D&C 103:1-8

We return to the regular type of format in section 103, with the Lord speaking and the Prophet receiving the counsel. The IM gives background for 103 as: “During the first week of November 1833, the Saints in Jackson County, Missouri, were driven from their homes and forced across the Missouri River into Clay County, where they were received with some degree of kindness. Elder Parley P. Pratt gave the follow account of subsequent events: ‘After making our escape into the county of Clay- being reduced to the lowest poverty- I made a living by day labor, jobbing, building, or wood cutting, till some times in the winter of 1834, when a general conference was held at my house, in which it was decided that two of the Elders should be sent to Ohio, in order to counsel with President Smith and the Church at Kirtland, and take some measures for the relief or restoration of the people thus plundered and driven from their homes. The question was put to the Conference: ‘Who would volunteer to perform so great a journey?’ The poverty of all, and in inclement season of the year made all hesitate. At length Lyman Wight and myself offered our services, which were readily accepted. I was at this time entirely destitute of proper clothing for the journey; and I had neither horse, saddle, money nor provisions to take with me; or to leave with my wife, who lay sick and helpless most of the time. Under these circumstances I knew not what to do. Nearly all had been robbed ad plundered, and all were poor. As we had to start without delay, I almost trembled at the undertaking; it seemed to be all but an impossibility; but ‘to him that believeth all things are possible.’ We were soon ready, and on the first of February we mounted our horses, and started in good cheer to ride one thousand or fifteen hundred miles through a wilderness country. We have not one cent of money in our pockets on starting. We travelled every day, whether through storm or sunshine, mud, rain or snow; except when our public duties called us to tarry. We arrived in Kirtland early in the spring, all safe and sound; we had lacked for nothing on the road, and now had plenty of funds in hand. President Joseph Smith and the Church in Kirtland received us with a hospitality and joy unknown except among the Saints; and much interesting was felt there, as well as everywhere, on the subject of our persecution.’ On 24 February 1834 the high council met in Joseph Smith’s home, where the two brethren who had come from Missouri reported on the condition on the members of the Church in that state. In a previous Revelation (section 101:55-60), it was made know to the prophet that he would be required, at some future time, to lead ‘the strength of mine house’ to the land of Zion, in order to ‘redeem’ it. The Revelation in this section was received four months and twelve days afterwards, directing him to begin to gather the strength of the Church for a relief expedition… The messengers from Zion told the Council that the scattered Saints had obtained food and clothing in exchange for labor, and that they were quite comfortable for the time being; but they were grief-stricken because they had been driven from their homes in Zion, and they earnestly desired to know, if possible, how and by what means Zion was to be redeemed. This revelation, given before the meeting of the Council was held, is an answer to that very question. When the messengers had stated the case, the Prophet had the answer ready. He had prepared to announce that he was going to Zion and that he would call for volunteers to accompany him. The Council endorsed this, and between thirty and forty men volunteered to go, whereupon the Prophet Joseph was elected Commander-in-Chief of the expedition.”

103:1-4 - The Lord begins this revelation in my favorite way, by calling them “my friends.” It makes me wonder if he only considered those present in the meeting to be his friends, or if he meant all of the Saints. Knowing what I know, I think that he desires for all his people to consider themselves his friends. But what I find interesting about this is he basically says, “my friends, I’m allowing this to happen to you because…” I just think to my own friendships and have a difficult time wondering if I encounter this dynamic in our relationship, it seems a little for fetched. The main difference in the Us/Jesus vs the Us/Friends relationships are our positions to each other. Jesus is in a leadership position, a mentor type relationship so it makes me wonder if we have relationships in our lives where we serve in the “mentor” type capacity, and if so then do we consider our “mentees” our friends? And if not, then maybe we should reconsider the way we treat them. The Lord gives two reasons why he is allowing the saints to be persecuted, first is so that the persecutors “might full up the measure of their iniquities, that their cup might be full.” Going back to what we discussed yesterday, people can’t be punished for things that they haven’t done yet, and in the Lord omnipotent wisdom, he knows that it is necessary for this to happen in order for him justify the withdrawal of His Spirit that ultimately sent the country into the civil war. I hadn’t thought about it but if the Saints wouldn’t have left and gone to Utah, all those men would have been drafted into the civil war, either from Missouri, Ohio, or Illinois. Interesting. The second reason that the Lord gives for allowing the persecution is for the perfection of the saints. He says it is so that they “might be chastened for a little season” in order to learn to keep the commandments, and again I wonder if I would be considered in that category, but then again none of us can be perfect in this life, so it’s a refining process that they needed to go through in order to bring them closer to the Savior, and we all have those moments in our lives. I guess my point is, when I hear that they were cast out of Jackson County because they weren’t righteous enough, it makes me wonder “well when have I had something happen to me because I wasn’t righteous enough?” Probably all the time, and I don’t’ think that it’s always because I should have had it but wouldn’t, but that I wasn’t ready for it, it wasn’t time. The IM says, “The Lord gave two reasons why He allowed the Saints in Jackson County to be persecuted: (1) that the cup of iniquity of His enemies might be filled and, therefore, a just judgment brought against them (compare Alma 14:11; 60:13); and (2) that the Saints ‘might be chastened for a little season’ because of their failure to heed the Lord’s commandments. When mob violence had first come to a head in August 1833, the Lord wanted that the people of Zion would receive His protection only if they were obedient. If they were not, His judgment would come upon them as well as upon the wicked. Even though the mob exhibited greater wickedness, the Saints were chastened by the Lord because ‘they did not hearken altogether unto the precepts and commandments’ which the Lord had given unto them. They had already been taught that ‘of him unto whom much is given much is required.’” Maybe I’m wrong about this whole thing, I guess it’s because I identify with the 30 year old women who are trying their best, because that’s who I feel that I am, so it’s hard for me to look at this situation from any other perspective than that of what I bring to the table. I guess what I’m trying to say is that what were the 30 year old women doing that was so bad that warranted them to be thrown out of their homes in the middle of the winter.

103:5-8 - The Lord states what he’s stated throughout all the Book of Mormon, if you keep my commandments you will prosper in the land, and if you don’t keep my commandments you will not prosper. Specific to the saints, he says “and by hearkening to observe all the words which I, the Lord their God, shall speak unto them, they shall never cease to prevail until the kingdoms of the world are subdued under my feet, and the earth is given unto the saints, to possess it forever and ever.” The IM says, “Doctrine and Covenants 103:5-10 contains a promise that the Saints would prevail against their enemies from that ‘very hour’ and ‘never cease to prevail’ if they were faithful, but wanrs that they would be subdued by their enemies if they did not keep their covenants. President George Q. Cannon said: ‘There cannot be a doubt in any faithful man’s mind concerning the truth of this promise- the promise of victory and deliverance on the one hand, the promise of punishment, disaster, and trouble on the other. The Latter-day Saints have in their experience proved fully the truth of these words. They have seen them fulfilled to the very letter. When they have been faithful in keeping the commandments of God they have prospered and they have had deliverance. When they have been unfaithful they met with trouble in serious difficulty. It is necessary that the wicked should have the opportunity to exercise their agency in relation to the work of God; for they have an agency as well as we. It is their privilege to assist in building up the word of God, or they can exercise their agency in fighting the work of God. They have the privilege to do everything in their power to destroy it, and they will be permitted to do this until the cup of their iniquity is full.’”