Sunday on Monday

There are critics of the Church in whatever corner of the vineyard you go. The early Saints experienced this in the forms of violence and persecution, and we still have places online and in person where it is our calling to defend the work. Doctrine and Covenants 71–75 contain a promise for all those proclaiming the gospel, and we can have confidence that “no weapon that is formed against [us] shall prosper.”
In a group of meetings in November 1831, the Lord revealed that the Saints in the latter days should be able to read the revelations being received by Joseph Smith. A new book of scripture would be published, and the precursor to our current Doctrine and Covenants was in the works. During those meetings, the Lord revealed a preface in Doctrine and Covenants 1, an appendix that would become Doctrine and Covenants 133, and the four sections in our study this week: Doctrine and Covenants 67–70. And as recorded in section 70, these words would be “worth … the riches of the whole Earth.”
What is required for building Zion? The Saints in the early 1830s had land, resources, and plans, but they weren’t aligned in their attitude. In today’s discussion of Doctrine and Covenants 64–66, we learn what the Lord asks of us as we continue their mission to build Zion on the earth. And even though it won’t be just one city, the requirements from God are the same.
In early August 1831, Joseph Smith and other elders of the Church were preparing to return to Kirtland after a short visit to Missouri. The Lord wanted these men to preach the gospel during their trip. Some of the men had no problem with that, but others were hesitant. Doctrine and Covenants 60–63 set the Lord’s expectations and desires for the Saints on their journey home, whether on the road to Ohio or our eventual home with God again.
There are a lot of comforting words you can say to a friend or family member who is going through a hard time. And we can find many reassuring words in the scriptures, too. Our Come, Follow Me study this week in Doctrine and Covenants 58–59 contains a unique phrase for the Saints in Missouri. And no matter what we are going through, we can hope to “lay to heart” these words from God as well.
For Church members in the 1830s, gathering in Ohio and building the city of Zion were spiritual as well as temporal labors. In the revelations recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 51–57, the Lord appointed and instructed people to handle the tasks required for building a new place. He also taught the people about becoming a Zion people, which may have been more difficult than building, printing, or running a store.
Doctrine and Covenants 50 carries an invitation from the Lord that we accept every time we study, listen to a podcast, or go to church: “Let us reason together.” For today’s discussion on sections 49 and 50, we are joined by two educated women who are familiar with reasoning about the scriptures. And their insight will help us all be “edified and rejoice together.”
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.
January 21, 2025 02:20 PM MST
A verse from the Book of Mormon shows how hopeful this phrase truly is.
1 Min Read
September 23, 2024 03:13 PM MDT
This principle from 3 Nephi (and some help from my stopwatch) reveals an empowering truth.
3 Min Read
August 15, 2024 04:32 PM MDT
“Most of the best people who ever lived weren’t very famous either. Serve and grow, faithfully and quietly.”
3 Min Read
August 14, 2024 03:17 PM MDT
God wants us to live with joy, not guilt that we are not doing enough. Find peace by noticing the subtle signs of progress in your life.
5 Min Read
August 05, 2024 03:11 PM MDT
Alma's son Corianton pursued a harlot and had significant concerns about the gospel. What can we learn from what Alma chose to say to him?
4 Min Read
July 22, 2024 02:50 PM MDT
Did you know Alma chapters 30–35 were originally one chapter? Reading the text as one block reveals an important question (and inspiring answer).
4 Min Read
June 25, 2024 09:45 AM MDT
I’ve realized Amulek is poignant inspiration to anyone feeling like their life is falling apart even though they chose to do what was right.
3 Min Read
June 04, 2024 07:40 AM MDT
This summer, the Sunday on Monday podcast has decided to prove the scripture and see how we can truly “count it all joy.”
2 Min Read
May 23, 2024 03:29 PM MDT
Sometimes when you come across a very familiar verse, it can be easy to just gloss it over because you know it so well.
1 Min Read
May 10, 2024 06:54 AM MDT
In Mosiah 9, the Lamanites were trying to skip right to the easy part.
2 Min Read
May 03, 2024 09:00 AM MDT
This week’s “Come, Follow Me” nugget is more the size of a rock, but there is just so much that King Benjamin teaches in Mosiah 4.
2 Min Read
April 29, 2024 07:00 AM MDT
We know we are the spirit children of Heavenly Father, so how is it that we can also be the children of Christ? The answer is wonderfully ennobling.
2 Min Read
April 25, 2024 10:29 AM MDT
Our challenge today is not a lack of access, but a lack of attention.
2 Min Read
April 15, 2024 05:37 AM MDT
We love Enos for his heartfelt prayers. Here are a few details about how he prays you may’ve not noticed but that can help you in life.
4 Min Read
March 28, 2024 03:04 PM MDT
A debt paid? Understanding? Protection? Comfort? For any definition of the word “cover,” you can find a solution for it in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
2 Min Read
March 21, 2024 10:50 AM MDT
The journey back to God usually isn’t as simple as moving from point A to point B.
2 Min Read
March 14, 2024 03:23 PM MDT
There is a segment in this week’s “Come, Follow Me” reading that captures the spirit of the “Visitors Welcome” signs found on every Latter-day Saint church building.
2 Min Read
March 07, 2024 10:30 AM MST
Nephi writes like someone who intends for his words to be read, and 2 Nephi 25 is like he’s stretching his arm through the fourth wall to tell us what’s important.
