D&C "Lessons from the 116 Lost Pages"

My thoughts are rather scattered as I think about this prompt for our first blogging assignment in my Doctrine and Covenants class this semester (The Doctrine and Covenants are one of the standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; A compilation of revelations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith with a few added by later church presidents).

To begin with, I think this story in Church History is such a miracle and a testament to the truthfulness of the Gospel. Many people have attempted, but it is not easy to thwart the work of God. Truly, NO ONE can stop the work from progressing. The Lord is there, every step of the way. A plan was prepared and a path was made so that the Church could continue to roll forward even after this crushing loss to Joseph Smith. The same thing happened when the mob killed Joseph Smith. They believed that in destroying him they would destroy the Church. But, they forgot the most important point, this is not Joseph Smith's church, it is the Church of Jesus Christ. This leads me back to the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 9:5-6, where Nephi explains the Lord has commanded to make 2 sets of records, "for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not. But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men." It is an important reminder to not murmur or doubt, even if we don't understand a command the Lord has given us. We may not be able to comprehend a purpose at the time, but as the saying goes "Hindsight is 20/20." We must trust the Lord in ALL things, a lesson that we have to learn, just as did Nephi and Joseph.

I also love the humility of Joseph Smith at this time. I know what it feels like to be told by a parent or close friend who I love and respect, that I have chosen wrong, I haven't listened, or I have hurt someone I care about. I can only imagine the devastation Joseph Smith felt at this time to have to face the Lord over such a mistake. There truly has only been one perfect being to ever walk this earth and that was our Savior. The rest of us, whether child, college student, or prophet, are all subject to mistakes and we are all in need of the atonement. When things go wrong, it is so hard to remember the light. When we make mistakes it's easy to feel that the mark will never leave us, the scars will never heal, it can never be made up. But, it has been made up. We must ALWAYS remember the atonement. The older I get the more I come to recognize the importance of the atonement in our lives on a regular basis. I believe that like Joseph Smith, we can learn from our mistakes and grow stronger as a result. This story brings me hope. As God's children, we all make mistakes, but like Joseph, we can also all be forgiven.