“Be Patient in Afflictions, for Thou Shalt Have Many”: Finding Christ Again (and Again) in Adversity
by Matthew L. Bowen
Although only used twice in the text, a keyword in the revelation that became Doctrine and Covenants 24 is “afflictions.” The revelation begins with a reminder to Joseph Smith, not only of his divine calling, but also of past divine deliverances: “Behold, thou wast called and chosen to write the Book of Mormon, and to my ministry; and I have lifted thee up out of thine afflictions, and have counseled thee, that thou hast been delivered from all thine enemies, and thou hast been delivered from the powers of Satan and from darkness!” (D&C 24:1). In what follows here, we will briefly explore Joseph’s afflictions in the days preceding the reception of Doctrine and Covenants 24, its prescience of his future, and its relevance for us in the present.
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