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Elder Dale G. Renlund

When you receive any blessing from God, you can conclude that you have complied with an eternal law governing reception of that blessing. But remember that the “irrevocably decreed” law is time insensitive, meaning blessings come on God’s timetable. Even ancient prophets in search of their heavenly home “died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off … [and] were persuaded … and embraced them” [Hebrews 11:13]. If a desired blessing from God has not been received—yet—you do not need to go crazy, wondering what more you need to do. Instead, heed Joseph Smith’s counsel to “cheerfully do all things that lie in [your] power; and then … stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the … arm [of God] … revealed” [Doctrine and Covenants 123:17]. Some blessings are reserved for later, even for the most valiant of God’s children. (Dale G. Renlund, “Abound with Blessings,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 72)

My dear brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ desire to bless each of us. … Blessings from heaven are neither earned by frenetically accruing “good deed coupons” nor by helplessly waiting to see if we win the blessing lottery. No, the truth is much more nuanced but more appropriate for the relationship between a loving Heavenly Father and His potential heirs—us. Restored truth reveals that blessings are never earned, but faith-inspired actions on our part, both initial and ongoing, are essential. (Dale G. Renlund, “Abound with Blessings,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 70)

President Russell M. Nelson

Making and keeping covenants actually makes life easier! Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ. Please ponder that stunning truth!

The reward for keeping covenants with God is heavenly power—power that strengthens us to withstand our trials, temptations, and heartaches better. This power eases our way. Those who live the higher laws of Jesus Christ have access to His higher power. Thus, covenant keepers are entitled to a special kind of rest that comes to them through their covenantal relationship with God. (Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 96)

All those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy. …

Once you and I have made a covenant with God, our relationship with Him becomes much closer than before our covenant. Now we are bound together. Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us. Each of us has a special place in God’s heart. He has high hopes for us. …

Do you see the significance of this? Those who keep their covenants with God will become a strain of sin-resistant souls! Those who keep their covenants will have the strength to resist the constant influence of the world. (Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona, Oct. 2022, 5–6, 8)

Elder David A. Bednar

Covenant promises and blessings would not be possible without our Savior, Jesus Christ. He invites us to look to Him [see Doctrine and Covenants 6:36], come unto Him [see 3 Nephi 12:20; Moroni 10:32–33], learn of Him [see Matthew 11:29; Doctrine and Covenants 19:23], and bind ourselves to Him [see Doctrine and Covenants 43:9] through the covenants and ordinances of His restored gospel.

Covenants and ordinances are the building blocks that enable us to build our lives upon the “rock of our Redeemer” [Helaman 5:12] and His Atonement. Precisely because faithfully honoring sacred covenants binds us securely to the Savior, He becomes the ultimate source of spiritual direction and strength in our lives. (David A. Bednar, “Bound to the Savior through Covenants,” For the Strength of Youth, Feb. 2022, 5)

Later in the summer of 1830, Joseph and Emma paid off their farm with the help of friends and moved to Fayette so Joseph could devote more time to the church.¹⁶ After they arrived, however, they learned that Hiram Page, one of the Eight Witnesses and a teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood, had started to seek revelations for the church through what he thought was a seer stone.¹⁷ Many Saints, including Oliver Cowdery and some members of the Whitmer family, believed these revelations were from God.¹⁸

Joseph knew he was facing a crisis. Hiram’s revelations mimicked the language of scripture. They spoke of the establishment of Zion and the organization of the church, but at times they contradicted the New Testament and truths the Lord had revealed through Joseph.

Unsure of what to do, Joseph stayed up praying one night, pleading for guidance. He had experienced opposition before, but not from his friends. If he acted too forcefully against Hiram’s revelations, he could offend those who believed in them or discourage faithful Saints from seeking revelation on their own.¹⁹ But if he did not condemn the false revelations, they could undermine the authority of the Lord’s word and divide the Saints.

