BYU Scholar Shares How to Find Emmanuel in the Doctrine and Covenants

In a world of competing voices, discerning the Lord’s voice can feel more difficult than ever. But Rosalynde Welch, associate director of BYU’s Neal A. Maxwell Institute, says one book of scripture is equipped to help: the Doctrine and Covenants.

On a recent episode of the Church News podcast, Welch described the Doctrine and Covenants as evidence Christ knows His people and continues to speak today.

“He wants to know and be known to us. He wants to see and be seen by each one of us. He wants to be present with us in the midst of our community,” she said. “I think now I know Jesus of Nazareth as Emmanuel, ‘God with us.’ The Jesus of history, who was once a part of the ancient world, is now a living presence in my life and the life that I share in community with the Saints.”

Spiritual Translation: Making Revelation Personal

Welch explained the Doctrine and Covenants offers a window into revelatory processes. “The Lord speaks to His prophets ... in their weakness and according to their language,” she said, referencing Doctrine and Covenants 1. That invites readers to believe He will do the same with them.

Studying scripture, then, becomes a type of spiritual translation. When the Lord speaks to Emma Hale Smith or Martin Harris, He is speaking to all of His children. “There has to be a little bit of translation as we move from the situation of the individual who received the revelation to its application in our own lives,” Welch said.

The process can open the door to personal encounters with Christ. “The love that radiates from [the Savior] to you through the intermediary of the prophet is not diminished,” she said.

Themes to Find Jesus Christ

Welch recently helped publish “Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants.” She shared that a thematic approach can deepen personal application.

She explained the goal in tracing themes through the Doctrine and Covenants is the same as with any scripture: to change hearts and convert. She added, “To give us experiences where we can feel the Spirit, come to know the Savior better and be changed by that encounter.”

Welch referenced President Russell M. Nelson’s teaching on “hesed,” a Hebrew word denoting God’s covenantal love, as an example of how thematic study can illuminate Christ’s character.

A Lens to ‘Think Celestial’

One emerging theme is the role of ordinances in manifesting the power of God. Reflecting on Doctrine and Covenants 84:20–21, she described the meaning of “the power of godliness” being made “manifest.”

She explained that to manifest means to make something visible. “Ordinances are one way the Lord makes Himself visible and present to us.”

Welch called the temple a “lens” that focuses perspective and aligns disciples with divine priorities. “Our covenants give shape to our efforts and our vision of where we’re headed,” she said, adding they “allow us to ‘think celestial.’”

The Hope of Repentance

From sharp rebukes to Martin Harris to gentle encouragement for Hyrum Smith, the early sections reveal how the Lord works personally with His children.

Welch explained that repentance is profoundly hopeful. “We can change, we can be better than we are, with the Lord’s help.”

Stepping Into God’s Gifts

The Lord’s revelation to Emma Smith in section 25 can serve as a model. Emma was called to comfort, to exhort and to lead. The Lord saw her “as capable, as strong, as powerful.”

“He called her to step into those powers,” Welch said. “He saw her in a way that she wasn’t even able to see herself.”

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Welch noted the Lord does the same for all His children: “The Lord sees us in ways that we can’t even see ourselves. He offers us opportunities. He will never force us to take them, but He will offer us opportunities to step into gifts that have been unrealized.”

When Time Becomes a Temple

“The Lord’s Sabbath is one of simplicity and one of joy,” Welch said. “It’s a radical paring down to only the basics of our relationship with God.”

She cited Jewish philosopher Abraham Heschel, who described the Sabbath as a temple in time. “If we observe it fully each week,” she added, “that would constitute one-seventh of our lives.”

Climbing Mount Whitney, the contiguous United States’ highest peak, Welch used an ax to ascend a snowy chute — step by step — like a ladder. She compared that image to the law of the Lord, described in the King Follett Discourse as a “ladder” leading to God.

“General conference is an opportunity to receive more of the Lord’s law. He’s going to reveal to us a new section of the ladder,” she said. “What happens is that our character changes, our nature changes, and we become more like our Savior.”

God Is ‘With Us’ — Still

Welch returned to the testimony that frames her reading of scripture: Christ, who she sees as Emmanuel, “God with us” wants to be known and received.

“He is in solidarity with our joys and with our sufferings,” she said. “He abides with us, He abides in us, if we will receive Him.”

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