Doctrine and Covenants 135-136 Insights and Teaching Activities
- Benjamin Wilcox
- 11 minutes ago
- 43 min read
Watch the Insight Video on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/o5UBKqtVWzc
Watch the Teaching Activities Video on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/jTFGvwQA1_s
To purchase slides or handouts, go to: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeachingWithPower
INSIGHTS
INTRODUCTION
To introduce the sections we’ll study this week I’d like to share a quote from a famous Victorian writer by the name of John Ruskin who said the following:
“Great nations (and we might add, great religions) write their autobiographies in three manuscripts, the book of their deeds, the book of their words and the book of their art.”
JOHN RUSKIN
(St. Mark’s Rest: The History of Venice, Preface p. 1, 1885)
Now we’re not going to talk about the art of the church today, but I would like us to consider the other two manuscripts of great institutions in sections 135-136. Early church members and leaders have left us two very powerful legacies. The book of our words and the book of our deeds stand as a testament to the vitality, truthfulness, and power of this Church. These sections proclaim two very important legacies. The legacy of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, and the legacy of Brigham Young and the Pioneers. I feel that Joseph and Hyrum stand as representatives of the legacy of the book of our words. Brigham Young and the pioneers will represent the legacy of the book of our deeds. I believe that these two books do stand as mighty testaments to the greatness of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
135-THE STRONGEST SEAL
ICEBREAKER
As an icebreaker for section 135 I like to bring in a couple of objects with me. I bring some duct tape, caulk, tire slime, and some rubber washers and ask “What object makes the best seal? If you need to seal something, make it airtight and strong, what works best?” Show them the objects and have some of them share their opinions. Then to get them into the scriptures you can tell them that actually, the strongest seal is found in section 135:3. Can you find it?
In that verse we discover that the object that creates the strongest seal is blood. Joseph Smith sealed his mission here on earth with his own blood.
Section 135 is John Taylor’s tribute or eulogy to Joseph and Hyrum Smith shortly following their martyrdom at Carthage Jail. He begins by saying:
1 To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch.
He also concludes with that imagery in verse 7:
7 They were innocent of any crime, as they had often been proved before, and were only confined in jail by the conspiracy of traitors and wicked men; and their innocent blood on the floor of Carthage jail is a broad seal affixed to "Mormonism" that cannot be rejected by any court on earth, and their innocent blood on the escutcheon of the State of Illinois, with the broken faith of the State as pledged by the governor, is a witness to the truth of the everlasting gospel that all the world cannot impeach; and their innocent blood on the banner of liberty, and on the magna charta of the United States, is an ambassador for the religion of Jesus Christ, that will touch the hearts of honest men among all nations; and their innocent blood, with the innocent blood of all the martyrs under the altar that John saw, will cry unto the Lord of Hosts till he avenges that blood on the earth. Amen.
So I ask you: How does Joseph Smith’s martyrdom, his willingness to die for his testimony, act as a formidable seal of his mission?
Joseph’s Smith’s blood acts as a seal and testament to his sincerity and dedication. The major accusation that Joseph’s enemies and critics level at him is that he was a deceiver, a charlatan, a fraud. But the fact that he died dedicated to and proclaiming his faith acts as a seal to his earnestness. Now, I don’t believe that martyrdom always validates that what the person was dying for was true or right. People give their lives for a number of causes and martyrdom is not always an indication of truth—but it does indicate something. There is one thing that you have to afford the martyr, any martyr. You cannot doubt their dedication. If they are willing to die for something, then you know that they felt very, very strongly about it. Even if you don’t believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet, you at least have to give him that. He was dedicated to what he stood for. He believed in what he taught and was sincere in his faith. His blood seals that fact. It gives his testimony force just as the end of verse 5 says: The testators are now dead, and their testament is in force. That statement is a reference to something Paul said in Hebrews 9:16-17
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
TRANSITION
Today we are going to spend our time examining that testament of the testators. We’ve spent almost an entire year with Joseph. We’ve learned with him, rejoiced with him, and struggled with him. Now it’s time for reflection on the big picture. We know that they were sincere and dedicated to their cause, but was their cause just and true? That’s a question we can only answer for ourselves. But John Taylor, a man who was in the very room when Joseph was killed and was shot four times himself, is going to give us some help in making that decision.
TEACHING NOTE
Now a note for teachers. When you cover section 135, you have to decide whether you are going to focus on the historical aspect of the martyrdom or if you are going to focus on the actual text of section 135. The history of the martyrdom, the quotations made by Joseph and others while incarcerated there, the movements of the different men in the room and the aftermath of that story are fascinating, and inspirational. You could certainly do an entire lesson just on that history and leave people educated and edified. But, there is also great value in focusing on the words of section 135, and the legacy that Joseph and Hyrum left to the church. My method, typically, is to briefly cover the historical background and spend the majority of my time focusing on the contents of the section. That’s basically what John Taylor does. The first two verses briefly describe what happened at the martyrdom, while the rest of the section is more of a tribute or eulogy to these two great men.
BACKGROUND
A great way to briefly cover the background of the martyrdom is to show a quick video. In my opinion. here are the best two options that I’ve found. You could either show them the final minutes of the church film: Joseph Smith-The Prophet of the Restoration and I’ll provide a link to it in the video description. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2011-03-0001-joseph-smith-the-prophet-of-the-restoration?lang=eng) I suggest you show from time stamp 56:13 to the end and it’s about 5 minutes long.
Another option is to show a different church film that just happens to also be similarly entitled Joseph Smith-Prophet of the Restoration. Same title except the “the” is dropped. I’ll provide a link to that video as well: (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2010-07-117-joseph-smith-prophet-of-the-restoration?lang=eng). With that video I suggest you show it from the beginning to time stamp 3:20.
I actually prefer the second video just a bit more because it shows more of the actual movements of the brethren in the room and what happened there. But both are great and, I believe, will help create a solemn, reverent, and ready atmosphere to discuss Joseph’s legacy and his effect on our lives. Joseph Smith spent his entire life teaching us how to live, but now he’s goi3ng to teach us how to die. His martyrdom teaches us two very significant truths about death. It shows us what’s worth dying for, and the best way to die. Today we’ll take a look at both.