After many sleepless hours, Joseph received a revelation directed to Oliver. “No one shall be appointed to receive commandments and revelations in this church excepting my servant Joseph Smith,” the Lord declared, “for all things must be done in order, and by common consent in the church.” The Lord directed Oliver to teach this principle to Hiram.

The revelation then called Oliver to go nearly a thousand miles to the western edge of the United States to preach the restored gospel to American Indians, who were remnants of the house of Israel. The Lord said that the city of Zion would be built near these people, echoing the Book of Mormon’s promise that God would establish the New Jerusalem on the American continent prior to the Second Coming of Christ. He did not identify the city’s exact location, but He promised to reveal that information at a later time.²⁰

A few days later, at a conference of the church, the Saints renounced Hiram’s revelations and unanimously sustained Joseph as the only one who could receive revelation for the church.²¹

The Lord called Peter Whitmer Jr., Ziba Peterson, and Parley Pratt to join Oliver on the mission to the West.²² Emma and other women, meanwhile, began making clothes for the missionaries. Working long hours, they spun wool into yarn, wove or knitted the yarn into cloth, and stitched the cloth together piece by piece.²³

Parley had recently returned to Fayette with Thankful after sharing the gospel with her and other members of his family. When he left for the West, she moved in with Mary Whitmer, who gladly welcomed her into her home.

On the way to Missouri, Parley planned to take the other missionaries to the state of Ohio, where his former pastor, Sidney Rigdon, lived. Parley hoped he would be interested in their message.²⁴

That same summer, in a town two days’ journey from Fayette, Rhoda Greene found Samuel Smith, the prophet’s brother, on her doorstep. Rhoda had met Samuel earlier that year when he left a copy of the Book of Mormon at her house. Her husband, John, was a traveling preacher for another faith, and he thought the book was nonsense, but he had promised to take it with him on his circuit and collect the names of anyone interested in its message.

Rhoda invited Samuel inside and told him no one had shown any interest in the Book of Mormon so far. “You will have to take the book,” she said. “Mr. Greene does not seem to feel like buying it.”

Samuel took the Book of Mormon and was turning to leave when Rhoda mentioned that she had read it and liked it. Samuel paused. “I will give you this book,” he said, returning the copy. “The Spirit of God forbids my taking it away.”

Rhoda felt overcome with emotion as she took the book back. “Ask God to give you a testimony of the truth of the work,” Samuel said, “and you will feel a burning sensation in your breast, which is the Spirit of God.”

Later, after her husband came home, Rhoda told him about Samuel’s visit. At first John was reluctant to pray about the book, but Rhoda convinced him to trust Samuel’s promise.

“I do know that he would not tell an untruth,” she said. “I know he must be a good man if there ever was one.”

Rhoda and John prayed about the book and received a testimony of its truth. They then shared it with their family and neighbors, including Rhoda’s younger brother Brigham Young and his friend Heber Kimball.²⁵

In the fall, thirty-eight-year-old Sidney Rigdon listened politely as Parley Pratt and his three companions testified of a new work of scripture, the Book of Mormon. But Sidney was not interested. For years, he had exhorted people in and around the village of Kirtland, Ohio, to read the Bible and return to the principles of the New Testament church. The Bible had always guided his life, he told the missionaries, and it was enough.²⁶

“You brought the truth to me,” Parley reminded Sidney. “I now ask you as a friend to read this for my sake.”²⁷

“You must not argue with me on the subject,” Sidney insisted. “But I will read your book and see what claim it has upon my faith.”²⁸

Parley asked Sidney if they could preach to his congregation. Although he was skeptical of their message, Sidney gave them permission.

After the missionaries left, Sidney read parts of the book and found he could not dismiss it.²⁹ By the time Parley and Oliver preached to his congregation, he had no desire to warn anyone against the book. When he rose to speak at the end of the meeting, he quoted the Bible.

