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BACKGROUND
To begin, we do need to do a little bit of historical background. A lot is happening at this point. This is where the Missouri persecutions have begun. The original inhabitants of Jackson County are getting fed up with this huge influx of Church members. A lot has been said as to why there was such a clash between the two groups. One, you had obvious religious differences. The Missourians were not a deeply religious people, and they were wary of this strange new religion and its unfamiliar doctrine. Two, you had political differences. Most of the Missourians were pro-slavery, anti-Native-American, while many of the members of the Church opposed slavery and saw the Native-Americans as the descendants of Book of Mormon peoples. Third, you had cultural differences. Most members of the Church were from the North, while Missouri was a Southern state. They were much rougher and generally not as educated as the settling Saints. They were frontier people and lived a very different lifestyle from those who came mostly from New England and Ohio. And the Saints didn’t really help the situation in a lot of ways. Many had moved to Zion without official church authorization, so all of a sudden you had this huge influx of people. The original settlers of the area began to worry about the influence this group would have on voting, and judges, and representation. Some of the members were boastful of this new Zion of theirs, that this was going to be their kingdom of God on earth and that eventually all the area would be theirs. The Saints did most of their business dealings amongst themselves and didn’t do as much as they could to reach out in friendship to the people already there. There was some misunderstanding on the part of a newspaper article written by William W. Phelps regarding the immigration of free black members of the Church. This was the last straw for the Missourians. They banded together and demanded that the Saints leave, immediately, or they would be willing to drive them out with violent force. That’s when Edward Partridge and Charles Allen are tarred and feathered. This is when the printing press is destroyed. The Saints are forced to leave their homes and flee the county for their own safety.
98:1-3, 12-48 PERSECUTION AND PATIENCE
ICEBREAKER
With that as a background, I like to begin my lesson with the following icebreaker. I give my class several case studies to consider. Some of these may apply more to adults while others could apply more to youth. Depending on the age of those in your class, you could decide which scenarios are most applicable or come up with some of your own. But I ask:
What do you imagine the average person would do in these situations? And then: Consider what you would do?
At a football game, a fan from the opposing team starts yelling at you and calling you names.
A car cuts you off on the freeway.
In a moment of anger, your spouse says something hurtful to you.
Your brother pokes you in the ribs while sitting in the car.
At general conference, you see a man handing out anti-church pamphlets and shouting accusations against church leaders.
The school bully pushes you in the hallway.
Another nation is threatening to attack your nation over an economic dispute.
An angry man enters your home with a gun and threatens you and your family if you don’t leave your home and neighborhood and never come back.
Now that last one is what has literally happened to many of the Saints in Jackson County at the time section 98 is received. I imagine that the average person, in each of these situations is likely to respond with aggression of their own. When the angry fan yells at him, the natural man yells back. When the car cuts him off on the freeway, the natural man cuts him off, or follows him, or makes aggressive gestures. The spouse responds with hurtful words of their own. The sibling pokes the other back but twice as hard, and on, and on, and on. Is this the way the Lord would have us respond to situations such as these? And does the Lord have any counsel for those that are suffering at the hands of others? The question we’re going to examine here is “How do we respond to persecution and hostility?”
There are two parts to this answer. One is more focused on our attitudes and how we endure such situations. And the other is more specific on how we are to treat and deal with our aggressors.
SEARCH
To help us understand that first part, we’re going to create what I call a WHEN, IF, THEN sheet. This is going to help us see the general principles of dealing with opposition. We could do this as a handout. Give these to your students and assign them to be either 1’s, 2’s, or 3’s by counting them off until they’ve all received a number. 1’s are going to focus on the When’s. 2’s will focus on the IF’s, and the 3’s will focus on the THEN’s.
Give them 4 or 5 minutes to study their assigned verses listed below their column, looking for phrases that match their category. “When’s” are going to look for situations or circumstances that we too might find ourselves in. For example. The first reference in that category is the section heading. One situation we may find ourselves in is persecution. So, the phrase might go, WHEN, I face persecution. Do you see how that works?
The If’s are going to look for actions the Lord is encouraging US to take in such circumstances. For example, in verse one, the Saints are told to fear not. So, I write IF I fear not.
THEN, the “Then’s” are going to look for the promises God gives to those who will act in those ways. For example, in 98:3 the Lord promises that all things wherewith you have been afflicted will work together for your good. Now go ahead and see if you can identify each of those areas. When finished you can encourage those who studied, to raise their hands and share the phrases they’ve discovered. As the teacher, you can fill in a master copy on the screen or the board, or a piece of paper, and encourage each student to fill in those other areas themselves with the answer their classmates have found.
Let’s go ahead and do this together. First, the When’s. We’ve already covered the phrase in the Section Heading, but what else might we add here?
WHEN
Section Heading: Persecution
98:3 I am afflicted
98:12 I am tried and proven
98:22 Wrath, indignation, and the gates of hell are looming before me.
Have you ever felt like you were in one of those situations? Can you relate in any way? If so, let’s pay careful attention to the “If’s”.
IF
98:1 I fear not
Fear is not a feeling compatible with the Spirit. The righteous need not fear anything, even the hostility of the wicked, because the Lord will stand behind them. With an eternal perspective, nobody need fear what the wicked can do. No matter what happens, on the grand scale, you’ll be all right. We can rest assured that if we are right before God, the ending of our story will be a happy one.
I allow my heart to be comforted
Remember that one of the names of the Holy Ghost is “The Comforter”. Allow yourself to be comforted by that power. He can assure you that all will be well in the end. There is comfort to be found in the midst of our darkest moments.
These last two in verse 1 may be some of the most difficult things to do in the midst of opposition.
