Lesson 11: "The Field is White Already to Harvest"

7/30/2019 Lesson 11: "The Field is White Already to Harvest"

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To download past handouts, go to: highlandvalleysundayschoolnotes2012.blogspot.com

#1 Joseph Knight, Sr.: Now, he could not

translate but little, being poor and [having]nobody to write for him but his wife, andshe could not do much and take care of herhouse, and he being poor and [having] nomeans to live but work. ...I let him havesome little provisions and a pair of shoesand three dollars in money to help him a lit-tle.(Stephen E. Robinson and H. Dean Garrett,A Commen-tary on the Doctrine and Covenants, 41)

#2 President Joseph Fielding Smith:This revelation is very short, onlyseven verses, but it contains suffi-cient counsel and instruction for alife-time of study. No one has yet

mastered it. It was not intended as a per-sonal revelation to Joseph Smith, but to beof benefit to all who desire to embark in theservice of God. It is a revelation to each

member of the Church Perhaps there isno other revelation in all our scriptures thatembodies greater instruction pertaining tothe manner of qualification of members ofthe Church for the service of God, and insuch condensed form than this revelation. Itis as broad, as high and as deep as eternity.No elder of the Church is qualified to teach

in the Church, or carry the message of Salvation to the world, until he has absorbed

part at least, this heaven-sent instruction.(Church History & Modern Revelation, 33)

#3 The words of the Lord to the Prophetsfather: For behold the field is white alreadto harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in hissickle with his might, the same layeth up instore that he perisheth not, but bringeth savation to his soul(D&C 4:4).

In a later revelation to Hyrum Smith the

Lord said: Behold, the field is white alreadto harvest; therefore, whoso desireth to relet him thrust in his sickle with his might,and reap while the day lasts, that he maytreasure up for his soul everlasting salvatioin the kingdom of God(D&C 11:3).

And to Ezra Thayre and Northrop Sweetthe Lord said: For behold, the field is whitalready to harvest; and it is the eleventh

hour, and the last time that I shall call laboers into my vineyard(D&C 33:3).

Brigham Young with his brothers (c. 187

Left to Right, Lorenzo, Brigham,Phineas, Joseph, and John.

Photographer: C.R. Savage

Samuel Smith


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#5 Elder Neil L. Andersen: Assurely as the Lord has inspired mo

missionaries to serve, He is alsoawakening the minds and openingthe hearts of more good and hone

people to receive His missionaries. You al-ready know them, or will know them. Theyare in your family and live in your neighborhood. They walk past you on the street, sitby you in school and connect with youonline. You too are an important part of th

unfolding miracleI promise as you pray to know with

whom to speak, names and faces will comeinto your mind. Words to speak will be givein the very moment you need them. Opportunities will open to you. Faith will overcomdoubt and the Lord will bless you with youvery own miracles

Please keep the full-time missionaries i

your thoughts and prayers. Trust them wityour family and friends.(CR, April 2013)

#4President Gordon B. Hinckley:You dont know how much goodyou can do; you cant foresee theresults of the effort you put in.Years ago, President Charles A. Cal-

lis, then a member of the Quorum of the

Twelve, but who previously was president ofthe Southern States Mission for twenty-fiveyears, told me this story. He said that he hada missionary in the southern [United States]who came in to get his release at the conclu-sion of his mission. His mission presidentsaid to him, Have you had a good mission?He said, No. How is that?

Well, I havent had any results from mywork. I have wasted my time and my fa-thers money. Its been a waste of time.Brother Callis said, Havent you baptized

anyone?He said, I baptized only one person dur-

ing the two years that I have been here.That was a twelve-year-old boy up in theback hollows of Tennessee.

He went home with a sense of failure.Brother Callis said, I decided to follow thatboy who had been baptized. I wanted toknow what became of him. I followed him through the years. He

became the Sunday School Superintendent,and he eventually became the branch presi-dent. He married. He moved off the littletenant farm on which he and his parents be-

fore him had lived and got a piece of groundof his own and made it fruitful. He becamethe district president. He sold that piece ofground in Tennessee and moved to Idahoand bought a farm along the Snake Riverand prospered there. His children grew.They went on missions. They came home.They had children of their own who went onmissions.

