From: gdm-owner@xmission.com (gdm Digest) To: gdm-digest@xmission.com Subject: gdm Digest V1 #21 Reply-To: gdm@xmission.com Sender: gdm-owner@xmission.com Errors-To: gdm-owner@xmission.com Precedence: gdm Digest Wednesday, September 10 1997 Volume 01 : Number 021 In this issue: ---> Lesson 28 ---> Lesson 29 ---> Lesson 31 See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the gdm or gdm-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 24 Aug 1997 21:54:22 -0700 From: "Perry L. Porter" Subject: ---> Lesson 28 Doctrine and Covenants 93-96 Lesson 28 Scriptural Highlights 1. Each person can obtain a fulness of glory. 2. We should base our lives on truth. 3. The Lord directed the construction of the Kirtland Temple. Seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost while preparing and presenting this lesson. Encourage class members to pray in their hearts to know how to apply the principles taught in these revelations. Discussion and Application Questions * What must we do to be worthy to see and know the Lord? (See D&C 93:1; 67:10-14; 88:67-68; and the quotation from the Prophet Joseph Smith in lesson 20.) * In D&C 93:6-17, John testified that the Savior received a fulness of the Father's glory. What does this mean? How did the Savior receive this fulness of glory? (D&C 93:11 -15.) * The Lord promises that we' like the Savior, may "receive of [the Father's] fulness" (D&C 93:19). How can we receive this fulness? (D&C 93:19-22, 26-28.) How do these verses help you understand your potential and the love that the Father and Son have for you? What does it mean to receive "grace for grace"? (D&C 93:20; 98:12). How have you progressed from grace to grace in developing your testimony, understanding gospel principles, or growing spiritually? How does knowing that the Savior "received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace" help you as you strive to progress? * The Lord said he revealed D&C 93 so "that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship" (D&C 93:19). What does D&C 93 teach you about how to worship the Lord? How can the truths in this section help you worship more meaningfully? * What do we learn about truth in D&C 93:24-30, 36-37? What do you learn from these verses about how to seek truth in all aspects of your life? How do these verses help you understand the consequences of choosing to follow Satan, even in seemingly small ways? (See also D&C 93:31-32 ) * In D&C 93:33-35, what does the Lord teach about the importance of our bodies? (See also D&C 138:15-17, 50.) When will the spirit and element be inseparably connected? (D&C 88:14-17.) * In D&C 93:38-40, what does the Lord teach about little children? How are light and truth taken away from children as they grow up? What does it mean to bring up children "in light and truth"? * In D&C 93:41-50 the Lord instructed early Church leaders about teaching their children. How can the instructions given in these verses help us teach children? (See also the quotation from President Kimball.) * Why does the Lord chasten us? (D&C 95:1-2; Hebrews 12:5-11.) In what ways does he chasten us? What can we do to make the Lord's chastening more valuable to us? How can parents follow the Lord's example when chastening their children? * What "grievous sin" is referred to in D&C 95:3? Why was the Lord so concerned that a temple be built in Kirtland? (D&C 95:8-9.J What does D&C 95 teach about the importance of the temple? How can we make the temple more important in our daily living of the gospel? Quotation President Spencer W. Kimball: "We bring children into the world to become kings and queens, priests and priestesses for our Lord.... How sad if the Lord should charge any of us parents with having failed to teach our children. Truly a tremendous responsibility falls upon a couple when they bring children into the world. Not only food, clothes, and shelter are required of them, but loving, kindly disciplining' teaching, and training" (Ensign, Apr. 1978, pp. 4-5). Next Week's Reading Assignment Doctrine and Covenants 97-100; 134 Page 55 Class Member Study Guide Lesson 28 By 2 February 1833 the Prophet had temporarily concluded his translation of the New Testament, but he continued to work on the Old Testament. In May the Lord directed him to hasten the work (see D&C 93:53) and to make plans for a building in which to print the translation (see D&C 94:10). The Prophet was also involved in planning the Kirtland Temple, the first building erected for worship by the Latter-day Saints. In December 1832 the Lord had commanded the Saints to build the temple (see D&C 88:119) , but by June 1833 little had been done. The Lord called on his people to repent and to hasten their work on the temple (see D&C 95). He promised to reveal the design of the temple to three leaders of the Church (see D&C 95:14). Frederick G. Williams recalled: "Joseph received the word of the Lord for him to take his two counsellors [Frederick G.] Williams and [Sidney] Rigdon and come before the Lord, and he would show them the plan or model of the House to be built. We went upon our knees, called on the Lord, and the Building appeared within viewing distance: I being the first to discover it. Then all of us viewed it together. After we had taken a good look at the exterior, the building seemed to come right over us, and the Makeup of this Hall seems to coincide with what I saw there to a minutia" (quoted in The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 198). Other matters also demanded the attention of Church leaders. For example, as the Latter-day Saint population in Kirtland grew, it became necessary to acquire more land. After the Church purchased a large piece of property, a conference of high priests could not reach an agreement about who should manage the property. The brethren resolved to seek the will of the Lord on the matter and received D&C 96 in answer. As you study D&C 93-96, consider the following: How did the Savior receive a fulness of the Father's glory? (D&C 93:11 - -17.) How can we receive this fulness? (D&C 93:19-22, 26-28.) * In D&C 93:40-50, what did the Lord teach about the responsibility parents have to their children? What can you do to bring up your children "in light and truth"? * What does D&C 95 teach about the importance of the temple? How can you make the temple more important in your daily living of the gospel? An architect's drawing of the Kirtland Temple. The Lord revealed the design of the temple and commanded, "Let it be built after the manner which I shall show unto . . . you" (D&C 95:14). Page 56 - ----------------------------------------- Subject: D&C 93-96 Notes Section 93 ... The headnote of section 93 in the 1921 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants ... suggests that the text of the revelation contains a portion of the record of John the Apostle. Both John Taylor and Orson Pratt believed the record to be that of John the Baptist. Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 194-195. Section 94 Both the "Kirtland Revelation Book" and a letter from the Prophet and others to Church leaders in Missouri, dated 6 August 1833, give the date of reception for section 94 as 2 August 1833. Moreover, the 6 August 1833 letter makes it clear that sections 97 and 94 were received together and appear to be either two part of one revelation or two revelations joined together section 94 constituting the latter half. Internal evidence also suggests that section 94 was received after section 94: verses 1-2 of section 94 indicate that the pattern for constructing the Kirtland Temple had already been given, but section 95 gave the dimensions for the temple and added that the "manner" (i.e. architecture) would be later shown to three. ... two sacred building to be constructed in Kirtland: the house for the Presidency and a house for printing. Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 195. Section 95 ... take into consideration the commandment in section 88 to build a house for the School of the Prophets. Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 197. F.G. Williams came into the Temple about the time the main hall 1st floor was ready for dedication. He was asked, how does the house look to you. He answered that it looked to him like the model he had seen. he said President Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon and himself were called to come before the Lord and the model was shown them. He said the vision of the Temple was thus shown them and he could not see the difference between it and the House as built. (Angell to Taylor, 11 March 1885, Church Archives). Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 322. - ---------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 07 Sep 1997 21:53:18 -0700 From: "Perry L. Porter" Subject: ---> Lesson 29 Doctrine and Covenants 97-100; 134 Lesson 29 Scriptural Highlights 1. Build a temple in Zion. 2. Obey the laws of the land. 3. "Renounce war and proclaim peace." Invite one or two class members to tell of important principles they have learned from D&C 97-100 and 134. Discussion and Application Questions What was the purpose of the school of Zion? (See D&C 97:3-5 and the quotation from Elder Pratt.) How can Sunday School fulfill a similar purpose in your life? * According to D&C 97:8-9, what must we do to be accepted by the Lord? How does this compare with what we are doing now to be accepted by him? * Why did the Lord want the Saints to build a temple in Zion? (D&C 97:10-17.) Why are temples necessary "for the salvation of Zion"? (D&C 97:12). How are temples places of "thanksgiving" and "instruction"? (D&C 97:13; see the quotation from President Benson). What blessings have come to you through temple ordinances and service? * What responsibility do we have for the Lord's temples? (D&C 97:15-17.) How can we help keep the temples from being defiled? * How does D&C 97:21 help us understand what Zion is? (See also D&C 100:15-17.) How can we become pure in heart? (Moron) 7:47-48.) * What counsel did the Lord give the Saints for dealing with adversity? (D&C 97:25; 98:1-3, 11-16.) When we experience adversity, what can we do to feel the Savior's strength and support more fully? Why does the Lord