Church News viewpoint: 'Why am I thy servant?'

In a revelation characterized by the Prophet Joseph Smith as "embracing the law of the Church," the Savior Jesus Christ said in February 1831:"If ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach" (Doctrine and Covenants 42:14).Some commentators have observed that these words can be read in two ways: The passage can be taken as an imperative sentence, understood to mean that one who has not received the Spirit must not teach.Or, it can be read as a declarative sentence, meaning that one who has not received the Spirit will not be able to teach, not in the true sense that the Lord would have knowledge and light imparted to His children.Undoubtedly, either sense is correct.It is a sobering prospect, placing weighty responsibility upon teachers of the gospel.That said, we need not be discouraged by this understanding, for it carries the implication that if we do receive the Spirit, we will have power to accomplish what the Lord expects of us. There is a clear commandment in the scriptures to "seek earnestly the best gifts" (see 1 Corinthians 12:31; see also Doctrine and Covenants 11:10). One such gift is to "teach the word of knowledge" (Moroni 10:10). Though a wise Father in Heaven bestows spiritual gifts if and when He sees fit, we can be confident that we will receive the means to carry out the tasks He sets before us (see 1 Nephi 3:7).That is a liberating and empowering thought.See the rest of the story at www.ldschurchnews.com

Deseret News.