Presidents of the Church
Student Manual
Religion 345
Prepared by the Church Educational System
Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Salt Lake City, Utah
Acknowledgment
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Updated 2004
Printed in the United States of America
English approval: 10/04
Contents
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| 20 |
| 39 |
| 56 |
| 75 |
| 93 |
| 110 |
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Chapter 8 George Albert Smith—Eighth President of the Church |
128 |
| 144 |
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Chapter 10 Joseph Fielding Smith—Tenth President of the Church |
161 |
| 177 |
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Chapter 12 Spencer W. Kimball—Twelfth President of the Church |
194 |
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Chapter 13 Ezra Taft Benson—Thirteenth President of the Church |
212 |
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Chapter 14 Howard W. Hunter—Fourteenth President of the Church |
232 |
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Chapter 15 Gordon B. Hinckley—Fifteenth President of the Church |
253 |
| 281 |
Chapter 1
Joseph Smith
First President of the Church
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Engraving by Frederick Hawkins Piercy |
HIGHLIGHTS IN THE LIFE OF JOSEPH SMITH
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Age |
Events |
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He was born 23 December 1805 in Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont, to Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith. |
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He endured surgery on his leg—diseased bone was removed (winter, 1812–13). |
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He saw and talked with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ (spring, 1820). |
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Moroni visited him and told him about the Nephite record (21–22 Sept. 1823; Moroni visited him annually thereafter, 1824–27). |
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He married Emma Hale (18 Jan. 1827), obtained the plates (22 Sept. 1827), and began the translation (Dec. 1827). |
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116 manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon were lost (June 1828). |
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He and Oliver Cowdery received the Aaronic Priesthood from John the Baptist (15 May 1829); they received the Melchizedek Priesthood from Peter, James, and John (probably between 16–28 May 1829); the Three Witnesses were shown the plates (June 1829). |
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The Book of Mormon was published (first copies were available on 26 Mar. 1830); the Church was organized (6 Apr. 1830). |
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25 |
He moved his family to Kirtland, Ohio (1831); he dedicated the temple site at Independence, Missouri (3 Aug. 1831). |
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He was sustained as President of the high priesthood (25 Jan. 1832). |
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The First Presidency was organized (18 Mar. 1833). |
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He led Zion’s Camp from Ohio to Missouri (May–June 1834). |
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The members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (14 Feb. 1835) and the Seventy (28 Feb. 1835) were called and ordained; the Doctrine and Covenants was accepted as scripture (17 Aug. 1835). |
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He dedicated the Kirtland Temple (27 Mar. 1836); Jesus Christ, Moses, Elias, and Elijah appeared to him and Oliver Cowdery and restored priesthood keys (3 Apr. 1836). |
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32 |
He was imprisoned in Liberty Jail (1838). |
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He directed the Church from Liberty Jail (Dec. 1838–Apr. 1839); the building of Nauvoo was begun (1839); the members of the Church gathered to Nauvoo and commenced the building of the area (1839). |
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Work began on the Nauvoo Temple; the immigration of European Church members was planned (1841). |
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The book of Abraham was published (1 Mar. 1842); the Relief Society was organized (17 Mar. 1842); he prophesied the Saints’ removal to the Rocky Mountains (6 Aug. 1842). |
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He recorded revelation on eternal marriage (12 July 1843). |
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He became a candidate for president of the United States of America (Jan. 1844); he and his brother Hyrum were martyred at Carthage Jail (27 June 1844). |
President Spencer W. Kimball, then President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, wrote:
“When clouds of error need dissipating and spiritual darkness needs penetrating and heavens need opening, a little infant is born. Just a few scattered neighbors in a hilly region in the backwoods [of Vermont] even know that Lucy [Mack Smith] is expecting. There is no prenatal care or nurses; no hospital, no ambulance, no delivery room. Babies live and die in this rough environment and few know about it.
“Another child for Lucy! No trumpets are sounded; no hourly bulletins posted; no pictures taken; no notice is given; just a few friendly community folk pass a word along. It’s a boy. Little do the brothers and sisters dream that a prophet is born to their family” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [1972], 324–25).
Joseph Smith Jr. was born on 23 December 1805 to Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith. These faithful parents taught their children religious truths. Lucy especially encouraged her children to study the Bible. Joseph Sr., though suspicious of traditional churches, had a strong belief in God. Both parents descended from generations of ancestors who sought to live by correct religious principles.
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Joseph Smith Sr., father of the Prophet Joseph Smith, was born 12 July 1771 in Topsfield, Massachusetts. |
Lucy Mack Smith, mother of the Prophet Joseph Smith, was born 8 July 1776 in Gilsum, New Hampshire. |
Joseph Smith Jr. was a noble spirit, foreordained and tutored before he was born. He was raised a farm boy. During his early years his family moved often, trying to find a place to live where they could support themselves. Joseph worked with his family and suffered their hardships. They endured crop failure, land fraud, and betrayals in investment. Through it all, the Smith family played an important role in the restoration of the gospel in these latter days.
Joseph Smith Was a Boy of Courage and Resolve
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Young Joseph Smith |
Lucy Mack Smith wrote of the seven-year-old Joseph’s struggle with an unusually severe infection in his left leg, which afflicted him shortly after he recovered from typhoid fever:
“His leg immediately began to swell and he continued in the most excruciating pain for two weeks longer. During this time, I carried him in my arms nearly continually, soothing him and doing all that my utmost ingenuity could suggest to ease his sufferings, until nature was exhausted and I was taken severely ill myself.
“Then Hyrum, who was always remarkable for his tenderness and sympathy, desired that he might take my place. As he was a good, trusty boy, we let him do so, and, in order to make the task as easy for him as possible, we laid Joseph upon a low bed and Hyrum sat beside him, almost incessantly day and night, grasping the most painful part of the affected leg between his hands and, by pressing it closely, enabled the little sufferer the better to bear the pain which otherwise seemed almost ready to take his life” (History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, eds. Scot Facer Proctor and Maurine Jensen Proctor [1996], 73).
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In 1811 the Smiths rented a farm in West Lebanon, New Hampshire. This home was identified as the Smiths’ residence. It was
torn down in 1967. |
After several weeks and two unsuccessful attempts to reduce the swelling and drain the infection, a group of surgeons was consulted. Their recommendation was to amputate the leg, but Joseph’s mother refused to allow it until they tried another operation. She wrote:
“The principal surgeon, after a moment’s conversation, ordered cords to be brought to bind Joseph fast to the bedstead, but Joseph objected. When the doctor insisted that he must be confined, Joseph said decidedly, ‘No, Doctor. I will not be bound. I can bear the process better unconfined.’
“‘Then,’ said the doctor, ‘will you take some wine? You must take something, or you can never endure the severe operation to which you must be subjected.’
“‘No,’ answered the boy, ‘I will not touch one particle of liquor, nor will I be tied down, but I will tell you what I will do. I will have my father sit on the bed close by me, and then I will do whatever is necessary to be done in order to have the bone taken out. But, Mother, I want you to leave the room. I know that you cannot endure to see me suffer so. Father can bear it. But you have carried me so much and watched over me so long, you are almost worn out.’ Then, looking up into my face, his eyes swimming with tears, he said beseechingly, ‘Now, Mother, promise me you will not stay, will you? The Lord will help me. I shall get through with it, so do leave me and go a way off, till they get through with it.’ . . .
“The surgeons began operating by boring into the bone of his leg, first on one side of the affected part, then on the other side, after which they broke it loose with a pair of forceps or pincers. Thus, they took away nine large pieces of the bone. When they broke off the first piece, he screamed so loud with the pain of his leg that I could not forbear running to him, but as soon as I entered the room, he cried out, ‘Oh, Mother! Go back! Go back! I do not want you to come in. I will tough it out, if you will go’” (Smith, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, 74–75).
His recovery was slow, but young Joseph’s leg eventually healed, leaving him with only an occasional slight limp.
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In 1816, Palmyra, New York, was a
small agricultural village. When the Erie Canal was built through the area in
1822, the town became a prosperous trade center. This intersection is called
the Four Corners and has a different church on each corner: Methodist,
Presbyterian, Episcopal, and Baptist. The Presbyterian chapel was the first
to be built, in 1832, one year after the Smiths had moved to Ohio. The others were completed by 1870. |
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(1) Wooded area known as the Sacred Grove, (2) location of the restored log home first built by the Smith family, (3) home started by Alvin Smith, (4) view of Palmyra village. The Church purchased the entire Smith farm, including the Sacred Grove area in 1907. |
God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, Appeared to the Boy Prophet
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A typical camp meeting about 1830–35;
drawing by A. Rider |
There was much religious excitement in western New York in the early 1800s (see Church History in the Fulness of Times, 2nd ed. [2000], 30–32). Young Joseph Smith, influenced by this fervor and concerned for his spiritual condition, was confused by the conflicting teachings. There were so many churches and opposing sects; each contended against the rest. Who was right? How could anyone know for sure? Joseph found answers to these questions in the spring of 1820 when he was visited by God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. (See Joseph Smith—History 1:5–20.)
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The Sacred Grove, near Palmyra, New York |
When President Harold B. Lee visited the area we call the Sacred Grove on 28 July1973, he said, “I know this is the place where the Father and the Son came” (in Dell Van Orden, “Pres. Lee Visits Hill Cumorah,” Church News, 4 Aug. 1973, 3).
Additional Details from Joseph Smith’s 1832 Account of the First Vision
During his ministry, the Prophet Joseph Smith shared his experience of the First Vision many times. He wrote the account in Joseph Smith—History, in the Pearl of Great Price, in 1838 (see Joseph Smith—History 1:2).
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“When the light rested upon me I saw
two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing
above me in the air” (Joseph Smith—History 1:17). |
In an earlier account he gave some additional details of his concern about which church was right and about the troubling questions that eventually led him to ask God: “At about the age of twelve years my mind became seriously impressed with regard to the all-important concerns for the welfare of my immortal soul, which led me to searching the scriptures, believing, as I was taught, that they contained the word of God. Thus, applying myself to them and my intimate acquaintance with those of different denominations led me to marvel exceedingly, for I discovered that they did not adorn their profession by a holy walk and godly conversation agreeable to what I found contained in that sacred depository. This was a grief to my soul. Thus from the age of twelve years to fifteen I pondered many things in my heart concerning the situation of the world of mankind, the contentions and divisions, the wickedness and abominations, and the darkness which pervaded the minds of mankind. My mind became exceedingly distressed, for I became convinced of my sins, and by searching the scriptures I found that mankind did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatized from the true and living faith. And there was no society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament. And I felt to mourn for my own sins and for the sins of the world, for I learned in the scriptures that God was the same yesterday, today, and forever, that he was no respecter of persons, for he was God. For I looked upon the sun—the glorious luminary of the earth—and also the moon, rolling in their majesty through the heavens, and also the stars shining in their courses, and the earth also upon which I stood, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of heaven and the fish of the waters, and also man walking forth upon the face of the earth in majesty and in the strength of beauty. . . . And when I considered upon these things, my heart exclaimed, ‘Well hath the wise man said it is a fool that saith in his heart there is no God.’ My heart exclaimed, ‘All these bear testimony and bespeak an omnipotent and omnipresent power, a being who maketh laws and decreeth and bindeth all things in their bounds, who filleth eternity, who was and is and will be from all eternity to eternity.’ And when I considered all these things and that that being seeketh such to worship him as worship him in spirit and in truth, therefore I cried unto the Lord for mercy, for there was none else to whom I could go and obtain mercy. And the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness and while in the attitude of calling upon the Lord, in the [15th] year of my age, a pillar of light above the brightness of the sun at noon day came down from above and rested upon me and I was filled with the spirit of God. And the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord and he spake unto me saying, ‘Joseph, my son, thy sins are forgiven thee. Go thy way, walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments. Behold, I am the Lord of glory. I was crucified for the world that all those who believe on my name may have eternal life. Behold, the world lieth in sin at this time, and none doeth good, no not one. They have turned aside from the gospel and keep not my commandments. They draw near to me with their lips while their hearts are far from me. And mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the earth to visit them according to this ungodliness and to bring to pass that which hath been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and apostles. Behold and lo, I come quickly, as is written of me, in the cloud, clothed in the glory of my Father.’ And my soul was filled with love, and for many days I could rejoice with great joy and the Lord was with me but could find none that would believe the heavenly vision” (Joseph Smith, “Kirtland Letter Book” [MS, LDS Historian’s Library], 1829–1835, 1–6, cited in Dean C. Jessee, “The Early Accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision,” BYU Studies, vol. 9, no. 3, Spring 1969, 279–80; the original spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar have been altered to conform to contemporary usage).
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Country road to Cumorah |
Joseph Smith Was Persecuted and Ridiculed for His Witness That God Had Spoken to Him
Revelation, so long absent, had returned, but Joseph Smith’s sincere claim of new revelation incurred immediate and seeming universal wrath (see Joseph Smith—History 1:21–26). Lucy Mack Smith, the Prophet’s mother, wrote that from the time of the First Vision in the spring of 1820 “until the twenty-first of September, 1823, Joseph continued, as usual, to labor with his father, and nothing during this interval occurred of very great importance—though he suffered every kind of opposition and persecution from the different orders of religionists” (History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, 101).
Joseph Smith Remained Humble
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“I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I
knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it”
(Joseph Smith—History 1:25). |
The heavens had opened and Joseph Smith had seen the Father and the Son. Instead of claiming superior holiness and encouraging the adulation of the masses, he wrote:
“I continued to pursue my common vocations in life . . . , all the time suffering severe persecution at the hands of all classes of men, both religious and irreligious, because I continued to affirm that I had seen a vision.
“. . . Having been forbidden to join any of the religious sects of the day, and being of very tender years, and persecuted by those who ought to have been my friends and to have treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to have endeavored in a proper and affectionate manner to have reclaimed me—I was left to all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God. In making this confession, no one need suppose me guilty of any great or malignant sins. A disposition to commit such was never in my nature. But I was guilty of levity, and sometimes associated with jovial company, etc., not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God as I had been. But this will not seem very strange to any one who recollects my youth, and is acquainted with my native cheery temperament” (Joseph Smith—History 1:27–28).
Some enemies of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Church have tried to infer from Joseph’s honest evaluation of himself that he was not worthy of his calling. He gave the following response to such critics:
“During this time, as is common to most, or all youths, I fell into many vices and follies; but as my accusers are, and have been forward to accuse me of being guilty of gross and outrageous violations of the peace and good order of the community, I take the occasion to remark that, though as I have said above, ‘as is common to most, or all youths, I fell into many vices and follies.’ I have not, neither can it be sustained, in truth, been guilty of wronging or injuring any man or society of men; and those imperfections to which I allude, and for which I have often had occasion to lament, were a light, and too often, vain mind, exhibiting a foolish and trifling conversation.
“. . . I do not, nor never have, pretended to be any other than a man ‘subject to passion,’ and liable, without the assisting grace of the Savior, to deviate from that perfect path in which all men are commanded to walk” (History of the Church, 1:10).
Many Angels Visited Joseph Smith
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The heavenly messenger Moroni appeared to the 17-year-old Joseph Smith during the night of 21 September 1823. |
In 1823 the angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith and commenced to teach about the Restoration and the role he was to play in it (see Joseph Smith—History 1:29–50). As the Restoration unfolded, the Prophet was instructed by divers (various) angels and ancients who had held priesthood keys, “all declaring their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood” (D&C 128:21).
Joseph Told His Father about Moroni’s Visit
The Prophet Joseph Smith’s mother, Lucy Mack Smith, wrote about what happened after Moroni’s visit:
“The next day Joseph, his father, and his brother Alvin were reaping in the field together. Suddenly, Joseph stopped and seemed to be in a deep study for some time. Alvin hurried him, saying, ‘Joseph, you must keep to work or we shall not get our task done.’ Joseph worked again diligently, then stopped in the same way a second time. When his father saw that Joseph was very pale, he urged him to go to the house and tell his mother that he was sick. He went a short distance till he came to a beautiful green under an apple tree. Here he lay down on his face, for he was so weak he could go no farther.
“He was here but a short time, when the messenger whom he had seen the night before came to him again and said, ‘Why did you not tell your father what I told you?’ Joseph said he was afraid his father would not believe him. ‘He will believe every word you say to him,’ said the angel.
“Joseph then promised to do as he was told by the angel and rose up and returned to the field, where he had left my husband and Alvin. . . . Joseph rehearsed all that had passed between him and the angel the previous night. Having heard this account, his father charged him not to fail in attending strictly to the instruction which he had received from this heavenly messenger” (History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, 108–9; see also Joseph Smith—History 1:48–54).
He Received a Father’s Blessing
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Joseph Smith Sr. supported and
encouraged his son Joseph to perform all the assignments given by the
heavenly messengers. |
Joseph Smith Sr. gave his son unqualified support when Joseph told him about his visions and assignments from heavenly messengers. Some of young Joseph’s support came as fatherly warnings to be very careful not to fail in his important mission. The Prophet’s father learned by revelation that Joseph would continue faithful and live to fulfill his mission completely. In his dying blessing to Joseph he said: “‘Joseph, my son, you are called to a high and holy calling. You are called to do the work of the Lord. Now, hold out faithful and you will be blessed, and your family shall be blessed, and your children after you. You shall live to finish your work.’
“At this Joseph cried out, ‘Oh, Father, shall I?’
“‘Yes,’ said his father, ‘you shall. You shall live to lay out all the plan of all the work that God requires at your hand. Be faithful to the end. This is my dying blessing on your head in the name of Jesus. I also confirm your former blessing upon you, for it shall be fulfilled. Even so. Amen’” (quoted in Smith, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, 434).
Heavenly Tutors Were Sent to Joseph
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Many heavenly messengers were sent to
tutor Joseph Smith. |
President Joseph F. Smith wrote: “Joseph Smith was an unlearned youth, so far as the learning of the world is concerned. He was taught by the angel Moroni. He received his education from above, from God Almighty, and not from man-made institutions; but to charge him with being ignorant would be both unjust and false; no man or combination of men possessed greater intelligence than he, nor could the combined wisdom and cunning of the age produce an equivalent for what he did. He was not ignorant, for he was taught by him from whom all intelligence flows. He possessed a knowledge of God and of his law, and of eternity” (Gospel Doctrine [1939], 484).