want to teach us patience? How has he taught you patience? * What are our responsibilities with regard to freedom and the laws of the land where we live? (D&C 98:4-8; 134:5; Articles of Faith 1:12.) What are the purposes of civil governments? (D&C 134:2, 6-8, 11.) What relationship should exist between the Church and a civil government? (D&C 134:9-10.) * In D&C 98:16 the Lord counseled the Saints to "renounce war and proclaim peace." How can we do this? (See the first quotation from President McKay.) Under what conditions might war be justified? (See D&C 98:33-38; Alma 43:45-47; 48:14; and the second quotation from President McKay.) * How can the command and promise in D&C 100:5-8 help us as we teach the gospel? (See also D&C 84:85.) How has the Lord fulfilled this promise for you? Quotations. Elder Parley P. Pratt: In 1833 "a school of Elders was also organized, over which I was called to preside. This class, to the number of about sixty, met for instruction once a week.... We prayed, preached and prophesied, and exercised ourselves in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Here great blessings were poured out, and many great and marvelous things were manifested and taught" (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, pp. 93-94). President Ezra Taft Benson: "Do we return to the temple often to receive the personal blessings that come from regular temple worship? Prayers are answered, revelation occurs, and instruction by the Spirit takes place in the holy temples of the Lord" (Ensign, May 1988, p. 85). President David O. McKay: "War impels you to hate your enemies. The Prince of Peace says, Love your enemies. War says, Curse them that curse you. The Prince of Peace says, Pray for them that curse you. War says, Injure and kill them that hate you. The Risen Lord says, Do good to them that hate you. "Thus we see that war is incompatible with Christ's teachings. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel of peace. War is its antithesis, and produces hate. It is vain to attempt to reconcile war with true Christianity" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1942, p. 71). President David O. McKay: "There are conditions when entrance into war is justifiable.... Such a condition, however, is not a real or fancied insult given by one nation to another. When this occurs proper reparation may be made by mutual understanding, apology, or by arbitration. "Neither is there justifiable cause found in a desire or even a need for territorial expansion.... Nor is war justified in an attempt to enforce a new order of government, or even to impel others to a particular form of worship, however better the government or eternally true the principles of the enforced religion may be. "There are, however, two conditions which may justify a truly Christian man to enter - mind you, I say enter, not begin - a war: (1) An attempt to dominate and to deprive another of his free agency, and (2) Loyalty to his country. Possibly there is a third: . . . Defense of a weak nation that is being unjustly crushed by a strong, ruthless one" (in Conference Report, Apr. 1942, p. 72). Next Week's Reading Assignment Doctrine and Covenants 101-2 Page 57 Class Member Study Guide Lesson 29 In the mid-1830s the Church had two centers of population. Joseph Smith, other members of the First Presidency, and a large number of Saints lived in Ohio, while Bishop Edward Partridge presided over the Church members in Missouri. Even though none of the revelations being studied in this lesson were given in Missouri, most of them deal with the Saints' difficulties there. The Missouri Saints were being severely persecuted. There were many cultural as well as religious differences between the Latter-day Saints and the Missourians. The Missourians did not accept a living prophet or modern revelation. Many of them feared that they would soon be overwhelmed by the growing number of Latter-day Saint settlers, and they reacted with violence. In July 1833 a mob destroyed W. W. Phelps's printing office, tarred and feathered Bishop Partridge, and forced many Saints out of their homes. Most of the copies of the nearly completed Book of Commandments were destroyed (see lesson 20 for a story related to this incident). Doctrine and Covenants 97 and 98, given in Ohio about two weeks after the mob action in Missouri, told the Saints how to respond to such difficulties. Doctrine and Covenants 134, prepared by Oliver Cowdery in August 1835, is a response to the persecutors of the Church who accused the Saints of being opposed to the laws of the land. As you study D&C 97-100 and 134, consider the following: * What counsel did the Lord give for dealing with adversity? (D&C 97:25; 98:1 -3, 11 -16.) How can you apply this counsel in your life? * What are our responsibilities with regard to freedom and the laws of the land where we live? (D&C 98:4-8; 134:5; Articles of Faith 1:12.) * How can the command and promise in D&C 100:5-8 help us as we teach the gospel? How has the Lord fulfilled this promise for you? Saints Driven from Jackson Count,v, Missouri, by C. C. A. Christensen. Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts at Brigham Young University. Page 58 - ------------------ Subject: D&C 98-100 Notes Section 97 The Prophet instructed that three edifices were to be erected in Zion, namely, a temple, a house for printing, and a house for the Presidency. Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 200. verses 3-5: (20) ... Church leaders in Jackson County, Missouri, organized a school for the Elders in 1833. Although it is not clear when the school commenced, evidence shows that it was operating during the summer of 1833. Parley P Pratt ... was designated to preside over and instruct the school.... The School of the Elders (Missouri) was intended to serve as a counterpart to the School of the Prophets (Kirtland) in preparing and instructing those called to the ministry. Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 188. Section 98 Conflicts between Mormons and non-Mormons in Missouri undoubtedly provided the background for this revelation. Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 201. Section 99 29 August 1832 Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 201. This revelation to John Murdock was placed in its present sequence in the 1876 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. At that time, and in subsequent editions, the heading has listed the date as August 1833. However, there is considerable evidence that this date is incorrect. Brother Murdock's own journal, the "Kirtland Revelation Book," and the editions of the Doctrine and Covenants previous to 1876 all give the date as August 1832. The earlier date is certainly correct, especially as determined from the journal and its sequence of events: therefore, the new edition gives the proper date and adds this explanation:"Although editions of the Doctrine and Covenants beginning with 1876 have listed this revelation as Kirtland, August 1833, earlier edition and other historical records certify to the proper information." The error of dating in the 1876 edition has caused this section to be placed out of proper chronological order; it should properly be between sections 83 and 84. Robert J. Matthews, "The New Publications of the Standard Works 1979, 1981," Brigham Young University Studies, Volume 22, Number 4. Section 100 On 5 October, 1833, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, accompanied by Freeman Nickerson, started east from Kirtland on a preaching mission. TheProphet's party traveled down Lake Erie to Niagra, then westward through Ontario to Mt. Pleasant.... Section 100 was received in answer to a great concern the Prophet had for his family's welfare. ... This revelation informed the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon that their families were well and that Sidney should be a spokesman for Joseph Smith. Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), p. 203-204. - ------------------- Subject: Joseph Smith and the Constitution ... He did not achieve his political goals during his lifetime, but subsequently the essence of his political objectives has been largely realized. The attempt of the Prophet in 1839, after his "release" on a change of venue from the Liberty jail, to obtain redress for the Saints' grievances against Missouri by turning to the national government was rebuffed. President Martin Van Buren responded to the Saints' plea with the remark, "What can I do? I can do nothing for you" Constitutionally the position of President Van Buren had some judicial support at that time. The Supreme Court had ruled in Barron vs. Baltimore (1833) that the protections in the Bill of Rights against government actions pertained to the national government, not to the states. It appears, however, that Van Buren's remark was motivated in part by political expediency. ... The Mormons had been expelled from Missouri by the state militia under the "Extermination Order" of Governor Lilburn W. Boggs. A "treaty," forced on the Saints by Generals Samuel D. Lucas and John B. Clark, confiscated Mormon properties to pay for the "Mormon War," exiled the Mormons under the threat of death, and precluded any hope of legal redress of their losses. The state legislature sanctioned these actions by appropriating 242000,000 to pay the men called into the state militia. Redress of their grievances from the state of Missouri appeared hopeless to the Saints. Indeed, separation of power ... failed the Saints in Missouri as all three branches of government were united in opposition to the Saints. ... "... The only fault I find in the Constitution is, it is not broad enough to cover the whole ground. "Although it provides that all men shall enjoy religious freedom, yet it does not provide the manner by which that freedom can be preserved, nor for the punishment of Government Officers who refuse to protect the people in their religious rights, or punish those mobs, states, or communities who interfere with the rights of the people on account of their religion...." Joseph concluded by proposing that officers of the government should be required to support affirmatively constitutional