History of Utah, Part 8

Author: Whitney, Orson Ferguson
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Salt Lake City, Cannon
Number of Pages: 1026

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And if he shall transgress and is not accounted worthy to belong to the church, he shall not have power to claim that portion which he has consecrated unto the bishop for the poor and needy of my church; therefore, he shall not retain the gift, but shall only have claim on that portion that is deeded unto him.

And thus all things shall be made sure, according to the laws of the land.

* *

And again, let the bishop appoint a storehouse unto this church, and let all things both in money and in meat, which is more than is needful for the want of this people, be kept in the hands of the bishop.

And let him also reserve unto himself for his own wants, and for the wants of his family. as he shall be employed in doing this business.

And thus 1 grant unto this people a privilege of organizing themselves according to my laws:

And I consecrate unto them this land for a little season, until I, the Lord, shall pro- vide for them otherwise, and command them to go hence;

And the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good.

* Doctrine and Covenants, Scc., 42, verses 30-32; Sec. 51, verses 3-6 and 13-17.

HISTORY OF UTAH.

Such was the general outline of the United Order, which the Mormon Prophet sought to establish, and did introduce, among his people in Ohio and in Missouri. That it was not permanently estab- lished was due partly to persecution, and partly to the innate selfish- ness of human nature. It is still with the Saints one of the prob- lems of the future, as they hold that Zion cannot be built up without it.

The fourth general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints convened at Kirtland on the 6th of June, 1831. Nearly two thousand Saints assembled, including those who had followed the Prophet from New York and Pennsylvania. Among the Elders present was Parley P. Pratt, who had returned in Feb- ruary to report the labors of himself and his confreres in Missouri. There Elder Cowdery and the others yet remained. Several High Priests, the first known to the Church, were ordained at this confer- ence. Most of the Elders were now commissioned to go forth two by two, after the manner of the Apostles anciently, proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, preaching and baptizing. The appointed destination of the majority of them was the Mis- souri frontier, toward which they were directed to travel by differ- ent routes. It was decided that the next conference of the Church should be held upon that land. The burden of the message the Elders were to bear as they wended their way, was as follows: *

Wherefore 1, the Lord, have said, gather ye out from the eastern lands, assemble ye yourselves together ye elders of my church; go ye forth into the western countries, call upon the inhabitants to repent, and inasmuch as they do repent, build up churches unto me ;

And with one heart and with one mind, gather up your riches that ye may purchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be appointed unto you,

And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the most High God ;

And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.

And it shall come to pass, among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor, must needs flee unto Zion for safety.

* Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 45, verses 64-71.

HISTORY OF UTAH.

And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven ; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.

And it shall be said among the wicked, Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.

And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy.

Among the Elders thus commissioned were Joseph Smith, junior, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, John Corrill, John Murdock, Hyrum Smith, Thomas B. Marsh, Ezra Thayre, Isaac Morley, Ezra Booth, Edward Partridge, Martin Harris, David Whitmer, Harvey Whitlock, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Solomon Hancock, Simeon Carter, Edson Fuller, Jacob Scott, Levi Hancock, Zebedee Coltrin, Reynolds Cahoon, Samuel H. Smith, Wheeler Baldwin, William Carter, Newel Knight, Selah J. Griffin, Joseph Wakefield, Solomon Humphrey, A. S. Gilbert, William W. Phelps, and Joseph Coe. Newel Knight and the Coles- ville branch of the Church, formerly of Broome County, New York, but now at Thompson, Ohio, were instructed to migrate in a body to Missouri.

On the 19th of June the Prophet set out from Kirtland on his first visit to Missouri. He was accompanied by Sidney Rigdon, Martin Harris, Edward Partridge, William W. Phelps, Joseph Coe and A. S. Gilbert and wife. Journeying by wagon, stage and canal-boat to Cincinnati, they there took steamer for Louisville, Kentucky; whence, after a brief delay, they proceeded by water to St. Louis. From that point Sidney Rigdon and the Gilberts continued by steamer up the Missouri river, while the Prophet and the rest of his party walked across the state of Missouri, reaching Independence, Jackson County, about the middle of July. The meeting with Elder Cowdery and his companions was one of great rejoicing.

Immediately after the Prophet's arrival the site of the City of Zion, the central gathering place, where the Saints, according to their faith, will yet assemble to await Messiah's coming, was for the first time definitely designated. Independence and its vicinity was the chosen spot. Here lands were to be purchased by the Saints, and the soil dedicated for the gathering of Israel and the building of the New

HISTORY OF UTAH.

Jerusalem. Here Bishop Edward Partridge was to take his stand as "a judge in Israel," to receive the consecration of properties, assign stewardships and apportion to the Saints their inheritance. Martin Harris, who had before contributed so generously for the publication of the Book of Mormon, was selected as. "an example to the Church," in laying his monies at the feet of the Bishop.

