Blessed Is He That Keepeth My Commandments
As you teach lesson 63 in the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History manual, help your students realize that we will be blessed by remaining faithful throughout trials and being steadfastly obedient to God’s commandments. The Saints went through many trials as they began to settle in Independence, Missouri. Through their faithfulness and obedience, God promised them eternal rewards that would be greater as they remained faithful in their tribulations: “For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:2).
Help your students understand that by faithfully obeying the commandments, we can receive immeasurable blessings. It is by daily obedience that we are led to eternal rewards. When the Saints first made it to Independence, Missouri, they were disappointed with what was there. A lone prairie with few trees, the place seemed far from the ideals of Zion. Many Saints sacrificed to be there, traveling long distances and leaving behind family and possessions. But they did it because they were commanded to, and they knew that it was God’s will to settle in Independence, Missouri. (See Matthew McBride, “Ezra Booth and Isaac Morley: D&C 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 71, 73,” Revelations in Context series, Apr. 24, 2015, history.lds.org.)
While the Saints struggled through their trials and tribulations, they also knew that great rewards awaited them. Some of the Saints’ trials and tribulations in Independence, Missouri, are described in Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, Volume 1: The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846. In chapter 12, Lydia Partridge’s faith and obedience is highlighted as she prepares to move to Independence: “[She] had no desire to turn her back on the Lord’s command to build Zion. She knew abandoning her fine home would be a trial, but she believed it would be an honor to help lay the foundation of the city of God” (Saints, Volume 1 [2018], 135).
As the Lord revealed His plan for a temple, a house of God, the Saints could see that their obedience and faithfulness would be rewarded.
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) said: “The happiness of the Latter-day Saints, the peace of the Latter-day Saints, the progress of the Latter-day Saints, the prosperity of the Latter-day Saints, and the eternal salvation and exaltation of this people lie in walking in obedience to the counsels of … God” (“If Ye Be Willing and Obedient,” Ensign, Dec. 1971, 125). We can all find happiness, peace, progress, prosperity, and salvation by keeping to the covenant path.
Invite Students to Share
Encourage your students to ponder how their faithfulness and obedience to God’s commandments has blessed them now or will bless them in the future. Testify that the trials and tribulations they go through now will reveal blessings in their lives and in the kingdom of heaven. Remind them that we can find joy in our tribulations by being faithful and obedient. Then invite them to share their testimony on social media. Encourage them to challenge their friends to participate in the conversation by answering the following questions:
- How have you been blessed by keeping the commandments and remaining faithful?
- What can you do now to help prepare for trials and tribulations that may arise in the future?
Shareable images can be found on the Seminary Facebook page and are included below. Invite students to include #LDSSeminary in their posts.
