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FAIR Resources for Come, Follow Me – Restoration Scripture
Week 36: September 1 - 7: "For the Salvation of Zion'"

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 94-97

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

Doctrinal Focus

  • Key doctrines addressed in this week’s reading
  • Anciently, the Lord gave Moses detailed instructions for building the tabernacle (Hebrews 8:5), making it the center of Israel’s camp. Similarly, the Saints in Kirtland were instructed to build a temple that would be the spiritual center of their community. This divine pattern signifies that temples point us to Christ and reflect heavenly order, not worldly design. Today, temples are still built by revelation, and each one—though unique in appearance—teaches the same eternal truths. Inside, we make sacred covenants and perform ordinances that prepare us to return to God’s presence. (D&C 95:13-14; 97:10)

Hyrum Smith didn’t wait to be told twice—he grabbed a scythe and cleared the field, declaring his desire to be the first at the work. His response to revelation reflects spiritual readiness and willingness to sacrifice. In our day, President Russell M. Nelson has reminded us that the Lord is hastening temple construction and that we, too, must hasten our personal preparation. Participating in temple worship centers our lives on Christ and strengthens our families.

The Saints delayed temple construction after receiving the commandment in D&C 88, and the Lord responded with both chastisement and encouragement in D&C 95. His purpose was not to punish but to awaken and realign their priorities. As Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught in As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten, divine correction is a form of love and an invitation to become more like Christ​. (D&C 95:1; Revelation 3:19)

Doctrine and Covenants 121:43-44 outlines how correction should be delivered—with persuasion, love unfeigned, and meekness. The Lord exemplifies this balance in His guidance to the early Saints. We can apply this principle in our families, classes, and wards—offering feedback and guidance in ways that reflect divine love and patience.

  • Acceptance by God is not about perfection but about the sincerity of our efforts and our faithfulness to His commandments. The metaphor in verse 9—of being like a “fruitful tree planted by a pure stream”—shows that covenant-keeping leads to spiritual vitality. (D&C 97:8–9) Elder Erich W. Kopischke emphasized that being accepted of the Lord is about turning to Him with all our hearts, regardless of our imperfections​.

In this revelation, the Lord expanded the definition of Zion to mean those who are spiritually clean and committed. This invites each of us to build Zion in our homes, wards, and hearts by striving for personal purity. (D&C 97:21) Whether we are newly converted or lifelong members, the path to becoming “pure in heart” begins with repentance, faith, and covenant living.

Historical & Contextual Insights

  • Insights in this week’s study
  • In the summer of 1833, the Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, were working to establish a center of Church activity while simultaneously facing growing opposition in Missouri, where Zion was being built.
  • Several months earlier (D&C 88), the Lord had commanded the Saints to build a house of learning and worship—the Kirtland Temple. However, they had delayed starting construction. In D&C 94 and 95, the Lord gave specific architectural instructions for buildings in Kirtland, including an administrative office and a printing house. Meanwhile, D&C 97 was addressed to the Saints in Missouri, where the situation in Zion (Independence, Missouri) was becoming increasingly dangerous due to persecution and property destruction.
  • These sections highlight the urgency and divine priority the Lord placed on temples and sacred spaces, even amid great adversity. While Zion in Missouri was under threat, the Lord called the Saints in Kirtland to act decisively—to build, prepare, and sanctify themselves.
  •  Despite external chaos or personal difficulty, the Lord expects His people to move forward in faith and obedience. Like the early Saints, we are called to focus on spiritual priorities, including temple worship, even when our lives feel uncertain or unstable.
    • Section 95 may appear harsh at first glance, as the Lord chastens the Saints for not beginning the temple, but it is actually filled with love and divine concern. He reminds them that those whom He loves, He chastens, reflecting a pattern consistent throughout scripture and echoed in modern revelation.

       

    • As Elder D. Todd Christofferson explained in As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten, divine correction is not punitive but redemptive. It is meant to realign our lives with God’s will and deepen our discipleship​.
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    • The Lord not only rebuked the Saints but also gave them clear, hopeful instructions on how to move forward—including detailed architectural plans for the temple and promises of divine power (D&C 95:8). This shows that correction from God always comes with a path to progress and peace.
    • In D&C 97:21, the Lord redefines Zion not merely as a geographic location in Missouri but as “the pure in heart.” This doctrinal shift was crucial during a time when the Saints in Missouri were being driven from their homes and losing their physical Zion. The Lord redirected their focus toward becoming Zion individually and collectively, through righteousness and purity.

       

    • This message would have been both comforting and challenging to the early Saints. While they grieved the loss of land and suffered persecution, they were reassured that Zion was not lost—it could still be built in their hearts and homes, wherever they were gathered.
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    • This shift also aligns with the broader theme in scripture that God values the condition of our hearts more than the places we inhabit. It invites Latter-day Saints today to remember that we build Zion not just by gathering, but by living with holiness and unity.

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

Apologetic Application

  1. Claim: “The early Saints’ building wasn’t a real temple—there were no ancient rituals or lasting significance.”
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  3. Response:
  4. Historical Evidence: The Kirtland Temple was the first temple built in this dispensation, following specific divine instructions revealed in Doctrine and Covenants 95 and 97. Its design included multiple sacred purposes: teaching, administrative functions, and spiritual manifestations.
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  6. Eyewitness Support: Many early Church leaders, including Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, testified of divine visitations and heavenly manifestations during its dedication, including the appearance of Jesus Christ, Moses, Elias, and Elijah (see D&C 110).
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  8. Spiritual Confirmation: Latter-day Saints today receive spiritual confirmation of the Kirtland Temple’s divine role through scripture, temple worship, and the fruits of restored ordinances that began there.
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  10. Logical Analysis: If the Kirtland Temple were merely a community hall, it would not have drawn the kind of sustained sacrifice and spiritual dedication seen among early Saints—including personal contributions of time, materials, and money, even in poverty.
  • Claim: “The rebuke in Doctrine and Covenants 95 contradicts the idea of a loving, merciful God.”
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  • Response:
  • Historical Evidence: Throughout scripture, God has corrected His people when they fall short (see Revelation 3:19, Hebrews 12:6). In D&C 95, the Saints had not begun building the temple months after being commanded to do so, and the Lord responded to awaken and guide them.
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  • Eyewitness Support: Early Saints, including Joseph Smith, recorded and preserved these revelations—even those involving correction—indicating their belief in divine origin and authenticity, not fabrication.
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  • Spiritual Confirmation: Many modern members recognize that divine correction brings peace, growth, and increased faith. Chastening, when viewed spiritually, is an invitation to become more like Christ.
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  • Logical Analysis: A truly loving parent or mentor corrects harmful behavior out of care. Likewise, God’s rebuke in D&C 95 is evidence of divine love, not harshness—it includes instruction, promise, and reassurance.
  • Claim: “If the Church were true, God would’ve protected Zion in Missouri.”
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  • Response:
  • Historical Evidence: The persecution in Missouri was prophesied and addressed directly in revelations like D&C 97. The Lord allowed opposition as part of the Saints’ refining and preparatory process.
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  • Eyewitness Support: Even amid intense suffering, Saints like Parley P. Pratt and others bore testimony of God’s sustaining power and maintained faith in prophetic leadership.
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  • Spiritual Confirmation: Through personal revelation and scripture study, many Saints today recognize God’s higher purposes in trials. Zion’s temporary loss refined their focus on spiritual Zion—the pure in heart.
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  • Logical Analysis: Zion in Missouri was never promised immediate, permanent safety. Scripture repeatedly shows that God’s promises unfold in His timing, often through adversity (e.g., Israelites in Egypt, early Christians under Rome).

Practical Applications

Practical solutions for someone in faith crisis:

Action Step: Identify and begin one new habit this week that will help you prepare spiritually for temple worship.

Temples are built after God’s pattern to prepare us for His presence. When we prioritize the temple—whether by attending, preparing, or learning about it—we center our lives more fully on Christ and receive strength through sacred ordinances and covenants.

  1. – Reflect on your current temple worship or preparation—what could be improved?
  2. – Choose one simple habit: e.g., study temple-related scriptures daily, plan a temple trip, or review your covenants.
  3. – Set a reminder or invite a family member or friend to join you.
  4. – Record your impressions and feelings after a week.

Encouraging Thought:

“In the temple, we learn how to part the veil and communicate more clearly with heaven. The temple is a place of revelation.” —President Russell M. Nelson, Now Is the Time​

Action Step: The next time you receive a correction—whether from scripture, the Spirit, or a trusted person—pause to seek the Lord’s perspective and choose one way to apply it.

Correction is a form of divine love. As shown in D&C 95 and taught by Elder Christofferson, being chastened is a sign that the Lord sees our potential and is refining us for greater things​.

  1. – Think of a recent time you received correction. Write it down.
  2. – Pray to understand what the Lord wants you to learn from it.
  3. – Choose one small, specific change you can make this week.
  4. – Reflect at the end of the week on how it affected your spiritual growth.

Encouraging Thought:

  • Action Step: Choose one way to increase unity, service, or spiritual focus in your home or ward this week.

D&C 97 teaches that Zion is not just a place, but a people—the pure in heart. We become Zion by living with holiness and unity, turning our homes and communities into places of spiritual refuge.

  1. – Read D&C 97:21 and reflect on what it means to be “pure in heart.”
  2. – Ask in prayer what God would have you do to create Zion this week.
  3. – Act—reach out to someone in your ward, offer a small sacrifice, or hold a spirit-led family discussion.
  4. – End the week with gratitude and a renewed goal to continue building Zion.

Encouraging Thought:

“Zion is not where you live—it’s how you live.” —Inspired by Saints, Vol. 1, and D&C 97:21

Ideas for Teaching

Objective: Help learners understand that God provides specific patterns for spiritual growth—especially through temples.

Paper, pencils or markers, a simple picture of a temple (like Kirtland Temple), optional building blocks or craft materials.

Activity Steps:

  1. Introduction (5 min): Ask: “If you were designing a home for God, what would it include?” Have learners sketch a quick “heavenly building plan.”
  2.  
  3. Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read D&C 95:13–14 and 97:10. Emphasize that God gives specific instructions—not random ones—for sacred spaces. Compare to Moses’ tabernacle (Hebrews 8:5).
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  5. Application (5 min): Invite learners to reflect on how they can pattern their own lives after divine instruction. What “blueprints” has God given us today (e.g., commandments, covenants, revelation)?

Follow-Up Question: What does it look like to build your life ‘not after the manner of the world’ but after the Lord’s pattern?

Objective: Teach that divine correction is a form of love and an invitation to grow spiritually.

Printout or board space with “Myths About Correction” (e.g., “God is mad at me,” “I’ve failed”), sticky notes or index cards.

Activity Steps:

Introduction (5 min): Write common negative thoughts about correction on the board. Ask learners if they’ve heard or felt any of these.

Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read D&C 95:1 and Revelation 3:19. Compare to Elder Christofferson’s insight: “Correction is not rejection.” Invite learners to write true principles on sticky notes and cover the myths.

Application (5 min): Invite learners to identify one area where they’ve felt spiritual correction. How did it help them grow? What did they learn about God through it?

Follow-Up Question: How can we view correction from God as a blessing instead of a burden?

Objective: Help learners internalize the idea that Zion is built through personal purity and collective unity.

Clear glass of water, small spoon of dirt or pepper, printed copy of D&C 97:21.

Activity Steps: 

Introduction (5 min): Show the glass of clean water and slowly add dirt or pepper. Ask: “What happens to purity when even a little impurity enters?”

Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read D&C 97:21 and substitute “Zion” with “the pure in heart.” Discuss how the Saints’ view of Zion shifted from a place to a way of living.

Application (5 min): Invite each learner to write down one thing they can do this week to “purify” their heart (repentance, service, forgiveness, etc.). Optionally pour a new clean glass of water to symbolize renewal.

Follow-Up Question: What does it mean to you personally to be part of Zion, even if you live far from Church headquarters or historical temple sites?

QUICK REFERENCE

  • – God gives specific, divine patterns for sacred buildings—temples are central to His work (D&C 95:13–14; 97:10).
  • – The Lord corrects those He loves; divine chastening is part of spiritual refinement (D&C 95:1).
  • – Zion is not just a place but a people—”the pure in heart” (D&C 97:21).
  • – Sacred spaces (and lives) must be “wholly dedicated unto the Lord” (D&C 94:8).
  • – Sacrifice and covenant-keeping lead to being “accepted of the Lord” (D&C 97:8–9).
  • Why trust modern prophets?
    • Prophets like Joseph Smith received specific revelations that required sacrifice, humility, and faith, not personal gain. The fruits of prophetic leadership—such as restored priesthood, temples, and continuing revelation—affirm divine endorsement. Historical consistency and spiritual confirmation strengthen our confidence.
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    • Why does God allow mistakes?
    • God honors agency and teaches through experience. Just as He chastened the Saints in D&C 95 for not building the temple, He helps us grow through correction. Divine allowance of imperfection is not a sign of failure, but a testament to God’s mercy and long-suffering (see D&C 1:24–28).

Doctrine and Covenants 97:21 – “Zion is the pure in heart.”

Doctrine and Covenants 95:1 – “Whom I love I also chasten…”

Come, Follow Me – Doctrine and Covenants 94-97 (churchofjesuschrist.org)

Why Latter-day Saints Build Temples