Lesson 27: “They Must Needs Be Chastened and Tried, Even as Abraham”

Purpose

To learn about the early Saints’ efforts to establish the city of Zion in Missouri and to encourage class members to help build Zion today.

Preparation

Prayerfully study the following scriptures and other materials:

• Doctrine and Covenants 101; 103; 105.
• Our Heritage, pages 27–29, 37–45.

To gain a greater understanding of historical events related to the doctrine in this lesson, consider reviewing the following:

• "Waiting for the Word of the Lord": This article discusses the crisis created by early persecution of the Saints in Jackson County, Missouri, and the role that revelation played in the Saints' response.
• "The Acceptable Offering of Zion's Camp": This article uses the perspective of Nathan Baldwin to help tell the story of Zion's Camp.
• "Revelation, 16–17 December 1833 [D&C 101]": This page from the Joseph Smith Papers website gives in-depth historical background for Doctrine and Covenants 101. 

Discussion and Application

1. The Saints settle in Jackson County, Missouri, and are later driven out.

From 1831 to 1838, the Church had two centers of population—one in Kirtland, Ohio, and the other in western Missouri. Important events were happening in both places. Lessons 27 and 28 focus on doctrines and events associated with the Church in Missouri.

In July 1831, Joseph Smith made his first journey to Missouri. There he received a revelation designating Missouri as the place for the city of Zion, with Independence as the center place (D&C 57:1–3). On 2 August, Sidney Rigdon dedicated the land for the gathering of the Saints. The next day the Prophet Joseph Smith dedicated the temple site in Independence.

Members from the Colesville Branch in New York were the first Saints to settle Missouri, and others soon gathered there, eager to help build the city of Zion (D&C 63:24, 36). By 1832 there were more than 800 Saints gathered into five branches in Independence and the surrounding areas of Jackson County.

The Saints in Jackson County enjoyed a time of peace and optimism. However, problems arose in late 1832. Some members would not accept the authority of their local Church leaders. Others criticized the Prophet Joseph, who had returned to Kirtland. Some members were contentious, covetous, selfish, and unbelieving.

In addition, tensions with other settlers in the area were increasing. On 20 July 1833, these tensions escalated into violence. Read sections "Persecution in Jackson County" and "Tarring and Feathering of Bishop Partridge" from Our Heritage, pages 39–40 and 41–42.

Between July and November 1833, persecutions against the Saints intensified. Mobs burned their crops, destroyed their homes, whipped and beat the men, and terrorized the women and children.

Persecution in Missouri. The Saints were driven from their homes in Jackson County, Missouri.

On 4 November, near the Big Blue River, members of the mob began a battle against a small group of Latter-day Saint men and boys (Our Heritage, pages 42–43). During the next two days more than 1,000 Saints were driven from Jackson County in the bitter cold. Destitute, most of them crossed the Missouri River and found temporary refuge in Clay County. Read section "Refuge in Clay County" from Our Heritage, pages 43–44.

2. The Lord instructs the Saints who were driven from Jackson County.

Explain that as word of the troubles in Missouri reached Joseph Smith in Kirtland, he was deeply distressed. He prayed concerning the redemption of Zion and received the revelation that is now D&C 101.

• What reasons did the Lord give for allowing afflictions to come upon the Saints in Missouri?
  • D&C 101:2, 6; see also D&C 103:4.
  • D&C 101:4.
• For what purposes does the Lord chasten His people? (See D&C 95:1; 105:6; Helaman 12:3; Hebrews 12:11.) How is the Lord's chastening a demonstration of His love for us? How does the Lord's chastening help us learn obedience and remember Him? (See D&C 101:7–8.)
• Why do people sometimes forget God and disregard His counsel "in the day of their peace"?
• What can we do to help us be eager to follow God's counsel?
• How did the Lord show compassion for the Saints after chastening them?
• What experiences have you had in which you have felt the Lord's love and mercy in times of special need?
  • D&C 101:9
  • D&C 101:10
  • D&C 101:11–15
  • D&C 101:16–19
• Read D&C 101:35–38. What can we learn from these verses to help us keep our mortal life in proper perspective? How has a knowledge of the Lord's eternal promises helped you in times of trial?

3. Zion's Camp is organized and marches to Missouri.

After the Saints were driven from Jackson County, they petitioned Governor Daniel Dunklin of Missouri for assistance in restoring their homes and for protection. The governor expressed a willingness to help if the Saints would organize a group of men for their own protection.

