D&C 12–17: Fellow Servants

Segment 1

Scriptures:
D&C 12:1 (What is your great work)

Words of the General Authorities:
Wait till next year, and then the next year. Eat your vitamin pills. Get some rest. It's going to be exciting. (Russell M. Nelson, Interview with President Nelson and Elder Steveson in Chile, from Church Newsroom)

Segment 2

Scriptures:
D&C 4:1, 6:1, 11:1, 12:1, 14:1, 18:44 (Marvelous works)

Words of the General Authorities:
The worst fear that I have about [members of this Church] is that they will get rich in this country, forget God and his people, wax fat, and kick themselves out of the Church and go to hell. This people will stand mobbing, robbing, poverty, and all manner of persecution, and be true. But my greater fear for them is that they cannot stand wealth; and yet they have to be tried with riches. (quoted in Preston Nibley, Brigham Young: The Man and His Work [1936], 128, referenced in April 2002 Liahona)

Segment 3

Scriptures:
D&C 13:1 (Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood)
CR: JSH 1:66-71
CR: Oliver Cowdery’s account (from Messenger and Advocate, vol. 1 (October 1834), pp. 14–16, recorded in Joseph Smith–History 1)

Segment 4

Scriptures:
JSH 1:73-74 (Ordinances of the gospel)

Words of the General Authorities:
Every woman and every man who makes covenants with God and keeps those covenants, and who participates worthily in priesthood ordinances, has direct access to the power of God. Those who are endowed in the house of the Lord receive a gift of God’s priesthood power by virtue of their covenant, along with a gift of knowledge to know how to draw upon that power. (Russell M. Nelson, “Spiritual Treasures”, October 2019 General Conference)

What does it mean to have access to priesthood power? It means that we can receive revelation, be blessed and aided by the ministering of angels, learn to part the veil that separates us from our Heavenly Father, be strengthened to resist temptation, be protected, and be enlightened, and made smarter than we are—all without any mortal intermediary. (Sheri Dew, Women and the Priesthood, p. 125)

Segment 5

Scriptures:
D&C 17 (Three Special Witnesses)
D&C 17:3-9 (Responsibility of the witnesses)

Witnesses Scripture Chain:
2 Corinthians 13:1
D&C 5:11-15
D&C 6:28
2 Nephi 27:12-13
Ether 5:2-4
D&C 17:1-2

Words of the General Authorities:
Witnesses and witnessing are vital in God’s plan for the salvation of His children. In the Godhead, the function of the Holy Ghost is to bear witness of the Father and the Son. The Father has borne witness of the Son, and the Son has borne witness of the Father. The Lord has commanded His servants to testify of Him, and all of the prophets have borne witness of Jesus Christ. (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Witness: Martin Harris”, April 1999 General Conference)

Father, mother; you do not know [how] happy I am; the Lord has now caused the plates to be shown to three more besides myself.—they have seen an angel, who has testified to them; and they will have to bear witness to the truth of what I have said; for now they know for themselves, that I do not go about to deceive the people. And I feel as if I was relieved of a burden, which was almost [too] heavy for me to bear; and it rejoices my heart, that I am not any longer to be entirely alone in the world. (Joseph Smith, Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1845, recorded at josephsmithpapers.org)

Segment 6

Scriptures:
Testimony of Three Witnesses
Testimony of Eight Witnesses

Words of the General Authorities:
According to the New Testament Gospel accounts in Mark and Luke, Heavenly Father spoke directly to Jesus at His baptism, saying, “Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” When we embark on the covenant path through baptism, I can imagine Heavenly Father saying a similar thing to each of us: “Thou art my dear child in whom I delight. Keep going.” (Dale G. Renlund, “Accessing God’s Power through Covenants”, April 2023 General Conference)

Artwork:
Mary Whitmer and Moroni by Robert T. Pack