He Married Emma Hale
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Emma Hale was born 10 July 1804
to Isaac and Elizabeth Hale. She was twenty-two years old when she married
Joseph Smith. She was well educated and an excellent seamstress and singer. |
While Joseph Smith awaited the appointed time to remove the plates and begin translation of the Book of Mormon, he worked for a man named Josiah Stowell. During this employment, Joseph boarded in the home of Mr. Isaac Hale in Harmony, Pennsylvania. “Isaac Hale had a daughter, Emma, a good girl of high mind and devout feelings. This worthy young woman and Joseph formed a mutual attachment, and her father was requested to give his permission to their marriage. Mr. Hale opposed their desire for a time, as he was prosperous while Joseph’s people had lost their property; and it was on the 18th day of January, 1827, the last year of waiting for the plates, before Joseph and Emma could accomplish their desired union. On that day they were married by one Squire [Tarbell], at the residence of that gentleman, in South Bainbridge, in Chenango County, New York. Immediately after the marriage, Joseph left the employ of Mr. [Stowell] and journeyed with his wife to his parental home at Manchester, where during the succeeding summer, he worked to obtain means for his family and his mission. The time was near at hand for the great promise to be fulfilled and for his patience and faithfulness to be rewarded” (George Q. Cannon, Life of Joseph Smith the Prophet, Classics in Mormon Literature series [1986], 43).
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Early photograph of the Hill Cumorah,
1906 |
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A more recent view of the Hill Cumorah
covered with trees, which were not indigenous to the hill |
The Plates Were Translated
On 22 September 1827, the Prophet Joseph Smith obtained the plates upon which the Book of Mormon was written. In the face of relentless opposition, he had custody of these sacred plates for about eighteen months. While translating the Book of Mormon, he was assisted by several scribes—Martin Harris, Emma, her brother Jesse Hale, and Oliver Cowdery.
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Martin Harris |
The First 116 Pages Were Lost
The translation of the plates presented Joseph Smith with many lessons and challenges. Early in the translation effort, Joseph allowed his scribe Martin Harris to take the 116 manuscript pages that contained the translation from the plates to that point. The Prophet wrote the following about what happened: “Some time after Mr. Harris had begun to write for me, he began to importune me to give him liberty to carry the writings home and show them; and desired of me that I would inquire of the Lord, through the Urim and Thummin, if he might not do so. I did inquire, and the answer was that he must not. However, he was not satisfied with this answer, and desired that I should inquire again. I did so, and the answer was as before. Still he could not be contented, but insisted that I should inquire once more. After much solicitation I again inquired of the Lord, and permission was granted him to have the writings on certain conditions; which were, that he show them only to his brother, Preserved Harris, his own wife, his father and his mother, and a Mrs. Cobb, a sister to his wife. In accordance with this last answer, I required of him that he should bind himself in a covenant to me in a most solemn manner that he would not do otherwise than had been directed. He did so. He bound himself as I required of him, took the writings, and went his way. Notwithstanding, however, the great restrictions which he had been laid under, and the solemnity of the covenant which he [Martin Harris] had made with me, he did show them to others, and by stratagem they got them away from him, and they never have been recovered unto this day” (History of the Church, 1:21).
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In 1822, Joseph’s elder brother Alvin
began building a nine-room frame home so that his parents might live more
comfortably. He became ill and died in November 1823. The home was eventually
finished in the fall of 1825, and the Smiths lived there until April 1829.
This is where Joseph brought the metal plates and hid them beneath the
hearthstone. |
Lucy Mack Smith wrote the following about what happened after Martin Harris took the 116 translated pages of the Book of Mormon:
“Immediately after Mr. Harris’s departure, Emma became the mother of a son, but she had but small comfort from the society of the dear little stranger, for he was very soon snatched from her arms and borne aloft to the world of spirits before he had time to learn good or evil. For some time, the mother seemed to tremble upon the verge of the silent home of her infant. So uncertain seemed her fate for a season that, in the space of two weeks, Joseph never slept one hour in undisturbed quiet. At the expiration of this time she began to recover, but as Joseph’s anxiety about her began to subside, another cause of trouble forced itself upon his mind. Mr. Harris had been absent nearly three weeks, and Joseph had received no intelligence whatever from him, which was altogether aside of the arrangement when they separated. He determined that as soon as his wife gained a little more strength, he would make a trip to New York and see after the manuscript. He did not mention the subject to Emma for fear of agitating her mind in her delicate health.
“In a few days, however, she soon manifested that she was not without her thoughts upon the subject. . . .
“After much persuasion, he concluded to leave his wife in the care of her mother for a few days, and set out on the before-mentioned journey” (History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, 161–62).
Martin Harris had lost the 116 manuscript pages, which contained the translation of the book of Lehi. The Prophet was extremely distressed. In just a short time he had lost his newborn son, almost lost his wife, and now, the 116 pages. His mother described his reaction when Martin Harris told him of the loss:
“‘Oh, my God, my God!’ said Joseph, clinching his hands together. ‘All is lost, is lost! What shall I do? I have sinned. It is I who tempted the wrath of God by asking for that which I had no right to ask, as I was differently instructed by the angel.’ And he wept and groaned, walking the floor continually.
“At last he told Martin to go back to his house and search again. ‘No,’ said Mr. Harris, ‘it is all in vain, for I have looked in every place in the house. I have even ripped open beds and pillows, and I know it is not there.’
“‘Then must I,’ said Joseph, ‘return to my wife with such a tale as this? I dare not do it lest I should kill her at once. And how shall I appear before the Lord? Of what rebuke am I not worthy from the angel of the Most High?’ . . .
“I well remember that day of darkness, both within and without. To us, at least, the heavens seemed clothed with blackness, and the earth shrouded with gloom. I have often said within myself that if a continual punishment, as severe as that which we experienced on that occasion, were to be inflicted upon the most wicked characters who ever stood upon the footstool of the Almighty—if even their punishment were no greater than that, I should feel to pity their condition” (Smith, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, 165–66, 171).
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The Book of Mormon manuscript containing 1 Nephi 2:23–3:18. The first part of the page was written by Oliver Cowdery and the remaining was written possibly by John Whitmer. This was part of the small plates, which were translated to replace the lost 116 manuscript pages. |
The Loss Was a Learning Experience
The Prophet Joseph Smith remained with his parents “for a short season” after he learned of the loss of the 116 pages. He wrote: “[I] then returned to my place in Pennsylvania. Immediately after my return home, I was walking out a little distance, when, behold, the former heavenly messenger appeared and handed me the Urim and Thummim again—for it had been taken from me in consequence of my having wearied the Lord in asking for the privilege of letting Martin Harris take the writings, which he lost by transgression—and I inquired of the Lord through it” (History of the Church, 1:21–22).
The Prophet received the revelation found in Doctrine and Covenants 3, which contained the following rebuke from the Lord: “For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him” (D&C 3:4). Yet even in the rebuke there was hope. The Lord told Joseph that his privileges would be taken away only “for a season” (v. 14).
Joseph Smith’s repentance was deep and sincere, and his privileges were soon restored. He wrote that after he received the former revelation, “both the plates and the Urim and Thummim were taken from me again; but in a few days they were returned to me, when I inquired of the Lord and the Lord said thus to me” (History of the Church, 1:23). He then received the revelation found in Doctrine and Covenants 10. In that revelation the Lord made it clear that Satan had an influence in the loss of the manuscript but that God’s “wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil” (D&C 10:43).
A New Scribe Was Provided
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Oliver Cowdery |
During the winter of 1828–29, the Prophet Joseph Smith periodically worked on the translation of the Book of Mormon with the help of Emma and her brother, but earning a living left little time for translating. In March of 1829, the Prophet prayed earnestly for help to complete the translation. The Lord told Joseph to stop translating until He provided help (see D&C 5:30, 34).
Oliver Cowdery was a teacher at the village school in Manchester township and boarded at the home of Joseph Smith Sr. While in Manchester he heard much about Joseph Smith Jr. and the gold plates. After gaining the Smith family’s trust, Oliver spoke with Joseph Smith Sr., who told him about the plates. Oliver prayed privately and meditated upon the matter. He told Joseph Smith Sr. that “it had been put into his heart that he would have the privilege of writing for Joseph,” whom he had not yet met. He told the Smith family that he would go with Samuel to visit Joseph in the spring, after the school term. He said, “I firmly believe that if it is the will of the Lord that I should go, and that there is a work for me to do in this thing, I am determined to attend to it” (Smith, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, 181–82).
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John the Baptist restored the Aaronic Priesthood by the Susquehanna River. |
Samuel Smith and Oliver Cowdery arrived in Harmony, Pennsylvania, on 5 April 1829 and the Prophet Joseph Smith recognized Oliver as being the assistance the Lord had promised. On Tuesday, 7 April, they began the work of translation and labored on it throughout April. With Oliver’s help, Joseph proceeded faster than ever before. During the next three months, they translated approximately five hundred printed pages of the Book of Mormon.
The Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods Were Restored
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Peter, James, and John restored the
Melchizedek Priesthood. |
On 15 May 1829, the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery went to the woods to pray for understanding about baptism, a subject they found mentioned during their translation of the Book of Mormon. While they were praying, John the Baptist “descended in a cloud of light” (Joseph Smith—History 1:68; see vv. 66–75). He conferred the Aaronic Priesthood on Joseph and Oliver. Later, Peter, James, and John conferred the Melchizedek Priesthood upon Joseph and Oliver, restoring the power to establish the kingdom of God upon the earth once more (see D&C 128:20). “The day, month, and year designation that so precisely identifies the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood (15 May 1829) is absent in the case of the Melchizedek Priesthood. Similarly, knowledge of the attendant circumstances of that restoration is limited. Even so, sufficient elements of the historical puzzle can be put together to give us a close approximation of the time sequence. Evidence suggests a date within the 13-day period from 16 May to 28 May 1829” (Larry C. Porter, “The Restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods,” Ensign, Dec. 1996, 33).
Keys of the Kingdom Were Bestowed
Elder Bruce R. McConkie, then a member of the First Council of the Seventy, said: “Peter, James and John came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. When they came they did three things. They conferred upon Joseph and Oliver the Melchizedek Priesthood. This is power and authority. They gave them the Keys of the Kingdom of God. In other words, they gave them the right to preside in the Melchizedek Priesthood and over the kingdom of God on earth which is the church of Jesus Christ. Now, it did not exist yet, but they had the right to preside over it. Then Peter, James and John gave Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery what is called the Keys of the dispensation of the fulness of times. That means the right to preside over the dispensation and direct all of the labors in spiritual things of all the people who ever live in this dispensation of the earth’s history” (“‘The Keys of the Kingdom’” [address at Wilford Stake priesthood meeting, 21 Feb. 1955], 3).
The Church Was Organized
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The reconstructed Peter Whitmer home
in Fayette township, New York. The translation of the Book of Mormon was
completed here, the testimony of the Three Witnesses was signed here, the
Church was organized here, and twenty of the revelations included in the
Doctrine and Covenants were received here. |
On 6 April 1830, after the restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods, the kingdom of God was once again established upon the earth when the Church was legally organized in the Peter Whitmer home in Fayette, New York. The work of the Church began, under the direction of a prophet with power to lead the kingdom of God through its opening years. During the following years the Prophet Joseph Smith received more revelations, called more missionaries, and gathered converts together. Newspapers were established, property was purchased, crops were planted, businesses were chartered, and industry was commenced.
The Saints Were Commanded to Build a Temple
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The Kirtland Temple is 79 feet
long, 59 feet wide, and 50 feet high. The tower reaches 110 feet
above the ground. |
Church members gained converts by sharing the gospel message with relatives and friends. Many had been gathered to Fayette, Palmyra, Colesville, and other settlements of western New York. Later, the Saints were commanded to move westward to Kirtland, Ohio. The means of the members were taxed to the limit in caring for the growing Church population in Kirtland and the surrounding counties. They were largely penniless and destitute. Among these challenges came the Lord’s command to build a temple: “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God” (D&C 88:119).
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An early photograph of the Kirtland Temple |
A committee was appointed to collect funds for the building of the temple. The Prophet Joseph Smith knew that the spiritual survival of this last gospel dispensation depended upon the spiritual endowment that God had promised to pour out upon the Saints when the temple was completed. Of Joseph’s faithfulness in this, President Brigham Young later declared:
“The Church, through our beloved Prophet Joseph, was commanded to build a temple to the Most High, in Kirtland, Ohio. Joseph not only received revelation and commandment to build a temple, but he received a pattern also. . . .
“Without revelation, Joseph could not know what was wanted, any more than any other man, and, without commandment, the Church were too few in number, too weak in faith, and too poor in purse, to attempt such a mighty enterprise. But by means of all these stimulants, a mere handful of men, living on air, and a little hominy and milk, and often salt or no salt, when milk could not be had; the great Prophet Joseph, in the stone quarry, quarrying rock with his own hands; and the few then in the Church, following his example of obedience and diligence wherever most needed; with laborers on the walls, holding the sword in one hand to protect themselves from the mob, while they placed the stone and moved the trowel with the other, the Kirtland temple—the second house of the Lord, that we have any published record of on the earth, was so far completed as to be dedicated. And those first Elders who helped to build it, received a portion of their first endowments, or we might say more clearly, some of the first, or introductory, or initiatory ordinances, preparatory to an endowment” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1954], 415).
Miraculous Manifestations Accompanied the Building and Dedication of the Kirtland Temple
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Many spiritual experiences,
revelations, and heavenly manifestations were received within the Kirtland Temple. |
Spiritual blessings were poured out upon the Saints as the Kirtland temple was being completed. The Prophet Joseph Smith wrote of a great spiritual outpouring that occurred on 21 January 1836:
“At early candle-light I met with the Presidency at the west school room, in the Temple, to attend to the ordinance of anointing our heads with holy oil; also the Councils of Kirtland and Zion met in the two adjoining rooms, and waited in prayer while we attended to the ordinance. . . .
“Many of my brethren who received the ordinance with me saw glorious visions also. Angels ministered unto them as well as to myself, and the power of the Highest rested upon us, the house was filled with the glory of God, and we shouted Hosanna to God and the Lamb. My scribe also received his anointing with us, and saw, in a vision, the armies of heaven protecting the Saints in their return to Zion, and many things which I saw. . . .
“The visions of heaven were opened to [the high councilors of Kirtland and Zion, who were invited into the room] also. Some of them saw the face of the Savior, and others were ministered unto by holy angels, and the spirit of prophecy and revelation was poured out in mighty power; and loud hosannas, and glory to God in the highest, saluted the heavens, for we all communed with the heavenly host. And I saw in my vision all of the Presidency in the celestial kingdom of God, and many others that were present” (History of the Church, 2:379, 381–82).
The Kirtland Temple was dedicated on 27 March 1836. In his final note of the marvelous events that occurred on that day, the Prophet wrote concerning an evening meeting held in the newly dedicated temple: “Brother George A. Smith arose and began to prophesy, when a noise was heard like the sound of a rushing mighty wind, which filled the Temple, and all the congregation simultaneously arose, being moved upon by an invisible power; many began to speak in tongues and prophesy; others saw glorious visions; and I beheld the Temple was filled with angels, which fact I declared to the congregation. The people of the neighborhood came running together (hearing an unusual sound within, and seeing a bright light like a pillar of fire resting upon the Temple), and were astonished at what was taking place. This continued until the meeting closed at eleven p.m.” (History of the Church, 2:428).
On 3 April 1836 the Savior appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple and accepted it as His house; Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared and restored priesthood keys (see D&C 110).
Dealing with Poverty and Apostasy in Kirtland
Church members enjoyed a great spiritual outpouring at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple. Yet, within two years they were forced to leave their temple and the beautiful community they had built. The cause of this had its roots in the challenges they faced as new members settling in Kirtland, Ohio. Many converts were anxious to start a new life in Kirtland and had little means after they exhausted their resources moving to the area. Regardless of these problems, a spirit of optimism filled Kirtland after the temple dedication, as ambitious Church members attempted to correct the impoverished conditions.
During this period, from 1836 to 1838, a number of banks were being organized in the United States. The leaders of the Church petitioned the state of Ohio for permission to start a bank, but a charter was denied. It was decided that it would be beneficial to form a banking society that would assist the community with its financial concerns. They called it the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Company. The Prophet Joseph Smith served as the treasurer of the organization.
The bank printed its own bank notes and opened for business in January 1837. Trouble soon surfaced when other banks refused to accept the bank notes. This, coupled with the economic situation in Kirtland, unwise speculators, the United States’ own banking problems (known as the Panic of 1837), and creditors who did not invest in the society as promised, caused its failure.
Many blamed Joseph Smith and a number of members apostatized, considering him to be a fallen prophet. Later, the Prophet’s life was threatened and he and other Church leaders were forced to flee to Missouri. The Prophet left Kirtland in January 1838 for Far West, Missouri. Most members of the Church left their homes in Kirtland to follow the prophet. The focal point of the Church then shifted from Kirtland, Ohio, to Missouri, where many members had started moving to as early as 1831.
He Was Tried in Richmond and Imprisoned in Liberty Jail
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John Johnson farm home. In September
1831, Joseph and Emma accepted an invitation from John and Mary Johnson to
live with them on their 100-acre farm in Hyrum, Ohio. The farm was about
thirty miles from Kirtland. While living with the Johnsons, the Prophet
Joseph recorded fifteen revelations, which included the visions now found in
Doctrine and Covenants 76. It was here that Joseph and Sidney Rigdon
accomplished much of their work related to the inspired revision of the
Bible. |
In November of 1838, the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders were taken prisoner on false charges and tried in Richmond, Missouri. A number of bitter witnesses testified against them, and when defense witnesses were identified, they were jailed or driven from the area so they could not testify. For two weeks the prisoners took heavy abuse. Elder Parley P. Pratt, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, reported that one night they had listened for hours to the unspeakable persecutions that the guards claimed they had inflicted upon the Saints:
“I had listened till I became so disgusted, shocked, horrified, and so filled with the spirit of indignant justice that I could scarcely refrain from rising upon my feet and rebuking the guards; but had said nothing to Joseph, or any one else, although I lay next to him and knew he was awake. On a sudden he arose to his feet, and spoke in a voice of thunder, or as the roaring lion, uttering, as near as I can recollect, the following words:
“‘SILENCE, ye fiends of the infernal pit. In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still; I will not live another minute and bear such language. Cease such talk, or you or I die THIS INSTANT!’
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Joseph Smith rebuking the guards in
the Richmond Jail |
“He ceased to speak. He stood erect in terrible majesty. Chained, and without a weapon; calm, unruffled and dignified as an angel, he looked upon the quailing guards, whose weapons were lowered or dropped to the ground; whose knees smote together, and who, shrinking into a corner, or crouching at his feet, begged his pardon, and remained quiet till a change of guards” (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, ed. Parley P. Pratt, Classics in Mormon Literature series [1985], 179–80).
