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CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS By NEPHI ANDERSON
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS By NEPHI ANDERSON
" We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what Work thou didst in their days, in the time of old "— Psalm xliv:1 . Published by the DESERET SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION Salt Lake City. Utah 1916 Copyright, 1889, By Nephi Anderson Copyright, 1916, By Joseph F. Smith, For the Deseret Sunday School Union ....
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To Parents and Teachers.
To Parents and Teachers.
Studying the history of our country creates patriotism and engenders loyalty. For the same reason, a study of the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will implant in our boys and girls a love for its heroes, a loyalty to its principles, and an appreciation of its achievements. By a knowledge of the history of the Church, our young people will prize more highly that heritage given them of God and preserved for them by the sweat and blood of their fathers. The teacher using
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A PARABLE.
A PARABLE.
Once upon a time the owner of a very large garden planted therein a tree, the fruit of which was very precious and of great value to all who ate of it. For a time, the tree grew and bore much good fruit. But the owner of the garden had an enemy who went about secretly sowing seeds of weeds and all manner of briers and brush, that they might spread all over the garden and kill out the good tree which the master had planted. The enemy also persuaded many of the workmen in the garden to neglect the
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THE FIRST VISION.
THE FIRST VISION.
At the time when Thomas Jefferson was president of the United States, there was born among the Green Mountains of Vermont a boy who was to become the great prophet of the last days. The hills and valleys of Vermont look beautiful in the summer, but at the time here spoken of they were no doubt covered with snow, for it was the 23rd of December, 1805, in the town of Sharon, Windsor county, that Joseph Smith first saw the light of the world. Joseph was named after his father, whose name was Joseph
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THE ANGEL MORONI.
THE ANGEL MORONI.
When Joseph told of his vision to some of his friends he was surprised to find that they did not believe him, but made fun of what he said. The strangest thing to the boy was that the preachers of religion, instead of being glad at such glorious news, told him it was from the devil, and that God did not give any more revelations from heaven. All such things had ceased with the apostles of old, they said. Another strange thing was that these preachers began to tell untruths about him, and seemed
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THE SACRED PLATES.
THE SACRED PLATES.
About two miles south of Joseph's home, in Manchester, is a large hill, the highest in that part of the country. To this place Joseph went on the morning after the angel's visit, as this was the spot he had seen in his vision. On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, Joseph found a large, rounded stone, nearly covered with earth. Prying this up, he found it to be the lid of a stone box which was buried in the earth. Raising the lid, he looked in, and there indeed were the sacred trea
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THE BOOK OF MORMON.
THE BOOK OF MORMON.
You will all be interested in knowing what was written on the plates which the prophet Joseph Smith received from the angel Moroni, so in this chapter I will tell you very briefly. Some time you will want to read the whole book, which of course is the better way. You have read in your histories and geographies that ruins of great cities have been found in many places in America, showing that at one time there were people here more civilized than the Indians. The writings on these plates told the
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THE THREE WITNESSES.
THE THREE WITNESSES.
All who read this book ought to turn to one of the first pages of the Book of Moromon and read a paragraph signed by three men whose names are Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris. You will notice in that paragraph that these men bear a most solemn witness that the book is true; that an angel of God came to them with the plates and laid them before their eyes; and that they were translated by the gift and power of God. The three names signed to this testimony are so important that I
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THE PRIESTHOOD RESTORED.
THE PRIESTHOOD RESTORED.
When Joseph and Oliver were engaged in translating the Book of Mormon they came to a passage which told of baptism in water for the remission of sins. This was not quite plain to them. They knew, of course, something of the many kinds of baptism practiced by the various sects of the day, but if the religions on the earth at that time were not accepted of the Lord as Joseph had been told, none of the ministers would have a right to baptize; besides, the passage in the Book of Mormon said that bap
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ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH.
ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH.
By this time many people came to Joseph, some out of curiosity, some to be taught of the wonderful truths which he had received, and some, I am sorry to say, came to do him harm. As Joseph and Oliver now had power to baptize, a number of those who believed were baptized by them. The time had now come to organize the Church and the Lord revealed to Joseph that it should be done on the 6th day of April, 1830. Accordingly on that day six men who had been baptized met at the house of Peter Whitmer,
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PERSECUTION OF JOSEPH.
PERSECUTION OF JOSEPH.
By this time you will see that when the Lord set his hand to begin the great latter-day work, the evil one was also present, trying to hinder its progress. At the very beginning there were only Joseph and a few friends to work against, but now the Church was fast becoming established in the land, and if it were to be stopped some strong effort would have to be made. So the evil one inspired men to gather in large crowds or mobs to annoy and do harm to the members of the Church and their friends.
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THE MISSION TO THE INDIANS.
THE MISSION TO THE INDIANS.
