Keywords

church history, latter-day saints, official declaration 2, doctrine and covenants

Abstract

Official Declaration 2, tucked away quietly at the very tail end of the Doctrine and Covenants, is in many ways a fitting conclusion to the preface of the Doctrine and Covenants recorded 147 years before. In section 1 the Lord reveals much about the Restoration and about the divine pulley of the First Vision in particular. The term pulley emphasizes the two-way nature of the First Vision, for although Joseph prayed to know heaven's will, God "called upon" his servant to initiate the Restoration. Although much has been said about the boy prophet's request, surely God's intent counts for just as much. The First Vision and resultant revelations were a two-way street: man searching, God revealing.

Original Publication Citation

Richard E. Bennett, “‘That Every Man Might Speak in the Name of God the Lord’: A Study of Official Declaration 2,” in Religious Educator 4, no. 2 (2003): 41–56.