Click here now for the Come Follow Me Lesson for February 22nd - 28th prepared by Come Follow Me FHE. Your family will have lots of fun!

Introduction

If the major purpose of all scripture is to bear testimony of Christ, (and I believe it is) then the Doctrine and Covenants makes a remarkable contribution to that testimony. With few exceptions, everything that the Doctrine and Covenants teaches us about the Savior is taught in the actual words of the Savior. Almost all scripture is in some way about Christ. But the Doctrine and Covenants is by Christ. The words are His words. The voice is His voice. Most of the information in the Doctrine and Covenants is given in the first person singular by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Zion is a place, but it is much more than that. The truth is that Zion is a place only because things must be located someplace. Unless it is filled with Zion people, it is something else. Contemplate the following comment:

I love Doctrine and Covenants 76. It is in my top "must know" sections in the Doctrine and Covenants. This is worth a good, serious study... over and over. So here is some scripture marking tips!

This Five Solas activity pack is a fun and colorful addition to your Homeschool, theology lesson, Sunday school lesson, or Reformation day activity. Included is a matching and tracing activity, a brief informational study page with Bible references, and five complimentary cards (one for each sola) for display or memory work. ::: I N S T A N T ♥ D O W N L O A D ::: **This is a DIGITAL DOWNLOAD. No physical items will be mailed to you.** After purchase you will receive an email receipt from Etsy with a link to download your purchase. You can also download your files from the “Purchases and Reviews” section of your Etsy profile. You will receive a PDF file for printing on regular 8.5”x11” paper. I recommend printing on heavy cardstock and laminating for durability. For a list of recommended products I use to assemble my printables (laminator, glue, Velcro dots, etc.) visit this page: https://arrowsandapplesauce.com/shop/supplies/ ::: I N C L U D E D ♥ I N ♥ T H I S ♥ B U N D L E ::: Five Solas Match and Trace Informational study page Five Solas Cards ::: Y O U ♥ M I G H T ♥ A L S O ♥ L I K E ::: View my other Bible activities here--> https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArrowsAndApplesauce?ref=seller-platform-mcnav§ion_id=24533911 :::S A V E ♥ M O N E Y::: Spend $30 USD or more in my shop ( https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArrowsAndApplesauce ) and get 25% off your total purchase! Use code LEARN at checkout. Subscribe to my blog ( www.arrowsandapplesauce.com ) and get a 10% off coupon code sent to your email to use on any purchase. As a subscriber, you’ll also receive access to my FREE Printables Library and updates on new blog posts. ::: S H O W ♥ O F F ::: I’d love to see you and your little ones enjoying your new learning activity! Be sure to tag me @arrowsandapplesauce and use #applesaucemama. ::: T H E ♥ L E G A L ♥ S T U F F ::: This printable is intended for personal use only. Not for resale. You may not copy, alter, or share these digital files. Thank you! See my shop policies for more info.

July 24th, Pioneer Day, is considered a special occasion for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This day marks the anniversary of the day Brigham Young and the Pioneers entered the Slat Lake Valley. The pioneers suffered many hardships and had exceedingly great faith in our Heavenly Father. Enjoy this Family Home Evening lesson on Pioneer day! Scripture: D&C 98:3 Hymn:To Be a Pioneer or Come, Come, Ye Saints Lesson:"Saving the Wheat" or "The Strength of Our Heritage" Treat: Dutch Apple Pie or Giant Ginger Molasses Cookies Activity:Pioneer Games •View entire lesson...

Additional study resources for LDS classes (Gordon B. Hinckley and Doctrine & Covenants)

One of the great realities of the restoration is the fact of communication between this planet and the eternal worlds. Beginning with the vision in the grove and continuing on through the intervening years to this very day, we see evidence of continuous communication between God and his children. We have seen it in the unfolding of the revelations in the D&C and in the unfolding of the latter-day organization of the Kingdom of God on earth. President James E. Faust said:

It is possible that verses 12–18 of Words of Mormon were not originally part of Words of Mormon, but were part of the Book of Mosiah. When Oliver Cowdery was making the printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon, he copied the text of the original Book of Mormon manuscript faithfully, including putting down “Chapter III” from the original manuscript, but couldn’t find chapters 1 and 2. The previous heading was ‘The Words of Mormon,’ with no other chapters intervening. Oliver fixed the problem by inking out the last two characters of ‘Chapter III’ (making it ‘Chapter I’) and inserting ‘Book of Mosiah’ above the line. Later, when Oliver was making the printer’s manuscript, he copied down Words of Mormon and then went straight into the remaining portion of Mosiah 2 without noticing at first.