If I rejoice evermore and give thanks
Notice that the Lord is instructing them to do this during their trials. Things are only getting started in Jackson County. I think we often believe that the rejoicing and the gratitude come after the deliverance, after justice has been served. But he’s instructing them to do these things while here in the middle of their trials. Is that even possible? To be happy and grateful IN our suffering? I believe it is. Jesus is an example of this. Joseph Smith is an example of this. They were still able to find optimism and gratitude in the face of difficult things. I’ve seen individuals in my own life face great physical, financial, and emotional stress, with such amazing attitudes and cheerfulness, that it’s really inspiring. I’m not sure I could do the same. Their positivity and determination often exceed that of those who are facing far less serious problems. Our attitudes towards opposition can really determine how we experience those things.
98: 2
If I wait patiently on the Lord
This may be one of the most difficult things to do. Wait for God’s deliverance or blessings. God does not always answer on our time frame. Abraham and Sarah waited decades for their promised blessing of a son to be fulfilled. Joseph of Egypt faced years of tribulation before God turned it to his good. The apostles would row against the storm until the fourth watch of the night, at least nine hours, before the Savior comes walking on the water to still their storm. The Saints in Missouri would suffer much before they would find refuge and peace again (for a time) in Nauvoo, and then more permanently in Salt Lake. The trick is to endure and to endure patiently until that time comes.
98:13 If I lay down my life for God’s sake
Here’s a tough one. One of his instructions is to continue enduring even until death. There is no guarantee that we will survive our persecution or opposition. Ask Joseph Smith, ask Abinadi, ask Jesus Christ. Even if we lose our lives in the process, it is not an indicator that God doesn’t care or that he is not aware of us. Remember that death is not the end. This mortal life is fleeting and represents only a small part of our eternal existence. And should we die, before our journey’s through. Happy day. All is well.
98:14-15 If I abide in the covenant
What matters is this next one. That we abide in the covenant . . . even unto death. Don’t abandon your faith and commitment to your covenants even in the direst of circumstances.
98:16 If I renounce war and proclaim peace.
We’re going to come back to that one and talk about it in more detail in just a minute. This is a major principle in understanding the last half of this section. But in summary, when we are persecuted, do everything you can to avoid conflict and seek for peace inasmuch as it is possible.
98:18 If I let not my heart be troubled.
Again, the idea of fearing not or sinking not into despair or losing hope in Christ. Remember that God is there and aware.
98:22 If do whatsoever God commands
We may not be able to control the actions of others. But we can control our own. Remain obedient, regardless of the consequences, and the Lord is bound to bless you.
THEN
Now to the “Then’s”. If I do those things, then . . .
98:2
Then, my prayers will enter his ears. As we wait patiently upon the Lord, it really helps to know this next one. It helps to know that your prayers have entered his ears—that he’s listening. Your pleas have not fallen on deaf ears. While you are waiting patiently on the Lord, there is a special kind of comfort that comes in knowing that your Heavenly Father is aware of your problems. In John 11:41, at the raising of Lazarus from the dead, the first thing Christ says is “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me”. He first expresses gratitude to the Father for listening to his prayer. Many times, when I give priesthood blessings to people that are facing some kind of opposition in their life, I distinctly get the feeling that God is aware of what they are going through and that He cares.
98:3
Then, all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and God’s glory.
That’s a promise we looked at in depth back in section 90. Here it is again. Christ can make positives out of any negative. Even this one that the saints are suffering!
98:13 Then, I will find life eternal.
98:14 Then, I will be found worthy
98:18 Then I will inherit many mansions prepared for us and find myself united with God and Christ
TRUTH
So, our truth could be a composite of all of these phrases into one. When we face opposition of whatever kind, if we react in these ways, then, the Lord will provide these outcomes and blessings. In short, there is hope in opposition.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Have any of these “IF’s” helped you in your “WHEN’s”?
Have you ever seen any of the “THEN’s” in your life?
TEACHER SUMMARIZE 98:23-48
Now for the second part of the answer to our question. For this latter half of section 98, the Lord is going to get a bit more specific on how to deal with the aggression of others. Now, it shouldn’t surprise us that the Lord’s way of dealing with opposition and persecution is different from the world’s way or the way of the natural man. The natural man’s response is often retaliation. Right. I’m going to get you back, and I’m going to do it twice as hard, twice as severe. I will respond to your aggression with a greater aggression of my own. That will teach you not to mess with me. The Lord has a better way. We can divide this part of the section up into three parts: Verses 23-32 and label it the Law of Retaliation. 33-38 the law of war, and 39-48, the law of forgiveness.
First, the law of retaliation. Earlier in verse 16 he instructed us to renounce war and proclaim peace. Here is how you do it.
:23
23 Now, I speak unto you concerning your families—if men will smite you, or your families, once, and ye bear it patiently and revile not against them, neither seek revenge, ye shall be rewarded;
So what are we supposed to do when someone offends us or strikes us? Bear it patiently, revile not, don’t seek revenge, and you shall be rewarded. This is what Jesus meant by “turning the other cheek”.
But that’s not usually what we do, is it? We’re much more prone to strike back, and revile, and seek revenge. How does the Lord feel about that?
:24 But if ye bear it not patiently, it shall be accounted unto you as being meted out as a just measure unto you.
Oooh. That’s a tough truth. So, wait, I’m just supposed to take it? And if I don’t. Then I deserved it? Well, yeah. That’s kind of what it’s saying, isn’t it?
So if my kids are fighting in the back seat, and I tell them to stop, and one of them shouts out “But he started it!” I should ask. Did you get him back? Yes. Well, then, you two deserve each other.
The Lord doesn’t want me to be guilty of the first offense, or the second offense. If I’m offending in either of those cases, I will hold some accountability for the outcome.
But what if I’m not guilty of the first or the second offense, and my enemy comes after me again. Then am I justified?