“Prove all things,” he said, “and hold fast that which is good.”³⁰

But Sidney remained uncertain about what to do. Accepting the Book of Mormon would mean losing his employment as a pastor. He had a good congregation, and they provided him, his wife, Phebe, and their six children with a comfortable life. Some people in the congregation were even building a home for them.³¹ Could he really ask his family to walk away from the comfort they enjoyed?

Sidney prayed until a sense of peace rested over him. He knew the Book of Mormon was true. “Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto me,” he exclaimed, “but my Father which is in heaven.”³²

Sidney shared his feelings with Phebe. “My dear,” he said, “you have once followed me into poverty. Are you again willing to do the same?”

“I have counted the cost,” she replied. “It is my desire to do the will of God, come life or come death.”³³

In the fall of 1830, not far from Kirtland, fifteen-year-old Lucy Morley finished her usual housework and took a seat beside her employer, Abigail Daniels. As Abigail worked her loom, moving a weaving shuttle back and forth through crisscrossing threads, Lucy wound yarn onto thin spools. The cloth they wove would go to Lucy’s mother in exchange for Lucy’s services around the Daniels house. With many children under her roof, and no teenage daughters, Abigail relied on Lucy to help keep her family clean and fed.

While the two worked side by side, they heard a knock at the door. “Come in,” Abigail called out.

Glancing up from her spool, Lucy saw three men enter the room. They were strangers, but they were well dressed and looked friendly. All three of them appeared to be a few years younger than Abigail, who was in her early thirties.

Lucy stood up and brought more chairs into the room. As the men sat down, she took their hats and returned to her seat. The men introduced themselves as Oliver Cowdery, Parley Pratt, and Ziba Peterson, preachers from New York who were passing through town on their way to the West. They said the Lord had restored His true gospel to their friend, a prophet named Joseph Smith.

As they spoke, Lucy quietly attended to her work. The men talked about angels and a set of gold plates the prophet had translated by revelation. They testified that God had sent them on their mission to preach the gospel one last time before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

When they finished their message, the rhythmic clatter of Abigail’s loom stopped, and the woman turned around on her bench. “I do not want any of your damnable doctrine taught in my house,” she said, angrily waving the shuttle in their faces.

The men tried to persuade her, testifying that their message was true. But Abigail ordered them to leave, saying she did not want them polluting her children with false doctrine. The men asked if she would at least feed them. They were hungry and had not eaten all day.

“You cannot have anything to eat in my house,” Abigail snapped. “I do not feed impostors.”

Suddenly, Lucy spoke up, horrified that Abigail would speak to servants of God so rudely. “My father lives one mile from here,” she said. “He never turns anyone hungry from his door. Go there and you will be fed and cared for.”

Fetching their hats, Lucy followed the missionaries outside and showed them how to get to her parents’ house. The men thanked her and started down the road.

“God bless you,” they said.

After the men were out of sight, Lucy went back into the house. Abigail was at her loom again, running the shuttle back and forth. “I hope you feel better now,” she said to Lucy, clearly irritated.

“Yes, I do,” replied Lucy.¹

As Lucy promised, the three missionaries found a hearty meal at the Morley home. Her parents, Isaac and Lucy, were members of Sidney Rigdon’s congregation, and they believed that followers of Christ should share their goods and property with each other as one large family. Following the example of saints in the New Testament who tried to have “all things common,” they had opened their large farm to other families who wanted to live together and practice their beliefs separate from the competitive, often selfish world around them.²

That evening, the missionaries taught the Morleys and their friends. The families responded to the missionaries’ message of preparing for the Savior’s return and millennial reign, and around midnight, seventeen people were baptized.