In the month of September, 1830, a young man came to the house of Joseph Smith, at Fayette, and asked to see the prophet. As Joseph was absent, he was referred to his brother Hyrum who explained to him what he wanted to know about the Book of Mormon, the revelations of the Lord to his brother, and the establishing of the Church. The young man was a preacher of the sect called Campbellites, and his name was Parley P. Pratt. On his journey from his home in Ohio to New York he had obtained a copy o
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REMOVAL TO OHIO.
REMOVAL TO OHIO.
The scriptures often speak of a time in the latter days when the people of God shall be gathered together to build up the Lord's kingdom and prepare for his second coming. The gospel should be preached to all the world, and those who would believe should go out from Babylon, or the wicked world, and came together with the people of the Lord. Every elder who has been on a mission will tell you that as soon as persons accept the gospel, a desire comes to them to gather with the main body of the Sa
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THE LAND OF ZION.
THE LAND OF ZION.
The Book of Mormon (13th chapter of Ether) tells us that this land of America is a "choice land above all other lands;" and the Lord has said that the people who lived here must serve him or in time be destroyed. This you will remember was proved so often in the history of the Nephites. Strictly speaking, the whole of America is the land of Zion, but the Lord revealed to Joseph that there should be a "center place," where a great city should be build which should be called the city of Zion, or t
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PERSECUTION IN JACKSON COUNTY.
PERSECUTION IN JACKSON COUNTY.
A great many of the old settlers of Jackson county, meaning those who were there before the Saints, were of a shiftless, ignorant class from the Southern States. They made but little improvement in their homes, being content to live in small, log huts, many of them without windows or board floors. They all believed it right to have negro slaves. They were also eager to hold public office. At that time there were also many persons in western Missouri who had fled from the east on account of crime
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EXPULSION FROM JACKSON COUNTY.
EXPULSION FROM JACKSON COUNTY.
In this small history, an account of all that happened in Missouri during those cruel times can not be given; but enough can be told to show you what the Saints had to endure in the early days of the Church. If you will but think of the sufferings the boys and girls must have gone through when the mobs tore the roofs from their houses, drove them out on the prairies to go hungry and cold, and killed or whipped their fathers, you may then appreciate God's blessings to you who live in peace and co
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ZION'S CAMP.
ZION'S CAMP.
In the spring of 1834 Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight were sent as messengers from the Saints in Clay county to Kirtland to tell the Prophet what had happened and to ask for further advice. Joseph, you may be sure, was very grieved to hear about the sufferings of the Saints, and he enquired of the Lord what should be done. In answer, a revelation was given instructing Joseph to gather the young and middle aged men of the Church and organize them into a company which was to march to Missouri to b
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THE CHURCH AT KIRTLAND.
THE CHURCH AT KIRTLAND.
During the time that the Saints were having such a hard time in Missouri, the Church in and around Kirtland was growing in numbers and strength. Joseph with many of the elders went on missionary trips to various parts of the United States and Canada, and many new branches of the Church were organized. In September, 1831, Joseph moved to the town of Hiram, about thirty miles from Kirtland. While living here, he was busy translating the scriptures, preaching the gospel, and holding meetings. Thirt
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THE TWELVE APOSTLES—THE SEVENTIES—THE KIRTLAND TEMPLE.
THE TWELVE APOSTLES—THE SEVENTIES—THE KIRTLAND TEMPLE.
On the 14th of February, 1835, Joseph called together the brethren who had gone with him to Missouri in Zion's Camp. He spoke to the meeting and told the brethren the Lord had not forgotten them, but had remembered their faithfulness in answering the call of duty, and now he had a blessing for them. Joseph then said the time had come when twelve apostles should be called. It was the duty of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon to select twelve men for this high calling, and these three bret
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THE MISSION TO ENGLAND.
THE MISSION TO ENGLAND.
In the year 1837, when the evil one was trying with all his might to overthrow the Church both at Kirtland and in Missouri, the Lord told Joseph that the time had come for "something new" to be done. This was to send missionaries to England and open the gospel door to that people. Elder Heber C. Kimball was chosen to take the lead of this mission, and with him went Orson Hyde, Willard Richards, Joseph Fielding, John Goodson, Isaac Russell, and John Snider. This was the first mission to any forei
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FAR WEST.
FAR WEST.
We must now leave the pleasant scenes of preaching the gospel in England, and go back to the more troubled times among the main body of the Saints in the State of Missouri. You will remember that when the Saints were driven from Jackson county, they found a place to rest in Clay county just north across the river. The people of Clay received them kindly, and the Saints stayed for about three years in that county. During this period, they tried many times to regain their homes by asking the gover
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THE HAUN'S MILL MASSACRE.
THE HAUN'S MILL MASSACRE.