25 And again, if your enemy shall smite you the second time, and you revile not against your enemy, and bear it patiently, your reward shall be an hundred fold.
Oh, ok. It’s a little different now. It doesn’t say that we have to bear it patiently or that it’s wrong to retaliate, but he’s making a promise to us. If at that point, you are able to bear it patiently, then the Lord will bless you an hundredfold!
What if he comes after me again? Then what?
26 And again, if he shall smite you the third time, and ye bear it patiently, your reward shall be doubled unto you four-fold;
Wow. That’s quite the reward! Do the math. 100 fold, doubled, fourfold. I’m not sure if this is what that means but I’m up to 800 times the blessing for bearing it patiently.
Then the instruction changes a little bit. After that 3rd time, we have a new instruction:
27 And these three testimonies shall stand against your enemy if he repent not, and shall not be blotted out.
28 And now, verily I say unto you, if that enemy shall escape my vengeance, that he be not brought into judgment before me, then ye shall see to it that ye warn him in my name, that he come no more upon you, neither upon your family, even your children's children unto the third and fourth generation.
29 And then, if he shall come upon you or your children, or your children's children unto the third and fourth generation, I have delivered thine enemy into thine hands;
So, with the Lord, it’s three strikes and you’re out. And after that third time, you solemnly warn them that you will not bear their aggression patiently anymore. That if they come upon you once again, then you will feel justified in doing something about it. The Lord will deliver them into your hands.
But then look what the Lord says in verse 30. You really get the sense of his strong desire that we proclaim peace.
30 And then if thou wilt spare him, thou shalt be rewarded for thy righteousness; and also thy children and thy children's children unto the third and fourth generation.
If even after all those offenses, you are still able to bear patiently and spare the retaliation, the Lord will reward you, even down to the third and fourth generation. Even if you get to the point where you are justified in striking back. If you resist that urge, then God will bless you even more than he’s already promised! The fact that he mentions our posterity here, I think, is significant. How many fights in our world have been handed down from generation to generation? How many hatreds and feuds, and eternal conflicts have been perpetuated for years or even centuries from parent to child. Perhaps the Lord is saying, when you are deciding to strike back at someone, stop and consider the impact that that may have not only on you, but your children and your children’s children.
God despises violence and revenge. Perhaps he knows that the cycle of retaliation is something that just grows and grows and gets worse and worse. Try your hardest to stop that cycle before it begins, even at the expense of your pride.
Verses 33-38 apply the same principles but frame it in terms of nations and war. In war, the Lord pleads for diplomacy and offerings of peace. But if those offerings fail, war is justified in the eyes of the Lord. We see that principle played out again and again in the Book of Mormon. There are many examples of just wars in the scriptures.
Verses 39 to the end apply that principle in terms of forgiveness. It’s a more detailed explanation of Jesus’s charge to forgive until seventy times seven. He says:
39 And again, verily I say unto you, if after thine enemy has come upon thee the first time, he repent and come unto thee praying thy forgiveness, thou shalt forgive him, and shalt hold it no more as a testimony against thine enemy—
40 And so on unto the second and third time; and as oft as thine enemy repenteth of the trespass wherewith he has trespassed against thee, thou shalt forgive him, until seventy times seven.
So, if others sin against us, or offend us, or hurt us, and they come to us afterwards seeking our forgiveness, then we are under an obligation to forgive them. Always. There is no end to that command. This is not three strikes and you’re out. I don’t even think it’s 490 times and you’re out. Seventy times seven was the Lord’s way of saying, always forgive those that seek forgiveness from you.
But, it seems that there is an exception to that rule when it comes to those that are not seeking forgiveness from us. When we have been hurt by others and they have no remorse or intention of changing their actions towards you. In those cases, he says:
41 And if he trespass against thee and repent not the first time, nevertheless thou shalt forgive him.
42 And if he trespass against thee the second time, and repent not, nevertheless thou shalt forgive him.
43 And if he trespass against thee the third time, and repent not, thou shalt also forgive him.
44 But if he trespass against thee the fourth time thou shalt not forgive him, but shalt bring these testimonies before the Lord; and they shall not be blotted out until he repent and reward thee four-fold in all things wherewith he has trespassed against thee.
45 And if he do this, thou shalt forgive him with all thine heart; and if he do not this, I, the Lord, will avenge thee of thine enemy an hundred-fold;
So now, in that circumstance, we have the three strikes, and you’re out rule again. Three times, we are still to forgive others even when they aren’t asking for it. At that point, he instructs us to bring those testimonies to the Lord, and the Lord will take care of it. We are not, however, told to take justice into our own hands, but to give it to God, or later in the Doctrine and Covenants, to appeal to the law.
A caveat here. As in most things, there is balance. We are not to be extreme aggressors, and we are not to be extreme pacifists either. These instructions in section 98 are case specific. They may not apply in every situation. I don’t believe that we have to allow somebody to seriously victimize us over and over again before we defend ourselves or continue to forgive someone when we are clearly in an abusive relationship and allow them to continue to hurt us. The Lord is going to teach this later in the Doctrine and Covenants and offer an addendum to these rules. He’s going to say in Section 134:11 the church’s official stance on self-defense.
11 We believe that men should appeal to the civil law for redress of all wrongs and grievances, where personal abuse is inflicted or the right of property or character infringed, where such laws exist as will protect the same; but we believe that all men are justified in defending themselves, their friends, and property, and the government, from the unlawful assaults and encroachments of all persons in times of exigency, where immediate appeal cannot be made to the laws, and relief afforded.