After the trial in Richmond, Joseph Smith and several other Church leaders were sent to Liberty Jail, in Clay County, Missouri. They spent the winter incarcerated in Liberty Jail, from December 1838 to April 1839. On 16 April 1839 they were allowed to escape and joined the Saints who had been driven from Missouri to Quincy, Illinois.
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Liberty
Jail. The Prophet Joseph and several other Church leaders were confined in a
cold, dark, dirty, fourteen-foot-square cellar room of the jail called the
“dungeon.” The outer walls of the jail were gray limestone rock and two feet
thick, with a sturdy inner wall of hewn oak timbers. The jail was constructed
in 1833 and was used for twenty-three years. |
While in prison, the Prophet Joseph heard reports of the persecutions and suffering of the Saints. This troubled him deeply. He prayed fervently and frequently on their behalf. In March 1839 he pleaded with the Lord with deep concern:
“O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?
“How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?” (D&C 121:1–2).
The Lord’s answer came beginning with Doctrine and Covenants 121:7 (see also D&C 122).
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In February 1841, workmen commenced
labor on the temple in Nauvoo. It was built almost exclusively through
donated labor—volunteers who offered one day’s work in ten as a tithe. At the
time of the martyrdom, the temple was not completed. It was dedicated in
private and public ceremonies in the spring of 1846. Before traveling west,
5,629 Saints received their endowments in the temple. |
The Saints Find Refuge at Nauvoo
Kirtland, Ohio, was the headquarters of the Church from February 1831 until January 1838, when the Prophet Joseph Smith moved to Far West, Missouri. In 1838–39 the Saints were forced to leave Missouri and sought refuge in Illinois. There they purchased land and established the city of Nauvoo. Thousands gathered there and Nauvoo was one of the fastest growing cities in Illinois at that time. In 1844, because none of the other candidates would adequately support the cause of the Latter-day Saints as they sought redress for their losses during the persecutions in Missouri, Joseph Smith announced his candidacy for president of the United States of America.
The Prophet Knew More Than He Was Permitted to Teach
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The Prophet Joseph Smith |
The Prophet Joseph Smith was not allowed to teach everything that the Lord revealed to him. He explained that we receive knowledge when we are prepared to receive it:
“[The Apostle] Paul ascended into the third heavens, and he could understand the three principal rounds of Jacob’s ladder—the telestial, the terrestrial, and the celestial glories or kingdoms, where Paul saw and heard things which were not lawful for him to utter. I could explain a hundred fold more than I ever have of the glories of the kingdoms manifested to me in the vision, were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive them.
“The Lord deals with this people as a tender parent with a child, communicating light and intelligence and the knowledge of his ways as they can bear it. The inhabitants of the earth are asleep; they know not the day of their visitation” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 305).
“There has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation. . . . Even the Saints are slow to understand.
“I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to receive the things of God; but we frequently see some of them, after suffering all they have for the work of God, will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions: they cannot stand the fire at all. How many will be able to abide a celestial law, and go through and receive their exaltation, I am unable to say, as many are called, but few are chosen” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 331).
The Prophet also explained that “God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 149).
Many of the Saints Did Not Understand the Magnitude of Joseph Smith’s Calling
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Brigham Young said, “What a delight it
was to hear brother Joseph talk upon the great principles of eternity” (in Journal
of Discourses, 4:54). |
Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord restored truths that had been lost. But, as Joseph Smith explained, not all people will understand and accept those truths:
“Many men will say, ‘I will never forsake you, but will stand by you at all times.’ But the moment you teach them some of the mysteries of the kingdom of God that are retained in the heavens and are to be revealed to the children of men when they are prepared for them they will be the first to stone you and put you to death. It was this same principle that crucified the Lord Jesus Christ, and will cause the people to kill the prophets in this generation. . . .
“There are a great many wise men and women too in our midst who are too wise to be taught; therefore they must die in their ignorance, and in the resurrection they will find their mistake. Many seal up the door of heaven by saying, So far God may reveal and I will believe” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 309).
The Prophet Joseph Smith sought diligently to teach the truths of the Restoration and firmly establish the kingdom of God throughout the earth. While he was a prisoner in Liberty Jail, the Lord told him:
“The ends of the earth shall inquire after thy name, and fools shall have thee in derision, and hell shall rage against thee;
“While the pure in heart, and the wise, and the noble, and the virtuous, shall seek counsel, and authority, and blessings constantly from under thy hand” (D&C 122:1–2).
Addressing an assembly of thousands a few months before his death, Joseph Smith declared:
“You don’t know me; you never knew my heart. No man knows my history. I cannot tell it: I shall never undertake it. I don’t blame any one for not believing my history. If I had not experienced what I have, I could not have believed it myself. I never did harm any man since I was born in the world. My voice is always for peace.
“I cannot lie down until all my work is finished. I never think any evil, nor do anything to the harm of my fellow-man. When I am called by the trump of the archangel and weighed in the balance, you will all know me then. I add no more” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 361–62).
Joseph Smith Loved Physical Contests
“There were few manly sports that [the Prophet Joseph Smith] didn’t have a try at, and many in which he excelled. For example, he wrestled, and wrestled effectively. He jumped at the mark. In this activity you simply drew a mark on the ground, then jumped and marked where you landed, then challenged someone else to match or exceed the jump. He pulled up stakes: Here two men faced each other, placing feet against feet, and then pulled; the stronger one remained on the ground, the other came up. There’s another version of that in which, face to face, you hold a pole, like a broomstick, and then pull down. The stronger of the two holds, and his hands don’t slip. The weaker’s hands slip.
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Pulling sticks |
“With the boys Joseph often played baseball and variations on quoits [a game similar to the game of horseshoes, often using a flat stone as the object to throw]. He was known to create games with prizes, including booby prizes. On occasion, especially when he had beaten a challenger, he would say something like, ‘You must not mind this. When I am with the boys I make all the fun I can for them’ [see recollection of Calvin W. Moore in The Juvenile Instructor, 15 April 1892, 255]” (Truman G. Madsen, Joseph Smith the Prophet [1989], 20–21).
The Prophet Joseph Smith Holds the Keys of This Dispensation
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The Prophet enjoyed being with the
Saints. |
President George Q. Cannon, who was a counselor in the First Presidency, stated: “The Prophet Joseph informs us in his letter, addressed to the Saints when he fled away from Nauvoo to escape the hands of his enemies, that ‘It is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fullness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time’ [see D&C 128:18]. He, therefore, received the ministration of divers angels—heads of dispensations—from Michael or Adam down to the present time; every man in his time and season coming to him, and all declaring their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their Priesthood. So that Joseph, the head of this dispensation, Prophet, Seer and Revelator, whom God raised up, received from all these different sources, according to the mind and will of God, and according to the design of God concerning him; he received from all these different sources all the power and all the authority and all keys that were necessary for the building up of the work of God in the last days, and for the accomplishment of His purposes connected with this dispensation. He stands at the head. He is a unique character, differing from every other man in this respect, and excelling every other man. Because he was the head God chose him, and while he was faithful no man could take his place and position. He was faithful, and died faithful. He stands therefore at the head of this dispensation, and will throughout all eternity, and no man can take that power away from him. If any man holds these keys, he holds them subordinate to him. You never heard President Young teach any other doctrine; he always said that Joseph stood at the head of this dispensation; that Joseph holds the keys; that although Joseph had gone behind the veil he stood at the head of this dispensation, and that he himself held the keys subordinate to him. President Taylor teaches the same doctrine, and you will never hear any other doctrine from any of the faithful Apostles or servants of God, who understand the order of the Holy Priesthood. If we get our salvation we shall have to pass by him; if we enter into our glory it will be through the authority that he has received. We cannot get around him” (in Journal of Discourses, 23:360–61; italics added).
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The Mansion House, Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph and Emma Smith moved into the Mansion House on 31 August 1843. The
house was designed for the Prophet’s family and to entertain guests and
conduct Church and civic business. The twenty-two-room structure featured a
southern wing that served as a hotel. The wing had a large living room and
kitchen on the ground floor, plus sleeping rooms on the second story. The wing
was torn down in 1890. |
The Church Will Fill the World
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Side views of Joseph and Hyrum Smith |
On 6 April 1830, the day of its organization in Fayette, New York, few people might have understood how large the Church would grow. President Wilford Woodruff spoke of hearing the Prophet Joseph Smith speak of how the Church would grow to fill the world:
“I had just been baptized. . . . I arrived in Kirtland on Saturday and there met with Joseph and Hyrum Smith in the street. I was introduced to Joseph Smith. It was the first time that I had ever seen him in my life. He invited me home to spend the Sabbath with him, and I did so. They had meeting on Sunday.
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The Prophet Joseph and his brother
Hyrum. “In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!”
(D&C 135:3). |
“On Sunday night the Prophet called on all who held the Priesthood to gather into the little log school house they had there. It was a small house, perhaps 14 feet square. But it held the whole of the Priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who were then in the town of Kirtland, and who had gathered together to go off in Zion’s camp. That was the first time I ever saw Oliver Cowdery, or heard him speak; the first time I ever saw Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, and the two Pratts, and Orson Hyde and many others. There were no Apostles in the Church then except Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. When we got together the Prophet called upon the Elders of Israel with him to bear testimony of this work. Those that I have named spoke, and a good many that I have not named, bore their testimonies. When they got through the Prophet said, ‘Brethren I have been very much edified and instructed in your testimonies here tonight, but I want to say to you before the Lord, that you know no more concerning the destinies of this Church and kingdom than a babe upon its mother’s lap. You don’t comprehend it.’ I was rather surprised. He said ‘it is only a little handful of Priesthood you see here tonight, but this Church will fill North and South America—it will fill the world’” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1898, 57).
He Was a Prophet, Seer, Revelator, Restorer, Witness, and Martyr
With authority from God, the Prophet Joseph Smith laid the foundation for a mighty restoration in the last days preparatory to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Yet, like many prophets before him, he faced great opposition and gave his life for the kingdom of God. He was ridiculed, mobbed, and beaten—carrying scars of persecution to his grave. Six of his and Emma’s eleven children, two of whom they adopted, died in infancy. Many people who were once his friends turned against him. Over forty-six lawsuits were brought against him.
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Carthage
Jail, Carthage, Illinois |
He spent months in jail on false charges. “When Joseph went to Carthage to deliver himself up to the pretended requirements of the law, two or three days previous to his assassination, he said: ‘I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I SHALL DIE INNOCENT, AND IT SHALL YET BE SAID OF ME—HE WAS MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD’” (D&C 135:4). On 27 June 1844, an armed mob rushed the jail and killed the Prophet and his brother Hyrum. His work in mortality was completed. His last words were “O Lord, my God!” (D&C 135:1).
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Martyrs |
President Joseph Fielding Smith testified:
“Joseph Smith was a prophet, called in these last days to receive by revelation the saving truths of the gospel and to stand as a legal administrator, having power from on high, to administer the ordinances of the gospel.
“Since these truths revealed through him are the ones which shall go forth to every nation before the Second Coming, it is little wonder that we find Moroni saying to Joseph Smith that his ‘name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people.’ [Joseph Smith—History 1:33.]
“Nor is it any wonder when we later find the Lord saying to the Prophet: ‘The ends of the earth shall inquire after thy name, and fools shall have thee in derision, and hell shall rage against thee;
“‘While the pure in heart, and the wise, and the noble, and the virtuous, shall seek counsel, and authority, and blessings constantly from under thy hand.’ (D&C 122:1–2.)
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The mob at Carthage Jail |
“The ends of the earth are now beginning to inquire after the name of Joseph Smith, and many people in many nations are rejoicing in the gospel restored through his instrumentality” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1970, 6).
Soon after the Prophet’s martyrdom, Elder John Taylor, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, testified, “Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it” (D&C 135:3). People of all dispensations are affected by the work of the Restoration the Lord performed through that mighty prophet of this last dispensation. All who inquire earnestly and honestly can know that Joseph Smith was truly a prophet of the living God.
Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained: “We do not worship the Prophet. We worship God our Eternal Father, and the risen Lord Jesus Christ. But we acknowledge him, we proclaim him, we respect him, we reverence him as an instrument in the hands of the Almighty in restoring to the earth the ancient truths of the divine gospel, together with the priesthood through which the authority of God is exercised in the affairs of his church and for the blessing of his people” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1977, 95; or Ensign, May 1977, 65).
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Death masks of the Prophet Joseph and
his brother Hyrum. On 28 June 1844, the bodies of the martyrs were taken
to the Nauvoo Mansion, accompanied by Willard Richards, Samuel Smith, and
eight guards. A viewing was held that evening. It was common practice at that
time for a plaster cast to be made of the facial features of prominent
persons. The Church Historical Department possesses the original molds. |
“He Is the Great Prophet of This Dispensation”
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The Prophet Joseph Smith |
President Gordon B. Hinckley expressed gratitude for the Prophet Joseph Smith:
“How great indeed is our debt to him. His life began in Vermont and ended in Illinois, and marvelous were the things that happened between that simple beginning and tragic ending. It was he who brought us a true knowledge of God, the Eternal Father, and His Risen Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. During the short time of his great vision he learned more concerning the nature of Deity than all of those who through centuries had argued the matter in learned councils and scholarly forums. He brought us the marvelous Book of Mormon as another witness for the living reality of the Son of God. To him, from those who held it anciently, came the priesthood, the power, the gift, the authority, the keys to speak and act in the name of God. He gave us the organization of the Church and its great and sacred mission. Through him were restored the keys of the holy temples, that men and women might enter into eternal covenants with God and that the great work for the dead might be accomplished to open the way for eternal blessings. . . .
“He was the instrument in the hands of the Almighty. He was the servant acting under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ in bringing to pass this great latter-day work.
“We stand in reverence before him. He is the great prophet of this dispensation. He stands at the head of this great and mighty work which is spreading across the earth. He is our prophet, our revelator, our seer, our friend. Let us not forget him. . . . God be thanked for the Prophet Joseph” (“A Season for Gratitude,” Ensign, Dec. 1997, 2).
Chapter 2
Brigham Young
Second President of the Church
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Painting by John W. Clawson |
HIGHLIGHTS IN THE LIFE OF BRIGHAM YOUNG
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Age |
Events |
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He was born 1 June 1801 in Whitingham, Windham County, Vermont, to John and Abigail Howe Young. |
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14 |
His mother died; he began to earn his own living and eventually became a carpenter (1815). |
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23 |
He married Miriam Works (8 Oct. 1824). |
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30 |
He was baptized into the Church (14 April 1832) and ordained an elder (1832). |
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31 |
His wife, Miriam, died (8 Sept. 1832), leaving him to care for their two young daughters. |
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32 |
He married Mary Ann Angell (18 Feb. 1834). |
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32–33 |
He was a captain in the march of Zion’s Camp (May–July 1834). |
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33 |
He was ordained one of the original members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles by the Three Witnesses (14 Feb. 1835). |
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37 |
He led the Saints from Missouri to Illinois (1838–39). |
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38–40 |
He served a mission to Great Britain (Sept. 1839–July 1841). |
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38 |
He was sustained as President of the Quorum of the Twelve (14 Apr. 1840). |
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43–46 |
As the senior Apostle, he led the Church after the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith (1844–47). |
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45 |
He received the revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 136; he saw the Prophet Joseph Smith in vision (14 Jan. 1847). |
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45–47 |
He led the exodus of the Saints to the Salt Lake Valley (Apr. 1847–Sept. 1848). |
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46 |
He returned to Winter Quarters (fall, 1847); the First Presidency was reorganized (5 Dec. 1847); he became President of the Church on 27 December 1847, at Kanesville (now Council Bluffs), Iowa. |
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48 |
He founded the University of Deseret (28 Feb. 1850), which later became the University of Utah. |
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49 |
He became governor of the Territory of Utah (20 Sept. 1850). |
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51 |
He laid the cornerstone for the Salt Lake Temple (6 Apr. 1853). |
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56–57 |
The Utah War; he was released as governor after an eight-year term (1857–58). |
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66 |
The Salt Lake Tabernacle was completed; the Union of Local Sunday Schools was organized (1867). |
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67 |
The railroad reached Utah (10 May 1869). |
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68 |
The Young Ladies Retrenchment Association was organized (28 Nov. 1869). |
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75 |
The St. George Utah Temple was dedicated under his direction (6 Apr. 1877). |
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76 |
He died in Salt Lake City, Utah (29 Aug. 1877). |
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Whittingham,
Vermont |
Brigham Young was born four years before the Prophet Joseph Smith. He was baptized into the Church on 14 April 1832, near his home in Mendon, New York. In September of that year, shortly after the death of his wife, he traveled to Kirtland, Ohio, to meet the Prophet. Of that meeting he wrote:
“We went to his father’s house and learned that he was in the woods, chopping. We immediately repaired to the woods, where we found the Prophet, and two or three of his brothers, chopping and hauling wood. Here my joy was full at the privilege of shaking the hand of the Prophet of God, and received the sure testimony, by the Spirit of prophecy, that he was all that any man could believe him to be, as a true Prophet. He was happy to see us, and bid us welcome. We soon returned to his house, he accompanying us.
“In the evening a few of the brethren came in, and we conversed together upon the things of the kingdom. He called upon me to pray; in my prayer I spoke in tongues. As soon as we arose from our knees the brethren flocked around him, and asked his opinion concerning the gift of tongues that was upon me. He told them it was the pure Adamic language. Some said to him they expected he would condemn the gift brother Brigham had, but he said, ‘No, it is of God, and the time will come when brother Brigham Young will preside over this Church.’ The latter part of this conversation was in my absence” (Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1801–1844, comp. Elden Jay Watson [1968], 4–5).
Brigham Young later said, “I feel like shouting Hallelujah, all the time, when I think that I ever knew Joseph Smith, the Prophet whom the Lord raised up and ordained, and to whom he gave keys and power to build up the Kingdom of God on earth and sustain it” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1954], 458).
Times and circumstances rarely thrust a man into the position that Brigham Young found himself after the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith on 27 June 1844 as the Lord revealed His will concerning the succession of leadership in the developing Church and moved the Saints westward.
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Brigham Young loved the Prophet Joseph
Smith. From their first meeting, they were loyal friends. |
Brigham Young Knew the Rigors of Life and Hard Work
Brigham Young knew work, hardship, and privation. He gave the following insights into his childhood:
“At an early age I labored with my father, assisting him to clear off new land and cultivate his farm, passing through many hardships and privations incident to settling a new country” (Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1).
