Jesus is coming, look busy could be seen as the theme to Doctrine and Covenants 133. Near the same time that Section 1 was revealed as a preface to the Book of Commandments, Joseph Smith received Section 133 as an appendix. These closing words to the saints are focused on the coming of Christ and what we need to do to prepare.
God’s goal for His children is to see us with Him again. That eternal life is best described in John 17 and Doctrine and Covenants 132 as “knowing” God. This week’s Come, Follow Me lesson teaches sacred truths restored through Joseph Smith that allow us to know God and bring ourselves closer to Him—in this world and the world to come.
The doctrine of baptism for the dead is one of the ways we are welded together with our ancestors. Doctrine and Covenants 125–128 contains letters from Joseph Smith to the saints where his mind was on this eternal topic. And the people of the church reacted immediately to participate with gladness in this ordinance.
Persecution in Missouri led the early saints to the swamplands of Illinois, and over a year had passed since the last recorded revelation from the Lord. Doctrine and Covenants 124 is a message to the free saints making their way in a new community. It contains blueprints for the important buildings their growing town needs, and instructions for their lives.
Sections 121–123 of the Doctrine and Covenants start with the powerful voice of a prophet crying for God. Joseph Smith knew from first hand experience that the Lord was real and he hears prayers, but he still wasn’t above feeling alone. But God was there for him in his despair, and Joseph learned from that experience. And the letters from Liberty Jail can serve as a lesson for us in good times and a boon for us when times get hard.
In Doctrine and Covenants 115 the Lord revealed that the name of the church would be The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a name we take seriously and can take ownership in. The light of that church is to be a standard to the nations. And we have a responsibility as members of that church to be examples everywhere we go.
Section 113 is one of the distinctive sections in the Doctrine and Covenants that reads like a question-and-answer session with God. The beginning introduces us to a pattern with the revelatory formula, “Thus saith the Lord…” To better understand the context behind the questions, the Lord’s answers, and the original text in Isaiah, we invited two biblical scholars to join us on the podcast and answer a few of our own questions.
As of this week’s Come, Follow Me study, there are 208 dedicated temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (including those in operation and those closed for renovation). Each was dedicated, and some re-dedicated, with a prayer after the pattern recorded in Doctrine and Covenants section 109. In this week’s sections, we can read the Lord’s inspired words over the first constructed temple of this dispensation, as well as the visions and miracles that took place in that holy house.
In 2019, President Russell M. Nelson encouraged all of us—but especially the women of the Church—to study the truths of priesthood power found in sections 84 and 107 of the Doctrine and Covenants. The Come, Follow Me study this week falls on that second scripture section, and we are going to take the prophet’s counsel seriously by learning all we can about the two priesthoods, their duties and responsibilities, and councils in the Church. Sections 106–108 truly testify that the blessings of the priesthood are readily available to all of God’s children.
Elder Renlund first suggests making sure we are doing what God has asked of us and “not something extra that we impose on ourselves.”
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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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The early Church didn’t have manuals or study guides—they didn’t even have enough copies of the Book of Mormon to go around. But what they did have was ongoing revelation. Doctrine and Covenants 42–56 deal with organizing the Church better, resolving disputes between members, and combating deception. You could almost say these sections are like the earliest General Handbook for the Church. Sections 46–48 contain doctrine so vital to the organization of Christ’s Church that we still rely on it today.
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.