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TEMPLES, 1838.
1838: Mar.: Appearance of angel in Kirtland Temple.
“One evening, while we were in the attic story of the Lord’s house, and while Joseph Young, I think, was at prayer, I saw a heavenly messenger, who appeared to be a very tall man dressed in a white robe from head to foot. He cast his eyes on me and on the rest of the council and said ‘Be one, and you shall have enough,’ and soon after the way was opened before us, so that we received money and means for clothing for the poor and to prepare for our removal. James Foster and Jonathan Dunham also saw the angel at the same time I did. Not many days after (some time in the month of March), while I was at work in the woods with a number of workman about 9 o’clock in the morning, I heard a great sound to the south of me resembling the rattling of wagons. I continued listening for a minute or two till it came nearer to me, and it then appeared to be in the air, accompanied with the puffing of a steamboat. The sound came immediately over my head, where I was at work, and then continued towards the Kirtland Temple over the thick woods. I was afterwards informed that at the same time of the day a number of persons, near old Father Bosley’s house, saw a steamboat in the air with old Father Beaman (who had died a few months before) standing in the bow swinging his hat and singing. He had been president of the Elders and anointed them at the time of the Endowment. The boat came directly to the front of the Temple and then immediately divided in two, one half turned black and went to the north and the other half turned white and went to the west.” (Zera Pulsipher, statement in the Historian’s Office, 17 Mar., 1855, concerning the departure of the Saints from Kirtland in 1838; JH entry following 6 Jul., 1838)
26 Apr.: Revelation concerning Far West Temple.
“Let the city, Far West, be a holy and consecrated land unto me, and it shall be called most holy, for the ground upon which thou standest is holy;
Therefore I command you to build an house unto me, for the gathering together of my Saints, that they may worship me;
And let there be a beginning of this work, and a foundation, and a preparatory work, this following summer;
And let the beginning be made on the 4th day of July next, and from that time forth let my people labor diligently to build an house unto my name,
And in one year from this day let them re-commence laying the foundation of my house:
Thus let them from that time forth labor diligently until it shall be finished, from the corner stone thereof unto the top thereof, until there shall not any thing remain that is not finished.” (D&C 115:7-12, 26 Apr., 1838)
“Revelation given in Far West, April 26th 1838
Making known the will of God concerning the building up of this place and of the Lord’s House &c.
Verrily thus Saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph SMith, Jr. and also my Servant Sidney Rigdon, and also my servant Hyrum Smith and your counselors who are and who shall be hereafter appointed and also unto my Servant Edward Partridge and his Councilors, and also unto my faithfull Servants, who are of the High Council of my Church in Zion (for thus it shall be called) and unto all the Elders and people of my Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Scattered abroad in all the world. For thus Shall my Church be called in the Last days even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Verrily I say unto you all, arise and Shine forth that thy light may be a standard for the nations and that thy gathering together upon the land of Zion and upon her stakes may be for a defence and for a reffuge from the storm and from wrath when it Shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth. Let the City Far West be a holy and consecrated land unto me, and it shall be called most holy,l for the ground upon which thou Standest is holy.
Therefore I command you to build an house unto me for the gathering together of my Saints that they may worship me. And let there be a begining of this work; and a foundation and a preparatory work this following Summer; and let the begining be made on the 4th day of July next; and from that time forth let my people labour diligently to build an house unto my name, And in one year from this day, let them recommence laying the foundation of my house. Thus let them from that time forth labour diligently untill it Shall be finished from the Corner Stone thereof unto the top thereof, untill there Shall not any thing remain that is not finished.
Verrily I Say unto you let not my Servant Joseph, neither my Servant Sidney, neither my servant Hyrum, get in debt any more for the building of an house unto my name. But let my house be built unto my name according to the pattern which I will Shew unto them, and if my people build it not according to the pattern which I Shall Shew unto their Presidency, I will not accept it at their hands. But if my people do build it according to the pattern which I Shall Shew unto their Presidency even my Servant Joseph and his Councilors then I will accept it at the hands of my people.
And again verrily I say unto you it is my will that the City Far West Should be built up spedily by the gathering of my Saints and also that other places Should be appointed for Stakes in the regions round about as they shall be manifested unto my Servant Joseph from time to time. For behold I will be with him and I will Sanctify him before the people for unto him have I given the Keys of this Kingdom and ministry. Even so. Amen.”
