A Young Folks' History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Part 5

CHAPTER XII.

THE LAND OF ZION.

The Book of Mormon (13th chapter of Ether) tells us that this land of America is a "choice land above all other lands;" and the Lord has said that the people who lived here must serve him or in time be destroyed. This you will remember was proved so often in the history of the Nephites.

Strictly speaking, the whole of America is the land of Zion, but the Lord revealed to Joseph that there should be a "center place," where a great city should be build which should be called the city of Zion, or the New Jerusalem. This city will be the capital or in the center of a large district of country full of people who serve the Lord. A grand temple will be built in the central city, and the glory of the Lord will rest upon it by day and by night. Then shall there be peace in the earth for a thousand years, and the Saints will be busy working to save all the people who live or have ever lived on the earth. Jesus with his angels will no doubt visit the earth from time to time to look after his work at this glorious period.

Now all this was to have a beginning, one of these small beginnings we have spoken about.

June 7th, 1831, the Prophet Joseph received a revelation instructing him and twenty-eight other elders to go on missions. They were to travel two and two by different routes through the Western states, preaching the gospel and building up the Church on the way. They were to meet in the state of Missouri about a thousand miles from Kirtland and there hold a conference. At this time, if they were faithful, the Lord would reveal to them the location of the central place and the spot where the temple should sometime stand.

The brethren went on their missions as they had been instructed, and Joseph and his party arrived at Independence, Missouri, about the middle of July, 1831. Oliver Cowdery and the other brethren who had been sent on the mission to the Indians, you will recollect, stopped at Independence. They were very glad to meet Joseph and his companions again.

Shortly after the prophet's arrival, the Lord made known the exact spot for the city of Zion. It is where the town of Independence is located, in Jackson County, Missouri, and the site for the temple was pointed out as lying westward on a lot not far from the court house.

Some of the Saints now moved to Jackson county, the first to arrive being what was called the Colesville Branch of the Church. These Saints had come from Colesville, State of New York, having stopped but a short time near Kirtland.

The first step towards the founding of Zion was taken on the 2nd day of August, 1831. On that day twelve men, of which Joseph was one, carried and placed the first log for the first house. This was in Kaw towns.h.i.+p, twelve miles west of Independence, where the Colesville branch was locating.

Sidney Rigdon then dedicated the land. The next day eight of the brethren went to the temple lot, and Joseph dedicated that sacred spot.

Shortly after, Joseph with some of the other brethren went to Kirtland.

The Saints were now instructed to buy land in the region around that they might possess it for an inheritance. At that time Missouri was not thickly settled. There was much government land which could be bought for one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. Sidney Gilbert was appointed an agent to receive money and purchase land, and Bishop Edward Partridge was chosen to divide the land among the Saints. The rich were told to divide with the poor that all might have land.

The Saints were especially warned that they must keep all the commandments which the Lord gave to them or they would not be allowed to remain and build up Zion at that time, but they first would have to go through much tribulation, and be "scourged from city to city." You will see presently how this prediction was fulfilled.

The first winter the Saints were not very comfortably housed, as they had arrived too late to raise crops or build good houses. The next spring, however, many Saints arrived, and they soon had growing fields and gardens.

The Prophet visited them again early in the spring, held meetings, and greatly encouraged the Saints. In June, 1832, the first paper published by the Latter-day Saints was begun at Independence. It was called _The Evening and Morning Star_, and was the only paper in that part of the country.

Thus the Saints prospered; but a time of persecution, long and fierce, was before them.

Topics.--1. The center place of Zion. 2. Gathering to Missouri.

Questions and Review.--1. Where is the land of Zion? 2. What is said in the Book of Mormon about this land? 3. Where is Jackson county? 4. What place is now nearly the center of the United States? 5. What river flows by Jackson county? 6. Where will the New Jerusalem be built? 7. What kind of city will it be? 8. When, where, and how was the foundation of Zion laid?

9. Where is the temple lot? 10. Who dedicated it? 11. What was the Colesville Branch? 12. How were the Saints to obtain the land of Zion? 13.

What were the duties of Sidney Gilbert and Edward Partridge? 14. When did Joseph visit Jackson county the second time?

CHAPTER XIII.

PERSECUTION IN JACKSON COUNTY.

A great many of the old settlers of Jackson county, meaning those who were there before the Saints, were of a s.h.i.+ftless, ignorant cla.s.s from the Southern States. They made but little improvement in their homes, being content to live in small, log huts, many of them without windows or board floors. They all believed it right to have negro slaves. They were also eager to hold public office.

At that time there were also many persons in western Missouri who had fled from the east on account of crimes which they had committed. Being near the boundary line of the United States, these persons would need only to cross the line into Mexico to be safe if an officer should come after them.

You will readily see by this what kind of neighbors the new settlers had.

Of course the Saints could not join with these wicked people in their horse racing, Sabbath breaking, idleness, drunkenness, and other things which the Missourians took delight in. Most of the Saints were from the Eastern and Northern States and did not believe in slavery. They worked hard, and as the land produced good crops, they were soon prospering, while their idle neighbors remained in poverty.

