The June 2025 Come Follow Me Ministering Printable ties together Bishop Gérald Caussé’s April 2025 General Conference talk “Compensating Blessings” and the June 2025 “Come, Follow Me” message on Doctrine and Covenants 64 and “The Lord Requireth the Heart and a Willing Mind.”
June 2025 Ministering Printable (4×6)
You can print these printables as 4×6 photo prints. My local drugstore prints them for just pennies. They are also a higher resolution if you want to enlarge them.
June 2025 Come Follow Me Ministering Message
“The Lord Requireth the Heart and a Willing Mind”
Years ago while visiting Kirkland, Ohio, one of the places that stood out to me was the Newel K. Whitney store. I loved its expansive porch and the neat shelves of dry goods. But one thing I completely forgot was that Newel K. Whitney had a business partner named Sidney Gilbert. They were both baptized in 1830 and used their impressive business skills to help build Zion. While not as well-known as Newel K. Whitney, Sidney Gilbert played an important role in the gathering of Zion and is mentioned in several sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Sidney Gilbert’s Store in Independence
The Lord had Newel run the store in Kirtland and sent Sidney to establish a similar one in Independence, Missouri. Leaving the store Sidney had worked so hard to establish in Kirtland couldn’t have been easy. And starting from scratch in Independence, Missouri would be even harder. It was a rough frontier town on the very edge of American settlement. There was very little infrastructure and the existing residents were hostile to the newly-arriving saints. But Sidney’s store was vitally important. It would give the saints a place to buy needed goods without fraud or persecution.
Sidney had a gift for business and soon the store was prospering. Sidney was known for his generosity. He blessed many lives as he worked to prepare Independence for the incoming saints. But things were hard in Independence. Hardship, uncertainty, and persecution took a toll on everyone.
A Willing Mind
In March 1833, the Lord provided some needed redirection and reminders in Doctrine and Covenants Section 90. The Lord told Sidney Gilbert and others that they had many things to repent of. Earlier in December, Sidney was rebuked by church leaders for some “blind insinuations” he made in a letter, the contents of which have since been lost. Sidney was also fearful about preaching the gospel. He had a firm testimony of the gospel and served the Lord tirelessly as a businessman, but was not confident in his teaching abilities. Like many of us, he too must have felt ill-suited for the responsibilities given to him. But despite obstacles, rebukes, trials, and insecurities, his faith did not falter.
Be Not Weary In Well-Doing
Time and again, Sidney Gilbert rose to meet the needs of the moment. For example, on July 23, 1833, a violent mob of 500 armed men attacked Independence, Missouri, intent on driving out the saints. They destroyed homes and crops, threatened brutal violence, and declared their intent to expel or kill Church members. Sidney and five other church leaders offered themselves as a ransom for the lives of the saints, willing to be whipped or even killed if necessary. But the mob would not relent. They “swore they would flog every man, woman, and child until the Mormons agreed to leave the county. ‘Leave the county or die’ was the demand.” (Barrett, Joseph Smith, pp. 251–52, 255–56.)
As persecution grew, mobs attacked Sidney Gilbert’s home and tossed the goods from his store out into the street. When Sidney and others caught one of the men responsible for the looting and tried to have him arrested, he turned the tables—accusing them of assault. Instead, they were the ones taken into custody.
While being taken back to jail, Sidney and his brethren were met by an angry mob. Sidney stood his ground as two men pointed guns at his chest and fired. Miraculously, Sidney was uninjured. One of the guns broke and the other misfired. A week later, after being set free, Sidney fled to Clay County for safety. He left behind his store and everything in it. He only took with him his Bible and sections of the Doctrine and Covenants that he had copied by hand.
Out of Small Things
Even with this setback, Sidney did not stop working. Once in Liberty, Missouri, he set up a new store as a way to care for the arriving saints. As they fled persecution, many were without food or clothing. There are many accounts of his generosity as he pulled together resources to make sure others had what they needed. He was well known for his sound judgment and good sense. He was also responsible for much of the correspondence passing between the Missouri brethren and Governor Dunkin as they tried to advocate for the saints.
