The Book of Commandments--The Vision of the Glories--The Hiram Mobbing
1831-1832
Desire of the Saints for Knowledge of Zion
August 28, the day after the return of the brethren from Missouri, fell
on Sunday. An inspirational meeting was held at which the brethren
reported their labors. Among the business transacted was the ordination
of Oliver Cowdery to the office of high priest "by the voice of the
Church and the command of God, under the hand of Sidney Rigdon," says
the record. Oliver Cowdery was in Missouri when the conference in June
was held, at which the first high priests were ordained.
As the Saints were very anxious to know more in relation to Zion, the
purchasing of lands there and their inheritances, the Prophet inquired
of the Lord, and received a revelation (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 63) in which
the difficulties and persecutions of the Saints in that land were
fore-shadowed. Again the people were cautioned and reproved wherein
they had not kept the commandments of the Lord. Among other things the
Lord declared the following:
"And now, verily, I say unto you, that as I said that I would make
known my will unto you, behold I will make it known unto you, not
by the way of commandment, for there are many who observe not to
keep my commandments; but unto him that keepeth my commandments,
I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in
him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life.
And now, behold, this is the will of the Lord your God concerning
his Saints, that they should assemble themselves together unto the
land of Zion, not in haste, lest there should be confusion, which
bringeth pestilence. Behold, the land of Zion, I, the Lord, holdeth
it in mine own hands; nevertheless, I, the Lord, render unto Caesar
the things which are Caesar's. Wherefore, I, the Lord, will that
you should purchase the lands that you may have advantage of the
world, that you may have claim on the world, that they may not be
stirred up unto anger; for Satan putteth it into their hearts to
anger against you, and to the shedding of blood. Wherefore the
land of Zion shall not be obtained but by purchase or by blood,
otherwise there is none inheritance for you. And if by purchase,
behold you are blessed; and if by blood, as you are forbidden to
shed blood, lo, your enemies are upon you, and ye shall be scourged
from city to city, and from synagogue to synagogue, and but few
shall stand to receive an inheritance. I, the Lord, am angry with
the wicked; I am holding my Spirit from the inhabitants of the
earth."
Apostasy of Ezra Booth
In September Joseph Smith moved with his family to Hiram, in Portage
County, Ohio, about thirty miles southeast of Kirtland, and commenced
living at the home of John Johnson. About this time Ezra Booth left
the Church. He had been ordained a high priest, and had taken the trip
to Missouri, but had been rebellious. Before coming into the Church he
was a Methodist priest; but through the performance of a miracle he
was baptized, and from that time he desired to make men believe by the
performance of miracles, even by smiting them, or with forcible means.
After leaving the Church he wrote a number of articles against the
truth which were afterwards published in an anti-"Mormon" book.
Purchase of a Printing Press
As Oliver Cowdery and William W. Phelps had been called to print and
publish books and writings for the Church, it was necessary that
a printing press be purchased. William W. Phelps was instructed,
therefore, to call at Cincinnati on his return to Missouri, and
purchase a press for this purpose. This press was to be taken to
Independence, where they were to print a monthly paper to be called
the _Evening and Morning Star_. This was the first publication in the
Church.
Revision of the Bible
While residing at Hiram, Joseph Smith was engaged in the revision
of the Bible, which work was commenced in Fayette, but had been
delayed by command of the Lord until this time because of other
duties Sidney Rigdon, who also had located in Hiram, continued to
write for him. In course of time the Prophet went through the Bible,
topic by topic, revising as he was led by revelation. The work was
never fully completed, for he had intended, while at Nauvoo, a number
of years later, to finish the work, but was cut off by his enemies.
Nevertheless, many plain and precious things were revealed which throw
great light upon many subjects.
Special Conference of November
As Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer were appointed to go to Missouri
to attend to duties there, which had been assigned to them, a special
conference was called for November 1, 1831, to consider such matters as
might need attention before their departure.
