D & C 163  | |
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Doctrine and Covenants 163:
My Testimony
by Stephen M. Veazey
Many months before the 2007 World Conference, I began prayerfully focusing on
the needs and opportunities before the church. As I traveled throughout the
church, I listened carefully to the concerns and hopes of many. A few topics
were prevalent: church identity, priesthood accountability, the nature of
scripture, and the connection between belief in Christ and the call to engage in
justice and peacemaking.
During a retreat with ethnic ministers, statements of personal pain about the
prevalence of racism and sexism in the church moved me deeply. Despite our words
about “community in Christ” and the “worth of all persons,” it became obvious
that our behaviors and our vision are not in full alignment.
As the time for Conference approached, I scheduled time away from the busyness
of the office to ground myself in prayer, meditation, and scripture study. I
began to respond to a growing spiritual hunger to read prophetic writings from
the scriptures. I focused on some of the Old Testament prophets who were strong
voices for immigrants, the poor, and those people relegated to the fringes of
society.
I began to sense some emerging direction that I needed to bring to the church. I
am not sure how to describe this, except to say that I felt a drawing power that
focused my thinking on certain themes. I had a persistent awareness of truth
seeking expression in words. I wrestled in my mind and with my dictionary to
find words worthy of the truth I had met.
During a First Presidency retreat in January 2007, I asked my counselors to
review an early draft of the “Words of Counsel.” I believe it is important to be
accountable to others in matters of the Spirit. We easily assume our thoughts
are God’s thoughts because of our self-centered tendencies.
After reading the words, my colleagues shared helpful insights in response to my
questions and concerns. They encouraged me to stay open to the Spirit and to
take the time needed to continue to refine what I was sensing. The months before
World Conference were busy as the attention of the Presidency was increasingly
on the details of Conference and the proposed legislation that was coming in to
International Headquarters. Because of the press of organizational tasks, I had
to be intentional about finding time for continued prayer and meditation.
I also continued to wrestle with the Words of Counsel, never satisfied that what
I wrote was enough to express the divine will. In God’s presence, we become
acutely aware of the limits of our human abilities, including our language. The
experience is deeply humbling.
There came a point before World Conference when I knew I was going to share the
Words of Counsel, but I was not content with what I had prepared. I recall
sitting in my study at home. After prayer, I reached for the Hymns of the Saints
and turned to the section of hymns on revelation. I read beautiful expressions
describing the church’s yearning and openness for “yet more light and truth.”
Something surged in me and almost took my breath away. I experienced God’s
Spirit moving through an intense focus of consciousness and understanding.
I looked at the document again and experienced both a confirmation of direction
and need for further refinement. I strove for greater clarity. Some particular
phrases came to mind that I had not used before in teaching and preaching. For
example, in the closing paragraphs, I endeavored to express the essence of God’s
love for us and the blessings that would come if we responded. As I did, the
phrase “be vulnerable to divine grace” (paragraph 10b) came with great power.
I finished the text for the Words of Counsel the week before World Conference,
during the time the International Leaders Meeting (ILM) was occurring. I had
opportunity at ILM to teach ideas of peace found in the Doctrine and Covenants.
Because some of the participants were new members, I decided to begin by talking
about the nature of revelation as expressed in the Doctrine and Covenants. As I
was speaking, I experienced confirmation once again of the possible impact for
good of the Words of Counsel.
I approached the Sunday night service at World Conference with an unusual
mixture of calm and sense of responsibility. That afternoon, I had an
opportunity to chat with David Schaal, one of my counselors in the Presidency. I
asked him if the Words of Counsel were worthy of that title. He shared a
testimony of affirmation with particular spiritual insight that freed me from
any further hesitancy.
I will never forget approaching the podium on Sunday evening and looking out
over the multitude of faces in the conference chamber. I felt an overwhelming
love for our faith community and prayed the words of the message would bring
forth good fruit.
As I began speaking, I felt much peace and resolution. The conference chamber
was unusually silent; the people spiritually prepared to hear.
