Doctrine and Covenants 122

Doctrine and Covenants 122

Historical Context

Doctrine and Covenants 122 contains excerpts from a letter written in two parts from Liberty Jail by Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Caleb Baldwin, Alexander McRae, and Lyman Wight (see the historical context for Doctrine and Covenants 121). The text found in Doctrine and Covenants 122 is found on pages 3–4 of the second part of the letter and immediately follows without interruption the part of the letter that was excerpted as Doctrine and Covenants 121:34–36.

The revelatory part of the letter that is now featured in Doctrine and Covenants 122 may have come in partial response to the early release of Sidney Rigdon, who was allowed to leave the jail in early February 1839. The stay in Liberty Jail took a heavy physical toll on Sidney, who was much older than the other prisoners. When Sidney was brought to trial, he spoke eloquently about the sufferings the men in Liberty Jail had endured. Alexander Doniphan, serving as one of their attorneys, later said, “Such a burst of eloquence it was never my fortune to listen to, at its close there was a not a dry eye in the room, all were moved to tears.”1 Because of his failing health, Sidney was allowed to be released early. During his periods of melancholy in the jail, he was heard to mutter, “The sufferings of Jesus Christ were a fool to [mine].”2

The Savior’s words in this part of the letter may have come in response to the despair felt by Joseph and his companions as they continued to languish in the jail after Sidney was released. The Savior assures them that “the Son of Man hath descended below them all” (D&C 122:8) and that their sufferings “shall be for thy good” (D&C 122:7).

See “Historical Introduction,” Letter to the Church and Edward Partridge, 20 March 1839, JSP.

See “Historical Introduction,” Letter to Edward Partridge and the Church, circa 22 March 1839, JSP.

Verse-by-Verse Commentary

D&C 122:1–4

1 The ends of the earth shall inquire after thy name, and fools shall have thee in derision, and hell shall rage against thee;

2 While the pure in heart, and the wise, and the noble, and the virtuous, shall seek counsel, and authority, and blessings constantly from under thy hand.

3 And thy people shall never be turned against thee by the testimony of traitors.

4 And although their influence shall cast thee into trouble, and into bars and walls, thou shalt be had in honor; and but for a small moment and thy voice shall be more terrible in the midst of thine enemies than the fierce lion, because of thy righteousness; and thy God shall stand by thee forever and ever.

In a time filled with discouragement, the Lord takes a moment to share His own testimony of the importance of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. While the Church of Jesus Christ is Christ’s Church, Joseph Smith was the Prophet chosen to open the last dispensation. Even though Joseph had flaws and imperfections, we have an obligation to testify, as the Lord did, of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Lord declares that He will stand by Joseph (D&C 122:4), and so must the Latter-day Saints.

President David O. McKay said, “Since childhood it has been very easy for me to believe in the reality of the visions of the Prophet Joseph Smith.”3 President McKay’s testimony of Joseph Smith was built on the foundation of the witness of the Prophet shared by his father, Thomas McKay. As a young missionary in Scotland, Thomas McKay experienced severe opposition whenever he shared his testimony of Joseph Smith. “One day he concluded that the best way to reach these people would be to preach just the simple principles, the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, the first principles of the gospel, and not bear testimony of the restoration,” President McKay later shared.4

As the weeks stretched on, Thomas continued to become more and more discouraged. He eventually reached a point when he determined that if he could not rid himself of his feelings of gloominess, it might be better if he returned home. Seeking guidance from God, he went to a cave near the seashore to plead with God to remove the feelings of depression he was struggling with. He pleaded, “Oh, Father, what can I do to have this feeling removed? I must have it lifted or I cannot continue in this work.” President McKay said his father “heard a voice, as distinct as the tone I am now uttering, say, ‘Testify that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God.’ Remembering then what he tacitly had decided six weeks or more before, and becoming overwhelmed with the thought, the whole thing came to him in a realization that he was there for a special mission, and he had not given that special mission the attention it deserved. Then he cried in his heart, ‘Lord, it is enough,’ and went out from the cave.”5

President McKay later wrote, “As a boy, I sat and heard that testimony from one whom I treasured and honored as you know I treasured no other man in the world, and that assurance was instilled in my youthful soul.”6 Just as Thomas McKay learned, the Lord emphasizes the importance of Latter-day Saints sharing their testimony of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

D&C 122:5–7

5 If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;

6 If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;

7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

The events described in Doctrine and Covenants 122:5–7 are all literal events that happened to Joseph Smith. Nothing here is hypothetical. Joseph was betrayed by false brethren (D&C 122:5) such as George Hinkle, who turned him over to the Missouri militia. Joseph was also falsely accused (D&C 122:6) by many former Church members who swore out affidavits against the Prophet. He was ripped from the society of his family, including his eldest son, who pleaded for Joseph’s life (D&C 122:6). The Prophet was cast into a pit (D&C 122:7) and endured terrible conditions while being held in Independence, Richmond, and Liberty, Missouri.

