Lesson 29 -- "The rest of the story"

The Prophet Joseph Smith’s Red Brick Store

This week I am going to follow a little different format. Instead of providing a recap of the class material from Sunday, 8/16/09, I would like to post some suggested outside reading and then get directly into the "rest of the story."

There were quite a few items relating to the main topic of discussion (organization in 1842 of the Relief Society) that I had come across in preparation for last week's class. I thought it would be nice to provide links to these so that followers can look them up if they are so inclined. Enjoy!

Minutes from the first organizing meeting of the Relief Society on March 17, 1842:


http://www.boap.org/LDS/Parallel/1842/17Mar42.html


This meeting is further explained in Chapter 39 of Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith: http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=7ca8b00367c45110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=da135f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Photo and information about the Red Brick Store where the meeting took place and where many other important Nauvoo era events happened including where the first endowments were performed:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Brick_Store

Photo and bio of Sarah Granger Kimball:


http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/people/sarah_kimball.html

Skit by Becky Schultz of Sandy, UT, highlighting the history of the Relief Society:


http://www.theideadoor.com/RS/history_of_relief_society_program.htm

President Gordon B. Hinkley speaks on the subject of "The Women in Our Lives":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkUwh1YUMtE

And now... "the rest of the story:"

In the Doctrine & Covenants Section 124: 1-7, the Prophet Joseph Smith was commanded to write a proclamation to the world. This document was worked on by him and various other Church leaders from 1841 to 1844. The Quorum of the Twelve then finished and published it on April 6, 1845. See http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/proclamationoftwelve.htm for the complete document as it was published in New York City, Nauvoo and London. B. H. Roberts and Brigham Young both credit Parley P. Pratt as its principal author, although it should properly be read as a collaboration.

Some highlights:

"Being established in these last days for the restoration of all things spoken by the prophets since the world began; and in order to prepare the way for the coming of the Son of Man. And we now bear witness that his coming is near at hand; and not many years hence, the nations and their kings shall see him coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. In order to meet this great event there must needs be a preparation. Therefore we send unto you with authority from on high, and command you all to repent and humble yourselves as little children, before the majesty of the Holy One; and come unto Jesus with a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and be baptized in his name, for the remission of sins (that is, be buried in the water in the likeness of his burial and rise again to newness of life, in the likeness of his resurrection), and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, through the laying on of the hands of the Apostles and elders, of this great and last dispensation of mercy to man. This Spirit shall bear witness to you, of the truth of our testimony; and shall enlighten your minds, and be in you as the spirit of prophecy and revelation. It shall bring things past to your understanding and remembrance; and shall show you things to come. It shall also impart unto you many great and glorious gifts; such as the gift of healing the sick, and of being healed, by the laying on of hands in the name of Jesus; and of expelling Demons; and even of seeing visions, and conversing with Angels and spirits from the unseen world. By the light of this Spirit, received through the ministration of the ordinances—by the power and authority of the Holy Apostleship and Priesthood, you will be enabled to understand, and to be the children of light; and thus be prepared to escape all the things that are coming on the earth, and so stand before the Son of Man. We testify that the foregoing doctrine is the doctrine or gospel of Jesus Christ, in its fulness; and that it is the only true, everlasting, and unchangeable gospel; and the only plan revealed on earth whereby man can be saved..."

"There is also another consideration of vast importance to all the rulers and people of the world, in regard to this matter. It is this: As this work progresses in its onward course, and becomes more and more an object of political and religious interest and excitement, no king, ruler, or subject, no community or individual, will stand neutral. All will at length be influenced by one spirit or the other; and will take sides either for or against the kingdom of God, and the fulfilment of the prophets, in the great restoration and return of his long dispersed covenant people..."

"You ask, What can be done? We answer: Protect the Saints; give them their rights; extend the broad banner of the Constitution and laws over their homes, cities, fire-sides, wives, and children; that they may CEASE to be BUTCHERED, MARTYRED, ROBBED, PLUNDERED, AND DRIVEN, and may peaceably proceed in the work assigned them by their God. Execute the Law upon the offenders, and thus rid your garments of INNOCENT BLOOD. Pass acts, also, to indemnify them in the millions they have lost, by your cruel and criminal neglect. Contribute liberally of your substance for their aid, and for the fulfilment of their mission..."

