Early History Archives - Mormon History

A New History Series from the Mormon Church

Guest Author — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 21:59:15 +0000

Saints: The Story of The Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days is being released in 2018. It is an innovative approach, written in narrative style, which has many different narratives woven into it. It starts from before Joseph Smith’s First Vision and goes to the present day. “The history will not be a reference work, but a narrative based on well-researched facts. . . We believe this will be valuable to Church members to greatly enhance their knowledge of Church history in an interesting way” (Elder Steven E. Snow).

It has been 90 years since the last detailed text of the Church was published. Elder Steven E. Snow, General Authority Seventy, says “Obviously much has happened since 1930. We have a team in our department working very hard to complete a four-volume history of the Church entitled Saints. It will be written in a style similar to James Michener or David McCullough” (Church Historian Announces New 4-Volume History of the Church, R. Scott Lloyd).

The first chapter of this book is available online in the February issue of the Ensign and Liahona magazines. The chapters and topics will be released every month in the magazines until it is published. It is also available in the Gospel Library app in 47 languages and as an audiobook in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Art of Nauvoo by Greg Newbold will be featured on the cover of Volume 1.

Here is a quick summary of what each volume of the books cover:

Volume 1 covers the history of the Church to the dedication of the Nauvoo Temple
Volume 2 covers the western exodus of the Latter-day Saints to the Salt Lake Temple dedication
Volume 3 covers the first half of the 20^th century to the dedication of the Swiss Temple
Volume 4 covers today and some of the temples around the world

So far, the plan is to publish the volumes of one per year from 2018-2021. “At the same time these volumes are released in print they will be available online at no cost. . . They will be published in an inexpensive paperback format, as we are desirous that as many Church members as possible read them. They have been carefully researched and contain many stories of faith previously unknown to most Latter-day Saints” (R. Scott Lloyd).

“They are written at a 9^th or 10^th grade level and the volumes will be published in all 13 languages that Church-published content is available on the internet. Endnotes and references, especially in the online version, will take interested readers to additional information, videos, articles, etc., in which they may have additional interest” (Elder Steven E. Snow).

I am interested in the new volumes coming out. I think that the narrative style is a fantastic way to learn about the history of the Church. It makes the history fun to learn when you get to read stories about the people that are in the books.

http://media2.ldscdn.org/assets/mormon-channel/saints/2018-07-0010-1-ask-in-faith-64k-eng.mp3

Historian Steven C. Harper shares an insider’s peek into the groundbreaking new series. Saints 1815-1846: The Standard of Truth.

Gospel Library App

LDS.org

Guest Author

Picturing History: John Young Home, Mendon, New York

Ashley Morales — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 04:45:42 +0000

This article was originally published in the Deseret News on July 26th, 2017.

Brigham Young was born to John and Nabby Young at Whitingham, Vermont, in 1801. At about age 16, Brigham was told by his father that he was old enough to go out on his own and provide for himself. His mother had just passed away.

His father, John Young, later moved to the area of Mendon, New York. Eventually, Brigham and his ailing wife, Miriam, also moved to Mendon on the back part of his father’s property. They were all practicing members of the Reformed Methodist Church.

In 1832, Brigham, Miriam, John and all of Brigham’s immediate family joined the Church of Christ, later The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All stayed active in the LDS Church throughout their lives.

According to Larry C. Porter, Brigham built a house for his father on his father’s property in Mendon. For some reason, that structure was subsequently divided in two. Half was moved across the street with each part facing the other from opposite sides of Cheese Factory Road. Over time, both portions were added on to, essentially creating two new homes. Both of those altered structures still stand. (See Larry C. Porter, “Brigham Young: The Man for the Hour Will Be Ready Whenever the Hour Strikes,” BYU Speeches, Jan. 27, 1998.)

They are owned by the LDS Church, but they are used as private residences.

Kenneth Mays is a board member of the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation and a retired instructor in the LDS Church’s Department of Seminaries and Institutes.

Ashley Morales

Frequently whimsical and overly optimistic about how much time it will take to do things, Ashley Morales is deeply passionate about the gospel and all kinds of creativity. Her hobbies include philosophically analyzing nearly every book, play, video game, and movie that she consumes, writing music and short stories, promising herself that she will finish writing her novels, going to sleep too late, eating foods she’s never tried, putting off cleaning her house, browsing Zillow, spending as much quality time as possible with her wonderful husband, trying to be a good mother to her fantastic children, and never finding the balance between saying too much and too little. One day, she hopes to leave a positive mark on the world and visit every continent (except Antarctica) with her family.

Pioneering 101: The Characteristics of Pioneers, as Described by President Hinckley

Ashley Morales — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 00:21:43 +0000

As Latter-day Saints, the word “pioneer” tends to conjure mental images of handcart companies trudging toward the Utah desert and all the suffering that accompanied such journeys. Perhaps some people also think about modern-day pioneers—Saints who are the first or only members in their families. Still, what exactly is the definition of a pioneer? Can any Latter-Day Saint become one?

Fear not, friends! This question need not keep you up at night any longer. In the fourth chapter of Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Gordon B. Hinckley, we can read about the reflections of our beloved former prophet on this very subject. He believed that “each of us is a pioneer in his own life, often in his own family.” Basically, honoring and becoming pioneers requires that we actively nurture the following five essential characteristics within ourselves.