Memorize your Doctrine & Covenants Doctrinal Mastery scriptures with these fun printable cards. Perfect for seminary and family home evening.

It would be a mistake to over-simplify the restoration and purposes of the priesthood, but perhaps an analogy will help us understand what is happening.

Over the past 50 years, it has been a great joy for me to listen to the words of the Lord’s servants. I am particularly gratified to listen to the man we sustain as the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. I felt his power.

I have been in the jail at Carthage, Illinois, many times. On a recent visit I had my picture taken next to the statue of Joseph and Hyrum with the jail in the background. On another occasion, I visited Liberty Jail. I knelt by the cutaway comer of the missing wall and a kind guide took a photo showing the upper and lower levels, the prophet Joseph at his small table, and the great squared stones of the wall. As always, I was moved by the witness of suffering and solitude and sacrifice that seemed to seep from the very walls. But I also sensed that the restriction of Joseph’s body gave his spirit increased capacity to soar. In 2009, I wrote some words in my journal about my feelings:

Restoring Photography is full of gorgeous photographs taken at actual church history sites, making it the perfect pairing for your D&C study. The Illustrated Word was thoughtfully designed in a beautiful vintage style and includes quotes and detailed embellishments to help your favorite verses stand out. The Restoration features eye-catching watercolor portraits, places, and moments from throughout church history, created by our most popular sticker artist. Our stickers are all printed on a semi-transparent vellum, which means they can go anywhere in your books! That said, we recommend packs featuring darker colors and lots of text/calligraphy for use in our wide margins instead of directly over text. Use the chart below to help you shop! Sticker Pack Study Edition Primary Edition Journaling Edition Restoring Photography ✗ ✗ ✓ The Illustrated Word ✓ ✓ ✓ The Restoration ✓ ✓ ✓

In my D&C Seminary class I wanted to divide the students up into teams and work on finding the requirements for obtaining the Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial Kingdoms. I made this handout out to give to each student to fill out so that all of them would be following along. To make a copy for yourself just click on the picture. Then right click and save it into your pictures or copy and paste it into your printing program. I should be printed at full size. I had each group concentrate on one of the kingdoms first, then fill out the rest if they had time. Then I had each group share what they had found and write it on the board. The also filled out one of the charts below for each of the kingdoms. If any of the students had not completed their sheet they were to fill in the missing information. Here are the charts that they filled in: I printed this out on yellow card-stock and made it as large as I could. Here is a yellow version if you would rather use it: Here's a worksheet that you can use in Seminary or for FHE. I printed this out on gray card-stock and sized it to fit the page: Then I printed out this sign and placed it above them: I gave everyone this handout to place into their journals. I printed it out on yellow paper. They were to write in their journals which kingdom that they wanted to achieve and why. When we were done I used the charts to put up on my seminary bulletin board. Here are printouts that you can use with these charts. I sized them to fit a full size piece of paper. Premortal Life and Birth: Earth Life and Death: Spirit World and First Resurrection: Millennium and Final Judgement: To see all of my Seminary Ideas click here. I have a smaller version that fits to a single page of paper if you would rather use that. Just click here.

Even though this game was created for the Seminary Assessment Test, it's a game that could be used for Family Home Evening, Mutual, or just for fun. I printed out the map above on a 24" x 36" engineering print for about $4. You could also do the next size down for only $2. Each player has a marker ( I made mine in different colors out of scrap paper). The starting place is in Fayette, New York (where the church was established), then it goes through Kirkland, Ohio (where the gathering took place) then the finish is in Independence, Missouri (where Zion is located). The reason I put a temple at Zion is because that is what the Saints were headed there to build. Each player takes a turn answering a question. If they get it right they can move forward one space. If they get it wrong then they stay where they are at. Some of the question cards will move them ahead 2 spaces, and some of them will move them back one or two spaces. The first person to get to Zion wins. Question Cards Here are the question cards. I printed them out on card-stock. If you right click and save it into your pictures, or copy and paste it, then you can use it in your printing program. Size it to fit the entire sheet of paper so the portions will print out properly. You might notice that the answers appear to be on the wrong side. That is because it will be printed out on the back side of the paper, so it is reversed. Question Cards Page 1 Front Answers for Page 1 Back Question Cards Page 2 Front Answers for Page 2 Back Question Cards Page 3 Front Answers for Page 3 Back Question Cards Page 4 Front Answers for Page 4 Back Question Cards Page 5 Front Answers for Page 5 Back Question Cards Page 6 Front Answers for Page 6 Back Here is a blank form for you to write your own questions: I had my class play this game and it really turned out great. Since I have 26 students I made 4 copies of the game so that they wouldn't get bored and could also learn better. I printed out the game questions in different colors for each group just in case they were to get mixed up. Some of the students tried to steal the questions so that they could study them at home. To see all of my Seminary ideas go here.

