Hank Smith: 00:01 Welcome to followHIM, a weekly podcast dedicated to helping individuals and families with their Come, Follow Me study. I’m Hank Smith.

John Bytheway: 00:09 And I’m John Bytheway.

Hank Smith: 00:11 We love to learn.

John Bytheway: 00:11 We love to laugh.

Hank Smith: 00:13 We want to learn and laugh with you.

John Bytheway: 00:15 As together, we followHIM.

Hank Smith: 00:20 Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of FollowHIM. My name is Hank Smith, and I am here with my faithful cohost, John Bytheway. Hi, John.

John Bytheway: 00:30 Hi, Hank.

Hank Smith: 00:31 You’re ever-faithful, John Bytheway.

John Bytheway: 00:32 Thanks.

Hank Smith: 00:33 Hey, we want to remind everybody that you can find the podcast on social media. We have an Instagram page. We have a Facebook page. Our wonderful Jamie Neilson runs those. So, come on over and check out all the extras that we have there. If you want to watch the podcast, rather than listen to it, you can find it on YouTube or OurTurtleHouse app. And if you want to go to our website, followhim.co, followhim.co. And please take time to rate and review the podcast, that really helps us out.

John Bytheway: 01:05 Hank, just last night, I was talking to somebody, who did not know that on the followhim.co website, not only does it have something called show notes with a list of references, but it has an entire transcript. And they’re like, “What?” People didn’t know. Maybe this thing is going to be a book when we’re done. There’s a transcript, if there’s something you missed, you want some extra details, go get that transcript. And I need to review them because I forget half of what we talk about. And it’s so nice to have that resource there. So, I just wanted to throw that in.

Hank Smith: 01:39 Okay, good. Thanks, John. Now, we are moving right along in the Doctrine and Covenants. We’re getting towards the end or in the triple digits on these sections. And we have a wonderful guest with us today. John, who’s with us?

John Bytheway: 01:54 Yes. Hank, thank you. Today, we have Dr. Frantz Belot. Dr. Belot was born in Haiti. He was raised in Montreal. He served a mission in Birmingham, Alabama. And he married Brandy Goodson, and they have five boys. That sounds like a lot of fun. And he’s the co-founder of Typhoom, a mobile-first platform that documents and improves safety, communication, productivity, and training.

John Bytheway: 02:23 And from 2011 to 2015, he worked with Imagine Learning, which provides a complete suite of adaptive digital curriculum and assessment solutions for pre-K through eighth in language development.

John Bytheway: 02:38 Dr. Belot obtained his PhD from BYU in educational leadership with an emphasis in organizational behavior. And his educational pension permeates all aspects of his life. He’s passionate about helping people, access education and training, so they can decrease skill gaps and positively impact lives, businesses and communities for good. And Hank, you have a personal connection. Why don’t you explain that?

Hank Smith: 03:03 Well, yeah. He’s now President Belot in my stake presidency. And this happened after I asked him to be on the podcast. Because honestly, John, if he would have been President Belot in my stake presidency, I don’t think I would have had the guts to ask him to come onto the podcast.

Hank Smith: 03:20 But yeah, I first met Bishop Belot when I was a member of the high council and I was able to work with him, and his word, just so impressed. I’ve always told him, if we could nominate apostles, this is who I would nominate. And he always says, “No, no, no.” Anyone who knows he and his wife, would know these are pretty incredible people. So, welcome, Frantz.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 03:44 Thank you.

Hank Smith: 03:45 Welcome to our podcast. Yeah. We’re excited to have you here.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 03:47 It’s a pleasure?

Hank Smith: 03:49 What was the mission in Birmingham, Alabama like?

Dr. Frantz Belot: 03:52 Oh, that’s a good question. I came from Montreal, where there was a lot of… it’s a melting pot. It’s a lot like New York City, but it’s French. Right? And so, when I went to Birmingham, Alabama, I was surprised by the segregation, to be honest with you. So, that took me a little bit by surprise. But then after this, the more you get to know the people, the more you realize that we were all the same, just trying to make the best out of life with the knowledge that we have.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 04:23 I came to love the people of Alabama. And I’d go again, like people say, because it was such a wonderful place to be. A very warm culture. There’s a reason it’s called the Bible Belt. They do believe in God. And that was always great to be speaking with them.

Hank Smith: 04:41 Right. Oh, that’s awesome. I didn’t know you served your mission there. So yeah, I bet you have some good stories.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 04:48 Yeah.

Hank Smith: 04:49 Hey, let’s jump into our lesson this week. We are covering a bunch of sections, right? 115 through 120, the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants. So, Dr. Belot Frantz, how far back do we need to go? What do we need to understand before we jump into 115?

