Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 29

Introduction: The move from Missouri to Illinois

While Joseph Smith was in jail at Liberty, Missouri, the main responsibility for directing the Saints’ flight from Missouri fell upon Brigham Young, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. To escape their persecutors, the Saints began crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois in late 1838.

In December 1840 the state of Illinois granted Nauvoo a charter that allowed the city to establish a militia, a municipal court, and a university. Nauvoo became the second largest city in Illinois as the Church grew rapidly and new converts gathered there.

Missions to England

Watch The Heart and a Willing Mind video presentation showing the sacrifices made by Heber C. Kimball and the other missionaries who left from Nauvoo.

Within a few months after arriving in England, Elder Wilford Woodruff had baptized and confirmed many people. Then he had the following experience:

“I … met with a large assembly of Saints and strangers, and while singing the first hymn the spirit of the Lord rested upon me and the voice of God said to me, ‘This is the last meeting that you will hold with this people for many days.’ I was astonished at this, as I had many appointments out in that district. When I arose to speak to the people, I told them that it was the last meeting I should hold with them for many days. They were as much astonished as I was. At the close of the meeting four persons came forward for baptism; we went down into the water and baptized them.

“In the morning I went in secret before the Lord, and asked Him what was His will concerning me. The answer I received was that I should go to the south; for the Lord had a great work for me to perform there, as many souls were waiting for His word.”

For the next two days he traveled south until he came to the farm of John Benbow in Herefordshire. Mr. Benbow and his wife, Jane, received him gladly and said that there was a company of over 600 men and women who had formed their own congregation called the United Brethren. Elder Woodruff said:

“This body of United Brethren were searching for light and truth, but had gone as far as they could, and were calling upon the Lord continually to open the way before them and send them light and knowledge, that they might know the true way to be saved. When I heard these things I could clearly see why the Lord had commanded me, while in the town of Hanley, to leave that place of labor and go to the south; for in Herefordshire there was a great harvest-field for gathering many saints into the Kingdom of God.”

Elder Woodruff’s efforts in this area of England enabled him “to bring into the Church, through the blessings of God, over eighteen hundred souls during eight months, including all of the six hundred United Brethren except one person” (in Wilford Woodruff: History of His Life and Labors, ed. Matthias F. Cowley [1909], 116–19).

What can we learn from Elder Woodruff’s experience? 

• We need to be willing to change our plans if the Spirit prompts us.
• This is not our work, but God’s.  If we try to do it without Him, we are not likely to accomplish much.
• We should expect great things to happen.

Elder Harold B. Lee summarized what happened during this remarkable time:

“In one year, 1840 to 1841—one year and fourteen days, to be exact—nine members of the twelve were called to labor in the British Mission. If you remember the history [in Nauvoo], those years marked the period of some of the severest persecution that the Church was to undergo in this dispensation. In that one year and fourteen days the nine members of the twelve, with their associates, established churches in every noted town and city in the kingdom of Great Britain. They baptized between 7000 and 8000 converts. They printed 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon, 3000 hymnbooks, and 50,000 tracts, … and [they] emigrated 1000 souls to America” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1960, 108).

A Proclamation to the World

We often speak today of “The Proclamation to the World,” and we refer to the document read by President Hinckley in the General Relief Society meeting in 1995 titled The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  However, this is not the only proclamation made by the Lord’s Church to the world.

Read D&C 124:2–6.  The Prophet Joseph Smith and others worked on this proclamation until the Prophet’s martyrdom in 1844. The Quorum of the Twelve then finished the document and published it on 6 April 1845.

The proclamation was addressed to the kings of the world, the president of the United States, and the rulers and people of all nations.

What would you expect to be included in this proclamation?

The leaders of the Church proclaimed that God had again spoken from the heavens and that the kingdom of God and the holy priesthood had been restored to prepare the way for the Second Coming of the Savior.

Other items include:

·         Repent, humble yourselves as little children, be baptized, and receive the Holy Ghost.

·         The Holy Ghost will teach you things both past and future

·         The Gifts of the Spirit will be given to those who follow this counsel

·         Obedience to the gospel will bring deliverance from the scourges that were coming

Are these truths written in our hearts?  How can we be more valiant in both proclaiming and living these things?

In 1975, President Ezra Taft Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve quoted part of this document in general conference and declared that the Church was once again proclaiming these truths to the world. He said:

“As humble servants of the Lord, we call upon the leaders of nations to humble themselves before God, to seek his inspiration and guidance. We call upon rulers and people alike to repent of their evil ways. Turn unto the Lord, seek his forgiveness, and unite yourselves in humility with his kingdom. There is no other way. If you will do this, your sins will be blotted out, peace will come and remain, and you will become a part of the kingdom of God in preparation for Christ’s second coming. But if you refuse to repent or to accept the testimony of his inspired messengers and unite yourselves with God’s kingdom, then the terrible judgments and calamities promised the wicked will be yours” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1975, 48; or Ensign, Nov. 1975, 34).

The Relief Society

While the Nauvoo Temple was under construction, Sarah Granger Kimball, wife of Hiram Kimball, one of the city’s wealthiest citizens, hired a seamstress named Margaret A. Cooke. Desiring to further the Lord’s work, Sarah donated cloth to make shirts for the men working on the temple, and Margaret agreed to do the sewing. Shortly thereafter, some of Sarah’s neighbors also desired to participate in the shirt making. The sisters met in the Kimball parlor and decided to formally organize. Eliza R. Snow was asked to write a constitution and bylaws for the new society.

Eliza presented the completed document to the Prophet Joseph Smith, who declared it was the best constitution he had seen. But he felt impressed to enlarge the vision of the women concerning what they could accomplish. He asked the women to attend another meeting, where he organized them into the Nauvoo Female Relief Society. Emma Smith, the Prophet’s wife, became the society’s first president.

Joseph told the sisters that they would receive “instruction through the order which God has established through the medium of those appointed to lead—and I now turn the key to you in the name of God and this Society shall rejoice and knowledge and intelligence shall flow down from this time—this is the beginning of better days to this Society.” 9

In 1999, Mary Ellen Smoot, then General Relief Society President, read the following declaration:

“We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:

“Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study.

“Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

“Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes.

“Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.

“Delight in service and good works.

“Love life and learning.

“Stand for truth and righteousness.

“Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.

“Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation” (Mary Ellen Smoot, “Rejoice, Daughters of Zion,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 92–93).

·         This is not intended to be like some corporate mission statement that was written by senior management, introduced at a pep-rally, and then forgotten.  These statements are truly life-changing as we live them

·         How does the Relief Society build faith and strengthen testimonies? How does it strengthen marriages and families? How does it help people in need?

·         What blessings have come into your life because of the Relief Society?

Conclusion

The period in Nauvoo saw many profound revelations and sacrifices that continue to affect us today.  We will be blessed as we study the sacrifices made by the Saints in Nauvoo, learn the doctrines that were revealed there, and strive to be faithful to their example and our covenants.