guarantees or by severely punished. ... ... Calhoun's reply was reminiscent of Van Buren's attitude, asserting a lack of federal jurisdiction. Joseph Smith, incensed with this position, responded in a letter written to Calhoun on 2 January 1844, chastising Clhoun for his limited interpretation of the constitutional powers of the national government. The Prophet's letter then continued with a nationalistic interpretation of the Constitution protective of Mormon rights. He ridiculed the positon that the national government was helpless to intervene when when a "sovereign" state banished fifteen thousand of its citizens with a state militia supported by legislative appropriations. He pointed out that the properties of the Mormons, many of which were purchased from the national government, were taken over by the Missouri mob and that the federal government had constitutional obligation to protect these property rights. The Prophet believed that Missouri had violated the privileges and immunities clause of the Constitution and that the state was iolating the principles of a republican government. Hence the United States had aconstitutional responsibility under article 4 to correc these problems in Missouri. He wrote: "Congress has power to protect the nation against foreign invasion and internal broil, and whenever that body passes an act to maintain right with any power; or to restore right to any portion of her citizens, IT IS THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND, and should a state refuse submission, that state is guilty of insurrection or rebellion, and the president has as much power to repel it as Washington had to march against the "whiskey boys of Pittsburg" or General Jackson had to send an armed force to suppress the rebellion of South Carolina21" Mounting depredations on the Mormon populace in and around Nauvoo prompted another national stratagem. On 21 December 1843, the city council of Nauvoo memorialized Congress for redress of grievances and protection from further persecution by praying that the Nauvoo charter be the basis of an enabling act creating a self-governing territory for the city of Nauvoo. The council also asked that the mayor of Nauvoo be empowered to call United States troops into service to maintain the public safety.... This proposal was never considered by Congress. ... On 29 January 1844, the Prophet met with the Twelve Apostles and others at the mayor's office to consider the course for the Mormons to take in the presidential election. They agreed they could not support Martin Van Buren or henry Clay, the likely Democratic and Whig candidates, so it was moved by Willard Richards that they have an independent ticket with Joseph Smith as the candidate for President. ... That same day the Prophet dictated an outline for his "Views on the Powers and Policy of the Government of the United States...." ... He argued that equality and protection of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are denied when "some two or three millions of people are held as slaves for life, because the spirit in them is covered with a darker skin than ours." He proposed the compensated abolition of slavery.... He expressed compassion for the poor and contempt for the inequities in the system when the poor are put in prison while the embezzler, the defrauder, or the defaulter of millions takes the "uppermo st rooms at feasts." ... He proposed the establishment of a national bank, with branches in each state or territory.... He championed the cause of popular sovereignty .... ... the "Views" called for congressional reform by reducing the size of the House of Representatives by at least one half and limiting the pay of senators, representatives, and administrators. ... He urged prison reforms, with emphasis on rehabilitation instead of punishment.... "... Murder only can claim confinement of death. Let the penitentiaries be burned into seminaries of learning." ... '... a list was published of 340 elders of the Church designated to go to every state in the Union to "preach the truth in righteousness, and present before the people 'General Smith's views of the power and policy of the General Government,' .... A "state convention" was held in Nauvoo on 17 May, in which "General Joseph Smith" was supported for President, Sidney Rigdon "of Pennsylvania" for Vice President, and five prominent Mormons were designated as delegates to a national nominating convention to be held in Baltimore on 13 July. It is interesting to note that many of the policies Joseph Smith advocated in teh 1840s ahve been essentially realized in our time. His presidential platform was clearly ahead of its time. Much of what he proposed has been achieved with the abolition of slavery; the creation of the Federal Reserve system in banking; prison reform, probation, and parole emphasizing the rehabilitation of convicts; suffrage extension to all adult citizens and reappointment of electoral districts on the "one man, one vote" principle; and the current emphasis on the protection of individual liberties. ... the core of Joseph's objectiveAFprotection of individual liberties of the poor and unpopular by the national government with the President as executorAFhas also been realized, but it has been accomplishe d through the federal courts' interpretation and application of the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment 1868 . J. Keith Melville, "Joseph Smith, the Constitution, and Individual Liberties," Brigham Young University Studies, Volume 28, Number*2 (Spring 1988) - ------------------- James R. Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, Vol.3, p.30 We are expressly commanded, and it becomes our duty, to uphold and sustain every law of the land which is constitutional; we have always had a strong desire to obey such laws, and to place ourselves in harmony with all the institutions of the country. - --------------------- 10. Church Discipline THE PURPOSES of Church DISCIPLINE The purposes of Church discipline are to (1) save the souls of transgressors; (2) protect the innocent; and (3) safeguard the purity, integrity, and good name of the Church. Church discipline includes giving cautions in private interviews, imposing restrictions in probations, and withdrawing fellowship or membership. The first purpose of Church discipline is to save the soul of the transgressor (see D&C 1:31-32, 19:13-20, 42:37, 58:42, and 64:12-13). God does not overlook sin, and his servants cannot ignore serious transgressions if they have knowledge or evidence of them (see Mosiah 26:29). But God does forgive repentant sinners; his servants should follow that example. Church discipline helps save the souls of transgressors by assisting members to repent. It helps them recognize and forsake sin, make restitution, and demonstrate their renewed commitment to keep the commandments of God. The demands of justice require punishment or repentance for transgression. Sin causes suffering; repentance relieves suffering. God commands us to repent so we will not receive eternal punishment and have to suffer even as the Savior suffered for the sins of mankind (see D&C 19:11-21, Alma 42). For the repentant, "mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement" (Alma 42:23). Often, the change that results from repentance can be brought about by informal Church discipline, including private counseling or informal probation. However, in some instances, the only way to encourage true repentance may be to convene a disciplinary council (formerly called a Church "court") and consider formal Church discipline. Without formal Church discipline, some transgressors may never experience the change of behavior and the change of heart necessary to qualify them for redemption through the Atonement, for "none but the truly penitent are saved" (Alma 42:24). The second purpose of Church discipline is to protect the innocent. Whether the offense is physical harm, sexual abuse, drug misuse, fraudulent practices, or apostasy, leaders are responsible to take disciplinary action. With inspiration, a priesthood leader should be alert to spiritual and physical threats to Church members and, when necessary, should act to protect them (see Alma 5:59). The third purpose of Church discipline is to safeguard the purity, integrity, and good name of the Church. Consequently, serious transgressions that harm or denigrate the Church may require the action of a disciplinary council. - -------------------- [Commentary, Though obeying the law of the land is stress much today, the Mormon history for up until 1904 has many examples where laws were ignored by Mormons or Mormons moved to places where there breaking of certain laws were ignored by that government. Unfortunately I have not got the time a present to document this at this time. Anyone else wishing to do that work, feel free to post me your research.] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 21:24:35 -0700 From: "Perry L. Porter" Subject: ---> Lesson 31 Doctrine and Covenants 1 03; 1 05 Lesson 31 Scriptural Highlights 1. Journey of Zion's Camp 2. Requirements for establishing Zion You might want to ask a class member to summarize the information about Zion's Camp in the Class Member Study Guide for this lesson. If it would help class members to review the reasons the Saints were driven from Zion, refer to the second group of questions in lesson 30. Discussion and Application Questions * What did the Lord promise the Saints in D&C 103:5-10? How can these promises apply to us today? How can Church members be "the saviors of men"? (D&C 103:9). * What was Zion's Camp? (See D&C 103:22-23, 30-35; and the C/ass Member Study Guide for this lesson.) How did Zion's Camp help prepare many participants to be future Church leaders? (See the quotation from President Woodruff and the first quotation from the Prophet Joseph Smith.) What can the experiences of Zion's Camp teach you about the purposes of your trials? How can these experiences help you endure trials faithfully? * Why were the men of Zion's Camp told not to fight for the redemption of Zion? (D&C 105:9-14, 18-19.) How were they to be "endowed with power from on high"? (D&C 105:33). What do these verses teach us about how we should prepare to do our part in redeeming Zion? In D&C 103:15-20, what does the Lord teach about how Zion will be redeemed? Who will lead the Lord's people "like as Moses led the children of Israel"? (D&C 103:16; 107:91 -92). * Why does the Lord require us to be willing to sacrifice all things, even our lives if necessary? (See D&C 103:27-28 and the second quotation from the Prophet Joseph Smith.) How can we develop such a willingness? How can we show this willingness now? * When the Saints were cast out of Jackson County, the Lord said that some of them - but not all of them - had transgressed and needed to be chastened. (D&C 101:41 -42.) But those who had not transgressed were cast out also. What can we learn about obedience from this? (See also the quotation from Elder Faust.) What blessings from the Lord are available only through the righteous efforts of an entire group? (D&C 105:1-5; see also D&C 97:12-14, 25; Mosiah 18:21-22.) *What does D&C 105:1-5 teach about building Zion? One reason for the persecutions in Missouri was that some Church members boasted they would soon control all of Missouri and build Zion there. What counsel did the Lord give about this? (D&C 105:23-24.) How can we share the positive aspects of the Church without seeming to boast? * In D&C 105:38-40 the Lord counseled the Saints to seek peace, even with those who had persecuted them. How can we apply this counsel in our lives? Quotations President Wilford Woodruff said that he and other camp participants "gained an experience that we never could have gained in any other way. We had the privilege of beholding the face of the prophet, and we had the privilege of travelling a thousand miles with him, and seeing the workings of the Spirit of God with him, and the revelations of Jesus Christ unto him and the fulfillment of those revelations.... Had I not gone up with Zion's Camp I should not have been here to-day" (in Journal/ of Discourses, 13:158). The Prophet Joseph Smith, speaking to the elders in Kirtland soon after the Quorum of the Seventy was organized, said: "Brethren, some of you are angry with me, because you did not fight in Missouri; but let me tell you, God did not want you to fight. He could not organize His kingdom with twelve men to open the Gospel door to the nations of the earth, and with seventy men under their direction to follow in their tracks, unless He took them from a body of men who had offered their lives, and who had made as great a sacrifice as did Abraham. Now the Lord has got His Twelve and His Seventy" (History of the Church, 2:182 note). The Prophet Joseph Smith: "A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things.... When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for the truth's sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice because he seeks to do his will, he does know, most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not, nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life" (Lectures on Faith 6:7). Elder James E. Faust: "Private choices are not private; they all have public consequences.... Our society is the sum total of what millions of individuals do in their private lives. That sum total of private behavior has worldwide public consequences of enormous magnitude. There are no completely private choices" (Ensign, May 1987, p. 80). Next Week's Reading Assignment Doctrine and Covenants 106-8 Page 61 Class Member Study Guide Lesson 31 By late November 1833, persecutions had driven most of the Saints from their homes and farms in Jackson County, Missouri. When the Saints petitioned Governor Daniel Dunklin of Missouri for protection and help, he promised to restore their lands if they would provide a body of men for their own protection. When Joseph Smith received word of this offer, he responded by promising to lead a group of men from Kirtland to Missouri. Later that same day, Joseph received a revelation giving directions for the expedition that came to be known as Zion's Camp (see D&C 103). The goal was to recruit 500 men, but only about 200 volunteered. George A. Smith, a cousin of the Prophet, was the youngest at age sixteen, and Samuel Baker was the oldest at age seventy-nine. The 1,000-mile march to Missouri was beset with difficulties, including the hot, humid weather and the lack of good roads. A major challenge was obtaining decent food. At times the company had to subsist on such things as coarse bread, rancid butter, cornmeal mush, raw pork, and even spoiled ham, bacon, and cheese. Occasionally they had to strain stagnant swamp water for drinking. These hardships caused quarreling and contention among many of the men, and a few blamed the Prophet for their discomfort. Joseph declared that the Lord had revealed to him that "a scourge would come upon the camp in consequence of the fractious and unruly spirits that appeared among them" (History of the Church, 2:80). Within a few weeks fourteen people died of cholera. While the men were traveling, a black slave woman warned them of an intended ambush by a mob of men who wanted to destroy the Mormons. The Prophet promised that the Lord would protect the company. That night, while the company was camped at Fishing River in Missouri, a sudden and violent storm arose. It soaked the mobbers' ammunition, frightened and scattered their horses, and raised the level of Fishing River, preventing the mobbers from crossing it to attack Zion's Camp. Three days later on 22 June 1834, the Prophet received D&C 105, in which the Lord ordered the men of Zion's Camp not to fight against the Missourians (see D&C 105:9-19). Though the camp had not redeemed Zion, it served valuable purposes. The difficulties tested the faith of the men in the company, and during the weeks they spent with the Prophet they learned about leadership and gained spiritual insight. The Prophet and some of the other brethren began their trip back to Kirtland early in July. A few months later, nine of the first Apostles and all of the first members of the Quorum of Seventy were chosen from the faithful men of Zion's Camp. Furthermore, Brigham Young received practical experience that helped him lead the pioneers across the American plains just thirteen years later. * What can the experiences of Zion's Camp teach you about the purposes of your trials? * In D&C 103 and 105, what does the Lord teach about how we can prepare to build Zion? * Why does the Lord require us to be willing to sacrifice all things, even our lives if necessary? (D&C 103:27-28 How can we show this willingness now? Zion's Camp, by C. C. A. Christensen. Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts at Brigham Young University. Page 62 - ---------------------------- To the original settlers, one cause of conflict may have been economic. ... They also viewed the body of Saints as a political threat. ... The gathering Saints also collided with their Neighbors in matters of religion. ... Cutting across economic, political and religious line were two other issues important to the Missouri frontiersmen: Mormon attitudes toward the Indians and toward slavery. ... The Saints themselves may not have been totally without blame in the matter. The feelings of the Missourians, even though misplaced, were undoubtedly intensified by the rhetoric of the gathering itself. They were quick to listen to the boasting of a few overzealous Saints who too-loudly declared a divine right to the land. ... Even though the Saints were specifically and repeatedly commanded to be peaceful and never to shed blood, some seemed to unwisely threaten warfare if they could not fulfill the commandment peacefully. ... ... eighty prominent citizens signed a manifesto. Known as the "secret constitution," it denounced the Mormons and called for a meeting on July 20. The manifesto claimed that Mormons were tampering with slaves, encouraging sedition, and inviting free Negroes and mulattoes to join the Church and immigrate to Missouri. It openly declared the intent of the signers to remove the Mormons "peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must." ... About a hundred men proceeded to the Church printing office, kicked in the door, and evicted Mrs. Phelps and her children. They tossed the press from a second-story window, pulled off the roof, and tore down the walls of the building. ... the attacked halted the printing of the Book of Commandments.... The mob next attacked the store, the blacksmith shop, and two men, Edward Partridge and Charles Allen. They were hauled to the public square, partially striped of their clothing, and, after failing to admit guilt ro promising to leave, were covered with tar and feathers. ... The leaders in Zion, meanwhile, petitioned Missouri Governor Daniel Dunklin for help and protection. The state attorney general considered the request, criticized the citizens for lawlessness, and urged the Saints to seek both redress and protection under the laws by petitioning the circuit judge and justices of the peace. ...Church leaders ended their policy of passive resistance and counseled the Saints to arm themselves for the defense of their families and homes. ... The Missourians quickly interpreted this as a violation of the Mormon promise to evacuate. ... Lilburn W. Boggs, then lieutenant governor of the state, acted as intermediary between the two opposing groups and persuaded the Saints to surrender their arms and leave within ten days in order to avoid more bloodshed. The Saints understood that Boggs would also collect the arms of their enemies and that all would be returned to their rightful owners after they had evacuated. In this they were sadly misled. ... the Missourians continued harassing Mormon settlements. ... A few of the Saints found refuge in Ray, Lafayette, and Van Buren counties, but the largest congregation assembled in Clay County .... Because of their friendliness toward the beleaguered Saints, the helpful citizens of Clay and other counties were criticized by hostile elements in Jackson County and dubbed "Jack Mormons," a term applied widely in the nineteenth century to friendly non-Mormons. ... Governor Dunklin agreed to furnish arms if the Saints would organize themselves into a