FAIR

FAIR Resources for Come, Follow Me – Restoration Scripture
Week 27: June 30 - July 6: "No Weapon That Is Formed against You Shall Prosper"

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 71 – 75

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

Doctrinal Focus

  • Key doctrines addressed in this week’s reading
  • A bishop is entrusted with the sacred responsibility to watch over and care for the spiritual and temporal needs of the members. They act as judges in Israel, provide counsel, and ensure that Church programs support the development of faith and testimony. Bishops are also tasked with helping members apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ in their lives. D&C 72:9–10 – Bishops are called to receive accounts and care for the temporal welfare of the Church.

A bishop’s leadership directly influences the spiritual growth of young members. By conducting worthiness interviews, teaching doctrine, and creating opportunities for service, bishops help youth develop stronger testimonies and prepare to make sacred covenants. Their guidance is crucial in helping youth resist the challenges of the world. D&C 72:17–18 – Bishops are responsible for ensuring the faithfulness and integrity of those who handle the Lord’s funds, setting an example of stewardship and leadership.

True discipleship requires more than passive belief—it calls for courageous action. In a world that increasingly rejects moral and spiritual truths, faithful disciples must stand up for what is right, even when it is unpopular. This means defending truth, honoring covenants, and trusting in the Lord’s promises despite opposition. D&C 71:1–4 – The Lord commands Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon to defend the truth boldly, demonstrating the importance of standing up for the gospel.

Faithful disciples prioritize God’s commandments over worldly pressures. They seek revelation, follow the Spirit’s promptings, and willingly sacrifice comfort and convenience to stay true to gospel principles. This kind of loyalty builds spiritual strength and invites divine assistance. D&C 73:1–4 – The Lord instructs His servants to continue preaching and proclaiming the gospel despite challenges, emphasizing persistence and faithfulness.

  • Paying tithing demonstrates faith in God’s providence and sustains the work of the Church. The Lord promises that those who faithfully pay tithing will receive blessings, both spiritual and temporal. Tithing also teaches self-discipline and trust in God’s plan for financial stewardship. D&C 72:11–12 – Bishops are to oversee the consecration of properties and ensure that resources are properly used to build the kingdom of God.

The Lord encourages His people to develop self-reliance by working diligently, living within their means, and seeking to care for their families and others. Developing self-reliance increases the ability to weather economic challenges and positions individuals to serve and uplift others. D&C 75:3–5 – The Lord commands His servants to labor diligently and to be faithful, promising that He will provide for their needs.

Historical & Contextual Insights

  • Insights in this week’s study
  • The events in Doctrine & Covenants 71–75 took place in 1831–1832 in Kirtland, Ohio and Missouri. During this time, the early Saints were facing intense persecution and opposition from both external critics and internal dissenters.
  • The Saints were struggling with growing tensions and public criticism, especially from apostate members and others who opposed the Church’s rapid growth. In December 1831, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were called to pause their work on the inspired translation of the Bible and publicly defend the Church through preaching. Bishops were also being called to organize the Church’s resources and care for the temporal needs of the Saints.
  • This period marked a critical moment in the early Church’s development, as it faced both external opposition and internal challenges. The Lord’s instructions in these revelations reinforced the importance of faithful leadership, diligent preaching, and proper stewardship over the Church’s growing resources.
  • Opposition and difficulty often accompany spiritual growth. The Lord equips His servants with revelation and strength to face these challenges. Just as the early Saints were called to stand firm and trust in God’s guidance, modern disciples are also strengthened through faith and obedience.
  • In D&C 71, the Lord instructed Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon to engage with critics and defend the truth through preaching, rather than through argument or hostility. This revealed the Lord’s pattern for handling opposition—not by contention, but by calmly teaching truth and relying on the Spirit to confirm it.
    •  
    • D&C 71:7–10 teaches that the Lord would “confound their enemies” by the power of His Spirit. The focus was on bearing testimony and letting the Spirit touch hearts rather than winning debates.
    •  
    • This teaches a powerful principle for modern disciples—when faced with criticism or attacks on faith, the best response is often to share testimony with humility and love rather than becoming defensive or confrontational.
  • In D&C 72, the Lord outlined the responsibilities of bishops in receiving and accounting for consecrated funds and resources. This demonstrated the Lord’s order in temporal matters, ensuring that resources were carefully managed to care for the poor and support the Church’s growth.
  •  
  • The bishop’s role was both spiritual and practical—acting as a judge in Israel, overseeing the welfare of the Saints, and ensuring the proper use of consecrated resources (D&C 72:9–14).
    •  
    • This principle of careful stewardship continues today. Church leaders are instructed to manage tithes and offerings with transparency and integrity, reflecting the Lord’s order in both spiritual and temporal affairs.

