In the Come, Follow Me lessons for this week, members are encouraged to engage in missionary work by courageously opening their mouths about the gospel. We’ll also look at the historical context of D&C § 61 which includes the “curse upon the waters” that has served as the basis for a robust Mormon folk doctrine about the powers of Satan. He’s a water-bender, so I am told. Finally, we will briefly look at the message the lessons provide on the necessity of relying on prayer and inspiration in makes life decisions, and the way that messaging gets confusing in LDS settings.

Open Your Mouth to Please the Lord

Of the many recurrent themes in the church’s instructional materials—and the Come, Follow Me manuals are no exception—the importance of missionary work is one of the most prominent. Many members will remember being taught the “three-fold mission” of the church, comprised of 1) proclaiming the gospel, 2) perfecting the saints, and 3) redeeming the dead. Recently, the church added “caring for the poor and needy” as a fourth mission. That the first of these missions is the proselytizing of Mormonism is reflected by the frequency in which members are reminded of their duty to share the church with their neighbors.

This week’s lesson manuals echo the same themes we’ve highlighted the last time missionary work was the major emphasis of the weekly lesson. Chiefly, that it is the duty of every member to share the message of Mormonism. Additionally, the barriers members experience in “opening their mouths” to share the church with others are obstacles placed by Satan that members must be courageous in overcoming. Sharing the church with others makes God happy and failing to do so brings Him displeasure. Finally, the lessons encourage members to engaged in roleplay exercises intended to build their confidence in sharing the church and prepare them with rehearsed things to say when doing so.

The Lord is pleased when I open my mouth to share the gospel.
We’ve all had experiences when we could have shared the gospel with someone, but for some reason, we didn’t. As you read the Lord’s words to early missionaries who failed to “open their mouths,” think about your own opportunities to share the gospel. How is your testimony of the gospel like a “talent,” or a treasure from God? In what ways do we sometimes “hide [our] talent”?

The Lord corrected these early missionaries, but He also tried to inspire them. What encouraging messages from Him do you find in sections 60 and 62? How do these messages build your confidence in sharing the gospel? In the days ahead, look for opportunities to open your mouth and share what God has entrusted to you.

Why were some early missionaries hesitant to share the gospel? Why do we sometimes hesitate? Consider role-playing how family members could share the gospel in a variety of settings.

Come, Follow Me — Individuals and Families Manual, 6 June 2021, emphasis my own.

The Lord is pleased when I open my mouth to share the gospel.
As members of the Church, we know that the restored gospel is a great treasure that blesses the lives of God’s children. So why do we sometimes hesitate to share our testimony with others? Consider inviting class members to list on the board some reasons why we might not open our mouths to share the gospel. ... Perhaps some class members could share an experience when they overcame their fears and shared the gospel with someone.

Can any class members share how they were introduced to the gospel and how they felt about the people who taught them? Your class might benefit from role-playing ways in which we can “open [our] mouths” and share the gospel.

Come, Follow Me — Sunday School Manual, 6 June 2021, emphasis my own.

The Primary manual goes heavy on the roleplay with suggested activities that have the children wearing missionary badges or playing with puppets. The message that sharing the church makes God happy is also especially prominent. A transparent goal of the Primary lessons is to establish the expectation of serving a fulltime mission later in life.

Jesus Christ wants me to share His gospel.
Children love to share what they know with others. Help them understand that when they share what they know about the gospel, Heavenly Father is pleased with them.

Explain that the Lord asked the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders to travel from Kirtland, Ohio, to Jackson County, Missouri. He asked them to preach the gospel along the way and as they returned home. Read Doctrine and Covenants 62:3, and ask the children to listen for what the missionaries did that pleased the Lord. Testify that the Lord is pleased with us when we share the gospel with others.

Help the children make badges that show they want to be missionaries of the Church. Let them wear their badges and practice sharing their testimonies with each other.

Sing together a song about sharing the gospel, such as “I Want to Be a Missionary Now” (Children’s Songbook, 168). Help the children think of what they could say if someone asked them what they love about Jesus Christ and His Church. Invite them to draw pictures of things they love about Christ’s gospel.