“Brother Heber and I never went to school until we got into ‘Mormonism:’ that was the first of our schooling. We never had the opportunity of letters in our youth, but we had the privilege of picking up brush, chopping down trees, rolling logs, and working amongst the roots, and of getting our shins, feet, and toes bruised. The uncle of brother Merrell, who now sits in the congregation, made me the first hat that my father ever bought for me; and I was then about eleven years of age. I did not go bareheaded previous to that time, neither did I call on my father to buy me a five-dollar hat every few months, as some of my boys do. My sisters would make me what was called a Jo. Johnson cap for winter, and in summer I wore a straw hat which I frequently braided for myself. I learned to make bread, wash the dishes, milk the cows, and make butter; and can make butter, and can beat the most of the women in this community at housekeeping. Those are about all the advantages I gained in my youth. I know how to economise, for my father had to do it” (in Journal of Discourses, 5:97).
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Brigham Young |
“Instead of crying over our sufferings, as some seem inclined to do, I would rather tell a good story, and leave the crying to others. I do not know that I have ever suffered; I do not realize it. Have I not gone without eating and not half clad? Yes, but that was not suffering. I was used to that in my youth. I used to work in the woods logging and driving team, summer and winter, not half clad, and with insufficient food until my stomach would ache, so that I am used to all this, and have had no suffering. As I said to the brethren the other night, the only suffering I ever realized in this Church was to preserve my temper towards my enemies. But I have even got pretty much over this” (in Journal of Discourses, 12:287).
He Excelled as a Craftsman
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This fireplace mantle was made by
Brigham Young. |
At the age of fourteen, Brigham Young began work as an apprentice to a furniture maker and house painter. He excelled at the craft. During his apprenticeship, “he established himself as the skilled artisan who is famous in this city [Auburn, New York] for the beauty of his stairwell decorations, fanlight doorways, door frames, stair rails, louvered attic windows and, above all—fireplace mantels” (Mary Van Sickle Wait, Brigham Young in Cayuga County, 1813–1829 [1964], 24).
He Was a Devoted Husband and Father
“Brigham met eighteen-year-old Miriam Angeline Works, whose family lived near the pail factory [where Brigham worked] and were said to be friends of Charles Parks [Brigham’s employer]. The second child of Asa and Abigail Works, born at Aurelius on June 6 (or June 7), 1806, Miriam (sometimes referred to as Angeline) was ‘a beautiful blonde with blue eyes and wavy hair; gentle and lovable’ [Susa Young Gates and Leah D. Widtsoe, The Life Story of Brigham Young (1930), 19]. Her father, like Brigham’s, was a Revolutionary War veteran. He had moved to western New York from Worcester, Massachusetts, not far from Hopkinton where John Young had lived. Brigham and Miriam became acquainted, he walked her home, they sang together and discussed life. At the age of twenty-three Brigham borrowed a horse and carriage from William Hayden’s father, rented a house up the road, and married Miriam.
“The marriage was performed on October 5 (some sources say October 8), 1824, by Gilbert Weed, Aurelius Justice of the Peace, at the tavern of James Pine between Auburn and Bucksville” (Leonard J. Arrington, Brigham Young: American Moses [1985], 15).
Brigham Young was a devoted husband and father. In 1829 he moved his family to Mendon, New York, which was fifteen miles from Joseph Smith’s home. There his second daughter was born and his wife contracted tuberculosis, which gradually weakened her. Loving, thoughtful, and tender—each day before work, Brigham saw to his wife’s comfort and his children’s care.
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After they were married, Brigham and
Miriam Young moved from Aurelius, New York, to nearby Haydenville, where
Brigham farmed in the summer and worked in a paint factory in the winter. It
is believed that Brigham and Miriam lived in the house seen in this
photograph. |
“Brigham Young once remarked that after marriage he worked for half a crown a day when he could not get more; got breakfast for his wife, himself, and the little girls, dressed the children, cleaned up the house, carried his wife to the rocking-chair by the fireplace and left her there until he could return in the evening. When he came home he cooked his own and the family’s supper, put his wife back to bed and finished up the day’s domestic labours” (Gates and Widtsoe, The Life Story of Brigham Young, 5).
On 8 September 1832 his wife, Miriam, died. She was buried in Mendon.
Brigham later married Mary Ann Angell. She had heard him preach and was very impressed. She also heard the gospel preached by Phinehas and Lorenzo Young, Brigham’s brothers, and was baptized by John P. Green, Brigham’s brother-in-law. Later she moved to Kirtland, in the spring of 1833. Shortly after he arrived in Kirtland, Brigham heard her bear her testimony and he was impressed. They were married on 18 February 1834. He was thirty-two and she was thirty.
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The Phineas Young home, near Victor, New York |
He Searched for Spiritual Fulfillment
President Brigham Young once said: “Priests had urged me to pray before I was eight years old. On this subject I had but one prevailing feeling in my mind—Lord, preserve me until I am old enough to have sound judgment, and a discreet mind ripened upon a good solid foundation of common sense” (in Journal of Discourses, 8:37).
He was moral, hardworking, and honest. He said that from his mother he learned to love and reverence the Bible: “Of my mother—she that bore me—I can say, no better woman ever lived in the world than she was. . . . My mother, while she lived, taught her children all the time to honor the name of the Father and Son, and to reverence the Holy Book. She said, ‘Read it, observe its precepts and apply them to your lives as far as you can. Do everything that is good; do nothing that is evil; and if you see any persons in distress, administer to their wants; never suffer anger to arise in your bosoms, for if you do, you may be overcome by evil’” (quoted in Preston Nibley, Brigham Young: The Man and His Work [1936], 2).
“Before I embraced the Gospel, I understood pretty well what the different sects preached, but I was called an infidel because I could not embrace their dogmas. . . . There were some things they preached I could believe, and some I could not. . . . As far as their teachings were in accordance with the Bible, I could believe them, and no further” (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 18:247).
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Brigham Young and his brothers, by
Charles R. Savage, 13 September 1866 (left to right: Lorenzo,
Brigham, Phineas, Joseph, and John) |
“I recollect when I was young going to hear Lorenzo Dow preach. He was esteemed a very great man by the religious folks. I, although young in years and lacking experience, had thought a great many times that I would like to hear some man who could tell me something, when he opened the Bible, about the Son of God, the will of God, what the ancients did and received, saw and heard and knew pertaining to God and heaven. So I went to hear Lorenzo Dow. He stood up some of the time, and he sat down some of the time; he was in this position and in that position, and talked two or three hours, and when he got through I asked myself, ‘What have you learned from Lorenzo Dow?’ and my answer was, ‘Nothing, nothing but morals.’ He could tell the people they should not work on the Sabbath day; they should not lie, swear, steal, commit adultery, &c., but when he came to teaching the things of God he was as dark as midnight. . . . I would as lief go into a swamp at midnight to learn how to paint a picture and then define its colors when there is neither moon nor stars visible and profound darkness prevails, as to go to the religious world to learn about God, heaven, hell or the faith of a Christian. But they can explain our duty as rational, moral beings, and that is good, excellent as far as it goes” (Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 14:197–98).
He Investigated the Claims of “Mormonism” with Caution
While on a mission early in 1830, Samuel Smith sold a copy of the Book of Mormon to Phineas Young, Brigham Young’s brother. Phineas later gave it to their father and their sister Fanny. Eventually, Brigham was given the book. He reviewed it with some caution, which was his nature. An honest, practical man, Brigham would not be railroaded into anything. He studied the book for two years and then received it with all his heart. Brigham and his wife, Miriam, joined the Church. He wanted to learn more, so he sought to become as informed about the Saints and the Prophet Joseph Smith as soon as he could.
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Cayuga Brook. On 14 April 1832, Eleazer Miller baptized Brigham Young in this little millstream near Mendon, New York. |
Brigham Young was an honest man seeking for truth. His criteria for judging the Church were straightforward and sound. “I watched,” he said, “to see whether good common sense was manifest; and if they had that, I wanted them to present it in accordance with the Scriptures” (in Journal of Discourses, 8:38). He said that when he received the Book of Mormon his feelings were, “‘Wait a little while; what is the doctrine of the book, and of the revelations the Lord has given? Let me apply my heart to them;’ and after I had done this, I considered it to be my right to know for myself, as much as any man on earth.
“I examined the matter studiously for two years before I made up my mind to receive that book. I knew it was true, as well as I knew that I could see with my eyes, or feel by the touch of my fingers, or be sensible of the demonstration of any sense. Had not this been the case, I never would have embraced it to this day; it would have all been without form or comeliness to me. I wished time sufficient to prove all things for myself” (in Journal of Discourses, 3:91).
This was not procrastination, but the caution of a man who, after finding truth, would dedicate his life to it. He said, “I could not more honestly and earnestly have prepared myself to go into eternity than I did to come into this Church; and when I had ripened everything in my mind, I drank it in, and not till then” (in Journal of Discourses, 8:38).
His Conversion Came by the Divine Witness of the Holy Ghost
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Brigham Young, about 1846; copy of a daguerreotype by Lucian R. Foster |
In 1852, President Brigham Young shared the following about his conversion: “If all the talent, tact, wisdom, and refinement of the world had been sent to me with the Book of Mormon, and had declared, in the most exalted of earthly eloquence, the truth of it, undertaking to prove it by learning and worldly wisdom, they would have been to me like the smoke which arises only to vanish away. But when I saw a man without eloquence, or talents for public speaking who could only say, ‘I know, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of the Lord,’ the Holy Ghost proceeding from that individual illuminated my understanding, and light, glory, and immortality were before me. I was encircled by them, filled with them, and I knew for myself that the testimony of the man was true” (in Journal of Discourses, 1:90).
He wrote that after his baptism “we returned home, about two miles, the weather being cold and snowy; and before my clothes were dry on my back [Brother Eleazer Miller] laid his hands on me and ordained me an Elder, at which I marvelled. According to the words of the Savior, I felt a humble, child-like spirit, witnessing unto me that my sins were forgiven” (Manuscript History, 1801–1844, 3).
His Conversion Brought the Gifts of the Spirit
Because of his great faith, Brigham Young enjoyed many of the gifts of the Spirit, such as revelation, prophecy, and speaking in tongues. He wrote: “A few weeks after my baptism I was at brother Kimball’s house one morning, and while family prayer was being offered up, brother Alpheus Gifford commenced speaking in tongues. Soon the Spirit came on me, and I spoke in tongues, and we thought only of the day of Pentecost, when the Apostles were clothed upon with cloven tongues of fire” (Manuscript History, 1801–1844, 3).
The Spirit of the Lord Helped Him Preach and Teach
One of Brigham Young’s greatest challenges was public speaking, but so powerful was the effect of the Spirit upon him that he could not be still. He made the following statements about his feelings:
“When I began to speak in public, I was about as destitute of language as a man could well be. . . . How I have had the headache, when I had ideas to lay before the people, and not words to express them; but I was so gritty that I always tried my best” (in Journal of Discourses, 5:97).
“When I first commenced preaching, I made up my mind to declare the things that I understood, fearless of friends and threats, and regardless of caresses. They were nothing to me, for if it was my duty to rise before a congregation of strangers and say that the Lord lives, that He has revealed Himself in this our day, that he has given to us a Prophet, and brought forth the new and everlasting covenant for the restoration of Israel, and if that was all I could say, I must be just as satisfied as though I could get up and talk for hours. . . . Had it not been for this feeling, nothing could have induced me to have become a public speaker” (in Journal of Discourses, 4:21).
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Kirtland Temple. Kirtland, Ohio, was both a blessing and a testing ground for Brigham Young. His faith and loyalty to the Prophet Joseph Smith were tested on the difficult 1,200-mile march of Zion’s Camp across four states. Much of the construction of the Kirtland Temple was supervised by Artemius Millett, a Canadian whose family was converted by Brigham Young. |
“One week [after baptism] I had the pleasure of meeting with and preaching to a large congregation. I think there were present on that occasion four experienced Elders, formerly of the Methodist and Baptist persuasions, who had received the Gospel and had been numbered with us. I expected to hear them address the people on the principles that we had just received through the servants of the Lord. They said that the Spirit of the Lord was not upon them to speak to the people, yet they had been preachers for years. I was but a child, so far as public speaking and a knowledge of the world was concerned; but the Spirit of the Lord was upon me, and I felt as though my bones would consume within me unless I spoke to the people and told them what I had seen, heard and learned—what I had experienced and rejoiced in; and the first discourse I ever delivered I occupied over an hour. I opened my mouth and the Lord filled it” (in Journal of Discourses, 13:211).
He Was a Member of Zion’s Camp
In 1834, Brigham Young served in Zion’s Camp—a group of volunteers led by the Prophet Joseph Smith to go to Missouri and help the oppressed members there. The sacrifices they made and the hardships they endured during that march provided opportunities for men such as Brigham Young to show their devotion and dedication to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The majority of men later chosen to be in the leading councils of the Church served in Zion’s Camp.
He Was a Dedicated Disciple of the Lord and of the Lord’s Prophet
During 1836 the spirit of apostasy had filled a number of Saints at Kirtland, but Brigham Young demonstrated loyalty to the Prophet Joseph Smith which was characteristic of his entire ministry. He wrote:
“At this time the spirit of speculation, disaffection and apostacy imbibed by many of the Twelve, and which ran through all the Quorums of the Church, prevailed so extensively that it was difficult for any to see clearly the path to pursue.
“On a certain occasion several of the Twelve, the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, and others of the Authorities of the Church, held a council in the upper room of the Temple. The question before them was to ascertain how the Prophet Joseph could be deposed, and David Whitmer appointed President of the Church. Father John Smith, brother Heber C. Kimball and others were present, who were opposed to such measures. I rose up, and in a plain and forcible manner told them that Joseph was a Prophet, and I knew it, and that they might rail and slander him as much as they pleased, they could not destroy the appointment of the Prophet of God, they could only destroy their own authority, cut the thread that bound them to the Prophet and to God and sink themselves to hell. Many were highly enraged at my decided opposition to their measures, and Jacob Bump (an old pugilist) was so exasperated that he could not be still. Some of the brethren near him put their hands on him, and requested him to be quiet; but he writhed and twisted his arms and body saying, ‘How can I keep my hands off that man?’ I told him if he thought it would give him any relief he might lay them on. This meeting was broken up without the apostates being able to unite on any decided measures of opposition. This was a crisis when earth and hell seemed leagued to overthrow the Prophet and Church of God. The knees of many of the strongest men in the Church faltered.
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Early Church leaders: Hyrum Smith,
Willard Richards, Joseph Smith, Orson Pratt, Parley P. Pratt, Orson
Hyde, Heber C. Kimball, and Brigham Young |
“During this siege of darkness I stood close by Joseph, and, with all the wisdom and power God bestowed upon me, put forth my utmost energies to sustain the servant of God and unite the Quorums of the Church” (Manuscript History, 1801–1844, 15–17).
Discipleship Brought Persecution
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Chair Brigham Young made for his
father and Brigham’s missionary bag |
Brigham Young wrote: “On the morning of December 22nd [1837], I left Kirtland in consequence of the fury of the mob and the spirit that prevailed in the apostates, who had threatened to destroy me because I would proclaim, publicly and privately, that I knew, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of the Most High God, and had not transgressed and fallen as the apostates declared” (Manuscript History, 1801–1844, 23).
The cost of discipleship is often high, but so are the rewards. Consider the following statement of President Brigham Young, then President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
“[On 10 December 1843] I attended prayer-meeting in the Assembly Room. President Joseph Smith being absent, I presided and instructed the brethren upon the necessity of following our file leader, and our Savior, in all his laws and commandments, without asking any questions why they were so” (Manuscript History, 1801–1844, 156).
Joseph Smith Was a Prophet Who Should Be Followed, Not Condemned
Speaking about the importance of having faith and confidence in our Church leaders, President Brigham Young said:
“Though I admitted in my feelings and knew all the time that Joseph was a human being and subject to err, still it was none of my business to look after his faults.
“I repented of my unbelief, and that too, very suddenly; I repented about as quickly as I committed the error. It was not for me to question whether Joseph was dictated by the Lord at all times and under all circumstances or not. I never had the feeling for one moment, to believe that any man or set of men or beings upon the face of the whole earth had anything to do with him, for he was superior to them all, and held the keys of salvation over them. Had I not thoroughly understood this and believed it, I much doubt whether I should ever have embraced what is called ‘Mormonism.’ . . .
“It was not my prerogative to call him in question with regard to any act of his life. He was God’s servant, and not mine. He did not belong to the people but to the Lord, and was doing the work of the Lord. . . . That was my faith, and it is my faith still.
“If we have any lack of confidence in those whom the Lord has appointed to lead the people, how can we have confidence in a being whom we know nothing about? . . .
“How are we going to obtain implicit confidence in all the words and doings of Joseph? By one principle alone, that is, to live so that the voice of the Spirit will testify to us all the time that he is the servant of the Most High; so that we can realize as it were the Lord’s declaring that ‘Joseph is my servant, I lead him day by day whithersoever I will, and dictate him to do whatever I will; he is my mouth to the people.’ . . .
“. . . That is the preaching which you hear all the time, viz.—to live so that the voice of God’s Spirit will always be with you, and then you know that what you hear from the heads of the people is right” (in Journal of Discourses, 4:297–98).
Applying the Prophet’s Words Became the Key to His Success
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Mary Ann Angell, wife of Brigham Young |
The Prophet Joseph Smith recognized early the greatness of Brigham Young, and over the course of the years the hearts of these two giants of the Restoration were knit together. Brigham Young listened to the Prophet preach and teach, not only in session with others but also privately. The future President of the Church was taught the mysteries of godliness, was given keys and powers of administration and was trusted with sacred teachings shared initially by few others. He knew how to receive the mind and will of the Lord, was taught truth upon truth, and received revelation upon revelation and ordinance upon ordinance until all was given that was necessary for him to preside among the brethren and eventually over the Church.
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Brigham and Mary Ann Angell Young and
their children |
In 1868, President Brigham Young said: “In my experience I never did let an opportunity pass of getting with the Prophet Joseph and of hearing him speak in public or in private, so that I might draw understanding from the fountain from which he spoke, that I might have it and bring it forth when it was needed. My own experience tells me that the great success with which the Lord has crowned my labors is owing to the fact of applying my heart to wisdom. . . . In the days of the Prophet Joseph, such moments were more precious to me than all the wealth of the world. No matter how great my poverty—if I had to borrow meal to feed my wife and children, I never let an opportunity pass of learning what the Prophet had to impart. This is the secret of the success of your humble servant” (in Journal of Discourses, 12:269–70).
He Helped Lead the Saints out of Missouri and into Illinois
Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball led the Saints out of the hostile influences of the Missourians into Commerce, Illinois. Many of the circumstances associated with the Missouri exodus were again encountered on 4 February 1846 when the Saints left Nauvoo, Illinois. Much like the Prophet Joseph Smith, Brigham Young was tutored by the Lord to enable him to be a powerful influence for good in strengthening the kingdom of God on earth.
