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A    BRIEF    HISTORY 

OF    TH^ 

Church  of  Jesus  Christ 

— OF 

Latter-day  Saints, 

FROM  THE  BIRTH  OF  THE  PROPHET  JOSEPH  SMITH 
TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 

BY  THE    AUTHOB  OF    THE  ''LIFE   OF  BBIGHAM   YOUNG.'' 


•'And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall  the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a  king- 
*lom,  which  shall  never  be  destroyed  :  and  the  kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to 
other  people,  but  it  shall  break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and 
it  shall  stand  forever."2)ame/  2  ;  44. 


SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH: 

GEO.  Q.  CANNON  &  SONS  CO.,  Publishers. 

1893. 


COPYRIGHT     APPLIED     F^OR. 


A3[ 


2/2 1 /?s 


PREFACE. 


The  following  pages  contain  a  brief  history  of  th  - 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 

In  order  that  the  reader  may  obtain  a  clear  under- 
standing of  the  principles  of  the  gospel,  in  connection 
with  the  history  of  the  people  who  have  been  instrumental 
in  establishing  it,  references  have  been  made  freely  to 
the  Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants  containing  the 
revelations  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  for  the  building 
up  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  the  last  days. 

In  conjunction  with  his  own  experience,  the  author 
h^s  gathered  his  facts,  in  sketching  these  main  outlines 
of  the  faith,  work,  travels  and  persecutions  of  the  Saints, 
from  a  large  number  of  reliable  authorities  on  the 
subject.  Accuracy  has  been  aimed  at,  as  well  as  complete- 
ness as  far  as  the  limited  space  would  allow. 

The  volume  is  designed,  first,  to  create  an  interest 
in  the  marvelous  work  of  God,  as  exemplified  in  and 
through  the  Mormons,  in  the  minds  of  the  youth  of 
Israel,  to  whom  a  knowledge  of  the  faith,  toils  and  sacri- 
fices of  the  founders  of  this  great,  latter-day  religious 
fabric  is  absolutely  indispensable.  Secondly,  there  is  a 
large  class  of  persons  who  desire  a  glimpse  of  the  story 
of  Mormonism,  but  who  have  no  time  to  read  the  more 
ponderous  books  thereon;  such,  it  is  believed,  will  find 
ust  what  they  need  in  these  pages. 

The  Author. 

September,  i8gj. 


CONTENTS. 


I.     FROM  THE  PROPHET'S  BIRTH  TO  THE 
ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

1805-1830 

"a  marvelous  work  and  a  wonder.  " 9 

message  from  on  high 15 

the  sacred  hill  cumorah 21 

translating  the  records 25 

important  revelations 30 

II.     FROM  THE  ORGANIZATION  TO  THE 
FLIGHT  FROM  KIRTLAND. 

1830-1838 

ORGANIZATION   OF   THE    CHURCH 35 

MANIFESTATIONS    AND   PERSECUTIONS •  .  .  .  .  37 

MISSION   TO   THE     LAMANITES 43 

THE    LAW  OF   CONSECRATION 52 

LOCATING   THE   LAND    OF    ZION 54 

PROGRESS    IN    KIRTLAND   AND   THE    EAST 58 

EXPULSION    FROM   JACKSON    COUNTY ' .  62 

HIGH   COUNCIL   ORGANIZED 66 

ZION  '  S   CAMP 68 

APOSTLES   AND    SEVENTIES   CHOSEN 71 

DEPARTURE    FROM    CLAY    COUNTY 75 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

III.  FROM    THE    MISSOURI    EXODUS    TO    THE 

MARTYRDOM. 

1838-1844 

BANISHEdVrOM   MISSOURI 89 

LOWERING   CLOUDS 96 

THE    MARTV^RDOM 100 

IV.  THE    CHURCH    UNDER    BRIGHAM   YOUNG. 

1844-1877 

AGREEMENT  TO   LEAVE   NAUVOO 105 

EXPELLED    FROM    ILLINOIS 109 

TWO   MILITARY   PICTURES 113 

THE   PIONEERS    AND   THE    FIRST    COMPANIES 117 

MIGRATION   OF   THE    MAIN   BODY   WEST 122 

COLONIZATION 127 

UTAH   TERRITORY   ORGANIZED 131 

EVENTS    FROM    1854   TO   1857 139 

THE   UTAH   EXPEDITION 142 

A   PERIOD   OF     RECUPERATION 149 

OFFICIAL  CRUSADE — DEATH   OF   PRESIDENT  YOUNG 164 

FROM  THE  DEATH;0F  PRESIDENT    YOUNG  TO 
THE  PRESENT  TIME. 

1877-1893 

JOHN    TAYLOR   CHOSEN    LEADER 160 

THE    EDMUNDS-TUCKER    AGITATION 163 

CHANGED   CONDITIONS 165 

THE    TEMPLES    OF   THE    SAINTS 168 

CONCLUSION    172 


fl  BHIEF  HISTORY  OF  THE  Qm^t 

I.     FROM  THE  PROPHET'S  BIRTH  TO  ITS 
ORGANIZATION. 

1805—1830. 


1.      "a  marvelous  work  and  a  wonder." 

With  the  age  of  reason,  or  freedom  in  religion,  that 
followed  the  flight  of  Luther  from  the  debauched  court  of 
Pope  Leo  X,  came  also  the  age  of  skepticism — not  alone 
skepticism,  but  hypocrisy,  while  the  revolution  in 
theology,  inaugurated  by  the  reformers,  shattered  the 
thought-monopoly  which  had  been  concentrated  in  the 
Pope;  it  likewise  created  such  diversities  of  opinion,  and 
so  many  leaders  in  religion  that  the  world  of  mankind 
were  literally  "children  tossed  to  and  fro,  and  carried 
about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine,  by  the  slight  of  men 
and  cunning  craftiness,  whereby  they  lie  in  wait  to 
deceive." 

There  was  no  universall)'  acknowledged  head  of  the 
Christian  Church.  It  is  true  that  since  the  death  or 
martyrdom  of  the  Apostles  of  Christ,  God  had  acknowl- 
edged no  authority  on  the  earth.  All  had  apostatized 
from  the  true  gospel,  and  the  Apostles,  Prophets,  Evange- 
lists, Pastors  and  Teachers,  which  Christ  had  acknowl- 
edged or  commissioned,  were  no  more  to  be  found;  the 
Christian  Bishops    had   departed    from  the    simple    ordi- 

2 


10  A   BRIEF    HISTORY   OF   THE    CHURCH. 

nances  of  the  Christian  religion,and  instead  had  introduced 
Jewish  and  Pagan  observances,  ceremonies  and  mysteries, 
for  the  purpose  of  gaining  friends.  But  for  centuries  all 
Christians — often  through  compulsion.  *  however, — had 
acknowledged  the  pope  as  the  vicegerent  of  God,  and 
had  recognized  his  authority.  But  the  sweep  of  the 
reformation  broke  this  power  over  men.  Following 
Luther,  Zwingli,  Calvin  and  Cranmer,  arose  a  hundred 
leaders  in  religion,  who,  disregarding  the  injunction, 
"And  no  man  taketh  this  honor  unto  himself,  but  he  that 
is  called  of  God,  as  was  Aaron,"  set  themselves  up  as 
officers  in  the  Church  of  Christ.  The  reformation  broke 
the  power  of  popedom,  and  gave  to  men  the  blessed  right 
of  private  judgment;  but,  going  one  step  further,  the 
Protestants,  like  the  Catholics,  from  whom  they  had 
emancipated  themselves,  usurped  authority,  for  nowhere 
is  there  a  record,  nor  even  a  profession  made,  that  autho- 
rity was  conferred,  by  revelation  from  God  or  the 
ministration  of  angels  the  only  known  methods  by  which 
it  could  be  done,  upon  anyone  to  act  in  His  name.* 

This  disregard  of  authority  brought  with  it  a  train 
of  many  evils,  chief  among  which  were  hypocrisy,  and  a 
service  of  form  instead  of  a  worship  from  the  heart.  So 
continued  the  condition  of  the  people  almost  three  hundred 
years,  from  the  reformation  to  the  beginning  of  the  nine- 
teenth century. 

The  Prophet  Isaiah  foresaw  this  period,  and  declared 


*  It  is  said  that  Roger  Williams  refused  to  continue  as  pastor  over  the 
largest  Baptist  Church  in  this  country,  because  there  was  "no  regularly  con- 
stituted Church  on  earth,  nor  any  person  authorized  to  administer  any  Church 
ordinance  ,•  nor  can  there  be,  until  new  Apostles  are  sent  by  the  Great  Head  of 
the  Church  for  whose  coming  I  am  seeking."  See  "Picturesque  America," 
page  502. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHTTRCH.  11 

of  the  people  of  the  earth,  at -this  time:  "Wherefore  the 
Lord  said,  forasmuch  as  this  people  draw  near  me  with 
their  mouth,  and  their  lips  do  honor  me,  but  have  re- 
moved their  heart  far  from  me,  and  their  fear  toward  me 
is  taught  by  the  precept  of  men:  Therefore,  behold,  I 
will  proceed  to  do  a  marvelous  work  among  this  people, 
even  a  marvelous  work  and  a  wonder:  for  the  wisdom 
of  their  wise  men  shall  perish,  and  the  understanding  of 
their  prudent  men  shall  be  hid."* 

This  "marvelous  work  and  a  wonder"  which  the 
Lord  was  to  accomplish,  was  the  restoration  of  His 
authority  unto  men,  and  the  establishment  and  organiza- 
tion of  His  authorized  Church  upon  the  earth,  as  predicted 
anciently  by  the  Prophet  Daniel,  and  by  John  the  Reve- 
lator: 

"As  for  thee,  O  king,  thy  thoughts  came  into  thy 
mind  upon  thy  bed,  what  should  come  to  pass  hereafter: 
and  he  that  revealeth  secrets  maketh  known  to  thee  what 
shall  come  to  pass.  *  *         *       And  in  the  days  of 

these  kings  shall  the  God  of  heaven  set  up  a  kingdom, 
which  shall  never  be  destroyed;  and  the  kingdom  shall 
not  be  left  to  other  people,  but  it  shall  break  in  pieces 
and  consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and  it  shall  stand  for- 
ever, f" 

"And  I  saw  another  angel  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven, 
having  the  everlasting  Gospel  to  preach  to  them  that 
dwell  on  the  earth,  and  to  every  nation,  and  kindred, 
and  tongue,  and  people,  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Fear 
God,    and  give  glory    to  him:   for  the  hour  of   his    judg- 


*  Isaiah,  xxix,  13, 14. 
t  Daniel,  ii,  29,44. 


12  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

ment  is  come:  and  worship  him  that  made  heaven,  and 
earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters."* 

The  words  of  John  the  Revelator  explain  how  the 
Gospel  was  to  be  restored.  It  was  to  be  done  in  the 
same  way  that  God  adopted  in  ancient  times,  as  recorded 
in  the  holy  scriptures,  by  the  visitation  of  angels,  and 
by  revelation.  Save  through  these  channels,  how  could 
Jehovah  make  known  His  will  to  men?  As  in  the  days 
of  the  Apostles,  so  in  modern  times — the  household  of 
God  was  to  be  "built  upon  the  foundation  of  Apostles 
and  Prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief  corner 
stone."  Its  officers  were  to  be  in  possession  of  the  gifts 
and  of    "the  spirit  of  wisdom   and  revelation." 

In  the  midst  of  all  the  uncertainty  and  chaos  of 
opinion,  God  was  to  reveal  Himself,  and  out  of  conflict 
establish  peace,  out  of  disorder,  union  and  oneness  of 
purpose,  so  that,  as  formerly,  there  might  be  "One  Lord 
one  faith,  one  baptism,   one  God  and  Father  of  all,"  etc. 

The  beginning  of  this  "marvelous  work"  was 
inaugurated  in  the  dawn  of  the  nineteenth  century,  when 
God  revealed  Himself  personally,  and  b}^  the  visitation 
of  angels,  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and  chose  him 
to  be  the  leader  of  the  dispensation  of  the  fullness  of 
times,  and  to  be  the  instrument  to  introduce  the  gospel 
of  Christ  by  authority,  to  establish  and  organize  the  true 
Church  of  God  in  the  latter  days. 

Through  that  Prophet  was  brought  forth  the  wonder- 
ful record  called  the  Book  of  Mormon — a  book  which 
contains  a  fullness  of  the  gospel  as  taught  by  our 
beloved  Savior.  Thirty  editions  of  this  work  have  been 
printed  —  many     thousands    of    volumes  —  and    scattered 


*  Revelation,  xiv,  6/7. 


A    BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE    CHURCH.  13 

broadcast  to  the  English  speaking  world,  while  its 
precious  truths  have  been  read  by  thousands  in  each  of 
the  eleven  foreign  languages  into  which  the  book  has 
been  translated. 

The  Chuich  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  was 
organized  on  the  6th  day  of  April  1830,  in  the  town  of 
Fayette,  Seneca  County,  New  York.  It  is  built  upon 
the  rock  of  revelation,  and  through  this  means,  its  officers 
have  received  authority  from  God  to  act  in  their  callings 
and  enjoy  the  gifts  and  powers  of  the  gospel  as  was  the 
case  with  the  ancient  Apostles.  Its  mission  is  one  of 
peace;  its  aims  and  objects,  the  preparation  of  the 
people  for  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  the  inauguration 
of  the  Millennium,  and  the  establishment  of  the 
universal  brotherhood  of  man. 

"But  we  do  not  believe  this  claim,  it  is  visionary, 
impossible!"  say  some  of  the  readers.  "It  cannot  be 
possible  that  this  is  the  'marvelous  work'  spoken  of  and 
foreseen  by  the  ancient  seer." 

In  reply,  it  must  be  said  that  such  is  the  claim  of 
the  Latter-day  Saints,  or  the  Mormons,  as  they  are 
erroneously  called.  If  they  are  justly  entitled  to  it,  their 
history  for  the  past  sixty  years  should  partially  _  demon- 
strate  the    fact.     Their   doctrines  speak    for    themselves. 

Who  shall  deny  that  the  Saints  are  entitled  to  the 
claim  they  make  when  a  review  is  taken  of  the  record  of 
the  accomplishments  of  this  strange  people? 

From  forty  members,  in  1830,  the  following  of  the 
Church  today  has  grown  to  hundreds  of  thousands.  Then 
it  had  the  Prophet  Joseph  alone  to  declare  its  doctrines, 
now  it  has  missionaries  in  all  liberal  nations  of  the  earth. 
It  has  prospered  through  the  fire  of  severest  persecution. 
Driven,  peeled  and  scattered,  their  Prophet  and  Patriarch 


14  A   BRIEF    HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

basely  murdered  for  their  testimonies,  its  members  have 
rallied  with  each  onslaught,  and  pressed  on  with  the 
work  with  greater  force  and  power  than  before.  It  counts 
its  mart3^rs  by  the  score,  its  herpes  and  heroines  by  the 
thousands.  Driven  from  their  homes  in  Illinois,  the}^ 
were  marvelously  sustained  by  God  in  their  wonderful 
exodus  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  this  wilderness  of 
the  West  the  rich  blessings  of  the  Lord  have  followed 
them  in  the  establishment  of  one  of  the  most  prosperous, 
thrifty  and  happy  commonwealths  of  our  nation.  To  it 
have  been  gathered  tens  of  thousands  of  the  poor  from 
the  nations  of  the  earth  to  build  up  and  beautify  the 
latter-day  Zion,  virtually  fulfilling  the  prediction:  "And 
many  people  shall  go  and  say,  Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up 
to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  to  the  House  of  the  God  of 
Jacob;  and  he  will  teach  us  of  his  ways,  and  we  will 
walk  in  his  paths:  for  out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law, 
and  the  woid  of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem."*  And  this 
one:  "The  wilderness  and  the  solitar}^  place  shall  be  glad 
for  them;  and  the  desert  shall  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the 
rose,  "t 

Temples,  schools,  houses  of  worship,  cities  and 
villages  have  sprung  up  in  the  thirsty  wilderness,  and 
the  result  of  the  thrift  and  labor  of  this  peculiar  people 
may  be  seen  in  their  beautiful  homes,  gardens,  fields, 
herds,  and  possessions  in  the  whole  region  of  the  great 
West:  while  the  religious  truths  promulgated  by  them 
without  money  or  pay  are  taking  root,  yea  bearing  fruit, 
not  alone  in  their  own  midst  but  in  every  Christian  land. 
Having  discarded  dead  forms,  the  members  of  this  Church 


*  Isaiah,  ii,  3. 
t  Ibid,  XXXV,  1. 


A   BKIEF   HISTORY   OP   THE    CHUECH.  15 

worship  from  the  heart  and  point  to  a  living  faith,  fully 
sustained  by  noble  works.  Their  Church  organization  is 
unsurpassed,  the  government  unequaled  in  modern  annals. 
They  build  temples  for  the  worship  of  God  and  for  the 
performance  of  ordinances  for  the  living  and  the  dead, 
and  the  path  of  their  persecutions,  as  well  as  the  land 
which  they  now  peacefully  inhabit,  is  dotted  by  these 
holy  structures.  Everything  about  them  points  to  the 
peculiar  people  that  were  to  be  established  in  the  latter 
days,  their  whole  career  is  a  "marvelous  work  and  a 
wonder. " 


Z.       MESSAGE    FROM    ON    HIGH. 

Joseph  Smith,  the  Mormon  Prophet,  and  the  founder 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  was 
born  in  Sharon,  Windsor  County,  Vermont,  on  the  23rd 
day  of  December,  1805.  When  the  lad  was  ten  years  of 
age,  his  parents,  Joseph  Smith,  Sen.,  and  Lucy,  his  wife, 
removed  from  Vermont  to  Palmyra,  Ontario,  now  Wayne, 
County,  New  York.  Four  years  later  the  family  moved 
into  Manchester  in  the  same  county.  The  elder  Smith 
was  an  honest  farmer,  with  humble  surroundings,  in 
straitened  financial  circumstances,  having  lost  much  of 
his  property  through  the  treachery  of  a  trusted  friend. 
He  had  seven  sons  and  three  daughters,  of  whom  Joseph, 
the  Prophet,  was  the  fourth  child. 

At  this  period.  Western  New  York  was  a  new 
country  in  most  respects;  Ohio  and  Illinois  were  yet  a 
wilderness,  and  beyond  Missouri,  which  was  then  the 
limit  of  the  United  States,  lay  the  practically  unexplored 
regions  of  the  wild  Indian  tribes. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  frontier  region   of    the    great 


16  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

Empire  State  were  poor,  plain  in  their  living  and  dress, 
generally  religious,  or  spiritually  inclined,  read  the 
Bible,  went  to  church,  and  lived  in  all  respects,  except- 
ing the  religious,  much  like  the  pioneer  of  the  great 
West — a  familiar  character  now  fast  disappearing  from 
our  land  has  continued  to  live  up  to  the  present  day. 
There  was  doubtless  more  religion,  as  it  is  called,  in  the 
life  of  the  early  frontiersman  than  in  that  of  the  later 
pioneer  of  the  West.  Sixty  years  ago,  the  various  and 
conflicting  sects  went  enthusiastically  wild  in  their  camp 
meetings  and  revivals — much  of  which  excitement  has 
died  out  by  the  promulgation  of  common-sense  religious 
views  since  then.  About  two  years  after  the  Smith 
family's  removal  to  Manchester,  there  was  a  great  relig- 
ious revival  in  the  district  thereabout.  Multitudes  united 
themselves  to  the  numerous  creeds,  and  when  there  were 
no  further  proselytes  to  make,  priests  and  converts 
turned  upon  each  other  to  contend  concerning  principles 
and  dogmas,  until  excessive  confusion  and  bad  feeling 
prevailed. 

Members  of  the  Smith  family  were  divided,  some 
joining  one  society  and  others  another.  Young  Joseph 
inclined  to  the  Methodists,  but  his  mind  was  in  a  state 
of  uneasiness  owing  to  the  disunion  which  existed.  For 
this  cause,  he  kept  himself  aloof  from  all  parties, 
"awaiting  the  hour  when  the  divine  message  should  stir 
the  waters  of  his  soul. "  In  the  midst  of  the  surrounding 
tumult,  he  often  said  to  himself:  "What  is  to  be  done? 
Which  of  all  these  parties  is  right?  Or,  are  they  all 
wrong  together?  If  any  of  them  be  right,  which  is  it, 
and  how  shall  I  know  it?" 

In  this  frame  of  mind,  he  was  one  day  reading  the 
Epistle  of  James,  the  first    chapter    and   fifth    verse:     "If 


A   BRIEF   HISTOKY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  17 

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."  Here  was  new  inspiration;  he  had  never 
thought  of  his  condition  in  this  light  before.  Certainly 
God,  the  Father  of  religion,  could  impart  the  truth. 
The  youth  determined  to  enquire  of  that  unfailing 
source,  and  so  on  a  beautiful  morning,  in  the  spring  of 
1820,  he  retired  to  a  sylvan  glade  in  the  woods  to  call 
upon  the  name  of  God.  Finding  himself  alone,  he 
bended  his  knees,  vocally  for  the  first  time  offering  up 
to  his  Maker  the  desires  of  his  heart.  Then  a  mysterious 
power  of  darkness  overcame  him:  he  could  not  speak; 
his  soul  was  filled  with  a  horror  presaging  instant 
destruction.  He  felt  himself  in  the  fell  grasp  of  an 
unseen  personage  of  darkness.  His  soul  went  up  in 
unuttered  prayer  for  deliverance,  and  as  he  was  about 
despairing,  the  gloom  rolled  away,  he  saw  a  pillar  of 
light  descending  from  heaven,  and  approaching  him. 
The  darkness  fled  with  the  enemy  that  had  afflicted  him. 
As  the  light  fell  upon  the  prostrate  lad,  he  saw  two 
personages,  in  the  form  of  men,  glorious  above  descrip- 
tion, standing  above  him  in  the  air.  One  of  them  call- 
ing him  by  name  spoke,   saying: 

"This  is  my  beloved  Son,   hear  him." 

Gaining  control  of  his  thoughts,  he  remembered  the 
object  of  his  search,  and  enquired  which  of  all  the  sects 
was  right.  In  answer  he  was  told  that  none  of  them 
was  right,  and  that  he  must  join  none  of  them.  Said 
the  glorious  Being:  "They  draw  near  to  me  with  their 
lips,  but  their  hearts  are  far  from  me;  they  teach  for 
doctrine  the  commandments  of  men,  having  a  form  o 
Godliness,  but  they  deny  the  power  thereof."  Joseph  was 
amazed  at  the  instruction,  for  up  to  this  time  it  had    not 


18  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

entered  his  mind  that  the  true  church  was  not  to  be 
found  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  Repeating  their  com- 
mand that  he  should  not  ally  himself  with  any  of  the 
man-made  sects,  the  personages  withdrew,  the  light 
vanished,  and  the  youth  recovering,  found  himself  lying 
on  his  back  gazing  up  into  heaven. 

Repeating  the  wonderful  vision  of  what  he  had  seen 
and  heard,  it  created  wide  surprise,  not  to  say  consterna- 
tion and  amazement.  He  was  accounted  a  blasphemer 
for  announcing  that  the  Father  was  a  personage,  and 
still  worse,  that  he,  an  obscure  boy,  had  seen  Him  and 
the  Son,  and  had  heard  their  eternal  voice.  His  parents 
and  his  brethren  believed,  but  not  so  the  professors  of 
religion.  One  of  the  ministers  to  whom  he  confided  his 
vision  told  him  flatly  that  it  was  of  the  devil.  There 
were  no  such  things  as  visions  and  revelations  in  these 
days.  Such  manifestations  had  ceased  with  the  Apostles, 
and  there  would  never  be  an}^  more.  But  the  lad 
remained  true  to  his  trust,  and  as  a  result  he  was  perse- 
cuted, stigmatized  as  a  dreamer,  a  knave  and  a  h3^pocrite. 
His  life  was  sought,  he  was  persecuted  and  slandered, 
but  still  he  said:  "I  had  seen  a  vision.  I  knew  it,  and  I 
knew  that  God  knew  it,  and  I  could  not  deny  it,  neither 
dare  I  do  it;  at  least  I  knew  .that  by  so  doing  I  would 
offend  God  and  come  under  condemnation."  Thus  noth- 
ing could  change  the  steadfastness  of  his  testimony 
which  he  maintained  through  the  toil,  poverty,  scorn 
and  tribulation  of  the  following  three  years,  during  which 
time,  forced  from  the  society  of  his  former  friends,  he 
was  obliged  to  seek  the  companionship  which  his  genial 
and  social  nature  craved  among  those  unnoted  for  their 
goodness,  among  evil  characters,  as  he  himself  confesses. 
Thus  he  fell  frequently  into  many  foolish  errors,    and    he 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE    CHURCH.  19 

felt  greatly  condemned  at  times  for  his  weakness  and 
imperfections. 

He  was  at  length  forced  to  seek  the  Lord  that  he 
might  receive  a  forgiveness  for  all  his  sins  and  foibles, 
and  know  his  standing  before  hii  God.  On  the  night  of 
September  21st,  1823,  he  prayed  earnestly  for  an  answer 
to  his  petition,  and  while  thus  engaged  the  darkness 
began  to  fade  away,  and  a  glory  appeared,  until  the 
room  was  lighter  than  noonday.  In  the  midst  of  this 
light,  in  the  air  by  his  bedside,  stood  a  radiant  per- 
sonage, whose  countenance  was  lovel}'  and  more  bright 
than  vivid  lightning.  Calling  the  youth  by  name,  he 
declared  himself  a  messenger  from  God  whose  name  was 
Moroni.  He  said  that  the  Lord  had  a  work  for  Joseph 
to  do — that  through  him  God's  power  and  kingdom  were 
to  be  restored  to  earth,  and  that  his  name  should  be  had 
for  good  and  evil  among  all  nations. 

He  was  shown  in  vision  the  hill  wherein  were 
hidden  the  gold  plates  containing  the  record  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  and  with  them  the  Urim  .and  Thummim, 
prepared  by  the  Almighty  to  aid  in  the  translation  of  the 
book.  The  angel  then  quoted  from  the  scriptures  various 
prophecies  relating  to  the  restoration  of  the  gospel  and 
the  Priesthood,  and  the  setting  up  of  the  Savior's  latter- 
day  kingdom  and  the  ushering  in  of  the  Millennium. 
He  referred  to  the  prophecies  included  in  the  fourth  and 
part  of  the  third  chapters  of  Malachi,  the  eleventh 
chapter  of  Isaiah,  the  twenty-second  and  twenty-third 
verses  of  the  third  chapter  of  Acts,  and  the  last  five 
verses  of  the  second  chapter  of  Joel,  saying  these  were 
about  to  be  fulfilled.  He  declared  that  the  "fullness  of 
the  Gentiles"  would  soon  come  in,  and  warned  the  youth 
that  when  he  should  obtain    possession    of    the    plates    of 


20  A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE   CHURCH. 

the  Book  of  Mormon  he  should  not  show  them  to  any 
one  except  by  commandment  of  God,  otherwise  he  would 
be  destroj^ed.  The  angel  then  left,  the  room  grew  dark 
save  just  around  the  ascending  messenger,  who  dis- 
appeared by  way  of  what  seemed  a  conduit  right  up  into 
heaven. 

Powerful  emotions  crowded  upon  the  mind  of  Joseph 
as  he  lay  musing  on  the  scene,  marveling  upon  the 
things  which  had  been  revealed  to  him.  While  he  yet 
pondered,  the  angel  made  his  second  apperance,  stand- 
ing in  a  blazing  glory  to  repeat  the  solemn  message  to 
the  listening  youth.  He  related  word  for  word  what 
had  been  said  before,  adding  that  great  judgments,  deso- 
lation, famine,  sword  and  pestilence  were  coming  upon 
the  earth.  Again  Moroni  ascended,  shortly  thereafter 
returning  a  third  time,  repeating  all  that  had  been  said 
before,  and  adding  b}^  way  of  caution,  that  Joseph  must 
not  give  way  to  a  mercenary  spirit  which  would  tempt 
him,  owing  to  his  poverty,  to  secure  the  plates  for  pur- 
poses of  gain.  The  heavenly  ambassador  then  disappeared 
as  the  twilight  in  the  east  heralded  the  approach  of  day. 

Having  thus  spent  the  night  in  holy  communion 
with  the  angel,  Joseph  left  his  bed  at  his  usual  hour  of 
arising,  and  proceeded  to  his  dail}^  toil  on  the  farm,  but 
he  was  unable  to  work.  His  father  bade  him  return 
to  rest  in  their  home.  On  his  way  his  strength  failed 
him,  and  he  fell  helpless  to  the  ground  as  he  was  cross- 
ing a  fence.  A  voice  aroused  him  by  gently  speaking 
his  name.  He  looked  up  and  saw  once  more  beside  him 
the  angel  of  the  previous  night.  For  the  fourth  time  he 
related  the  heavenly  message  to  the  future  prophet, 
closing  with  a  command  that  Joseph  tell  his  father  of 
the  visits,  the  commandments  received,  and    of    what    he 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE   CHURCH.  21 

had  learned  of  the  purposes  of  God.  He  obej-ed,  and 
standing  there  in  the  field,  he  related  to  his  father  all 
that  had  passed.  "My  son,  these  things  are  of  God; 
take  heed  that  you  proceed  in  all  holiness  to  do  His 
will,"  said  the  elder  Joseph  when  his  son  had  hnished 
his  narration. 


—  3.       THE    SACRED    HILL    CUMORAH. 

On  the  road  from  Palmyra  to  Manchester,  about 
three  or  four  miles  from  the  former  place  (twenty-five 
miles  south-west  of  Rochester,  New  York)  is  situated 
the  hill  Cumorah.  Its  north  end  rises  abruptly  from  a 
plain  to  the  height  of  about  150  feet.  It  is  the  highest 
of  the  many  hills  in  the  neighborhood,  and  is  locally 
known  by  the  name  of    "Mormon  Hill." 

It  was  to  this  elevation,  named  Cumorah  by  the 
ancient  Nephites  and  Ramah  by  the  Jaredites,  that 
Joseph,  the  Prophet,  proceeded,  just  after  obtaining  his 
father's  consent  and  blessing,  on  the  eventful  morning 
referred  to  in  the  previous  chapter.  He  knew  the  place 
immediately  from  the  vision  he  had  seen  of  it.  He 
relates  that  "on  the  west  side  of  the  hill,  not  far  from 
the  top,  under  a  stone  of  considerable  size,  lay  the  plates 
deposited  in  a  stone  box;  this  stone  was  thick  and 
rounding  in  the  middle  on  the  upper  side,  and  thinner 
towards  the  edges,  so  that  the  middle  part  of  it  was 
visible  above  the  ground,  but  the  edges  all  around  were 
covered  with  earth."  Obtaining  a  lever,  he  raised  the 
stone,  looked  in,  and  there  indeed  beheld  the  plates,  the 
Urim  and  Thummim,  and  the  breast-plate  as  stated  by 
the  messenger.  "The  box  in  which  they  lay,"  he  con- 
tinues,   "was  formed  by  placing  stones  together    in    some 


22  A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE   CHURCH. 

kind  of  cement.  In  the  bottom  of  the  box  were  laid  two 
stones  cross-ways  of  the  box,  and  on  these  stones  lay  the 
plates  and  the  other  things  with  them." 

Stretching  forth  his  hands  to  remove  the  contents, 
Joseph  was  immediately  restrained  by  the  messenger, 
Moroni,  who  told  him  that  the  time  had  not  yet  arrived, 
but  that  four  years  must  elapse  before  the  records  should 
be  delivered  into  his  hands.  He  was  instructed  to  repair 
to  the  sacred  spot  each  succeeding  year  on  that  day, 
where  the  angel  would  meet  and  instruct  him  in  what 
manner  the  Kingdom  of  God  was  to  be  conducted  in 
the  latter  days.  The  messenger  cautioned  him  to  prove 
faithful,  in  the  meantime,  and  likewise  imparted  many 
precious  truths  to  the  youth:  telling  him,  among  other 
things,  that  he,  Moroni,  while  living  on  the  earth  four 
centuries  after  Christ,  had  hidden  the  plates  in  the  hill; 
that  he  was  the  last  of  a  line  of  prophets  who  ministered 
to  an  ancient  people,  called  Nephites,  who  inhabited 
this  land;  that  he  was  the  son  of  Mormon,  a  Nephite 
prophet,  general  and  historian,  whose  record  the  plates 
contained. 

Having  finished  his  instructions  and  ended  his  coun- 
sel, the  angel  disappeared,  and  Joseph,  carefully  covering 
the  box  and  replacing  the  soil,  returned  to  his  home, 
where  he  related  his  experience,  confiding  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  household  all  that  he  had  been  empowered  to 
reveal.  They  believed  in  his  wondrous  story,  and 
rejoiced  in  the  knowledge  that  God  had  spoken  from  the 
heavens. 

Each  succeeding  22nd  day  of  September,  the  hill 
Cumorah  was  visited  by  Joseph,  each  time  he  met  and 
communed  with  the  heavenly  messenger,  each  time  gazed 
upon  the  precious    records,    each    time    received    instruc- 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  23 

tions  that  expanded  his  intellect  and  gave  him  a  more 
perfect  conception  of  the  marvelous  work  which  God 
was  about  to  found. 

The  period  which  now  followed,  when  he  was 
between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  twenty-two  years,  was 
to  be  the  most  important  in  his  life  for  the  shaping  of 
his  character.  It  was  a  probation.  In  it  he  passed 
through  the  preparatory  course  in  which  the  Lord  fitted 
the  future  prophet  for  the  responsibilities  incident  to  the 
establishment  of  His  Church  upon  the  earth  which 
should  endure  forevermore. 

Joseph  toiled  diligently  upon  his  father's  farm  until 
his  younger  brothers  were  able  to  attend  to  the  duties 
there  and  at  home.  Then,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he 
sought  employment  at  a  distance.  His  engagement 
carried  him  to  Harmony,  Sesquehanna  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  was  employed  by  a  Mr..  Josiah  Stoal, 
of  New  York,  in  digging  for  a  silver  mine  which  his 
employer  imagined  existed  in  that  region.  The  mine 
was  a  failure,  and  Joseph,  who  was  greatly  respected  by 
his  employer,  prevailed  upon  the  latter  to  abandon  the 
undertaking,  which  was  accordingly  done.  While  thus 
employed,  Joseph  boarded  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Isaac 
Hale,  with  whose  daughter  Emma,  he  became  enamored. 
His  love  was  reciprocated,  but  the  parents,  being  pre- 
judiced against  the  youth  by  the  stories  of  his  enemies, 
circulated  to  injure  him  because  he  still  continued  to 
assert  that  he  had  seen  a  vision,  would  not  for  a  time 
consent  to  their  union.  Under  these  circumstances,  the 
girl  being  of  age,  high-minded  and  devout,  they  acted 
without  consent,  and  Nere  married  in  South  Bainbridge, 
Chenango  County,  New  York,  by  Squire  Tarbill,  on  the 
18th  day  of  January,  1827.      Returning    with    his    wife    to 


24  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

his  father's  home  in  Manchester,  he  assisted  in  the  labor 
on  the  farm  to  obtain  means  for  his  family  and  his 
mission. 

Upon  these  two  incidents — his  being  employed  to 
dig  for  silver  and  his  marriage  away  from  his  wife's 
father's  home — were  based  the  accusations  of  his  enemies 
that  he  was  a  "money-digger"   and    "wife-stealer. " 

The  end  of  his  four  years'  probation  was  rapidly 
approaching.  Joseph  had  been  faithful  to  his  trust.  Not 
once  had  he  failed  in  his  prescribed  visits  to  the  satred 
hill.  Faithfully  had  he  kept  the  counsels  of  his  heavenly 
teacher.  In  his  preparatory  work,  he  had  been  sincerely 
supported  by  his  wife-and  his  brethren,  who  participated 
in  his  hopes  and  did  much  to  comfort  his  heart  in  the 
midst  of  the  assaults  and  ridicule  that  were  heaped  upon 
him. 

At  length  the  promised  day  arrived;  for  the  fifth  time 
the  youth  stood  upon  the  spot  where  the  sacred  records 
were  concealed.  It  was  the  morning  of  the  22nd  day  of 
September,  1827.  With  a  prayer  that  he  might  prove 
faithful  to  his  trust,  he  removed  the  cover  of  the  box, 
and,  stretching  forth  his  hands  at  the  angel's  command, 
took  from  their  hiding  place  the  treasures  there  safely 
hidden  for  fourteen  centuries.  Lifting  them  to  the  sur- 
face, he  examined  their  beauty.*     Then    it    was    that    the 


*  "  The  Urim  and  Thummim  was  two  precious  stones  set  in  an  arch  of 
silver,  which  was  fastened  to  an  ancient  breast-plate  of  pure  gold,  curiously 
wrought.  The  breast-plate  was  concave  on  one  side  and  convex  on  the  other, 
and  seemed  to  have  been  made  for  a  man  of  greater  stature  than  is  ordinary 
in  modern  day?.  Four  golden  bands  were  fastened  to  it,  for  the  purpose  of 
attaching  it  to  the  person  of  its  wearer — two  of  the  bands  being  for  the 
shoulders,  the  other  two  for  the  waist  or  hips. 

"The  plates,  also  of  gold,  were  of  uniform  size  ;  each  was  slightly  less  in 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  25 

angel  charged  him  to  shield  the  records  from  profane 
sight  and  touch,  to  guard  them  as  sacredly  as  he  would 
his  life.  He  was  now  alone  responsible.  If,  through 
any  neglect,  he  should  suffer  them  carelessly  to  be  de 
stroyed  or  to  go,  great  should  be  his  chastisement,  and  he 
should  finally  be  cut  off,  but,  if  he  should  use  all  care  to 
preserve  them  until  they  should  be  called  for  again  by 
the  messenger,  they  should  be  protected  from  the  efforts 
that  would  be  made  to  rob  him  of  them,  and  he  should 
have  the  support  of  heaven  and  come  off  triumphant. 
"Moroni  disappeared,  and  the  Prophet  of  the  Last 
Dispensation  stood  alone  upon  Cumorah,  clasping  to  his 
bosom  priceless  trust." 


4.        TRANSLATING    THE    RECORDS. 

Soon  it  became  apparent  why  Joseph  had  been 
cautioned  by  the  angel  to  guard  the  plates  so  carefully. 
No  sooner  had  he  begun  his  homeward  journey  than  he 
was  assaulted  by  evil  persons  who  sought  his  destruction. 
Three  times,  on  the  short  journey  to  his  home,  he  was 
attacked  by  unknown  men  who  endeavored  to  strike  him 
and  rob  him  of  his  charge.  Once  he  was  hit  with  a  blud- 
geon. However,  he  reached  home  with  the  plates 
unharmed,  though  himself  bruised  and  weakened  from  the 


thickness  than  a  common  sheet  of  tin  and  was  about  eight  inches  in  width 
and  all  were  bound  together  by  three  rings,  running  through  one  edge  of  the 
plates.  Thus  secured,  they  formed  a  booK  about  six  inches  in  thickness.  A 
part  of  the  volume,  about  one-third,  was  sealed  ;  the  other  leaves  Joseph 
turned  with  his  hand.  They  were  covered  on  both  sides  with  strange  charac- 
ters, small  and  beautifully  engraved." — Cannon's  "Life  of  Joseph  Smith." 
p.  49. 

3 


26  A   BRIEF   6ISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

contest.  But  the  persecution  was  continued,  falsehoods 
were  cunningly  set  afloat  concerning  him,  prejudice 
walled  him  in,  assassins  lurked  by  h^s  pathway  seeking 
his  life,  mobs  surrounded  his  home,  every  means  was 
adopted  by  his  enemies  for  his  destruction  and  to  gain 
possession  of  the  plates.  But  while  all  their  efforts  in 
these  directions  failed,  his  enemies  succeeded  by  these 
means  in  preventing  Joseph  from  proceeding  with  his 
work  of  translation,  and  the  persecution  at  length  became 
so  unbearable  that  he  was  forced  to  flee  from  Manchester. 
He  then  determined  to  go  to  the  residence  of  his  wife's 
father  in  Pennsylvania. 

No  sooner  had  he  decided  upon  this  course  than 
poverty',  another  seemingly  insurmountable  barrier,  pre- 
sented itself;  but  this  was  relieved  by  the  timely  aid 
rendered  by  a  Mr.  Martin  Harris,  a  respectable  and 
well-to-do  farmer  of  Palmyra  Township,  New  York,  a 
friend  who  was  inspired  to  assist  the  Prophet  in  the 
midst  of  his  afflictions  with  a  gift  of  fifty  dollars.  By 
this  means  he  was  enabled  to  reach  his  destination  in 
Pennsylvania.  Twice  on  this  journey,  Joseph  was 
stopped  by  officers,  armed  with  pretended  law  warrants, 
who  searched  the  wagon  in  quest  of  the  golden  plates, 
but  again  they  were  unsuccessful. 

Early  in  December,  1827,  he  reached  the  residence  of 
Mr.  Isaac  Hale,  his  father-in-law,  where  he  was  kindly 
received,  the  anger  of  his  wife's  parents  over  the  young 
people's  independent  action  in  getting  married  having 
evidently  abated. 

Immediately  after  his  arrival,  he  began  cop3^ing  the 
characters  of  the  plates,  and  by  means  of  the  Urim  and 
Thummim  translated  some  of  them,  in  which  labor  he 
was  engaged  from    the  time  of    his  arrival    to  the  follow- 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  27 

ing  February.  It  was  some  time  during  this  month  that 
his  friend  Martin  Harris  visited  him  to  learn  more  of  his 
wondrous  mission.  Soon  after,  Mr.  Harris  carried  away 
to  New  York  some  of  the  copies  and  translations  made 
from  the  plates,  the  object  being  to  show  them  to  some 
scientist  or  linguist  who  should  determine  on  their 
genuineness;  for  while  Mr.  Harris  believed,  he  was 
evidently  not  without  his  doubts. 

Being  shown  the  characters.  Prof.  Charles  Anthon, 
of  Columbia  College,  stated,  according  to  the  account  of 
Mr.  Harris,  that  the  translation  was  correct,  more  so 
than  any  he  had  before  seen  translated  from  the  Egyp 
tian.  The  Professor  was  then  shown  the  untranslated 
characters,  which  he  said  were  true  Egyptian,  Chaldaic, 
Ass3'ric,  and  Arabic.  He  gave  a  certificate,  addressed 
to  the  people  of  Palmyra,  embodying  the  expressed 
assertions,  and  gave  it  to  Mr.  Harris,  who  folded  it, 
placed  it  in  his  pocket,  and  was  about  to  leave,  when 
the  Professor  enquired  how  the  young  man  learned  that 
there  were  gold  plates  in  the  place  where  he  found  them. 

"An  angel  of  God  revealed  it  to  him,"  was  the 
farmer's  reply. 

"Let  me  see  that  certificate,"  said  the  astonished 
Professor.  Mr.  Harris  complied,  thinking  the  learned 
man  desired  to  add  something  to  it,  but  no  sooner  was 
the  paper  in  the  Professor's  hands  than  he  tore  it  in 
pieces,    saying: 

"There  is  no  such  thing  in  these  days  as  minister- 
ing of  angels;"  adding  that  he  wished  the  plates  brought 
to  him,  and  he  would  translate  them. 