Help the children role-play situations in which they might share the gospel with their friends. For example, what would they say if someone asked them why they go to church? Or what if a friend saw them wearing a CTR ring or reading the Book of Mormon and asked questions? What would they say?

Come, Follow Me — Primary Manual, 6 June 2021, emphasis my own.

As we mentioned before, the heavy emphasis on lay member proselytizing efforts serves multiple purposes for fundamentalist churches. The first and obvious one is that it brings in new converts to the faith, but a secondary function is that it strengthens member identity and loyalty. One of the ways that this happens is through the cognitive dissonance experienced by doubtful members whose testimonies are “found in the bearing of it.” That is, when members who have reservations about sharing the church with others—because of their own doubts about its veracity—find themselves bearing testimony of its truthfulness, the discordance between their private beliefs and their behavior creates a state of cognitive dissonance. The natural psychological response in such situations is to adjust one’s private beliefs to correspond with their behavior, thereby alleviating the experience of dissonance and anxiety. As such, a testimony can be “found in the bearing of it” because we tend to cognitively defend the behaviors we find ourselves publicly engaging in.

Another way that lay member missionary efforts reinforce group identity is ironically through experiencing failure and rejection. Members are often encouraged to share the gospel even when it makes them uncomfortable to do so; perhaps especially when they are uncomfortable because such obstacles are tools of the adversary. This can lead to cringeworthy situations in which members find themselves pushing their church upon others who really aren’t interested, leading to rejected invitations and social awkwardness. Even more so when members cross personal boundaries as they are often encouraged to do when “boldly” proclaiming the gospel. This leads to members feeling uncomfortable around the nonmembers with whom they attempt to share the church, and contrasts with the comfort and ease they experience around members of their own faith, who commiserate with their feelings of rejection and provide consolation and praise for the member’s courage in performing their missionary duty. With outsiders, the member feels discomfort and unease; among other members, they are praised for their heroic efforts to share the truth. This plays in hand with the narratives that the world outside the church is in wickedness and decline, that the Saints are ridiculed and persecuted because of their beliefs, and that Satan is actively working to impede the efforts of the church. The effect is rooted in the discomfort members experience when inviting others to church, and the disappointment of rejection, but it serves to reinforce identity and cohesion with other members.

Mister Destroyer’s Wild Ride

Section 61 of the Doctrine and Covenants has a fascinating background. Joseph Smith and most of the elders in Missouri had left Independence to begin their journey back to Ohio via St. Louis by way of the Missouri River, as directed by a revelation produced only a few days prior. That revelation specifically counselled the elders, “Let there be a craft made, or bought, as seemeth you good,” for the purpose of their journey (D&C 60:5). As such, Smith and his travel companions procured several canoes for their journey down the river. However, the Missouri River was particularly treacherous to travel at this time of year, and so the journey was not without challenges. Moreover, many of the elders were already in poor spirits over what had been a disappointing experience in Missouri. As such, there were many complaints made during the journey, much of it directed at Smith, Cowdery, and Rigdon.

Soon after the funeral, Ezra and other church elders started their journey back to Kirtland with Joseph, Oliver, and Sidney. [...] The men launched canoes onto the wide Missouri River, just north of Independence, and paddled downstream. At the end of the first day of travel, they were in good spirits and enjoyed a dinner of wild turkey along the riverbank. On the following day, however, the August weather was hot and the river was wild and difficult to navigate. The men quickly grew tired and soon began criticizing each other. [...] At a dangerous bend in the river, they hit a submerged tree and nearly capsized. Fearing for the lives of everyone in the company, Joseph and Sidney ordered the elders off the river. After they set up camp, Joseph, Oliver, and Sidney tried to talk to the group and ease tensions. Irritated, the men called Joseph and Sidney cowards for getting off the river, mocked the way Oliver paddled his canoe, and accused Joseph of acting like a dictator. The quarrel lasted long into the night.

