After being betrayed and arrested on false charges, the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders were imprisoned in a small jail in Liberty, Missouri. During the winter of 1838–39, the Saints in Missouri were subjected to terrible conditions and suffered greatly. Amidst this suffering, the Lord comforted them with compassionate counsel and knowledge from heaven. This lesson can help students understand how God can help us through our trials.
Possible Learning Activities
“O God, where art thou?”
Before class, consider displaying the following questions for students to see as they arrive. Once class starts, invite students to share realistic situations that might lead a person to ask questions like these.
After students have shared, invite them to reflect on challenges they or their loved ones are currently facing. Encourage students to record any thoughts or feelings they might have about their challenges, including if they have had questions like those expressed on the board.
As students continue their study, encourage them to invite the Holy Ghost to help them identify divine principles that can provide personal peace and comfort during their trials.
Historical context
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exterior and interior of Liberty Jail
To help students understand the historical context of the sections they will study, consider showing the video “Lessons from Liberty Jail” by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 3:00 to 8:49. Displaying pictures of Liberty Jail can help students understand what Joseph Smith and the other prisoners were going through.
Alternatively, you could organize students into groups of three and provide one of the following summaries to each student in the group. Invite them to take turns reading their summaries and to share what they might be thinking or feeling if they were placed in similar circumstances.
Summary 1: On October 31, 1838, George Hinkle, a member of the Church and a colonel in Missouri’s state militia, betrayed the Prophet Joseph Smith. Hinkle told Joseph that members of the Missouri militia, who had laid siege to the Saints in Far West, Missouri, wanted to meet and discuss terms of peace. Arriving to the meeting under a flag of truce, Joseph and other Church leaders were forcefully arrested as prisoners of war.
Summary 2: For the next month, Joseph and his associates were mistreated and moved from jail to jail as they awaited a trial based on false accusations. On December 1, 1838, the men were imprisoned in a small jail in Liberty, Missouri. During the next four months, Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum, Alexander McRae, Lyman Wight, and Caleb Baldwin were held in the lower dungeon of Liberty Jail during a bitterly cold winter. Sidney Rigdon was also with them for a time, but a judge authorized his release in late January of 1839.
Summary 3: The dimensions of the dungeon room were approximately 14 feet by 14 feet (4.3 meters by 4.3 meters), and the ceiling was between 6 and 6.5 feet high (between 1.8 and 2 meters). The only natural light or fresh air came from two small, barred windows near the ceiling. From outside these windows, people often mocked and insulted the prisoners. The men were forced to sleep on the floor with only a little dirty straw for padding and were given very little protection from the cold. The dungeon had a single bucket for human waste, and the meager food provided was so disgusting that the men could only eat it out of desperate hunger. Occasionally, the food was poisoned. The prisoners intensely missed their friends and families and felt deep sorrow when they heard about the suffering Saints being driven from Missouri during the cold of winter.
You might point out that Doctrine and Covenants 121–123 contains selections of a letter from the Prophet Joseph to the Saints. He wrote it near the end of his imprisonment in Liberty Jail after months of suffering. The letter included some of Joseph’s prayerful requests and the Savior’s loving counsel.
Which questions or petitions from Joseph Smith can you relate to?
How did Joseph Smith’s words show his faith in and reverence for God?
Consider inviting students to title a blank page in their journals, “Lessons from Liberty Jail.” As they study God’s reply to Joseph’s prayers, encourage them to make a list of truths they discover.
After class members finish compiling their lists of truths, suggest they choose two they really like and write them on a separate sheet of paper. Have students trade their papers with someone sitting close to them. Invite students to circle a favorite word or phrase on the papers they received and write a brief description of why they like it. This process could be repeated multiple times with different students. When students receive their own papers back, encourage them to add insights they learned from others to their study journal pages.
Invite a few students to write a truth from their list on the board. The following are examples of principles they could share: In God’s eternal plan, the trials of the righteous will be but a small moment; If we endure our trials well, God will exalt us on high; God can give us peace in the midst of our trials. Consider asking some discussion questions like the following.
If you had been in Liberty Jail, which principle would have been most comforting to you? Why?
What are some ways God has blessed you with peace and comfort during a trial?
What do you think is the difference between enduring a trial and enduring a trial well?
What can we learn from how Jesus Christ endured His own trials and hardships?
To help students further understand how the Lord can help them through difficult trials, consider sharing the following statement by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
The lessons of the winter of 1838–39 teach us that every experience can become a redemptive experience if we remain bonded to our Father in Heaven through it. These difficult lessons teach us that man’s extremity is God’s opportunity, and if we will be humble and faithful, if we will be believing and not curse God for our problems, He can turn the unfair and inhumane and debilitating prisons of our lives into … a circumstance that can bring comfort and revelation, divine companionship and peace. (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Lessons from Liberty Jail,” Ensign, Sept. 2009, 28)
How have you seen the truth of Elder Holland’s statement in your life or in the life of someone you know?
To conclude, invite students to complete the following in their journals. You might ask volunteers to share what they wrote.
Think about the challenges you reflected on at the beginning of the lesson. Select at least one truth from your “Lessons from Liberty Jail” list that could help you or others with a current trial. Briefly explain how the Lord might bless and strengthen you for acting in faith on this truth.