Lyman Wight, who was in Liberty Jail alongside Joseph, witnessed the heart-wrenching separation of the prisoners from their families in Far West:

About the hour the prisoners were to have been shot on the public square in Far West, they were exhibited in a wagon in the town, all of them having families there, but myself; and it would have broken the heart of any person possessing an ordinary share of humanity, to have seen the separation. The aged father and mother of Joseph Smith were not permitted to see his face, but to reach their hands through the curtains of the wagon, and thus take leave of him. When passing his own house, he was taken out of the wagon and permitted to go into the house, but not without a strong guard, and not permitted to speak with his family but in the presence of his guard[,] and his eldest son, Joseph, about six or eight years old, hanging to the tail of his coat, crying “Father, is the mob going to kill you?” The guard said to him, “You damned little brat, go back, you will see your father no more.” The prisoners then set out for Jackson County, accompanied by Generals Lucas and Wilson, and about three hundred troops for a guard.7

As terrible as these trials were, the Lord in verse 7 repeats His earlier lesson (D&C 121): trials can be a sanctifying and purifying experience for those who endure them well. President Henry B. Eyring taught, “You might reasonably wonder why a loving and all-powerful God allows our mortal test to be so hard. It is because He knows that we must grow in spiritual cleanliness and stature to be able to live in His presence in families forever. To make that possible, Heavenly Father gave us a Savior and the power to choose for ourselves by faith to keep His commandments and to repent and so come unto Him.”8

Every person eventually encounters some unfair and unkind treatment. Elder Dale G. Renlund provides counsel for how we should respond when faced with this “infuriating unfairness.” He taught, “Do not let unfairness harden you or corrode your faith in God. Instead, ask God for help. Increase your appreciation for and reliance on the Savior. Rather than becoming bitter, let Him help you become better. Allow Him to help you persevere, to let your afflictions be “swallowed up in the joy of Christ.” Join Him in His mission ‘to heal the brokenhearted,’ strive to mitigate unfairness, and become a stonecatcher.”9

D&C 122:8–9

8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

9 Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.

In verses 8–9, the Savior exercises a power He gained through experience. His empathy for our own trials comes from the suffering He experienced during His atoning sacrifice. The Prophet Alma testified, “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:11–12).

Only Jesus Christ knows the depth of suffering that every human being has or will experience. He knows every spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical pain that a person will endure, and He knows how to provide comfort and solace in the midst of our sufferings.

The Lord’s statement to the Prophet that “thy years are known” was most likely meant as a comfort. The Prophet’s mission was difficult and filled with suffering, but the Savior was offering His assurance that Joseph’s mission was not yet at an end. The Prophet knew his days were numbered, but he also had faith that the Lord would allow him to complete his mission. In a discourse given a year before his martyrdom, Joseph Smith taught, “I know what I say, I understand my mission & business[.] God Almighty is my shield & what can man do if God is my friend[?] I shall not be sacrificed until my time comes[,] then I shall be offered freely.”10

Footnotes

• 1. Richard Van Wagoner, Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess, 1994, 254.
• 2. Van Wagoner, Sidney Rigdon, 254; JS History, vol. C-1, p. 886, JSP.
• 3. David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals, 1953, 524.
• 4. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 2003, 91.
• 5. Teachings: David O. McKay, 91.
• 6. Teachings: David O. McKay, 91.
• 7. Quoted in JS History, vol. D-1, p. 1636, JSP.
• 8. Henry B. Eyring, “Tested, Proved, and Polished,” October 2020 General Conference.
• 9. Dale G. Renlund, “Infuriating Unfairness,” April 2021 General Conference.
• 10. Discourse, 22 January 1843, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff, p. 9, JSP.