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

Apologetic Application

  1. Claim: “Joseph Smith created the concept of tithing and consecration to enrich himself.”
  2.  
  3. Response:
  4. Historical Evidence: D&C 72 outlines the bishop’s responsibility to manage consecrated funds and ensure their proper use. There is no evidence that Joseph Smith personally profited from tithing or consecration. Historical records show that funds were used for the care of the poor and for Church operations.
  5.  
  6. Eyewitness Support: Bishops like Newel K. Whitney and Edward Partridge testified that Joseph Smith lived modestly and often sacrificed personal comfort to build the Church.
  7.  
  8. Spiritual Confirmation:
  9. The principle of tithing and consecration is consistent with scriptural patterns (Malachi 3:10), showing that the Lord’s work is supported by faith and sacrifice, not personal gain.
  10.  
  11. Logical Analysis:
  12. If Joseph Smith were seeking wealth, it would not make sense for him to endure poverty, persecution, and repeated legal trials throughout his life.
  • Claim: “Joseph fabricated revelations in Doctrine & Covenants to control Church members.”
  •  
  • Response:
  • Historical Evidence: D&C 71–75 reflects specific historical situations, such as persecution in Ohio and the need for Church organization. The revelations address real challenges the Saints were facing.
  •  
  • Eyewitness Support: Early Saints, including Sidney Rigdon and Newel K. Whitney, bore testimony that the revelations were given through the Spirit and provided practical and spiritual guidance.
  •  
  • Spiritual Confirmation:
  • The revelations’ consistency with biblical principles and their fulfillment over time confirm their divine origin.
  •  
  • Logical Analysis: If Joseph Smith were inventing revelations, he would likely have avoided instructions that required personal sacrifice and increased persecution.
  • Claim: “Revelation through Joseph Smith conflicts with biblical teachings.”
  •  
  • Response:
  • Historical Evidence: D&C 71–75 shows that the Lord continued to give revelation to His servants, consistent with biblical patterns of prophets receiving direct guidance (Amos 3:7).
  •  
  • Eyewitness Support: Early members, including Sidney Rigdon and John Whitmer, recorded their personal witness of Joseph Smith receiving revelation.
  •  
  • Spiritual Confirmation: Modern revelation aligns with biblical principles of order, stewardship, and obedience to God’s law.
  •  
  • Logical Analysis: The idea that God would cease to speak to His children contradicts the consistent pattern of prophets throughout scripture.

Practical Applications

Practical solutions for someone in faith crisis:

Action Step: Share your testimony about a specific gospel principle with a friend or family member.

Bearing testimony strengthens both the giver and the receiver. Sharing truth with humility and confidence invites the Spirit, which touches hearts and clarifies truth.

  1. – Pray for guidance on whom to share your testimony with.
  2. – Choose a specific principle or experience to share.
  3. – Approach the conversation with love and understanding.
  4. – Testify sincerely and let the Spirit carry the message.

Encouraging Thought:

  • “Confound your enemies; call upon them to meet you both in public and in private; and… the Lord will be with you” (D&C 71:7–9).

Action Step: Create a budget and set a financial goal that aligns with gospel principles.

Becoming self-reliant allows you to better care for your family and serve others. Financial discipline helps reduce stress and increase peace of mind.

  1. – List all sources of income and expenses.
  2. – Set a goal to save or reduce debt.
  3. – Pay tithing first and seek the Lord’s blessings.
  4. – Monitor progress and adjust as needed.

Encouraging Thought:

  • “Be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down” (D&C 81:5).
  • Action Step: Offer to help your bishop with a specific need or ward initiative.

Bishops carry heavy spiritual and administrative burdens. Offering support strengthens the ward and builds unity among members.

  1. – Pray for your bishop and other local leaders.
  2. – Reach out and ask how you can help.
  3. – Participate actively in ward councils or service projects.
  4. – Express gratitude for their service.

Encouraging Thought:

“It is expedient in me that my servant Newel K. Whitney should be appointed keeper of the Lord’s storehouse” (D&C 72:8).

Ideas for Teaching

Objective: Help learners understand how to respond to criticism with faith and confidence.

  1. Whiteboard and markers
  2. Printed or digital copies of D&C 71:7–10
  3. Index cards

Activity Steps:

  1. Introduction (5 min):
  2. Write the question on the board: “How do you respond when someone challenges your faith?”
  3. Have students write down their answers on index cards and briefly share.
  4.  
  5. Scripture Discussion (5 min):
    • Read D&C 71:7–10 together.
    • Discuss how the Lord instructed Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon to defend the faith by preaching truth rather than arguing.

    Ask: Why do you think the Lord chose this method instead of direct confrontation?

  6.  
  7. Application (5 min):
  8. Role-play: Pair students and have one play the role of a critic and the other respond by bearing testimony.
  9. Emphasize staying calm, focusing on truth, and relying on the Spirit.

Follow-Up Question: How can you defend your faith while maintaining a Christlike attitude?

Objective: Teach the importance of stewardship and tithing in building the kingdom of God.

  1. Play money or tokens
  2. Copies of D&C 72:9–14
  3. Small whiteboard or chalkboard

Activity Steps:

    1. Introduction (5 min):
      • Give each student an amount of play money or tokens.

      Ask: If you were in charge of managing the Church’s resources, how would you decide where to allocate funds?

    2.  
    3. Scripture Discussion (5 min):
      • Read D&C 72:9–14 together.
      • Discuss the bishop’s role in managing resources and the principle of consecration.

      Ask: How does wise stewardship bless the Church and individuals?

    4.  
    5. Application (5 min):
    6. Have students “allocate” their play money to different categories (e.g., building funds, missionary work, welfare).
    7. Discuss how these choices reflect priorities in the Lord’s work.

Follow-Up Question: How can we apply the principle of stewardship in our personal lives?

Objective: Strengthen learners’ understanding of courageous discipleship.

  1. Small stones or paper slips
  2. Copies of D&C 73:1–4
  3. A jar or container

Activity Steps: 

    1. Introduction (5 min):
    2. Pass around small stones or paper slips.
    3. Ask students to write down a challenge they face as a disciple (e.g., peer pressure, criticism, doubts).
    4. Collect them in a jar.
    5.  
    6. Scripture Discussion (5 min):
      • Read D&C 73:1–4 together.
      • Discuss how the Lord instructed His servants to continue preaching despite opposition.

      Ask: What does this teach about enduring trials as a disciple?

    7.  
    8. Application (5 min):
    9. Shake the jar and pull out a few challenges.
    10. Discuss ways to face these challenges with faith and courage.
    11. Encourage students to “let go” of the challenge and trust in the Lord.

Follow-Up Question: How does trusting the Lord give you strength to stand firm in your faith?

QUICK REFERENCE

  • – Bishops are called to manage the Lord’s resources and care for the spiritual and temporal needs of the Saints (D&C 72).
  • – Defending the faith should be done with confidence and humility, relying on the Spirit rather than contention (D&C 71:7–10).
  • – Discipleship requires persistence and faith, even in the face of opposition (D&C 73:1–4).
  • – The Lord’s work is orderly, and stewardship over resources reflects divine patterns of organization (D&C 72:9–14).
  • – Self-reliance strengthens individuals and the Church, helping members better serve others (D&C 75:3–5).
  • Why trust modern prophets?
  • – The consistent fulfillment of prophetic guidance in the growth and stability of the Church confirms divine direction.
  • – Prophets follow biblical patterns of revelation (Amos 3:7), and their teachings align with scripture.
  • – Prophets teach truth that brings peace and spiritual confirmation through the Holy Ghost.
  •  
  •  
  • Why does God allow mistakes?
  • – God allows mistakes as part of the process of growth and learning (Ether 12:27).
  • – Even prophets are fallible but remain instruments in the Lord’s hands (D&C 1:24–28).
  • – The Lord corrects and refines His servants over time, helping them fulfill their callings more effectively.
  • – D&C 71:7–10 – The Lord’s command to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon to defend the faith through preaching.
  • – D&C 72:9–14 – Instructions about the role and responsibilities of bishops.
  • – “Teaching in the Savior’s Way” – Official guide for teachers on strengthening faith through teaching.
  • – “The Living Christ“ – Testimony of modern prophets and apostles about Jesus Christ.