1831-1832.
THE TWO STAKES--JOSEPH LIVES AT HIRAM--M'LELLIN TRIES TO WRITE A
REVELATION AND FAILS--THE APOSTATE, BOOTH, STIRS UP HATRED--JOSEPH
TARRED AND FEATHERED.
Joseph was now in Ohio, and for a number of years he made his home
there. The Saints were in two bodies; one part gathered about Kirtland,
a few miles from Lake Erie in the north-eastern corner of Ohio, and
the other about Independence on the western border of Missouri. It
was a journey of one thousand miles from one stake to the other and
yet for about eight years they were separated. Why did they remain
apart? Since that time the Saints have kept together. Now when they
have grown in strength and numbers, colonies go out and make homes in
Mexico and Canada and other places, and yet the headquarters of the
Church and most of the Saints are in Utah. Why did not all in Ohio
move to Missouri, the land which the Lord had said was Zion? He had
good reasons for keeping some of the Saints at Kirtland, and you will
understand them if you go on with this work.
Joseph was not rich, and though he could make money when he turned his
mind to business, yet the Lord needed his energy and time for work of
a good deal more importance. So instead of building himself a home he
went to live at the house of John Johnson at Hiram, Portage county,
about thirty-five miles south-east of Kirtland. Sidney Rigdon went with
him and together they worked on the translation of the Bible, Joseph
translating and Sidney writing.
But there were many other things to do besides translate. W. W. Phelps
was sent back to Missouri to begin publishing a monthly paper called
the _Evening and Morning Star_. Oliver Cowdery went back also taking
with him the revelations that Joseph had received, and the Prophet
was busy gathering them. Many special conferences were held, many
revelations were received, and much of the time was spent in preaching
the Gospel.
A special conference was held October 25th of this year, 1831, at
Orange, Cuyahoga county. There were present, twelve High Priests,
seventeen Elders, four Priests, three Teachers, and four Deacons,
besides a large congregation, so you see that most of the grades of the
Priesthood were represented. It is interesting to know that James A.
Garfield, who later became President of the United States, was born at
this place about three weeks after the conference was held.
One day during meeting Joseph had a revelation from the Lord. After it
was given those present began talking about revelations. It must have
seemed an easy thing to some of them for the Prophet to speak out what
the Lord was revealing to him, and they thought they could do it as
well as he. The Lord saw what was in their hearts and revealed through
Joseph that the wisest among them might try to make up a revelation.
Wm. E. McLellin considered that he was the wisest, and tried to write
a commandment, but he made a dismal failure. He could not imitate the
words of Jesus Christ even in the least of His commandments. After that
attempt all those who saw it felt sure that Joseph was a true Prophet.
When the Church was organized in 1830 the Lord did not command that
all the officers should be appointed at once. But as the knowledge and
needs of the people increased, He revealed the other offices in the
Church and Priesthood. Joseph was not immediately made President with
two counselors. For a long time there was no quorum of Twelve Apostles
or of Seventy. Men had to be proved, before they could be put into such
positions. When the proper time came Joseph was directed to fill up the
offices until at length the organization was complete.
It was nearly a year, you remember, after the organization of the
Church that Edward Partridge was called to be the first Bishop. He
went to Missouri and made his home with the Saints there, and Newel K.
Whitney was afterwards appointed, on December 4, 1831, to be Bishop at
Kirtland. At this time Joseph received a revelation telling what the
duties of Bishop are.
For a year and a half the Prophet had not been disturbed by mobs. When
he left Colesville the last time he began to enjoy some peace. But
Satan could not be idle very long while Joseph Smith was alive and
free, and an opportunity soon came to injure the Prophet. Ezra Booth
apostatized and began to lie about him and to fight the Church. The
truth is that Satan finds his best tools in the apostates. The devil,
you know, is one himself--he apostatized in heaven, and he knows well
how to use a person who has denied the faith.
This Ezra Booth had been a Methodist priest, but was converted by
seeing some one suddenly healed. He was like Simon, the sorcerer, who
offered the ancient Apostles money for the power to confer the Holy
Ghost. He wanted the Priesthood, not that he might bless people but
that he might smite them and compel them to believe and thus make a
great display. When he found that he must be humble and pure if he
obtained power in the Priesthood he left the Church and wrote false
letters to make the people hate Joseph.
Others at Hiram apostatized also and became very bitter enemies. They
were even filled with the spirit of murder that they might destroy the
servants of God--men cannot be worse than that.
Emma Smith had twin babies that she had adopted when they were only
nine days old. In the spring of 1832, when they were nearly a year old
they caught the measles. On the night of March 25th, Joseph sat up
with the sicker child until late and then lay down beside it on the
trundle-bed and fell asleep. A scream of "murder!" from Emma waked him.
He was in the hands of the mob and they were dragging him through the
door. He loosened one foot from their hold and kicked one ruffian in
the face and sent him sprawling down the door-step, with blood spurting
from his nose. But there were too many for him, and he could not get
free. They cursed him and choked him until he fainted.
When he came to, they were away from the house. Sidney Rigdon was lying
on the ground, where they had dragged him by the feet over the rough
ground. He was lying there as if dead. They held Joseph off the ground
so that he could not spring. They knew how strong and active he was.
The leaders of the mob were holding a council to decide what to do.
They brought a tar bucket and tried to push the paddle, all covered
with tar, into his mouth, but he twisted his head so that they could
only smear it over his lips and face. Then they tried to poison him
with nitric acid, but the bottle broke against his teeth and the acid
ran to the ground. But the most horrible thing was now to come. They
rent his clothes from his body and suddenly one fell upon him like a
fury and with his nails tore the Prophet's flesh, and taking God's name
in vain he said "That's the way the Holy Ghost falls on folks." Then
they covered his body with tar, and fled.
Slowly Joseph made his way home to Father Johnson's house. When Emma
saw him she fainted. They gave him a blanket to cover himself and he
went into the room where friends were waiting with Emma. They spent
the rest of the night in cleaning the tar from his wounded body. Next
morning was the Sabbath, and he went to meeting. Standing up boldly
before some of the very men who had tried to murder him, he preached a
powerful sermon and in the afternoon baptized three persons.
The spirit of the mob did not die out, they continued to threaten and
vex the Prophet and those about him. Sidney was out of his head for
two or three days on account of being dragged over the frozen ground,
but as soon as he was well enough he hurried away with his sick family
from Hiram. One of Joseph's twin babies died from catching cold on that
dreadful night, and two days after its death, on the 1st of April,
Joseph left for Missouri, in company with Sidney Rigdon, Newel K.
Whitney, Peter Whitmer and Jesse Gauge. He arranged for Emma to stay at
Bishop Whitney's home.