The Lord Jesus Christ gives additional commandments to the pioneer Saints as He leads them to their promised land in the West. He is the same God (Jehovah) who led the children of Israel out of Egypt into their promised land.
Doctrine and Covenants 136:21–27
21 Keep yourselves from evil to take the name of the Lord in vain, for I am the Lord your God, even the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.
22 I am he who led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; and my arm is stretched out in the last days, to save my people Israel.
23 Cease to contend one with another; cease to speak evil one of another.
24 Cease drunkenness; and let your words tend to edifying one another.
25 If thou borrowest of thy neighbor, thou shalt restore that which thou hast borrowed; and if thou canst not repay then go straightway and tell thy neighbor, lest he condemn thee.
26 If thou shalt find that which thy neighbor has lost, thou shalt make diligent search till thou shalt deliver it to him again.
27 Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward.
President Heber J. Grant expounded on D&C 136:21–27:
“‘Keep yourselves from evil to take the name of the Lord in vain, for I am the Lord your God, even the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. I am he who led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; and my arm is stretched out in the last days, to save my people Israel’ (D&C 136:21–22).
“‘Cease to contend one with another; cease to speak evil one of another’ (D&C 136:23).
“A growing evil among our people is to criticize and find fault. . . .
“‘Cease drunkenness; and let your words tend to edifying one another’ (D&C 136:24).
“Let me promise you right here and now that if you vote for the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment, there will be a great many more professing Latter-day Saints who will be drunkards than there have been while the Eighteenth Amendment has been in force.
“By the way, I received a postal card—the man who sent it did not have the courage to sign his name—asking me not to talk on the Word of Wisdom at this conference. I request each and every Latter-day Saint within the sound of my voice to read what I said about the Word of Wisdom just six months ago. Every word that I said I meant, and among other things I said I hoped and prayed that we as a people would not vote for the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment. Really, I was almost tempted this morning to read my whole sermon over again, and let it go at that. I think I shall have it printed—in fact I will have it printed, and anyone of you who wants a copy, or a half dozen copies of it, can write and get them.
“‘If thou borrowest of thy neighbor’—Let me add, or anybody else—‘thou shalt restore that which thou hast borrowed; and if thou canst not repay then go straightway and tell thy neighbor, lest he condemn thee’ (D&C 136:25).
“That is one of the finest verses that was ever written, and please remember that this I am reading is ‘the word and the will of the Lord.’ In other words, do not take the bankruptcy act unless somebody knocks you down. All of my dear friends, many years ago when I was ruined in their judgment beyond the peradventure of a doubt, and there was no possibility, as far as they were able to see, of my ever being able to pay my debts, begged me to take the bankruptcy act. I said: ‘Not if I live a hundred and ten years. I will go on paying.’ And in the providences of the Lord I paid all of my debts.
“Now, I am not condemning those who have to take the bankruptcy act; but I know of men whom I have begged and pleaded with to not take the bankruptcy act, who, if they had only had the nerve, the faith, and the willingness to work, would have come out all right. . . .
“‘If thou shalt find that which thy neighbor has lost, thou shalt make diligent search till thou shalt deliver it to him again. Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast,’—in other words, do not be wasteful—‘that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward’ (D&C 136:26–27).
“I commend to you that you read all of that section [D&C 136].”
(In Conference Report, Oct. 1933, 5–7.)