It may interest the reader to know. what form of conveyance was used in connection with the consecration of properties. It was as follows:

BE IT KNOWN, THAT I, -- -, Of Jackson county, and state of Missouri, having become a member of the Church of Christ, organized according to law, and estab- lished by the revelations of the Lord, on the 6th day of April, 1830, do, of my own free will and accord, having first paid my just debts, grant and hereby give unto Edward Partridge of Jackson county, and state of Missouri, bishop of said church, the following described property, viz :- Sundry articles of furniture valued fifty five dollars twenty seven cents,- also two beds, bedding and extra clothing valued seventy three dollars twenty five cents,- also farming utensils valued forty one dollars,-also one horse, two wagons two cows and two calves valued one hundred and forty seven dollars.

For the purpose of purchasing lands in Jackson County Mo, and building up the New Jerusalem, even Zion, and for relieving the wants of the poor and needy. For which I the said - do covenant and bind myself and my heirs forever, to release all my right and interest to the above described property, unto him the said Edward Partridge bishop of said church. And I the said Edward Partridge bishop of said church, having received the above described property, of the said do bind myself, that 1 will cause the same to be expended for the above mentioned purposes of the said

- - to the satisfaction of said church; and in case I should be removed from the office of bishop of said church, by death or otherwise, I hereby bind myself and my heirs forever, to make over to my successor in office, for the benefit of said church, all the above described property, which may then be in my possession.

Ix TESTIMONY WHEREOF, WE have hereunto set our hands and seals this - day of - in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty - IN PRESENCE OF

The legal document securing to the individual his stewardship, was in this form:

BE IT KNOWN, THAT I, Edward Partridge of Jackson county, and state of Mis- souri, bishop of the church of Christ, organized according to law, and established by the revelations of the Lord, on the 6th day of April, 1830, have leased and by these presents, do lease unto - of Jackson county, and state of Missouri, a member of said church, the following described piece or parcel of land, being a part of section No. three

7-VOL. 1.

HISTORY OF UTAH.

township No. forty nine range No. thirty two situated in Jackson county, and state of Mis- souri, and is bounded as follows, viz :- beginning eighty rods E, from the S. W. corner of Sd Sec, thence N. one hundred and sixty rods thence E. twenty seven rods 25 L, thence S. one hundred and sixty rods, thence W. twenty seven rods 25 L, to the place of begin- ning, containing twenty seven & } acres be the same more or less subject to roads and highways. And also have loaned the following described property, viz :- Sundry articles of furniture valued fifty five dollars twenty five cents,-also two beds, bedding and clothing valued seventy three dollars twenty seven cents,-also sundry farming utensils valued forty one dollars,-also one horse, two cows, two calves and two waggons valued one hundred forty seven dollars TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the above described property, by him the said to be used and occupied as to him shall seem meet and proper. And as a consideration for the use of the above described property, I the said

do bind myself to pay the taxes, and also to pay yearly unto the said Edward Partridge bishop of said church, or his successor in office, for the benefit of said church, all that I shall make or accumulate more than is needful for the support and comfort of myself and family. And it is agreed by the parties, that this lease and loan shall be binding during the life of the said unless he transgress, and is not deemed worthy by the authority of the Church, according to its laws, to belong to the church. And in that case I the said do acknowledge that I forfeit all claim to the above described leased and loaned property, and hereby bind myself to give back the lease, and also pay an equivalent for the loaned, for the benefit of said church, unto the said Edward Partridge bishop of said church, or his successor in office. And further, in case that said - or family's inability in consequence of infirmity or old age, to provide for themselves while members of this church, 1 the said Edward Partridge bishop of said church, do bind myself to administer to their necessities out of any fund in my hands appropriated for that purpose, not otherwise disposed of, to the satisfaction of the church. And further, in case of the death of said his wife or widow, being at the time a member of said church, has claim upon the above described leased and loaned property, upon precisely the same conditions that her said husband had them, as above described; and the children of said in case of the death of both their parents, also have claim upon the above described property, for their support, until they shall become of age, and no longer; subject to the same conditions yearly that their parents were : provided however, should the parents not be members of said church, and in possession of the above described property at the time of their deaths, the claim of the children as above described, is null and void.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, WE have hereunto set our hands and seals this - day of in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty

IN PRESENCE OF

The dual duty of dedicating the land of Zion and writing a description of it for the benefit of the Church, was devolved upon Sidney Rigdon. William W. Phelps, assisted by Oliver Cowdery, was to establish himself as the Church printer in that land, and A. S.

HISTORY OF UTAH.