Working Together, by Olinda H. Reynolds. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Faith in Jesus Christ

This is the solution to almost every problem that arises in our path from mortality to exaltation, so we’re used to hearing it. However, President Hinckley offered some revealing insights into what it means by recounting the experiences of the pioneers.

He pointed out, “It was through eyes of faith that they saw a city beautiful [Nauvoo] when they first walked across the swamps of Commerce, Illinois.” After persecution and the death of Joseph Smith, he remarked, “Again, it was by faith that they pulled themselves together under the pattern he had previously drawn and organized themselves for another exodus.” President Hinckley further noted that when the pioneers trekked across the American Midwest, it was “with faith [that] they established Winter Quarters on the Missouri [River]” and continued moving west despite the suffering and death that defined their stay. Finally, President Hinckley observed, “It was by faith that Brigham Young looked over [the Salt Lake] valley, then hot and barren, and declared, ‘This is the place.’”

Quoting Paul explaining that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1), President Hinckley extolled the pioneers’ ability to bring their faith to reality through hard work and confidence in God. Faith is more than simply acknowledging that the Lord is able to do what He says He can do. Living with eyes of faith means being able to perceive the “evidence of things not seen”—a thriving city in a swamp, new beginnings in death, springtime in a horrible winter, and Zion in a desert. Pioneers have faith to see what can and should be, guided in their optimism by their conviction that if the Lord could create wine out of water, prophets out of common folk, and saints out of sinners, then He can surely make a beacon out of a barren valley and a rolling church out of a few struggling handcart pullers.

The Lord Himself embodied this kind of faith. For example, He was able to see world-changing apostles in lowly men, including humble fishermen. His Atonement attests to the enormous potential He saw in each person for whose sins and afflictions He suffered.

Calling of the Fishermen (Christ Calling Peter and Andrew), by Harry Anderson. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Faith means to see what cannot be seen—and then to act upon it. Pioneers have this kind of faith.

Active Involvement in the Building of Zion

The hardships endured by the pioneers are nearly unimaginable to us. Many of us live in a time and place in which modern conveniences are commonplace, and we rarely feel the stings of plague, starvation, and fatal exhaustion.

Expressing his admiration of Brigham Young and the pioneers, President Hinckley remarked, “They were tired. Their clothes were worn. Their animals were jaded. The weather was hot and dry—the hot weather of July. But here they were, looking down the years and dreaming a millennial dream, a grand dream of Zion.”

Consider everything that you own and enjoy—your job, house, furniture, electricity, plumbing, entertainment center, social prestige, etc. Imagine leaving every single shred of it behind. What would compel you to do that? What could possibly be worth giving all of that up?

If you would do it for a place where people are “pure in heart” (Doctrine and Covenants 97:21) and “of one heart and mind and [dwell] in righteousness” with “no poor among them” (Moses 7:18), then you may be a pioneer. If Zion—the City of Holiness, in which all things are consecrated for the kingdom of God—is your ultimate goal, then you may be a pioneer.

Pushing, Pulling and Praying, Bound for Zion, by E. Kimball Warren. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

As President Hinckley observed regarding the pioneers’ westward movement, “It was an arduous and fearsome journey. They had doubts, yes. But their faith rose above those doubts. Their optimism rose above their fears. They had their dream of Zion, and they were on their way to fulfill it.”

Zion represents the pinnacle and the ideal of Latter-Day Saint life. Pioneers dream of and prioritize Zion.

Willingness to Sacrifice

Closely related to the concept of Zion is the principle of sacrifice, especially with regard to your materials, time, and even life, so that you can benefit other people. President Hinckley used the example of the plight of the Willie and Martin handcart companies to illustrate this point.

When they were nearing the Salt Lake Valley but in real danger of perishing, President Hinckley recalled that Brigham Young organized rescue efforts while declaring, “That is my religion; that is the dictation of the Holy Ghost that I possess. It is to save the people… I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains.”

Helping the Martin Handcart Company across the Sweetwater River, by Clark Kelley Price. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Although he was grateful that many of us don’t have to pass through the same kinds of afflictions that the pioneers did, President Hinckley was quick to remind us that we should not rest comfortably. He said, “There are so many who are hungry and destitute across this world who need help… We have some of our own who cry out in pain and suffering and loneliness and fear… There are so many young people who wander aimlessly… There are widows who long for friendly voices… There are those who were once warm in the faith, but whose faith has grown cold.” Fervently, he encouraged us to be a church where “strong hands and loving hearts will warm them, comfort them, sustain them, and put them on the way of happy and productive lives.”

Like the pioneers who risked their own safety to help their struggling brothers and sisters in the Willie and Martin handcart companies, we are called to make sacrifices to reach out and improve the circumstances of those around us. Dangers must be braved, luxuries must be disregarded, and pride must be extinguished in favor of being a source of light and hope to others.

Sacrifice is the spirit of Zion and the legacy of our Lord. Pioneers exemplify it.

Honor Those Who Came Before You

Imagine working diligently to create something beautifully and passing it on to your posterity as a special heirloom, expecting them to cherish and perhaps improve upon it. Instead, they simply neglect or even destroy it.

No doubt this was a concern for the pioneers. They persevered through persecution, poverty, sickness, and death to preserve the gospel and find a place to live the ways of God peacefully, praying that their descendants would carry on their work. Nevertheless, the church continues to deal with enemies and see precious souls of infinite worth become discouraged and fall away.

