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September, Week 1

Day 1

Primary
1. Read Doctrine and Covenants 95.
2. As part of the Restoration of His gospel, Jesus Christ commanded the Saints to build a temple in Kirtland, Ohio. Months later, when the Saints still had not started construction, the Savior lovingly chastened them and restated His commandment to build His house. Obediently, the Saints labored diligently to construct the Kirtland Temple.
3. Building the temple was a difficult challenge. There were only about 150 Church members in the area. They did not have the experience or skills to oversee such a large building. Constructing the temple would also put a financial strain on the Church and the members. Nevertheless, they went to work, and the Lord fulfilled His promise to give them “power to build it” (Doctrine and Covenants 95:11). Artemus Millet, a convert from Canada and an experienced masonry builder, moved to Kirtland and supervised the construction. Another convert, John Tanner, provided financial assistance at a critical moment. Men, women, and children in the area donated, time, labor, and resources to build the temple. (See Lisa Olsen Tait and Brent Rogers, “A House for Our God,” in Revelations in Context [2016], 167; Saints, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 210–11.)
4. Watch the video “Building the Kirtland Temple.”

Youth
1. Read Doctrine and Covenants 95.
2. As part of the Restoration of His gospel, Jesus Christ commanded the Saints to build a temple in Kirtland, Ohio. Months later, when the Saints still had not started construction, the Savior lovingly chastened them and restated His commandment to build His house. Obediently, the Saints labored diligently to construct the Kirtland Temple.
3. Building the temple was a difficult challenge. There were only about 150 Church members in the area. They did not have the experience or skills to oversee such a large building. Constructing the temple would also put a financial strain on the Church and the members. Nevertheless, they went to work, and the Lord fulfilled His promise to give them “power to build it” (Doctrine and Covenants 95:11). Artemus Millet, a convert from Canada and an experienced masonry builder, moved to Kirtland and supervised the construction. Another convert, John Tanner, provided financial assistance at a critical moment. Men, women, and children in the area donated, time, labor, and resources to build the temple. (See Lisa Olsen Tait and Brent Rogers, “A House for Our God,” in Revelations in Context [2016], 167; Saints, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 210–11.)
4. President Russell M. Nelson blessed us to make a sacrifice to worship in the temple:

My dear brothers and sisters, construction of these temples may not change your life, but your time in the temple surely will. In that spirit, I bless you to identify those things you can set aside so you can spend more time in the temple. (Russell M. Nelson, “Let Us All Press On,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 119)

Day 2

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 97.
2. While experiencing severe persecution, the Saints in the land of Zion (Jackson County, Missouri) wanted to know the Lord’s will for them. The Lord taught them about the blessings of being pure in heart.
3. President Russell M. Nelson taught about what we can do to be pure:

The Lord does not expect perfection from us at this point in our eternal progression. But He does expect us to become increasingly pure. Daily repentance is the pathway to purity, and purity brings power. (Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 68)

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 97.
2. While experiencing severe persecution, the Saints in the land of Zion (Jackson County, Missouri) wanted to know the Lord’s will for them. The Lord taught them about the blessings of being pure in heart.
3. President Russell M. Nelson taught about what we can do to be pure:

The Lord does not expect perfection from us at this point in our eternal progression. But He does expect us to become increasingly pure. Daily repentance is the pathway to purity, and purity brings power. (Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 68)

4. What blessings does the Lord provide through building temples? President Russell M. Nelson taught:

Let us never lose sight of what the Lord is doing for us now. He is making His temples more accessible. He is accelerating the pace at which we are building temples. He is increasing our ability to help gather Israel. He is also making it easier for each of us to become spiritually refined. 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)

5. How does qualifying for a temple recommend prepare me for the temple? President Russell M. Nelson explained:

Individual worthiness to enter the Lord’s house requires much individual spiritual preparation. But with the Lord’s help, nothing is impossible. In some respects, it is easier to build a temple than it is to build a people prepared for a temple. Individual worthiness requires a total conversion of mind and heart to be more like the Lord, to be an honest citizen, to be a better example, and to be a holier person. (Russell M. Nelson, “Closing Remarks,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 121–122)

6. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

It is our great desire that members of the Church will live to be worthy of a temple recommend. Please don’t see the temple as some distant and perhaps unachievable goal. Working with their bishop, most members can achieve all righteous requirements in a relatively short period of time if they have a determination to qualify and fully repent of transgressions. (Quentin L. Cook, “See Yourself in the Temple,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 98)

Week 2

Day 1

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 98:23-48.
2. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “Followers of Jesus Christ should set the example for all the world to follow. I plead with you to do all you can to end personal conflicts that are currently raging in your hearts and in your lives” (“The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” Liahona, May 2022, 97). While not everything in Doctrine and Covenants 98:23–48 will apply to your personal interactions with others, what principles do you find that can guide you to end personal conflicts in your life?
3. Watch the video “Trouble in Missouri.”

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 98:23-48.
2. When the Saints arrived in Missouri to build Zion, tensions arose with the residents of Jackson County. Political conflicts, religious disagreements, and unwise decisions (including failing to build the temple as the Savior commanded) increased the problems. During the summer of 1833, vigilante groups gathered to drive the Saints from Jackson County by force. Bishop Edward Partridge and Charles Allen were beaten, tarred, and feathered. The printing press of W. W. Phelps was destroyed, and pages of the Book of Commandments scattered. Vienna Jaques, along with sisters Mary and Caroline Rollins, bravely grabbed as many pages of the revelations as they could before they were ruined. They ran and hid themselves and the revelations from the mob. In the attack, many Saints were forced to leave their homes at gunpoint (see Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 [2018], 172–181).
3. President M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught about waiting on the Lord.

Waiting upon the Lord implies continued obedience and spiritual progress toward Him. Waiting upon the Lord does not imply biding one’s time. You should never feel like you are in a waiting room.

Waiting upon the Lord implies action. I have learned over the years that our hope in Christ increases when we serve others. Serving as Jesus served, we naturally increase our hope in Him.

The personal growth one can achieve now while waiting upon the Lord and His promises is an invaluable, sacred element of His plan for each one of us. (M. Russell Ballard, “Hope in Christ,” Liahona, May 2021, 55)

4. What are some ways we can wait patiently on the Lord in times of affliction? President Russell M. Nelson used Doctrine and Covenants 98:1–3 to teach about answers to our prayers.

If we pray with an eternal perspective, we need not wonder if our most tearful and heartfelt pleadings are heard. …

The Lord chose His strongest words to reassure us! Seal! Testament! Sworn! Decreed! Immutable covenant! Brothers and sisters, believe Him! God will heed your sincere and heartfelt prayers, and your faith will be strengthened. (Russell M. Nelson, “Face the Future with Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 35)

5. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “Followers of Jesus Christ should set the example for all the world to follow. I plead with you to do all you can to end personal conflicts that are currently raging in your hearts and in your lives” (“The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” Liahona, May 2022, 97). While not everything in Doctrine and Covenants 98:23–48 will apply to your personal interactions with others, what principles do you find that can guide you to end personal conflicts in your life?

Day 2

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 100.
2. “While the enemies in Missouri were gathering their lawless forces for an assault upon the Church there, the Lord inspired the Prophet Joseph to go on a mission and proclaim the gospel message. He was not to mind the enemies. His calling was to testify to the world. And he went on this mission as far as Canada, as full of faith and hope as if there had been no storm clouds in the sky.” (Smith and Sjodahl, Commentary, p. 630.)
While on this mission, in a journal entry dated 11 October 1833, the Prophet wrote: “I feel very well in my mind. The Lord is with us, but have much anxiety about my family.” (History of the Church, 1:419n.) On 12 October they arrived at Perrysburg, New York, where the Lord gave them the revelation now contained in Doctrine and Covenants 100.
3. Since they had left their families behind before embarking on their mission, it was only natural that Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon should feel some concern. In this verse the Lord assured both men that their families were in His care and that He would see to them.
In the early days of the Church some of the brethren were occasionally called to serve missions and to leave the care of their families entirely in the hands of the Lord. More often, missionaries were instructed to provide for their families before leaving (see D&C 99:6), or in some cases the Church helped care for missionary families. Today as in former times the Lord helps those who make sacrifices to keep missionaries in the field. Elder M. Russell Ballard noted: “The Lord does bless His missionaries just as surely as they bless the lives of those they teach and baptize. Difficult languages are learned with astonishing speed and skill. Financially strapped families back home find unforeseen means to support their missionaries. Weaknesses become strengths, challenges become opportunities, trials become triumphs, and adversity becomes an adventure in the service of the Lord—another fruit of gospel living” (Our Search for Happiness, p. 108).