In the days that followed, more than fifty people around Kirtland flocked to the missionaries’ meetings and asked to join the church.³ Many of them were living on the Morleys’ farm, including Pete, a freed slave whose mother had come from West Africa.⁴ Even Abigail Daniels, who had rejected the missionaries so quickly, embraced their message after she and her husband listened to them preach.⁵

As the church grew in Ohio, particularly among Sidney’s followers, Oliver reported the good news to Joseph. Every day more people were asking to hear their message. “There is considerable call here for books,” he wrote, “and I wish you would send five hundred.”⁶

As pleased as he was with their success in Ohio, though, Oliver knew the Lord had called them to preach to the American Indians who lived beyond the western border of the United States. He and the other missionaries soon left Kirtland, taking with them a new convert named Frederick Williams. Frederick was a doctor, and at forty-three, he was the oldest man in the company.⁷

Agency and Redemption through Jesus Christ

The temptations of the devil

Read Doctrine and Covenants 29:39 and 2 Nephi 2:16–18, and discuss the following questions:

• Knowing that we chose to follow Heavenly Father’s plan before this life, what makes it difficult to always choose to follow Him here on earth?

• What are Satan’s most effective tactics to get people on earth to choose not to follow God’s counsel?

• What are some blessings God has given us to help overcome Satan’s temptations?

Consequences of our choices

Read Doctrine and Covenants 29:40–41 and Alma 41:10–11; 42:9, 14, and discuss the following questions:

• In what ways do we become subject to the will of the devil when we choose to rebel against God?

• Why do you think the term “spiritual death” is a good description of separation from Heavenly Father?

• How would you describe the feelings that we experience after we use our agency to go against Heavenly Father’s will?

Redemption through God’s Only Begotten Son

Read Doctrine and Covenants 29:42–43 and 2 Nephi 2:6–9, and discuss the following questions:

• What has Jesus Christ done to make redemption possible even after we have made poor choices?

• What would you share about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that could give someone hope who feels they are too far gone?

• What examples could you share to demonstrate the redeeming, forgiving nature of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

Excerpts from “A Yearning for Home” Dieter F. Uchtdorf, CR October 2017

 Bobbie the Wonder Dog

Nearly a century ago, a family from Oregon was vacationing in Indiana—over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) away—when they lost their beloved dog, Bobbie. The frantic family searched for the dog everywhere but to no avail. Bobbie could not be found.

Heartbroken, they made the trip home, each mile taking them farther away from their cherished pet.

Six months later, the family was stunned to find Bobbie on their doorstep in Oregon. “Mangy, scrawny, feet worn to the bone—[he] appeared to have walked the entire distance … by himself.” Bobbie’s story captured the imagination of people across the United States, and he became known as Bobbie the Wonder Dog.

Bobbie is not the only animal who has baffled scientists with an amazing sense of direction and instinct for home. Some monarch butterfly populations migrate 3,000 miles (4,800 km) each year to climes better suited for their survival. Leatherback turtles travel across the Pacific Ocean from Indonesia to the coasts of California. Humpback whales swim from the cold waters of the North and South Poles toward the equator and back. Perhaps even more incredibly, the arctic tern flies from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica and back every year, some 60,000 miles (97,000 km).

When scientists study this fascinating behavior, they ask questions such as “How do they know where to go?” and “How does each successive generation learn this behavior?”

When I read of this powerful instinct in animals, I can’t help but wonder, “Is it possible that human beings have a similar yearning—an inner guidance system, if you will—that draws them to their heavenly home?”

I believe that every man, woman, and child has felt the call of heaven at some point in his or her life. Deep within us is a longing to somehow reach past the veil and embrace Heavenly Parents we once knew and cherished.

Some might suppress this yearning and deaden their souls to its call. But those who do not quench this light within themselves can embark on an incredible journey—a wondrous migration toward heavenly climes.

God Calls to You

The sublime message of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that God is our Father, that He cares about us, and that there is a way to return to Him.

God calls to you.

God knows your every thought, your sorrows, and your greatest hopes. God knows the many times you have sought Him. The many times you have felt limitless joy. The many times you have wept in loneliness. The many times you have felt helpless, confused, or angry.

Yet, no matter your history—if you have faltered, failed, feel broken, bitter, betrayed, or beaten—know that you are not alone. God still calls to you.

