Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Doctrine and Covenants 2025

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Far West, Missouri, July 8, 1838, concerning the immediate duties of William Marks, Newel K. Whitney, and Oliver Granger.

Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, near Wight’s Ferry, at a place called Spring Hill, Daviess County, Missouri, May 19, 1838.

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Far West, Missouri, April 26, 1838, making known the will of God concerning the building up of that place and of the Lord’s house. This revelation is addressed to the presiding officers and the members of the Church.

Doctrine and Covenants 115–120

There was reason for the Saints to be optimistic about their newest gathering place, Far West, Missouri. The city was growing rapidly, the land seemed abundant, and nearby was Adam-ondi-Ahman, a place of great spiritual significance in the past and in the future (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:53–56; 116). Still, it must have been hard for the Saints not to think about what they had lost. Besides being driven from Independence, the center place of Zion, the Saints also had to flee Kirtland, leaving their beloved temple after only two years. And this time it wasn’t just enemies outside the Church causing trouble—many prominent members had turned against Joseph Smith, including four members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Instead of focusing on what they lost, the faithful just kept building Zion, this time in Far West. They made plans for a new temple. Four new Apostles were called. They understood that doing God’s work doesn’t mean you never fall; it means you “rise again.” And though you’ll have to make sacrifices, those sacrifices are sacred to God, even “more sacred … than [your] increase” (Doctrine and Covenants 117:13).

See Saints, 1:296–99.

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Far West, Missouri, April 11, 1838.

Answers to certain questions on the writings of Isaiah, given by Joseph Smith the Prophet, at or near Far West, Missouri, March 1838.

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Thomas B. Marsh, at Kirtland, Ohio, July 23, 1837, concerning the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb. This revelation was received on the day Elders Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde first preached the gospel in England. Thomas B. Marsh was at this time President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Salem, Massachusetts, August 6, 1836. At this time the leaders of the Church were heavily in debt due to their labors in the ministry. Hearing that a large amount of money would be available to them in Salem, the Prophet, Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, and Oliver Cowdery traveled there from Kirtland, Ohio, to investigate this claim, along with preaching the gospel. The brethren transacted several items of Church business and did some preaching. When it became apparent that no money was to be forthcoming, they returned to Kirtland. Several of the factors prominent in the background are reflected in the wording of this revelation.

Doctrine and Covenants 111–114

Have you ever had a spiritual experience that made you feel confident and secure in your faith in Christ—but then life’s afflictions tried your faith, and you found yourself struggling to recover the peace you felt before? Something similar happened to the Saints in Kirtland. Less than a year after the spiritual outpourings connected with the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, troubles arose. A financial crisis, conflict in the Quorum of the Twelve, and other trials caused some Saints to waver in their faith despite their earlier experiences.

We can’t avoid trials, so how can we keep them from threatening our faith and testimony? Maybe part of the answer can be found in the Lord’s counsel in Doctrine and Covenants 112, given while adversity in Kirtland was swelling. The Lord said, “Purify your hearts before me” (verse 28), “Rebel not” (verse 15), “Gird up thy loins for the work” (verse 7), and “Be thou humble” (verse 10). As we follow this counsel, the Lord will “lead [us] by the hand” through adversity and into healing and peace (see verses 10, 13).

Elder Ronald A. Rasband shares insights about Doctrine and Covenants 109