"A  part  of  the  plates  is  sealed,  and  I  am  forbidden 
to  bring  them,"  said  Mr.  Harris,  whereupon  the  Pro- 
fessor contemptuously  replied: 


28  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

"I  cannot  read  a  sealed  book." 

And  thus  were  fulfilled  literall}^  the  words  of  the 
ancient  Prophet    of    God,    as    written    in    Isaiah  xxix,  11. 

Dr.  Mitchell,  another  learned  scholar,  was  consulted, 
and  seconded  all  that  Prof.  Anthon  had  said  concerning 
the  characters  and  the  translation.  The  related  incident 
converted  Mr.  Harris  to  the  testimony  of  Joseph,  and, 
returning,  he  offered  to  become  the  scribe  of  the  Prophet 
in  the  w^ork  of  translation,  which  proffer  was  gladl}' 
accepted.  Their  joint  labors  in  this  work  continued  from 
April  12th  to  June  15th,  1828,  by  which  time  116  pages 
of  manuscript  had  been  translated,  and  was  copied  b}^ 
Mr.  Harris.*  At  this  time,  the  latter  much  desired  to 
show  his  wife  and  other  skeptics  these  pages,  and  at 
length,  much  against  the  will  of  Joseph,  received  permis- 
sion to  do  so,  on  condition  that  only  certain  persons 
named  should  be  allowed  to  see  the  waitings.  This 
pledge  was  broken,  and  the  manuscript  w^as  stolen,  being 
never  again  seen  by  Joseph,  who  thus  angered  the 
Almighty,  and  besides  lost  his  gift  of  translation  for  a 
time.  Mr.  Harris,  though  he  was  forgiven,  and  after- 
wards became  one  of  the  Three  Witnesses  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  never  again  acted  as  Joseph's  scribe. 
Joseph's  wife  now  assisted  him  for  a  short  period  in  the 
w^ork  of    translation,  but  owing    to  her    household   duties, 


*  The  following  is  the  manner  in  which  it  is  said  the  Book  of  Mormon 
was  translated:  "The  Prophet,  scanning  through  the  Urim  and  Thummim 
the  golden  pages,  would  see  appear,  n\  lieu  of  the  strange  characters  engraved 
thereon,  their  equivalent  in  English  words.  These  he  would  repeat,  and  the 
scribe,  separated  from  him  by  a  veil  or  curtain,  would  write  them  down, 
*  *  »  Until  the  writing  was  correct  in  every  particular,  the  words- 
last  given  would  remain  before  the  eyes  of  the  translator,  and  not  disappear. 
But  on  the  necessary  correction  being  made,  they  would  immediately  pass 
awav  and  be  succeeded  by  others." 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  29 

and  the    loss  of    their    first-born,  in  the  summer  of    1828, 
slow  and  tedious  progress  was  made. 

Joseph  prayed  earnestly  to  the  Lord  that  he  might 
receive  assistance  in  the  task  before  him,  and  in  answer 
to  his  petitions  there  came  to  his  door,  in  Harmon}^,  a 
young  school  teacher,  named  Oliver  Cowdery,  who  had 
heard  of  and  believed  in  the  angelic  vision  of  the 
Prophet.  He  offered  his  services  as  scribe  and  secretary, 
which  were  eagerly  accepted,  and  the  hindered  work  again 
proceeded  on  the  7th  day  of  April,  1829,  advancing  so 
rapidly  that  by  the  middle  of  the  following  May  its 
greater  part  was   completed. 

While  the  work  progressed,  not  only  were  many  pre- 
cious truths  revealed  from  heaven  to  the  young  men,  but 
from  the  records  themselves  they  gleaned  many  glorious 
principles  that  gave  them  great  joy.  But  persecution 
continued  unabated,  so  much  so  that  if  Joseph's  father- 
in-law  had  not  given  them  protection  it  is  doubtful  that 
they  could  have  proceeded.  Timely  financial  aid  was 
rendered  them  by  Joseph  Knight  of  Colesville,  Broome 
County,  and  at  the  residence  of  the  Whitmer  family, 
friends  of  Oliver  Cowdery,  at  Fayette,  Seneca  County, 
they  found  a  home  in  which  the  latter  portion  of  the 
records  was  translated,  they  having  been  invited  to  come 
there  by  David  Whitmer. 

At  length  the  translation  was  completed,  the  plates 
were  re-committed  into  the  charge  of  the  angel  Moroni, 
who  received  them  back  into  his  keeping  until  the  time 
shall  come  when  the  unsealed  portions  are  to  be  brought 
forth. 

The  Prophet  and  his  friends  visited  at  Palmyra  Mr. 
Martin  Harris  to  arrange  for  the  publication  of  the    work 


30  A   BEIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

for  which  that  gentleman  was  to  furnish  the  money- 
Arrangements  were  made  with  Mr.  Egbert  B.  Grandin 
to  print  5000  copies  for  three  thousand  dollars,  and  the 
copyright  was  secured  on  the  11th  day  of  June,  1829. 
While  Joseph  visited  his  home  in  Pennsylvania,  during 
the  autumn  of  1829  and  the  succeeding  winter,  Oliver 
Cowdery  remained  to  give  his  attention  to  the  printing 
and  publication  of  the  book,  and  in  the  spring  of  1830 
the  first  edition  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  given  to 
the  world. 


0.        IMPORTANT    REVELATIONS. 

To  the  Prophet  Joseph,  intelligence  concerning  the 
new  Church  which  God  was  about  to  establish,  was 
made  known  as  it  was  needed,  as  the  work  progressed. 
The  whole  plan  was  neither  revealed  at  once  nor  under- 
stood by  the  Prophet  from  the  beginning.  During  his 
whole  life  he  received  numerous  revelations  through 
which  he  was  taught,  and  by  which  he  was  prepared  for 
his  labors  as  they  appeared.  These  counsels  and  teach- 
ings are  found  in  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  a  book  of 
revelations  given  as  necessity  demanded  for  the  comfort 
and  guidance  of  the  servants  of  God  and  the  Church. 

On  one  occasion,  while  engaged  in  the  translation 
of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  Joseph  and  Oliver  encountered 
a  passage  which  spoke  of  baptism  for  the  remission  of 
sins.  This  being  new  to  them,  as  it  is  to  many  to  this 
day,  they  felt  a  desire,  a  necessity  to  comply  with  this 
doctrine.  After  consulting  on  the  matter,  they  went  to 
the  woods  and  there  united  in  prayer  for  light  on  the 
subject.  While  thus  engaged  a  heavenly  messenger 
descended  before  them.  He  told  them  that  he  was  John 
the  Baptist,  and  that  he  had    come    to    minister    to    them 


A   BUIEF   HISTORY,  OF    THE    CHUllCH.  31 

under  the  direction  of  the  Apostles  Peter,  James  and 
John,  who  still  held  the  Priesthood  after  the  order  of 
Melchisedek.  Laying  his  hands  upon  their  heads,  he 
conferred  upon  them  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  which 
holds  the  keys  of  the  ministering  of  angels,  and  the 
gospel  of  repentance  and  baptism  by  immersion  for  the 
remission  of  sins.  The  angel  also  instructed  them  in  the 
duties  of  this  Priesthood,  saying  that  in  due  time  the 
Higher,  or  Melchisedek  Priesthood,  without  which  there 
can  be  no  true  Church  of  Christ,  would  be  conferred 
upon  them  by  p^per  authority.  John  then  commanded - 
them  to  go  forth  and  baptize  each  the  other  by  virtue  of 
the  authority  transmitted  to  them;  this  was  accordingly 
done  on  the  15th  day  of  Ma}^,  1829,  when  Joseph 
baptized  Oliver  and  afterward  Oliver  immersed  Joseph 
for  the  remission  of  sins.  Coming  out  of  the  water,  they 
ordained  each  other  to  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  following 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  upon  them,  causing  them  to 
rejoice  and  prophesy.  Thus  was  the  beginning  made  to 
tha  membership  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  the  initiatory 
ordinance  being  performed  by  direct  authority  from 
heaven. 

Time  after  time  Joseph  proclaimed  to  anxious 
enquirers  the  tidings  that  an  angel  from  heaven  had 
restored  to  earth  the  power  to  baptize  men  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  and  that  himself  and  Oliver  had  been 
the  recipients  thereof.  Out  of  the  scriptures  he  reasoned 
with  his  friends,  as  he  met  them.  People  soon  began  to 
receive  the  testimony,  among  the  first  being  Samuel  H. 
and  Hyrum  Smith,  brothers  of  the  Prophet. 

After  the  removal  to  Fayette,  several  honest  souls  in 
the  Whitmer  family  became  convinced  of  the  divine 
mission  of  the  Prophet,  and  were  baptized;    while    many 


32  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH. 

Others  thereabout  were  soon  made  believers  through  the 
inspiration  of  the  Spirit  and  by  means  of  the  instructions 
and  persuasions  of  Joseph  and  Oliver,  who  were  privi- 
leged to  meet  the  people  and  speak  to  them  on  many 
occasions. 

In  the  course  of  the  work  of  translating  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  the  Prophet  and  his  scribe  learned  that  the 
Lord  would  provide  three  special  witnesses,  who 
should  be  granted  permission  to  see  the  plates,  etc.,  and 
who  should  bear  record  of  the  same.""  By  revelation, 
Oliver  Cowdery,  David  Whitmer  and  Martin  Harris  were 
chqsen  such  witnesses.!  Some  days  after  their  selec- 
tion, these  men  with  the  Prophet  retired  into  the  woods 
to  obtain  a  fulfillment  of  the  promised  privilege.  In 
answer  to  their  prayers,  an  angel  appeared  showing 
them  the  plates,  turning  over  the  leaves,  one  by  one,  so 
that  they  could  see  them  and  discover  upon  them  the 
eng-ravings.  A  voice  said  unto  them  that  the  plates  had 
been  revealed  and  correctly  translated  by  the  power  of 
God.  The}'  were  then  commanded  to  bear  record  of 
what  they  saw  and  heard,  which  they  afterward  did,  their 
testimony  being  found  in  ever}'  edition  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  It  remains  unimpeached  to  this  day,  notwith- 
standing all  of  them  subsequently  apostatized,  not  one  of 
them  ever  denied  that  he  had  seen  the  plates  and  the 
heavenly  messenger  as  he  had  at  first  solemnly  testified. 
Eight  other  witnesses,  whose  testimony  is  also  found  in 
all  editions  of  the  book,  testify  that  Joseph  showed  them 
the  plates  which  they  handled. 

At  a  day  not  definitely  known,    but  between  the  15th 


*See  Book  of  Mormon,  Ether  v,  2-4. 
tSee  Section  17,  Doctrine  and  Covenants. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  33 

of  May  and  the  end  of  June,  1829,  Peter,  James  and 
John  appeared  in  glory  to  Joseph,  conferring  upon  him 
and  Oliver  Cowdery  the  Apostleship  and  Melchisedec 
Priesthood  which  these  ancient  disciples  of  the  Lord 
and  Savior  held  while  in  mortality.  These  two  modern 
servants  of  God,  the  first  Elder  and  the  second  in  the 
Church,  then  re-ordained  each  other  to  the  same  Priest- 
hood. The  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was  now  sealed  upon' 
their  heads,  and  they  rejoiced  exceedingly  being  now  in 
position  to  confer  this  gift  upon  others.  They  were  also 
thus  made  possessors  of  the  Melchisedek  Priesthood? 
which  is  the  "moving,  directing,  controlling,  governing* 
or  presiding  agency,  right  and  authority  which  is  vested 
in  the  Godhead  and  delegated  unto  man  for  the  purposes 
of  his  instruction,  initiation  into  the  Church,  spiritual 
and  temporal  guidance,  government  and  exaltation. 
*  *  *         Which  is  without  father,  without  mother 

or  descent,  or  beginning  of  days  or  end  of  life;  which 
the  Great  High  Priest,  Melchisedek,  so  honored  and 
magnified  in  his  time  that  it  was  called  after  his  name, 
in  honor  to  him  and  to  avoid  the  too  frequent  repetition 
of  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God."* 

Following  their  ordination  to  the  High  Priesthood, 
came  a  momentous  revelation  from  the  Lord  making 
known  to  them  the  calling  of  Twelve  Apostles  in  the  last 
days,  giving  also  many  instructions  concerning  the  build- 
ing up  of  the  Church  of  Christ  according  to  the  fullness 
of  the  gospel. t 

Thus,  during  the  eventful  months  of  May  and  June, 
1829,  were  revealed    many  important    truths    and    princi- 


*  Joseph  F.  Smith,  in  The  Contributor,  Vol.  X,  page -307. 
t  See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  18. 


34  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

pies,  fraught  with  world-wide  benefits,  with  great  conse- 
quences to  the  religious  world. 

It  was  learned  that  baptism  is  essential,  and  is  for 
the  remission  of  sins;  and  men  were  authorized  to  per- 
form this  ordinance. 

Witnesses  were  chosen  to  testify  to  the  divinity  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  now  almost  ready  to  be  distributed 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  world,  who  would  through  it 
receive  a  fullness  and  an  undefiled  explanation  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  as  taught  anciently. 

The  beginning  was  successful!}^  made  in  proclaiming 
these  tidings  to  mankind. 

As  a  result  of  the  whole,  the  hour  was  rapidly 
approaching  w^hen  the  true  Church  could  be  organized, 
when  the  "marvelous  work  and  a  wonder"  which  the 
Lord  w^as  in  the  act  of  bringing  forth  could  be  thoroughly 
founded  in  the  earth. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCFI.  35 


II.     FROM  THE  ORGANIZATION   TO  THE 
FLIGHT  FROM   KIRTLAND. 

1830—1838. 


1.      ORGANIZATION    OF    THE   CHURCH. 

By  the  will  and  commandments  of  God,  the  6th  day 
of  April,  1830,  was  the  date  fixed  for  the  organization  of 
the  Church,  for  which  everything  was  now  in  readiness. 
On  that  day  a  meeting  of  the  baptized  members,  about 
forty  in  number,  was  called,  and  assembled  in  the  house 
of  Peter  Whitmer,  Sen.,  in  Fayette,  Seneca  County,  New 
York.  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints 
was  organized,  oq  the  date  named,  with  six  members? 
which  number  was  required  by  law.  The  original  mem- 
bers were:  Joseph  Smith,  Jun.,  Oliver  Cowdery,  Hyrum 
Smith,  Peter  Whitmer,  Jun.,  Samuel  H.  Smith  and 
David  Whitmer. 

In  conformit}'  with  previously  revealed  command- 
ments, the  Prophet  Joseph,  having  first  opened  the  meet- 
ing by  prayer,  called  upon  the  members  present  to  know 
whether  the}^  were  willing  to  accept  him  and  Oliver 
Cowdery  as  their  teachers  in  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and 
whether  they  were  willing  to  be  organized  as  a  Church. 
By  unanimous  vote  they  consented,  whereupon  Joseph 
laid  his  hands  upon  Oliver  ordaining  him  an  Elder  in 
the  Church  of  Christ,  after  which  Joseph  was  ordained  by 
Oliver  to  the  same  office.  ^  The  sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper  was  partaken  of  by  those  who  had  been  baptized. 


36  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

following  which  they  were  made  the  recipients  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  confirmed  members  of  the  Church  by  the 
laying  on  of  the  Elders'  hands.  The  Spirit  was  richly 
manifest,  so  that  all  rejoiced  and  praised  God,  while  a 
number  prophesied.  Some  of  the  brethren,  ^or  the  mem- 
bers were  now  "brethren  and  sisters,"  were  likewise,  at 
this  time,  ordained  to  the  various  offices  in  the  Priest- 
hood, the  duties  of  which  were  made  known  by  revelation 
about  this  time.*    . 

While  the  Saints  were  yet  together  on  this  occasion, 
the  Prophet  Joseph  voiced  to  his  followers  the  revelation 
found  in  the  twenty-first  section  of  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  in  which  his  divine  calling  is  declared,  the 
forgiveness  of  his  sins  proclaimed,  and  the  Church  com- 
manded to  give  heed,  in  all  patience  and  faith,  to  his 
words  as  he  shall  receive  them,  as  if  they  came  from  the 
mouth  of  the  Lord  Himself;  being  promised  that  in  so 
doing,  the  Lord  would  disperse  darkness  from  before 
them,  cause  the  heavens  to  shake  for  their  good,  and  that 
the  gates  of  hell  should  not  prevail  against  them.  Mighty 
blessings  are  promised  to  those  who  shall  labor  in  the 
vine3^ard  to  declare  the  way  open  for  the  remission  of 
sins,  and  Jesus  crucified  for  the  sins  of  the  world. 

"Thus  was  founded,"  says  the  Historian  Whittiey? 
"the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Thus 
arose,  ab  a  system,  what  the -world  terms  Mormonism, 
— universally  regarded  as  the  most  remarkable  religious 
movement    of    modern    times;     detested    and    denounced 


*In  the  20  h  Section  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  are  found  instructions 
concerning  Church  organization,  government  and  discipline,  the  proper  mode 
of  baptism,  the  administration  ot  the  Sacrament,  duties  of  officers  and  mem- 
bers, etc 


A   BRIEF   HISTOKY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  37 

throughout  Christendom  as  a  dangerous  and  soul-destroy- 
ing imposture,  but  revered  and  deffended  by  its  disciples 
as  the  wonderful  work  of  the  Almighty,  the  veritable 
'marvelous  work  and  wonder'  foretold  by  Isaiah  and 
other  ancient  seers,  which  was  to  prepare  the  world,  by 
the  preaching  of  the  restored  gospel  and  the  founding  of 
the  Latter-day  Zion  for  Messiah's  second  coming  and  the 
advent  of  the  Millennium." 


Z.        MANIFESTATIONS    AND    PERSECUTIONS. 

The  Church  was  organized  on  a  Tuesday,  and  the 
first  public  meeting  thereafter  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Peter  Whitmer,  in  Fayette,  on  the  following  Sunday, 
April  11th,  1830.  Since  the  appointment  for  this 
gathering  had  gone  forth  in  all  the  surrounding  neigh- 
borhood, it  was  attended  by  a  large  number  of  people. 
On  this  occasion,  Oliver  Cowdery,  under  Joseph's 
direction,  preached  the  first  public  discourse  delivered 
by  an  authorized  servant  of  God  in  the  latter-day  dis- 
pensation. Saints  and  strangers  were  greatly  comforted, 
many  of  the  latter  seeking  baptism  and  membership 
among  the  people  of  God.  Six  were  added  that  day, 
followed  by  seven  others  on  Sunday  the  18th,  all  being 
baptized  by  Oliver  Cowdery,  in  Seneca  Lake. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  April  Joseph 
visited  the  home  of  Mr.  Joseph  Knight,  at  Colesville, 
Broome  County,  New  York,  the  gentleman  who  had  so 
kindly  aided  him  in  the  hour  of  need  while  engaged  in 
translating  the  Book  of  Mormon.  Mr.  Knight  and 
family,  who  were  Universalists,  received  him  kindly, 
reasoning    calmly    with    him    upon     his    religious    views. 


38  A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHUKCH. 

The  Prophet  held  several  meetings  which  created  friends, 
enemies  and  numerous  enquirers  after  the  truth.  Among 
those  who  attended  regularly  was  Newel  Knight,  a  son 
of  Joseph  Knight,  who  became  so  interested  in  the 
words  of  the  Prophet  that  he  promised  to  pray  in  meet- 
ing before  his  friends.  When  the  time  came,  however, 
he  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  do  that,  but  instead 
retired  into  the  woods,  from  which  place  he  returned  in 
an  alarming  condition  of  mind  and  body.  Visiting  him, 
Joseph  found  his  visage  and  limbs  distorted  and  twisted; 
and  while  the  Prophet  was  yet  there,  his  friend  was 
caught  up  from  the  floor  and  tossed  helplessly  about  the 
room.  Through  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  Joseph  saw 
that  he  was  in  the  hands  of  the  evil  one,  and  that  the 
power  of  God  alone  could  save  him  from  such  tortures. 
Joseph  succeeded  in  getting  hold  of  his  hand,  when 
Newel  requested  that  the  devil  which  possessed  him  be 
cast  out.  Joseph  replied:  "If  you  know  that  I  can,  it 
shall  be  done,"  and  then,  almost  unconsciously,  the  ser- 
vant of  God  rebuked  the  destroyer,  commanding  him  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  to  depart.  Instantly,  Newel 
cried  out  with  jo}^,  saying  that  he  could  see  the  devil 
leave  the  room  and  vanish  from  sight.  His  countenance 
became  natural,  his  distortions  ceased,  he  was  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  he  believed,  was  made  whole,  and  was 
afterward  baptized  by  David  Whitmer,  while  on  a  visit 
to  Fayette  in  the  latter  part  of  Ma}^  Many  others  who 
witnessed  this  strange  event  subsequently  became  mem- 
bers of  the  Church. 

Thus  was  the  first  miracle  performed  in  the  Church, 
by  the  power  of  God,  and  it  was  a  beginning  uf  the 
realization  of  the  promises  made, — for  it  was  to  be  a 
gospel    of    "signs"  following  the    believer,    as    in  days    of 


A   BRIEF    HISTOKY   OF    THE    CHUKCH.  89 

old.  Since  then,  thousands  of  miracles  have  been,  and 
are  being  performed  by  the  Elders  who  ever  give  to  the 
Father  the  praise,  honor  and  glory. 

Having  completed  his  labors  in  Colesville,  Joseph 
returned  to  Fayette,  where  he  found  much  excitement 
over  the  coming  forth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  which, 
though  having  been  in  print  for  some  time,  "was 
accounted  a  strange  thing."  The  Saints,  their  friends, 
and  believers  in  the  book,  were  being  subjected  to  much 
petty  persecution. 

In  Fayette,  on  the  first  day  of  June,  1830,  the  first 
conference  of  the  Church  was  held.  Thirt}^  members 
Vvere  present  on  the  opening  day,  there  being  also  many- 
strangers,  and  believers  in  the  new  faith.  The  Sacra- 
ment was  administered;  the  faith  of  the  congregation  was 
so  great  that  many  saw  heavenly  visions,  and  felt  the 
manifestations  of  the  Spirit  in  such  a  miraculous  manner 
that  they  were  deprived  of  their  natural  strength  for  a 
time.  Restored  to  their  bodily  powers,  they  shouted 
"Hosannas  to  God  and  the  Lamb,"  and  rehearsed  the 
glories  which  they  beheld  while  yet  in  the  Spirit.  Many 
baptisms  followed,  more  were  ordained  to  the  offices  of 
the  Priesthood,  the  brethren  were  inspired  with  fresh 
zeal  in  the  cause,  and  Mormonism  began  spreading  with 
unprecedented  rapidity. 

Returning  immediately  after  this  conference  to  his 
home  in  Pennsylvania,  Joseph  soon  thereafter  departed 
thence,  with  his  wife,  on  a  visit  to  the  home  of  Joseph 
Knight,  at  Colesville,  where  he  found  many  believers 
anxious  for  baptism.  On  a  Saturday  night,  the  Elders 
constructed  a  dam  over  a  stream,  where  baptisms  were  to 
be  performed  after  the  appointed  meeting  on  the  follow- 
ing Sabbath  day.      But  a  mob,   led  by  certain  priests  in 


40  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

the  neighborhood,  tore  away  the  dam,  necessitating  the 
postponement  of  the  ordinance  till  Monda}',  when,  not- 
withstanding the  rage  of  their  eneimes,  (who  had  become 
still  more  embittered  at  hearing  the  testimonies  of  the 
divinity  ol  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  the  first  principles 
of  the  gospel,  at  the  Sunday  meeting,)  thirteen  persons 
were  baptized  under  the  hands  of  Oliver  Cowdery. 
Among  these  w^as  Emma,  the  wife  of  the  Prophet  Joseph, 
whose  joy  at  welcoming  her  into  the  fold  was  unspeak- 
able. 

Scarcely  was  the  ordinance  completed,  when  the 
mob  again  began  their  anno3'ances.  Fifty  men  sur- 
rounded the  house  of  Mr.  Knight,  an4  it  was  only  by 
exercising  great  care  that  the  Elders  were  saved  from 
violence.  Joseph  confronted  the  mob,  bravely  answering 
their  insults  and  threatenings,  in  a  vain  endeavor  to 
pacify  them.  Finally  the  rabble  withdrew,  and  the  Elders 
prudentl}'  went  to  the  home  of  Newel  Whitne}'.  Here, 
as  they  were  about  to  confirm  the  gathered  converts,  a 
constable  appeared  with  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of 
Joseph,  the  charge  being  preaching  the  Book  of  Mormon 
and  setting  the  country  in  an  uproar.  The  arrest  had 
been  instigated  by  the  mob  whose  plan  was  to  get  him 
into  their  hands,  so  the  now  friendh'  constable  said. 
This  proved  to  be  true,  and  but  for  the  friendliness  of 
the  officer,  whD  found  Joseph  a  different  personage  from 
what  he  had  been  represented,  undoubtedly  they  would 
have  taken  him  from  custody.  When  the  mob  surrounded 
the  wagon,  the  constable  whipped  up  his  horse,  and  thus 
drove  the  Prophet  out  of  their  reach.  Taking  him  to 
bouth  Bainbridge,  Chenango  County,  he  was  lodged  in  a 
tavern  where  the  constable  kept  watch  over  him  for  the 
night.      Next  day,  amid    great    excitement,  he  was    called 


A   BRIEF   HISTOltY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  41 

for  trial,  the  charges,  among  others,  being  that  he  had 
obtained  from  Josiah  Stoal,  his  former  employer,  a  horse, 
and  from  a  Jonathan  Thompson,  a  j^oke  of  oxen,  by  tell- 
ing them  that  he  had  received  revelations  that  he  was  to 
have  the  property.  Taking  the  witness  stand,  these 
gentlemen  testified  in  the  prisoner's  favor,  and  he  was 
promptly  acquitted.  His  defenders  were  Messrs.  Joseph 
Davidson  and  John  Reid  who  had  been  secured  by  Mr. 
Joseph  Knight. 

No  sooner  was  Joseph  set  free  than  he  was  re-arrested 
on  a  warrant  from  Broome  County,  and  taken  to  Coles- 
ville  for  trial.  The  officer  into  whose  hands  he  now  fell 
treated  him  harshly,  allowing  him  neither  food  nor  water 
for  many  hours.  At  the  tavern,  the  rabble  abused, 
ridiculed,  insulted,  spit  upon  and  pointed  their  fingers  at 
him.  Then  at  length  he  was  given  some  crusts  of  bread 
and  water,  and  permitted  to  retire  for  the  night. 

At  the  trial  the  following  day,  the  same  gentlemen 
defended  him  as  were  at  the  former  trial.  They  held 
forth  in  its  true  light  the  malicious  nature  of  the  prosecu- 
tors of  the  case.  Joseph  was  again  promptly  acquitted, 
there  being  no  cause  for  action.  This  greatly  angered 
his  enemies  who  now  threatened  him  with  violence. 

They  were  prevented  from  accomplishing  their 
designs  by  the  officer  who  had  before  treated  him  so 
harshly,  but  who,  like  many  others  who  had  witnessed 
the  case,  was  now  disposed  to  be  friendly.  With  this 
help  Joseph  and  his  wife  escaped  unharmed  to  his  home 
in  Pennsylvania. 

Not  many  days  after,  however,  he,  with  Oliver  Cow- 
dery,  revisited  Colesville  to  confirm  the  baptized 
members,  but  scarcely  had  they  arrived  at  the  residence 
of  Mr.    Knight  when  the  mob  began  to  gather,    and    they 


4:2  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

were  forced  to  flee  for  their  lives,  without  accomplishing 
their  purpose.  On  a  subsequent  visit  they  were  more 
successful. 

With  the  assistance  of  his  wife  and  John  Whitmer, 
Joseph  now  spent  some  time  in  arranging  and  cop3'ing 
the  relvelations  received  up  to  this  date.  In  the  month 
of  June,  what  is  konwn  as  the  "Visions  of  Moses,"*  and 
in  July  the  commandments  found  in  the  24th,  25th  and 
26th  sections  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  were  made 
known. 

Oliver  Cowdery  had  returned  to  Mr.  Whitmer's,  at 
Fayette,  and  while  Joseph  was  3^et  in  Harmony  he 
received  a  letter  from  him,  in  which  the  announcement 
was  made  that  an  error  had  been  discovered  in  one  of 
the  commandments,  which  Joseph  was  asked  to  correct, 
to  w^hich  the  Prophet  replied  that  the  words  were  given 
of  God,  and  must  stand  as  written  until  God  should 
changis  them.f 

It  was  onty  after  Joseph  had  made  a  personal  visit 
to  Fayette  that  Oliver  and  some  of  the  Whitmer  family, 
who  had  also  been  misled,  were  convinced  of  the  correct- 
ness of  the  Prophet's  position;  but  even  then  the  inci- 
dent caused  a  breach  between  the  First  Elder  and  the 
Second,-  whose  relations  up  to  this  time  had  been  con- 
genial and  mutually  helpful,  which  only  temporarily 
closed,  soon  to  be  re-opened. 

In  the  early  part  of  August,  some  of  the  unconfirmed 
members,  baptized  in  Colesville,  came  to  Harmony, 
w^hereupon  Joseph  prepared  to  hold  a  confirmation  meet- 


*See  "Pearl  of  Great  Price,"  page  1. 

f  See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  20,  verse  37,  the  words  enclosed   in 
commas  in  the  last  four  lines. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH.  43 

ing.  Wishing  to  administer  the  sacrament,  he  set  out 
to  obtain  some  wine,  when  he  was  met  by  a  heavenly 
messenger,  and  received  a  revelation  in  which  the  use  of 
wine  in  the  sacrament  is  forbidden,  unless  it  be  made 
new  among  the  Saints  themselves.*  Returning,  Joseph 
complied  with  the  instructions,  the  meeting  being  held 
as    contemplated. 

Persecutions  now  revived  in  Harmony,  set  in  motion 
by  the  efforts  of  a  Methodist  minister.  Joseph's  father- 
in-law,  Mr.  Isaac  Hale,  was  prevailed  upon  to  join  the 
ranks  of  the  opponents,  and  from  that  time  oti  became  a 
bitter  foe  to  Mormonism.  It  became  impossible  for 
Joseph  and  Emma  to  remain  in  their  old  home  in  Har- 
mony, and  so,  accepting  a  second  invitation  from  the 
Whitmers,  they  removed  to  Fayette,  arriving  there  in  the 
latter  part  of  August,  1830. 


3.        MISSION     TO    THE    LAMANITES. 

Fresh  troubles  now  confronted  the  cause.  Upon 
arriving  in  Fayette,  the  Prophet  found  serious  dissen- 
sions among  his  followers.  The  trouble  arose  over  a 
stone  in  the  possession  of  Hiram  Page,  through  which 
he  had  obtained  a  number  of  spurious  revelations,  the 
teachings  of  which  were  contrary  to  the  doctrines  of  the 
New  Testament  and  to  those  received  by  the  head  of  the 
Church.  A  number  of  the  Saints  had  been  misled,  prom- 
inent among  whom  were  Oliver  Cowdery  and  some  of 
the  Whitmer  family.  Speaking  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
the  Prophet  told  them  that    Satan    had    deceived    Hiram 


*  Sect  on  27,  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  verses  1-4. 


44  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

Page,  that  the  communications  received  through  the 
stone  were  not  of  God,  and  that  he  alone  was  to  receive 
revelations  for  the  Church,  until  another  should  be 
appointed  in  his  stead.  All  things  were  to  be  done  in 
order,  and  b}^  common  consent  by  the  prayer  of  faith. 
Oliver  Cowdery  was  called  upon  to  induce  Page  to  dis- 
card the  stone,  and  he  was  likewise  called  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  the  Lamanites,  which  mission  he  was  to  fill  as 
soon  as  the  differences  then  existing  in  the  Church 
were  settled.*  In  this  same  revelation  allusion  is  made 
to  a  "city"  which,  though  not  definitely  located,  was  to 
be  founded  somewhere  in  the  West,  on  the  "borders  by 
the  Lamanites."  It  was  about  this  time  also  that  the 
important  revelation  concerning  the  eventual  gathering 
of  the  Saints  was  given. t 

At  a  three  days'  conference  in  Fayette,  the  second 
held  in  the  Church  beginning  September  1st,  1830,  Hiram 
Page  and  his  associates  renounced  the  stone  in  question, 
and  all  things  connected  therewith,  renewing  their  fealty 
to  Joseph  as  their  leader  and  prophet.  Thus  harmony 
was  restored  once  more,  the  threatened  schism  being 
completely  blotted  out.  At  this  conference  two  revela- 
tions were  given  (Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  30 
and  31)  calling  a  number  of  the  brethren  on  missions;  and 
soon  after  its  adjournment  preparations  were  made  for 
introducing  the  gospel  to  the  Lamanites,  or  Indians,  in 
conformity  with  the  revealed  word. 

The  Latter-day  Saints  believe  that  they  themselves 
are  of  Israel,  and  it  is  a  cardinal  doctrine  with  them 
that  scattered  Israel  shall  be  gathered   in    the    last    days, 


*  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  28. 

f  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section      See  also  Section  10,  vs.  59-65. 


A   BBIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE    CHURCH.  45 

which  in  a  measure  accounts  for  the  startling  sacrifices 
made  by  them  in  proclaiming  the  gospel  to  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth,  and  in  their  calling  upon  the  honest 
in  heart,  the  seed  of  Israel,  to  gather  to  the  land  of 
Zion,  or  America.  With  Jeremiah  they  believe  that 
"He  that  scattered  Israel  will  gather  him,  and  keep  him, 
as  a  shepherd  doth  his  flock."  Hence  their  eagerness  to 
declare  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  the  nations,  and  in  the 
"isles  afar  off."  The  gathering,  which  involves  not  only 
the  scattered  remnants  of  Israel,  but  also  the  return  of 
the  Ten  Tribes  from  the  "north  country,"  the  restora- 
tion of  the  Jews,  and  the  re-building  of  Jerusalem,  was 
accounted  a  strange  doctrine  when  first  announced  in 
this  age;  so  was  the  calling  of  missionaries  to  go  forth 
to  preach  without  purse  or  scrip.  Even  the  inspired 
mind  of  the  Prophet  scarcely  understood,  nay,  did  not 
understand,  the  full  import  of  these  and  other  doctrines 
revealed  through  his  instrumentality.  But  he  made 
this  motto  his  rule  of  life:  "When  the  Lord  commands, 
do  it,"  at  the  same  time  showing  his  followers  the 
necessity  of  a  like  obedience. 

The  Indians,  according  to  the  belief  of  the  Saints, 
which  is  founded  upon  the  statements  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  are  a  branch  of  the  House  of  Israel,  and  are 
therefore  to  hear  the  word  of  God  so  that  they  may 
carry  out  their  portion  of  the  great  gospel  programe,  and 
assist  in  buidling  up  the  city  of  Zion,  the  New  Jeursa- 
lem  of  the  West.  Hence  the  calling  of  missionaries  at 
this  early  day  to  present  the  true  gospel  to  them, 
together  with  the  Book  of  Mormon,  a  record  of  the 
hand  dealings  of  God  with  their  forefathers. 


46  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

The  men  selected  b}^  revelation*  to  perform  this 
hrst  distant  mission,  "to  go  into  the  wilderness,  through 
the  western  states,  and  into  the  Indian  territory,"  were 
Oliver  Cowder}',  Peter  Whitmer,  Jr.,  Parley  P.  Pratt 
and  Ziba  Peterson.  While  they  were  specially  called  to 
the  Indians,  they  were  nevertheless  to  preach  wherever 
opportunit}^  offered. 

Parle}'  P.  Pratt,  whose  history  at  this  point  is 
inseparably  interwoven  wath  that  of  the  Church,  was 
born  April  12th,  1807,  in  Burlington,  Otsego  County, 
New  York,  and  was  baptized  into  the  Church  b}^  Oliver 
Cowdery,  in  Seneca  Lake,  September  1st,  1830.  Pre" 
viously  he  had  been  a  Campbellite  preacher.  The 
Carabellites  were  a  sect  of  reformed  Baptists,  whose 
stronghold  was  in  and  about  Kirtland,  Ohio,  and  the 
shores  of  Lake  Erie.  Among  their  noted  men  were 
Alexander  Campbell,  the  founder  of  the  sect,  and  Sidney 
Rigdon,  a  gifted  expounder  of  the  Scriptures.  Soon  after 
joining  this  sect,  in  August,  1830,  Pratt  decided  to  devote 
his  life  to  the  ministr}^  for  which  reason  he  sold  his 
frontier  home  in  Ohio,  going  east  to  carry  out  his 
resolve.  While  on  this  journey  he  first  saw  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  in  which  he  immediately  became  deeply 
interested.  He  started  to  seek  the  Prophet,  t>ut  not 
finding  him  at  home,  he  visited  his  brother  Hyrum 
Smith,  who  accompanied  him  to  Fayette,  where,  becom- 
ing convinced  of  the  divinity  of  Joseph's  mission,  he 
was  baptized  as  stated.  He  then  went  east  and  there 
converted  his  brother  Orson,  afterwards  a  famous  Apostle 
and  one  of  the  pioneer  founders  of  Utah.  Returnmg  west, 
he    met    the    Prophet    Joseph    at  Manchester,  being  soon 


•Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  28,  30  and  32 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE    CHURCH.  47 

thereafter    called  to  fill  the    before-mentioned    mission  to 
the  Lamanites^  or  Indians. 

Late  in  October,  the  four  Elders  began  their  west- 
ward journey  on  foot,  trusting  in  the  Lord  "to  open  up 
the  way."  Near  Buffalo,  they  presented  their  interesting 
message  to  the  Catteraugus  Indians,  giving  them  copies 
of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  The)^  were  kindl}'  received  by 
the  red  men.  Continuing  their  journey,  their  next  stop 
was  at  Kirtland,  then  a  prosperous  frontier  town  of  about 
two  thousand  inhabitants,  a  city  where  "Mormonism 
itself,  their  parent  Church,  was  destined  soon  to  pJant 
its  pilgrim  feet."  Seeking  an  interview  with  his  former 
teacher,  Sidney  Rigdon,  Elder  Pratt  delivered  to  him  the 
message  of  his  new-found  truths.  Mr.  Rigdon,  with 
many  of  his  prominent  followers,  among  whom  may  be 
mentioned  Edward  Partridge  and  Newel  K.  Whitney, 
afterward  the  first  two  Bishops  of  the  Mormon  Church, 
soon  became  convinced  that  they  had  no  authority  to 
minister  in  the  ordinances  of  God,  hence  were  not  legally 
baptized  and  ordained.  Consequently  many  of  them 
submitted  to  baptism  at  the  hands  of  Elder  Pratt  and  his 
associates,  through  whose  ministrations  they  received  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  by  the  laying  on  of  hands.  The 
interest  and  excitement  over  the  new  missionaries  became 
general  in  the  surrounding  region.  Night  and  day  they 
were  busy  teaching  the  multitudes  who  came  to  listen. 
In  two  or  three  weeks  after  their  arrival,  one  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  souls  were  baptized,  which  number 
soon  increased  to  one  thousand.  The  new  converts 
"were  filled  with  joy  and  gladness;  while  rage  and  lying 
were  abundantly  manifested  by  gainsayers;  faith  was 
strong,  joy  was  great,  and  persecution  heavy." 

Ordaining  Sidney  Rigdon,    Isaac  Morley,  John  Mur- 


48  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH. 

dock,  Ljman  Wight,  Edward  Partridge  and  many  others, 
many  of  whom  afterward  became  noted  in  the  chronicles 
of  the  Church,  to  the  ministry,  to  take  charge  of  the 
Saints  and  minister  the  gospel,  the  successful  mission- 
aries, having  first  notified  the  Prophet  of  their  progress, 
proceeded  westward,  adding  to  their  number  a  new  con- 
vert, Frederick  G.    Williams. 

At  Sandusky,  in  Western  Ohio,  the  Wyandots  were 
visited,  which  tribe  rejoiced  in  the  strange  tidings 
revealed  to  them  of  their  forefathers,  and  of  the  restored 
gospel.  They  w^ere  very  friendly  and  bade  the  Elders 
God-speed  to  the  West,  in  which  direction  the  red  men 
expected  soon -to  follow. 

Thence,  the  missionaries  proceeded  to  Cincinnati 
and  St.  Louis  where  the}^  met  with  little  or  no  success. 
In  passing  his  old  forest  home,  some  fifty  miles  from 
Kirtland,  Elder  Pratt  was  arrested  on  some  trivial  charge, 
but  sagacious^  made  his  escape.  Near  St.  Louis  they 
halted,  owing  to  the  dreadful  storms,  snow  being  three 
feet  deep.  With  the  opening  of  the  new  year,  1831,  they 
continued  their  journe}',  traveling  on  foot  three  hundred 
miles  through  prairies  covered  with  trackless  wilds  of 
snow,  without  shelter  or  fire,  having  for  food  frozen  corn 
bread  and  raw  pork.  At  length  Independence,  Jackson 
County,  in  the  extreme  western  frontier  of  Missouri,  was 
reached.  So  far  the  missionaries  had  been  absent  four 
months,  the}^  had  traveled  about  fifteen  hundred  miles, 
through  a  comparative  wilderness,  mostly  on  foot,  in  the 
worst  season  of  the  3'ear.  They  had  preached  the  gospel 
to  tens  of  thousands  of  their  own  race,  and  to  two 
nations  of  Indians,  besides  having  confirmed  many 
hundreds  and  organized  them  into  branches  of  the 
Church. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  49 

Two  of  the  brethren  remained  at  tailor  work  in 
Independence,  while  Elder  Pratt  and  Cowdery  crossed 
the  frontier  to  the  Indians,  tarrying  one  night  with  the 
Shawnees;  after  which  they  crossed  the  Kansas  River  to 
the  Delawares.  Seeking  the  aged  chief  of  this  nation,  a 
polygamist  and  sachem  of  ten  tribes,  the  missionaries 
presented  their  message  to  him  by  means  of  a  friendly 
interpreter.  They  were  received  kindly.  After  some 
hesitancy,  on  the  part  of  the  chief,  a  council  was  called, 
and  Oliver  Cowdery  was  permitted  to  address  the  Indians. 
Presenting  them  with  a  copy  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  he 
gave  an  account  of  its  history,  and  of  the  restoration  of 
the  gospel.  For  several  days  they  remained  to  instruct 
the  aborigines  whose  interest  became  intense,  the  excite- 
ment spreading  to  the  whole  tribe.  Finally  the  ministers 
and  agents  on  the  frontier  heard  of  the  excitement,  and 
through  them  the  Elders  were  ordered  out  of  the  Indian 
country  as  peace-disturbers,  threatened  with  military 
interference  in  case  of  non-compliance  with  the  order. 
Under  these  circumstances,  they  reluctantly  departed 
from  among  the  Indians,  returning  to  labor  among  the 
white  settlers  in  Jackson  County,  where  they  met  with 
some  success. 

At  a  council  of  the  five  Elders,  held  in  Independ- 
ence, on  the  14th  of  February,  1831,  it  was  decided  to 
send  Elder  Pratt  east  to  report  their  labors  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph.  Departing  on  this  perilous  journey^ 
Elder  Pratt,  after  much  suffering,  reached  Kirtland,  to 
which  city  the  Prophet  had  now  removed.  Upon  his 
arrival  in  March,  1831,  the  Lamanite  missionary  was 
there  greeted  with  a  'hearty  reception. 