Gilbert, senior partner of the firm of Gilbert and Whitney, was given a mission to open a store at Independence, and act as an agent for the Church in purchasing lands in the surrounding region.

The first formal step toward the founding of the city of Zion was taken on the 2nd of August, 1831. In Kaw Township, twelve miles west of Independence, in which locality the newly arrived Colesville Saints were settling, the first log of the first house was that day borne to its place by twelve men, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. The Prophet was one of the number. The same day Elder Rigdon dedicated the land of Zion. On the day following, the site of the future temple, near Independence, was consecrated by the Prophet. Then came the appointed conference. It was held at the house of Joshua Lewis, in Kaw Township, all or most of the Saints in that region being present.

On the 9th of August the Prophet and ten other Elders set out to return to Kirtland. From Independence Landing a fleet of sixteen canoes carried them and their provisions down the Missouri. Three days they rowed and drifted. The Prophet, with Elders Cowdery and Rigdon, then left the canoes in charge of their companions, and con- tinued the journey by land. They reached Kirtland on the 27th of August.

Having thus planted a colony of his people in their "land of promise," and set in motion a migratory stream of the Saints in that direction, the Prophet resumed his task of revising the scriptures,-a work suspended since the previous December. For this purpose he and Elder Rigdon retired to the little town of Hiram, in Portage County, thirty miles south-east of Kirtland, where, on September 12th, Joseph took up his abode at the home of John Johnson, a member of the Church there residing. Emma Smith accompanied her husband, taking with her two infants, twins, the children of John Murdock, which she had adopted in lieu of twins of her own that had died. John Johnson was the father of Luke S. and Lyman E. Johnson, two of the future Twelve Apostles, and father-in-law to Orson Hyde, who also became one of that council. Orson had

HISTORY OF UTAH.

recently been a clerk in the store of Gilbert and Whitney, at Kirtland. At Hiram the Prophet continued his literary labors, and from time to time took active part in the ministry, attending frequent conferences and issuing verbal or written instructions to the Church at large. Many of these were in the form of revelations, now of record in the book of Doctrine and Covenants. It was about this time that William E. McLellin, a prominent Elder, lost some prestige with the Saints by attempting, in a spirit of rivalry, to write revelations sim- ilar to those uttered by the Prophet.

Kirtland as a Stake of Zion continued to grow and prosper, her numbers increasing as converts multiplied, despite the constant drain upon her population by the Missouri emigrations. The Ohio Saints, like those in Missouri, being required to enter "the Order," an accession to the Bishopric now became necessary. On December 4th, 1831, Newel K. Whitney was called to be the Bishop of Kirt- land ; two counselors being chosen to assist him. The powers and duties of the Bishopric of Kirtland were similar to those of the Bish- opric in Missouri.

It was during his sojourn at Hiram that the Prophet enunciated the doctrine of universal salvation. He declared that all men would be saved except a certain few called "sons of perdition,"-shedders of innocent blood and sinners against the Holy Ghost,-but that souls would be saved upon principles of justice and mercy, according to their merits, in different degrees of glory. There was hope, he said, for the heathen, who had never heard the name of Christ; hope even for the wicked, who were " thrust down to hell," after they had paid the "uttermost farthing" and suffered sufficiently for their sins .* No soul, he maintained, could escape merited punishment, designed to purge away uncleanness, simply by confessing Christ. As for little children, there was no damnation for them. They were irre- sponsible innocents redeemed by the blood of Christ from the

* Joseph Smith taught that "eternal punishment" did not mean never-ending pun- ishment, but punishment inflicted by Him who is Eternal.

HISTORY OF UTAH.

foundation of the world. A few excerpts from the "Vision" of February 16th, 1832, wherein are set forth the Prophet's views relat- ing to the various states of man hereafter, will here be appropriate :*

We, Joseph Smith, jun., and Sidney Rigdon, being in the Spirit on the sixteenth of February, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two,

By the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God-

Even those things which were from the beginning before the world was, which were ordained of the Father, through his Only Begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, even from the beginning,

Of whom we bear record, and the record which we bear is the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision;

And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son, whom the Father loved, and who was in the bosom of the Father-was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son,

And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him-he was Lucifer, a son of the morning.

And we saw a vision of the sufferings of those with whom he made war and over- came, for thus came the voice of the Lord unto us.

Thus saith the Lord, concerning all those who know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves, through the power of the devil, to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power-

They are they who are the sons of perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for them never to have been born,

For they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels in eternity ;

And the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power;

Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath ;

For all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb, who was slain, who was in the bosom of the Father before the worlds were made.

And again, we bear record, for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ, concerning them who come forth in the resurrection of the just;

* Doctrine and Covenants, Section 76.

HISTORY OF UTAH.

They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given,

That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power,

And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true.

They are they who are the church of the first born.

