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October, Week 1
Day 1
Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 109: 1-42.
2. The Saints worked for nearly three years to build the Kirtland Temple, the first temple built in this dispensation. Doctrine and Covenants 109 is the dedicatory prayer revealed by the Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith. This prayer contains blessings we can receive today.
3. President Russell M. Nelson testified:
[The temple] is His house. It is filled with His power. Let us never lose sight of what the Lord is doing for us now. … I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can. (Russell M. Nelson, “Focus on the Temple,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 121)
4. Watch the video “The Kirtland Temple is Dedicated.”
Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 109: 1-42.
2. The Saints worked for nearly three years to build the Kirtland Temple, the first temple built in this dispensation. Doctrine and Covenants 109 is the dedicatory prayer revealed by the Lord to the Prophet Joseph Smith. This prayer contains blessings we can receive today.
3. President Russell M. Nelson testified:
[The temple] is His house. It is filled with His power. Let us never lose sight of what the Lord is doing for us now. … I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can. (Russell M. Nelson, “Focus on the Temple,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 121)
4. How can temple attendance help me in everyday life? Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified:
We do not come to the temple to hide from or escape the evils of the world. Rather, we come to the temple to conquer the world of evil. As we invite into our lives the “power of godliness” [Doctrine and Covenants 84:20–21] by receiving priesthood ordinances and making and keeping sacred covenants, we are blessed with strength beyond our own to overcome the temptations and challenges of mortality and to do and become good. (David A. Bednar, “Let This House Be Built unto My Name,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 86)
5. . What does it mean to “hold a name and standing” in the temple? Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
The process of taking upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ that is commenced in the waters of baptism is continued and enlarged in the house of the Lord. As we stand in the waters of baptism, we look to the temple. As we partake of the sacrament, we look to the temple. We pledge to always remember the Savior and to keep His commandments as preparation to participate in the sacred ordinances of the temple and receive the highest blessings available through the name and by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, in the ordinances of the holy temple we more completely and fully take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. (David A. Bednar, “Honorably Hold a Name and Standing,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 98)
Day 2
Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 110.
2. Why do you think the Lord wants us to strive to keep the commandments in order to come closer to Him in the temple? What does it mean to you to be clean or worthy before the Lord? Brother Bradley R. Wilcox of the Young Men General Presidency taught:
God’s message is that worthiness is not flawlessness. Worthiness is being honest and trying. We must be honest with God, priesthood leaders, and others who love us, and we must strive to keep God’s commandments and never give up just because we slip up. …
… Remember change is possible, repentance is a process, and worthiness is not flawlessness. Most important, remember that God and Christ are willing to help us right here and now. …
… Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said: “God does not need people who are flawless. He seeks those who will offer their ‘heart and a willing mind’ [Doctrine and Covenants 64:34], and He will make them ‘perfect in Christ’ [Moroni 10:32–33].” (Bradley R. Wilcox, “Worthiness Is Not Flawlessness,” Liahona, Nov 2021, 62, 67)
3. After the vision of Jesus Christ in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836, “the heavens were again opened” (Doctrine and Covenants 110:11) to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Three ancient prophets appeared and committed essential priesthood keys to them.
4. Why was what happened in the Kirtland Temple so significant? The Savior promised the early Saints tremendous blessings for their labor and sacrifice to construct a temple in Kirtland, Ohio. Those blessings included the keys and powers restored on April 3, 1836. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:
The Kirtland Temple, both in location and size, was relatively obscure. But in terms of its enormous significance to mankind, it was eternity-shaping. Ancient prophets restored priesthood keys for the eternal saving ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This resulted in overwhelming joy for faithful members.
These keys provide the “power from on high” [Doctrine and Covenants 38:38] for divinely appointed responsibilities that constitute the primary purpose of the Church. (Quentin L. Cook, “Prepare to Meet God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 114)
Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 110.
