The Lord's Grace

Inexhaustible Opportunities and Love Irrespective

Adapted from Divine Aid, by Amy Easton, part of the Maxwell Institute’s Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants series.

“And now, behold, I say unto you, my servant James [Covel], I have looked upon thy works and I know thee. . . . I have prepared thee for a greater work” (Doctrine and Covenants 39:7, 11). . . . “And [James Covel] received the word with gladness, but straightway Satan tempted him; and the fear of persecution and the cares of the world caused him to reject the word.” (Doctrine and Covenants 40:2)

“That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; That through him all might be saved.” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:41–42)

Explaining the nature of God the Father during the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells His listeners that “[God] maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). What does this have to do with James Covel, a Methodist minister who showed a momentary intense interest in the Church? After “covenant[ing] with the Lord that he would obey any commandment that the Lord would give through his servant Joseph,” James Covel received a revelation through Joseph Smith on January 5, 1831, where he was called by the Lord “to labor in my vineyard, and to build up my church, and to bring forth Zion” (39:13). One day later, he was the subject of a revelation given to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon where the Lord explained why James chose not to answer His call—“fear of persecution and the cares of the world” (40:2). James, unfortunately, was not alone in rejecting the call given to him by the Lord through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Many of the recipients of the revelations now canonized in the Doctrine and Covenants either initially rejected their calls or eventually left the Church.

So why does the Lord—who we understand to be omniscient —extend this opportunity to James Covel? I believe He is simply being who He is. In these moments, He is showing us the true nature of our Heavenly Father and Himself. God “is merciful” (Luke 6:36). “[He] is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil” (Luke 6:35). “[He] maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). This is what is referred to as God’s divine economy—this is how God interacts with humanity. This is God’s grace: “The free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from him.” The love of God is manifest in the never-ending opportunities, forgiveness, assistance, and encouragement that the Lord offers to everyone because He loves each of God’s children and He wants each of them to return to Him.

The revelation to James Covel (D&C 39) helps us to further understand this aspect of the Lord’s nature and then to think through the more complicated question of what the Lord was trying to teach the Saints through the canonization of these sections. After establishing His grace, His mercy, and the ultimate reward awaiting all those who heed His voice, the Lord focuses His attention on James Covel: “And now, behold, I say unto you, my servant James, I have looked upon thy works and I know thee. And verily I say unto thee, thine heart is now right before me at this time; and, behold, I have bestowed great blessings upon thy head” (39:7–8). Keeping with the pattern seen in other revelations, the Lord names James’s core weakness—“thou has rejected me many times because of pride and the cares of the world” (39:9)—while simultaneously assuring him that he is forgiven—“thine heart is right before me at this time” (39:8)—and encouraging him to move forward—“Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on my name, and ye shall receive my Spirit, and a blessing so great as you never have known. And if thou do this, I have prepared thee for a greater work” (39:10–11). The Lord then proceeds to help James see—just as He did with so many other individuals in the early days of the Church—what he can be and what he can accomplish if he chooses to align himself with God: “And it shall come to pass that power shall rest upon thee; thou shalt have great faith, and I will be with thee and go before thy face” (39:12). For an individual who had already chosen to devote his life to bringing souls to the Savior, could there be a greater promise than to know that you would be endowed with the Lord’s power and have Him with you as you set out to fulfill His call to “recover [the Lord’s] People, which are of the house of Israel” (39:11)?

Even though the Lord foresees that James Covel will choose not to join the Church and preach the gospel, the Lord’s words follow the same pattern that we see Him consistently use throughout the revelations recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. He offers James love, forgiveness, direction, opportunities, and encouragement—just as He did for so many others who sought to know the Lord’s will for them through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Here in this moment, then, we have yet another example of the Lord being aligned with God’s divine economy as He extends James love and grace irrespective of how James responds because that is who the Lord is.

Observing and learning from the Savior’s interactions with others, particularly His interactions with those who choose a different path, may help us learn how to cultivate genuine, uncalculated generosity towards all people. Through his initial revelation to James Covel, we may see that we are to offer opportunities, aid, and encouragement even if we do not think people will accept them or even if we fear they will use them in a way that we would not intend. So, what may this look like specifically in our lives? Well, maybe we invite our niece, who is moving further and further away from the Church, to go with us to perform baptisms for the dead. Maybe we spend hours researching the best self-help book to give to our friend who is struggling. Maybe we plan elaborate trips or activities so that our daughters, who are complete opposites, will become friends. Maybe we install another app on our grandparent’s phone. Maybe we spend time listening to and weeping with a roommate into the early hours of the morning. Maybe we give 100% to our Church calling over and over, even when it seems likely to have a 2% effectiveness rate and a 0% return rate. We choose to do these types of things and so many more because the Savior has taught us repeatedly through His words and actions that this is the right way to be. And as we choose to extend grace—which is, as Adam Miller describes, “the art of giving good for good and good for evil . . . of giving whatever good is needed”—in interaction after interaction, we will develop the charity that we must have to become one with the Divine and with one another.

Dr. Amy Easton is an associate professor of Ancient Scripture and affiliate faculty of Global Women’s Studies and American Studies at Brigham Young University.

Art by Leslie Graff.