Come, Follow Me Companion

Doctrine and Covenants 121-123

Adversity can "be for [my] good."

Doctrine and Covenants 121:1–10, 23–33; 122

From Come, Follow Me:

When we or those we love are in the midst of suffering, it is normal to wonder if God is aware of us. As you read Doctrine and Covenants 121:1–6, think about times when you have had questions or feelings similar to Joseph Smith’s. What do you find in the Lord’s response that might help you when you have those questions or feelings? For example, in verses 7–10, 26–33, notice the blessings He promises to those who “endure [affliction] well.” As you read section 122, consider how the Lord wants you to view your adversities.

“Remember the circumstances of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Looked at through the lens of adversities, his life was one of poverty, persecution, frustration, family sorrows, and ultimate martyrdom. As he suffered imprisonment, his wife and children and the other Saints suffered incredible hardships as they were driven out of Missouri.

“When Joseph pleaded for relief, the Lord answered: ‘My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes’ (Doctrine and Covenants 121:7–8).

“This was the personal, eternal counsel that helped the Prophet Joseph to maintain his native cheery temperament and the love and loyalty of his people. These same qualities strengthened the leaders and pioneers who followed and can strengthen you as well.” (Be of Good Cheer Dallin H. Oaks)

Character is often defined in the face of trails. Alison Taylor explained, "Sometimes a single story has the power to change a life. More than once, a story of an ancestor has dropped into my proverbial lap, at exactly the right time, to lend strength and perspective in a time of trial." Read how Alison found strength in her ancestors' experiences in her blog article Why I Am Addicted to Family History. Many others have also found strength from ancestors to face life's challenges.

1. Review stories about your ancestors. (If you need help locating some stories, All the Stories is a website that syncs with FamilySearch to help you easily find the stories of your ancestors. You can also locate stories on your part of the FamilySearch tree using the "Stories" option in the fan chart view. Read more here.)
2. Identify some characteristics of your ancestors. What were their challenges? What were their strengths?
3. Is there a phrase or quote that typifies one of their strong characteristics? If so, consider posting it in a prominent place (such as mirror, refrigerator, or main door) for all family members to remember and try to emulate.

“Family Stories directly impact how we see ourselves because they give us an idea of where we come from and how we fit into our family...Sharing family stories helps us to evaluate the actions of others and create meaning from the past. When facing challenges, we can draw strength from stories of relatives who also struggled with similar challenges and obstacles and were then able to overcome them.” (How Family Stories Shape Our Identities) Watch David Isay’s RootsTech presentation to see how family stories help make up our family history.

Share from memory, interview others, read from a family history book or letters, or find stories on your family tree on a safe Internet site. With The Family History Guide, you can easily learn how to add memories in FamilySearch, Ancestry, MyHeritage, and Findmypast. Check out the ideas under the "Documenting the Past" link on all of the Activity pages. See this blog post, and learn how to use the FamilySearch Audio App to record and upload stories.

This game is fun for all ages and all kinds of groups. As individuals or with others you select from the group, you take turns acting out family history stories that you draw from a hat (key words from the story are written on a slip of paper). The object is to get the rest of your family to guess the answer using gestures alone. That's right: when players are acting out the word or phrase, they aren't allowed to talk.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–46

We can access the “powers of heaven.”

From Come, Follow Me:

In what seemed like a powerless condition in Liberty Jail, Joseph was given revelation about power—not the political or military power that had been exerted over the Saints but “the powers of heaven.” …[W]hat do you learn about God’s power? How is it different from worldly power? For example, look at the words the Lord uses in verses 41–43 to describe “power or influence.” What do they teach about how God maintains His “power or influence”? Perhaps these verses could inspire you to ponder your life and what you can do to be an influence for good in your relationships with others.

“... priesthood ordinances and covenants provide access to the fulness of the blessings promised to us by God, which are made possible by the Savior’s Atonement. They arm sons and daughters of God with power, God’s power, and provide us with the opportunity to receive eternal life—to return to God’s presence and live with Him in His eternal family." (Do We Know What We Have? Carole M. Stephens) 

Elder Dale G. Renlund stated that “Through our covenants and ordinances, we have access to the power of godliness in our lives--no matter our circumstances.

That power of godliness comes because we’ve entered into a covenant that’s been part of an ordinance. And as we keep that covenant, then the power of godliness can be in our lives...Our ability to access the power of godliness depends on us keeping the covenants we’ve made with Him.” (How We Can Access the Power of the Temple during COVID-19) 

Watch the video above highlighting how holding a temple recommend can give you strength to keep your temple covenants. Discuss as a family how you receive power from the temple to face the challenges of life. Set goals as a family to make temple and family history more a part of your lives. 

As individual family members, use "Ordinances Ready" to find family names for the ordinances you choose to perform. Print out these names so you are ready the next time you are able to attend the temple. If you haven't used Ordinances Ready yet, learn how to Request Temple Ordinances for Family Names. If you need additional help, check out Ordinances Ready on the FamilySearch App.

Note: President Nelson encouraged us to do the following for six months, but it may be a wonderful opportunity to carry this invitation through your study of the Doctrine and Covenants this year: 

“As you study your scriptures for the next six months, I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I think you will be astounded! Ponder these promises. Talk about them with your family and friends. Then live and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in your own life." (President Russell M. Nelson, Let God Prevail, October 2020 General Conference)

Suggestion for journaling this week: Find the promises in Doctrine and Covenants 121-123. Write or audio-record about their influence in your life, and share with your family.