So no, you don’t have to wait for someone to shoot you three times before you take actions to defend yourself. That would be a “time of exigency” where in that moment, you don’t have the ability to go appeal to the law before irreparable damage is done. In those cases, the Lord says, defend yourself. So if the bully starts hitting us in the hallway, and we can’t get immediate help from someone, and escape is not possible, we would be justified in defending ourselves. As a nation, we don’t have to let the enemy advance three days into our country before we start to fight back. We are justified in defending ourselves from unrighteous aggression.
Therefore, in applying these instructions, use your wisdom. Ask yourself if this is a situation where restraint and forgiveness and long-suffering are needed (which is probably going to be the majority of the time) OR is it a time of exigency where you may need to act quickly in your defense to prevent serious harm to you or your loved ones.
These are extreme examples though. Things we’re not likely to face very often, if at all. The instructions in section 98 can apply beautifully to situations that we’re much more likely to find ourselves in. When your spouse says something hurtful, when a coworker expresses irritation over something you’ve done, when you and a neighbor get involved in a property line dispute, when you get cut off by another car or they steal your parking space. Are we quick to shout back with something even more hurtful, or seek to sabotage the other person, or intensify the dispute until it comes to blows? Nobody seems to bear anything patiently anymore. We’re a society prone to outrage. I think that’s what the Lord is really getting at here. As a people, in general, we should seek to renounce conflict and proclaim peace. Even if that means bearing offenses patiently. Even if that means granting forgiveness to someone who isn’t even asking for it. Even if it means turning the other cheek. In my mind, the real gist of section 98 is to do everything in your power to avoid conflict and escalation. Don’t be quick to strike back. Look for a better solution. Ponder if there was anything we did that may have brought on the aggression. Ask if there something we could do to appease or compromise with that individual. Could diplomacy work in this situation? If yes. Then try it. It’s better in the long run than instant retaliation. The price of violence and escalation is high, even unto the third and fourth generation.
I had a student one time relate the following story in class. He and his friends were driving down the freeway when another car full of high school students cut them off. He said he got so angry that he started to chase the other car down and was honking and yelling out the window. The other car pulled off the freeway and the chase continued onto city streets. Finally, that car pulled into a cul-de-sac and three boys jumped out of the car, their hands clenched into fists. This student of mine and his friends got out and started yelling at and threatening the others. A fist fight was just about to begin when he noticed a young woman in the back seat of the other car. She was crying and there was just this look of absolute terror in her eyes. And then he recognized her. It was his cousin who was a friend of these other boys. He said he put down his fists and apologized for his aggression, and that he didn’t want to fight anymore. In hindsight, he was grateful that she had been in the car, because who knows how that situation may have ended. The fact that she was family made the difference. Maybe if we considered all people our family--the family of mankind, we would never want to fight with our worldwide brothers and sisters.
TRUTH
The truth here: Renounce war and proclaim peace.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Examine the way that you have reacted in the past to these kinds of situations. What happened?
What did you learn today that could help you to handle them better in the future?
CONCLUSION
We as Christians can be different. We are meant to be different. We don’t have to respond to hostility with more hostility. That may not be the natural way, not the “manly” way, or even the American way. It is the Christian way, though. We renounce conflict and proclaim peace, as much as is possible. It doesn’t mean that we are overly submissive, passive, walk all over us kind of people either. But we are patient in affliction. We don’t rush to conflict. We are not quick to escalate the situation. We are not just itching for a fight.
98:4-11 PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT
ICEBREAKER
Section 98 also has this wonderful little section on government. Principles that can help us to navigate the murky waters of political discourse. For an icebreaker I may just tell a few politically themed jokes. Government and politics are such sensitive issues that perhaps humor can diffuse a bit of the tension associated with it. Be sure not to tell any that are clearly partisan in nature or you’re just going to be asking for trouble.
I’m not that great at telling jokes, but here are the few of my favorites.
A thief stuck a pistol in a man’s ribs and said, “Give me your money.” The gentleman, shocked by the sudden attack, said: “You can’t do this, I’m a United States congressman!” The thief said, “In that case, give me my money!”
I like the guy who said: I think we should get rid of democracy. All in favor raise your hand.
And then I love a little bit that Brian Reagan does where he wonders why anybody on earth would want to be President. And says: Can you imagine being awakened every morning like this: Problems! All kinds of problems!
And then of course you can always say that you don’t approve of political jokes because you’ve seen way too many of them get elected.
TRANSITION
Anyway, as tricky as politics can be, the Lord has some guidance for us in that area as well. In section 98:4-11, He’s going to give us at least 5 Powerful Political Principles.
SEARCH
Can you find any of them?
Here are a few that I see.
Principle #1:
In verse 5-6: The principles of the US Constitution belong to all mankind. Latter-day scripture is clear in teaching that God played a major role in the establishment of the United States. That doesn’t mean that God cares about Americans more than he does about people from any other country. But, He did specifically help to establish America so that He would have a place from which to restore his church. No other place in the world at that time really had the proper conditions that could allow a newly formed religion such as the Church of Jesus Christ to develop and prosper. Since then, the Constitution has also served as an example and model to numerous governments throughout the world. Various countries have adopted an American brand of democracy, and many have written constitutions. I think this verse is saying that all people in the world have a right to the principles found in the American constitution. That life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are human rights. Therefore, in verse 6, we’re instructed to befriend the constitution. Whether we are citizens of the United States or any other country, we can support those principles and afford all others the same things. The ironic thing about this statement here in this particular situation is that the Lord is instructing them to befriend the Constitution of the nation that is, at that very time, denying them their constitutional rights.
