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James 1:5 and the Sacred Grove0/7

Scripture Story Sketch Notes · James 1–2 · Joseph Smith—History 1

James 1:5 and
the Sacred Grove

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5

James, a brother of the Lord, wrote a practical letter about living our faith. Nearly 1,800 years later, one verse from it sent a fourteen-year-old boy into the woods to pray, and the heavens opened.

Follow the verse ↓ Read James 1 first
Hand-drawn doodle map of a winding path: a traveler carrying a heavy load uphill, a boy reading a Bible by candlelight in a log cabin, a small boat tossed on rough waves, a person receiving a leafy crown, warm rays falling on open hands, a person holding a hand mirror, a youth bringing bread to a widow and child, and neighbors building a house together.

Before you begin

The story in brief

James, “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” wrote to believers scattered abroad. He told them that “the trying of your faith worketh patience,” and he gave a promise: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” But “let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.”

He taught, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,” and said that “pure religion” is “to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.” In 1820, young Joseph Smith read James 1:5. “I reflected on it again and again,” he wrote. He went into the woods to pray, saw “a pillar of light,” and heard the Father say of His Son, “Hear Him!”

Who’s who

  • James: a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ
  • Joseph Smith: a boy who asked of God
  • Jesus Christ: the Beloved Son we are to hear

Where and when

A letter to scattered believers, and a grove of trees in western New York.

Watch for the Savior

Watch how Joseph acts on the verse, step by step.

Read it yourself: James 1:1–27

Part 1 of 7

The verse, mapped

Eight stops from trials to faith that works. Scroll, or tap a number on the map.

    Part 2 of 7

    The story, plainly

    Four scenes: a boy reads, a boy prays, a mirror, and a neighbor’s door. Look for the Savior in each one.

    Read it plainly

    The words that trip people up

    Tap any dotted word for its meaning. The scripture stays exactly as written.1

    1. James 1:2“when ye fall into temptations”
    2. James 1:5“giveth to all men liberally, and not”
    3. James 1:6“nothing ”
    4. James 1:17“with whom is no ”
    5. James 1:21“the word”
    6. James 1:27“to keep himself from the world”

    Part 3 of 7

    Look closer

    Small details tell the story. Some cards are details in the text; others share insights from Church leaders or Church resources. Each card says which.

    0 of 9 turned

    Part 4 of 7

    Where are you?

    Not sure which way, ready to ask, tossed around, or doing the word. Which feels most like you right now?

    Try it

    What did Joseph do next?

    Joseph Smith didn’t just read James 1:5. He acted on it. Tap his steps in the order he took them.

    Joseph Smith—History James 1:11–17

    Part 5 of 7

    Their world, their words

    A little background helps us see who James was and why one verse mattered so much. Outside sources are labeled.

    Church resource · Student manual

    Who was James?

    “Christian tradition has held that this James … is one of the sons of Joseph and Mary and hence half-brother of Jesus of Nazareth.”6

    He believed after the Resurrection.

    Church resource · Student manual

    Like the Sermon on the Mount

    There are “close parallels between the Savior’s Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5–7 and the words of James.”6

    He echoed his Brother’s teachings.

    Church resource · Student manual

    Widows and orphans

    Anciently, widows and orphans “were among the most underprivileged members of society and had few rights or opportunities.”6

    Caring for them was true worship.

    Scripture · Joseph Smith—History

    Power to the heart

    Joseph wrote that James 1:5 “seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart.”3

    One verse changed everything.

    Word study · Greek

    sophia σοφία · “wisdom” (James 1:5)

    Bible Hub: “skill, wisdom.”7 Outside · lexicon

    Not just knowing facts, but knowing what to do. That was Joseph’s question.3

    Word study · Greek

    poiētēs ποιητής · “doers” (James 1:22)

    Bible Hub: “a maker, a doer.”8 Outside · lexicon

    The same word family gives us “poet.” A doer makes the word real in a life.1

    What the text does not say

    James doesn’t promise that every answer comes right away or the way we expect. Elder David A. Bednar teaches that asking in faith carries “the dual obligation to both plead and to perform.” Joseph prayed, then acted on the answer for the rest of his life.5

    Part 6 of 7

    Look to Him

    The Father answered Joseph by pointing to His Son: “Hear Him!” Every answer we seek leads us to Jesus Christ.