Consider the following names: John the Baptist; 1000+ Anti-Nephi-Lehies; Abinadi; Joseph Smith. What do these have in common? They were martyred because of their commitment to the truth. Can you identify other martyrs from scriptural and church history? (Answers might include Abel (Moses 5:32), Zacharias (the father of John the Baptist—Matthew 23:35), Stephen (Acts 7:56-60), James (the brother of John—Acts 12:2)), Hyrum Smith (D&C 135:1, etc) According to D&C 135:3, why do so many of “the Lord’s anointed” die at the hands of their enemies? (See also D&C 136:5, 6)

In 2021, we will start a new year of Come, Follow Me in the Doctrine and Covenants. Whether your children are young or grown, make sure your family has everything you need to dive a little deeper and to learn a little more in your daily study.

Close behind the organization of the Church in the meridian of time came the apostasy, accompanied by a diversification of beliefs that would lead ultimately to thousands of different Christian denominations. Every doctrinal disagreement seemed to be a cause for reorganization: perhaps the only cause. In any religious organization where doctrine does not matter, or where there is unity of opinion about the doctrine, splinter groups are not likely to break off from the main body. But thousands had broken off and now, on the 6th of April of 1830, the time had finally come for the Lord to put things right and to restore “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth . . .” (D&C 1:30).

I have sent six sons and one daughter on missions. For some reason, (probably because my wife hates it) it has always been my responsibility to write to them. I have done this faithfully every week, and have, at last count written about 700 letters to my children. All of these letters are evidence of my love, and almost all of them have contained doctrinal lessons intended to teach the gospel and to assist my children in dealing with the challenges and opportunities of their missions. Many times, I have responded to questions they have asked in their own epistles.

On Sunday, March 18, 1958, my father ordained me a deacon. I received a letter from him that morning, and I kept it for many years. The paper itself has now disappeared, but the memory lingers. Among other things, my father told me that day that the president of the United States would never have as much power as I would soon have, unless he repented and joined the Church. Those simple words made a profound impression on my young mind. Somehow it was communicated to me that I would be authorized to act in the name of and in the place of God.

Six houses that belonged to my ancestors still stand in Nauvoo; nice brick and frame homes, with lawns and gardens and trees and carriage houses. I can hardly imagine the stretching and commitment necessary for their owners to gather up a wagon load of non-perishable goods, sweep the floor a final time, and follow the prophet of God across the Mississippi and into the setting sun. My own home is large and lovely, with a wrought iron fence and roses and fruit trees and a garden. My children grew up here. My grandchildren identify this as the ancestral home. I wonder how I would respond if circumstances and revelation were to require an uprooting and transplanting . . .

Author's Note: I am always interested in feedback and grateful for suggestions about improving these lessons. If you have suggestions or comments, my email is [email protected]. Thanks. TLG

Imagine that you are a father or mother and that you have twin sons whom you love equally because they both try to obey you and serve you with equal diligence. Because they are so faithful you are going to do something very nice for them on their birthday. You give son #1 a brand new McLaren F-1 and son #2 a tricycle. Son #1 also gets a new Armani suit, and son #2 gets a loin cloth. You also give son #1 stock options in a successful company, and son #2 a piggy bank containing a few coins. For dinner, you give son #1 a turkey dinner and son #2 a turnip. What is wrong with the way you are treating your two sons? Turn to D&C 38: 26, 27.