(Joseph Smith diary, 26 Apr., 1838; in Faulring, An American Prophet’s Record, pp. 175-176)
“Let the City Far West be a holy, and a consecrated land unto me, and it shall be called most holy, for the ground upon which thou standest is holy. Therefore I command you to build an house unto me, for the gathering together of my saints, that they may worship me, and let there be a beginning of this work, and a foundation, and a preparatory work for the foundation, in this following season, and let this beginning be made on the 4th day of July next, and from that time forth, let my people labor diligently to build an house unto my name; and in one year from this day, let them recommence laying the foundation of my house. Thus let them, from that time forth labor diligently, until it shall be finished, from the corner stone thereof unto the top thereof; untill there shall not any thing remain that is not finished.
Verily I say unto you, let not my servant Joseph, neither my servant Sidney, neither my servant Hyrum, get in debt any more for the building an house unto my name.–but let my house be built unto my name according to the pattern which I will show unto them, and if my people build it not according to the pattern which I shall show unto their presidency: I will not accept it at their hands. But if my people do build it according to the pattern which I show unto their presidency, even my servant Joseph and his counsellors; then I will accept it at the hands of my people.” (Revelation, 26 Apr., 1838. In Elders’ Journal 1(4):53, Aug., 1838)
“Since Br. Joseph came to this place, we have been favored with a lengthy revelation, in which many important items are shown forth. First, that the church shall hereafter be called ‘the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints.’ Second, it says, ‘Let the City Far West be a holy and consecrated land unto me, and it shall be called most holy, for the ground upon which thou standests is holy:–Therefore, I command you to build an house unto me, for the gathering together of my Saints, that they may worship me.’ It also teaches, that the foundation or corner stone must be laid on the 4th day of July next, and that a commencement must be made in this following season, and in one year from the 26th of April last, the foundation must be again commenced, and from that time, to continue the work until it is finished. Thus we see that the Lord is more wise than men, for Phelps and Whitmer thought to commence it long before this, but it was not the Lord’s time, therefore, he overthrew it, and has appointed his own time. The plan is yet to be shown to the first presidency; and all the Saints, in all the world, are commanded to assist in building the house.” (Thomas B. Marsh to Wilford Woodruff. In Elders’ Journal 1(3):38, Jul., 1838)
4 Jul.: Cornerstones of Far West Temple.
“The order of the day for the 4th of July, as directed by the committee of arrangements.
The committee of arrangements, which had been previously chosen to make arrangements for the celebration of the 4th of July, and laying the corner stones of the temple, reported the following which was strictly adhered to.
First that Presidents Joseph Smith Jr. be president of the day, Hyrum Smith vice president, and Sidney Rigdon orator.
Second that Reynalds Cahoon, be marshal of the day, and Col. George M. Hinckle and Major Jefferson Hunt, be assistant marshals.
Third that George W. Robinson act as Colonel for the day; Philo Dibble, as Lieut. Colonel; Seymour Brunson as Major, and Reed Peck as Adjutant.
Fourth that Jared Carter, Sampson Avard, and Cornelius P. Lott, act as Generals, before whom, the military band shall pass in review.
Fifth that the procession commence forming in the morning, at 10 o’clock A.M. in the following order.
First the Infant[r]y in front.
Second the civil procession as follows:
1st the patriarchs of the Church.
2nd the President vice president and orator, of the day.
3rd the Twelve.
4th the Presidents of the Stake with the high Council.
5th the Bishop and Council.
6th the architects
7th the ladies, and then the gentleman the civil procession.
Then the Cavalry brought up the rear.
After the procession was formed, which was exceedingly large. The whole marched to the notes of a small band of music under the direction of Dimick Huntington, around the cellar which had been dug for the house. The ladies forming a circle immediately around the cellar, the gentleman, of the civil procession in a circle next to the ladies. The infantry in a circle next, and the cavalry outside.
After the whole procession was thus completely formed, prayer was made by the president of the day, and a tune played by the band, and then, proceeded to lay the corner stones, as follows.
1. The south east corner was laid, by the presidents of the stake, assisted by twelve men.
2. The south west corner, by the presidents of the Elders, assisted by twelve men.
3. The north west corner, by the bishop assisted by twelve men.
4. The north east corner, by the president of the teachers, assisted by twelve men.
After each stone was laid, the music played a tune.
When the ceremony of laying the stones was completed, the ladies were formed in a circle, immediately, around the stand, where the oration was to be delivered, and the whole procession formed around them, as previously at the cellar of the house. The gentleman visitors were invited to come to the stand.–After which the oration was delivered, at the close of which, there was a shout of hosanna. A song was then sung by Soloman Hancock, composed by Levi Hancock for the occasion.
The military band then marched from the stand, and the President, Vice President, and Orator of the day, attended with the visitors marched to the south side of the public square, and the troops under the command of their officers chosen for the occasion, paraded in review before them. After which the whole procession was dismissed.
The whole ceremony of the day, was performed without the least disorder or confusion, and the people, in the most perfect order, retired to their homes.
