How a Revelation Was Fulfilled

How a Revelation was Fulfilled By Preston Nibley

The following revelation was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, at Far West, Missouri, on July 8, 1838: "Verily, thus saith the Lord, let a conference be held immediately, let the Twelve be organized, and let men be appointed to supply the place of those who are fallen. Let my servant Thomas remain for a season in the land of Zion, to publish my word. Let the residue continue to preach from that hour, and if they will do this in all lowliness of heart, in meekness and humility, and long suffering, I, the Lord, give unto them a promise that I will provide for their families, and an effectual door shall be opened for them, from henceforth; and next Spring let them depart to go over the great waters, and there promulgate my gospel, the fulness thereof, and bear record of my name. Let them take leave of my Saints in the city of Far West, on the 26th day of April next, on the building spot of my house, saith the Lord. "Let my servant John Taylor, and also my servant John E. Page, and also my servant Wilford Woodruff, and also my servant Willard Richards, be appointed to fill the places of those who have fallen, and be officially notified of their appointment."

At the time this revelation was given there was peace and prosperity among the scattered branches of the Saints in Missiouri. Four days previously, at Far West, "Independence Day" had been celebrated in fitting American fashion. "Joseph Smith was president of the day; his brother, Hyrum, vicepresident; Sidney Rigdon, orator; and Reynolds Cahoon, chief Marshall. They marched in procession through the town and at last formed a circle — — around a large excavation one hundred feet long by eighty wide in the public square; and there, with appropriate ceremonies, they laid the corner stones of the house of the Lord at Far West. This was followed by speeches, music, prayers, reading the Declaration of Independence, etc."* Alas, all this was merely the calm that precedes a storm. Thirty days later, at Gallatin, there was a clash between the brethren and Missourians, when the former attempted to vote. "Some of the bullies among the Missourians persistently insulted the brethren, which was endured patiently for a time; but when at last a — — drunken rough one Dick Welding attempted to strike a brother by the name of Samuel Brown, Perry Durphy caught his arm, and this was made an excuse by the Missourians to begin a general assault. "The Missourians, although outnumbering the brethren, found themselves overmatched, and beat a hasty retreat to get arms. Among those who fought hardest for his rights as an American citizen, and in defense ef his brethren, was John L. Butler; and as soon as they left, Butler called the brethren together and said: 'We are American citizens; our fathers

*Roberts, Missouri Persecutions, page 192.

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fought for their liberty, and we will maintain the same principles.' Here he was interrupted by the county officials who told the brethren that the whole disturbance was a premediated thing, to prevent them from voting, and requested them to withdraw, as they feared it might end in bloodshed. "By this time, the Missourians began to collect, armed to the teeth and greatly reinforced; and as the brethren were unarmed, they retired to their homes, collected their families and concealed them in the hazel thickets. The rain fell in torrents through the night; the women and children were lying on the ground, while the men guarded them."*

This affair at Gallatin was as a cloud no larger than a man's hand. But in a little while the sky was dark, and a great storm of persecution broke over the Saints. "All parts of the State were flooded with falsehoods about 'Mormon' atrocities and cruelties — cruelties which never occurred. A bitter prejudice, however, was manufactured against the Saints, and people generally believed the 'Mormons' were capable of all the crimes known to hardened, sinful wretches; and that they were unfit to live."t