VICARIOUS ORDINANCE WORK IN EARLY CHURCH HISTORY Love this gorgeous photo of the Nauvoo Temple doors I found on DeviantArt. The Funeral of Seymour Brunson D&C 124:127-130. I give unto you my servant Brigham Young to be a president over the Twelve traveling council; Which Twelve hold the keys to open up the authority of my kingdom upon the four corners of the earth, and after that to send my word to every creature. They are Heber C. Kimball, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Orson Hyde, William Smith, John Taylor, John E. Page, Wilford Woodruff, Willard Richards, George A. Smith; David Patten I have taken unto myself; behold, his priesthood no man taketh from him; but, verily I say unto you, another may be appointed unto the same calling. The 11 living apostles are named, and the Lord states that he has received David Patten, the apostle killed at Crooked River, unto himself and that he still retains his priesthood on the other side of the veil. D&C 124:131-132. And again, I say unto you, I give unto you a high council, for the cornerstone of Zion—Namely, Samuel Bent, Henry G. Sherwood, George W. Harris, Charles C. Rich, Thomas Grover, Newel Knight, David Dort, Dunbar Wilson—Seymour Brunson I have taken unto myself; no man taketh his priesthood, but another may be appointed unto the same priesthood in his stead; and verily I say unto you, let my servant Aaron Johnson be ordained unto this calling in his stead—David Fullmer, Alpheus Cutler, William Huntington. The high councilors are named, and the Lord states that he has received Seymour Brunson of that council, unto himself, and that he also retains his priesthood on the other side of the veil. Seymour Brunson was a veteran of the war of 1812, who gave his life in the service of God. He was baptized at the age of 30 by Soloman Hancock. (The one who wrote the cute little poem, “Once I was a Methodist, Glory Hallelujah…”) He immediately served a mission, and was sad to observe the persecution of those he baptized. After he moved to Kirtland, he experienced this type of thing firsthand. “He was physically attacked and captured by mobbers, and only narrowly escaped by putting his shoes on backward to mislead his pursuers and treading lightly through the snow.” Eventually he made it through the persecutions to dwell in safety in Illinois, but he chose to return to Missouri to try to help Parley P. Pratt escape from prison. He was not successful, but by being on this journey, he was able to help the Joseph Smith Sr. family get safely ferried across the Mississippi to Illinois. He only lived two more years after the Missouri persecution. He served on the Nauvoo high council, in the Nauvoo Legion, as a colonel in the Hancock County militia, and as a body guard for Joseph Smith. In July of 1840, he became overly chilled after herding cattle, got very ill, and died on the 10th of August in the home of Joseph Smith. He was 40 years old. What is so interesting to consider when reading those two passages of scripture which we just read, is that in Heber C. Kimball’s account of Seymour’s death, he said, “Seymour Brunson is gone. David Patten came after him. The room was full of angels that came…to waft him home.” Seymour was very well-loved and had many mourners. The procession to the gravesite, according to Brother Kimball, was a mile long. Joseph Smith chose this very poignant occasion, attended by a very large crowd, honoring a faithful servant of the Lord, to introduce a wonderful doctrine: Baptism for the dead. How marvelous that he chose this occasion! Those in attendance were lifted from sorrow to great joy. Vilate Kimball said that she had never seen anything more joyful than the funeral procession to Seymour Brunson’s burial, “on account of the glory that Joseph set forth.” (All this information from Susan E. Black, Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants, p. 36-38) Probably every person at the funeral had experienced the death of an immediate family member, more likely the deaths of several immediate family members. And the Church having been organized only 10 years, many of these had not received baptism before they died. Baptisms for the dead began immediately, before any order could be established, because the joy and enthusiasm of the people was so impatient. Following the funeral sermon, Jane Neyman asked Harvey Olmstead to baptize her in the Mississippi River in behalf of her son Cyrus, who had died at the age of 14. Many others did the same. Vilate Kimball wrote in a letter to Heber C., “Since this order has been preached here, the waters have been continually troubled. During conference there were sometimes from 8 to 10 elders in the river at a time baptizing.” (Jeni & Richard Holzapfel, editors, A Woman's View: Helen Mar Whitney's Reminiscences of Early Church History, p. 179) Wilford Woodruff recorded that the brethren barely had time to eat or rest, since they were constantly in the river, baptizing people for their loved ones who had died. Emma Smith was among the first to participate. She had received word that both her parents had died, so she was baptized for them, as well as her uncle, her sister and several aunts. (Gracia N. Jones, Emma and Joseph: Their Divine Mission, p. 222) Later, the guideline was set forth that you had to be the same sex as the person whose work you were doing, so those who were not done that way were redone. Commandment to Build a Temple The following January, 1841 was when Section 