say unto you, and what I say unto you, I say unto all the Twelve: Arise and gird up your loins, take up yourcross, follow me, andfeedmy sheep.
15Exalt not yourselves;rebelnot against my servant Joseph; for verily I say unto you, I am with him, and my hand shall be over him; and thekeyswhich I have given unto him, and also to youward, shall not be taken from him till I come.
16Verily I say unto you, my servant Thomas, thou art the man whom I have chosen to hold thekeysof my kingdom, as pertaining to the Twelve, abroad among all nations—
17That thou mayest be my servant to unlock the door of the kingdom in all places where my servant Joseph, and my servant Sidney, and my servant Hyrum,cannotcome;
18For on them have I laid the burden of all the churches for a little season.
19Wherefore, whithersoever they shall send you, go ye, and I will be with you; and in whatsoever place ye shall proclaim my name aneffectualdoor shall be opened unto you, that they may receive my word.
20Whosoeverreceivethmy word receiveth me, and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth those, the First Presidency, whom I have sent, whom I have made counselors for my name’s sake unto you.
21And again, I say unto you, that whosoever ye shall send in my name, by the voice of your brethren, theTwelve, duly recommended andauthorizedby you, shall have power to open the door of my kingdom unto any nation whithersoever ye shall send them—
22Inasmuch as they shall humble themselves before me, and abide in my word, andhearkento the voice of my Spirit.
23Verily, verily, I say unto you,darknesscovereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has becomecorruptbefore my face.
24Behold,vengeancecometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day ofdesolation, ofweeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.
25And upon myhouseshall itbegin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;
26First among those among you, saith the Lord, who haveprofessedto know mynameand have notknownme, and haveblasphemedagainst me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.
27Therefore, see to it that ye trouble not yourselves concerning the affairs of my churchinthis place, saith the Lord.
28Butpurifyyour hearts before me; and thengoye into all the world, and preach my gospel unto every creature who has not received it;
29And he thatbelievethand isbaptizedshall be saved, and he that believeth not, and is not baptized, shall bedamned.
30For unto you, theTwelve, and those, the First Presidency, who are appointed with you to be yourcounselorsand your leaders, is thepowerof this priesthood given, for the last days and for the last time, in the which is the dispensation of thefulnessof times,
31Which power you hold, in connection with all those who have received adispensationat any time from the beginning of the creation;
32For verily I say unto you, thekeysof the dispensation, which ye have received, havecomedown from the fathers, and last of all, being sent down from heaven unto you.
33Verily I say unto you, behold how great is your calling.Cleanseyour hearts and your garments, lest the blood of this generation berequiredat your hands.
34Be faithful until I come, for Icomequickly; and my reward is with me to recompense every man according as hisworkshall be. I am Alpha and Omega. Amen.
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