Principle #2:
V. 7 From verse 7 I would draw my student’s attention to the phrase “more or less than this cometh of evil”. What does that mean? It’s a phrase appealing to a certain balance. We need to be careful of going further than or less than what we find in constitutional truth. Problems are sure to plague our countries when the people or their leaders push the balances of good government to either extreme. What are the balancing principles? On one side of the balance, we’re going to put, freedom, rights, and privileges. That is a role of good government—to provide their citizens with these things. Governments that seek to deny people their liberties, their rights, and their privileges are bad governments. I think we could all come up with some examples from the last century of governments that have done just that. But there is another principle to consider here. There is more to making our nation work than liberties, rights, and privileges. Those need to be balanced with something on the other side. So let’s make a little diagram and put liberties, rights, and privileges on this side. But what lies on the other side of that balance? We have some hints here. In verse 4 the Lord says that his people should observe to do all things whatsoever he commands them. Verse 6 implores them to befriend the Constitution, to support it. The good of the nation doesn’t only depend on what the government does, but what the people do. So, on the other side of this balance, we are going to put the words accountability and responsibility.
You can see this dynamic come up again in section 101:77-78
77 According to the laws and constitution of the people, which I have suffered to be established, and should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles;
What side of our balance is that talking about? Rights and privileges. Now the next verse.
78 That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment.
What side is that? Responsibility and accountability.
And then this interesting note here:
79 Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another.
Huh, so why is slavery wrong? I think that most of us would say because it denies people their rights. And that’s true. But there’s another reason. Look at the phrase that comes right before that “Therefore” in verse 78. It’s talking about accountability. God also doesn’t like slavery because it denies people their accountability. I can’t judge people fairly for their actions if they had no choice in the matter. So slavery is wrong for both reasons.
Do you kind of get what we mean by this balance of principles? If you give either side more or less, then that cometh of evil. It’s going to cause your nation grief. Now, in your nation, if it is out of balance, which side do the scales tip towards? I know in my nation, the United States, more and more it seems that people are demanding rights and privileges in an effort to not be accountable for their action, but to use them as a license for sin. If there are protests, which side do they focus on? Liberties, Rights, Privileges. We want our rights! Don’t step on our liberties! Give us our privileges, our entitlements! How often have you seen a protest with people yelling “give us more responsibility! Expect more of us! Hold us accountable”. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that. It’s all about rights. Whether it’s abortion, drug legality, gambling laws, welfare issues, explicit material in the media, and so on, always clamoring about rights. Often with no consideration for the impacts these things might have on the overall good of society. William Faulkner had something to say about this. He said:
“Somewhere, at some point, we…lost or forgot or voluntarily rid ourselves of that one other thing, lacking which, freedom and liberty and independence cannot even exist. That thing is the responsibility, not only the desire and the will to be responsible, but the remembrance from the old fathers of the need to be responsible. Either we lost it, forgot it, or we deliberately discarded it. Either we decided that freedom was not worth the responsibility of being free, or we forgot that, to be free, a man must assume and maintain and defend his right to be responsible for his freedom. Maybe we were even robbed of responsibility, since for years now the very air itself-radio, newspapers, pamphlets, tracts, the voices of politicians-has been loud with talk about the rights of man, not the duties and obligations and responsibilities of man, but only the “rights” of man; so loud and so constant that apparently we have come to… believe…that man has nothing else but rights (William Faulkner, Address to the Delta Council, Cleveland, Mississippi, 15 May 1952).
There is a statement attributed to Joseph Smith, though granted, its authenticity is debated, where he is reported to have said that one day the Constitution would hang by a thread. If he did make that statement, perhaps this is what he was referring to—that the scales of good government would skew out of balance, tipping so far to the rights and entitlements side, that the welfare of our nation could be in jeopardy.
Now you can also go out of balance on the other side as well. If I’m all responsibility and no rights, I can have a very oppressive government. There are governments where the leaders tell you what is right, what to believe, what to do and how to do it (some of the Communist or Islamic regimes come to mind) and if you refuse to follow their orders, you may be jailed or killed. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want us in either of those two imbalances.
But let’s take a look at some more of our responsibilities as citizens in these last verses.
Principle #3
V. 9-10
9 Nevertheless, when the wicked rule the people mourn.
10 Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.
One of our responsibilities is to vote for honest and wise, and good people. God wants us to be active participants in selecting our leaders and in selecting the right kinds of leaders. What if we can’t find leaders that exhibit these qualities? Then what do we do? Do we abandon voting altogether? Do we have to settle for leaders that possess only some of them? Some may be wise, but not very good or honest. Some may be good and honest, but not very wise. Unfortunately, when the wicked rule, the people mourn. We have seen example after example of countries going down the tubes because of bad leaders. We see that all over the Book of Mormon, you see it in our modern world. Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Kim Jong-Un in North Korea, Hitler in Germany, Fidel Castro in Cuba. And I’m sure you’d all like to tell me some names of leaders from our own country that you believe belong on that list, but I’m not going there. The point is, we should strive, in all our elections (whether that’s on the national, state, or community level) for honest, wise, and good people.
Principle #4
Also from verse 10. Once we have diligently sought for good, wise, and honest leaders, what is our responsibility or accountability towards them? We must observe to uphold them. And if we don’t really support those leaders, or we didn’t vote to put them into power, we should still seek to uphold the principles of good government.
One final principle: #5
V. 11 It is our responsibility as citizens to forsake all evil and cleave unto all good. We should seek to be good people in whatever nation we find ourselves living in. We may not be able to control the government or the actions of others, but we can control ourselves. Therefore, be good citizens. Remember D&C 58:21 Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land.
TRUTH/ LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Well, there are our five Political Principles.
Which one of these five is important to you and why?
CONCLUSION
I hope that, in whatever country we live in, that we are sure to be responsible and accountable citizens. Citizens that seek to fulfill their responsibility to choose good leaders, to uphold their elected leaders, to follow and obey good laws, to work hard to support the nation, to be willing to serve and fight for their liberty, or at the very least, support those who do. Government is a fact of life, and even though we may get frustrated with it at times or disagree with others on how it should be run, we can still be grateful that an institution exists to help create order and prosperity. And as an American, I can admit that there are a lot of things wrong with our country, but I’m also grateful for the many, many, many things that are right with it. Those things which were inspired by a loving Heavenly Father.
