The Life of Joseph Smith, the Prophet

ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH AT FAYETTE—REVIEW OF THE PROPHET'S LABORS— HIS UNPRETENTIOUS CHARACTER—THE COURAGE WHICH ANIMATED HIM WAS SHARED BY HIS ASSOCIATES—THE WITNESSES AND EARLY MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on the 6th day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty, in Fayette, Seneca County, in the state of New York. Six persons were the original members: Joseph Smith the Prophet, Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Peter Whitmer, Jun., Samuel H. Smith, and David Whitmer. Each of the men had already been baptized by direct authority from Heaven. The organization was made on the day and after the pattern dictated by God in a revelation given to Joseph Smith. The Church was called after the name of Jesus Christ; because He so ordered. Jesus accepted the Church, declared it to be His own, and empowered it to minister on earth in His name.

The sacrament, under inspiration from Jesus Christ, was administered to all who had thus taken upon them His name.

This was a day of great joy to Joseph—a joy which was shared by those who became thus united with him in a holy work. It is also a day now reverenced by hundreds of thousands of the human family; a day to be held in sacred veneration throughout all the time to elapse until the Messiah Himself shall come in glory to accept the Kingdom from the hands of His authorized servants, and to give reward for all the woes and the persecutions which men have heaped upon His chosen ones.

Joseph was at this time twenty-four years of age. A period of ten years had passed since the hour in which the Father and Son had first appeared in answer to his prayer. During the most of this time he had been in close communication with the Heavens, and the organization of the Church was but the accomplishment of a definite purpose of the Almighty. Joseph had been led along, himself not knowing in complete fullness to what great result his life and labors were tending. He had only known to do the will of Heaven as expressed to him, and to patiently await the future. Doubtless at this hour of the organization he looked back with thanks and marvel at all which God had given for the benefit of His children. From out of the false religions of the earth the Lord had lifted this His servant, and had trained him from boyhood in the way most pleasing to Him.

In the very manner of the restoration of the gospel, Joseph learned that God requires even His elect to defer to the order and authority instituted by Christ. The power by which Joseph Smith was baptized was the same power by which every man must be baptized who has a membership in the Church of Christ. That power had been taken from the earth, leaving the human family without the authority to administer the ordinances of the gospel during many centuries. No earthly being could restore it, and none could use it until John the Baptist conferred it in its fullness upon Joseph and also upon his fellow servant, Oliver. There is something significant in the fact that the authority to baptize was bestowed upon Joseph and Oliver by the same personage who had stood in the waters of the Jordan about 1800 years before, to immerse in that stream the earthly tabernacle of God's Only Begotten. As Joseph had not been permitted to officiate in baptism, or to confer the Aaronic Priesthood, until John had visited him and transmitted that authority from Heaven, so after even this blessing had become his own, he was unable to seal the gift of the Holy Ghost, or to ordain an Elder, until after Peter, James and John had endowed him with the Priesthood after the holy order of Melchisedek. And even after both these holy orders of Priesthood were given to him, and he had ordained Oliver unto them; even after he had beheld in vision the establishment of the work of righteousness, he knew not how nor when the organization of the Church should be accomplished. It was necessary that God should define the mode and the principle of organization and should direct each step to be taken in this establishment of His kingdom; and it was not until He did this that Joseph knew in what manner to obtain the restoration of the power which belongs to the body of the Saints in Christ.

Joseph proceeded carefully, and exactly according to the instruction of the Almighty, and he laid the foundation of a work which will endure as long as earth shall last.

The people who thus became associated with Joseph were generally his seniors, but there was no hesitation on their part in yielding him the respect due to the representative of Christ on earth, and they united in giving him a devotion which supported and blessed him from hour to hour. Joseph was no longer an uncouth village lad, for the exalted course of his life during the years in which he had walked under God's guidance had elevated him intellectually until he was already the peer of any man. No doubt at this hour he was lacking, as he had been in his earlier youth, in the technical teachings of the schools; but he had a deeper knowledge and a finer judgment than any possessed by the most favored of all the students of the colleges. As a boy he may have been no more potent in swaying the feelings and judgment of those with whom he came in contact than were his fellow youths; but as a man of God, clothed upon with the Priesthood, filled with zeal, noble in carriage, majestic in deportment, no person could view him without bestowing veneration. Such is the testimony of all who knew him at this time. It is true that he had not yet received that broad culture, he had not penetrated to the depths of theology, astronomy, and all the higher sciences which govern the kingdom of Christ, and unto which the Spirit of God eventually led him; but from his almost transparent face there shone a light of such beauty and power, and from his lips there came such words of divine promise to mankind, that his associates accorded to him a greater respect than could have been elicited by the most learned minister of earthly churches, or the most powerful ruler of earthly kingdoms.

The men who were thus associated with him, and who thus freely tendered him, as the vicegerent of God on earth, the highest devotion of their souls, were not naturally enthusiasts in the matter of religion; nor were they men who could be deceived. They were of Puritan ancestry and demanded the conviction of their reason before yielding their faith.

That reason once convinced, they were men of such exalted courage that they dared the ridicule of the pulpit and the anger of mobs, to voice their convictions and to yield their adherence to the gospel. The witnesses to the Book of Mormon, and the men who supported Joseph in his fulfillment of the divine command to organize the Church of Christ in these last days, have left no room for a doubt of their sincerity. Conservative in character, thrifty in habits, they were not of a class who would venture from any slight motive to excite the hatred of a world which they knew would deem itself outraged by their avowal. Each one of them knew enough of the early experiences of Joseph to feel certain that he, too, would become the object of clerical ridicule and the vindictive persecution of the masses, incited by jealous religious leaders. At every step since Joseph's encounter with the intolerant spirit of the community in which he lived, he had been obliged to call upon the Lord to aid him with more than mortal courage, to meet and withstand the cruel assaults of his enemies. In thus joining him, the witnesses and early members of the Church provoked the hostility already raging against him, and they were obliged to seek the same source for the same reinforcement of their natural strength, moral and physical.

In this inception of the work its character was defined to a marvelous degree. Joseph himself, and much less his companions, may not have fully understood the divine simplicity and sublime comprehensiveness of the organization of the Church of the Lamb of God which he was commanded to effect upon that memorable day; but their minds were enlightened by the Spirit of God, and by the gift of prophecy they were inspired to foretell the grandeur of the results that would be accomplished through this organization. Standing at this distance of time from that day, the observer can clearly see how beautifully adapted it is for the purposes for which it is designed. Suitable in the beginning for the government of a Church of six members, and for branches of the Church composed of any number of members, experience has demonstrated that it is capable of furnishing heavenly government for the entire race of man. Coming from Deity, it possesses divine perfection and admits of magnificent and infinite expansion. No officers necessary for the correct government of the Church and for the growth and full development of its members were omitted, and their spheres of operation and labor were so well defined that, while they retain the Spirit of the Lord, there can be no conflict or even friction between them. Fully recognizing the free agency of man, the Lord designed that the officers should derive their power to control, and the system its wonderful elasticity and strength, from the cheerfully-yielded obedience of its members. In this way the requisite authority to govern, the power to enforce and maintain order, and complete personal freedom are harmoniously blended in the organization of the Church as revealed to the Prophet Joseph.

