Thursday, March 19, 2020

D&C 16: Carbon Copy

It's now Peter Whitmer's turn to receive a personalized revelation from God's lips to Joseph Smith's ears.

Ha, just kidding.  This is identical to the previous section except for the name.  That's kind of interesting, considering the header from John's revelation states that its "message is intimately and impressively personal in that the Lord tells of what was known only to John Whitmer and Himself."  How impressively personal is it when it reads so much like a fortune cookie that it can literally be reused for a completely different person?  Is it really that intimate if it can be repeated verbatim for a different audience?

As a tangential note during the current COVID-19 pandemic, this section might be useful as a sobering reminder to faithful Mormons. Though it can be very easily argued that the blessings promised to him in this section were fulfilled (his missionary work brought Sidney Rigdon on board, so Peter Whitmer Jr. certainly did help "bring souls" unto God), we might want to remember that he would also die quite young just seven years after this revelation.  

Being favored of God doesn't necessarily mean he's going to bless you with a long and healthy life.  Adherents and apostates alike should exercise caution, follow medical recommendations and hygiene guidelines, and stay safe.

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