He Was a Faithful Missionary
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While laboring in England, Brigham Young wrote his beloved Mary Ann as often as he could. |
Brigham Young served ten missions between the time of his conversion and the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith. In September 1839, Brigham Young, so sick he could not walk far without help, left his family to serve a two-year mission in England. While traveling on a steamboat on Lake Erie from Fairport, Ohio, to Buffalo, New York, a storm arose and hindered the progress of the ship. He recorded: “The wind rose about one o’clock in the morning. I went upon deck and felt impressed in spirit to pray to the Father, in the name of Jesus, for a forgiveness of my sins, and then I felt to command the winds to cease, and let us go safe on our journey. The winds abated, and I felt to give the glory and honor and praise to that God who rules all things” (Manuscript History, 1801–1844, 58–59).
Always for him, his greatest joy was being at home with his family. In July 1841 he was reunited at last with his wife, Mary Ann, and children at Nauvoo after his long mission to England. On 18 January 1842, he tenderly confided in his journal: “This evening I am with my wife alone by my fireside for the first time for years. We enjoy it and feel to praise the Lord” (Brigham Young’s journal 1837–45; spelling standardized).
He Prepared for Leadership
Strong, intelligent, and resourceful, Brigham Young was given leadership responsibilities early. He was a captain in Zion’s Camp, a confidant of the Prophet Joseph Smith, one of the first Apostles to be called in this dispensation, organizer of the Missouri exodus, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and presiding elder of the English Mission. Devoted and trusted, his loyalty to the Prophet was constant. Hardship and trials were schoolmasters that mellowed him into the controlled, compassionate prophet he became.
During the dark days of Kirtland, when apostasy ran rampant even among the Church leadership, it was Brigham Young’s unyielding firmness that became a strength to the loyal Saints. His powerful leadership led the Church during the Missouri persecutions while the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum Smith were languishing in the Liberty Jail. He led the Twelve Apostles about 200 miles into hostile Missouri so that they could leave for their mission to England from the place where the Lord’s servant said they should.
In England the Twelve Apostles struggled under continual pressure from men, nature, and Satan himself. Through it all, Brigham Young demonstrated his great leadership abilities and dedication to the restored gospel. He assisted Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards in the mass conversions in Herefordshire, preached in London, spoke in tongues, healed the sick and lame, compiled a book of hymns, published the Book of Mormon and indexed it, established on a firm foundation the first mission across the seas, and organized a system of transporting thousands of converts to America, all the while helping the Quorum of the Twelve grow into a unified, smooth-working body.
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The eight Apostles who served in England from 1840–41 |
Later in Nauvoo, under the direction of the First Presidency, he presided over meetings and councils. There was no self-seeking, vainglory, or self-aggrandizement in the man. He was dedicated to supporting with all his heart the Prophet he loved.
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Brigham Young’s home in Nauvoo was
restored and refurbished by architects and specialists of the Nauvoo
restoration. |
The Mantle of the Prophet Rested on Him
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Brigham Young, about 1850 |
After the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, several men stepped forward as would-be leaders of the Church. Some members were confused as to whom to follow. But at a critical meeting held on 8 August 1844, the power of God was upon President Brigham Young, the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He recorded in his journal: “I arose and spoke to the people. My heart was swollen with compassion towards them and by the power of the Holy Ghost, even the spirit of the prophets. I was enabled to comfort the hearts of the Saints” (Brigham Young’s journal 1837–45, 8 Aug. 1844; spelling and punctuation standardized).
On that occasion, a vision was opened to many. Representative of the many testimonies of those who were there is that of Elder George Q. Cannon, who was fifteen years old then and who later became an Apostle and a counselor in the First Presidency: “It was the voice of Joseph himself; and not only was it the voice of Joseph which was heard; but it seemed in the eyes of the people as though it was the very person of Joseph which stood before them. A more wonderful and miraculous event than was wrought that day in the presence of that congregation we never heard of. The Lord gave His people a testimony that left no room for doubt as to who was the man He had chosen to lead them. They both saw and heard with their natural eyes and ears, and then the words which were uttered came, accompanied by the convincing power of God, to their hearts, and they were filled with the Spirit and with great joy” (“Joseph Smith, the Prophet,” Juvenile Instructor, 29 Oct. 1870, 174–75).
President Wilford Woodruff, who was also a witness to the event, said: “If I had not seen him with my own eyes, there is no one that could have convinced me that it was not Joseph Smith speaking. It was as the voice and face of Joseph Smith; and anyone can testify to this who was acquainted with these two men” (quoted in J.M. Whitaker, “Priesthood and the Right of Succession,” Deseret Evening News, 12 Mar. 1892).
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Brigham Young, about 1853–54 |
Brother Benjamin F. Johnson wrote of his experience: “President Rigdon was called upon to put forth his claim before the people, which he did, and after his closing remarks, which were void of all power or influence, President Brigham Young arose and spoke. I saw him arise, but as soon as he spoke I jumped upon my feet, for in every possible degree it was Joseph’s voice, and his person, in look, attitude, dress and appearance was Joseph himself, personified; and I knew in a moment the spirit and mantle of Joseph was upon him” (My Life’s Review [n.d.], 104).
His Courage, Faith, and Sense of Humor Were Examples for the Saints
After the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, President Brigham Young became the target of harassing lawsuits and arrests. He met the challenges with restraint and humor.
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The Nauvoo Temple |
In November 1845, President Young wrote that while he and some of the other brethren were in the Nauvoo Temple, “Hans C. Hanson, the doorkeeper reported that there were two officers waiting at the foot of the stairs for me. I told the brethren that I could bear to tarry here where it was warm as long as they could stay in the cold waiting for me” (in History of the Church, 7:535).
On another occasion President Young was informed that federal officers were waiting at the door of the temple so that they might arrest him. He had his coachman bring his carriage around to the front of the temple. William Miller then put on Brigham’s cap and Heber C. Kimball’s cloak, left the temple, and acted as though he were going to get into the carriage. The law officers ran up and arrested him. He protested loudly that they had the wrong man and that he was not guilty of the charges they brought against him. Believing they had Brigham Young, they carted him off to Carthage; all the while he continued to protest and claim his innocence.
Once they arrived in Carthage word soon spread that the marshal had brought in Brigham Young. There was great excitement until one man recognized William Miller. He called the marshal out, and after the marshal returned he asked Miller if his name was Young.
“He answered, ‘I never told you my name was Young, did I?’ ‘No,’ replied the marshal, ‘but one of my men professed to be acquainted with Mr. Young, and pointed you out to me to be him.’ William Backenstos was called in and he told them William Miller was not Brigham Young. Another man came, and said he could swear Miller was not Brigham Young. The marshal said he was sorry, and asked Miller his name, he replied, ‘it is William Miller’.
“The marshal left the room and soon returned accompanied by Edmonds [a lawyer] who was laughing heartily at him. Edmonds inquired if he had anything more to do with ‘Mr. Young’. The marshal replied that he did not know that he had anything further to do with Mr. Miller” (Brigham Young, in History of the Church, 7:550–51).
The Mormon Battalion Was Organized
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Monument at Winter Quarters, dedicated to the Saints buried in the Mormon Pioneers Cemetery. The summer, fall, and winter of 1846–47 were difficult for the Saints living in settlements across Iowa. Poor living conditions, lack of food, and a hard winter took its toll on Church members. It was at Winter Quarters that Brigham Young received the revelation on how to organize the Saints for the trek west (see D&C 136). |
In 1845 the United States annexed Texas. This was considered an act of war by Mexico, which claimed most of the Texas territory. James K. Polk, president of the United States, favored expansionist views and felt that the acquisition of the Texas territory, along with the later acquisition of New Mexico and upper California, was important for the development of the country. The Congress of the United States declared war with Mexico on 12 May 1846. Soon after the declaration of war, the United States Army was charged with conquering all of this western territory.
Polk did not want the migrating Latter-day Saints to align themselves with the British in the Oregon territory or to play any antagonistic role in the expansion of the United States. The government, therefore, determined that the Saints should be invited to raise 500 volunteers to serve in the war with Mexico. This would help keep the Saints aligned with the United States. The feelings of the Saints were not as negative as the U.S. government had assumed, however. President Brigham Young recognized that this situation provided an opportunity to show loyalty to the United States and to earn desperately needed capital for the exodus. It also provided a rationale for establishing temporary settlements. President Young spoke to the Saints and tried to clear their minds of prejudice against the federal government and told them that this was the first offer they had received from the government that could benefit them. Soon many Latter-day Saints recognized the opportunity and volunteered for the battalion.
Under the direction of Captain James Allen of the United States Army, around 500 soldiers and nearly 80 women and children began their march to Fort Leavenworth on 21 July 1846. After many trials, the group reached Mission San Diego, in California, on 29 January 1847. They had marched 2,030 miles. After arriving in California, the battalion served as occupation troops with garrison duty in the San Diego and Los Angeles areas.
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Brigham Young recruiting the Mormon Battalion |
When members of the battalion were outfitted, they each received supplies that included a gun and $42.00 for clothing for the year. Part of each volunteer’s pay and clothing allowance was collected by Parley P. Pratt and given to the battalion’s families in Iowa and to other Church members being evacuated from Nauvoo. After they were discharged in California, many battalion members continued to send money they earned from other jobs to their families.
He Saw the Salt Lake Valley in a Vision
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Brigham Young, about 1851–52 |
In 1869, President George A. Smith, who was a counselor to President Brigham Young, spoke of how the Saints came to settle in the Salt Lake Valley: “The question is frequently asked, ‘How did you ever find this place?’ I answer, we were led to it by the inspiration of God. After the death of Joseph Smith, when it seemed as if every trouble and calamity had come upon the Saints, Brigham Young, who was President of the Twelve, then the presiding Quorum of the Church, sought the Lord to know what they should do, and where they should lead the people for safety, and while they were fasting and praying daily on this subject, President Young had a vision of Joseph Smith, who showed him the mountain that we now call Ensign Peak, immediately north of Salt Lake City, and there was an ensign fell upon that peak, and Joseph said, ‘Build under the point where the colors fall and you will prosper and have peace.’ The Pioneers had no pilot or guide, none among them had ever been in the country or knew anything about it. However, they travelled under the direction of President Young until they reached this valley” (in Journal of Discourses, 13:85).
The First Pioneer Company Was Organized
In January 1847, President Brigham Young had a dream in which he discussed with the Prophet Joseph Smith the best way to help the Saints cross the plains (see Bruce A. VanOrden, “Revelation Clarifies Role of Twelve,” Church News, 11 Jan. 1997, 7). Three days later he presented to the Church the “Word and Will of the Lord concerning the Camp of Israel in their journeyings to the West” (D&C 136:1). It was decided that a pioneer company consisting of 144 handpicked men would travel to the Great Salt Lake Basin. This group would include mechanics, teamsters, hunters, frontiersmen, carpenters, sailors, soldiers, accountants, bricklayers, blacksmiths, wagon makers, and so forth. The actual company consisted of 143 men, 3 women, and 2 children. This group was prepared to blaze a trail that the other Saints would follow to the West. Eight men of this company were Apostles and several had served in Zion’s Camp. Some of the company started from Winter Quarters on 5 April 1847, but a majority of the group started on 16 April 1847.
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Brigham Young, about 1855 |
This pioneer company traversed 1,100 miles from Winter Quarters, near present day Omaha, Nebraska, to the Salt Lake Valley. Wherever possible, they followed existing roads and trails. Their route followed the broad and gentle Platte River Valley for 600 miles to Fort Laramie in Wyoming. From there they crossed to the south side of the Platte and followed the Oregon Trail for almost 400 miles to Fort Bridger; then they continued south on the Reid-Donner Trail into the Salt Lake Valley. During the final phase of the trek, which was the roughest section of the trip, President Young contracted mountain fever and the company split into three groups: the vanguard, the main company, and the rear guard, which included President Young.
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The route from Nauvoo to the Salt Lake Valley |
“The advance company of pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley on 22 July 1847 and immediately set up a crude irrigation system to flood the land and prepare for planting. On 24 July, Brigham Young and the rear company arrived at the mouth of Emigration Canyon. Wilford Woodruff drove President Young in his carriage. They looked to the future as they gazed over the valley. Wilford Woodruff wrote, ‘Thoughts of pleasing meditations ran in rapid succession through our minds while we contemplated that not many years the house of GOD would stand upon the top of the mountains while the valleys would be converted into orchard, vineyard, gardens and fields by the inhabitants of Zion and the standard be unfurled for the nations to gather there to.’ Brigham Young said he was satisfied with the appearance of the valley as a ‘resting place for the Saints and was amply repaid for his journey’ [Wilford Woodruff journals, 24 July 1847; spelling and capitalization standardized].
“On a later occasion, Wilford Woodruff explained that when they came out of the canyon he turned the carriage so that President Young could see the whole valley. ‘While gazing upon the scene before us, he was enwrapped in vision for several minutes. He had seen the valley before in vision, and upon this occasion he saw the future glory of Zion and of Israel, as they would be, planted in the valleys of these mountains. When the vision had passed, he said, “It is enough. This is the right place. Drive on”’ [in “Pioneers’ Day,” Deseret Evening News, 26 July 1880, 2].
“. . . By 28 July, Brigham Young’s decision about the location of a city was firm. Between two forks of City Creek, he designated the lot where the temple would stand. The city would be laid out evenly and perfectly square from that point” (Church History in the Fulness of Times, 333). President Young named the region “Deseret,” which, in the Book of Mormon, is a honey bee (see Ether 2:3).
He Was a Great Leader and Colonizer
With authority from God, President Brigham Young led the Saints west, directed the exploration and settlement of vast areas, founded towns and cities, and made peace with the Indians. He started schools and established roadways, transportation systems, telegraph lines, irrigation, farming, industries, and mercantile institutions. He directed the ever-expanding missionary program and presided as the first territorial governor of Utah. Throughout his life he worked with such confidence that many remarked with awe that “Brother Brigham” seemed to know exactly what he was doing from the start. And he did! This master craftsman and builder had been given the perfect blueprints from which to work—nothing less than the heavenly order of the kingdom of God.
It was not his executive ability alone that endeared him to his family and the Saints. He was an exemplary father, always demonstrating kindness and concern. Working alongside the Saints and his family, he chopped wood, cut timber, made bridges, cleared land, and built roads. During the exodus he was the first up in the morning and the last to retire at night, always making the rounds to see that all were as comfortable as possible. But above all, he was a prophet of God. He could rebuke, yet love and inspire, demand and give, lead and follow. The courage and humor with which he faced trials served as an anchor and a model for the persecuted and weary Saints.
The First Presidency Was Reorganized
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The First Presidency: Heber C. Kimball, Brigham Young, and Willard Richards |
For over three years after the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Church was led by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. After much discussion and prayer, it was finally moved and approved that Brigham Young be sustained as President of the Church and that he nominate two counselors to serve with him in the First Presidency. On 7 December 1847, during general conference at Kanesville, Iowa, Brigham Young was readily sustained as the second President of the Church, with Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards as his counselors.
He Began the Building of the Salt Lake Temple
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On 28 July 1847, Brigham Young and some other Church leaders walked northward out of their camp to a spot President Young had seen in vision four days earlier. He pushed his cane into the ground and declared, “Here we will build the temple of our God.” (Photograph taken around 1870–73 by an unknown photographer.) |
President Brigham Young had identified the site of the Salt Lake Temple in 1847, shortly after arriving in the valley. Under his direction, the cornerstones of the Salt Lake Temple were laid on 6 April 1853. That same day, during general conference, he said: “Five years ago last July I was here, and saw in the Spirit the Temple not ten feet from where we have laid the Chief Corner Stone. I have not inquired what kind of a Temple we should build. Why? Because it was represented before me. I have never looked upon that ground, but the vision of it was there. I see it as plainly as if it was in reality before me” (in Journal of Discourses, 1:133).
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The foundation of the Salt Lake Temple |
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Photograph showing the partly
completed Salt Lake Temple |
Construction on the temple was delayed during the time Johnston’s Army was approaching the Salt Lake Valley, and only limited construction could be performed during the many years the Church was experiencing substantial persecution for its practice of plural marriage. President Young insisted that only the best materials and craftsmanship be used in the temple’s construction, and he sensed that he would not live long enough to dedicate it. Exactly forty years from the day the cornerstones were laid, President Wilford Woodruff, the fourth President of the Church, had that responsibility.
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Painting of Brigham Young, 1866 |
President Woodruff directed the laying of the capstone of the Salt Lake Temple in April 1892. Fifty thousand Latter-day Saints filled Temple Square and the adjoining streets on that occasion. On 6 April 1893, with the work completed on the inside of the temple, the dedicatory ceremonies commenced. “President Woodruff saw in the events of the day the fulfillment of a prophetic dream. He told the Saints that many years before in a [dream] Brigham Young had given him the keys of the temple and told him to dedicate it to the Lord. In his opening remarks President Woodruff prophesied that from that time the power of Satan would be broken and his power over the Saints diminished, and there would be an increased interest in the gospel message. [See Matthias F. Cowley, Wilford Woodruff (1964), 582–83.]” (Church History in the Fulness of Times, 445). Truly, the “mountain of the Lord’s house” was firmly established in the tops of the mountains (see Isaiah 2:2).
The Salt Lake Tabernacle Was Built
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| Building the Salt Lake Tabernacle, about 1867 |
President Brigham Young believed that a large structure was needed that could hold a significant number of the Saints at one time. A pattern for a large, dome-shaped house of worship was vivid in his mind. President Young called into his office Henry Grow, who was a master mechanic and an experienced millwright. President Young had recently seen him complete a wooden arch bridge, with no center supports, over the Jordan River. With the assistance of the Church architect, William H. Folsom, the construction of the Tabernacle began during the spring of 1863.
The Tabernacle would become one of the largest buildings of its kind in the world, measuring 150 feet wide, 250 feet long, and 80 feet high on the outside. By the fall of 1867, the Tabernacle and its organ was completed enough to be used at the October conference. By 1870, the organ and many of the inside fixtures were finished. The gallery was started in 1870. President John Taylor, who was President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, dedicated the completed Tabernacle at the October conference in 1875.
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Statue of Brigham Young in the United States Capital Building, Washington, D.C. |
Brigham Young, 5 June 1869 |
He Showed a Blend of the Practical and the Spiritual
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Brigham Young, about 1870 |
President Brigham Young’s practicality is most often stressed, but that practicality was grounded firmly in the spiritual roots of the Restoration, of the kingdom of God, of Zion, and of celestial glory. He said of his younger days: “I wanted to thunder and roar out the Gospel to the nations. It burned in my bones like fire pent up. . . . Nothing would satisfy me but to cry abroad in the world, what the Lord was doing in the latter days” (in Journal of Discourses, 1:313).