WHAT IS WORTH DYING FOR
First, what did Joseph and Hyrum die for? John Taylor emphasizes one particular reason for their deaths. See if you can pick it out. I’m going to read some selected phrases from section 135, and you see if you can identify the common theme.
From verse 1:
1 To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch.
From verse 3:
3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men;
And from verse 6:
6 Hyrum Smith was forty-four years old in February, 1844, and Joseph Smith was thirty-eight in December, 1843; and henceforward their names will be classed among the martyrs of religion; and the reader in every nation will be reminded that the Book of Mormon, and this book of Doctrine and Covenants of the church, cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring them forth for the salvation of a ruined world;
Did you notice a common theme? What did Joseph and Hyrum die for? Simply put, they died for words. Do you notice how many times John Taylor mentions that? The Doctrine and Covenants, the Book of Mormon, all the other wise documents and instructions Joseph gave us. Joseph’s major mission in life was to bring us words. Words of scripture, inspiration, and revelation. Now Joseph did much more than just translate and receive scripture but that was his major mission. Back in Doctrine and Covenants section 5:6, the Lord told Joseph that:
6 For hereafter you shall be ordained and go forth and deliver my words unto the children of men.
Evidently, this was one of the most important callings Joseph had as the leader of this dispensation—to deliver God’s words to all people. To restore truth.
Verse 3 contains a bit of a bold statement regarding this. John Taylor writes:
3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it.
Now that’s really saying something! One might argue, what about Moses? or Paul? or Adam? Is this just a bit of hyperbole written by a man whose feelings are understandably raw and impassioned considering what he just went through? An example of embellished eulogy? Or do we take that statement at face value and agree?
Since John Taylor is emphasizes Joseph’s words, let’s approach it from that standpoint. Other than the Savior (who we would identify as the ultimate source of all scripture) is there anyone else who has given us more revelation than Joseph Smith? Just think of all the great scripture writers of history. Who are the most prolific? Moses, Isaiah, Paul, John, Nephi, Alma the Younger. Each of these prophets gave us pages and pages of revelation and scripture. But none of them even get close to approaching the amount of divine material revealed through Joseph Smith. Right? Either through translation, or direct revelation, Joseph gives us an astonishing amount of heavenly instruction. The entire Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price. That’s a lot! In terms of words, Joseph Smith the prophet has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it.
So in that spirit, since John Taylor wants us to focus on Joseph’s contribution of revelation, let’s just celebrate that for a bit. How have Joseph Smith’s “words” enriched and enlightened our lives?
First, think of some of the people and personalities Joseph introduced us to. Nephi, Captain Moroni, Alma the Younger, King Benjamin, the brother of Jared, the stripling warriors, and Samuel the Lamanite to name just a few. You might be able to think of some famous authors from history who gave us memorable characters? Shakespeare comes to mind. Dickens comes to mind. Jane Austen comes to mind. The characters those authors created have become a part of our collective consciousness. But think of Joseph’s contribution. Our lives are so much richer because of the people he gave us. We have us a huge list of heroes to look up to and emulate. Joseph gave us these people.
In conjunction with those characters, think of the amazing stories we have because of him. He gave us so many memorable scripture moments. Enos praying in the forest, Nephi building a boat, King Benjamin on his tower and Samuel the Lamanite on his wall, Captain Moroni waving his title of liberty, the visions of Moses and Enoch, and the brother of Jared clutching his 16 glowing stones. Without Joseph’s divine calling, we wouldn’t have those accounts. Joseph gave us these stories.
Now think of some of the words he gave us. Whether in the Book of Mormon or the Doctrine and Covenants. What are some of your favorites? Let me give you a few that come to my mind, and just ruminate on the power and beauty of some of these teachings.
· Men are that they might have joy
· Wickedness never was happiness
· When you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God
· And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye shall know the truth of all things
· Look unto Christ in every thought, doubt not, fear not
· The worth of souls is great in the sight of God
· The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words light and truth
· Be anxiously engaged in a good cause
· Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good
· For behold this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man
Without Joseph Smith, we wouldn’t have these words, these gems of truth. And we could add many, many more. Joseph gave us these words.
Now consider the doctrines Joseph gave us—the ideas that he was instrumental in introducing to us.
· The premortal world
· The 3 Degrees of glory
· The true nature of the godhead
· The importance of priesthood
· The redemption of the dead
· The divine destiny of man
· The idea of patriarchal blessings
· And then just think of the Articles of Faith. In 13 short and concise statements, Joseph was able to take some of the biggest wrestles and controversies of Christianity and simplify them into understandable concepts.
When you stop to think about it, the boldness of Joseph Smith’s theology is staggering. He made man more divine and God more approachable. He made mortality more meaningful and eternity more understandable. He had the audacity to correct the Bible and then add three new books of scripture to the canon of Christianity. So many of the things that we know about the Plan of Salvation, things that we’ve been taught since Primary, have come through the divine seership of Joseph Smith the prophet. Sometimes it’s easy to take the familiar for granted. But just think what we wouldn’t understand without Joseph’s teachings.
So Joseph died for words. Beautiful words. Essential words. Life changing words. And if that’s the case, what do think would be the best way to honor his memory? Is there anything we can do to show our faith and gratitude for his sacrifice? Allow me to offer a suggestion. We can read those words. Study those words. Value those words. Share those words with others and live and love those words. That’s how we can thank and honor Joseph for all he gave us. Those words cost the best blood of the nineteenth century. Remember that when you hold the Book of Mormon, or the Doctrine and Covenants, or the Pearl of Great Price in your hands. These books weren’t free. They demanded a heavy price.
HOW TO DIE
Now to our other question that the martyrdom teaches us. Joseph and Hyrum taught us how to die.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, before Hamlet dies, he says the following:
“There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ’tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. If it be not now, yet it will come—the readiness is all.”
