Tests of Discipleship

Be patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile. Govern your house in meekness, and be steadfast. Doctrine & Covenants 31:9

Doctrine and Covenants 31 is a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph to Thomas B. Marsh in 1830, five years before the first Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in this dispensation was organized. Had Brother Marsh, who later served as president of the Twelve, continued to follow the Lord’s counsel, his subsequent apostasy from the Church could have been averted. The Lord foresaw potential problems and gave him relevant counsel. Thomas needed to be patient with the decisions of priesthood leaders; he needed to set his house in order and govern it in meekness; he needed to remain faithful and obedient to the end. This counsel is for each of us. We must be meek and humble, patient and faithful. Sometimes we are given trials and afflictions to test our faithfulness. These are the tests of discipleship. Will we taste the bitter cup without becoming bitter? Will we endure our adversities well, unto the end? Will we hold fast to the iron rod even in affliction? (Robert L. Millet and Lloyd D. Newell. Draw Near Unto Me: Daily Reflections on the Doctrine and Covenants. 86)