1836-37.
THE SPIRIT OF SPECULATION--KIRTLAND SAFETY SOCIETY BEGINS AND
FAILS--MANY APOSTATIZE--THE ENGLISH MISSION OPENED--SATAN STRIKES HEBER
C. KIMBALL, BUT FAILS TO STOP THE WORK.
For some time previous to the year 1837 there was a fever raging over
the United States. It was not a sickness that hurt the body, but the
fever to buy for little and sell for much, and thus grow suddenly
rich. It was the fever of speculation. Railroad engines had just been
invented and were so successful that almost everybody who had money
or could borrow it wished to buy railroad stock and make his fortune
at once. People began moving out westward to the fertile lands of the
Mississippi valley, and those who could lay their hands on money bought
large tracts of land, hoping by the rise of prices to make immense
profits. At this time, too, President Andrew Jackson, in order to
destroy the national bank, took away the public money and placed it
in private banks. This made it easier to borrow and speculation was
consequently increased.
In 1836 the Prophet Joseph and other leading men of the Church,
desiring to aid the business of the Saints in a proper way, established
a kind of bank called the Kirtland Safety Society. In the beginning of
1837 actual business was started up and for a time all went well. But
after a while the spirit of the land seized many of the brethren and
they began to speculate wildly. Joseph saw that this would lead to evil
and ruin, and he gave them serious warning. At length, unwilling to
support anything that was not carried on in righteousness, he broke off
all connection with the society.
The natural result of the speculation in this country came in 1837.
It was a financial crash such as the people of the United States have
never known at any other time. Land and railroad stock and other kinds
of property would rise no higher in price and began to come down. Men
grew frightened and tried to sell, but others were frightened and would
not buy, so those who held the stocks were ruined, as most speculators
are sooner or later. Many banks failed because they had used the money
that people had put in and could not pay it back. The Kirtland Safety
Society also failed. Warren Parrish had stolen twenty thousand dollars
or more from it, and other apostates and enemies of the Church fought
against it. Many of the brethren, however, spent all they had to pay
its debts.
This speculation and the failure and ruin that followed it, caused many
men to apostatize from the Church and become bitter enemies to Joseph.
He had warned them, but the lust for riches had filled their souls,
driving out the Spirit of God, and they rejected his counsel. Yet the
Prophet was blamed for the failure of the bank, when this was caused by
their own mistakes and dishonesty.
Kirtland seemed to be, and no doubt was, filled with devils who were
making every effort to overthrow the Church. It was at this time
that the Lord directed Joseph to call Heber C. Kimball on a mission
to England. Of course Brother Kimball accepted this new work. He
was a man that never flinched before a duty. Orson Hyde and Willard
Richards, learning that he was called, asked to be sent also. On the
thirteenth of June, 1837, they departed from Kirtland, and on July 1st,
accompanied by John Goodson, Isaac Russell, John Snider and Joseph
Fielding, sailed from New York.
The good ship _Garrick_ carried them safely across the great Atlantic,
and just as the anchor was being lowered in the river Mersey, on the
morning of July 20th, up sailed the _South America_, which left New
York at the same time under a bet of ten thousand dollars. So you see
the ship that carried the Elders won. Some of the brethren hastened to
shore in a row-boat, and when they drew near, Heber C. Kimball with a
great spring reached the landing and stood upon the soil of England,
the first man bearing the holy Priesthood to set foot upon a foreign
land in this dispensation.
The Elders were now at Liverpool, but they took stage at once for
Preston, about thirty miles distant. As they alighted from the coach,
they found themselves beneath a waving flag on which was written,
"Truth will prevail." Queen Victoria had just been seated on the
throne, and an election was being held for members of Parliament. The
flag was in honor of the event, but the brethren took it as a sign of
comfort for them and hoped and believed with all their hearts that the
words would be fulfilled.
Sunday morning, July 23rd, Rev. James Fielding, brother of Joseph
Fielding, gave it out in his meeting that some ministers from America
would speak in the afternoon at his chapel. The brethren had not asked
this favor and were very grateful for the offer. Elders Kimball and
Hyde spoke, and another meeting was held at night. A third meeting was
held the following Wednesday night and then Mr. Fielding closed his
doors to the Elders. They met, however, at private houses and the work
was not hindered. Only a week had passed when nine persons were ready
for baptism.
That morning Elder Russell was to speak, but upon arising from his bed
he was so afflicted with evil spirits that he felt he would die unless
relieved. He came to Elders Kimball and Hyde and they administered to
him, but while doing so Brother Kimball was knocked senseless to the
floor by some unseen power. He was laid on the bed and prayed for, but
the pain was so great that he could not lie down. He fell upon his
knees and besought God to heal him.
The eyes of the Elders were opened then, and they saw about them a
legion of devils, having the form of men but showing fiendish hatred
in their faces. For an hour and a half these gnashed their teeth and
foamed at the mouth and tried to come near the brethren, but seemed
held back by some power. The Elders did not see the Lord, but the
Prophet told them later that He was there protecting them from harm.
With all their efforts, the evil spirits did not prevent the nine
baptisms that Sabbath morning. Neither did they hinder the work of
the English mission, for it prospered exceedingly, and when a general
conference was held the following Christmas day in the "Cock Pit" at
Preston, the Church in England numbered about one thousand souls.