99-100 SUMMARY
Because of the nature and the length of this week’s lesson, I’m going to just quickly summarize sections 99 and 100. I would classify these as missionary work themed sections. Section 99 is a mission call directed to John Murdock and the Section 100 is directed to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon who were worried about their families back at home while serving a mission. If I were to give you something to look for in these sections, it would be principles relating to missionary work. A few verses to mention to take a more particular look at would be:
99:2-3
100:1, 6, 8
101 LESSONS FROM AN EMPTY LOT
ICEBREAKER
Section 101 is a big one. For the icebreaker, I would begin this lesson by showing this following picture from Google Earth and ask if anybody knows where and what this particular piece of land is. At first glance, it may not look like much. It just looks like an empty lot and that’s exactly what it is. An open field with nothing on it. But this is no ordinary empty lot. This empty lot has a very significant lesson to teach us.
This is the temple lot of Jackson County, Missouri, right in the heart of Independence. This is the place where the early Saints were to build Zion, beginning at the temple. If you were to visit this site today, you would see a number of interesting buildings surrounding you. On this corner, you have the Community of Christ’s conference center. The Community of Christ was formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Just kitty corner to that is their temple. It’s not used quite in the same way as our temples. Anyone is allowed to enter, and it’s used more for special church meetings rather than sacred ceremonies. And the interior is really beautiful. You look up into the spire and it looks like a conch shell. On this corner, you have the visitor’s center for our church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And then, on this opposite corner you have the original location where the temple was to be built. And we know this because we know the locations of the original cornerstones that were set there. The church doesn’t own this plot of land. It’s owned by a small break off group that calls themselves the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) or the Hedrickites. The exact history of how this group ended up owning this land is a topic for another day with a long and complicated story. That’s not our focus today. Today we want to examine the reasons why there isn’t a temple in that location, when the Doctrine and Covenants clearly teaches that there should be. And I would like to pose that question to you?
Why don’t we have a temple in Jackson County, Missouri? Who’s to blame?
I imagine that many would immediately answer: the mobs. The Missouri mobocrats who issued an evacuation order, who tore down homes and terrorized members, who destroyed the printing press and tarred and feathered church leaders. They’re to blame. That’s why there’s no temple there. Right?
Well, today we’re going to see what the scriptures say.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
But before we do that, I want you to consider some other possible scenarios.
Let’s say there is a young man who is really struggling in the Missionary Training Center. There is no power in his teaching, he doesn’t understand the scriptures, his motivation is low, and his connection with heaven seems tenuous. He prays and wonders “Why is this so difficult? Why am I struggling so much?”
Let’s say there is a young woman who is facing a major challenge in her life. She’s struggling in school, and at home, and with her friends. She prays, and yet it seems like no help is forthcoming. She wonders what is going on. Why won’t the Lord come and remove her problems?
Let’s say there is a family who is in dire circumstances following a natural disaster. They have no food, no water, no financial means to deal with the recovery costs. They turn heavenward and wonder, “Why us?”
That’s just a few hypothetical examples and today we’ll look at one possible explanation for the existence of situations like these. And I’m going to forewarn you. This is not an easy principle to swallow. It’s probably not a very popular or warm and fuzzy kind of scriptural truth. But if we’re honest with ourselves, I think we’ll have to admit that sometimes, THIS is the reason for these kinds of things.
SEARCH
To answer our original question: Why isn’t there a temple in Jackson County? Who is responsible? I want to take you on a quick scripture chain journey through the past. I’m going to quickly point out a number of verses from previous sections of the Doctrine and Covenants that lead up to this moment in Church History, and then I’ll ask you that question again. If you want to get your students more involved in this activity, you could provide them with this handout. As they follow along with you, they can write in the dates these sections were received and a brief explanation of what happened in that section. Here we go.
This timeline is going to take us all the way back to
Section 57. Verses 1-4. This is the first time we see the Lord’s intention for the Saints to build a temple on that spot. The date of the revelation is July 20, 1831. Shortly thereafter, the site was dedicated for that purpose and cornerstones placed. (Site dedicated)
Section 63 August of 1831
:2 Here is the first time the Lord gives a warning to the rebellious. There are problems already in Zion. The Saints are not acting as they should. In :27-29 the Lord warns them of the anger of the people around them. In other words. Trouble is coming, be prepared. (Warning to rebellious)
Section 64, September of 1831
33-36 Be not weary in well doing. Zion requires the heart and the willing mind. The rebellious will be cut off. Don’t blow it Saints. Start living my laws. (Another warning)
Section 78 March of 1832
:9-11 Another warning. Satan is seeking to turn away your hearts and blind you. Prepare and organize yourselves. Zion has problems. (Another warning)
Section 82 April of 1832
:2 A lot of you have sinned exceedingly. Beware lest sore judgments fall upon your heads.
:5 watch, the adversary is spreading his dominions and darkness throughout the land.
:10 I’m bound when you do what I say, but when you don’t do what I say, you have no promise
:24 But, don’t worry, you’ll be ok, IF you fall not from your steadfastness.
(I’m bound when you do what I say)
Section 84 September of 1832
More than a year later from the first mention of a temple in Jackson County. Have they started building the temple yet? Nope. Not yet. :3 He says the city shall be built beginning at the temple lot. But the Saints are too concerned and busy building their own houses to bother about building one for the Lord. And so he warns in :58 otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.
(No temple yet)
Section 90, March of 1833
:5 beware how you hold the counsels of the prophet. Lest they are accounted as a light thing.