2. Why do you think the Lord wants us to strive to keep the commandments in order to come closer to Him in the temple? What does it mean to you to be clean or worthy before the Lord? Brother Bradley R. Wilcox of the Young Men General Presidency taught:
God’s message is that worthiness is not flawlessness. Worthiness is being honest and trying. We must be honest with God, priesthood leaders, and others who love us, and we must strive to keep God’s commandments and never give up just because we slip up. …
… Remember change is possible, repentance is a process, and worthiness is not flawlessness. Most important, remember that God and Christ are willing to help us right here and now. …
… Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said: “God does not need people who are flawless. He seeks those who will offer their ‘heart and a willing mind’ [Doctrine and Covenants 64:34], and He will make them ‘perfect in Christ’ [Moroni 10:32–33].” (Bradley R. Wilcox, “Worthiness Is Not Flawlessness,” Liahona, Nov 2021, 62, 67)
3. After the vision of Jesus Christ in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836, “the heavens were again opened” (Doctrine and Covenants 110:11) to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Three ancient prophets appeared and committed essential priesthood keys to them.
4. Why was what happened in the Kirtland Temple so significant? The Savior promised the early Saints tremendous blessings for their labor and sacrifice to construct a temple in Kirtland, Ohio. Those blessings included the keys and powers restored on April 3, 1836. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:
The Kirtland Temple, both in location and size, was relatively obscure. But in terms of its enormous significance to mankind, it was eternity-shaping. Ancient prophets restored priesthood keys for the eternal saving ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This resulted in overwhelming joy for faithful members.
These keys provide the “power from on high” [Doctrine and Covenants 38:38] for divinely appointed responsibilities that constitute the primary purpose of the Church. (Quentin L. Cook, “Prepare to Meet God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 114)
Week 2
Day 1
Primary
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 111.
2. By 1836, the Church was deep in debt due to the costs of building the Kirtland Temple and of purchasing lands in Ohio and Missouri. At the same time, the Saints in Clay County, Missouri, were being forced to relocate. In late July 1836, with these concerns weighing heavily on their minds, Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and Sidney Rigdon traveled more than 600 miles (965 kilometers) from Kirtland, Ohio, to Salem, Massachusetts. While the reason for their trip is not certain, they may have been acting on information they thought could help them relieve the debt of the Church. One account states that a Church member had told Joseph Smith about a house in Salem in which was hidden a large amount of money.
3. President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) gave a highly relatable testimony:
It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. (“Latter-day Counsel: Excerpts from Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, Oct. 2000, 73)
4. What can we learn from this?
Youth
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 111.
2. By 1836, the Church was deep in debt due to the costs of building the Kirtland Temple and of purchasing lands in Ohio and Missouri. At the same time, the Saints in Clay County, Missouri, were being forced to relocate. In late July 1836, with these concerns weighing heavily on their minds, Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and Sidney Rigdon traveled more than 600 miles (965 kilometers) from Kirtland, Ohio, to Salem, Massachusetts. While the reason for their trip is not certain, they may have been acting on information they thought could help them relieve the debt of the Church. One account states that a Church member had told Joseph Smith about a house in Salem in which was hidden a large amount of money.
3. President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) gave a highly relatable testimony:
It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. If you do your best, it will all work out. Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. (“Latter-day Counsel: Excerpts from Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, Oct. 2000, 73)
4. The Lord’s acknowledgement of these Church leaders’ mistakes helps clarify the distinction between making mistakes and committing sin. President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency acknowledged that we all make mistakes and taught that our mistakes can help us progress:
Mistakes are inevitable in the process of growth in mortality. To avoid all possibility of error is to avoid all possibility of growth. In the parable of the talents, the Savior told of a servant who was so anxious to minimize the risk of loss through a mistaken investment that he hid up his talent and did nothing with it. That servant was condemned by his master (see Matt. 25:24–30).
