The Jewels of God
Leave it to me to be attracted to the more obscure verses in the revelations of the Doctrine and Covenants. I have a hard time being interested in the instructions given to the individuals mentioned in the sections describing their specific missions. While the instructions can apply to us as we receive callings, the fact that we have nearly 200 years as an established church, with protocols for everything, means that we don’t need the prophet to receive specific instructions for each of us. So, when I read verses like the ones below, I wonder about why they were included in the middle of the more mundane instructions.
Doctrine and Covenants 60:4, “For I, the Lord, rule in the heavens above, and among the armies of the earth; and in the day when I shall make up my jewels, all men shall know what it is that bespeaketh the power of God.” And then, as a bookend to this, we have, Doctrine and Covenants 63:58-62, “For this is a day of warning, and not a day of many words. For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in the last days. Behold, I am from above, and my power lieth beneath. I am over all, and in all, and through all, and search all things, and the day cometh that all things shall be subject unto me. Behold, I am Alpha and Omega, even Jesus Christ. Wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips— For behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority. Wherefore, let the church repent of their sins, and I, the Lord, will own them; otherwise they shall be cut off. Remember that that which cometh from above is sacred, and must be spoken with care, and by constraint of the Spirit; and in this there is no condemnation, and ye receive the Spirit through prayer; wherefore, without this there remaineth condemnation.”
So what are we to make of these verses? There is a pattern to them. “For I, the Lord, rule in the heavens above, and among the armies of the earth;” corresponds to “For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in the last days. Behold, I am from above, and my power lieth beneath. I am over all, and in all, and through all, and search all things, and the day cometh that all things shall be subject unto me.” Then we have, “…and in the day when I shall make up my jewels” correlates to, “Wherefore, let the church repent of their sins, and I, the Lord, will own them; otherwise they shall be cut off.” And finally, “…all men shall know what it is that bespeaketh the power of God.” is expanded upon with, “I am Alpha and Omega, even Jesus Christ. Wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips— For behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority.”
What are the jewels of God, and what is their purpose? Malachi 3:16-19 explains, “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” Isaiah describes them as, “a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord” and Zechariah, “for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.” The jewels are a prized possession of the Lord that bespeak of his glory and power.
In essence, becoming a jewel in the crown of God’s glory is accomplished by obedience and covenant-keeping. The resulting effect is that we become a living ensign and testimony of the power of God’s work on the earth. As we bear the name of the Lord and do his work, we must do it with the glory of God as our objective, not our glory. The warning in the verses above is, “Wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips— For behold, verily I say, that many there be who are under this condemnation, who use the name of the Lord, and use it in vain, having not authority.”
The authority of God is distinct from a person who holds an office in the priesthood. We know that when priesthood is exercised as a means of controlling others, the Lord says, “…but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.”
Being one of God’s jewels is a significant responsibility. We must maintain cleanliness and brightness. Gemstones are hard and brittle, yet they can be polished to reflect light and sparkle. Properly polished, we reflect God’s light and glory, like a jewel in a crown. Embedded in the gospel as a stone surrounded by gold, we are protected from shattering. Attempting to stand apart or use priesthood authority for vanity makes us vulnerable. It is incumbent on us to be a humble instrument in the hands of the Lord to be shaped, polished and mounted in his crown. With responsibility come blessings.
I hope this made sense. Finding these little treasures (pun intended) in the scriptures can make them less mundane and more thought-provoking. After all, the purpose of scripture is to make us think and evaluate ourselves against their standards.
Happy Father’s Day.