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November, Week 1

Day 1

Primary
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 124:1-36.
2. Watch the video “Building Nauvoo.”
3. As difficult as the last six years had been for the Saints, things started to look better in the spring of 1839: The refugee Saints had found compassion among the citizens of Quincy, Illinois. Guards had allowed Joseph Smith and other Church leaders to escape captivity in Missouri. And the Church had just purchased land in Illinois where the Saints could gather again. Yes, it was swampy, mosquito-infested land, but compared to the challenges the Saints had already faced, this probably seemed manageable. So they drained the swamp and drafted a charter for a new city, which they named Nauvoo. It means “beautiful” in Hebrew, though it was more an expression of faith than an accurate description, at least at first. Meanwhile, the Lord was impressing His Prophet with a sense of urgency. He had more truths and ordinances to restore, and He needed a holy temple where He could “crown [His Saints] with honor, immortality, and eternal life” (Doctrine and Covenants 124:55). In many ways, these same feelings of faith and urgency are evident in the Lord’s work today.

Youth
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 124:1-36.
2. While the Prophet Joseph Smith was in Liberty Jail, thousands of Saints were driven out of their homes in Missouri. After his release, Joseph reunited with his family and almost 5,000 other refugees from Missouri who had been taken in by the kind people of Quincy, Illinois. The Lord directed the Saints to buy and gather on inexpensive swampland near the edge of the Missouri River. They lived in tents and wagons while they began to build a city they would later call Nauvoo. Mosquitos infected many Saints with malaria, which caused severe fevers, chills, and many deaths.
3. One person they visited was Elijah Fordham. He was so sick that his wife, Anna, was weeping and preparing his burial clothes.

Joseph approached Elijah and took his hand. “Brother Fordham,” he asked, “have you not faith to be healed?”

“I am afraid it is too late,” he said.

“Do you not believe that Jesus is the Christ?”

“I do, Brother Joseph.”

“Elijah,” the prophet declared, “I command you, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, to arise and be made whole.”

The words seemed to shake the house. Elijah rose from his bed, his face flush with color. He dressed, asked for something to eat, and followed Joseph outside to help minister to many others. (Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 [2018], 402–3)

Day 2

Primary
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 124: 37-83.
2. As the Saints settled in Nauvoo, Illinois, the Lord commanded them to build a temple as He had previously done in Kirtland, Ohio; Jackson County, Missouri; and Far West, Missouri. At the time of the Lord’s command to build the Nauvoo Temple, He had already revealed the doctrine of baptisms for the dead to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
3. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles helps us understand the Lord’s purpose in giving us temple ordinances.

We do not build or enter holy temples solely to have a memorable individual or family experience. Rather, the covenants received and the ordinances performed in temples are essential to the sanctifying of our hearts and for the ultimate exaltation of God’s sons and daughters. (David A. Bednar, “Let This House Be Built unto My Name,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 85)

4. In the Kirtland Temple, the Savior and other heavenly messengers appeared (see Doctrine and Covenants 110). The Kirtland Temple was also a place of inspiration and learning. In Nauvoo, the Lord revealed additional ordinances that take place in temples today. Today in temples, faithful members of the Church perform baptisms for the dead, receive endowments (including washings and anointings), and participate in temple sealings.
5. Read “what are temples?”

Youth
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 124: 37-83.
2. As the Saints settled in Nauvoo, Illinois, the Lord commanded them to build a temple as He had previously done in Kirtland, Ohio; Jackson County, Missouri; and Far West, Missouri. At the time of the Lord’s command to build the Nauvoo Temple, He had already revealed the doctrine of baptisms for the dead to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
3. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles helps us understand the Lord’s purpose in giving us temple ordinances.

We do not build or enter holy temples solely to have a memorable individual or family experience. Rather, the covenants received and the ordinances performed in temples are essential to the sanctifying of our hearts and for the ultimate exaltation of God’s sons and daughters. (David A. Bednar, “Let This House Be Built unto My Name,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 85)

4. In the Kirtland Temple, the Savior and other heavenly messengers appeared (see Doctrine and Covenants 110). The Kirtland Temple was also a place of inspiration and learning. In Nauvoo, the Lord revealed additional ordinances that take place in temples today. Today in temples, faithful members of the Church perform baptisms for the dead, receive endowments (including washings and anointings), and participate in temple sealings.
5. When you join the Church, you receive two ordinances: baptism and confirmation. Likewise, the temple endowment is received in two parts.

In the first part, you will privately and individually receive what are called the “initiatory” ordinances. These ordinances include special blessings regarding your divine heritage and potential. As part of these ordinances, you will also be authorized to wear the sacred temple garment.

In the second part, you will receive the rest of your endowment in a group setting. This takes place in an instruction room with others who are attending the temple. Events that are part of the plan of salvation are presented. They include the Creation, the Fall of Adam and Eve, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Apostasy, and the Restoration. You will also learn more about the way all people can return to the presence of the Lord. Some of the endowment is presented through video and some by temple officiators.

During the endowment ordinance, you will be invited to make certain covenants with God. These covenants include the following:

Law of obedience, which includes striving to keep God’s commandments

Law of sacrifice, which involves doing all we can to support the Lord’s work and repenting with a broken heart and contrite spirit

Law of the gospel, which is the higher law that Jesus taught while He was on the earth

Law of chastity, which involves having sexual relations only with the person to whom we are legally and lawfully wedded according to God’s law

Law of consecration, which involves dedicating our time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed us to building up Jesus Christ’s Church on the earth

When you keep your covenants, you come closer to the Savior and your relationship with Him grows more powerful. God promises that those who keep their covenants will receive blessings in this life and the opportunity to return to live with Him forever.

