Divine Law for Responding to Persecution

Section Summary

The Lord provides comprehensive instructions on responding to persecution, establishes principles of constitutional law and freedom, and reveals divine laws governing war and peace, including when retaliation is justified and the importance of forgiveness.

Key Principles

• Patient endurance of persecution brings eternal rewards and consecrates afflictions for good
• Constitutional law supporting freedom is ordained of God and justifiable before Him
• The law of forgiveness requires bearing persecution patiently three times before retaliation is justified

Key Doctrines Highlighted

• Constitutional law supporting freedom is ordained of God - First direct divine endorsement of constitutional principles
• Three-strike rule before retaliation is justified - New framework for escalating response to persecution
• Generational consequences and forgiveness - How persecution affects multiple generations
• All afflictions work together for good - Transformation of trials into blessings
• Bondage of one person to another is not justifiable - Divine condemnation of slavery

Circumstances Leading to the Revelation

Immediate Crisis in Missouri

The revelation arrived at a critical moment. Just two weeks earlier, on July 20, 1833, violence had erupted in Jackson County, Missouri. A mob of 400-500 citizens had destroyed the Church's printing office, scattering the type for the Book of Commandments across the street. Bishop Edward Partridge and Charles Allen were stripped, tarred, and feathered in the public square. The mob demanded all Mormons leave Jackson County or face death.

Joseph Smith in Kirtland received word of these atrocities around August 4th. The Prophet was deeply troubled, spending August 5th in prayer and fasting. Oliver Cowdery had just returned from Missouri with firsthand accounts of the violence. The leaders gathered in the Whitney store's upper room, seeking divine guidance on how the Saints should respond to such violent persecution.

Church-Wide Challenges

The Church was experiencing explosive growth—membership had doubled in 1833 alone. Yet this growth brought intense opposition. The Missouri Saints numbered over 1,200, making them a significant voting bloc in Jackson County. The Kirtland Saints were pushing forward with temple construction despite local opposition.

Questions arose throughout the Church: Should Saints defend themselves with violence? Was it righteous to fight back? How could they build Zion if mobs could destroy their work? Some members, particularly Sidney Rigdon, advocated for aggressive self-defense. Others, influenced by New Testament teachings, believed in complete pacifism.

Local Opposition in Jackson County

Jackson County had become a powder keg. The "old settlers" viewed Mormon immigration as an invasion. Local ministers, particularly Reverends Pixley, Johnson, and others, preached that Mormons were deluded fanatics. The July 20th "Secret Constitution" circulated by mob leaders claimed Mormons were tampering with slaves, inviting free blacks to Missouri, and planning to take over the county by force.

The Saints had attempted legal redress. They hired lawyers Alexander Doniphan and David Atchison, but local judges refused to issue warrants against mob members. The county lieutenant governor, Lilburn Boggs, quietly supported the mob. Civil law had completely broken down for the Saints.

National Context

The 1830s America was experiencing the growing pains of democracy. Andrew Jackson's presidency (1829-1837) championed the common man but also promoted states' rights over federal intervention. The Nat Turner slave rebellion (1831) had heightened fears about abolition movements. Religious revivals of the Second Great Awakening created competition and sometimes violent conflict between denominations.

The concept of constitutional rights was still being defined—the Bill of Rights didn't yet apply to state actions. Religious minorities across America faced persecution with little legal recourse. The question of when violence was justified in self-defense was being debated nationwide.

Significance and Implementation

Immediate Impact: The revelation provided crucial guidance but proved difficult to implement. When it reached Missouri in late August, some Saints struggled with the command to bear persecution patiently. Men who had seen their families threatened and property destroyed found it hard to "revile not again."

By November 1833, the Saints were violently expelled from Jackson County despite attempts to follow the revelation's counsel. They had sought legal redress as commanded, but local courts provided no justice. The three-strike rule before retaliation meant enduring more violence than many could bear. Some viewed the expulsion as evidence the revelation had failed.

Lasting Legacy: This revelation fundamentally shaped LDS theology on persecution and religious freedom. It established the Church's commitment to constitutional law and legal redress that continues today. The principle of patient endurance through trials became central to Mormon identity through successive persecutions.

The revelation's endorsement of the U.S. Constitution influenced the Church's political theology and civic engagement globally. Modern Church efforts in religious freedom litigation trace back to these principles. The forgiveness doctrines shape LDS approaches to conflict resolution. The promise that "all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good" sustains members through trials worldwide.

Verses 1-3: Divine Comfort in Tribulation Verses 4-8: The Law of the Land and Freedom

Essential Terms for Understanding D&C 98

Practical Applications for Modern Life

Personal Application

• Document instances of religious discrimination while responding with patience
• Practice the three-strike rule in personal conflicts before considering stronger responses
• Transform trials into growth opportunities through the lens of "all things work together for good"
• Study constitutional principles and become informed citizens who defend religious freedom
• Develop capacity to forgive repeatedly, even "seventy times seven"

Family Application

• Teach children appropriate responses to religious bullying at school using the three-strike principle
• Create family rules for dealing with neighborhood conflicts based on patience and forgiveness
• Study the Constitution and founding documents together for Family Home Evening
• Share stories of ancestors who endured persecution faithfully
• Practice conflict resolution using the revelation's escalation guidelines

Church Application

• Support the Church's religious freedom initiatives and legal defense efforts
• Minister to those experiencing trials, helping them see how afflictions can work for good
• Avoid contention in ward councils while still addressing necessary issues
• Build interfaith relationships to collectively defend religious liberty
• Create emergency preparedness plans that follow the principle of being prepared but not paranoid

Community Application

• Advocate for religious freedom in local government and school board meetings
• Build bridges with other faiths facing similar persecution
• Use legal and peaceful methods and channels when facing discrimination
• Promote constitutional literacy in civic organizations
• Model peaceful conflict resolution while maintaining firm boundaries

Questions for Personal Study and Discussion

Understanding the Text

1. What specific promises does the Lord make to those who bear persecution patiently?
2. How does the Lord define constitutional law in verses 5-6?
3. What is the significance of the "three-strike rule" in dealing with persecution?
4. How does the Lord distinguish between justified self-defense and revenge?
5. What role does forgiveness play in breaking generational cycles of violence?

Personal Reflection

1. How can I develop greater patience when facing unfair treatment for my beliefs?
2. What afflictions in my life might God be using to work together for my good?
3. How do I balance Christ's command to turn the other cheek with protecting my family?
4. What constitutional principles should I actively defend in my community?
5. Who in my life needs the level of forgiveness described as "seventy times seven"?

Application Questions

1. How can we "proclaim peace" in a world of contention and division?
2. What does "waiting patiently on the Lord" look like in practical, daily terms?
3. How do we distinguish between patience and enabling abuse?
4. When does self-defense become justified according to this revelation?
5. How can we apply the principle of "line upon line" learning in our gospel study?

Group Discussion Topics

1. Discuss how the Saints' response to persecution in 1833 provides a model for us today
2. Share experiences of when afflictions have worked together for your good
3. Explore the relationship between constitutional law and divine law
4. Consider how the forgiveness principles in this section could heal societal divisions
5. Discuss practical ways to be peacemakers in your community