Hamlet
Now if you struggle with Shakespeare, what that means is that death will come to all. Sooner or later it will come. When it comes doesn’t matter as much as being ready for it. Joseph and Hyrum show us how to be ready. To die well.
See if you can find the phrases that describe how Joseph died in verse 4.
He died feeling as calm as a summer’s morning. He didn’t go kicking and screaming. He didn’t go with bitterness or anger in his heart. He didn’t die filled with regret and sorrow. He was at peace. How was he able to die in a state of calm and peace? Look at the next phrases.
He died with a conscience “void of offense towards God, and towards all men.” And, he died “innocent”. I don’t believe that Joseph is saying that he was perfect, but that this was his way of saying that his conscience was clear. That he had sought God’s grace and received it. He felt content that he had fulfilled his mission and is heart was void of offense towards God and all men. He wasn’t hateful or vengeful towards his enemies. He died innocent. That’s a word that comes up again a number of times in verse 7 as well. Joseph was innocent of offense. He had done nothing that was deserving of his execution. He was guilty of no crime. That’s the way I want to die. We too can seek innocence through the redemption that comes from the atonement of Jesus Christ. Every week that we worthily partake of the sacrament, we invite the redeeming blood of Christ to purify us and bring us back into a state of innocence and justification. Doctrine and Covenants 93:38
38 Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God.
That’s the only way to die. Innocent.
Now Hyrum expresses his feelings about mortality a little differently than Joseph. Where Joseph expressed his thoughts directly, Hyrum turns to scripture. He opens the Book of Mormon and turns down the page at Ether 12:5 which reads:
5 And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity. And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness, thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father. And now I … bid farewell unto the Gentiles; yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood.
Side note here: a great video that you could show in conjunction with this thought is a clip from a conference talk by Jeffrey R. Holland’s on the martyrdom in a little video entitled “Testimony of the Book of Mormon”( https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2010-03-0008-testimony-of-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng). In that talk, Elder Holland holds up the very book that Hyrum read from that day and bears testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. He makes the point that it just wouldn’t make any sense for Joseph and Hyrum to find comfort and guidance in a book that they just made up.
But why did Hyrum choose that particular verse? A few phrases stand out to me.
If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore thy garments shall be made clean.
I’m sure that would have been a comforting thought to Hyrum. It doesn’t matter what anyone else can or has done to you. All that matters is that you have been faithful. If you have kept your faith you will be made clean, you will be blessed. I know of many people out there that have been hurt, betrayed, abused, exploited, and taken advantage of by others. Sometimes those individuals may be tempted to feel like they are less than others or loved by God less. That’s not true. What happens to you doesn’t define you in God’s eyes. What matters is your faith, your righteousness, and your commitment. Your garments will be made clean regardless of the actions of others. Even if they kill you, Hyrum, thou hast been faithful. That’s what matters
Another part that stands out:
And because thou hast seen thy weakness, thou shalt be made strong,
I hope I feel that same way before I die. We don’t want to die with a sense of pride or self-righteousness but with an acknowledgment and acceptance of our weaknesses. I don’t think that’s referring to moral weakness, but weakness gifts or attributes. I know that I have strengths and I have weaknesses. There are areas that I wish I was better at and that I’m still developing. I think there is a kind of peace that can come with accepting that we are unfinished works. We can die peacefully knowing that we tried. This life is not about perfection. That is a privilege reserved for the next, but God promises that those weak things will become strong.
One more thought here:
And now I … bid farewell unto the Gentiles; yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love,
Now there’s a wonderful way to die. Loving people and being loved. Hopefully we’ve lived our lives in such a way that our passing inspires love within in our own hearts and the hearts of others we knew. That’s why death is often painful for us and our loved ones. The intensity of our pain is an expression of and evidence of the intensity of our love. But would we want it any other way? Would we want to be so detached from others that it didn’t hurt at all to lose them?
C.S. Lewis had something to say about this kind of love:
“There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
So love, and love deeply.
Joseph and Hyrum taught us how to die. Die calm, die void of offense, die innocent, die faithful, die humble, and die loving others and being loved. I can’t imagine death would have much regret if it took place under such circumstances.
TRUTH
Joseph and Hyrum died for words and to seal their testimony with their blood. I can honor them by honoring their words.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
What is your testimony of Joseph Smith? How do you know he is a prophet of God?
What words or deeds of Joseph Smith have had the biggest impact on your life?
I find this to be a good time to allow a few people to bear their testimonies of the prophet Joseph Smith.
CONCLUSION
Allow me to conclude with an experience and my testimony. There is a special spirit at Carthage Jail that I’ve felt on the occasions I’ve been able to visit there. I wish that every member of the church throughout the world could visit that place and feel of its power. Probably the most impactful visit for me took place just before my mission. That experience stuck with me for a long time after as I felt the sadness and the glory of the place. While on my mission, I remember a time when I was feeling quite discouraged, and it just so happened that morning I had been studying section 135 for my personal scripture study. As I pondered the martyrdom, I closed my eyes, and I’m not going to say that I had a vision, but I feel that the spirit put some pictures into my mind. Like Doctrine & Covenants 124:99 says: I was lifted up in the imagination of my thoughts as on eagle’s wings. And in my mind’s eye I saw that I was riding on the back of a horse. As I looked to my side, I saw him. It was Joseph and he had a look in his eye of great sadness, calm, and determination. By that look, I knew that we were on the road to Carthage. We rode in silence for a while, but then he turned to me, and he said, “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am as calm as a summer’s morning;” And then he looked me in the eye and very intently asked “Would you be willing to come with me?”. And then, I kind of snapped back to reality as I pondered my answer to that question. And I want you to know, that I know exactly how I would I answer it. I would have answered it in this way then and I continue to feel this way. I would say, “Oh yes, Joseph. I’ll go with you.” And I would. Readily. Because I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. And I know that because of the power of his words and his deeds. The words of Joseph Smith have not only changed my life but have shaped my life. I am who I am today in great part because of the divine prophetic mission of Joseph Smith. He spent his life inquiring after truth, and we have all been deeply blessed by his search.
