Come, Follow Me — Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 50

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Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 50:
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“We Believe”
The Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 and 2

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← Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants LessonsCome, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants Resource Index →

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As you study the Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 and 2, consider the impact they have had on the Church. What impresses you about the truths they teach?

Official Declaration 1: The Bible and the Book of Mormon teach that monogamy is God’s standard for marriage unless He declares otherwise (see 2 Samuel 12:7–8 and Jacob 2:27, 30). Following a revelation to Joseph Smith, the practice of plural marriage was instituted among Church members in the early 1840s (see section 132). From the 1860s to the 1880s, the United States government passed laws to make this religious practice illegal. These laws were eventually upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. After receiving revelation, President Wilford Woodruff issued the following Manifesto, which was accepted by the Church as authoritative and binding on October 6, 1890. This led to the end of the practice of plural marriage in the Church.

Official Declaration 2: The Book of Mormon teaches that “all are alike unto God,” including “black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33). Throughout the history of the Church, people of every race and ethnicity in many countries have been baptized and have lived as faithful members of the Church. During Joseph Smith’s lifetime, a few black male members of the Church were ordained to the priesthood. Early in its history, Church leaders stopped conferring the priesthood on black males of African descent. Church records offer no clear insights into the origins of this practice. Church leaders believed that a revelation from God was needed to alter this practice and prayerfully sought guidance. The revelation came to Church President Spencer W. Kimball and was affirmed to other Church leaders in the Salt Lake Temple on June 1, 1978. The revelation removed all restrictions with regard to race that once applied to the priesthood.

Resources on ChurchofJesusChrist.org

- Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families (lesson materials at ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

- Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School (lesson materials at ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

- Come, Follow Me—For Aaronic Priesthood Quorums and Young Women Classes (lesson materials at ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

- Come, Follow Me—For Primary (lesson materials at ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

- “Keep the Commandments,” Children’s Songbook, 146–47.

- Official Declaration 1, Manifesto, Doctrine and Covenants Institute Student Manual (2002), pp 361–63

- Official Declaration 2, “Every Faithful, Worthy Man”, Doctrine and Covenants Institute Student Manual (2002), pp 364–65

- Chapter 52: Doctrine and Covenants 132:34–66; Official Declaration 1, Doctrine and Covenants Institute Student Manual (2017)

- Chapter 56: Official Declaration 2, Doctrine and Covenants Institute Student Manual (2017)

- Joseph Smith and the Minister, Doctrine and Covenants Teaching Videos

- The Messenger and the Manifesto, Revelations in Context

- Witnessing the Faithfulness , Revelations in Context

- Why does Church policy sometimes change? Official Declarations 1 and 2, Liahona – Come, Follow Me: Doctrine and Covenants

Resources Mentioned in the Lesson Manual

Resources on Interpreter Foundation

- Come, Follow Me Study and Teaching Helps — Lesson 50: The Articles of Faith, Official Declarations 1 & 2, Jonn Claybaugh

- Audio Roundtable: Come, Follow Me Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 50 (The Articles of Faith, Official Declarations 1 & 2)

Additional Posts & Roundtables on the Interpreter Foundation Website

- LDS Perspectives Podcast: “The Genesis Group and the Priesthood Ban,” with members of the Genesis Group, LDS Perspectives, July 5, 2017

- Articles of Faith 13: Russell Stevenson FairMormon Conference Follow Up – Coming to Grips With Brigham Young and Race, Administration, August 19, 2014

- “Being Good Citizens” D&C 58:21-22, 26-28; D&C 98:4-10; 134; Articles of Faith 1:12, Taylor Halverson, October 13, 2013

- Scripture Roundtable: Book of Mormon Gospel Doctrine Lesson 40, “Then Will I Gather Them In”, Administration, October 11, 2016

- Scripture Roundtable: D&C Gospel Doctrine Lesson 15, "Seek Ye Earnestly the Best Gifts", Administration, March 20, 2017

- Scripture Roundtable: D&C Gospel Doctrine Lesson 42, Continuing Revelation to Latter-day Prophets, Administration, October 12, 2013

- Scripture Roundtable: D&C Gospel Doctrine Lesson 44, Being Good Citizens, Administration, October 12, 2013

- Scripture Roundtable: D&C Gospel Doctrine Lesson 46, "Zion—The Pure in Heart", Administration, October 30, 2013

Articles in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

- Not Leaving and Going On to Perfection, Matthew L. Bowen, August 7, 2015

- Scriptures through the Jeweler’s Lens, Mark J. Johnson, February 28, 2020

Resources on Other Sites

- Come, Follow Me Week 50 – Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 & 2, FAIR

- Official Declaration 1, Harper, Steven C. – D&C Contexts (Book of Mormon Central Archive)

- Official Declaration 2, Harper, Steven C. – D&C Contexts (Book of Mormon Central Archive)

- Come Follow Me with Casey Paul Griffiths (Articles of Faith and Official Declaration 1-2, Dec 6-12), Book of Mormon Central

- PART 1: Come Follow Me Insights (Articles of Faith, Dec 6-12), Book of Mormon Central

- PART 2: Come Follow Me Insights (Official Declarations 1 & 2, Dec 6-12), Book of Mormon Central

- Come Follow Me with Taylor Halverson (Articles of Faith and Official Declaration 1-2, December 6-12), Doctrine & Covenants Central

- Official Declaration 1, Doctrine & Covenants Central

- Official Declaration 2, Doctrine & Covenants Central

- Hard Questions in Church History with Lynne Hilton Wilson: Week 50 (Official Declaration 2/Dec 6-12), Doctrine & Covenants Central

- Come Follow Me The Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 and 2 (Dec. 6-12) Don’t Miss This, Doctrine & Covenants Central

- Come Follow Me – Official Declarations 1 & 2: “Long Promised Day” (polygamy, race & the priesthood), Doctrine & Covenants Central

- A Great Question: What DO we believe?—Come, Follow Me Podcast #50, Meridian Magazine

- Come, Follow Me for Sunday School: “The Articles of Faith”, Meridian Magazine

- December 6–12, 2021 Come, Follow Me Songs, Music for Latter-day Life

- The Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 and 2 – “We Believe”, BYU Studies

Legacy Resources

- The Articles of Faith: A Framework for Teaching the History and Doctrine of the Restoration from Foundations of the Restoration: Fulfillment of the Covenant Purposes

- On Confessing Belief: Thoughts on the Language of the Articles of Faith from Literature of Belief: Sacred Scripture and Religious Experience

- Joseph Smith's Articles of Faith from Alexander Campbell and Joseph Smith: Nineteenth-Century Restorationists

- Articles of Faith from Latter-day Saint Essentials: Readings from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism

- The Articles of Faith: Answering the Doctrinal Questions of the “Second Great Awakening” from Joseph Smith and the Doctrinal Restoration

- "To Every Man Is Given a Gift": The Spiritual Legacy of Wilford Woodruff from Banner of the Gospel: Wilford Woodruff

- The “Same” Organization That Existed in the Primitive Church from Go Ye Into All the World: Messages of the New Testament Apostles

- Brigham Young from Latter-day Prophets and the United States Constitution

- “All Their Creeds Were an Abomination”: A Brief Look at Creeds as Part of the Apostasy from Prelude to the Restoration: Apostasy to the Restored Church

- On Agency from Religious Educator Vol. 11 No. 3 · 2010

- Latter-day Saint Engagement with Paul: Status Quaestionis from Understanding Covenants and Communities: Jews and Latter-day Saints in Dialogue

- BYU Religious Education Discussions on the Doctrine and Covenants: Continuing Revelation Official Declarations 1 & 2

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