As Seemeth Me Good

In a recent podcast, Dr. Christopher Jones spoke at length about James Covel, the Methodist minister who was given a revelation through Joseph Smith that is now Doctrine and Covenants 39. Covel was called by the Lord to “arise and be baptized” and to “preach the fulness of my gospel” (v10-11). He had spent forty years preaching in the eastern United States, and now the Lord had a different mission for him: “Behold, verily, verily, I say unto thee, thou art not called to go into the eastern countries, but thou art called to go to the Ohio” (v14). This was given on January 5, 1831, and it didn’t take him long to decide that he was not going to accept this call. The Lord said to Joseph the next day, “The heart of my servant James Covel was right before me, for he covenanted with me that he would obey my word. And he received the word with gladness, but straightway Satan tempted him; and the fear of persecution and the cares of the world caused him to reject the word.” The Lord then said this in the final words of this short revelation: “Wherefore he broke my covenant, and it remaineth with me to do with him as seemeth me good. Amen” (Doctrine and Covenants 40:1-3). We might interpret that rather negatively and believe that the Lord meant to really punish Covel for his rejection of the revelation, but one of the messages of Dr. Jones was that we should understand these words in a much more positive light. He went to great lengths to research what happened to Covel after this experience with Joseph Smith, and he suggested that the historical record can help us understand what the Lord may have meant by “it remaineth with me to do with him as seemeth me good.”

                Dr. Jones summarized the remaining life of James Covel with these words: “For the next several months, Covel's name doesn't appear in any Methodist records. And then in July, 1831 it does, in a letter from Orin Miller, the president of the Methodist Protestant Church's Genesee Conference, he reports that the venerable Dr. J Covel has been preaching to a large congregation organized under his labors for the few months past. And the minds of the people were evidently prepared by his preaching for the work of reformation. We expect our brother Covel will soon gather an abundant harvest in this neighborhood. And then in September another report comes in. We were favored with a visit from Dr. James Covel, who preached with much zeal to the great satisfaction of all that heard. And finally in December of 1831, a letter from Covel himself was published in which he described his preaching labors. I therefore determined to take the Bible and select such parts as were best adapted to bring the great truths therein immediately before the people. The blessed work still goes on convictions, conversions and accessions are numerous and frequent. His colleague, Oren Miller, concludes writing about these same events. I think I never knew Dr. Covel so much engaged in the work as at this…. He says it seemed as though Dr. Covel had renewed his age and was anointed anew with a divine unction from on high.” James Covel, after rejecting the revelation of Joseph Smith, continued his ministry as a Methodist preacher with great zeal.  

Dr. Jones continued with his commentary: “Instead of going on to do great things as a Latter-day Saint missionary in Ohio, which I have no doubt he would've done, and which I selfishly wish that he might have done, Covel instead became renewed with fervor for taking up the message of Methodism and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ as he understood it. And I want to suggest that the hand of God may in fact have played a role in that, that God doing with him as seemeth him good was not some ominous promise of punishment, but rather sticking with Covel, with meeting him where he was at, with knowing that he had to respect Covel's agency and making the best of that situation. I think that those people that Covel preached to probably were truly converted to Christ. Did they have the fullness of the gospel as taught by Joseph Smith and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? No. Did they have the Bible and the words of Jesus? Did they have prayer? Did they have preaching? Yes. And do I believe that God can lead those people sincerely to conversion in Christ through Methodist preachers? A hundred percent I do.” Understanding how Covel continued to devote his life to preaching the Bible and Jesus Christ for me changes my perception of him and encourages us to see him and his life in a much more positive light. While he rejected the fulness of the gospel through Joseph Smith, he did a least “labor in [the Lord’s] vineyard” as the revelation had encouraged him to do, and it would seem from the focus of his life that the Lord indeed had been “merciful unto [his] weakness” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:14, 39:13).

                I believe this understanding of Covel should help us be more generous towards those who do not accept the message of the restored gospel in its fulness. We need not judge or speak negatively towards or about those who reject or turn away from the message of the Restoration; rather, we can hope the best for them and rest assured that the Lord will do with them as it seemeth Him good. And He may indeed have many good things in store for their lives, even if they have walked away from “a blessing such as is not known among the children of men” that could have been “poured forth upon their heads” (Doctrine and Covenants 39:15). We need not condemn others for their choices but should trust in the Lord and focus ourselves on receiving those blessing He has promised through His covenants. And our feelings should be generous towards all just as Nephi’s were: “And I pray the Father in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom at that great and last day” (2 Nephi 33:12).