Dr. Frantz Belot: 05:09 Great. So, I always try to understand a little bit of the context that we’re jumping into when we read the scriptures. So, I read a few things in Revelations in Context that I’d like to share to give us an idea of what’s going on when we jump into Section 115 through 120. So, if that’s okay with you, I’d like to just share a few things that are happening here.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 05:38 One of the things is that during the final months of 1837, apostasy began to affect the Church in Kirtland, right? And many Latter-day Saints were disillusioned by the financial losses. And there were heavy financial losses as a result of the Kirtland Safety Society. And they also began to reject because of that, they began to question the leadership and the prophetic mantle of the Prophet Joseph Smith, because temporarily things had been very difficult. And also, they were seeing a lot of people losing their faith for multiple reasons.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 06:19 So, and what made it even more challenging, you had dissenters that were members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the Seventies, and as well as the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. So, you’re looking at this situation and it’s a brand new church, and you look at this and you’re like, “Okay, what’s going on here?” Some of the apostles are apostatizing. The Three Witnesses or disillusioned as well. And it’s a very tenuous time for the Saints at this moment in time. And I would dare say for the Prophet Joseph as well, he must have been spending a lot of time on his knees.

Hank Smith: 07:02 I can’t imagine. John, what would it be like to see the leadership of the Church start falling off?

John Bytheway: 07:10 You would need this kind of steadying voice. You would need revelation to let you know, “Hey, this isn’t Joseph’s Church, this is mine. I got this.” And yeah, this would be a shaky time. And you’re constantly seemingly on the move. Now, we’ll build here. Now, we’ll build here. Now, we’ll build here.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 07:28 I think that’s a good point that you just brought there, John, that was causing a lot of… The contention was so difficult that they did have to move. So, and some of my notes, I also noted that in 1838, so the apostasy had become so widespread, as well as the threats of violence towards the Prophet Joseph Smith, that Sidney Rigdon and himself received divine instruction to abandon their labors in Kirtland, and to flee to Far West. So, another move, right? Like you were saying, John, there’s another move.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 08:07 And so, once they were in Missouri, it says here that the Lord, in the revelation pronounced Joseph’s labors finished in this way. Leaving Kirtland meant parting, not only from their homes, but from the Church’s largest stake and it’s first and only temple. So, you’re looking at a group of people that have sacrificed so much to build the Kirtland temple. And the Lord is saying, “This is time to go.” And he says, “Arise and get yourselves onto a land, which I shall show unto you, even the land flowing with milk and honey.” So, this is the context that we’re getting into in the Sections 115 through 120, that we’ll be talking about.

Hank Smith: 08:59 Can you imagine leaving that behind? I mean, Joseph Smith is coming off the best year of his life with 1836, and everything goes sour in 1837 and 1838. And he has to move to Missouri. Far West is a city that was basically, it’s almost brand new. It was created when the saints were driven out of Jackson County and they were spending those years in Clay County. It’s Alexander Doniphan, who, their lawyer, helps them create a county for them to live in. And they built this city of Far West. I mean, good thing, we did that, because Joseph has got somewhere to go. Well, this is a brand new city for Latter-day Saints. And here Joseph needs somewhere to flee to, and he has it, and all the Saints in Kirtland need somewhere to flee to.

John Bytheway: 09:52 And I just think of the name of the place, no, this is not just west. This is Far West. I mean, we are going way out there. And for all of us, we’re going, “Hey, you’re going to be going a lot farther west pretty much.” And finally, they’re just going to go so far that nobody can bug them for a while.

Hank Smith: 10:15 But so Joseph, I think, arrived in Far West in the beginning of 1838, and now he’s receiving revelation.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 10:27 Yeah. So, this is again the resilience of those individuals, right? I mean, we talk a lot about the prophet and the revelations that he’s been receiving, but we also have to think about the men here. It’s not easy to leave a home and then to go somewhere else. Plus, he had a wife and children and so on. And then all of a sudden he has to rebuild a lot of things.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 10:57 So, here I’ve learned that they were making plans for a new temple. So that’s, again, speaking of resilience. “Okay. We left Kirtland, we got to make a new temple.” They also were able to call new apostles, right? Which again is a testament that the Lord does not just let people stop his work. He inspired Joseph to call some of the greatest apostles and future prophets of the church, such as John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, who would later become President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 11:37 So, you see there that the Lord is still in control, like John was saying that we got this. I mean, this is difficult. They’re making decisions not to pursue and remain faithful to the covenants they’ve made, but the Lord has already prepared additional men, and I would say women to pick up the baton and to move forward. And now we jump into those sections and see what the Lord is saying to those great men.

Hank Smith: 12:04 Yeah. Both of these, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, I mean, these are huge names in our history and they come into the Quorum [of the Twelve] because of this apostasy. That’s a great point.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 12:15 From the comment that you say, Hank, it again, reminds me that difficult things many times, especially if we follow the Savior, turns out for our good. So, it’s more than just a saying on a sticker, it’s actually reality. And I’ve experienced this in my life as well. So, I just wanted to add that part.

