Seek for Wisdom

Doctrine & Covenants 77-80 | July 12-18

Joseph Smith knew that if he had questions, he could pray and ask the Lord for wisdom and guidance and that if he followed the counsel of the Lord, he and the Church would be blessed.

When Joseph and Sidney Rigdon were reading the book of Revelation, they had questions about the symbolism John used. In Section 77, we can read about their questions and the answers the Lord gave. When Joseph had questions about how to support the Church and care for the poor, he turned to the Lord in prayer. The Lord helped him to know what to do and also taught him that the things we do in our everyday lives help prepare us for eternity.

We can follow the example of Joseph Smith and turn to the Lord for wisdom and guidance.

D&C 77: Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Hiram, Ohio, about March 1832. Joseph Smith’s history states, “In connection with the translation of the Scriptures, I received the following explanation of the Revelation of St. John.”

D&C 78: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, March 1, 1832. On that day, the Prophet and other leaders had assembled to discuss Church business. This revelation originally instructed the Prophet, Sidney Rigdon, and Newel K. Whitney to travel to Missouri and organize the Church’s mercantile and publishing endeavors by creating a “firm” that would oversee these efforts, generating funds for the establishment of Zion and for the benefit of the poor. This firm, known as the United Firm, was organized in April 1832 and disbanded in 1834 (see section 82). Sometime after its dissolution, under the direction of Joseph Smith, the phrase “the affairs of the storehouse for the poor” replaced “mercantile and publishing establishments” in the revelation, and the word “order” replaced the word “firm.”

D&C 79: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Hiram, Ohio, March 12, 1832.

D&C 80: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Stephen Burnett, at Hiram, Ohio, March 7, 1832.

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Scripture

Doctrine and Covenants 78:2

“And listen to the counsel of him who has ordained you from on high, who shall speak in your ears the words of wisdom, that salvation may be unto you in that thing which you have presented before me, saith the Lord God.”

What can we do if we have questions about what we should do?
What can we do if we need help understanding?
How does the Lord lead us and give us wisdom?

Quote

“He that is most pliant and submissive to the will of God shows the greatest wisdom among all men.” Joseph F. Smith

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Activity

Crowned with Wisdom

As we seek wisdom from the Lord, we can be crowned with eternal life, which is greater than all the riches of the world. Learn more about seeking wisdom in this activity.