Church History 1836-1838
Ready for the Old Testament?
Doctrine and Covenants 115-120
Conference Says
The Prophet's Talk
100
The Church at this time was kicked out of their homes in Kirtland, Ohio and ended up joining with the other saints at what location?
Far West Missouri - 1838
100
In his conference talk, Elder Soares referred to the story of the prophet Samuel and his mother’s faith. What was Samuel’s mother’s name?
Hannah
Elder Soares in his talk "Adorned with the Virtue of Temperance" emphasized her remarkable faith and gratitude, noting that “true spiritual strength is not expressed in impulsive reactions or haughty words, but in temperate, thoughtful attitudes aligned with the Lord’s wisdom.” What does he mean by this statement?
100
In his October 2018 General Conference talk, President Nelson emphasized something revealed in Doctrine and Covenants section 115 from this week’s reading. What was it?
The name of the church should be "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"
100
Fill in the blank. Elder Gary E. Stevenson said,
"_________ is a Christlike attribute. ___________ are sometimes labeled naive or weak—from all sides. Yet, to be a __________ is not to be weak but to be strong in a way that the world may not understand. __________ requires courage and compromise but does not require sacrifice of principle. ___________ is to lead with an open heart, not a closed mind. It is to approach one another with extended hands, not clenched fists. ___________ is not a new thing, hot off the press. It was taught by Jesus Christ Himself, both to those in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. ___________ has since been taught by modern-day prophets from the earliest days of the Restoration even to this day."
Peacemaking
Peacemaking is a Christlike attribute. Peacemakers are sometimes labeled naive or weak—from all sides. Yet, to be a peacemaker is not to be weak but to be strong in a way that the world may not understand. Peacemaking requires courage and compromise but does not require sacrifice of principle. Peacemaking is to lead with an open heart, not a closed mind. It is to approach one another with extended hands, not clenched fists. Peacemaking is not a new thing, hot off the press. It was taught by Jesus Christ Himself, both to those in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Peacemaking has since been taught by modern-day prophets from the earliest days of the Restoration even to this day.
100
Some may say, “But we have no time for any of that.” To find time to do what is truly worthwhile, many parents will find that they can turn their family on if they all turn their technologies off. And parents, remember, what those children really want for dinner is ____________.
Fill in the blank?
Time with you
Some may say, “But we have no time for any of that.” To find time to do what is truly worthwhile, many parents will find that they can turn their family on if they all turn their technologies off. And parents, remember, what those children really want for dinner is time with you.
200
What was the financial institution developed by Joseph Smith and Sydney Rigdon that triggered the apostasy of many members and the exodus of the saints from Kirtland, Ohio?
The Kirtland Safety Society
200
In conference, Jeffrey R. Holland’s son Matthew referred to the story of Jonah. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ uses Jonah’s story as a sign. Which specific part of Jonah’s experience does Jesus compare to His own mission?
Jesus compares Jonah being in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights to His own death, burial, and resurrection after three days.
Matthew Holland describes the experience of Jonah as the following:
"As a symbol of the Savior’s sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, Jonah may be flawed. But this is also what makes his personal witness of and commitment to Jesus Christ, offered in the belly of the whale, so poignant and inspiring.
Jonah’s cry is that of a good man in crisis, one largely of his own making. For a saint, when catastrophe is brought on by a regrettable habit, comment, or decision, despite so many other good intentions and earnest efforts of righteousness, it can be especially crushing and leave one feeling forsaken. But whatever the cause or degree of disaster we face, there is always dry ground for hope, healing, and happiness...
Though it was many years ago, I can tell you exactly where I was sitting and exactly what I was feeling when, deep in the belly of a personal hell, I discovered this scripture. For anyone today feeling like I did then—that you are cast off, sinking in deepest waters, with seaweed wrapped about your head and oceanic mountains crashing all around you—my plea, inspired by Jonah, is forsake not your own mercy. You have immediate access to divine help and healing despite your human flaws. This awe-inspiring mercy comes in and through Jesus Christ. Because He knows and loves you perfectly, He offers it to you as your “own,” meaning it is perfectly suited to you, designed to relieve your individual agonies and heal your particular pains."
200
What "law" did the Lord reveal in section 119 to address the financial needs of the church to "be a standing law unto them forever?"
Tithing
1 Verily, thus saith the Lord, I require all their surplus property to be put into the hands of the bishop of my church in Zion,
2 For the building of mine house, and for the laying of the foundation of Zion and for the priesthood, and for the debts of the Presidency of my Church.
3 And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people.
4 And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord.
200
Disciples of Christ who strive to cultivate this Christlike attribute become increasingly humble and full of love. A serene strength arises in them, and they become better capable of restraining anger, nurturing patience, and treating others with tolerance, respect, and dignity, even when the winds of adversity blow fiercely. They strive not to act impulsively but choose to act with spiritual wisdom, guided by meekness and the gentle influence of the Holy Spirit. In this way, they become less vulnerable to spiritual erosion.