As the prophet, seer, and revelator, his desire continued to burn with perhaps even more intensity. He was determined to do everything possible to bring to fruition all that the Lord wanted done in the last days. He said:
“The Prophet Joseph Smith has laid the foundation of the kingdom of God in the last days; others will rear the superstructure. . . .
“. . . I know that he was called of God, and this I know by the revelations of Jesus Christ to me, and by the testimony of the Holy Ghost. Had I not so learned this truth, I should never have been what is called a ‘Mormon,’ neither should I have been here to-day” (in Journal of Discourses, 9:364–65).
President Young insisted on continuing the expenditure of time and money to complete the Nauvoo Temple. Some of the Saints thought this impractical since it was apparent that the Saints would not be able to enjoy the temple for very long. But President Young knew that from that temple, even though it would be used only briefly, would come the power necessary for the Saints to make the sacrifices and endure the hardships required during the exodus. By completing the temple, he demonstrated a balance and blend of the practical, the spiritual, and the perspective of the eternal.
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The Beehive House, in Salt Lake City, was first occupied by Brigham and Mary Ann Angell Young in 1854. President
Young lived there the remaining twenty-three years of his life. |
“There were those, of course, who criticized Brigham Young’s intimate involvement with secular and temporal pursuits—his concern with fencing farms, with negotiating contracts for selling grain, his mobilizing workers to build the transcontinental railroad—but his point of view was that temporal and spiritual concerns were indissoluble. In wearing many different hats—prophet, businessman, governor, and family patriarch—he saw his task and goal to be to promote the temporal and spiritual welfare of his people. In his view, he was the Lord’s steward in using all human resources—public and private, church and state—to create an economic and social order where all God’s children under his care might live in peace and prosperity. . . .
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Brigham Young, about 1876 |
“Contemporary observers whom we have a right to respect—persons of education and experience and standing who traveled to Utah to observe him—emphasized three characteristics: his self-confidence, his sincerity, and his good common sense. Fitz Hugh Ludlow, a nationally known writer and artistic critic, found that Brigham Young had ‘absolute certainty of himself and his own opinions’ [The Heart of a Continent (1870), 368]. Governor Young, he wrote, was convinced that he was doing God’s work, and that if he and other mortals did all they could to establish the kingdom, God would see to the rest. This helps us to understand the governor’s firmness, his calmness, and his unshakeable optimism in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances” (Leonard J. Arrington and Ronald K. Esplin, “Building a Commonwealth: The Secular Leadership of Brigham Young,” Utah Historical Quarterly, summer 1977, 219–20).
As a Colonizer, He Has No Peer in American History
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The proposed state of Deseret |
“While the Mormon outposts were being established, numerous towns were springing up on favorable sites on the canyon streams adjacent to Salt Lake Valley. Gradually one valley after another received its portion of colonists, the growth being mainly southward during the first period, as the climate in that direction was thought to be more favorable for agriculture than that northward. . . . During the first ten years in the Basin, 100 towns were established. The settlements clustered mainly east and south of the Great Salt Lake, of the Jordan River, and of Utah Lake, with a line of communities running in a southwest direction from Juab County [in the middle west of the state] to the southwest corner of Utah. Besides these main groups of colonies, a number of Mormons were living in Sanpete County [in the middle of the state] and in [other] outposts. . . .
“Thus within ten years after the Saints had arrived in the Great West, they had opened colonization activities in a frontier country extending 1,000 miles from north to south and 800 miles from east to west. Brigham Young’s plan of preempting the West was being realized. . . .
“During the thirty years of his residence in the Basin, the Mormon leader, Brigham Young, successfully founded and witnessed the development of communities in almost every valley of the present state of Utah, as well as many in southern Idaho, Arizona, and Nevada. Most of the towns built by the Mormons were within a rectangular district 500 miles long by 400 miles wide, omitting the Arizona settlements. However, some were as distant as 1,000 miles east of Salt Lake City in Iowa and Nebraska; San Bernardino[, California,] was about 750 miles southwest of the parent colony, while Fort Lemhi was located in northern Idaho. The total Mormon population at the time of Brigham’s death (1877) was approximately 140,000” (Milton R. Hunter, Brigham Young, the Colonizer [1940], 354–55, 357).
The Perpetual Emigrating Fund Was Established
The Perpetual Emigrating Fund was established in 1849 to assist those Saints who needed financial help as they gathered to the West from many places throughout the world. In an 1853 general epistle to the Church, the First Presidency stated: “With the blessings of Providence, most, or all of these funds will be brought forth to the assistance of the emigration of the poor, one year hence. Therefore let not the Saints stay their hands, but let books be opened, and donations be received by the Presidents of all the various missions of the Latter-day Saints upon the whole earth, to help the Perpetual Emigrating Fund, and the Saints to come home. And let all who can, come without delay, and not wait to be helped by these funds, but leave them to help those who cannot help themselves” (in James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. [1965–75], 2:116).
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children, seventeen sons and twenty-nine daughters grew to maturity. The ten
oldest daughters were near the same age. They have rather stern countenances
because it was not customary to smile for photographs then. |
The Saints Colonized Many Western Communities
“[Brigham Young] sent out exploring parties to select favorable sites for the new colonies and often chose the sites himself. He sent balanced groups of industrial and agricultural workers to found these new communities. Brigham personally supervised the laying out of many of the towns into surveyed square blocks with wide streets and the alloting of farming lands and city lots to the Saints.
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Brigham Young, about 1864 |
“While he was founding colonies he also provided his followers with civil government, with social institutions for their education and enjoyment, and with the necessary equipment for their economic independence and prosperity. On March 12, 1849, he was elected the Provisional Governor of the ‘State of Deseret’. The following year, September 28, 1850, Utah was made a territory with Brigham as the governor. This position he held until 1858, when he was replaced by Alfred Cumming. While acting as governor, as well as throughout his entire career in Utah as President of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young deserves much credit for the success of federal Indian agents, federal surveys across the Basin, the building of the transcontinental railway, and the construction of the telegraph.
“All of the Mormon colonization accomplishments were made possible partially by adding thousands of colonists to his ranks which he did by sending missionaries to various parts of the United States as well as to Europe, Canada, Hispanic America, India, Australia, and the Islands of the Pacific. He was able to fuse this heterogenous mass of humanity, representing several different races, into a harmonious social unit” (Hunter, Brigham Young, the Colonizer, 358–59).
He Supported Education and the Cultural Arts
“While building homes, developing farms and establishing themselves a government, the Mormon colonists did not neglect the finer side of life. Education, religion, art, drama, and music were fostered for the social development of the people. The Saints built their own theaters and trained their children in the various sciences and in music. Simultaneously with the erection of private dwellings, each group of colonists through cooperative effort constructed a public hall which was used as a church house, a school house, and a place in which dances and dramas were conducted. In October, 1847, the first pioneer group opened a school in an old military tent. Even while these frontiersmen were struggling to construct their first shelters in the Salt Lake Valley, this school was conducted daily. Only two years elapsed before Governor Young signed an act, passed by the first legislative Assembly of the State of Deseret, incorporating a university, later known as the University of Utah.
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Interior of the Salt Lake Theatre,
about 1900 |
“As early as 1850 the Salt Lake Musical and Dramatic Association was formed, conducting its earlier performances in the Temple Square Bowery. Later, 1852, the Social Hall was built. It was one of the first theaters erected west of the Missouri River. Ten years later the Salt Lake Theatre replaced the Social Hall” (Hunter, Brigham Young, the Colonizer, 359–60).
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Brigham Young, 1 June 1871 |
One of Brigham Young’s daughters wrote: “Father realized that this people, being almost completely shut off from contacts with the outside world, must themselves provide the means for their cultural uplift and entertainment. He must have felt that arduous task was fully justified, for years after the [Salt Lake] theatre was built he said, ‘If I were placed on a cannibal island and given a task of civilizing its people, I should straightway build a theatre for the purpose’” (Clarissa Young Spencer with Mabel Harmer, Brigham Young at Home [1940], 147).
His Humor and Love Were Appreciated
President Brigham Young’s sense of humor endeared him to his followers and showed that he did not take himself too seriously. When his sons were caught donating some props (without permission) for a play written by their friends, President Young said to the theater manager, “These boys have a play. They call it ‘The Robbers of the Rocky Mountains.’ I don’t know much about the mountains, but they certainly made a clean job of my old barn. Give them a date at the Theatre” (quoted in Spencer and Harmer, Brigham Young at Home, 160).
The quality for which the Latter-day Saints most honored and revered President Young was the love that showed in his concern for each one of them, even from the early days of his leadership. On the plains, at a stopping place named Hickory Grove, he was out in the rain all day arranging wagons, helping to pitch tents, chopping wood, and in every way seeing that all were comfortable. Later, in Utah, he insisted in meeting every wagon train or handcart company he could, and he would not leave until every soul had a place to stay and a job assignment by which he or she could be secure.
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Brigham Young, about 1876 |
President Brigham Young led the Church for thirty-three years. He knew the divinity and destiny of the work. He brought the Church west and helped establish a base from which the kingdom of God might continue to go forth and fill the earth.
Chapter 3
John Taylor
Third President of the Church
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Painting by John W. Clawson |
HIGHLIGHTS IN THE LIFE OF JOHN TAYLOR
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Age |
Events |
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He was born 1 November 1808 in Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England, to James and Agnes Taylor. |
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23 |
He immigrated to Toronto, Canada (1832). |
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24 |
He married Leonora Cannon (28 Jan. 1833). |
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27 |
He was baptized into the Church by Parley P. Pratt (9 May 1836); he was later called to preside over the Church in the eastern part of Canada (1836). |
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30 |
He was ordained an Apostle by Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball (19 Dec. 1838). |
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31–32 |
He served his first mission to the British Isles (Dec. 1839–Apr. 1841). |
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33–37 |
He was editor of the newspapers Times and Seasons and Nauvoo Neighbor (Feb. 1842–spring, 1846). |
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35 |
He was wounded by a mob in Carthage Jail (27 June 1844). |
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37–38 |
He served a second mission to Great Britain (1846–47). |
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40–43 |
He served a mission to France and Germany (Oct. 1849–Aug. 1852). |
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42–43 |
He wrote The Government of God (1851–52). |
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46–48 |
He published the newspaper The Mormon in New York City (Feb. 1855–Sept. 1857). |
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49–68 |
He served as a member of the Utah Territorial Legislature (1857–76). |
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63 |
The Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act was passed, restricting the Church’s rights to own property (3 June 1862). |
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68 |
He led the Church as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles after Brigham Young’s death (29 Aug. 1877). |
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71 |
He became President of the Church (10 Oct. 1880); the Pearl of Great Price was accepted as scripture (10 Oct. 1880). |
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73 |
He published An Examination into and an Elucidation of the Great Principle of the Mediation and Atonement of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (1882); the U.S. Congress passed the Edmunds Act, which declared plural marriage illegal (16 Feb. 1882). |
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75 |
He dedicated the Logan Temple (17 May 1884). |
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76 |
He delivered his last public sermon; he then withdrew into exile because of persecutions for plural marriage (1 Feb. 1885). |
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78 |
The Edmunds-Tucker Act, which disincorporated the Church, became law (17 Feb. 1887); he died in Kaysville, Utah (25 July 1887). |
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The Taylor estate, Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England |
John Taylor was the first, and only, President of the Church who was not born in the United States. He was born in Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England, in 1808 to James and Agnes Taylor; his mother’s maiden name was also Taylor. John was one of ten children; he had seven brothers and two sisters. Three of his brothers died in infancy, and his oldest brother died at age twenty-two. Although they were not wealthy, the Taylor family was close-knit and religious, and the children were taught the value of hard work. John labored on a farm on the family estate, and later he mastered the wood turner’s trade.
His parents were members of the Church of England but, although he was baptized as an infant, John Taylor cared little for the creeds of his parent’s faith. As a youth he was instructed through dreams and visions.
“‘Often when alone,’ he wrote, ‘and sometimes in company, I heard sweet, soft, melodious music, as if performed by angelic or supernatural beings.’ When but a small boy he saw, in vision, an angel in the heavens, holding a trumpet to his mouth, sounding a message to the nations. The import of this vision he did not understand until later in life” (B. H. Roberts, The Life of John Taylor [1963], 27–28).
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The Beetham School. John Taylor’s
family moved to Hale, Westmoreland, in his tenth or eleventh year and he
attended this school, which was located about one mile north of his home. |
His Early Years Showed His Deeply Religious Nature
John Taylor’s family moved frequently during his childhood. At age fourteen he was apprenticed to a barrel maker. John then left home to learn the art of working with a wood lathe. He pursued and mastered that occupation from his fifteenth to his twentieth year.
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Young John Taylor |
While in his mid-teens, John Taylor joined the Methodist Church and actively labored to involve his friends in prayer and other religious activities. His zeal and native abilities of expression made such an impression upon Church leaders that he was appointed a lay preacher at the age of seventeen. While walking to an appointment, he was overcome by a powerful influence. He turned to his companion and said, “I have a strong impression on my mind, that I have to go to America to preach the gospel!” (quoted in Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 28).
John Taylor’s parents moved to Toronto, Canada, in 1830. In 1832 the way opened up for John to join them. While still in the English Channel, his ship encountered weather so severe that several vessels around it were wrecked in the storm. The officers and crew expected their own ship to sink at any time but John remained unshaken.
“The voice of the Spirit was still saying within him, ‘You must yet go to America and preach the gospel.’ ‘So confident was I of my destiny,’ he remarks, ‘that I went on deck at midnight, and amidst the raging elements felt as calm as though I was sitting in a parlor at home. I believed I should reach America and perform my work’” (Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 29).
Studying the Scriptures Helped Him Find the Church of Jesus Christ and His Wife
John Taylor settled in Canada near his parents. There he practiced his craft. Aligning himself with the local Methodist Church, he was soon occupied as a class teacher and itinerant preacher. It was while he was engaged in this work that he met Leonora Cannon. Leonora, twelve years older than John, rejected his first proposal of marriage, but afterward, as a result of a dream, was convinced that she should be his wife.
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Leonora Cannon Taylor (1796–1868), wife of John Taylor |
John Taylor and a few close friends discovered from their studies that their faith differed significantly from the New Testament church and teachings of Jesus Christ. Of this experience he later said: “Not being then acquainted with this Church [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints], a number of us met together for the purpose of searching the Scriptures; and we found that certain doctrines were taught by Jesus and the Apostles, which neither the Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, nor any of the religious sects taught; and we concluded that if the Bible was true, the doctrines of modern Christendom were not true; or if they were true, the Bible was false. Our investigations were impartially made, and our search for truth was extended. We examined every religious principle that came under our notice, and probed the various systems as taught by the sects, to ascertain if there were any that were in accordance with the word of God. But we failed to find any. In addition to our researches and investigations, we prayed and fasted before God; and the substance of our prayers was, that if he had a people upon the earth anywhere, and ministers who were authorized to preach the Gospel, that he would send us one. This was the condition we were in” (in Journal of Discourses, 23:30).
Parley P. Pratt Brought Answers to His Prayerful Inquiries
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Parley P. Pratt |
Elder Parley P. Pratt, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, went to Canada to proclaim the restoration of Christ’s ancient church. He found John Taylor, who studied, compared, reflected, challenged, and then sought the inspiration of heaven. John’s search for Christ’s church was fulfilled.
John Taylor said: “About this time [May 1836] Parley P. Pratt called on me with a letter of introduction from a merchant of my acquaintance. I had peculiar feelings on seeing him. I had heard a great many stories of a similar kind to those that you have heard, and I must say that I thought my friend had imposed upon me a little in sending a man of this persuasion to me. I, however, received him courteously as I was bound to. I told him, however, plainly, my feelings, and that in our researches I wanted no fables; I wished him to confine himself to the scriptures. We talked for three hours or upwards, and he bound me as close to the scriptures as I desired, proving everything he said therefrom. I afterwards wrote down eight sermons that he preached, in order that I might compare them with the word of God. I found nothing contrary. I then examined the Book of Mormon, and the prophecies concerning that; that was also correct. I then read the book of ‘Doctrine and Covenants;’ found nothing unscriptural there. He called upon us to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, and, we should receive the Holy Ghost. But what is that? we inquired; the same, he answered, as it was in the Apostles’ days, or nothing. A number of others and myself were baptized [on 9 May 1836]” (“Three Nights’ Public Discussion . . . ,” in A Series of Pamphlets, by Orson Pratt . . . [1851], 17–18).
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Painting by Paul Mann |
Soon after his baptism, John Taylor was called to be the presiding elder of the Church in Canada. The inspired call of Elder Pratt to preach the gospel to the people of Toronto, Canada, did not only bring in the man who would become the third President of the Church; it also led to the conversion of Mary Fielding, who married Hyrum Smith and was the mother of President Joseph F. Smith and the grandmother of President Joseph Fielding Smith.
He Was an Advocate for the Prophet Joseph Smith
Nearly a year after his conversion, John Taylor met the Prophet Joseph Smith in Kirtland, Ohio. When they had clasped hands and had spent some time together, the spirit that radiated from the Prophet, together with his teachings and explanations of the gospel, greatly strengthened John’s testimony of the restored Church.
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The Kirtland Temple |
He visited in Kirtland during the dark days of apostasy there and defended the Prophet Joseph Smith with his testimony before gatherings of apostates who threatened death to anyone who spoke for the Prophet. He also met with members of the Church whose faith was failing and who had begun to be critical of the Prophet. Among their number was Elder Parley P. Pratt, who made it a point to express his complaints and criticisms. To this Apostle and missionary whose teachings and testimony had, only a short time before, brought him into the Church, John Taylor replied: “I am surprised to hear you speak so, Brother Parley. Before you left Canada you bore a strong testimony to Joseph Smith being a Prophet of God, and to the truth of the work he has inaugurated; and you said you knew these things by revelation, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. You gave to me a strict charge to the effect that though you or an angel from heaven was to declare anything else I was not to believe it. Now Brother Parley, it is not man that I am following, but the Lord. The principles you taught me led me to Him, and I now have the same testimony that you then rejoiced in. If the work was true six months ago, it is true today; if Joseph Smith was then a prophet, he is now a prophet” (quoted in Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 40).
Elder Pratt “sought no further to lead Elder Taylor astray; nor did he use much argument in the first place. ‘He with many others,’ says Elder Taylor, ‘were passing under a dark cloud; he soon made all right with the Prophet Joseph, and was restored to full fellowship” (Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 40).