At the end of the endowment, participants symbolically return to the Lord’s presence as they enter the celestial room. There you can take time to ponder, pray, read the scriptures, or quietly share your thoughts with family and friends. It is a place of peace, where you can also find comfort and divine guidance. (See “About the Temple Endowment,” temples.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.)
6. Why do I need to receive temple ordinances? Elder Robert D. Hales (1932–2017) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

The primary purpose of the temple is to provide the ordinances necessary for our exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Temple ordinances guide us to our Savior and give us the blessings that come to us through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. (Robert D. Hales, “Blessings of the Temple,” Ensign, Oct. 2009, 48)

Day 3

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 124:84-122.
2. Shortly after the Prophet’s father, Joseph Smith Sr., passed away, the Lord called Hyrum Smith to the calling that his father had held—the Patriarch to the Church.
3. Read “When to Receive Your Patriarchal Blessing.”

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 124:84-122.
2. Shortly after the Prophet’s father, Joseph Smith Sr., passed away, the Lord called Hyrum Smith to the calling that his father had held—the Patriarch to the Church.
3. Read “When to Receive Your Patriarchal Blessing.”

Day 4

Primary
1. Today, read about the Nauvoo Temple.
2. Watch the video presentation about the restored Nauvoo, Illinois temple.

Youth
1. Today, read about the Nauvoo Temple.
2. Watch the video presentation about the restored Nauvoo, Illinois temple.

Week 2

Day 1

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 125 and 126.
2. On July 9, 1841, the Lord gave a revelation to Brigham Young through the Prophet Joseph Smith. After Brigham served multiple missions in the United States, Canada, and England, the Lord said his missionary journeys were acceptable to Him. He said it was time for Brigham to take special care of his family.
3. One of Brigham Young’s greatest challenges was public speaking. He said, “I was about as destitute of language as a man could well be” (in Journal of Discourses, 5:97). He recalled a time one week after his baptism when he expected four experienced speakers who were members of the Church to preach, but they did not. He said:

I was but a child, so far as public speaking and a knowledge of the world was concerned; but the Spirit of the Lord was upon me, and I felt as though my bones would consume within me unless I spoke to the people and told them what I had seen, heard and learned—what I had experienced and rejoiced in; and the first discourse I ever delivered I occupied over an hour. I opened my mouth and the Lord filled it. (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 13:211)

4. The same year Brigham Young was baptized, his wife passed away. At great sacrifice, he arranged for the care of his two children and served missions to New York and upper Canada, where he baptized several people. After serving a mission for about a year, Brigham described his arrival in Kirtland, Ohio:

If any man that ever did gather with the Saints was any poorer than I was—it was because he had nothing. … I had two children to take care of. … I was a widower. … [I had] not a shoe to my foot, except a pair of borrowed boots. I had no winter clothing, except a homemade coat that I had had three or four years. … I had travelled and preached and given away every dollar of my property. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 243)

5. After remarrying and serving five other missions, Brigham was called, with other Apostles, to serve a mission to England. Brigham described his mission:

We landed … as strangers in a strange land and penniless, but through the mercy of God we have gained many friends, established Churches in almost every noted town and city in the kingdom of Great Britain, baptized between seven and eight thousand, printed 5,000 Books of Mormon, … and have left sown in the hearts of many thousands the seeds of eternal truth … : in all these things I acknowledge the hand of God. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 6)

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 125 and 126.
2. On July 9, 1841, the Lord gave a revelation to Brigham Young through the Prophet Joseph Smith. After Brigham served multiple missions in the United States, Canada, and England, the Lord said his missionary journeys were acceptable to Him. He said it was time for Brigham to take special care of his family.
3. One of Brigham Young’s greatest challenges was public speaking. He said, “I was about as destitute of language as a man could well be” (in Journal of Discourses, 5:97). He recalled a time one week after his baptism when he expected four experienced speakers who were members of the Church to preach, but they did not. He said:

I was but a child, so far as public speaking and a knowledge of the world was concerned; but the Spirit of the Lord was upon me, and I felt as though my bones would consume within me unless I spoke to the people and told them what I had seen, heard and learned—what I had experienced and rejoiced in; and the first discourse I ever delivered I occupied over an hour. I opened my mouth and the Lord filled it. (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 13:211)

4. The same year Brigham Young was baptized, his wife passed away. At great sacrifice, he arranged for the care of his two children and served missions to New York and upper Canada, where he baptized several people. After serving a mission for about a year, Brigham described his arrival in Kirtland, Ohio:

If any man that ever did gather with the Saints was any poorer than I was—it was because he had nothing. … I had two children to take care of. … I was a widower. … [I had] not a shoe to my foot, except a pair of borrowed boots. I had no winter clothing, except a homemade coat that I had had three or four years. … I had travelled and preached and given away every dollar of my property. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 243)

5. After remarrying and serving five other missions, Brigham was called, with other Apostles, to serve a mission to England. Brigham described his mission:

We landed … as strangers in a strange land and penniless, but through the mercy of God we have gained many friends, established Churches in almost every noted town and city in the kingdom of Great Britain, baptized between seven and eight thousand, printed 5,000 Books of Mormon, … and have left sown in the hearts of many thousands the seeds of eternal truth … : in all these things I acknowledge the hand of God. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 6)

Day 2

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 127.
2. In August 1840, Joseph Smith first taught the doctrine of baptism for the dead. Church members rejoiced in the opportunity to provide saving ordinances for their deceased relatives. Joseph Smith wrote letters to the Saints to instruct them regarding the ordinance of baptism for the dead.
3. Watch the video “Saints Learn About Baptisms for the Dead.”

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 127.
2. In August 1840, Joseph Smith first taught the doctrine of baptism for the dead. Church members rejoiced in the opportunity to provide saving ordinances for their deceased relatives. Joseph Smith wrote letters to the Saints to instruct them regarding the ordinance of baptism for the dead.
3. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified of Jesus Christ and the redemption of the dead.

