D&C 59:21-24
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
Doctrine & Covenants > Section 59
| Previous (D&C 59:16-20) | Next (D&C 60:1-5) |
Contents |
Questions
Verse 21
- What does it mean to confess the Lord's hand in all things? Specifically what does it mean to confess the Lord's had in people's evil actions?
Lexical notes
Verse 21
- hand: This word points to the work of God, His activity in the world, His interruption of things by His ability to create, produce, etc. If this verse points at all to gratitude, it would seem that gratitude is a recognition of this interposition of the hand of God.
Exegesis
Verse 21
It is certainly significant that the question of confessing God's hand in all things comes before man's obedience. The verse seems to put an emphasis on confessing before acting, before doing. If this emphasis is justifiably read into this verse, then it might be said that foundational to obedience is the work of confession--not of sins but of God's omnipotence. If obedience is an issue of agency--of one's ability to fulfill, or not to fulfill, a commission from God--then agency itself seems to be grounded on a confession that God's hand is "in all things," that before man's "agency" is God's acting, moving, doing, accomplishing, creating, etc.
This verse, as the foregoing suggests, might thus be read as a powerful clarification of the "doctrine" of agency. This doctrine cannot be understood as a universal ability, an absolute freedom, a correlate of man's "co-eternality" with God. Agency is dependent primarily on man's subservient relation to God.
Verse 23
The Lord promises us that if we're faithful we'll receive "his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come." The phrase "his reward" indicates that the two items following (peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come) are two parts of the same reward. One possibility is that peace in this world comes after we receive an assurance that we will receive eternal life in the next. (On this point, see the related link about President Romney below.)
Related links
Verse 21
- See Jacob J.'s musings on this verse at the New Cool Thang blog here.
Verse 23
- President Marion G. Romney spoke about verse 24 in the 1949 October conference. He explains the different between the peace the world offers, and the peace the Savior offers. And he explains what it means to have your calling and election made sure. more
| Previous (D&C 59:16-20) | Next (D&C 60:1-5) |