During those dark days in Kirtland, the apostates sought to be heard. One man spoke who was full of lies and lashed out viciously against the character of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was not present. John Taylor stood it as long as he could, then sought and received permission to address the group. He began by recalling the rebellion of ancient Israel against the Lord and his prophet Moses. He then asked the audience to identify the source of their present knowledge of the kingdom of God and of all spiritual matters. To his own question, he replied: “It was Joseph Smith, under the Almighty, who developed the first principles, and to him we must look for further instructions. If the spirit which he manifests does not bring blessings, I am very much afraid that the one manifested by those who have spoken, will not be very likely to secure them. The children of Israel, formerly, after seeing the power of God manifested in their midst, fell into rebellion and idolatry, and there is certainly very great danger of us doing the same thing” (quoted in Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 41).
These incidents in Kirtland established John Taylor’s reputation as a man of great courage and eloquence in defending the gospel. It was under different circumstances, however, that he became known as the “Champion of Liberty.” As Brother Taylor was called upon to defend the rights of the Church and its members against their enemies, this Englishman quickly learned to appreciate the constitutional freedoms guaranteed by law to everyone living in the United States.
He Was Called to the Apostleship and to Serve a Mission to Europe
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Painting by Lorus Pratt |
At age twenty-nine, John Taylor received a summons from the Prophet Joseph Smith to join the Saints in Missouri. Those were dark days; the faithful had been driven from Ohio, and shortly after he arrived in Missouri after an arduous journey of nearly two thousand miles, the Saints were driven from Missouri as well.
Elder Taylor was called and ordained to the apostleship on 19 December 1838, a few days after his thirtieth birthday. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had been directed by revelation to leave Far West, Missouri, on 26 April 1839 and journey to England (see D&C 118).
The brethren who went on these missions left their families in poverty and illness. Elder Taylor wrote of his mixed feelings at the time of his departure for England: “The thought of the hardships they had just endured, . . . the uncertainty of their continuing in the house they then occupied—and that only a solitary room—the prevalence of disease, the poverty of the brethren, their insecurity from mobs, together with the uncertainty of what might take place during my absence, produced feelings of no ordinary character. . . . But the thought of going forth at the command of the God of Israel to revisit my native land, to unfold the principles of eternal truth and make known the things that God had revealed for the salvation of the world, overcame every other feeling” (quoted in Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 67–68).
Elder Taylor himself was penniless and in very poor health. Yet, like his companions, he felt that their trials were but for a small moment, and he knew that the Lord would provide for their needs. With Brigham Young and others, he made his way back through Missouri so they could leave for their mission to England on the day and from the place the Lord had commanded (see D&C 118:4–5).
He Bore Witness in Liverpool, England
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Engraved portrait of John Taylor by Frederick Piercy |
After an arduous journey, Elder John Taylor and his missionary companion arrived in England and were assigned to labor in the port city of Liverpool. There they met with members of a Protestant congregation who were seeking for the restoration of the Holy Ghost and the coming of Christ’s kingdom. Speaking to some leaders of the group, Elder Taylor bore a powerful testimony of the restoration of the gifts and blessings they sought:
“Brethren and friends, we are the humble followers of Jesus Christ and are from America. I lately arrived in this place, and have come five thousand miles without purse or scrip, and I testify to you, my brethren, that the Lord has revealed Himself from heaven and put us in possession of these things you are so anxiously looking for and praying that you may receive. (‘Glory be to God,’ was shouted by many present, and great emotion manifested.)
“That thing has taken place which is spoken of by John in the Revelations, where he says: ‘I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell upon the earth, and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come.’ Brethren, we the servants of God are come to this place to warn the inhabitants of their approaching danger, and to call upon them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and they shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
“I feel an anxious desire to deliver this testimony. I feel the word of the Lord like fire in my bones and am desirous to have an opportunity of proclaiming to you those blessings that you are looking for, that you may rejoice with us in those glorious things which God has revealed for the salvation of the world in the last days” (quoted in Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 77–78).
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While in the British Isles, Elder
Taylor briefly visited Ireland. There he met Thomas Tait. While walking near
Loch Brickland, Mr. Tait asked to be baptized and was the first person the
missionaries baptized in Ireland. |
It was fitting that in one of his first sermons in England Elder John Taylor should bear witness of the vision of an angel with a trumpet that he had seen many years before he joined the Church. That vision had been fulfilled; the angel had come and the gospel had been restored. Through Elder Taylor’s continued efforts, ten people from that congregation were soon baptized. From this initial beginning, the work moved ahead rapidly and a large branch of the Church was established in Liverpool.
He Endured Opposition in the Isle of Man
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While serving as a missionary in the British Isles, Elder John Taylor labored for a period of time on the beautiful Isle of Man, in the Irish Sea, the birthplace and girlhood home of his wife, Leonora. In nearly every area of his mission he was challenged by the local clergy to defend the restored gospel. On the Isle of Man, four ministers challenged him. Reverend Robert Heys strongly opposed the Church’s claim to have been founded on new revelation. Reverend Heys based his claim on three passages from the Bible that appeared to forbid new revelation being added to the scriptures.
Elder Taylor made the following reply: “This [Reverend Heys’ argument that ‘God has decreed and declared that nothing shall be either added to . . . or taken from’ the Bible] certainly must be a new revelation, for such a decree or declaration is not to be found in the whole of the sacred writings! It is true, he quotes three passages—one from Deuteronomy [see Deuteronomy 4:2], one from Proverbs [see Proverbs 30:5–6], and another from Revelation [see Revelation 22:18–19]; but not one of them contains the decree! That in Deuteronomy refers exclusively to the Book of the Law. If they declared the revelation of God to be complete, the other scriptures could never have been written. That in Proverbs refers to the portion of the sacred writings then in existence. If it declared the Holy Scriptures were complete, there would not have been afterwards a continued written revelation. That in the Revelation refers to the Apocalypse alone, it being, when written, a separate book, unconnected with the other books of the New Testament which were not then collected; it could not, therefore, have reference to any other book or books of the Holy Scriptures. According to his own interpretation of the above scriptures, in quoting from Proverbs, he would reject the New Testament and all the prophets that prophesied after Solomon’s day; and in his quotation from Deuteronomy, he would reject all the Bible but the five books of Moses. But let Mr. [Heys] take care that he himself is not incurring the curse by altering the meaning of the words of the very books to which the prohibition positively and particularly refers!” (quoted in Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 94–95).
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Nauvoo, Illinois |
Adversity and opposition can help in building the kingdom of God. The opposition Elder Taylor faced on the Isle of Man drew many people to the debates, and they found that his message contained answers to their questions. Elder Taylor and his missionary companion founded a thriving branch of the Church on the island before returning to England.
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Photograph by Don O. Thorpe |
John Taylor had left England several years before, saying he felt strongly that he should go to America and preach the gospel. Ironically, he went to America and found the gospel; then he was called back to England to preach the gospel.
The Spirit of Gathering Moved upon the Saints
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John Taylor’s home in Nauvoo |
“When the Apostles started on their missions, the Prophet Joseph had instructed them to say nothing, for the present, in relation to the gathering of the people. It was doubtless the unsettled state of the Church at that time which led him to give such counsel. The instructions were, of course, followed by the Apostles; but no sooner were the people baptized than they were seized with a desire to gather with the main body of the Church. ‘I find it difficult to keep anything from the Saints,’ writes Elder Taylor, ‘for the Spirit of God reveals it to them. . . . Some time ago Sister Mitchel dreamed that she, her husband and a number of others were on board a vessel, and that there were other vessels, loaded with Saints, going somewhere. She felt very happy and was rejoicing in the Lord’” (Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 96).
After the troubles in Missouri had been ended by the exodus of the Church to Illinois, and after the Prophet had communicated with the Apostles in England that emigration could commence, Elder John Taylor then assisted in the founding of a permanent shipping agency in Liverpool and helped more than eight hundred converts immigrate to America.
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Interior of John Taylor’s home |
He Gave a Mission Report to the British Saints
Before departing for Nauvoo with the other Apostles in the early part of 1841, Elder John Taylor wrote a report of his labors to the Saints in England. In it he said: “I feel to rejoice before God that He has blessed my humble endeavours to promote his cause and kingdom and for all the blessings that I have received from this island; for although I have travelled 5,000 miles without purse or scrip, besides travelling so far in this country on railroads, coaches, steamboats, waggons, on horseback, and almost every way, and been amongst strangers and in strange lands, I have never for once been at a loss for either money, clothes, friends, or a home, from that day until now; neither have I ever asked a person for a farthing. Thus I have proved the Lord, and I know that he is according to his word. And now as I am going away, I bear testimony that this work is of God—that he has spoken from the heavens—that Joseph Smith is a prophet of the Lord—that the Book of Mormon is true; and I know that this work will roll on until ‘the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and his Christ’” (“Communications,” Millennial Star, May 1841, 15–16).
Throughout his assigned mission in England, Elder Taylor raised the warning voice. Thousands flocked to the standard of truth he helped to hold aloft. He published and defended the faith in England and then returned to Nauvoo.
He Petitioned Congress
As early as 1831, members of the Church had begun settling western Missouri. By April 1832 trouble arose between the members and their neighbors. The Latter-day Saints were initially driven from county to county, and then by the fall of 1838 they were driven from the state of Missouri to Illinois. In 1839 Church members began writing affidavits legally documenting the injustices in an effort to obtain reparations for their sufferings.
After they were driven from their settlements in Missouri, Church members made at least three attempts to obtain redress from the United States Congress. Elder John Taylor was one of the leaders appointed to petition Congress for redress of the wrongs that had been heaped upon the Latter-day Saints in America. All of the attempts for redress were rejected or ignored by the government.
He Served in Many Positions in Nauvoo
John Taylor was judge advocate and colonel in the Nauvoo Legion, a member of the Nauvoo City Council, and a regent of the University of Nauvoo. He served as editor of the Times and Seasons, the official newspaper of the Church, and editor of the Nauvoo Neighbor. The Nauvoo Neighbor was published from May 1843–October 1845. It reported the actions of the Nauvoo City Council, local courts, state legislature, and national and international news. The newspaper had regular articles dealing with local interests, such as agriculture, literature, science, and religion. In all of his writings, John Taylor was fearless in his efforts to defend the Church and the Prophet Joseph Smith.
A New Order of Marriage Was Revealed
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John Taylor’s sons |
Returning to Nauvoo, the Twelve Apostles confronted a challenge unlike any they had ever faced in their missionary labors. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught them the need for the restoration of celestial marriage, including the doctrine of plural wives. This was difficult for them.
Of his feelings, Elder John Taylor wrote: “I had always entertained strict ideas of virtue, and I felt as a married man that this was to me, outside of this principle, an appalling thing to do. The idea of going and asking a young lady to be married to me when I had already a wife! It was a thing calculated to stir up feelings from the innermost depths of the human soul. I had always entertained the strictest regard of chastity. . . . Hence, with the feelings I had entertained, nothing but a knowledge of God, and the revelations of God, and the truth of them, could have induced me to embrace such a principle as this” (quoted in Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 100).
Obedient to the Prophet’s counsel, and with Leonora’s consent, Elder Taylor entered into plural marriage and became one of the Church’s chief spokesmen in its defense throughout the remainder of his life.
Plural marriage was perhaps the most difficult of God’s laws that some of the early Saints were called upon to live. But it served the Lord’s purpose and it was a timely test of their faith in the Lord and of their obedience to His mouthpiece on the earth.
Joseph Smith Was Nominated President of the United States
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Examples of newspapers, books, and pamphlets
published by John Taylor |
In February 1842, Elder John Taylor became the associate editor (and later the editor) of the Church publication Times and Seasons. A year later, he assumed the editorial post for the Nauvoo Neighbor, a weekly newspaper. Elder Taylor’s columns soon became noted for their powerful and forthright spirit.
The year 1844 was a presidential election year. The Saints had strong objections to the candidates of both national parties. Both of the major parties had been contacted, but neither would promise to give any help in preserving the constitutional rights of the Saints. There were even strong indications that plans would be laid to persecute the Saints further after the election had been held.
In Illinois the Saints comprised a substantial voting block. In an editorial in the Nauvoo Neighbor, Elder Taylor nominated the Prophet Joseph Smith for president of the United States. Among his reasons for doing so, he stated: “Under existing circumstances we have no other alternative, and if we can accomplish our object well, if not we shall have the satisfaction of knowing that we have acted conscientiously and have used our best judgment; and if we have to throw away our votes, we had better do so upon a worthy, rather than upon an unworthy individual, who might make use of the weapon we put in his hand to destroy us with” (“Who Shall Be Our Next President!” Nauvoo Neighbor, 14 Feb. 1844).
He Honored the Laws of the Land
Today, the Church seeks to remain politically neutral, but the Saints are urged to take an active role in choosing those by whom they will be governed. Members are counseled to elect responsible, moral individuals who will seek to uphold the sovereign rights and freedoms due mankind and those who will respond to the righteous will of the people. Latter-day Saints are encouraged to emulate Elder John Taylor’s example of speaking out on issues that have vital effects on the well-being of the nation and its citizens. In another editorial, Elder Taylor explained why it is essential that we allow our voices to be heard:
“Certainly if any person ought to interfere in political matters it should be those whose minds and judgments are influenced by correct principles—religious as well as political; otherwise those persons professing religion would have to be governed by those who make no professions; be subject to their rule; have the law and word of God trampled under foot, and become as wicked as Sodom and as corrupt as Gomorrah, and be prepared for final destruction. We are told ‘when the wicked rule the people mourn’ [D&C 98:9]. This we have abundantly proved in the state of Missouri, and having had our fingers once burned, we dread the fire. The cause of humanity, the cause of justice, the cause of freedom, the cause of patriotism, and the cause of God requires us to use our endeavours to put in righteous rulers. Our revelations tell us to seek diligently for good and for wise men [see D&C 98:4–10]. . . .
“Let every man then that hates oppression, and loves the cause of right, not only vote himself; but use his influence to obtain the votes of others, that we may by every legal means support that man whose election will secure the greatest amount of good to the nation at large” (“Religion and Politics,” Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1844, 471).
He Was Wounded in Carthage Jail
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Carthage Jail, Carthage, Illinois |
When the Prophet Joseph Smith went to Carthage Jail, Elder John Taylor went with him. He slept in the same cell, offered support and comfort, refused to leave the jail when the opportunity for liberty and life was extended, sang a hymn that embodied the highest principles of his own and the Prophet’s sacrifice (“A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief”), parried away the guns at the door of the cell, and, failing in that effort, was wounded himself. Escape was impossible. He was shot four times, and he lived.
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The upper room of the Carthage Jail where the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were martyred and John Taylor was wounded |
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Painting by Gary E. Smith |
It was shortly after 5:00 on the hot afternoon of 27 June 1844. The mob had fled in panic once their evil purpose had been accomplished. Joseph Smith, the prophet who was called to head the last and greatest gospel dispensation, lay dead outside the jail near the well, where he had plunged from the upper story window. His beloved older brother Hyrum lay dead on the floor of the room in which they had been held prisoners. The terribly wounded John Taylor lay on some straw and under an old filthy mattress in the next room where he had been hastily dragged by Willard Richards to hide him from the murderers. The same fate might have been his, but the Lord decreed otherwise. There were yet missions to fulfill and callings to come.
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John Taylor’s watch, which he was
wearing in Carthage Jail. It is believed the watch saved his life when it
took the impact of one of the bullets. |
Forty years later, referring to his experience at the martyrdom, President Taylor said: “Was there anything surprising in all this? No. If they killed Jesus in former times, would not the same feeling and influence bring about the same results in these times? I had counted the cost when I first started out, and stood prepared to meet it” (in Journal of Discourses, 25:92).
He Rebuked Those Who Believed the Church Would Fall with Joseph Smith’s Death
The deaths of the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum Smith caused many enemies of the Church—and even some members of the Church—to feel that the Church would fall. In a Times and Seasons editorial, Elder John Taylor contended otherwise. It was, he said, the Lord’s church—not man’s.
“The idea of the church being disorganized and broken up because of the Prophet and Patriarch being slain, is preposterous. This church has the seeds of immortality in its midst. It is not of man, nor by man—it is the offspring of Deity: it is organized after the pattern of heavenly things, through the principles of revelation; by the opening of the heavens, by the ministering of angels, and the revelations of Jehovah. It is not affected by the death of one or two, or fifty individuals; it possesses a priesthood after the order of Melchisedec [sic], having the power of an endless life, ‘without beginning of days, or end of years.’ It is organized for the purpose of saving this generation, and generations that are past; it exists in time and will exist in eternity. This church fail? No! Times and seasons may change, revolution may succeed revolution, thrones may be cast down, and empires be dissolved, earthquakes may rend the earth from centre to circumference, the mountains may be hurled out of their places, and the mighty ocean be moved from its bed; but amidst the crash of worlds and the crack of matter, truth, eternal truth, must remain unchanged, and those principles which God has revealed to his Saints be unscathed amidst the warring elements, and remain as firm as the throne of Jehovah” (“The City of Nauvoo,” Times and Seasons, 15 Dec. 1844, 744).
He Defended the Rights of the Saints in Nauvoo
Following the martyrdom, enemies of the Church began to circulate false statements about the Church and its members as a basis upon which to drive the Saints out of Nauvoo. Raiding parties burned homes, stole cattle, murdered men, and drove women and children out of their homes.
Civil authorities offered no protection, so a state military militia was sent to maintain order so that the Saints could have a season of peace in which to prepare to move west. This militia did not defend the rights of the Saints, but sat idly by while the mobs further outraged the privacy and property of the Saints. Angered by this callous disregard for the rights of the Saints, Elder John Taylor met with the militia commander, Major Warren, to protest their inaction. In turn, Major Warren upbraided the Saints for resisting the law. Elder Taylor replied:
“Major Warren, I stand before you as a man who has received deep injury from the citizens of this state and consequently have some feelings. You talk, sir, about ‘the majesty of the law, and maintaining the law:’ why, sir, the law to us is a mere farce. For years past the law has been made use of only as an engine of oppression. We have received no protection from it. . . .
“. . . You talk about the majesty of the law! What has become of those murderers [of the Prophet and his brother]? Have they been hung or shot, or in any way punished? No, sir, you know they have not. . . . They are still burning houses under your supervision; and you have either been unwilling or unable to stop them. Houses have been burned since your arrival here; men have been kidnapped, cattle stolen, our brethren abused and robbed when going after their corn. Are we to stand still and let marauders and house-burners come into our city . . . and yet offer no resistance to their nefarious deeds? Are we to be held still by you, sir, while they thrust the hot iron into us? I tell you plainly for one I will not do it. I speak now on my own responsibility, and I tell you, sir, I will not stand it. . . . [My brethren] shall not be abused under pretext of law or anything else; and there is not a patriot in the world but what would bear me out in it” (quoted in Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 163–65).
