In 1831, the exact circumstances and details of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ generated a lot of speculation among the Saints. Joseph Smith asked those questions to God and received an answer. Doctrine and Covenants section 45 is known as the Second Coming section, and while it does not predict when Jesus will come again, it does give us doctrine and signs to watch for—revelation that can help prepare us for when He does return someday.
The Saints arrived in Ohio to build their Zion community, and this effort took hard work. They needed to build homes, shops, and a temple while also building trust in each other. In Doctrine and Covenants 41–44, we learn about the new law their community would live under and how much was required to live up to it.
A line in the hymn “Praise to the Man” reads: “Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.” In our study of Doctrine and Covenants 37–40, the Saints were asked to give up something very valuable with a promise of future blessings from God. While we hopefully won’t need to walk away from our property and worldly possessions like the early pioneers, their story can teach us important lessons about the eternal principle of sacrifice.
This year, our theme for studying the Doctrine and Covenants is to A.S.K. (Always Seek more Knowledge) because that’s what Joseph Smith did. In this special Easter episode, five people from different walks of life share their testimonies of praying and seeking answers from God. As our thoughts turn to Christ this Easter season, we hope these words of faith will help you feel closer than ever to God.
In a chaotic world, peace can be a precious commodity. This episode begins our study of Doctrine and Covenants 30–36, seven chapters filled with peaceable things of the kingdom. Just as these verses advised 12 men who needed the assurance of peace, these sections can offer us encouragement and respite today.
Doctrine and Covenants 29 tells of the signs, plagues, and disasters that will come before the Millennium. Reading them might give you a case of the Second Coming scaries, but not to fear. Because in this divine section, we are also reminded of who God is and how He cares for His children. When times get scary, we can always find refuge in Christ.
God wants to commit responsibilities to each of us. They come in church callings or personal promptings to share His gospel. We show our commitment by choosing to magnify those callings from God. Doctrine and Covenants 27–28 discuss committing to God and warn about what it looks like when that commitment is in the wrong place.
What makes your heart sing? Where do you turn when you want to be closer to the Spirit and feel God’s love? Maybe it’s art, books, or a literal song. In this week’s reading of Doctrine and Covenants 23–26, the Lord says his soul “delighteth in the song of the heart” in an important revelation. And we’ve built you a perfect playlist to go along with it.
Scholars have described the Whitmer home as a “celebrated dwelling place.” It is where the first conference was held, the Church was organized, and the revelation we are discussing this week was received. Doctrine and Covenants 20–22 describe the order in which God keeps His house, and as we study these sections, we can explore how to make our homes celebrated Christlike dwelling places.
Elder Kearon believes this truth “can console all of us.”
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These resources can help any family dive deeper into the Doctrine and Covenants in 2025.
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It had been three years since God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith, but he hadn’t received any additional revelations. He began to wonder whether the Lord was displeased with him. Like all of us, Joseph had made mistakes, and he felt condemned by them. In this week’s Come, Follow Me study of Joseph Smith History 1:27–65, we feel the relief that God is still there and has a work for all of us to do.
The Doctrine and Covenants is a book of questions and answers, and the Restoration came about because of one specific question. Our discussion of Joseph Smith History 1:1–26 centers on the historical background of Joseph’s life before his prayer in the grove. This context can help when we have questions and give us hope in a God that answers.
There’s just one section in the Come, Follow Me lesson this week and it is the Lord’s preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, D&C 1. Every section as we study this year will have eternal truths and we will make it our mission on this podcast to find them, starting with a lot of truth packed into this one powerful section. Happy New Year and let’s find truth together in 2025.
The Doctrine & Covenants is full of people with questions, and God giving answers with truth. And one of the eternal truths that we see the most is that God loves His children. In fact that is the first line in the Restoration Proclamation that was read in General Conference by President Nelson. To start our study of church history and the D&C we have five scholars to discuss their thoughts on that landmark proclamation.