I am loving studying the Doctrine and Covenants and History of the church so much this year in seminary. We reticently had a lesson that sparked great interest in me to study more about the man by the name of Oliver Cowdery.
What I discovered was one of the most powerful piece of scripture I have ever read.
Oliver Cowdery was a school teacher. And at the time school teachers would live with you at your house (can you imagine waking up every morning and walking into your kitchen to find your teacher waiting to have breakfast with you? haha)
While Joseph Smith was in Harmony Pennsylvania working on the translation of the Book of Mormon, Oliver was residing at Joseph Smith's family's home in Palmyra, New York. The two had never met, but because Oliver was living with Joseph's family he began to hear about Joseph and the work he was doing in Pennsylvania. He became very interested in this work and began to feel a desire to go to Pennsylvania.
Little did Oliver know that Joseph had been praying to the Lord to send him help.
A few days after Joseph prayed, Oliver knocked on his door. Oliver had walked all the way from Palmyra to Harmony and had become an answer to Joseph's prayer.
Oliver was called to become a scribe for Joseph. And since I will never be able to dictate his experience as well as he did I am going to post his own words. (This can be found at the very end of
Joseph Smith--History) These are Oliver's words, with my highlights in different colors and annotations in {brackets}.
- Oliver
Cowdery describes these events thus: “These were days never to be
forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration
of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom!Day after day I
continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he translated with
the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said,
‘Interpreters,’ the history or record called ‘The Book of Mormon.’
- “To
notice, in even few words, the interesting account given by Mormon and
his faithful son, Moroni, of a people once beloved and favored of
heaven, would supersede my present design; I shall therefore defer this
to a future period, and, as I said in the introduction, pass more
directly to some few incidents immediately connected with the rise of
this Church, which may be entertaining to some thousands who have
stepped forward, amid the frowns of bigots and the calumny of
hypocrites, and embraced the Gospel of Christ.
- {Oh how I want to be counted among these incredible Saints}
- “No men, in their
sober senses, could translate and write the directions given to the
Nephites from the mouth of the Savior, of the precise manner in which
men should build up His Church, and especially when corruption had
spread an uncertainty over all forms and systems practiced among men,
without desiring a privilege of showing the willingness of the heart by
being buried in the liquid grave, to answer a ‘good conscience by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.’
- “After writing the account given of
the Savior’s ministry to the remnant of the seed of Jacob, upon this
continent, it was easy to be seen, as the prophet said it would be, that
darkness covered the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people.
- {And it is getting darker}
- On reflecting further it was as easy to be seen that amid the great
strife and noise concerning religion, none had authority from God to
administer the ordinances of the Gospel. For the question might be
asked, have men authority to administer in the name of Christ, who deny
revelations, when His testimony is no less than the spirit of prophecy,
and His religion based, built, and sustained by immediate revelations,
in all ages of the world when He has had a people on earth? If these
facts were buried, and carefully concealed by men whose craft would have
been in danger if once permitted to shine in the faces of men, they
were no longer to us; and we only waited for the commandment to be given
‘Arise and be baptized.’
- “This was not long desired before it was
realized. The Lord, who is rich in mercy, and ever willing to answer
the consistent prayer of the humble, after we had called upon Him in a
fervent manner, aside from the abodes of men, condescended to manifest
to us His will. On a sudden, as from the midst of eternity, the voice of
the Redeemer spake peace to us, while the veil was parted and the angel
of God came down clothed with glory, and delivered the anxiously looked
for message, and the keys of the Gospel of repentance. What joy! what
wonder! what amazement! While the world was racked and distracted—while
millions were groping as the blind for the wall, and while all men were
resting upon uncertainty, as a general mass, our eyes beheld, our ears
heard, as in the ‘blaze of day’; yes, more—above the glitter of the May
sunbeam, which then shed its brilliancy over the face of nature! Then
his voice, though mild, pierced to the center, and his words, ‘I am thy
fellow-servant,’ dispelled every fear. We listened, we gazed, we
admired! ’Twas the voice of an angel from glory, ’twas a message from
the Most High! And as we heard we rejoiced, while His love enkindled
upon our souls, and we were wrapped in the vision of the Almighty! Where
was room for doubt? Nowhere; uncertainty had fled, doubt had sunk no
more to rise, while fiction and deception had fled forever!
