Come, Follow Me Doctrine and Covenants
Doctrine and Covenants 77–80

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Less than two years after the Church of Jesus Christ was restored, it had more than 2,000 members and was growing quickly. In March 1832, Joseph Smith met with other Church leaders “to discuss Church business”: the need to publish revelations, purchase land to gather on, and care for the poor (see Doctrine and Covenants 78, section heading). To meet these needs, the Lord called on a small number of Church leaders to form the United Firm, a group that would join their efforts to “advance the cause” of the Lord (verse 4) in these areas. But even in such administrative matters, the Lord focused on the things of eternity. Ultimately, the purpose of a printing press or a storehouse—like everything else in God’s kingdom—is to prepare His children to receive “a place in the celestial world” and “the riches of eternity” (verses 7, 18). And if those blessings are hard to comprehend right now, in the midst of the busyness of daily life, He reassures us, “Be of good cheer, for I will lead you along” (verse 18).

D&C 77: Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Hiram, Ohio, about March 1832. Joseph Smith’s history states, “In connection with the translation of the Scriptures, I received the following explanation of the Revelation of St. John.”

D&C 78: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, March 1, 1832. On that day, the Prophet and other leaders had assembled to discuss Church business. This revelation originally instructed the Prophet, Sidney Rigdon, and Newel K. Whitney to travel to Missouri and organize the Church’s mercantile and publishing endeavors by creating a “firm” that would oversee these efforts, generating funds for the establishment of Zion and for the benefit of the poor. This firm, known as the United Firm, was organized in April 1832 and disbanded in 1834 (see section 82). Sometime after its dissolution, under the direction of Joseph Smith, the phrase “the affairs of the storehouse for the poor” replaced “mercantile and publishing establishments” in the revelation, and the word “order” replaced the word “firm.”

D&C 79: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Hiram, Ohio, March 12, 1832.

D&C 80: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Stephen Burnett, at Hiram, Ohio, March 7, 1832.

The Lord told Joseph Smith that He would “speak in [his] ears the words of wisdom” (Doctrine and Covenants 78:2). What words of wisdom do you receive as you study Doctrine and Covenants 77–80?

D&C 77: Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Hiram, Ohio, about March 1832. Joseph Smith’s history states, “In connection with the translation of the Scriptures, I received the following explanation of the Revelation of St. John.”

D&C 78: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, March 1, 1832. On that day, the Prophet and other leaders had assembled to discuss Church business. This revelation originally instructed the Prophet, Sidney Rigdon, and Newel K. Whitney to travel to Missouri and organize the Church’s mercantile and publishing endeavors by creating a “firm” that would oversee these efforts, generating funds for the establishment of Zion and for the benefit of the poor. This firm, known as the United Firm, was organized in April 1832 and disbanded in 1834 (see section 82). Sometime after its dissolution, under the direction of Joseph Smith, the phrase “the affairs of the storehouse for the poor” replaced “mercantile and publishing establishments” in the revelation, and the word “order” replaced the word “firm.”

D&C 79: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Hiram, Ohio, March 12, 1832.

D&C 80: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Stephen Burnett, at Hiram, Ohio, March 7, 1832.

Resources on ChurchofJesusChrist.org

•   Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families (lesson materials at ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
•   Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School (lesson materials at ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
•   Come, Follow Me—For Primary (lesson materials at ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
•   “Count Your Blessings,” Hymns, no. 241.

• Joseph Smith’s Bible Translation, Revelations in Context
• Section 77, Questions and Answers on the Book of Revelation, Doctrine and Covenants Institute Student Manual (2002), pp 167–71
• Chapter 29: Doctrine and Covenants 77–80, Doctrine and Covenants Institute Student Manual (2017)
• Newel K. Whitney and the United Firm, Revelations in Context
• Section 78, Consecration: An Everlasting Covenant, Doctrine and Covenants Institute Student Manual (2002), pp 171–73
• “I Quit Other Business”: Early Missionaries, Revelations in Context
• Section 79, The Lord Will Bless His Faithful Servants, Doctrine and Covenants Institute Student Manual (2002), pp 173–74
• Section 80, “Declare the Things Which Ye Have Heard, and Varily Believe, and Know to Be True”, Doctrine and Covenants Institute Student Manual (2002), pp 174
•   Called of the Lord – Doctrine and Covenants 77–80, Liahona – Come, Follow Me: Doctrine and Covenants

Resources on Interpreter Foundation

•   Come, Follow Me Study and Teaching Helps — Lesson 29: D&C 77–80, Jonn Claybaugh
•     Audio Roundtable: Come, Follow Me Doctrine and Covenants Lesson 29 (D&C 77–80)

Resources on Other Sites

•   Doctrine and Covenants 77-80 (Come, Follow Me), FAIR
•   Section 77, Harper, Steven C. – D&C Contexts (Book of Mormon Central Archive)
•   Section 78, Harper, Steven C. – D&C Contexts (Book of Mormon Central Archive)
•   Section 79, Harper, Steven C. – D&C Contexts (Book of Mormon Central Archive)
•   Section 80, Harper, Steven C. – D&C Contexts (Book of Mormon Central Archive)
•     Come Follow Me with Casey Paul Griffiths (Doctrine and Covenants 77-80, July 12-18), Book of Mormon Central
•     Come Follow Me Insights (Doctrine and Covenants 77-80, Jul 12-18), Book of Mormon Central
•     Come Follow Me with Taylor Halverson (Doctrine and Covenants 77-80, July 12-18), Book of Mormon Central
•     Come Follow Me: Act in Doctrine (Doctrine and Covenants 77-80, Jul 12-18), Book of Mormon Central
•     Come Follow Me with John Hilton III (Doctrine and Covenants 77-80, July 12-18), Book of Mormon Central
•   Doctrine & Covenants 77, Doctrine & Covenants Central
•   Doctrine & Covenants 78, Doctrine & Covenants Central
•   Doctrine & Covenants 79, Doctrine & Covenants Central
•   Doctrine & Covenants 80, Doctrine & Covenants Central
•     Hard Questions in Church History with Lynne Hilton Wilson: Week 29-30 (D&C 77-80, Jul 12-18), Doctrine & Covenants Central
•     Doctrine and Covenants 79 & 80, with Scott Woodward, Doctrine & Covenants Central
•     Come Follow Me Doctrine and Covenants 77-80 (July 12-18) Don’t Miss This, Don’t Miss This
•     Come Follow Me – Doctrine and Covenants 77-80: “I Will Lead You Along”, Unshaken
•     Come, Follow Me Podcast #29: “I Will Lead You Along”, Doctrine and Covenants 77-80, Meridian Magazine
•     July 12-18, 2021 Come, Follow Me Songs, Music for Latter-day Life
•   Doctrine and Covenants 77 to 80-“I Will Lead You Along”, BYU Studies