the corner stone of the kirtland temple laid—a printing establishment opened—the prophet's mission to canada—a minister's opposition— baptisms—persecutions at kirtland—wilford woodruff receives the gospel.
no work of murderous mobs or judicial persecution has ever been able to stay the cause inaugurated under divine direction through joseph smith. at the very hour when the mob, on the 23rd day of july, 1833, were issuing their mandate of exile to the saints in jackson county, the cornerstone of the lord's house in kirtland was being laid according to the order of the holy priesthood of christ. it was not that the purpose had shifted, that the center stake was to be removed from missouri to ohio. the command had been given; it will not be annulled. but long before manifestation of mob violence in jackson county, the lord had directed the building of a temple at kirtland and the establishment of a stake of zion there.
and while the future, to human appearance, seemed to be growing darker and darker, joseph received a revelation in which the lord declared his immutable covenant that the saints should be rewarded and blessed according to his promise, and that their afflictions should eventually be turned to their everlasting good. and, while the wickedness of the mobs in missouri was still agitating the hearts of joseph and the saints and making the weak among the people to tremble and the strong to feel deep indignation, the lord commanded his saints to renounce war and proclaim peace and to bear afflictions patiently, until the third time of their being smitten by the wicked. he promised them that whoso should lay down their life in the cause of christ should find it again, even life eternal.
on the 11th day of september, 1833, a council under the presidency of the prophet was held in kirtland, and it was decided that a printing establishment should be opened there for the publication of the persecuted evening and morning star and for a new paper to be called the latter-day saints' messenger and advocate. about the same time elders orson hyde and john gould were sent to jackson county as messengers from the first presidency to the missouri saints in their tribulation.
the prophet felt that the field of souls was white for the harvest and that it was incumbent upon him to thrust in his sickle and gather the honest-in-heart. on the 5th day of october, 1833, he departed from kirtland upon a missionary journey to canada, in company with sidney rigdon and freeman a. nickerson. at various places on the road, they stopped and proclaimed the word of the lord unto the inhabitants. in some villages they found already members of the church. in others they found god-fearing men and women who were praying for light and were willing to obey when the simple gospel was presented before the eyes of their understanding. on the 12th day of october they had arrived at perrysburg, new york, where they halted for a little time. here the prophet received a revelation in which the lord instructed him that zion must be chastened yet for a season, although she would finally be redeemed. when they reached lodi, new york, they preached in the evening and made a further appointment for the day following at a presbyterian meeting house, the use of which had been promised to them. but when many people had assembled outside the hall to hear joseph, they were refused admission by the jealous sectarians in charge, and the indignant congregation went home in great confusion. on the 17th day of october the prophet and his companions reached the home of freeman a. nickerson at mount pleasant in upper canada; and at this place and the adjoining town of brantford and the villages of colburn and waterford they held several meetings which were blessed by a great outflow of the spirit of god and by the presence of many honest-hearted people. upon one occasion at colburn they were beset very tumultuously at one of their meetings by a wesleyan methodist, who was determined that the assembled people should not hear the gospel. but his own lack of logic and courtesy injured himself rather than the persons against whom his violent efforts were directed. on the 26th day of october, after preaching to a large congregation at mount pleasant, joseph baptized twelve persons, and on each of the two following days he baptized two persons, all of whom were confirmed as members of the church. the prophet also ordained e. f. nickerson to be an elder; and he gave much instruction to the newly-converted saints concerning the truth and the constant necessity for watchfulness and humility. this labor made a considerable opening in this region for the further preaching of the truth. it was not, however the first proclamation of the gospel in canada, because as early as july 20th of the same year, 1833, elder orson pratt had preached to the people in patten.
on the 29th day of october the prophet and his companions departed from mount pleasant for kirtland; and on monday, the 4th day of november, the prophet reached his home and found his family in peace, as had been promised in the revelation given to him at perrysburg.
the inhabitants of geauga county, ohio, in which kirtland was situated, began now to partake of a persecuting and mobocratic spirit, and threatened the saints resident there with similar afflictions to those which had been visited upon their brethren in missouri. the prophet knew of the hate that was hanging around him, but he calmly viewed the situation, and in writing to bishop partridge at clay county, missouri, under date of december 5th, 1833, he said:
the inhabitants of this county threaten our destruction, and we know not how soon they may be permitted to follow the examples of the missourians; but our trust is in god, and we are determined, by his grace assisting us, to maintain the cause and hold out faithful unto the end, that we may be crowned with crowns of celestial glory, and enter into the rest that is prepared for the children of god.
on the 16th day of december, 1833, the lord revealed to joseph the divine purpose concerning the saints in missouri, saying,
i, the lord, have suffered the affliction to come upon them, wherewith they have been afflicted, in consequence of their transgressions;
yet i will own them, and they shall be mine in that day when i shall come to make up my jewels.
therefore, they must needs be chastened and tried, even as abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son;
for all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified.
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and they that have been scattered shall be gathered;
and all they who have mourned shall be comforted;
and all they who have given their lives for my name shall be crowned.
therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that i am god.
zion shall not be moved out of her place, notwithstanding her children are scattered;
they that remain, and are pure in heart, shall return, and come to their inheritances, they and their children, with songs of everlasting joy, to build up the waste places of zion.
and immediately after the revelation was received the prophet sent william pratt and david w. patten, as messengers to the scattered saints of missouri to give them words of comfort and instruction.
early in the month of december, 1833, bishop newel k. whitney and oliver cowdery had brought to kirtland a new printing press, and on the 18th day of the month a printing office in kirtland was dedicated to the lord and his purposes, and oliver cowdery began the publication of the evening and morning star, which had been cast out of missouri. on the day that joseph dedicated the printing establishment to the service of the lord, his father, joseph smith, senior, was ordained to be the patriarch to the whole church. on that day joseph wrote:
and blessed is my father, for the hand of the lord will be over him, for he shall see the afflictions of his children pass away; and when his head is fully ripe, he shall behold himself as an olive, whose branches are bowed down with much fruit; he shall also possess a mansion on high.
in view of all that has since occurred, it is a remarkable fact, that the prophet recorded in his journal of the 31st of december, 1833, the fact that "wilford woodruff was baptized at richland, oswego county, new york, by zera pulsipher." and this was before the prophet and the future apostle and president had ever met in the flesh. this is not the only mention of wilford woodruff in joseph's dairy prior to their meeting. in one place the prophet notices that wilford had been ordained a teacher. it was the 25th day of april, 1834, when wilford woodruff visited the prophet at kirtland, and from that time on until joseph's death they were intimately associated. it was clear that joseph felt the staunch worthiness of his young brother, and in relying on him the prophet was leaning upon no weak or broken reed, for wilford woodruff had been and had ever shown the fidelity of a saint and the integrity and power of an apostle of jesus christ. he was one of the most faithful of all the men who were gathered near to the prophet's person to share his trials and his confidences. wilford woodruff never made any attempt to cultivate showy qualities, and yet he was always marked among his fellows; his characteristic humility and unswerving honesty being sufficient to attract the attention of all who had known him. his is another of the names to be recorded with that of joseph, and it is worthy to stand side by side with the names of brigham young and john taylor, for he was as loyal to them as he and they were to joseph, the first prophet of this dispensation.