Later, as Zion’s Camp was returning in 1834, Sidney opened up his home and property to care for the new arrivals. He shared his food and nursed the sick in his home. Many in Zion’s Camp had contracted cholera. Five died in his home while being cared for. Sidney also died of the same disease on June 29, 1834. They wrapped him in a quilt and buried him with the others, since there weren’t enough boards for coffins.
Obtain an Inheritance in the Land of Zion
Sidney lived only four years after his baptism, but in that short time, he served tirelessly—despite not living to see the fruits of many of his labors. After his death, his wife Elizabeth was able to journey with the Saints to Nauvoo and eventually to Utah. As for posterity, they left no descendants to carry on their legacy in Zion; their only child, a son, had died in infancy.
It is remarkable how Sidney was able to rally forces again and again. I like to think that the Lord was preparing him for these trials when He left him these words of encouragement in section 64.
“And he hath set you to provide for his saints in these last days, that they may obtain an inheritance in the land of Zion. And behold, I, the Lord, declare unto you, and my words are sure and shall not fail, that they shall obtain it. But all things must come to pass in their time. Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:31–34)
Sidney’s Legacy
Over and over again, Sidney was willing to walk away from all he had built. If anyone has a right to feel weary with well-doing, it was Sidney. But he held fast to the promise of not only his inheritance in Zion but also helping others gain their inheritance as well.
When the Lord commanded him not to sell his store in Independence, Sidney listened, even though he could have used the funds. Although the saints had been driven out, the Lord wanted them to still claim it as theirs because it had been divinely appointed unto them by Him. Sidney had faith in the words of the Lord, and he was faithful even when those promises felt so far away. As of today, the Lord has not yet fulfilled some of His promises. But with the recent miraculous purchase of the Kirtland Temple, it is exciting to see what the Lord has in store for sites like these.
Just like us, Sidney was faced with insecurities and grievances. But he served up to the very end. Whether it was securing a coat for a departing missionary or converting his home into an infirmary. Sidney offered a place of refuge for suffering saints even as he fell sick with the same disease. As we “eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days,” it is individuals like Sidney who made that possible.
Compensating Blessings
During his April 2025 General Conference talk “Compensating Blessings,” Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé acknowledges that in our day we also face circumstances that can make the Lord’s infinite blessings seem very far away. He mentions that “challenges such as illness, disability, limited resources, fewer opportunities for marriage or education, abuse by others, and other limitations or constraints” can challenge our efforts to live the gospel fully.
Bishop Caussé shares, “My dear friends, if you ever feel limited or disadvantaged by the circumstances of your life, I want you to know this: The Lord loves you personally. He knows your circumstances, and the door to His blessings remains wide open to you no matter the challenges you face.”
The Lord only asks for our hearts and a willing mind. We can have faith that our efforts are building Zion even when we can’t see it. Bishop Caussé assures us, “I testify that while many circumstances in life may be beyond our control, none of us is beyond the reach of the Lord’s infinite blessings. Through His atoning sacrifice, the Savior will compensate for every inability and injustice if we offer our whole souls to Him.”
Sources:
- Sidney Gilbert (churchofjesuschrist.org)
- “Renounce War and Proclaim Peace” (churchofjesuschrist.org)
- Algernon Sidney Gilbert (doctrineandcovenantscentral.org)
- Sidney & Elizabeth Gilbert (latterdaylight.com)
- Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 2:118
Sections of the Doctrine and Covenants That Mention Sidney Gilbert:
June 2025 Come Follow Me Ministering Handout
I decided to pair the message with a pen in the shape of an vintage skeleton key for the June 2025 Come Follow Me Ministering handout. In his quote, Bishop Caussé says that the door to the Lord’s blessings is always open to you no matter your challenges. Even when the world is imperfect, Christ’s Atonement is the key to keeping that door open.
Did you like this June 2025 Come Follow Me Ministering message? Find more Relief Society Ministering Printables for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
These ministering printables are a great way to help families incorporate the “Come, Follow Me” lessons into their own study. They are also perfect for Young Women’s, Relief Society, Sunday School, or Family Home Evening. I hope that these ministering printables will be a simple way to reach out to those we minister to.