In February 1834, Joseph Smith received word of this offer in Kirtland, Ohio. He responded by organizing a group of men to march nearly 1,000 miles to carry relief to the Saints in Missouri, help them return to their lands, and protect them afterward. The revelation giving directions for this expedition, which came to be known as Zion's Camp, is recorded in D&C 103.

Read the story of Zion's Camp from Our Heritage, pages 27–29 and 44–45. To see the distance between Kirtland and Missouri, refer to page 31 in the Class Member Study Guide.

• As directed by the Lord in D&C 103, Joseph Smith organized Zion's Camp to help the Saints in Jackson County regain their homes and lands. What was the outcome of Zion's Camp with regard to this purpose?
  
• When Brigham Young returned to Kirtland after Zion's Camp, he was asked, "What have you gained by this journey?" He replied, "Just what we went for; … I would not exchange the knowledge I have received this season for the whole of [this] County" (in Journal of Discourses, 2:10). What important purposes did Zion's Camp accomplish?
  
  While some people thought Zion's Camp was a failure, the accomplishment of these purposes was of great importance to the Church. Zion's Camp is an example of how God's purposes can be accomplished in ways that we may not understand at the time.

• How did the experience of Zion's Camp prepare future leaders of the Church?
  
  In February 1835, five months after the camp was disbanded, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Quorum of the Seventy were organized. Nine of the Twelve Apostles and all 70 members of the Quorum of the Seventy had served in Zion's Camp. Speaking of how the camp helped prepare these leaders, Joseph Smith said:
  
  "Brethren, some of you are angry with me, because you did not fight in Missouri; but let me tell you, God did not want you to fight. He could not organize His kingdom with twelve men to open the Gospel door to the nations of the earth, and with seventy men under their direction to follow in their tracks, unless He took them from a body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham" (History of the Church, 2:182).
  
  The experience of George A. Smith demonstrates how Zion's Camp prepared men for future leadership in the Church. At age 16, he was the youngest man in the camp, inexperienced and lacking confidence. Despite personal discomfort and the complaints of many men about the poor conditions, George willingly followed all of Joseph Smith's instructions. George slept in the Prophet's tent and was able to hear much of his counsel and instructions. By closely associating with the Prophet, George learned leadership skills and developed strength that prepared him for a lifetime of leadership. Less than five years after Zion's Camp, George A. Smith was ordained an Apostle. He later served with Brigham Young as a member of the First Presidency.
  
• What can we learn from the experiences of Zion's Camp that we can apply in our lives?
  
•  What were some of the trials associated with Zion's Camp? What can the experiences of Zion's Camp teach us about the purposes of trials in our lives? (See D&C 103:12.)
  
• What can we learn from Zion's Camp about obedience? (See D&C 103:7–10, 36.)
  
• What can we learn from Zion's Camp about sacrifice? (See D&C 103:27–28.) Why does the Lord require us to be willing to sacrifice all things for Him? How can we develop such a willingness? How can we show this willingness now?

4. The Lord reveals that His people must "wait for a little season for the redemption of Zion."

The Lord promised to redeem Zion and restore His people to their lands in Jackson County, Missouri. However, this promise was conditioned on the Saints' obedience (D&C 103:5–8, 11–14). Just as ancient Israel was not able to enter the promised land for 40 years because of their disobedience, the Lord revealed that modern Israel would have to "wait for a little season" for the redemption of Zion because of the disobedience and dissension of some Saints (D&C 105:9, 13).

• Read D&C 105:1–13. What are some of the requirements the Lord gave for the eventual establishment of Zion?
  1. The Saints must learn obedience (D&C 105:3, 6; see also verse D&C 105:37).
  2. They must care for the poor and needy (D&C 105:3).
  3. They must be "united according to the union required by the law of the celestial kingdom" (D&C 105:4; see also verse D&C 105:5).
  4. They must be taught more perfectly, gain more experience, and know their duties more perfectly (D&C 105:10).
  5. They must be endowed with power from on high (D&C 105:11–12; see also verse D&C 105:33).
     
     
• In D&C 105:38–40, the Lord counseled the Saints to seek peace, even with those who had persecuted them. He promised that in return, "all things shall work together for your good" (D&C 105:40). How have you been blessed as you have applied the counsel to seek peace?