50  A  BRIEF  HISTOKY  OF  THE  CHURCH. 

4.    REMOVAL  OF  THE  CHURCH  TO  OHIO. 

Meantime,  the  cause  of  Mormonism  had  rapidly  pro- 
gressed in  the  east,  through  the  ministrations  of  the 
Prophet  and  his  associates.  In  the  fall  of  1830,  Joseph 
had  been  visited  by  Orson  Pratt,  also  by  Sidney  Rigdon 
and  Edward  Partridge  of  Kirtland,  which  latter  reported 
the  condition  of  that  branch  to  the  Prophet  leader. 
These  visitors  came  to  enquire  of  the  Prophet  what  was 
the  will  of  the  Lord  concerning  them.* 

Sidne}'  Rigdon  was  retained  to  assist  Joseph  as  scribe 
in  the  insured  translation  of  the  Holy  Bible,  which 
work  was  begun    just  before  the  close  of   the   year   1830. 

Already,  as  we  have  seen,  it  had  been  intimated  that 
the  West  was  the  future  field  for  Mormonism,  and  with 
the  success  of  the  Lamanite  missionaries  in  Kirtland,  it 
became  evident  to  Joseph  that  the  time  was  ripe  for  a 
general  movement  of  the  Church  towards  the  land  of  their 
future  destin}^  The  visit  of  Sidney  Rigdon  confirmed 
this  idea.  The  site  of  the  new  "city"  had  not  yet  been 
definitely  determined,  but  Kirtland  would  be  a  good  rest- 
ing place,  where  a  flourishing  Stake  of  Zion  could  be 
established,  until  such  a  time  as  God  should  reveal  the 
location  of  the  Zion  which  was  to  be  "called  the  New 
Jerusalem,  a  land  of  peace,  a  cit}'^  of  refuge,  a  place  of 
safety  for  the  Saints  of  the  Most  High  God."  In  Kirt- 
land, in  the  meantime,  the  Saints  might  rest  and  gather 
strength. 

TRen  came  the  first  direct  command  for  the  Saints  to 
gather, — the  revelation  which  heralded  the  beginning  of 
the    gathering    of    Israel    in  the  latter    days.      In    it    the 


♦Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  34,  35,  and  3fi. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH.  51 

Churck  is  commanded  to  "assemble  together  on  the 
Ohio."*  But  before  going,  Joseph  and  Sidney  were  first 
to  preach  and  strengthen  the  Saints  in. the  region  round 
about,  and  more  especially  in  Colesville,  where  the  Saints 
were  very  faithful.      This  was  done. 

Preparatory  to  the  emigration  westward  in  compliance 
with  the  will  of  the  Lord,  a  farewell  gathering,  the  third 
conference  of  the  Church,  was  held  at  Fayette,  January 
2nd,  1831.  On  this  occasion,  all  the  affairs  of  the  Church 
in  the  east  were  settled,  or  left  with  trusted  agents  to 
arrange  as  speedily  as  possible.  During  the  conference, 
the  Lord  made  known  to  the  Saints  through  revelation 
that  a  land  of  promise  should  be  given  them,  which  they 
should  inherit  forever  on  certain  conditions. f  In  Ohio, 
in  the  mean  time,  they  were  promised  that  the  law  of 
God  should  be  given  to  them,  and  that  they  should  be 
endowed  with  power  from   on  high. 

Then  the  movement  began.  Toward  the  latter  part 
of  the  month,  the  Prophet  with  his  wife,  accompanied 
by  Sidney  Rigdon,  Edward  Partridge,  and  others,  left 
on  their  journey  to  Kirtland,  where  they  arrived  about 
February  1st,  1831.  Joseph  introduced  himself  to  Mr. 
Newel  K.  Whitney  as  "Joseph  the  Prophet,"  and  was  by 
this  gentleman  kindly  received  and  entertained.  For 
several  weeks  himself  and  wife  resided  at  the  home  of 
Mr.  Whitney,  where  Joseph's  time  was  occupied  with 
important  matters  that  pertained  to  the  setting  of  the 
Church  in  order. 

Shortly  after  the  Prophet's  arrival  in  Kirtland,  the 
Saints    in  New    York    began    to    migrate.      They    reached 


♦Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  37. 
t  Doctrine  angl  Covenants,  Section  38 


52  A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

their  destination  in  May  and  June  following^,  and  settled 
in  the  northern  part  of  Ohio,  principally  in  and  about 
Kirtland.  The  Ohio  Saints  were  commanded  to  receive 
their  "eastern  brethren,"*  and  divide  their  lands  with 
them,  until  the  Lord  should  further  direct  the  location  of 
their  land  of  inheritance. 


5.        THE    LAW    OF      CONSECRATION. 

Following  the  departure  of  the  Lamanite  missionaries 
from  Kirtland,  strange  notions  and  false  spirits  had  crept 
into  the  Church  in  this  branch,  which  Joseph  now  im- 
mediately sought  to  eradicate  and  drive  out,  in  which 
work  he  soon  succeeded  by  the  exercise  of  wisdom  and 
caution. 

It  appears  that  the  Campbellites,  evidently  with  a 
desire  to  be  like  the  earl}^  Christians  who  had  all  things 
in  common,  had  organized  in  what  was  called  the  "com- 
mon stock"  plan  of  living.  All  dwelt  together  as  a  family, 
and  the  "family"  nearly  all  joined  the  Church.  Joseph 
induced  them  to  abandon  this  plan  for  the  more  "perfect 
law  of  the  Lord,"  which  was  consecration,  or  the  United 
Order,    which    now  became  a    law  to  the    whole    Church. 

The  provisions  of  this  law,  in  short,  were  these: 
On  entering  the  Order  each  individual  was  to  consecrate 
all  his  property  to  the  Bishop,  utterly  relinquishing  its 
possession.  The  Church  would  then  give  a  deed  convey- 
ing to  such  person  certain  property  as  a  stewardship  for 
himself  and  family,  of  which  he  was  to  render  an  ac- 
count to  the  Bishop.  Every  man  was  to  seek  the  interest 
of  his  neighbor,  there  was  to  be  no  idleness,  ail  would  be 


Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  48. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  53 

owners  alike,  yet  each  steward  was  free  in  the  manage- 
ment of  his  stewardship,  temporal  equality  was  to  be 
inaugurated.  The  key-note  of  the  order  is  thus  given  by 
the  Prophet:  "It  is  not  given  that  one  man  should 
possess  that  which  is  above  another."  It  was  to  be  a 
system  like  that  of  the  Apostles  at  Jerusalem:  "The 
multitude  of  them  that  believed  were  of  one  heart  and 
of  one  soul,  —  neither  said  any  of  them  that  aught  of  the 
things  which  he  possessed  was  his  own;  but  they  had  all 
things  common."  It  was  to  be  a  system  such  as  pre- 
vailed in  the  "City  of  Enoch:"  the  Lord  called  his  people 
Zion,  because  they  were  of  one  heart  and  one  r^iind  and 
dwelt  in  righteousness,  and  there  was  no  poor  among 
them."* 

The  first  movement  towards  the  establishment  of 
this  law  was  the  organization  of  the  Bishopric,  the  presi- 
dency of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  which  has  authority  to 
minister  in  temporal  things.  The  first  Bishop  called  by 
revelationf  was  Edward  Partridge,  who  "was  appointed 
by  the  voice  of  the  Church  and  ordained  a  Bishop"  on 
the  4th  day  of  February,  1831.  He  was  to  relinquish 
his  business  as  merchant,  and  spend  all  his  time  in  the 
service  of  the  Church.  J 


*  For  interesting  discussions  on  this  topic,  see  Whitney's  "History  of 
Utah,"' Vol.  1,  page  82-85;  Roberts'  "Outlines  of  Ecclesiastical  History,''  pp. 
353-356;  also  Sections  42  and  51,  Doctrine  and  Covenants. 

t  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  41. 

t  For  complete  organization  of  the  Bishopric  and  its  duties,  see  Roberts' 
"Outlines  of  Ecclesiastical  History,"  pp.  346-350.  Also,  Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants, Section  42,  verses  30-32;  and  Section  51,  verses  3-6  and  13-17.  These 
quotations  contain  also  a  general  outline  of  the  Order  which  was  introduced 
and  sought  to  be  established  among  the  Saints  in  Kirtland,  Ohio,  and  subse- 
quently in  Missouri. 


54  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

Some  days  after  the  appointment  of  a  Bishop,  a 
revelation,  found  in  the  42nd  Section  of  the  Book  of 
Covenants,  was  given  in  which  the  Saints  are  taught 
important  doctrines  concerning  the  order,  and  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Church. 

All  the  Elders,  except  the  Prophet  and'  Sidney 
Rigdon  are  afterward  commanded  to  go  out,  two  by  two, 
to  preach  the  gospel,  warning  their  converts  to  flee  to  the 
West.  The  Lord  promises  to  reveal  the  location  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  in  His  own  due  time,  for  which  the  Saints 
were  instructed  to  pra}'. 

Thus  was  the  law  of  consecration,  the  Order  of 
Enoch,  or  the  United  Order,  given  to  the  Saints;  but 
owing  to  persecutions,  and  to  the  selfishness,  pride  and 
disobedience  of  men,  it  was  not  permanently  founded. 
.With  the  Saints  it  is  one  of  the  still  unsettled  problems 
of  the  future,  since  the  Lord  has  said  that  without  it, 
Zion  cannot  be  built.  "^^  The  Church  failed  to  live  up 
to  the  Older  of  God  in  this  law,  and  hence,  the  lesser 
law  of  tithing  was  given  them  in  lieu  thereof,  in  the 
year  1838.  This  law  requires  the  person  to  pay  first  his 
surplus  property  to  the  Bishop,  and  after  that  one-tenth 
of  his  annual  income. *(" 


6.        LOCATING    THE    LAND    OF    ZION. 

On  the  6th  day  of  June,  1831,  the  fourth  general  con- 
fernce  of  the  Church  was  held  in  Kirtland,  the  scattered 
Elders    attending    agreeable    to    the    call    by  revelation.  J 


»  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  105,  verse  5. 
t  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  119. 
"l  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  44. 


A   BRIEF    HISTORY   OF    THE   CHURCH.  55 

The  number  of  the  Saints  had  now  swelled  to  about  two 
thousand  souls.  Great  power  was  manifested  in  this 
gathering.  The  first  High  Priests  were  ordained,  and 
the  power  of  the  Melchisedec  Priesthood  was  more  fully 
manifested  than  had  been  the  case  heretofore.  Only 
Joseph  and  Oliver  up  to  this  time  had  held  a  position 
in  this  Priesthood  higher  than  a  common  Elder,  which 
office  is  an  appendage  to  the  Melchisedec  Priesthood. 

Many  of  the  Elders  were  commissioned  to  go  forth, 
two  by  two,  to  preach  and  baptize,  as  did  the  Apostles 
anciently.*  They  were  to  go  upon  different  routes, 
journeying  towards  the  Missouri  frontier,  organizing 
branches  wherever  the  people  would  listen  to  their  gospel 
message.  They  were  to  meet  in  the  State  of  Missouri 
where  the  next  conference  of  the  Church  was  to  be  held, 
and  at  which  time,  if  faithful,  the  location  of  their  land 
of  inheritance  would  be  made  known  to  them. 

Shortly  after  the  conference,  revelations  were  received 
for  Sidney  Gilbert,t  and  for  Newel  Knight,  the  latter 
being  in  relation  to  the  Colesville  branch  of  the  Church, 
whose  members  rvere  among  the  first  to  embrace  the 
gospel,    now    temporarily    located    at    Thompson,    Ohio. 

They  were  commanded  to  journey  westward,"  unto 
the  borders  of  the  Lamanites.  "J  They  had  broken  the 
law  which  had  been  given  to  them  in  a  previous  revela- 
tion, and  this  was  now  declared  "void  and  of  none  effect.  "§ 

Then  followed  revelations  for  W.  W.  Phelps,  after- 
ward a  prominent  member  of  the  Church,  and  Thomas  B. 


*  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  52. 
t  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  53. 
I  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  54. 
g  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  Section  51. 


56  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

Marsh,  afterward  the  president  of  the  Twelve  Apostles^ 
who  had  come  to  learn  from  the  Prophet  the  will  of  the 
Lord  concerning  them.* 

Conforming  to  the  commandment  received  during 
conference,  Joseph,  in  company  with  Sidney  Rigdon, 
Martin  Harris,  Edward  Partridge,  W.  W.  Phelps,  Joseph 
Coe,  and  A.  S.  Gilbert  and  wife,  started  from  Kirtland 
on  the  19th  of  June  on  his  first  visit  to  the  land  of  Mis- 
souri. They  were  followed  by  the  Colesville  branch, 
who  this  time  obeyed  the  revelation.  Other  Elders  who 
were  called  departed  by  different  routes,  bound  for  the 
same  destination.  Joseph's  company,  journeying  by 
wagon,  stage,  canal-boat,  steamer,  and  on  foot,  reached 
Independence,  Missouri,  about  the  middle  of  July.  The 
meeting  with  Oliver  Cowdery  and  his  missionary  asso- 
ciates was  the  occasion  of  great  rejoicing,  and  according 
to  the  Prophet  was   "moistened  with  many  tears." 

Immediately  after  the  arrival  of  Joseph,  the  location 
for  the  City  of  Zion,  the  central  gathering  place  of  the 
Sai^nts,  was  first  definitely  made  known,  t  Independence 
was  the  chosen  site,  and  the  spot  for  the  temple  was 
designated  as  lying  westward,  on  a  lot  not  far  from  the 
courthouse.  According  to  the  revelation,  lands  were  to 
be  purchased  by  the  Saints,  and  the  soil  m  the  region 
was  to  be  dedicated  for  the  gathering  of  Israel,  and  for 
the  building  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  Sidne}'  Gilbert  was 
appointed  a  merchant,  and  an  agent  for  land  purchases, 
while  Edward  Partridge,  assisted  by  two  counselors,  was 
chosen  to   "divide    the  Saints  their    inheritance,"  to  be  a 


*  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  55  and  56. 
-j-  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  57. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  57 

judge  in  Israel,  to  receive  the  consecration  of  properties, 
to  assign  stewardships,  and  to  receive  the  Saints  then 
on  the  way  from  Ohio. 

On  the  1st  of  August  Sidney  Rigdon  was  called  by 
revelation  to  consecrate  and  dedicate  to  the  Lord  the  land 
of  Zion,  to  write  a  description  thereof,  and  to  prepare 
"an  epistle  and  subscription"  to  obtain  money  for  pur- 
chasing lands  for  an  inheritance. 

The  first  step  toward  founding  Zion  was  taken  on 
the  2nd  day  of  August,  1831.  On  that  day  Joseph, 
assisted  by  eleven  other  men,  the  whole  representing  the 
Twelve  Tribes  of  Israel,  helped  to  lay  a  log  for  a  house 
in  Kaw  Township,  twelve  miles  west  of  Independence,  in 
which  locality  the  newly  arrived  Saints  from  Colesville 
were  settling.  Elder  Rigdon  then  dedicated  the  land. 
The  following  day,  the  3rd,  witnessed  the  consecration  of 
the  temple  site,  after  which,  on  the  4th,  the  fifth  con- 
ference of  the  Church  (the  first  in  Zion)  was  held  at  the 
house  of  Joshua  Lewis,  in  Kaw  Township,  most  of  the 
Saints  being  present.  Revelations  were  given  concern- 
ing the  Sabbath,  and  the  return  of  certain  Elders  to  Kirt- 
land,  among  whom  were  Joseph  Smith,  Oliver  Cowdery, 
and  Sidney  Rigdon.* 

Complying  with  the  word  of  the  Lord,  the  Prophet, 
in  company  with  ten  Elders,  left  for  the  East,  on  the 
9th  day  of  August.  During  the  interesting  and  eventful 
journey  two  revelations  were  given  which  were  full  of 
counsel  and  instruction  to  the  brethren,  f 

On  the  27th  they  arrived  safe  and  well  in    Kirtland. 

Thus  was  Zion  located  and  dedicated  on  the  western 


♦Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  50  and  60. 
t  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  61  and  62. 
5 


58  A    BRIEF    HISTORY   OF   THE    CHURCH. 

border  line  of  civilization,  a  colony  planted  therein,  a 
temple  site  selected,  and  a  migratory  stream  of  Saints 
set  in  motion  in  the  direction  of  the  "promised  land." 
In  this  practically  untrodden  West,  the  Saints  hoped  to 
establish  themselves  in  the  City  of  their  God,  but  they 
were  destined  to  disappointment  and  much  tribulation.* 


t.        PROGRESS    IN    KIRTLAND    AND    THE    EAST. 

The  Prophet,  assisted  by  Sidney  Rigdon,  soon  after 
turned  his  attention  to  the  translation  of  the  Scriptures, 
which  work  had  been  stopped  since  the  previous  Decem- 
ber. For  this  purpose  he  retired,  with  his  wife  and  two 
infants,  twins,  which  they  had  adopted  in  place  of  twins 
of  their  own  that  had  died,  to  the  quiet  little  town  of 
Hiram,  in  Portage  County,  on  September  12,  1831.  They 
made  their  reside^;ice  with  John  Johnson,  a  member  of 
the  Church,  the  father  of  the  future  Apostles,  Luke  S. 
and  L3^man  E.  Johnson,  and  father-in-law  to  Orson  Hyde, 
later  also  an  Apostle. 

While  pursuing  his  literar\^  labors  in  this  quiet 
retreat,  Joseph  received  many  important  reveations  for 
the  guidance  of  the  Church.  "The  Lord's  Preface  to 
the  Book  of  Commandments,"  and  the  revelation  called 
the  "Appendix"  were  given  in  Novernber.  In  the  latter 
part  of  the  same  month  Oliver  Cowdery  and  John  Whit- 
mer  departed  for  Jackson  Count}^  whither  W.  W.  Phelps 
had  preceded  them  for  the  purpose  of  preparing  to  print 
the  book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  other  publica- 
tions.    Interesting  doctrines  were  about  this  time  revealed 


*  Foretold  in  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  58,  verses  2-5. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH.  59 

explaining  the  Revelations  of  St.  John,*  and  the  mean- 
ing of  verse  14,  chapter  vii,  Paul's  First  Epistle  to  the 
Corinthians, t  etc.  ;  likewise  instructions  concerning  the 
Bishopric  of  the  Church.  J  On  the  fourth  day  of  December 
a  second  Bishop,  Newel  K.  Whitney,  was  chosen  for 
the  Kirtland  Stake  of  Zion. 

Teachings  were  enunciated  upon  which  are  based  a 
number  of  the  religious  doctrines  of  the  Latter-day  Saints. 
In  the  "Vision" II  is  set  forth  the*  doctrine  of  universal 
salvation,  in  different  degrees  of  glor}'  for  all  men  save 
the  "sons  of  perdition,"  upon  the  condition  of  justice 
and  mercy,  according  to  their  faithfulness  and 
obedience  to  the  gospel  of  Christ,  each  person  being 
judged  according  to  his  works,  and  receiving  according 
to  his  knowledge  and  merits.  Little  children  are  saved 
by  the  blood  of  Christ.  For  the  heathen  who  died  with- 
out law  there  is  hope;  and  even  for  the  wicked,  who  are 
"thrust  down  to  hell,"  there  is  escape,  after  they  have 
paid  "the  uttermost  farthing"  in  God's  eternal  punish- 
ment, which  does  not  necessarily  mean  never-en"ding 
punishment,  but  punishment  inflicted  by  the  Eternal 
One.  There  were  spirits  kept  in  the  prison  house 
beyond,  whom  the  Son  visited,  preaching  to  them  the 
gospel.  They  would  have  the  privilege  of  receiving  the 
testimony  of  Jesus,  and,  accepting  it,  be  judged  accord- 
ing to  men  in  the  flesh. 

Besides  continuing  his  literary  labors,  the  Prophet 
took  active  part  in  the  ministry,  attending  a  number  of 
conferences,   and  instructing  the  Church  verbally  and  by 


*  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  77. 

t  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  74. 

X  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  68  and  72. 

II  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  76. 


60  A    BRIEF    HISTORY   OF    THE    CHURCH. 

written  epistles.  The  while,  persecution  did  not  abate. 
Ezra  Booth,  who  had  apostatized,  was  at  this  time 
writing  his  series  of  nine  letters  in  the  Ohio  Star, 
against  Joseph  and  the  Mormons.  They  were  the  means 
of  creating  great  prejudice  against  the  Prophet  and  his 
cause,  and  not  that  alone,  but  persecution  also.  He  and 
Sidne}'  Rigdon  were  brutally  treated  by  a  mob,  at  Hiram, 
on  the  night  of  March  25th,  1832.  Joseph  was  stripped, 
covered  with  tar,  beaten,  and  an  attempt  was  also  made  to 
force  a  bottle  of  aqua  fortis  down  his  throat.  The  next 
day,  though  scarred  and  wounded,  found  him  preaching 
to  a  large  congregation,  many  of  whom  had  assisted  in 
mistreating  him  the  previous  night.  That  day  he  bap- 
tized three  new  converts.  Sidney  Rigdon  was  delirious 
for  some  time  after  the  outrage.  But  the  mobocratic 
feeling  became  so  rampant  that  the  Prophet  considered 
it  wisdom  to  leave. 

He  then  departed  on  his  second  visit  to  Missouri,  in 
April,  being  joined  on  the  way  by  Sidney  Rigdon  and 
Bishop  Whitney.  They  took  a  circuitous  rout  to  avoid  the 
mob.  Before  Emma  left  Hiram,  one  of  the  twins  died  as  a 
result  of  exposure  on  the  night  of  the  outrage  upon  her 
husband.  This  little  one  may  be  called  the  first  martyr 
in  the  Church. 

On  his  arrival  in  Independence,  Missouri,  April 
24th,  the  Prophet  was  well  received  by  the  Saints  but 
was  pained  to  learn  that  their  enemies  were  already 
beginning  to  heap  upon  the  insults  and  annoyancs  that 
were  to  end  in  their  cruel    exile    from    Jackson    County. 

Having  visited  and  instructed  among  the  Saints 
received     an     important      revelation,*      ordered       three 


*  D  ctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  83. 


A   BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  61 

thousand  copies  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  printed, 
and  been  acknowledged  as  president  of  the  High  Priest- 
hood— to  which  office  he  had  been  ordained  at  the 
seventh  general  conference  of  the  Church,  in  Amherst, 
Ohio,  on  January  25th — Joseph  and  his  two  companions 
started  on  their  trip  to  Kirtland  early  in  May.  In 
Indiana,  Bishop  Whitney  broke  his  leg,  which  delayed 
them  one  month  in  Greenville.  At  this  place  an  attemp- 
was  made  to  poison  the  Prophet,  and  he  narrowly 
escaped  death. 

Arriving  in  Kirtland  sometime  in  June,  Joseph  spent 
the  season  working  upon  the  translation  of  the  scrip- 
tures. His  son  Joseph,  now  leader  of  the  Josephite,  or 
re-organized  church,  was  born  on  the  3rd  of  November 
of  that  year.  In  Decem.ber  the  "revelation  and  prophecy 
on  war"*  was  recorded  which  the  Latter-day  Saints 
claim  was  literally  fulfilled  in  the  great  conflict  between 
the  Northern  and  the  Southen  States  of  the  Union — the 
civil  war. 

Mormonism  continued  to  prosper,  branches  being 
founded  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
During  the  winter  of  1832-3,  the  school  of  the  prophets 
was  established,  and  a  temple  at  Kirtland  was  projected, 
the  corner-stones  of  which  were  laid  on  the  23rd  of  July 
following.  The  translation  of  the  New  Testament  was 
completed  on  the  2nd  of  February,  1833,  and  the  manu- 
script sealed  to  be  opened  in  Zion. 

Many  revelations  of  great  consequence  to  the  Church 
were  made  known. "|" 

On  the  18th    day    of    March,    1833,    the    first    Presi- 


*  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  87. 

fSee  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  88  to  92. 


62  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH. 

dency,  the  highest  presiding  quorum  in  the  Church,  was 
first  organized,  with  the  following  persojinel:  Joseph 
Smith,  President;  Sidney  Rigdon,  first  Counselor; 
Frederick  G.    Williams,  Second  Counselor. 

Prosperity  smiled  upon  the  cause  in  Kirtland  and 
the  east.  Over  $11,000.00  worth  of  land  was  purchased 
upon  which  the  Saints  were  to  build  and  beautify  the  city, 
now  surnamed"Shinehah, "  while  awaiting  further  develop- 
ments in  Missouri,  "the  land  of  Zion.  "  Workshops, 
mills  and .  public  buildings,  were  erected,  and  various 
industries  established. 


b.        EXPULSION    FROM    JACKSON    COUNTY. 

In  the  midst  of  this  prosperity,  Oliver  Cowdery 
arrived  in  Kirtland  in  the  beginning  of  September,  1833, 
a  messenger  from  the  Saints  in  Missouri,  bringing  the 
sad  news  of  the  serious  disturbances  and  persecutions  in 
Jackson  County. 

There. were  now  about  twelve  hundred  Saints  in  Mis- 
souri, which  number  was  being  augmented  constantly  by 
immigration.  They  had  improved  their  purchased  lands, 
established  industries,  reaped  rich  harvests;  they  had  a 
paper  called  the  Evetiing  and  Mornitig  Star,  edited  by  W. 
W.  Phelps,  established  in  June,  1832;  Parley  P.  Pratt 
presided  over  a  school  of  sixty  Elders,  and  the  gospel  was 
being  preached  to  the  people  thereabouts  with  success. 
T^e  Saints  were  1:hrift3%  industrious,  tended  their  own 
affairs,  in  short,  "minded  th^ir  own  business,"  a  stand- 
ard creed  with  the  Mormons.  The}'  doubtless  had 
faults,  and  some  were  indiscreet.  Blinded  by  their  own 
ideas,  perhaps  others  said  things  that  were  not  wise? 
gave  utterance  to  sentiments  which    offended    the    people 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  63 

not  of  their  faith,  but  where  such  was  the  case,  it  was  in 
violation  of  the  teachings  of  their  religion  which  incul- 
cated the  principles  of  living  at  peace  with  all  men. 
rhey  were  law-abiding  and  peaceable  citizens. 

There  being  no  law  that  would  rid  them  of  the 
Mormons,  it  was  wickedly  determined  that  this  should 
be  done  without  law.  As  early  as  April  of  this  year, 
a  meeting  was  called  to  devise  means  as  to  the  best  way 
to  dispose  of  the  Mormons.  That  gathering  was  unsuc- 
cessful, but  another,  held  about  the  middle  of  July 
succeeded.  At  '  this  meeting  in  Independence,  some 
three  hundred  persons  met  to  devise  a  plan  for  expelling 
the  Saints.  They  signed  a  declaration  accusing  the 
Mormons  of  blasphemy,  pretensions  to  miracles  and 
healing  the  sick,  casting  out  devils,  and  tampering  with 
the  negro  slaves  and  the  Indians,  and  declaring  the 
Indian  country  to  be  theirs  by  heavenly  inheritance. 
Later,  at  a  meeting  of  five-hundred  of  the  mob,  on  the 
20th,  the  above  charges  were  reiterated,  others  being 
added,  and  it  was  resolved  that  the  Mormons  leave  the 
country  forthwith,  that  no  Mormon  be  allowed  to  settle 
there  in  the  future,  and  that  the  printing  of  the  Star  be 
suspended.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  inform  the 
Mormon  leaders' of  this  decision.  The  latter  asked  for 
time  to  consider.  This  only  aroused  the  fury  of  the 
mob,  who  immediately  gathered  around  the  printing 
office,  tore  it  down  and  scattered  the  material  through 
the  street.  Other  outrages  followed.  Bishop  Partridge 
was  covered  with  tar  and  feathers,  and  others  of  the 
Saints  were  threatened  and  abused.  Clergymen  and 
other  prominent  citizens  took  part  in  these  lawless  acts. 
Lieutenant-Governor  L.   W.Boggs    saiS    to    some    of    the 


64  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

Mormons:  "You  now  know  what  our  Jackson  County 
boys  can  do,  and  you  must  Jeave  the  county. " 

Three  days  after  these  outrages  were  committed 
another  larger  meeting  was  held,  another  committee 
chosen.  Realizing  that  their  liberties  were  lost,  that  it 
was  useless  to  withstand  the  rioters,  the  Saints  entered 
into  a  peace  agreement  with  the  mob.  They  would  leave 
the  county — one  half  of  them  on  January  1st,  1834, 
and  the  remainder  on  April  1st.  The  Star  would  be  sus- 
pended; immigration  would  cease.  In  return  for  these 
concessions,  the  mob  committee  agreed,  and  the 
action  was  ratified  by  the  meeting,  that  the  Saints 
should   be  molested  no  more. 

This  was  the  message  that  Oliver  Cowdery  carried 
to  Kirtland.  In  reply,  the  Prophet  sent  an  epistle  and 
messengers  .  to  comfort  and  advise  the  people  in  their 
unfortunate  circumtances,  but  when  they  arrived  in 
Missouri,  in  the  latter  part  of  September,  they  found  that 
the  mob  had  broken  its  pledge,  and  fresh  outrages 
against  the  Saints  were  in  progress. 

"The  Mormons  must  go,"  was  the  general  cry.  The 
Saints  appealed  to  the  State  executive  for  military  aid  in 
vain.  That  functionary  advised  them  to  try  the  law. 
Following  his  advice  brought  only  disaster.  It  was  like 
appl3'ing  fire  to  powder.  Soon  the  whole  country  rose  in 
arms  to  make  war  upon  the  unfortunate,  peculiar  people. 
It  A^as  on  the  30th  and  31st  of  October,  and  the  1st  of 
November  that  the  most  furious  attacks  were  made.  Men 
were  beaten,  houses  unroofed,  property  destroyed,  women 
and  children  driven  screaming  into  the  wilderness. 

Four  of  the  Saints  went  to  a  circuit  judge  for  a 
peace  warrant,  but  were  told  that  it  would  not    be  issued 


A   BKIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE    CHUKCH.  65 

for  fear  of  the  mob.  The  judge  advised  them  to  "shoot 
down"  the  outlaws  if  these  came  again  upon  them.  At 
the  next  onslaught  the  Saints  prepared  to  carry  out  this 
advice,  notwithstanding  their  repugnance  to  the  taking 
of  human  life.  On  the  4th  of  November  a  battle  ensued. 
One  Mormon  was  killed,  several  .were  wounded,  and  two 
mobbers  bit  the  dust.  A  general  Mormon  "uprising" 
was  now  heralded  abroad.  On  November  5th,  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor Boggs  ordered  out  the  militia  to  suppress 
the  alleged  insurrection.  This  only  made  m.atters  worse. 
The  mob  was  permitted  to  obtain  what  had  been  denied 
to  the  Saints — the  militia.  Boggs  permitted  the  mob  to 
enroll  themselves  among  the  troops.  He  demanded  that 
the  Mormons  lay  down  their  arms,  and  he  seized  a  num- 
ber of  them  to  be  tried  for  murder,  telling  the  remainder 
to  leave  the  country.  To  do  this  they  had  no  time.  Col. 
Pitcher,  afterward  court-martialed  for  his  cruelty,  turned 
his  mob-militia  upon  the  disarmed  and  helpless  Saints; 
then  followed  scenes  beggaring  description.  "Armed 
bands  of  ruffians  ranged  the  county  in  every  direction, 
bursting  into  houses,  terrifying  women  and  children  and 
threatening  the  defenseless  people  with  death  if  the)  did 
not  instantly  flee.  *  *  *  Out  upon  the  bleak 

prairies,  along  the  Missouri's  banks,  chilled  by  Novem- 
ber's winds  and  drenched  by  pouring  rains,  hungry  and 
shelterless,  weeping  and  heart-broken,  wandered  forth  the 
exiles.  Families  scattered  and  divided,  husbands  seeking 
wives,  wives  husbands,  parents  searching  for  their  chil- 
dren, not  knowing  if  they  were  yet  alive."* 

Thus  were  between  twelve  and  fifteen  hundred    souls 


Whitney's  "  History  of  Utah,"  Vol.  I.,  p.  108. 


66  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF    THE   CHURCH. 

expelled  from  their  homes  and  possessions  in  Jackson 
County,  three  hundred  of  their  houses  burned,  ten  settle- 
ments left  desolate.  Most  of  the  exiles  found  refuge  in 
Clay  County,  just  across  the  river,  where  they  were 
kindly  received. 

The  highest  authorities  in  the  state  and  nation  were 
asked  for  redress,  but  the  nation's  executive  could  not 
interfere  without  petition  from  the  state  authorities,  and 
the  state  authorities  would  do  nothing  because  they  were 
either  in  fear  of  or  in  S3^mpathy  with  the  mob.  Lead- 
ing, fair-minded  citizens  regarded  the  outrage  as  a  grave 
stain  upon  the  name  of  Missouri;  but  all  in  vain;  to  this 
day,  w^ithout  recompense,  the  Saints  are  dispossessed  of 
their  rightful  inheritance  in  their  promised  Zion. 


y.        HIGH    COUNCIL    ORGANIZED. 

In  the  latter  part  of  November,  messengers  arrived 
in  Kirtland  giving  details  of  the  outrages  that  had  been 
committed  in  Missouri.  At  this  time  all  was  not  peace 
in  Kirtland.  The  Prophet  had  been  harrassed  with  law- 
suits, and  fears  were  even  entertained  for  his  life,  so 
much  so  that  trusty  friends  guarded  him  night  and  day. 
There  were  various  other  annoyances,  among  which  may 
be  mentioned  the  strife  which  Dr.  Hurlburt,  with  his 
lying  stories,  succeeded  in  arousing  by  lecturing  in 
various  places  round  about.  This  Dr.  Hurlburt  had  been 
excommunicated  from  the  Church  for  immoral  conduct; 
he  it  was  who  originated  the  theory  of  connecting  the 
Book  of  Mormon  with  the  Spaulding  story,  a  theory  now 
recognized  as  false  by  the  best  authorities  outside  of  the 


A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  67 

Church,  and  of  course  always  declared  to  be  false  by  the 
members  of  the  Church.* 

It  was  now  decided  to  establish  the  printing  press  in 
Kirtland.      Oliver  Cowdery  became  editor  of  the  Star. 

On  the  17th  of  February,  1834,  an  important  step  was 
taken.  On  that  day  the  first  High  Council  of  the  Church 
was  organized. t  It  was  composed  of  twelve  High 
Priests,  over  whom  three  others  of  the  same  order  were 
to  preside.  There  is  now  a  High  Council  in  each  of  the 
thirty-three  Stakes  of  Zion,  each  of  which  is  presided 
over  by  the  Presidency  of  the  Stake| — three  High  Priests 
who  are  themselves  amenable  to  the  First  Presidency  of 
the  Church. 

The  duty  of  this  council  is  to  adjust  difficulties  be- 
tween members  of  the  Church,  which  have  been  brought 
up  on  appeal  from  the  ward  bishop's  court.  Cases  are 
brought  before  the  ward  bishop's  court  by  the  "district" 
Teachers.  The  High  Council  has  also  original  jurisdic- 
tion. The  Council  was  appointed  by  revelation,  and  the 
object  of  its  organization    is    to    prevent    strife    and    dis- 


*  President  James  H.  Fairchild,  in  the  "New  York  Observer"  of  February 
5th,  1885,  speaking  of  the  discovery  by  Mr.  Rice  of  the  Spaulding  Romance, 
says:  "The  theory  of  the  origin  of  the  Book  of  the  Mormon  in  the  traditional 
manuscript  of  Solomon  Spaulding  will  probably  have  to  be  relinquished  * 
*  *  Mr.  Rice,  myself  and  others  compared  it  (the  Spaulding  manuscript) 
with  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  could  detect  no  resemblance  between  the  two, 
in  general  or  detail.  There  seems  to  be  no  name  or  incident  common  to  the 
two.  «  *  *  Some  other  explanation  of  the  origin  of  the  Book  of  Mormj 
must  be  found,  if  any  explanation  is  required." 

fFor  the  names  of  the  High  Priests  composing  this  Council,  and  the 
duties  of  High  Councils  in  general,  see  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  102. 

I A  "Stake"  is  a  division  of  the  Church  presided  over  by  a  Council  of 
three  High  Priests;  a  "  Ward"  is  a  division  of  a  Stake,  in  which  a  Bishop  and 
his  two  Counselors  exercise  supervision;  a  "  District"  is  a  division  of  a  "Ward 
in  which  presiding  Teachers  look  after  the  interests  of  Church  members 


68  A    BBIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE    CHUKCH. 

union,  to  assist  the  members  of  the  Church  to  adjust 
their  difficulties  without  costly  litigation  which  the  Mor- 
mon leaders  do  not  favor  among  their  followers.  Excom- 
munication from  the  Church  is  the  extreme  penalty 
decreed  by  this  Council,  while  suspension  from  member- 
ship, or  from  the  privileges  of  Church  communion,  and 
in  certain  cases  excommunication,  is  the  greatest  punish- 
ment inflicted  by  the  Bishop's  court. 

The  order  of  adjusting  difficulties,  then,  in  the 
Church  between  members  is  this:  If  a  person  offend 
another,  the  person  so  offended  shall  go  alone  to  the 
one  who  gave  offense  and  tell  him  of  his  fault;  if  the 
offender  confess,  the  offended  shall  be  reconciled,  if  not, 
then  witnesses  shall  be  taken,  and  if  still  there  is  no 
reconciliation  then  the  matter  may  be  taken  to  the  Bishop's 
court  for  settlement.  From  this  court  either  party  may 
make  an  appeal  to  the  High  Council,  whose  decision  is 
hnal,  and  if  not  complied  with,  results  in  the  guilty 
part>  losing  his  standing  in  the  Church.* 


10.     zion's  camp. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1834,  Parle}'  P.  Pratt  and 
Eyman  Wight,  messengers  from  the  Saints  in  Missouri, 
came  to  Kirtland  to  counsel  with  the  Prophet  regarding 
the  exiled  people  of  Zion,  and  if  possible  adopt  some 
measure  for  their  relief  and  the  restoration  of  their 
rights.  The  result  of  their  visit  was  a  further  mission 
east  for  reasons  set  forth  in  the  101st  and  103rd    sections 


•Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  42,  verses  8    to  91.     Roberts'  '-Ecclesi- 
astical  History,"  pp.  386-389.     Matt,  xviii.  l/'-lT. 


A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH.  69 

of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants;  and  finally,  the  assem- 
bling of  about  two  hundred  men,  with  twenty  wagons 
laden  with  supplies,  to  carry  provisions  to  the  Saints 
in,  Missouri,  to  reinforce  and  strengthen  them,  and  if 
possible  to  influence  the  Governor  to  restore  to  them 
their  rights.  They  were  also  to  "redeem  Zion,"  or, 
in^other  words,  seek  to  regain  possession  of  the  lands 
from  which  they  had  been  driven  in  -Jackson  County. 
This  company  of  men  were  organized  as  a  military 
body,  led  by  the  Prophet  in  person,  as  general,  and 
was  known  as  Zion's  Camp. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  one  hundred  men  departed  from 
Kirtland  for  Missouri,  and  the  remainder,  to  the  number 
of  two  hundred  and  five,  were  recruited  on  the  way. 
Composed  of  the  young  and  middle-aged  men  —  the 
strength  of  the  branches  of  the  Church  in  the  east- 
there  were  many  Elders  in  this  expedition  who  afterwards 
became  pillars  of  great  strength  in  the  Church.  Among 
the  most  prominent  of  these  may  be  named  Brigham 
Young,  Heber  C.  Kimball,  Wilford  Woodruff,  Orson 
Pratt,  Jedediah  M.    Grant  and  George  A.    Smith. 

The  news  of  their  coming,  supplemented  with 
exaggerated  reports  of  their  strength  and  intentions, 
created  considerable  excitement  in  Missouri.  Their 
enemies  armed  to  attack  them.  One  night  on  Fishing 
River,  the  Camp  was  saved  from  their  foes  by  a  severe 
storm  which  swelled  the  stream  so  that  it  became  impass- 
able. Military  aid  was  sought  from  the  Governor,  who 
at  first  seems  to  have  promised  to  call  out  the  militia  to 
reinstate  the  exiles,  but  afterward  said  that  he  had  no^ 
authority  to  keep  a  force  to  protect  them  after  they  were 
restored,  which  in  other  words  meant  a  refusal  to  do 
anything  for  them.      Afterward  prominent  citizens  visited 


70  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE    CHUR<;H. 

the  Camp,  and  learned  that  the  Prophet's  intentions 
were  peaceable.  He  onh^  wished  to  amicably  adjust  the 
difficulties  between  the  county  and  his  followers. 

Among  the  members  of  the  Camp  at  one  time  dis- 
sensions arose,  and  for  their  disobedience  and  rebellions 
the  Prophet  severely  reprimanded  some  of  them,  predict- 
ing that  a  scourge  would  come  upon  the  Camp  because 
of  their  folly.  On  the  22nd  of  June,  cholera  broke  out 
in  their  midst,  in  fulfillment  of  his  prediction.  Sixty- 
eight  were  attacked,  thirteen  died. 

At  Rush  Creek,  on  the  25th  of  June,  the  Camp  was 
disbanded.  Negotiations  were  entered  into  between  the 
Mormon  leaders  and  the  men  of  Jackson  County.  The 
latter  offered  to  purchase  the  land  from  which  the  Saints 
had  been  driven,  but  the  Mormons  declined,  deeming 
it  sacrilege  to  dispose  of  their  "sacred  inheritance." 
Then  the  Saints  made  a  counter  proposal  to  purchase 
the  land  of  those  who  did  not  wish  to  live  neighbors 
to  them  in  peace,  promising  that  it  would  be  paid  for 
within  a  year.  This  offer  their  opponents  rejected, 
intimating  that  it  would  be  better  for  them  to  look  for 
a  new  home  in  the  wilderness  be3^ond  the  distant  County 
of  Clinton. 

For  their  possessions  in  Jackson  Count}'  the  Saints 
received  nothing  but  threats  and  beatings.  In  Clay 
they  found  a  peaceful  home  where  they  prospered  for 
about  three  years,  during  which  time  affairs  in  Kirtland 
were  shaping  for  rich  spiritual  blessings,  as  well  as  for 
the  fearful  financial  crash  and  apostasy  of  1837,  which 
came  near  culminating  in  the  destruction  of  the  Church. 

The  Prophet  and  his  associates  returned  to  Kirtland 
on  the  9th  of  July,  1834,  after  having  organized,   on  the 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF    THE   CHURCH.  71 

3rd  inst.,  a  High  Council  in  CJay  County,  with  a  Stake 
Presidency  to  take  charge  of  Church  affairs  in  Mis- 
souri.* 

^  

-    11.        APOSTLES    AND    SEVENTIES    CHOSEN. 