The Missourians were fearful of the growing numbers and political power of the Saints, and this, coupled with an intense religious hatred, made them resort to any means to bring their troubles into an open quarrel. President Brigham Young, who was an eye witness to the events of those days, relates in his history that, "As soon as the Missourians had laid by their corn, as they call it, they commenced to stir up the old mob spirit, riding from neighborhood to neighborhood, making inflammatory speeches, stirring up one another against us. Priests seemed to take the lead in this matter, as related in the history. I had no communication, correspondence or deal with the Missourians, consequently they did not personally know me, which gave me a good opportunity to learn their acts and feeling unsuspected. I knew men in the course of the fall to gather up their flocks and herds, and take their families into their wagons and then burn up their houses and leave for other parts. I afterwards saw their names attached to affidavits, stating that 'Mormons' had driven them from their homes and burned their houses. This was quite effectual in raising prejudice against US."* On Thursday, the 25th of October, a battle was fought between the mob and the brethren on Crooked river, in Ray county. Gideon Carter was killed. Eleven of the brethren were wounded, two of whom, Apostle David W. Patten and Patrick O'Banion afterwards died. Two days after this battle, Governor Boggs issued his "exterminating" order, as follows: "The 'Mormons' must be treated as enemies and must be exterminated or driven from the State, if necessary for the public good." On October 30th, a mob militia, numbering about two thou- *Roberts' Missouri Persecutions, page 198. tRoberts' Missouri Persecutions, page 203. tMillennial Star, Vol. 25, page &35.

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sand, arrived at Far West and made certain demands on the inhabitants: First. To give up all their (the Church) leaders to be tried and punished. Second. To make an appropriation of their property, all who have taken up arms, to the payment of their debts, and indemnity for damage done by them. Third. That the balance should leave the State, and be protected out by the militia, but to remain until further orders were received from the Commander in Chief. Fourth. To give up their arms of every description, to be receipted for. On account of the strength of the enemy, and the fact that the Governor had allied himself with them, the Saints had to accede to these demands. The Church leaders were given up, and after a mock trial, the Prophet Joseph, Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Caleb Baldwin and Alexander Mc- Rae were committed to Liberty Jail in Clay county on a charge of treason. The branches of the Saints, under the advice of their leaders, agreed to remove from the State as early as they could get away the following spring. During the winter, every preparation for the exodus was made. "Charles Bird was appointed to go down towards the Mississippi and make deposits of corn for the use of the Saints as they should make their way out of the State. He was also to make contracts for ferriage and arrange whatever else might be necessary for their comfort and security. As soon as the roads were open in the Spring, they were lined with refugees making their way towards Illinois where they hoped to find toleration and religious freedom. "By the twentieth of April, nearly all the Saints, variously estimated from twelve to fifteen thousand had left the State where they had experienced so much sorrow and found a temporary resting place in the State of Illinois, chiefly in the city of Quincy and vicinity, but a few settled in the then territory of Iowa."* And now, how about the revelation given to the Twelve the previous July, at Far West, in which the word of the Lord had commanded; "Let them (the Twelve) take leave of my Saints in the city of Far West, on the 26th day of April next, on the building spot of my house, saith the Lord." How could this command be obeyed? The city of Far West was now practically abandoned, its inhabitants having fled in a body. The Twelve, where were they? Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, and John Taylor had arrived at Quincy, Illinois, in desti-

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See Roberts' Missouri Persecutions, page 264.

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tute condition. Parley P. Pratt was in prison in Richmond, Missouri. John E. Page was somewhere on the road between Far West and Quincy, no one knew just where. The remainder were either out of harmony, or had left the Church entirely. In this condition, what could they acomplish? We shall see. Towards the middle of March, Brigham Young, President of the Twelve, called those of his quorum, and a few of the leading brethren who were at Quincy, together to consider the fulfiling of the command given in the revelation. They all knew that it was as much as their lives were worth to return again to Missouri. "Many of the authorities," President Young relates, "considered that in our present persecuted and scattered condition, the Lord would not require the Twelve to fulfil his words to the letter,and, under our present circumstances, he would take the will for the deed." But not so with President Young and the Twelve. "I felt differently," said President Young, "and so did those of the Quorum who were with me. I asked them individually, what their feelings were upon the subject. They all expressed their desires to fulfil the revelation. I told them the Lord God had spoken, and it was our duty to obey arid leave the event in his hands, and he would protect us." And so, without further parley or delay, they set out to fulfil the command of God. President Young's history relates:

— April 18. I left Quincy in company with Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, George A. Smith and Alpheus Cutler for Far West, to fulfil the revelation. Brother Orson Pratt and myself rode with Brother Woodruff in his carriage, and John Taylor and George A. Smith rode with Father Cutler; we traveled 24 miles to the ferry, opposite Marion City, crossed the river and camped at the bluffs. 19. — e r ode 34 miles and spent the night at the town of Clinton. 20. —We rode 30 miles and camped. — 21. We passed through Huntsville, crossing a nine mile prairie; the roads were full of the Saints, who were fleeing from Missouri to Illinois, having been driven from their houses and lands by the exterminating order of Governor Boggs, and that, too, against all the laws of the State and the Constitution of the United States. We met Brother John E. Page and his family on a sideling hill, with his load turned bottom-side upwards; among other things, he had upset it up a barrel of soft soap, and he was elbow-deep in the soap, scooping with his hands. I told him I wanted him to go to Far West with us. He replied, he did not see that he could, as he had his family to take to

Quincy. I told him his family would get along well enough, and I de- give him sired him to go up with us. He asked how much time I would to get ready. I answered, five minutes. We assisted in loading his wagon he drove down the hill and camped and returned with us. We traveled 30 miles and camped for the night. 22.—We passed through Keetsville, rode 30 miles and camped. 23 rode 36 miles, and camped for the night on a creek near a _We grove six miles east of Tenney's Grove. Elder Maginn went out to buy corn,

and as he tarried all night we felt afraid lest he might have fallen into the hands of the mob.

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702 IMPROVEMENT ERA 24.—We remained at the grove, where Elders Elias Smith, Theodore Turley and Hyrum Clark, (of the committee who were left to attend to the removal of the poor,) who had been driven from Far West met us; they informed us that, on the 16th, the mob came into Far West and tantalized the committee on the subject of the revelation, saying that was one of Joe Smith's revelations which could not be fulfilled, as the Twelve and the Saints were scattered to the four winds; and threatened them severely if they were found in Far West next day. They turned round, and on the 25th accompanied us to Father Timothy B. Clark's near Far West. Early on the morning of the 26th of April, we proceeded to the building spot of the Lord's House, where Elder Cutler, the master workman of the house, then re-commenced laying the foundation, agreeably to revelation, by rolling up a large stone near the south-east corner. The following of the Twelve were present: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page and John Taylor, who proceeded to ordain Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith to the office of the Twelve, to fill the places of those who had fallen. Darwin Chase and Norman Shearer, (who had just been liberated from Richmond prison, and arrived the evening previous,) were then ordained to the office of the Seventies. The Twelve then offered up vocal prayer in the following order: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith; after which we sung "Adam-ondi-Ahman" and then we took our leave of the following Saints, agreeably to the revelation, viz.: Alpheus Cutler, Elias Smith, Norman Shearer, William Burton, Stephen Markham, Shadrach Roundy, William O. Clark, John W. Clark, Hezekiah Peck, Darwin Chase, Richard Howard, Mary Ann Peck, Artimesia Grainger, Martha Peck, Sarah Grainger, Theodore Turley, Hyrum Clark and Daniel Shearer. * * * Thus was this revelation fulfilled, concerning which our enemies said, if all the other revelations of Joseph Smith were fulfilled that one should not, as it had day and date to it.*

Young Latter-day Saints of today may learn a mighty lesson from this example of faith and integrity and fidelity to duty manifested by the early Church leaders.

Supplication Eternal Father, hear my prayer. Thy name bespeaks almighty power You formed the earth and heaven and seas; And greater things create each hour. \ou spake with man in divers times, And many seers have seen Thy soul: A man need only ask in faith And you will aid him to his goal. Oh, help me gain some of the faith Which Jared's brother had of old; And then, beyond all doubt, I know My prayers shall heeded be full fold. Salt Lake City Linda Kartchner Adams

*MUUtmial Star, Vol. 25.