1 Min Read
February 29, 2024 10:54 AM MST
2 Nephi 18 talks about the Lord—and the temple—being a sanctuary. So how can we find that same peace in our busy lives today?
2 Min Read
February 22, 2024 11:30 AM MST
“God has His hand in everything. Every page of the Book of Mormon is evidence of that.”
2 Min Read
February 19, 2024 06:00 AM MST
Studying Jacob may help you see how both deep sorrow and anxiety can coexist with God’s goodness.
4 Min Read
February 15, 2024 09:20 AM MST
Moses, Nephi, and Joseph Smith are all names on the page for us today. But their struggles and faith were real. And we can learn from their lessons.
2 Min Read
February 08, 2024 09:52 AM MST
In the middle of Lehi’s message to Jacob, we get a small but powerful message that “all things must needs be a compound in one.”
2 Min Read
February 07, 2024 02:08 PM MST
With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’ve chosen our favorite podcast episodes to help you find ideas to love others more deeply as the Savior would.
5 Min Read
February 05, 2024 09:23 AM MST
Has the promise of prospering in the land led us to believe that if we keep the commandments, life will be easy?
5 Min Read
February 01, 2024 06:38 AM MST
The moments in my life where the scriptures have come alive the most are in casual conversations with roommates or family. That’s when the application happens.
3 Min Read
January 25, 2024 05:47 AM MST
When nothing else makes sense and you are confused by what you hear, start there. Start with knowing God loves you.
2 Min Read
January 22, 2024 10:33 AM MST
“Falling down” at the feet of Jesus can become an instructive, beautiful, inspiring detail in Lehi’s vision of the tree of life.
4 Min Read
January 18, 2024 12:00 PM MST
My ah-ha moment from this week’s reading came from one word found in the family conflict immediately preceding Lehi’s vision.
2 Min Read
January 11, 2024 02:06 PM MST
There are many ways we can learn about God throughout our lives, two of which are through the scriptures and our family.
2 Min Read
January 08, 2024 11:15 AM MST
Sometimes knowing leads to doing, and other times doing leads to knowing.
4 Min Read
January 04, 2024 05:00 AM MST
A new year brings new resolutions and a new ‘Come, Follow Me’ curriculum. Let’s dive into our 2024 study of the Book of Mormon.
3 Min Read
December 22, 2023 12:03 PM MST
The world is pretty different than it was in January 2020, but we are back to reading the Book of Mormon together and there are a few new perks for 'Sunday on Monday' podcast listeners.
2 Min Read
December 21, 2023 06:00 AM MST
Busy week? Me too. LDS Living is here to catch you up and get you ready for discussions on Sunday. Here’s a nugget of wisdom from this week’s Come, Follow Me study of The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.
2 Min Read
December 13, 2023 04:30 PM MST
Don’t get too bogged down with the foreboding symbolism in Revelation. Instead, focus on finding Christ.
2 Min Read
December 07, 2023 04:03 PM MST
One of the topics I appreciated the most—especially given our special focus on Christ this time of year—was a discussion on the dozens of varied names for the Savior we find in the Book of Revelation.
1 Min Read
November 30, 2023 12:00 PM MST
John mentions love extensively in both his gospel at the beginning of the New Testament and again in his epistles we’re studying this week at the end of the New Testament.
2 Min Read
According to the Title Page of the Book of Mormon, the book’s purpose is to convince all people that “Jesus is the Christ.” During this Christmas season, as believers worldwide celebrate God’s goodness and love in sending His Son, we decided to ponder how the Book of Mormon has strengthened our faith in Christ. We asked our study group guests to think about His birth, reflecting on why He came and how His coming has changed their lives. As you listen to this week’s episode, we hope you experience the true joy of Christmas—our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Our study of the Book of Mormon this year has been incredible. For 52 weeks we have dug into this book and changed. Hopefully your love of the Book of Mormon has grown. The prophet Moroni loved it too and one of the last things he wrote is for us to consider this book, all that it contains and to discover for ourselves if it is not true. He wants us to challenge the book and to learn for ourselves if it is true. As we study Moroni 10 together, listen and notice the spiritual impressions you receive as the Holy Ghost helps you discover or rediscover the truthfulness of this book and how merciful the Lord hath been to all of us, His people that he loves.
Moroni 7–9 are teachings and 2 letters from Mormon that Moroni decided to include on the plates. They describe overwhelmingly sad circumstances, and yet the council is to have hope. How can we have hope, and faith, and charity regardless of our circumstances?
Do you remember the magazines they used to have for kids with Seek and Find games? These would have a list of items hidden in the picture that you had to find. Today as we study Moroni 1–6 we are trying out a seek and find podcast where we look for questions and the administrative details that can point us to the answers.
As the Book of Mormon nears its conclusion we have included a few more war chapters. It's fair to ask why Moroni, who saw so much war and destruction himself, would choose to bring in these chapters describing bloodshed and evil. This week while reading Ether 12–15 we will try to understand the context Moroni was coming from, the many chapters of war in the Book of Mormon, and the lessons we can learn from modern day conflict.
When the Jaredites arrived at the promised land, they rushed onto dry ground and thanked the Lord for the “multitude of his tender mercies” (Ether 6:12). How many times are we that overwhelmed by the grace and guidance of God in our lives? And how hard can it be to even recognize those tender mercies? Ether 6–11 is full of tender mercies that some of the people saw, and others missed because of their pride. So, let’s use this week to find gratitude for all the little things from God in our lives.