All this naturally led the Missourians to hate the "Mormons," and as early as the spring of 1832 they began to molest them by throwing stones into their houses, etc. That same fall mobs began to come against the Saints, burning some of their hay and shooting into their houses.

In April, 1833, the mobbers held a meeting at Independence to discuss plans whereby they could rid the county of the "Mormons." However, the meeting broke up in a row. July 20th, they held another meeting which was more successful. An address was read to the people wherein the Saints were falsely accused of all manner of wrong doings. It also set forth that no more "Mormons" must settle in Jackson county; that the "Mormons" already there should be given a reasonable time to sell their property and then remove; that the printing of their paper must cease; that the stores of the Saints must close up their business as soon as possible; and that the leading brethren should use their influence to have the Saints comply with these requests. The meeting agreed to all this and a committee was appointed to wait on the leaders of the Saints to see what they would do about it. When the committee called, the brethren asked for time to consider the matter, but fifteen minutes only were given them. Nothing could be done in that short time, so the committee went back to the meeting and reported.

The mob then broke loose, yelling like a band of wild Indians. They went to the house and printing office of W.W. Phelps, forced Mrs. Phelps and the children, one of whom was sick, out of the house and threw the furniture out in the street. They then destroyed the printing press and tore the office down. Then they went through the town hunting for the leading brethren. They caught Bishop Edward Partridge and Charles Allen, dragged them to the public square, stripped most of their clothes off, and then smeared tar all over their bodies. This ended that day's work, and the frightened women and children who had fled to the woods came back to their homes.

The third day after this a mob of five hundred men came into Independence.

They were armed with guns, knives, and whips, and they swore they would kill or whip all who would not agree to leave. The leading brethren, seeing that it was no longer of any use to plead or resist, made an agreement with the mob that they with their families would leave the county by the first of January, and that they would use their influence in trying to induce the rest of the Saints to leave, one-half by January 1st, the rest by April 1st, 1834. They were also to use all the means they could to prevent more of the Saints from settling in the county. The mob for their part agreed not to persecute the Saints while this was being done.

The mob, however, did not keep this promise, but daily broke into houses and abused the inmates.

The Saints now appealed to the highest officer of the state, Governor Dunklin, for protection. He told them that the laws were able to protect everybody in their rights, and advised the Saints to have those arrested who threatened them, and have them tried in court for their misdeeds.

This, seemingly, was very good advice, and would have worked all right under other circ.u.mstances; but when it is remembered that the very officers--the constable who would have to do the arresting, the judge who would try the cases, and in fact all concerned--were men who were themselves leaders of the mob, you will see how useless such a course would be. However, the Saints engaged four lawyers to protect them in the courts.

This made the mobbers more angry than ever, and they made preparation for further action against the Saints.

"We will rid Jackson county of the "Mormons"," they said, "peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must. If they will not go without, we will whip and kill the men; we will destroy the children, and abuse their women."

The Saints now resolved to defend themselves, and the men gathered in small bodies, armed with guns.

On the night of October 31, 1833, a mob marched to the Whitmer settlement of the Saints where they whipped several of the brethren to death, drove the women and children into the woods, and tore the roofs from about a dozen houses.

The next night an attack was made upon the Saints living at Independence. A party of brethren went to the aid of the Saints, and found a mob tearing down the store of Gilbert, Whitney & Co. The mobbers fled, but the brethren captured one of them in the act of throwing brick-bats through the window.

They brought him to a justice of the peace to have papers made out for the mobber's arrest. The justice would not do it, so the man was released.

Three days after, this same mobber had the brethren arrested. It was no trouble for him to get papers from the same justice. As one of the brethren remarked at the time, "Although we could not obtain a warrant against him for breaking open the store, he had gotten one for us for catching him at it!"

Topics.--1. The character of the early Missourians. 2. Mobbers' meetings in Independence. 3. Work of the mob.

Questions and Review.--1. From what sections did most of the early settlers of Missouri come? 2. From what section did the Saints come? 3.

What difference of opinion existed between the people of the north and the people of the south? 4. Why did the Missourians hate the "Mormons?" 5. Why did many outlaws come to Missouri? 6. What did the mobbers want the Saints to promise? 7. What advice did Governor Dunklin give? 8. Why did the law not protect the Saints? 9. How was Bishop Partridge abused? 10. Tell about the arrest of the four brethren.

CHAPTER XIV.

EXPULSION FROM JACKSON COUNTY.

In this small history, an account of all that happened in Missouri during those cruel times can not be given; but enough can be told to show you what the Saints had to endure in the early days of the Church. If you will but think of the sufferings the boys and girls must have gone through when the mobs tore the roofs from their houses, drove them out on the prairies to go hungry and cold, and killed or whipped their fathers, you may then appreciate G.o.d's blessings to you who live in peace and comfort.

The persecutions, which began in earnest October 31st, 1833, continued day after day. On November 2nd a mob attacked a settlement on Big Blue River.

They unroofed one house and were beating a brother by the name of Bennett, who was sick in bed, when a party of brethren came to the rescue. There was some firing of guns between them, and a mobber was wounded in the leg.

On November 4th as a band of mobbers started out to make a raid on the Saints, word was sent to the brethren, and thirty of them soon gathered to withstand the mob. A battle ensued in which two of the mobbers were killed.