Saints (Vol.1): The Standard of Truth, After Much Tribulation (Ch. 12)

At one point during their voyage, Smith and Rigdon’s canoe nearly capsized after running into a “sawyer”—a submerged log lodged in the river. Shaken, Smith ordered the men to get off the river for a night’s rest. That evening was filled with arguing among the travelers, as Smith, Cowdery, and Rigdon became the targets of immediate criticism for what some of the others viewed as failures of leadership and abuses of authority. Evidently, earlier in their journey Oliver Cowdery had attempted to chastise some of the complaining elders by prophesying that some accident would befall them unless they reformed their conduct. This did not sit well with those for whom the threat was intended, and contributed to their discontent.

The content of the revelation reflected experiences Joseph Smith and his group had gone through as they made their way to St. Louis, Missouri. Although nothing eventful occurred in the first day or two of their journey, discord apparently arose within the group when Oliver Cowdery chastised some of the elders for inappropriate conduct and warned them that misfortune would befall them if they did not repent. Soon after, a sawyer—a submerged tree anchored to the bottom of the river—nearly capsized the canoe carrying Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon. Unnerved by this encounter, Joseph Smith instructed the group to exit the water and camp for the night. According to a later Joseph Smith history, William W. Phelps then experienced “an open vision, by daylight,” of “the Destroyer, in his most horrible power, rid[ing] upon the face of the waters.” The contention within the group was resolved later that night, and Joseph Smith dictated the revelation the next morning.

Joseph Smith Papers, Revelation, 12 August 1831 [D&C 61], Historical Introduction

After an evening full of quarrelling—largely over the leadership of Smith, Cowdery, and Rigdon—Joseph produced a revelation that countered the previous one he had produced on August 8. According to this new revelation, Smith, Cowdery, and Rigdon were to depart from the company and travel by all haste to Cincinnati by way of stagecoach. The men present would gather from among themselves the funds necessary to afford the expense. The rest of them would “take that which is needful for clothing” and continue on their return journey to Ohio, but not in haste—they were to preach along the way. Importantly, the travelling elders were to avoid travel by water, for the Lord’s servant John had cursed them and “and the destroyer rideth upon the face thereof.” Indeed, they were to forewarn their brethren of the peril of the waters and that “the days will come that no flesh shall be safe upon the waters.” The Mormons would avoid travel by the Missouri River hereafter.

Ezra Booth was one of those among this travel party. His experiences throughout his mission to Missouri, including this episode on the Missouri River, contributed to his disaffection with the church and fueled his criticism of its leaders—especially Joseph Smith. A well-respected and educated member of his community, and a former Methodist minister, Booth’s conversion to Mormonism had been influential in bringing attention and respectability to the Mormons in Kirtland. His disaffection and open renouncement of Smith and of Mormonism was also noteworthy. The Come, Follow Me manuals will direct attention to Booth in coming weeks, but for now his account of this episode on the Missouri River is particularly interesting:

The commandment we received to purchase, or make a water craft, directed us to proceed down the river in it as far as St. Louis, and from thence, with the exception of Joseph and his two scribes, we were to proceed on our journey home two by two. [...] The conduct of some of the Elders became highly displeasing to Oliver, who, in the greatness of his power, uttered this malediction; "as the Lord God liveth, if you do not behave better, some accident will befall you." [...] No accident however befell them, until Joseph in the afternoon of the third day, assumed the direction of affairs on board of that canoe, which, with other matters of difference, together with Oliver's curse, increased the irritation of the crew, who, in time of danger, refused to exert their physical powers, in consequence of which, they ran foul of a sawyer, and were in danger of upsetting. This was sufficient to flutter the timid spirit of the Prophet and his scribe, who had accompanied him on board that canoe, and like the sea-tossed mariner, when threatened with the horrors of a watery grave, they unanimously desired, to set their feet once more upon something more firm than a liquid surface: therefore, by the persuasion of Joseph, we landed before sunset, intending to pass the night upon the bank of the river. [...] Joseph seemed inclined to arm himself according to his usual custom, in case of opposition, with the judgments of God, for the purpose of pouring them, like a thunder bolt upon the rebellious Elders; but one or two retorted, "none of your threats:" which completely disarmed him, and he reserved his judgment for a more suitable occasion. [...] 