local militia, but, he explained to the dismay of the Saints, he would have to work through proper channels, meaning the Jackson Guard. ... By February, when the Prophet announced the intention to go to Missouri, he had enlisted more than thirty volunteers. The high council sent eight enlistment officers to the eastern congregations to seek out additional volunteers and contributions. ... The plan envisioned a return of the Saints to their homes in Jackson County in cooperation with state authorities and under state protection. ... the camp marched across Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, adding volunteers from other branches until it grew to an estimated 205 members, including ten women (wives of recruits) who went along as cooks and washerwomen. Zion's Camp left its Salt River encampment June 12, having asked the Missouri governor for a military escort. Governor Dunklin, fearing that any attempts to cooperate with the Mormons would spark a civil war, withdrew his earlier offer to escort the refugees back to their homes and advised the Saints to sell contested land and move elsewhere. ... The two sides met a Liberty on June 16 in a crowded meeting at the courthouse. ... After a tirade inflammatory speeches by local citizens, a committee of ten proposed to buy out the Mormons if they agreed never to return. Prices would be established by disinterested arbitrators. Alternatively, the old residents said they would sell on the same terms if the Mormons wanted to purchase their holdings. Both offers were impractical, since neither side was actually inclined to sell to the other. Church leaders soon rejected the Jackson County offer and proposed their alternative. They suggested that a committee of twelve, six from each side, be appointed to determine the value of the property of the citizens wishing to leave and the cost of damages. The Saints would use the credits for damages to buy out the old citizens and pay any differences within a year. The plan was rejected, however, and the stalemate continued. On June 22 the Prophet received a revelation at Fishing River declaring that Zion would not be redeemed at that time. ... Those who had met a trial of faith by responding to the call were promised a special endowment, and the Saints were urged to continue their efforts to obtain legal redress and to purchase Jackson County land. ... On June 30 the Prophet announced that the members of Zion's Camp were discharged. ... James B. Allen and Glen M Leonard, The Story of the Latter-day Saints, (Deseret Book Company, 1976) p. 84-93 - ------------------------------ Zion's Camp had its beginnings in the violent expulsion of the Mormons from Jackson County, Missouri, in early November 1833. News of the expulsion reached Joseph Smith and the members of the Church in Kirtland, Ohio, on 25 November.... ...Joseph Smith wrote to Edward Partridge, the bishop in Missouri, instructing Partridge to use the law to obtain redress, but not to sell any of the Mormon land. ... on 16 December 1833, Joseph Smith received a long revelation (now Doctrine and Covenants 101) concerning the Jackson County difficulties that was immediately printed in broadside form and circulated among the Saints in Ohio and Missouri. ... Explaining why the Latter-day Saints had been driven from Jackson, this revelation enjoined the elders to continue to use constitutional means to obtain redress. In addition, it suggested that the elders attempt to buy out their persecutors in Jackson County, and in this regard, the revelation asserted that at that moment there was enough money in the hands of the eastern branches of the Church to buy out the local Missourians and settle the Jackson County dispute. Most significant for the eventual organization of Zion's Camp, this revelation included a long parable of a nobleman and his vineyard that carried an implicit promise of armed assistance to the exiled Jackson County Mormons from the Church in Kirtland. In the course of this parable it is asked when this help would be forthcoming. The answer: "When I will." The Mormon leaders in Missouri lost little time in apprising Daniel Dunklin of the Jackson situation. ... A response from the governor came through his legal assistant two weeks later. ... From conversation I have had with the Governor, I believe I am warranted in saying to you, and through you to the Mormons, that if they desire to be replaced in possession of their property, that is, their houses in Jackson county, an adequate force will be sent forthwith to effect that object. ... If the Mormons will organize themselves into regular companies, or a regular company of militia, either volunteers or otherwise, they will, I have no doubt, be supplied with public arms. On 6 December 1833 a petition was sent to Governor Dunklin by the elders in Missouri. This petition specifically requested (1) assistance from the governor so that the Mormons could "be restored" to their homes in Jackson and (2) continuing military protection by either the state militia or a detachment of the United States Rangers until peace could be restored. The concluding paragraph requested a court of inquiry after arrangements had been made to protect the Mormons with an armed force, and here it was mentioned that such a force would be needed until the Missouri Mormons could "receive strength from our friends to protect ourselves"--an idea that ultimately would become the underlying concept in the formation of Zion's Camp. ... "The Governor has manifested a willingness to restore us back, and will if we request it; but this will be of little use unless he could leave a force there to help protect us; for the mob say, that three months shall not pass before they will drive us again. And he cannot leave a force without calling a special Legislature for that purpose ... If we could be placed back, and become organized into independent companies, and armed with power and liberty to stand in our own defense, it would be much better for us. ..." ... serious doubts that a fair court of inquiry could be held in Jackson County because a large part of the Mormons who would need to testify, particularly women and children, greatly feared violent reprisals from the local Missourians. Gilbert then offered a new suggestion: that the Mormons buy out the leaders of the anti-Mormon faction, thereby reducing agitation against the Saints. ... (1) After three months no progress had been made toward the recovery of the Mormons' possessions in Jackson County. (2) Governor Dunklin had promised to provide an armed force to guard the Mormons while they returned to their homes in Jackson. (3) The governor was unwilling to retain that force in the county after the Mormons had returned. (4) Unless an appropriate additional armed force--perhaps one made up of members of the Church from Kirtland and the eastern branches--remained in the county after their return, the Saints would certainly be driven from their homes again. (5) A fair court of inquiry probably could not be held in Jackson. ... Joseph Smith had little choice but to respond with a pledge of help from the Church in Kirtland. His failure to do so at this critical juncture would certainly have been interpreted as an abandonment of the Missouri Saints. ... Joseph Smith received a revelation (now Doctrine and Covenants 103) confirming the decision of the council and outlining the procedure for the expedition. This revelation also designated four pairs of elders to travel about the eastern branches of the Church to collect money and supplies and to recruit additional men. ... ... the court assembled in Independence. Twelve Mormon witnesses, including W. W. Phelps, Edward Partridge, and John Corrill, along with fifty of the Liberty Blues, were in town for the proceedings. After a three-hour wait, they were informed by Amos Rees and R. W. Wells that there was no hope of a criminal prosecution. The implacable hatred of the Jackson Countians was such that no Missourian could be convicted of a crime against the Mormons. ... Dunklin's terse reply ... discussed the Mormon arms that had been confiscated the preceding November. But it was strangely silent about the requested force to guard the Mormons back to their homes, failing even to acknowledge the news of the approaching reinforcements. ... The Mormons in this region are organizing an army (as they are pleased to express themselves) "to restore Zion,"--that is, to take by force of arms their former possessions in Jackson County, Mo. ... The response of the local Missourians was swift and violent. During the last week in April the county turned out en masse and burned nearly all of the 170 buildings belonging to the Mormons. ... Two objectives, then, were held by the camp as it marched out of Kirtland: to provide sufficient additional men so that the Mormons could protect themselves after they had been escorted back to their lands by the governor's force, and to supply means to sustain the Saints in Missouri until they again became self-supporting. It is apparent that the Mormons viewed Zion's Camp as operating in concert with the executive of Missouri to restore the civil rights of the Latter-day Saints in Jackson County. ... ... Hyde and Pratt returned to the camp with the news that the governor "refused to fulfill his promise of reinstating the brethren on their lands in Jackson County." Certainly Dunklin's response was unanticipated by the Mormons. ... ... sheriff of Clay County, rode up to the camp to confer with Joseph Smith. Gilliam received a statement of intention from the Mormons, which he published in the Clay County Upper Missouri Advertiser, that includes what might be considered the official version of the purpose of Zion's Camp at its termination: It is not our intention to commit hostilities against any man or body of men. It is not our intention to injure any man's person or property, except in defending ourselves. . . . It is our intention to go back upon our lands in Jackson county, by order of the Executive of the State, if possible. We have brought our arms with us for the purpose of self-defense, as it is well known to almost every man of the State that we have every reason to put ourselves in an