136-COME, COME YE SAINTS
ICEBREAKER
There is a church hymn that holds a special place in my heart. That hymn is “Come, Come ye Saints”. And I still remember that Sunday in primary when I learned that song. A dedicated and wonderful primary chorister dressed up as a pioneer woman, bonnet and all, and told us the story of the pioneers who traveled hundreds of miles in covered wagons or on foot to establish a new home in the wilderness because of what they believed. And then she taught us the words to that hymn, I could sense in the way that she spoke about the pioneers, and the tone and the melody of the music, that this was something very special. Something that deserved to be remembered and honored. That experience left an indelible impression on me. I’m forever grateful to that primary chorister that instilled in me a love and respect for the pioneers. So as an icebreaker, I like to have my students either sing or watch a video of the Tabernacle Choir singing Come, Come ye Saints. And as they do, I ask them to pick their favorite line and to be prepared to share why they chose it.
I found a great version on YouTube where someone has taken the music and set it against the backdrop of scenes from the pioneer movie “Legacy”, that does a great job of setting an ideal atmosphere for talking about the pioneers. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8746BG7yy90) You may even wish to provide them with this small handout with the words to “Come, Come ye Saints” and a place to write out their thoughts on their favorite line.
BACKGROUND
Section 136 was received by Brigham Young while the Saints are camped at Winter Quarters, Nebraska. Now where Joseph’s major mission was to leave a legacy of words or scripture, it seems that Brigham and the pioneer’s major mission was to leave a legacy of deeds. Now that’s not to say that Joseph didn’t also leave a legacy of great deeds, or that Brigham didn’t leave a legacy of words. But Brigham Young didn’t really give us scripture in the way that Joseph did. He does get section 136 though and becomes a modern Moses of sorts and one of the greatest colonizers in American History. At the point this section is received, the Saints had already made their journey from Nauvoo across Iowa and getting across Iowa was an absolute nightmare for the Saints. Rain and mud plagued them for mile after slow mile. Now as they are struggling through the bitter winter, Brigham received these instructions as they prepared to make the bulk of their journey to the valley of the Great Salt Lake.
So section 136 is “journey scripture”. Whenever we encounter a journey narrative in the scriptures, the Lord invites us to compare their journey to our own personal journey through life. We too, are seeking the promised land of eternal life. Some other examples of journey narratives: You’ve got Lehi and his family’s journey to the Americas, the Children of Israel’s journey out of Egypt to their promised land, the Jaredites, Noah all stand as narratives that we can compare to our own lives. In verse 22, the Lord even draws that comparison between the pioneer’s journey and the journey of the children of Israel. He says:
22 I am he who led the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; and my arm is stretched out in the last days, to save my people Israel.
This section gives us the spiritual instruction the Saints needed to make their journey successfully across the wilderness. The same instructions will also help us to make our journey successfully through the wilderness of life.
SEARCH
To help your students find those instructions you could try doing the following search activity. It’s a puzzle, but a different kind of puzzle. It’s a scripture search puzzle. What you do is divide your class up into teams of 3 to 4 students and provide each one with a puzzle. Now this isn’t your typical puzzle—each of the pieces are just squares. On each edge of the pieces you find either a scripture reference, a journey instruction to the pioneers, or a red line. What you’ve got to do is line up the references with the instructions that match it. If there’s a red line on one or two of the sides, then that means you’ve found a part of the border. Have the teams all begin at the same time and see which one can complete the puzzle the quickest. I’ll make the puzzle available for download on Etsy and I suggest you print it on card stock. That makes it a lot easier to put the pieces together.
When they’re finished, the puzzle should look like this.
:1 Follow the Lord’s Word and Will
:2 Keep the commandments
:3 follow the apostle’s directions
:4 Honor your covenants and ordinances
:5 Provide for yourself (self-reliance)
:6 Work hard with your might
:7, :9 Prepare the way for others
:8 Take care of the poor and needy
:10 Use all you have to build Zion
:11 Be pure and faithful
:17,30 Fear not
:19 Don’t build yourself up
:20 Keep your promises with others
:21 Don’t swear
:23 No contention or gossip
:24 Obey the Word of Wisdom
:25-26 If you borrow something, give it back
:27 Be a wise steward over what is yours
:28 Find joy in your journey. Be grateful, sing, and dance
:29 Pray
:31 Remember that trials prepare you for glory
:32 Learn wisdom through humility
:33 Listen to the Spirit
:42 Be diligent
DISCUSSION
Once they’re done, show them a list of all the instructions they just found. And that’s going to set you up to have a great discussion on how the pioneer’s journey instructions can apply to us. Now I’m not going to take the time to go through and give commentary on each and every single one of those instructions and I don’t believe you should do that as a teacher either. Instead, give your students a chance to find the relevance for themselves.
One thing you could try is to assign your students an instruction by counting them off from 1-24. If you have less than 24 students, you could assign some of them to do more than one or just don’t cover all of them. If you have more than 24 students, you could assign some of them to do the same instructions. Their assignment is to formulate a simple statement of truth about their assigned instruction by filling in the following phrase:
To successfully make our journey of life, it’s important to _______________ (fill in the blank with their assigned instruction) because __________________. (and they fill in that space with a reason for why it’s important to do that thing).
Then, one by one, let each person share their statement with the class. You could also have them mark those instructions in their scriptures as they go.
A FEW IDEAS
So like I said, I’m not going to go through each one, but I would like to give a few thoughts on some of these instructions that are noteworthy.