    “True faith is focused in and on the Lord Jesus Christ and always leads to righteous action.”

    Elder David A. Bednar5
    “… every investigator of revealed truth stands, at some time in the course of his search, in the place where Joseph Smith stood.”
    Elder Bruce R. McConkie, quoted in the student manual6
    “It is not enough to know that God lives, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that the gospel is true.”
    President Dallin H. Oaks, quoted in the student manual6
    “… prayer becomes meaningful as we ask in faith and act.”
    Elder David A. Bednar5

    Moroni

    Ask with real intent

    “If ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.” Moroni 10:4

    Jesus

    Ask, seek, knock

    “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Matthew 7:7

    Part 7 of 7

    Seek Him today

    A question to ask in prayer

    What do I need wisdom about right now, and what will I do with the answer? James 1:5

    Ask Him the way Joseph did: in faith, ready to act. Then watch for the answer and follow it.

    Try it today

    One step each day, like Joseph’s steps. It saves on this device, one day at a time.

    0 of 7 today

    This week:0 of 7 days

    A quiet moment

    “Let him ask of God.”

    Read James 1:5–6 slowly. Then picture a quiet grove of trees. What would you ask if you knelt there today? James 1:5–6

    A verse to hold

    Talk about it

    1. What verse did Joseph Smith read, and how did it make him feel?
    2. What did Joseph do after he read it?
    3. What does it mean to be a “doer of the word”?
    4. Who did Heavenly Father point Joseph to in the grove?
    Open

    For adults and deeper study

    Go deeper

    Longer readings, harder questions, and where to study next. Each one says what it is before you click.
    Apostle

    Elder David A. Bednar, “Ask in Faith” (2008)

    Asking in faith means praying with a plan to act, as Joseph did in the grove.5

    Read the talk →
    Church resource

    New Testament Student Manual: James

    Who James was, James 1:5 and the First Vision, doers of the word, and faith with works.6

    Read the chapter →
    Scripture

    Joseph Smith—History James 1:5–20

    Joseph’s own account of the revival, the verse, the grove and the First Vision.3

    Joseph Smith—History 1 →
    Scripture

    Moroni 10:3–5: Moroni’s promise

    Another invitation to ask God, with a promise that the Holy Ghost will answer.4

    Moroni 10 →
    To ponder

    Harder questions

    • Why do you think James 1:5 hit Joseph so powerfully?
    • What is the difference between saying a prayer and asking in faith?
    • Where might God be asking you to be a doer, not just a hearer?

    Sources

    Every quotation, gloss, and piece of background on this page is listed here: scripture first, then Church sources, then outside scholarship (labeled).

    Scripture

    1. James 1: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.”
    2. James 2:14–26: “Faith, if it hath not works, is dead.”
    3. Joseph Smith—History James 1:10–20: “I retired to the woods to make the attempt.”
    4. Moroni 10:4: “Ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ.”

    Church leaders and Church resources

    1. Elder David A. Bednar, “Ask in Faith”, general conference, April 2008.
    2. New Testament Student Manual, “James”, Gospel Library (quoting Elder Bruce R. McConkie and President Dallin H. Oaks).

    Outside sources (labeled on the page)

    1. Strong’s 4678, sophia, Bible Hub lexicon.
    2. Strong’s 4163, poiētēs, Bible Hub lexicon.

    Quotations checked against the linked pages on October 11, 2026. Scripture is quoted from the King James Version as published in the Gospel Library.

    “Let him ask of God”

    Ask in faith, then act. Heavenly Father will answer, and He will always point you to His Son. James 1:5

    Back to this week: November 8–14 Next story: The Tongue: Bit, Rudder and Spark All New Testament Story Sketch Notes
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    Independent study notes from Weak Things, not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version. The teachings are in James 1–2 and Joseph Smith—History 1; the insights in “Look closer” are labeled by source.