In October 1975, President Ezra Taft Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve quoted part of the above document in general conference and declared that the Church was once again proclaiming these truths to the world and calling on world leaders to open their doors to the preaching of the Gospel in latter days.

The transition from Missouri to Nauvoo ushered in a great era of missionary work for the Church. Nauvoo became the gathering place as the Quorum of the Twelve led the way serving foreign missions in the early years of the city (1939-1942).

Sacrifices of Nauvoo Missionaries

"As the Saints began to construct homes and plant crops, many of them became ill with the ague, an infectious disease that included fever and chills. The sick included most of the Twelve and Joseph Smith himself. On 22 July 1839 the Prophet arose from his bed of sickness with the power of God resting upon him. Using the power of the priesthood, he healed himself and the sick in his own house, then commanded those camping in tents in his dooryard to be made whole. Many people were healed. The Prophet went from tent to tent and from house to house, blessing everyone. It was one of the great days of faith and healing in Church history.
During this period, the Prophet called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to go to England on missions. Elder Orson Hyde, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, was sent to Jerusalem to dedicate Palestine for the gathering of the Jewish people and other children of Abraham. Missionaries were sent to preach throughout the United States and eastern Canada, and Addison Pratt and others received calls to go to the Pacific Islands.
These brethren made great sacrifices as they left their homes and families to respond to their calls to serve the Lord. Many members of the Twelve were struck with the ague as they prepared to depart for England. Wilford Woodruff, who was very ill, left his wife, Phoebe, almost without food and the necessities of life. George A. Smith, the youngest Apostle, was so sick that he had to be carried to the wagon, and a man who saw him asked the driver if they had been robbing the graveyard. Only Parley P. Pratt, who took his wife and children with him, his brother Orson Pratt, and John Taylor were free from disease as they left Nauvoo, although Elder Taylor later became terribly ill and almost died as they traveled to New York City.
Brigham Young was so ill that he was unable to walk even a short distance without assistance, and his companion, Heber C. Kimball, was no better. Their wives and families, too, lay suffering. When the Apostles reached the crest of a hill a short distance from their homes, both lying in a wagon, they felt as though they could not endure leaving their families in so pitiful a condition. At Heber’s suggestion, they struggled to their feet, waved their hats over their heads, and shouted three times, “Hurrah, Hurrah, for Israel.” Their wives, Mary Ann and Vilate, gained strength enough to stand and, leaning against the door frame, they cried out, “Good-bye, God bless you.” The two men returned to their wagon beds with a spirit of joy and satisfaction at seeing their wives standing instead of lying sick in bed.
The families remaining behind demonstrated their faith as they sacrificed to support those who had accepted mission calls. When Addison Pratt was called to a mission in the Sandwich Islands, his wife, Louisa Barnes Pratt, explained: “My four children had to be schooled and clothed, and no money would be left with me. … My heart felt weak at the first, but I determined to trust in the Lord, and stand bravely before the ills of life, and rejoice that my husband was counted worthy to preach the gospel.”
Louisa and her children went to the dock to bid farewell to their husband and father. After they returned home, Louisa reported that “sadness took possession of our minds. It was not long till loud thunders began to roar. A family, living across the street, had a leaky house; frail and uncertain. Soon they all came over for safety through the storm. Thankful we were to see them come in; they talked comforting to us, sang hymns, and the brother prayed with us, and stayed till the storm was over.”
Not long after Addison’s departure, his young daughter contracted smallpox. The disease was so contagious that there was real danger to any priesthood brother who might come to the Pratts, so Louisa prayed with faith and “rebuked the fever.” Eleven little pimples came out on her daughter’s body, but the disease never developed. In a few days the fever was gone. Louisa wrote, “I showed the child to one acquainted with that disease; he said it was an attack; that I had conquered it by faith.”
Those missionaries who left Nauvoo at such sacrifice brought thousands into the Church. Many of those who were converted also displayed remarkable faith and courage. Mary Ann Weston lived in England with the William Jenkins family while learning dressmaking. Brother Jenkins was converted to the gospel, and Wilford Woodruff came to the house to visit the family. Only Mary Ann was home at the time. Wilford sat by the fire and sang, “Shall I for fear of feeble man, the Spirit’s course in me restrain.” Mary Ann watched him as he sang and remembered that “he looked so peaceful and happy, I thought he must be a good man, and the Gospel he preached must be true.”
Through her association with Church members, Mary Ann was soon converted and baptized—the only member of her family to respond to the message of the restored gospel. She married a member of the Church, who died four months later, due in part to a beating he received at the hands of a mob intent on disrupting a Church gathering. All alone, she boarded a ship filled with other Latter-day Saints bound for Nauvoo, leaving her home, her friends, and her unbelieving parents. She never saw her family again.
Her courage and commitment eventually blessed the lives of many people. She married Peter Maughan, a widower, who settled Cache Valley in northern Utah. There she raised a large, faithful family, who honored both the Church and her name" [Our Heritage, pp. 55-58].