John Bytheway: 12:37 Yeah. Often the most difficult part of our lives are what I think President Woodruff called them, the Lord can turn them into stepping stones to future opportunity. All right. Let’s jump into 115. Tell us what you want to do here.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 12:52 So, the heading tells us a little bit about what’s happening, right? It’s on April 26th, 1838. So, the Saints are wanting to know what to do. There seems to be a little confusion as to what should be the name of the Church. Does that remind you of something in the last few years? But there’s a little bit of confusion that’s happening there. And the Lord is also stating the purposes of stakes, right? Because at this moment in time the new stakes are being… There’s one in Kirtland, obviously, but there are new stakes, many members are moving in Far West. So, there are new stakes that need to be established.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 13:37 So, the Lord is providing some additional instructions on what’s happening there. A few things in verse 3 in Section 115, it says, “And also unto my faithful servants who are on the high council of my church in Zion, for thus it shall be called and unto all the elders, and people of my Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints scattered abroad in all the world.” And then the Lord makes a statement here, “For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I think it’s a powerful statement coming from the mouth of the Lord himself, while through the Prophet Joseph Smith. But it’s a revelation that the Lord gives the Prophet Joseph Smith, stating exactly what the Church should be called.

Hank Smith: 14:27 Yeah. And I really like this. I remember not knowing this for a long time that we had different names. And then, all of a sudden I realized for a while we were the Church of Christ, and then we were The Church of the Latter-day Saints. And then we become The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And I like that. I like that we went from, yes, this Church is about him. It’s also about us. And now, it’s about all of us. I really like the progression of almost a line upon line knowledge there, when it just comes to the three names we’ve had, The Church of Christ, The Church of the Latter-day Saints, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I think that’s wonderful. And then he says now, “Arise and shine forth.” That’s a great moment there. He announces the name of the Church and says, “Arise, shine forth, be a light to the world.”

John Bytheway: 15:27 And I think this is a great, very affirming from the law. People are feeling very shaky and Lord comes out and says as Frantz said, “We got this. I’ve got this. And this is what you’re going to call the Church.” I mean, that’s a message of we’re moving forward.

John Bytheway: 15:46 And I did in my Book of Mormon class, I researched what is the name of the Church in the Book of Mormon? And I have a PowerPoint slide of them. I can’t remember all of them, but the one that was the most used was The Church of God. It’s like 31 times in the Book of Mormon. But here the Lord names that I don’t think any of us would have picked a name this long. But I think like you said, Hank, it’s… I underlined in verse three and in verse four, I love that Jesus calls it, “My Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I was like, wow, listen, he’s owning it, “This is My Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” in verse three.

John Bytheway: 16:29 And like you said, Hank, it’s also our Church. It’s The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s ours too. And would it be okay if I read a paragraph from President Nelson, in his talk when he gave us that. I love the way he said it. This was a strong voice of a prophet. This is the third paragraph of that talk called, “The Correct Name of the Church.”

John Bytheway: 16:55 And President Nelson said, “Some weeks ago, I released a statement regarding a course correction for the name of the Church. I did this because the Lord impressed upon my mind the importance of the name he decreed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As you would expect responses to this statement and to the revised style guide had been mixed. Many members immediately corrected the name of the Church on their blogs and social media pages. Others wondered why, with all that’s going on in the world, it was necessary to emphasize something so inconsequential.” That’s in quotes. “And some said it couldn’t be done. So, why even try?”

John Bytheway: 17:36 “Let me explain why we care so deeply about the issue. But first, let me state what this effort is not. And there are five bullet points. It is not a name change. It is not rebranding. It is not cosmetic. It is not a whim. And it is not inconsequential. Instead, it is a correction. It is the command of the Lord. Joseph Smith did not name the Church, restored through him, neither did Mormon. It was the Savior himself who said, “For thou shall my Church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I loved how strong that was. This is a rebranding. This isn’t cosmetic. It’s not a whim.

Hank Smith: 18:20 I love it. That’s a beautiful thing. For me, it changed, I don’t even remember who showed this to me once, but there is a call to be better in the name of the Church, right? It’s The Church of Jesus Christ and you need to be a Saint. And for me, it’s The Church of Jesus Christ, I really want to be a Latter-day Saint. Right? I really do. I’m trying. Right?

John Bytheway: 18:46 It’s a name that we aspire to.

Hank Smith: 18:48 Yeah. I really want to be a Latter-day Saint. I really do.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 18:53 I love that, Hank. I do too. I mean, wherever I go, I’m like, I just want to be better. I just want to be gooder, if that’s the word, right?

Hank Smith: 19:02 I want to be Sainter.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 19:07 Exactly. So, and you want to be around people that are doing their best because life is so difficult at times. So yeah, I want to be a Latter-day Saint. And if I could go back to one of the comments that you made Hank, is the part that is in verse 5, where he says, “Verily I say to you all: Arise and shine forth.” Well, you can think of this also that the Lord wants His Church to shine.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 19:35 And with what John said, quoting President Nelson, “The Lord wants people to know that he does have a Church here on this earth.” And if I can go back to that talk, John, because I did some highlights there too. At one point, President Nelson says, “Consider this from his perspective, the perspective of the Savior.” He says, “Pre-mortally, he was Jehovah, God of the Old Testament. Under the direction of his Father, he was the Creator of this and other worlds. He chose to submit to the will of the Father and to do something for all of God’s children, that no one else could do, condescending to come to the earth as the Only Begotten of the Father and in the flesh.”

