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FAIR Resources for Come, Follow Me – Restoration Scripture
Week 43: October 20 - 26: "O God, Where Art Thou?'"

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 121-123

Doctrinal Focus
Historical & Contextual
Apologetic Application
Practical Applications
Ideas for Teaching
Quick Reference

Doctrinal Focus

  • Key doctrines addressed in this week’s reading
  • In Doctrine and Covenants 121:7–8, the Lord speaks to Joseph Smith during his time of deep despair in Liberty Jail: “Peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment.” This assurance teaches that while trials may be intense, they are temporary in the eternal perspective.

Doctrine and Covenants 122:7 reminds Joseph that “all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.” The Lord reframes affliction as part of the sanctification process. Through this lens, trials are not evidence of God’s absence but of His refining presence.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:36 teaches that “the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.” This means that priesthood power is not automatic with ordination—it must be cultivated through purity and obedience.

Verses 41–42 list gentleness, meekness, love unfeigned, and persuasion as traits by which priesthood authority should be exercised. These are not optional extras; they are foundational to unlocking divine power. These attributes align priesthood holders with Christ’s character, ensuring that their actions reflect His will and invite His power.

  • In Doctrine and Covenants 123:12–13, the Lord commands His people to “waste and wear out [their] lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness.” This includes standing up against injustice and defending truth.

Verse 17 closes with reassurance: “Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power… and then may we stand still… to see the salvation of God.” Our duty is not to accomplish everything, but to do what we can in faith. This verse encourages optimism and action in tandem. It teaches that faithful, even seemingly small, efforts are consecrated by God.

Historical & Contextual Insights

  • Insights in this week’s study
  • Winter 1838–1839, Liberty Jail, Missouri. The Saints were driven from their homes under threat of extermination, and Joseph Smith, along with other Church leaders, was imprisoned in Liberty Jail.
  • Amid severe persecution and violence against the Saints in Missouri, Joseph Smith wrote letters from jail that later became Sections 121–123. These revelations came during some of the most trying times in early Church history, with the Saints facing expulsion, loss of property, and deep suffering.
  • Liberty Jail has been called a “prison-temple” because of the sacred truths that emerged from such a bleak setting. Joseph’s pleas, and the Lord’s responses, elevated our understanding of divine timing, priesthood power, and spiritual endurance.
  • Knowing that these profound revelations were received in a cold, cramped, and hostile prison gives greater weight to their messages of patience, divine purpose, and the sustaining power of God. It reminds us that spiritual growth often comes through hardship.
  • When the Lord tells Joseph, “thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment,” He invites him—and us—to view mortal suffering through an eternal lens. What may seem unbearable now will, in the scope of eternity, be brief and purposeful.
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  • This phrase doesn’t trivialize suffering but reorients our focus. God is not dismissing Joseph’s pain; He’s giving him hope rooted in eternity.
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  • This teaches us that God sees the full arc of our lives and eternal progress, and that our trust in Him deepens when we hold to His timing and purposes, even when they feel distant.
  • In Section 123, the Saints are instructed to gather evidence of the abuses they suffered—not simply to vent, but to document injustice and prepare for future accountability. This blends their spiritual mission with temporal action, emphasizing both divine trust and civic duty.
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  • The Lord is commanding the Saints to engage the legal system and uphold justice, even while trusting in divine deliverance. He does not excuse them from acting just because they are persecuted.
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  • This reveals that the restored gospel is not detached from real-world issues. Defending truth and documenting wrongs are spiritual acts, especially when done with integrity and faith.

If you have questions on this week’s reading, please email your questions to us here.

Apologetic Application

  1. Claim: “Joseph used revelations to manipulate others and protect his leadership.”
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  3. Response:
  4. Historical Evidence: The revelations in Liberty Jail came during Joseph’s deepest personal suffering, not a moment of political gain. He was imprisoned, cut off from the Saints, and physically deteriorating.
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  6. Eyewitness Support: Fellow prisoners like Caleb Baldwin and Alexander McRae bore record of Joseph’s patience and spiritual focus, not a manipulative tone. His letters were recorded by others and preserved as genuine spiritual reflections.
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  8. Spiritual Confirmation: These sections reveal Christlike humility and prophetic insight, particularly in teaching about gentleness, meekness, and love unfeigned as conditions of priesthood power. These are not qualities that benefit a dictator—they empower the humble.
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  10. Logical Analysis: If Joseph were seeking power, it would be illogical to preach that power comes only through selflessness and suffering. His teachings limit unrighteous dominion, which contradicts claims of self-interest.
  • Claim: “Joseph’s teachings were inconsistent and changed based on his circumstances.”
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  • Response:
  • Historical Evidence: Rather than inconsistency, these sections show profound continuity in Joseph’s theology: suffering refines the soul, and divine authority is linked to moral character—consistent with prior and later teachings.
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  • Eyewitness Support: Early Church members such as Parley P. Pratt and John Taylor viewed these writings as spiritually consistent and prophetic. They saw the deepening, not shifting, of Joseph’s understanding.
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  • Spiritual Confirmation: The principles taught—about enduring adversity, purity in priesthood, and God’s timing—resonate with timeless gospel truths and are affirmed repeatedly in modern prophetic counsel.
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  • Logical Analysis: Growth in prophetic understanding is expected and scriptural (see 2 Peter 3:18). Development in clarity doesn’t imply contradiction, especially when grounded in consistent divine themes.
  • Claim: “The doctrine of priesthood reflects human hierarchy and oppression.”
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  • Response:
  • Historical Evidence: Doctrine and Covenants 121 explicitly condemns unrighteous dominion and teaches that any attempt to use priesthood authority for control results in the loss of power.
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  • Eyewitness Support: Joseph Smith’s own leadership reflected his teachings. While he was the prophet, he counseled with the Twelve and allowed others to exercise spiritual gifts, showing decentralized service.
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  • Spiritual Confirmation: These verses teach that the priesthood is governed by compassion, persuasion, long-suffering, and love. These are not tools of control but of Christlike service.
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  • Logical Analysis: A doctrine that revokes power the moment it is misused cannot be authoritarian by design. Instead, it holds its bearers to the highest ethical standard.