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 100.
2. “While the enemies in Missouri were gathering their lawless forces for an assault upon the Church there, the Lord inspired the Prophet Joseph to go on a mission and proclaim the gospel message. He was not to mind the enemies. His calling was to testify to the world. And he went on this mission as far as Canada, as full of faith and hope as if there had been no storm clouds in the sky.” (Smith and Sjodahl, Commentary, p. 630.)
While on this mission, in a journal entry dated 11 October 1833, the Prophet wrote: “I feel very well in my mind. The Lord is with us, but have much anxiety about my family.” (History of the Church, 1:419n.) On 12 October they arrived at Perrysburg, New York, where the Lord gave them the revelation now contained in Doctrine and Covenants 100.
3. Since they had left their families behind before embarking on their mission, it was only natural that Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon should feel some concern. In this verse the Lord assured both men that their families were in His care and that He would see to them.
In the early days of the Church some of the brethren were occasionally called to serve missions and to leave the care of their families entirely in the hands of the Lord. More often, missionaries were instructed to provide for their families before leaving (see D&C 99:6), or in some cases the Church helped care for missionary families. Today as in former times the Lord helps those who make sacrifices to keep missionaries in the field. Elder M. Russell Ballard noted: “The Lord does bless His missionaries just as surely as they bless the lives of those they teach and baptize. Difficult languages are learned with astonishing speed and skill. Financially strapped families back home find unforeseen means to support their missionaries. Weaknesses become strengths, challenges become opportunities, trials become triumphs, and adversity becomes an adventure in the service of the Lord—another fruit of gospel living” (Our Search for Happiness, p. 108).

Day 3

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 101:1-48.
2. In 1833, the opposition in Missouri became violent as mobs began to use force to remove the Saints from Independence. Saints were unsure whether to stand their ground or to flee as the weather grew colder and tensions increased. The Prophet Joseph Smith was in Kirtland, Ohio, at this time but was being updated on the condition of the Saints. Knowing of their pain and distress, the Prophet prayed to ask Heavenly Father if they could be restored to their homes in Missouri.
3. Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Unlike you and me, Christ is capable of clearly seeing all facets of a given situation. Even knowing all our weaknesses as He does, the Savior does not rashly condemn us but continues to work with us compassionately over time. (Ulisses Soares, “The Savior’s Abiding Compassion,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 15)

4. Is it possible that my mistakes are beyond the Savior’s ability to rescue me? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Laborers in the Vineyard,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 33)

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 101:1-48.
2. In 1833, the opposition in Missouri became violent as mobs began to use force to remove the Saints from Independence. Saints were unsure whether to stand their ground or to flee as the weather grew colder and tensions increased. The Prophet Joseph Smith was in Kirtland, Ohio, at this time but was being updated on the condition of the Saints. Knowing of their pain and distress, the Prophet prayed to ask Heavenly Father if they could be restored to their homes in Missouri.
3. Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Unlike you and me, Christ is capable of clearly seeing all facets of a given situation. Even knowing all our weaknesses as He does, the Savior does not rashly condemn us but continues to work with us compassionately over time. (Ulisses Soares, “The Savior’s Abiding Compassion,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 15)

4. Is it possible that my mistakes are beyond the Savior’s ability to rescue me? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Laborers in the Vineyard,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 33)

Day 4

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 101:43-101.
2. When the Prophet Joseph Smith heard of the severe persecution suffered by the Missouri Saints, he pled to the Lord on their behalf. As part of His response, the Savior used parables to provide the Saints counsel and comfort.