The gospel, as revealed in part and promised in full to him at that early day, was a pure and simple gift to all men upon the face of the earth who would make themselves worthy. It neither contemplated unrighteous espionage of thought and personal action, nor unholy servitude or worship of man by man. The barbarity of power, which characterized the apostate churches which swayed the world of Christendom for so many long centuries, did not exist in this divine plan for the salvation of the human race. Such gloomy tenets as infantile damnation or accountability, and the consigning of the soul to a place of eternal misery and torment from which there could be no deliverance and to which there could be no alleviation, embodied in the systems of religion which were taught and vouched for by their teachers as divine, were absent from this simple gospel. At the time of the organization of His Church, God made known His gospel in all the simplicity and fullness of truth, sublime and symmetrical as taught by the Redeemer, not as it had been perverted for ages. All the dark and cruel mysteries which had enshrouded so-called religion were swept away. Joseph had learned by most glorious and satisfactory experience that it was possible for man to approach and know God for himself. He taught his fellows that this is the true foundation of the gospel of salvation; that it is every human being's privilege to lift his eyes to God, to obtain revelation and every good gift from Him through obedience to His laws. Who can measure the great blossoming of human character which has already appeared, and the rich fruitage which the coming generations will yet yield through the enforcement of this grand truth? One of the accusations brought against the Savior, and for which His enemies sought to stone Him, was that He, being a man, made Himself equal with God. To a generation such as they, from whom God was so far removed that all communication between them had ceased, such a relationship between man and the great Creator, as the Lord Jesus taught as existing, was offensive and blasphemous. It was this elevating and ennobling truth that the Prophet Joseph taught to the world. He taught a gospel of man's worship to God, and not man's servitude to his fellow. One of its grand principles is that each soul must be accountable to its Creator for its deeds; and no person who has not reached the years of individual accountability is condemned for the non-performance of ceremonies or ordinances which he can neither understand nor attend to. Infants are all saved in Christ; and need no penance, no baptism, no church membership. But a man who has heard the word of God is personally responsible for his own life and must bear the consequences of its rejection in his own person.

The full recognition of God's authority as bestowed by Him and man's equality with his fellow-man constitute the vitality of the Kingdom of God. But Satan prompts man to establish creeds of man-worship, in which priestcraft, as opposed to priesthood, prevails. He appeals to the avarice and ambition of men and divides society into classes, making worldly learning, the possession of wealth, and the "accident of birth," the distinctions which command respect and honor. The theology of the churches, which flourished in the region where Joseph dwelt from boyhood to maturity, flowed from the muddy stream. But he was not influenced by it. Through the revelations of Jesus, the theology which he was inspired to teach was utterly unlike any system taught by man.

Instead of being lifted up by the favor which had been shown to him, Joseph was made to feel his own weaknesses. Chosen to be a prophet and the leader of God's people, he was conscious that he was only human, subject to human temptations and human frailties. Having the honesty and courage inspired by the Spirit of the Lord, he dared to confess this openly; and, under the same inspiration, acknowledge his transgression and make his contrition known. He was not above any law which applied to his fellow-man. Of his responsibility to God and his brethren of the Church, he was required by the law revealed through himself to the Church, to give as strict an account as any other member. They who participated with him in authority owed it not to him as an individual, but to the eternal power to which they were alike responsible.

The grandeur of Joseph's character is most shown in his lack of pretension. Christ declared Himself the head of the Church; and though Joseph was to be our Savior's representative here on earth, he exacted no homage from his fellow-believers, but only such respect as the gospel required them to pay. The thought of gaining glory for himself appears never to have entered his mind. His conduct in the beginning, in execution of the requirements of the Lord, was but a type of his whole life. The commands of God came through him to earth, and he gave them voice firmly and fearlessly. Speaking as a prophet of God under the influence of the Spirit, he brooked no opposition; but in his personal relations with his fellow-Apostles and Elders he gave them, according to their station and their deserts, as much deference as he asked, or was willing to receive for himself. This characteristic gave him power in the beginning. Only he who knows how to obey is worthy to command; only he who yields to others their due can expect compliance with his own order, however lawful it may be.

From this time of the organization of the Church, the revelations of God have come constantly, through Christ's chosen representative, to guide, to instruct, to admonish and to warn the people; and from this source the body of the Saints has received its daily life.

THE ALL-COMPREHENDING CHARACTER OF JOSEPH'S INSPIRATION—FIRST PUBLIC MEETING OF THE CHURCH AFTER ORGANIZATION—BELIEVERS ASKING BAPTISM—MOBS SEEKING THE LIFE OR THE LIBERTY OF THE PROPHET—TWICE ARRESTED AND ACQUITTED—JOSEPH'S LAWYER HEARS A MYSTERIOUS VOICE—COPYING THE REVELATIONS.

Joseph saw his mission now in its full significance. The instruction which came to him when he first prayed in the woods at Manchester did not mean that he alone should find salvation outside of the creeds of man; but that the error of the ages was to be overthrown by the hand of God, and the way opened for the redemption of a race.

The organization of the Church, therefore, meant that the chief Apostle of Christ in this last dispensation should take upon himself the cross and bear it through life. The people must be edified and perfected, and the Gospel must be extended freely to the acceptance or rejection of all nations, kindreds, tongues and people.

Joseph knew now that through prayer to Heaven he must seek stores of wisdom for his own guidance and for the secure establishment and the perfect government of the Church of our Lord and Savior. He was not obliged to search the worldly records of the past for knowledge and inspiration. If at this hour, all the histories of earthly governments and religious organizations, with the books of philosophy and moral truths—accepted by the world, had been blotted out, Joseph Smith and his mission of enlightenment would have abated not one tittle of their power and significance. The light of God's all-comprehending wisdom was shining upon the Prophet's soul.

The first public meeting of the Church after the day of its organization was held at the house of Peter Whitmer in Fayette, on the 11th day of April, 1830. On that occasion Oliver Cowdery, under Joseph's direction, proclaimed the word of God for the comfort and instruction of Saints and strangers. The appointment for this meeting had gone forth through all the neighborhood; and many persons came to hear what wonderful things were to be spoken by the men who professed to be called directly of God to the ministry. This was the first public discourse delivered by an authorized servant of God in these last days. At the conclusion of the services a number of persons demanded baptism and membership among the people of God. They professed to have faith in Christ, avowed their penitence for all evil done by them, and asked to be baptized that they might obtain the remission of their sins. The ordinance was administered to such as were worthy.

