Saints In the South
Saints In The South is a group of friends who live in the south and are members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints. We discuss Come Follow Me curriculum, current events, and how the words of God are applied in our day. We strive to express faith promoting experiences and discuss social dynamics that are experienced all over the world as it pertains to faith and following God on this mortal journey. We hope to add our small voice to this huge world in helping build peoples Faith in Christ, as they try to fulfill their purpose in life. Our goal is to inspire you on your personal path of striving, gospel growth, and good times.
Saints In the South
Doctrine & Covenants 102 - 105, After Much Tribulation...Cometh The Blessing, Come Follow Me
Join us this week as we continue to discuss the trials of the early saints and how we apply the principles of faithfulness to our lives. Jackson takes the opportunity to share a personal experience of exercising faith in following the prophet.
From Come Follow Me Manual:
The Saints in Kirtland were heartbroken to hear that their brothers and sisters in Jackson County, Missouri, were being driven from their homes. It must have been encouraging, then, when the Lord declared that “the redemption of Zion” would “come by power” (Doctrine and Covenants 103:15). With that promise in their hearts, over 200 men, plus about 25 women and children, enlisted in what they called the Camp of Israel, later known as Zion’s Camp. Its mission was to march to Missouri and redeem Zion.
To the members of the camp, redeeming Zion meant restoring the Saints to their land. But just before the camp arrived in Jackson County, the Lord told Joseph Smith to stop and disband Zion’s Camp. Some members of the camp were confused and upset by this new instruction; to them, it meant the expedition failed and the Lord’s promises were not fulfilled. Others, however, saw it differently. While the exiled Saints never returned to Jackson County, the experience did bring a degree of “redemption” to Zion, and it did “come by power.” Faithful members of Zion’s Camp, many of whom later became leaders of the Church, testified that the experience deepened their faith in God’s power, in Joseph Smith’s divine call, and in Zion—not just Zion the place but Zion the people of God. Rather than questioning the value of this seemingly unsuccessful task, they learned that the real task is to follow the Savior, even when we don’t understand everything. This is how Zion, ultimately, will be redeemed.
See Saints, 1:194–206; “The Acceptable Offering of Zion’s Camp,” Revelations in Context, 213–18.