Doctrine and Covenants

Joseph Smith and others once visited Salem, Massachusetts, and took interest in the Salem witch trials. Here’s what they had to say about it.

Merry Christmas! What better way to celebrate the birth of our Savior than by studying “The Living Christ?” In this document, apostles and prophets testify that Jesus is the Christ and that He lives. By studying their words, can find our own witness of the matchless love and infinite grace the Savior has for us. So grab your markers and a copy of “The Living Christ,” and let’s dig into this week’s lesson.(Find the new "Let's Dig In" journal here.)

Have you ever seen the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch? It's a classic film all about "ohana," or the Hawaiian word for family. And the best quote from that movie is, "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind." Besides being heartwarming words from a Disney movie, this quote also holds so much meaning for what we are going to study this week: "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." So no matter what your ohana looks like, by the end of this week's discussion, we will see how the divine promise of nobody being left behind is meant for all of us.

This week’s ‘Come, Follow Me’ lesson includes Official Declarations 1 and 2, which involve policy changes within the Church.

If you’re thinking, “Wait, didn’t we just finish the Doctrine and Covenants? Why are there more lessons this year?” Well, yes, we did technically finish the sections, but did you know there are three very important documents included at the end of the Doctrine and Covenants? And so this week, we’re going to study those three documents: Official Declarations 1 and 2 and the Articles of Faith. But we also have a little something extra for you that is going to set up the discussion so well for these documents and we can’t wait to share it with you. So friends, grab your scriptures and let’s dig in.

Have you ever wondered what happens to people who die without a knowledge of the gospel? Or what about those who didn’t get a chance to accept it because of mental illness, physical disability, or other life circumstances? If these questions and others about the spirit world have weighed on your mind, Doctrine and Covenants 137–138 can help. These verses are filled with hope and information about what happens to our loved ones after they die and how everyone will have the opportunity to receive the gospel. So grab your scriptures and let’s dig into these last two sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.

Few things could have been more discouraging for the early Saints than the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith. But although it was a somber time in Church history, the Saints showed remarkable perseverance and faith in the Lord. This week we dig into Doctrine and Covenants 135–136 to put the martyrdom in context as well as look at thoughts from early Saints that will help us see how we too can persevere through our darkest moments.

Okay, let’s be real. Doctrine and Covenants section 134 probably isn’t on our radar very often. All that talk about government can be pretty complex and hard to understand, but don’t worry—we’ve got your back. In this week's study group, we break down Doctrine and Covenants 133–134 as we discuss God’s purposes for governments and how we can learn to be better disciples of Jesus Christ, no matter where we live.

A couple of weeks ago we asked our listeners if they had any questions about polygamy. And boy, did you guys do not disappoint! We received many questions on Facebook and Instagram about this practice in early Church history that we decided to create a special bonus episode to answer a few of them. So if you have ever wondered why polygamy was practiced or if it will be practiced in heaven, sit tight. Our guests and Church historians Jenny Reeder and Brittany Chapman Nash will answer these questions and more as we dig into this bonus episode about polygamy. Find the full bonus episode here.

The Reverend Dr. Andrew Teal—chaplain at Oxford University and personal friend of Elder Holland—gave a powerful forum address at BYU this week. But maybe the most surprising aspect of his message was the sheer amount of uniquely Latter-day Saint scriptures he included in his message.

This week, as we study the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants that originate in Liberty Jail for Come, Follow Me, we asked an expert to share with us the context of these chapters.

Both the Church History Library and the historic Beehive House now have exhibits honoring this important and momentous event in Church history.

While flipping through my study journals from the past year, I realized I may have been looking at Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 all wrong. Previously, I saw it as a verse with three commandments: 1) Look unto me, 2) doubt not, and 3) fear not. But I now I see an even more hopeful message.

Many of this year's Come, Follow Me lessons could be considered history lessons as much as they are teachings of gospel principles. This week's lesson on the founding of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830, is no exception.

In 2021, we will start a new year of Come, Follow Me in the Doctrine and Covenants. Whether your children are young or grown, make sure your family has everything you need to dive a little deeper and to learn a little more in your daily study.