Following this meeting, which gave him joy and called forth praise from his heart to Heaven, Joseph journeyed to Colesville, the home of the kindly Mr. Knight whose bounty had been extended to the Prophet and to Oliver in an hour of need. Joseph desired to make known to the family of Knight all that God had spoken in way of command and promise. Mr. Knight and several members of his family were Universalists. They were firm in their conviction, but were glad to listen to the message delivered by Joseph. It was a plain statement; for Joseph made no attempt to lend earthly adornments to the pure word of Christ. Joseph Knight listened and then argued with the Prophet. But he was deeply impressed and solicited Joseph to hold meetings, in which the public might hear the young Apostle and have opportunity to judge of the doctrines which he avowed. Newel, a son of Joseph Knight, became much interested in the Prophet's words. Many serious conversations ensued, and newel became so far convinced of the divinity of the work that he gave a partial promise that he would arise in meeting and offer supplication to God before his friends and neighbors. But at the appointed moment he failed to respond to Joseph's invitation. Later he told the Prophet he would pray in secret, and thus seek to resolve his doubts and gain strength. On the day following, newel went into the woods to offer his devotions to Heaven; but was unable to give utterance to his feelings, being held in bondage by some power which he could not define. He returned to his home ill in body and depressed in mind. His appearance alarmed his wife, and in a broken voice he requested her to quickly find the Prophet and bring him to his bedside. When Joseph arrived at the house, newel was suffering most frightful distortions of his visage and limbs, as if he were in convulsions. Even as the Prophet gazed at him Newel was seized upon by some mysterious influence and tossed helpless about the room. Through the gift of discernment Joseph saw that his friend was in the grasp of the evil one, and that only the power of God could save him from the tortures under which he was suffering. He took Newel's hand and gently addressed him. Newel replied, "I am possessed of a devil. Exert your authority, I beseech you, to cast him out." Joseph replied, "If you know that I have power to drive him from your soul, it shall be done." And when these words were uttered, Joseph rebuked the Destroyer and commanded him in the name of Jesus Christ to depart. The Lord condescended to honor His servant in thus exercising the power which belonged to his Priesthood and calling, for instantly Newel cried out with joy that he felt the accursed influence leave him and saw the evil spirit passing from the room.

Thus was performed the first miracle of the Church. Many people were present and witnessed it, and when they would have ascribed to Joseph honor and praise, he checked them, saying:

"It was not done by man, nor by the power of man, but was done by God and the power of His godliness; therefore let the honor and the praise and the dominion and the glory be ascribed to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever."

Since that hour thousands of miracles have been performed by the Elders of the Church, through the power of the Priesthood restored from Heaven and in fulfillment of the promises made by the Lord Jesus. But those who have been honored in performing them have not administered unto their fellowmen to gratify any wish to behold a miracle—a sign sought for by a wicked and adulterous generation; but to comply with the command of the Lord in administering an ordinance designed for the healing of the faithful sick and to comfort them and strengthen them in their faith.

Newel Knight believed and was made whole. He became enrapt in contemplation of the goodness of God, and the visions of eternity were opened to his view. He saw such a world of glory that he lost his sense of earthly things. His physical being participated in the exaltation, and while his spirit soared beyond the narrow confines of his earthly house, his body was caught up and suspended in the air. When the vision passed he sank, weak but happy, to the floor. So much was he overcome that it was necessary to carry him to his bed, and leave him to some hours of repose.

Of the many persons who witnessed these events nearly all subsequently became members of the Church.

When Joseph had completed a brief ministry among the people in that region he returned to Fayette, and found that much excitement prevailed there because of the coming forth of the word of God. "The Book of Mormon was accounted as a strange thing;" and persecution was heaped upon the adherents of the Church, and all who would entertain friendly relations with them.

The first appointed conference of the Church of Jesus Christ in this dispensation was held at Fayette on the 1st day of June, 1830. Thirty members were present on the opening day; and scores of people were there who already believed, or came with the desire to hear the principles taught by Joseph Smith. The sacrament of the Lord's supper was administered to all the members of the Church in conference assembled; and the faith of the congregation was so mighty that the Heavens were opened to their view, and many beheld the glory of the celestial kingdom. Newel Knight was one of the believers present, and he saw, through the parted veil of eternity, the Lord Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Prophetic vision flooded his soul with light, and he saw the mighty work of the dispensation carried to its fulfillment; he saw Joseph Smith laboring, as the instrument of God's choice, to redeem man and lead him back to the presence of his Creator. The effect of these visions upon Newel Knight and the others who beheld them, was to deprive them of their natural strength, and they were carried to couches, upon which they rested for a brief time. When their strength was restored they arose and shouted, "Hosannah, to God and the Lamb," and then, to the wonder and joy of all who heard them, they rehearsed the glories which they had beheld.

Many baptisms followed. Those of the brethren who were most suitable were ordained to the ministry, and received instantly the spirit of their holy calling. Joseph returned to his own home, at Harmony. Later, accompanied by his wife and three of the Elders, he went again to Colesville. Here they found many people awaiting baptism. Joseph prepared to accede to their demand. A suitable portion of a little stream in that locality was prepared for the purpose of the administration of the ordinance; but in the night sectarian priests, fearful of losing their congregations and their hire, instigated evil men to desecrate the spot and to destroy all the preparations of the Elders. But the candidates for baptism remained faithful, and were confirmed in their belief by this sign flowing from the hatred of the ungodly; and a few days later the ordinance was administered by Oliver Cowdery to thirteen persons at Colesville. Among them was Emma, the Prophet's wife, who believed and humbly went forth to perform the requirement of Heaven. The joy of Joseph when he welcomed his wife into the Church was unspeakable.

While the baptisms were in progress an angry mob collected, and threatened destruction to the Elders and believers. The mob surrounded the houses of Joseph Knight and his son Newel and railed with devilish hatred at the inmates. The Prophet spoke to them and made an effort to calm their passion, but without avail. Wearied with their own impotent wrath, the mobs departed; but only to concoct new plots.

That night a meeting was to be held, and when the believers and sympathizers had assembled, and Joseph was about to offer them instruction and consolation, a constable approached and arrested him on a warrant charging him with being a disorderly person, for setting the country in an uproar by circulating the Book of Mormon and by preaching a gospel of revelation. The officer was a kind man, and some time after the formal arrest he stated to Joseph that the object of the warrant was to place the prisoner in the hands of the mob who were determined to destroy him. These words were verified immediately after; because when the constable was taking Joseph away from Mr. Knight's house in a wagon, they found the mob in ambush awaiting the appearance of the Prophet, and ready to act murderously upon a signal from the constable, whom they vainly believed was in sympathy with them. The baffled mob, more enraged than ever, pursued the wagon a considerable distance, but were unable to overtake it; and the constable soon reached South Bainbridge, in Chenango County, with his prisoner. The hour was late and they went to an inn, where they were lodged in an upper room. Joseph occupied a bed and slept peacefully, after communing silently with his Maker. The officer threw his body across the entrance to the room, and slumbered lightly. He held a loaded musket in his hands ready to defend his prisoner from unlawful assault.

The next day was a time of intense excitement. A court was convened to consider the strange charges brought against the young man, Joseph Smith; and hateful lies, of every form which the father of falsehood could devise, were circulated to create popular dislike. But Joseph Knight appeared at the court with two of his neighbors, James Davidson and John Reid, outspoken men, learned in the law and standing high in public esteem, who were to appear on behalf of the Prophet. The bitter feeling of endangered priestcraft was visible throughout the trial; but all the accusations which were made were but lies, and none were sustained. The court declared an acquittal. The evidence in the trial was a high tribute to the character of Joseph Smith. Evidently preparations had been made to deal his influence a fatal blow; and people were brought from great distances who knew him intimately as a boy and as a young man. It was hoped by the inciters of the outrage that these former neighbors of Joseph would heed the public clamor against him and testify that his nature was evil. But on the contrary, all these witnesses declared that in all their intercourse with the Prophet, his life had been above reproach.

