“God Shall Be with You Forever and Ever”: The Prophet in Liberty Jail. Joseph Smith Lesson #31
I used “God Shall Be with You Forever and Ever”: The Prophet in Liberty Jail
and Elder Jeffery R. Holland’s article from the Winter 2009 issue of BYU magazine as sources for the lesson. Normally I do not pull outside sources for my lesson, but in this case I felt the need for the exception. Feel free to remove those quotes if you feel. What ever the case I strongly suggest that you read his article because it is an excelent discourse on the lessons learned in the Liberty Jail.
The set up for this lesson could be a bit time consuming, inlist the aid of Priesthood brethern to help you out.
Measure out a 14x14 space and place the chairs of the room around it to represent the Liberty Jail. Have the lights turned down for the first part of the lesson, You can turn them up if sisters have trouble reading the quotes.
(Prepare note cards to hand out with this question written on it.) What is my liberty jail?
Pass out pencils.
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On December 1, 1838, the Prophet Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum, and other brethren were taken from Richmond, Missouri, where they had been incarcerated in a log home, to the jail in Liberty, Missouri. There they would remain for more than four months, awaiting trial on false charges arising from the persecution of the Saints in Missouri. During this time, Church members were being driven from their homes in Missouri by their persecutors, causing tremendous suffering. The trials of the Saints were a source of great anxiety to the Prophet and his companions during their long imprisonment.
Liberty Jail was divided into an upper room and a 14-foot-square lower dungeon, where the prisoners were kept. (more…)
