followHIM Favorites • "Faith. It's What's for Dinner."

Hosts: Hank Smith & John Bytheway
Episode Date: November 20, 2025
Come, Follow Me Focus: Doctrine & Covenants 135 & 136

Episode Overview

In this "followHIM Favorites" mini-episode, hosts Hank Smith and John Bytheway present a story that ties together two pivotal moments in Latter-day Saint history—Joseph Smith’s martyrdom (D&C 135) and the trek west (D&C 136). Through the account of Dan Jones, a lesser-known but remarkable early Saint, they explore themes of endurance, faith, and the surprising nature of answered prayer. The episode underscores how, instead of pleading for changed circumstances, one can humbly ask the Lord for strength to adapt and endure.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Context: Doctrine & Covenants 135 & 136

• Sections Covered:
  • D&C 135: The martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith
  • D&C 136: Brigham Young's revelation about the trek west
• The hosts note the historical gap and different focuses of these sections, tying them together through Dan Jones's life.

The Story of Dan Jones

• Who Was Dan Jones?

  • A Welsh convert, steamboat captain on the Mississippi, was with Joseph Smith in Carthage Jail the night before Joseph’s death.
  • Later became a dynamic missionary and was instrumental in the Welsh Latter-day Saint conversion movement.

• Joseph Smith's Last Recorded Prophecy (00:36–02:00):

  • Quote (Joseph Smith, to Dan Jones):

    "You will yet see Wales and fulfill the mission appointed you before you die." (01:30)

  • This promise was fulfilled years later, when Dan was called to serve in Wales and brought many to the faith through his compelling oratory in English and Welsh.

• Dan Jones and the Trek West (02:01–03:57):

  • Dan led Welsh Saints across the plains as part of the historic Willie and Martin Handcart Companies, enduring extreme hardship.

"Faith for Dinner": Adapting, Not Escaping

• Handcart Company Hardships:

  • Food ran out; all that remained were rawhides from dead cattle.
  • Dan Jones's journal:

    "Game soon became so scarce that we could kill nothing. We ate all the poor meat... Finally that was all gone. Nothing now but the hides were left, the skin. We made trial of them..." (02:45)

  • Improvised ways to make hides barely edible, involving soaking, scraping, boiling to jelly, and eating with sugar.

• Spiritual Lesson

  • The prayer was not for changed circumstances, but for transformation—adapting oneself to hardship:

    "We asked the Lord to bless our stomachs and adapt them to this food." (03:55)

  • Host Reflection:

    "It wasn't 'change my circumstances,' it was 'change me.'" — Hank Smith (04:01)

  • They note the humility and faith required to accept severe trials rather than demand miraculous relief.

Relatability and Application

• Everyday Complaints:

  • The story is a contrast to modern frustrations:

    "I think I can make it if the microwave breaks. I don't think I need to break into tears next time." — Hank Smith (04:47) "I think I'll survive if the Wi-Fi is down." — John Bytheway (04:54)

• Broader Takeaway:

  • The heroism in the everyday Saints, beyond the famous names, shines forth.
  • Faith in adversity is about transforming ourselves, not always escaping trial.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Jones’s Response to Joseph Smith

  "Engaged in such a cause, I do not think that death would have many terrors." — Dan Jones (01:15)

• Hosts’ Summary of the Spiritual Lesson

  "How often do you and I, and I'm sure many of our listeners, pray for our circumstances to change, when Dan Jones didn’t pray for that. He prayed that the Lord would change him to adapt to the circumstances." — Hank Smith (04:10)

• Humorous Modern Comparison

  "I think I'll survive if the Wi-Fi is down." — John Bytheway (04:54)

Important Timestamps

• 00:03: Introduction & overview of D&C 135-136
• 00:36: Story of Dan Jones at Carthage Jail
• 01:30: Joseph Smith’s prophecy to Dan Jones
• 02:20: Dan called to serve in Wales; missionary service
• 02:55: Dan Jones’s account from the plains—food scarcity
• 03:55: Praying for adaptation rather than miracles
• 04:01–04:54: Hosts reflect on modern relevance and faith

Episode Tone

Warm, reflective, and laced with gentle humor. The hosts draw profound spiritual lessons from historical accounts, making them accessible, relatable, and encouraging for listeners facing their own challenges.

Final Thoughts

This episode uses Dan Jones’s story to inspire listeners to seek transformational faith: praying for the strength to endure, not just escape, hardship. In doing so, Hank and John encourage a deeper, more spiritual reading of Latter-day Saint history and personal adversity.