Dr. Frantz Belot: 20:22 And then he says, “After all that He had endured and after all He had done for humankind, I realized with profound regret that we have unwittingly acquiesced and the Lord’s Restored Church being called by other names, each of which, expunges the sacred name of Jesus Christ.”

Dr. Frantz Belot: 20:42 And then he continues, “When we omit His name from His Church, we are inadvertently removing Him as the central focus of our lives.” And that is a powerful statement. For me personally, that was the part that woke me up. Because at first I’m listening to this thought, I’m like, “Well, that’s nice. You just want to focus on the Church and so forth, and give it the proper name.” But it’s when President Nelson said that if we omit Him as the central part of the Church and I’m like, “Well, that is one thing I do not want to be guilty of. I want people to know it’s The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” And that really touched me when I heard that, and especially that scripture when he says, “Thus shall my church be called.”

Hank Smith: 21:38 Nice.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 21:38 I thought that was very interesting.

Hank Smith: 21:40 I love it. And the reason we have a modern prophet, I try to teach this to my students at BYU is, we have this because we need revelation adapted to our circumstances. Someone might say, “Oh, is President Monson wrong when he said, dare to be a Mormon?” Or President Hinckley, was he wrong? No, they weren’t wrong. The Lord said, “Look, circumstances have changed. We have revelation according to the circumstances, that’s why we have a living prophet.”

Hank Smith: 22:06 So, I was, “Yeah, I think the Lord is saying, “Yeah, it’s time to make a course correction because things are going to change. Your circumstances are changing, and this is going to be a needful thing.”

Hank Smith: 22:19 No, I would just say, one more thing is, I love that they have gone through probably 1838, I think ’37 and ’38 is going to be a dark, dark time for the Church. And I think this is almost like a reset for them. I think this is great that the Lord has given them a chance to have a new slate and said, “Hey, a new name, will give you a fresh start. He does that for us. Right? When we get baptized, we get a new name. When we go to the temple, we get a new name. And the idea is, it’s a fresh start. You’re a brand new person. So, I think that this, you’ve gone through a really dark time. And here’s a moment of, all right, a new name, fresh start, new apostles, like you said. Let’s get going. Let’s continue forward. So I think it’s a little maybe a shot in the arm of energy. What were you going to add there, John?

John Bytheway: 23:13 Yeah. I just, I totally agree. I remember I was listening to a post-game show after a basketball game, and I think it might be a common saying in sports, but the coach said, “Well, my team lost today because they played for the name on the back of their jerseys instead of the name on the front.” And I thought about the idea that when we take upon ourselves the name of Christ, we become members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So, we try to be that light to the world mentioned in verse five. And so, I’ve always loved that idea.

John Bytheway: 23:51 And another thing I was going to mention is that we don’t want the world to be confused about who we are. And I’ve heard this story. I don’t know if it’s apocryphal or not, but you may have heard it too. I’d love a source if somebody out there has it. But that was during Hurricane Katrina a few years back and we’ve just had a hurricane recently, but that somebody said, “That the only organizations that came to help us were the Mormons and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I’d love the source on that. But yeah, we’re confusing the world, who are we? And we want to make sure that they know. It was one of those when President Nelson gave the talk that inside, I kept saying, “Of course, of course, of course, that’s the revelation. This is what Jesus said to call the Church.”

Dr. Frantz Belot: 24:42 And another part of the Section 115 that’s interesting is, and I think that Hank, you’re the one who said that, it’s a new beginning, right? So, the Lord again, in verse eight says, “Therefore, I command you to build a house unto me, for the gathering together of my saints, that they may worship me.”

Dr. Frantz Belot: 25:03 At this moment in time in 1838, there was approximately the population of about 4,900 people with, it says, about 150 homes. So, there was a lot going on. And the Lord wanted to make sure that the people would be able to be endowed with power, just like the experienced in Kirtland. He wanted them to follow the pattern that He had given them.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 25:32 So, in verse 14, if you look, it says, “But let the house be built onto my name, according to the pattern which I will show unto them.” So again, the Lord has taken control, right? Of wanting to make sure that the Saints know what are the priorities here? For me, when I read that scripture, I know the priorities. We were missing apostles. The Lord calls apostles, right? And we left the place where the temple was. The Lord says we need to build another temple. So, it gives you a sense of the prophetic priorities in that revelation.