The Church has grown miraculously against all odds, but it could still grow much faster and become stronger if we make greater efforts to respect our pioneer heritage. That’s not limited to people who can trace their genealogy to anyone who pushed a handcart across the plains. President Hinckley explained, “Whether you have pioneer ancestry or came into the church only yesterday, you are a part of this whole grand picture of which those men and women dreamed. Theirs was a tremendous undertaking. Ours is a great continuing responsibility. They laid the foundation. Ours is the duty to build on it.”

Handcart Pioneers Arrive in Salt Lake, by Clark Kelley Price. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

The pioneers themselves were building on foundations that had preceded them. The Bible and Book of Mormon abound with the teachings of prophets and disciples who passed on their wisdom and knowledge of doctrine to anyone who would listen and take heed. They broke the cycle of apostasy, refusing to dishonor the saints of the ancient past by letting the gospel become lost. Even at the cost of their lives and comfort, they were determined to uphold the cause of the Lord.

Keep building on what has already been built so far. That’s the pioneer way.

Share Your Testimony Through Word and Deed

Of course, the best way to build upon that which came before you is to be a missionary. Those who can serve formal missions are encouraged to do so, but everyone is expected to do something to keep the work of the Lord rolling forward with a growing momentum.

With reverence toward the example of the pioneers, President Hinckley declared, “As great things were expected of them, so are they of us… We have a charge to teach and baptize in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Lord Himself commanded, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

Their willingness to bear the scorn of the world and the harshness of the elements constituted the bearing of the pioneers’ testimonies to the children of God. If you are to be a pioneer, the question is not whether you will share your testimony with the world, but rather how.

Carrying the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people is our duty and privilege. Pioneers accept that responsibility with humility and courage.

Tag! You’re It. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Do You Have What It Takes?

Handcarts were heavy. So is the mantle of discipleship. However, when we learn from the early pioneers of this dispensation, we will find our hearts and spirits changed enough to wear that mantle well.

Do you have the faith to see what cannot be seen? Do you dream of Zion above all else? Will you sacrifice everything for that dream and the betterment of your brothers and sisters around the world? Will you honor your predecessors and share the gospel with all who will listen? Can you be a pioneer?

Thanks to President Gordon B. Hinckley and his inspiring direction, we may be able to pass Pioneering 101 and start on our way toward becoming pioneers in our own right.

Pioneers Catching Fish, by Sam Lawlor. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Ashley Morales

Discovery of Pioneer Journal Sheds Light on Temple Square Mystery

Ashley Morales — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 07:00:10 +0000

The following article originally appeared in Deseret News on July 20th, 2017, and it was updated on July 21st, 2017.

On the 170th anniversary of the Saints entering the Salt Lake Valley, a longtime question has now been answered. How long after Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley was land surveyed and designated as the official location of Temple Square? A week? A month? According to a recently discovered journal belonging to pioneer surveyor Jesse Carter Little, the location of Temple Square was known the day pioneers entered the valley, July 24, 1847.

The Church Office Building in Temple Square. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

In April, Rob Thurston of Provo, Utah, age 60, made an amazing discovery about his great-great-grandfather, Jesse Carter Little. He found his ancestor’s journal containing entries made along the journey west to the Salt Lake Valley. But the journey to acquiring the journal was an adventure in and of itself.

“When I was a young boy about age 7, I used to go down to Manti, Utah, to where my grandmother lived,” Thurston said. “In her old house I used to like to play hide-and-seek and hide under the stairs.”

In the small confines of the room under the stairs, Thurston remembers seeing an old cream-colored box filled with aged letters and photographs. At the time, the letters were of particular interest because of the stamps that could be cut out and added to his stamp collection.

It wasn’t until this past April that memories of the cream-colored box came flooding back in Thurston’s mind. “I asked my mother whatever happened to the box,” he said. “She wasn’t exactly sure but recalled that it was given to a BYU professor to take a look at. The professor was contemplating writing an article about the items in it and also indicated he would see if they held any worth.”

The only problem with the box was it was given to the BYU professor, who Thurston declined to name, in 1977, 40 years ago. “I thought, ‘That’s it, they’re gone,’” Thurston said. “And to top it all off, my mother could not remember the name of the BYU professor.”

After a lot of hard work, Thurston found out the name of the professor, who, fortunately, was still working at Brigham Young University. He called the professor and mentioned the cream-colored box. Sure enough, the professor still had the box and remembered his mother. Thurston made an appointment to see him.

At the office of the BYU professor, Thurston recovered the box. It had been on a shelf for many years. “I remember what the professor told me,” said Thurston. “’There really isn’t anything in there. I didn’t see anything of value. Go ahead and take it.’”

Thurston took the box home and opened it. It held more than 180 items.

“Not knowing exactly what I had, I took the box to a document expert to help me understand. I was told that there were a number of significant things.”

The box contained a treasure trove of journals, letters and photographs from Thurston’s ancestors. “It gave depth to my ancestors I knew nothing about,” he said.

“There was a letter from Brigham Young I was excited about and a bunch of letters from an ancestor named Jesse Carter Little. He was the one ancestor I knew. He helped found the Mormon Battalion, and he met with President James K. Polk to get funds to help the Saints come west.”