As pointed out in the preface to Section 163, I had not made a determination
then about what the eventual official status of the counsel would be. I was
striving to be open to the Spirit’s guiding as it might lead during the
Conference and beyond. I sincerely wanted to put the matter in the hands of the
church.
Following the evening service, I became aware of a growing possibility that
significant groups of people at the Conference would want to consider the
document formally for inclusion in the Doctrine and Covenants. However, I
decided not to rush a decision, but to remain open to what might happen.
By Monday afternoon, I began to receive correspondence, messages, and e-mails
from people at Conference and in other settings. Something was stirring and
taking on a life of its own. Messages from some young adults suggested the
counsel had given them hope for the church’s future and a clearer sense of
direction.
These types of responses continued into Tuesday. I read the letters, listened to
comments, and continued to pray. I received a moving letter from the Youth
Caucus, which included these words: “The bold challenges of earthly stewardship,
peace and justice ministries, and priesthood responsibilities left their
imprints in our hearts.”
I received similar letters from other caucuses, mass meetings, and quorums,
including the Council of Twelve. Each letter in its own way expressed the
sentiment that the Conference should have the opportunity to consider the Words
of Counsel for inclusion in the Doctrine and Covenants. Other letters came that
stated affirmation of the Words of Counsel with anticipation that the church
would engage in a time of discernment and implementation for some time into the
future.
On Wednesday, I met with the Council of Twelve to sustain the council officers,
after which we discussed their letter. We explored the issue of not canonizing
words of counsel too quickly, so the church could spend time probing the meaning
of the words. Surprisingly, even those most concerned about prompt formal action
suggested that, in this case, we should go ahead.
Wednesday afternoon I had a long talk with my counselors. We explored various
choices and probable implications. I recalled the words of President Robinson,
spoken many months before, that I should “remain open” to what could happen at
Conference.
I went home and retired to my study, where I sat in silence and prayed for
guidance. I reviewed the letters and comments I had received. I began to sense
the Words of Counsel were already working in the life of the church and would
continue to bear good fruit into the future.
When I thought about releasing the document for formal consideration, I felt a
peace at the center of my soul. However, when I thought about waiting, I had an
unsettled, even anxious feeling. I made a tentative decision to announce the
following morning that I was releasing the document for formal consideration and
action. I slept peacefully for the first time in several nights.
The next morning I told Dave Schaal and Becky Savage, my counselors, that I had
decided to go ahead with formal consideration and had prepared an announcement
to that effect. They gave their full support.
Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, several quorums asked me to meet with
them to share my thinking. I expected this, because I knew there was sentiment
in the Conference to affirm the document as inspired. I also knew there was the
wish to take more time to allow the church-at-large to engage in discernment
about its eventual standing. My difficulty was that I agreed with the latter
viewpoint based on principle and reason. However, I could not deny the Spirit
prompting me to go ahead. I simply decided to share my testimony with the
quorums and answer any questions as best I could.
I also decided to share my testimony about my decision with the entire assembly.
I tried to make it clear that this course of action was not a reversal of a
previous decision, but the result of spiritual discernment in the faith
community that had advanced in an unexpected but undeniable way.
The eventual action of the World Conference to approve the Words of Counsel for
inclusion in the Doctrine and Covenants was not the conclusion. Rather it was
the beginning of serious, churchwide discernment on the meaning of the ideas
contained in it.
We have much to talk about: the purpose of the church, the responsible use of
scripture, the nature of priesthood, and the purposes of the Temple. Each person
and congregation needs to discover prayerfully how to express the principles
outlined in Section 163 in local contexts.
In fact, the counsel itself poses one of the most critical discernment questions
before the church: As a prophetic people, “what matters most” with the use of
our time, attention, and resources in the days ahead?
I am certain, because of my experience with the birth of Doctrine and Covenants
163, of this: God has some big dreams for the church. How we choose to respond
to God’s vision for us as a prophetic people will make all the difference in the
years ahead.
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