This year, before we started reading D&C for "Come Follow Me" I heard multiple people say this was the reason they left the church. Huh? But why?
As I have read this year I have truly enjoyed not only reading but figuring out why these revelations were made into scripture. Why were these personal messages to others supposed to be shared with anyone and everyone who is willing to read.
1) These revelations are sometimes very similar to one another and yet are extremely personal. Heavenly Father knows each one of us personally, but His message to one can also be fitting for another. We just had conference. I promise that if you actually listened to the talks, you felt like one was just for you. The speaker was speaking for YOU in an answer to one of YOUR prayers. But, I also know there is someone else who was listening who felt the same way! All of these revelations that were for someone else can also be words to you. Even in D&C 25:16 after a revelation to Emma Smith we are told "this is [His] voice unto all." These revelations are for us.
2) These revelations are in the beginning of the church. People are learning about the First Vision of Joseph Smith. They are starting to form a church. They working on translating the Book of Mormon and then having it printed. They are learning what it means to be a missionary. They are growing their own testimonies. We all have to grow and nourish our testimonies. We have to learn from their lessons and apply it in our lives. These revelations are for us.
3) We can all get a blessing. Do we listen? Do we honestly feel that it is for us? Do we believe in what it says? Do we trust in Him and His promises? All of these revelations that are shared with are are for us. All of the blessings apply to us as well as those they were given to. All of the promises are promises to us. These revelations are for us.
Today, I saw a post from someone in my ward, a girl I actually really liked. She announced she was leaving the church because she felt like "it didn't fit." I think we all come across times when it feels like something doesn't fit quite right. Life can be like a puzzle where you put a piece in that looks right, but you can't decide if it actually fits or not. Sometimes you come to know that it definitely fits and other times you realize it is just the piece you were looking for in a different area. But, I do not think it is ever the gospel.
One of my favorite quotes from conference was, "Our entire lives should be filled with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is not part of our life, but our life is actually part of the gospel of Jesus Christ." The gospel is not a thing to fit into our lives. We must fit our lives into the gospel. The revelations in D&C are to people just learning to accept the gospel. The words are telling them how to change (for the better I might add) their lives to fit into the gospel but also provide warnings to those who let the devil prevail into making them feel like something doesn't fit whether it is the gospel doesn't fit in our lives or that we don't fit in the church.
We are told these are the last days. I can only imagine Satan is trying his darndest to sway us to the other side, but that is why we have to hold to our testimonies. We have to study, learn from, and apply the scriptures. We have to keep going to church. We have to follow the prophet. We have to keep believing. We have to trust. We have to Let God Prevail.