John Bytheway: 26:08 That same phrase is in Section 97, verse 10. I thought we’ve heard that before. And yeah, the footnote to 14 there, D&C, Doctrine and Covenants 97:10, “According to the pattern.” The Lord has a pattern. And help me out here, Hank. So, there is a temple in Kirtland. Did they find a site in Jackson County or is this only the second time they’d been commanded to build the temple?

Hank Smith: 26:34 No, they did find a site in Jackson County. If you remember, they dedicated the site on the hill, but never started it.

John Bytheway: 26:42 It never happened.

Hank Smith: 26:42 Never started it.

John Bytheway: 26:43 So, this is the third time. Okay. This is the third time to build a house.

Hank Smith: 26:48 And in this temple area, they actually dig out the foundation for it. And that area is still there. It’s that gated area, if you go out in the northern part of Missouri.

John Bytheway: 27:02 And there’s four stones. There’s hardly anything else there. It’s beautiful rolling hills. Right? And this gated area with four stones and a restroom.

Hank Smith: 27:12 Yeah. It’s interesting that there used to be a town of what? What did the President [Belot] say right there? Frantz said it is a town of almost 5,000 people.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 27:21 Exactly.

Hank Smith: 27:22 In Far West. And there’s nothing there today.

John Bytheway: 27:24 Yeah. You’d think there would be some cabins leftover. But it just looks like beautiful rolling Hills.

Hank Smith: 27:32 That’s a plowed through field. I have a question for you Frantz, that he talks about how a stake can be a defense and a refuge. And you just were put into the stake presidency in Mapleton, Utah. Have you learned anything about this idea of a stake being a defense and a refuge from the storm? Of course, I have a bias, but I love the stake you and I are in. I do see it as a refuge from the storm. Right? I’m surrounded by friends. And so, have you learned anything about how a stake can be a protection for the people? What have you learned, I guess?

Dr. Frantz Belot: 28:19 A very good question, Hank. I have to say that in my last three weeks, right? Because it’s only been three weeks. I’m sure there’s so much more to learn. But I can share with you that we’ve been spending a lot of time in meetings and extending calls, and so forth. And when we do so, there’s a lot of prayers that goes into this, and asking ourselves, “How will this benefit this individual for this calling?” But at the same time asking, “How it will benefit other people, too.”

Dr. Frantz Belot: 28:54 So, the thought is always, how will, whatever we do bring souls unto Christ, right? Or help them with their exaltation and salvation, or keeping them on the covenant path. However you want to say it. It’s always with that intent that we administer in a stake. And I would assume in all the stakes, that’s some similar thoughts that are going.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 29:19 But when you go to the Lord with this intent, you are creating some type of a refuge. You are preparing like Captain Moroni, the right defenses that are needed, the tower that you need to build. You hear from the members and from the bishops, and from the high counselors, and the great sisters what is going on and you pray and ask the Lord, how do we help in those areas? So, it becomes a very proactive work. And also to foresee, especially as we listen to the prophets and the apostles, to foresee the type of calamities that may be coming our way and to put in place the right defense, so defenses. Anyway, that’s a great question, but that’s what I’ve observed in the last three weeks.

Hank Smith: 30:08 I love that. I just love the idea of this group, this area of the Church being its own little refuge. I just think that is so, and of course, at the time we had a couple of stakes, where today, John, I don’t even know, you might know how many stakes there are. Thousands of these refuges, right? These defenses for people to go to and have that protection. I love the idea that the world is dotted with thousands of these.

John Bytheway: 30:41 Just last night, I attended a ward picnic. And seeing all those happy smiling faces, knowing that each one of them are having trials, medical trials, family trials, everything else. And just being gathered with them felt like a refuge. We are all in the same boat and we are pressing forward. And we’re happy and we’re eating food, and everything.

John Bytheway: 31:10 But as a former Bishop of that ward, I knew a little bit about what some were going through. And what a refuge, just to be able to meet with each other. And so, maybe that’s another way to think of it, is just, as you said, President, how will this call help others? And to be able to look around and say, “I’m so glad they’re here. I’m so glad they’re faithful. It strengthens my faith to see us all in this together.”

Hank Smith: 31:36 Yeah. The Lord mentions that twice, John, and that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, that’s for six. And then again, in verse eight, the gathering together, the building of the temple, they gathered together, their strength coming together.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 31:49 Can I say something on verse 19? It buttons up Section 115, when the Lord reveals again through the Prophet Joseph Smith, “For behold,  will be with him,” speaking about the Prophet Joseph, there were, as you know, by April 1838, both… Let me just make sure that I don’t misspeak here. But both Whitmer and Cowdery were excommunicated by early April, 1838. And I can only imagine that those were the friends of the prophet, right? And close associates. They had seen and felt, they had heard the voice of God. They knew. They knew.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 32:38 And like you were saying in the beginning, Hank, this is a very difficult time for the Prophet Joseph Smith. And we need to remember that this, with all of his great abilities and qualities, those are not easy moments for the man himself, right? Those are not easy moments.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 32:58 And I love the fact that in verse 19, the Lord recognizes the Prophet Joseph Smith. And he strengthens the fact that he is the Lord’s prophet, regardless of his weaknesses. He has been called. And the Lord says again, “For behold, I will be with him, and I will sanctify him before the people.” That already tells you that, of course Joseph needed some work, but so do I, so do all the millions of people that are in the Church and outside of the Church.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 33:34 So, the Lord says again, “I will sanctify him before the people; for unto him have I given the keys of this kingdom and ministry. Even so.” And then the Lord says, amen. So, I feel the spirit of this, of the Lord sustaining himself, his prophet, knowing that he’s been going through a very difficult time, and asserting or confirming to the people that, “This is my prophet. He does have the keys. I have given him those keys.” So, I love the way that this section ends. It really is, it boils me up and I’m like, “Way to go with Joseph, way to go.”