124 was received, in which the saints were commanded to build the Nauvoo Temple for the performance of baptisms for the dead. D&C 124:28-31. For there is not a place found on earth that he may come to and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the priesthood. For a baptismal font there is not upon the earth, that they, my saints, may be baptized for those who are dead— For this ordinance belongeth to my house, and cannot be acceptable to me [outside a temple], only in the days of your poverty, wherein ye are not able to build a house unto me. But I command you, all ye my saints, to build a house unto me; and I grant unto you a sufficient time to build a house unto me; and during this time your baptisms shall be acceptable unto me. Outdoor baptisms for the dead continued until October 3rd of that year when Joseph said that they now needed to wait until they could do it in the temple. The baptismal font was dedicated the next month. Elijah Fordham, Builder of the Font July 22, 1839 was the day of miraculous healing at the site of the future town of Nauvoo. Many, many of the saints were deathly ill with malaria. Joseph Smith called upon the Lord in mighty prayer, and went forth to heal all those that he and his wife were caring for in their home and in tents in their yard. Then he continued on through the makeshift community and into Montrose. He went to Brigham Young’s and healed him; he called Wilford Woodruff along after passing by his door. Without a word, they crossed the city square and entered the house of Elijah Fordham. Elijah was within minutes of death; he was speechless and unconscious. After rousing him and speaking with him briefly, Joseph commanded him in the name of Jesus of Nazareth to rise up and walk. Elijah immediately was healed, and jumped up out of bed, kicking off his foot poultices, asked for some bread and milk, and after consuming it, put on his hat and continued along with them down the street to heal others. The baptismal font in the basement of the Nauvoo Temple was mounted on 12 oxen and built of Wisconsin pine by Elijah Fordham. Apparently his healing blessing “stuck,” as he outlived all those who were there to witness it. He died in 1879 in Wellsville, Utah. Gravestone of Elijah Fordham, in Wellsville Cemetery Just for fun: a picture of my husband and me with our first five children, standing on the remains of the baptismal font at the Nauvoo Temple foundation site in 1997. Who knew then that it would be back before these kids were grown? Below: the rebuilt font Our youngest four children at the entrance to the rebuilt Nauvoo Temple in 2006. Samuel Rolfe, Temple Carpenter and Assistant Doorkeeper D&C 124:142. And again, I say unto you, Samuel Rolfe and his counselors for priests, and the president of the teachers and his counselors, and also the president of the deacons and his counselors, and also the president of the stake and his counselors. Thomas B. Marsh, an apostle who had become a bitter apostate over a pint of cream, upon returning to the Church with a broken and repentant heart, quoted David from the Bible and said, “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Black, p. 189) Well, Samuel Rolfe was the personification of that desire. In fact, he was not even a doorkeeper in the house of God, he was an assistant doorkeeper of the Kirtland Temple. He was not a prominent figure in church history. But he was always steadily serving where he could. When in December of 1835, the Prophet Joseph was in financial distress, several of the brethren gave him money. The Prophet was so grateful, he itemized them and their donations in his History of the Church and wrote along with it, “My heart swells with gratitude inexpressible when I realize the great condescension of the heavenly Father, in opening the hearts of these my beloved brethren to administer so liberally to my wants. And I ask God, in the name of Jesus Christ, to multiply blessings without number upon their heads…And whether my days are many or few, whether in life or in death, I say in my heart, O Lord, let me enjoy the society of such brethren.” Elijah Fordham and Samuel Rolfe are both on that list, Elijah having given $5.25, and Samuel $1.25. (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 2:327) At the time, Samuel was a carpenter, working on the Kirtland Temple. When the saints began the Nauvoo Temple, Samuel was called to be one of the full-time carpenters there as well. The Nauvoo Temple was finished and dedicated room by room and story by story. The baptismal font, which Elijah Fordham had built, was in the basement to symbolize dying before being reborn, and therefore it was the first part completed. A very unusual blessing took place there for Samuel Rolfe. He was seriously afflicted with a “felon,” an acute and painful inflammation of the deeper tissues of a finger. This would, of course, be a real problem for a carpenter working on the temple. Samuel Rolfe apparently did not keep a journal, nor did any of his descendants write his history, as far as we know, but according to Edward Stevenson’s biography, Samuel Rolfe was promised that if he would dip his finger in the baptismal font, he would be healed. He did so, and was healed. Just before Joseph’s death, he asked for volunteers to go west scouting for a new home for the Saints. Samuel was one of the few who volunteered. Because of the martyrdom, they did not go. Instead Samuel served as a bishop in Winter Quarters, and