D&C 81: The Back Panel That Holds Everything Square

I was building a bookshelf last month. Nothing fancy. Just a simple case with adjustable shelves for my daughter's room. I had the sides cut and the dados routed, and I was about to glue it up when I realized I had forgotten something. The back panel. I had not cut a rabbet for the back panel.

It is a small thing. The back panel on a bookshelf is not what holds the weight. But without it, the whole thing racks. The sides twist and the shelves sag. The piece that nobody sees is the piece that keeps everything square.

I thought about that back panel when I read D&C 81 this week. It is a short section, only seven verses. But it says something important about the people who hold things together.

Succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees. (D&C 81:5)

The Back Panel

The section is a revelation to Frederick G. Williams, who was called as a counselor in the Presidency of the High Priesthood. But the call had originally gone to someone else. Jesse Gause was called first, and he did not stay faithful. So the call was transferred.

That alone is worth sitting with. A calling from God is not a permanent entitlement. It is a stewardship that has to be maintained. When Gause fell away, the Lord did not leave the position empty. He found someone else.

The revelation tells Frederick to listen and hearken. That is the first instruction. Before anything else, he has to be someone who hears the Lord. Someone who listens rather than someone who talks first or administers first.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you my servant Frederick G. Williams: Listen to the voice of him who speaketh, to the word of the Lord your God, and hearken to the calling wherewith you are called, even to be a high priest in my church, and a counselor unto my servant Joseph Smith, Jun." (D&C 81:1-2)

I like that. The first qualification for leadership is not skill or experience. It is the willingness to stop and hear what the Lord is saying.

When Hands Hang Down

Verse 5 is the heart of the section. It says the purpose of this calling is to do the greatest good to your fellow beings. Then it gives three specific instructions.

Succor the weak, lift up the hands that hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.

These are physical images. I know what it feels like to have my hands hang down after a long day in the shop. The muscles burn and the grip goes, and you cannot hold onto anything. That is what spiritual fatigue feels like. And the instruction is to lift.

The instruction is to lift, not to lecture or fix.

I have been on both sides of that situation more times than I can count. I have had days when I could not hold my own hands up, and someone showed up with a meal or a quiet word or just sat with me until I could breathe again. And I have been the one doing the lifting, standing behind someone else while they tried to stay upright.

The feeble knees image is the same. Knees that cannot support weight, knees that buckle. The instruction is to strengthen them, not to carry the person. You cannot carry someone forever. But you can help them stand long enough to find their own footing.

I wrote about a similar idea in Mosiah 17: Alma Believes Abinadi and Abinadi Is Martyred. Alma had to stand alone for a while before he found others who would stand with him. Sometimes the lifting comes before the person is ready to walk.

The Truth in the Measurements

The section also talks about being faithful in counsel. That is a specific kind of faithfulness. It means telling the truth even when the truth is hard. It means supporting the person you are called to counsel, not just agreeing with them.

I think about this in terms of woodworking. When I am building something with a friend, I do not tell him his measurements are perfect if they are not. I tell him to measure again. That is counsel, not criticism. It is helping him avoid a mistake that will cost him later.

Faithful counsel requires trust. The person receiving it has to know you are on their side. And the person giving it has to be willing to say what needs to be said, even if it is uncomfortable.

The section also emphasizes prayer. Vocal prayer and prayer in the heart, public and private. The idea is that a counselor's spiritual life cannot be one-dimensional. If you only pray in public, your private life will drift. If you only pray in private, you will lose the strength that comes from community.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Frederick G. Williams and what was his role in D&C 81

Frederick G Williams was called as a high priest and a counselor in the Presidency of the High Priesthood to support Joseph Smith. He was ordained to this office in 1833, after the call was transferred to him from Jesse Gause.

What are the specific responsibilities of a counselor in Section 81

A counselor is expected to be faithful in their counsel, consistent in prayer both public and private, and active in proclaiming the gospel. The primary purpose is to do the greatest good for others and to serve the Lord.

What does it mean to succor the weak and strengthen the feeble knees

These are calls to provide active, compassionate support to people who are struggling. It means intervening in someone's life to help them find stability and strength when they cannot move forward on their own.

Why was the call transferred from Jesse Gause to Frederick G. Williams

Jesse Gause was called first but did not remain faithful to his appointment. The transfer shows that a calling from God is a stewardship that must be maintained through faithfulness. It is not a permanent entitlement.

I finished that bookshelf last weekend. I cut the rabbet for the back panel, glued it up, and clamped it square. The back panel is thin plywood. Nobody will look at it. But the shelf will not rack because of it.

That is what D&C 81 is about. The work that holds things together, the listening before the speaking, and the lifting when someone cannot stand. It is not the most visible work. But it is the work that keeps everything square.

— D.