attitude of defense, considering the abuse we have suffered in Jackson county. We are anxious for a settlement of the difficulties existing between us, upon honorable and constitutional principles. Several sources assert that one purpose of the camp was to carry supplies to the exiled Saints. But no evidence has materialized that any supplies were actually delivered to the Saints in Clay County. ... the Governor, who readily acknowledged the justice of the demand, but frankly told us he dare not attempt the execution of the laws in that respect, for fear of deluging the whole country in civil war and bloodshed. He advised us to relinquish our rights, for the sake of peace, and to sell our lands from which we had been driven. ... Dunklin had written to John Thornton, an influential Clay Countian, urging Thornton to effect a compromise between the Mormons and the Jackson citizens and suggesting that the best course would be for the local Missourians to buy out the Mormons. ... It is inconceivable, however, that the governor sincerely believed that a compromise could be reached. Whether the camp would have been able to protect the Saints had they been restored to their lands in Jackson is questionable. The combined Mormon force would have totaled between 400 and 500 men. On the other hand, 400 to 500 Missourians were involved in the destruction of Phelps' house and printing office on 20 July 1833. ... that 900 men from Jackson and 700 others from adjoining counties--undoubtedly inflated estimates--had been raised to attack the Mormons if they attempted a return. The destiny of Zion's Camp, in a real sense, was in Dunklin's hands. His promise of a guard was a precipitating factor in the camp's creation. And his decision not to provide armed assistance removed any opportunity for the camp to play a lawful role in recovering Mormon lands. Nevertheless, in retrospect it would seem that Joseph Smith had no other reasonable alternative at the 24 February council meeting but to respond as he did with the formation of Zion's Camp. Given the Mormons' belief in the eschatological significance of Jackson County, it was impossible for them simply to walk away from their holdings in Jackson without making some substantial effort toward their recovery, particularly with the governor's promise of help lingering in their minds. The camp was the embodiment of such an effort. It further brought into sharp focus just what the Mormons could expect from the Missouri government. Having made that effort and having tested the limits of governmental support, the leaders of the Church could move from a single minded concentration on Jackson County to examine other alternatives for the Latter-day Saints in Missouri. Peter Crawley and Richard L Anderson, "The Political and Social Realities of Zion's Camp", Brigham Young University Studies, Vol. 14, No. 4 - ------------------- Zion's Camp had its beginnings in the violent expulsion of the Mormons from Jackson County, Missouri, in early November 1833. News of the expulsion reached Joseph Smith and the members of the Church in Kirtland, Ohio, on 25 November.... ...Joseph Smith wrote to Edward Partridge, the bishop in Missouri, instructing Partridge to use the law to obtain redress, but not to sell any of the Mormon land. ... on 16 December 1833, Joseph Smith received a long revelation (now Doctrine and Covenants 101) concerning the Jackson County difficulties that was immediately printed in broadside form and circulated among the Saints in Ohio and Missouri. ... Explaining why the Latter-day Saints had been driven from Jackson, this revelation enjoined the elders to continue to use constitutional means to obtain redress. In addition, it suggested that the elders attempt to buy out their persecutors in Jackson County, and in this regard, the revelation asserted that at that moment there was enough money in the hands of the eastern branches of the Church to buy out the local Missourians and settle the Jackson County dispute. Most significant for the eventual organization of Zion's Camp, this revelation included a long parable of a nobleman and his vineyard that carried an implicit promise of armed assistance to the exiled Jackson County Mormons from the Church in Kirtland. In the course of this parable it is asked when this help would be forthcoming. The answer: "When I will." The Mormon leaders in Missouri lost little time in apprising Daniel Dunklin of the Jackson situation. ... A response from the governor came through his legal assistant two weeks later. ... From conversation I have had with the Governor, I believe I am warranted in saying to you, and through you to the Mormons, that if they desire to be replaced in possession of their property, that is, their houses in Jackson county, an adequate force will be sent forthwith to effect that object. ... If the Mormons will organize themselves into regular companies, or a regular company of militia, either volunteers or otherwise, they will, I have no doubt, be supplied with public arms. On 6 December 1833 a petition was sent to Governor Dunklin by the elders in Missouri. This petition specifically requested (1) assistance from the governor so that the Mormons could "be restored" to their homes in Jackson and (2) continuing military protection by either the state militia or a detachment of the United States Rangers until peace could be restored. The concluding paragraph requested a court of inquiry after arrangements had been made to protect the Mormons with an armed force, and here it was mentioned that such a force would be needed until the Missouri Mormons could "receive strength from our friends to protect ourselves"--an idea that ultimately would become the underlying concept in the formation of Zion's Camp. ... "The Governor has manifested a willingness to restore us back, and will if we request it; but this will be of little use unless he could leave a force there to help protect us; for the mob say, that three months shall not pass before they will drive us again. And he cannot leave a force without calling a special Legislature for that purpose ... If we could be placed back, and become organized into independent companies, and armed with power and liberty to stand in our own defense, it would be much better for us. ..." ... serious doubts that a fair court of inquiry could be held in Jackson County because a large part of the Mormons who would need to testify, particularly women and children, greatly feared violent reprisals from the local Missourians. Gilbert then offered a new suggestion: that the Mormons buy out the leaders of the anti-Mormon faction, thereby reducing agitation against the Saints. ... (1) After three months no progress had been made toward the recovery of the Mormons' possessions in Jackson County. (2) Governor Dunklin had promised to provide an armed force to guard the Mormons while they returned to their homes in Jackson. (3) The governor was unwilling to retain that force in the county after the Mormons had returned. (4) Unless an appropriate additional armed force--perhaps one made up of members of the Church from Kirtland and the eastern branches--remained in the county after their return, the Saints would certainly be driven from their homes again. (5) A fair court of inquiry probably could not be held in Jackson. ... Joseph Smith had little choice but to respond with a pledge of help from the Church in Kirtland. His failure to do so at this critical juncture would certainly have been interpreted as an abandonment of the Missouri Saints. ... Joseph Smith received a revelation (now Doctrine and Covenants 103) confirming the decision of the council and outlining the procedure for the expedition. This revelation also designated four pairs of elders to travel about the eastern branches of the Church to collect money and supplies and to recruit additional men. ... ... the court assembled in Independence. Twelve Mormon witnesses, including W. W. Phelps, Edward Partridge, and John Corrill, along with fifty of the Liberty Blues, were in town for the proceedings. After a three-hour wait, they were informed by Amos Rees and R. W. Wells that there was no hope of a criminal prosecution. The implacable hatred of the Jackson Countians was such that no Missourian could be convicted of a crime against the Mormons. ... Dunklin's terse reply ... discussed the Mormon arms that had been confiscated the preceding November. But it was strangely silent about the requested force to guard the Mormons back to their homes, failing even to acknowledge the news of the approaching reinforcements. ... The Mormons in this region are organizing an army (as they are pleased to express themselves) "to restore Zion,"--that is, to take by force of arms their former possessions in Jackson County, Mo. ... The response of the local Missourians was swift and violent. During the last week in April the county turned out en masse and burned nearly all of the 170 buildings belonging to the Mormons. ... Two objectives, then, were held by the camp as it marched out of Kirtland: to provide sufficient additional men so that the Mormons could protect themselves after they had been escorted back to their lands by the governor's force, and to supply means to sustain the Saints in Missouri until they again became self-supporting. It is apparent that the Mormons viewed Zion's Camp as operating in concert with the executive of Missouri to restore the civil rights of the Latter-day Saints in Jackson County. ... ... Hyde and Pratt returned to the camp with the news that the governor "refused to fulfill his promise of reinstating the brethren on their lands in Jackson County." Certainly Dunklin's response was unanticipated by the Mormons. ... ... sheriff of Clay County, rode up to the camp to confer with Joseph Smith. Gilliam received a statement of intention from the Mormons, which he published in the Clay County Upper Missouri Advertiser, that includes what might be considered the official version of the purpose of Zion's Camp at its termination: It is not our intention to commit hostilities against any man or body of men. It is not our intention to injure any man's person or property, except in defending ourselves. . . . It