Our charge extends as far and as deep as the love of God to encompass His children of every time and place. Our efforts on behalf of the dead bear eloquent witness that Jesus Christ is the divine Redeemer of all mankind. His grace and promises reach even those who in life do not find Him. Because of Him, the prisoners shall indeed go free. (D. Todd Christofferson, “The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 11)

4. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that those in spirit prison are freed when they accept the ordinances performed on their behalf in the temple (see also Doctrine and Covenants 138:30–33):

Temple and family history work is not just about us. Think of those on the other side of the veil waiting for the saving ordinances that would free them from the bondage of spirit prison. (Quentin L. Cook, “Roots and Branches,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 46)

5. How did some of the early Saints respond to hearing the doctrine of baptism for the dead? President Wilford Woodruff (1807–98) declared:

The moment I heard of [baptism for the dead] my soul leaped with joy. … I went forward and was baptised for all my dead relatives I could think of. …

… I felt to say hallelujah when the revelation came forth revealing to us baptism for the dead. I felt that we had a right to rejoice in the blessings of Heaven. (Wilford Woodruff, “Remarks,” Deseret News, May 27, 1857, 2; punctuation modernized)

Vilate Kimball (1806–67) wrote:

President Smith has opened a new and glorious subject. … He says it is the privilege of this church to be baptised for all their kinsfolks that have died before this Gospel came forth; even back to their great-Grandfather and Mother. … By so doing, we act as agents for them and give them the privilege of coming forth in the first resurrection. …

… Thus you see there is a chance for all. Is not this a glorious doctrine? (Vilate Kimball, letter to Heber C. Kimball, Oct. 11, 1840, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; spelling and punctuation modernized)

6.When did Heavenly Father institute the ordinance of baptism for the dead? President Russell M. Nelson taught:

Through the ages, many of His children have had access to the blessings of the gospel, but many more have not. Before the foundation of the world, our Heavenly Father instituted the ordinance of baptism for those who die without a knowledge of the gospel [see Doctrine and Covenants 124:33]. He loves those children too. (Russell M. Nelson, “Generations Linked in Love,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 92)

Consider the great mercy and fairness of God, who, before the foundation of the world, provided a way to give temple blessings to those who died without a knowledge of the gospel. (Russell M. Nelson, “Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 114)

Day 3

Primary
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 128:1-14.
2. Joseph Smith wrote letters to the Saints about the doctrine of baptism for the dead. He expounded upon biblical prophecies to help the Saints understand the importance of being baptized on behalf of their relatives who had died. This lesson can help students find information about their deceased ancestors and prepare to perform ordinances for them in the temple.
3. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that we have the responsibility to perform temple ordinances for specific people:

The doctrine of the family in relation to family history and temple work is clear. The Lord in initial revelatory instructions referred to “baptism for your dead” [Doctrine and Covenants 127:5; emphasis added]. Our doctrinal obligation is to our own ancestors. This is because the celestial organization of heaven is based on families. (Quentin L. Cook, “Roots and Branches,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 45)

4. President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency testified about our important responsibility:

Many of your ancestors did not receive those ordinances. But in the providence of God, you did. And God knew that you would feel drawn to your ancestors in love and that you would have the technology necessary to identify them. He also knew that you would live in a time when access to holy temples, where the ordinances can be performed, would be greater than ever in history. And He knew that He could trust you to accomplish this work in behalf of your ancestors. …

… Many youth have discovered that giving of their time to do family history research and temple work has deepened their testimony of the plan of salvation. It has increased the influence of the Spirit in their lives and decreased the influence of the adversary. It has helped them feel closer to their families and closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. They have learned that this work saves not just the dead; it saves all of us [see Doctrine and Covenants 128:18]. (Henry B. Eyring, “Gathering the Family of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 21, 22)

Youth
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 128:1-14.
2. Joseph Smith wrote letters to the Saints about the doctrine of baptism for the dead. He expounded upon biblical prophecies to help the Saints understand the importance of being baptized on behalf of their relatives who had died. This lesson can help students find information about their deceased ancestors and prepare to perform ordinances for them in the temple.
3. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught that we have the responsibility to perform temple ordinances for specific people:

The doctrine of the family in relation to family history and temple work is clear. The Lord in initial revelatory instructions referred to “baptism for your dead” [Doctrine and Covenants 127:5; emphasis added]. Our doctrinal obligation is to our own ancestors. This is because the celestial organization of heaven is based on families. (Quentin L. Cook, “Roots and Branches,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 45)

4. President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency testified about our important responsibility:

Many of your ancestors did not receive those ordinances. But in the providence of God, you did. And God knew that you would feel drawn to your ancestors in love and that you would have the technology necessary to identify them. He also knew that you would live in a time when access to holy temples, where the ordinances can be performed, would be greater than ever in history. And He knew that He could trust you to accomplish this work in behalf of your ancestors. …

… Many youth have discovered that giving of their time to do family history research and temple work has deepened their testimony of the plan of salvation. It has increased the influence of the Spirit in their lives and decreased the influence of the adversary. It has helped them feel closer to their families and closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. They have learned that this work saves not just the dead; it saves all of us [see Doctrine and Covenants 128:18]. (Henry B. Eyring, “Gathering the Family of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 21, 22)

5. How can performing ordinances for our ancestors help us become like Jesus Christ? Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles declared:

The Lord gives us divine opportunity to become more like Him as we offer proxy saving temple ordinances others need but cannot do for themselves. We become more complete and perfected as we become “saviours … on mount Zion” [Obadiah 1:21]. (Gerrit W. Gong, “Happy and Forever,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 84–85)

6. President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught:

The day can then come when, as a youth, they receive a temple recommend to perform proxy baptisms in the temple. In that experience, their feeling can grow that the ordinances of the temple always point to the Savior and His Atonement. As they feel they are offering a person in the spirit world the chance to be cleansed of sin, their feeling will grow of helping the Savior in His sacred work of blessing a child of our Heavenly Father. (Henry B. Eyring, “I Love to See the Temple,” Liahona, May 2021, 30–31)

Day 4

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 128:15-25.
2. Watch the video “The Promised Blessings of Temple and Family History Work.”
3. Then watch “The Promised Blessings of Temple and Family History Work 2.”