The Savior extends His hand to you. And, as He did to those fishermen who stood long ago on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, with infinite love He speaks to you: “Come, follow me.”

If you will hear Him, He will speak to you this very day.

When you walk the path of discipleship—when you move toward Heavenly Father—there is something within you that will confirm that you have heard the call of the Savior and set your heart toward the light. It will tell you that you are on the right path and that you are returning home.

Since the beginning of time, God’s prophets have urged the people of their day to “hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, … keep his commandments and his statutes … , [and] turn unto [Him] with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.”

Your Life Will Be Better

I testify that when we embark upon or continue the incredible journey that leads to God, our lives will be better.

This does not mean that our lives will be free from sorrow. We all know of faithful followers of Christ who suffer tragedy and injustice—Jesus Christ Himself suffered more than anyone. Just as God makes the “sun to rise on the evil and on the good,” He also allows adversity to test the just and the unjust. In fact, sometimes it seems that our lives are more difficult because we are trying to live our faith.

No, following the Savior will not remove all of your trials. However, it will remove the barriers between you and the help your Heavenly Father wants to give you. God will be with you. He will direct your steps. He will walk beside you and even carry you when your need is greatest.

You will experience the sublime fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, [and] faith.”

These spiritual fruits are not a product of temporal prosperity, success, or good fortune. They come from following the Savior, and they can be our faithful attendants even in the midst of the darkest storms.

The fires and tumults of mortal life may threaten and frighten, but those who incline their hearts to God will be encircled by His peace. Their joy will not be diminished. They will not be abandoned or forgotten.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart,” the scriptures teach, “and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Those who heed the inner call and seek God, those who pray, believe, and walk the path the Savior has prepared—even if they stumble along the path at times—receive the consoling assurance that “all things shall work together for [their] good.”

We Can’t Get There on Autopilot

We are, each one of us, “strangers and pilgrims” in this world. In many ways, we are far from home. But that doesn’t mean we need to feel lost or alone.

Our beloved Father in Heaven has given us the Light of Christ. And deep within each one of us, a heavenly stirring urges us to turn our eyes and hearts to Him as we make the pilgrimage back to our celestial home.

This requires effort. You cannot get there without striving to learn of Him, understanding His instructions, earnestly applying them, and putting one foot in front of the other.

Seeking Help From God

Heavenly Father has promised divine assistance so we can endure all mortal challenges. He has promised many ways His help will come. If we do not see His help in one way, it is always important to not give up. Keep seeking. He is there.

• What do you know about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that gives you confidence They can help with sadness and depression?

Read Jacob 2:8; Alma 26:27–28; Doctrine and Covenants 6:36; 136:29. Look for ways we can seek the Lord’s help when we are sad or depressed.

• What do these verses teach us to do when we are sad or depressed?
• What are some other ways we can seek help from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

Seek Help From Others

God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs. (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 82)

When we feel sad or depressed, we may feel tempted to withdraw or isolate ourselves from others. Doing this may limit our ability to see the help Heavenly Father is sending us. Reaching out to others could include talking to parents, trusted family members, or Church leaders.

List two or three things someone who is struggling could do to reach out to others or let others help them.

Seek Help From Professionals

One important source of help we can seek is the wisdom of trusted medical and mental health providers. Think about the earlier comparison of sadness and depression to ocean waves. When we are sad (dealing with smaller waves), we should follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost to know when to seek professional help. However, if we feel depressed or suicidal (facing large waves), seeking professional help is critical.

Read this statement by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, looking for what Heavenly Father has provided to help us when we struggle:

“Seek the advice of reputable people with certified training, professional skills, and good values. Be honest with them about your history and your struggles. Prayerfully and responsibly consider the counsel they give and the solutions they prescribe. If you had appendicitis, God would expect you to seek a priesthood blessing and get the best medical care available. So too with emotional disorders. Our Father in Heaven expects us to use all of the marvelous gifts He has provided in this glorious dispensation.” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Like a Broken Vessel,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 41)

In your Learning Journal, write down a part of Elder Holland’s statement that was meaningful to you.