Company
A word that appears frequently throughout these verses is the word company. The Saints were not to make the journey alone but were organized into companies. Why? Because there is strength in numbers. If we wish to make our journey of life successfully, we need to get with the right company and stick with them. Be very careful about whose company you choose to join. Select your peer group carefully. I’m afraid I’ve seen really great youth from strong families end up going down dangerous paths because of the friends they chose to hang out with. Be sure to choose your spouse carefully. Make sure you join your ward or branch company and be active in it. You’re much more likely to arrive in your own promised land if you travel with the right crowd. I believe I’ve said this before but in life, be sure you answer the two following questions in the right order. “Where am I going?” and “Who am I going with?” Decide where you are going first, and THEN look for others that are going in the same direction to go with you. Don’t look around for someone to go with and then ask, “Where are we going?” You may end up in a place that you never intended to be.
Direction
If we wish to make our journey of life successfully, we need to make sure we are following the right directions. We need to travel under the direction of the Twelve Apostles. We’ve got to be careful not to look to the world, or the media, or celebrities for our direction in life. If we keep our eyes on the leadership of the Church, we will never be led astray.
This People
One of the themes that impresses me most about these instructions is its emphasis on unity. This was not an “every man for himself” kind of journey. The Lord tells them:
10 Let every man use all his influence and property to remove this people to the place where the Lord shall locate a stake of Zion.
It doesn’t say to use all their influence and property to remove themselves, but to remove this people to the place God had prepared for them. Everyone was to work for the benefit of all. I love the idea we see in verses 6-10. They are instructed to “go to with their might, to prepare for those who are to tarry”. Those that went first were to plant crops and build houses for others who would come later. Can you imagine taking the time to build a house that you were never going to live in? Or plant a field whose fruits you would never partake of? That’s what the Saints did. They looked out for each other and prepared the way for those to come. It may be good to ask ourselves if we are adequately preparing the way for those who will come after us? In our callings, are we carefully preparing the way for those that will follow after us? As parents or leaders, s the heritage and legacy of the faith of the pioneers being passed through us to the next generation?
Some additional thoughts on that theme. Each company was to do their part “in taking the poor, the widows, the fatherless, and the families of those who have gone into the army”. So they were to look after the less fortunate and dependent. This was a journey of a people, not just individuals. They were warned not to build themselves up (:19) but to keep their pledges with one another (:20) and to “cease to contend one with another” or “speak evil” of each other (:23).
It may be interesting to contrast the journey of the pioneers in 1847 with the journey of another group of westward migrants that took place just the year before in 1846. Have you ever heard of the Donner party? They too made that journey west—but their experience stands in stark contrast to that of the Saints. I won’t go into too much detail here, but their journey was marked much more by contention, bad leadership, and more of an “every man for himself” kind of mentality. That journey ended in tragedy when the company became trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains by winter storms and many, many died.
The Saints, on the other hand, worked together and had a group mentality in moving West. It wasn’t just about getting themselves to the valley but getting Zion to the valley. And for the longest time as I was growing up I kind of got the impression that the westward trek was somewhat of a death march—that people were dying left and right. Now I don’t want to minimize the sacrifice of those that did die as they traveled West. There were indeed many individuals that paid the ultimate price in following the Saints West. However, by and large, this was one of the largest and most successful migration stories in US history—even world history. The vast majority of people who made that trek, made it safely and even efficiently. Studies have shown that the mortality rate for the pioneers was a low 3.5%. So when you teach the trek, be careful not to give the impression that it was a tragedy with enormous casualties. It was hard, it was a sacrifice, and it was a huge act of faith, but it wasn’t a death trap. It was organized and executed with a great degree of success and effective leadership. Thousands of saints made that journey without incident from 1847 to 1865 when the railroad finally came through. Now the Church will have its own “Donner Party” style tragedy with the Martin and Willey Handcart companies—but that experience was much more of an exception than the general rule. And their experience was not an “every man for himself” kind of ordeal either, but a beautiful example of charity under the most difficult of circumstances. That tragedy actually becomes one of the most heartbreaking but inspiring stories from this period in church history. I believe that one of the biggest reasons for the success of the westward trek was because the Saints looked out for each other. For the most part, they were unified. If we wish to make our journey successfully in this life, we’ve got to do the same. The more we look out for each other, the more we sacrifice and prepare the way for each other, the safer we’ll be and the further we’ll get. That is one of the greatest blessings we have as members of the Church—that sense of community and unity that the Church’s organization provides for us.
One more thought,
Praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing
The Saints sought to find joy in their journey. I love verses :28-29 which say:
28 If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
29 If thou art sorrowful, call on the Lord thy God with supplication, that your souls may be joyful.
This is great advice for us all. A difficult journey doesn’t necessarily need to mean drudgery and gloom. Music, singing, dancing, praying, and giving thanks can all help to lighten the burdens of tough travel. I love that music and dancing is included here. And this music being spoken of here isn’t necessarily just church hymns. The pioneers would have danced to folk music and popular music of the day. These kinds of diversions can provide a much-needed rest and renewal for weary travelers. To hearken back to the activity we did at the beginning, one of my favorite lines from “Come, Come ye Saints”, is “Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard, ‘Tis not so, all is right.” If there were any people who had a right to complain, it would have to be the pioneers. But what a wonderful attitude this hymn describes. There is no need to mourn or complain. All is right, all is well. We can still find happiness despite our circumstances and challenges. As I look around me, I sometimes wonder why we’re not happier than we seem to be. We have so much convenience and comfort and prosperity that I’m surprised at a lot of the complaining and discouragement that I see. Nowadays we can travel from New York to Los Angeles in a matter of hours, yet do we complain about airline delays and security checks to the point that we’re miserable and “think our lot is hard”. We can communicate with people on the other side of the globe and access the world’s collective knowledge at the touch of a button, yet do we have a breakdown when the wi-fi goes out or our phones take a few extra seconds to buffer. Life is good—despite the hardships. And it’s helpful to find ways of expressing that goodness. Add enough music, and singing, and dancing, and giving thanks, even a journey of 1300 miles can be a joy!
TRUTH
If we follow the Lord’s guidance, we, like the pioneers, will arrive safely in our own promised land.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
One final activity. Look over the list we created of pioneer principles. Which do you most need to apply? And what are you willing to do to apply it?