a captain of a pioneer company. He died in Utah at the age of 72. (Black, p. 250-251) The Triumph of the Nauvoo Temple Samuel Rolfe and Elijah Fordham are two of the many, many early Saints who did a great work behind the scenes. The Nauvoo Temple itself did not last. Although ordinances were performed in each room as it was finished and dedicated, the entire temple wasn’t finally dedicated until May 1st, 1846, after most of the saints had already left Nauvoo, and as you can see by the For Sale sign, it was placed on the market that very month. A few years later, an arsonist burned it down, and the stones were gradually carted away to be used in other buildings in the area. But it was not a tragedy, it was a triumph. Because of the temple-building efforts of Samuel and Elijah and the others, many members of the Church were able to have the great joy of receiving their temple ordinances, and being baptized for their deceased family members before they headed out west. It would be 31 years before there would be another temple on the earth (in St. George, Utah). GENEALOGY AND ORDINANCE WORK IN OUR DAY One Genealogist’s Dream Fast forward to the year 2001. On February 20th, in Lindon, Utah a church member named Natalie Harris had a remarkable dream. She saw a lone Black man. Turning and looking back, she saw a huge line of Black people. She said, “I go up to the man leaning against the wall and say, 'I know what you want,' and then I turn and all of the people come running toward me.” She woke up then, with an overwhelming feeling of love. She got right up, went to her computer genealogy database with some names she had heard in her dream and found an ancestor who had a large plantation and many slaves. She knew those were the people she had seen in her dream, begging her to do their work and connect their families. She had a very busy week and couldn’t get right on it, so she made a promise in prayer that she would start doing the research in one week. In the meantime, she asked around among her genealogy friends about how to find records of slaves. No one knew. February 27, 2001 was exactly one week from the day she had had her dream and made her promise. She sat down at the computer to start the work and was interrupted by a phone call from her husband, who was “absolutely flabbergasted.” On his way into work he had heard the press announcement that the Church had completed their research on the Freedman Bank records, and was now releasing a CD with names of 484,000 former slaves to anyone who wanted to buy it for $6.95! The Freedman’s Bank Savings and Trust Company was a charter after the Civil War to help former slaves and Black soldiers with their new financial responsibilities as freed men. Unfortunately, due to mismanagement and fraud, the bank collapsed nine years later, adding more tragedy to the lives of the African-Americans. But a wonderful treasure trove remained in the records of that bank. Not only were the depositors’ names and finances recorded, but the names of their spouses, children, parents, in-laws, and other relatives, including details about who had been sold away into slavery elsewhere. There were even oral histories taken. How the Freedman Bank CD Became Available KBYU wanted to do a documentary series on genealogy and entitle it “Ancestors.” They appealed to PBS to get a grant, but the woman in charge of the grants thought there would be no audience for a series on genealogy. To surmount this problem, KBYU decided to present her with her own genealogy, so she could see how fascinating it could be. They assigned an employee, Marie Taylor, to do this genealogy, but Marie found it to be incredibly difficult because the woman was African-American. Marie searched everywhere for the information, but it wasn’t until she came across the Freedman Bank records that she found the links she needed. The woman was moved, and KBYU got the grant. Marie, however, was just getting started. She had found that reading these Freedman Bank records was like translating Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. They were extremely difficult to wade through, but Marie could see how incredibly valuable they were. An example of a record from the Freedman Bank Darius Gray She enlisted Darius (pronounced Da-RYE-us) Gray, a prominant Church member with African-American ancestry, to help her to find a way to index this information and make it available. It was going to take an enormous amount of work, so they looked for groups who would help them, and one group after another fell through. Finally, they turned to the South Point Family History Center. The South Point Family History Center is located within the walls and bars of the Utah State Penitentiary. This photo from lds.org, Prisoners Rescuing Prisoners They called upon the prisoners to volunteer to help with this huge name extraction, and the prisoners clamored to work on the project. It took 11 years and the labor of more than 550 prisoners. Those who volunteered and qualified were required to attend church meetings of their choice, read the scriptures daily, and pray morning and evening. They called themselves the “spiritual parole board,” as they felt they were letting prisoners go free. But they themselves were also being freed. Recidivism (or relapse into crime) among those who worked on this project plummeted. Commonly inmates take a personality profile when they come into prison. One man’s profile was so different after he had