Come Follow Me 44: Doctrine and Covenants 124

 Come, Follow Me Lesson 44: Doctrine and Covenants 124

Introduction:

What blessings does the Lord offer you? What blessings have you been desirous to receive? Which blessings have you accepted?

The Saints drained the swamp!

“So they drained the swamp and drafted a charter for a new city, which they named Nauvoo.”

They had a vision of what it could be come. They had faith.

The Lord blessed Joseph with a sense of urgency. Why was it so important right then that a temple be built and ordinances be performed?

How can these feelings of faith and urgency bless the forward growth of this latter-day work in our day?

What is the Lord’s most beautiful work (See D&C 124:55)?

In Illinois the people had rest from persecution; they were welcomed and respected (at the beginning at least).

Many in Commerce came down with malaria from the mosquito infested land. Joseph and Wilford Woodruff went through the camp giving healing blessings.

Elijah Fordham miraculously healed. He joined the healing party.

Zina’s mother was not blessed to live. But she was blessed with a testimony of the resurrection. And the prophet assured Zina that she would meet her earthly mother again, as well as her Heavenly Mother.

Brigham Young and Heber Kimball left sick families, and they were extremely ill as well, because of their commitment to the Lord’s work. Heber was having a hard time and asked the wagon driver to stop. He and Brigham stood and called out a cheer for their wives and children to hear:

“Hurrah! Hurrah!” the men cried, waving their hats in the air. “Hurrah for Israel!”

“Goodbye!” the women called out. “God bless you!”

Start again at p.407 in Saints link: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/saints-v1/34-build-up-a-city?lang=eng (I read 400-406 on Sunday; 407-414 on Thursday)

President Van Buren cared more about his political career than he did about protecting and defending the citizens of the United States:

“I can do nothing for you, gentlemen,” the president insisted. “If I were for you, I should go against the whole state of Missouri, and that state would go against me in the next election.”

The president of the United States and all of Congress refused to help the saints. They left it to Missouri to decide how to deal with them. Elias Higbee tried to seek compensation for them. He was an official historian and recorder for the church.

Continue with Revelations in Context: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/revelations-in-context/organizing-the-church-in-nauvoo?lang=eng I listened to this on Thursday 4 Nov.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 124:

Family 2-11: The Lord’s commission has always been to take the gospel to the ends of the earth (see vs. 2-3). Can you write a concise proclamation to share with family and on social media?

Family 15: What does having integrity mean to you?
Strength of Youth link: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/for-the-strength-of-youth/honesty-and-integrity?lang=eng

Personal 12-21: When you read about the Lord’s faithful disciples in vs. 12-21, what things do you see that you can work on to be more obedient and more faithful?

In what ways have you felt the Lord’s love for you?

Personal 22-24, 60-61: The Lord wants us to be an inviting people.

Even though the Saints had been treated poorly and driven from Missouri, they were to build a boarding house and offer refreshment, comfort, hope and cheer to wanderers.

How do you think the Lord wants us to treat refugees, immigrants, and displaced people?

Watch video: A Friend to All: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmkD62aTEvU

understand and have empathy for all people.

Learn to understand people. Gain love for them. Want to minister to them.

No greater power than the power of love. People can feel the love of the Savior through us.

Personal 25-45, 55: Build a house to the Lord (see vs 39). Why does the Lord command us to build temples?

Read paragraph with quote from prophet:

Since the Nauvoo Temple was built, over 200 temples have been built or announced. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “We know that our time in the temple is crucial to our salvation and exaltation and to that of our families. … The assaults of the adversary are increasing exponentially, in intensity and in variety. Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater” (“Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 114). How has the temple helped you withstand the “assaults of the adversary”? What do you feel impressed to do to follow President Nelson’s counsel?

Nauvoo Temple link: https://abn.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/nauvoo-temple?lang=eng

Read vs. 87. How can the sickness of the land redound to our glory?

How can we look to the Lord’s counsel to other in the scriptures and to our own Patriarchal blessings to receive inspired guidance from the Lord?

How do we receive key so that we can ask for and receive blessings (see vs 95, 97)?

How important is imagination to our faith (see vs 99)?

How can we flee and help others to flee the wrath to come (see vs 106)?

Read vs. 117. This is especially good counsel for you. “...repent of all [your] folly, and clothe [yourself] with charity; and cease to do evil, and lay aside all [your] hard speeches.”

Patriarchs are giving the sealing blessings. See vs. 124.

Why are the offices of the Church give to us (see vs 143).