D&C 35

In the previous blog, I wrote of the elect and those that -

"...are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 29:7)

In a revelation to Sidney Rigdon, the Lord said much the same thing -

"...there are none that doeth good except those who are ready to receive the fulness of my gospel, which I have sent forth unto this generation." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 35:12)

It becomes apparent that the Lord knows his children, those that are the elect, those that are ready to receive of His fulness, those that he sent forth unto this generation. He commands His elect to seek out those who are ready to receive of His fulness. In doing so, He said -

"...I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thrash the nations by the power of my Spirit..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 35:13)

In my mind, the weak things of the world is the poor and meek or in other words those that are humble that have a constant need of the Spirit. We better understand "to thrash the nations" as we contemplate the threshing work required to seperate the wheat kernel from the straw. It is the weak things of the world that tread though the nations of the earth such that -

"...the poor and the meek shall have the gospel preached unto them, and they shall be looking forth for the time of my coming..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 35:15)

The great promise of the Lord to those that seek out the poor and the meek is -

"...their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet; and I will let fall the sword in their behalf, and by the fire of mine indignation will I preserve them." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 35:14)

Where the sword is -

"...the sword of my Spirit, which I will pour out upon you, and my word which I reveal unto you..." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 27:18)