The following summary of the events, doctrines, and principles students learned about as they studied Doctrine and Covenants 101:43–101; 102–105 (unit 22) is not intended to be taught as part of your lesson. The lesson you teach concentrates on only a few of these doctrines and principles. Follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit as you consider the needs of your students.
Students studied three parables the Lord used to teach the Saints His will concerning the redemption of Zion. As they studied, students learned the following principles: through temple work, righteous living, and following the prophets, we prepare to withstand the adversary; when we obey the Lord’s commandments, we are strengthened to withstand spiritual and physical enemies; as we gather to the temple, we receive protection and prepare ourselves for eternal life; and God has given us agency, the power to choose, but we are accountable for our choices.
As students studied the Lord’s instructions regarding the redemption of Zion, they identified blessings we receive when we are obedient to the Lord’s commandments and consequences that occur when we are not obedient. Students also learned that disciples of Jesus Christ are willing to give their lives for His sake and that all victory and glory is brought to pass unto us through our diligence, faithfulness, and prayers of faith.
From the Lord’s instructions to reorganize the United Firm (often called the United Order), students learned that the Lord created the earth and that all things in it are His. They identified the principle that we are accountable to use what the Lord has given us to help others. Students also learned about blessings we can receive from being humble and faithful and calling upon the Lord’s name.
After Zion’s Camp arrived in Missouri, the Lord revealed that Zion would not be redeemed at that time. From the Lord’s instructions to the Saints, students learned the following principles: we must be united and obedient to all that God asks in order for Zion to be built up; God has prepared great blessings for those who are faithful through their trials; and if we seek to establish peace with others, then all things will work together for our good. The Lord’s timetable is often different from our own.
Introduction
This lesson will help students apply the lessons of Zion’s Camp in their own lives.
The Lord reveals what the Saints are to do regarding the struggles in the land of Zion
Before class, obtain a paper cup, a rubber band, and three pieces of string. The circumference of the rubber band must be smaller than the circumference of the cup. Tie the pieces of string to the rubber band at equal intervals.
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paper cup, rubber band, string
Begin the lesson by asking for three volunteers. Place the cup on a flat surface, and instruct the volunteers to pick up the cup using only the rubber band and strings. Tell them that they cannot touch the rubber band; they must hold the pieces of string. (To accomplish this task, students will need to work together and pull simultaneously on each of the strings with equal force in order to expand the rubber band enough to place it around the cup and then to lift it.)
After the students have completed this activity, ask the following question:
What role did unity play in accomplishing this task?
Remind students that during their studies this past week, they had the opportunity to study revelations from the Lord pertaining to Zion’s Camp and its mission to help the exiled Saints in Zion. Encourage students to look for the role unity played in the Saints’ attempts to reclaim the land of Zion throughout the lesson today.
Invite students to recount the story of Zion’s Camp, based on what they learned in their studies of Doctrine and Covenants 103 and 105. The following questions could be asked to help students as they review what they learned:
Why did the Saints in Zion (Jackson County, Missouri) need help? (They had been forced off their land by mobs.)
What was Zion’s Camp? (A group of just over 200 men, 12 women, and 9 children—volunteers and recruits—led by the Prophet Joseph Smith and organized in obedience to the Lord’s instructions.)
What was the original purpose of Zion’s Camp? (To take needed resources to the exiled Saints in Missouri and to assist them in reclaiming their land in Jackson County.)
Remind students that the revelation contained in Doctrine and Covenants 105 was given on June 22, 1834, after Zion’s Camp had been traveling for nearly seven weeks and was only 10–20 miles (about 15–30 kilometers) from Jackson County. Ask the class if anyone can recall the instruction the Lord gave at this time to Zion’s Camp regarding the redemption of Zion. (They were to wait to help the exiled Saints reclaim the land of Zion. If students need help remembering this detail, invite them to scan Doctrine and Covenants 105:9.)
Invite a student to read Doctrine and Covenants 105:3–9 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, reviewing some of the reasons the Lord gave for the delay of the redemption of Zion.
What reasons did the Lord give for not restoring the Saints to their lands and homes in Zion at that time?
What principle can we learn from these verses about what we must we do to build up Zion? (Students may suggest a variety of principles, but help them identify the following: We must be united and obedient to all that God asks in order for Zion to be built up. You may want to write this principle on the board.)
To help students better understand this principle, invite a student to read the following statement by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Ask the class to listen for Elder Christofferson’s explanation of what Zion is and what must happen for it to be established.
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Elder D. Todd Christofferson
“Zion is both a place and a people. …
“Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens. Remember, ‘the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them’ (Moses 7:18). If we would establish Zion in our homes, branches, wards, and stakes, we must rise to this standard. It will be necessary (1) to become unified in one heart and one mind; (2) to become, individually and collectively, a holy people; and (3) to care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us. We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen—Zion will come only as they happen” (“Come to Zion,” Ensign and Liahona, Nov. 2008, 37, 38).
Consider asking some of the following questions to help students deepen their understanding of Zion:
What is Zion?
What must happen for Zion to be established?
Why do you think unity and obedience are required for Zion to be built up?
What can you do to strengthen unity in your families, Church classes, or quorums? How can you encourage others in these groups to be united and obedient to the Lord?
How will doing these things help you and others establish Zion?
What experiences have helped you understand the importance of unity within a group?
Invite students to think of one thing they can do to strengthen the unity in their families or in their Church classes or quorums. Ask students to discuss with a partner what they will do. Testify of the importance of being unified and obedient as we seek to accomplish the Lord’s purposes.
Explain that the Lord concluded the revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 105 by instructing the Saints on how they should respond to their enemies. Invite a student to read Doctrine and Covenants 105:38–41 aloud. Ask the class to follow along and select a phrase from the verses that summarizes what the Lord directed the Saints to do in response to their oppressors. Then ask students to explain why they selected the phrases they did.
Based on the Lord’s teachings in these verses, what blessing can come if we seek to establish peace with others? (Consider inviting students to mark words and phrases that teach the following principle: If we seek to establish peace with others, then all things will work together for our good.)
What blessings have you seen come as you or someone you know sought to be a peacemaker?
Encourage students to seek to establish peace in their interactions with others.
Ask students if they have ever wondered what happens to people who die without being baptized or without hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Explain that in the next unit, they will find answers to that question. They will also learn about the original name of the Melchizedek Priesthood and the functions of priesthood offices.