If  it  be  conceded  that  Zion's  Camp  failed  in  accom- 
plishing the  ostensible  purposes  for  which  it  was  organ- ^ 
ized,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  it  was  a  success  in  trying 
the  mettle  of  its  members.  A  journey  of  over  two 
thousand  miles  on  foot,  in  rain  and  mud,  exposed  to 
sickness  and  de'ath,  is  sufficient  to  prove  the  tempera- 
ment, courage  and  fortitude  of  any  person  who  may 
engage  in  it.  Possibly  this  was  one  of  the  objects  the 
Prophet  had  in  view,  as  might  be  inferred  from  the  next 
important  measure  which  he  was  inspired  to  adopt — the 
choosing  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  the  quorum  next  in 
authority  to  the  First  Presidency. 

On  the  14th  of  February,  1835,  the  survivors  of 
Zion's  Camp  were  called  together,  and  from  their  num- 
bers were  chosen,  by  the  Three  Witnesses  to  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  Twelve  Apostles,  each  of  whom  was  blessed 
and  set  apart  by  the  First  Presidency,  the  whole  being 
in  conformity  with  the  word  of  the  Lord  received  as 
early  as  June,   1829. f 

The  names  of  the  quorum  of  Twelve  were:  Thomas 
B.    Marsh,  David  W.    Patten,  Brigham  Young,   Heber  C. 


*  The  Stake  Presidency  were  :  David  Whitmer,  Wrn.  W.  Phelps,  and 
John  Whitmer. 

The  members  of  the  High  Council :  Simeon  Carter,  Parley  P.  Pratt, 
William  E  McLellin,  Calvin  Beebe,  Levi  Jackman,  Solomon  Haacock,  Chris- 
tian Whitmer,  Newel  Knight,  Orson  Pratt,  Lyman  Wight,  Thomas  B.  Marsh 
and  John  Murdock. 

t  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  18. 


<2  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF    THE    CHURCH. 

Kimball,  Orson  Hyde,  Wm.  E.  McLellin,  Parley  P. 
Pratt,  Luke  Johnson,  William  Smith,  Orson  Pratt,  John 
F.  Bo3'nton,  and  Lyman  Johnson.  These  were  chosen 
as  special  witnesses  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  nations 
of  the  earth,  and  the  duty  of  the  quorum,  besides,  was, 
as  it  is  now,  to  build  up  the  Church,  to  regulate  its 
affairs  under  the  First  Presidency,  to  ordain  and  set  in 
order  all  the  officers  in  the  Church,  and  to  call  upon  the 
Seventy  to  assist  them  to  fill  calls  for  preaching  and 
administering  the  gospel.  The}^  form  a  quorum  equal  in 
authority  and  power  to  the  First  Presidency,  and  stand 
next  to  them   in  presiding.* 

Soon  after  the  organization  of  the  Twelve,  the  First 
and  Second  quorums  of  Seventies  were  likewise  chosen 
from  the  surviving  members  of  Zion's  Camp.  "These 
quorums,  as  would  be  inferred  from  their  being  called 
Seventies'  quorums,  consist  of  seventy  men.  Seven 
presidents  preside  over  each  quorum,  and  the  first  seven 
presidents — the  presidents  of  the  first  quorum — preside 
over  all  the  quorums  of  Seventies  in  the  Church,  "t  Up 
to  1892,  there  had  been  one  hundred  and  seven  quorums 
of  this  class  organized  in  the  Church,  and  the  organiza- 
tion of  more  will  continue,  if  it  be  required,  "even  until 
there  are  one  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand  thus 
set    apart  for  the  ministry.  "J 

Early  in  May,  the  Twelve  started  upon  their  first 
mission    to    the    Eastern    States.      The    duties    devolving 


♦Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  107,  verses  2.3  to  40  and  58,  in  which 
section  is  aho  found  information  regarding  the  duties  and  powers  of  the 
various  councils  and  quorums  of  the  Priesthood  that  govern  the  temporal  and 
spiritual  aflairsof  the  Church. 

[-Robert's  ''Outlines  of  Ecclesiastical  History,"  p  368. 

I  So  writes  the  Prophet  Joseph,  under  date  of  May  2nd,  1835. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  73 

Upon  them  were  to  preach,  baptize,  advise  the  scattered 
Saints  to  gather  westward;  and  to  collect  means  for  the 
purchase  of  lands  in  Missouri,  and  for  the  completion  of 
the  Kirtland  Temple. 

About  this  time  various  secular  and  religious  schools 
were  established,  which  were  widely  attended  by  the 
leading  Elders.  In  the  winter  of  1835-36,  Mr.  Joshua 
Seixas  conducted  a  class  in  Greek,  concerning  the  pro- 
gress of  which  Joseph  said  that  the  Lord  had  opened 
their  minds  in  a  marvelous  manner  to  understand  His 
word  in  the  original  language.  The  Prophet  had  great 
taste  for  education,  and,  though  unlearned  at  first,  at 
the  age  of  thirty  he  became  quite  proficient  in  language, 
philosophy  and  statesmanship.  He  was  ever  a  staunch 
friend  of  progress  and  enlightenment  which  may  with  equal 
truth  be  said  of  his  successors,  and  of  the  leaders  of  the 
Church  in  general,  though  the  enemies  of  Mormonism 
aver  the  contrary,  often  asserting  that  the  system  fosters 
ignorance  and  is  opposed  to  education.  The  educational 
precepts  of  the  Prophet,  which  have  become  mottoes-in- 
practice  with  every  Latter-day  Saint,  give  the  lie  to 
their  assertions:  "It  is  impossible  to  be  saved  in  ignor- 
ance;" "A  man  is  saved  no  faster  than  he  gets  knowl- 
edge;" The  glory  of  God  is  intelligence;"  "Seek  ye  out 
of  the  best  books  words  of  wisdom;  seek  learning  even 
by  study  and  also   by  faith." 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  "Book  of  Abraham" 
was  translated  from  papyrus  found  in  the  catacombs  of 
Egypt.  In  August,  1835,  the  Prophet  enunciated  the 
views  of  himself  and  his  people  on  civil  government, 
found  in  full  in  the  134th  section  of  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants. 

Immediately  upon  the  return  of  the  members  of  Zion's 

6 


74  A    BRIEF   HISTOEY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

Camp,  the  work  on  the  temple  in  Kirtland,  which  had 
been  hindered  by  their  absence,  was  prosecuted  with 
vigor  and  zeal,  the  Saints  being  anxious  to  receive  the 
spiritual  blessings  which  had  been  promised  them  upon 
the  completion  of  the  House  of  the  Lord..  *  The  Prophet 
supervised  the  work  while  leading  Elders  joined  in 
pushing  it  to  completion.  It  was  finally  dedicated  on 
the  27th  of  March,  1836,  though  not  entirely  finished  in 
the  interior.  Three  years  had  been  spent  in  its  con- 
struction which  had  cost  about  ^70,000.00.  It  was  the 
first  temple  in  modern  times  built  by  divine  command. 
At  that  time  the  ordinance  of  baptism  for  the  dead, 
with  other  vicarious  work,  one  of  the  chief  objects  of 
temple-building  with  the  Saints  at  present,  had  not  been 
revealed.  For  that  reason  there  was  no  baptismal  font 
in  the  Kirtland  temple.  The  main  purpose  of  its 
erection  was  that  other  religious  ordinances  might  be 
performed  therein,  and  that  there  might  be  a  House  of 
the  Lord  in  which  spiritual  blessings  could  be  received, 
a  place  also  for  schools,  meetings  and  councils  of  the 
Priesthood. 

Upon  the  day  of  its  dedication  there  was  a  time  of 
general  rejoicing,  and  thereafter  many  miraculous  mani- 
festations were  witnessed  therein, f  some  of  which  are 
named  in  the  110th  section  of  the  Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants, and  are  in  fulfillment  of  the  words  of  the  Prophet 
as  recorded  in  the  4:th  chapter  of  Malachi.  Some  time 
after    the    dedication,     according    to     the    words     of     the 


*  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  Section  105,  verses  12  and   18  :    also  Section  38, 
verse  32. 

-j-See  Jen3on's  "Historical  Record,"  pp.  64  to  65,  and  74  to  SO. 


A    BRIEF    HISTOllY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  75 

Lord,  the  Twelve  Apostles  held  the  "Solemn  Assembly," 
were  endowed  with  power  from  on  high,  ,and  received 
their   "washings  and  anointings." 


12.       DEPARTURE    FROM    CLAY    COUNTY. 

After  their  expulsion  from  Jackson  County,  the 
^Saints  were  received  with  some  degree  of  kindness  in 
Clay,  where  for  about  three  years  their  industry  and 
thrift  caused  the  wilderness  to  blossom  with  abundance. 
Their  numbers  were  greatly  enlarged  by  immigrations 
from  the  east.  It  was  considered,  however,  a  temporary 
home,  since  they  hoped  to  be  re-instated  in  the  lands 
from  which  they  had  been  driven. 

Until  the  summer  of  1836  there  had  been  no  objec- 
tion to  them.  They  were  peaceable,  industrious,  tended 
to  their  own  affairs.  But  at  that  time  the  spirit  of 
mobocracy  re-appeared,  wakened  from  its  temporary 
slumber  by  the  men  of  Jackson,  who  began  crossing 
the  river  in  squads  to  stir  up  strife  and  enmity.  They 
even  insulted  and  plundered  their  victims.  The  peace- 
able people  of  Clay,  fearing  a  repetition  of  former 
difficulties,  held  a  meeting  in  which  they  decided  to 
advise  the  Saints  to  seek  another  home.  This  they 
did,  having  first  reminded  them  under  what  circumstances 
they  were  received.  There  were  objections  to  them,  but 
these  were  mostly  of  a  trivial  character.  Their  dialect, 
manners  and  customs,  were  not  like  those  of  the  Mis- 
sourians,  and  it  was  even  charged  that  they  were  non- 
slave  holders  or  abolitionists.  The  state  government 
was  unfavorable  to  them.  For  his  hostility  to  the  Saints 
in  their  former  trouble,  Boggs  had  been  made  Governor 
of  Missouri,    and   their  most  bitter  enemies — Lucas    and 


76  A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

Wilson — were  given  commissions  as  Major  and  Brigadier- 
Generals.  It  appeared  now  that  the  great  majority  of 
citizens  in  the  state  had  joined  with  these  officers  in  the 
determination  that  the  Mormons  should  be  prevented 
from  enjoying  any  political,  civil  or  religious  rights, 
and  they  unitedly  conspired  to  war  against  them  as 
members  of  the  commonwealth. 

Viewing  the  situation  aright,  under  these  circum-/ 
stances,  the  Saints  now  resolved  for  the  sake  of  friend- 
ship, to  be  in  a  covenant  of  peace  with  the  citizens  of 
Clay  County,  and  to  show  gratitude  to  those  who  had 
befriended  them,  to  leave  the  county,  notwithstanding 
this  action  involved    an  enormous    sacrifice    of    property. 

In  September,  1836,  they  accordingly  began  moving 
to  their  new  location  in  the  Shoal  Creek  region,  then  a 
wilderness  in  Ray  County,  north-east  of  Cla}^  In 
December  of  the  same  year  in  answer  to  their  petitions, 
this  district  was  incorporated  by  the  Legislature,  and 
thus  was  Caldwell  County  created.  To  this  place  the 
Saints  removed  in  large  numbers,  nearly  all  of  them 
becoming  land-holders,  and  it  was  there  they  founded 
the  city  of  Far  West,  in  the  winter  of  1836-7,  which 
afterward  became  the  county  seat.  Most  of  the  officers 
of  the  city  and  county,  elected  according  to  the  law, 
were  Mormons.  In  this  new  home  the  exiles  found  a 
peaceful  rest  for  a  season,  their  numbers  rapidly  increas- 
ing until  settlements  were  also  made  in  Daviess  County 
and  elsewhere. 

Following  the  wonderful  spiritual  manifestations 
enjoyed  in  the  temple,  there  swept  over  Kirtland  a 
wave  of  inflation,  mistaken  for  temporal  prosperity, 
which  turned  the  heads  of  her  inhabitants.  A  spirit  of 
speculation    permeated     the    whole    community,     playing 


A   BRIEF   HISTOKY    OF   THE   CHURCH.  77 

havoc  with  the  faith  of  the  Saints  and  many  of  their 
leaders.  All  kinds  of  schemes  were  adopted  to  amass 
wealth,  and  the  spirit  of  real  estate  speculations,  so 
prevalent  throughout  the  nation,  took  deep  root  in  the 
Church.  As  a  result  there  followed  in  quick  succes- 
sion evil-surmisings,  fault-finding,  disunion,  dissensions, 
apostasy,  and  finally  financial  ruin.  The  Kirtland  Safety 
Society  Bank,  established  by  Joseph  for  the  benefit  and 
advantage  of  the  Saints,  failed  through  the  speculation, 
swindling  and  treachery  of  subordinate  officers.  The 
crash  became  general,  and  many  of  the  people  were 
utterly  ruined  financially. 

Apostasy  followed.  The  disaffected  members  became 
bitterly  hostile  to  the  Prophet,  as  if  he  were  the  cause  of 
the  very  evils  which  he  struggled  most  to  avoid,  and 
which  were  brought  upon  the  people  because  they  would 
not  heed  his  counsels.  About  one-half  of  the  Apostles, 
one  of  the  First  Presidency,  and  many  leading  Elders 
disloyally  declared  him  to  be  a  "fallen  prophet,"  and 
themselves  apostatized.  The  Church  seemed  threatened 
with  utter  destruction. 

It  Vv-as  on  the  1st  of  June,  1837,  while  these  radical 
disturbances  were  in  progress  that  the  Lord  revealed  to 
Joseph  that  something  must  be  done  for  the  salvation  of 
the  Church.  Up  to  this  time  there  had  been  no  mis- 
sionaries sent  to  foreign  lands.  Proselyting  had  been  con- 
fined to  the  eastern  states,  to  Canada  and  a  narrow  dis- 
trict in  the  west.  Now  it  was  determined  to  open  a 
mission  in  England.  Apostle  Heber  C.  Kimball  was 
chosen  to  pioneer  this  work,  his  assistant  and  companion 
Apostle  being  Orson  Hyde.  Willard  Richards  was  called 
later,  and  together  they  sailed  from  New  York  on  the'  1st 
day    of    July,     1837,     to    fill    their    mission.      They    were 


78  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH. 

instructed  to  preach  only  the  first  principles  of  the  gos- 
pel, which  they  did  with  much  success.  In  less  than  a 
year  they  had  organized  twenty-six  branches  of  the 
Church,  with  a  membership  of  about  two  thousand  souls. 
Throngs  came  to  hear  them,  and  whole  villages  were 
converted  at  a  sweep.  The  opening  of  this  mission  was 
one  of  the  most  important  events  in  the  history  of  the 
Church — a  grand  movement  destined  to  bring  about 
75,000  souls  into  its  fold  from  England  alone,  and  emi- 
grate them  to  America.  On  their  return,  the  Apostles 
landed  in  New  York  on  the  12th  of  May,  1838.  There 
they  found  a  large  branch  of  the  Church  which  had  been 
erected  through  the  efforts  of  Parley  P.  Piratt  and  his 
brother  Orson,  the  former  having  there  published  his 
celebrated  work,  the  Voice  of  Warning,    the  year  before. 

But  while  the  cause  was  thus  prospering  over  the 
waters,  in  Kirtland  flourished  the  destroying  agencies  of 
apostasy,  persecution,   confusion  and  mobocracy. 

The  Church  in  Missouri  did  not  entirely  escape  the 
disaffection.  .  The  local  leaders  lost  the  confidence  of  the 
people,  necessitating  a  hurried  visit  of  the  Prophet  to 
Far  West,  where  he  arrived  November  1st,  1837.  Hav- 
ing held  a  conference  and  arranged  affairs  in  Missouri, 
he  returned  to  Kirtland  about  December  10th.  It  was 
while  absent  that  leading  Elders  in  the  latter  place  con- 
spired to  overthrow  him,  and  to  appoint  David  Whitmer 
in  his  stead.  Among  them  were  several  of  the  Apostles 
and  some  of  the  witnesses  of  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
Their  schemes  would  have  succeeded  but  for  the  fidelity 
and  loyalty  of  Brigham  Young,  who  defended  the 
Prophet,  exposed  the  evil  designs  of  his  enemies,  and 
frustrated  their  plans. 

John   Taylor,    also,    later    an    Apostle    and    the    third 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  79 

President  of  the  Church,  who  had  come  from  Canada  to 
Kirtland  in  the  fall  of  1837,  stood  loyal  to  the  Church 
and  to  Joseph — as  loyal  as  when  seven  years  after  he 
stood  side  by  side  with  his  Prophet- leader  amid  the 
bullet  showers  of  Carthage  jail,  or  as  when  fifty  years 
later  he  died  in  cruel  exile,  a  double  martyr  to  the  truth. 

On  the  same  grounds  stood  also  the  faithful  veteran, 
Wilford  Woodruff,  who  also  became  the  beloved  leader 
of  the  hosts  of  Israel. 

At  length,  on  December  22nd,  Brigham  Young,  who 
persisted,  publicly  and  privately,  in  declaring  Joseph  a 
true  prophet  of  God,  was  forced  to  flee  from  Kirtland  in 
consequence  of  the '  fury  of  the  mobs.  The  new  year 
opened  with  all  the  bitterness  of  the  spirit  of  apostate 
mobocracy,  which  continued  until  the  Prophet  was  com- 
pelled to  seek  safety  in  flight.  He  and  Elder  Rigdon 
left  Kirtland  on  the  night  of  January  12th,  1838,  and 
were  joined  the  next  day  by  their  families.  They  were 
followed  more  than  two  hundred  miles  by  their  armed 
pursuers,  finally  arriving  in  Far  West  on  the  14th  of 
March,  1838. 


80  '  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHUR(^H. 


III.      FROM    THE    MISSOURI    EXODUS    TO    THE 
MARTYRDOM. 

1838—1844. 


1.     Banished  From  Missouri. 

The  Prophet's  flight  was  the  signal  for  a  general 
migration  of  the  Saints  from  Ohio.  The  Kirtland  Camp, 
composed  of  over  five  hundred  souls  soon  thereafter 
made  its  way  west. 

The  Saints  in  Missouri  now  numbered  upwards  of 
twelve  thousand  souls,  most  of  whom  were  located  in 
Caldwell,  although  there  were  thriving  settlements  in 
Daviess  and  Carroll  Counties.  Adam-ondi-Ahman,* 
where  the  Kirtland  Saints  rested  and  a  stake  of  Zion  was 
afterward  organized,  was  the  chief  settlement  in  Daviess, 
and  Dewitt  in  Carroll. 

There  were  some  divisions  among  the  Saints  when 
Joseph  arrived,  and  vigorous  measures  were  instituted  to 
purge  the  Church  of  its  disaffected  members.  At  a  Far 
West  conference,  a  number  of  prominent  men — among 
them  Oliver  Cowdery,  David  Whitmer,  and  the  John- 
sons— were  excommunicated.  Following  this  action, 
peace  and  prosperity  again  reigned.  Several  instructive 
revelations  were  received  about  this  time,  among  which 
is  one  concerning  the  building  of  a  temple  at  Far  West, 
others  about  the  duties  of  the  Apostles  and  their  mission 


*  See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  116,:  also  Daniel  VII,  9-14. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE  IIJHURCH.  81 

across  the  great  waters,  and  the  law  of  tithing.*  For  a 
few  months,  the  Prophet  spent  his  time  in  literary  labors, 
enjoying  peace  with  his  people,  instructing  them,  plan- 
ning for  their  temporal  and  spiritual  welfare. 

About  this  time  Joseph  declared  that  the  Lord  had 
made  known  to  him  that  Adam  had  dwelt  in  America, 
and  that  the  Garden  of  Eden  was  located  where  Jackson 
County  now  is. 

The  lull  of  peace  was  only  temporary,  it  was  a  calm 
before  the  storm.  On  the  nation's  birthday,  1838,  a 
grand  celebration  was  held  at  Far  West,  in  which  thous- 
ands of  Saints  participated.  On  that  day  the  foundation 
stones  of  a  temple  were  laid — a  temple,  however,  destined 
not  to  be  completed.  Sidney  Rigdon,  the  orator  of  the 
day,  portrayed  the  suffering  of  the  Saints,  showing  how 
their  rights  had  been  trampled  upon;  and,  in  a  moment 
of  enthusiasm,  exclaimed:  "We  take  God  to  witness, 
and  the  holy  angels  to  witness  this  day,  that  we  warn  all 
men  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  to  come  on  us  no  more 
forever.  The  man  or  the  set  of  men  who  attempt  it  do 
it  at  the  expense  of  their  lives;  and  the  mob  that  comes 
on  us  to  disturb  us,  there  shall  be  between  us  and 
them  a  war  of  extermination."  His  remarks  were 
doubtless  impolitic,  but  the  provocation,  and  the  enthusi- 
asm of  the  day,  should  be  considered  as  extenuating 
conditions. 

The  lightning  which  a  day  or  two  thereafter  shivered 
their  liberty  pole,  was  as  a  precursor  of  the  slumbering 
storm  of  human  hate  which  was  about  to  burst  forth  in 
pitiless  fury  over  the  unfortunate  Saints.  It  was  as  an 
augury  of  the  destruction  of  their  own  liberty. 


*  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sections  113  to  120. 


82  A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

As  in  Jackson  County,  so  here,  the  people  feared  the 
political  rule  of  the  Mormons.*  The  latter  claimed  their 
political  rights — the  right  to  vote  for  their  friends.^  This 
was  denied  to  them,  and  the  result  was  a  conflict  which 
ended  in  their  wholesale  expulsion  from  the  state  of 
Missouri,  in  mid-winter,  in  the  midst  of  outrage,  robbery, 
massacre  and  suffering  indescribable. 

The  trouble  began  at  Gallatin,  Daviess  County,  on 
the  6th  of  August,  1838.  Twelve  Mormons  there  tried  to 
vote,  the  state  election  being  then  in  progress.  William 
P.  Peniston,  a  candidate  for  the  legislature,  harangued 
a  crowd  against  them.  A  tumult  ensued.  The  Mormons 
cast  their  ballots,  but  several  of  them  as  well  as  a  num- 
ber of  their    opponents  were  wounded. 

Reports  of  this  trouble  were  exaggerated,  and  became 
a  pretext  for  a  general  anti-Mormon  uprising  in  the 
several  counties.  Threats  were  openly  made  and  pub- 
lished, to  drive  the  Mormons  from  the  state.  The  con- 
servative action  of  a  number  of  leading  citizens  in  sign- 
ing a  covenant  of  peace  with  the  leaders  of  the  Church, 
had  no  effect  in  calming  the  disturbance.  The  Mis- 
sourians  were  in  for  war.  Several  hundred  of  the  mob 
gathered  in  Daviess  and  Caldwell  counties,  some  painted 
and  disguised  as  Indians.  Mormons  were  plundered, 
fired  upon,  and  taken  prisoners  on  false  charges.  There 
were  housebreakings  and  other  depredations  until  the 
situation  became  unbearable.  Driven  to  this  extremity, 
the  Prophet  new  no  longer  counseled  peace  and  submis- 


•  "  Right  or  wrong,  law  or  no  laWj'and  whether  in  accord  with  the  letter  or 
spirit  of  the  constitution  or  government  of  the  United  States  or  not,  the 
people  of  Missouri  had  determined  that  they  would  go  any  length  before  they 
would  allow  the  Saints  to  obtain  political  ascendency  in  that  quarter." — Ban- 
croft's Utah,  p.  117. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE    CHURCH.  83 

sion,  but  bade -his  followers  protect  themselves,  their 
homes  and  little  ones.  The  Saints  armed  t.o  defend 
themselves,  but  were  driven  from  Diahman,  afterward 
from  Dewitt,  and  from  the  outlying  settlements  in  Cald- 
well, to  Far  West. 

Col.  Wight,  a  Mormon  commissioned  b}'  General 
Parks  of  the  state  militia,  organized  a  command,  and, 
making  vigorous  war  upon  the  marauders,  succeeded  in 
driving  the  enemy  from  Daviess  County.  This,  of  course 
only  served  to  sA^ell  the  excitement. 

Then  came  the  Crooked  River  battle,  fought  on  the 
25th  of  October.  Captain  David  W.  Patten  led  a  force 
of  Far  West  militia  which  attacked  a  band  of  marauders 
under  Captain  Bogart.  The  Mormons  were  victorious. 
Captain  Patten  and  two  of  his  men,  however,  were  killed, 
while  the  enemy  lost  one  man.  The  excitement,  already 
at  fever  heat,  now  became  intense.  Governor  Boggs 
who,  when  appealed  to  on  a  former  occasion  when  the 
mob  were  victorious  in  plundering  the  Saints,  had  re- 
marked that  the  quarrel  was  between  the  Mormons  and 
the  mob  and  that  they  might  "fight  it  out,"  now  that  the 
Mormons  were  successfully  defending  themselves, 
changed  his  tactics,  and  saw  his  chance  to  wreak  ven- 
geance upon  them.  On  October  27th,  he  issued  an  order 
to  Major-General  Clark,  commanding  the  state  forces,  to 
proceed  in  all  haste  against  the  Mormons.  They  "must 
be  treated  as  enemies,  and  must  be  exterminated  or 
driven  from  the  state  if  necessary,  for  the  public  good. 
*  *         *  Instead,    therefore,    pf    proceeding    as    at 

first  directed,  to  re-instate  the  citizens  of  Daviess  in  their 
homes,  you  will  proceed  immediately  to  operate  against 
the  Mormons."  "Thus  it  appears  that  the  Missouri 
state  militia,"   says    Bancroft,     "called    out    in    the    first 


84  A   BRIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

instance  to  assist  the  Mormon  state  militia  in  quelling  a 
Missouri,  mob,  finally  joins  the  mob  against  the  Mormon 
militia."  And  this,  notwithstanding  the  Saints  were  in 
no  wise  opposed  to  the  state,  to  law  and  to  order.  They 
were  simply  defending  themselves  by  permission  of  the 
state. 

At  Richmond,  two  thousand  troops  under  Major- 
General  Samuel  D.  Lucas  and  Brigadier-General  Moses 
Wilson  were  massed,  and  in  the  latter  part  of  October 
departed  for  Far  West.  Elsewhere  their  commander, 
General  Clark  was  mustering  an  army  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. 

On  October  30th,  the  frightful  massacre  of  Mormons 
at  Haun's  Mill  was  perpetrated.  A  score  of  unoffending 
Mormons,  men,- women  and  children,  lately  arrived  emi- 
grants from  the  east,  were  cruelly  killed  and  their  bodies 
thrown  into  a  well.  This  was  done  by  a  company  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  men  commanded  by  one  Nehemiah 
Comstock. 

On  the  same  day  Far  West  was  beleaguered  by  the 
troops.  Not  having  heard  of  the  Governor's  extermina- 
ting order,  owing  to  the  stoppage  of  their  mails,  the 
residents  of  the  doomed  city  prepared  to  defend  them- 
selves, thinking  the  besiegers  were  a  military  mob. 

It  was  at  this  critical  juncture  that  Col.  George  M. 
Hinkle,  commander  of  the  Mormon  forces,  betrayed  the 
Saints  into  the  hands  of  their  enemies  by  making  an 
agreement  with  tlie  besieging  Generals  in  effect  as  fol- 
lows : 

The  Mormons  were  to  be  disarmed,  and  their  leaders 
were  to  be  delivered  up  for  trial  and  punishment.  A 
deed  of  trust  was  to  be  executed  pledging  all  Mormon 
property  for  the  payment  of    the  entire    cost  of  the    war. 


A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE   CHURCH.  85 

The  Mormons  as  a  body,  except  the  prisoners,  were  to 
forthwith  leave  the  state. 

These  arrangements,  made  without  the  knowledge  or 
consent  of  Hinkle's  associates,  or  the  leaders  of  the 
Church,  were  promptly,  though  cruelly  on  the  part  of  the 
militia,  carried  into  effect.  Pretending  to  have  arranged 
a  conference  between  the  Mormon  leaders  and  the 
Generals,  Col.  Hinkle,  on  the  31st  of  October,  without 
informing  the  former  of  his  compact,  delivered  to  General 
Lucas  the  following  persons  who  were  then  treated  as 
prisoners  of  war:  Joseph  Smith,  Sidney  Rigdon,  Parley 
P.  Pratt,  Lyman  Wight,  George  W.  Robinson,  Hyrum 
Smith  and  Amasa  M.  Lyman.  On  November  1st  a 
court-martial  was  held,  when  the  prisoners  were  ordered 
shot  at  8  o'clock  the  next  morning,  but  General  Doni- 
phan protested  in  the  name  of  humanity,  and  the  sen- 
tence was  not  executed.  Instead  General  Lucas  took 
them  on  a  parade  through  the  neighboring  counties. 

At  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  the  Saints  were  com- 
pelled to  sign  away  their  property.  Not  alone  this,  but 
the  city  was  given  into  the  hands  of  the  allied  soldiers 
and  marauders  who  plundered  property,  and  committed 
horrid,  nameless  crimes  upon  the  defenceless  citizens. 

General  Clark  appeared  upon  the  scene  on  the  4th  of 
Novembei,  approving  all  that  had  been  done.  Calling  a 
mass  meeting,  he  read  to  the  Saints  his'famous  address, 
in  which  he  referred  to  the  Governor's  exterminating 
order  and  his  determination  to  see  that  it  was  executed, 
declared  that  the  Saints  must  leave,  and  that  they  need 
never  expect  to  see  the  faces  of  their  leaders  again  "for 
their  doom  is  sealed."*     He  then  ordered  fifty  additional 


♦For  a  copy  of  tlv^  document  see  "Autobiography  of  Parley  P.  Pratt,"   p. 
225  ;  also  Whitney's  Utah,  p.  162,  Vol.  1. 


86  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

men  to  be  taken  prisoners,  all  of  whom  were  shortly 
thereafter  liberated.  Joseph  Smith  and  his  brother 
Hyrum,  Sidney  Rigdon,  Lyman  Wight,  Parley  P.  Pratt 
and  a  few  others  were  committed  to  jail,  as  a  result  of 
the  trial  in  Richmond,  the  charges  against  them  being 
murder,  arson,  treason,  in  addition  to  nearly  all  other 
crimes  on  the  calendar.*  It  was  impossible  for  their 
friends  to  do  anything  to  assist  them  owing  to  the  exist- 
ing prejudice.  Their  attorney,  General  Doniphan,  had 
said:  "Offer  no  defense;  for  if  a  cohort  of  angels  should 
declare  your  innocence  it  would  be.  all  the  same.  The 
judge  is  determined  to  throw  you  into  prison." 

While  the  trial  lasted  from  the  11th  to  the  28th  of 
November,  in  prison  they  were  compelled  to  listen  for  days 
and  nights  to  the  vile  stories  of  the  guards,  who  de- 
lighted to  taunt  them  with  repetitions  of  the  murders 
and  rapes  committed  in  Far  West.  One  night  the 
Prophet  arose,  after  hearing  all  he  could  endure  of  these 
filthy  tales;  in  his  chains  he  stood  erect  in  terrible 
majesty,  and  in  a  voice  of  thunder  rebuked  the  quailing 
guards  who,  crouching  at  his  feet  with  weapons  on  the 
ground,  begged  his  pardon,  and  were  silent. "f 

Elder  Rigdon  was  at  length  released  on  bail,  and 
forced  to  flee  for  his  life,  while  Joseph,  Hyrum,  Lyman 
Wight,  Alexander  McRae  and  Caleb  Baldwin  were  re- 
moved to  Libert5^  jail.  Clay  County  (the  others  remaining 


*"One  evidence  of  their  treason,  as  cited  in  open  court,  was  their  avowed 
belief  in  the  prophecy  of  Daniel — chapters  II  and  VII — relative  to  the  setting 
up  of  the  latter  day  kingdom  of  God.  Their  murders  were  the  battles  and 
skirmishes  they  had  had  with  the  mob.  The  depredations  and  deeds  of  blood 
committed  by  the  Missouriaus  against  the  l^Eormons  apparently  cut  no  figure 
in  the  case." — Whitney's  Utah,  Vol.  1,  p.  163. 

t  "Autobiography  of  Parley  P.  Pratt,"  p.  229. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE    CHURCH.  87 

at  Richmond),  where  they  spent  the  winter  of  1838-9.  It 
was  in  this  jail  that  Joseph  wrote  the  interesting  prophe- 
cies and  instructions  recorded  in  Sections  121,  122,  and 
123  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants. 

The  Saints  were  left  in  the  hands  of  the  mob,  who 
continued  their  depredations  with  increased  bitterness, 
destroying  property,  burning  houses,  driving  off  stock, 
and  insulting  defenceless  women. 

It  did  not  seem  possible  that  a  community  convicted 
of  no  crime  should  be  permitted  to  suffer  as  the  Saints 
had  done  under  the  Boggs'  order,  and  under  the  enforced 
treaty  depriving  them  of  their  property,  and  yet  find  no 
redress.  So  thinking,  those  among  the  Mormon  leaders 
who  had  regained  their  liberty  addressed  a  memorial  to 
the  legislature  of  Missouri  setting  forth  the  wrongs 
inflicted  upon  the  Saints,  praying  for  a  redress  of 
grievances,  and  that  the  Governor's  unlawful  and  tyran- 
nical order  be  rescinded.  The  only  answer  was  a  show 
of  help  in  a  ridiculously  small  appropriation  for  their 
aid,  consumed  mostly  among  the  distributing  officers. 

The  depredations  continuing,  it  became  painfully 
apparent,  in  January,  1839,  that  there  was  no  help  for  the 
Mormons.  The}'  were  told  plainly,  both  publicly  and 
privately  that  they  must  leave  the  state  or  be  killed. 
Stripped  of  the  accumulations  of  years  of  toil,  all  that 
they  owned  gone,  careworn,  parts  of  families  in  prison, 
many  without  clothing  or  the  necessities  of  life,  the  only 
prospect  before  the  Saints  was  a  mid-winter  exodus,  they 
knew  not  where. 

It  was  with  the  Church  in  this  condition  that  Brig- 
ham  Young,  President  of  the  Twelve,  the  Prophet  in 
prison,  taking  his  position  as  leader,  planned  and  car- 
ried into  effect  the  exodus  of  the  Saints  to  Illinois.       He 


88  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

and  his  brethren  entere'd  into  covenant  to  "stand  by  and 
assist  each  other  to  the  utmost  of  our  abilities  in  remov- 
ing from  this  state,  and  that  we  will  never  desert  the 
poor,  who  are  worthy,  till  they  shall  be  out  of  the  reach 
of  the  exterminating  order  of  General  Clark,  acting  for 
and  in  the  name  of  the  state."  It  was  faithfully  kept 
by  them  and  by  the  hundreds  of  others  who  signed  it. 

"That  winter  from  ten  to  twelve  thousand  Latter- 
day  Saints,"  says  Whitney,  "men,  women  and  children, 
still  hounded  and  pursued  by  their  merciless  oppressors, 
fled  from  Missouri,  leaving  in  places  their  blood\^  foot- 
prints on  the  snow  of  their  frozen  pathway.  Crossing 
the  icy  Mississippi  they  cast  themselves,  homeless, 
plundered  and  penniless,  upon  the  hospitable  shores  of 
Illinois.  There  their  pitiable  condition  and  the  tragic 
story  of  their  wrongs  awoke  widespread  sympathy  and 
compassion,  with  corresponding  sentiments  of  indigna- 
tion and  abhorrence  toward   their  persecutors." 

Cheering  them  from  his  dungeon  cell,  the  Prophet 
wrote:  "Zion  shall  yet  live  though  she  seemeth  to  be 
dead.  ' 

Escaping  from  Missouri  by  the  tacit  permission  of 
their  drunken  guards,  Joseph  and  Hyrum  joined  their 
families  at  Quincy,  Illinois,  on  the  22nd  day  of  April, 
1839.  As  in  other  parts  of  the  state,  the  citizens  of 
Quinc}^  had  extended  sympath}'  and  welcome  to  the  un- 
fortunate Saints  who  were  made  to  feel  that  they  were  in 
a  place  of  refuge,  temporary  though  it  might  be.  Thous- 
ands of  dollars,  clothing  and  provisions,  were  donated  to 
them  by  the  citizens  of  Illinois;  and  while  there  were 
doubtless  enemies,  every  popular  sentiment  both  in  that 
state  and  in  Iowa,  was  in  favor  of  granting  them  peace 
and  protection.      The  Governors  of  both  states  were  their 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH.  89 

friends.  Two  days  after  his  arrival,  it  was  decided  by  a 
council  that  Joseph,  Vinson  Knight  and  Alonzo  Ripley 
should  proceed  to  select  a  location  for  the  Church. 
Already  the  Mormon  leaders,  by  the  written  counsel  of 
the  Prophet,  had  made  arrangements  for  land  in  the  two 
states.  Tracts  had  been  purchased  in  Keokuk,  Iowa, 
fort}'  miles  above  Quincy;  also  in  Nashville,  six  miles 
above  Keokuk,  and  in  Montrose,  Iowa,  four  miles  above 
the  latter  place.  Opposite  Montrose,  just  across  the 
river,  on  the  Illinois  side,  stood  Commerce,  where  Daniel 
H.  Wells  resided,  of  whom,  the  Saints  received  land  on 
very  cheap  terms.  On  the  1st  day  of  May,  Joseph  made 
additional  purchases  in  Commerce,  and  decided  to  locate 
the  headquarters  of  the  Church  there.  Arriving  with  his 
family  on  the  10th  of  May,  he  took  up  his  abode  in  a 
small  log  cabin  on  the  banks  of  the  river.  The  village 
was  an  insignificant  place  with  only  six  houses.  Marshy, 
and  covered  with  trees  and  brush,  it  had  an  unhealthy 
climate,  and  was  a  tit  abiding  place  for  malarial  diseases. 
On  this  account  the  New  York  company  who  had  started 
the  place  were  glad  to  sell  when  the  Mormon  agents 
came.  But  the  city's  location  was  beautiful,  overlooking 
as  it  did  the  almost  encircling  Mississippi.  Because  of 
the  loveliness  of  its  position,  the  city  was  rechristened, 
and  the  following  year  named  Nauvoo,  signifying  beauty 
and  rest. 

It  was  a  marvelous  undertaking  to  gather  the  scat- 
tered, destitute  and  afflicted  people,  against  whom  Mis- 
souri had  committed  such  a  monstrous  crime,  and  estab- 
lish them  in  one  spot;  especially  does  it  so  appear  when 
it  is  remembered  that  the  region  around  that  spot  was  so 
sickly  that  few  others  could  endure  its  climate.  But  as 
in  following    years,    they    were    assured    that    the    waste 


90  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

desert  should  blossom  at  their  bidding,  •  so  now  the 
Saints  were  given  to  understand  that  the  blessing  of  God 
would  make  their  present  location  a  fit  habitation  for 
them.  On  this  assurance,  in  their  povert}^  and  affliction, 
they  trustingly  proceeded  to  build  their  homes  anew\ 
But  at  first  they  were  balked  by  the  deadly  fevers. 
Scarcely  a  family  was  exempt  from  sickness.  The 
Prophet  himself  was  prostrated,  but  the  Spirit  of  God 
rested  powerfully  upon  him,  and  on  the  22nd  day  of  July 
he  arose  and  went  about  administering  to  the  sick,  com- 
manding them  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to 
arise  and  be  made  whole.  Many  wonderful  instances  of 
healing  are  recorded  as  a  result  of  the  faith  of  that  day 
of  miracles.* 

On  account  of  the  ravages  of  disease,  and  the  labors 
connected  with  the  movement  of  the  Saints,  the  Twelve 
had  not  yet  departed  on  their  missions  "across  the  great 
waters,"  to  which  they  had  been  called  by  revelation  the 
year  previous,  in  Missouri.  But  they  had  taken  leave  of 
their  brethren  and  the  city,  on  the  Temple  grounds  at 
Far  West,  on  April  26th,  1839,  as  it  had  been  declared 
by  the  Prophet  the  year  previous  that  they  should. 
Having  learned  of  this  prophecy,  Captain  Bogart  deter- 
mined it  should  not  be  fulfilled,  which  doubtless  accounts 
for  his  cruelty  in  driving  out  of  the  state  the  few  remain- 
ing Mormons,  whom  he  expelled  about  the  middle  of 
April.  Evidently  he  desired  to  make  it  impossible  for 
them  to  fulfill  the  revelation,  but  at  1  o'clock  a.m.  on 
the  da}'  named  in  the  revelation,  seven  of  the  Twelve 
met,  held  a  conference,    laid  a    corner  stone  of    the    tem- 


»See  Cannon's  Life  of  Joseph  Smith,  p.  29-3. 


A   BlUEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  91 

pie,  ordained  Wilford  Woodruff  aq^  George  A.  Smith  to 
the  Apostleship,  severed  thirty-one  persons  from'  the 
Church,  bade  adieu  to  the  city,  and  the  remaining  Saints, 
and  were  on  their  wa}"  to  Illinois  before  their  enemies 
had  arisen  to  renew  their  oath  that  the  words  of  the 
Prophet  should  go  unfulfilled. 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1839,  Commerce  arose 
like  a  fairy  from  the  marshes.  It  became  a  healthful 
and  charming  abiding  place.  The  Saints  prospered 
marvelously  in  temporal  affairs,  while  their  spiritual 
interests  were  nourished  by  the  wise  counsels  of  the 
Prophet  and  his  associates.  Through  their  teachings 
many  sincere  souls  believed  and  joined  the  Church. 

In  August  and  September  of  this  year,  seven  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles  left  for  England  to  fill  their  missions 
notwithstanding  a  number  of  them  and  their  families 
were  still  suffering  from  the  effects  of  sickness.  While 
abroad  they  were  greatly  prospered  and  the  great  mis- 
sionary work  begun  by  Heber  C.  Kimball  and  his  associ- 
ates received  fresh  impetus  by  their  arrival  in  Liverpool 
on  the  6th  of  April,  1840.  The  Millenniai  Star  was 
established,  five  thousand  copies  of  the  Book  of  Mormon 
were  printed,  besides  three  thousand  hymn  books  and 
fifty  thousand  tracts.  The  first  emigrants,  numbering 
over  one  thousand  souls,  were  forwarded  to  the  Zion  of 
the  new  world,  thus  adding  a  new  significance  to  the 
doctrine  of  the  gathering.  A  permanent  shipping  agency 
was  established,  while  over  three  thousand  souls  were 
added  to  the  believers.  President  Brigham  Young,  who 
had  supervised  this  work,  returned  to  Nauvoo  with  some 
of  his  brethren,  on  the  first  day  of  July,  1841. 

In  the  meantime  the  Prophet,  soon  after  planting 
his  people  in  their  new  resting  place,  had  taken  steps  to 


92  A    BHIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE    CHUliCH. 

lay  before  the  general  Government  the  grievances  of  the 
driven  Saints.  On  the  29th  of  October,  1839,  he  left 
for  Washington  on  this  business,  arriving  there,  with  his 
companion,  Judge  Elias  Higbee,  on  the  28th  of  Novem- 
ber. Presenting  themselves  at  the  White  House  the 
followijig  day,  they  laid  before  President  Van  Buren  the 
claims  of  the  Saints  against  the  State  of  Missouri.  He 
was  at  first  averse  to  having  anything  to  do  with  them, 
remarking,  "What  can  I  do?  I  can  do  nothing  for  you. 
If  I  do  anything  I  shall  come  in  contact  with  the  whole 
state  of  Missouri."  But  they  insisted  on  a  hearing,  and 
the  President  afterward  modihed  his  words,  expressing 
sympathy  for  the  afflicted  people,  also  a  desire  to  hear  an 
exposition  of  the  Prophet's  religious  views.  Joseph  ex- 
plained the  gospel  to  him,  and  bore  a  faithful  testimony 
to  the  work  of  God.  But  at  a  subsequent  visit,  the- 
President  treated  him  with  insolence,  and  after  listening 
impatiently  to  his  story  made  that  remarkable,  now 
notorioMS,  reply:  "Your  cause  is  just,  but  I  can  do  no- 
thing for  3'ou;  and  if  I  take  up  for  you,  I  shall  lose  the 
vote  of  Missouri."  Little  wonder  that  the  Prophet  con- 
cluded that  the  President  was  "an  office  seeker,  that  self- 
aggrandizement  was  his  ruling  passion,  and  that  justice 
and  righteousness  were  no  part  of  his  composition." 

