Liberty Jail

Liberty Jail

President Allred asked that we reflect during our time of confinement due to the Coronavirus on the experience of Joseph Smith and his companions in Liberty Jail during the winter of 1838-1839. It was an almost unbearable time for them, but it was also a time of tremendous growth and powerful revelation. Here are a few thoughts on what might be learned from their experience.

Joseph learned through revelation that "thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment".  What exactly is a "small moment"?  They entered the jail on December 1, 1838 and were released on April 6, 1839, just a little over four months. At the time Joseph received this revelation he had no idea how much longer they would be held.  For someone in a stressful, painful, uncertain or extremely uncomfortable situation every moment may feel like an eternity. The Lord is giving some perspective here when people feel that way. He follows with the promise "And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes".  Joseph also learned:  "all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good".

No matter how long the trial, the end result for enduring well will be to triumph and the foes we will triumph over include pain, death, despair and grief. All of life's experiences can be for our good.

CS Lewis said it this way:

“That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, ‘No future bliss can make up for it’ not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory.”

–C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce (New York: HarpersCollins, 1946), 69.

One other thought relates to how the Lord was aware of the Saints situation in Missouri and had prepared and held in reserve those who could lead them through difficult times. At the time the situation in Missouri came to a head the church was centered in Far West and that was where most of the church leadership was. However, circumstances were such that Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, two senior apostles, were not involved when the prophet and other church leaders were taken captive. They were free during this difficult time to help move and resettle church members in Illinois and Iowa, gaining valuable experience for the day when they were called upon to lead the exodus from Nauvoo to the Salt Lake Valley.

Likewise, we see evidence today that a prophet stands at the head of the church who has been prepared for the unique and particular challenges we face.

We are still doing well and are able to get out daily and walk around our local park. On our walks we discovered an old stone lined culvert that looked like a setting from Lord of the Rings. We also saw a turtle. Life is good.