CONCLUSION
We are so fortunate to be blessed by the legacy of our pioneer heritage. I stand in awe of what these faithful people were able to accomplish. It really is a miracle. They were able to create thriving and successful communities in one of the most inhospitable regions of the entire United States—The Great Basin. They truly made the desert blossom as the rose. Right now, as I’m recording this, I sit in the valley that they established. These people gave me my home. I live in the shadow of the mountains they worked so hard to cross. And they were able to do it because they followed the instructions—the Lord’s instructions through his prophets. We have been given an incredible legacy of words and deeds. Joseph Smith, Hyrum, Brigham Young, the pioneers. What an amazing heritage we have to live up to! I hope and pray that we can live up to that legacy. The instructions haven’t really changed over the years since then. I’m positive that we too will reach our eternal destination if we strive to do what they did in our own journey.
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LESSON #1 the strongest seal (Doctrine and covenants 135)
TRUTH: Joseph sealed his testimony of the words God revealed through him with his blood; therefore, I can honor his sacrifice by valuing, studying, and living those words.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
I feel a powerful fire in the bones for this lesson because I love the prophet Joseph Smith, and I have a deep and fervent testimony of his calling as the prophet of the restoration. This lesson gives us the chance to help our students reflect on Joseph Smith’s world changing influence and the gifts of knowledge and spiritual understanding he gave to us. And not only that, but an opportunity to reflect on his, and Hyrum’s, unfathomable sacrifice to bring us those gifts. They gave their blood, their lives to give us what they did. Help your students to feel a sense of gratitude for the words that Joseph gave us—to realize that every character, every story, every doctrine, and revelation, was purchased for us with courage, conviction, and profound sacrifice.
OBJECT:
For the object to this lesson, see if you can arrange to bring some or all of the following items. A roll of duct tape, caulk, rubber washers, a mason jar with its lid, and tire slime.
ICEBREAKER:
Then for the icebreaker, display those items and ask: “What object makes the best seal?” Then allow some to share their thoughts. Then tell them that actually, the strongest seal is found in section 135:3 and can they find it?
The answer: Blood. Blood makes the strongest seal. Then read verse 1 and verse 7 to them.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
How does Joseph Smith’s martyrdom, his willingness to die for his testimony, act as a strong seal of his mission?
Or an alternative question: What does someone’s willingness to die for a belief tell you about what that belief meant to them?
I would certainly want to make the point here that martyrdom does not always suggest that what someone was dying for was true or right, we have to judge and decide that for ourselves, but it does prove that that person was dedicated to their cause. They believed deeply in it, in order to give their lives for it. We have to afford Joseph and Hyrum that much. And today’s lesson will focus on that dedication and sacrifice that they made that day in 1844.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND VIDEO:
At this point, I would want to give my students context and background. I wouldn’t want to spend too much time on the history of the martyrdom, as interesting and inspiring as that kind of lesson can be. Personally, I like to focus on the text of section 135 and a reflection on the legacy that Joseph and Hyrum left. But we want to set the stage. So I would show one of two videos. You could either show them the final minutes of the church film: Joseph Smith-The Prophet of the Restoration from time stamp 56:13 to the end which is about 5 minutes long.
Or I would show a similarly titled film called Joseph Smith-Prophet of the Restoration from the beginning to time stamp 3:20 (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2010-07-117-joseph-smith-prophet-of-the-restoration?lang=eng).
I prefer the second video just a bit more because it shows more of the actual movements of the brethren in the room and what happened there. But both are great and, I believe, will help create a solemn, reverent, and ready atmosphere to discuss Joseph’s legacy and his effect on our lives.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
After the video, tell your students that in John Taylor’s tribute here to Joseph and Hyrum, that he emphasized one particular contribution of these brethren, what he felt to be the major reason for their death. What did they die for? Then read the following portions of section 135 while they try to identify the common theme.
This portion of verse 1, this portion of verse 3, and this portion of verse 6.
And they should get it. They died for words. That’s the emphasis. The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price, all the amazing revelations and insights and teachings the Joseph gave us by inspiration as a prophet of God. Of all the wonderful things he did and gave us, that was Joseph’s major mission. You may want to refer them to Doctrine and Covenants 5:6 to make that point.
Then focus in on this bold statement from verse 3:
3 Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
What do you think about that statement? Do you agree? Why?
Then I like to invite my students to consider that statement according to John Taylor’s emphasis in section 135. Joseph’s words. Is there anybody else (besides Christ of course, the ultimate source of all scripture) than Joseph Smith? I would argue no. When you consider all that was revealed to us through him, In terms of words, Joseph Smith the prophet has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it.
HANDOUT:
Then I just like to spend a good chunk of time helping my students to reflect on and appreciate what Joseph gave us through his words. A celebration of Joseph’s words. How have they enriched and enlightened our lives? I give them some lists of examples of three different categories of his words. The characters and stories that he gave us. The teachings that he gave us. And the doctrines that he gave us. I display those lists for my students to see, and for each, ask them to consider what they would add to those lists. If you wanted to make this a handout activity, you very easily could give them this printout and invite them to write their suggestions in and share. Or this could just serve as a take home item for them to keep and reflect on.
TAKE IT TO HEART QUESTION:
But then I would be sure to ask them this take it to heart question as you remind them that Joseph died for words. And if that’s the case, what do they think would be the best way to honor his memory? Is there anything that we could do to show our faith and gratitude for his sacrifice?
Allow them to share their answers to that question. No right or wrong answers. But if it’s not brought up, I as the teacher would suggest the following. We can read those words. Study those words. Value those words. Share those words with others and seek to live by and love those words. I think that’s the best way that we can thank and honor Joseph for all he gave us.
I WILL GO AND DO QUESTION:
Then for an I will go and do, ask them to complete the following sentence:
“This week I will honor Joseph’s sacrifice by ______.”
And I include a list of possible suggestions.
By studying daily from the Doctrine and Covenants or Book of Mormon this week with more gratitude for what it cost.