is our intention to go back upon our lands in Jackson county, by order of the Executive of the State, if possible. We have brought our arms with us for the purpose of self-defense, as it is well known to almost every man of the State that we have every reason to put ourselves in an attitude of defense, considering the abuse we have suffered in Jackson county. We are anxious for a settlement of the difficulties existing between us, upon honorable and constitutional principles. Several sources assert that one purpose of the camp was to carry supplies to the exiled Saints. But no evidence has materialized that any supplies were actually delivered to the Saints in Clay County. ... the Governor, who readily acknowledged the justice of the demand, but frankly told us he dare not attempt the execution of the laws in that respect, for fear of deluging the whole country in civil war and bloodshed. He advised us to relinquish our rights, for the sake of peace, and to sell our lands from which we had been driven. ... Dunklin had written to John Thornton, an influential Clay Countian, urging Thornton to effect a compromise between the Mormons and the Jackson citizens and suggesting that the best course would be for the local Missourians to buy out the Mormons. ... It is inconceivable, however, that the governor sincerely believed that a compromise could be reached. Whether the camp would have been able to protect the Saints had they been restored to their lands in Jackson is questionable. The combined Mormon force would have totaled between 400 and 500 men. On the other hand, 400 to 500 Missourians were involved in the destruction of Phelps' house and printing office on 20 July 1833. ... that 900 men from Jackson and 700 others from adjoining counties--undoubtedly inflated estimates--had been raised to attack the Mormons if they attempted a return. The destiny of Zion's Camp, in a real sense, was in Dunklin's hands. His promise of a guard was a precipitating factor in the camp's creation. And his decision not to provide armed assistance removed any opportunity for the camp to play a lawful role in recovering Mormon lands. Nevertheless, in retrospect it would seem that Joseph Smith had no other reasonable alternative at the 24 February council meeting but to respond as he did with the formation of Zion's Camp. Given the Mormons' belief in the eschatological significance of Jackson County, it was impossible for them simply to walk away from their holdings in Jackson without making some substantial effort toward their recovery, particularly with the governor's promise of help lingering in their minds. The camp was the embodiment of such an effort. It further brought into sharp focus just what the Mormons could expect from the Missouri government. Having made that effort and having tested the limits of governmental support, the leaders of the Church could move from a single minded concentration on Jackson County to examine other alternatives for the Latter-day Saints in Missouri. Peter Crawley and Richard L Anderson, "The Political and Social Realities of Zion's Camp", Brigham Young University Studies, Vol. 14, No. 4 - ------------------- Zion's Camp had its beginnings in the violent expulsion of the Mormons from Jackson County, Missouri, in early November 1833. News of the expulsion reached Joseph Smith and the members of the Church in Kirtland, Ohio, on 25 November.... ...Joseph Smith wrote to Edward Partridge, the bishop in Missouri, instructing Partridge to use the law to obtain redress, but not to sell any of the Mormon land. ... on 16 December 1833, Joseph Smith received a long revelation (now Doctrine and Covenants 101) concerning the Jackson County difficulties that was immediately printed in broadside form and circulated among the Saints in Ohio and Missouri. ... Explaining why the Latter-day Saints had been driven from Jackson, this revelation enjoined the elders to continue to use constitutional means to obtain redress. In addition, it suggested that the elders attempt to buy out their persecutors in Jackson County, and in this regard, the revelation asserted that at that moment there was enough money in the hands of the eastern branches of the Church to buy out the local Missourians and settle the Jackson County dispute. Most significant for the eventual organization of Zion's Camp, this revelation included a long parable of a nobleman and his vineyard that carried an implicit promise of armed assistance to the exiled Jackson County Mormons from the Church in Kirtland. In the course of this parable it is asked when this help would be forthcoming. The answer: "When I will." The Mormon leaders in Missouri lost little time in apprising Daniel Dunklin of the Jackson situation. ... A response from the governor came through his legal assistant two weeks later. ... From conversation I have had with the Governor, I believe I am warranted in saying to you, and through you to the Mormons, that if they desire to be replaced in possession of their property, that is, their houses in Jackson county, an adequate force will be sent forthwith to effect that object. ... If the Mormons will organize themselves into regular companies, or a regular company of militia, either volunteers or otherwise, they will, I have no doubt, be supplied with public arms. On 6 December 1833 a petition was sent to Governor Dunklin by the elders in Missouri. This petition specifically requested (1) assistance from the governor so that the Mormons could "be restored" to their homes in Jackson and (2) continuing military protection by either the state militia or a detachment of the United States Rangers until peace could be restored. The concluding paragraph requested a court of inquiry after arrangements had been made to protect the Mormons with an armed force, and here it was mentioned that such a force would be needed until the Missouri Mormons could "receive strength from our friends to protect ourselves"--an idea that ultimately would become the underlying concept in the formation of Zion's Camp. ... "The Governor has manifested a willingness to restore us back, and will if we request it; but this will be of little use unless he could leave a force there to help protect us; for the mob say, that three months shall not pass before they will drive us again. And he cannot leave a force without calling a special Legislature for that purpose ... If we could be placed back, and become organized into independent companies, and armed with power and liberty to stand in our own defense, it would be much better for us. ..." ... serious doubts that a fair court of inquiry could be held in Jackson County because a large part of the Mormons who would need to testify, particularly women and children, greatly feared violent reprisals from the local Missourians. Gilbert then offered a new suggestion: that the Mormons buy out the leaders of the anti-Mormon faction, thereby reducing agitation against the Saints. ... (1) After three months no progress had been made toward the recovery of the Mormons' possessions in Jackson County. (2) Governor Dunklin had promised to provide an armed force to guard the Mormons while they returned to their homes in Jackson. (3) The governor was unwilling to retain that force in the county after the Mormons had returned. (4) Unless an appropriate additional armed force--perhaps one made up of members of the Church from Kirtland and the eastern branches--remained in the county after their return, the Saints would certainly be driven from their homes again. (5) A fair court of inquiry probably could not be held in Jackson. ... Joseph Smith had little choice but to respond with a pledge of help from the Church in Kirtland. His failure to do so at this critical juncture would certainly have been interpreted as an abandonment of the Missouri Saints. ... Joseph Smith received a revelation (now Doctrine and Covenants 103) confirming the decision of the council and outlining the procedure for the expedition. This revelation also designated four pairs of elders to travel about the eastern branches of the Church to collect money and supplies and to recruit additional men. ... ... the court assembled in Independence. Twelve Mormon witnesses, including W. W. Phelps, Edward Partridge, and John Corrill, along with fifty of the Liberty Blues, were in town for the proceedings. After a three-hour wait, they were informed by Amos Rees and R. W. Wells that there was no hope of a criminal prosecution. The implacable hatred of the Jackson Countians was such that no Missourian could be convicted of a crime against the Mormons. ... Dunklin's terse reply ... discussed the Mormon arms that had been confiscated the preceding November. But it was strangely silent about the requested force to guard the Mormons back to their homes, failing even to acknowledge the news of the approaching reinforcements. ... The Mormons in this region are organizing an army (as they are pleased to express themselves) "to restore Zion,"--that is, to take by force of arms their former possessions in Jackson County, Mo. ... The response of the local Missourians was swift and violent. During the last week in April the county turned out en masse and burned nearly all of the 170 buildings belonging to the Mormons. ... Two objectives, then, were held by the camp as it marched out of Kirtland: to provide sufficient additional men so that the Mormons could protect themselves after they had been escorted back to their lands by the governor's force, and to supply means to sustain the Saints in Missouri until they again became self-supporting. It is apparent that the Mormons viewed Zion's Camp as operating in concert with the executive of Missouri to restore the civil rights of the Latter-day Saints in Jackson County. ... ... Hyde and Pratt returned to the camp with the news that the governor "refused to fulfill his promise of reinstating the brethren on their lands in Jackson County." Certainly Dunklin's response was unanticipated by the Mormons. ... ... sheriff of Clay County, rode up to the camp to confer with Joseph Smith. Gilliam received a statement of intention from the Mormons, which he published in the Clay County Upper Missouri Advertiser, that