Which Christ-like attribute is Elder Ulisses Soares referring to here?
Temperance
200
After President Oaks’s father passed away, who stepped into his life as a father figure?
His maternal grandfather
300
In Doctrine and Covenants section 118, Joseph Smith prophesied that on April 26, 1839, the twelve apostles would leave from his house in Far West, Missouri, to go on missions. Where did most of them serve their missions?
Great Britain
4 And next spring let them depart to go over the great waters, and there promulgate my gospel, the fulness thereof, and bear record of my name.
5 Let them take leave of my saints in the city of Far West, on the twenty-sixth day of April next, on the building-spot of my house, saith the Lord.
300
Elder Bednar taught that the creation of the world was ultimately done to give us agency. Besides the book of Genesis, in which book of scripture can the account of the creation periods also be found?
Moses 2-3 in the Pearl of Great Price
300
What were William Marks and Newel K. Whitney asked to do with the property of the church in section 117 of the Doctrine ad Covenants?
They were asked to turn them in for debts. The remainder were to be kept under their stewardship.
4 [Thus] saith the Lord; for what is property unto me? saith the Lord.
5 Let the properties of Kirtland be turned out for debts, saith the Lord. Let them go, saith the Lord, and whatsoever remaineth, let it remain in your hands, saith the Lord.
6 For have I not the fowls of heaven, and also the fish of the sea, and the beasts of the mountains? Have I not made the earth? Do I not hold the destinies of all the armies of the nations of the earth?
7 Therefore, will I not make solitary places to bud and to blossom, and to bring forth in abundance? saith the Lord.
8 Is there not room enough... that you should covet that which is but the drop, and neglect the more weighty matters?
300
Fill in the blank. Jeffrey R. Holland in his talk said:
“Another truth that is evident here are the instruments the Creator of heaven and earth and all that in them are used to provide this miracle: _____________! These very unlikely ingredients declare that God can bless us by whatever method He chooses.”
“The impact in my life of the Book of Mormon is no less miraculous than was the application of ___________ placed on the blind man’s eyes.”
Spit and a handful of dirt
Small and simple things allow God to produce miracles
300
In the United States we are suffering from a deterioration in [two areas]. What were the two specific areas mentioned?
1. Marriage
2. Child bearing
Besides spiritual implications, here are some social/temporal consequences of the declining birth rate in the USA:
1. Shrinking workforce causing decline in money to provide for elder population's social security and healthcare costs
2. Fewer entrepreneurs, fewer consumers, and less innovation overall
3. Rural areas face concern about school closures and ultimate decline in farming and agriculture
4. National security concerns with less people to recruit to the military
Many countries facing similar or worse fertility declines have experimented with pro-family and pro-birth policies. Here are some examples:
1. Financial Incentives
France: Offers generous child allowances, tax breaks for families, and subsidized childcare — one of the most successful models, keeping its fertility rate around 1.8.
Hungary: Provides tax exemptions for mothers with multiple children, low-interest home loans, and even student loan forgiveness for large families.
South Korea: Offers large cash bonuses for newborns, childcare subsidies, and housing support — though results have been limited due to work culture pressures.
2. Parental Leave and Workplace Flexibility
Sweden and Norway: Up to 480 days of paid parental leave, shared between parents, plus strong job protection and subsidized childcare.
Japan: Expanding paternity leave and encouraging companies to adopt family-friendly work practices to combat overwork culture.
3. Affordable Childcare and Housing
Singapore: Heavy government subsidies for childcare, education, and housing for married couples, alongside “baby bonuses.”
Germany: Improved access to childcare and after-school programs has slightly increased its fertility rate in recent years.
4. Cultural and Social Campaigns
Some nations also run public campaigns to normalize family life and counter the stigma around having children or marrying young (e.g., Japan, China, Italy).
400
Who was the individual asked to settle the financial affairs of the church and debts that they had accumulated? Hint, he was told that his name would be "held in sacred remembrance from generation to generation, forever and ever.”
Oliver Granger
Elder Packer said,
“Oliver Granger was a very ordinary man. He was mostly blind having ‘lost his sight by cold and exposure’. The First Presidency described him as ‘a man of the most strict integrity and moral virtue; and in fine, to be a man of God’ (History of the Church, 3:350).
“When the Saints were driven from Kirtland, Ohio, in a scene that would be repeated in Independence, Far West, and in Nauvoo, Oliver was left behind to sell their properties for what little he could. There was not much chance that he could succeed. And, really, he did not succeed! …
“The Lord did not expect Oliver to be perfect, perhaps not even to succeed. ‘When he falls he shall rise again, for his sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than his increase, saith the Lord’ (D&C 117:13).