Joseph  remained  in  the  East  during  the  winter,  mak- 
ing the  acquaintance  of  many  of  the  leading  political 
lights  in  the  nation.  To  the  tale  of  the  Mormon's 
persecutions  Senator  John  C.  Calhoun  remarked:  "It 
involves  a  nice  question — the  question  of  states  rights;  it 
will  not  do  to  agitate  it."  A  rather  strange  answer  when 
subsequent  events  are  considered.  Henry  Clay  remarked 
to  the  Prophet's  story:  "You  had  better  go  to  Oregon," 
a  statement  which  then  meant  out  of  the  permanent  reach 


A   BRIEF    HISTOKY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  93 

of  civilization,  exiles  from  their  native  country.  The 
members  of  Congress  from  Illinois,  doubtless  out  of 
political  policy,  (the  Mormons  would  soon  hold  the 
balance  of  power  in  Illinois),  agreed  to  present  a  me- 
morial, petition  and  documents  to  the  Senate,  setting 
forth  the  sufferings  and  claims  of  the  Saints.  They  did 
so,  but  there  the  matter  rested.  Nothing  was  ever  done, 
either  by  the  Executive  or  the  Legislative  departments 
of  the  national  Government  to  call  the  state  of  Missouri 
to  account  for  the  cruel  wrongs  it  had  inflicted  upon  the 
Mormons.* 

Disgusted  at  length  with  the  politicians  whose  ruling 
principles,  he  discovered,  were  "popular  clamor,  and  per- 
sonal aggrandizement,"  instead  of  the  peace  and  welfare 
of  the  whole  people,  the  Prophet  left  Washington  for 
home,  arriving  in  Nauvoo,  March  4th,  1840.  While 
absent,  he  had  taken  advantage  of  many  opportunities  to 
preach  the  gospel,  having  addressed  large  audiences  in 
Washington,  in  Chester  County,  Pennsylvania,  (where  he 
formed  the  acquaintance  of  Edward  Hunter,  afterward 
presiding  Bishop  of  the  Church)  and  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia. 

In  the  meantime  the  cause  was  prospering  in  Nauvoo 
and  the  region  round  about,  under  the  presidency  of 
Hyrum  Smith.  There  was  now  a  population  of  about 
three  thousand  in  the  city,  with  three  ecclesiastical  wards, 
which  soon  grew  to  twenty  thousand,  with  ten  wards  and 
three  additional   in  the. farming  districts  on  the  outside. 

At  this    time  the    Mormoqs  again    began    to    take  an 


*  The  claims  of  491  persons  against  Missouri,  amounting  to  about  one  and 
one -half  million  dollars,  were  presented  by  the  Prophet  with  the  memorial, 
all  of  which  were  referred  to  ^the  Committee  on  Judiciary,  which  finally 
reported  adversely  upon  them. 


94  A   BEIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

active  interest  in  politics — a  right  which  had  brought 
upon  them  serious  troubles  in  the  past,  and  which  was 
destined  to  overwhelm  them  in  the  near  future  with 
untold  sorrow;  though  for  the  present  it  was  an  im.por- 
tant  element  in  the  peace  and  prosperity  which  smiled 
upon  them. :'  Holding  the  balance  of  power  in  Illinois, 
their  favor  was  widely  sought  by  politicians.  They  were 
the  means  of  electing  the  celebrated  Stephen  A. 
Douglass  to^the  Senate.  They  voted  for  Wm.  Henry 
Harrison,  the  successful  Whig  candidate  for  the  Presi- 
dency, against  Martin  Van  Buren,  the  Democrat, 
evidently  not  so  much  because  they  or  their  Prophet 
were  Whigs,  as  that  Van  Buren  was  their  enemy. 

With  politics  immediately  there  arose  the  dark 
specter  of^persecution.  On  the  15th  of  September,  1840, 
Governor  Boggs  of  Missouri  made  a  demand  on 
Governor  Carlin  of  Illinois  for  the  Prophet  and  some  of 
the  leading  Elders,  on  the  grounds  that  they  were  fugi- 
tives from  justice.  Considerable  anno3'ance  was  thus 
caused, '^especially  to  Joseph,  whose  aged  father  had  died 
the  day  previous,  but  the  Missourians  received  but  little 
sympath3','and  the  requisition  papers  were  returned  un- 
served. The  unpleasant  incident,  however,  like  a  cloud 
on  the  clear  horizon  of  Joseph  and  his  people,  was  the 
forerunner  of  "a  storm  which,  though  not  bursting  forth 
instanter,  shall  know  no  lull  when  once  its  fury  breaks, 
till  the  blood  of  that  Prophet  has  been  shed,  and 
another  and  a  crowning  exodus  of  that  people — from  the 
confines  of  civilization  to  the  wilds  of  the  savage  west — 
shall  have  startled  by  its  strangeness  and  awakened  by 
its  unparalleled  achievement,    a  world's  wonder."* 


*  Whitney'    Utah,  p.  1 78,  Vol.  1 . 


^Vv 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  95 

In  the  winter  of  1840-1,  the  legislature  granted  a 
most  liberal  charter  to  Nauvoo,  a  charter  intended, 
according  to  Joseph,  "for  the  salvation  of  the  Church, 
on  principles  so  broad,  that  every  honest  man  might 
dwell  secure  under  its  protective  influence  without  dis- 
tinction of  sect  or  party."  It  went  into  effect  February 
1st,  1841,  on  which  day  the  first  election  was  held.  A 
day  or  two  thereafter,  the  University  and  the  Nauvoo 
Legion  were  organized,  as  provided  in  the  charter. 
Joseph  was  afterward  chosen  Lieutenant-General  of  the 
military  organization. 

At  a  conference  on  the  6th  day  of  April,  1841,  the 
corner  stones  of  the  Nauvoo  temple  were  laid,  and  to  aid 
in  the  erection  of  this  edifice  and  other  public  buildings, 
the  Prophet  called  upon  the  people  in  the  scattered  stakes 
in  the  region  round  about  to  gather  to  Nauvoo.  In  con- 
formity with  this  desire,  the  Saints  flocked  into  the  city 
from  all  directions  to  build  up,  with  their  concentrated 
energy  and  enterprise,    "the  corner  stone  of  Zion." 

Success  attended  them  at  home  and  abroad,  and  with 
the  return  of  Brigham  Young  and  the  Aposles  from 
England,  the  prosperity  of  the  growing  city  was  greatly 
accelerated.  The  fame  of  Joseph  Smith  had  spread  over 
two  continents.  In  1842  he  and  his  people  were  at  the 
height  of-  prosperity.  The  great  newspapers  sent 
representatives  to  write  about  the  modern  "military 
Prophet"  and  his  followers  whose  surroundings  had  never 
before  been  so  propitious  as  at  this  particular  time.  In 
answer  to  appeals  from  publishers,  Joseph  wrote  a  short 
account  of  the  founding  of  the  Church,  its  progress  and 
persecutions,  in  which  is  contained  the  Articles  of  Faith.* 


*  For  a  copy,  See  Cannon's  Life  of  Joseph  Smith,  pp.  364—370. 


96  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

Other  writings  explaining  the  belief  and  the  history 
of  the  Latter-day  Saints  were  scattered  broadcast  over 
the  whole  world.  Tijnes  and  Seasons,  the  Church  organ, 
was  edited  by  the  Prophet  himself,  through  which  source 
he  promulgated  many  precious  truths,  and  instructions. 
On  the  17th  of  March,  the  Relief  Society  of  the  ladies  was 
organized.  Hundreds  were  baptized.  Beautiful  homes 
surrounded  by  lovely  gardens  sprang  into  existence; 
industries  flourished  with  the  increase  of  population;  the 
thrift,  energy  and  union  of  the  people  promised  to  make 
the  city  the  largest  in  the  state.  Nauvoo,  the  Beautiful, 
soon  numbered  twenty  thousand  souls. 

Zion  was  indeed  living;  but,  standing  upon  the 
gilded  hill-tops  of  her  fame  and  prosperity,  the  Prophet 
beheld  premonitor}^  shadows  of  the  dark  valley  of  afflic- 
tion through  which  her  people  were  about  to  pass,  and 
in  which  he  was  to  sacrifice  his  life,  a  martyr  to  her 
wondrous  cause. 


6.        LOWERING    CLOUDS. 

The  premonition  of  his  own  fate  first  found  utter- 
ance in  a  funeral  sermon  which  the  Prophet  delivered 
over  the  remains  of  a  son  of  Joseph  Marks,  President 
of  the  Nauvoo  Stake,  on  the  9th  day  of  April,  1842,  in 
which  he  enjoined  his  hearers  to  remember  that  he  was 
subject  to  death,  and  that  he  had  no  longer  a  lease  of 
his  life.*      Four  months  later,  on  the  6th  day  of  August, 


*  Said  he:  "Some  of  the  Saints  have  supposed  that  "Brother  Joseph' 
could  not  die ;  but  this  is  a  mistake.  It  is  true  that  there  have  been  times 
when  I  have  had  the  promise  of  niy  life  to  accomplish  certain  things;  but, 
having  now  done  these  things,  I  have  no  longer  any  lease  of  my  life.  I  am 
as  liable  to  die  as  other  men." 


A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  97 

in  a  conversation  with  some  of  his  brethren  in  Mont- 
rose, Iowa,  he  foreshadowed  the  migration  of  his  people 
to  the  west,  and  the  tribulations  through  which  they 
were  to  pass,  in  a  remarakable  prophecy  which  was 
recorded  at  the  time.* 

In  May,  1842,  the  treachery  of  Dr.  J.  C.  Bennett 
began  to  come  'to  light.  This  man  Bennett  had  been 
elected  Mayor  of  Nauvoo,  chosen  Chancellor  of  its 
University,  and  Major-General  of  its  Legion.  He  was 
a  man  of  brains  and  ability,  but  had  little  character  and 
conscience.  He  had,  however,  rendered  valuable  service 
to  the  Mormon  cause  in  obtaining  the  charter  of  Nauvoo, 
and  as  his  rascality  and  lack  of  soul  were  not  at  first 
apparent,  he  was  hastily  loaded  with  the  confidence  and 
honor  which  he  afterward  so  shamefully  abused.  At  a 
sham  battle  of  the  Legion,  he  planned  to  have  the 
Prophet  killed.  Failing  in  this,  he  began  repeating 
unwarranted  falsehoods  against  the  Prophet  and  the 
people.  Among  other  things,  he  taught  secretly  to  men 
and  women  that  Joseph  countenanced  sin  between  the 
sexes.  This  was  doubtless  done  to  shield  his  own 
iniquity,  for  he  was  shortly  after  excommunicated  for 
'adultery.  Then  he  wrote  a  book  full  of  wicked  false- 
hoods against  Joseph  and  the  Saints  which  greatly  in- 
creased the  now  rising  prejudice  against  them.  In 
August,  the  Apostles  and  a  large  number  of  Elders  were 
sent  out    to  refute    these  slanders    and    vile    imputations. 


*  Says  the  record:  "I  prophesied  that  the  Saints  would  continue  to  sufter 
much  affliction,  and  would  be  driven  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Many  would 
apostatize,  others  would  be  put  to  death  by  our  persecutors,  or  lose  their  lives 
in  consequence  of  exposure  and  disease;  and  some  would  live  to  go  and  assist 
in  making  settlements  and  building  cities,  and  seethe  Saints  become  a  mighty 
people  in  the  midst  of  the  Rocky  Mountains." 


98  A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

In  the  meantime  the  old  Missouri  feud  was  kept 
alive.  In  May  an  attempt  was  made  to  assassinate  Ex- 
Governor  Boggs,  in  Independence,  the  deed  being,  of 
course  falsel}^,  laid  to  the  Mormons.  Complaint  was 
made  accusing  Joseph  of  being  an  accessory  to  the 
attempted  murder  before  the  crime.  Application  was 
made  by  the  Governor  of  Missouri  demanding  his  person 
from  the  authorities  in  Illinois.  He  and  O.  P.  Rock- 
well w^ere  accordingly  arrested  at  Nauvoo,  August  8th, 
but  were  discharged  after  a  hearing  before  the  municipal 
court.  But  other  attempts  were  made  to  get  him  into 
the  clutches  of  his  enemies,  and  for  this  reason  he 
deemed  it  best  to  go  into  hiding.  While  hidden  he  wrote 
important  letters  to  the  Saints  concerning  the  continua- 
tion of  work  on  the  temple,  and  on  the  doctrine  of 
baptism  for  the  dead.*  Every  attempt  was  made  to 
capture  him  but  in  vain.  In  December,  1842,  Thomas 
Ford,  a  Democrat,  became  Governor  of  Illinois,  and  to 
him  Joseph  applied  to  withdraw  the  writs  and  the  pro- 
clamations of  reward  which  Governor  Carlin  had  issued 
for  his  capture.  Ford  induced  him  to  submit  to  a 
judicial  investigation,  which  was  accordingly  done,  and 
resulted  in  Joseph  once  more  becoming  a  free  man. 

For  a  short  time  he  enjoyed  peace.  On  February 
6th,  1843,  he  was  chosen  Mayor  of  Nauvoo.  On  the 
12th  of  April  following,  Farley  P.  Pratt,  Lorenzo  Snow 
and  Levi  Richards  arrived  in  the  city  with  two  large 
companies  of  emigrants  from  England,  among  whom 
were  the  Cannon  family. 

In  June  of  this  year,  there  was  another  attempt  to 
drag    the    Prophet    to    Missouri,   this    time    on    the    old 

**See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  127  and  128. 


A    BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE    CHURCH.  99 

charge  of  treason.  Dr.  Bennett  was  among  the  principal 
instigators  of  this  outrage.  The  Prophet  was  arrested, 
or  rather  kidnapped,  and  brutally  treated,  but  upon  a 
final  hearing  was  again  released. 

The  politicians  were  stirring  up  strife  against  the 
Saints,  in  the  mean  time.  Ford  in  his  inaugural  address 
to  the  legislature  had  recommended  a  modification  and 
restriction  of  the  Nauvoo  charter,  to  pacify  the  general 
clamor.  The  step  Joseph  had  taken  in  calling  the 
Saints  from  other  parts  to  Nauvoo,  previously  referred 
to,  had  been  looked  upon  as  a  deep  scheme  on  his  part 
to  gain  political  ascendency,  and  cert? in  politicians 
professed  to  view  with  alarm  the  increase  of  Mormon 
power  which  would  be  brought  about  by  means  of  this 
concentration.  The  result  had  been  the  organization  of 
the  anti-Mormon  party,  which  was  composed  of  all  kinds 
of  people  who  had  grievances  against  the  Saints,  and  it 
was  the  means  of  stirring  up  much  bitterness  against 
them.  In  August,  several  Mormons  who  had  been 
elected  to  county  offices,  upon  attempting  to  qualify  at 
Carthage,  the  county  seat,  were  threatened  by  an  armed 
mob,  but  nevertheless  they  took  the  required  oaths. 
With  this  the  anti-Moromn  party  renewed  their  pledges 
to  fight  the  Mormons  and  assist  Missouri  in  any  future 
attempt  to  harass  the  Prophet.  Besides  this^  mobs  now 
began  to  burn  the  homes  of  the  Saints  in  the  districts 
lying  outside  of  Nauvoo,  and  otherwise  to  destroy  their 
possessions.  When  appealed  to  for  assistance,  Governor 
Ford  implied  in  his  reply  that  the  Saints  must  protect 
themselves.  His  answer  was  in  the  same  line  as  those 
of  former  officials  in  Missouri,  and  as  that  of  Presi- 
dent Van   Buren;     it  meant  to    that    persecuted    people: 


100  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

however    just    3'our    cause,     we  can    do    nothing    for  vou. 
The  Nauvoo  Legion  was  held  in  readiness  to  protect 
the  people  from  the  depredations  of  the  mob. 


4.        THE    MARTYRDOM. 

"What  will  he  your  rule  of  action  relative  to  us  as 
a  people,  should  fortune  favor  your  ascension  to  the  chief 
magistrac}^?" 

This  question  was  directed  to  several  prominent 
national  politcians  by  the  Prophet  Joseph  in  the  winter 
of  1843-4.  Replies  were  received  from  Henry  Cla}^  and 
John  C.  Calhoun  only,  and  these  were  so  evasive  that 
the  Prophet  stingingly  reproved  them  for  what  he  con- 
sidered their  cowardice  and  lack  of  moral  force. 

Then  followed  the  startling  announcement  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency  of  the  United 
States.  He  was  nominated  on  the  29th  of  January,  1844, 
and  duly  sustained  at  a  state  convention  on  the  17th  of 
May  following.  Subsequently  appeared  a  printed  pro- 
clamation of  the  Prophet's  "Views  on  the  Powers  and 
Policy  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States,"  in  which 
he  defined  his  position  on  the  burning  political  questions 
of  the  day.  Slavery  should  be  abolished,  the  slave-hold- 
ers to  be  paid  for  their  slaves  by  the  general  govern- 
ment; mone}'  for  this  purpose  to  be  raised  by  the  reduc- 
tion of  salaries  of  Congressmen,  and  b}^  the  sale  of  public 
lands.  The  abolition  of  imprisonment  for  debt,  and  for 
all  crimes  save  murder,  work  on  public  improvements  to 
be  made  the  penalty  for  others;  the  penitentiaries  to  be 
turned  into  seminaries  of  learning.  The  investment  of 
power  in  the  President  to  send  armies  to  suppress  mobs. 
The  extension  of    the  United  States,  with  the  consent  of 


A   BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  101 

the  red  man,  from  sea  to  sea.  The  annexation  of  Texas, 
and  other  districts  when  they  should  ask  for  entrance 
into  the  Union.  Besides  there  were  many  other  excel- 
lent features  in  his  platform. 

To  promulgate  his  political  views  and  to  act  as  his 
electioneers  in  the  campaign,  the  Twelve  and  many  Elders 
were  sent  to  the  Eastern  States.  The  reason  impelling 
him  to  accept  the  candidacy  was  that  he  might  battle  for 
the  religious  and  civil  rights  of  his  people.*  Doubtless 
he  had  little  faith  in  winning  the  race  for  the  Presidency. 
Said  he:  "I  care  but  little  about  the  Presidential  chair, 
I  would  not  give  half  as  much  for  the  office  of  President 
of  the  United  States,  as  I  would  for  the  one  I  now  hold 
as  Lieutenant-General  of  the,  Nauvoo  Legion." 

We  find  him  more  interested  in  having  Oregon  and 
California  explored,  whither,  after  the  completion  of  the 
temple,  he  hoped  to  lead  his  Legion  at  the  head  of  the 
Saints,  there  to  "build  a  city  in  a  day."  The  exploring 
expedition  of  seventy-five  men  which  he  had  arranged  for 
would  have  gone  on  this  mission  but  for  the  political 
move  referred  to.  .  In  March,  Congress  was  memorialized 
by  him  to  pass  an  act  for  the  protection  of  American 
citizens  wishing  to  settle  Oregon,  which  at  that  time  was 
claimed  by  England  jointly  with  the  United  States.  He 
asked  for  the  privilege  of  raising  100,000  men  for  this  pur- 
pose, and  also  to  protect  Texas  against  Mexico,  and  to 
found  another    state  for  the    Union    in  the    midst    of    the 


*"Ifeelitto  be  my  right  and  privilege  to  obtain  what  influence  and 
power  I  can,  lawfully,  in  the  United  States,  for  the  protection  of  injured 
inn'cence  ;  and  if  I  lose  my  life  in  a  good  cause,  I  am  willing  to  be  sacrificed 
on  the  altar  of  virtue,  righteousness  and  truth,  in  maintaining  the  laws  and 
constitution  of  the  United  States,  if  need  be  for  the  general  good  of  mankind." 
— Joseph  Smith. 


102  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

Rocky  Mountains.  But  other  events  intervened  to  pre- 
vent him  from  accomplishing  the  plan.  However,  the 
design  was  not  defeated.  Joseph  was  destined  to  die, 
and  Brigham  Young  to  carry  into  effect  the  outlined  pro- 
gram. 

The  situation  in  Nauvoo  during  the  spring  and 
summer  of  1844  was  desperate.  Not  only  were  there  dire 
threatenings  from  the  mob  without,  but  from  apostates 
within,  who  w^ere  forming  all  kinds  of  plots  for  the 
destruction  of  the  Prophet  and  the  people  in  the  fated 
city.  William  and  Wilson  Law,  the  Higbees,  and  the 
Fosters,  all  of  them  apostates,  and  as  vile  as  they  were 
bitter,  were  foremost  among  the  plotters.  These  men 
founded  a  new  church,  with  William  Law,  formerly 
Joseph's  counselor,  as  president,  and  denounced  Joseph 
as   "a  fallen  Prophet." 

The  doctrine  of  plurality  of  wives  and  the  eternity 
of  the  marriag%  covenant  had  been  recorded  July  12th, 
1843,*  and  at  the  time  of  which  we  wTite  was  secretly 
taught  and  practiced  among  the  leaders  of  the  Church. 
Owing  to  his  position,  William  Law,  of  course,  knew 
this,  and  therefore  had  Joseph  arrested  lor  polygamy. 
He  was  discharged,  but  it  was  not  him  alone  that  the 
efforts  of  these  apostates  were  directed  against;  the 
whole  people  were  to  be  harrassed  and  persecuted.  To 
this  end  they  founded  the  Expositor,  a  newspaper  whose 
mission,  among  other  things,  was  to  advocate  the  uncon- 
ditional repeal  of  the  Nauvoo  charter,  and  to  create 
disobedience,  and  rebellion  against  the  Prophet.  It 
made  its  first  appearance  June  7th,  1844,   filled  with  foul 


Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  132. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE    CHURCFI.  103 

abuse  and  filthy  scandals.  The  whole  city  was  shocked. 
The  city  council  met  on  the  10th,  and  dec  ared  the  paper 
a  nuisance  that  must  be  abated,  and  on  the  daj'  follow- 
ing, by  order  of  Mayor  Joseph  Smith,  it  was  utterly 
destroyed.  Immediately  leaving  the  city,  the  proprietors 
arranged  for  the  arrest  of  Jseph  and  a  number  of  promi- 
nent men  on  the  charge  of  riot.  They  were  arrested, 
tried,  and  discharged  in  Nauvoo,  they  being  unwilling 
to  leave  that  city  for  trial.  This  caused  intense  excite- 
ment. Soon  anti-Mormon  mobs  gathered  against  Nauvoo 
armed  for  battle,  swearing  vengeance  on  the  people  and 
their  leaders.  The  situation  was  serious.  Word  had 
been  sent  to  the  Governor,  but  there  had  been  no  reply 
from  him.  Under  these  circumstances  Joseph,  seeing  no 
escape  from  threatened  assault  and  massacre,  declared 
Nauvoo  under  martial  law,  calling  out  the  Legion  to 
defend  it.  Hearing  of  this  the  weak  and  vacillating 
Governor  Ford  placed  himself  at  the  head  f)f  the  troops, 
virtuall}'  transforming  the  assembling  mobs  into  militia, 
demanded  that  the  Prophet  and  his  associates  in  the 
destruction  of  the  Expositor  come  'to  Carthage  for  trial, 
and  that  martial  law  be  abolished  in  Nauvoo.  His 
orders  were  obeyed.  He  matde  a  solemn  pledge  upon 
his  honor  and  the  faith  of  the  state  of  Illinois  that  the 
prisoners  should  be  protected  from  violence  and  that 
they  should  be  given  a  fair  trial.  This  pledge  was 
repeated  several  times  afterward,   but  was  never  kept. 

On  the  day  following,  by  demand  of  the  Governor, 
the  Legion  delivered  up  their  arms,  being  once  more 
promised  protection.  The  Prophet,  his  brother  Hyrum, 
and  sixteen  others  of  their  friends  went  to  Carthage  on 
the  evening  of  the  24th  of  June,   Joseph  remarking  that 


104  A    BRIEF   HISTOKY    OF    THE    CHUECH. 

he  was  going  "like  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter."*  He  had 
hesitated  for  a  moment,  crossed  the  river  with  some  of 
his  friends  thinking  to  go  to  the  mountains,  but  returned 
upon  the  solicitation  of  some  of  his  followers  who  eluded 
him  with  cowardice  in  deserting  his  people.  That  they 
were  going  back  to  be  slaughtered  was  certain.  Their 
enemies  were  determined  that  if  the  law  could  not  reach 
them  powder  and  ball  should. 

On  the  fatal  27th  of  June,  Joseph  and  Hyrum,  with 
their  friends  John  Taylor  and  Willard  Richards  were 
placed  in  an  upper  room  of  the  Carthage  jail.  About  5 
o'clock  p.m.  the  prophet  and  his  Patriarch  brother  were 
shot  by  a  mob  of  troops  about  two  hundred  strong. 
John  Taylor  was  all  but  fatally  wounded,  while  Willard 
Richards  escaped  unhurt. 

While  this  bloody  tragedy  was  being  enacted  in 
Carthage  by  the  mutinous  Carthage  Greys,  Governor 
Ford  was  in  Nauvoo  haranguing  the  disarmed,  peaceful 
Saints  on  the  enormity  of  their  crimes  in  destroying  the 
Expositor.  He  must  have  known  of  the  intention  of  the 
mob,  for  his  attention  was  frequently  called  to  the 
threats  which  they  had  openly  made  never  to  allow  the 
Prophet  to  escape  alive.  He  was  "struck  with  a  kind  of 
dumbness,"  as  he  heard  of  the  assassination,  but  it  was 
more  from  a  fear  for  his  own  safety  than  from  grief  at 
the  crime.  He  fled  to  Quincy  that  same  night,  after 
having  written  an  order  to  the  Saints  to  defend  them- 
selves. The  horrified  mob  and  citizens  of  Carthage  fled 
in  all  directions. 


*  "1  am  going  like  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  but  I  am  calm  as  a  summer 
morning.  I  have  a  conscience  void  of  offence  toward  God  and  toward  all  men. 
If  thev  take  my  life,  I  shall  die  an  innocent  man,  and  my  blood  shall  cry 
from  the  ground  for  vengt^ance,  and  it  shall  yet  be  said  of  me,  'He  was 
murdered  in  cold  blood.'  " 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH.  105 


IV.     THE  CHURCH    UNDER    BRIGHAM    YOUNG. 

1844—1877. 


1.   AGREEMENT  TO  LEAVE  NAUVOO. 

The  foundation  for  the  Church  of  Christ,  which  the 
Prophet  Joseph  had  laid,  was  broad  and  grand.  To 
follow  him,  God  had  provided  in  Brigham  Young  a 
strong  builder  who  thoroughly  understood  the  plans  and 
specifications  of  the  complex  and  colossal  superstructure 
that  was  thereupon  to  be  erected.  With  master  mind 
and  hand,  he  stood  ready  at  the  appointed  hour  to 
grapple  with  the  stupendous  task. 

The  woe  and  grief  of  the  stricken  Saints  were  be- 
yond description.  When  the  dead  bodies  of  their 
martyred  leaders  arrived  in  Nauvoo,  on  June  28th,  1844, 
ten  thousand  sorrowing  people,  gathered  to  gaze  upon 
the  lifeless  clay.  Apostle  Willard  Richards  and  Col. 
Markham  admonished  the  people  to  keep  the  peace,  to 
look  to  the  law  for  a  remedy,  and,  that  failing,  as  it 
did,  to  leave  vengeance  to  Heaven. 

A  few  days  before  the  martyrdom,  the  Apostles  had 
been  called  home  from  their  electioneering  mission,  but 
the  most  of  them  did  not  return  until  the  6th  of  August. 

The  training  to  which  the  Prophet  had  subjected 
the  Apostles  abundantly  fitted  them  to  take  the  responsi- 
bility of  leading  the  Church.  His  last  days  had  been 
devoted  assiduously  to  the  ministry.  He  had  bestowed 
upon  the  Apostles  and  other  faithful  Elders,   the    endow- 


106  A   BKIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

ments,  given  them  the  ke3^s  of  the  Priesthood  in  their 
fullness,  taught  and  administered  to  them  the  sealing 
ordinances,  explaining  the  manner  in  which  parents, 
children,  the  whole  human  family,  are  to  be  united  in 
eternal  ties.  In  his  sermons  he  dwelt  upon  these  im- 
portant doctrines,  and  laid  a  foundation  broad  and 
strong  upon  which  to  build  the  Church — both  relating 
to  government  and  to  spiritual  doctrines.*  His  da3'S 
had  been  few  but  important.  All  his  3'ears  were  full  of 
persecution;  vindictive  Hate  followed  him  through  life. 
By  "false  brethren"'  he  was  constantly  wounded.  He 
had  now  sealed  his  divine  doctrines  and  his  faithful 
testimony  with  his  blood,  which,  as  with  other  martyrs, 
became  "the  seed  of  the  Church." 

For  the  first  time  since  that  quorum's  organization, 
the  Church  was  without  a  First  Presidency.  But  the 
keys  and  the  powers  had  been  left  with  the  Apostles. 
Well  for  the  cause  that  such  a  character  as  Brigham 
Young  stood  at  the  head  of  that  quorum.  To  him  the 
Saints  turned  instinctively  for  counsel.  Sidney  Rigdon, 
the  martyred  Prophet's  First  Counselor,  who  had  re- 
moved to  Pennsylvania  to  escape  the  turmoils  of  Nauvoo, 
made  an  effort  to  induce  the  Saints  to  accept  his  leader- 
ship, but  the  hearts  of  the  people  were  not  with  him; 
and,  after  some  meetings  and  discussions,  on  the  8th  of 
August,  1844,  Brigham  Young  and  the  Twelve  Apostles 
were  sustained  as  the  leaders  of  the  Church.  Brigham 
was  regarded  by  the  people  as  the  divinely  appointed 
successor  of  the  Prophet,  upon  him  the  mantle  of  Joseph 
had  fallen.      His  ability  and  past  labors    entitled  him    to 


♦See    Doctrine    and   Covenants,  Section    129-131:    also   "Sermons     and 
Writings  of  the  Prophet  Joseph,"  Contributor,  Vol.  111. 


A   BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  107 

their  confidence,  as  the  Spirit  of  God  and  the  gospel 
designated  him  their  safest  guide.*  He  laid  hold  of  the 
work  where  the  Prophet  finished,  and  carried  it  on 
successfully.  It  was  soon  manifest  to  the  enemies  of  the 
Church,  who  paused  to  view  the  effects  of  the  murder 
storm  of  Carthage,  that  Mormonism  would  not  die  with 
its  Prophet.  There  had  arisen  an  equally  fitting 
character,  however  they  may  have  differed,  to  lead  the 
Saints  on  their  thorny  though  triumphant  way.  Upon 
the  foundations  laid  by  the  first,  the  second  was  to  build 
a  structure  that  was  to  become  the  wonder  and  the 
admiration  of  the  world. 

For  a  short  period  there  was  peace  in  Nauvoo. 
The  building  of  the  temple  and  other  public  places  was 
continued  in  the  midst  of  poverty.  The  population  was 
increased  by  emigrations  from  the  old  world.  But  the 
enemies  of  the  cause  were  as  active  as  ever;  nothing 
but  the  scattering .  and  utter  destruction  of  the  Saints 
would  satisfy  their  designs.  Realizing  that  the  enforced 
and  foreshadowed  exodus  to  the  west  was  near  at  hand, 
the  people  were  counseled  by  their  leaders  to  bend  every 
energy  to  complete  the  sacred  temple,  so  that  all  might 
enjoy  the  blessings  of  the  glorious  doctrines  which  the 
martyred    Prophet    had    revealed  to    them.      Before  their 


* "  Brigham  found  himself  in  possession  of  qualities  which  we  find 
present  primarily  in  all  great  men — intellectual  force,  mentiil  superiority, 
united  with  personal  magnetism,  and  physique  enough  to  give  weight  to  will 
and  opinion;  for  Brigham  Young  was  assuredly  a  great  man,  if  by  greatness 
we  mean  one  who  is  superior  to  others  in  strength  and  skill,  moral,  intellec- 
tual, or  physical." — Bancroft's  Utah,  p.  201. 

"A  notable  character  in  life's  grand  tragedy,  one  bloody  scene  of  which 
had  so  lately  clofsed,  waiting  at  the  wing  he  had  caught  his  cue,  and  the  stir- 
ring stage  of  Time  was  now  ready  for  his  advent." — Whitney's  Utah,  p.  2.35, 
Vol.  1. 


108  A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE    CHUBCH. 

departure  to  the  west,  the  edifice  was  so  far  completed, 
that  in  December,  1845,  and  January,  1846,  thousands 
received  their  endowments,  blessings  and  anointings 
therein. 

A  faint  effort  was  made  in  the  fall  of  1844,  also  in 
May,  1845,  to  bring  the  murderers  of  the  Prophets  to 
justice,  but  after  a  trial,  they  were  "honorably  acquitted." 
There  was  no  hope  for  the  Saints  to  receive  justice. 
Yielding  to  the  popular  clamor,  the  legislature  repealed 
the  Nauvoo  city  charter,  in  January,  1845,  and  the  place 
became  the  prey  of  lawlessness.*  In  April,  Governor 
Ford  wrote  to  President  Young  advising  him  to  go  west 
with  his  people,  to  "get  off  by  yourselves"  where  "you 
may  enjoy  peace,  "f  This  course  had  long  been  decided 
upon,  and  the  desire  to  complete  the  temple  was  all  that 
delayed  the  Saints  in  carrying  out  their  plans. 

In  the  fall  of  1845,  encouraged  b}'  the  acquittal  of 
the  fiends  of  Carthage,  mobs  became  more  and  more  bold 
in  their  depredations;  outrages,  burnings  and  persecutions 
were  inflicted  afresh  upon  the  defenseless  Saints.  Their 
houses  fired  and  their  possessions  destroyed,  they  fled 
from  the  outlying  districts  to  Nauvoo  for  protection. J 
At  this  juncture  Governor    Ford  called  out    the  troops  to 


♦Said  Josiah  Lamborn,  Esq.,  Attorney-General  of  Illinois:  ''By  the 
repeal  of  your  charter,  and  by  refusing  all  amendments  and  modifications  our 
legislature  has  given  a  kind  of  sanction  to  the  barbarous  manner  in  which  you 
have  been  treated  It  is  truly  a  melancholy  spectacle  to  witness  the  law- 
makers of  a  sovereign  state  condescending  to  pander  t.)  the  vices,  ignorance 
and  malevolence  of  a  class  of  people  who  are  at  all  times  ready  for  riot,  mur- 
der and  rebellion." 

t  F-r  a  copy  of  this  letter,  and  other  documents  relating  to  the  departure 
of  the  Saints  from  Nauvoo,  see  Tullidge's  History  of  Salt  Lake  City,  pp.  8 — 13. 

J  "Mobs  commenced   driving  out  the  Mormons  in  the   lower  part  of  Han 
cock   County,  and   burning  their   houses   and  property. — The   burning  was 


A   BKIEF   HISTOKY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  109 

restore  order.  Peace  was  proclaimed  to  the  people, 
and  the  mob  was  commanded  to  obey  authority.  Then, 
on  the  1st  of  October,  was  held  a  conference  of  the 
Mormon  leaders  and  General  Harding,  commander  of  the 
troops,  with  Attorney-General  McDougal,  Senator  Doug- 
lass, and  Major  Warren.  The  result  was  an  agreement 
by  the  Mormons,  who  well  knew  that  there  was  no 
alternative  between  exodus  and  extermination  b}^  mas- 
sacre, to  leave  the  state  in  the  spring.  On  the  other 
hand,  they  were  not  to  be  molested  by  the  mob,  but 
this  part  was  not  kept.  Their  removal  had  been  de- 
manded by  a  meeting  of  representatives  of  nine  counties 
of  the  state,  assembled  in  Carthage. 

As  rapidly  as  possible,  preparations  were  made  to 
move  west  in  compliance  with  the  terms  of  the  agree- 
ment, and  with  the  decision  of  the  Church  leaders. 
Land  was  disposed  of,  leased  or  exchanged  for  animals 
and  wagons.  Property  of  all  kinds  was  sold,  or  left  for 
sale  in  the  hands  of  trusted  agents.  So  closed  the  year 
1845. 


2.        EXPELLED    FROM    ILLINOIS. 

After  a  little  less  than  seven  years  of  troubled  rest, 
during  which  time  wonderful  strides  in  temporal  as  well 
as  spiritual  progress  had  been  made,  the  Saints,  now 
twenty  thousand  strong,  once  more  must  leave  their 
homes.  Driven  again  from  their  city,  they  must  now 
abandon  themselves  to  the  mercy  of  the  savages,  journey 
far  beyond  the  borders  of  civilization. 


continued  from  settlement  to  settlement  for  ten  or  eleven  days  without   any 
resistance  whatever." — Wells  in  Bancroft's  Utah. 

''The  mob  said  they  would  drive  all  into  Nauvoo,  and  all    Nauvoo   into 
the  Mississippi." — Kichards  in  Bancroft's  Utah. 


110  A   BRIEF   HISTOKY    OF   THE    CHURCH. 

Hundreds  of  farms,  two  thousand  houses  and  much 
personal  property,  were  now  offered  for  sale  in  and  about 
Nauvoo.  Their  man}^  public  buildings  and  their  glor- 
ious and  beloved  temple,  the  Saints  did  not  expect  to 
sell,  but  they  called  upon  all  good  citizens  to  aid  them 
in  the  disposal  of  their  other  possessions,  giving  the 
men  of  Illinois  to  understand,  however,  that  they  would 
not  sacrifice  or  give  away  their  property.  But  a  com- 
munity who  were  unwilling  to  keep  their  own  conditions 
of  the  covenant  of  peace  with  the  Mormons,  could  not 
be  expected  to  render  pecuniary  assistance  to  the 
afflicted  people.  Possessions  were  therefore  sold  for  a 
mere  nothing.  The  countr}^  was  scoured  for  miles 
around  and  property  traded  at  a  fearful  sacrifice  for 
traveling  outfits. 

At  length,  hurried  b}^  their  enemies,  driven  almost 
at  the  point  of  the  sword,  the  Saints  gathered  in  large 
numbers  on  the  east  shore  of  the  river,  and,  on  February 
4th,  1846,  began  crossing  the  water  on  their  way  to  the 
West.  After  that  date,  the  ferries  were  kept  busy  day 
and  night  until  the  river  froze  over,  w^hen  crossing  was 
continued  on  the  ice.  By  the  middle  of  the  month,  a 
thousand  souls,  with  their  effects,  had  been  landed  on  the 
Iowa  shore.  Proceeding,  they  made  their  first  camp  at 
Sugar  Creek,  nine  miles  w^est  into  Iowa.*  They  suffered 
severely,  the  ground  being  snow-covered  and  the  weather 
bitter    cold.      Sleeping    in    tents    and    wagons,    they    and 


*  Says  Col.  Thomas  L.  Kane:  -'The  people  of  Iowa  have  told  me  tliat 
from  morning  to  night  they  passed  westward  like  an  endless  procession. 
They  did  not  seem  greatly  out  of  heart,  they  said;  but  at  the  top  of  every 
hill,  before  they  disappeared,  were  to  be  seen  looking  back,  like  banished 
Moors,  on  their  abandoned  homes  and  the  far-seen  temple  ami  its  glittering 
spire." 


A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

their  sick  underwent  much  hardship  and  affliction  both 
of  body  and  mind,  driven  as  they  were  by  civilized 
Christians  from  comfortable  homes,  and  camping  now 
almost  in  sight  of  these,  on  the  bleak  prairie,  in  the 
dead  of  winter,  with  no  prospects  before  them  but  snow, 
storms,  savages,  and  the  untrodden  wilderness.  Well 
might  the  historian  Bancroft  exclaim:  "There  is  no 
parallel  in  the  world's  history  to  this  migration  from 
Nauvoo.  "* 

On  the  15th,  they  were  joined  by  President  Young, 
the  leading  spirit  of  the  exodus,  who  began  the  temporary 
organization  of  the  camp.  Firmly  but  kindly  he  gave  laws 
for  the  guidance  of  the  "Camps  of  Israel,"  enjoining 
honesty  and  morality.  Innocent  amusement  and  recrea- 
tion were  to  be  permitted  in  moderation,  as  a  means  of 
diverting  the  peoples'  minds  from  their  past  troubles 
and  present  toils  and  hardships.  Having  petitioned 
the  Governor  for  protection  while  passing  through  his 
territory,  President  Young  and  the  Apostles  made  a  fare- 
well -visit  to  Nauvoo,  holding  a  parting  service  in  the 
temple  where  the  remnant  of  the  Saints  were  instructed 
in  their  duties.  This  done,  they  returned  to  camp,  and 
on  March  1st  orders  to  advance  were  given.  Five  miles 
were  covered  that  day.  Then  from  day  to  day  they 
continued  their  journey  in  rain,  snow  and  mud,  towards 
the  setting  sun,  their  hearts  cheered  by  the  God  of  the 
friendless.  Many  were  poor,  some  were  destitute,  but 
all  were  as  happy  as  could  be  under  the  circumstances. 
They     never    uselessly    repined,    but     watched,     prayed. 


*  Bancroft's  Utah,  p.  217. 


112  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURiJH. 

worked,  listened  to  music,  danced,  sang  and  rejoiced.* 
At  Shoal  Creek,  near  Chariton  River,  on  March  27th, 
a  more  complete  organization  was  effected.  Captains 
were  appointed  over  "hundreds,"  fifties"  and  "tens." 
Reinforced  by  fresh  arrivals,  the  companies  soon  num- 
bered about  three  thousand  wagons,  thousands  of  cattle, 
besides  sheep,  horses  and  mules.  Settlements  sprang  up 
in  the  wilderness  of  Iowa  as  if  by  magic.  They  were 
called  "traveling  stakes  of  Zion,"  and  chief  among  these 
were  Garden  Grove  and  Mount  Pisgah,  near  which  farming 
operations  were  carried  on  for  the  benefit  of  those  who 
should  follow  after. 

In  Jul}^  the  main  body  reached  the  Missouri, 
settling  in  a  place  which  they  named  Kanesville,  now 
known  as  Council  Bluffs.  President  Young  and  the  van- 
guard had  arrived  about  the  middle  of  June.  Later  a 
part  of  the  company  crossed  the  river  and  settled  upon 
the  Pottawatomie  and  Omaha  Indian  lands,  where 
Winter  Quarters;  now  Florence,  was  founded,  with  a 
population  of  about  four  thousand   souls. 

