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).