• Why do you think it is important for someone to seek professional help for depression?

Emma Smith:  Character and Interests

Both Joseph and Emma liked being outdoors. Since childhood, Emma had enjoyed riding horses and canoeing in the river near her home. Joseph was not a skilled horseman, but he excelled in wrestling and ball games. He was at ease around others and quick to smile, often telling jokes or humorous stories. Emma was more reserved, but she loved a good joke and could talk with anyone. She also liked to read and sing.

Emma Smith: Courtship and Marriage

Joseph had been drawn to Emma as soon as he met her. Like Alvin, she was someone who could help him become the man the Lord needed to carry out His work. But there was more to Emma than that. Joseph loved her and wanted to marry her.

In December, Joseph turned twenty-one years old. In the past, he had let himself be pulled this way and that by the expectations of those who wanted to take advantage of his gift. But after his last visit to the hill, he knew he had to do more to prepare himself to receive the plates.

Before returning to Harmony, Joseph spoke with his parents. “I have concluded to get married,” he told them, “and, if you have no objections, Miss Emma Hale would be my choice.” His parents were pleased with his decision, and Lucy urged him to come live with them after they married.

Joseph spent as much time as he could with Emma that winter, sometimes borrowing the Knights’ sleigh when snow made it hard to travel to the Hales’ house. But her parents still did not like him, and his efforts to win over the family failed.

In January 1827, Emma visited the Stowells’ home, where she and Joseph could spend time together without her family’s disapproving looks. Joseph proposed to Emma there, and at first, Emma seemed surprised. She knew her parents would oppose the marriage. But Joseph urged her to think about it. They could elope right away.

Emma considered the proposal. Marrying Joseph would disappoint her parents, but it was her choice, and she loved him.

A short time later, on January 18, 1827, Joseph and Emma were married in the home of the local justice of the peace. They then went to Manchester and began life together in the new home of Joseph’s parents. The house was comfortable, but Joseph Sr. and Lucy had overspent on it, fallen behind on their payments, and lost the property. They were now renting it from the new owners.

Emma Smith: Influence on Joseph when he was in danger

When Joseph and Erastus landed their [small boat] on the island, Emma, Hyrum, and some of Joseph’s close friends greeted them. Taking Emma’s hand, Joseph listened as the group sat in the boat and spoke quietly about the situation in Nauvoo.

The danger was greater than Joseph had expected. His friends had heard that the governor of Iowa had issued an arrest warrant for him and Porter as well, meaning it was no longer safe for Joseph to hide at his uncle’s house. They now expected sheriffs on both sides of the river to be searching for him.

Still, Joseph’s friends believed the arrest attempts were illegal, a shameless scheme by his enemies in Missouri to capture the prophet. For now, the best thing for Joseph to do was to hide out at a friend’s farm back on the Illinois side of the river and wait until things calmed down.

As Joseph left the island, his heart overflowed with gratitude. Others had abandoned and betrayed him time and time again in the face of adversity. But these friends had come to help him in the dark of night, choosing to stand beside him and the truths he cherished.

“They are my brethren,” he thought, “and I shall live.”

Yet he felt the most gratitude for Emma. “Again she is here,” he thought, “even in the seventh trouble, undaunted, firm and unwavering, unchangeable, affectionate Emma!”

Emma Smith: On trusting the Lord

Shortly after Joseph’s sudden disappearance, Emma received a letter from him, assuring her he was safe. He and Sidney had fled Kirtland, putting distance between themselves and those who wished to harm them. Their location was secret, but Newel Whitney and Hyrum knew how to contact them and were advising them from afar.

Emma understood the dangers Joseph faced. When his letter arrived, some men—probably friends of Grandison Newell—examined its postmark, trying to learn where he was. Others were spying on his struggling store.