Looking for a way to organize and enjoy your scripture study next year? Deseret Book is releasing new, helpful resources for the 2021 Come, Follow Me study curriculum. The Don't Miss This in the Doctrine and Covenants study book and the Don't Miss This in the Doctrine and Covenants study journal are both available now.

The first Come, Follow Me study manual for 2021 can now be found online at ChurchofJesusChrist.org or in the Gospel Library App under “Come, Follow Me.” The manual for individuals and families is currently posted with other curriculum items to be available digitally by August 31, 2020.

Joseph Fielding Smith changed John Bytheway's life in five words when he said, "We read scriptures too fast." Check out these five "sermons in a sentence" from the scriptures that could change your life, too!

The signs of the times can sometimes have us feeling gloomy or despondent. But the Savior’s promise can give us hope and optimism.

Typically you don’t think of the scriptures as a “how-to” manual when it comes to being single. But some of the best advice I’ve heard about being single and dating comes from the Doctrine and Covenants.

Though all scriptures are powerful and inspired, some of them stand out for their poetic language and use of imagery. Here are just 30 of our favorite, beautiful lines from scripture.

For more uplifting quotes and daily inspiration, be sure to follow @ldsliving on Instagram.

For most of the thirty-nine years Samuel King [president of the Sudoeste District of the Uruguay-Paraguay Mission] spent as an administrator of a large meat-packing plant [in Montevideo, Uruguay], he was a staunch member of the Church of England. . . .

My whole life, I’ve heard D&C 18:10-16 in relation to missionary work. “And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!” (D&C 18:16).

It's amazing what emerging technology has helped us accomplish in just the past few decades. From thousands of digital books stored on our phones to seeing and chatting with people half a world away in real time, technology continues to make everyday tasks easier.

Author's Note: I am always interested in feedback and grateful for suggestions about improving these lessons. If you have suggestions or comments, my email is tedgibbons@yahoo.com. Thanks. TLG

Satan is laboring mightily to impede the progress of the Kingdom. If you had been assigned by him to decide where to attack in order to lessen the power of the Church, where would you focus your efforts? Which doctrines or organizations would you be most determined to undermine? Elder Boyd K. Packer named the number one target on Lucifer’s hit list.

A careful consideration of the scriptural record will provide several accounts of members of the covenant people serving in positions of civil significance. Daniel and his three friends were political figures in Babylon (Daniel 2:48,49). Mordecai and his niece Esther were a part of the king’s court in Persia (see Esther 2; Esther 8:2). Joseph became prime minister of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh in all the land (Genesis 41:39-41). Ezra Taft Benson served in the cabinet of President Eisenhower. Joseph Smith served as a city Mayor of Nauvoo, and he campaigned for President of the United States. There are other examples. They all clearly demonstrate the interest of the Lord and his servants in the way his children are governed.

I have in my files a Gary Larson cartoon showing a man lying in bed having a dream. In the dream he sees knights clothed in iron armor and wielding iron swords and engaged in fierce combat. But this man—the man who is dreaming—is also in the battle, holding a wooden sword, a garbage can lid rather than a shield, and dressed in his birthday suit. The caption for the cartoon is: COMMON MEDIEVAL NIGHTMARE.

One of the great realities of the restoration is the fact of communication between this planet and the eternal worlds. Beginning with the vision in the grove and continuing on through the intervening years to this very day, we see evidence of continuous communication between God and his children. We have seen it in the unfolding of the revelations in the D&C and in the unfolding of the latter-day organization of the Kingdom of God on earth. President James E. Faust said:

We are to gather Israel. One of the great purposes of our global missionary effort is to gather Israel from the nations of the earth.

Several years ago as I was about to depart for work, a call came from my bishop. His oldest son had disappeared. The boy had eaten breakfast and dressed for elementary school, but when his mother was ready to drive him and his sisters to school he could not be found. They thought perhaps he had walked. His mother transported her daughters and then made a search. The boy was not at school. It was at this point that calls went out to the police and to several ward members. I delayed my departure for work and along with several dozen others, commenced an intensive search of the neighborhood. After a few hours, his mother found him, curled up on the floor of his closet with the door closed. He was fast asleep.

