What I realized this week while studying D&C 121-123 is that these three sections are excerpts from a letter that Joseph Smith wrote to the members of the church while he was imprisoned at Liberty Jail. While Joseph was enduring one of the most difficult challenges he'd ever faced, the Lord provided him with some counsel that can help all of us when we also experience challenging times in our lives. That counsel was...
peace: "My Son, peace be unto thy soul" (121:7)
perspective: "thine afflictions shall be but a small moment" (121:7)
promises: "if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high" (121:8)
justice: "thou shalt triumph over all thy foes." (121:8)
friends: "thy friends do stand by thee" (121:9)
knowledge: "God shall give you knowledge by his Holy Spirit" (121:26)
As we take this counsel into our lives, we can more easily find hope during the hard seasons of our lives and we can try to become better because of our trials and not bitter because of them. Hardships and unfairness happen to the best of all of us. Even though Liberty Jail was not an enjoyable experience for Joseph Smith, it was a refining experience for him. And hard experiences can do the same thing for us.
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