The pinnacle of the discovery was an 1846 journal kept by Jesse Carter Little from the first pioneer company coming across the plains with Brigham Young. It contained tons of detailed information about the company’s trek west. “He recorded how many miles they went, where they reached, location names and coordinates for longitude and latitude with a sextant and compass,” Thurston said.

The most interesting entry was the one dated July 24, 1847. Little was in the advance party that entered the valley, and he recorded the following on two lines in his journal. Line one reads: “Salt Lake Valley 114 miles from Fort Bridger.” The second line reads: “Northern boundary of the Temple Square 40 degrees latitude and 111 degrees longitude.”

To check the accuracy of Little’s journal, the distance from the address of Fort Bridger to the address of Temple Square was calculated using Google Maps. It yielded 118 miles versus the journal’s 114. Plugging the longitude and latitude coordinates from Little’s journal into the U.S. government’s NASA website latitude/longitude finder yields the location of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“For the last 85 years these treasured items were either under the stairwell of an old house or in the office of a BYU professor. Finding these items was important. In my family, we are calling this the miracle of the cream-colored shirt box.”

Walking to General Conference in Temple Square. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Ryan Morgenegg is a writer for Deseret News.

Ashley Morales

Living Scripture: A Testimony of Eternal Progression

Ashley Morales — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 02:53:45 +0000

The Book of Mormon has drawn criticism from many Christians because it is accepted in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as legitimate scripture, despite other denominations’ insistence that the Bible is the only valid of word of God that will ever be available to us. Nevertheless, the Bible itself suggests God has always had more to say and that continuous revelation is part of the gospel’s very essence.

Revelation Beyond Revelation

Scriptures open to Acts 27. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Some Christians believe that Revelation 22:18 is proof enough that no other scripture could ever exist. However, it’s unlikely that the word “book” in that verse is referring to the Bible, since it hadn’t been compiled as we currently know it. Another translation for the word could have been “scroll,” which means that the verse was about Revelation itself. Since prophets have specific authority given to them to reveal doctrine about God and His gospel, the verse makes sense in such context; the revelations of the book were John’s to disclose. (Besides, if every such scripture were taken so literally, there would have been nothing after Deuteronomy 4:2.)

In truth, councils of men—not unlike the famous Nicene Council—usually decided what could be considered scripture and what could not, bereft of the guidance of prophets. Various versions of the Bible existed, and some did not include the book of Revelation at all. The King James version is now the one most widely used, and it was not compiled until 1611. According to Jewish tradition, the Old Testament books are organized first by those considered to be written by Moses and then in order of those regarded as most important to least important. Christian versions of the Bible often order the Old Testament books first by historical significance, then sacred poetry, and finally, ancient prophecies. The New Testament begins with the four gospels, followed by the letters of the prophets to the Church in order of size (biggest to smallest), with Revelation tacked on at the end. In fact, the Apostle John wrote his epistle to church members of his time period sometime after writing Revelation. Also, he is believed to have died earlier than most of the other Apostles. Clearly, chronological order was not a concern for those who created the Bible as we know it. For all these reasons, Revelation—nor any other part of the Bible—cannot reasonably be upheld as the final word of God.

Moses and the Tablets, by Jerry Harston. Moses was among the many prophets who contributed scriptural writings that were later compiled into the Bible familiar to us today. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Furthermore, there are several mentions of scriptures that have been lost throughout both the Bible and Book of Mormon. If it’s possible for scriptures to be unknown to the world, then it stands to reason that they may one day be discovered, as the Mormon Church believes the Book of Mormon was.

He Continues to Speak

We know that God will always work with prophets to ensure that we have guidance, and we also know that He will continue enlightening us with knowledge and power as we become capable of comprehending it, little by little. Considering the Mormon belief in eternal progression on top of all this, it’s only natural to believe that the Bible is not the only authority on gospel truths, and we may yet be blessed with more books of scripture beyond the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price. It is a testament of God’s love that He speaks to everyone and will continue to speak.

Woman reading the Book of Mormon. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Ashley Morales

The Erie Canal as a Facilitator of God’s Kingdom

Ashley Morales — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 02:04:41 +0000

With innovation and prosperity come access. With access comes power. With power come miracles.

The Erie Canal, which celebrates its 200^th birthday this year, provided many miracles—not the least of which included a means of travel and communication that allowed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to spread and thrive better than it would have otherwise.

How so, you ask?

For one thing, the rise of wealth in the area may have contributed to the Second Great Awakening, when interest in religion throughout the existing United States was revived with notable ardency, resulting in many denominations frequently butting heads over doctrine and wrestling to retain and increase their memberships. After all, as Nephi so eloquently related, opposition is necessary for progress, and in this case, finding earthly satisfaction in material goods urged the desire to find spiritual satisfaction in one’s relationship with God as well. Although it was not the only factor that ignited the religious fire of this time period, the Erie Canal was certainly an important spark.

The Erie Canal. Courtesy of Pexels.

Furthermore, the canal’s sheer reach across the continental United States let all kinds of people carry their ideas and causes to faraway places in record time. In fact, one of its many nicknames was the “psychic highway.” Of course, among the groups that took advantage of the canal’s accessibility were the Mormons, who were able to use it to travel around the country to build cities for themselves, transport the materials necessary for such cities, and even serve missions. On its waters were brought all the paper and equipment needed to publish the Book of Mormon as well. Even the likes of Charles Dickens himself was floating on it when he was first impressed by the Mormons he met there. Never before had the Lord’s commandment to baptize the world seemed more realistic.