“We cannot always expect to succeed, but we should try the best we can. …
He was not a great man in terms of the world. Nevertheless, the Lord said, ‘Let no man despise my servant Oliver Granger, but let the blessings … be on him forever and ever’ (D&C 117:15).
“Let no one underestimate the power of faith in the ordinary Latter-day Saints” (“The Least of These,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2004, 86, 88).
400
Elder Christofferson referred to the story of the serpent that was lifted to heal the Israelites from snake bites. What material was this serpent made of?
Brass
Elder Christofferson said, "The Lord told Moses to make a figure of a serpent and lift it on a pole, with the promise “that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” Alma explained that the brass figure was a type or symbol of Christ, who would be lifted up upon the cross. Many did look and live, but others were, in Alma’s words, “so hardened” that they simply would not look and perished."
What are some differences between the brass serpent and golden calf that were made?
400
What is the historical significance of Adam-ondi-Ahman?
The place where Adam had called together his posterity three years before his death to bestow blessings upon them.
400
Who said the following during conference?
"Simply put, discipleship takes self-discipline.
It is not a casual endeavor, and it doesn’t happen by accident.
Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift, but receiving it is a conscious choice that requires a commitment of all our “might, mind and strength.” It is a practice of every day. Every hour. It takes constant learning and determined commitment. Our faith, which is our loyalty to the Savior, becomes stronger as it is tested against the opposition we face here in mortality. It endures because we keep nourishing it, we keep actively applying it, and we never give up."
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf
400
The Church of Jesus Christ is sometimes known as a family-centered church. It is! Our relationship to God and the purpose of our mortal life are explained in terms of the _________.
Fill in the blank?
Family
What does this mean to you?
"The Church of Jesus Christ is sometimes known as a family-centered church. It is! Our relationship to God and the purpose of our mortal life are explained in terms of the family...
We can truly say that the gospel plan was first taught to us in the council of an eternal family, it is implemented through our mortal families, and its intended destiny is to exalt the children of God in eternal families."
500
During the Kirtland period of 1837–1838, several apostles left the Church. A few apostles were then called to replace them, and some of these later became prophets. Can you name one of these apostles?
John Taylor
Wilford Woodruff
The apostles that left included: Thomas B Marsh, John F. Boynton, Luke Johnson, Lyman Johnson, and William E. McLellin.
500
In the October General Conference, Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus spoke about the woman of Shunem, who showed kindness and hospitality. To whom did she specifically extend hospitality in this story?
Elisha
"The woman says, “Now, I perceive.” It seems she invited Elisha to her house without knowing he was the prophet; she received her testimony through the Holy Ghost by listening carefully to what Elisha said and taught.
The Lord testified to the woman of Shunem that Elisha was a prophet of God, and she acted by opening her house to receive him.
We too can receive a personal testimony of God’s prophets today and open our hearts and minds—our house—to the message that our Heavenly Father has for us in these latter days.
Dear youth, I invite you to ask yourself this question: “Do I have a personal testimony of God’s living prophets?”
500
In Doctrine and Covenants section 115, what does the Lord describe as 'a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth'?
The gathering together upon the land of Zion, [in] her stakes
The Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–1844) explained why the Lord has gathered His people in every dispensation: “What was the object of gathering the … people of God in any age of the world? … The main object was to build unto the Lord a house whereby He could reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation; for there are certain ordinances and principles that, when they are taught and practiced, must be done in a place or house built for that purpose” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007],
500
At the beginning of her talk on 'Cheering Each Other On,' Sister J. Anette Dennis, First Counselor in the Relief Society, shared a story. What was the story about?"
The USA Masters Track and Field National Championship—a competition for seniors.
One of the participants in the 1,500-meter event was 100-year-old Orville Rogers. Although he was last in every event he competed in, he broke 5 world records that day.
As he finished each race, the crowd would cheer loudly for him to complete the race. Even though he didn't win, he won based on his criteria.
500
In today’s urban society, few members experience consistent family-centered activities. Urban living and modern transportation, organized entertainment, and high-speed communication have made it easy for youth to treat their homes as __________________, where they sleep and take an occasional meal but where there is far less parental direction of their activities.
Boardinghouses
"In today’s urban society, few members experience consistent family-centered activities. Urban living and modern transportation, organized entertainment, and high-speed communication have made it easy for youth to treat their homes as boardinghouses, where they sleep and take an occasional meal but where there is far less parental direction of their activities.
Parental influences have also been diluted by the way in which most current members of the Church earn a living. In times past, one of the great influences that unified families was the experience of struggling together in pursuit of a common goal—such as taming the wilderness or earning a living. The family was an organized and conducted unit of economic production. Today, most families are units of economic consumption, which do not require a high degree of family organization and cooperation."