Doctrine and Covenants 30
Doctrine and Covenants Section 30 . 1–4, David Whitmer is chastened for failure to serve diligently; 5–8, Peter Whitmer Jr. is to accompany Oliver Cowdery on a mission to the Lamanites; 9–11, John Whitmer is called to preach the gospel.
I should focus more on the things of God than the things of the earth.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Doctrine and Covenants 2025 and Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 30–36”
- Read Doctrine and Covenants 30:1 together, and ask the children to summarize, in their own words, the counsel the Lord gave David Whitmer. In what ways might we sometimes “fear man,” or worry what others might think, instead of doing what we know we should?
Friend February 2017 “Conference Cards” Handout that says, ““The only opinion of us that matters is what our Heavenly Father thinks of us.”
Ask the children to try to do two tasks at once, such as reciting the words to a favorite song while writing down the names of all their family members. Ask them why it was hard to focus on the first task. What are some “things of the earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 30:2) that can distract us from remembering Jesus Christ and His gospel? How can we keep our focus on Him rather than on less important things?
Friend August 2018 “Soccer and Sundays” When we try to live the gospel and put the most important things first, we are blessed! Follow the path of scriptures to help the boy get to church.
Two Stories of people who believed the gospel was worth more than the things of the world.
Parley and Thankful Pratt
Sidney and Phebe Rigdon
For the Strength of Youth April 2021 “To Do the Will of God”
How are we doing as a family at focusing on the things of God rather than “the things of the earth”?
Latter Day Kids “Letting Go of Worldly Things” Lesson ideas
Doctrine and Covenants 31-33
Doctrine and Covenants Section 31 Thomas B. Marsh had been baptized earlier in the month and had been ordained an elder in the Church before this revelation was given. 1–6, Thomas B. Marsh is called to preach the gospel and is assured of his family’s well-being; 7–13, He is counseled to be patient, pray always, and follow the Comforter.
Doctrine and Covenants Section 32 Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Parley P. Pratt and Ziba Peterson, in Manchester, New York, early October 1830. Great interest and desires were felt by the elders respecting the Lamanites, of whose predicted blessings the Church had learned from the Book of Mormon. In consequence, supplication was made that the Lord would indicate His will as to whether elders should be sent at that time to the Indian tribes in the West. The revelation followed. 1–3, Parley P. Pratt and Ziba Peterson are called to preach to the Lamanites and to accompany Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer Jr.; 4–5, They are to pray for an understanding of the scriptures.
Doctrine and Covenants Section 33 Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Ezra Thayre and Northrop Sweet, at Fayette, New York, October 1830. In introducing this revelation, Joseph Smith’s history affirms that “the Lord … is ever ready to instruct such as diligently seek in faith.” 1–4, Laborers are called to declare the gospel in the eleventh hour; 5–6, The Church is established, and the elect are to be gathered; 7–10, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; 11–15, The Church is built upon the gospel rock; 16–18, Prepare for the coming of the Bridegroom.
First Missionaries in the Church
Doctrine and Covenants 33:2–3, 6–10
Scatter the small pictures of people or papers with names around the room. Ask for a volunteer. When you say “go,” have the volunteer gather as many “people” (pictures or pieces of paper) as possible in a specified amount of time (about five seconds, or the amount of time it takes the other children to count slowly to five). Count how many people the child was able to gather.
Ask the children if more people could be gathered if the child had help. Scatter the pictures or papers around the room again, and ask for a second volunteer. Have the two children gather as many people as possible in the same amount of time as before. Count how many people the two children were able to gather.
- How many people did one child gather? How many people did two children gather?
- How many people do you think could be gathered if the whole class worked together?
Explain that after the Book of Mormon had been printed and the Church was organized, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ wanted everyone to hear the gospel and have the opportunity to become a member of the Church.
Help the children look up Doctrine and Covenants 133:37, and ask a child to read the verse aloud. Explain that this verse is part of a revelation given to Joseph Smith in 1831, the year after the Church was organized.
- To whom does the gospel need to be preached?
- How long do you think it would take for one person to teach the gospel to everyone on the earth?
Explain that Joseph Smith knew it would be impossible for him to teach the gospel to everyone by himself. He needed others to help him. Just as two children were able to gather more pictures (or pieces of paper) than one child was, more members of the Church working to share the gospel would be able to teach more people than Joseph alone could teach.