Before the Erie Canal was built, getting around the country was difficult and exhausting. While it was undergoing construction, however, it brought many jobs; its completion ensured more wealth in nearby areas, promoted other sectors of economic growth by providing transportation for all kinds of goods, greatly helped U.S. citizens get wherever they needed to go, and served as a symbol of America’s engineering innovations. However, equally important is its role in the rise of the kingdom of God in the latter days, for God does work through the hands of man to accomplish His ends.

Ashley Morales

John Taylor’s Witness of a Modern Martyrdom

Ashley Morales — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 13:58:57 +0000

This article originally appeared in LDS Daily on June 27th, 2017.

On June 27, 1844, not longer after singing “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief” to his cellmates, John Taylor lay suffering on the floor of Carthage Jail. He had endured terrible injury at the hands of an angry mob that had just killed the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. This tragic event became a defining moment in the history of the Church and in the life of John Taylor.

John Taylor, by John Willard Clawson. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

In Witness to the Martyrdom, Mark H. Taylor, a great-great-grandson of John Taylor, revives the only eyewitness account of these events. Below is John Taylor’s eyewitness account:

—–

Soon afterwards I was sitting at one of the front windows of the jail, when I saw a number of men, with painted faces, coming round the corner of the jail, and aiming towards the stairs. The other brethren had seen the same, for, as I went to the door, I found Brother Hyrum Smith and Dr. Richards already leaning against it. They both pressed against the door with their shoulders to prevent its being opened, as the lock and latch were comparatively useless. While in this position, the mob, who had come upstairs, and tried to open the door, probably thought it was locked, and fired a ball through the keyhole; at this Dr. Richards and Brother Hyrum leaped back from the door, with their faces towards it; almost instantly another ball passed through the panel of the door, and struck Brother Hyrum on the left side of the nose, entering his face and head. At the same instant, another ball from the outside entered his back, passing through his body and striking his watch. The ball came from the back, through the jail window, opposite the door, and must, from its range, have been fired from the Carthage Greys, who were placed there ostensibly for our protection, as the balls from the firearms, shot close by the jail, would have entered the ceiling, we being in the second story, and there never was a time after that when Hyrum could have received the latter wound. Immediately, when the ball struck him, he fell flat on his back, crying as he fell, “I am a dead man!” He never moved afterwards.

I shall never forget the feeling of deep sympathy and regard manifested in the countenance of Brother Joseph as he drew nigh to Hyrum, and, leaning over him exclaimed, “Oh! my poor, dear brother Hyrum!” He, however, instantly arose, and with a firm, quick step, and a determined expression of countenance, approached the door, and pulling the six-shooter left by Brother Wheelock from his pocket, opened the door slightly and snapped the pistol six successive times; only three of the barrels, however, were discharged. I afterwards understood that two or three were wounded by these discharges, two of whom, I am informed, died.

I had in my hands a large, strong hickory stick brought there by Brother Markham, and left by him, which I had seized as soon as I saw the mob approach; and while Brother Joseph was firing the pistol, I stood close behind him. As soon as he had discharged it he stepped back, and I immediately took his place next to the door, while he occupied the one I had done while he was shooting. Brother Richards, at this time, had a knotty walking-stick in his hand belonging to me, and stood next to Brother Joseph, a little farther from the door, in an oblique direction, apparently to avoid the rake of the fire from the door. The firing of Brother Joseph made our assailants pause for a moment; very soon after, however, they pushed the door some distance open, and protruded and discharged their guns into the room, when I parried them off with my stick, giving another direction to the balls.

It certainly was a terrible scene: streams of fire as thick as my arm passed by me as these men fired, and, unarmed as we were, it looked like certain death. I remember feeling as though my time had come, but I do not know when, in any critical position, I was more calm, unruffled, and energetic, and acted with more promptness and decision. It certainly was far from pleasant to be so near the muzzles of those firearms as they belched forth their liquid flame and deadly balls. While I was engaged in parrying the guns, Brother Joseph said, “That’s right, Brother Taylor, parry them off as well as you can.” These were the last words I ever heard him speak on earth.

Every moment the crowd at the door became more dense, as they were unquestionably pressed on by those in the rear ascending the stairs, until the whole entrance at the door was literally crowded with muskets and rifles, which, with the swearing, shouting, and demoniacal expressions of those outside the door and on the stairs, and the firing of guns, mingled with their horrid oaths and execrations, made it look like pandemonium let loose, and was, indeed, a fit representation of the horrid deed in which they were engaged.

After parrying the guns for some time, which now protruded thicker and farther into the room, and seeing no hope of escape or protection there, as we were now unarmed, it occurred to me that we might have some friends outside, and that there might be some chance of escape in that direction, but here there seemed to be none.

As I expected them every moment to rush into the room – nothing but extreme cowardice having kept them out – as the tumult and pressure increased, without any other hope, I made a spring for the window which was right in front of the jail door, where the mob was standing, and also exposed to the fire of the Carthage Greys, who were stationed some ten or twelve rods off. The weather was hot, we all of us had our coats off, and the window was raised to admit air. As I reached the window, and was on the point of leaping out, I was struck by a ball from the door about mid-way of my thigh, which was struck the bone, and flattened out almost to the size of a quarter of a dollar, and then passed on through the fleshy part to within about half an inch of the outside. I think some prominent nerve must have been severed or injured for, as soon as the ball struck me, I fell like a bird when shot, or an ox when struck by a butcher, and lost entirely and instantaneously all power of action or locomotion. I fell upon the windowsill and cried out, “I am shot!”

