The prophet Joseph Smith, while placed in captivity in a dungeon, received the following council from our Lord.
Doctrine and Covenants 122:5-8
5 If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;
6 If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;
7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?
Before coming to the earth, we all chose to come here and partake of the experiences of a fallen world. In the end, all the hardships we suffer in this world will be for our good. By experiencing opposition in all things, we can learn to prize the good over the bad. It builds our characters for the world to come. This life is but a blip in the vast eternities. But it is essential for us to come here and receive a body and experience many hardships along with many joyous experiences. Some are called upon to give their lives for the work of the Lord. Great are the eternal blessing of such. We must hold fast to the iron rod and look forward to our eternal reward as faithful disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Doctrine and Covenants 122:5-8
5 If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;
6 If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;
7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?
Before coming to the earth, we all chose to come here and partake of the experiences of a fallen world. In the end, all the hardships we suffer in this world will be for our good. By experiencing opposition in all things, we can learn to prize the good over the bad. It builds our characters for the world to come. This life is but a blip in the vast eternities. But it is essential for us to come here and receive a body and experience many hardships along with many joyous experiences. Some are called upon to give their lives for the work of the Lord. Great are the eternal blessing of such. We must hold fast to the iron rod and look forward to our eternal reward as faithful disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
