“Those Who Endure Tribulation Will Be Crowned with Glory”
Doctrine and Covenants 58:1–5
1 Hearken, O ye elders of my church, and give ear to my word, and learn of me what I will concerning you, and also concerning this land unto which I have sent you.
2 For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.
3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.
4 For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.
5 Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow.
President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote:
“It was with great rejoicing that the elders who had journeyed to Missouri learned that they were standing in the land of Zion and nearby was the site of the city New Jerusalem. However, in their zeal they failed to comprehend the word of the Lord to them in relation to locating in this goodly land. Zion, when redeemed, is to become a place of refuge for the righteous and unto it shall come people of scattered Israel out of every nation singing songs of everlasting joy. It is to be the only place of peace and every man who will not take up arms against his neighbor must needs flee to Zion for safety. The elders were informed by revelation that the designs of the Lord were not all made known unto them at that time and that these blessings which were mentioned in former revelations were not to be received until after the members of the Church had gone through much tribulation. From this they should have known that the immediate building up of the city was not to be undertaken, but it seems that they failed to comprehend the significance of this saying: ‘The hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand,’ said the Lord [D&C 58:4]. ‘Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow’ [D&C 58:5]. However, Zion could have been redeemed at that time, even if the building of the city had to be postponed until some future time. These elders and the first settlers had been honored in being called to lay the foundation, and to bear testimony of the things made known unto them.”
(Church History and Modern Revelation, 2 vols. [1953], 1:211–12.)