In this chapter I wish to tell you about one of the saddest events that happened in all that sad time of persecution in Missouri. It occurred on October 30, 1838, during the time of great excitement, when bands of armed men roamed over the country doing what damage they could to the homes of the Saints. At a point on Shoal Creek, about sixteen miles from Fat West, a brother by the name of Haun had built a flour mill. Besides the mill there were a blacksmith shop and half a dozen houses. About th
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DRIVEN FROM MISSOURI.
DRIVEN FROM MISSOURI.
Wild reports now went over the country about the "Mormons;" and to make these reports seem true some of the mobbers actually set fire to their own log cabins and then accused the Saints of the act. In a previous chapter, mention was made of Lilburn W. Boggs. This man was now governor of the state, and we shall see how he used his power against the "Mormons," whom he hated so much. The reports that the "Mormons" were burning houses and driving people from their homes, reached the governor, and he
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IN MISSOURI PRISONS.
IN MISSOURI PRISONS.
From Far West Joseph and his brethren who had been taken prisoners were marched towards Jackson county. At first General Wilson who had them in charge treated the brethren badly, but as they proceeded on their journey he became quite friendly, and told the prisoners that he was just going to show the people of Independence what a "set of fine fellows you are." While on the march the Lord comforted Joseph, and he spoke to the other prisoners as follows: "Be of good cheer, brethren; the word of th
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NAUVOO.
NAUVOO.
From his prison in Missouri, Joseph had advised his brethren to buy land in the state of Illinois and Iowa. Towards these states, therefore, the Saints had fled, leaving merciless, blood-stained Missouri to the judgment of God. Twenty years afterwards when the great war broke out between the North and the South, Missouri was one of the fiercest battle grounds, and its people suffered terribly for the misery and bloodshed they had brought upon the Saints. The people of Illinois received the homel
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THE MARTYRDOM.
THE MARTYRDOM.
On January 29, 1844, Joseph Smith was nominated for President of the United States. Neither he nor his friends had much hopes of his election, but it gave the citizens of Nauvoo at least a chance to vote for an honest man who was their friend. Brethren were sent to various parts of the country to make speeches in his favor, and Joseph published his views on how the government should be conducted. One of his ideas was that the government should set the negro slaves free, paying their masters for
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EXPULSION FROM ILLINOIS.
EXPULSION FROM ILLINOIS.
When the bodies of the martyred Prophet and Patriarch were brought from Carthage, they were met by thousands of the Saints from Nauvoo who wept aloud for the loss of their beloved leaders. The scene was a very sad one. Elder Willard Richards spoke to the people and advised them to remain peaceable as they had always been, and let the Lord avenge the murder of their loved ones. The bodies of Joseph and Hyrum were buried privately at Nauvoo so that their enemies might not disturb them. And now the
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THE BATTLE OF NAUVOO.
THE BATTLE OF NAUVOO.
Leaving the main body of the Saints traveling westward, in this chapter I wish to tell you about what happened to those who remained in Nauvoo; and by the way, this is the last chapter of this little history in which mobs will play an important part. In the summer of 1846 there were about six hundred Saints in Nauvoo, most of whom had been unable to get away. Many were poor, some were sick, and there were many old people and children. Many non-"Mormons" had bought property from the Saints who ha
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WESTWARD.
WESTWARD.
The moving of a nation! What a task it must have been! Most of you have had some experience in moving, it may be only a family moving from one house to another, and you know what a lot of worry and work there are in such a small affair; but here was a nation moving! This great exodus was very much like the time when the children of Israel went from under the oppression of Egypt out into the wilderness to journey to the promised land. When at Nauvoo, Brigham Young said to the Saints: "To your ten
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THE MORMON BATTALION.
THE MORMON BATTALION.
During the summer of 1846 the United States was at war with the republic of Mexico. A number of battles had been fought in Texas. What is now California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona belonged to Mexico, and as President Polk desired to get this large district of country for the United States, he sent soldiers westward to the Pacific ocean. The "Mormon" people traveling from Nauvoo had asked President Polk for assistance in their journey to the west. They said they wanted to remain under the protect
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THE PIONEERS.
THE PIONEERS.
While the Saints were in Winter Quarters during the winter of 1846-7 they were busily preparing for the march to the mountains next spring. Men for the advance company were selected, and on April 7, 1847, they began to move out of Winter Quarters to a place westward, where they were to gather. Ten days later the first or pioneer camp, was ready for marching. The idea was to have twelve times twelve men, but one became sick and had to return, so that left one hundred and forty-three. There were b
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GREAT SALT LAKE CITY.
GREAT SALT LAKE CITY.
The 25th of July, 1847, came on a Sunday, therefore the pioneers rested and held meetings. Monday morning work began in earnest. Plowing and planting had to be hurried. Exploring parties were also sent out in different directions to become acquainted with the country. On the evening of July 28th President Young, accompanied by the Apostles, went some distance from the camp to select a spot from which to begin building the city. Arriving at a good location, President Young stopped, and, striking
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GROWTH OF UTAH AND THE CHURCH.