Not possessing any power to move, I felt myself falling outside the window, but immediately I fell inside, from some time, at that time, unknown cause. When I struck the floor my animation seemed restored, as I have seen it sometimes in squirrels and birds after being shot. As soon as I felt the power of motion I crawled under the bed, which was in a corner of the room, not far from the window where I received my wound. While on teh way and under the bed I was wounded in three other places; one ball entered a little below the left knee, and never was extracted; another entered the forepart of my left arm, a little above the wrist, and passing down by the joint, lodged in the fleshy part of my hand, about midway, a little above the upper joint of my little finger; another struck me on the fleshy part of my left hip, and tore away the flesh as large as my hand, dashing the mangled fragments of flesh and blood against the wall.

My wounds were painful, and the sensation produced was as though a ball had passed through and down the whole length of my leg. I very well remember my reflections at the time. I had a very painful idea of becoming lame and decrepid, and being an object of pity, and I felt as though I would rather die than be placed in such circumstances.

It would seem that immediately after my attempt to leap out of the window, Joseph also did the same thing, of which circumstance I have no knowledge, only from information. The first thing that I noticed was a cry that he had leaped out of the window. A cessation of firing followed, the mob rushed downstairs, and Dr. Richards went to the window. Immediately afterward I saw the doctor going toward the jail door, and as there was an iron door at the head of the stairs, adjoining our door which led into the cells for criminals, it struck me that the doctor was going there, and I said to him, “Stop, Doctor, and take me along.” He proceeded to the door and opened it, and then returned and dragged me along to a small cell prepared for criminals.

Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum, by Gary E. Smith. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

Brother Richards was very much troubled, and exclaimed, “Oh! Brother Taylor, is it possible that they have killed both Brother Hyrum and Joseph? it cannot surely be, and yet I saw them shoot them;” and elevating his hands two or three times, he exclaimed, “Oh Lord, my God, spare Thy servants!” He then said, “Brother Taylor, this is a terrible event;” and he dragged me farther into the cell, saying, “I am sorry I can not do better for you;” and, then, taking an old, filthy mattress, he covered me with it, and said, “That may hide you, and you may yet live to tell the tale, but I expect they will kill me in a few moments.” While lying in this position I suffered the most excruciating pain.

Soon afterwards Dr. Richards came to me, informed me that the mob had precipitately fled, and at the same time confirmed my worst fears that Joseph was assuredly dead. I felt a dull, lonely, sickening sensation at the news. When I reflected that our noble chieftain, the Prophet of the living God, had fallen, and that I had seen his brother in the cold embrace of death, it seemed as though there was a void or vacuum in the great field of human existence to me, and a dark gloomy chasm in the kingdom, and that we were left alone. Oh, how lonely was the feeling! How cold, barren and desolate! In the midst of difficulties he was always the first in motion; in critical positions his counsel was always sought. As our Prophet he approached our God, and obtained for us his will; but now our Prophet, our counselor, our general, our leader, was gone, and amid the fiery ordeal that we then had to pass through, we were left alone without his aid, and as our future guide for things spiritual or temporal, and for all things pertaining to this world, or the next, he had spoken for the last time on earth.

These reflections and a thousand others flashed upon my mind. I thought, why must the good perish, and the virtuous be destroyed? Why must God’s nobility, the salt of the earth, the most exalted of the human family, and the most perfect types of all excellence, fall victims to the cruel, fiendish hate of incarnate devils?

The poignancy of my grief, I presume, however, was somewhat allayed by the extreme suffering that I endured from my wounds.

Aleah Ingram is a full-time writer, social media manager, and editor who graduated from Southern Virginia University.

Ashley Morales

Remembering George A. Smith

Ashley Morales — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 07:23:58 +0000

This article originally appeared in the Deseret News on Jun 26th, 2017.

One of Utah’s great founding fathers, George A. Smith, was born 200 years ago on Monday in Potsdam, a village in northern New York. His life deserves to be remembered and celebrated. Arguably, he was second only to Brigham Young in providing leadership to the territory that would become the State of Utah.

George A., as he was affectionately known, served in the Territorial Legislature for 19 years, was a vigorous promoter of Utah statehood and a chief colonizer of Utah, Iron, Washington and Kane counties. He helped lay out and establish the communities of Parowan, Cedar City and Santa Clara. St. George was named in his honor. He promoted the transcontinental railroad and cooperative industries including the ZCMI. During the Utah War, he rallied resistance to the approach of Johnston’s Army.

George A. was an early convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, founded by his first cousin Joseph Smith. In the Spring of 1834, as a 16-year-old, he walked 1,600 miles as a member of the Zion’s Camp expedition. He was asked to serve in the First Quorum of Seventy at 18 and when only 22, became a member of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was one of the early missionaries to England, introducing the Mormon message to the people of London. After the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, he helped organize the trek west, arriving with the first company of pioneers in 1847.