Friend April 2017 “First Missionaries”
Samuel Smith
Doctrine and Covenants Scripture Stories “Samuel Smith’s Mission” Images and video
Set up a row of dominoes (or similar items such as thin blocks of wood, slender boxes, or small books). Place them on end just far enough apart so that if one is knocked down, it will knock down the next one. As you knock the first domino down, ask the children to observe the chain reaction. Call attention to the effect of one domino upon all the others. Explain that we too may affect the lives of others in a chain reaction. By sharing the gospel with even one person, we sometimes touch the lives of many others. (You may want to remind the children of how Samuel Smith sold a Book of Mormon to Phineas Young, who gave it to his brother Brigham, who passed it on yet again. Samuel Smith’s small action of selling one Book of Mormon affected many people.)
Parley P. Pratt had been a member of the Church for about a month when he was called “into the wilderness” to preach the gospel (Doctrine and Covenants 32:2). Thomas B. Marsh had been a member for even less time than that when he was told, “The hour of your mission is come” (Doctrine and Covenants 31:3). Orson Pratt, Edward Partridge, and many others had likewise barely been baptized when their mission calls came. Perhaps this timing was all of necessity—in the fall of 1830, no one had been a member of the Church for more than six months. But there’s also a lesson in this pattern for us today: if you know enough to accept the restored gospel by baptism, you know enough to share it with others. Of course we always want to increase our gospel knowledge, but God has never hesitated to call upon the “unlearned” to preach His gospel (Doctrine and Covenants 35:13). In fact, He invites all of us, “Open your mouth to declare my gospel” (Doctrine and Covenants 30:5). And we do that best not through our own wisdom and experience but “by the power of [the] Spirit” (Doctrine and Covenants 35:13).
Friend April 2021 “Missionaries Shared the Gospel”
Friend April 2025 “Lucy Finds the Truth”
Mission to the Lamanites
Doctrine and Covenant Stories “A Mission to the Lamanites” Images and video
Doctrine and Covenants Coloring Book “Missionaries Called to the American Indian Nations”
Was the mission to the Lamanites a failure?
When Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Jr., Parley P. Pratt, and Ziba Peterson set out to preach to the American Indians west of Missouri, they believed they were fulfilling Book of Mormon prophecies about the Lamanites receiving the gospel in the latter days (see, for example, 1 Nephi 13:34–41; Enos 1:11–18). And yet by the end of their mission, even though they had positive encounters with some groups, they had not baptized a single American Indian. But they had baptized over a hundred people near Kirtland, Ohio, where they had stopped along the way to Missouri. Among those converts were future influential Church leaders, including Sidney Rigdon, and Kirtland later became an important gathering place for the Church. What does this experience teach you about how the Lord accomplishes His work? (Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 30–36”)
See also “A Mission to the Lamanites,” Revelations in Context,45–49.
Invite a ward member to learn about one of the missionaries called in Doctrine and Covenants 30–34 and to share with the children what they learned (see “Voices of the Restoration: Early Converts” in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families or “The Faith and Fall of Thomas Marsh,” “Ezra Thayer: From Skeptic to Believer,” “Orson Pratt’s Call to Serve,” Revelations in Context, 54–69).
I can share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Doctrine and Covenants 2025 and Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 30–36”
Doctrine and Covenants 33:2–3, 6–10
- To help your children understand Doctrine and Covenants 33:8–10, you could invite them to try to say a phrase like “God loves you” with their mouths closed (or say a phrase with their mouths closed while you or your other children guess what they are saying. Point out that we can’t teach people about the gospel if we don’t open our mouths.
- Read verses 8–10 and invite the children to open their mouths every time they hear the phrase “open your mouths.” Why does Heavenly Father want us to open our mouths and share the gospel with others? What can we tell our family and friends about the Savior or His gospel? You could also sing a song about sharing the gospel, such as “We’ll Bring the World His Truth” (Children’s Songbook, 172–73).
- Share some of your experiences sharing the gospel, including experiences in your daily life, or invite missionaries, a returned missionary, or someone preparing for a mission to share his or her enthusiasm for missionary work.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 30–36”
- Whisper something very quietly to the children, such as “Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God,” and ask them to repeat what you said. Then say the same phrase in a louder voice. Read Doctrine and Covenants 33:2. Help the children understand that “lift[ing] up [our] voices” means to not be afraid to tell others about Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, and other gospel truths.
- Draw a large mouth on the board, and help the children find in Doctrine and Covenants 33:8–10 the Lord’s promises to us when we open our mouths to share the gospel. Let the children write these promises on the board, and help them understand what these promises mean. Ask each child to write inside the mouth a gospel truth they can share with others.
- Consider sharing experiences you’ve had related to the principles or promises in Doctrine and Covenants 30–34. What did you learn or feel about your Savior and His work as you served Him? (The sheaves [grain] in this analogy represent newly baptized members of the Church.)
- Show a picture of a trumpet, and talk about what it means to preach the gospel “as with the sound of a trump.” How do we “lift up” our voices? (Doctrine and Covenants 33:2; 34:6).