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 128:15-25.
2. Watch the video “The Promised Blessings of Temple and Family History Work.”
3. Then watch “The Promised Blessings of Temple and Family History Work 2.”

Week 3

Day 1

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 130.
2. There is a Doctrinal Mastery scripture in this chapter, Doctrine and Covenants 130:22-23.

22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.

23 A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him.

3. Watch the video “What is the Godhead?”

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 130.
2. There is a Doctrinal Mastery scripture in this chapter, Doctrine and Covenants 130:22-23.

22 The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.

23 A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him.

3. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have bodies of flesh and bones. The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

We believe these three divine persons constituting a single Godhead are united in purpose, in manner, in testimony, in mission. We believe Them to be filled with the same godly sense of mercy and love, justice and grace, patience, forgiveness, and redemption. I think it is accurate to say we believe They are one in every significant and eternal aspect imaginable except believing Them to be three persons combined in one substance. … We declare it is self-evident from the scriptures that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are separate persons, three divine beings. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 40–41)

3. Watch the video “What is the Godhead?”

Day 2

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 131.
2. There is a Doctrinal Mastery scripture in this chapter, Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-4.

1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;

2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];

3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.

4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.

3. Marriage between a man and a woman is an essential part of Heavenly Father’s plan for His children. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord revealed that when husbands and wives are sealed by the power of the priesthood and are faithful to their covenants, their marriage will last beyond death.
4. Watch the video “Eternal Marriage and Families.”

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 131.
2. There is a Doctrinal Mastery scripture in this chapter, Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-4.

1 In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees;

2 And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage];

3 And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.

4 He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.

3. Marriage between a man and a woman is an essential part of Heavenly Father’s plan for His children. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord revealed that when husbands and wives are sealed by the power of the priesthood and are faithful to their covenants, their marriage will last beyond death.
4. What blessings can we receive when we are married in the temple? President Russell M. Nelson taught:

If it were possible for me to speak one-on-one with every young adult, I would plead with you to seek a companion with whom you can be sealed in the temple. You may wonder what difference this will make in your life. I promise it will make all the difference! As you marry in the temple and return repeatedly, you will be strengthened and guided in your decisions.

If I could speak with each husband and wife who have still not been sealed in the temple, I would plead with you to take the necessary steps to receive that crowning, life-changing ordinance. Will it make a difference? Only if you want to progress forever and be together forever. Wishing to be together forever will not make it so. No other ceremony or contract will make it so. (Russell M. Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 95)

5. What does it mean to be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise? Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

The Holy Spirit of Promise is the ratifying power of the Holy Ghost. When sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, an ordinance, vow, or covenant is binding on earth and in heaven. (See Doctrine and Covenants 132:7.) Receiving this “stamp of approval” from the Holy Ghost is the result of faithfulness, integrity, and steadfastness in honoring gospel covenants “in [the] process of time” (Moses 7:21). However, this sealing can be forfeited through unrighteousness and transgression. (David A. Bednar, “Ye Must Be Born Again,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 22)

Day 3

Primary and Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 132:1-27.
2. Eternal marriage is a basic doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ and a very important part of the Lord’s plan for us. Without it we cannot be exalted in the celestial kingdom in eternity. President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: “Marriage, as understood by Latter-day Saints, is [an everlasting] covenant. … It is the foundation for eternal exaltation, for without it there could be no eternal progress in the kingdom of God” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. [1954–56], 2:58).
3. President Spencer W. Kimball said, “Our Heavenly Father has a plan for man’s growth from infancy to godhood. … He intended that all men should live worthy to [be married] for time and all eternity” (“The Lord’s Plan for Men and Women,” Ensign, Oct. 1975, 2, 4). Temple marriage is the beginning of an eternal family unit. As a couple married in the temple have children and keep the commandments, they create an eternal family that will bring them joy and happiness forever.
4. To Latter-day Saints, a temple is one of the most important places on earth. In a temple, ordinances are performed that make it possible for families to live together forever in the presence of God. As heads of our homes and as priesthood holders, we have the responsibility for leading our families toward exaltation. This means that we have the responsibility to prepare our families to attend the temple. Such preparation begins with ourselves as we strive to honor the priesthood and live clean lives.

When men and women marry in the temple, they are married for this life, and they are also sealed together forever. Thereafter, any children they have are “born in the covenant,” or automatically sealed to them. When a couple is already legally married and goes to the temple to be sealed for eternity, the husband and wife are first sealed together, and then the children are sealed to their parents. After their sealing, children born to them are automatically sealed to them as a part of their eternal family.

Whether we are preparing to be married in the temple or preparing with our family to be sealed in the temple, we must prepare in the same ways. Our first step is to set the goal to go to the temple. We should discuss with our wife and children the things we need to do to get ready, and together set a date. We should write down this date, pray for the Lord’s help in meeting this date, and then do all we can to prepare. Because the temple is such a sacred place, we must also prepare ourselves spiritually to enter it. In the temple, we make covenants of great spiritual importance, for we promise the Lord that we will keep all of His commandments and obey Him in every way. It is necessary, therefore, that we live righteously and seek to obtain the Spirit if we are to be prepared to make these covenants.
5. Marriage in the temple is just the beginning of an eternal family. In order to build a family relationship that will last forever, we must be faithful to the promises we make in the temple. We must also treat each other with kindness and love. We should strive to make our homes a bit of heaven on earth.