Wilford Woodruff in England

Within a few months after arriving in England, Elder Wilford Woodruff had baptized and confirmed many people. Then he had the following experience:
“I … met with a large assembly of Saints and strangers, and while singing the first hymn the spirit of the Lord rested upon me and the voice of God said to me, ‘This is the last meeting that you will hold with this people for many days.’ I was astonished at this, as I had many appointments out in that district. When I arose to speak to the people, I told them that it was the last meeting I should hold with them for many days. They were as much astonished as I was. At the close of the meeting four persons came forward for baptism; we went down into the water and baptized them.
“In the morning I went in secret before the Lord, and asked Him what was His will concerning me. The answer I received was that I should go to the south; for the Lord had a great work for me to perform there, as many souls were waiting for His word.”
For the next two days he traveled south until he came to the farm of John Benbow in Herefordshire. Mr. Benbow and his wife, Jane, received him gladly and said that there was a company of over 600 men and women who had formed their own congregation called the United Brethren. Elder Woodruff said:
“This body of United Brethren were searching for light and truth, but had gone as far as they could, and were calling upon the Lord continually to open the way before them and send them light and knowledge, that they might know the true way to be saved. When I heard these things I could clearly see why the Lord had commanded me, while in the town of Hanley, to leave that place of labor and go to the south; for in Herefordshire there was a great harvest-field for gathering many saints into the Kingdom of God.”
Elder Woodruff’s efforts in this area of England enabled him “to bring into the Church, through the blessings of God, over eighteen hundred souls during eight months, including all of the six hundred United Brethren except one person” (in Wilford Woodruff: History of His Life and Labors, ed. Matthias F. Cowley [1909], 116–19).

Elder Harold B. Lee summarized what happened during this remarkable time:
“In one year, 1840 to 1841—one year and fourteen days, to be exact—nine members of the twelve were called to labor in the British Mission. If you remember the history [in Nauvoo], those years marked the period of some of the severest persecution that the Church was to undergo in this dispensation. In that one year and fourteen days the nine members of the twelve, with their associates, established churches in every noted town and city in the kingdom of Great Britain. They baptized between 7000 and 8000 converts. They printed 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon, 3000 hymnbooks, and 50,000 tracts, … and [they] emigrated 1000 souls to America” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1960, 108).

Want to read more? For an in depth account of the missionary work accomplished in England during this time period see: "The Twelve in England," Chapter 24, Ivan J. Barrett, Joseph Smith and the Restoration, A History of the LDS Church to 1846, Provo: BYU Press, 1973, pp. 453-476.

Next week, August 23rd, we will take a look at the temple ordinance of Baptism for the Dead. Reading assignment: Doctrine and Covenants 2; 124:25–55; 127; 128; Joseph Smith—History 1:36–39; Our Heritage,pages 58–60.