He Was a “Champion of Liberty”
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The Mormon Battalion |
Months later, the Saints were encamped at Council Bluffs, Iowa, when they were approached by Captain Allen, an officer of the United States Army. Captain Allen had come to seek the enlistment of five hundred men to assist in the Mexican War. Feelings of loyalty and patriotism were somewhat strained among the pioneers.
In a speech, Elder John Taylor recognized such strained feelings when he said: “Many have felt something like rebelling against the government of the United States. I have myself felt swearing mad at the government for the treatment we have received at the hands of those in authority, although I don’t know that I ever swore much. We have had cause to feel as we have, and any man having a spark of the love of liberty in him would have felt likewise” (quoted in Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 173).
In spite of those legitimate feelings, Elder Taylor then made a motion to trust the government and raise what is known today as the Mormon Battalion. His motion carried. This “Champion of Liberty” was as concerned with supporting his country as he was with fighting for the constitutional rights of the Saints.
He Assisted with the Migration West and Continued Missionary Efforts
Elder John Taylor sustained President Brigham Young as the leader of the Church and helped him in the exodus of the Latter-day Saints as they moved to the West. He served another mission to England and then, with Elder Parley P. Pratt, led the second group west, over 1,500 in number, and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on 5 October 1847.
The pioneers had been in the Great Basin only two years when President Young called four Apostles to again preach the gospel in Europe. Franklin D. Richards was called to Great Britain, Lorenzo Snow to Italy, Erastus Snow to Denmark, and John Taylor to France and Germany. In France, Elder Taylor established four branches of the Church, with about four hundred members. One of the great accomplishments of this mission was the publication of the Book of Mormon into the French and German languages.
He Defended the Character of Joseph Smith
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A bilingual copy of the Book of
Mormon. Early French and German translations of the Book of Mormon were
printed in one book, with the left-hand page in German and the right-hand
page in French. |
While laboring on his mission in Boulogne, France, Elder John Taylor was challenged to a debate by three ministers. In the course of the debate, these ministers attacked the character of the Prophet Joseph Smith. In defense of the Prophet, Elder Taylor said:
“I testify that I was acquainted with Joseph Smith for years. I have travelled with him; I have been with him in private and in public; I have associated with him in councils of all kinds; I have listened hundreds of times to his public teachings, and his advice to his friends and associates of a more private nature. I have been at his house and seen his deportment in his family. I have seen him arraigned before the tribunals of his country, and seen him honourably acquitted, and delivered from the pernicious breath of slander, and the machinations and falsehoods of wicked and corrupt men. I was with him living, and with him when he died, when he was murdered in Carthage gaol [jail] by a ruthless mob, headed by a Methodist minister, named Williams, with their faces painted. I was there and was myself wounded: I at that time received four balls in my body. I have seen him, then, under these various circumstances, and I testify before God, angels, and men, that he was a good, honourable, virtuous man—that his doctrines were good, scriptural, and wholesome—that his precepts were such as became a man of God—that his private and public character was unimpeachable—and that he lived and died as a man of God and a gentleman. This is my testimony; if it is disputed, bring me a person authorized to receive an affidavit, and I will make one to this effect” (“Three Nights’ Public Discussion,” in A Series of Pamphlets, by Orson Pratt, 23–24).
He Went on a Printer’s Mission to New York City
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Engraving of the New York newspaper district |
In 1852, the doctrine of plural marriage was publicly announced. However, based on the reports of corrupt apostates, gross misrepresentations of the practice were being described in the nation’s press. In order to stem the tide of prejudice, Elder John Taylor and four other brethren were called upon to publish newspapers across the United States in defense of the Church. In New York City, New York, Elder Taylor opened the offices of The Mormon squarely between the offices of the New York Herald and the New York Tribune, the two newspapers most critical of the Church.
In the first issue of The Mormon, Elder Taylor explained the editorial point of view of the newspaper: “We have no particular standard, except the broad platform of truth—religious, political, social, moral, and philosophical. We are not bound down to any particular party, or creed; either religious or political. It is true we are Mormon, inside and outside, at home and abroad, in public and private, everywhere. We are so, however, from principle. We are such, not because we believe it to be more popular, lucrative, or honorable, (as the world has it); but because we believe it to be more true, more reasonable and scriptural, moral and philosophic; because we conscientiously believe that it is more calculated to promote the happiness and well being of humanity, in time and throughout all eternity, than any other system which we have met with” (“Introductory Address,” The Mormon, 17 Feb. 1855, 2).
It took courage to defend the Church in the bold and forthright manner that Elder Taylor defended it. President Brigham Young said: “With regard to the labors of Brother Taylor in editing the paper called The Mormon, published in the city of New York, I have heard many remarks concerning the editorials in that paper, not only from the Saints, but from those who do not profess to believe the religion we have embraced; and it is probably one of the strongest edited papers that is now published” (quoted in Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 271).
He Appealed to President Buchanan
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United States President James Buchanan |
In a step toward statehood, Utah received territorial status in 1850. Brigham Young was appointed its first governor by President Millard Fillmore, but many other positions were filled by unfriendly government appointees from other areas of the country. Some of these officials were not honorable men. Nearly all lacked familiarity and sensitivity to the standards, ideals, and goals of the Church.
In 1857, President James Buchanan received reports from one corrupt territorial judge charging that the Mormons had destroyed federal court records, resisted all federal laws, were disloyal to the country, and were obedient only to Brigham Young. The accusations were purely ludicrous, but without further investigation Buchanan appointed Alfred Cumming of Georgia as the new governor of Utah and sent a force of twenty-five hundred troops to escort Cumming to Utah and resolve the so-called “Utah rebellion.” Further, he made no attempt to notify Governor Young of his plans. Thus, when scattered reports of the “Utah Expedition” reached the Saints, they feared the worst and prepared for war.
Called home from his New York mission, Elder John Taylor prepared a memorandum addressed to the president and the Congress of the United States, which read, in part:
“We appeal to you as American citizens who have been wronged, insulted, abused and persecuted; driven before our relentless foes from city to city—from state to state—until we were finally expelled from the confines of civilization to seek a shelter in a barren, inhospitable clime, amid the wild, savage tribes of the desert plains. We claim to be a portion of the people, and as such have rights that must be respected, and which we have a right to demand. We claim that in a republican form of government, such as our fathers established, and such as ours still professes to be, the officers are and should be the servants of the people—not their masters, dictators or tyrants.
“To the numerous charges of our enemies we plead not guilty, and challenge the world before any just tribunal to the proof. . . . Try on the plaster of friendly intercourse and honorable dealing instead of foul aggression and war. Treat us as friends—as citizens entitled to and possessing equal rights with our fellows—and not as alien enemies, lest you make us such. . . . All we want is the truth and fair play. The administration have been imposed upon by false, designing men; their acts have been precipitate and hasty, perhaps through lack of due consideration. Please to let us know what you want of us before you prepare your halters to hang, or ‘apply the knife to cut out the loathsome, disgusting ulcer.’ Do you wish us to deny our God and renounce our religion? That we shall not do. . . . Withdraw your troops, give us our Constitutional rights and we are at home” (quoted in Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 294–95).
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Johnston’s Army |
John Taylor Saw the Lord’s Hand in Preserving the Saints
Although the Saints were prepared to resist the advancing army, if necessary, they did all they could to avoid such a confrontation. Negotiations began to successfully resolve the misunderstandings. The United States army sent Captain Stewart Van Vliet on assignment into Salt Lake City. Captain Van Vliet did not find what he expected. Upon his return to the encamped army to report the results of his investigation, he had radically altered his views and advocated a peaceful reconciliation.
The Saints succeeded in holding the army out of the Salt Lake Valley until the spring of 1858. When the army was permitted to enter, on a promise of good behavior, they found the Saints ready to set fire to their homes rather than submit to unlawful oppression. Speaking in the Salt Lake Tabernacle in December 1857, Elder John Taylor said:
“I do not remember having read in any history, or had related to me any circumstance where an army has been subjugated so easily, and their power wasted away so effectually without bloodshed, as this in our borders. If this is not the manifestation of the power of God to us, I do not know what is. Has any man’s life been lost in it? No—not one. . . .
“Suppose Uncle Sam should rise up in his red hot wrath and send 50,000 men here . . . —who of us can tell the result? I speak of these things that we may reflect. Who can tell what will come next? Who knows about the future? You see the position we are placed in—that we are dependent on the Lord and on his counsel, and all that we can do or say will be according to that from this time henceforth and for ever. Zion begins to rise, her light being come. The glory of the Lord is rising upon us. . . .
“What if we should be driven to the mountains? Let us be driven. What if we have to burn our houses? Why, set fire to them with a good grace, and dance a jig round them while they are burning. What do I care about these things? We are in the hands of God, and all is right” (in Journal of Discourses, 6:112–13).
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The First Presidency, 10 October 1880: George Q. Cannon, John Taylor, and Joseph F. Smith |
The Apostles Led the Church from 1877–80
At the death of President Brigham Young on 29 August 1877, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles became the presiding quorum of the Church. Formally sustained on 4 September 1877, the Twelve, with John Taylor as Quorum President, stood in place of the First Presidency until the First Presidency was formally reorganized on 10 October 1880. (The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had also presided from the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith on 27 June 1844 until Brigham Young was sustained as President of the Church on 27 December 1847.)
The Lord Preserved John Taylor’s Life
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John Taylor’s life was preserved during the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum Smith at Carthage Jail. The Lord confirmed this in a revelation given 26 January 1880 to Elder Wilford Woodruff, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “I the Lord have raised up unto you my servant, John Taylor, to preside over you and to be a lawgiver unto my Church. He has mingled his blood with that of the martyred prophets. Nevertheless, while I have taken my servants Joseph and Hyrum Smith unto myself, I have preserved my servant John Taylor for a wise purpose in me” (Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, 1833–1898 Typescript, ed. Scott G. Kenney, 9 vols. [1983–85], 7:620; punctuation, capitalization, and spelling standardized).
President Taylor had a special mission to fulfill, and he lead the Church through a decade of great crises. During the Pioneer Day celebration on 24 July 1880, he prophetically stated: “There are events in the future, and not very far ahead, that will require all our faith, all our energy, all our confidence, all our trust in God, to enable us to withstand the influences that will be brought to bear against us. . . . We cannot trust in our intelligence; we cannot trust in our wealth; we cannot trust to any surrounding circumstances with which we are enveloped; we must trust alone in the living God to guide us, to direct us, to lead us, to teach us and to instruct us. And there never was a time when we needed to be more humble and more prayerful; there never was a time when we needed more fidelity, self-denial, and adherence to the principles of truth, than we do this day” (quoted in Joseph Fielding Smith, Essentials in Church History [1950], 479).
A Year of Jubilee Was Celebrated
Although storm clouds were on the horizon, there was an air of general rejoicing among the Saints in 1880. It was the fiftieth anniversary of the restoration of the Church. In ancient Israel every fiftieth year was a jubilee—a time to forgive indebtedness and to bless the poor. President John Taylor resolved that this should be the theme:
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President John Taylor dedicated the Logan Utah Temple on 17 May 1884 |
“It occurred to me that we ought to do something, as they did in former times, to relieve those that are oppressed with debt, to assist those that are needy, to break the yoke off those that may feel themselves crowded upon, and to make it a time of general rejoicing” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1880, 61).
The Church canceled the debts of the worthy poor who had received money from the Perpetual Emigration Fund to help them move to Utah and who, after having arrived, had experienced failure and hardship to the extent that they were not able to repay their debt to the fund.
President Taylor gave the following counsel to the more affluent members: “The rich . . . have a fitting opportunity for remembering the Lord’s poor. If you are holding their notes and they are unable to pay, forgive the interest and the principal, or as much thereof as you might desire them to forgive were their and your circumstances reversed, thus doing unto others as you would that others should do unto you. For upon this hang the law and the prophets. If you have mortgages upon the homes of your brethren and sisters who are poor, worthy and honest, and who desire to pay you but cannot, free them in whole or in part. Extend to them a jubilee, if you can consistently. You will have their faith and prayers and confidence, which may be worth more than money” (quoted in Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 336–37).
A Somber Prophecy Was Fulfilled
Dense clouds and heavy rains marked the April general conference of 1882. The weather seemed prophetic of the days ahead. Nineteen months had passed since President John Taylor had warned of influences that would gather against the Church. Now those influences began to make themselves felt. In the fall of 1881, ministers of various denominations began clamoring for stricter laws relating to the practice of plural marriage. On 22 March 1882, the president of the United States signed into law the Edmunds Bill, which disfranchised the Church and provided for the fining or imprisonment of all male members who believed in or practiced plural marriage. President Taylor advised Church members to turn up their collars and weather it through:
“We do not wish to place ourselves in a state of antagonism, nor to act defiantly, towards this government. We will fulfil the letter, so far as practicable, of that unjust, inhuman, oppressive and unconstitutional law, so far as we can without violating principle; but we cannot sacrifice every principle of human right at the behest of corrupt, unreasoning and unprincipled men; we cannot violate the highest and noblest principles of human nature and make pariahs and outcasts of high-minded, virtuous and honorable women, nor sacrifice at the shrine of popular clamor the highest and noblest principles of humanity!
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Photograph by Hansen and Savage |
“We shall abide all constitutional law, as we always have done; but while we are Godfearing and law-abiding, and respect all honorable men and officers, we are no craven serfs, and have not learned to lick the feet of oppressors, nor to bow in base submission to unreasoning clamor. We will contend, inch by inch, legally and constitutionally, for our rights as American citizens, and for the universal rights of universal man. We stand proudly erect in the consciousness of our rights as American citizens, and plant ourselves firmly on the sacred guarantees of the Constitution; and that instrument, while it defines the powers and privileges of the President, Congress and the judiciary, also directly provides that ‘the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively or to the people’” (in Journal of Discourses, 23:67).
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The Gardo House, President Taylor’s residence |
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The Full Fury of the Storm Strikes at the Saints
Persecution once again began to plague the Church members and they were no longer safe in the West. During the decade of persecution (1877–87), houses were broken into and ransacked, innocent persons were compelled to accompany federal marshals to places of inquisition, and men were fined and hounded far beyond the legal limits. In the southern United States, many missionaries were mobbed and beaten, and some were killed.
Having heard of the great abuse heaped upon the Church by government officers in Arizona, President John Taylor paid them a visit and recommended that they establish temporary homes in Mexico. Heeding the prophet’s counsel, more than three thousand members of the Church eventually relocated in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, founding the Mormon Colony cities of Colonia Juarez, Colonia Dublan, and Colonia Diaz. (See Roberts, Life of John Taylor, 380–83.)
President Taylor later advised those living in Cache Valley, Utah, to emigrate to Canada for similar reasons. Many parts of the province of Alberta were settled by Church members.
He Voluntarily Withdrew from Public View
Learning of plans for their arrest, and knowing that their imprisonment might provoke members of the Church to retaliate in such a way as to give the courts and officers of the government a pretext upon which to destroy the Church, the members of the First Presidency elected to withdraw from public view and continue their sacred labors.
In his last public address, President John Taylor said: “It is for us to do what is right, to fear God, to observe His laws, and keep His commandments, and the Lord will manage all the rest. But no breaking of heads, no bloodshed, no rendering evil for evil. Let us try and cultivate the spirit of the Gospel, and adhere to the principles of truth. Let us honor our God, and be true to those eternal principles which God has given us to hold sacred. Keep them as sacredly as you would the apple of your eye. And while other men are seeking to trample the Constitution under foot, we will try to maintain it” (in Journal of Discourses, 26:156).
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President Taylor withdrew from the public and a reward was posted for his arrest. |
“Let Everything Come as God Has Ordained It”
When John Taylor was a young man sailing toward an unknown destiny in America, his ship passed through a storm so severe that the captain feared the vessel would sink. Yet John was calm and unafraid. He took little notice of the winds and waves. He knew his life was in God’s hands. He was prepared to do whatever the Lord desired of him. Other storms came as his mission unfolded—storms of men and storms of nature. Yet he did not rail against them; he remained calm and serene.
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He once said: “So far as I am concerned, I say, let everything come as God has ordained it. I do not desire trials; I do not desire affliction: I would pray to God to ‘leave me not in temptation, and deliver me from evil; for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory.’ But if the earthquake bellows, the lightnings flash, the thunders roll, and the powers of darkness are let loose, and the spirit of evil is permitted to rage, and an evil influence is brought to bear on the Saints, and my life, with theirs, is put to the test; let it come, for we are the Saints of the most High God, and all is well, all is peace, all is right, and will be, both in time and in eternity” (in Journal of Discourses, 5:114–15).
He Died in Exile
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President Taylor died in the home of
Thomas F. Rouche, near Kaysville, Utah. |
Denied regular access to and separated from his loved ones, and under great strain from the Church’s struggles for its constitutional rights, President John Taylor’s health failed and he died at the age of seventy-eight in Kaysville, Utah, on 25 July 1887. At his death, he still carried in his body some of the bullets from the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Following his passing, his counselors, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith, issued a tribute which read, in part:
“Steadfast to and immovable in the truth, few men have ever lived who have manifested such integrity and such unflinching moral and physical courage as our beloved President who has just gone from us. He never knew the feeling of fear connected with the work of God. But in the face of angry mobs, and at other times when in imminent danger of personal violence from those who threatened his life, and upon occasions when the people were menaced with public peril, he never blenched—his knees never trembled, his hand never shook. Every Latter-day Saint always knew beforehand, on occasions when firmness and courage were needed, where President John Taylor would be found and what his tone would be. He met every issue squarely, boldly and in a way to call forth the admiration of all who saw and heard him. Undaunted courage, unyielding firmness were among his most prominent characteristics, giving him distinction among men who were distinguished for the same qualities. With these were combined an intense love of freedom and hatred of oppression. He was a man whom all could trust, and throughout his life he enjoyed, to an extent surpassed by none, the implicit confidence of the Prophets Joseph, Hyrum and Brigham and all the leading men and members of the Church. The title of ‘Champion of Liberty,’ which he received at Nauvoo, was always felt to be most appropriate for him to bear. . . .
“By the miraculous power of God, President Taylor escaped the death which the assassins of Carthage jail assigned for him. His blood was then mingled with the blood of the martyred Prophet and Patriarch. He has stood since then as a living martyr for the truth” (“Announcement of the Death of President John Taylor,” Deseret Evening News, 26 July 1887, 2).
His Was a Life of Service and Martyrdom
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President John Taylor died in exile, in perhaps the darkest hour of the Church’s struggle to survive, as a martyr to the principles of loyalty and integrity, as a martyr to freedom of religion, as a martyr to the divinity and witness inherent in his apostolic calling, as a martyr to the restoration of the true Church of Jesus Christ, and as a martyr to the reality of Jesus Himself, whose servant he was.