George A. served the church in his capacity as an apostle, historian and recorder and first counselor in the First Presidency to Young. In all these responsibilities he made enormous contributions. He is credited as church historian with laying the foundation for the work that continues in that office today. Likewise, the construction of the St. George Temple was due in large measure to his efforts.

St. George Temple. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

In stature, George A. was imposing, standing at nearly 6 feet in height and weighing more than 250 pounds. He also possessed a larger than life personality. He was by all accounts a charismatic speaker, lacing his discourses with humor, historical anecdotes and sage counsel.

He was devoted husband and father. His first wife Bathsheba, who later became General Relief Society president wrote this of her husband:

“My husband had of necessity to be away from us much of his time. My hope and joy centered in my children as well as in their father. I love my husband dearly. I believe but few in the wide world have been as happy as we have been.”

George A. struggled with serious health problems all his life, and on Sept. 1, 1875, at the relatively young age of 58, he died at Salt Lake City home from pneumonia.

Young left this tribute to his friend and counselor George A. Smith:

“By his removal to a higher sphere, I will lose a devoted friend, a wise counselor, and a lifelong companion. He leaves behind him, so far as my knowledge extends …, a record as pure and as worthy of imitation as that of any servant of the Most High, who ever lived upon His footstool. He gave his heart, his mind, his energy, his love, in fact his all, to the furtherance of the great purposes of our God.

“In youth and then manhood, in the sunshine or in storm, in peace or in persecution, he was true to his religion, his brethren and his God. And more than this, what can we say of anyone!”

Richard N. W. Lambert is vice chairman of Mormon Historic Sites and a retired assistant United States attorney.

Ashley Morales

The Authority to Act: The Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood

Ashley Morales — Wed, 24 May 2017 06:04:53 +0000

A special anniversary recently passed on May 15^th—that of the restoration of the Aaronic priesthood. Although it is referred to as the “lesser” priesthood, one could argue that it marked the true end of the age of spiritual darkness that preceded the restoration of the Lord’s Church upon the earth. Therein lies its greatness.

Ah, but wasn’t the First Vision the light that cut through that darkness—rather literally, according to Joseph Smith’s description of the glory in which the Father and Son appeared before him—wasn’t that light what initiated the final dispensation? Well, yes, the question that Joseph humbly asked in the grove that June morning was obviously a key turning point. However, what had plunged the world into apostasy in the first place was the loss of priesthood authority.

John the Baptist Conferring the Aaronic Priesthood (The Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood) © Del Parson, Courtesy of LDS Media Library

The New Testament is comprised primarily of letters written by some of the Apostles and other leaders as they urged the early members of the Church to stop distorting the gospel and live in accordance with the true teachings of Christ. Sadly, in accordance with prophecies of old, the Church allowed itself to be influenced by enemies both without and within, leading to division, the loss of some precious records, and corruption of the doctrine. Valid priesthood authority is dependent upon the laying on of hands by those who are worthy of holding it, in addition to a commitment to using its power selflessly. As people fell away from the truth, there was no one left to wield and pass along the priesthood. Without the power of God upon the earth, no one could receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the fullness of the gospel was compromised almost beyond recognition.The restoration of the Aaronic priesthood ensured that the First Vision did not simply go down in history as nothing more than another obscure celestial sighting. With it, legitimate baptisms could be performed. Sacraments could be blessed and passed to renew the baptismal covenants. Humankind once again held the keys to the ministering of angels. All of this was crucial to reorganizing the Church as God intended it.

With the authority to receive revelation and enact sacred rituals in the name of God, the full light of the gospel could finally enjoy the beginnings of a permanent return.

Ashley Morales

Defining the ‘Best Books’: Scriptural Canon in 1875

Megan Finley — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 23:16:32 +0000

The dilemma that accompanies any attempt to nail down the Latter-day Saint scriptural canon is apparent. With a constant flow of revelation stemming from a living prophet, it is hard to restrain our religion’s tenets to simply the Book of Mormon. And it was never meant to be so; indeed, Mormonism has always relied on “a vastly expanded spiritual canon” (Givens, Wrestling the Angel).

While the Bible, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price have always stood as essential truth to members of the faith, historically speaking, church members have been encouraged to “seek […] out of the best books words of wisdom [and] seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” While we are given succinct counsel to determine the “best books,” how is that judgment call supposed to be made?

To members of the Church who today reside within Utah boundaries, the Church-owned news outlet Deseret News is a familiar and reliable headline source. Its legacy as Utah’s oldest continuously published daily newspaper makes it a valuable print resource in understanding the general sentiment of the LDS community regarding a variety of news-worthy topics.

In fact, Deseret News article from the Brigham Young era is quite illuminating on the topic of church-sanctioned literature, succinctly titled “A Price List of Church Works.” The 1875 inventory of church literature available for purchase at the Deseret News Office in Salt Lake City contains the obvious texts: The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the standard church hymn book. However, it lists further texts that perhaps modern-day members are far less familiar with. Although very seldom alluded to in modern Sunday School, these works nevertheless held an exalted position in the founding of the Church.

1. “A Voice of Warning” by Parley P. Pratt (1837)

Summarized as “an Introduction to the Faith and Doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” and priced at $1.50 by the Deseret News, this fundamental pillar of early Mormon literature was written by Parley Pratt over a two month period on his mission to New York. Widely proliferated and utilized on the earliest LDS missions, the text became both well known and well loved by members.