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 101:43-101.
2. What was God’s purpose in establishing the United States Constitution? President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught:

What was God’s purpose in establishing the United States Constitution? We see it in the doctrine of moral agency. In the first decade of the restored Church, its members on the western frontier were suffering private and public persecution. Partly this was because of their opposition to the human slavery then existing in the United States. In these unfortunate circumstances, God revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith eternal truths about His doctrine.

God has given His children moral agency—the power to decide and to act. The most desirable condition for the exercise of that agency is maximum freedom for men and women to act according to their individual choices. Then, the revelation explains, “every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:78). “Therefore,” the Lord revealed, “it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:79). (Dallin H. Oaks, “Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution,” Liahona, May 2021, 106)

3. What happened when the Saints sought help from government leaders? The Saints in Missouri followed the Lord’s instructions and appealed to government leaders “for redress” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:76), or recompense for their lost properties. These leaders included local judges, Missouri governor Daniel Dunklin, and Andrew Jackson, who was serving as president of the United States. Despite repeated efforts, the Missouri Saints failed to receive protection and recompense from government authorities for the injustices they had suffered.
4. . How can the temple provide me with protection? One of the implications of the parable of the nobleman was that if the Saints had built a temple in Missouri as the Lord instructed, they would have been protected (see Doctrine and Covenants 101:53). Church leaders have taught that we receive protection by keeping covenants we make in the temple. Sister Jean B. Bingham, former General Relief Society President, taught:

I have been continually assured that keeping the covenants we make with God allows us to draw upon the Savior’s power, which strengthens us in our inevitable trials, provides protection from the adversary’s influence, and prepares us for eternal glory. (Jean B. Bingham, “Covenants with God Strengthen, Protect, and Prepare Us for Eternal Glory,” Liahona, May 2022, 67)

Week 3

Day 1

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 103: 1-28.
2. On February 24, 1834, the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation from the Lord commanding him to organize a group of volunteers to assist the suffering Saints in Missouri. The Lord required great faith of those who responded to the call to join the group, which became known as the Camp of Israel.
3. Wilford Woodruff described his decision to join the Camp of Israel:

I was called to take my life in my hands and go up to Missouri, and a little handful of us went up to redeem our brethren. We certainly had to go by faith. My neighbors called upon and pled with me not to go; said they—“Do not go, if you do you will lose your life.” I said to them—“If I knew that I should have a ball [shot] through my heart the first step I took in the State of Missouri I would go.” … That is the way I felt in those days with regard to the work of God, and that is the way I feel today. I am after salvation and eternal life, and I do not want anything to stand between me and that which I am in pursuit of. (Wilford Woodruff, in Journal of Discourses, 17:246; spelling modernized)

4. How can tribulations bring blessings? President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught:

You might reasonably wonder why a loving and all-powerful God allows our mortal test to be so hard. It is because He knows that we must grow in spiritual cleanliness and stature to be able to live in His presence in families forever. …

The greatest blessing that will come when we prove ourselves faithful to our covenants during our trials will be a change in our natures. By our choosing to keep our covenants, the power of Jesus Christ and the blessings of His Atonement can work in us. Our hearts can be softened to love, to forgive, and to invite others to come unto the Savior. Our confidence in the Lord increases. Our fears decrease. (Henry B. Eyring, “Tested, Proved, and Polished,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 97–98)

5. Consider this statement by President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency:

For most of us … what is required is not to die for the Church but to live for it. For many, living a Christlike life every day may be even more difficult than laying down one’s life. (James E. Faust, “Discipleship,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 22)