Preparation for Publication of Commandments
At this special conference, which was held at Hiram, the matter of
publishing the revelations and commandments given through Joseph
Smith, was considered. This was the will of the Lord, for during
that conference he gave the revelation--one of the most important
in the Doctrine and Covenants--which he called "my preface unto
the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish
unto you, O inhabitants of the earth" (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 1). These
inhabitants were commanded, as well as were the Saints, to "search
these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies
and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled." The Lord was
willing, "to make these things known unto all flesh, for I am no
respecter of persons," he said, "and will that all men shall know that
the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when
peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power
over his own dominion; and also the Lord shall have power over his
Saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment
upon Idumea, or the world."
Endorsement of the Revelations
It was decided that an edition of ten thousand copies of the Book of
Commandments should be published. However, at a later date (May 1,
1832) this was changed to three thousand copies. Joseph Smith addressed
the elders and said, inasmuch as the Lord had bestowed a great blessing
upon them in giving commandments and revelations, he would ask the
conference what testimony they were willing to give regarding these
commandments which should shortly be sent to the world. After the
reading of the Lord's preface, a number of the brethren arose and bore
witness to the truth of the revelations, which were to be published in
the Book of Commandments. The conference lasted two days and much other
business was transacted.
Criticism of the Revelations
Not all of those present at the conference fully endorsed these
revelations; there was one at least, who questioned their language.
This was William E. McLellin, who had but recently joined the Church.
The Prophet thereupon received a commandment from the Lord (Doc. and
Cov. Sec. 67) in which he was directed to invite the "most wise among
you" to choose out of the revelations the least, and attempt to make
one like unto it; and if this "wise" individual could duplicate the
least of the revelations, then the elders might be justified in saying
they did not "know that they are true." If this proved to be a failure,
then they would be "under condemnation" if they did not bear record
that they are true.
William E. McLellin's Folly
William E. McLellin, as the wisest man, accepted the challenge from
the Lord. His attempt was a humiliating failure, to the convincing of
the elders present, who unitedly signified their willingness to bear
testimony to all the world, of the truth of the revelations given to
Joseph Smith.
Other Important Revelations
At the conclusion of this conference the Lord gave another commandment
(Doc. and Cov. Sec. 68) for the benefit of Orson Hyde, Luke Johnson,
Lyman E. Johnson and William E. McLellin, who had inquired concerning
themselves. In addition to the advice and commandments given to these
men there was much counsel and commandment for the inhabitants in Zion,
for there were idlers among them, the Lord declared, and they were
to keep the Sabbath day, to remember their prayers, to teach their
children the principles of the Gospel and have them baptized when eight
years old, for these things they were failing to do; therefore the
Lord was not pleased with them. Instructions were also given regarding
the Priesthood and its powers, for the guidance of the Church. This
information Oliver Cowdery was to carry on his return to Zion.
On the 3rd of November, the Lord gave the great revelation known as the
Appendix, to the Book of Commandments, which appears as Section 133 in
the book of Doctrine and Covenants.
Arrangement of the Revelations
It was decided that Oliver Cowdery should carry the revelations to
Missouri, where they should be printed. Joseph Smith was therefore kept
busy during the days intervening, as Oliver expected to leave about the
15th of November. The Prophet writes: "My time was occupied closely
in reviewing the commandments and sitting in conference, for nearly
two weeks; for from the first to the twelfth of November, we held four
special conferences."
Worth of the Revelations
At the last of these conferences, held in Hiram, at the home of John
Johnson, the members voted, after deliberate consideration of the
revelations, "that they prize the revelations to be worth to the Church
the riches of the whole earth, speaking temporally." The benefits to
the Church and to the world, which come from the Book of Mormon and the
revelations to Joseph Smith, were also considered, and the expression
of the conference was to the effect that the infinite wisdom of the
Lord, in granting for their salvation and the salvation of the world,
these sacred things, should be fully appreciated.