Unheeding this emphatic demonstration in Joseph's behalf, his enemies determined that they would not withhold their hands. They declared that he had committed other offenses in Broome County, and they must have a warrant for him in the interest of the public weal. This paper was secured on the oath of a sectarian bigot; and no sooner was Joseph acquitted by the court in Chenango County, than he was seized under the new warrant and dragged back to Colesville. The officer in charge this time was a sympathizer with the mob. He refused food to his prisoner and refused to allow him to call at the houses of his friends, or to see his wife. This constable carried him to a tavern, and then invited a number of persons to unite in abuse and ridicule of the Prophet. The rabble jeered and spat upon their victim. They pointed their fingers at him, crying, "Prophesy! Prophesy!" Joseph offered security for his appearance on the following day, and asked to be released; but the officer would not consent. The only favor which he would grant to Joseph was to bring to him a cup of water and a crust of bread.

When the morning came, Joseph was arraigned before the magistrate's court of Colesville. Arrayed against him were some of the people who had been discomfited at the trial in Chenango County. This time they were determined to secure a conviction. By the side of the Prophet were his friends and advocates who had aided him in the former trial. Despite the vindictive effort of the mob, the court discharged the Prophet, declaring that nothing was shown to his dishonor. Even the cruel constable who had abused his little authority to make Joseph's lot more miserable, became convinced of the entire innocence of his charge; and he besought the forgiveness of his former prisoner. He gave information to Joseph that a plot was in progress to secure his person.

The inciters of these outrages were two prominent Presbyterians of that region—Cyrus McMaster and one Dr. Boyington. The creature whom they secured to make oath against Joseph was also a Presbyterian; his name was Benton.

DISSENSIONS WITHIN THE FOLD—OLIVER COWDERY AND HIRAM PAGE LEAD THE WHITMERS ASTRAY—MOBS AT COLESVILLE AND PERSECUTION AT HARMONY—ISAAC HALE AND HIS FAMILY OPPOSE JOSEPH—THE PROPHET REMOVES TO FAYETTE— PROPHETIC OUTLINE OF THE GATHERING.

The peaceful and blessed hours which the Prophet had hoped to enjoy in the performance of his holy work at his home in Harmony, were quickly intruded upon. Satan had been able already to excite Joseph's enemies to a frenzy, and to make the conversion of even honest inquirers difficult, and in many cases impossible. Not satisfied with this, the evil one stirred up the hearts of some of Joseph's friends and associates to feelings of jealous vanity and fear.

Oliver Cowdery, at Fayette, was the first victim within the fold of the assaults of the adversary. While the Prophet, aided by his wife, was transcribing the revelations, he received a startling letter, couched in stern and disrespectful terms, addressed to him by Oliver from Fayette. The letter demanded that Joseph should erase certain words from one of the commandments given by God to the Church, alleging that they had been incorrectly written. The Prophet was shocked and grieved, because he saw therein the snare which Satan had set for the feet of some of the flock of Christ. He knew, too, how prone Oliver was to be lifted up in the pride of his heart; and he saw in this a concession to evil by Oliver which must soon be checked and withdrawn, or Oliver, and those who had sympathy for him, would soon be cast out. Joseph wrote a letter, full of loving admonition, and yet rebuking firmly the error to which Oliver was yielding. Joseph informed him that the revelation had been correctly written—it was the command of God, and no man had authority to take from it a single word.

Joseph soon followed his letter and visited his associates at Fayette. He found there a most deplorable state of affairs. Oliver Cowdery had yielded to the power of darkness. In the vanity of his heart he had set himself up against the Prophet of the Lord, and by skillful persuasion and flattery, had succeeded in winning the Whitmers to a belief in his views. Joseph felt that they were hardened toward him, and that the spirit which possessed them must at once be subdued and cast out, else they would be lost to the cause of Christ. He prayed for help, and labored earnestly and lovingly to show to Oliver and the others the error of their way. None of them at first would listen to his words. The influence which possessed them was perfectly aware that if they gave attention to Joseph's words they would soon discover their mistake; and it encouraged in them an obstinate and hateful feeling. After some time Christian Whitmer became convinced of their error. He saw the abyss into which the archenemy had endeavored to drag him; and he joined with Joseph in supplication to the Lord that his father and brothers and Oliver Cowdery might be turned aside from their evil course, and brought back into the right way. One by one they yielded to the voice of truth, and finally all—including Oliver Cowdery—confessed that they had been misled by Satan, and that they knew the Lord's words were not within the power of man to enlarge or diminish.

Thus, promptly met, was an error rooted out. If unchecked it would have led away some of those to whom angels had administered. This showed to Joseph and to all who were with him that constant vigilance was necessary to protect even the best from the devices of the evil one. They saw that it was against the elect that Satan directed his strongest efforts; and that, when blinded by his temptations, they were unable to see the way of righteousness from which they were departing or the mire of wickedness into which he was leading their feet. For some of them the lesson was long effective; but with others it was of but temporary avail. These latter seemed unable to long restrain their own eager ambition and vanity, or to close their ears to the tempting whispers of the adversary, who constantly plotted their downfall.

While Joseph was laboring in Fayette to restore peace to his brethren and prosperity to the cause, the sectarian preachers were stirring up the minds of the people at Harmony to think and act evilly toward the Prophet and his work. As soon as Joseph went back to his home he found that some persons who had been his friends now spoke and bore themselves coldly toward him. A Methodist minister in the neighborhood, taking advantage of Joseph's absence, had spoken all manner of evil things concerning him, and had succeeded in making the people distrust the Prophet and the work of God. Isaac Hale and his family were thus led away. When Joseph had left them to go to Fayette, they were filled with kindness toward him and his wife. They promised and accorded him protection and help; and they were examining the principles of the gospel so earnestly that Joseph hoped soon to welcome his wife's family into the fold. But the Methodist minister, who was influential with Isaac Hale, had whispered such untruths concerning the absent Prophet, and Satan had worked so effectively to blind the eyes and becloud the understanding of the people of Harmony, that nearly all were ready in persecution against Joseph. Isaac Hale and his family were turned from the work, and became from that hour its bitter opponents.

