Stand firm in the faith

I command you, my servant Joseph, to repent and walk more uprightly before me, and to yield to the persuasions of men no more;… be firm in keeping the commandments wherewith I have commanded you; and if ye do this, behold I will grant unto you eternal life, even if you should be slain. D&C 5:21-22

The Prophet Joseph learned a painful lesson in yielding to the repeated requests of Martin Harris regarding the 116-page manuscript. Not only did it become lost but Joseph Feared his soul might be lost as well. In Doctrine and Covenants 5 the Lord tutors the Prophet with clarity and kindness. He admonishes Joseph (and each of us) to be humble, to stand firm in the faith, and to look to him in all things. The Lord also foreshadowed the martyr’s death awaiting Joseph but promised he would receive a prophet’s reward (Matthew 10:41). The Lord promises all the faithful that if we do not yield to the temptations and persuasions of the world, we can receive peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come (D&C 59:23). That does not mean that we will not experience trial and tribulation, heartache and anguish, but it does mean that our joy will be full and our reward everlasting. (Robert L. Millet and Lloyd D. Newell. Draw Near Unto Me: Daily Reflections on the Doctrine and Covenants. 19)