How Glorious Are Faithful, Just, and True Friends

[I actually forgot to take my notes with me today, so my actual lesson may have differed slightly from my plan.]

I will give you 30 seconds and I want you to think of as many classes, talks, or presentations that have had a profound and lasting influence on your life as you can.

Who thought of more than 5? How many?

Now I will give you 30 seconds to think of as many people that have made a profound and lasting influence on your life as you can.

Who thought of more than 5 this time? How many?

Most of you would probably have found the second exercise easier than the first. Why? How did your thoughts and emotions differ in the two exercises?

Joseph Smith really valued the friendships that he formed with those around him. We will read now from the manual, at the beginning of the chapter, page 459:

"In August of 1842, civil authorities from Missouri were making repeated efforts to capture the Prophet Joseph Smith. Fearing he would be killed if he were arrested and taken to Missouri, the Prophet went into hiding. On August 11, he sent word to several loyal family members and friends to meet him on an island in the Mississippi River, not far from Nauvoo. That night, Emma Smith, Hyrum Smith, Newel K. Whitney, and others gathered near the edge of the river and traveled in a small boat to the appointed meeting place. Joyfully, the Prophet took each one by the hand, grateful for the aid and comfort of true friendship."

Joseph Smith wrote in his journal of that day, "I do not think to mention the particulars of the history of that sacred night, which shall forever be remembered by me; but the names of the faithful are what I wish to record in this place. These have I met in prosperity, and they were my friends; and i now meet them in adversity, and they are still my warmer friends."

We don't know what happened that night, but I think just having people you love nearby can make you feel better when times are hard. I know this is true of young children - is it true of us too? Can the right person just being nearby help us? How can we be that person for someone?

Joseph says he is grateful for friends who “have stood by me in every hour of peril, for these fifteen long years past.” What are the challenges of “remaining faithful” to friends during extended times of adversity?

What types of support and friendship have you found most helpful during your own long “dark nights” of the soul?

One of my favourite quotes from this weeks chapter is found near the bottom of page 463.

"That friendship which intelligent beings would accept as sincere must arise from love, and that love grow out of virtue, which is as much a part of religion as light is a part of Jehovah."

So, sincere friendship comes from love, and love from virtue. What virtues do you think cultivate sincere friendship?

How can we establish the types of friendships that Joseph talks about in this chapter?

In March 1839, the Prophet Joseph Smith and several companions were imprisoned in Liberty Jail. They received letters from Emma, Don Smith (Joseph's brother) and Bishop Edward Partridge. They were happy to recieve news from them, but saddened by the suffering of the saints that was also mentioned. The prophet then wrote a letter to the church about his feelings having heard from his friends. (This quote can be found from halfway down the first paragraph on page 464)

"...but those who have not been enclosed in the walls of prison without cause or provocation, can have but little idea how sweet the voice of a friend is; one token of friendship from any source whatever awakens and calls into action every sympathetic feeling; it brings up in an instant everything that is past; it seizes the present with the avidity [eagerness] of lightning; it grasps after the future with the fierceness of a tiger; it moves the mind backward and forward, from one thing to another, until finally all enmity, malice and hatred, and past differences, misunderstandings and mismanagements are slain victorious at the feet of hope.”

He talks of "how sweet the voice of a friend is" and that this can bring a hope that stops all hatred and misunderstanding. How can we show tokens of friendship that would give others this kind of hope?

Does anyone have an experience they would like to share of when they have felt similar to Joseph, that only in that moment can they really understand "how sweet the voice of a friend is"?

Joseph had a lot of hard times, and I think it is at these times that we really value friendship properly. A lot of the chapter talks about these times, I think for that reason, but if we could look back to page 459, Benjamin Johnson tells us about Joseph Smith's friendly ways in times of peace.

" For amusement he would sometimes wrestle with a friend, or oftener would test strength with others by sitting upon the floor with feet together and stick grasped between them. But he never found his match. Jokes, rebuses [using pictures to portray words], matching couplets in rhymes, etc., were not uncommon. But to call for the singing of one or more of his favorite songs was more frequent. … And yet, although so social and even convivial at times, he would allow no arrogance or undue liberties."

What do you gain from this description of Joseph?

How do our friendships and family relationships benefit when we take time to laugh and play together?

How do you think the friendships that Joseph had would differ if he hadn't had these fun social times with them?