:35-36 I am not well pleased with many things. I will contend with Zion and chasten her. Watch out Saints, it’s coming! It’s time to shape up!
(I will chasten Zion)
Section 97, August of 1833
Over two years later from the first mention of building a temple, they still haven’t started. And we can understand that of course they would need some time to establish their own homes and businesses. I don’t think the Lord was being unreasonable in asking them to get working on his house. But two years. That’s a long time. And now the problems have really begun in earnest. They are facing severe persecution. But the Lord says, It’s still not too late!
:10 Verily I say onto you that it is my will that a house should be built onto me in the land of Zion.
:11 let it be built speedily.
We can still do this!
:25-26 Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.
26 But if she observe not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works, with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire.
I don’t think he could have been any clearer in his warning.
(It’s not too late, start building!)
So now we arrive at section 101 and by now, it is too late. They’ve lost Zion. They’ve been forced out. And did a temple ever get started? Nope. Only the lonely cornerstones sitting there, but the lot remained empty. And it remains empty to this day. An invisible monument to a valuable truth.
(Too late)
What is that truth?
Let’s read section 101:1-8 and look for the Lord’s explanation for why the Jackson County experiment failed.
What verse or phrase would you pull out as the explanation for why?
Some possible answers:
2 I, the Lord, have suffered the affliction to come upon them, wherewith they have been afflicted, in consequence of their transgressions;
God didn’t cause the affliction to come upon them, but he allowed it. He suffered it to happen. Why? In consequence of their transgressions.
Another phrase:
:4 Therefore they must needs be chastened.
This was a chastening experience for them. A lesson to be learned. And remember the principle we looked at last week in 95, that “Whom God loves, he also chastens”.
Verse 6
6 Behold, I say unto you, there were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful and covetous desires among them; therefore by these things they polluted their inheritances.
The Lord explains that this loss came as a result of their bad choices--jarrings, envyings, strifes, lust, covetousness. These are not qualities of a Zion people. Zion is the pure in heart, but these things had polluted that pureness. We can’t have Zion the place until we start acting like Zion the people.
Verses :7-8
7 They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble.
8 In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me.
They’ve kind of been fair weather Saints. When things were good, they ignored God. It was only once things started to go South that they turned to Him for help.
What’s even more intriguing than the explanation you find here, is what you will not find. You’ll notice that there is no mention of the Missourians. In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord always lays the lion’s share of the blame for the fall of Zion at the feet of the Saints.
TRUTH
What are we learning here? What is the unfortunate truth?
When we fail to follow God’s counsels and commandments, he allows us to suffer the consequences of those decisions.
That’s a hard one to swallow, isn’t it? A painful principle. But a true one.
Sometimes we may feel like our prayers are unanswered or we wonder why God is not reaching out to rescue us in difficult circumstances. What might be ONE of the possible explanations for this? Our own actions. Our own negligence. Our own disobedience. Our own procrastination. It would be irresponsible not to consider this is as a possibility. I’m not saying it’s the only explanation. There could be quite a few other explanations for why. I’m not suggesting that we beat ourselves up every time something bad happens in our lives and conclude that it’s because of something we’ve done. But it is a possibility.
So back to our initial examples.
What if I told you that that young man struggling in the MTC had spent his teenage years neglecting prayer and scripture study. That he fell asleep every day in seminary. That he argued with his parents so much about going to Church and youth activities that they finally gave in and allowed him to make that decision for himself and he rarely went. That he spent a majority his time and effort in worldly environments and pursuits. Now he had decided to serve a mission, which is wonderful and evidence of a changing heart. But now the explanation for his struggles? The Lord maybe says, “I tried so hard for so many years to help you. I sent you loving parents, and church leaders, and seminary teachers, and youth leaders. I sent you scriptures, and general conference, and Sunday School and a seminary program to help you prepare. But you fought me every step of the way. You didn’t pay attention. You goofed off and neglected scripture study. I want you to have that power and that skill and that knowledge, but you’ve built nothing for me to work with. There’s an empty lot where your testimony and gospel knowledge should be.”
What if I told you that the young woman facing the difficult struggle in her life had spent her youth ignoring the standards of the church. Word of Wisdom, honesty, language, morality, her media choices, and now she was facing the fallout of that kind of lifestyle. And now, she’s reaching out to the Lord for help with all her problems. And the Lord says “I want you to be happy. I don’t want you to suffer. I take no pleasure in that. But I tried for so many years to help you avoid this. I sent you loving parents and leaders that taught and warned and encouraged. I sent you a little booklet called “For the Strength of Youth” to guide you. But, there’s an empty lot where your integrity and obedience should be. There’s nothing there for me to work with.”
What if I told you that the family facing the natural disaster had had many opportunities to prepare for just such a circumstance. That their local church leaders had encouraged them to be ready, to have food and water storage in reserve. To build up an emergency fund to cover those kinds of expenses. Instead, they were too busy purchasing luxuries and living an extravagant lifestyle and procrastinated their ample opportunities to be prepared. And the Lord says, “I know this is difficult for you. I want you to be able to weather this tragedy with the least amount of suffering possible. But there’s an empty lot where your preparation should be. I don’t have anything to work with”.
And for the Saints of Jackson County, Missouri. I’ve suffered these things to come upon you, in consequence of your transgressions. There’s an empty lot where my house should be. Would the history of this Church be different had the Saints started building the temple when they first had been instructed to? Who knows? Personally, I think so. I think that’s what the scriptures are suggesting here. Things very well could have been different.
THE PARABLE
In the middle of section 101 we have this wonderful little parable that highlights the problem of Jackson County. You’ll find it in verses 43-62. But for our purposes we can just focus on the parable up to verse :54. The rest of the parable deals more with the solution to the problem and the Lord’s instructions for what they were to do next, which we’ll cover in more detail in coming lessons. We recently talked about our method for interpreting parables and so I’m actually going to do the first two steps for you so that you can focus on the final and most significant step: pondering the spiritual lessons that the parable teaches. I’m going to go ahead and identify the elements and what they represent for you.