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 103: 1-28.
2. On February 24, 1834, the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation from the Lord commanding him to organize a group of volunteers to assist the suffering Saints in Missouri. The Lord required great faith of those who responded to the call to join the group, which became known as the Camp of Israel.
3. Wilford Woodruff described his decision to join the Camp of Israel:

I was called to take my life in my hands and go up to Missouri, and a little handful of us went up to redeem our brethren. We certainly had to go by faith. My neighbors called upon and pled with me not to go; said they—“Do not go, if you do you will lose your life.” I said to them—“If I knew that I should have a ball [shot] through my heart the first step I took in the State of Missouri I would go.” … That is the way I felt in those days with regard to the work of God, and that is the way I feel today. I am after salvation and eternal life, and I do not want anything to stand between me and that which I am in pursuit of. (Wilford Woodruff, in Journal of Discourses, 17:246; spelling modernized)

4. How can tribulations bring blessings? President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency taught:

You might reasonably wonder why a loving and all-powerful God allows our mortal test to be so hard. It is because He knows that we must grow in spiritual cleanliness and stature to be able to live in His presence in families forever. …

The greatest blessing that will come when we prove ourselves faithful to our covenants during our trials will be a change in our natures. By our choosing to keep our covenants, the power of Jesus Christ and the blessings of His Atonement can work in us. Our hearts can be softened to love, to forgive, and to invite others to come unto the Savior. Our confidence in the Lord increases. Our fears decrease. (Henry B. Eyring, “Tested, Proved, and Polished,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 97–98)

5. Consider this statement by President James E. Faust (1920–2007) of the First Presidency:

For most of us … what is required is not to die for the Church but to live for it. For many, living a Christlike life every day may be even more difficult than laying down one’s life. (James E. Faust, “Discipleship,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 22)

Day 2

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 104:11–18, 78–83.
2. In addition to trials in Missouri, in 1834 the Church faced financial difficulties, including heavy debts and expenses. In section 104 the Lord gave counsel on the Church’s financial situation. How can you apply the principles in verses 11–18 and 78–83 to your own decisions?
3. What blessings await those who choose to follow the Lord? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

It is a strait path, and it is a narrow path without a great deal of latitude at some points, but it can be thrillingly and successfully traveled, “with … steadfastness in Christ, … a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men” [2 Nephi 31:20]. In courageously pursuing such a course, you will forge unshakable faith, you will find safety against ill winds that blow, even shafts in the whirlwind, and you will feel the rock-like strength of our Redeemer, upon whom if you build your unflagging discipleship, you cannot fall. (Jeffery R. Holland, “The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 9)

4. What should I remember when difficult times come? Sister Michelle D. Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, taught:

Christ’s disciples have always encountered hard times. …

When hard times come, I try to remember that I chose to follow Christ before I came to earth and that challenges to my faith, my health, and my endurance are all part of the reason I’m here. (Michelle D. Craig, “Wholehearted,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 60, 61–62)

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 104:11–18, 78–83.
2. In addition to trials in Missouri, in 1834 the Church faced financial difficulties, including heavy debts and expenses. In section 104 the Lord gave counsel on the Church’s financial situation. How can you apply the principles in verses 11–18 and 78–83 to your own decisions?
3. What blessings await those who choose to follow the Lord? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

It is a strait path, and it is a narrow path without a great deal of latitude at some points, but it can be thrillingly and successfully traveled, “with … steadfastness in Christ, … a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men” [2 Nephi 31:20]. In courageously pursuing such a course, you will forge unshakable faith, you will find safety against ill winds that blow, even shafts in the whirlwind, and you will feel the rock-like strength of our Redeemer, upon whom if you build your unflagging discipleship, you cannot fall. (Jeffery R. Holland, “The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 9)

4. What should I remember when difficult times come? Sister Michelle D. Craig, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, taught:

Christ’s disciples have always encountered hard times. …

When hard times come, I try to remember that I chose to follow Christ before I came to earth and that challenges to my faith, my health, and my endurance are all part of the reason I’m here. (Michelle D. Craig, “Wholehearted,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 60, 61–62)

