Doctrine and Covenants Tuesday

Scripture of the Day:

Doctrine and Covenants 101:32-40

  32 Yea, verily I say unto you, in that ^aday when the Lord shall come, he shall ^breveal all things—

  33 Things which have passed, and ^ahidden things which no man knew, things of the ^bearth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof—

  34 Things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven.

  35 And all they who suffer ^apersecution for my name, and endure in faith, though they are called to lay down their lives for my ^bsake yet shall they partake of all this glory.

  36 Wherefore, ^afear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your ^bjoy is full.

  37 Therefore, care not for the body, neither the life of the body; but care for the ^asoul, and for the life of the soul.

  38 And ^aseek the face of the Lord always, that in ^bpatience ye may possess your souls, and ye shall have eternal life.

  39 When men are called unto mine ^aeverlasting gospel, and covenant with an everlasting covenant, they are accounted as the ^bsalt of the earth and the savor of men;

  40 They are called to be the savor of men; therefore, if that ^asalt of the earth lose its savor, behold, it is thenceforth good for nothing only to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

Historical Background:

This is a section providing comfort to the Saints after all the adversity that they had suffered through during the persecution in Missouri.  Here is the background from the section heading:

Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, December 16, 1833. HC 1: 458–464. At this time the saints who had gathered in Missouri were suffering great persecution. Mobs had driven them from their homes in Jackson County, and some of them had tried to establish themselves in Van Buren County, but persecution followed them. The main body of the saints was at that time in Clay County, Missouri. Threats of death against individuals of the Church were many. The people had lost household furniture, clothing, livestock, and other personal property, and many of their crops had been destroyed.

Gospel Principles Outlined:

1) The Lord is aware of our struggles and adversity.

2) Persecution is a forerunner to blessings.

3) The Lord is our true source of joy.

4) Patience must govern our actions and lead us to eternal life.

5) There is great value in making covenants with God.

What I Learned Today:

Often we struggle to understand why we or others struggle with adversity in life and wish that there was more that we could do to alleviate suffering.  I have reflected a lot recently on what the Lord must be feeling as He sees the suffering or sees when people miss chances to serve.  I feel strongly that we should always seek opportunities to serve and build others up.  But, in doing so, we should never allow the adversary to convince us that we are not doing enough to discourage us from doing the things that we are already doing.  The Savior will always encourage us so that we can accomplish all that He has prepared for us, but he will never make us feel bad for those times we fall short.  That is what the Atonement is for.  We are just to patiently move forward in order to build up the kingdom of God.

Additional Resources-

Doctrine and Covenants Sunday School Manual

"Patience" by Elder Neal A. Maxwell

"That Our Children Might See the Face of the Savior" by Sister Cheryl C. Lant

Things I Will Implement:

A priority I am focusing on right now is to endure well and be more grateful.  I really have a lot of blessings in my life and I feel very happy because of it.  I want to express that more in my communications my Father in Heaven.