includes what might be considered the official version of the purpose of Zion's Camp at its termination: It is not our intention to commit hostilities against any man or body of men. It is not our intention to injure any man's person or property, except in defending ourselves. . . . It is our intention to go back upon our lands in Jackson county, by order of the Executive of the State, if possible. We have brought our arms with us for the purpose of self-defense, as it is well known to almost every man of the State that we have every reason to put ourselves in an attitude of defense, considering the abuse we have suffered in Jackson county. We are anxious for a settlement of the difficulties existing between us, upon honorable and constitutional principles. Several sources assert that one purpose of the camp was to carry supplies to the exiled Saints. But no evidence has materialized that any supplies were actually delivered to the Saints in Clay County. ... the Governor, who readily acknowledged the justice of the demand, but frankly told us he dare not attempt the execution of the laws in that respect, for fear of deluging the whole country in civil war and bloodshed. He advised us to relinquish our rights, for the sake of peace, and to sell our lands from which we had been driven. ... Dunklin had written to John Thornton, an influential Clay Countian, urging Thornton to effect a compromise between the Mormons and the Jackson citizens and suggesting that the best course would be for the local Missourians to buy out the Mormons. ... It is inconceivable, however, that the governor sincerely believed that a compromise could be reached. Whether the camp would have been able to protect the Saints had they been restored to their lands in Jackson is questionable. The combined Mormon force would have totaled between 400 and 500 men. On the other hand, 400 to 500 Missourians were involved in the destruction of Phelps' house and printing office on 20 July 1833. ... that 900 men from Jackson and 700 others from adjoining counties--undoubtedly inflated estimates--had been raised to attack the Mormons if they attempted a return. The destiny of Zion's Camp, in a real sense, was in Dunklin's hands. His promise of a guard was a precipitating factor in the camp's creation. And his decision not to provide armed assistance removed any opportunity for the camp to play a lawful role in recovering Mormon lands. Nevertheless, in retrospect it would seem that Joseph Smith had no other reasonable alternative at the 24 February council meeting but to respond as he did with the formation of Zion's Camp. Given the Mormons' belief in the eschatological significance of Jackson County, it was impossible for them simply to walk away from their holdings in Jackson without making some substantial effort toward their recovery, particularly with the governor's promise of help lingering in their minds. The camp was the embodiment of such an effort. It further brought into sharp focus just what the Mormons could expect from the Missouri government. Having made that effort and having tested the limits of governmental support, the leaders of the Church could move from a single minded concentration on Jackson County to examine other alternatives for the Latter-day Saints in Missouri. Peter Crawley and Richard L Anderson, "The Political and Social Realities of Zion's Camp", Brigham Young University Studies, Vol. 14, No. 4 - ------------------- ... the Missouri settlers in the early 1800s came mainly fro the southern states of Tennessee and Kentucky, and their culture differed widely from that of the first Mormons to arrive. ... [Stephen C. LeSueur]: ... Since colonial times, when impassioned citizens tarred and feathered tax collectors, dumped English tea into Boston harbor, and declared their independence from Great Britain, Americans have claimed the right to take the law into their own hands to enforce justice. Such violence has generally been conservative in purpose, and thus supported or tolerated by a large portion of the population. Vigilante organizations, often led by members of the local elite, acted to preserve established customs and practices against persons and groups that were perceived as a threat to society. ... the Mormon story as a flight from American religious pluralism or institutional religious diversity, which was actually a sub-theme of Jacksonian America. ... the Book of Mormon itself was anti-pluralistic as the Nephites tried to sustain and support a theocratic government which eventually succumbed to pluralism, materialism, and lack of belief in God by the greater Nephite-Lamanite society. ... These settlers had a firm belief in the importance of individualism and their ability to seek their own way. ... The Missouri settlers saw the Saints as a cohesive, anti-individualistic society with a closed economic system. ...most of the Mormons came from the North or Canada, bring radically different cultural mores. ... By 1830, some 1,200 Mormons had come to Jackson County, comprising about 30% of the population. ... The Latter-day Saints themselves believed Mormon and gentile societies were incompatible. The revelations to Joseph Smith identified Jackson as Zion, and Zion was to be the abode of the righteous only. If the gentiles did not leave, the Saints believed, the Lord would destroy them. ..."We could not associate with our neighbors who were many of them of the basest of men and hadfled from the face of civilized society, to the frontier country to escape the hand of justice, in their midnight revels, their Sabbath breaking, horse racing, and gambling, they commenced at first to ridicule, then to persecute." ... Another problem arose over the Mormons' friendship to the Indians. ... ... Missouri was a slave state, while the Mormons were anti-slavery and sympathized with the abolitionist movement. ... John L. Fowles, "Missouri and the Redemption of Zion: A Setting for Conflict," Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History: Missouri, Editors Arnold K. Garr and Clark V. Johnson (Department of Church History and Doctrine, Brigham Young University, 1994). - ------------------- [Commentary, the tendency with our church history is to put a pretty face or faithful face on EVERY situation. Zion's camp was a botched vigilante attempt. They were armed and dangerous, they were not using due process. Zion's vengeance was a mob just like so many lawless mobs that the Mormons detested. The redeeming quality of the Mormon semi-militia was that it failed to engage in battle, which would not have promoted the cause of Zion. A mob is a mob is a mob, just because they are Mormons does not mean that mob becomes a camping trip. Mislabeling the intent of the group does not prepare us to face reality beyond the vail.] - --------------------- To help the Missouri Saints, Joseph Smith arrived in June 1834 at the head of Zion's Camp, a paramilitary body of Latter-day Saints from the East. All efforts to achieve either reentry into Jackson County or redress of grievances came to naught. Outright war between Missourians and Mormons seemed imminent. By revelation (D&C 105) Joseph Smith was told to disband the camp because Zion could not yet be redeemed; bloodshed was thereby averted. - ------------------------- The published history of Zion's Camp gives an account of the bones of a man which we dug out of a mound. His name was Zelph. The Lord showed the Prophet the hsitroy of the man in a vision. The arrow, by which he was killed, was found among his bones. One of his thigh bones was broken by a stone slung in battle. The bone was put into my wagon, and I carried it to clay county, Missouri, and buried it in the earth. - -- Wilford Woodruff, Leaves From My Journal, Third Book of the Faith-Promoting Series (Juvenile Instructor Office: Salt Lake City, 1881) - -------------------------- Avilda Diena Hickman was the daughter of the "notorious" William Adams Hickman, is mentioned in the multi-volume History of the Church (attributed to Joseph Smith), and in Essentials in Church History by Joseph Fielding Smith. These mentions are brief, and not very complimentary. He is also the subject of a well-researched biography by Hope Hilton, entitled "'Wild Bill' Hickman and the Mormon Frontier." When Joseph Smith took Zion's Camp from Kirtland to Missouri? As they passed through Missouri, the passed by Hickman's farm. He heard their story and joined the church. He later moved to Nauvoo. He acted as bodyguard to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and in Utah was plurally married to ten women at once. However, to make a long story short, he had a falling out with Brigham Young which led to Hickman testifying against Young in federal court in exchange for charges against him being dropped. While in prison, Hickman was contacted by John Beadle, a venomous anti-Mormon writer, who asked Hickman for the right to publish his life story. Hickman dictated his story to Beadle, who published it under the title of "Brigham's Destroying Angel, Being the Life, Confession, and Startling Disclosures of the Notorious Bill Hickman, the Danite Chief of Utah". Hickman is said to have tried to disassociate himself from the book, saying that "it was all a lie", embellished beyond recognition by Beadle for the purpose of slandering the church, and especially Brigham Young. At any rate, Hickman was ostracized from the church, and from Utah society, and all but his first wife left him, and some of them even changed the surnames of Hickman's children. Hickman and his wife died (in 1883 and 1886) in the hills of Wyoming in obscurity. - ------------------------- LeRoy S. Wirthlin, "Joseph Smith's Surgeon," Ensign 8 (March 1978): 59. Happily, for young Joseph, Dr. Smith's plans to leave the area had been delayed by a typhoid epidemic. Joseph Smith could scarcely have led the long march of Zion's Camp years later without this dramatic medical help. - --------------------- ------------------------------ End of gdm Digest V1 #21 ************************ To subscribe to gdm Digest, send the command: subscribe gdm-digest in the body of a message to "majordomo@xmission.com". 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