Commandments Dedicated
It was voted that Joseph Smith be appointed to dedicate and consecrate
these brethren, Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer, and the sacred
writings entrusted to their care, to the Lord. Moreover, it was also
voted that, in consequence of the diligence of Joseph Smith, Oliver
Cowdery, John Whitmer and Sidney Rigdon, "in bringing to light, by the
grace of God, these sacred things, they be appointed to manage them
according to the laws of the Church, and that their families as well as
the families of Hyrum Smith, Christian Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, Jacob
Whitmer, Hiram Page and David Whitmer, also Samuel Smith, William Smith
and Don Carlos Smith, be remembered to the bishop of Zion as worthy of
inheritances in the land of Zion." In accord with this motion regarding
the dedication of the revelations and those who should carry them,
this action was taken at this time by Joseph Smith. Shortly after this
conference, Oliver Cowdery and John Whitmer departed on their journey.
Labors Among the Enemy
On the 1st of December, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon were commanded
to take "a mission for a season" and call upon the inhabitants of
the earth, and, said the Lord, "confound your enemies; call upon
them to meet you, both in public and in private; and inasmuch as ye
are faithful, their shame shall be made manifest. Wherefore let them
bring forth their strong reason against the Lord." The reason for this
commandment was due to the activities of the apostate Ezra Booth, who
was publishing in Ravenna, Ohio, many falsehoods against the Church.
According to this call Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon left on the 3rd
of December for Kirtland, to fulfil this revelation. For some time they
spoke in Kirtland, Shalersville, Ravenna, and other places, vindicating
the cause and confounding their enemies. They were blessed with the
Spirit of the Lord, and witnessed the fulfilment of the promises made
to them; for they were able to allay much of the excitement and change
false impressions which had grown out of scandalous articles in the
_"Ohio Star"_ at Ravenna.
The Amherst Conference
On the 15th day of January, 1832, a conference was held at Amherst,
Loraine County, Ohio. At this conference much business was transacted
in harmony and in the spirit of fellowship. Joseph Smith was sustained
as President of the High Priesthood. The revelation known as Section
75 in the Doctrine and Covenants was also given in which a number of
elders were called to take missions, two by two, in several directions
throughout the land.
The Vision of the Glories
At the close of this conference, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon again
took up their work of revising the scriptures. While doing so, "it
appeared self-evident," they declared, "from what truths were left,
that if God rewarded every one according to the deeds done in the
body, the term 'Heaven' is intended for the Saints' eternal home, must
include more kingdoms than one." Accordingly on the 16th of February,
1832, while revising St. John's Gospel, and in answer to their prayer,
they saw the heavens opened and beheld the Father and the Son. The
account of this vision, as it is given in Section 76 of the Doctrine
and Covenants, is one of the choicest bits of literature, and one
of the greatest revelations ever given to man. It throws a flood of
light upon eternity and the destiny of the human race and teaches
the mercy of a loving Father, who saves all the workmanship of his
hands, save it be the sons of perdition, who sin against the light and
crucify their Redeemer again unto themselves. That every man shall be
rewarded according to his works, and that a place has been prepared
for each individual somewhere in the mansion of the Father, after he
is purged from sin, is a glorious and merciful provision in the plan
of salvation, which this vision declares, as it was provided before
the world began. It would be folly to attempt to comment on this most
wonderful revelation of the power and loving kindness of the Lord,
which the words of man cannot adequately express.
The Prophet's Views on the Vision
The words of Joseph Smith pertaining to this opening of the heavens,
are well expressed. "Nothing," he has written, "could be more pleasing
to the Saints upon the order of the kingdom of the Lord, than the light
which burst upon the world through the foregoing vision. Every law,
every commandment, every promise, every truth, and every point touching
the destiny of man, from Genesis to Revelation, where the purity of
the scriptures remains unsullied by the folly of men, go to show the
perfection of the theory [of different degrees of glory in the future
life] and witness the fact that that document is a transcript from the
records of the eternal world. The sublimity of the ideas; the purity
of the language; the scope for action; the continued duration for
completion, in order that the heirs of salvation may confess the Lord
and bow the knee; the rewards for faithfulness, and the punishments
for sins, are so much beyond the narrow-mindedness of men, that every
honest man is constrained to exclaim: "It came from God!" Joseph Smith
or any other man guided by the inspiration of man's power could not
have written it.