President Heber J. Grant told a wonderful story about work for the dead:

On a trip to the Middle East several years ago, a close friend and his wife determined to save money by collecting rocks instead of purchasing souvenirs. At every significant location in Italy, Egypt, Israel, and Greece they picked up stones and labeled them with a date and a location. They were stored in an elderly suitcase brought along for just that purpose. The bag was the provocation for considerable humor during the three weeks of our trip. It grew increasingly ponderous as the days passed. The memorial stones seemed to grow correspondingly smaller.

Over the past 50 years, it has been a great joy for me to listen to the words of the Lord’s servants. I am particularly gratified to listen to the man we sustain as the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. I felt his power.

Neighbors who lived near my home in a small Arizona town suffered the misfortune of having the foundation of their home crack. The displacement left three- and four-inch gaps between the bricks of the west and north walls. It was a preventable calamity. Everyone knew that the soil was sandy and that the foundation, in order to remain secure, had to rest on bedrock. But in an effort to cut costs and save time, the owner and contractor agreed to shortcuts which led to disaster.

Introduction

Six houses that belonged to my ancestors still stand in Nauvoo; nice brick and frame homes, with lawns and gardens and trees and carriage houses. I can hardly imagine the stretching and commitment necessary for their owners to gather up a wagon load of non-perishable goods, sweep the floor a final time, and follow the prophet of God across the Mississippi and into the setting sun. My own home is large and lovely, with a wrought iron fence and roses and fruit trees and a garden. My children grew up here. My grandchildren identify this as the ancestral home. I wonder how I would respond if circumstances and revelation were to require an uprooting and transplanting . . .

Talk about an extended warranty! When we pay the price to have a marriage performed in the temple of the Lord, we come face to face and soul to soul with the actual meaning of the word endless. When I bought my printer from Office Max, I also purchased a plan to give me two years of protection in case the thing went south on me. Any significant investment of money creates a desire in us to enjoy some permanence. We are often willing to spend a little more to ensure that what we have labored and paid for will last a while.

Joseph Smith, speaking of the work of redemption for the dead called that work the “. . . most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel . . .” (D&C 128:17). Why? What is there about this work that would cause the prophet to place its importance above any other subject belonging to the restoration of the gospel?

Five houses are still standing where ancestors of my children lived in Nauvoo in the days following the Missouri exodus. For a time, that beautiful Mississippi community must have seemed a heavenly gift. Once the swamps were drained the site became a truly attractive place. In addition, the Illinoisans were receptive and helpful. Converts arrived by the hundreds. Doctrinal growth added structure to the restoration. Joseph seemed to become more prophetic and powerful than he had been before. The Nauvoo years preceding the martyrdom provided a season of rest and rejoicing for the beleaguered Saints of the Most High.

I have been in the jail at Carthage, Illinois, many times. On a recent visit I had my picture taken next to the statue of Joseph and Hyrum with the jail in the background. On another occasion, I visited Liberty Jail. I knelt by the cutaway comer of the missing wall and a kind guide took a photo showing the upper and lower levels, the prophet Joseph at his small table, and the great squared stones of the wall. As always, I was moved by the witness of suffering and solitude and sacrifice that seemed to seep from the very walls. But I also sensed that the restriction of Joseph’s body gave his spirit increased capacity to soar. In 2009, I wrote some words in my journal about my feelings:

Zion is a place, but it is much more than that. The truth is that Zion is a place only because things must be located someplace. Unless it is filled with Zion people, it is something else. Contemplate the following comment:

The phrase “every member a missionary” became common during the administration of President David O. McKay. Of that requirement, he said,

On Sunday, March 18, 1958, my father ordained me a deacon. I received a letter from him that morning, and I kept it for many years. The paper itself has now disappeared, but the memory lingers. Among other things, my father told me that day that the president of the United States would never have as much power as I would soon have, unless he repented and joined the Church. Those simple words made a profound impression on my young mind. Somehow it was communicated to me that I would be authorized to act in the name of and in the place of God.