The Committee of arrangments, take the opportunity of tendering their thanks, to the whole multitude who was in attendance, for their good behavior on the occasion, and for the due respect which they paid to the solemnities of the scene.” (Elders’ Journal 1(4):60, Aug., 1838)
“The Prophet had saved from the Kirtland wreck his dream of a great city, and almost immediately ordered such measures as would create in Far West that which had proved impossible in Ohio. A map was constructed after the Kirtland plan, surveys made, and in the centre of the proposed town a grand square laid out, upon which a second temple was to be erected.
Work upon the building was commenced in the summer of 1838, and ceremonies of consecration performed on July 4th. The structure was carried forward, until the walls were two feet high, when the storm of persecution and anger once more broke forth, and the third temple dream of Joseph came to an untimely end.” (J. H. Kennedy, Early Days of Mormonism, p. 190)
“All that remains of this temple to-day is a depression in the earth three or four feet deep, the size of the original excavation, and some fragments of crumbling walls. Only one building remains in the city, said by some of the older settlers to have been occupied by Smith and his first wife. It is on a slight eminence, of log and frame, one and a half stories high, contains four rooms, has a large fire-place, and a chimney of rude home-made bricks. It is now occupied as a farm-house. Two or three of the buildings of Far West were hauled to Kingston after they were abandoned by the Mormons, and are still in use there as shops and dwellings.” (Judge William A. Wood, in Magazine of American History, Jul., 1886. Reprinted in J. H. Kennedy, Early Days of Mormonism, p. 190)
22 Jul.: Israelites by adoption.
“They [Elders J. Butterfield, Zera Pulsipher and James Foster] also spoke of the gathering of Judah to Jerusalem on the eastern continent, & Israel, or in other words the descendants of Joseph, together with the believing Gentiles, who are grafted in, & become sons & daughters, that is, Isarelites by adoption, to Zion on this continent, &c.” (Samuel D. Tyler, “A daily journal of the traveling of the Camp of Latter-day Saints which went out from Kirtland for Zion, July 6th, 1838,” entry for 22 Jul., 1838; JH 4 Oct., 1838)
Jul.: The dead must have the Gospel.
“Question 16th. If the Mormon doctrine is true what has become of all those who have died since the days of the apostles.
All those who have not had an opportunity of hearing the Gospel, and being administered unto by an inspired man in the flesh, must have it hereafter, before they can be finally judged.” (Joseph Smith, Elders Journal 1(3):43, Jul., 1838) [HC says Joseph wrote this on 8 May, 1838]
“In the July 1838 issue of the Elders’ Journal, Joseph Smith responded to a series of questions which he said were ‘daily and hourly asked by all classes of people.’ To the question ‘Will every body be damned but Mormons?’ he replied, ‘Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent and work righteousness.'” (Grant Underwood, “‘Saved or Damned’: Tracing a Persistent Protestantism in Early Mormon Thought,” BYU Studies 25(3):85, Summer, 1985)
16 Aug.: Kirtland Temple to become a Temple of Science.
Painesville Republican, Painesville, Ohio, Thursday, August 16, 1838, vol. w, no. 40, whole no. 92.
“TEMPLE OF SCIENCE.
For two weeks past we have neglected to call the attention of the public to the advertisement in our paper, of Mr. SLATER, by which it will appear that he has leased the ‘Temple’ erected in Kirtland by the Mormons, for a term of years, which is to be converted into a ‘Temple of Science’, called the ‘Western Reserve Teacher’s Seminary.’
Mr. Slater has been the principal of the Academy in this place for about two years past. During that period, he has exhibited a degree of energy and perseverance rarely found, and the success which has attended his efforts has been commensurate with his labors. At the time he first took charge of the Painesville Academy, it was in a very low condition; but under his auspices, its character was raised till it had acquired a rank excelled by few, if any in the State, averaging though the last year, over one hundred and twenty students.” [The Temple was leased for five years, from September 1, 1838.) (DALE MORGAN – “THE MORMONS AND THE FAR WEST: A collection of transcripts of newspaper articles on the Mormons, also containing material on the following subjects: the opening of the West; the fur trade; Indians of the middle and south-western states; the Santa Fe trade, etc. 1809-c.1857.” Huntington Library)
29 Aug.: Hosannah shout by Kirtland Camp.
“Also Elder Young spoke & we sang the hymn, ‘The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning”, &c. and then we shouted Hosanna! Hosanna!! Hosanna!!! to God & the Lamb, Amen. Amen & Amen.” (Samuel D. Tyler, “A daily journal of the traveling of the Camp of Latter-day Saints which went out from Kirtland for Zion, July 6th, 1838,” entry for 29 Aug., 1838; JH 4 Oct., 1838)