BYU Studies Quarterly
Keywords
laws, God, Latter-day Saints, Jesus Christ
Abstract
When the Lord instructed Joseph Smith in May 1833 to “obtain a knowledge of . . . countries, and of kingdoms, of laws of God and man” (D&C 93:53), that counsel may have seemed incongruous to the young prophet. After all, the entirety of the revelation that preceded it dealt with lofty theological concepts of light, truth, progression, and grace, in addition to exhortations to make family and home life more in keeping with God’s will. The sudden commandment to learn about countries, kingdoms, and earthly law might have struck the twenty- seven-year-old Joseph as out of place, even though it built on a previous revelation that taught him to “be instructed more perfectly in . . . things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, . . . and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms” (D&C 88:78–79).
Recommended Citation
Moran, Patrick
(2022)
"“Things Which Are Abroad” Latter-day Saints and Foreign Affairs,"
BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 61:
Iss.
1, Article 22.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol61/iss1/22