As fathers, we can do much to build eternal families. We must honor our priesthood and show Christlike love. If we do, we will be strengthened by the priesthood and will receive inward promptings from the Holy Ghost that will help us build eternal family units. Some of the things we can do to build eternal families are:

• Call our families together daily to have family prayer.
• Call on someone to ask a blessing on the food at meals.
• Take our families to church.
• Pay tithing and other offerings.
• Be honest in everything we do.
• Kneel in prayer often and ask the Lord to help us as we teach and love our wives and children.
• Take every opportunity to teach our families the gospel, especially at family home evening.

As we bless our families in these ways, we will enjoy the happiness of being part of a family that is eternal.

Unmarried priesthood holders can also help their families to be happy and to live as eternal families. When we understand the Lord’s plan for our families, we can see that the members of our families are the most important people in our lives. We should treat them with love and kindness and do all that we can to encourage and strengthen them.

Day 4

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 132:28-57.
2. Many people who read the Old Testament wonder about Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and others marrying multiple wives. Were these servants of the Lord committing adultery? Did God approve of their marriages? Joseph Smith had similar questions. Marriage between one man and one woman is God’s standard of marriage. However, there have been times when God has commanded His children to practice plural marriage. The early years of the restored Church were one of those periods of exception.

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 132:28-57.
2. Many people who read the Old Testament wonder about Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and others marrying multiple wives. Were these servants of the Lord committing adultery? Did God approve of their marriages? Joseph Smith had similar questions. Marriage between one man and one woman is God’s standard of marriage. However, there have been times when God has commanded His children to practice plural marriage. The early years of the restored Church were one of those periods of exception.

Week 4

Day 1

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 133:1-40.
2. In November 1831, Church leaders desired to know more about the preaching of the gospel and the gathering of Israel. The revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 133 describes events that will precede the Savior’s Second Coming and how His Saints can prepare for those events.
3. President Russell M. Nelson reminded us:

Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that. (Russell M. Nelson, in “Hope of Israel” [worldwide youth devotional, June 3, 2018], broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

4. President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency invited us to consider what we would do today if we knew the exact timing of the Second Coming.

What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow—through our premature death or through His unexpected coming—what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear?

If we would do those things then, why not now? Why not seek peace while peace can be obtained? (Dallin H. Oaks, “Preparation for the Second Coming,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 9)

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 133:1-40.
2. In November 1831, Church leaders desired to know more about the preaching of the gospel and the gathering of Israel. The revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 133 describes events that will precede the Savior’s Second Coming and how His Saints can prepare for those events.
3. President Russell M. Nelson reminded us:

Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that. (Russell M. Nelson, in “Hope of Israel” [worldwide youth devotional, June 3, 2018], broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

4. President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency invited us to consider what we would do today if we knew the exact timing of the Second Coming.

What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow—through our premature death or through His unexpected coming—what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear?

If we would do those things then, why not now? Why not seek peace while peace can be obtained? (Dallin H. Oaks, “Preparation for the Second Coming,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 9)

5. What are additional ways we can prepare for the Savior’s Second Coming? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reminded us:

Collectively speaking—whether it is in our lifetime or our children’s or our grandchildren’s or whenever—we nevertheless have the responsibility as a Church and as individual members of that Church to be worthy to have Christ come to us, to be worthy to have Him greet us, and to have Him accept and receive and embrace us. The lives we present to Him in that sacred hour must be worthy of Him! …

… When Christ comes, the members of His Church must look and act like members of His Church are supposed to look and act if we are to be acceptable to Him. We must be doing His work and we must be living His teachings. He must recognize us quickly and easily as truly being His disciples. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast” [Church Educational System fireside for young adults, Sept. 12, 2004], 6, broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

6. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

I promise you that as you prepare yourselves, [you] will be different, thinking more about the Savior, speaking of Him more frequently and with less hesitation. As you come to know and love Him even more deeply, your words will flow more comfortably, as they do when you speak of one of your children or of a dear friend. Those listening to you will feel less like debating or dismissing you and more like learning from you.

You and I speak of Jesus Christ, but maybe we can do a little better. If the world is going to speak less of Him, who is going to speak more of Him? We are! Along with other devoted Christians! …

With those around us, let us be more open, more willing to talk of Christ. President Nelson said, “True disciples of Jesus Christ are willing to stand out, speak up, and be different from the people of the world.” (Neil L. Andersen, “We Talk of Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 89–90)

Day 2

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 133:41–56.
2. When Jesus Christ returns, the faithful will be prepared for Him. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

Our faith grows as we anticipate the glorious day of the Savior’s return to the earth. The thought of His coming stirs my soul. It will be breathtaking! The scope and grandeur, the vastness and magnificence, will exceed anything mortal eyes have ever seen or experienced. (Neil L. Andersen, “Thy Kingdom Come,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 122)

3. What does it mean to wait for the Savior’s return? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

We should watch for the signs and read the meaning of the seasons, we should live as faithfully as we possibly can, and we should share the gospel with everyone so that blessings and protections will be available to all. But we cannot and must not be paralyzed just because [the Second Coming] and the events surrounding it are out there ahead of us somewhere. We cannot stop living life. Indeed, we should live life more fully than we have ever lived it before. After all, this is the dispensation of the fulness of times. …

God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future—to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast” [Church Educational System fireside for young adults, Sept. 12, 2004], 2, broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

4. Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

The consistency of pleas from prophets to reflect on the goodness of God is striking. Our Heavenly Father wants us to recall His and His Beloved Son’s goodness, not for Their own gratification but for the influence such remembrance has on us. By considering Their kindness, our perspective and understanding are enlarged. By reflecting on Their compassion, we become more humble, prayerful, and steadfast. (Dale G. Renlund, “Consider the Goodness and Greatness of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 41)