But Joseph must not falter in his labor. The branch of the Church at Colesville was also suffering persecution; and the Prophet had to forget for the time all his personal afflictions. In the latter part of August, 1830, he called to his company John Whitmer, David Whitmer and Hyrum Smith, and went to comfort and instruct Joseph Knight and those who were associated with him. Such fierce threats had been uttered by the mobocrats who sympathized with the Presbyterian ministers, that Joseph and his brethren felt that they were risking their lives in thus journeying to Colesville. They joined together in mighty prayer, beseeching God that He would blind the eyes of their enemies, and permit them to go and come without recognition by the wicked. The Prophet informed his companions that their prayer would be answered, and the angel of the Lord would protect them and cover with a veil the vision of the murderous mob. They made no effort to disguise themselves, but traveled through Colesville to the house of Joseph Knight in broad day, meeting a score of their persecutors. A reward had been offered to anyone who would give information of Joseph's return; and among those whom they met were many who would gladly have earned the money, even at the expense of the Prophet's life. But no one said a harsh word to Joseph and his companions, and they were treated merely as ordinary strangers passing through the village. A meeting of the branch was held that night, and the Spirit of God was poured out upon the believers in rich abundance. They were all made firm by the blessing given, and filled with a determination to yield nothing of their faith, though the anger of the wicked should be visited upon them through robbery or even death.

The next morning Joseph and his party started back to Harmony. A few hours after they were gone, a howling mob descended upon the house of Joseph Knight and demanded the persons of the Prophet and his companions—swearing to visit vengeance in case of a refusal. This mob was composed of some of the persons who had been incited by sectarian ministers on other occasions to offer violence to the Prophet. This time they were more fierce than ever before. All day long they surged around the houses of Joseph Knight and his son Newel, cursing and threatening. Nothing apparently would appease them until, exhausted by their own evil passions, they were forced to disperse.

The situation in Pennsylvania was not improved; and soon it became apparent that the Prophet could not work in the vicinity of Harmony with any degree of vigor and freedom. Persecution flourished on every side. But while the Prophet was suffering all this in body and in spirit, a messenger brought an invitation from Peter Whitmer, asking Joseph once more to come to Fayette and establish his home. The peace of the Holy Spirit had filled the hearts of the brethren at Fayette, and they desired to have the Prophet among them, to bless him with their faith, and aid him by their works in the accomplishment of his ministry. After a brief time Joseph Knight came to Harmony. Seeing the situation of the Prophet, he offered his wagon and horses for the conveyance of Joseph's family to Fayette; and in the last week of August, 1830, the Prophet found himself established once more in the house of Peter Whitmer.

Wearied with the buffetings of the world, Joseph would have been glad to enjoy a little season of peace; but on his arrival at Fayette he found that the old spirit of vanity had gained an entrance, even while he was journeying from Harmony. One of the brethren named Hiram Page, had been inspired by the evil one to make known revelations which he declared he had received for the Church, through a stone he had, which were utterly at variance with the spirit of the gospel and opposed to the commands of God, previously given through Joseph, the ordained Prophet. These tempting declarations made by Hiram Page had met with the favor of Oliver Cowdery and some of the Whitmers. They were deceived by him; they had not yet fully learned that Satan could give revelations. Joseph rebuked again, and this time more sternly, the childish folly of these people. They were anxious to do right; and yet, without his presence, they were certain to do evil. He demanded that they should forsake the false doctrines which Hiram Page was promulgating, and that all should unite with him in asking God to reveal to them His will concerning the manner in which His commands should be given to the world. The answer to this petition was that revelation, given to Oliver Cowdery early in September, 1830, establishing once and forever the order of Heaven concerning God's revelations to men. It was made known to Oliver therein that God had but one head for His Church, and that head was His chosen servant, Joseph Smith. No one else should be appointed by the Church until God should so direct, to receive commandments; for Joseph held the keys of the mysteries and the revelations which were sealed, and through him alone should they be given, until some other should be chosen by the Lord in his stead. Oliver's place was defined to him: He should receive revelations, but not to be written by way of command to the Church. It was his duty to labor in secret with his brother, Hiram Page, and declare to him that the things which Hiram had written as revelations from that stone, were not of God and that Satan was deceiving him. When these things should be finished, Oliver was told, it would be his duty to go to the land of the Lamanites, or Indians, among whom the gospel must be proclaimed, and by whose borders a city should be built.

The word of God had its effect, and the evil which had been done was repented of by all. Hiram Page and the Whitmers forsook that which had been condemned and asked forgiveness.

Besides settling the grand principle that individuals can receive revelations for their own comfort, but not as commandments for the Church, and that the chosen Prophet who stands at the head shall alone have that authority, the Lord in this revelation informed His children of a purpose which to them must have been a source of amazement. It was within this divine purpose that a city of the Saints should be built; and yet here was but a handful of people, with a Prophet persecuted, threatened, driven, until he had no place to lay his head, except through the charity of his brethren.

Doubtless these people, who were now reconciled to Heaven and united with each other, felt wonder that they should be called upon to engage in any labor likely to attract anew the vengeful feeling of mobs. But whatever worldly fear may have assailed them, they were soon blessed and encouraged by another revelation, which followed in a few days. It came through Joseph in the presence of six elders at Fayette; and it declared that they were chosen out of the world to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ with the sound of rejoicing as with the voice of a trump. They were informed that their duty would be to bring to pass the gathering of God's people upon the earth. This was the spiritual inception of that great missionary movement designed by God to bring out from every nation, kindred, tongue and people to the land which He should designate as a place of gathering, every honest soul who would have faith and accept the requirements of the gospel.

THE SECOND CONFERENCE OF THE CHURCH—HARMONY AND LOVE AMONG THE ELDERS—ACCESSIONS TO THE CONGREGATION—THE MISSION TO THE LAMANITES—INDIVIDUAL REVELATIONS—GOD'S CHOSEN SERVANTS IN MISSOURI.

The second General Conference of the Church opened at Fayette, on the 1st day of September, 1830. Joseph Smith presided, and he was supported by the presence, the faith and prayers of nearly all the members of the Church. The Conference lasted three days and was remarkable for the power of the Spirit which was exhibited.

At the Conference Joseph Smith showed one of his greatest characteristics, which was an especial willingness to meet any issue which might be involved within his labor as a prophet, or his life as an individual. He had already won Oliver Cowdery and the Whitmers to a rejection of the destroying revelations enunciated by Hiram Page; and Hiram, himself, had abandoned these false manifestations. But the Prophet knew that the people must learn within their own individual experience to be guided by holy influence, and to know the voice of Christ and for their individual rejection, the tempting whisper of the evil one. His confidence in the inspiration which flowed from Heaven, and then from heart to heart within the congregation, was not mistaken. Every soul present at this Conference, realized for himself that Satan had been lying in wait to ensnare the feet of God's children, and to bring upon their heads a greater condemnation than the unbelieving world could know. Therefore the conference officially and unanimously renounced the false and pernicious doctrines sought to be foisted upon the Church, and heard with joyful acceptance the revelation from God declaring that His commands should come only through His Prophet.

The men who held the holy Priesthood in the new and everlasting covenant were learning to love each other with a love greater than that of brothers. Separated from the world no less by its hatred and murderous persecution than by their own determination to keep the commandments of God, they realized that they must seek within each other's society on earth the comfort and peace necessary to sustain them through the waters of tribulation. And at this Conference was felt an unspeakable influence of union and mutual regard. People attracted by the wondrous tidings, had come from afar to Fayette, and many of them listened and believed. Baptisms for the remission of sins, confirmations, for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and ordinations to power and Priesthood, were numerous, and the sacrament was administered to every person who was present claiming membership in the body of Christ. Faith and hope and charity abounded in the midst of the congregation of Israel.