The next morning, Joseph manifested an aversion to risk his person any more, upon the rough and rapid current of the Missouri, and in fact, upon any other river; and he again had recourse to his usual method, of freeing himself from the embarrassments of [a former commandment, by] obtaining another in opposition to it. He succeeded according to his desires. A new commandment was issued, in which a great curse was pronounced against the waters; navigating them, was to be attended with extreme danger; and all the saints in general, were prohibited journeying upon them to the promised land. From this circumstance, the Missouri river was named the river of Destruction. It was decreed, that we should proceed on our journey by land, and preach by the way as we passed along. Joseph, Sidney and Oliver, were to press their way forward with all possible speed, and to preach only in Cincinnati; and there they were to lift up their voices, and proclaim against the whole of that wicked City. The method by which Joseph and Co. designed to proceed home, it was discovered, would be very expensive. "The Lord don't care how much money it takes to get us home," said Sidney. Not satisfied with the money they received from you [Edward Partridge], they used their best endeavors to exact money from others, who had but little, compared with what they had; telling them in substance, "you can beg your passage, on foot, but as we are to travel in the stage, we must have money." [...]

The next day after we were cast upon the shore, and had commenced our journey by land, myself and three others went on board of a canoe, and re-commenced our voyage down the river. From this time a constant gale of prosperity wafted us forward, and not an event transpired, but what tended to our advance, until we arrived at our much-desired homes. [...]

In this voyage upon the waters, we demonstrated that the great dangers existed only in imagination, and the commandment to be the offspring of a pusillanimous spirit. The spirit also revealed to Joseph, that "on the steam-boats, plots were already laid for our destruction." This too we proved to be false.

Ezra Booth, Letter 7 published in the Ohio Star, Nov. 21, 1831, emphasis my own.

Doctrine and Covenants § 61 has been the basis for the very prevalent Mormon folk doctrine that “Satan has dominion over the waters.” It’s not entirely clear how this doctrine came to apply to all waters and not just the Missouri River, but it likely stems from the passages of the revelation that indicate that “the days will come that no flesh shall be safe upon the waters” and “the destroyer rideth upon the face thereof, and I revoke not the decree.” For whatever reason, it has become a popular folk belief that God has permitted Satan dominion over the waters and that missionaries in particular are in peril of destruction in the water. This is often cited as the reason why LDS missionaries are forbidden from swimming or water recreation while set apart for the work. The actual reason is probably simply to protect the missionaries from accidents and the church from liability, but many do not see that as incompatible with their folk belief.

How do the Come, Follow Me manuals treat D&C § 61 and what lessons do they have for members today? The answer is that they largely avoid the historical context and make passing mention of the curse upon the waters, despite the fact that discussion of the curse makes up the bulk of the revelation’s content. Instead, they attempt to dispel some measure of the folk doctrine common among the membership, and lift select passages regarding “being of good cheer,” recognizing the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness, and encouraging members to “ponder faith-building experiences you have had when the Lord helped you overcome spiritual or physical adversity.” The following is all that the manuals have to say about the curse upon the waters:

Are all waters cursed by the Lord?
The Lord’s warning in Doctrine and Covenants 61 was, in part, a warning about the dangers His people could face while traveling to Zion on the Missouri River, which was known at that time for being dangerous. This warning should not be interpreted to mean that we should avoid traveling by water. The Lord has “all power,” including power over the waters (verse 1).

Come, Follow Me — Individuals and Families Manual, 6 June 2021

Mixed Messages on Prayer

The final major theme of this week’s Come, Follow Me lessons is the need for spiritual self-reliance by not requiring the Lord to command us in all things. This echoes messaging from the previous week’s lessons regarding D&C § 58:26–29, in which we discussed how this messaging can inadvertently exacerbate tendencies toward scrupulosity. This week’s lessons take it in an opposite direction by suggesting the members need not wait for the Lord’s counsel in every matter of their lives:

Why doesn’t the Lord give commandments about every aspect of our lives? According to verse 8, how are we to make decisions?