Day 3

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 105:1-30.
2. Shortly after the Camp of Israel arrived in Missouri, the Lord revealed that the redemption of Zion “should wait for a little season.”`1` Having just marched over 800 miles (1,280 kilometers) and expecting to help the Missouri Saints reclaim their lands, the company felt their faith tested by the Lord’s instruction to return home.
3. President Brigham Young (1801–77), who marched with the Camp of Israel, recalled conversations he had after returning home:

On my return many friends asked me what profit there was in calling men from their labor to go up to Missouri and then return, without apparently accomplishing anything. “Who has it benefited?” asked they. “If the Lord did command it to be done, what object had he in view in doing so?” … I told those brethren that I was well paid—paid with heavy interest—yea that my measure was filled to overflowing with the knowledge that I had received by traveling with the Prophet. (Brigham Young, “Discourse,” Deseret News, Dec. 3, 1862, 177)

4. Joseph Young, who had been a member of the Camp of Israel, recalled Joseph Smith teaching the following:

Brethren, some of you are angry with me, because you did not fight in Missouri; but let me tell you, God did not want you to fight. He could not organize his kingdom with twelve men to open the gospel door to the nations of the earth, and with seventy men under their direction to follow in their tracks, unless he took them from a body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham. (Quoted in Joseph Young Sr., History of the Organization of the Seventies [1878], 14)

Youth
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 105:1-30.
2. Shortly after the Camp of Israel arrived in Missouri, the Lord revealed that the redemption of Zion “should wait for a little season.”`1` Having just marched over 800 miles (1,280 kilometers) and expecting to help the Missouri Saints reclaim their lands, the company felt their faith tested by the Lord’s instruction to return home.
3. President Brigham Young (1801–77), who marched with the Camp of Israel, recalled conversations he had after returning home:

On my return many friends asked me what profit there was in calling men from their labor to go up to Missouri and then return, without apparently accomplishing anything. “Who has it benefited?” asked they. “If the Lord did command it to be done, what object had he in view in doing so?” … I told those brethren that I was well paid—paid with heavy interest—yea that my measure was filled to overflowing with the knowledge that I had received by traveling with the Prophet. (Brigham Young, “Discourse,” Deseret News, Dec. 3, 1862, 177)

4. Joseph Young, who had been a member of the Camp of Israel, recalled Joseph Smith teaching the following:

Brethren, some of you are angry with me, because you did not fight in Missouri; but let me tell you, God did not want you to fight. He could not organize his kingdom with twelve men to open the gospel door to the nations of the earth, and with seventy men under their direction to follow in their tracks, unless he took them from a body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham. (Quoted in Joseph Young Sr., History of the Organization of the Seventies [1878], 14)

Week 4

Day 1

Primary
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 106.
2. In Doctrine and Covenants 106 and 108, the Lord gave counsel and promises to two members who were called to serve in His Church. As you study His counsel, you might think about your own opportunities to serve the Lord—perhaps a ministering assignment, a Church calling, responsibilities in your family, or spiritual promptings to do good.
3. When Elder Carl B. Cook received a difficult Church assignment, he drew strength from the experience of an ancestor.

Recently I received a new assignment. I had been serving in the Africa Southeast Area. It was thrilling to serve where the Church is relatively young and being established, and we loved the Saints. Then I was called to return to Church headquarters, and to be honest, I was less than enthusiastic. A change in assignment brought some unknowns.

One night after contemplating the upcoming change, I dreamed about my great-great-grandfather Joseph Skeen. I knew from his journal that when he and his wife, Maria, moved to Nauvoo, he desired to serve, so he sought out the Prophet Joseph Smith and asked how he could help. The Prophet sent him to work on the prairie and told him to do the best he could, so he did. He worked on the Smiths’ farm.

I pondered the privilege that Joseph Skeen had in receiving his assignment that way. Suddenly I realized that I have the same privilege, as we all do. All Church callings come from God—through His appointed servants.