Revelations to David Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, Jun., and John Whitmer, and to Thomas B. Marsh, were received through the Prophet, announcing the will of the Lord concerning these brethren. Of Peter Whitmer it was decreed of God that he should soon journey with Oliver Cowdery towards the land of the Lamanites. David was rebuked for being worldly-minded; and he was ordered to attend to the ministry in the Church and before the people dwelling in the regions around about Fayette, until the Lord should give unto him further commandments.

The revelation formerly given through the Prophet to Oliver Cowdery, enunciating the divine decree concerning the Lamanites and the work to be accomplished among them, created great interest in the minds of the elders of the Church. The desire to learn more of this important matter was intensified by the harmony which prevailed during the Conference, and the flow of the Spirit resulting therefrom. Joseph and his brethren realized that the purposes of God toward the Indians of this land were great and far-reaching; and that the time would come when they must receive the gospel and enjoy its blessings. Many of the elders expressed a desire to take up the work of the ministry among their brethren bound in darkness and ignorance through the curse laid upon their fathers; but before appointing any one to aid Oliver and Peter Whitmer in this mission, Joseph inquired of the Lord. His answer was a revelation appointing unto Parley P. Pratt and Ziba Peterson that they should go with Oliver and Peter into the wilderness, among the Lamanites. Our Lord and Savior promised them that He would go with them and be in their midst, and that nothing should prevail against them; but they were commanded to pretend to no power or revelation except that which was given to them by God, and unfolded by the Holy Spirit to their understanding.

In the month of October, 1830, the elders appointed to this work departed from Fayette, carrying with them a copy of the revelations concerning their mission. Their mission was more than to journey westward to the land of the Lamanites; for each one of them was also under the special command and ordination to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to every listening ear. And from the hour that they departed from Fayette, they lifted up their voices by the wayside and left their testimony in every village through which they passed.

In this same month of October a revelation was given through the Prophet to Ezra Thayer and Northrop Sweet, calling them to labor in the vineyard, for the eleventh hour had come. They were promised that speech sacred and powerful, should be given unto them, if they would have faith to open their mouths before congregations. And in November, 1830, Orson Pratt, a youth of 19 years, a brother of Parley P. Pratt—came from his home in Canaan, New York, to Fayette, to ask of the Lord for light and help concerning his individual duty. The Prophet complied with the youth's desire and inquired of the Lord for him; and in response a revelation was given in Orson's behalf, which has since had a wondrous fulfilment in his life:

Blessed are you, because you are called of me to preach my gospel. * * * * For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, the time is soon at hand that I shall come in a cloud with power and great glory, and it shall be a day at the time of my coming for all nations to tremble. But before that great day shall come, the sun shall be darkened and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars shall refuse their shining, and some shall fall, and great destructions await the wicked. Wherefore, lift up your voice and spare not, for the Lord God hath spoken. Therefore prophesy and it shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.

These revelations to individuals concerning their duty were necessary in that hour. Men, however faithful and devoted to the Church, had not yet learned the order of the gospel and its requirements upon them. And, that they might not be suffered to rest in their own ignorance and led astray by the whiles of Satan, the Lord, through His Prophet, marked out the plain path which they were to follow. The rich heritage of knowledge, which belongs now to every faithful member of the Church, had to be gained little by little through long and continuous prayer to God, by the early acceptors of the Gospel.

The Lord suffered none to go astray for lack of commandment. And, in the subsequent history of the men whose names appear as early recipients of Divine revelation, can be traced their faithfulness to Heavenly requirement, or their yielding to the whispers of the evil one. The Lord in His revelation through Joseph Smith gave a mission to Orson Pratt which was nobly fulfilled. No less particular and comprehensive was His commandment to other elders, but in many instances far different was the result.

The work which the Prophet directed under these revelations shows that the plan decreed by God for the building up of His Church was understood by Joseph. Viewed from a human standpoint, the intention of the Prophet to send missionaries throughout all the land, bearing proclamation concerning the new Church, would have been a surprising ambition. What was he that he should declare a gathering-place in the west; that he should command men to lay down their daily toil, and go forth as ministers proclaiming religious truth to a skeptical world; that he should decree the building up of a city upon the Lamanite borders? Had Joseph Smith, at the hour when he sent forth Oliver Cowdery and Parley P. Pratt, with their companions into the western wilderness, made avowal of such intentions, prompted by vanity and a self-conceived desire to give himself and his cause prominence, complete and humiliating would have been his failure. But if the declaration which he made had originated from such a source, he could not have been subjected to greater ridicule than fell upon him when he avowed that he and his coadjutors were but fulfilling the will of God—who would not suffer His purposes to fail one jot or tittle. To call men untrained by education and special preparation to go forth without purse or scrip, to preach the gospel, was a departure from accustomed methods that in many minds excited derision and contempt. True, this was the practice in apostolic days, and was the course taken by the Savior in the calling and sending out of His disciples, but the fashion had become obsolete. Education had become more essential for ministers than the Holy Ghost; a salary than a faith that would trust the Lord to supply food and clothing.

Teaching of the doctrine of the gathering, also was a new announcement to the world. The belief common in Christendom was that man was as near to God in one place as another, and He could be worshiped everywhere alike. The idea, therefore of converts abandoning home, with all its delightful associations and ancestral memories, and going to a new land, remote from kindred and friends, as a religious duty was a startling one and came in contact with all pre-conceived views. Under the inspiration, however, of the Lord, Joseph made it known as a movement required of true believers by the Almighty to prepare them for coming events. It was a bold proclamation, and viewed from a human standpoint, was likely to interfere with successful conversions. But it was from the Lord, and honest seekers after truth were led to look to Him for the evidence of its heavenly origin. The result came in due time, and should have been convincing to every human soul. Of all the commandments enunciated through Joseph Smith, nothing failed.

The Prophet, during the months of October and November, himself labored in the ministry, encouraging all by his upright and zealous life, making many converts, and spreading heavenly wisdom among all the honest-in-heart who would give ear to his words.

In the meantime, the missionaries to the West were progressing with their labor. They reached Kirtland, Ohio, and there made a brief stand, because the field seemed promising. Many persons were converted to the truth, and accepted the gospel. The Elders wrote at once to the Prophet, informing him of these facts, and he directed John Whitmer to proceed at once to Kirtland and preside over the branch of the Church there.

When the Elders left Kirtland to proceed farther into the wilderness, one of the new converts, Frederick G. Williams, accompanied them. They went as far as Independence, Jackson County, Missouri; and were the first of God's chosen servants in this dispensation to set foot upon that consecrated soil.

SIDNEY RIGDON AND EDWARD PARTRIDGE JOIN THE CHURCH—JOSEPH COMMENCES THE TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES—SAINTS COMMANDED TO GATHER AT OHIO —JOSEPH MIGRATES FROM NEW YORK—THE KIRKLAND SAINTS FALL INTO ERROR— GOD'S POWER MANIFESTED—IMPORTANT REVELATIONS.

