1836.
THE PROPHET'S GROWTH IN KNOWLEDGE--GLORIOUS VISIONS IN THE
TEMPLE--DEDICATION--KEYS OF THIS DISPENSATION CONFERRED--ELDERS GO OUT
TO PREACH.
Do you remember in one of the early chapters of this book it was said
that when Joseph began translating the Book of Mormon he could not
spell so well as an ordinary schoolboy of these days? His ignorance was
not because he was dull or lazy. His energies were spent in the field
and forest, and he did not live among people that wrote much or had
much knowledge of books. Just as soon though as he began spending his
time in the Lord's service, his learning grew very fast.
In translating the Book of Mormon Joseph was in the best school a man
could attend. The Holy Ghost, which is the spirit of intelligence,
inspired his mind, and he read and understood a strange language
entirely different from our own. When he finished this work he probably
had more knowledge of the Egyptian writing than any other man living.
The work on the Book of Mormon gave him also a better grasp and
understanding of English, and caused within him a thirst for learning
that was never quenched. His work in rewriting the Bible helped him
very much, and when he translated the books and writings of Abraham
and Moses from the Egyptian found on the papyrus with the mummies, he
was a well educated man. He understood much concerning the movement
of stars and heavenly bodies, and more important, he knew that in the
past many of them were worlds like ours and are now as ours will be.
He understood how people should be governed. And the highest knowledge
of all--he knew our Father in Heaven, better than did any one else on
earth.
Think what a blessing this last is! If a bright boy works with an
intelligent man whom he admires very much, it is not long until he
begins to look at matters just as his older friend does. When that
friend is the Lord and the boy is any righteous human being, this same
thing happens, only when we look at matters as the Lord looks at them
we are not led astray by the opinions of men, but we see the absolute,
the whole truth.
The Prophet was now a man thirty years old, and yet with all the other
duties he found time to go to school. He studied a number of subjects
but was perhaps most interested in Hebrew. A fine Jewish scholar was
employed to teach the brethren at Kirtland, and this man said he had
never seen a class learn so quickly. The Prophet loved education and
true knowledge, and even in the hardest troubles found time to study.
He set the example, children, every one of you follow it through life.
Study hard and learn all that is true and good and beautiful, and your
lives will be far more happy and far more useful.
We have come now to one of the great reasons why God did not direct all
of His Saints to go to Missouri but kept a part of them for a number of
years in Kirtland. He permitted some to go to Jackson county and buy
land there and begin to build up Zion. The Saints were not righteous
enough to prevail against the persecutions of their enemies and were
driven away from their land. But the feeling was left in their hearts
and in the hearts of their children and in the hearts of all true
Latter-day Saints that we have a claim on Jackson county, and it will
be the greatest joy of our lives to go back and redeem Zion in the
Lord's own time.
Now our Father in Heaven in His mercy kept some of the Saints in
Kirtland where they could build a temple to Him and receive the holy
endowments and blessings that had been given to few people on earth.
It was in July, 1833, that the corner stones of this first temple built
in latter days were laid. March 27, 1836, was the day on which it was
dedicated, so you see that less than three years were used in building
it. The Salt Lake temple was forty years being built, but it is far
larger and more costly than was the one at Kirtland.
Before the dedication many glorious things took place that prepared
the leading Elders and the Prophet for the great event. One night in
the latter part of January the First Presidency and some of the Elders
from Missouri as well as from Kirtland came together for the purpose of
anointing one another. Joseph and his counselors first poured oil on
the head of Joseph Smith, Sen., the Patriarch of the Church, and he in
turn blessed them.
But the anointings were not the only matters of importance that took
place in the unfinished temple that winter night. Angels drew aside the
curtains of heaven, and the host that dwelled there and our Redeemer
Jesus were seen. The Elders shouted hosannah and glory to God in the
highest, and their souls were filled with infinite joy. The Prophet saw
in visions the celestial kingdom of God, and the flaming gates through
which the heirs of the kingdom will enter. He saw the glorious throne
whereon the Father and Son were seated. He beheld within the beautiful
city Fathers Adam and Abraham, his own parents and his brother Alvin
who had died years before.