Brother Callis continued, Ive just spentweek up in Idaho looking up every membeof that family that I could find and talking them about their missionary service. I dis-covered that, as the result of the baptism othat one little boy in the back hollows of

Tennessee by a missionary who thought hehad failed, more than 1,100 people havecome into the Church.You never can foretell the consequences

of your work, my beloved brethren and sisters, when you serve as missionaries(Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 36061).

#6 President Hinckley: This is a season othousand opportunities. It is ours to graspand move forward. What a wonderful time is for each of us to do his or her small partin moving the work of the Lord on to itsmagnificent destiny.(CR, Nov. 1997)


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(Joseph Smith: About the same time (May 1829) an old gentleman came to visit us of whose name I wish to make honorable mentionMrJoseph Knight, Sen., of Colesville, Broome county, New York, who, having heard of the manner in which we were occupying our time, verykindly and considerately brought us a quantity of provisions, in order that we might not be interrupted in the work of translation by the wansuch necessaries of life; and I would just mention here, as in duty bound, that he several times brought us supplies, a distance of at leastthirty miles, which enabled us to continue the work when otherwise we must have relinquished it for a season. (History of The Church of JeChrist of Latterday Saints, 7 vols., introduction and notes by B. H. Roberts)

A few days later, Father Knight visited the couple and gave them some money to buy paper for the translation. Joseph Knight, Jr., recalledthat, prior to Oliver Cowderys arrival, Father and I often went to see him and carry him something to live upon. Mrs. Knight was not yet believer, so in March 1828 her husband took her by sled to visit the Smiths. He wrote, Joseph talked with us about his translating and som

revelations he had received. And from that time my wife began to believe. In early [1829], when Oliver Cowdery became Joseph Smithsscribe, the two visited Father Knight, seeking provisions. Father Knight paid for and delivered a barrel of mackerel, about ten bushels of graand six of potatoes, a pound of tea, and some lined paper for writing. The two rejoiced at the food and paper, and then they went to workand had provisions enough to last till the translation was done. Years later, Joseph Smith praised Father Knight for these items: they enaus to continue the work when otherwise we must have relinquished it for a season. Joseph Knight, Sr., helped the world receive the Book oMormon sooner. If the Prophet had had to work full-time to support his family, the translation might have taken years to complete.

The Revised and Enhanced History of Joseph Smith by His Mother

Edited by Scot Facer Proctor and Maurine Jensen Proctor

Chapter 35

On the same day that Hyrum left for Colesville, which was Wednesday, the neighbors began to call, one after another, and inquire very p

ticularly for Hyrum.This gave me great anxiety, for I knew that they had no business with him. The same night my husband was taken rather ill, and, contin

ng unwell the next day, he was unable to take breakfast with me. About ten oclock I commenced preparing him some milk porridge, but bfore it was ready for him, a Quaker gentleman called to see him, and the following is the substance of their conversation:

Quaker: Friend Smith, I have a note against thee for fourteen dollars, which I have lately bought, and I have come to see if thou hast tmoney for me.

Mr. Smith: Why, sir, did you purchase that note? You certainly were in no want of the money?Quaker: That is business of my own; I want the money, and must have it.Mr. Smith: I can pay you six dollars now the rest you will have to wait for, as I cannot get it for you.Quaker: No, I will not wait one hour; and if thou dost not pay me immediately, thou shalt go forthwith to the jail, unless running to

fireplace and making violent gestures with his hands towards the fire thou wilt burn up those Books of Mormon; but if thou w ilt burn themthen I will forgive thee the whole debt.

Mr. Smith (decidedly): That I shall not do.Quaker: Then, thou shalt go to jail.

Sir, I interrupted (taking my gold beads from my neck and holding them towards him), these beads are the full value of the remaindethe debt. I beseech you to take them and be satisfied to give up the note.

Quaker: No, I will not. Thou must pay the money, or thy husband shall go straightway to jail.Now, here, sir, I replied, just look at yourself as you are. Because God has raised up my son to bring forth a book, which was written

the salvation of the souls of men, for the salvation of your soul as well as mine, you have come here to distress my family and me by takingmy husband to jail; and you think, by this, that you will compel us to deny the work of God and destroy a book which was translated by thegift and power of God. But, sir, we shall not burn the Book of Mormon, nor deny the inspiration of the Almighty.

The Quaker then stepped to the door and called a constable, who was waiting there for the signal. The constable came forward and, layhis hand on Mr. Smiths shoulder, said, You are my prisoner.