In December, 1830, two men came from Kirtland, Ohio, to visit the Prophet at Fayette. They were Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge. Both had accepted the gospel, as declared to them by the western missionaries, and Sidney Rigdon had been baptized. After reaching Fayette, Edward Partridge demanded and received baptism under the Prophet's hands. These two men offered to Joseph, for the work of the Lord, their time, their talents, and all they possessed. Like all the early members of the Church, having not yet gained full understanding of the purposes of God, having not yet gained confidence in their own ability to rightly determine their conduct, they desired that the Lord should give them His special commands. Joseph prayed for revelation on their behalf, and was speedily answered.

The Lord revealed many comforting and exalting truths to Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge. To Sidney He gave a special command that he should write for Joseph. The Lord made known to Sidney what Joseph already understood—that the Scriptures should be given, even as they were in God's own bosom, to the salvation of His elect. And soon after this time Joseph began a new translation of the Scriptures. While he labored, many truths, buried through scores of ages, were brought forth to his understanding, and he saw in their purity and holiness all the doings of God among His children, from the days of Adam unto the birth of our Lord and Savior. But before the close of December, after Sidney had been aiding Joseph some little time, the Lord required the Prophet to temporarily cease his work of translation. The enemy of all truth was drawing his forces around about Fayette to achieve the destruction of the Prophet, and the downfall of the newly-founded Church. But they were to be foiled. Fayette was not the region where the Lord designed His people to settle. Joseph's mind had been led to look to the western country for that purpose. Contact with Sidney Rigdon and Edward Partridge confirmed his inclination in that direction. The time had now arrived when it appeared necessary for the accomplishment of God's purposes, that His people (now increased to several score,) should have an abiding-place. It was made known to Joseph by revelation from the Lord, where this new resting-place should be. He himself, did not expect to escape personal suffering or persecution by this new move; nor was this in the providence of God concerning him. But he knew that every migration made by him under the direction of the Almighty had been followed by prosperity and increase to the work, and he, therefore, obeyed the command to move to the place designated by the Lord, without hesitation or doubt.

In the revelation now referred to, it was commanded that the people of God should assemble in the State of Ohio, and there await the return of Oliver Cowdery and his fellow-missionaries from their eventful journey into the wilderness. Thus early in the history of the Church was the destiny of the people outlined. Kirtland was to be a stake of Zion; blessed by the presence of God's anointed Prophet and the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; glorified by a temple built to the name of the Most High; and worthy to receive the ministrations in person of the Only Begotten Son of the Eternal Father. And yet it was to be but a temporary resting-place; for even while the Saints were to gather to Kirtland, the western missionaries were viewing the region in Missouri, yet to be known as the centre stake of Zion, which was to be built up and beautified for the visible presence of our Lord and Savior.

Before organizing his company for the migration from Seneca County, New York, into Ohio, the Prophet called a conference of the Church to be held in Fayette on the 2nd day of January, 1831. With the opening of the year, the Prophet saw a glorious prospect for the welfare of the kingdom. And at this conference all present seemed to partake of his faith and of the power of the Holy Spirit. In a revelation given for the comfort and sustenance of the Saints on this occasion, the Lord made known that in secret chambers there was much plotting for the destruction of the Saints of God. The command was renewed that they should go into Ohio, and some of the reasons for this movement were made known. Encouragement was also given to the people that the Lord intended to give unto them a land of promise—a land upon which there should be no curse when the Lord should come. If they would seek it with all their hearts the Lord made a covenant with them that it should be the land of inheritance for themselves and their children, not only while the earth shall stand, but in eternity, no more to pass away. It is upon this and kindred promises that is founded the hope so tenaciously clung to by the Latter-day Saints amid all the vicissitudes of their checkered career, that they will yet inherit that land where the centre stake of Zion is to be built.

In the latter part of January, 1831, Joseph departed for Kirtland. In his company were his wife, and Elders Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, Ezra Thayer, and Newel Knight. Before leaving Seneca County, and later at several points on their journey, they preached in public meetings to many searchers after the truth. On every occasion new converts came forward and accepted baptism at their hands. They reached their destination in the opening of February; Joseph and his wife at once found entertainment and comfort in the house of Elder Newel K. Whitney, one of the converts made in Kirtland by the western missionaries. For some weeks the Prophet dwelt here, solaced and sustained by the faith and prayers of some dear friends. But outside this little circle he found much to cause him concern of mind.

The branch of the Church at Kirtland had become numerically strong, for it numbered nearly one hundred members. But they had been led into strange errors and darkness. False spirits had crept in and had manifested themselves in the subjugation of the physical and mental powers of their victims—as Newel Knight had formerly been controlled and possessed by the evil power at Colesville. The Saints at Kirtland, not having had experience to enable them to distinguish between the powers of light and the powers of darkness, and believing these things to be divine manifestations, were yielding to them and imperiling their earthly and eternal salvation, when the Prophet came and by his presence and the prayers and faith of those Elders who accompanied him, banished all these dark influences from the congregation of the Saints. When the faith of the Saints was aroused and exercised, the miracle which had been wrought at Colesville was here repeated. Joseph, by the power of God, rebuked the vile one and his crew; and his brother Hyrum, under the Prophet's direction, laid his hands on the sufferers' heads and cast out the devils.

Immediately following the reconciliation wrought among the Saints of God by their faith and these miracles, a revelation was given from the Lord directing what the Elders should do to receive His law, that they might know how to govern His Church, and informing them that he who received his law and doeth it is His disciple; but he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, is not His disciple, and should be cast out from among them: and also appointing unto Edward Partridge that he should be ordained a Bishop, to leave his own affairs and devote his time to the service of the Lord. This was on the 4th of February, 1831. Five days later the word of the Lord again came to the Elders of the Church, saying:

And ye shall go forth in the power of my Spirit, preaching my gospel, two by two, in my name, lifting up your voices as with the voice of a trumpet, declaring my word like unto the angels of God; and ye shall go forth baptizing with water, saying—Repent ye! Repent ye! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

And from this place ye shall go forth unto the regions westward; and inasmuch as ye shall find them that will receive you, ye shall build up my Church in every region, until the time shall come when it shall be revealed unto you from on high, when the city of the New Jerusalem shall be prepared, that you may be gathered in one, that you may be my people and I will be your God.

In this revelation instruction was given that no one was to preach or to build up the Church of Christ without being properly ordained by one having authority; the Elders were taught the principles which they should declare, and they were particularly enjoined to teach by the Spirit of the Lord; and if they received it not, they were told not to teach; the moral law was plainly declared and the dreadful consequence of unchastity was strongly emphasized; he that sinned and repented not was to be cast out; consecration of property to sustain the poor was enforced; home manufacture was encouraged by the requirements that dress should be plain and its beauty the beauty which the Saints' own labor gave it; cleanliness was commanded and idleness was condemned; the proper treatment of the sick and the mourning for the dead were made known: that glorious promise—the complete fulfillment of which has been a solace and a source of unbounded joy to the Latter-day Saints through all the years which have intervened since it was given—was made, "that those that die in me [Jesus Christ] shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them;" to those who had various infirmities and had faith, miraculous healing was promised; honesty of dealing was enjoined; instructions concerning the new translation of the Scriptures were given; when asked for, revelation upon revelation and knowledge upon knowledge were promised; the converts in the east were to be taught by the Elders to flee to the west to escape future trouble: the Saints were to receive Church covenants sufficient to establish them in Ohio and in the New Jerusalem; he that lacked wisdom was encouraged to ask and he should be given liberally and without upbraiding; commandments were given respecting fornicators, adulterers, and other transgressors, and the manner they should be dealt with.