Hank Smith: 34:19 That’s fantastic and so positive. And I like what you said there. I wrote it down. “The Lord sustains his prophet,” gives him a… He’s still who he is, despite what anybody else is doing, even Oliver Cowdery or David Whitmer, “I am with him. I will sanctify him.”

John Bytheway: 34:36 It’s like, “This is my Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And he is my prophet. I will be with him. I will sanctify him. I have given him the keys.” I’m really glad you called that verse out. And Hank wasn’t you, who mentioned before, how nicely some of these sections end, is just, the Lord leaves everybody with a [inaudible 00:34:57].

John Bytheway: 35:00 I really want to apply that to me. I want the Lord to say, “I will be with him. I will sanctify.” Oh, that just sounds, for Joseph must have been nice. Like you said, Frantz, “I will sanctify him.” It’s like, “Yeah, he’s got some more work to do.” “But that’s what I do. I remake people. I make the creatures. So, I love it.

Hank Smith: 35:27 I love it too. I have to mention one thing before we leave the section. One of my favorite stories from church history, actually, if you look at verse 11, the Lord says, “In one year from this day, let them re-commence the laying of the foundation of my house.” And in one year from this day is going to be April of 1839.

John Bytheway: 35:52 There isn’t a miss on their calendars, right?

Hank Smith: 35:55 They’re supposed to be in Far West in one year’s time, April of 1839. But the problem is over the next year, they get driven out of the State of Missouri. So, you’ve got Brigham Young over in Illinois saying, “Well, we’re supposed to be in Far West on this day, this April 26th, 1838.”

Hank Smith: 36:15 And I shouldn’t act like I know all this. I’m getting it all from Alex Baugh. So Alex, if you’re listening, another shout out to you. He’s the one who taught me this. That there were some who said, “No, Brigham, you don’t need to go. You don’t need to be there.” He said, “The will is the deed.” Meaning, the Lord understands you want to be there, but if we go back into Missouri of this April ’39, you could put your life in danger by going back. But there’s Brigham Young saying, “No, this has to happen.”

Hank Smith: 36:49 In fact, there’s a man, an apostate member of the Church named Isaac Russell, who says that is a prophecy that will not get fulfilled, right? He just absolutely says it, it will not get fulfilled because they’ve been driven out of the state. But Brigham Young takes some members of the Twelve. They sneak in, in the middle of the night. They are there.

John Bytheway: 37:13 It’s a great story.

Hank Smith: 37:15 As midnight turns over, they are there. A year later on April of ’39, they put the cornerstones in place. They set apart Wilford Woodruff as an apostle. And they sneak back out. They sneak back out into Illinois.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 37:33 I didn’t know that.

Hank Smith: 37:35 Oh, this is a great story.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 37:37 This is an awesome story.

Hank Smith: 37:39 There’s a man named Theodore Turley, who was with him, and he just can’t leave without telling Isaac Russell that they fulfilled the prophecy. So, as they’re going back into Illinois, he actually stops at Isaac Russell’s house, the apostate knocks on the door. Sister Russell opens the door and says, “It’s Brother Turley.” And Isaac Russell comes out, “What? It can’t be Brother Turley.” And Brother Turley said something to the effect of, “We’ve just been over to the temple site with the Twelve. And we’re heading back to Illinois.” Almost like, “Ha! Well, we fulfilled the prophecy.” An Aha Moment. It’s a great moment.

John Bytheway: 38:22 Yeah. The theological term for that is “neener, neener,” I think. No, this idea of, we want to make sure this prophecy happens, that ought to be a movie. That’s a fun little story.

Hank Smith: 38:35 Yeah. They sneak over. I just think it’s a classic moment, in the middle of the night. But Brigham Young, I think he was the one who said, “Joseph made a prophecy and I worked to fulfill it.” Right? “That’s my job.” And again, I got to thank Alex Baugh for that. He’s the one that told me that story. I don’t know if it’s well-known, but it is with Alex, because he knows everything as you know. All right. Well, are we ready to move on, Frantz? What do you want to do next?