I entreated the officer to allow me time to get someone to become my husbands security, but he refused. I then requested that he mighbe permitted to eat the porridge which I had been preparing, as he had taken no nourishment since the night before. This was also deniedand the Quaker ordered my husband to get immediately into a wagon which stood waiting to convey him to prison.

After they had taken him to the wagon, the Quaker stood over him as guard and the officer came back and ate up the food which I hadprepared for my husband, who sat in the burning sun, faint and sick.

Wives, who love your husbands and would sacrifice your lives for theirs, how do you think I felt at that moment? I will leave you to imagSuffice it for the present to say that after devouring the last mouthful of provisions which we had in the house, they drove away with my hband, and I was left alone again with Lucy, my youngest child. [1]

The next morning I went on foot several miles to see a friend by the name of Abner Lackey, who, I hoped, would assist me. I was not diappointed. He went without delay to the magistrates office and had my papers prepared, so that I could get my husband out ofthe prisoncell, although he would still be confined in the jail yard.

Shortly after I returned home, a pesty young gentleman came in and asked if Mr. Hyrum Smith was at home. I told him, as I had othersthat he was in Colesville. The young man said that Hyrum was owing a small debt to Dr. McIntyre (who was then absent), and the doctorwished him to call at my house to see if it would be convenient for him to settle the debt. I told the young man that all my sons business weft in order, and that the agreement with Dr. McIntyre was that the debt was to be paid in corn and beans, which I would send to him thenext day.

I then hired a man to take the produce the following day to the doctors house, which was accordingly done, and, when the man returnehe informed me that the clerk agreed to erase the account. It was now too late in the day to set out for Canandaigua, where my husband w
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confined in prison, and I concluded to defer going till the next morning, in hopes that some of my sons would return during the interval.The night came on, but neither of my sons made their appearance. When the night closed in, the darkness was hideous; scarcely any ob

was discernible. I sat down and began to contemplate the situation of myself and family. My husband, an affectionate companion and as teder a father as ever blessed the confidence of a family, was an imprisoned debtor, torn from his family and immured in a dungeon, where hhad already lain two dismal nights, and now another must be added to the number before I could reach him to render him any assistance. where were his children? Alvin was murdered by a quack physician; but still he lay at peace. Hyrum was flying from his home and why I knnot; the secret combinations of his enemies were not yet fully developed. Joseph had but recently escaped from his persecutors, who sougto accomplish his destruction. Samuel was gone, without purse or scrip, to preach the gospel, for which he was as much despised and hateas were the ancient disciples. William was also gone, and I had not, unlike Naomi, even my daughters-in-law to comfort my heart in this thehour of my affliction.

While I was thus meditating, a heavy rap at the door brought me suddenly to my feet. I bade the stranger enter. He asked me, in a hurrmanner, where Hyrum was. I answered the question as usual. Just then a second person came in, and the first observed to a second, MrsSmith says her son is not at home. The person addressed looked suspiciously around and remarked, He is at home, for your ne ighbors haseen him here today.

Then, sir, I replied, they have seen what I have not.We have a search warrant, rejoined he, and if you do not give him up, we shall be under the necessity of taking whatever we find tha

belongs to him. Finding some corn stored in the chamber above the room where Hyrum had lived, they declared their intention of taking itbut I forbade their meddling with it.

At this instant a third stranger entered, and then a fourth. The last observed, I do not know, but you will think strange ofso many of uscoming in, but my candle was out, and I came in to relight it by your fire.

I told him I did not know what to think. I had but little reason to consider myself safe either day or night, and that I would like to knowwhat their business was, and for what cause they were seizing upon our property. The foremost replied that it was wanted to settle a debtwhich Hyrum was owing to Dr. McIntyre. I told him that it was paid. He disputed my word, and ordered his men to take the corn.

As they were going upstairs, I looked out of the window, and one glance almost turned my head giddy. As far as I could see by the light

two candles and a pair of carriage lamps, the heads of men appeared in every direction, some on foot, some on horseback, and the rest inwagons. I saw that there was no way but for me to sit quietly down, and see my house pillaged by a banditti of blacklegs, rel igious bigots, cut-throats, who were united in one purpose, namely, that of destroying us from the face of the earth.

However, there was one resource, and to that I applied. I went aside, and kneeled before the Lord and begged that he would not let mychildren fall into their hands, and that they might be satisfied with plunder without taking life.

