Doctrine and Covenants 18:1-16

1. Doctrine & Covenants
18:1-16
Hamilton Seminary
30 September 2014

2. What is a foundation?

3. FOUNDATION
On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m., an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter
scale hit the San Francisco, California, area of the United States. Thousands of
buildings were damaged or destroyed. The foundations of many buildings
cracked, which caused the buildings to be declared unsafe.
What concerns would you have about living in a house with a weak foundation?

4. FOUNDATION
Doctrine and Covenants 18 records the Lord’s revelation to Joseph Smith and Oliver
Cowdery regarding how to build His Church on a secure foundation. At the beginning
of this revelation, the Lord refers to the things Oliver Cowdery had written, meaning
the words of the Book of Mormon that Oliver had recorded while acting as a scribe
for the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:1–4 aloud. Look for how the things written in the
Book of Mormon would help in the building up of the Church.
What did the Lord say was in the Book of Mormon?
How could the teachings in the Book of Mormon help in the building up of the
Church?

5. Foundation
Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:5 aloud. Identify what the Savior promised if
we would build His Church on the foundation of His gospel.
According to verse 5, what is the true Church to be built upon?
What does the Lord promise us as we build His Church on the foundation of
His gospel?

6. Foundation
Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:6 with a partner and look for how the Lord
describes the world we are living in.
What did you find?
Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:9 to learn what the Lord commanded in
response to the increasing iniquity in the world.
What was the Lord’s response to the increasing iniquity in the world?

7. Foundation
The Lord called Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to preach
repentance, as He had called the ancient Apostle Paul to do. While
Oliver and David were not called to be members of the Quorum of
the Twelve Apostles, they would have roles in establishing this
quorum in the latter days. We will learn more about Oliver Cowdery
and David Whitmer’s roles in the next lesson.

8. What would you pay?

9. What would you pay?

10. What would you pay?

11. What would you pay?

12. What would you pay?

13. What would you pay?

14. What would you pay?

15. What would you pay?

16. What would you pay?

17. What would you pay?
One way to determine an object’s worth is to find out what people would be
willing to pay for it. Someone might claim that a particular object is worth a
certain amount of money, but this price is accurate only if another person is
willing to pay that amount for the object.

18. What worth?
Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 aloud.
How does this verse explain our value in the eyes of God?
Why do you think you are of such great worth to God?

19. The Worth of Souls is Great

20. The Worth of Souls is Great

21. The Worth of Souls is Great
An item’s worth is based on what someone is willing to pay for it.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:11–12. What was the Savior was willing to
pay for us?
What price did the Savior pay for our souls?
How can we show gratitude for the sacrifice the Savior has made for us?

22. The Worth of Souls is Great
My worth is so great that Jesus Christ
suffered and died so I can repent.
Write this principle in you scriptures or scripture study journals!
How might this truth influence how you see yourself ?
How might this truth influence the way you treat other people?

23. The Worth of Souls is Great

24. The Worth of Souls is Great!
Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:13 silently.
Why do you think the Lord feels great joy when we repent?
If someone believes that the worth of souls is great in the sight of God, then
what might their belief lead them to do?

25. The Worth of Souls is Great!
“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember
that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature
which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror
and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we
are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in
the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection
proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all
friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never
talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization—these are mortal, and their
life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with,
marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.” C. S. Lewis, The
Weight of Glory

26. The Worth of Souls is Great!
Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:14 silently to learn what the
Lord called Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to do.
What do you think it means to “cry repentance”?
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
“Crying repentance simply means helping people return to God.”
What are some ways we can help others repent?

27. The Worth of Souls is Great!
Read Doctrine and Covenants 18:15–16 to learn what individuals experience
when they help someone come unto Jesus Christ.
What blessings are given to those who help others come unto Jesus Christ?
Why do you think you will feel joy if you bring others to Jesus Christ?

28. The Worth of Souls is Great!
Share an experience in which either you or someone you know felt joy because
they helped someone grow closer to the Lord.

29. Scripture Mastery
10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;
11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore
he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.

30. Scripture Mastery
15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto
this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy
with him in the kingdom of my Father!
16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto
me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should
bring many souls unto me!

31. Tomorrow!
Doctrine and Covenants
18:17–47
Remember Devotional Assignments
Be On Time