Dr. Frantz Belot: 39:04 Yeah. Section 116. I mean, it’s such a short section. A little bit of the background on this that I’ve learned is that they came to a prominent knoll or little hill mount, if you will, called Spring Hill. And on this strip, Joseph received the revelation known today as the Doctrine and Covenants Section 116, which again, identifies the region, Adam-ondi-Ahman, because he said, it is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people or the Ancient of Days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the Prophet.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 39:44 I mean, it’s a needed section, right? I’ve asked myself, okay, it’s only one verse, right? It’s a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith. But again, it talks about prophecies, right? Hank. The Lord says that Adam shall come to visit his people there, just like Daniel prophesied. And the Lord wants us to be aware that Adam himself will meet there with the Saints to instruct them. And I think that’s really a powerful verse.

Hank Smith: 40:16 Yeah. We’re looking forward to this. John, who was it? I think it was Dr. Mike Wilcox, who said, part of partaking of the sacrament is just looking backward at the Savior’s life and Atonement, but also looking forward to this future feast.

John Bytheway: 40:42 To this huge sacrament meeting, we’re going to have some of it.

Hank Smith: 40:42 Yeah. This future sacrament meeting. Section 27, where the list of the people who will be part of this, Elijah.

John Bytheway: 40:49 And with Moroni.

Hank Smith: 40:52 John.

John Bytheway: 40:52 Oh, I love that.

Hank Smith: 40:53 Joseph, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham. I mean, these are the fathers. And of course, their spouses, right? Sarah, Rachel, Rebecca, just Peter, Jame,s and John. I mean we look forward to this-

John Bytheway: 41:07 To a big sacrament meeting some day.

Hank Smith: 41:09 Right. Yeah.

John Bytheway: 41:12 There’s a statement that Sister Susan Easton Black made in her book. She’s got a book called 400 Questions and Answers About the Doctrine and Covenants. And she said, Section 116 is the first mention of Adam-ondi-Ahman in holy writ. However, the name Adam-ondi-Ahman was familiar to Latter-day Saints before the revelation was received by Joseph Smith on May 19th, 1838.

John Bytheway: 41:36 For example, the hymn, Adam-ondi-Ahman by W.W Phelps was sung at the Kirtland Temple Dedication in March of 1836. So, I didn’t know that the hymn was written before this revelation. So, somehow that phrase Adam-ondi-Ahman was known before.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 41:53 The importance of that section to me is the fact that the Lord is really connecting the spiritual history of that place of Adam. It tells you that once upon a time he was there, and also the spiritual future of what will take place there. So, when it seemed that the Church was on the brink of collapsing, I think this revelation reminds us that, it reminded Joseph and the Saints that there’s something sacred that will take place in the Church and for all of our Father in Heaven’s children. That’s a remarkable revelation, given the context of seeing everything that’s going on with the apostasy.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 42:41 And the Lord said, “Adam will come and many of the prophets of old will be there too.” So, I don’t know if it sounded like, “Are you kidding me? Is this really going to happen?” Especially given the current situation. But it will, the Lord said it.

John Bytheway: 43:04 Speaking of just the broad view the Lord has, in fact in the last section, Section 115, He said, “That thy light may be a standard for the nations.” He’s not just thinking of Kirtland or Far West, or Jackson, but a real future view that we’re going to take this gospel to the nations.

Hank Smith: 43:26 Yeah. That’s great. Both of you, I’d never seen that section in that way. But I think you’re right on their Frantz, the idea that they may be a little shaken by what’s happened over the last year, and the Lord saying, “No, no, no. The future is still in place.” Almost like a little patriarchal blessing reassurance for the Church, right? It’s still well on its way to what it needs to become. And there’s probably times where all of us need to have that reassurance, that the Church is well on its way to its destiny. What is the Standard of Truth? “No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing.” Yeah.

John Bytheway: 44:03 Now, I like the one, “A man might as well put forth his puny arm and stop the Missouri and its course, than to stop the revelation from coming.” That’s coming up later on.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 44:16 And then, to talk a little bit about this in our context today in 2021, you sometimes hear a lot of people trying to be sensational about, “Oh, members are leaving the Church in droves. And what’s going to happen to the Church?” Or, “We don’t like what President Nelson in the First Presidency sent us pertaining to vaccines and the masks. And we don’t like what Elder Holland just said at Brigham Young University.” And then there’s so many different things that you hear. And then sometimes people fear in their hearts that, “Oh, what’s happening to the Church? And is it going to still be there? Is it going to be solid or are we going to have a bunch of members leaving?”

Dr. Frantz Belot: 45:07 And to your point, Hank, the Lord as already, we know the end of this saga. There’s no surprises, right? It’s been written in the holy scriptures. It’s been prophesied. We know the end of the saga. We know that the Lord comes. There is a Second Coming. We know that when He comes back, He will find His Church healthy. The people who will keep their covenants, will keep their covenants. Sure, and between those, there are going to be ups and downs, disappointments, heartaches, but a lot of joy too, a lot of laughter, just like what you were saying, John, when you went to the ward picnic. There’s a lot of laughter, even though there’s some difficulties.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 45:51 But my testimony in all of this has been strengthened to know that the Lord will find his Church the way that he said. It will be a standard. And this will be because of the good men and women, and children who would have kept our covenants or who are keeping their covenants. So, it’s really a powerful reminder that things are moving forward, although there will be bumps in the road.

