I’m going to put four names up on the screen, and I want you to rank in order how familiar
you are with each of these individuals: Titus Billings, Emma Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Isaac
Morley.
I’m guessing that for most of us, we would put them in order like this.
It’s natural to not know as much about Titus and Isaac, but as I have been studying Doctrine
and Covenants 63, I learned a lesson about these two people that touched my heart.
Isaac Morley owned large farm and prosperous farm near Kirtland Ohio.
After Sidney Rigdon joined the Church of Jesus Christ and began preaching the Gospel, Isaac
and his brother-in-law, Titus Billings, were among the first people to be baptized in Kirtland.
Less than a year after joining the church, Isaac Morley was called to go on a mission
to Missouri.
While serving as a missionary, Isaac was told that he should sell his farm.
This wasn’t an easy decision—for years he had worked to develop prosperous land.
But he agreed and the Lord instructed Isaac’s brother-in-law Titus to sell the farm and
come join Isaac in Missouri.
In Doctrine and Covenants 63:39, the Lord declares: “Let my servant Titus Billings,
who has the care thereof, dispose of the land, that he may be prepared in the coming spring
to take his journey up unto the land of Zion, with those that dwell upon the face thereof.”
So, to recap—Isaac and Titus had a comfortable, prosperous existence, and at the direction
of the Lord sold the land and then moved to Missouri.
What do you think happened next?
Did everything go great for them?
Actually, it didn’t.
Both Titus and Isaac suffered extreme persecutions.
While fleeing for his life, Titus’ feet were so badly frozen that flesh came off in
pieces.
Isaac’s situation was no better—at one point, Isaac was arrested and sentenced to
be shot in the public square.
We might ask ourselves this question: if Isaac and Titus did what they were supposed to do,
why were things so difficult for them?
I think this question exposes a misconception some of us have.
Sometimes we think, if I do what God says, everything will turn out the way I want, when
I want it.
That’s not always true.
Consider an experience from the life of the Savior:
After feeding the five thousand, but before retiring privately to pray, Jesus told his
disciples to get on a ship and sail across the Sea of Galilee.
The disciples followed this direction, and a couple of hours later, they found themselves
“in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.”
They, like Isaac and Titus, had done what they were supposed to do, with bad results.
In our own lives, we may similarly believe we are doing what God commands but lack peace.
But there is hope for us, though, just as there was hope for the Savior’s disciples.
Jesus “saw them toiling in rowing” and came out to them, walking on the water, shortly
before sunrise.
When we are obedient but not feeling peace, we can know Christ is similarly watching over
us and will help us—perhaps not immediately, but he will come.
In the long run, both Titus and Isaac were blessed for their faithfulness.
Isaac and Titus became some of the original settlers of Manti, UT, and were blessed in
the latter years of their lives.
It’s true, things did not turn out exactly as they would have hoped when they sold their
land in Kirtland, but ultimately, things did work out.
We will likely face similar experiences.
We will be blessed for keeping God’s commandments; however, those blessings may sometimes come
in unexpected ways.
We don’t need to be surprised if, as we keep the commandments, things don’t immediately
work out.
That’s how it was for the Savior’s disciples, and how it was for Titus and Isaac.
But as we continue to walk forward in faith, we can be confident that the Savior is right
there with us.