It  was  President  Young's  intention  to  hasten  on  that 
summer  with  an  exploring  party  to  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
The  muster  for  volunteers  for  this  purpose  was  in  pro- 
gress at  Mount  Pisgah,  under  the  direction  of  Apostle 
Wilford  Woodruff,  recently  returned  from  England,  when 
a    startling    incident    occurred    which    changed    his  plans 


*  '* A  spectacle  sublime.  An  exiled  nation,  going  forth  like  Israel  front 
Egypt,  into  the  wilderness,  there  to  worship,  unmolested,  the  God  of  their 
fathers  in  His  own  appointed  way;  that  from  their  loins  mijght  spring  a  people 
nur^ed  iu  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  made  stalwart  by  tribulation,  that  should 
leap  from  the  mountains  in  a  day  to  come,  and  roll  back,  an  avalanche  of 
power,  to  regain  possession  of  their  promised  land." — Whitney's  Life  of  Heber 
C.  Kimball,  p.  363. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH.  113 

and  delayed  the  migration  west  until  the  following 
spring.  Their  country  made  a  call  for  volunteers  for 
quite  another  purpose — a  requisition  for  a  battalion  of 
iive  hundred  men  to  take  part  in  the  Mexican  war. 
There  were  now  twelve  thousand  Mormons  inhabiting  the 
temporary  settlements  stretched  across  the  plains  of 
Iowa  from  Winter  Quarters  to  Garden  Grove. 


3.        TWO    MILITARY    PICTURES. 

Whatever  ma)'  have  been  the  cause  of  the  Govern- 
ment's requisition  for  the  Mormon  Battalion,  whether  its 
muster  was  meant  for  their  good  or  their  evil,  whether 
in  answer  to  their  petition  for  help,  or  in  fulfillment  of 
Senator  Benton's  threat  that  they  would  be  destroyed  if 
they  failed  to  comply,  certain  it  is  that  the  Saints 
viewed  it  with  alarm  as  the  news  sped  from  tent  to  tent 
through  the  "Camps  of  Israel."  They  looked  upon  it  as 
a  scheme  for  their  destruction,  as  a  test  of  their  loyalty, 
which  it  wab  feared,  in  the  conditions  that  surrounded 
them  would  result  in  their  annihilation.  Think  of  taking 
five  hundred  of  the  young,  able-bodied  men,  the  flower 
of  the  camps,  from  their  present  all  but  helpless  ranks' 
Consider  the  dependent  ones  that  would  be  left  behind 
in  an  Indian  country,  without  means  of  support,  in  the 
midst  of  the  dangers  and  hardships  of  an  unparalleled 
exodus!  Their  plight,  too,  brought  about,  they  con- 
sidered, by  the  nation  now  calling  for  help!  Had  it  not 
thrust  them  from  its  borders?  Had  not  all  their 
petitions  to  it  for  redress  been  rejected?  And  now,  that 
nation  calling  upon  them  to  assist  in  fighting  its  battles! 
Then  arose  the  memories  of  Missouri,  the  martyrdom, 
their    recent    treatment    by    the    government    of    Illinois, 


114  A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

their  present  condition  I  Natural  indeed  that  they 
should  ask,  What  shall  be  done?  What  will  our  leaders 
decide  to    do? 

When  Captain  James  Allen,  acting  under  General 
Kearney,  commander  of  the  army  of  the  west,  arrived  in 
Council  Bluffs,  on  July  1st,  to  lay  before  President  Young 
his  errand  to  muster  volunteers,  he  was  promptly  told 
that  he  should  have  his  men.  "You  shall  have  your 
battalion,"  said  Brigham.  The  loyalty  of  the  Mormons, 
their  love  of  countr}^,  their  devotion  to  the  Union,  were 
the  considerations  alone  that  could  have  insured  such 
a  patriotic  reply  at  such  a  time. 

There  not  being  men  enough  in  Winter  Quarters, 
President  Young  and  others  proceeded  to  the  various 
camps  in  the  role  of  recruiting  officers.  At  Mt.  Pisgah 
many  were  enrolled.  Messengers  were  sent  to  other 
camps  and  to  Nauvoo  for  young  men,  old  men,  and  boys 
to  fill  the  places  made  vacant  b}^  the  enlisted  men.  At 
Council  Bluffs,  upon  the  arrival  of  the  Pisgah  volunteers, 
the  enrollment  was  completed,  on  the  15th  of  July. 
Addressing  the  Saints  at  a  meeting  in  the  Bowery,  Presi- 
dent Young  cautioned  them  "not  to  mention  families 
that  day.  "We  want  to  conform  to  the  requisition  made 
upon  us.  We  must  raise  the  battalion.  I  say  it  is 
right;  and  who  cares  for  sacrificing  our  comfort  for  a  few 
years?" 

The  result  is  thus  summarized  by  Col.  Kane  who 
was  present  at  the  time:  "A  central  mass  meeting  for 
counsel,  some  harangues  at  the  remotely  scattered  camps, 
an  American  flag  brought  out  from  the  store-house  of 
things  rescued  and  hoisted  to  the  top  of  a  tree-mast,  and 
in  three  days  the  force  was  reported,  mustered,  organized 
and    ready   to   march." 


A    BllIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHUltCH.  115 

The  Battalion,  numbering  in  all  five-hundred  and 
forty-nine  souls,  took  up  their  western  march  on  the  16th, 
having  on  the  evening  previous  taken  leave  of  their  loved 
ones,  and  enjoyed  themselves  in  a  social  re-union,  with 
music,  song  and  dancs.  For  two  thousand  miles,  from 
the  Missouri  to  the  Pacific,  the  Battalion  marched  over 
dreary  deserts,  braving  dangers  and  hardships,  finally 
reaching  California,  January  29th,  1847.*  Whatever  else 
may  be  said  of  the  Mormons,  let  no  man  dare,  after  such 
a  test,  to  question  their  patriotism  and  loyalty. 

That  is  one  military  picture,  in  the  foreground  of 
which  stand  forth  prominently  patriotism  and  loyalty  to 
country  under  the  most  trying  circumstances  that  could 
be  named — an  enduring  honor    to  the  Mormons. 

Now  the  other. 

After  the  departure  of  the  leaders,  in  1846,  such 
haste  was  made  by  the  remaining  Saints  to  leave  Nauvoo 
as  should  have  been  satisfactory  to  any  reasonable  per- 
son. But  the  anti-Mormons  affected  to  believe,  and 
freely  asserted,  that  the  Mormons  did  not  intend  to  leave 
the  State,  t     In  July,  they  raised  troops  to  march  against 


*  Says  Lieutenant-Col.  St.  George  Cooke,  in  charge  of  the  Battalion,  vice 
Col.  J.  Allen,  deceased:  "History  may  be  searched  in  vain  for  an  equal 
march  of  infantry;  nine-tenths  of  it  through  a  wilderness,  where  nothing  but 
savages  and  wild  beasts  are  found;  or  deserts  where,  for  the  want  of  water, 
there  is  no  living  creature.  There,  with  almost  hopeless  labor,  we  hive  dug 
deep  wells,  which  the  future  traveler  will  enjoy.  Without  a  guide  who  had 
traversed  them,  we  have  ventured  into  trackless  prairies,  where  water  was  not 
found  for  several  marches.  With  crow-bar  and  pick-ax  in  hand,  we  have 
worked  our  way  over  mountains  which  seemed  to  defy  aught  save  the  wild 
goat,  and  hewed  a  passage  through  a  chasm  of  living  rock,  more  narrow  than 
our  wagons." 

t  "In  short,  from  the  first  of  May  to  the  final  evacuation  of  the  city,  the 
men  of  Illinois  never  ceased  from  strife  and  outrage."— Bancroft's  Utah,  p.  22fi. 


116  A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

Nauvoo.  The  new  citizens  averted  a  conflict  at  that 
time,  but  on  September  10th  and  12th,  a.  mob  led  by  Col. 
Brockman,  a  Campbellite  preacher,  proceeded  to  bom- 
bard the  city.  The  citizens,  greatly  outnumbered,  banded 
together  for  defense,  but  were  overpowered,  in  a  conflict, 
on  the  12th,  of  over  an  hour's  duration,  during  which 
several  citizens  were  killed.  Then  followed  a  siege  of 
several  days,  which  ended  in  a  treaty  whose  main  pro- 
visions were  the  surrender  of  the  city,  the  immediate 
departure  of  the  remaining  Mormons  (numbering  some- 
thing over  600  souls),  the  protection  of  property  and 
persons  from  violence,  and  the  sick  to  be  treated  humanely. 

No  sooner  did  the  mob  get  possession  of  the  city, 
however,  than  the  agreement  was  outrageously  violated 
by  them.  The  citizens  were  treated  with  every  indignity, 
and  finally  all  the  Mormons  who  had  not  already  fled, 
were  forced,  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  to  abandon 
their  homes  and  possessions.  The  last  remnant  crossed 
the  river  September  17th.  They,  and  their  sick  and 
destitute,  were  dumped,  shelterless,  penniless,  with 
scarcely  any  food  or  clothing,  upon  the  flats  of  the 
western  shore  of  the  Mississippi.  Their  deserted  city 
was  pillaged,  plundered;  its  holy  temple  desecrated  with 
the  boisterous  orgies  and  vulgar  songs  of  a  drunken 
mob. 

What  became  of  the  driven  Mormons?  "Where 
were  they?  They  had  last  been  seen,  carrjnng  in  mournful 
train  their  sick  and  wounded,  halt  and  blind,  to  dis- 
appear behind  the  western  horizon,  pursuing  the  phantom 
of  another  home.  Hardly  anything  else  was  known  of 
them;  and  people  asked  with  curiosity,  what  had  been 
their  fate — what    their    fortune."* 


*  From  Col.  Kane's  lecture  before  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  117 

And  all  this,  while  their  brethren  of  the  Mormon 
Battalion  were  marching  under  the  good  old  flag-  to  do 
battle  for  their  country's  cause,  on  the  plains  of  Mexico! 

That  is  another  military  picture,  in  which  the  sullied 
good  name  of  one  of  the  sovereign  states  of  the  Union, 
Illinois,  with  her  weak  and  wavering  Governor,  stands 
prominently  in  the  foreground  to  their  everlasting  shame 
and    disgrace. 

Most  of  the  twenty  thousand  population  of  Nauvoo 
were  now  sojourning  in  the  wilderness  with  the  "Camps 
cf  Israel."  -They  endured  much  suffering.  There  was  a 
lack  of  food  and  clothing.  Fevers  broke  out  among 
them,  and  many  slept  the  sleep  of  death  on  the  prairies. 
At  Winter  Quarters  alone,  there  were  over  six  hundred 
buried.  Yet  with  all  this,  the  spirits  of  the  people  were 
kept  buoyant    with  labor  and  the  hope  of  better  days. 

In  Winter  Quarters,  nearly  seven  hundred  log  and 
turf  houses  were  erected,  the  city  being  laid  out  with 
streets  in  regular  order.  There  were  factories,  shops, 
mills,  and  a  tabernacle  of  worship,  the  whole  being 
fortified  in  frontier  fashion.  Everybody  was  kept  busy, 
the  organizations  of  the  Church  were  continued,  religious 
meetings  held,  missionaries  sent  abroad,  schools  estab- 
lished. Many  scattered  through  the  western  states  in 
search  of  work.  Teams  and  supplies  were  sent  back  to 
relieve  the  poor  remnants  of  Nauvoo,  in  their  flight  from 
tyrant  mobs. 

And  so  passed  the  winter  of  1846-7. 


4.        THE    PIONEERS    AND     FIRST    COMPANIES. 

On  the  14th    of    January,    1847,    President    Brigham 
Young  made  known    "The  Word  and  Will    of    the    Lord 


118  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

Con.cerning  the  Camps  of  Israel  in  their  Journeyings  to 
the  West."*  In  this  manifesto  are  found  the  instructions 
that  should  guide  the  Saints  in  their  continued  travels. 
In  conformity  therewith,  they  made  early  preparations  to 
vacate  Winter  Quarters,  and  to  depart  for  their  unknown 
inheritances  in  the  wilderness.  Twelve  times  twelve 
able-bodied  men  were  selected  to  pave  the  way.f  These 
pioneers  started  from  Winter  Quarters  on  the  7th  of 
April.  On  the  8th  they  encamped  near  the'Elkhorn,  and 
during  the  next  few  days  following  the  17th  of  April, 
when  the  camp  was  about  sixty  miles  west  of  the  start- 
ing point,  the  members  were  organized  thoroughl}'-  into  a 
military  company,  with  Brigham  Young  as  Lieutenani- 
General,  Stephen  Markham  as  Colonel,  and  fourteen 
captains. 

Prepared  and  equipped  to  fight  (if  necessary),  and  to 
construct  their  way  over  the  rivers,  plains  and  moun- 
tains of  the  thousand-mile  journey  before  them,  they  con- 
tinued their  westward,  pilgrim  march  for  three  months 
and  seventeen  days.  They  followed  the  north  bank  of 
the  Platte,  making  a  new  road  for  the  benefit  of  those 
who  should  come  after,  for  over  six  hundred  miles,  and 
for  the  remainder  of  the  distance  following  a  trail  made 
by  trappers.  At  length,  after  many  thrilling  experiences, 
on  the  since  celebrated  24tn  of  July,  President  Young 
and  his  band  of  pioneers  entered  the  Valley  of  the  Great 
Salt  Lake.  The  deserts  and  mountains  had  been  pene- 
trated.     About  the  grateful  wanderers  bathed  in  the  thin. 


*  See  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  136. 

fOne  of  these,  Ellis  Fames,  fell  sick,  and  returned  to  camp,  leaving  the 
number  of  the  Pioneers  at  14.3.  with  three  women  and  two  children.  Thej 
had  seventy-two  wagons,  ninety-three  horses,  fifty-two  mules,  sixty-six  oxen 
and  nineteen  cows,  besides  seventeen  dogs  and  some  chickens. 


A   BRIEF   HISrORY   OF   THE    CHURCH.  119 

clear  air,  lay  the  new  land  of  Zion,  the  resting-place 
beheld  by  their  inspired  leader  when  the  voice  whispered 
to  him:  "Here  is  the  place  where  my  people  Israel  shall 
pitch  their  tents."  The  hills  reverberated  to  their 
hosannah  shouts  of  praise  and  joy.* 

The  25th  being  Sunday,  they  held  two  religious  ser- 
vices, thanking  God  for  their  deliverance.  Pointing  to 
the  ancient  prophecies,  the  speakers  maintained  that 
these  foretold  of  their  coming:  "Oh  Zion,  that  bringest 
good  tidings,  get  thee  up  into  the  high.mountains. "  And, 
again,  God  was  to  "hide  his  people  in  the  chambers  of 
the  mountains,"  and  in  the  last  da3^s  was  to  "establish 
his  house  on  the  tops  of  the  mountains,  and  exalt  it  above 
the  hills." 

Losing  no  time,  they  began  early  the  next  day  to 
plant  potatoes  and  grain.  Companies  were  organized  to 
explore  the  surrounding  regions.  The  tall  mountain 
north  of  the  settlement  was  scaled,  and  its  summit  called 
Ensign  Peak,  because  it  was  a  suitable  place  to  raise  an 
ensign  to  the  nations.  The  river,  the  lake,  and  the  hot 
sprin*gs  were  visited.  On  the  28th  a  spot  for  a  temple 
was  selected,  and  the  general  plan  of  the  city  decided 
upon.  In  the  early  part  of  August  the  Twelve  and  man}' 
of  the  people  renewed  their  covenants  by  baptism. 
Everybody  was  kept  busy.  Some  were  tilling  the  soil, 
some  cutting  and  hauling  timber,  building,  making 
adobes,  and  otherwise  preparing  for  the  Saints  who  were 
to  follow  after  and  inhabit.      All  were  anxious    to    do    as 


*  In  the  heart  of  America  they  are  now  upon  the  border  (,f  a  new  Holy 
Land,  with  its  Desert  and  its  Dead  Sea,  its  River  Jordan,  Mount  of  Olives  and 
Galilee  Lake,  and  a  hundred  other  features  of  its  prototype  of  Asia. — Ban- 
<^roft's  Utah,  p.  258. 


120  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

much  as  possible  before  returning  to  assist  their  friends. 
The  pioneers  had  been  re-inforced,  soon  after  their  arri- 
val, by  one  hundred  and  forty  men  of  the  Mormon  Bat- 
talion detachment,  and  about  one  hundred  Saints  from 
Mississippi. 

At  a  conference  on  the  22nd  day  of  August,  a  Stake 
of  Zion  was  organized,  with  Father  John  Smith  as 
President.  At  this  time  the  settlement  was  named  Great 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  the  surrounding  creeks  and  canyons 
and  the  river  Jordan  were  christened.  The  whole  region 
whose  waters  flow  into  the  Lake  was  called  the  Great 
Basin. 

On  the  17th,  seventy-one  men,  mostly  of  the  Bat- 
talion, had  returned,  well  organized,  to  Winter  Quarters. 
Later,  August  26th,  President  Young  and  a  compan}^  of 
one  hundred  and  seven  persons,  also  mostly  Battalion 
men  who  had  families  among  the  Saints,  started  for 
Winter  Quarters,  bidding  "a  heart}^  good-by  to  all  who 
tarry.  "* 

In  the  track  of  the  pioneers  were  now  moving  several 
companies  of  Saints — distinguished  as  the  first  emigra- 
tions. In  June  these  were  organized  on  the  Elk  Horn, 
in  accordance  with  the  instructions  left  by  President 
Young.  Apostles  Parley  P.  Pratt  and  John  Taylor  exer- 
cised general  supervision  of  the  emigrants,  who  were 
directed  by  the    committee    appointed    for    this    purpose. 


♦  Says  Wilford  Woodruff:  "We  have  traveled  with  heavily  laden  wagons 
more  than  a  thousand  miles,  over  rough  roads,  mountains,  and  canyons, 
searching  out  a  land,  a  resting  place  for  the  Saints.  We  have  laid  out  a  city 
two  miles  square,  and  built  a  fort  of  hewn  timber  drawn  seven  miles  from  the 
mountains,  and  of  sun-dried  bricks  and  adobes,  surrounding  ten  acres  of 
ground,  forty  rods  ol  which  were  covered  with  block-houses,  besides  planting 
about  ten  acres  of  corn  and  vegetables.  All  this  we  have  done  in  a  single 
month.'' 


A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH.  121 

There  were  all  told  about  500  wagons,  1553  men,  women 
and  children,  with  about  5000  head  of  stock.  John 
Young  was  the  general  commander,  with  John  Van  Cott, 
marshal.  Then  there  were  four  captains  of  hundreds — 
Daniel  Spencer,  Edward  Hunter,  Jedediah  M.  Grant, 
Abraham  O.  Smoot — with  sub-captains  and  divisions  of 
"fifties"  and  "tens;"  also  an  "artillery  company"  under 
General  C.  C.  Rich.  Among  the  many  prominent  found- 
ers of  Utah  who  were  along  with  these  camps  may  be 
named  George  Q.  Cannon  (then  a  youth  of  twenty), 
Eliza  R.  Snow,  John  Smith  (who  had  been  sustained  as 
President  of  the  Salt  Lake  Stake),  Lorin  Farr,  the 
Thatchers,  William  Hyde,  Jacob  Gates,  William  W. 
Riter,  William  C.  Staines,  Jesse  N.  Smith  and  Chauncey 
W^    West. 

The  Saints  left  the  Elk  Horn  m  two  companies — on 
the  18th  of  June,  and  on  the  4th  of  July.  Their  progress 
was  hindered  by  stampedes,  and  the  loss  of  cattle;  and  they 
had  some  trouble  with  the  Indians.  There  were  six  or 
seven  deaths  and  a  number  of  births  on  the  journey. 
Their  meetings  with  the  pioneers  were  occasions  of  great 
rejoicings.  On  the  Sweetwater  a  grand  feast  was  held 
in  honor  of  President  Young,  at  the  instance  of  Apostle 
Taylor  and  Bishop  Hunter.  Important  councils  were 
held  at  various  times,  and  the  Saints,  who  now  learned 
for  the  first  time  where  their  destination  was,  were 
cheered  and  encouraged  by  the  returning  pioneers. 

In  the  latter  part  of  September  the  companies  began 
arriving  in  the  Valley,  and  before  the  middle  of  October 
ail  the    trains    had  reached    the  journey's    end  in    safety. 

Reaching  Winter  Quarters  on  the  31st  of  October, 
the  returning  brethren,  many  of  whom  had  not  seen  their 

9 


122  A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

families  since  the  eventful  Jul}^  16th,  1846,  when  they 
parted  with  them  at  their  country's  call,  were  w-armly 
greeted  by  their  friends  and  loved  ones. 


O.        MIGRATION    OF    THE    MAIN    BODY    WEST. 

There  were  now  two  Stakes  of  Zion — one  on  the 
Missouri,  which  continued  to  be  the  headquarters  owing 
to  the  presence  of  President  Young  and  most  of  the 
Twelve,  and  one  on  the  borders  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake, 
in  the  midnt  of  the  mountains.  A  thousand  miles  apart, 
cheerful  and  united,  but  struggling  still  with  hardships 
and  ever-recurring  new  difficulties,  the  Saints  spent  the 
winter  of  1847-8. 

In  Winter  Quarters  they  had  prospered  abundantly. 
True,  there  had  been  some  sickness  and  deaths,  but  the 
climate  was  much  improved.  On  the  whole,  health, 
abiding  peace  and  good  wall  prevailed  among  the  faith- 
ful inhabitants.  In  contentment  and  quiet  the  winter 
passed  awa3%  preparations  being  eagerly  made  for  the 
contemplated  migration  in  the  spring. 

On  the  5th  of  December,  at  a  council  of  the  Apos- 
tles, it  was  decided  to  organize  the  quorum  of  the  First 
Presidency,  vacant  since  the  martyrdom  of  the  Prophet. 
Brigham  Young,  the  chief  Apostle,  was  then  chosen 
President  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints.  The  action  of  the  Twelve  was  ratified  at  a 
conference  of  the  Church  on  the  27th,  and  on  the  8th  of 
October  the  following  year  was  confirmed  by  a  confer- 
ence at  Great  Salt  Lake  City.  The  Apostles  also  issued 
a  general  epistle,  calling  upon  the  Saints  to  gather  to 
the  new  Zion  in  the  mountains,  and  upon  all  "presidents, 
and  emperors,  and    kings,    and    princes,    and    nobles    and 


A   BRIEF   HISTOEY   OF   THE    CHURCH.  123 

governors,  and  rulers, and  judges,  and  all  nations,  and 
kindreds,  tongues,  and  people  under  the  whole  heaven, 
to  come  and  help  us  to  build  a  house  to  the  name  of  the 
God  of  Jacob,  a  place  of  peace,  a  city  of  rest,  a  habita- 
tion for  the  oppressed  of  every  clime."* 

The  seventeen  hundred  souls  who  dwelt  in  Great 
Salt  Lake  City  passed  through  the  season  enjoying 
moderate  comfort  under  the  circumstances. f  The  winter 
was  mild  with  but  little  snow.  On  October  3rd,  after 
their  arrival,  the  first  stake  organization  was  completed. 
Father  John  Smith,  president,  Charles  C.  Rich  and 
John  Young,  counselors.  A  High  Council  was  also 
organized.  Tarleton  Lewis  was  chosen  Bishop.  Some 
of  the  Battalion  men,  returning  from  California,  brought 
wheat,  corn,  potatoes  and  garden  seeds  while  more  seeds 
also  live  stock  were  subsequently  imported  by  settlers 
who  visited  the  coast.  Tn  the  spring,  wild  sego  and 
parsnip  roots,  and  later  thistle  tops,  constituted  the 
vegetable  diet.  Their  beef  had  been  very  poor.  Dis- 
secting some  of  it  at  one  time.  Apostle  Taylor  suggested 
that  the  saw  be  greased  to  make  it  work.  In  some 
instances  skins  served  in  lieu  of  clothing.  Catamounts, 
wolves,  foxes,  mice  and  bed-bugs  each  contributed  to 
make  matters  unpleasant  for  the  new  settlers. 

The  most  serious  plague,  however,  was  yet  to  come. 
It  was  the  crickets.  Appearing  in  May  and  June,  1848, 
black  legions  of  these  pests  invaded  the  fields  and  garr 
dens,  literally  sweeping  the  earth  clean  wherever  they 
passed.      All  the  efforts  of  the  settlers,    who,   living  upon 


*  See  Millennial  Star,  Vol.  x,  p.  81. 

t  They  dwelt  in  423  houses,   had  5,133  acres  of  cultivated  land,  and    875 
a(ires  sown  with  winter  wheat. 


124  A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE   CHURCH. 

sego  roots  and  thistles,  fought  with  the  depperation  of 
souls  who  have  starvation  staring  them  in  the  face,  to 
save  their  crops  were  unavailing.  There  seemed  to  be 
no  help.  The  harvest  would  go,  and  with  it  the  lives 
dependent  upon  it!  At  this  critical  time,  immense  flocks 
of  gulls  came  from  the  islands  of  the  lake  to  feast  upon 
the  crickets.  All  day  they  ate,  gorged,  vomited,  then 
feasted  again,  returning  each  day  until  the  cricket  foe 
was  vanquished.  The  thankful  and  astonished  settlers 
looked  on  in  wonder,  praising  God  that  through  a  mani- 
festation of  His  providence  they  were  saved!  It  is  not 
strange  that  to  this  day  the  gull  is  a  sacred  bird  among 
the  Saints.  In  memory  of  their  service  to  the  undaunted 
pioneer,  let  there  be  emblazoned  upon  the  armorial 
ensign  of  the  new  State  of  Utah  the  gull  and  the  sego  lily. 

On  the  10th  day  of  August  the  settlers  celebrated 
their  first  harvest  home.  "Large  sheaves  of  wheat," 
says  Parley  P.  Pratt,  "rye,  barley,  oats  and  other  produc- 
tions were  hoisted  on  poles  for  public  exhibition,  and 
there  was  prayer  and  thanksgiving,  congratulations, 
songs,  speeches,  music,  dancing-,  smiling  faces  and  merry 
liearts.  Some  of  the  Battalion  men,  who  had  remained 
at  work  in  California  returning,  increased  the  population 
to  about  1800  souls.  They  were  among  the  first  to  dis- 
cover the  gold  fields  which  were  soon  to  set  aflame  the 
civilized  world.  Some  of  the  duRt  they  brought  with 
them  to  the  valley. 

Turning  now  to  the  Missouri,  we  hnd  that  early  in 
1848  active  operations  were  engaged  in  to  migrate  the 
main  body  of  the  Church  to  the  mountains.  Winter 
Quarters  would  shortly  be  vacated.  Desiring  an  outfit- 
ting post  in  the  East,  the  Mormon  leaders  petitioned  the 
legislature  of    Iowa  for  the    organization  of  Pottawatomie 


A    BUIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH.  125 

County,  and  built  the  town  of  Kanesville,  east  of  the 
river  a  few  miles  above  the  present  city  of  Council 
Bluffs.  At  this  place  for  several  years  the  Mormon  emi- 
grations were  equipped  for  their  journeys  over  the  plains. 
Coming  from  Europe,  they  sailed  up  the  rivers  from  New 
Orleans.  The  first  river-route  company  came  under 
direction  of  Apostle  Franklin  D.  Richards,  landing  in 
Winter  Quarters  a  short  time  before  the  first  company' 
of  that  year  started  for  the  mountains. 

In  preparation  of  the  approaching  departure,  on 
Sunday,  May  14th,  President  Young  publicly  pronounced 
blessings  upon  those  who  were  going  with  him  to  the 
valley,  as  well  as  upon  those  who  were  to  remain.  On 
this  occasion  he  prophesied  that  the  Saints  would  never 
be  driven  from,  the  Rocky  Mountains.  On  the  24th  he 
led  out  for  the  Elk  Horn,  where  the  companies  were 
thoroughly  organized.*  They,  began  their  westward 
travels  about  the  beginning  of  June.  There  were  three 
companies  -Brigham  Young,  who  had  general  command 
of  all  of  them  (Daniel  H.  Wells,  his  aide-de-camp,  and 
H.  S.  Eldredge,  marshal)  came  first  with  1229  souls, 
and  397  wagons;  Heber  C.  Kimball,  with  662  souls  and 
226  wagons;  Willard  Richards,  With  526  souls  and  169 
wagons. t     When  the  last  wagon  left  oh  the  3rd  of  July, 


*"To  those  who  met  them  on  the  route,  the  strict  order  of  their  march 
their  coolness  and  rapidity  in  chasing  ranks  to  repel  assaults,  their  method  in 
posting  sentries  around  camp  and  corral,  suggested  rather  the  movements  of  a 
well  organized  army  than  the  migration  of  a  people,  and  in  truth,  few 
armies  have  been  better  organized  or  more  ably  led  than  was  this  army  of  the 
Lord  "—Bancroft's  Utah,  p.  284. 

tTherewere  besides  in  all  the  companies:  2012  oxen,  983  cows,  131 
horses,  116  mules,  654  sheep,  3>84  loose  cattle,  337  pigs,  904  chickens,  134  dogs. 
54  cats,  3  goats,  10  geese,  5  ducks,  11  doves,  1  squirrel,  and  5  hives  of  bees. 


126  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.. 

Winter  Quarters  was  almost  deserted.  With  this  emi- 
gration ^were  such  famous  men  in  Utah  history  as 
Lorenzo  Snow,  Franklin  D.  Richards,  Joseph  F.  Smith, 
Newel  K.  Whitney,  Robert  T.  Burton,  Rosea  Stout, 
and  many  others.  Several  of  the  Apostles  who  were  to 
go  on  missions  remained  in  Kanesville,  where,  on 
February  7th,  1849,  Orson  Hyde  began  the  publication 
of  the  Frontier  Gifardian. 

The  companies  all  followed  in  the  route  of  the 
Pioneers.  President  Young  arrived  in  Great  Salt  Lake 
City  on  the  20th  of  September,  1848,  and  within  a 
month  all  the  trains  had  safely  entered  the  valley.  Their 
presence  swelled  the  population  to  5000  souls. 

The  Church  was  now  in  the  "^Great  American 
Desert,"  led  thither  under  the  inspired,  direction  of 
Brigham  Young,  one  of  the  greatest  colonizers  our  coun- 
try has  ever  known.  It  was  a  desolate  abiding  place, 
shunned  by  all  who  passed  because  of  its  sterility.  It 
was  the  most  inhospitable  and  forbidding  portion  of  the 
vast  western  region  of  which  the  great  statesman,  Daniel 
Webster,  said:  "What  do  we  want  with  this  vast, 
worthless  area?  This  region  of  savages  and  wild  beasts, 
of  deserts,  of  shifting  sands  and  whirlwinds  of  dust,  of 
cactus  and  prairie  dogs?  To  what  use  could  we  ever 
hope  to  put  these  great  deserts,  or  those  endless  mountain 
ranges,  impenetrable,  and  covered  to  their  very  base 
with  eternal  snow?" 

Yet  in  the  heart  of  this  domain,  the  exiled  Mormons 
chose  to  build  their  homes.  They  loved  it  because  of 
its  liberty,  because  of  the  freedom  that  encircled  them. 
By  arduous  toil  and  the  blessings  of  God  they  have  built 
their  scores  of  thrifty  cities,  subdued  the  sandy  desert, 
made  a  garden  of  the  wilderness. 


A    BKIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH.  127 

6.        COLONIZATION. 

To  obtain  pasturage  for  their  sto^k,  several  of  the 
pioneers,  soon  after  their  arrival,  pressed  north  found- 
ing the  settlements  in  what  is  now  Davis  County.* 
These  new  places  continued  to  thrive,  and  before  the 
close  of  1848,  there  were  colonies  near  the  present  Boun- 
tiful, Kaysville,  Farmington,  and  in  other  places.  In 
January  of  that  year.  Captain  James  Brown  purchased 
the  Miles  Goodyear  claim  which  included  the  present 
site  of  Ogden  City,  and  the  greater  portion  of  Weber 
County. 

These  movements  to  occupy  the  land  were  made 
agreeable  to  the  instructions  of  President  Young,  and 
were  a  part  of  his  grand  scheme  to  colonize  the  moun- 
tain region  with  his  people.  Upon  his  arrival,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1848,  this  matter  was  uppermost  in  his  mind, 
but  he  found  that  the  first  great  question  to  be  solved 
was  the  short  supply  of  food.  The  crops  were  not  so 
abundant  that  there  would  be  sufficient  for  the  now 
increased  population.  The  new  companies  had  brought 
onl}'  little  with  them.  As  a  result,  before  a  new  harvest, 
there  was  great  scarcity  of  food,  much  privation  and 
suffering  among  the  people,  which,  however,  were 
materially  alleviated  by  the  spirit  of  kindness,  oneness 
and  helpfulness  that  prevailed. f  In  community  fashion, 
the  needy  were  helped  by  those  who  had  supplies.  To 
add  to  their  misfortunes,  the  winter  of  1848-9  was 
very  severe. 


*So  named  after  Captain  D.  C.  Davis  of  the  Mormon  Battalion,  who  set- 
tled near  the  present  site  of  Farmington. 

t  "Roots  had  to  be  dug  from  the  ground  for  food,  raw  hides  were  torn 
down  from  roofs,  cut  into  shreds  and  cooked.  Very  little  game  was  found, 
near  the  city  :  some  fish  were  obtained." — Contributor,  Vol.  2,  p.  176. 


128  A    BRIEF   HISTOKY   OF   THE   CHUR«:H. 

It  was  while  the  people  were  thus  distressed  that 
Heber  C.  Kimball  prophesied  that  within  three  years 
^"States  goods"  would  be  sold  cheaper  in  Salt  Lake  Valley 
than  in  New  York.  His  prophetic  utterance  found  remark- 
able fulfillment  when  the  adventurous  gold  hunters  from 
all  parts  of  the  earth  made  Salt  Lake  their  "half-way 
house,"  leaving  their  merchandise,  provisions  and 
implements,  with  the  destitute  settlers  in  exchange  for 
animals  to  carry  them  more  hurriedly  to  their  destination. 
This  was  in  1849,  and  when  the  settlers  grandly  celebrated 
the  second  anniversar}^  of  their  arrival  into  the  Valley, 
the  prophecy  uttered  the  year  previous  was  being  fulfilled. 
At  the  grand  feast  hundreds  of  west  bound  emigrants 
dined  with  the  happy  Mormons.  But  even  this  mani- 
festation of  divine  provision  was  not  enough  to  prevent 
some  of  the  Saints  from  contracting  the  gold  fever.  It 
took  the  best  efforts  and  the  wisest  judgment  of  their 
leaders  to  intercept  tue  threatened  general  migration  to 
the  golden  west,  which  would  have  been  then  as  great  a 
calamity  as  could  have  befallen  the  Church. 

The  people  were  stirred  to  activity.  In  the  fall  of 
1848,  five  thousand  acres  of  land  were  plotted  for  fencing 
and  cultivation,  over  eight  hundred  were  sowed  in  winter 
wheat.  The  council  house  was  projected,  roads  were 
constructed,  grist  and  saw  mills  were  erected,  bridges 
built,  and  a  proposition  was  made  to  bring  the  waters  of 
the  Big  Cottonwood  to  the  city.  Lots  were  distributed 
to  the  settlers  some  of  whom,  moving  out  of  the  "Fort," 
settled  upon  these.  To  obviate  the  inconvenience  of  a 
lack  of  circulating  medium,  pending  the  procuring  of  a 
stamp  to  coin  the  gold  dust  brought  by  the  Battalion 
men,  a  paper  currency  was  issued  in  January,  1849. 
Fify-cent    and    one-dollar    bills,     upon     which     the     first 


A    BRIEF    HESTOKY    OF   THE    CHUKCH.  129 

printing  in  the  Valley  was  done,  were  stamped;  and  a 
""resolution  was  passed  placing  certain  Kirtland  Bank 
bills  in  circulation,  thus  making  these  notes  as  good  as 
gold,  in  fulfillment  of  a  prophecy  to  that  effect  by  the 
Prophet  Joseph.  Later  the  gold  dust  was  coined  into 
$2.50,  $5,  $10,  and  $20  pieces  which  were  used  until 
superceded  by  legal  tender  when  they  were  disposed  of 
as  bullion  to  the  federal  mints. 

Keeping  constantly  in  view  their  religious  duties  in 
the  midst  of  their  temporal  labors,  the  organizations  of 
the  Church  were  never  neglected.  On  February  12th, 
1849,  the  quorum  of  Twelve  was  filled  by  the  calling  and 
ordination  of  Charles  C.  Rich,  Lorenzo  Snow,  Erastus 
Snow  and  Franklin  D.  Richards  to  the  Apostleship.  A 
permanent  Stake  organization  was  also  perfected,  and 
the  city  was  divided  into  nineteen  ecclesiastical  wards 
with  a  bishop  over  each.  The  gathering  was  not  for- 
gotten. In  1849  there  were  about  thirty  thousand  Saints 
m  Great  Britain,  ten  thousand  of  whom  had  joined  the 
Church  in  the  past  fifteen  months.  To  assist  in  redeem- 
ing the  country,  as  well  as  to  carry  out  the  commands 
of  God,  it  was  desirable  that  these  should  be  brought  to 
the  mountains.  For  tjhe  purpose  of  aiding  the  poor 
among  them  to  migrate,  the  Perpetual  Emigrating  Fund 
was  established  in  October.  A  large  sum  of  money  was 
obtained  for  this  fund  which  was  kept  in  operation 
thereafter  for  upwards  of  forty  years,  and  was  the  means 
of  assisting  thousands  to  emigrate  from  the  poverty  of 
the  Old  World  to  the  better  surroundings  of  the  New. 
Bishop  Edward  Hunter  was  sent  to  the  frontier  to  put 
its  provisions  into  operation,  and  to  take  charge  of  the 
next  season's  emigration.  At  the  same  time  many 
prominent      Elders     were      called      to      go      to      various 


130  A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE   CHURCH. 

parts  of  the  earth  on  missions.  They  opened  the 
gospel  door  to  France,  Scandinavia,  Italy,  Lower  Cali- 
fornia, and  the  Society  Islands,  or  were  sent  to  other 
regions  to  continue  the  work  of  promulgation.  The  first 
company  brought  across  the  plains  by  the  Emigrating 
Company  arrived  in  Salt  Lake  on  the  13th  of  October, 
1850. 

Colonization  continued.  What  is  now  Utah,  Sanpete, 
and  Tooele  Counties,  were  explored  and  settled,  also 
Sevier,  Iron  and  other  southern  counties.  Later  followed 
exploring  parties  and  colonies  to  all  parts  of  the  Terri- 
tory. In  each  of  these  the  various  crafts  were  repre- 
sented. They  provided  themselves  with  plenty  of 
provisions,  stocks,  implements  and  other  necessaries. 
The}'  were  generally  composed  of  volunteers,  and  were 
sent  out  by  the  great  colonizer,  Brigham  Young,  under 
proper  ecclesiastical  organization.  Until  the  introduction 
of  a  regular  civil  government,  the  Church  officers  held 
secular  or  temporal  administration  over  the  people.  The 
public  labors  were  performed  under  their  direction,  they 
were  the  judges  among  the  people,  and  under  their 
supervision  and  advice  went  on  the  great  work  of 
founding  and  building  cities,  of  redeeming  the  desert. 
Marvelous  indeed  are  the  labors  of  these]empire  founders. 
At  present  they  and  their  children  occupy  the  country 
extending  for  over  a  thousand  miles  from  Mexico  to 
Canada,  and  their  numerous  thrifty  cities  and  villages 
are  found  in  the  valleys  of  the  mountains  in  nearly  every 
State  and  Territory  of  the  mighty  West.  The  Saints 
are  the  remnants  of  Israel  gathered  out  from  the  coasts 
of  the  earth,  and  truly  God  hath  wrought  through  them 
"a  marvelous  work  and  a  wonder." 


A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  131 

7.        UTAH    TERRITORY   ORGANIZED. 

Up  to  the  Spring  of  1849,  when  the  political  history 
of  Utah  properly  begins,  the  settlers  had  been  governed 
exclusively  by  the  excellent  ecclesiastical  organizations. 
There  had  been  little  need  and  less  time  for  civil  govern- 
ment, but  as  emigrants  of  other  faiths  began  to  come  into 
their  midst,  there  v^as  a  desire  among  the  leaders  of  the 
people  to  come  in  under  the  folds  of  the  Union,  as  indeed 
there  had  been  from  the  beginning,  notwithstanding  they 
had  been  driven  by  that  nation  to  a  foreign  country. 

By  the  treaty  of  Guadalupe  Hidalgo,  signed  February 
2nd,  1848,  the  United  States  had  come  into  the  posses- 
sion of  the  vast  western  region  from  which  was  afterward 
formed  the  States  and  Territories  of  California,  Nevada, 
Utah,  New  Mexico,  and  Arizona.  The  Mormons  were 
well  nigh  the  only  occupants  of  the  new  domain,  and 
they  were  hopeful  and  energetic  enough  to  believe  that 
in  time  they  could  subdue  and  occupy  the  country  which 
they  had  assisted  in  wresting  from  Mexico,  and  opened 
up.  to  civilization. 

With  a  view  of  introducing  civil  government  to  this 
area,  early  in  March,  1849,  a  convention  was  called  of 
"all  the  citizens  of  that  part  of  Upper  California  lying 
east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  M  ountains,  to  take  into 
consideration  the  propriety  of  organizing  a  territorial  or 
state  government."  This  convention  assembled  in  Salt 
Lake  City  on  the  4th  of  March.  A  memorial,  signed  by 
Brigham  Young  and  2,270  others,  was  sent  to  Congress, 
as  a  result  of  this  convention,  April  30th,  asking  for 
a  "territorial  government  of  the  most  liberal  construction 
authorized  by  our  most  excellent  federal  constitution, 
with  the  least  possible  delay,"  which  was  carried  to 
Washington  by  Dr.   J.    M.    Bernhisel. 


132  A   BRIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

At  the  convention,  a  committee  was  also  selected  to 
draft  a  constitution  und^r  which  the  people  might  govern 
themselves,  until  Congress  should  take  action  and  other- 
wise provide  by  law.  On  the  10th  of  March  the  consti- 
tution was  adopted  and  a  Provisional  Government  was 
organized  under  the  name  of  the  State  of  Deseret.  A 
legislature,  or  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Deseret, 
consisting  of  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives,  was 
also  elected  with  powers  and  duties  defined.  Brigham 
Young  was  elected  Governor.*  Under  this  form  of 
government,  purel}^  Mormon  and  not  yet  sanctioned  b}- 
the  authority  of  Congress,  the  new  State  was  governed 
for  nearly  two  years.  Justice  was  equitably  administered 
to  all — both  non-Mormon  and  Mormon,  and  the  decisions 
of  the  courts,  constantly  appealed  to  by  passing  emi- 
grants, were  remarkable  for  fairness  and  impartiality,  t 

On  Jul}  2nd,  1849,  the  General  Assembly  of  Deseret 
met  at  Salt  Lake  City,  and  by  joint  agreement  of  its  two 
houses,  it  was  decided  to  pray  for  the  admission  of 
Deseret  as  a  state  of  the  Union.  A  new  memorial  was 
consequently  then  prepared.  Almon  W.  Babbit  was 
elected  delegate  to  Congress,  and  was  sent    to    Washing- 


» Willard  Richards,  secretary;  Horace  S.  Eldredge,  marshal;  Daniel 
H.  Wells,  attorney-general ;  besides  an  assessor  and  c/»llector,  a  treasurer,  and 
supervisor  of  roads  :  also  three  judges,  Heber  C.  Kimball,  chief  justice,  and 
John  Taylor  and  Newel  K.  Whitney,  associates.  The  bishops  of  the  several 
wards  were  elected  as  magistrates. 

t  So  testifies  Captain  Howard  Stansbury  of  the  U.  S.  Army  Corps  of 
Topographical  Engineers  who  came  to  Salt  Lake  City  on  the  28th  of  August, 
1849,  wintered  there,  and  remained  w  ith  his  expedition  in  the  Territory  for  a 
whole  year,  exploring  and  surveying  the  Valley  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake,  also 
Utah  Lake  and  its  vicinity,  also  a  route  from  the  Valley  to  Fort  Hall.  His 
widely  circulated  report  to  the  Government  is  authority  throughout  the  world 
in  relation  to  Utah  and  the  people  who  reclaimed  it  from  a  desert. 