Just at this instant, William bounded into the house. Mother, he cried, in the name of God, what is this host of men doing here? Are throbbing or stealing? What are they about?

I told him, in short, that they had taken his father to prison, and had now come after Hyrum, but, not finding him, they were plunderinghouse. Hereupon, William seized a large handspike, sprang up the stairs, and, in one instant, cleared the scoundrels out of the chamber. Tscampered downstairs; he flew after them, and, bounding into the very midst of the crowd, he brandished his handspike in every direction,exclaiming, Away from here, you cut-throats, instantly, or I will be the death of every one of you.

The lights were immediately extinguished, yet he continued to harangue them boisterously, until he discovered that his audience had lefthim. They seemed to believe what he said, and fled in every direction, leaving us again to ourselves.

Between twelve and one oclock, Calvin Stoddard and his wife, Sophronia, arrived at our house. Calvin said he had been troubled about

all afternoon, and, finally, about the setting of the sun, he told Sophronia that he would even then start for her fathers, if she felt inclined tgo with him.

Within an hour after their arrival, Samuel came. He was much fatigued, for he had traveled twenty-one miles after sunset. I told him oursituation, and that I wished him to go early the next morning to Canandaigua and procure his fathers release from the dungeon.Well,Mother, said he, I am sick; fix me a bed, that I may lie down and rest myself, or I shall not be able to go, for I have taken a heavy cold, amy bones ache dreadfully.

However, by a little nursing and some rest, he was able to set off by sunrise, and arrived at Canandaigua at ten oclock. After informing ailor of his business, he requested that his father might be immediately liberated from the cell. The jailor refused, because it was Sunday, permitted Samuel to go into the cell, where he found my husband confined in the same dungeon with a man committed for murder. UponSamuel inquiring what his treatment had been, Mr. Smith replied as follows:

Immediately after I left your mother, the men by whom I was taken commenced using every possible argument to induce me to renounthe Book of Mormon, saying, how much better it would be for you to deny that silly thing, than to be disgraced and imprisoned, when youmight not only escape this, but also have the note back, as well as the money which you have paid on it. To this I made no r eply. They stiwent on in the same manner till we arrived at the jail, when they hurried me into this dismal dungeon. I shuddered when I first heard these

heavy doors creaking upon their hinges; but then I thought to myself, I was not the first man who had been imprisoned for the truths sakeand when I should meet Paul in the paradise of God, I could tell him that I, too, had been in bonds for the gospel which he had preached. this has been my only consolation.

From the time I entered until now, and this is the fourth day, I have had nothing to eat, save a pint basin full of very weak broth; andthere [pointing to the opposite side of the cell] lies the basin yet.

Samuel was very much wounded by this, and, having obtained permission of the jailor, he immediately went out and brought his fathersome comfortable food. After which he remained with him until the next morning, when the business was attended to, and Mr. Smith wentnto the jail yard to a coopers shop, where he obtained employment at coopering, and followed the same until he was released, which wasthirty days. [2] He preached during his confinement there every Sunday, and when he was released, he baptized two persons whom he hadthus converted.
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Bloomfield

Manchester


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D&C LESSON 11 OUTLINEAlthough the reading assignment for todays lesson included 10 sections in theDoctrine and Covenants, were going to concentrate on section 4 today. If youike, lets turn to D&C 4.

~Who was this revelation directed to? (Josephs father)

~And when was it received? (February 1829)~Do you remember where Joseph and Emma were living at this time?(Harmony, Pennsylvania, where Emmas parents lived)

Prior to this revelation, Martin Harris had already visited Professor Anthon inNew York, and the 116 pages of manuscript had been lost. We discussed this afew weeks ago.

~Do you remember what Joseph learned from this awful trial of losingthose pages? (to accept Heavenly Fathers answers to prayer, and

trust in Him first, not giving in to peer pressure.)We read about the agony Joseph went through as he sought forgiveness, butwe didnt get into the consequences Heavenly Father imposed.

~What happened to the Urim & Thumim, and the plates? (they were takeaway from Joseph in July of 1828)

~What did this mean for Josephs calling as a prophet? (it was put onhold he was on suspension, so to speak)

~When were the Urim & Thumim and the plates returned? (two months

later on September 22)~Does that date ring a bell for anyone? (it was exactly one year from the

time Moroni had originally entrusted them to Josephs care)But still Joseph didnt proceed with the translation. Another consequence of hisosing the 116 pages was that he was not permitted to rely on Martin Harris asscribe. He only had Emma, and she had almost died in childbirth that summer.