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 133:41–56.
2. When Jesus Christ returns, the faithful will be prepared for Him. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

Our faith grows as we anticipate the glorious day of the Savior’s return to the earth. The thought of His coming stirs my soul. It will be breathtaking! The scope and grandeur, the vastness and magnificence, will exceed anything mortal eyes have ever seen or experienced. (Neil L. Andersen, “Thy Kingdom Come,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 122)

3. What does it mean to wait for the Savior’s return? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

We should watch for the signs and read the meaning of the seasons, we should live as faithfully as we possibly can, and we should share the gospel with everyone so that blessings and protections will be available to all. But we cannot and must not be paralyzed just because [the Second Coming] and the events surrounding it are out there ahead of us somewhere. We cannot stop living life. Indeed, we should live life more fully than we have ever lived it before. After all, this is the dispensation of the fulness of times. …

God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future—to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast” [Church Educational System fireside for young adults, Sept. 12, 2004], 2, broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

4. Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

The consistency of pleas from prophets to reflect on the goodness of God is striking. Our Heavenly Father wants us to recall His and His Beloved Son’s goodness, not for Their own gratification but for the influence such remembrance has on us. By considering Their kindness, our perspective and understanding are enlarged. By reflecting on Their compassion, we become more humble, prayerful, and steadfast. (Dale G. Renlund, “Consider the Goodness and Greatness of God,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 41)

Day 3

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 134.
2. In response to persecutions and accusations about the Church’s beliefs, Church leaders wrote a document to clarify the Church’s stance on government and religion. Read the following statement by President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency:

While all believers revere divine law, most also acknowledge that civil law is also ordained of God. The Lord Jesus Christ directed, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). So taught, we must, to the extent possible, obey both systems of law. When there are apparent conflicts, we must seek to harmonize them. When they are truly irreconcilable, we should join with others of like mind in striving to change the civil law to accommodate the divine. In all events, we must be very measured before ever deciding—in the rarest of circumstances—to disregard one in favor of the other. (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Boundary between Church and State” [address given at the Second Annual Sacramento Court/Clergy Conference, Oct. 20, 2015], newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

3. See if you can memorize the 12th Article of Faith.

12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 134.
2. In response to persecutions and accusations about the Church’s beliefs, Church leaders wrote a document to clarify the Church’s stance on government and religion. Read the following statement by President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency:

While all believers revere divine law, most also acknowledge that civil law is also ordained of God. The Lord Jesus Christ directed, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). So taught, we must, to the extent possible, obey both systems of law. When there are apparent conflicts, we must seek to harmonize them. When they are truly irreconcilable, we should join with others of like mind in striving to change the civil law to accommodate the divine. In all events, we must be very measured before ever deciding—in the rarest of circumstances—to disregard one in favor of the other. (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Boundary between Church and State” [address given at the Second Annual Sacramento Court/Clergy Conference, Oct. 20, 2015], newsroom.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

3. See if you can memorize the 12th Article of Faith.

12 We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

Day 4

Primary
1. In 1833, mobs attacked and destroyed the Church’s printing press. Among the print jobs in progress at the time was the Book of Commandments—the Church’s first attempt to compile God’s latter-day revelations into one volume. The mob scattered the unbound pages, and although courageous Saints preserved some of them, only a few incomplete copies of the Book of Commandments are known to have survived.

What we now know as section 133 of the Doctrine and Covenants was meant to be the appendix to the Book of Commandments, like an exclamation point at the end of the Lord’s published revelations. It warns of a coming day of judgment and repeats the call found throughout modern revelation: Flee worldliness, as symbolized by Babylon. Build Zion. Prepare for the Second Coming. And spread this message “unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (verse 37). The original plans for the Book of Commandments were not fulfilled, but this revelation is a reminder and a witness that the Lord’s work will go forward, “for he shall make bare his holy arm … , and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God” (verse 3).
2. President Russell M. Nelson shared important truths about what the world will be like when the Savior returns and how to prepare in his message “The Future of the Church: Preparing the World for the Savior’s Second Coming” (Liahona, Apr. 2020, 6–11).

Here and now, we live in a time of turmoil. Earthquakes and tsunamis wreak devastation, governments collapse, economic stresses are severe, the family is under attack, and divorce rates are rising. We have great cause for concern. But we do not need to let our fears displace our faith. We can combat those fears by strengthening our faith.

Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord “shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.

How you deal with life’s trials is part of the development of your faith. Strength comes when you remember that you have a divine nature, an inheritance of infinite worth. The Lord has reminded you, your children, and your grandchildren that you are lawful heirs, that you have been reserved in heaven for your specific time and place to be born, to grow and become His standard bearers and covenant people. As you walk in the Lord’s path of righteousness, you will be blessed to continue in His goodness and be a light and a savior unto His people (see Doctrine and Covenants 86:8–11).

Do whatever it takes to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ by increasing your understanding of the doctrine taught in His restored Church and by relentlessly seeking truth. Anchored in pure doctrine, you will be able to step forward with faith and dogged persistence and cheerfully do all that lies in your power to fulfill the purposes of the Lord.

You will have days when you will be discouraged. So pray for courage not to give up! Sadly, some whom you thought were your friends will betray you. And some things will simply seem unfair.

However, I promise you that as you follow Jesus Christ, you will find sustained peace and true joy. As you keep your covenants with increasing precision, and as you defend the Church and kingdom of God on the earth today, the Lord will bless you with strength and wisdom to accomplish what only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can accomplish.

Youth
1. In 1833, mobs attacked and destroyed the Church’s printing press. Among the print jobs in progress at the time was the Book of Commandments—the Church’s first attempt to compile God’s latter-day revelations into one volume. The mob scattered the unbound pages, and although courageous Saints preserved some of them, only a few incomplete copies of the Book of Commandments are known to have survived.

