Believe the Unbelievable (Yes, God Really Does Things Like This)

​Believe the Unbelievable (Yes, God Really Does Things Like This)

Thoughts on Doctrine and Covenants 21

It was just another ordinary April day in an ordinary farmhouse in upstate New York.

No spotlight. No press conference. No famous scholars. No influencers.

Just six guys in a room. Mostly farmers. One or two with some schooling. None with power. None with status. None with a verified blue check.

And then… the Lord spoke.

And what did He say?

That a 24-year-old farm boy — mocked, sued, chased, and laughed at — was His prophet, seer, and translator.

That this young man was called to help build Zion in the last days.

That his words should be received as if they came straight from God’s own mouth.

Not exactly the kind of announcement that trends well on social media.

Faith Has Always Sounded Crazy at First

The Lord didn’t say,

“Believe him once it makes sense.”

He said:

“His word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.”

Translation:

You won’t get proof first.

You get the test first.

This has always been God’s pattern.

Moses? A fugitive with a speech problem.

David? A shepherd kid with a slingshot.

Elijah? A wilderness prophet calling down fire like a one-man thunderstorm.

Isaiah? Walked barefoot for three years — try explaining that today.

And Joseph Smith?

A young guy with no degree, no title, no followers, translating a book nobody believed existed, while dodging mobs and court cases.

Exactly the kind of resume heaven seems to love.

God has never picked prophets the way humans pick leaders.

If He did, Zion would be run by committees.

Zion Runs on Faith, Not Logic

The Lord made a promise that sounds almost ridiculous:

If you accept this prophet…

If you really believe…

If you actually treat his words like they came from God…

Then the gates of hell won’t win.

Darkness will scatter.

Heaven itself will move for your good.

Huge promises.

And what did God require in return?

Not fame.

Not miracles on demand.

Not guarantees that life would be easy.

Just patience…

and faith.

That’s it.

Which, honestly, has always been the hardest thing.

Noah built an ark before it rained.

Abraham lifted the knife before the ram appeared.

Israel stepped into the Red Sea before it opened.

And in 1830, six men had to believe that a farm boy held the keys of the kingdom.

Faith has never been reasonable.

It’s always been powerful.

Zion Is Expensive

The Lord said He had seen Joseph’s tears for Zion.

And Joseph cried a lot.

He cried when he was chased out of town.

He cried when he was tarred and feathered.

He cried when friends betrayed him.

He cried in Liberty Jail asking,

“O God, where art thou?”

Anyone who thinks building Zion is comfortable has not read the fine print.

God’s pattern never changes:

1️⃣ He calls a prophet

2️⃣ People doubt

3️⃣ Followers struggle

4️⃣ Zion still rises

Every time.

Not easily.

Not quickly.

But always.

Zion is not built with convenience.

It’s built with sacrifice, stubborn faith, and people who refuse to quit.

So… Do We Actually Believe?

This is the real question.

Not whether the world believes.

Not whether critics believe.

Do we believe?

Because if Joseph Smith really was a prophet, then everything changes.

It means heaven is not silent.

It means God still speaks.

It means this Church isn’t a hobby — it’s a covenant.

It means Zion isn’t poetry — it’s a project.

And just like those six men in 1830…

We have to decide if we’re willing to believe something the world thinks is impossible.

God still works the same way.

Still calls unlikely people.

Still asks for unreasonable faith.

Still shakes the heavens when people trust Him.

And if that’s true…

Then the only real choice left is this:

Build Zion.

Even when it’s hard.

Even when it’s unpopular.

Even when it makes no sense.

Especially then.

#ComeFollowMe #ChurchOfJesusChristOfLatterDaySaints #Faith #JesusChrist #Zion #DoctrineAndCovenants #Believe