A   BllIEF    HISTOiiY    OF    THE    CHUKCH.  133 

ton,  bearing  the  memorial  and  the  constitution  of  the 
proposed  state.  Mr.  Babbit  presented  his  documents  to 
Congress,  with  his  credentials  as  delegate  from  the 
Provisional  State  of  Deseret,  through  Senator  Stephen 
A.  Douglass,  on  the  27th  of  December  of  that  year;  but 
his  petition  was  denied,  and  he  was,  of  course,  not 
admitted  to  Congress.  Instead,  after  a  delay  of  nine 
months,  Congress  passed  a  bill  entitled,  "An  act  to 
establish  a  territorial  government  for  Utah,"  providing 
for  the  organization  of  Utah  Territory,  which  was  signed 
by  President  Millard  Fillmore,  and  went  into  force  on 
the  9th  of  September,  1850.  The  President  appointed 
officers  for  the  Territory  as  follows:  Brigham  Young, 
Governor;  B.  D.  Harris,  Secretary;  Joseph  Buffington, 
Chief  Justice;  Perry  C.  Brocchus  and  Zerubbabel 
Snow,  Associate  Justices;  Seth  M.  Blair,  Attorney;  and/ 
Joseph  L.    Heywood,   Marshal. 

The  news  of  the  organization  of  the  Territory  and 
the  appointment  of  the  Governor  and  other  officers  did 
not  reach  the  valley  until  January  27th,  1851,  being  even 
then  unofficially  conveyed  by  way  of  San  Francisco, 
through  New  York  newspapers  which  were  brought  to 
Salt  Lake  by  Mr.    Henry  B.    Gibson. 

On  the  5th  of  April,  1851,  Governor  Young,  who 
had  taken  the  oath  of  office  on  the  3rd  of  February,  dis- 
solved the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Deseret, 
and  thus  changed  the  provisional  to  the  territorial  form 
of  government,  merg'ing  the  State  into  the  Territory  of 
Utah. 

Among  the  more  important  of  the  many  acts  of  the 
Provisional  Assembl}^  afterward  made  legal  by  the 
territorial  legislature,  may  be  mentioned  the  creation  of 
Salt    Lake,    Weber,    Utah,    Sanpete,      Juab    and     Tooele 


134  A   BKIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

counties,  and  the  granting  of  a  charter  to  the  University 
of  Deseret,  in  the  winter  of  1849-50;  the  passing  of  acts 
incorporating  Great  Salt  Lake  City  (January  9th),  Ogden 
City,  the  city  of  Manti,  Provo  City  and  Parowan  City 
(February  6th),  and  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  (February  8th),  in  1851. 

On  the  first  Monday  of  August,  1851,  an  election 
was  held,  at  which  were  chosen  a  Delegate  to  Congress, 
Dr.  Bernhisel,  who  was  the  first  to  represent  Utah  in 
that  body,  and  a  legislature. 

With  the  arrival  of  Judge  Brocchus,  in  August,  all 
the  federal  judges  were  in  the  territory,  and  had  been 
assigned  by  the  Governor  to  their  districts.  Judge  Broc- 
chus (who  was  appointed  with  Secretar}'  Harris  and  Judge 
Brandebur}^  instead  of  Mr.  Buffington,  declined),  soon 
became  dissatisfied  with  his  position,  being  doubtless 
disappointed  in  not  being  elected  by  the  Mormons  to 
Congress.  The  result  of  this  disaffection  was  a  breach, 
which  was  a  beginning  of  the  long  controversy  between 
the  federal  judges  and  the  Mormons. 

Being  invited  to  speak  at  a  public  meeting  early  in 
September,  Judge  Brocchus  shamjfull)^  abused  the  people 
and  their  institutions.  He  was  severely  rebuked  by 
President  Young.  Not  long  after  this  episode,  the  Secre- 
tary and  the  two  Judges  informed  the  Governor  that  the}- 
would  return  to  Washington.  They  did  so  on  September 
28th,  carrying  with  them  the  Territorial  seal,  records  and 
documents,  as  well  as  $24,000.00  appropriated  by  Con- 
gress ioT  the  per  diem  of  the  legislature.  These  "runaway 
judges  and  secretary,"  by  which  sobriquet  they  became 
known,  made  their  report  to  the  proper  national  officials, 
falsely  asserting  that  they  were  forced  to  leave  Utah  on 
account  of    the  lawless    acts  and    seditious  tendencies   of 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE    CHURCH.  135 

Governor  Brigham  Young  and  the  majority  of  the 
citizens.  Their  scheme  to  create  trouble  for  the  Mormons 
did  not  succeed,  however,  as  they  had  expected,  for  they 
were  forced  to  retire,  the  President  appointing  in  their 
stead,  on  the  15th  of  August,  1852,  l^azarus  H.  Reed, 
chief  justice,  with  Leonidas  Shaver,  associate,  and  Benja- 
min G.  Ferris,  of  anti-Mormon  book  fame,  secretary. 
The  vacancies  in  the  meantime  were  temporarily  filled 
by  gubernatorial  appointment,  a  full  explanation  being 
rendered  to  the  President  of  the  United  States.  The 
next  federal  ofificials  were  Chief  Justice  John  F.  Kinney, 
appointed  August  24th,  1854,  Associate  Justice  George 
P.  Stiles,  August  1st,  1854;  Judge  W.  W.  Drummond, 
September  12th,  1854.  The  latter  two  became  chiefly 
instrumental  in  bringing  about  the  "Utah  War." 

While  these  political. changes  were  being  made,  other 
more  important  events  were  transpiring  among  the  people 
of  Utah.  Desiring  a  closer  association  with  the  other 
citizens  of  the  Union,  the  Governor  and  legislative 
Assembly  as  early  as  March  3rd,  1852,  memorialized  Con- 
gress for  the  construction  of  a  national  central  railroad 
to  the  Pacific  coast,  also  for  a  telegraph  line,  setting 
forth  among  other  things  as  their  reasons  for  this  desire 
"that  the  immense  emigration  to  and  from  the  Pacific 
requires  the  immediate  attention,  guardian  care  and 
fostering;  assistance  of  the  greatest  and  most  liberal  govern- 
ment on  the  face  of  the  earth."  "That  an  eligible  route 
can  be  obtained — that  the  mineral  resources  of  California 
and  these  mountains  can  never  be  fully  developed  to  the 
benefit  of  the  people  of  the  United  States  without  the 
construction  of  such  a  road;  and  upon  its  completion  the 
entire  trade  of  China  and  the  East  Indies  will  pass  through^ 
the    heart    of    the    Union,    thereby    giving     our    citizens 


136  A   BRIEF   HISTOKY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

almost  the  control  of  the  Asiatic  and  Pacific  trade,  pouring^ 
into  the  lap  of  the  American  states  the  millions  that  are 
now  diverted  through  other  commercial  channels. " 
Again,  in  Governor  Young's  message  to  the  legislature, 
in  1853,  he  urges  the  necessity  of  a  national  iron  high- 
way, and  calls  attention  to  the  importance  of  properly 
presenting  the  matter,  before  Congress.  A  great  mass 
meeting  was  accordingly  held  in  January,  1854,  in  which 
the  people  took  steps  to  further  memorialize  Congress  for 
the  construction  of  a  railway  via  Salt  Lake  City  to  the 
Pacific.  But  other  petitions  were  necessary,  and  over 
fifteen  years  were  to  elapse  before  the  iron  horse  should 
awake  the  echoes  in  their  mountain  retreat. 

With  the  arrival  of  fresh  emigrants,  the  growth  and 
extension  of  the  cities  and  villages  continued,  until  there 
was  a  chain  of  thirty  Mormon  settlements  from  Bear 
River,  on  the  north,  to  the  rim  of  the  Great  Basin,  on 
the  south,  and  to  the  east  and  west  of  Salt  Lake  City. 
Public  buildings  and  stores  were  erected,  coal  and  iron 
mines  developed,  grist  and  saw  mills  were  busy  in  all 
parts.  Encouraged  by  legislative  appropriation  and  pro- 
tection, home  manufacturing  establishments,  sprang  up 
in  various  places.  Ten  thousand  dollars  of  the  terri- 
torial revenue  of  something  over  twenty-six  thousand, 
were  expended  for  fostering  infant  industries,  for  sur- 
veys, roads  and  bridges,  and  for  educational  purposes. 
It  should  be  remembered  that  among  the  Mormons 
colonizers,  the  school  house  was  the  first  public  building 
to  be  erected  in  every  settlement. 

On  April  6th,  1853,  the  corner  stone  of  the  now 
completed  great  temple  at  Salt  Lake  City  was  laid, 
ground  having  been  broken  for  the  foundation  on  the 
14th  of  February  previous.      It  was  dedicated  foity  years 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH.  187 

later,  April  <)th,  1893,  and  has  been  pronounced"  a  struc- 
ture unsurpassed  if  not  unequaled  for  beauty  and  subli- 
mity by  any  other  edifice  in  America." 

At  the  October  Conference,  1853,  many  were  called 
to  strengthen  the  settlements '  in  Iron,  Tooele,  Sanpete, 
Box  Elder  and  Juab  counties. 

As  a  rule  only  little  trouble  was  experienced  with 
the  Indians,  owing  chiefly  to  the  wise  course  adopted  by 
President  Young  in  treating  them.  His  life-long  policy 
toward  the  red  men,  which  has  saved  much  property  and 
man}^  lives  in  Utah,  is  embodied  in  this  utterance  of  his 
which  he  ever  put  faithfully  into  practice  as  a  private 
individual,  as  Governor  and  Government  Indian  Agent, 
and  as  President  of  the  Church:  "It  is  cheaper  to  feed 
the  Indians  than  to  fight  them."  But  their  treatment 
under  these  conditions,  and  with  the  careful  diplomacy 
of  the  great  Mormon  leader  did  not  entirely  prevent  con- 
flicts with  them.  The  first  troubles  occurred  in  1850-1. 
Then  followed  a  period  of  peace  until  1853,  when  the  Ute 
war  broke  out,  instigated  doubtless  by  Mexican  traders, 
who  came  to  Utah  and  supplied  the  Indians  with  firearms, 
ammunition,  horses,  etc.,  taking  in  exchange  Indian 
women  and  children,  who  were  subsequently  sold  into 
slavery.  Governor  Young  proclaimed  against  this  traffic, 
which  displeased  both  traders  and  Indians.  Passing 
emigrants  also  did  much  injury  by  shooting  Indians  with- 
out cause.  In  the  spring  of  1854,  the  trouble  was  ended 
in  a  treaty  of  peace.  As  a  result  of  the  conflict,  about 
twenty  whites  and  a  large  number  of  Indians  were  killed, 
while  the  people  and  the  Territory  together  suffered  a 
loss  of  about  ^300,000.00. 

The  chief  item  of  religious  interest  was  the  public 
avowal  of    polygamy,  at    a    conference    of    the    Church  in 

10 


138  A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE   CHURCH. 

Salt  Lake  City,  August  29th,  1852.  Plural  marriage, 
included  in  the  doctrine  of  celestial  marriage,  was  prac- 
ticed long  before  this  time  b}'  the  Saints  in  Nauvoo, 
Winter  Quarters,  and  also  in  Utah.  It  was  first  made 
known  to  Joseph  Smith;  the  Prophet,  in  1831,  and  in 
Nauvoo,  in  1841,  was  introduced  by  him  to  a  number  of 
leading  Elders,  and  practiced  by  them  and  the  Prophet. 
The  revelation  on  celestial  marriage  was  recorded  July 
12th,  1843.  Celestial  marriage  may,  but  does  not 
necessarily,  include  a  plurality  of  wives;  it  consists  of 
the  eternity  of  the  marriage  covenant  between  man  and 
wife.  When  a  marriage  is  sealed  by  the  Holy  Priest- 
hood, which  has  power  to  bind  on  earth  and  it  is  bound 
in  heaven,  the  man  and  wife  have  not  alone  claim  upon 
each  other  in  time,  but  in  eternity  also-;-they  are  hus- 
band and  wife  after  the  resurrection.  The  doctrine 
revolutionizes  the  idea  of  marriage  as  entertained  by 
mankind  in  general,  which  is  usually  considered  to  be  a 
contract  lasting  onl}^  in  this  life;  and  declares  that  the 
association  of  the  sexes  thus  entered  into  is  eternal, 
that  our  relations  here  as  husbands,  wives,  families, 
continue  in  the  celestial  spheres.  Marriage  thus  be- 
comes one  of  the  chief  means  of  man's  exaltation  and 
glory  in  the  world  to  come,  whereby  he  may  have  end- 
less increase  of  eternal  lives,  and  attain  at  length  to  the 
power  of  the  Godhead.  It  was  this  glorious  doctrine,  in 
connection  with  baptism,  redemption  and  sealing  for  the 
dead,  that  was  the  uppermost  theme  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  during  the  last  two  years  or  more  of  his  life. 
On  this  August  day  here  amidst  the  liberty  of  the 
mountains,  Brigham  Young  saw  fit  to  publicly  proclaim 
this  consoling  doctrine  including  also  that  portion  of  it 
relating  to  a    plurality    of    wives — the    latter    a    principle 


A    BKIEF    HISTOKY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  139 

which  Joseph  and  the  leading  Elders  only  had  heretofore 
privately  entertained  and  practiced  because  it  came  in 
conflict  with  the  prejudice,  education,  traditions  and 
sentiments  of  the  age.  Then  followed  the  promulgation 
of  the  doctrine  by  missionaries  to  the  whole  world. 
Afterward  polygamy  became  the  leading  question  for  con- 
tention between  the  officers  of  the  Government  and  the 
Mormons,  until  the  practice  was  finally  suspended  by  a 
manifesto  of  President  Wilford  Woodruff,  dated  Septem- 
ber 24th,  1890.  At  the  following  October  Conference  the 
Church  accepted  his  declaration  as  authoritative  and 
binding,  and  a  plurality  of  wives  is  now  neither  taught 
nor  practiced.  But  marriages  for  time  and  eternity  are 
entered  into  by  all  the  faithful  Saints  in  the  holy  temples 
which  dot  the  landscape  of  their  Zion. 


EVENTS  FROM  1854  TO  1857. 

As  Governor  Young's  first  term  was  drawing  to  a 
close,  it  became  evident  that  the  false  stories  circulated 
about  him  and  his  people,  chiefly  by  the  "runaways"  and 
by  Secretary  Ferris,  had  so  influenced  the  Nation's 
Executive  that  he  would  not  appoint  the  Mormon  Gover- 
nor for  a  second  term.  The  action  of  Colonel  E.  J. 
Steptoe,  however,  changed  his  determination.  The 
Colonel  arrived  in  Utah  in  August,  1854,  with  a  detach- 
ment of  troops  on  his  way  to  California.  To  him  Presi- 
dent Franklin  Pierce  tendered  the  governorship.  This 
the  Colonel  respectfully  declined,  and,  with  leading  citi- 
zens, Mormon  and  non-Mormon,  federal  officials  and 
army  officers,  petitioned  for  the  re-appointment  of  the 
present  incumbent.  The  memorial  had  the  desired  effect. 
The  request  was  granted,  and    Brigham    Young    received 


140  A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

the  appoinment  as  Governor  and  Superintendent  of 
Indian  Affairs. 

Colonel  Steptoe  remained  with  his  troops  in  the  ter- 
ritory over  winter,  continuing  on  good  terms  with  the 
Mormons.  He  had  orders  to  arrest  and  bring  to  trial  the 
perpetrators  of  the  Gunnison  massacre,*  which  he  succeed- 
ed in  doing.  Eight  Indians  being  arrested  were  tried  for 
murder;  among  them  was  the  chief  Kanosh,  who,  with- 
four  others,  was  acquitted,  while  a  verdict  of  manslaught- 
er was  returned  against  the  remaining  three. 

In  the  spring  of  1855  Morgan  County  was  settled  by 
Jedediah  Morgan  Grant.  Orson  Hyde  pushed  west  and 
established  a  colony  in  Carson  Valley,  now  in  Nevada. 
During  the  Buchanan  War  the  settlements  in  that  valley 
were  broken  up. 

On  the  10th  of  May,  1855,  Charles  C.  Rich,  George 
Q.  Cannon,  Joseph  Bull  and  others  left  for  San  Fran- 
cisco. There  Elder  Cannon  established  the  weekly 
Westen  Standaj'd,  publishing  the  first  issue  on  the  23rd  of 
February,  185fi,  about  which  time  his  translation  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon  in  the  Hawaiian  language  also 
appeared. 

Judge  George  P.  Stiles  succeeded  Judge  Snow  at 
the  expiration  of  the  latt'er's  term  in  1854.  After  the 
death  of  Chief  Justice  Reed,  in  New  York  in  March, 
1855,  Judge  John  F.  Kinney  was  appointed  to  succeed 
him.  Judge  Leonidas  Shaver  died  in  Salt  Lake  City, 
June  29th,  1855,    and    was    succeeded    by    Judge    W.   W. 

*  Lieutenaut  John  W.  Gunnison,  afterward  Captain,  had  assisted  Captain 
Stansbury  in  his  labors.  Encamped  on  the  Sevier  engaged  in  surveyinr  a 
railway  route,  he  was  cruelly  killed  by  the  Indians.  October  25t?I,  185H.  Gun- 
nison, Sanpete  County,  was  named  in  honor  of  this  friend  of  Utah  and  her 
people.     He  wrote  a  valuable  and  impartial  work  on  '"The  Mormons." 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE    CHURCH.  141 

Drummond.  Both  Judges  Reed  and  Shaver  were  greatl}' 
respected  by  the  people,  who  sincerely  mourned  their 
death. 

The  Legislature  met  for  the  first  time  in  Fillmore, 
the  new  capital  of  the  territory,  on  the  10th  of  Decem- 
ber, 1855.  In  January  of  the  following  year  the  popula- 
ion  of  the  territory  is  given  as  76,335.  During  this  ses- 
sion another  unsuccessful  effort  was  made  for  the 
admission  of  Utah  into  the  Union.  John  Taylor,  then 
editor  of  the  Mo?'mon,  in  New  York,  and  George  A. 
Smith,  were  elected  delegates  to  present  the  memorial  and 
constitution  to  Congress.  Cache  and  Box  Elder  Coun- 
ties were  created,  besides"  a  number  of  counties  in  Carson 
Valley. 

The  crops  of  1854-5  had  failed  owing  to  drought  and 
grasshoppers.  The  winter  of  1855-6  was  unusually  severe. 
Cattle  and  sheep  by  the  thousands  died  from  cold  and 
starvation.  As  a  result  of  these  combined  calamities  the 
Saints  suffered  greatly  and  were  once  more  driven  to  roots 
for  subsistence,  ^ome  there  were  who  had  provided 
for  the  famine,  but  their  little  stores  were  soon  exhausted 
by  their  willingness  to  help  the  needy.  Those  who  had 
gave  to  those  who  had  not.  Much  suffering  was  thus  re- 
lieved or  prevented.  "Unity  and  equality — those  watch- 
words of  the  United  Order — were  once  more  emphasized 
in  the  dealings  of  the  Mormon  people  with  one  another 
and  with  the  needy  of  all  classes  and  creeds  among 
them."* 

To  add  to  the  troubles  of  these  times,  the  Indians 
precipitated  another  war  known  as  the    Tintic    War.      It 


*  Whitney's  Utah,  Vol.  1,  p.  548. 


142  A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE    CHUECH. 

caused  the  death  of  twelve  of  the  settlers.     Indian  depre- 
dations on  the  plains  were  also  numerous  in   1856. 

But  that  year's  greatest  calamity,  penetrating  the 
whole  Church  with  its  grief  and  gloom,  befel  the  late 
handcart  companies.  "It  had  been  decided  by  the  Mor- 
mon leaders  that  a  cheaper  and  more  expeditious  method 
of  bringing  the  emigrants  across  the  great  plains  would 
be  by  handcarts  in  lieu  of  ox-teams  and  wagons.  The 
carts,  manufactured  on  the  frontier,  were  to  carry  the 
baggage  and  provisions,  and  the  stronger  men  were  to 
pull  them."*  There  were  in  all  five  companies  of  emi- 
grating Saints,  mostly  from  England,  who  had  decided 
to  cross  the  pi  ains  in  that  way,  traversing  deserts,  wad- 
i  ng  rivers,  climbing  mountains,  a  distance  of  thirteen 
hundred  miles  to  Salt  Lake  City.  Three  companies 
arrived  in  the  Valley  after  a  three  months'  journey,  com- 
paratively in  good  condition;  but  the  last  two  were  caught 
i  n  the  snows  and  the  storms  of  an  early  winter.  After 
suffering  starvation  and  untold  hardsl^ips,  their  remnants 
finally  arrived  in  the  Valley,  the  last  delayed  company, 
composed  of  six  hundred  persons,  having  lost  more  than 
one-fourth  of  their  numbers  by  death.  All  would  have 
shared  the  same  fate  had  not  relief  parties,  risking  their 
own  lives,  gone  to  their  assistance. 


10.        THE    UTAH    EXPEDITION. 


While  Judges  Reed  and  Shaver  had  been  regarded 
with  much  favor  by  the  Mormons,  and  Judge  Kinney 
was  now  so  regarded,  it  was    evident  from    the    first    that 


*  For  full  accounts  of  the  hand  cart  cotopanies,  written  by   John  Chislett 
and  John  Jaques,  see  Wh  itney's  Utah,  Vol.  1,  pp.  558-564. 


A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH".  143 

Judges  Stiles  and  Drummond  would  not  so  be  considered. 
The  reason  is  plain.  Their  characters  were  so  low  and 
vicious  as  to  command  no  respect.  The  former  was  a 
characterless  renegade  Mormon,  the  latter  a  gambler  and 
a  lecher.*  And  these  two  men,  but  more  especially 
Drummond,  did  more  than  any  others  to  bring  about  the 
trouble  wich  is  known  as  the  "Mormon  War,"  or  properly 
speaking,  President   "Buchanan's  egregious  blunder." 

Little  attention  had  been  paid  by  the  general  govern- 
ment to  Utah.  It  had  taken  occasion  to  slight  her  and 
her  just  demands  in  the  matters  of  admission  to  the  sis- 
terhood of  states,  .  and  in  appropriations  such  as  .were 
made  to  other  territories  for  the  expense  of  their  legisla- 
tures, state  houses,  Indian  cmtbreaks,  etc.  Then  to  make 
matters  worse,  such  political  adventurers  as  have  been 
named  were  sent  to  be  the  judges  of  the  people.  These, 
finding  no  sympathy  among  an  honest  community,  laid 
plans  to  still  aggravate  the  existing  suspicions  and 
indifference  of  the  nation  toward  the  Mormons. 

Finding  their  courts  overcrowded  after  the  departure 
of  the  "runaway  judges,"  the  Utah  Legislature  passed 
an  act  in  1852  giving  the  probate  courts  "power  to  exer- 
cise original  jurisdiction,  both  civil  and  criminal,  as 
well  in  chancery  as  in  common  law,  when  not  prohibited 
by  legislative  enactment."  Thus  arose  complications. 
The  federal  judges  declared  that .  these  courts  nullified 
the  powers  of  the  higher  tribunals,  while  the  Mormons 
maintained    that    without     the     powers     of     the    probate 

*  Speaking    of    Drummond,    Bancroft,   History   of  Utah,  p.    490,   says: 
"Leaving  his  wife  and  family  in    Illinois  without  the  means  of  support,  he 
brought  with  him  a  harlot  A^hom  he  had  picked  up  in  the  streets  of  Washing- 
ton, and  introducing  her  as  Mrs.  Drummond,  seated   her  by  his  side  on   the 
judicial  bench." 


144  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURcJH. 

courts  they  would  be  left  practically  without  civil  and 
criminal  jurisdiction.  Judges  Stiles  and  Drummond, 
contrary  to  the  practice  of  their  predecessors,  made  a 
direct  issue  by  ignoring  the  authority  of  the  lower 
courts  and  their  officials.  The  people  would  not  sustain 
them  in  this  movement,  and  being  powerless  to  proceed, 
Judge  Stiles  was  compelled  to  adjourn  his  court.  Return- 
ing to  Washington  in  the  spring  of  1857,  he  made  affida- 
vit to  this  effect,  declaring  among  other  things  that  his 
records  had  been  burnt  and  he  threatened  with  violence. 
The  records,  it  is  true,  had  been  removed  from  his 
office,  but  were  in  safe-keeping,  being  later  produced. 
But  his  report  went  abroad  creating  much  adverse  criti- 
cism of  the  Mormons. 

Judge  Drummond  became  very  unpopular  not  alone 
for  moral  reasons,  but  also  for  his  judicial  course.  At 
length  he  concluded  to  resign.  His  letter  of  resignation, 
dated  March  30th,  1857,  sent  to  Attorney-General  Jere- 
miah S.  Black,  sets  forth  his  reasons  for  this  action.  He 
conjures  up  many  wicked  lies  and  groundless  accusa- 
tions. He  charges  that  the  records,  papers,  etc.,  of  the 
supreme  court  have  been  destroyed  by  order  of  the 
Church;  that  the  federal  officers  are  constantly  insulted, 
harassed  and  annoyed,  without  redress.  He  charges  the 
Governor  with  improperly  pardoning  criminals,  advising 
jurors  beforehand,  so  that  no  charges  but  his  are  "obeyed. 
The  judiciary  is  treated  as  a  farce,  the  "officers  are  in- 
sulted, harassed  and  murdered  for  doing  their  duty." 
Closing,  he  suggests  that  a  new  Governor  be  appointed 
and   "supported  with  a  sufficient  military  aid." 

This  report  and  a  letter  written  by  a  mail  contractor 
named  W.  F.  Magraw,  also  minbr  complaints  frona 
Indian  agents  and  federal  officials,    led  President  Bucha- 


A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH.  145 

nan  without  further  investigation  to  conclude  that  a 
rebellion  existed  in  Utah.  It  has  also  been  said  that  he 
was  instigated  by  a  rebellious  desire  to  scatter  the  Union 
forces  in  case  of  a  conflict  with  the  South  on  the  slavery 
question,  which  was  then  the  uppermost  topic  in  the 
country.  The  Mormons,  then  as  now  and  ever,  loyal  to 
their  country  and  its  institutions,  made  answer  to  all 
the  charges  as  they  were  published,  but  their  explana- 
tions were  deemed  insufficient.  'Brigham  Young  was 
superseded  in  the  governorship  by  Alfred  Gumming,  and 
an  frmy  of  two  thousand  five  hundred  men,  well  equipped 
and  supplied,  was  organized  and  ordered  to  march  to 
Salt  Lake  City,  ostensibly  as  a  posse  comitatus  to  sustain 
his  authority,  or  if  need  be  to  put  down  the  alleged  law- 
lessness by  force.  The  commander  of  the  troops  was 
instructed  under  date  of  June  29th,  1857  how  to  proceed. 
The  mails  to  Utah  had  been  stopped,  leaving  the 
Mormons  as  ignorant  of  the  coming  of  the  army  as  they 
were  of  having  rebelled  against  their  country.  It  was 
not  until  the  24th  of  July,  while  patrioticall}^  celebrat- 
ing their  advent  into  the  territory  ten  years  before,  that 
President  Young  and  his  people  were  apprised  of  the 
startling  news  by  three  Mormon  messengers  from  the 
east.  In  the  evening  President  Young  called  the  people 
together,  and  addressing  them  said  among  other  expres- 
sions: "Liars  have  reported  that  this  people  have  com- 
mitted treason,  and  upon  their  misrepresentations  the 
President  has  ordered  out  troops  to  assist  in  officering 
this     territory.  *  *       *  \Ye    have    transgressed 

no  law,  neither  do  we  intend  to  do  so;  but  as  for  any 
nation  coming  to  destroy  this  people,  God  Almighty 
being  my  helper  it  shall  not  be. "      Then    the    celebration 


146  A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH. 

went  on.      There  was  no  excitement,  but  war  became  the 
uppermost  theme  thereafter. 

On  the  8th  of  September  Captain  Van  Vliet  arrived 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  meeting  with  a  cordial  reception;  his 
mission  was  to  purchase  supplies  and  to  inform  the 
Mormons  that  the  government  would  not  molest  or 
interfere  with  them.  The  object  of  sending  the  troops 
was  to  install  the  new  officials. 

"I  believe  you  tell  the  truth,"  replied  Brigham,  in 
an  interview  on  Septembr9th,  "that  you  believe  this.— but 
you  do  not  know  their  intentions  as  well  as  I  do. 
*  *  *  We  have  plenty  here  of    what  you    want, 

but  we  will    sell  you    nothing.      Further    than    this,    your 
army  shall  not  enter  this  valley." 

President  Young's  experience  with  military  bodies 
in  Missouri  and  Illinois,  had  led  him  to  lose  confidence 
in  their  asserted  designs,  and  to  be  suspicious  of  their 
intents.  Why  had  not  the  officers  been  sent  without  the 
army?  There  had  been  no  resistance  to  the  civil 
authorities  heretofore,  why  was  it  now  necessary  to  in- 
stall them  by  the  aid  of  troops?  The  real  design  was 
evidently  hidden.  It  was  the  extermination  of  the  Mor- 
mons, the  spoilation  of  their  homes  and  possessions, 
their     complete     annihilation.  So     thought    Brigham 

Young, and  he  dealt  accordingly. 

The  Captain  remonstrated  saying  that  even  if  the 
mountain  passes  could  be  defended  against  the  army  now 
coming,  reinforcements  would  be  sent  the  following 
season  to  overcome  all  opposition.  To  which  President 
Young  replied:  "We  are  aware  that  such  will  be  the 
case;  but  when  these  troops  arrive  they  will  find  Utah 
a  desert;  every  house  will  be  burned  to  the  ground, 
every  tree  cut  down,  and  every  field  laid  waste." 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  147 

The  Captain  was  as  deeply  impressed  as  he  was 
astonished.  He  returned  to  Washington  to  report  to 
the  Secretary  of  War. 

Following  the  Captain's  departure,  Governor  Young 
declared  the  territory  under  '  martial  law,  September 
17th.  The  Nauvoo  Legion  was  thoroughly  organized 
under  Lieutenant  Daniel  H.  Wells,  and  two  thousand 
five  hundred  men,  young  and  old,  were  mustered  to  pre- 
vent the  entrance  of  the  'troops  into  the  Valley.  Early 
in  October  the  government  army  supply  trains  were 
burned  at  Green  River  by  Lot  Smith,  followed  by  the 
destruction  of  Fort  Bridger.  Finally  the  invading  troops, 
crippled,  starved  and  frozen,  were  forced  to  go  into 
winter  quarters  on  Black's  Fork.  Excepting  a  guard, 
the  Utah  militia  returned  to  their  homes  early  in  Decem- 
ber. So  matters  rested  until  spring,  when  it  was  fully 
expected  the  conflict  would  begin  anew. 

Meanwhile  Governor  Young  had  asked  Colonel 
Kane  to  present  the  true  situation  before  President 
Buchanan.  Having  done  so,  the  President  dispatched 
the  Colonel  to  Utah  as  private  Government  envoy  with 
a  conciliatory  message.  He  reached  Salt  Lake  City 
February  25th,  1858,  and  learned  that  there  would  be  no 
objections  to  the  entrance  of  the  new  governor  without 
the  army,  which  would  not  be  allowed  to  accompany 
him  or  to  quarter  in  any  city  or  settlement  of  the  terri- 
tory. Departing  over  the  snows  for  Black's  Fork 
Colonel  Kane  soon  convinced  Governor  Cumming  that  he 
had  no  need  of  the  army.  Then  the  two  departed  for  Salt 
Lake  City,  arriving  there,  April  12th.  After  a  cordial 
meeting  with  President  Young,  Governor  Cumming  was 
duly  and  peaceably    installed  in    his    new    position.      His 


148  A   BRIEF   HISTOliY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

noble  peace  mission  now  ended,  Colonel  Kane  returned 
to  report  his  success  in  Washington. 

What  was  now  to  be  done  with  the  army? 

In  June,  Governor  Powell  of  Kentucky,  and  Majur 
McKulloch  of  Texas,  met  President  Young  as  a  Peace 
Commission  in  Salt  Lake  City,  bearing  from  the 
national  Executive  a  full  and  free  pardon  for  all  past 
seditions  and  treasons  for  all  of  the  Mormons  who  would 
submit  to  national  authority.        , 

President  Young  stated  his  position:  "I  thank  Presi- 
dent Buchanan  for  forgiving  me,  but  I  really  cannot  tell 
what  I  have  done.  I  know  one  thing,  and  that  is,  that 
the  people  called  Mormons  ar  e  a  loyal  and  law-abiding 
people,  and  have  ever  been.  It  is  true  Lot  Smith 
burned  some  wagons  containing  government  supplies  for 
the  arn:.y.  This  was  an  overt  act,  and  if  it  is  for  this 
that  we  are  to  be  pardoned,  I  accept  the  pardon." 

It  was  then  agreed  that  the  army  might  come  into 
the  basin,  but  should  not  quarter  within  forty  miles  of 
the  city,  nor  in  any  settlement  of  the  territory.  Enter- 
ing Salt  Lake  City  June  26ih,  they  founded  Camp  Floyd, 
thirty-six  miles  south,  where  they  remained  until  1860. 
The  last  remnant  departed  in  1861.  Many  of  the  soldiers 
participated  in  the  Civil  War,  in  which  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston,  the  commander  of  the  Buchanan  Expedition 
against  the  Mormons,  took  part  as  a  rebel. 

Upon  first  entering  the  Valley,  the  troops  were 
deeply  moved  by  the  desolation  which  they  witnessed  all 
about  them.  With  no  faith  in  the  promises  of  armies, 
the  Saints,  thirty  thousand  strong,  had  fled  south  to  what 
destination  they  knew  not.  Their  deserted  villages  and 
cities  were  inhabited  only  by  the  guards  who  had  been 
left  with  torch  in  hand  ready    to  fire    their    dearly-earned 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH.  149 

homes  and  possessions,  in  case  the  hostile  army  should 
invade  their  land  to  repeat  the  scenes  of  Far  West  and 
Nauvoo.  In  vain  Governor  Gumming  pleaded  with  them 
to  remain.  Said  President  Young:  "We  know  all 
about  it,  Governor.  We  have  on  just  such  occasions 
seen  our  disarmed  men  hewn  down  in  cold  blood,  our 
virgin  daughters  violated,  our  wives  ravished  to  death 
before  our  eyes.  We  know  all  about  it,  Governor 
Gumming. " 

"The  Move"  attracted  the  attention  to  the  sacrifice 
of  this  people  and  the  wrongs  inflicted  upon  them, 
redounding  to  their  praise  in  the  press  of  Europe  and 
the  Union.  The  public  saw  in  it  heroism,  devotion, 
sincerity.  The  tide  turned  in  favor  of  the  Mormons. 
When  the  object  of  "the  move"  had  thus  been  realized, 
the  people  returned  to  their  cities  and  habitations  which 
had  been  placed  sincerely  upon  the  altar  of  sacrifice,  but 
this  time  not  required  of  them. 

Thus  ended  the  "war."  It  had  cost  the  country 
fifteen  million  dollars,  exposed  the  government  to  ridi- 
cule, and  accomplished  nothing;  but  it  won  for  the  Mor- 
mons esteem,  respect,  a  recognition  by  the  outside  world 
of  their  devotion  to  principle,  their  bravery  in  time  of 
peril,  their  loyalty  to  country. 


11.        A    PERIOD    OF    RECUPERATION. 

The  time  between  the  departure  of  the  army  and  the 
advent  of  the  great  trans-continental  railway  line  may  apt- 
ly be  termed  a  recuperation  period  in  the  history  of  the 
Saints.  During  these  years  they  not  only  advanced  in 
spiritual  things  possibly"  to  a  greater  degree  than  hereto- 
fore since  their  arrival  in  the  valleys    of    the    mountains, 


150  A    BKIEF   HIST®RY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

but  they  prospered  more  abundantl}^  in  temporal  affairs. 
It  was  an  epoch  of  telegraphs,  railwa^^s,  and  trade. 

Owing  in  a  degree  to  the  vicissitudes  of  1854-5-6, 
many  of  the  members  of  the  Church  had  become  weary 
in  their  incessant  struggle  with  harships.  This  condition 
led  to  neglect  of  duty,  which  in  turn  resulted  in  the  loss 
of  faith,  accompanied  by  moral  transgression.  Every 
triumph  that  the  Saints  had  so  for  achieved  in  their  won- 
derful career,  had  been  won  by  and  through  their  faith. 
Religion  had  been  their  stimulant,  their  support.  So  it 
must  continue.  To  this  end  the  "reforination"  was  be- 
gun, to  revive  the  lost  faith  of  the  indifferent  and  sinful. 
Its  labors  began  at  a  conference  at  Kaysville,  September 
15th,  1856,  spreading  thence  throughout  the  entire 
Church,  at  home  and  abroad,  continuing  with  much 
enthusiasm  into  the -spring  and  summer  of  1857.  Bishops, 
missionaries  and  leading  Elders  everywhere  took  part. 
Repentance,  a  turning  way  from  pride,  covetousness, 
physical  and  moral  uncleanliness,  and  other  abominations, 
were  required  of  the  people.  Humility  prevailed,  and 
there  was  a  general  renewal  of  covenants,  so  that  the 
Saints  again  found  favor  in  the  sight  of  God.  Thus  this 
movement,  while  perhaps  overdone  in  some  instances, 
resulted  as  a  whole  m  much  good.  Without  the  resulting 
purification,  it  is  doubtful  whether  there  would  have  been 
so  general  a  response  to  the  sacrifices  of  "The  Move," 
or  such  a  healthy  growth  in  the  years  following. 

The  Overland  Telegraph  was  completed  October 
24th,  1861.  Less  than  three  years  and  three  months  had 
passed  since  the  memorable  day  in  the  world's  history, 
August  5th,  1858,  when  the  first  Atlantic  cable  was  com- 
pleted. Now  the  electric  messenger  penetrated  the  conti- 
nent and   bore  its  instant  tales  from   sea  to  sea,  through 


A    BRIEF    HISTORY    @F   THE    CHURCH.  151 

the  home  of  the  Saints,  placing  them  in  immediate  com- 
munication with  the  whole  world.  It  was  the  signal  of 
a  new  era  about  to  dawn  upon  them,  but  they  were  pre- 
paring themselves  for  the  changes  that  it  would  bring. 
The  facility  with  which  the  Mormons  adapt  themselves 
to  progressive,  altered  conditions,  has  often  been  a  subject 
of  remark.      The  present  case  was  no  exception. 

Torn  as  the  nation  was  at  this  time  by  internal  strife, 
it  is  a  significant  commentary  upon  Mormon  loyalty  that 
the  first  message  which  passed  east  over  the  completed 
line  from  President  Brigham  Young  read:  "Utah  has 
not  seceded,  but  is  firm  for  the  Constitution  and  laws  of 
our  once  happy  country." 

In  186.2  another  unsuccessful  trial  was  made  by  the 
Saints  to  obtain  statehood  for  Utah.  Hons.  William  H. 
Hooper  and  George  Q.  Cannon  were  the  senators-elect. 
They  labored  diligently  to  secure  Utah's  admission  to  the 
sisterhood  of  states,  their  motto  being:  "We  can  redress 
our  grievances  better  in  the  Union  than  out  of  it,"  signi- 
ficant words,  indeed,  in  view  of  the  great  national  contro- 
versy over  secession.  It  was  on  the  2nd  day  of  July  of 
this  same  year  that  President  Abraham  Lincoln  approved 
and  signed  "an  act  to  punish  and  prevent  the  practice  of 
polygamy  in  the  territories  of  the  United  States  and  other 
places,  and  disapproving  and  annulling  certain  acts  of 
the  Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Utah." 
The  provisions  of  this  act  became  a  dead-letter  upon  the 
statute-books  for  many  years.  There  was,  however,  an 
effort  made  by  Governor  Harding,  in  1863,  to  punish 
President  Young  under  this  law,  but  for  lack  of  evidence 
the  jury  failed  to  indict,  and  so  the  matter  rested.  It 
being  President  Lincoln's  policy  to  let  the  Mormons 
alone,    Governor    Harding    upon    their    petition    was  dis- 


152  A   BHIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH. 

■» 
missed  for  his  pains.  Then  followed  a  time  of  political 
peace,  broken  only  by  the  efforts  of  Col.  P.  E.  Connor 
to  establish  a  military  in  lieu  of  a  civil  government  in 
the  territory.  Col.  Connor  is  credited  with  being  "the 
father  of  Utah  mining/'  he  was  the  founder  of  Camp  or 
Fort  Douglas,  and  his  troops,  California  volunteers  who 
had  enlisted  seven  hundred  strong  to  fight  Southern 
rebels,  being  detained  in  Utah  did  good  service  in^check- 
ing  Indian  depredations  north  of  Cache  Valley,  for  which 
the  Col,  was  made  Brisjadier-General,  But  his  scheme 
to  establish  military  power  in   Utah  utterly  failed. 

The  next  important  event  was  the  establishment  of 
the  Deseret  Telegraph  line.  With  little  ready  means, 
the  Mormons  built  five  hundred  miles  of  this  line,  between 
1865  and  1867,  at  a  cost  of  $150,00  per  mile,  thus  plac- 
ing their  principal  settlements,  now  extending  in  all 
directions,  into  instant  communication  with  each  other 
and  with  the  leaders  of  the  Church,  whose  counsels  and 
instructions  thus  could  be  transmitted  rapidly  to  every 
portion  of  the  territory. 

In  1868,  the  approaching  railroad  warned  the  in- 
spired leader  of  the  Saints  that  the  isolation  which  had 
made  Zion  a  peculiar  people  would  soon  be  destroyed. 
There  would  be  great  financial  and  social  changes.  To 
guard  the  money  interests  of  the  people,  as  well  as  to 
insure  their  temporal  supremacy.  President  Young  an- 
nounced, "that  it  was  advisable  that  the  people  of  Utah 
should  become  their  own  merchants."  Then  followed  the 
organization  of  Zion's  Co-operative  Mercantile  Institution, 
which  began  business  early  in  1869.  Branches  were 
established  in  nearly  all  the  settlements,  and  while  many 
have  gone  out  of  business,  there  can  be  no  question  about 
the  benefit  that  resulted  to  the  community  from  this  move- 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH.  163 

ment.  There  are  several  branches,  of  the  institution 
today.  The  parent  house  has  an  enormous  trade,  and 
may  be  said  to  constitute  the  temporal  bulwark  of  the 
Mormons.  It  has  helped  materially  to  preserve  them  as 
a  communty;  it  has  earned  for  them  a  financial  influence 
abroad,  while  it  has  maintained  a  uniformity  in  prices, 
and  has  been  a  ballast  to  trade  at  home;  it  has  held  the 
money  resources  of  the  people  within  themselves,  and 
in  great  measure  it  has  insured  the  social  unity  of  the 
Saints. 