I felt a distinct spiritual confirmation that my new assignment was inspired. It is important that we make that connection—that our callings literally come to us from God through our priesthood leaders. After this experience, my attitude changed, and I was filled with a deep desire to serve. I am grateful for the blessing of repentance and for my changed heart. I love my new assignment.

Even if we think that our Church calling was simply our priesthood leader’s idea or that it came to us because no one else would accept it, we will be blessed as we serve. But when we recognize God’s hand in our calling and serve with all our hearts, additional power comes into our service, and we become true servants of Jesus Christ.

Youth
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 106.
2. In Doctrine and Covenants 106 and 108, the Lord gave counsel and promises to two members who were called to serve in His Church. As you study His counsel, you might think about your own opportunities to serve the Lord—perhaps a ministering assignment, a Church calling, responsibilities in your family, or spiritual promptings to do good.
3. When Elder Carl B. Cook received a difficult Church assignment, he drew strength from the experience of an ancestor.

Recently I received a new assignment. I had been serving in the Africa Southeast Area. It was thrilling to serve where the Church is relatively young and being established, and we loved the Saints. Then I was called to return to Church headquarters, and to be honest, I was less than enthusiastic. A change in assignment brought some unknowns.

One night after contemplating the upcoming change, I dreamed about my great-great-grandfather Joseph Skeen. I knew from his journal that when he and his wife, Maria, moved to Nauvoo, he desired to serve, so he sought out the Prophet Joseph Smith and asked how he could help. The Prophet sent him to work on the prairie and told him to do the best he could, so he did. He worked on the Smiths’ farm.

I pondered the privilege that Joseph Skeen had in receiving his assignment that way. Suddenly I realized that I have the same privilege, as we all do. All Church callings come from God—through His appointed servants.

I felt a distinct spiritual confirmation that my new assignment was inspired. It is important that we make that connection—that our callings literally come to us from God through our priesthood leaders. After this experience, my attitude changed, and I was filled with a deep desire to serve. I am grateful for the blessing of repentance and for my changed heart. I love my new assignment.

Even if we think that our Church calling was simply our priesthood leader’s idea or that it came to us because no one else would accept it, we will be blessed as we serve. But when we recognize God’s hand in our calling and serve with all our hearts, additional power comes into our service, and we become true servants of Jesus Christ.

Day 2

Primary
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 107:1-20.
2. There is a Doctrinal Mastery scripture in this chapter, Doctrine and Covenants 107:8.

The Melchizedek Priesthood holds the right of presidency, and has power and authority over all the offices in the church in all ages of the world, to administer in spiritual things.

3. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, taught:

Christ is the source of all true priesthood authority and power on earth. It is His work, in which we are privileged to assist. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Joy of the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 59)

4. Why is it important to understand that all priesthood power comes directly from Jesus Christ? President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency shared the following about priesthood authority in Church callings:

Ultimately, all keys of the priesthood are held by the Lord Jesus Christ, whose priesthood it is. He is the one who determines what keys are delegated to mortals and how those keys will be used. …

… Since the scriptures state that “all other authorities [and] offices in the church are appendages to this [Melchizedek] priesthood” (D&C 107:5), all that is done under the direction of those priesthood keys is done with priesthood authority. (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 50)

5. How is priesthood authority from God exercised by women in the Church? President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught:

We are not accustomed to speaking of women having the authority of the priesthood in their Church callings, but what other authority can it be? When a woman—young or old—is set apart to preach the gospel as a full-time missionary, she is given priesthood authority to perform a priesthood function. The same is true when a woman is set apart to function as an officer or teacher in a Church organization under the direction of one who holds the keys of the priesthood. Whoever functions in an office or calling received from one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in performing her or his assigned duties. (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 51)

Youth
1. Today, read Doctrine and Covenants 107:1-20.
2. There is a Doctrinal Mastery scripture in this chapter, Doctrine and Covenants 107:8.

The Melchizedek Priesthood holds the right of presidency, and has power and authority over all the offices in the church in all ages of the world, to administer in spiritual things.

3. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, taught:

Christ is the source of all true priesthood authority and power on earth. It is His work, in which we are privileged to assist. (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Joy of the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 59)

4. Why is it important to understand that all priesthood power comes directly from Jesus Christ? President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency shared the following about priesthood authority in Church callings:

Ultimately, all keys of the priesthood are held by the Lord Jesus Christ, whose priesthood it is. He is the one who determines what keys are delegated to mortals and how those keys will be used. …

… Since the scriptures state that “all other authorities [and] offices in the church are appendages to this [Melchizedek] priesthood” (D&C 107:5), all that is done under the direction of those priesthood keys is done with priesthood authority. (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 50)

5. How is priesthood authority from God exercised by women in the Church? President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught:

We are not accustomed to speaking of women having the authority of the priesthood in their Church callings, but what other authority can it be? When a woman—young or old—is set apart to preach the gospel as a full-time missionary, she is given priesthood authority to perform a priesthood function. The same is true when a woman is set apart to function as an officer or teacher in a Church organization under the direction of one who holds the keys of the priesthood. Whoever functions in an office or calling received from one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in performing her or his assigned duties. (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 51)

Day 3

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 107:21-100.
2. Just as He did in New Testament times, Jesus Christ has called prophets, apostles, and others to lead His Church today and bear witness of Him throughout the world. In Doctrine and Covenants 107, Jesus explained the role of these chosen leaders.
3. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained what it means for Apostles to be “special witnesses of the name of Christ” (verse 23).

The role of an Apostle today is the same as it was anciently (see Acts 1:22; 4:33). Our commission is to go into all the world and proclaim “Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (see Mark 16:15; 1 Corinthians 2:2). An Apostle is a missionary and a special witness of the name of Christ. The “name of Christ” refers to the totality of the Savior’s mission, death, and resurrection—His authority, His doctrine, and His unique qualifications as the Son of God to be our Redeemer and our Savior. As special witnesses of the name of Christ, we bear testimony of the reality, divinity, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, His infinite and eternal Atonement, and His gospel. (David A. Bednar, “Special Witnesses of the Name of Christ,” Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel, vol. 12, no. 2 [2011], 1)

Primary
1. Today read Doctrine and Covenants 107:21-100.
2. Just as He did in New Testament times, Jesus Christ has called prophets, apostles, and others to lead His Church today and bear witness of Him throughout the world. In Doctrine and Covenants 107, Jesus explained the role of these chosen leaders.
3. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained what it means for Apostles to be “special witnesses of the name of Christ” (verse 23).

The role of an Apostle today is the same as it was anciently (see Acts 1:22; 4:33). Our commission is to go into all the world and proclaim “Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (see Mark 16:15; 1 Corinthians 2:2). An Apostle is a missionary and a special witness of the name of Christ. The “name of Christ” refers to the totality of the Savior’s mission, death, and resurrection—His authority, His doctrine, and His unique qualifications as the Son of God to be our Redeemer and our Savior. As special witnesses of the name of Christ, we bear testimony of the reality, divinity, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, His infinite and eternal Atonement, and His gospel. (David A. Bednar, “Special Witnesses of the Name of Christ,” Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel, vol. 12, no. 2 [2011], 1)

4. What does it mean to preside? The following explanation can apply to both men and women who are called of God to preside:

A leader who presides in a Church organization, meeting, or activity ensures that the Lord’s purposes are accomplished. In doing this, the leader follows gospel principles, Church policies, and the direction of the Holy Ghost.

Those who preside follow the example of Jesus Christ in serving with gentleness, meekness, and pure love (see John 13:13–15). A calling or assignment to preside does not make the person who receives it more important or valued than others (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:109–10). (General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4.2.4, ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

5. Read the following statement by President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008):

Your obligation is as serious in your sphere of responsibility as is my obligation in my sphere. No calling in this church is small or of little consequence. All of us in the pursuit of our duty touch the lives of others. (Gordon B. Hinckley, “This Is the Work of the Master,” Ensign, May 1995, 71)