On August 25, Joseph purchased 13 acres of land from his father-in-law. He st

needed to support his family, and he didnt know at that time how long the Lormight withhold his prophetic privileges. Even when the plates were returned, hcontinued to work his farm. By this time Emmas parents had rejected them, athere was not much support available to them.Heres how Joseph Knight, Sr. described their situation:

Quotation #1Then, in February 1829, some of Josephs family came for a visit, including his


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father. It was during this visit that Joseph inquired of the Lord about hisfathers role in the restoration, and he received section 4.President Joseph Fielding Smith had this to say about section 4:

Quotation #2~Was Josephs father being called on a mission here? (No, the church had

nt been organized yet. Therefore this revelation can be applied to aone who serves in the kingdom of God, and not just to full-time mis-sionaries)

To make it a little easier to compare several scriptures, Ive included them in thhandout:

Quotation #3~So what does the Lord mean when He says the field is white already to

harvest? (There is much work to do, including missionary work)

~What other work is there to be done? (various callings, Visiting TeachingHome Teaching, cleaning the church building, temple work, geneal-ogy all these help the kingdom to roll forth)

Lets talk about the symbolism for a moment:~What does the field symbolize? (the world, or that part of the world in

which the activity is being carried out. SeeA Companion to Your Study of the New Tement, by Daniel H. Ludlow, 127)

~Harvest? (souls of mankind, also the actual process of spreading the

gospel)~Laborers? (Missionaries and the rest of the House of Israel who have

the responsibility to spread the gospel.)~Reap with sickle? (the process spreading the gospel and building the k

Although this section applies to each of us in our spheres of influence and call-ngs, lets focus in on missionary work, since that can be intimidating for manyof us. Often, I think we dont think we are able to make much of a difference,and that our efforts are insignificant. Josephs brother, Samuel, may have felt

that way about his first missionary efforts.At the first conference of the church in June 1830, Samuel was ordained a

elder. Shortly after that, Joseph set him apart as a missionary to take the Bookof Mormon to the people in the vicinity of Palmyra. (see map)

On June 30th, Samuel started down the road with a knapsack filled withcopies of the Book of Mormon. (see picture in handout) The first day he walke25 miles, but no one would listen to him. That evening he stopped at a tavern


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and told the tavern keeper about the Book of Mormon and how it came to be.The man, in a rage, said, Get out! You shant stay one minute with your books

On another day, in Bloomfield, New York, Samuel left a Book of Mormonwith John P. Greene, who was a circuit preacher. Green wasnt interested, butsaid hed sell it to anyone that was. When Samuel returned to Bloomfield, no

one had purchased the book, but Mrs. Greene had read it and believed it. Samuel was inspired to leave it with her. Later Mr. Greene read it and also believed~Success, right?~Mrs. Green loaned the book to her brother. Anyone know his name?

(Brigham Young)On this same trip, a book was sold to a Methodist preacher by the name of Phneas Young, Brighams brother, who read it twice and said he felt a convictionthat the book was true. (see picture on handout)

-John Young, Brighams father, read and believed it.-Johns sister, Brighams aunt, borrowed it and believed it.~Anyone know who Fanny Murray was mother-in-law to? (Heber C. Kim-

ball)Well you get the idea. We do not know what impact our efforts will have ovetime.

President Hinckley told another great missionary story:

Quotation #4

Sometimes we think that the field is pretty picked over in our section of thefield...at least here in Ramona, right?

~Well did you listen to Elder Neil L. Andersens talk last week?He spoke of the miraculous surge in the missionary program of the church, emphasizing it is Heavenly Fathers doing. And he said that at the same time Heavenly Father is preparing good people to receive these missionaries:

Quotation #5What a glorious cause! How blessed we are to be a part of it! I think a greatplace to start is to pray each day in our personal and family prayers for missionary opportunities. If we would just do that, each day, I think having a mission-ary mindset would become a habit, and not require the Spirit to beat us overthe head when opportunities come. Let me end with this from President GordoB. Hinckley:

Quotation #6

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Lesson 11: "The Field is White Already to Harvest"