Hank Smith: 46:20 Yeah. I think it’d be a great time. I want to read this. I know both of you know it. And it’s, our producer, Steve and Shannon Sorenson, it’s maybe their most beloved saying of the prophet, “The standard of truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent until it has penetrated every continent, visited every climb, swept every country and sounded in every year, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished. And the great Jehovah shall say, ‘The work is done.’”

Hank Smith: 47:07 It’s been written. The end has been written. And the Church as well on its way to that end. Wow. I love that. That came out of Section 116, this small little six lines of scripture.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 47:22 To give some more insights here, when we read revelations in context, and during Section 117, we learned that throughout the summer of 1838, the Saints continued together to Far West and Adam-ondi-Ahman, and other Mormon settlements in Northern Missouri. And I use the word Mormon, but I should say The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints settlements, right?

Dr. Frantz Belot: 47:51 In accordance with the commitment to build Far West, the cornerstones were laid for a temple in that community. And soon a site had also been selected for a temple in that location.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 48:03 Now, the interesting thing about this is that the peace and abundance the Saints were enjoying in Northern Missouri was short-lived. There was mistrust and suspicion between the Missourians and the Latter-day Saints. And then violence erupted in August of 1838, and a series of armed conflicts known as, it was called as “The Missouri Mormon War” culminated with the imprisonment of Joseph and the expulsion of the Latter-day Saints from Missouri.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 48:35 So, a lot of things are happening. There’s a short-lived rejoicing. And yet, you find that the Saints are continuing to move forward. And Section 117 the Lord, there’s some great verses I want to highlight there, but the Lord tells them to keep at it, even if they seem that they’re not winning this battle.

Hank Smith: 49:03 I think that that’s exactly right. They’re going to have this little moment of peace, almost the eye of the storm, and then it’s going to pick back up again. And that’s life, isn’t it? I mean, I would love to say, the Lord, we go through this difficulty and he says, “Okay, you’re done for a while. Just have a good solid ten years of peace.” And it’s not to be. It’s a good solid ten days of peace. And then the storm picks back up again. And that is mortality, isn’t it? That’s life, which is, it’s hard. It’s really hard.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 49:46 Although things are very difficult, I should say, He’s still instructing his Saints to be good. Right? In verse 4 in Section 117, He says to the people, He says, “Let them repent of all their sins and all of their covetous desires, before me, saith the Lord.” And I love that statement. “For what is property on to me,” saith the Lord.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 50:14 So, there is a little bit of mistrust. People are coveting their property. They’re wondering, “Okay, this is mine.” And then the Lord is saying, “Hey, guys, we could do better. We could be better.” And to know that we’re building the kingdom of God and we’re not building you, well, yes, we’re building you in a way, but we’re also building the kingdom of God.

Hank Smith: 50:37 Right. We’re not building the kingdom of Smith here.

Dr. Frantz Belot: 50:40 That’s exactly right.

Hank Smith: 50:41 I like that question, “For what is property under me?”

John Bytheway: 50:49 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. He’s got it all ready. And I like too, that as he continues in verse 6, it’s kind of the all flushes in mine hands, but it’s a little longer version of that. “I made the fowls of heaven, the fish of the sea, the beasts of the mountains. Have I not made the earth? Do I not hold the destinies?” It’s like,” I haven’t lost my power.”

Hank Smith: 51:16 My son and I like to look at nice trucks. We’d like to look at nice trucks. So, when they drive by, he’s like, “Dad, look at that truck.” And I’m like, “Oh, that’s a great truck.” Right. I think there’s a little covetous desire there, right? And I can hear the Lord saying, “What is a Ford F-150 unto me?” Right? “Come on. It’s a toy, Hank. Stop.” “Repent of all their sins and all their covetous desires.” Wow. That’s a reality check, isn’t it?

Dr. Frantz Belot: 51:50 Yeah. It really is a reality check. And I was laughing hard at the Ford F-150, because I love cars. Right? And sometimes, unfortunately I find myself coveting about some cars, but the reality check that you said is really true. When I read those verses or particularly, that part of that verse, it just reminds me really, that if we focus on the Lord, the promise is that everything that He has will be ours. If it’s something that is consuming our thoughts of what will I get, what the Lord tells us, “That everything that’s mine will be yours.” Meanwhile, focus on what’s important, helping My children find their path, helping them return back, and supporting them when they go through difficult times.” It just reminds you that we, His children, are really the central part of His mission to bring our immortality and eternal life.

Hank Smith: 53:01 Please join us for Part II of this podcast.