Doctrine and Covenants 84 – “The Power of Godliness”

July 26, 2021 to August 1, 2021

In September 1832, Joseph Smith listened to the accounts of elders returning from missions in the eastern United States. He said, “While together in these seasons of joy, I enquired of the Lord and received the following” (Doctrine and Covenants 84).

 

“A Culmination of Learning: D&C and the Doctrine of the Priesthood,” Matthew C. Godfrey, You Shall Have My Word: Exploring the Text of the Doctrine and Covenants
This article shows the steps by which Joseph Smith learned about the priesthood’s power, function, and structure. “Section 84 did not just spring into being in September 1832, but rather many of the concepts revealed therein were taught to Joseph prior to that time.”

“The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood (D&C 84),” S. Brent Farley, Sperry Symposium Classics: The Doctrine and Covenants
A verse-by-verse discussion of D&C 84:33-48. The author writes of 84:48: “This is the apex, the grandest key in understanding the oath and covenant of the priesthood: a man who holds and honors the Melchizedek Priesthood will be taught of that holy covenant by revelation from God.

“Historical Introduction to D&C 84,” “Revelation, 22-23 September 1832 [D&C 84],” Joseph Smith Papers
The history of receiving D&C 84, “explaining the two priesthoods and commissioning the Apostles to preach the gospel.”

“Priesthood Offices,” Bruce T. Harper, Encyclopedia of Mormonism
“Priesthood offices are appointments or callings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to serve in specified areas of priesthood responsibility.”