The works and the designs and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught, for God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; therefore, his paths are straight and his course is one eternal round.
So opens the revelatory literature of Joseph Smith. These are the first lines in Joseph Smith’s first extant revelation, what became published as D&C 3. They command our attention as historically significant words—the first in the historical record composed by JS himself; as theologically significant words—they assert a fundamental aspect of God’s nature, that God does not equivocate and delivers on his works, designs, and purposes; as devotionally significant words—they form the first response to a distressed young man and ground JS in a more mature relationship with God.
As a statement for the Doctrine and Covenants, and I dare say, for the Restoration project at large, D&C 3 establishes a serious premise: God cannot be frustrated. Sure, Martin Harris, an associate who bungled his stewardship of the earliest manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon—he can be frustrated. Lucy Mack Smith, JS’s mother who looks on in sadness and alarm at the loss of the manuscript—she can be frustrated. Accomplices, whoever they were, who stole the manuscript from Martin Harris and planned some kind of gambit for JS’s eventual Book of Mormon—they can be frustrated. And no less than a towering prophet, Joseph Smith, in a towering moment long reverenced by his followers, the very translation season of the Book of Mormon, a prophet devotees would treat as (nearly) infallible for two hundred years—even he can be frustrated. Here, we notice frustration as significantly more than a stubbed toe, a mundane setback, an episode of angst. This notion of frustration is closer to being foiled, thwarted, defeated in executing a crucial plan. It’s losing to the Nazis in World War II–level frustration; watching the levees break and the ocean flooding New Orleans; losing the precious pages of the Book of Mormon when you don’t know of any contingency plan.
This revelation, before undertaking any other point, leads with a statement of fact—possibly the most important statement of fact that could be said about God for people striving through a mortal sojourn replete with frustration:
God cannot be frustrated.
I feel great relief reading this opening verse of D&C 3, especially relieved as I remember its immediate context. According to JS’s mother, JS was terrified of God’s punishing gaze in the moment he learned Martin Harris had lost the 116-page manuscript. Here, he makes the anxious journey to approach God for revelation. And the first thing God says to him: The works and the designs and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught. The subtext of this revelation that I hear in my mind’s ear is something like: Young, frustrated, anxious Joseph, you can’t frustrate me; your mistakes cannot thwart my designs, my work; you need to know this about me and if you work with me, I’m dependable; don’t fear the people around you, people who are prone to frustration, who do walk in crooked paths; I will accomplish what I’ve set out to do, and I’m inviting you into a new relationship with me to work together in accomplishing this work.
Let’s anchor our Doctrine and Covenants, our Zion-building, our Restoration project in this fact about our God—he cannot be frustrated and we can enter into a new relationship with him. Our Doctrine and Covenants makes that invitation and shows the “crooked” strivings of people returning over and over to this fundamental confrontation with their shortcomings, and God’s steady presence through it all.
There is more to say about the historical setting for D&C 3: please check out my audio discussion on the podcast feed or by downloading this file:
Nature of Christ—God Cannot Be Frustrated [mp3]
And check out the lesson outline and resources:
D&C Lesson Schedule and Notes [pdf]
Next week: Work of Christ—A Marvelous Work Is about to Come Forth (D&C 4–5, 10)