You have:
Nobleman=Jesus Christ
Choice piece of land=Jackson County, Missouri
Servants=Church members
Olive Trees=Settlements of the Saints in Missouri
Watchmen=Church Leaders and the Prophet
Tower=The Temple
Now instead of reading through that entire parable with you here, I encourage you to pause the video and read the parable yourself with one question in mind.
Where did the servants go wrong?
Now if you did that, you may have picked out a couple of key verses.
I think the problems begin in verse 46. Where it says the servants began to build a tower. They just started. But that was it. They never finished it. Then what did they do?
They began to say among themselves: “And what need hath my lord of this tower?” Which is really ironic. Because, who is it that needs the tower? God? No, they do. It’s not for his benefit, but for theirs.
:48 They “consulted for a long time saying among themselves, What need hath my lord of this tower”.
A big part of the problem is that they are consulting among themselves. They’re not listening to the watchmen. The prophets. They’re ignoring the counsel of the “watchmen” and deciding amongst themselves what should be done. When we do that kind of thing, we put ourselves in a dangerous position.
Now, I think it’s important to note that they were not disobedient in all things. They actually do follow the majority of the nobleman’s instructions. They do plant the olive trees, and they do build a hedge, and they do set watchmen. But when it comes to the tower, that’s when the trouble’s begin. We’re not talking about completely rebellious people here. These are people who got hung up on one or two of the counsels of the prophet. But that was enough to cause serious problems for them.
That attitude and practice of “consulting among ourselves” often leads to those kinds of problems. The kind we see in verse 50. “They became very slothful, and they hearkened not unto the commandments of their lord”.
And then “lo and behold” things fall apart. The enemy breaks through, and what do they do? They wring their hands and shout out “Why! What is the cause of this great evil?”
The Lord’s answer in verse :53 “Out ye not to have done even as I commanded you”.
That truth of taking responsibility for our own problems is reiterated here once again.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
And so I encourage all of us to take a moment and try to peer into our futures a bit, pleading for the help and inspiration of the Holy Ghost—and ask ourselves “Are there any empty lots looming in my future?” Are there future problems that are waiting in the wings because of something I’m not doing?” Are there prophetic councils I’m ignoring? Are there commandments I’m disregarding? Are there spiritual duties I’m neglecting?
CONCLUSION
And if we’re honest with ourselves, and willing to take the Lord’s correction. Perhaps he will reveal those things to us before the afflictions come. I encourage all of us to act on those promptings. Myself included. I’ve had my own empty lots in the past, and I’m sure there may be others looming in my future if I’m not careful. I actually stood at that empty lot in Missouri just a few weeks ago and contemplated the lesson of that place. And I’m grateful for it. I’m grateful for the lesson that it teaches me. Build now! It seems to whisper. Don’t let this happen to you. Maybe the message of that place is one of the ways the Lord has made that negative into a positive for us all. A fulfillment of his promise back in 98 that “all things wherewith [we] have been afflicted shall work together for [our] good”.
ONE MORE TRUTH
Now I’m happy to say that that is not the end of it. I hope that people don’t turn off the video before this point. There’s more to the message of section 101 and that empty lot than we’ve discussed so far. Another very critical truth to identify. I mean, is that just it? When we fail to follow God’s commands and councils, does our Lord just abandon us in our troubles? Does he sit back and say, “Well you’re just getting what you deserve. Don’t expect any help from me now.”
Let’s see.
Take a look at the following verses, and see if you can find another truth for those who have discovered empty lots in their lives.
101:3
101:9
101:14
101:18
101:36
What is the message that you’re seeing here?
He will continue to own us in the day when he shall make up his jewels. We are still precious to him. We continue to be his jewels.
God does not abandon us. Notwithstanding our sins, His bowels are filled with compassion towards us. He does not cast us off. He remembers mercy.
He will comfort those that mourn
Those that are pure in heart, shall return and sing songs of everlasting joy. There is no need to despair. Our futures can still be bright.
We can still find a fulness of joy in the Lord.
So, the truth of the matter is that “Even when our problems are the result of our own missteps. He will still be there to help us through it.”
So, to that young man in the MTC. I’ll still help you. Let’s work through this. There are some things that we can do now that can help remedy this problem. We’ll do it together and you can still have an amazing experience on your mission and do much good in my kingdom.
To that young woman. We can get through this. I may not be able to remove the consequences of your former decisions entirely, but I can certainly support you in your future ones. There is repentance, there is forgiveness, there is mercy. It’s important to learn from our past, but let’s focus on the future. Remember that I can make all things good, even your mistakes, when you are willing to return to me and follow my path.
To the family caught in the natural disaster. I know things look dire now. But I’ll still help you. I will not abandon you. I am still willing to help you through this. It won’t be easy, but if you rely on me, your days will not be numbered less. This difficult experience you are having now can serve as a powerful lesson for times to come.
TRUTH
So our final truth: The Lord does not abandon us in the day of our affliction—even when they are the result of our own poor choices. He will be there for us and help us through those hard times.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
You may just want to ponder this one on your own. But, When have you felt the Lord supporting you in your empty lot experiences?
CONCLUSION
I pray that you’ve been able to feel the Spirit of this lesson. I always feel a little anxious when we have to approach some of these more uncomfortable principles. But I hope that the message here of the scriptures has sunk deep into our hearts. I know that the Lord loves us all. I know that He hears our prayers. I know that he helps us in times of trouble. Perhaps this story from church history can help us to avoid the empty lots of our lives. May they be few and far between.
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