What we now know as section 133 of the Doctrine and Covenants was meant to be the appendix to the Book of Commandments, like an exclamation point at the end of the Lord’s published revelations. It warns of a coming day of judgment and repeats the call found throughout modern revelation: Flee worldliness, as symbolized by Babylon. Build Zion. Prepare for the Second Coming. And spread this message “unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (verse 37). The original plans for the Book of Commandments were not fulfilled, but this revelation is a reminder and a witness that the Lord’s work will go forward, “for he shall make bare his holy arm … , and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God” (verse 3).
2. President Russell M. Nelson shared important truths about what the world will be like when the Savior returns and how to prepare in his message “The Future of the Church: Preparing the World for the Savior’s Second Coming” (Liahona, Apr. 2020, 6–11).

Here and now, we live in a time of turmoil. Earthquakes and tsunamis wreak devastation, governments collapse, economic stresses are severe, the family is under attack, and divorce rates are rising. We have great cause for concern. But we do not need to let our fears displace our faith. We can combat those fears by strengthening our faith.

Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord “shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.

How you deal with life’s trials is part of the development of your faith. Strength comes when you remember that you have a divine nature, an inheritance of infinite worth. The Lord has reminded you, your children, and your grandchildren that you are lawful heirs, that you have been reserved in heaven for your specific time and place to be born, to grow and become His standard bearers and covenant people. As you walk in the Lord’s path of righteousness, you will be blessed to continue in His goodness and be a light and a savior unto His people (see Doctrine and Covenants 86:8–11).

Do whatever it takes to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ by increasing your understanding of the doctrine taught in His restored Church and by relentlessly seeking truth. Anchored in pure doctrine, you will be able to step forward with faith and dogged persistence and cheerfully do all that lies in your power to fulfill the purposes of the Lord.

You will have days when you will be discouraged. So pray for courage not to give up! Sadly, some whom you thought were your friends will betray you. And some things will simply seem unfair.

However, I promise you that as you follow Jesus Christ, you will find sustained peace and true joy. As you keep your covenants with increasing precision, and as you defend the Church and kingdom of God on the earth today, the Lord will bless you with strength and wisdom to accomplish what only members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can accomplish.

Week 5

Day 1

Primary
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 135.
2. There is a Doctrinal Mastery scripture in this chapter, Doctrine and Covenants 135:3.

3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!

3. Watch the video “Joseph and Hyrum Give Their Lives for the Gospel.”

Youth
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 135.
2. There is a Doctrinal Mastery scripture in this chapter, Doctrine and Covenants 135:3.

3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!

3. Joseph Smith and the Saints lived peacefully in Illinois for about three years. In 1842, they began experiencing opposition again. Dissenters within the Church and opponents outside the Church combined their efforts against the Prophet and the Saints. Some citizens of Illinois began to fear and resent the political influence of the Saints. Others grew envious of Nauvoo’s economic growth. Persecution against the Saints also resulted from misunderstandings about practices, like plural marriage, which had been falsified by some apostate members of the Church. By the summer of 1844, hostility against the Church greatly intensified.

On June 7, 1844, William Law, who had served as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, and other apostates printed the first issue of a newspaper called the Nauvoo Expositor to anger the public against the Prophet and the Church. Joseph Smith and most of the Nauvoo city council considered the newspaper a public nuisance and ordered that the Nauvoo Expositor press be destroyed. This order was consistent with the law in Joseph Smith’s day.

Some residents of the surrounding area protested the Saints and the destruction of the press. Governor Thomas Ford of Illinois counseled Joseph Smith and other Church leaders to travel to the town of Carthage and resolve the situation legally. He promised them complete protection and a fair trial if they came voluntarily. Despite these promises, the Prophet was convinced that he would be killed if he went (see Doctrine and Covenants 135:4). However, on June 24, 1844, Joseph and Hyrum Smith and a few others left Nauvoo for Carthage to try and keep the Saints safe from mob violence.

After Joseph and Hyrum spent a few days in prison, a mob attacked. Doctrine and Covenants 135, originally published less than three months after the martyrdom, described what happened.
4. Read the following statement by President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. President Ballard is the great-great-grandson of Hyrum Smith.

We should always remember the price Joseph and Hyrum Smith paid, along with so many other faithful men, women, and children, to establish the Church so you and I could enjoy the many blessings and all of these revealed truths we have today. Their faithfulness should never be forgotten! (M. Russell Ballard, “Shall We Not Go On in So Great a Cause?,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 11)

Day 2

Primary
1. At the time of Joseph Smith’s martyrdom, members of the Church had never experienced the death of a prophet. In addition to the immense grief at Joseph’s death, some were unsure how the Church would move forward. Most of the Apostles were in the eastern United States serving missions when they heard about the death of Joseph and Hyrum. Upon learning the sad news, they and other missionaries began traveling back to Nauvoo.
2. In the absence of the President of the Church, a few people put forth different claims about what should happen with Church leadership. The First Counselor in the First Presidency said he was told in a vision that no one could succeed Joseph. He proposed that he should be the “guardian” of the Church. The President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that Joseph Smith conferred the Savior’s authority to lead the Church on the Quorum of the Twelve. A member who had been baptized four months before Joseph’s death presented a letter with Joseph Smith’s signature that designated him as Joseph’s successor. How do you think you would have reacted to these events if you had been a member of the Church during this time?
3. Before his death, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught the following to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

Brethren, … [s]ome important scene is near to take place. It may be that my enemies will kill me. And in case they should, and the keys and power which rest on me not be imparted to you, they will be lost from the earth. But if I can only succeed in placing them upon your heads, then let me fall a victim to murderous hands if God will suffer it, and I can go with all pleasure and satisfaction, knowing that my work is done, and the foundation laid on which the kingdom of God is to be reared in this dispensation of the fulness of times.