President Dallin H. Oaks taught:
 “A desire to be led by the Lord is a strength, but it needs to be accompanied by an understanding that our Heavenly Father leaves many decisions for our personal choices. Personal decision making is one of the sources of the growth we are meant to experience in mortality. Persons who try to shift all decision making to the Lord and plead for revelation in every choice will soon find circumstances in which they pray for guidance and don’t receive it. For example, this is likely to occur in those numerous circumstances in which the choices are trivial or either choice is acceptable.  We should study things out in our minds, using the reasoning powers our Creator has placed within us. Then we should pray for guidance and act upon it if we receive it. If we do not receive guidance, we should act upon our best judgment” (“Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall,” Ensign, Oct. 1994, 13–14).

Ask the children to talk about a time when they had to make a decision. How did they decide what to do? Read together Doctrine and Covenants 62:5, 7–8 to learn about what the Lord said to the elders who were about to journey from Missouri to Kirtland, Ohio. [...] Why is it sometimes good for us to use our own judgment instead of waiting for specific instruction from God on every matter?

Come, Follow Me — Lesson Manuals, 6 June 2021, emphasis my own

This messaging can get confusing, as on the surface it would seem to potentially contradict teachings elsewhere in Mormon scripture that members are to “pray always” and seek the Lord’s counsel in all their affairs. For instance:

8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray.
9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

2 Nephi 32:8–9, emphasis my own

17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;
18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.
19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.
20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.
21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.
22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.
23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.
24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.
25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.
26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.
27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

Alma 34:17–27

For what should we pray? We should pray about our work, against the power of our enemies and the devil, for our welfare and the welfare of those around us. We should counsel with the Lord regarding all our decisions and activities. (See Alma 37:36–37.) We should be grateful enough to give thanks for all we have. (See D&C 59:21.) We should confess His hand in all things. Ingratitude is one of our great sins. [...]

We should ask for what we need, taking care that we not ask for things that would be to our detriment. (See James 4:3.) We should ask for strength to overcome our problems. (See Alma 31:31–33.) We should pray for the inspiration and well-being of the President of the Church, the General Authorities, our stake president, our bishop, our quorum president, our home teachers, family members, and our civic leaders. Other suggestions could be made, but with the help of the Holy Ghost we will know about what we should pray. (See Rom. 8:26–27.)

President Ezra Taft Benson, "Pray Always", First Presidency Message, Feb 1990, emphasis my own

From my perspective, the counsel that church leaders are attempting to provide to members is that they should pray for the Lord’s guidance in all their affairs, but not to wait for the Lord’s inspiration before making their decisions. That is, sometimes God will not answer members’ supplications for guidance and leave them to their own devices, in which case the members should move forward with what they believe is best. In many ways, this is healthy counsel, but it also can be used to hedge bets regarding what constitutes an answer to prayer. That is, whether you feel that you’ve received inspiration or not following your prayers, God has answered them one way or the other—either with a direct answer, or by communicating through their silence that “it’s up to you.” In other words, every prayer is answered, even when they are not.

Another challenge here is that sometimes members who do not receive answers to their prayers and are left to their best judgement go on to make decisions that result in poor outcomes. In these cases, the fault is always placed on the member and not on God’s failure to provide them guidance. The member may even be told that they were not patient enough in waiting for the Lord’s response. Whatever the case, the Lord is responsible for all the individual’s triumphs and the member bears the blame for all their missteps—regardless of how their prayers were “answered.” This confirmation bias approach to prayer and inspiration is problematic.

Lastly, I want to touch on when members who are questioning their faith either feel led by the answers to the prayers away from the church, or when they receive no answers and through their best judgement decide to stop participating. These members are following the same counsel provided above, but their responses to the inspiration received in prayer, or lack thereof, is always interpreted by church leaders as misguided, if not Satan’s deception. This is another example of how confirmation bias is employed in Mormon theology to reinforce the church’s authority in the members’ lives. All prayers are answered, even when they aren’t, and the only “correct” answers are those that reinforce loyalty to the church.

Perhaps that is a jaded interpretation, but that’s how I see it. It is the same hermetically-sealed system of thought that we’ve mentioned in earlier discussions regarding personal revelation. In closing, I leave you with these sacrilegious skits from Saturday Night Live that feel pertinent to the church’s messaging this week: