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FAIR Resources for Come, Follow Me – Restoration Scripture
Week 47: November 17 - 23: "Prepare Ye for the Coming of the Bridegroom'"

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 133-134

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

Doctrinal Focus

  • Key doctrines addressed in this week’s reading
  • Doctrine and Covenants 133:46–52 describes the Savior returning in red apparel, symbolizing His victory and Atonement. His Second Coming will be a day of great glory for the righteous and judgment for the wicked. This glorious event will usher in the Millennium, a thousand years of peace.

Verses 17–22 in Doctrine and Covenants 133 speak of the Lord calling His people to gather in preparation for His return, fulfilling ancient prophecies such as those of Isaiah. His coming will unite the faithful from all nations, signaling the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises.

In D&C 133:7–14, the Lord instructs His people to flee worldliness (Babylon) and prepare themselves spiritually by assembling in Zion. This gathering is both physical and spiritual—uniting the pure in heart who are willing to live God’s laws.

The prophetic call to “Come to Zion” is not just about a location—it is about becoming a holy people. Zion represents communities and hearts that are pure, unified in purpose, and centered on Christ. As we build Zion in our homes and wards, we help prepare the earth for Christ’s reign.

  • Drawing from the parable of the ten virgins referenced in the study material (D&C 133:17–19), the oil represents personal righteousness and spiritual readiness. The Lord warns us not to delay repentance and preparedness, as His coming will be unexpected.

Doctrine and Covenants 133 emphasizes missionary work and righteousness as preparation. As the faithful proclaim the gospel and live worthy lives, they gather Israel and prepare themselves and others to meet the Bridegroom with joy.

Historical & Contextual Insights

  • Insights in this week’s study
  • Section 133 was initially intended as an appendix to the Book of Commandments, summarizing many themes found throughout the revelations—including the Second Coming, the gathering of Israel, and the separation of Zion from Babylon. Section 134, meanwhile, was a declaration of beliefs about government and law, prepared in 1835, reflecting the Church’s need to clarify its stance amid public misunderstanding and growing tensions.
  • These sections were meant to both prepare the Saints for future events and help the Church position itself publicly amid growing persecution. The doctrine about the Second Coming served as a rallying call for personal righteousness and unity, while the statement on government aimed to demonstrate that the Saints respected civil law and desired peace.
  • These revelations show that the early Saints were trying to balance preparation for divine intervention with lawful living in a turbulent and often hostile environment—something still relevant today as disciples of Christ navigate a world of shifting political and social dynamics.
  • In verses 7–14, the Lord commands His people to “go ye out from Babylon” and to “flee unto Zion.” This echoed the urgent call for Saints in the 1830s to gather to specific locations like Kirtland, Missouri, and later Nauvoo. The emphasis wasn’t only geographic—it also invited spiritual separation from the world’s wickedness.
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  • The term “Babylon” symbolized worldliness and apostasy. Saints were taught that spiritual survival depended on separating themselves from sin, which often meant physical relocation as well.
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  • Today, the call to gather continues, but the emphasis is more spiritual than geographic. The Saints now build Zion where they live by creating homes and communities that reflect gospel principles.
  • Written in 1835 by Church leaders including Oliver Cowdery, Section 134 was included in the Doctrine and Covenants not as a revelation, but as a declaration of principles. It affirmed the Church’s belief in religious freedom, the rule of law, and accountability of government officials—an important clarification during a time when mob violence and legal abuses against the Saints were increasing.
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  • The declaration was partly a defensive measure—intended to assure the public and government officials that Latter-day Saints supported legal authority and were not anarchists or rebels.
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  • This section is still cited today to show the Church’s position on political neutrality and law-abiding citizenship, reinforcing the idea that discipleship includes respect for civil authority within a moral framework.

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

Apologetic Application

  1. Claim: “Christ’s return is symbolic or mythological—He will not literally return to earth.”
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  3. Response:
  4. Historical Evidence: Prophecies of Christ’s return are consistent across both ancient and modern scripture, including the Book of Mormon, New Testament, and Doctrine and Covenants. D&C 133 outlines vivid details paralleling Isaiah and Revelation.
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  6. Eyewitness Support: Early Church leaders testified of divine revelations confirming Christ’s future return, and many shared spiritual experiences validating this doctrine during the early Restoration.
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  8. Spiritual Confirmation: Many Latter-day Saints receive personal witness through prayer and study that Christ will come again in glory as promised. The Spirit affirms the literal fulfillment of prophecy.
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  10. Logical Analysis: If one accepts the premise that Jesus is the resurrected Son of God, then His prophesied return—as consistently foretold by prophets—is a rational expectation within the framework of divine continuity.
  • Claim: “The command to leave Babylon shows the Church encourages withdrawal from society.”
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  • Response:
  • Historical Evidence: The call to “flee Babylon” in D&C 133:5–14 is rooted in biblical language (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Revelation) and emphasized spiritual purity, not social alienation.
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  • Eyewitness Support: Early Saints gathered physically but also engaged in public life—running newspapers, building cities, and interacting with local governments.
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  • Spiritual Confirmation: Modern Church teachings clarify that gathering means becoming Christlike and building Zion wherever one lives, not isolating from society.
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  • Logical Analysis: The metaphor of “Babylon” reflects a moral worldview, not a social strategy. Just as many religious traditions warn against worldliness, Latter-day Saints are taught to live in the world but not be of it.
  • Claim: “Doctrine and Covenants 134 shows the Church’s attempt to control or influence political power.”
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  • Response:
  • Historical Evidence: D&C 134 was written to affirm the Church’s commitment to separation of church and state, not to merge them. It supports legal rights for all people and denounces coercion.
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  • Eyewitness Support: Church leaders like Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery explicitly taught the need for governments to protect religious liberty for all faiths, not just their own.
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  • Spiritual Confirmation: Modern prophetic counsel consistently reinforces political neutrality and respect for government within the bounds of moral law.
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  • Logical Analysis: A plain reading of Section 134 shows advocacy for civic freedom, not domination. Upholding law and liberty aligns with core gospel values of agency and accountability.

Practical Applications

Practical solutions for someone in faith crisis:

Action Step: Set aside time this week to reflect on your readiness to meet the Savior and make one specific change to draw closer to Him.

The Lord’s return will be both glorious and unexpected (D&C 133:10). Spiritual preparation brings peace, confidence, and direction amid a chaotic world.

  1. – Pray to know how the Lord would have you prepare personally.
  2. – Read D&C 133:17–19 and reflect on the parable of the ten virgins.
  3. – Write down one action (repentance, service, scripture study, etc.) you can begin today.
  4. – Follow through for seven days and record your spiritual impressions.

Encouraging Thought:

“If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” (D&C 38:30) — Being spiritually ready removes anxiety and increases faith in Jesus Christ.

Action Step: Evaluate one area of your life where worldliness has crept in, and choose to align that area more fully with gospel principles.

Zion is not just a future city—it is a present way of living. Choosing righteousness in our daily decisions helps us gather with the Lord and stand in holy places (D&C 133:5–7).

  1. – Identify a media, social, or lifestyle habit that may reflect “Babylon.”
  2. – Study D&C 133:14–15 and write what “fleeing Babylon” means for you.
  3. – Replace that habit with a Zion-centered one (e.g., uplifting media, meaningful service).
  4. – Invite the Spirit through daily prayer to sustain your efforts.

Encouraging Thought:

President Russell M. Nelson taught, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”

  • Action Step: Be a positive influence in your community by promoting fairness, kindness, and respect for law.

D&C 134 teaches that governments exist to secure individual rights and that citizens should uphold moral and just laws. Latter-day Saints are called to be examples of integrity and peacemaking in society.

  1. – Read D&C 134:1–4 and identify one civic value you personally support.
  2. – Find a small way to live that value this week (e.g., voting, volunteering, civil dialogue).
  3. – Avoid contention by practicing patience and empathy in conversations.
  4. – Share your values through action more than argument.

Encouraging Thought:

“We believe that no government can exist in peace…unless such governments…secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience.” (D&C 134:2)

Ideas for Teaching

Objective: Help learners reflect on personal spiritual readiness for the Savior’s return.

Paper bags or envelopes, slips of paper, pens, printed oil lamp template (optional)

Activity Steps:

  1. Introduction (5 min): Show a picture of a wedding party or lamp. Ask, “What do you think it means to be prepared for the Lord’s coming?”
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  3. Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read D&C 133:17–19. Briefly connect to the parable of the ten virgins and the symbolism of oil.
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  5. Application (5 min): Give each participant a bag or envelope labeled “My Lamp.” Ask them to write on slips of paper one “drop of oil” (spiritual habit or act of preparation) they can start this week and place it in their lamp.

Follow-Up Question: What does preparing daily for the Savior’s coming look like in your life?

Objective: Help learners evaluate their personal choices in the context of building Zion.

Poster board or whiteboard, markers, sticky notes, images representing Zion and Babylon

Activity Steps:

Introduction (5 min): Display contrasting images (e.g., a peaceful temple vs. a busy city street). Ask, “Which of these feels more like Zion? Why?”

Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read D&C 133:7–14. Discuss what it means to “go ye out from Babylon.”

Application (5 min): Create two columns labeled “Zion” and “Babylon.” Ask learners to write behaviors or attitudes on sticky notes and place them in the right column. Discuss choices they can make to move toward Zion.

Follow-Up Question: How can we build Zion in our homes and daily environments?

Objective: Teach that disciples of Christ can be faithful both to God and to just earthly governments.

Copies of D&C 134, gavel or balance scale prop, slips of paper with civic dilemmas or scenarios

Activity Steps: 

Introduction (5 min): Ask, “Can someone be both a faithful Christian and a loyal citizen?” Share quick examples from Church history or current events.

Scripture Discussion (5 min): Read selected verses from D&C 134:1–4. Discuss what principles are taught about law, rights, and justice.

Application (5 min): Hand out scenario slips (e.g., standing up for religious freedom, voting with integrity). In pairs or small groups, discuss how the gospel and civic responsibility intersect in each case.

Follow-Up Question: What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ in the public square today?

QUICK REFERENCE

  • The Lord will return in glory, and we are commanded to spiritually prepare (D&C 133:10, 17–19).

     

  • Saints are called to gather to Zion by separating from Babylon—both spiritually and temporally (D&C 133:5–14).

     

  • The Church supports governments that protect individual rights and freedoms (D&C 134:1–4).

     

  • Spiritual readiness is personal and requires consistent effort, like the oil in the parable of the ten virgins.

     

  • Discipleship includes being faithful citizens who promote truth and justice in society.
  • Why trust modern prophets?
    • God has always called prophets to lead His people (Amos 3:7). Modern prophets continue that pattern, speaking the will of the Lord for our time. Their teachings are supported by scripture, confirmed by the Holy Ghost, and validated by the fulfillment of prophecy.
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    • Why does God allow mistakes?
    • God honors agency—even among leaders. Just as prophets in ancient times were imperfect (e.g., Moses, Peter), modern leaders grow and learn through experience. Mistakes do not disprove divine guidance but show God’s trust in human partnership and ongoing revelation (see D&C 1:24–28).

Doctrine and Covenants 134:1 – “We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man…”

  • The Living Christ – Testifies of Christ’s role in the past, present, and future—including His Second Coming.

     

The Family: A Proclamation to the World – Teaches eternal truths about divine identity and responsibility, relevant to Zion-building.