The Lord’s Invitation: You Are Capable and Needed
Adapted from Divine Aid, by Amy Easton, in the Maxwell Institute’s Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants series
“A great and marvelous work is about to come forth unto the children of men . . . Behold, the field is white already to harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to reap, let him thrust in his sickle with his might, and reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God.” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:1, 3; 11:1, 3; 12:1, 3; 14:1, 3)
These verses are some of the most recognizable and inspiring lines in the Doctrine and Covenants. Repeated nearly verbatim in five out of the first fifteen sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, they establish a lens through which to understand the revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith and canonized in the Doctrine and Covenants. I remember reading these sections first in high school and later in college and wondering why the Lord Jesus Christ, through Joseph Smith, gave such similar counsel to five key figures of the early Restoration—Joseph Smith Sr., Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Joseph Knight Sr., and David Whitmer—and why Joseph chose to include each of them. Since the opening counsel is verbatim in four of these revelations, couldn’t one or two recordings rather than five suffice? Repetition seemed to me then only a good reason to skip or more quickly scan these sections. However, after teaching persuasive writing classes for two years in graduate school and repeatedly explaining to my students the value of different rhetorical techniques, I looked at repetition much differently when I encountered these sections again. Repetition should cause us to slow down and ask why the author included it. In this case, repetition signals to us that these revelations contain essential ideas that the Lord wants all of us to know about the Restoration and our role(s) within it.
God’s respect for our agency and our desires should inspire us to figure out how we want to contribute to God’s work and then begin making efforts. While the individuals we directly hear referenced in these sections were most often being called as missionaries to leave their families and proclaim the gospel or as leaders in the newly organized Church, we should recognize that the majority of women and men who read these revelations in the early Church were inspired to work to build God’s kingdom in other ways—by opening businesses, by farming their land, by writing letters to friends, by raising and teaching children, by building and furnishing the temple, by building houses and stores, by raising funds for the poor, by healing people, by helping their neighbor. The list of ways that individuals chose to contribute to building Zion and gathering Israel in the nineteenth century was extensive, and in our time of ever increasing diversity, the list has grown exponentially.
While we likely think first of missionary work when we read the words, “A great and marvelous work is about to come forth unto the children of men . . . Behold, the field is white already to harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to reap, let him thrust in his sickle with his might, and reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God” (6:1,3; 11:1,3; 12:1,3; 14:1,3), we should not think exclusively of proselytizing because this was not the way then nor is it the way now that most of us will labor in God’s field. Rather, when we read these words, we should feel empowered to go to God with our ideas on how we wish to contribute to His work and see how He can help us make more of our ideas, more of our time, and more of our efforts than we ever could on our own. For as the next line in these revelations reminds us, we are not pursuing this work on our own. God is anxious to help us as we put forth our efforts: “Therefore, if you will ask of me you shall receive; if you will knock it shall be opened unto you” (6:5, 11:5, 12:5, 14:5). After praying for assistance, I have felt the Holy Spirit's guidance countless times in preparing lessons, writing articles, and meeting with students who are struggling. These moments of grace as I have seen my training, knowledge, and experience amplified to create works that inspire and build are among my most sacred witnesses of the reality of the Divine. Moments such as I have had while writing this book and feeling guided to write in a tone and style that is different from any of my previously published work are humbling and stretching. So, when I feel overwhelmed or too outside my comfort zone, I am encouraged by remembering that I am simply putting in my sickle to "assist to bring forth [his] work" like so many before me (6:9, 11:9; also 14:10, 12:8).
Significantly, the Lord calling people to be a part of His work and helping them to see that they are capable and needed does not end in 1829 with these five revelations to individuals. Rather, they set a precedent for the many other people who seek to know the Lord’s will for them through the Prophet Joseph Smith and who receive answers recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. Revelations given in the fall and winter of 1830 to David Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, John Whitmer, Thomas B. Marsh, Parley P. Pratt, Ziba Peterson, Ezra Thayer, Northrop Sweet, Orson Pratt, Sidney Rigdon, and Edward Partridge are canonized in D&C 30-36 and are favorites of mine. Like the sections we have discussed in this chapter, the revelations came because these individuals sought to know how the Lord would have them contribute to God’s kingdom. In the Lord's response we see that He knows these men as individuals—He knows their names, their talents, their desires, their strengths, and their weaknesses. He sees their potential, and He calls them to help Him in His work.
Even more important for us is that we know these calls did not end with the Doctrine and Covenants. They come to each of us individually today when our Church leaders call us to different responsibilities and when we read our patriarchal blessings or receive priesthood blessings. I hope our most frequent experience of these calls comes when we receive personal promptings through our efforts to hear God’s voice through prayer, scripture study, and our daily actions. These calls also come to us collectively through the words of living prophets, apostles, and other general Church leaders. Notable in terms of this chapter is one of the hallmarks of President Russell M. Nelson’s ministry—his repeated call to gather Israel. Recalling past scripture tradition while looking forward to the future, President Nelson invites all twenty-first-century members of the Church to join God in his work: “There is nothing happening on this earth more important than gathering Israel for Him. Let your Heavenly Father know that you want to help. Ask Him to put you to work in this glorious cause. And then stand back and marvel at what happens when you let God prevail in your life.”[1] Pausing to notice or remember our own reactions to invitations from prophets and apostles can help us connect to early Latter-day Saints. We can hear an echo of the Lord's earlier interactions with His people as modern prophets invite us to be a part of God’s work in ways that help us to feel needed, valued, and seen.
[1] President Russell M. Nelson, “Choices for Eternity,” Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, May 2022, churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults/2022/05/12nelson? . See also Russell M. Nelson and Wendy W. Nelson, “Hope of Israel,” Worldwide Youth Devotional, June 3, 2018, churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults/2018/06/hope-of-israel?; President Russell M. Nelson, “Let God Prevail,” Ensign, Nov. 2020, churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/46nelson?.