The  Union  Pacific  Railway  was  completed  as  far  as 
Salt  Lake  Valley  on  the  8th  of  March,  1869.  At  length 
the  petitions  and  desires  of  the  Utah  pioneers  were 
answered.  But  their  influence  was  not  all  that  was 
offered  to  aid  in  this  monstrous  enterprise.  With  their 
own  hands,  the  Mormons  graded  the  highway  from  the 
head  of  Echo  Canyon  to  Ogden  City.  Its  eastern  end 
traverses  the  plains  for  man}^  hundred  miles  over  the 
road  which  they  pioneered.  At  Ogden  City,  the  eventful 
day  named,  the  assembled  multitude  now  greeted  the 
iron  horse  with  shouts  of,  "Utah  bids  you  welcome;'* 
"Hail  to  the  great  national  highway."  On  the  17th  of 
May  following,  the  Utah  Central  Railroad,  from  Ogden 
to  Salt  Lake  City,  was  begun,  being  completed  on  the 
10th  of  January,  1870.  It  was  purely  a  Mormon  enter- 
prise. Then  followed  the  building  of  the  Utah  Southern 
(May  1871),  and  the  Utah  and  Northern  (September 
1871). 

In    the  meantime    missionaries  were  constantly  sent 

to  the  nations  of    the  earth,   and  emigrations,   for  which 

hundreds  of  teams  yearly  were  forwarded  to  tlie  Missouri, 

from    various  lands    continued    to    swell    the    population. 

11 


15^1:  A    BhIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

New  settlements  were  formed.*  Thrift  and  industr}' 
made  the  barren  places  fruitful. f  The  thirsty  plains  and 
and  valleys  smiled  with  verdure  at  the  touch  of  the  magic 
streams  directed  by  the  toiling  husbandman.  Peace 
prevailed  in  the  mountain  Zion.J  Children  listened  with 
wonder  to  the  tale  of  the  pioneer.  Schools  and  meeting 
houses§  sprang  up  in  every  village,  atteded  by  a  happy 
youth  and  a  thankful  people,  content  in  their  homespun. 
Virtue  dwelt  b}^  the  side  of  honesty,  and  the  fear  of  God, 
in  the  hearts  of  the  people. 


Official  Crusade — Death  of  President  Young. 

With  the  introduction  of  President  Young's  mercan- 
tile policy  arose  a  schism,  known  as  the  "Godbeite"  or 
"New  Movement,"  which  threatened  a  dangerous  break 
in  the  Church.  A  number  of  disaffected  Mormon  mer- 
chants began  to  oppose  President  Young,  and  what  they 
termed  his  "one  man  power,"  his  temporal  leanings, 
exemplified  in  the  organization  of  Z.  C.  M.   I.,  the  build- 


*  Bear  Lake  Valley  and  Wasatch  County  were  settled  iu  1863;  Sevier  and 
Piute  Counties,  in  1864. 

t  Portions  of  the  Territory  were  severely  afflicted  by  the  grasshoppers 
which  pest  appeared  in  1867  and  continued  until  well  along  into  the  70*8, 
often  totally  destroying  vegetation  for  years  together. 

I  The  exception  to  this  was  the  Black  Hawk  Indian  trouble  in  i866-7,  in 
-outhern  counties  The  Utah  militia,  under  Gen.  D.  H.  Wells,  did  good  ser- 
vice in  protecting  the  settlements. 

I  The  tabernacle  at  Salt  Lake  City  was  so  f.ir  completed  in  1867  that  the 
<  'ctober  conference  was  held  therein.  At  this  time  Joseph  F.  Smith  was 
ailed  and  ordained  to  the  Apostleship. 

The  "  Deseret  News"  was  first  issued  as  a  daily  in  Nov.,  1867;  as  a  weekly. 
June  15th,  1850;  as  a  semi  weekly,  Octobei  8th,  1865.  The  Ogden  Junction 
was  first  issued  January  1st,  1870,  and  the  Salt  Lake  Daily  Herald,  June 
6th.  1870. 


A   BRIEF   HISTOllY   OF   THE    CHURCH.  165 

ing  of  railroads  and  other  secular  enterprises.  These 
Elders,  being  excommunicated  and  joined  by  anti-Mor- 
mons, became  the  nucleus  of  home  opposition  from  which 
grew,  in  the  earl}^  months  of  1870,  the  so  called  Liberal 
Party  whose  bitter  and  unscrupulous  warfare  against  the 
Saints  is  almost  without  a  parallel  in  the  history  of  polit- 
ical strife.  To  the  agitations  and  misrepresentations  of 
this  party,  coupled  with  the  co-operation  of  Mr.  Schyler 
Colfax,  Reverend  J.  P.  Newman,  and  conspirators  and 
allies  at  the  seat  of  Government,  may  be  attributed  the 
missionary  judicial  crusade  that  overwhelmed  the  Church 
and  its  leading  men  with  persecution,  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  President  U.  S.  Grant,  in  1870-1  to  1875.  While 
Mr.  Colfax  and  his  eastern  associates  were  doubtless 
sincere  in  their  desire  to  fight  polygamy,  the  overthrow 
of  which  was  the  aim  of  their  warfare,  no  one  doubts 
that  their  allies  in  Utah  had  solely  another  object  in 
view — the  political  control  of  the  Territory — they  were 
determined  to  rule  or  ruin. 

President  Grant  was  inaugurated  on  March  4th,  1869. 
The  "let  them  alone"  policy  of  President  Lincoln  was 
from  now  on  abandoned  by  the  President  who,  thoroughly 
filled  with  the  misrepresentations  of  the  party  and  their 
allies  referred  to,  determined  to  solve  the  Mormon  prob- 
lem, termed  the  "twin  relic,"  by  special  legislation  and 
judicial  machinery,  or,  these  failing,  by  the  sword  as 
slavery  had  been  determined.  It  is  claimed  by  the  "new 
movement"  people  that  they  averted  a  wai,  in  other 
words  induced  the  administration  to  abandon  to  some 
extent  a  proposed  military  subjugation  of  the  Terirtory. 
It  was  now  decided  to  proceed  against  the  Mormons 
through  appointed  federal  officials.  To  begin  with  the 
proper  men    were  found    in   Governor    J.    Wilson    Shaffer 


156  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

and  Chief  Justice  James  B.  McKean,  the  most  determined 
foes  that  Utah  ever  had.  To  aid  them  in  their  bigoted 
mission,  the  Government  sent  soldiers  to  act  as  a  "moral 
force"  in  the  protection  of  Gentiles  and  apostates.  Small 
wonder  that  illegal  processes,  packed  juries,  absurd  rul- 
ings characterized  the  judicial  proceedings.  Where  the 
law  failed  to  aid  them  in  carr3^ing  out  their  measures, 
they  did  not  scruple  to  set  it  aside  by  extra-judicial 
rulings. 

The  muster  of  the  Territorial  militia  was  first  for- 
bidden by  Governor  Shaffer  in  1870,  evidently  that  greater 
scope  might  be  given  the  officers  to  harass  the  Saints 
without  danger  of  resistance.  The  militia  had  often 
been  called  into  action  to  protect  the  settlements  from 
Indian  depredations,  serving  weeks  at  a  time  without 
pay  either  from  the  Territory  or  the  general  Government. 
But  from  this  time  on,  they  were  not  even  allowed  to 
patriotically  parade  in  a  4th  of  July  procession,  or  upon 
any  other  public  occasion.  In  October,  1870,  Governor 
Shaffer  died  and  was  succeeded  by  Governor  George  L. 
Woods  w^ho  followed  in  his  footsteps. 

The  militia  was  practically  disbanded,  followed  by 
high-handed  judicial  acts  of  Judge  McKean,  who  dis- 
graced his  office  "in  a  manner  to  which  the  world  can 
furnish  no  parallel."  His  mission  was  to  overthrow 
Mormonism.  "A  mission,"  he  declared,  "as  high  above 
my  mere  duty  as  judge  as  heaven  is  above  the  earth." 
Raising  the  cry:  Federal  authority  vs.  polygamic  the- 
ocrac}',  the  crusade  was  carried  on  in  deadly  earnest 
until,  his  illegal  decisions  were  reversed  by  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United,  States.  President  Young  and  other 
prominent  men  of  the  Church  suffered  severe  annoyances 
through    arrests  and    through  illegally   instituted    judicial 


A   BKIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  157 

proceedings,  being  forced  to  incur  great  expense  in  defend- 
ing themselves.  At  length  judge  McKean  went  to  such 
extremes  that  the  administration,  in  sympathy  with 
him  as  it  was,  could  tolerate  his  actions  no  longer,  and 
on  the  16th  of  March,  1875,  he  was  removed  because  of 
his  fanatical  and  extreme  conduct,  and  because  of  several 
acts  of  his  which  the  President  considered  ill  advised, 
tyrannical,  and  in  excess  of  his  powers  as  Judge.  But 
the  Liberals  continued  their  machinations  unabated. 
Nearly  every  session  of  Congress  was  overwhelmed  by 
bills  of  their  framing  and  concoction,  calculated  to  pro- 
scribe or  persecute  the  Saints.  The  "Poland  Bill"  was 
passed  June  23rd,  1874.  Their  agitations  finally  resulted 
in  the  passage  of  the  "Edmunds'  Bill,"  in  1882,  supple- 
mented later  by  the   "Edmunds-Tucker  Act." 

In  the  midst  of  these  persecutions  and  annoyances, 
the  interests  of  the  Church  never  lagged  for  a  moment. 
Colonization  also  continued.  An  effort  was  made  in  1873 
to  establish  settlements  m  Arizona.  A  large  number  of 
settlers  from  Utah  met  in  Salt  Lake  City,  March  8th, 
and  were  instructed  in  their  colonizing  labors  by  Presi- 
dent Young,  Meeting  at  first  with  failure,  their  efforts 
resulted  m  the  experience  which  finally  led  to  success, 
and  at  present  there  are  many  thriving  settlements  of  the 
Saints  in  Arizona. 

On  the  14th  of  October,  the  year  previous,  President 
George  A.  Smith  left  on  a  trip  to  Palestine,  where,  on 
March  2nd  following,  he  and  his  associates  held  divine 
service  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  on  which  occasion  they 
dedicated  the  Land  of  Palestine  for  the^gathering  of  the 
Jews,  and  for  the  re-building  of  Jerusalem.*     Returning, 

*  ''When  you  get  to  the  land  of  Palestine,  we   want  you   to  dedicate   and 
consecrate  that  land  to  the  Lord,  that  it  may  be  blessed  with  fruitfulness,  pre- 


158  A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH. 

President  Smith  reached  Salt  Lake  City,  June  18th,  1873, 
where  he  died,  September  1st,   1875. 

In  1874-5  there  was  a  general  religious  movement 
among  the  Indians,  hundreds  embracing  the  gospel  in 
Tooele  County,  St.  George,  and  other  places.  In  Janu- 
ar}^  of  the  latter  year  the  first  Lamanites  were  married 
according  to  the  order  of  the   Holy  Priesthood. 

In  the  summer  of  1875,  the  Improvement  Associa- 
tions of  the  young  Latter-day  Saints  were  first  organized. 
Four  years  later,  their  organ,  the  Contributor,  first 
appeared  (October,  1879.)  The  membership  of  these 
associations  now  numbers  tens  of  thousands  of  the  sons 
and  daughters  of  the  Mormons.  The  Sunday  Schools, 
first  organized  in  the  Fourteenth  Ward,  Salt  Lake  City, 
by  Elder  Richard  Ballantyne,  in  1849,  had  flourished 
and  incjeased  in  membership  to  nearly  thirty  thousand.* 
Secular  education  was  not  neglected.  Every  settlement 
boasted  its  schoolhouse  and  public  school  which  com- 
pared favorably  with  like  institutions  in  the  States  or 
Territories  of  equal  age,  in  other  parts  of  the  Union. 
President  Young  established  the  B.  Y.  Academy  at  Provo, 
October  16th,  1875,  and  the  B.  Y.  College  in  Logan, 
July  24th,  1877.  The  Deseret  University  opened  for 
the  first  time  November  11th,  1850,  was  prospering. 
The  leaders  of  the  Church  have  ever  been  firm  friends 
of  true  education,  and  their  efforts  in  this  direction  have 
ever  been  nobly  seconded  by  the  Saints  as  a  community; 


paratory  to  the  return  of  the  Jews,  in  fulfillment  of  prophecy  and  the 
accomplishment  of  the  purposes  of  our  Heavenl}'^  Father" — Excerpt  from  a 
letter  by  Presidents  Brigham  Young  and  Daniel  H.  Wells  to  President  Smith. 
*The  Juvenile  Instructor,  established  January  1st,  1866,  is  the  organ  ol  the 
Sabbath  Schools  of  the  Saints. 


A   BKIEF    HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  159 

as  a  result,   Utah    stands  toda}'  first    in    educational  pro- 
gress among  her  sister  commonwealths  in  the  west.* 

Temple  building  went  on.  The  St..  George  Temple 
was  dedicated  at  the  April  conference  held  in  that 
city,  April  6-8,  1877,  ordinances  for  the  dead  being 
ministered  therein  on  the  9th.  On  the  25th  of  this  same 
month,  the  temple  site  in  Manti  was  dedicated,  followed. 
May  18th,  by  the  dedication  of  the  ground  for  the  Logan 
temple. 

The  organization  of  the  Stakes  of  Zion  was  com- 
pleted in  the  summer  of  1877,  the  quorums  of  the  Priest- 
hood were  set  in  order,  and  the  ecclesiastical  government 
was  perfected  according  to  the  pattern  revealed  from 
heaven.  In  this  pleasant  labor  the  Founder  of  Utah 
spent  his  last  days. 

On  the  29th  day  of  August,  1877,  President  Brigham 
Young  died,  surrounded  by  his  family  and  kind  friends. 
He  passed  peacefully  to  rest  sincerely  mourned  by  a 
whole  people  whose  chief  and  adviser  he  had  been  for 
thirty  three  years.  He  was  one  of  the  great  men  of  the 
century.  His  achievements  as  leader  of  the  Nauvoo 
Exodus,  and  as  Colonizer  of  the  American  desert,  will 
be  regarded  as  among  the  grandest  accomplishments  of 
modern  times. 


*  The  School  Journal,  reviewing  the  school  exhibits  of  the  various  stat-s 
and  territories  at  the  world's  Exposition  (1893),  says:  "In  the  originality  an  i 
general  merit  of  its  exhibit,  Utah  stands  easily  first  in  the  Western  group. 
*  *  Here  behind  the  western  mountains  a  system  of  education  is  being 
matured,  that,  while  it  challenges  the  best  elsewhere,  owes  its  upbuilding  very 
greatly  to  the  peculiar  stamina  of  itr^  own  communities." 


160  A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 


FROM  THE  DEATH  OF  PRESIDENT   YOUNG  TO 

THE  PRESENT  TIME. 

1877-1893. 


1.     John  Taylor  Chosen  Leader. 

Enemies  of  theSaints  had  often  prophesied  that  upon 
the  death  of  Brigham  Young  Mormonism  would  fall  to 
pieces.  It  was  soon  clearly  demonstrated,  however,  that 
the  Church  is  not  founded  upon  the  ability  or  strength 
of  any  man,  but  rather  .  upon  revelation,  with  Christ  as 
its  corner  stone. 

The  order  of  succession  had  been  decided  in  Nauvoo. 
Apostle  John  Taylor,  who  was  president  of  the  Twelve, 
with  his  quorum  now  became  the  presiding  authority  of 
the  Church.  As  such  they  were  unanimously  upheld  at 
the  48th  semi-annual  conference,  in  October,  1877.  On 
this  occasion  the  authorities  of  the  Church  were  sustained 
in  their  order;  first,  by  the  Priesthood  of  the  Church  who 
voted  by  quorums,  from  the  highest  in  authority  to  the 
lowest,  rising  in  turns  to  their  feet  with  uplifted  hands; 
then,  finally,  b}'  the  entire  congregation.  There  was  a 
spirit  of  union  which  so  far  from  boding  dissolution, 
rather  indicated  renewed  strength,  unfaltering  devotion  to 
their  cause  and  doctrine. 

At  the  October  conference,  1880,  three  years  after- 
ward, the  First  Presidency  was  organized  for  the  third 
time  in  the  histor}'  of  the  Church.  John  Taylor  was 
chosen  President,  with  George  Q.  Cannon  and  Joseph  F. 
Smith  as  his  counselors.      President   Taylor   was  then  72 


A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH.  161 

years  of  age.  He  was  a  native  of  Milnthorp,  England, 
born  November  1st,  1808.  He  joined  the  Church  in 
Canada  in  1836,  and  was  called  to  the  Apostleship  by 
revelation,  in  1838.  He  had  filled  numerous  missions  to 
England,  France  (into  which  land  he  introduced  the 
gospel),  Germany  and  the  United  States.  He  had  exten- 
sively engaged  in  literary  labors,  having  edited  Church 
papers  in  every  country  named  save  England,  besides 
superintending  the  translation  of  the  Book  of  Mormon 
into  French  and  German,  supplemented  at  that  time  and 
later  by  the  publication  of  important  doctrinal  works. 
He  was  a  dear  friend  of  the  Prophet  Joseph,  they  having 
mingled  blood  at  the  martyrdom.  In  all  the  travels  of 
the  Saints,  and  in  their  mountain  home,  he  had  always 
been  a  leader  in  their  midst.  The  people  had  full  con- 
fidence in  him;  he  was  their  "Champion  of  Liberty." 
Fifty  years  had  passed  since  six  members  met  in  the 
State  of  New  York  and  organized  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Like  the  ancient,  modern 
Israel  would  have  a  year  of  jubilee.  That  the  people 
might  feel  its  influence,  it  was  agreed  at  the  regular  April 
conference,  1880,  on  suggestion  of  President  Taylor,  to 
release  one  half  of  the  people's  indebtedness  to  the  Per- 
petual Emigrating  Fund,  the  principal  of  which  amounted 
to  $704,000,  and  now,  with  interest  added,  to  $1,604,000. 
Out  of  this  amount  it  was  Voted  to  forgive  the  poo 
debtors  $800,000,  or  about  one-half  of  the  whole  amount, 
the  other  half  being  left  for  such  debtors  to  pay  as  were 
able  but  had  not  done  so.  Then  there  was  due  the 
Church  on  tithing  account  $151,798,  $75,899  of  which 
were  canceled  on  the  indebtedness  of  the  deserving  poor. 
It  was  also  agreed  to  distribute  to  the  worthy  poor  one- 
thousand  good  cows,  the  Church  to  furnish  300,  and    the 


162  A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

Stakes,  700;  also  5000  sheep,  2000  of  which  were  donated 
by  the  Church  and  the  remainder  by  the  stakes. 

The  year  1879  had  been  very  dry  causing  a  shortage 
in  crops.  There  was  little  wheat  in  the  Territory,  and 
so  the  sisters  of  the  ReHef  Societies  voted  to  loan  out  to 
the  needy  farmers  84,761  bushels  of  seed  wheat,  to  be 
returned  at  their  convenience  without  interest. 

It  was  to  be  made  a  year  of  rejoicing.  Individuals 
were  counseled  to  relieve  their  distressed  debtors;  Z.  C. 
M.  I.  and  the  banks  were  asked  to  do  something  in 
cancelling  the  debts  of  the  honest  poor.  The  utmost 
good  feeling  prevailed,  and  the  Saints  generally  carried 
out  the  couni:el  of  their  leader:  "While  God  is  blessing 
us,  let  us  bless  one  another." 

Pioneer  day  was  celebrated  this  year  with  great  re- 
joicings and  demonstrations  in  Salt  Lake  City,  people 
coming  from  all  parts  of  the  Territory  on  the  occasion. 
The  trades,  industries,  schools,  societies  and  associa- 
tions,* commerce,  art  and  sciences,  were  duly  represented 
in  the  great  parade.  After  the  grand  procession,  appro- 
priate reminiscent  ceremonies  were  held  in  the  large 
Tabernacle.  Among  the  noteworthy  parts  of  the  progarm 
was  the  appearance  of  twenty-five  representatives  from 
as  many    nations  where    the  gospel    had    been    preached. 

In  the  concluding  speech  on  this  occasion.  Presi- 
dent Taylor  made  this  remarkable  prophetic  utterance: 
"There  are  events  in  the  future,  and  not  very  far  ahead* 
that  will  require  all  our  faith,  all  our  energy,  all  our 
confidence,  ail  our  trust  in  God  to  enable  us  to  withstand 
the  influences  that  will  be  brought  against  us.      *      *       * 


♦The  Sabbath  schools  at  this  time  numbered   33,000:    the   Improvement 
Associations  of  the  young  men  were  ten  thousand  strong. 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  163 

There  never  was  a  time  when  we  needed  to  be  more 
humble  and  more  prayerful;  there  never  was  a  time  when 
we  needed  more  fidelity,  self-denial  and  adherence  to  the 
principles  of  truth,  than  we  do  this  day." 

So  indeed  it  proved  to  be.  The  next  few  years  were 
to  be  among  the  most  trying  in  the  experience  of  the 
Church. 

2.       THE    EDMUNDS-TUCKEK   AGITAIION. 

The  enjoyment  of  peace  was  short.  Days  of  sore 
trial  were  at  hand.  In  the  summer  of  1881,  a  crusade 
was  inaugurated  against  the  Saints  to  suppress  their 
institution  of  plural  marriage.  It  was  begun  b}^  sectarian 
opponents  and  politicians.  Beginning  in  Utah,  the 
agitation  soon  spread  throughout  the  whole  land. 
Alarming  falsehoods  of  Mormon  disloyalty,  vice,  and 
abominations,  soon  stirred  the  people  of  the  nation  and 
their  national  representatives  to  a  fever  heat  against  the 
Saints.  The  politicians  were  actuated  by  a  hunger  for 
spoils  and  the  emoluments  of  office,  while  the  ministers 
were  evidently  led  by  disappointment  or  innate  hate. 
Neither  class  cared  so  much  for  polygamy  as  for  these 
other  considerations.  Congress  was  pressed  to  enact  the 
pending  proscriptive  measures.  Memorials,  protests, 
declarations,  and  petitions  of  the  Mormons  denying  the 
industriously  circulated  falsehoods,  were  of  no  avail. 

The  Edmunds  law,  supplemental  to  the  law  of  1862, 
which  had  practically  remained  a  dead  letter,  was  signed 
by  President  Arthur  on  the  22nd  of  March,  1882,  and 
became  law.  Polygamy  was  made  punishable  by  disfran- 
chisement, also  a  fine  of  not  more  than  five  hundred 
dollars  and  imprisonment  for  not  more  than  three  years. 
Cohabitation  with  more  than  one  woman  was  punishable 


164  A    BKIEF    HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

by  a  fine  of  not  to  exceed  three  hundred  dollars  and 
imprisonment  not  to  exceed  six  months.  Polygamists 
and  believers  in  the  doctrine  of  plural  marriage  were 
rendered  incompetent  to  act  as  jurors.  No  polygamist 
could  hold  office,  or  vote.  In  1887  a  supplemental  act 
was  passed  known  as  the  Edmunds-Tucker  law.  This 
gave  additional  powers  to  the  officers,  required  certifi- 
cates of  all  marriages  to  be  filed  in  the  offices  of  the 
probate  courts  (whose  judges  were  appointed  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States),  disincorporated  the 
Church  and  ordered  the  Supreme  Court  to  wind  up  its 
affairs,  and  to  take  possession  of  its  escheated  property. 
Twelve  thousand  persons  were  disfranchised.  A 
test  oath  was  subcsribed  to  b}'  those  Mormons  who 
decided  to  retain  their  rights  of  franchise,  the  election 
machinery  having  been  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  commis- 
sion of  five,  appointed  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States.  Their  political  rights  thus  interdicted,  the  Mor- 
mons were  set  upon  by  the  judiciary.  Mr.  Rudger  Claw- 
son  was  the  first  to  answer  the  charge  of  polygamy  and 
unlawful  cohabitation  before  the  courts.  He  was  found 
guilty  and  sentenced,  November  3rd,  1884,  to  four  years 
imprisonment  and  to  pay  a  fine  of  $800.  Then  followed 
an  unjustifiably  cruel  legal  persecution.  Upwards  of  a 
thousand  men  were  sent  to  the  penitentiary  because  they 
would  not  promise  to  discard  their  families.  Hundreds 
were  driven  into  retirement  or  exile,  families  were  broken 
up.  There  was  untold  sorrow  and  heart-suffering  in  their 
midst.  Juries  obtained  by  open  venire  were  unanimous 
in  obeying  the  bidding  of  over  zealous  prosecuting  attor- 
neys who  were  determined  on  conviction.  As  a  rule  to 
be  suspected  was  equivalent  to  arrest,  arrest  to  indictment, 
indictment  to  conviction,  conviction  to    the    full    penalty 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH.  165 

of  the  law.  Unprincipled,  some  of  them  very  immoral, 
adventurers  dogged  the  steps  or  raided  the  homes  of 
respectable  veterans,  founders  of  the  commonwealth. 
Government  aided  in  the  enforcement  of  the  law  by  in- 
creased special  appropriations.  Paid  spotters  and  spies 
prowled  among  the  people.  Children  were  questioned 
about  their  parents'  affairs;  wives,  daughters  and 
maidens  were  often  compelled  to  submit  to  the  shame- 
fully indecent  questions  with  which  professional  grand 
juries  pestered  them.  The  Saints  were  passing  through 
a  night  of  dreary  darkness.  Bereft  of  the  counsels  and 
presence  of  their  leaders,  torn  with  anguish,  they  were 
taught  the  lessons  of  self-reliance,  dependence  upon  the 
Lord,  faith  in  God.  As  a  community  the}^  never 
faltered,  never  permitted  themselves  to  be  led  into  acts 
of  violence  against  their  persecutors,  though  the  provo- 
cations were  numerous  and  ample.  Their  enemies,  too, 
desired  that  they  might  commit  some  overt  act  that  a 
pretext  might  be  found  for  their  utter  destruction. 

Under  these  circumstances.  President  John  Taylor, 
who  had  retired  from  public  view  February  1st,  1885, 
died  in  exile,  July  25th,  1887.  Thus  mourned  by  Israel 
in  bondage,  he  passed  away  a  double  martyr  to  the 
cause  he  loved,  for  with  him  it  was  "The  Kingdom  of 
God  or  nothing."  Said  his  counselors,  in  the  official 
announcement  of  his  death:  "President  John  Taylor  has 
been  killed  by  the  cruelty  of  officials  who  have,  in  this 
territory,  misrepresented  the  Government  of  the  United 
States." 

3.       CHANGED   CONDITIONS. 

Upon  the  Twelve  Apostles,  with  Wilford  Woodruff 
as  chief,   now  devolved  the    responsibility    of    the    presi- 


166  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

dency.  Apostles  Cannon  and  Smith  took  their  former 
places  in  the  quorum  of  the  Twelve. 

In  this  capacity  the  Apostles  continued  to  act  until 
the  annual  conference  in  1889,  when  the  First  Presi- 
dency, for  the  fourth  time,  was  organized,  on  the  7th 
day  of  April,  Wilford  Woodruff  being  chosen  President. 
He  selected  George  Q.  Cannon  and  Joseph  F.  Smith  as 
his  counselors. 

The  crusade  continued  unabated,  probably  with  less 
hardship,  since  the  people  were  in  a  measure  adjusting 
themselves  to  their  tr3^ing  conditions.  The  political 
history  of  this  period  was  as  full  of  acts  breathing  bit- 
terness against  the  Mormons,  as  was  the  judicial.  The 
executive  was  in  full  harmony  with  the  judiciar}',  and 
their  united  efforts  to  crush  the  people  will  some  day 
appear  as  little  to  their  credit  as  the  history  of  these 
times,  once  told  in  full,  will  redound  to  the  honor  of 
the  afflicted  Saints. 

In  the  courts  the  Mormons  contested  every  step 
taken  by  the  Government  to  deprive  them  of  what  they 
considered  their  religious  rights.  They  deemed  plural 
marriage  part  of  their  creed  and  faith,  hence,  strongly 
maintained  that  Congress  could  make  no  law  prohibiting 
the  free  exercise  thereof.  But  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
nation,  before  which  tribunal  the  laws  were  finally 
tested,  while  condemning  some  of  the  cruel  and  unjust 
methods  of  enforcing  the  law,  decided  that  the  enact- 
ments to  suppress  plural  marriage  were  constitutional, 
and  that  the  first  amendment  to  the  Constitution,  pro- 
viding for  the  free  exercise  of  religion,  can  not  be  used 
to  defend  this  doctrine. 

Meanwhile  the  Government  continued  unyielding  in 
its    determination    to    suppress    the    practice,    having    in 


A    BRIEF    HISTORY    OF   THE    CHURCH.  167 

contemplation  and  threatening  the  adoption  of  still 
harsher  measures  than  used  heretofore. 

It  was  while  the  Saints  were  in  the  midst  of  these 
afflictions  that  President  Woodruff  sought  the  Lord  in 
their  behalf,  and  in  answer  to  his  petitions  of  anguish, 
received  the  word  of  the  Lord  authorizing  him  to  advise 
the  Saints  to  discontinue  the  practice  of  plural  marriage. 

A  manifesto  to  this  effect  was  issued  on  the  24th  of 
September,  1890,  and  at  the  following  semi-annual  con- 
ference, October  6th,  the  assembled  Saints  accepted  the 
declaration  of  their  leader  concerning  plural  marriage  as 
authoritative  and  binding.  Since  then  the  doctrine  has 
neither  been  taught  nor  practiced. 

The  people  had  done  their  duty.  God  revealed  the 
doctrine  to  them;  He  it  was  who  authorized  its  suspen- 
sion. In  the  face  of  appalling  opposition,  they  had 
firmly  and  openly  defended  it  for  thirty  years.  They 
were  justified  by  their  sacrifice  and  suffering.  God 
accepted  of  their  offerings  as  He  had  done  once  before, 
when  they  were  hindered  in  the  performance  of  His 
will,  in  Jackson  County.*  The  design  of  God  so  far 
had  been  accomplished.  In  defending  themselves,  they 
had  been  given  the  privilege  to  explain  the  gospel,  to 
bear  their  testimonies  to  the  mission  of  so-called  Mor- 
Inonism,  in  the  nation's  high  places,  under  other  condi- 
tions rendered  inaccessible. 

Looked  upon  at  first  with  some  suspicion,  the 
Government  and  people  of  th^  nation  at  length  believed 
the  Mormons  sincere,  as  they  are,  in  their  avowal  to 
discontinue  plural  marriages.      This,  with  the  change    in 


Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Section  124,  verses  49  to  54. 
Robert's  Ecclesiastical  History,  p,  457, notes  6,  7,  8. 


168  A   BRIEF   HISTORY    OF   THE   CHURCH. 

political  affairs  wrought  b}^  the  disunion  of  their  People's 
(Mormon)  political  party,  and  the  adoption  by  them  of 
National  politics,  by  which  the  Saints,  heretofore  united 
in  all  things,  have  become  politically  divided,  has 
brought  about  the  present  era  of  "good  feelings  and 
changed  conditions." 

The  last  remnant  of  their  most  bitter  enemy,  the 
local  Liberal  Party,  having  outlived  its  mission,  is  pass- 
ing away  to  deserved  oblivion. 


4.      THE    TEMPLES    OF    THE    SAINTS. 

Four  magnificent  temples,  in  which  the  Saints  are 
doing  a  noble  work  for  the  living  and  the  dead,  have 
been  reared  in  Utah  to  the  name  of  God — one  in  St. 
George,  dedicated  January  1st,  1877:  one  in  Logan, 
dedicated  May  17th,  1884;  one  in  Manti,  dedicated  May 
21st,  1888;  one  in  Salt  Lake  City,  dedicated  April  6th, 
1893.  The  completion  and  dedication  of  the  temple  in 
Salt  Lake  City  have  been  among  the  most  important 
events  in   the  administration  of  President  Woodruff. 

At  the  annual  conference,  April  6th,  1892,  the  cap- 
stone was  laid,  the  ceremonies  taking  place  in  the 
presence  of  forty  thousand  people — the  largest  assem- 
blage ever  congregated  together  in  the  history  of  the 
Church.  Nearly  all  the  leading  authorities  were  present 
to  swell  tlie  "Hosanna"  shouts  of  the  Saints  who  had 
come  to  witness  the  ceremonies  for  which  they  had 
longed  and  waited  these  many  years.  Services  at  10 
a.m.  on  the  morning  of  the  6th  were  first  held  in  the 
Tabernacle.  The  great  audience  of  twelve  thousand,  with 
the  many  thousands  who  could  not  gain  admission, 
adjourned  to  the    south  side    of  the    temple    at    11     a.m. 


A    BRIEF    HISTORY   OF    THE    CHURCH.  169 

First  in  the  march  came  the  choir,  then  the  First  Presi- 
dency, .the  Apostles,  followed  by  the  other  quorums  of 
the  Priesthood,  in  their  order  to  the  least.  The  ceremo- 
nies, though  simple,  have  never  been  excelled  for  en- 
thusiasm and  impressiveness  in  the  history  of  the  people. 
After  music  and  song,  prayer  having  been  offered  by 
President  Joseph.  F.  Smith,  all  things  being  in  readiness. 
President  Wilford  Woodruff  stepped  to  the  front  of  the 
platform,  saying:  "Attention,  all  ye  house  of  Israel,  and 
all  ye  nations  of  the  earth.  We  will  now  lay  the  top- 
stone  of  the  temple  of  our  God,  the  foundation  of  which 
was  laid  and  dedicated  by  the  Prophet,  Seer,  and  Reve- 
lator,  Brigham  Young."  He  then  pressed  a  button,  and 
by  means  of  electricity  the  last  stone  of  the  holy  struc- 
ture was  laid.  Then  followed  a  grand  effect:  forty 
thousand  voices,  led  by  Apostle  Lorenzo  Snow,  shouted 
in  concert,  '"Hosanna,  hosanna,  hosanna  to  God  and  the 
Lamb.  Amen,  amen,  and  amen."  This  was  repeated 
three  times,  each  shout  being  accompanied  by  a  waving 
of  handkerchiefs.  A  resolution  was  then  adopted,  amid 
cheers  from  the  vast  assembly,  to  complete  the  building 
so  that  the  dedication  might  take  place  on  April  6th, 
1893.  After  a  closing  anthem,  the  benediction  was  pro- 
nounced by  President  George  Q.    Cannon. 

With  energy  and  determination  work  was  now 
pushed  with  a  view  to  complete  the  interior  of  the 
grand  structure  by  the  appointed  time,  an  undertaking 
which  seemed  almost  impossible  in  so  short  a  period. 
However,  the  people  donated  liberally  of  their  means, 
the  best  workmen  were  employed,  and  with  the  blessings 
of  God  upon  their  labors,  the  task  was  accomplished. 

On  Tuesday,  April  4th,  1893,  the  annual  conference 
began  in  the  Tabernacle,  continuing  for    two    days.      On 


170  A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH. 

the  morning  of  the  6th,  2,500'  people  who  had  been 
provided  with  tickets  of  admission  met  in  the  large 
assembly  room  on  the  upper  floor  of  the  temple,  having 
first  viewed  the  rich  and  magnificent  interior  furnish- 
ings. All  the  general  authorities  of  the  Church  were 
present — the  first  time  for  many  years  that  the  First 
Presidency,  Twelve  Apostles,  Patriarch,  Presiding 
Council  of  Seventies,  and  residing  Bishopric,  all  had 
been  able  to  meet  together  in  an  assemblage  of  the 
Saints.  A  select  choir  of  three'^hundred  voices,  led  by 
Evan  Stephens,  sang  an  anthem,  after  which  President 
Woodruff  offered  the  dedicatory  prayer.  This  was 
followed  by  appropriate,  instructive  and  consoling  re- 
marks from  Presidents  Cannon,  Woodruff  and  Smith. 
The  Lord  will  comfort  Zion;  the  day  when  His  rich 
favor  will  be  bestowed  upon  her  is  at  hand;  union 
characterizes  the  Priesthood — was  the  burden  of  their 
-speech.  Fogiveness  and  charity  were  impressed  upon 
the  Saints,  who  were  assured  of  a  brighter  day  in  store 
for  them  than  they  had  ever  yet  experienced.  The 
Spirit  bore  testimony  to  every  soul  present  that  God 
had  accepted  the  house  now  dedicated  to  Him.  Many 
were  moved  to  tears  of  joy.  The  toils  and  sacrifices  of 
forty  years  received  their  crowning'^triumph  in  the  reve- 
lation from  God  to  each  member  of  the  Church  who 
attended,  that  He  had  acceptedof  the'  temple  as  a  habi- 
tation holy  to  His  name. 

In  the  afternoon  another  congregation  of  the  Saints 
convened,  then  followed  meetings  Juntil  thirty-one  had 
been  held,  the  average  attendance  Jof  each  being  2,260, 
making  a  total  of  70,000  people'^who,^witnessed  the  dedi- 
cation ceremonies.  There  were,  besides, ^'fifteen  thousand 
Sunda}^  school  children,  for  whom  special    services    were 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  171 

held,  making  a  grand  total  of  85,000.  Members  of  the 
Church  "^attended  from  every  stake  of  Zion,  .as  follows: 
Alberta,  Canada;  Snowflake,  St.  Johns,  St.  Joseph,  and 
Maricopa,  Arizona;  Bannock,  Cassia,  Malad,  Bear  Lake 
and  Oneida,'^  Idaho;  San  Luis,  Colorado;  Star  Valley, 
Wyoming;  Beaver,  San  Juan,  St.  George,  Panguitch 
Emery,  Parowan,  Uintah,  Millard,  Morgan,  Summit, 
Sevier,  Sanpete,  Cache,  Wasatch,  Weber,  Tooele,  Juab, 
Utah,  Davis,  Kanab,  Salt  Lake,  losepa,  and  Box  Elder, 
Utah;   and  Old  Mexico.* 

The  closing  session  of  the  services  were  held  on  the 
afternoon  of  Monday,  April  24th,  1893,  and  the  temple 
was  opened^for  ordinances  on  the  day  of  May  following. 


5.      CONCLUSION. 

Viewing  as  in  the  foregoing  the  panorama  of  the 
eventful  past  the  prosperity  of  the  present  appears  mar- 
velous in  our  eyes — the  future  lustrous  with  bright 
promise. 

The  Latter-day  Saints  are  a  happj^  prosperous. 
God-fearing,  virtuous  people  steadily  increasing  in 
numbers  and  good  works.  Thrift,  cleanliness,  good  order, 
peace  and  sobriety,  are  among  their  characteristics. 
While  they  are  not  wealthy,  they  generally  own  their 
homes,  lands  and  herds.  God  has  blessed  the  land 
because  of  them;  and  for  their  sakes  the  earth  has 
yielded  in  abundance. 

Believers  in  education,  they  are  foremost  in  giving 
their  offspring  the  advantages  of  a  true  training.  Their 
children  are     steady    attendants    at     the     public    schools 


»  For  a  complete  account  of  the  dedication  services  see   Oontributor,  Vol. 
14,  p.  243. 


172  A    BRIEF   HISTORY    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

which  are  found  in  every  city,  village  and  hamlet  where 
they  abide.  Besides  the  institutions  of  learning  founded 
by  President  Young,  President  Woodruff,  a  few  years 
ago,  realizing  that  true  education  is  based  upon  a  cor- 
rect theology,  counseled  the  organization  of  a  Church 
school  system  which  has  grown  until  nearly  all  the 
stakes  have  their  academies;  and  the  wards,  now  num- 
bering upwards  of  five  hundred,  are  gradually  establish- 
ing schools  adapted  to  the  capacity  of  younger  students. 

Hundreds  of  young  missionaries  go  forth  yearly  to 
all  parts  of  the  earth,  and  return  having  their  minds 
stored  with  fresh  thoughts,  new  conceptions,  advanced 
opinions,  which  are  assimilated  by  the  Saints,  adding 
new  vigor  and  life  to  the  community.  A  host  of  65,000 
children  are  being  trained  in  the  Sabbath  schools  over 
ten  thousand  young  men  are  studying  the  principles  of 
the  gospel  in  the  Mutual  I-*nprovement  Associations;  the 
quorums  of  the  Priesthood  are  training  their  members 
for  the  duties  of  the  ministry,  and  the  practical  labors  of 
life. 

The  people  of  our  own  country,  and  of  the  earth, 
are  becoming  more  favorable  to  the  Saints  as  their 
virtues  and  designs  are  better  understood.  Witness  the 
hearty  welcome  recently  extended  to  the  First  Presi- 
dency, and  the  Tabernacle  Choir,  a  company  of  over 
four  hundred,  on  their  way  to  the  Columbian  Exposition, 
also  the  testimony  of  Elders  in  foreign  countries. 

What  of  the  future?  What  of  the  destiny  of  this 
vigorous,    progressive  people? 

Their  faith  is  designed  for  the  happiness,  well-being 
and  salvation,  temporal  and  spiritual,  of  all  the  creatures 
of  God.  It  is  exemplified  by  them  in  noble  and  practical 
works.      Their  religion  has  inherent  elements  of  strength, 


A   BRIEF   HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCH.  173 

rooted  in  the  revealed  truths  of  Deity,  that  insure  its 
perpetuity.  Mormonism  is  not  the  work  of  men,  but  is 
the  work  of  God.  Its  doctrines  have  been  established 
for  a  wise  purpose  in  Him,  to  prepare  mankind  for 
Christ's  second  coming  and  reign  on  earth.  In  short, 
so-called  Mormonism,  broad  in  scope,  tolerant,  truth- 
seeking,  is  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  as  such  is 
destined  to  be  the  religion  of  the  future.  Its  truths, 
built  upon  direct  revelation  from  God,  are  constantly 
gaining  ground,  and  correspond  perfectly  to  the  needs  of 
the  age. 

Its  own  centennial  close  at  hand,  with  resplendent 
prospects  m  view,  the  Church  stands  upon  the  threshold 
of  a  new  centur}^  full  of  bounteous  promise. 


^f)e  follou/ip^  booKs  ao<^   pamplplets  are  printed  apd 
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Orson  Pratt's  Works,  a  series  of  pamphlets  on 
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of  the  principles  of  the  gospel,  in  twelve  tersely- 
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History  of  the  Mormons  and  Manifesto  in  Regard 
TO  Polygamy .05 

Mr.  Durant  of  Salt  Lake  City,  "That  Mormon," 
by  Ben  E.    Rich, 1.25 

Why  We  Practice  Plural  Marriage,  by  a  Mor- 
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cover, 25 

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of  the  Gospel,   each 03 

The  Modern  Prophet,  evidences  of  the  divine 
mission  of  Joseph  Smith, 03 

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