Although she remained optimistic, Emma worried about the children. Their one-year-old son, Frederick, was too young to understand what was happening, but six-year-old Julia and four-year-old Joseph became anxious when they learned their father would not be coming home soon.

Emma knew she had to trust in the Lord, especially now that so many people in Kirtland were turning to doubt and disbelief. “If I had no more confidence in God than some I could name, I should be a sad case indeed,” Emma wrote Joseph at the end of April. “But I still believe that if we humble ourselves and are as faithful as we can be, we shall be delivered from every snare that may be laid at our feet.”

Even so, she worried that Joseph’s creditors would take advantage of his absence and seize whatever property or money they could. “It is impossible for me to do anything,” she lamented, “as long as everybody has so much better right to all that is called yours than I have.”

Emma was ready for him to come home. There were few people she trusted now, and she was reluctant to give anyone anything that did not help to pay off Joseph’s debts. And to make matters worse, she feared their children had been exposed to measles.

“I wish it could be possible for you to be at home when they are sick,” she wrote. “You must remember them, for they all remember you.”

Saints Volume 1, Chapter 9

The Sunday after the church was organized, Oliver preached to the Whitmer family and their friends in Fayette. Many of them had supported the Book of Mormon translation but had not yet joined the church. After Oliver finished speaking, six people asked him to baptize them in a nearby lake.

After the baptisms in Fayette, Joseph began the hundred-mile trip back to his farm in Harmony. As busy as he was with the new church, he had to plant his fields soon if he wanted a successful fall harvest. His payments to Emma’s father on the farm were already late, and if his crops failed, he would have to find another way to pay off his debt.

On his way home, Joseph stopped at Joseph and Polly Knight’s farm in Colesville, New York. The Knights had long supported him, but they still had not joined the church. Joseph Knight in particular wanted to read the Book of Mormon before he embraced the new faith.⁴

Joseph stayed a few days in Colesville, preaching to the Knights and their friends. Newel Knight, one of Joseph and Polly’s sons, often talked with the prophet about the gospel. One day, Joseph invited him to pray at a meeting, but Newel said he would rather pray alone in the woods.

The next morning, Newel went to the woods and tried to pray. An uneasy feeling came over him, and it grew worse as he started for home. By the time he reached his house, the feeling was so oppressive that he begged his wife, Sally, to get the prophet.

Joseph hurried to Newel’s side and found family members and neighbors watching fearfully as the young man’s face, arms, and legs contorted wildly. When Newel saw Joseph, he cried, “Cast the devil out!”

Joseph had never tried to rebuke the devil or heal someone before, but he knew Jesus had promised His disciples the power to do so. Acting quickly, he caught Newel by the hand. “In the name of Jesus Christ,” he said, “depart from him.”

As soon as Joseph spoke, the contortions stopped. Newel slumped to the floor, exhausted but unharmed, muttering that he had seen the devil leave his body.

The Knights and their neighbors were astonished by what Joseph had done. Helping them carry Newel to a bed, Joseph told them it was the first miracle performed in the church.

“It was done by God,” he testified, “and by the power of godliness.”⁵

---

In late June 1830, Emma traveled with Joseph and Oliver to Colesville. Word of Joseph’s miracle that spring had spread throughout the area, and now the Knights and several other families wanted to join the church.

Emma was also ready to be baptized. Like the Knights, she believed in the restored gospel and in her husband’s prophetic call, but she had not yet joined the church.⁹

After arriving in Colesville, Joseph worked with others to dam a nearby stream so they could hold a baptismal meeting the following day. When morning came, however, they discovered that someone had wrecked the dam overnight to prevent the baptisms from taking place.

Disappointed, they held a Sabbath-day meeting instead, and Oliver preached on baptism and the Holy Ghost. After the sermon, a local minister and some members of his congregation broke up the meeting and tried to drag one of the believers away.