By bearing my testimony of Joseph Smith in class, family home evening, or social media.
By studying one of Joseph’s revelations and looking for how it draws me closer to Christ.
By sharing one of Joseph’s teachings that has blessed my life with someone who could use it.
By writing in my journal about how Joseph Smith’s life has influenced mine.
By memorizing one phrase from Joseph Smith’s teachings that strengthens my faith.
By defending Joseph kindly and confidently if his name or character comes up in conversation
TAKEAWAY:
The takeaway slide helps our students to reflect on Joseph’s sacrifices. Then be sure to share your personal testimony of the impact of Joseph’s words on your own life. When we started, we talked about what makes the strongest seal—and we discovered that the greatest seal isn’t made of rubber or wax, but of devotion and sacrifice. Joseph Smith’s blood became the seal of his testimony, proving once and for all that he meant every word he ever taught. Invite your students to study and value his words and remind them that those words cost the best blood of the nineteenth century. When we hold the Book of Mormon, or the Doctrine and Covenants, or the Pearl of Great Price in your hands, keep in mind that these books weren’t free. They demanded a heavy price.
LESSON #2 how to die (DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 135)
TRUTH:
Joseph and Hyrum’s final moments at Carthage Jail teach us how to die well, which is really a message on how to live well.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
When you teach this lesson, you have the sacred chance to help your students see death not as something to fear but as a moment of peace for those who have lived a life close to Christ. As a teacher help your students to understand that the way we live each day determines how we’ll face every trial, including our final one. Joseph and Hyrum showed us how to be ready for that day, whenever it might come. They died well by living well.
OBJECT:
An object that you could use for this lesson would be to acquire a replica of a First Edition Book of Mormon. Then, when you get to the part of the lesson where you talk about the page that Hyrum turned down from his copy of the Book of Mormon, you could display that book, also with that page turned down as a visual reminder of that moment.
Link to purchase Book of Mormon Replica: https://amzn.to/4oC5Syu
ICEBREAKER:
Then, for the icebreaker. You could do the following “Famous Last Words” activity. Display the following slides with quotes from well-known individuals that gave some memorable dying words.
Leonardo Da Vinci: “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.” Always the perfectionist.
Benjamin Franklin with his usual dry wit: “A dying man can do nothing easy.”
John Wayne: Turned to his wife and said: “Of course I know who you are. You’re my girl. I love you.”
Steve Jobs: O wow! O wow! O wow!
Harriet Tubman: Swing low, sweet chariot.
Brigham Young: Joseph, Joseph, Joseph.
But how about Joseph Smith though? What were his final words? Invite them to look in verse 1 for the answer. And his words were “O Lord, My God!” Which to me, are fitting last words for him. Joseph was a man who spent his entire life turning towards heaven. Joseph called upon God in almost every circumstance—in the sacred grove, in Liberty Jail, in revelation after revelation here in the Doctrine and Covenants, and in his final moment. He died with the name of the Being he had listened to, trusted, and testified of his entire life on his lips.
QUOTE:
I like to share the following Shakespeare quote from Hamlet in conjunction with this lesson also. When Hamlet is dying, he says:
“There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ’tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. If it be not now, yet it will come—the readiness is all.”
Hamlet
What does that mean? It was Shakespeare’s way of saying that death will come to all, sooner or later. That’s not the question. When it comes doesn’t matter as much as being ready for it. Joseph and Hyrum died ready for it. They showed us how to die well.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
So for our search activity, invite your students to study verses 4 and 5 looking for phrases that suggest HOW Joseph and Hyrum died. How did they feel? What was the state of their character at that time?
Then, be sure to discuss the significance of the following phrases. They died:
Calm as a summer’s morning
With a conscience void of offense towards God, and all men
Innocent
Thou hast been faithful
Thy garments shall be clean
And because thou hast seen thy weakness, thou shalt be made strong
And now I … bid farewell unto the Gentiles; yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love
The insight video provides you with my thoughts on each of these phrases and why I feel they’re significant. You’ll also want to discuss any other phrases that stand out in the minds of your students.
VIDEO:
The video I would show in conjunction with this lesson would be this one entitled “Testimony of the Book of Mormon.” In this video, Elder Holland holds up the very book that Hyrum read from that day and bears a powerful testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. He makes the point that it just wouldn’t make any sense for Joseph and Hyrum to find comfort and guidance in a book that they just made up.
QUOTE:
A quote that I like to share to accompany the phrase “I . . . bid farewell . . . unto my brethren whom I love” is this one from C.S. Lewis:
“There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.”
C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
This quote reminds us of the importance of creating loving relationships while in this life, like Joseph and Hyrum did.
TAKE IT TO HEART QUESTION:
For a take it to heart question. I would just simply give my students a chance to bear their personal testimony of Joseph Smith’s divine calling as the prophet of the restoration. You could ask:
What is your testimony of Joseph Smith and how do you know he is a prophet of God?
What words or deeds of Joseph Smith have had the biggest impact on your life?
TAKEAWAY:
And then you could conclude with your own testimony of the prophet. I think that would be a fitting way to conclude while you display the following takeaway slide. Remind them that Joseph and Hyrum taught us how to die. Die calm, die void of offense, die innocent, die faithful, die humble, and die loving others and being loved. I can’t imagine death would have much regret under such circumstances.
LESSON #3 come, come, ye saints (DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 136)
TRUTH: Like the pioneers, we can safely and joyfully reach our own promised land when we follow the Lord’s revealed instructions.
FIRE IN THE BONES
The fire in the bones for this lesson burns from a personal love and admiration for the pioneers which I hope you have as well because the pioneer story is such an inspirational and stirring account of people who gave so much for their faith. Our goal here is to help our students compare the journey of faith that the pioneers took to their own journeys of faith through the wilderness of life. The instructions that carried the Saints west are the same principles that will carry us home: obedience, unity, gratitude, and trust in divine direction. We want to help our students see those principles at work in their own lives. The courage of the pioneers becomes more than a story when your class begins to see their journey reflected in it.
