Doctrine & Covenants 115 - 120, His Sacrifice More Sacred Unto Me Than His Increase, Come Follow Me

Saints In the South

From Come Follow Me Manual:
There was reason to be optimistic about the Saints’ newest gathering place, Far West, Missouri, in July 1838. The city was growing rapidly, the land seemed bountiful, and it was revealed that a short distance to the north lay Adam-ondi-Ahman, a place of great spiritual significance (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:53–56; 116). Still, it must have been hard for the Saints not to think about what they had lost. They had been driven from Independence, the appointed center place of Zion, and the chances of returning anytime soon probably seemed slim. In addition, the Saints had to flee Kirtland, Ohio, leaving their beloved temple after only two years. And this time it wasn’t just enemies outside the Church causing trouble—many prominent members had turned against Joseph Smith, including the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon and four members of the Twelve. Some may have wondered, Is the kingdom of God really growing stronger, or is it getting weaker?
Yet the faithful didn’t let questions like that stop them. Instead, they started building a new holy place, this time in Far West. They made plans for a new temple. Four new Apostles were called, including two—John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff—who would later become Presidents of the Church (see Doctrine and Covenants 118:6). The Saints learned that doing God’s work doesn’t mean you never fall; it means you “rise again.” And though you’ll have to give up some things, those sacrifices will be sacred to God, even “more sacred … than [your] increase” (Doctrine and Covenants 117:13).
See Saints, 1:296–99; “Far West and Adam-ondi-Ahman,” Revelations in Context, 235–41.

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