The Story of the Mormons, from the Date of Their Origin to the Year 1901Linn, William Alexander
History
The Story of the Mormons, from the Date of Their Origin to the Year 1901
Linn, William Alexander
Latter Day Saints -- History; Utah -- History
* "In the year 1834 one Dr. Galland was a candidate for the
legislature in a district composed of Hancock, Adams, and Pike Counties.
He resided in the county of Hancock, and, as he had in the early part
of his life been a notorious horse thief and counterfeiter, belonging to
the Massac gang, and was then no pretender to integrity, it was
useless to deny the charge. In all his speeches he freely admitted the
fact."--"FORD's History of Illinois," p. 406.
** Times and Seasons, Vol. II, pp. 277-278. The letter is signed
with eight asterisks Galland's usual signature to such communications.
These suggestions were accepted by Smith, with some important additional
details, and they found place in the longest of the "revelations" given
out by him in Illinois (Sec. I 24), the one, previously quoted from, in
which the Lord excused the failure to set up a Zion in Missouri. There
seemed to be some hesitation about giving out this "revelation." It
is dated after the meeting of the General Conference at Nauvoo which
ordered the building of a church there, and it was not published in the
Times and Seasons until the following June, and then not entire. The
"revelation" shows how little effect adversity had had in modifying the
prophet's egotism, his arrogance, or his aggressiveness.
Starting out with, "Verily, thus with the Lord unto you, my
servant Joseph Smith, I am well pleased with your offerings and
acknowledgments," it calls on him to make proclamation to the kings of
the world, the President of the United States, and the governors of the
states concerning the Lord's will, "fearing them not, for they are
as grass," and warning them of "a day of visitation if they reject my
servants and my testimony." Various direct commands to leading members
of the church follow. Galland here found himself in Smith's clutches,
being directed to "put stock" into the boardinghouse to be built.
The principal commands in this "revelation" directed the building of
another "holy house," or Temple, and a boardinghouse. With regard to the
Temple it was explained that the Lord would show Smith everything about
it, including its site. All the Saints from afar were ordered to come to
Nauvoo, "with all your gold, and your silver, and your precious stones,
and with all your antiquities,... and bring the box tree, and the fir
tree, and the pine tree, together with all the precious trees of the
earth, and with iron, with copper, and with brass, and with zinc, and
with all your most precious things of the earth."
The boarding-house ordered built was to be called Nauvoo House, and was
to be "a house that strangers may come from afar to lodge therein... a
resting place for the weary traveler, that he may contemplate the glory
of Zion." It was explained that a company must be formed, the members of
which should pay not less than $50 a share for the stock, no subscriber
to be allotted more than $1500 worth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account