worked on the project for a while that he didn’t test as the same person! Another prisoner who begged to work on the project had received a blessing the night before he left home for prison in which he was promised the prison would become a temple to him. The symbolism doesn’t stop there: The project was finished on Independence Day 2000. The CD was released to the public in February of 2001 to commemorate Black History Month. The original 10,000 CDs sold out in days and another 20,000 were pressed. Darius Gray said, “The whole thing reminds me of an old Negro spiritual: “When the Lord Gets Ready, You’ve Got to Move.” An executive at the Distribution Center said, “I don’t know of any other time during my years here that we have ever released a product that has given our telephone operators the kind of impressions and feedback from our customers, both member and particularly non-members, that this product is producing. We have people literally weeping on the phone and wanting to know who we are, what other products we have, why we do this type of thing, why it doesn’t cost more money.” (This information on the Freedman Bank story comes from Maurine Proctor, "Let My People Go: The Healing Story Behind the Freedman Bank Records," published online in Meridian Magazine, accessed July 2013.) Our Great Commission to Free the Prisoners The Utah State Prison inmates at the South Point Family History Center join Samuel Rolfe and Elijah Fordham as backstage workers who each did a little bit, within their own capacity, to redeem the dead. When Joseph Smith gave that sermon at Seymour Brunson’s funeral, he quoted the words of Paul to the Corinthians regarding baptism for the dead. Other than that little bit of vicarious work mentioned there by Paul, the redeeming of the dead has been left almost entirely to our dispensation. It wasn’t until Christ preached to the spirits in prison after his death that the missionary work among them commenced. Then, here on the earth, the Great Apostasy occurred, and not until the Restoration through Joseph Smith could the ordinances for those converted in the Spirit World be begun. Is it surprising at all, then, to realize that although Priesthood ordinances and offices were revealed line upon line as the Church grew and developed, the importance of the work for the dead was pressed upon the young Joseph Smith by the Angel Moroni before a temple was built, before the Priesthood was restored, before the Church was organized, even 4 years before he took the golden plates from the hill? Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith in his bedroom three times in one night preparing him for the great work of the Restoration, giving him instructions and quoting scriptures, and each time, the first scripture he quoted was Malachi 4: JS-H 1:36-39 – “After telling me these things, he commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi; and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads in our books, he quoted it thus: For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.” D&C 128:17 “And again, in connection with this quotation I will give you a quotation from one of the prophets, who had his eye fixed on the restoration of the priesthood, the glories to be revealed in the last days, and in an especial manner this most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel, namely, the baptism for the dead; for Malachi says, last chapter, verses 5th and 6th: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Challenge The work for the dead is the most glorious subject of the gospel. Why? Because this doctrine shows so clearly the love and mercy of God for all of his children. This glorious gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of second chances. Every bit of research and ordinance work you do (even your own ordinances!) welds this link. Each family night lesson you teach about an ancestor, every photo you put in an album (or a shoebox – but labeled!), every family reunion you drag your kids to, every Memorial Day gravesite visit, every journal entry knits this eternal project together. I hope you can see how many things you are already doing in the spirit of Elijah. Pat yourself on the back and continue! If you feel you could do more, pick one additional thing that you will do this year and get started. D&C 127:4 – And again, verily thus saith the Lord: Let the work of my temple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts.

Here are some section titles for the Doctrine and Covenants. These titles are just a simple overview of what each section is about and they are meant to be written at the beginning of each section!

Scripture D&C 110:7 For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house. Hymn I Love to See the Temple, Children’s Songbook, Pg. #95 1. I love to see the temple. I’m going there someday To feel the Holy […]

Neighbors who lived near my home in a small Arizona town suffered the misfortune of having the foundation of their home crack. The displacement left three- and four-inch gaps between the bricks of the west and north walls. It was a preventable calamity. Everyone knew that the soil was sandy and that the foundation, in order to remain secure, had to rest on bedrock. But in an effort to cut costs and save time, the owner and contractor agreed to shortcuts which led to disaster.

Click here now for the Come Follow Me Lesson for June 21st - 27th prepared by Come Follow Me FHE. Your family will have lots of fun!