Let us here pause a moment and see what it took to build the Temple.
That structure cost more than one million dollars; the Saints were
poor, and a great deal of the time the Temple was in course of erection
they were harassed by their enemies. The Prophet Joseph was forced
into exile to avoid his enemies who tried to drag him to Missouri, and
therefore he could not devote his personal attention to the building of
the Temple as he otherwise would have done; and in this way the work
was retarded to some degree by the enemies of the people. Moreover,
the building of that structure was not like building one today. The
Saints could not order their timber from the lumber yard in a state of
preparation for the Temple. There were no iron foundries from which
they could obtain the required metal properly prepared; but on the
contrary, every detail had to be performed by the Saints. The timber
had to be hewed in the far off forests of Wisconsin, carried to Nauvoo,
and cut into boards and for the various uses of the Temple. The stone
had to be cut and polished from the quarries, and the whole work had to
be supplied out of the tithing of the people. If the Lord had required
all of their time how would they have supported their families? Of
course, He could have cared for them, but it was but the tenth, mark
you, of their time and means that was required. And yet some of our
friends complain that the Temple was not completed inside of six
months! Naturally under these conditions it would take a number of
years to complete the building.
We have seen that the Saints were diligent up to May, 1842.[11] Let us
now see if they did not continue their diligence. Of course, there were
some who were not diligent; but not of the faithful, not of those who
followed the Twelve. At the April conference, 1844, the Patriarch Hyrum
Smith, addressing the Saints, said:
"I am one of the committee (i. e., Temple committee); the committee
tell me the quarry is blockaded, it is filled with rock, the stone
cutters are wanting work; come on with your teams as soon as
conference is over. It is not necessary for me to tell who will
come and do it; I will prophesy that you will do it. There is not
one in the city but that will do right if they know it, only one or
two exceptions, and they are not worth notice; God will take care
of them, and if He doesn't, the devil will." (T. & S., 5:597).
Now, I know that Hyrum Smith was a prophet of God, the Lord declared
it, and his prophecy did not fail. This shows the willingness of the
Saints to do this work as late as 1844.
In a communication to the Times and Seasons, October 13, 1844, signed
"C," we have the following:
"The Temple is rising even faster than could have been anticipated,
and has a very imposing appearance."
Again on page 744, of volume 5, Times and Seasons, (December 15, 1844),
this is stated:
"The Temple has progressed with greater rapidity since the death of
Joseph and Hyrum than ever it had done before; and things in this
city never looked more prosperous."
And in an editorial in this same paper of May 15, 1845:
"The Temple progresses rapidly and the Saints being united (as we
have heretofore said), are industrious, frugal and determined."
Then in the Times and Seasons, volume 6, page 926:
"After a little more than four years of hard labor, in truly
troublesome times, and not, too, without the loss of the best blood
in the Church, on the morning of the 24th ult. (April, 1845), at a
little past 6, a goodly number of Saints had the honor, and glory
to witness the capstone of the Temple laid in its place."
In a letter from Elder John Taylor to Joseph Cain (Mill. Star, 8:31),
we find this:
"My feelings were very peculiar while standing in the font, which
is of stone, and passing through the rooms when I thought how the
Saints had labored and striven to complete the building."
And in the Times and Seasons, volume 6, page 1017:
"On Sunday, the 5th of October (1845) through the indefatigable
exertions, unceasing industry, and heaven blessed labors, in the
midst of trials, tribulations, poverty, and worldly obstacles,
solemnized, in some instances, by death, about 5,000 Saints had the
inexpressible joy and great gratification to meet for the first
time in the house of the Lord in the city of Joseph (Nauvoo). From
mites and tithing, millions had risen up to the glory of God, as a
Temple where the children of the last kingdom, could come together
and praise the Lord."
There are other passages; but these ought to suffice on this point of
the diligence of the Saints. But some one will say, all this testimony
is from those who are interested--from your friends. Should we take the
testimony of our enemies, those who are interested in our downfall,
and who are not acquainted with these facts? However, I will add the
testimony of one who hoped that the Temple would not be finished. In
the Messenger and Advocate of June, 1846, published by Sidney Rigdon, I
quote the following:
"That people [the Saints with Brigham Young] were told that they
would not finish that Temple which THEY were building. They were
told that they would get the roof on, and do some of the inside
work, but never would finish it."
Now mark this; he adds:
"No people ever labored harder to prove the above declaration
false. No pains were spared; but where has it terminated? Just as
we said it would."
Here we have the testimony of Sidney Rigdon, who opposed the Twelve
and the Church and the building of that Temple. Yet he says they were
diligent, but when he says it was not completed, he spoke too soon.
This article was written just shortly after the exodus commenced, and
at that time the Temple was not quite finished; but it was finished
before all the Saints' left Nauvoo.
I suppose that it is unnecessary to continue this branch of the subject
any further, but since our Church members have to meet the sophistry on
the part of the elders of the "Reorganization," we will.