If we are willing to be corrected for our mistakes, … innocent mistakes can be a source of growth and progress. (Dallin H. Oaks, “Sins and Mistakes,” Ensign, Oct. 1996, 67)
5. What else can I do so that God will “order all things for [my] good”? President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, testified:
Those who heed the inner call and seek God, those who pray, believe, and walk the path the Savior has prepared—even if they stumble along the path at times—receive the consoling assurance that “all things shall work together for [their] good” (Doctrine and Covenants 90:24). (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “A Yearning for Home,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 22)
6. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles declared:
All things can work together for our good when we are “sanctified in Christ … in the covenant of the Father” [Moroni 10:33]. Every good and promised blessing comes to those who remain faithful to the end. The “happy state of those that keep the commandments of God” is to be “blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual,” and to “dwell with God in … never-ending happiness” [Mosiah 2:41]. (Gerrit W. Gong, “Covenant Belonging,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 81)
Day 2
Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 112.
2. In 1837, Thomas B. Marsh was serving as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. A spirit of apostasy and fault-finding had developed among some of the Kirtland Saints, including some members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In January of 1837, Church leaders organized a bank called the Kirtland Safety Society. Facing a variety of challenges, including a nationwide financial crisis, the bank ultimately failed, intensifying the outcry against the Prophet Joseph Smith. Concerned about these dissensions, Thomas B. Marsh left his home in Missouri and traveled to Kirtland, determined to meet with the Twelve and show support for Joseph. However, upon his arrival, President Marsh learned that Joseph had sent two members of the Twelve to England on missions. As quorum president, President Marsh was upset that Joseph had not first sought his counsel. Nevertheless, Thomas B. Marsh visited Joseph Smith to seek direction from the Lord.
3. How do think humility helps us receive answers to our prayers? Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
I believe, brothers and sisters, that only those who are humble are able to acknowledge and understand the Lord’s answers to their prayers. The humble are teachable, recognizing how dependent they are on God and desiring to be subject to His will. The humble are meek and have the ability to influence others to be the same. God’s promise to the humble is that He will lead them by the hand. I truly believe that we will avoid detours and sadness in our lives as long as we walk hand in hand with the Lord. (Ulisses Soares, “Be Meek and Lowly of Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 10)
4. How is the Savior an example of humility? President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then a member of the First Presidency, taught:
In all things, Jesus Christ is our perfect example. Whereas Lucifer tried to change the Father’s plan of salvation and obtain honor for himself, the Savior said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever” [Moses 4:1–2]. Despite His magnificent abilities and accomplishments, the Savior was always meek and humble. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Pride and the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 57)
Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 112.
2. In 1837, Thomas B. Marsh was serving as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. A spirit of apostasy and fault-finding had developed among some of the Kirtland Saints, including some members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In January of 1837, Church leaders organized a bank called the Kirtland Safety Society. Facing a variety of challenges, including a nationwide financial crisis, the bank ultimately failed, intensifying the outcry against the Prophet Joseph Smith. Concerned about these dissensions, Thomas B. Marsh left his home in Missouri and traveled to Kirtland, determined to meet with the Twelve and show support for Joseph. However, upon his arrival, President Marsh learned that Joseph had sent two members of the Twelve to England on missions. As quorum president, President Marsh was upset that Joseph had not first sought his counsel. Nevertheless, Thomas B. Marsh visited Joseph Smith to seek direction from the Lord.
3. How do think humility helps us receive answers to our prayers? Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
I believe, brothers and sisters, that only those who are humble are able to acknowledge and understand the Lord’s answers to their prayers. The humble are teachable, recognizing how dependent they are on God and desiring to be subject to His will. The humble are meek and have the ability to influence others to be the same. God’s promise to the humble is that He will lead them by the hand. I truly believe that we will avoid detours and sadness in our lives as long as we walk hand in hand with the Lord. (Ulisses Soares, “Be Meek and Lowly of Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 10)
4. How is the Savior an example of humility? President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then a member of the First Presidency, taught:
In all things, Jesus Christ is our perfect example. Whereas Lucifer tried to change the Father’s plan of salvation and obtain honor for himself, the Savior said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever” [Moses 4:1–2]. Despite His magnificent abilities and accomplishments, the Savior was always meek and humble. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Pride and the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 57)