- “But,
dear brother, think, further think for a moment, what joy filled our
hearts, and with what surprise we must have bowed, (for who would not
have bowed the knee for such a blessing?) when we received under his
hand the Holy Priesthood as he said, ‘Upon you my fellow-servants, in
the name of Messiah, I confer this Priesthood and this authority, which
shall remain upon earth, that the Sons of Levi may yet offer an offering
unto the Lord in righteousness!’
- “I shall not attempt to paint to
you the feelings of this heart, nor the majestic beauty and glory which
surrounded us on this occasion; but you will believe me when I say,
that earth, nor men, with the eloquence of time, cannot begin to clothe
language in as interesting and sublime a manner as this holy personage.
No; nor has this earth power to give the joy, to bestow the peace, or
comprehend the wisdom which was contained in each sentence as they were
delivered by the power of the Holy Spirit! Man may deceive his
fellow-men, deception may follow deception, and the children of the
wicked one may have power to seduce the foolish and untaught, till
naught but fiction feeds the many, and the fruit of falsehood carries in
its current the giddy to the grave; but one touch with the finger of
his love, yes, one ray of glory from the upper world, or one word from
the mouth of the Savior, from the bosom of eternity, strikes it all into
insignificance, and blots it forever from the mind. The assurance that
we were in the presence of an angel, the certainty that we heard the
voice of Jesus, and the truth unsullied as it flowed from a pure
personage, dictated by the will of God, is to me past description, and I
shall ever look upon this expression of the Savior’s goodness with
wonder and thanksgiving while I am permitted to tarry; and in those
mansions where perfection dwells and sin never comes, I hope to adore in
that day which shall never cease.”—Messenger and Advocate, vol. 1 (October 1834), pp. 14–16.
- {He is the only way to true happiness}
Never in my life have I read a testimony with as much enthusiasm as this testimony written by Oliver Cowdery.
I was enchanted by the words
"These were days never to be forgotten" because these are truly magnificent times. We live in a time on earth where miracles are happening around us. We live in a time that is paving the way for the Lord to come again. Last week I participated in the dedication of a temple of the Lord. This is just one example of the incredible things that are happening around us that we will remember for eternities.
I was also impressed by the description of his experience. I love the words he uses; "What joy!" "What wonder!" "What amazement!" "above the glitter of the May sunbeam." "pierced to the center"
I love these phrases because they accurately describe my feelings of the gospel. too often church is just something we do, and not enough something we feel. Oliver's testimony is a reminder of the great joy the gospel can bring us. This gospel is the only way to the truest happiness.
I just want to add my testimony to Oliver Cowdery's that I am enthralled with the greatness of this gospel. It brings me so much joy and It is this joy that I want to share with the world.
Now I never sat with the prophet one on one and heard him tell me what the Lord wants me to know, but I have sat with the Prophet one on millions and heard him tell me what the Lord wants me to know. And I get to experience this every six months.
Every six months we have the opportunity to listen to the prophet speak at General Conference. Every six months we get to hear prophet's speak just like Oliver did back in 1834.
I can't wait for conference next week. And
for all the lovely females that are reading I want to let you know about the General Women's meeting. The General Women's meeting is an extension of conference where the prophet's speak directly to the women of the church. This will be broadcasted TONIGHT! I can't wait! You can watch it right on my blog below, or
CLICK HERE to see other ways you can view live.
Be prepared for many more conference posts. For me Conference is about the equivalent to Christmas, so you can imagine I'm just a little excited. I love you all lots and lots!
feel my sunlight
p.s. Did I just write two blog posts in one day?! What is life?