He was astonished to see his brother there, because he had passed away
before the Gospel was restored, but the Lord declared that all who had
died without hearing the Gospel, who would have accepted it if they had
heard it will be heirs to the celestial kingdom. Alvin was not enjoying
celestial glory at the time of this vision. The Prophet was of course
beholding the future, as at this time his parents were both alive, but
the doctrine of baptism for the dead had not been revealed, and so
the Lord answered him in this way. The explanation is perfectly true.
Honest, pure souls who have died without a knowledge of the Gospel are
heirs to the kingdom. And yet they can not enter it until baptism has
been performed by their relatives or friends here on earth.
The glorious meeting did not end until two o'clock in the morning, and
the next night the Elders again met. The Twelve Apostles and presidents
of Seventies also met with them and received their anointings and
blessings. Once more angels ministered unto them and mingled their
voices in shouts of praise. The gift of tongues came upon the Elders
and they had another spiritual feast. A week later High Priests,
Seventies and Elders assembled to be blessed and anointed, and like
visions and glorious signs were shown unto them.
Early Sunday morning on the twenty-seventh of March, 1836, the Saints
of Kirtland with those who had come from Missouri and other places
for the occasion made their way to the House of the Lord. They waited
patiently until eight o'clock, when the doors were opened and they were
received and seated by the Prophet, Oliver Cowdery, and Sidney Rigdon.
Less than a thousand could enter, for the building was not very large.
At nine, when the presiding authorities were seated on each end of
the room, the services began. They sang hymns, prayers were offered,
Sidney and others preached and the congregation voted to sustain the
authorities. President Joseph Smith offered the prayer of dedication,
and this was sealed by the shout from all the Saints repeated three
times, "Hosannah, hosannah, hosannah to God and the Lamb. Amen, amen,
amen."
After this there was more speaking. Brigham Young and David Patten
addressed the Saints in tongues, and George A. Smith rose and
prophesied. Then was heard a rushing like the noise of a mighty wind,
and a bright pillar of fire rested on the temple. Angels filled the
room and were seen. The whole body of Saints rose to their feet and
some spoke in tongues and some prophesied, and some saw glorious
visions of eternity. The people of the neighborhood, hearing the
rushing sound and seeing the pillar of light, were astonished and ran
to the temple to see this strange thing. That night at eleven o'clock
the Saints went home and the dedication of the House of the Lord, the
first temple of the latter days was completed.
On March 29th, the Prophet with his counselors and some other Elders
met in the holiest place of the temple. There they fasted and prayed
and washed each other's feet until morning, when they met with all
the officers of the Church holding the Melchizedek Priesthood.
The ordinance of the washing of feet was carried out through the
whole assembly, the sacrament was administered, and Joseph told the
Priesthood their various duties. At nine o'clock in the evening Joseph
went home to rest after a most joyful night and day and left the
meeting in the hands of the Apostles. During the night the gift of
tongues came to some, angels appeared to others, and others, still more
blessed, saw the Savior.
On the following Sunday, the third of April, during afternoon meeting
in the temple, Joseph and Oliver drew the curtains of the pulpit, thus
closing them from the congregation, and kneeled in silent prayer.
When they arose they beheld the Lord standing on the breastwork of
the pulpit which seemed to be overlaid with pure gold. His hair was
white as snow, His face was brighter than the noonday sun, and His
eyes were like flames of fire. He told them that He had accepted the
temple and spoke many blessings on the children of men. His voice was
like the rushing of great waters. After this vision ended, Moses came
and committed unto them the keys of the gathering of Israel, then
Elias gave the dispensation of the Gospel of Abraham; and Elijah, the
Prophet, who was carried to Heaven in a chariot of fire, conferred
the keys of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the
hearts of the children to the fathers.
These great keys are necessary in this dispensation of the Gospel, for
this is to be the fullness of times, when all that has been in the
past will be brought back to make the Gospel perfect. Do you wonder
why Oliver was with Joseph instead of Sidney Rigdon, or Frederick
G. Williams? Oliver had been ordained by Joseph to be an assistant
president and so he was at this time of equal rank with them.
During these days of jubilee the Twelve Apostles and worthy Elders
received their endowments in the temple and then scattered out into the
ever-widening fields of missionary work. Joseph also went out and spent
two months in gathering the blessed harvest.