Edward Tullidge, a historian of the Utah territory, called the work “a veritable Testament of a new dispensation, converting thousands of souls, and infusing new thoughts and inspirations into the minds of its readers” (History of Salt Lake City). The book outlined to the public Mormonism’s place among religion, detailing the difference between Mormonism and other Christian religions and sourcing scriptural prophecy to explain and contextualize the coming forth of The Book of Mormon.

2. “Key to the Science of Theology” by Parley P. Pratt (1855)

The subheading of Pratt’s novel shows off its heavy-hitting goals, as it was “designed as an introduction to the first principles of spiritual philosophy, religion, law, and government, as delivered by the ancients, and as restored in this age for the final development of universal peace, truth, and knowledge.” Terryl L. Givens describes it as “a first attempt at a truly comprehensive treatment of the Mormon theological system.” Coupled with “A Voice of Warning,” each text was given treatment as though on equal footing with “The Pearl of Great Price.”

As both Pratt brothers produced texts that retained spectacular popularity among converts, many—including Tullidge—began to accredit the pair with having “originated” Mormonism, even going so far as to say

Ask the people what brought them into the church, and you would hear from every direction Parley Pratt’s “Voice of Warning” or “Orson Pratt’s Tracts,” until it would almost seem to you that the Pratts had created the church. Indeed while the best part of Mormon theology has been derived to a great extent from them, and so it may be said that they also, to a greater extent, originated Mormonism.

Despite extensive flattery, both Orson and Parley Pratt were dedicated to the teachings of Joseph Smith, whom they both respected and revered as the prophet of a new dispensation. Their standout literary contributions to the Church only helped to further foster and streamline a common Mormon identity, clearing misconceptions and dispelling rumors.

3. “Spencer’s Letters” by Orson Spencer (1848)

Salt Lake City Capstone Ceremony, 1892. Via “Set in Stone, Fixed in Glass: The Mormons, the West, and their Photographers” by Nelson B. Wadsworth.

Inside the capstone of the Salt Lake City Temple, therein resides a copy of Orson Spencer’s “Letters.” A prolific writer who served in many high positions in the Church, Orson Spencer became a convert to the Church in 1841 after having graduated class valedictorian from a theological school in Hamilton, New York, and serving as a Baptist pastor for three congregations. His conversion intrigued his Baptist contemporaries, particularly a certain Reverand William Crowell, whose written exchanges with Spencer became an interesting source of explained LDS doctrine. “Letters” addresses many of the same arguments put forward to the Church in its present day, with a unique and well-educated perspective and testimony, and remains a fascinating read for those interested in the foundations of Mormonism.

For contextual understanding of Spencer’s letters, you can find (in its entirety) this work in the Project Gutenberg archive.

4. “Catechism for Children” by Elder John Jaques (1854)

An interesting addition to the list of books associated with the Church, “Catechism for Children” is an intriguing take on questions regarding the Church. Written in a Q-and-A format and scripturally dense, Elder John Jaques addresses how parents should go about answering their children’s questions regarding the gospel. Kenneth L. Alford, an associate professor of church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University, notes that the word ‘catechism’ is suspiciously absent from modern Mormon vocabulary, but was very much a part of the lives of the Saints of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Baptized in England in 1845, Jaques’ catechisms originally appeared in the Millennial Star in a serialized fourteen chapter series. In 1854, the articles were published under the name “Catechism for Children,” and became the recipient of rampant success. The next 35 years saw editions in 8 different languages (including the Deseret alphabet) and royalties from ten different printings, with a total of 35,000 copies sold by 1888. Its publication covered a wide array of gospel topics and became a household staple for the education of Mormon children. In doing so, the work also found its place among church-endorsed literature.

5. “Plural Marriage” (1870) and “Does the Bible Sanction Polygamy?” (1874)

Dr. Rev. John Phillip Newman. Via the Library of Congress.

Certainly denoting the age in which the Deseret News article was written, two of the written works included on the list include discourse upon polygamy. “Plural Marriage,” a sermon dictated by the Rev. Dr. John Phillip Newman, includes commentary by Orson Pratt firmly defending the practice. Similarly, “Does the Bible Sanction Polygamy?” is comprised of correspondence between Orson Pratt and Rev. Dr. JP Newman, “to which is added Three Discourses on Celestial Marriage.”

While the Church formally ended the practice in 1890 through the revelation received by President Wilford Woodruff, these texts were no doubt included to inform church members regarding how and why plural marriage was practiced during the time it was sanctioned.

For a modern, well-researched and excellently summarized novel regarding this practice, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s “A House Full of Females: Plural Marriage and Women’s Rights in Early Mormonism, 1835-1870” is a stand-out text from which one can glean a fuller understanding of polygamy in the early Church.

While there are stark differences between the modern sacred canon and that of the Church’s beginnings, there is no doubt that the knowledge most precious to our “record keeping people” is transformative through time, with its core teachings—The Bible and The Book of Mormon—remaining the same “yesterday, today, and forever.”

Megan Finley

In between writing short stories she’ll never finish and marathoning Marvel movies, Megan Finley is often found missing the loves of her life, her two cats Leia and Loki. Her passion for “geek culture” extends into her passion for academics, as she is an optimistic MA student with plans to be the next Professor X (with hair). Her life’s dream is a simple one—to drink a hot chocolate in every Disney park in the world.