In the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple, Joseph Smith uses some form of the word “mercy” ten times. He testifies three times that God is merciful, at the beginning, middle, and end of the prayer (Doctrine and Covenants 109:1, 53, 77). And he pleads with the Lord to have mercy on seven groups of people:
- Repentant church members (v. 34)
- The mobs who were persecuting church members (v. 50)
- The nations of the earth (v. 54)
- The leaders of our country (v. 54)
- The Jews (v. 62)
- His family (v. 69)
- Their friends (v. 70)
What joy he must have felt when the Savior appeared to him one week later and said:
I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house.
Doctrine and Covenants 110:7
Elder James R. Rasband taught that we find mercy in the temple through the covenants that bind us to God, through the sealing ordinances that unite us with our families eternally, and through a deeper appreciation for the Father’s plan. Every part of that plan, he explained, is an expression of divine mercy: “It might be said that the plan of salvation is a plan of happiness precisely because it is a ‘plan of mercy.’” (“The Plan of Mercy,” April 2025 general conference).
Elder Rasband also pointed us to Moroni’s promise in the last chapter of the Book of Mormon. If we are struggling to receive answers to our prayers, we might try following the first part of Moroni’s admonition:
Remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
Moroni 10:3
Remembering God’s mercy can calm our fears and lighten our burdens, removing obstructions which might be impeding the flow of revelation from heaven.
Today, I will remember and be grateful for God’s mercy. I will allow that mercy to calm my soul, so that I can serve Him more effectively and commune with Him more fully.
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