They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things-

They are they who are Priests and Kings, who have received of his fullness, and of his glory,

And are Priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchisedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son ;

Wherefore, as it is written, they are Gods, even the sons of God-

Wherefore all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ's and Christ is God's.

These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.

And again, we saw the terrestrial world, and behold and lo, these are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differs from that of the church of the first born, who have received the fullness of the Father, even as that of the moon differs from the sun in the firmament.

Behold, these are they who died without law,

And also they who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom the Son visited, and preached the gospel unto them, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh,

Who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it.

These are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the crafti- ness of men.

These are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fullness.

These are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fullness of the Father ;

Wherefore they are bodies terrestrial, and not bodies celestial, and differ in glory as the moon differs from the sun.

These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God.

And again, we saw the glory of the telestial, which glory is that of the lesser, even as'the glory of the stars differs from that of the glory of the moon in the firmament.

These are they who received not the gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus. These are they who deny not the Holy Spirit.

HISTORY OF UTAH.

These are they who are thrust down to hell.

These are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil, until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb shall have finished his work.

These are they who receive not of his fullness in the eternal world, but of the Holy Spirit through the ministration of the terrestrial;

And the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the sun is one.

And the glory of the terrestrial is one, even as the glory of the moon is one.

And the glory of the telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one, for as one star differs from another star in glory, even so differs one from another in glory in the telestial world;

* *

For they shall be judged according to their works, and every man shall receive according to his own.works, his own dominion, in the mansions which are prepared,

And they shall be servants of the Most High, but where God and Christ dwell they cannot come, worlds without end.

Joseph Smith here virtually declares that God is man made per- fect, and that man in his highest estate, resurrected and glorified,- the child developed to the status of the parent,-is nothing less than Deity. The idea of "Lords many and Gods many," a celestial brotherhood, a divine United Order, is also plainly set forth. What- ever may be thought of such views, one thing is certain, the charge that Mormonism teaches a narrow salvation here falls to the ground. Nor is the thought that man by development becomes God,-retaining his individuality, while doffing his mortal nature and blossoming into an eternal being,-a groveling concept of human destiny. The Nirvana of Buddhism pales before it, as do the mystical views of most Christian divines.

About the time of the Prophet's removal to Hiram, Ezra Booth, one of the Elders who had accompanied him to Missouri, aposta- tized, and in a series of letters published in the Ohio Star was now assailing the system and principles he had once accepted and advo- cated as divine. He succeeded in creating considerable prejudice · against the Prophet, and through his influence several others turned from the Church. A feeling of intense hostility was awak- ened at Hiram, where, on the night of March 25th, a violent assault was committed upon the Prophet and Elder Rigdon. Joseph and his

HISTORY OF UTAH.

wife had been watching at the bedside of the twins, who were dan- gerously ill, and weary and worn from loss of sleep he had thrown himself down and was slumbering heavily. Suddenly the door was burst open, and in rushed a mob of ten or a dozen men, who, sur- rounding the sleeper, seized him and attempted to drag him from the house. His wife's screams aroused him, and he struggled des- perately with his assailants. His hands being held, he felled one man to the floor with a vigorous kick. Enraged at his resistance, they threatened to kill him if he did not desist, and suiting the action to the word seized him by the throat and choked him until he was insensible.

Father Johnson, whom the mob had locked in a room prior to attacking his guest, regaining his liberty, pursued them, club in hand. Encountering another party who had captured Elder Rigdon, he knocked one of them down, and was about to fell another when the crowd turned upon him and held him at bay.

Joseph, recovering consciousness, found himself lying upon the ground surrounded by his captors, about a mile from the house where his weeping and half frantic wife still watched beside the sick babes, one of whom was now death-stricken. Near him lay the motionless form of Elder Rigdon, whom the mob had dragged by his heels over the hard frozen earth until life was almost extinct. Joseph supposed him dead. He himself was now hurried into a meadow, a mile farther away, where the mob stripped off his clothes, cursing and beating him meanwhile, and coated his naked form with tar. They forced a tar paddle into his mouth, and a phial contain- ing aqua fortis between his lips. The phial broke against his tightly clenched teeth, and the deadly acid was spilled. One of the mob then fell upon him like a wild-cat, tearing his flesh and shrieking in his ear : "That's the way the Holy Ghost falls on folks." Having sated their fury, they departed, leaving their bleeding victim to find his way, as best he might, through the cold and darkness back to Father Johnson's. At sight of his lacerated form, covered with tar, his wife screamed and fainted, supposing him to have been horribly

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History of Utah, Part 8

Author: Whitney, Orson Ferguson Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Salt Lake City, Cannon Number of Pages: 1026

Author: Whitney, Orson Ferguson
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Salt Lake City, Cannon
Number of Pages: 1026