Practical Applications

Practical solutions for someone in faith crisis:

Action Step: Reflect daily on how current trials may be shaping your spiritual growth.

Seeing trials as temporary and purposeful helps us endure them with faith rather than fear. Joseph Smith’s experience in Liberty Jail reminds us that God is nearest when He feels farthest and that suffering can sanctify.

  1. – Write down one current challenge.
  2. – Read Doctrine and Covenants 121:7–8 and 122:7.
  3. – Journal how this challenge might be for your experience and good.
  4. – Pray for strength to “endure it well” and to see God’s hand in it.

Encouraging Thought:

“Thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment” (D&C 121:7).

Action Step: Choose one Christlike trait from Doctrine and Covenants 121:41–42 to develop this week.

Leadership and influence are most powerful when they reflect Christ’s example—through persuasion, gentleness, and love. These traits improve relationships, invite the Spirit, and strengthen trust.

  1. – Read verses 41–42 and list the traits mentioned.
  2. – Choose one to focus on (e.g., kindness or long-suffering).
  3. – Set a daily intention to practice that trait in your interactions.
  4. – At the end of the day, reflect in prayer or writing on how you did.

Encouraging Thought:

“No power or influence can or ought to be maintained… only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness…” (D&C 121:41).

  • Action Step: Share your beliefs or experiences with someone this week, especially if prompted by the Spirit.

Doctrine and Covenants 123 reminds us that we are accountable for warning our neighbors and bringing light to dark places. Even small efforts to testify can ripple into great influence.

  1. – Pray for guidance to recognize opportunities to share truth.
  2. – Identify someone you feel prompted to reach out to.
  3. – Share a scripture, testimony, or experience via message or in person.
  4. – Follow up with kindness, regardless of response.

Encouraging Thought:

“Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power… and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance…” (D&C 123:17).

Ideas for Teaching

Objective: Help learners recognize how God can turn trials into sacred learning experiences.

A picture of Liberty Jail, slips of paper, pens, and copies of D&C 121:1–8.

Activity Steps:

  1. Introduction (5 min): Show a picture of Liberty Jail. Ask: “What would you expect to feel if you were trapped here?” Invite learners to write down one challenge they are currently facing and fold the slip.
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  3. Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read D&C 121:1–8. Discuss how God responded to Joseph’s cries. Ask: “What words would have stood out to you if you were in his place?”
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  5. Application (5 min): Invite learners to quietly open their slip of paper and reread the verses, inserting their challenge into Joseph’s words. Bear testimony that God sanctifies suffering.

Follow-Up Question: How have you seen God’s hand in a difficult time, even if it wasn’t immediately clear?

Objective: Teach that priesthood power is connected to personal righteousness and Christlike attributes.

A chain or string, paper strips with attributes (e.g., “gentleness,” “meekness,” “unfeigned love”), scissors.

Activity Steps:

Introduction (5 min): Hold up a chain and say, “This chain represents priesthood power. What makes a chain strong?” Then cut a link and show how it breaks.

Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read D&C 121:41–46. Hand out strips with attributes. Ask learners to explain how that attribute could strengthen priesthood power (or leadership).

Application (5 min): Invite learners to choose one attribute to “link” into their life this week and share how they will do it.

Follow-Up Question: Which Christlike attribute do you feel inspired to develop more, and why?

Objective: Encourage learners to act in faith even when outcomes are uncertain.

A small object (e.g., stone or coin) for each learner, D&C 123:17 printed out or written on the board.

Activity Steps: 

Introduction (5 min): Give each learner a small object and ask them to hold it out at arm’s length. After 30 seconds, ask: “How long do you think you could do this?” Then say, “Now let’s do it together,” and have everyone hold it up again briefly—note how shared effort feels different.

Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read D&C 123:17 aloud. Ask what “cheerfully doing all that lies in our power” might look like in different life situations (e.g., school, family, testimony).

Application (5 min): Invite learners to name one small action they can do this week to bring light or truth to someone—no matter how small.

Follow-Up Question: What does it mean to “stand still” and see the salvation of God after you’ve done all you can?

QUICK REFERENCE

  • God is aware of our suffering and will strengthen us in His time (D&C 121:7–8; 122:7).

     

  • True priesthood power depends on righteousness and Christlike attributes (D&C 121:36–46).

     

  • We are accountable to testify of truth and stand against injustice (D&C 123:12–17).

     

  • The Lord refines His servants through trials to prepare them for greater service.

     

  • Adversity is temporary in the eternal perspective and can sanctify the soul.
  • Why trust modern prophets?
    • Modern prophets, like Joseph Smith, received revelation in times of crisis, not comfort. Their teachings—like those in Liberty Jail—emphasize humility, integrity, and divine truth, not personal gain. Their fruits (see Matthew 7:16) include doctrinal clarity, spiritual upliftment, and restored gospel principles.
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    • Why does God allow mistakes?
    • God honors agency and uses adversity as a tool for growth and refinement (D&C 122:7). Even prophets are not exempt from trial. Rather than prevent all suffering, God promises His presence, guidance, and ultimate deliverance to those who trust Him.

Doctrine and Covenants 122:7 – “All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.”