Upon the shoulders of the Twelve must the responsibility of leading this church henceforth rest until you shall appoint others to succeed you. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 533–34)

4. Joseph Smith also taught that the First Presidency is the only group over the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but when the prophet dies, the First Presidency is dissolved. From what you learned, what would help you respond to the three claims made earlier?
5. When Brigham Young addressed the Saints in a large meeting, many recorded a miraculous experience and felt a confirmation of the Holy Ghost. President George Q. Cannon (1827–1901), who later served in the First Presidency, shared:

Brigham Young … arose and addressed the people. … Who that was present on that occasion can ever forget the impression it made upon them! If Joseph had risen from the dead and again spoken in their hearing, the effect could not have been more startling than it was to many present at that meeting. It was the voice of Joseph himself; and not only was it the voice of Joseph which was heard; but it seemed in the eyes of the people as though it was the very person of Joseph which stood before them. A more wonderful and miraculous event than was wrought that day in the presence of that congregation we never heard of. The Lord gave His people a testimony that left no room for doubt as to who was the man He had chosen to lead them. They both saw and heard with their natural eyes and ears, and then the words which were uttered came, accompanied by the convincing power of God, to their hearts, and they were filled with the Spirit and with great joy. There had been gloom, and, in some hearts probably, doubt and uncertainty; but now it was plain to all that here was the man upon whom the Lord had bestowed the necessary authority to act in their midst in Joseph’s stead (George Q. Cannon, “Joseph Smith, the Prophet,” Juvenile Instructor, Oct. 1870, 174–75).

6. Through the Holy Ghost, we can receive a witness that those who lead the Church have been called of God. After the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles led the Church for three and a half years before the First Presidency was reorganized. Similarly, the Quorum of the Twelve led the Church for a little more than three years following the death of President Brigham Young and for nearly two years following the death of President John Taylor. However, when President Wilford Woodruff died on September 2, 1898, the Lord inspired Lorenzo Snow and other members of the Twelve to reorganize the First Presidency only 11 days later, on September 13 (see George Q. Cannon, “Remarks,” Deseret Weekly, Oct. 8, 1898, 514). Since that time, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has led the Church typically for only a brief period before a new President of the Church is set apart and the First Presidency is reorganized. Who would be the next prophet today?

Youth
1. At the time of Joseph Smith’s martyrdom, members of the Church had never experienced the death of a prophet. In addition to the immense grief at Joseph’s death, some were unsure how the Church would move forward. Most of the Apostles were in the eastern United States serving missions when they heard about the death of Joseph and Hyrum. Upon learning the sad news, they and other missionaries began traveling back to Nauvoo.
2. In the absence of the President of the Church, a few people put forth different claims about what should happen with Church leadership. The First Counselor in the First Presidency said he was told in a vision that no one could succeed Joseph. He proposed that he should be the “guardian” of the Church. The President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that Joseph Smith conferred the Savior’s authority to lead the Church on the Quorum of the Twelve. A member who had been baptized four months before Joseph’s death presented a letter with Joseph Smith’s signature that designated him as Joseph’s successor. How do you think you would have reacted to these events if you had been a member of the Church during this time?
3. Before his death, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught the following to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

Brethren, … [s]ome important scene is near to take place. It may be that my enemies will kill me. And in case they should, and the keys and power which rest on me not be imparted to you, they will be lost from the earth. But if I can only succeed in placing them upon your heads, then let me fall a victim to murderous hands if God will suffer it, and I can go with all pleasure and satisfaction, knowing that my work is done, and the foundation laid on which the kingdom of God is to be reared in this dispensation of the fulness of times.

Upon the shoulders of the Twelve must the responsibility of leading this church henceforth rest until you shall appoint others to succeed you. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 533–34)

4. Joseph Smith also taught that the First Presidency is the only group over the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but when the prophet dies, the First Presidency is dissolved. From what you learned, what would help you respond to the three claims made earlier?
5. When Brigham Young addressed the Saints in a large meeting, many recorded a miraculous experience and felt a confirmation of the Holy Ghost. President George Q. Cannon (1827–1901), who later served in the First Presidency, shared:

Brigham Young … arose and addressed the people. … Who that was present on that occasion can ever forget the impression it made upon them! If Joseph had risen from the dead and again spoken in their hearing, the effect could not have been more startling than it was to many present at that meeting. It was the voice of Joseph himself; and not only was it the voice of Joseph which was heard; but it seemed in the eyes of the people as though it was the very person of Joseph which stood before them. A more wonderful and miraculous event than was wrought that day in the presence of that congregation we never heard of. The Lord gave His people a testimony that left no room for doubt as to who was the man He had chosen to lead them. They both saw and heard with their natural eyes and ears, and then the words which were uttered came, accompanied by the convincing power of God, to their hearts, and they were filled with the Spirit and with great joy. There had been gloom, and, in some hearts probably, doubt and uncertainty; but now it was plain to all that here was the man upon whom the Lord had bestowed the necessary authority to act in their midst in Joseph’s stead (George Q. Cannon, “Joseph Smith, the Prophet,” Juvenile Instructor, Oct. 1870, 174–75).

6. Through the Holy Ghost, we can receive a witness that those who lead the Church have been called of God. After the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles led the Church for three and a half years before the First Presidency was reorganized. Similarly, the Quorum of the Twelve led the Church for a little more than three years following the death of President Brigham Young and for nearly two years following the death of President John Taylor. However, when President Wilford Woodruff died on September 2, 1898, the Lord inspired Lorenzo Snow and other members of the Twelve to reorganize the First Presidency only 11 days later, on September 13 (see George Q. Cannon, “Remarks,” Deseret Weekly, Oct. 8, 1898, 514). Since that time, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has led the Church typically for only a brief period before a new President of the Church is set apart and the First Presidency is reorganized. Who would be the next prophet today?