Emma was all too familiar with opposition to Joseph and his message. Some people called him a fraud and accused him of trying to profit off his followers. Others mocked believers, calling them “Mormonites.”¹⁰ Wary of trouble, Emma and the others returned to the stream early the next day and repaired the dam. Once the water was deep enough, Oliver waded into the middle of the pool and baptized Emma, Joseph and Polly Knight, and ten others.

During the baptisms, some men stood along the bank, a short distance back, and heckled the believers. Emma and the others tried to ignore them, but when the group headed back to the Knight farm, the men followed, shouting threats at the prophet along the way. At the Knights’ house, Joseph and Oliver wanted to confirm the newly baptized women and men, but the group of hecklers outside swelled to a noisy mob of fifty.

Worried they might be attacked, the believers fled to a neighboring house, hoping to finish the confirmations in peace. But before they could perform the ordinances, a constable arrested Joseph and carried him off to jail for causing an uproar in the community by preaching the Book of Mormon.

Joseph spent the night in custody, unsure if the mob would capture him and carry out their threats. Emma, meanwhile, waited anxiously at her sister’s house while she and their Colesville friends prayed for Joseph’s safe release.¹¹

Over the next two days, Joseph was tried in court and acquitted, only to be arrested and tried again on similar charges. After his second hearing he was set free, and he and Emma returned to their farm in Harmony before she and the Colesville Saints could be confirmed as members of the church.¹²

Back home, Joseph tried again to work on his farm, but the Lord gave him a new revelation on how he should spend his time. “Thou shalt devote all thy service in Zion,” the Lord declared. “In temporal labors thou shalt not have strength, for this is not thy calling.” Joseph was told to plant his fields and then set off to confirm the new members in New York.¹³

The revelation left much uncertainty in Emma’s life. How would they earn a living if Joseph devoted all his time to the Saints? And what would she do while he was away serving the church? Was she supposed to stay at home, or did the Lord want her to go with him? And if He did, what would be her role in the church?

Knowing Emma’s desire for guidance, the Lord spoke to her in a revelation given through Joseph. He forgave her sins and called her an “elect lady.” He directed her to go with Joseph in his travels and promised, “Thou shalt be ordained under his hand to expound scriptures, and to exhort the church.”

He also calmed her fears about their finances. “Thou needest not fear,” He assured her, “for thy husband shall support thee.”

The Lord then instructed her to make a selection of sacred hymns for the church. “For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart,” He said.¹⁴

Soon after the revelation, Newel and Sally Knight visited from Colesville, and Sally and Emma were confirmed. As the two women received the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of the Lord filled the room. Everyone rejoiced and praised God.¹⁵

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Fill out the form below. Be as descriptive as possible. When you are finished, start reading D&C section 20 or the following talk: “Joy and Spiritual Survival“

Group Leader: Assign some group members to answer question 1 and 2 and answer the questions in their Learning Journals. Make sure everyone is preparing to share what they learn with the rest of the group.

Question 1: Read D&C 14:1-11. Look for the type of qualities for which the Lord is looking in those who work for Him. When you find a quality, record the verse in which you found it and the quality in your Learning Journal.

Answer the following question in your Learning Journal and be prepared to discuss this in your group:

• From your list, which qualities do you think would be MOST important when we serve the Lord or “work for Him?” Why do you feel this way?

Create some “statements of power” regarding serving the Lord, using the following prompts:

• ______________ is important because ______________________
• To serve the way the Lord wants, we must…
• If we…then…

Question 2: Every job uses tools to help get the job done. Read D&C 14:1-11, looking for the different tools we must learn to use as we serve the Lord. Make a list of these tools in your Learning Journal and make sure to record the verse where you find the tools in your Journal.

Answer the following question in your Learning Journal and be prepared to discuss this in your group:

From your list, which tool do you think is most important in doing the Lord’s work. Why?

Create some “statements of power” regarding serving the Lord, using the following prompts:

• _____________ is an important tool in the Lord’s work because….
• If we…then…

Group Leader: When your group comes back together, allow time for members to share how they answered the questions and to share a “statement of power.”