Mob Violence in Hiram
Before going to Hiram, Ohio, to live, Joseph Smith and his wife adopted
two children (twins) of Elder John Murdock's. Their mother died at
their birth, and Emma Smith, having lost twins of her own which were
born the same day, took the Murdock twins to raise. In March, 1832,
when these children were about eleven months old, they took the
measles, and their care caused both the Prophet and his wife to lose
much rest. On the night of the 24th, after the family had retired, a
mob surrounded the house, broke open the door and dragged the Prophet
into the open. On the way he managed to get one foot loose with which
he kicked one of the ruffians and knocked him down. At this, with
blasphemous oath, the fiends swore they would kill the Prophet if he
made further resistance. They then choked him until he was unconscious.
When he came too, he discovered Sidney Rigdon, whom they had also
taken from his home and dragged by his heels so that his head struck
at every step on the frozen earth. He was unconscious on the ground.
About sixty rods from the house the mob held a council to decide what
further action they might take. Some were ready to kill the Prophet,
but returning to him they attempted to force a vial of acid in his
mouth, but the vial was broken against his teeth. An attempt was also
made to fill his mouth with tar; failing in this they tore from him
his clothes, and applied the tar with feathers to his body. After
shamefully beating him they left him helpless on the ground. Joseph
attempted to rise, but fell to the ground again. After a while he began
to recover his strength, and made his way with difficulty to his home.
Sidney received similar treatment, which left him delirious for several
days. The Prophet's friends spent the night cleaning the tar from his
body, and the following day, it being the Sabbath, he met with the
people at the regular hour, and addressed them. Several of the members
of the mob were present, including Simonds Ryder, an apostate, and
leader of the mob; a Mr. McClentic and Felatiah Allen, who had provided
the mob with a barrel of whisky to raise their spirits and make them
"brave" to do the deed. During the mobbing one of the twins became
exposed, contracted a severe cold, and a few days later, died.
Second Visit to Missouri
The first of April, Joseph Smith, with Newel K. Whitney and Jesse
Gause, left for Missouri to fulfil the provisions of a revelation (Doc.
and Cov. Sec. 78) in respect to regulating and establishing the affairs
of the store house for the poor, and the consecration of properties.
They were later joined by Sidney Rigdon. On the way they purchased
paper, at Wheeling, Virginia, for the press in Zion, and arrived in
Independence on the 24th of April. Two days later at a general council
of the Church, Joseph Smith was acknowledged by the Saints in Zion as
President of the High Priesthood, ratifying the action of the Amherst
conference, held January 25, 1832.
Zion and Her Stakes
During this conference a revelation was given commanding the elders
to bind themselves in a covenant of consecration, which could not
be broken. Kirtland was to become a "stake of Zion."[1] "For I have
consecrated the land of Shinehah (Kirtland), in mine own due time,"
said the Lord, "for the benefit of the Saints of the Most High, and for
a stake of Zion. For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her
borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily
I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.
Therefore I give unto you this commandment, that ye bind yourselves by
this covenant, and it shall be done according to the laws of the Lord."
Return to Kirtland
Joseph and the brethren visited the Colesville Saints in Kaw township,
who rejoiced greatly to see them. It was agreed in a council held
on the first of May to print but three thousand copies of the Book
of Commandments, and that the revelations should be reviewed and
prepared by Oliver Cowdery, William W. Phelps and John Whitmer; and
that the hymns selected by Emma Smith be prepared for printing. After
the transaction of other necessary business, Joseph Smith and his
companions, Rigdon and Whitney, returned to Kirtland. On this journey
Joseph was poisoned and Bishop Whitney met with an accident breaking
his leg and foot in several places; both were healed by the power of
the Lord.
Notes
1. The term "Stake of Zion," which was first used in a revelation given
in November, 1831 (Sec. 68) is a comparison to the stakes which bind a
tent. Isaiah says: "Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities; thine
eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall
not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed,
neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken" (Ch. 33:20). Again:
"Enlarge the place of thy tent and let them stretch forth the curtains"
of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy
stakes." (Ch. 54:2)
Zion is the tent, the settlements surrounding her, are the cords and
stakes. It is as improper to speak of Zion in Missouri as the "center
stake of Zion," as it would be to call a tent a stake.