OBJECT:
A pair of hiking boots. Set those at the front and refer to them as you talk about “journey narratives” in the scriptures.
ICEBREAKER:
For the icebreaker, I like to do a musical activity. Music can be a powerful way of inviting the Spirit into your classroom. So for this lesson, either sing or watch a performance of the quintessential pioneer hymn, “Come, Come, Ye Saints.”
VIDEO:
If you choose to show them a performance of the hymn, you could use the following video that I found on YouTube where someone has taken a performance of the Tabernacle Choir singing Come, Come, Ye Saints and set it against the backdrop of scenes from the pioneer movie “Legacy”. It does a really great job of setting an ideal atmosphere for talking about the pioneers. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8746BG7yy90)
HANDOUT:
Or, another possible idea. You may wish to provide your students with this small handout with the words to “Come, Come, ye Saints” and a place to write out their thoughts on what their favorite line from the hymn is and why. I’ve found that leads to some positive sharing.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Then give your students some historical background to section 136. Section 136 was received by Brigham Young while the Saints are camped at Winter Quarters, Nebraska. At the point this section is received, the Saints had already made their journey from Nauvoo across Iowa. And getting across Iowa was an absolute nightmare for the Saints. Rain and mud plagued them for mile after slow mile. And now as they’re struggling through the bitter winter, Brigham receives these instructions as they prepare to make the bulk of their journey to the valley of the Great Salt Lake.
Explain to your students that section 136 is “journey scripture” and whenever we encounter a journey narrative in the scriptures, the Lord invites us to compare their journey to our own personal journey through life. We too, are seeking the promised land of eternal life. So we can make that comparison as we read the story of Lehi and his family journeying to the Americas. When we read about the Children of Israel’s journey out of Egypt. We can do it with the story of the Jaredites, Noah, and other stories in the scriptures.
This section gives us the instructions the Lord felt the Saints needed to make their journey successfully across the wilderness. And interestingly, it isn’t filled with wilderness survival instructions, how to pack a wagon, or ford a stream. No, they’re spiritual instructions. That was something the Lord felt was tantamount to making that journey safely and efficiently to the valley of the Great Salt Lake. Our activity will help us to see those spiritual instructions.
SEARCH ACTIVITY/GAME:
One way to discover those instructions would be to have your students do the following puzzle activity or game. It’s a scripture search puzzle. What you do is divide your class up into teams of 3 to 4 students and provide each one with a puzzle. It’s not your typical puzzle though as each of the pieces are just squares. On each edge of the pieces, you find either a scripture reference, a journey instruction to the pioneers, or a red line. What they’ve got to do is match up the references with the instructions that match it right next to it. If there’s a red line on one or two of the sides, then that means you’ve found a part of the border. Have the teams all begin at the same time and see which one can complete the puzzle the quickest. I’ll make the puzzle available in this weeks downloads, and I suggest you print it on card stock. That makes it a lot easier to put the pieces together.
When they’re finished, the puzzle should look like this. The first team to successfully complete the puzzle, wins a reward.
But after the activity is complete. Invite them to look over or consider the instructions they just read about. That’s going to set you up to have a great discussion on how the pioneer’s journey instructions can apply to us.
Something you could try would be to assign your students an instruction by counting them off from 1-24. If you have less than 24 students, you could assign some of them to do more than one or just don’t cover all of them. Or if you have more than 24 students, you could assign some of them to do the same instructions. Their assignment is to formulate a simple statement of truth about their assigned instruction by filling in the following phrase:
To successfully make our journey of life, it’s important to _______________ (fill in the blank with their assigned instruction) because __________________. (and they fill in that space with a reason for why it’s important to do that thing).
Then, one by one, let each person share their statement with the class. You could also have them mark those instructions in their scriptures as they go.
The insight video provides you with some thoughts about a few of those instructions that I have found particularly insightful, and you could go there for some help on preparing to have that discussion with your students.
In that discussion, I would encourage you to make the point that the Pioneer Trek was not a death march. When I was growing up, sometimes I felt that it was portrayed that way. That people were dying left and right as they tried to make their way to the valley. But that’s not historically accurate. The vast majority of pioneers made the trek to the Salt Lake Valley successfully, safely, and efficiently. The mortality rate for the pioneers was a low 3.5%. So when you teach the trek, be careful not to give the impression that it was a tragedy with enormous casualties. It was hard, it was a sacrifice, and it was a huge act of faith, and some people did give their lives on that journey, but it wasn’t a death trap. It was organized well, it was led well, and it executed well. And that’s because it was performed under the direction of the Lord, and because the people followed the spiritual principles that we find in section 136.
QUOTE:
A quote you may want to share from Elder M. Russell Ballard:
“Although it is appropriate and important to remember the historic 19th-century Mormon pioneer trek, we need to remember that “the trek through life continues!” for each of us as we prove our own “faith in every footstep.” …
A trek back to our Heavenly Father is the most important trek of our lives, and it continues each day, each week, each month, and each year as we increase our faith in Him and in His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. …
Stay on the gospel path by having “faith in every footstep” so you can return safely back to the presence of Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
(M. Russell Ballard, “The Trek Continues!,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 105–6).
TAKE IT TO HEART QUESTION:
What qualities do you see in the pioneers that you admire or want to develop in yourself?
I WILL GO AND DO QUESTION:
Which of the journey instructions from section 136 do you most need to apply?
What are you willing to do to apply it?
TAKEAWAY:
Our takeaway slide invites our students to “Live up to the Legacy” that the pioneers left us. As we listened to “Come, Come, Ye Saints” at the start of class, maybe a few lines stood out to you—words that carried these faithful people through the mud, cold, and miles of untamed prairie. Those same words can carry us through our own wilderness. Like the pioneers, we can move forward with courage, trusting that the Lord walks beside us. Encourage your students to live the words of that hymn. The instructions haven’t really changed over the years since then. I’m positive that we too will reach our eternal destination if we strive to do what they did in our own journey and all will be well!
Comments