Altogether this was a most important revelation. It threw a flood of light upon a great variety of subjects and settled many important questions. Faithful men and women were greatly delighted at being members of a Church which the Lord acknowledged as His own, and to which He communicated His word through his inspired Prophet as he did at this time.

While Joseph was thus administering among the people, in the same month of February, 1831, the Lord commanded him to call the Elders of the Church together from the east and the west, and from the north and south, to receive in solemn assemblage the pouring out of His Spirit upon them. Pursuant to this requirement a General Conference of the Church was appointed to be held in Kirtland on the 6th day of June, 1831.

At no time during the Prophet's career did the care of the poor escape his attention or become a matter of indifference to him. He was a man of large benevolence, and his sympathies were quickly aroused by any tale of sorrow or appeal for relief. In the most busy and trying periods of his life those who went to him for counsel in their troubles, always found him willing to listen, and they were sure to receive encouragement and assistance. To extend comfort to the bruised spirit, and to help the needy and distressed appeared a constant pleasure to him. His hospitality, also, was a marked feature in his character. His house was always open to entertain the stranger. One of the most cherished recollections of many of the old members of the Church is the kindness with which they were treated by "Brother Joseph," and the warm welcome he gave them to his house upon their arrival at Kirtland and other places where he lived.

In the revelation above referred to the Lord said:

Ye must visit the poor and the needy and administer to their relief, that they may be kept until all things may be done according to my law which ye have received.

In other revelations which the Lord gave to Joseph, frequent mention was made of the poor and the provisions which should be made for their sustenance. Before leaving Fayette, New York, the Church was commanded to appoint certain men to look to the poor and the needy and administer to their relief that they should not suffer. Directly after reaching Kirtland, Joseph received a revelation in which the Church was told by the Lord to remember the poor and consecrate properties for their support, that every man who had need might be amply supplied and receive according to his wants. Again, the command was given to "remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for," the Lord said, "he that doeth not these things the same is not my disciple."

A clear exposition of the duty laid upon every believer in the gospel as revealed in this last dispensation, if he had been blessed with abundance, to share of his wealth with the poor, was given in a subsequent revelation in the following striking language:

Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your substance to the poor, for your riches will canker your souls; and this shall be your lamentation in the day of visitation, and of judgment, and of indignation—the harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved!

In this way the duty of the Saints towards the poor—this practical and essential part of true religion—was deeply impressed upon them and kept constantly before them. In numerous paragraphs of the revelations given to the Church during those early days, were the members taught that the Lord intended His people to be equal in temporal things—that class distinctions should not exist among them because of the riches of some and the poverty of others. The effect of those early revelations and teachings upon this subject has been visible upon the people from the time they were given to the present. There has been a continual yearning for such a higher life—such a blessed and heavenly condition of society—as the practical adaptation and realization of the truths of the revelations will bring about. Amid the dangers with which many of the faithful members have thought the Church has been menaced through the increase of wealth of some of their number, they have always been cheered by the assurance that the day was not far distant when the injunction would be carried out, which the Lord gave in the days of which we write: "Let every man deal honestly, and be alike among this people, and receive alike, that ye may be one, even as I have commanded you."

This has been the ideal condition to which all have lifted their eyes. The effect has been that the wide difference which exists in the world between the rich and the poor—with the one class wealthy beyond all safety and reason, and the other class wretchedly poor even to starvation—has always been felt to be terribly wrong and contrary to the will of God. It was this bond of union and mutual help in a temporal sense, established by the command of Jehovah, and constantly taught by the Prophet Joseph and his co-laborers, which enabled the Saints through all the succeeding persecutions to move and endure as one family, all suffering measurably alike. Since the days of the Savior there has never been until Joseph Smith's time, a system of social life in which honorable poverty received such consideration and such help. Concerning the poor at this early day the Lord said:

They shall see the Kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance; for the fatness of the earth shall be theirs.

For behold, the Lord shall come and his recompense shall be with him, and he shall reward every man, and the poor shall rejoice; and their generations shall inherit the earth from generation to generation forever and ever.

The Church at Kirtland soon began to assume an importance which alarmed its opponents. Previous to this time falsehood and persecution had been directed almost entirely against the Prophet himself. But as the work extended and the Church increased in its membership, the father of lies did not confine his attacks to Joseph; he sent forth his countless emissaries to provoke hatred and wrath against the Church itself. Yet nothing tangible up to this time could be alleged against the Prophet Joseph or the Church which God organized through his instrumentality. Here at Kirtland, and at this time, however, the foes of truth united in formulating and publishing to the world all the calumnies which their wicked imaginations could devise. None were more active in this infamous business than certain fearful and lying priests and their bigoted adherents; and it is from this fruitful source of accusation and slander that subsequent defamers of the Prophet's early life have drawn many of their falsehoods.

To the Saints, however, there was compensation for these attacks in the word of the Lord which they received in plainness and power at this time through the Prophet. He was inspired to write many revelations which were of priceless value to the Church. Principles and doctrines, instructions and warnings, promises and prophecies, were given with a simplicity and clearness suited to the capacity of the humblest understanding, and yet the truths they contained are so sublime as to furnish instruction and food for profound thought to men of the highest attainments and the most extensive cultivation.

Among several revelations given during this month of March, 1831, there was one of more than ordinary interest to the Saints then, and the lapse of time has only added to its importance in the minds of all believers. It was upon that never-failing subject of interest—the second coming of the Savior. The signs which should precede His coming and the wonderful manifestations which should accompany it—making the event the most awful and yet the most glorious witnessed since the dawn of creation—were described with divine clearness. In this revelation the Lord said:

Wherefore hearken and I will reason with you, and I will speak unto you and prophesy, as unto men in days of old; and I will show it plainly as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh, and spake unto them, saying, as ye have asked of me concerning the signs of my coming in the day when I shall come in my glory in the clouds of heaven to fulfill the promises that I made unto your fathers.

A rehearsal is then given of instructions and predictions which He gave to His disciples, similar, but in greater fullness to those recorded in the 24th chapter of Matthew in the New Testament. For the comfort of His ancient disciples He made promises, from which Saints in every age can derive satisfaction and hope. He said:

And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man. * * * But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his trump, and the saints that have slept shall come forth to meet me in the cloud; wherefore, if ye have slept in peace, blessed are you, for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye come unto me, and your souls shall live and your redemption shall be perfected, and the Saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth. Then shall the arm of the Lord fall upon the nations, and then shall the Lord set his foot upon this mount and it shall cleave in twain, and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro, the Heavens shall also shake. * * * For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived; verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day, and the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation, for the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and He will be their King and their Lawgiver.