Come Follow Me Kid Make a trumpet and talk about gospel truths we could share with others. (See more teaching ideas at link.
Sing a song about sharing the gospel, such as “I Want to Be a Missionary Now” (Children’s Songbook, 168). Help the children think of ways they can help other people learn about Jesus Christ.
Friend April 2021 “I Can Share the Gospel” Coloring Page
As you read the Lord’s promises to Thomas B. Marsh about his family, you could talk about the blessings that have come to your family because of missionary work. You could also sing a related hymn, such as “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go” (Hymns, no. 270). How has your family been blessed by sharing the gospel with others?
See also Missionary and Resources by Topic: Missionary Work
I can build my life on the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Doctrine and Covenants 33:12–17
- Show the children a picture of the foundation of a building, and ask them to describe it. Why does a building need a strong, solid foundation? Read with the children Doctrine and Covenants 33:12–13, and explain that the Lord wants us to build our lives on His gospel. Help the children think of some ways they can build their lives on the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Give the children some objects that they can use to build a tower, such as blocks or plastic cups. Label each object with a picture representing things the Lord said in Doctrine and Covenants 33:14–17. Invite the children to build a tower as you talk with them about how these things help us build our lives on Jesus Christ’s gospel.
- Help the children to read Doctrine and Covenants 33:12–17 and find things we can do to build our lives on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Invite the children to draw a picture of something they find, and let them guess what each other’s pictures are portraying.
Friend August 2020 “A Strong Foundation” We need to build our foundation on the gospel Jesus Christ. When we do, we will be able to withstand hard things in life.
Sing “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man“
Doctrine and Covenants 34
Doctrine and Covenants Section 34 Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Orson Pratt, at Fayette, New York, November 4, 1830. Brother Pratt was nineteen years old at the time. He had been converted and baptized when he first heard the preaching of the restored gospel by his older brother, Parley P. Pratt, six weeks before. This revelation was received in the Peter Whitmer Sr. home. 1–4, The faithful become the sons of God through the Atonement; 5–9, The preaching of the gospel prepares the way for the Second Coming; 10–12, Prophecy comes by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Doctrine and Covenants 35
Doctrine and Covenants Section 35 Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon, at or near Fayette, New York, December 7, 1830. At this time, the Prophet was engaged almost daily in making a translation of the Bible. The translation was begun as early as June 1830, and both Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer had served as scribes. Since they had now been called to other duties, Sidney Rigdon was called by divine appointment to serve as the Prophet’s scribe in this work (see verse 20). As a preface to the record of this revelation, Joseph Smith’s history states: “In December Sidney Rigdon came [from Ohio] to inquire of the Lord, and with him came Edward Partridge. … Shortly after the arrival of these two brethren, thus spake the Lord.”
Sidney and Phebe Rigdon
Doctrine and Covenants 36
Doctrine and Covenants Section 36 Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Edward Partridge, near Fayette, New York, December 9, 1830 (see the heading to section 35). Joseph Smith’s history states that Edward Partridge “was a pattern of piety, and one of the Lord’s great men.” 1–3, The Lord lays His hand upon Edward Partridge by the hand of Sidney Rigdon; 4–8, Every man who receives the gospel and the priesthood is to be called to go forth and preach.
Edward Partridge
Additional Resources:
See also Historical Resources “Doctrine and Covenants 30-36”
- Doctrine and Covenants Historical Resources: Parley P. Pratt
- Sidney Rigdon
- Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible
Thomas B. Marsh
When Thomas B. Marsh was a young adult, he studied the Bible and joined a Christian church. But he was unsatisfied, finally withdrawing from all churches. “I had a measure of the spirit of prophecy,” he said, “and told [a religious leader] that I expected a new church would arise, which would have the truth in its purity.” Not long after this, Thomas had a spiritual prompting to leave his home in Boston, Massachusetts, and travel west. After spending three months in western New York without finding what he was looking for, he started for home. On the way, a woman asked Thomas if he had heard about “the Golden Book found by a youth named Joseph Smith.” Captivated by this thought, Thomas immediately traveled to Palmyra and met Martin Harris at the printing shop, just as the first 16 pages of the Book of Mormon were coming off the press. Thomas was allowed to take a copy of those 16 pages, and he brought them home to his wife, Elizabeth. “She was well pleased” with the book, he recalled, “believing it to be the work of God.” Thomas and Elizabeth later moved to New York with their children and were baptized. (For more information about Thomas B. Marsh, see Doctrine and Covenants 31.) Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Doctrine and Covenants 2021 “Doctrine and Covenants 30–36”
The Red Crystal Lesson ideas
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