GROWTH OF UTAH AND THE CHURCH.
As you were told in the last chapter, among the first things done by the pioneers was to send exploring parties out to find other locations for settlement. They knew that thousands of Saints would follow them to their new home, and room must be had for them. In the first company that followed the pioneers was Peregrine Sessions. He, with some others, moved north from the pioneer camp and settled in what is now Davis county. Further north, at the junction of the Weber and Ogden rivers, there live
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THE "UTAH WAR."
THE "UTAH WAR."
The president of the United States appoints the leading officers of a territory. Many of the officers sent to Utah by the president were good men and did justice to "Mormon" and Gentile alike; but some were men who could see no good in the Saints, and were therefore always trying to oppress them. Such men were Judges Stiles and Drummond, and Secretary Ferris, who were in Utah in 1856. At last they left the territory and sent in a report to the president. In it Judge Drummond said that the "Mormo
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THE "UTAH WAR," (CONCLUDED.)
THE "UTAH WAR," (CONCLUDED.)
When that friend of the Latter-day Saints, Colonel, afterwards General Thomas L. Kane, heard of the troubles in Utah, he left his home in Philadelphia and went to Washington to see the president. Though feeble in health, he offered to go to Utah and try to settle the difficulties in a peaceable manner. The offer was accepted. Colonel Kane arrived in Salt Lake City in February, 1858, where he was gladly received. In the cold and snow of that winter he went to the camp of the army and had a talk w
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PROSPERITY.
PROSPERITY.
The action of the "Mormons" in again leaving the homes they had newly made in the wilderness of the West, called the whole world's attention to them. Many honest people began to see what a mistake it had been to send armed soldiers against an innocent people. When the army was withdrawn, peace once more prevailed, and the Church was again busy preaching the Gospel to the world and gathering the honest from the nations. Many missionaries were sent out and new fields were opened. From Europe the S
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THE "CRUSADE."
THE "CRUSADE."
Those who did not understand the true nature of "Mormonism" thought that at the death of Brigham Young, the Church would go to pieces; but they soon found out that the work of God does not depend on any one man. The Twelve again became the leading quorum in the Church, with John Taylor at its head. Three years after the death of President Young, October 10, 1880, the First Presidency was again organized. John Taylor became President, and he chose George Q. Cannon as first and Joseph F. Smith as
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PRESIDENCY OF WILFORD WOODRUFF.
PRESIDENCY OF WILFORD WOODRUFF.
At the April conference, 1889, the First Presidency was again organized. Wilford Woodruff was chosen president and he called the former counselors to act also with him. President Woodruff was eighty-two years old when this high calling was placed upon him, but he was still quite strong and active. His life had been devoted to God and his cause. He joined the Church in 1833, so you see he had been with it from the beginning. He had been an Apostle for fifty years. It will give you an idea of how
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TEMPLE BUILDING.
TEMPLE BUILDING.
God's goodness, mercy, and watch-care reach to all his children, whether they be white or black, bond or free; whether they live now or lived thousands of years ago; yes, whether they are alive or dead. Death is but a change from one sphere of action to another, and as God is everywhere, it is not alone in this life that his loving care is manifested. The gospel also is everlasting. It did not begin with this world, neither will it end with this life, but its purifying, uplifting power is felt t
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PRESIDENCY OF LORENZO SNOW.
PRESIDENCY OF LORENZO SNOW.
September 13, 1898, the quorum of Twelve Apostles met at Salt Lake City and chose Lorenzo Snow President of the Church. President Snow chose George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith as his counselors. President Snow was born in Ohio, April 3, 1814. While yet a young man, he went to Kirtland, where he became acquainted with the Prophet Joseph. Joining the Church, he was soon in the field as a missionary, traveling through the States preaching the gospel. From Nauvoo, he went on a mission to England,
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PRESIDENCY OF JOSEPH F. SMITH.
PRESIDENCY OF JOSEPH F. SMITH.
The First Presidency of the Church was reorganized for the sixth time October 17, 1901. Joseph F. Smith was chosen president, and he selected for his counselors, John R. Winder and Anthon H. Lund. At a special conference held in Salt Lake City November 10, 1901, this presidency was sustained by the vote of the Church. From his boyhood President Smith has been an active, earnest member of the Church over which he now presides. His father was Hyrum Smith the Patriarch, brother to the Prophet Josep
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SINCE THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH.
SINCE THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH.
[1] Not.—If we say that the Father and the Son came to Joseph because of his prayer, we might conclude that every boy who prayed should receive such a visit. No; the time had come for the ushering in of a new dispensation, etc. To bring out this thought is the idea of this question. [2] Jensen's Historical Record, page 838. Whitney's History of Utah. Vol. I, page 274....
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