Power and D&C 121

It seems that one of the themes of D&C 121 is power and how true power is obtained.  Joseph was of course in Liberty Jail at the time and had very little power to physically free himself.  And yet while others were executing earthly power to keep him oppressed and confined, the Lord taught him about God’s power and what man has to do to obtain it.  The section begins with Joseph’s pleading prayer wondering when God’s power would be revealed: “O Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven, earth, and seas, and of all things that in them are… stretch forth thy hand; let thine eye pierce; let thy pavilion be taken up; let thy hiding place no longer be covered; let thine ear be inclined” (D&C 121:4).  Joseph was hoping for a marvelous display of God’s power, but instead of removing the problem the Savior taught him that patience was power: “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high” (D&C 121:7-8). 

              One of the messages of this section is that the wicked of the world that think they have power really don’t.  The Lord said, “They who do charge thee with transgression, their hope shall be blasted, and their prospects shall melt away as the hoar frost melteth before the burning rays of the rising sun” (D&C 121:11).  In other words, those that were seeking to exercise power over Joseph would eventually find themselves powerless.  Many of Joseph’s detractors thought they had the power to stop the new religion and prevent the Lord’s work.  The Lord responded to this, “What power shall stay the heavens? As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints” (D&C 121:33).  Those who think they can obstruct the work of the Lord will find the task similar to trying to stop the Missouri river.  Wickedness is not real power at all. 

                On the other side, this section also outlines the characteristics that we must have in order to gain actual power.  The powers of heaven, we learn, “Cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness” (D&C 121:36).  It further defines for us the qualities that we need to have in order to access the power of God: “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned” (D&C 121:41).  To access heaven we need to show “kindness, and pure knowledge” (D&C 121:42).  Our power in this regard at least in part comes in a righteous life.  Joseph showed his real power when he stood in chains in the jail and rebuked the guards for their vulgar talk as Parley P. Pratt famously recorded.  Said Joseph as he stood there in chains: “SILENCE, ye fiends of the infernal pit! In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still; I will not live another minute and hear such language. Cease such talk, or you or I die THIS INSTANT!”  Joseph had little physical power at the moment, but he had great spiritual powers with the Holy Ghost as his constant companion and did indeed cause the guards in that moment to cease their vulgar speech.  They who imprisoned Joseph had little power in that moment because of their wickedness, but Joseph showed that a life of faith and virtue and righteousness was where true power came from.