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Church History Matters
151 - D&C 99-100 CFM - Missionary Work and The Importance of Family - E37B September 8-14
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- [00:00]
A
We made it to the triple digits, Casey. Triple digits in the Doctrine and Covenants. Here we are.
- [00:04]
B
We should have a celebration. We're making our way through.
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A
This is how the Lord works.
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B
Small things lead to big results.
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A
Lean into what you do, have control over and do as much good as you can diving into the service of other people, doing the Lord's work that he's called you to do.
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B
But sometimes he utilizes our suffering in order to purify us, in order to make us better, in order to help us become better. Instruments in his hand, able to carry out his work.
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A
Here's your priorities. Number one, God. Number two, your family. Number three, your church calling.
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B
We've just got to be continually diligent to make sure that our families are never neglected when we're serving God.
- [00:39]
A
Hello, Casey.
- [00:40]
B
Hello, Scott.
- [00:41]
A
Here we are, episode two of this week's Come Follow Me. We've already covered Section 98 in our previous episode, so if you haven't caught that, go grab that. And now, Casey, we get to dive into this episode, part two of this week's Come Follow Me, section 99 and 100, following which we'll have another episode, our first time doing three in a week with section 101. So lots to cover this week.
- [01:06]
B
Yeah. And the theme of all these episodes is kind of the crisis in Zion, like the persecutions, the first really organized systematic persecutions against the saints that happens in Jackson County, Missouri, with that as the big theme. Section 99 is kind of the. One of these things is not like the other section in this block. And if it feels like section 99 is a tangent, it's because it's not supposed to be section 99.
- [01:32]
A
This one was placed in the Doctri and Covenants out of order back in 1876, isn't that right?
- [01:37]
B
Yeah, it's not supposed to be exactly where it is. It accidentally was placed in the wrong order. The Doctrine and Covenants is roughly chronological, but research over the last few years has revealed that there were a couple mistakes with dating John Murdoch's own journal. John Murdoch is the recipient of this revelation. Date the revelation that is today section 99 to August 1832, which is well before the revelations we're talking about in this particular block. And because that dating error was perpetuated, the date as it was listed in the 1876 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants was August 1833, which accidentally caused it to be put Here after section 98, in the middle of all this Crisis of Zion material. This error remained until it was corrected in the 2013 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, partially as a result of research done with the Joseph Smith Papers, we found where it correctly happened. If section 99 was in proper chronological order, it would be somewhere between section 83 and section 84 of the Doctrine Covenants, about a year before everything starts to really heat up in Zion. So it doesn't push the story forward that we're trying to tell in these revelations, but it does highlight one of the great figures of the early restoration, which is John Murdoch. And he is a figure that I think is deserving of a little attention.
- [03:00]
A
Yeah, 100%. Okay, so we're going to take a little sideline moment away from the Missouri persecutions to talk about his mission call here in section 99. So Casey set the stage for us. Tell us, who is John Murdoch? What's going on before this revelation was given to him?
- [03:21]
B
John Murdoch is one of those guys that shows up in the narrative of the early history of the Church a lot. But he never becomes a prominent leader like an apostle or anything like that. Just a good guy, good, faithful guy. He's among the first people that's converted to the church in the Kirtland area when Oliver Cowdery and the missionaries Lamanites first arrived there in November 1830. And later, he becomes one of the most prolific missionaries of the church. However, a lot of his story is tied into an incident that happens really early on after his conversion, which is that on April 30, 1831, John suffers a terrible loss when his wife Julia dies just a few hours after she gave birth to twins, a little boy and a little girl. Now, that same day, Emma Smith also gave birth to twins, both of whom passed away. So John Murdoch loses his wife Julia. Joseph and Emma lose their twins. John Murdoch now has twins, but no mother to care for them. Joseph and Emma lost their twins that they were expecting. So as a widower who already has three children to care for, John and Joseph and Emma make arrangements for Joseph and Emma to adopt the twins, which they gladly did. Joseph and Emma named the female twin Julia after the twin's mother, and they named the male twin Joseph. You'll recall the infant, this little infant, Joseph Murdoch Smith, dies 10 months later because he's dealing with measles when a mob attacks the place that Joseph Smith is staying on, the John Johnson farm. And that exacerbates his condition. He dies a couple days later. But Julia Murdoch Smith actually becomes the first Smith child to make it to adulthood. That's kind of What John is most famous is that the Smiths adopted his twins. Now John, when this revelation is received, is getting ready to go on a mission to the east, while he's also trying to get his family to relocate to Missouri, because most church members are trying to move to Missouri during this time to build Zion. So he's trying to figure out what to do with his kids when he's got this responsibility to serve a mission, but he also wants to get them there. In his own journal, contextualizing the Revelation, John writes, I then continued with the church, preaching to them and strengthening them and regaining my health till the month of August 1832, when I received the revelation. That's section 99, at which time I immediately commended to arrange my business and provide for my children and sent them up to the bishop in Zion, which I did by the hand of Brother Caleb Baldwin in September 1832. I have since sent him $10 I had for carrying my three eldest children, Oris John R. And Phoebe C. And unfortunately, because of circumstances, especially what happens in Missouri, it's two full years before John is reunited with his children that are sent to Missouri. And that happens when John arrives in Missouri as a part of Zion's camp. So he's in the midst of this Missouri crisis story because he actually goes to Missouri as part of Zion's camp, which we're going to deal with when we get to later revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants.
- [06:27]
A
There's the tie in with the John Murdoch into our Missouri persecution story. There it is.
- [06:33]
B
He's a figure in this story. Even if this revelation is received earlier and is kind of a deviation, and it's not a long revelation, but it does highlight this great soul in the early restorations.
- [06:44]
A
Okay, let's get into the revelation. Verse one begins this. Behold, thus saith the Lord unto my servant John Murdoch. Thou art called to go into the eastern countries from house to house, from village to village, from city to city, to proclaim mine everlasting gospel unto the inhabitants thereof in the midst of persecution and wickedness. And who receiveth you, receiveth me. And you shall have power to declare my word in the demonstration of my Holy Spirit. And who receive with you as a little child receiveth my kingdom. And blessed are they, for they shall obtain mercy. It's interesting that this would have been. If this was in proper chronological order, Casey. This would have been Section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants. And that phrase there in verse two, whosoever receiveth you, receiveth me, is actually a phrase in our current section 84, that those who receive my servants receive me, and when they receive me, they receive my Father, and they received my Father's kingdom. That phraseology is woven into here. Very, very cool.
- [07:47]
B
Yeah. Part of the oath and covenant of the Priesthood from section 84. Most famous passage in there. Yeah.
- [07:52]
A
And I never caught that connection before. Tell Just reading it out loud here. That's beautiful. Now, in terms of his children, right, that was his major concern is how do I go on this mission with my three kids who need to be taken care of? And verse 6, the Lord addresses that. He says, now, verily I say unto you that it is not expedient that you should go until your children are provided for and sent up kindly unto the Bishop of Zion. And after a few years, if thou desirest of me, thou mayest go up also into the goodly land to possess thine inheritance. Otherwise thou shalt continue proclaiming my gospel until thou be taken. Amen. Wow. So that sounds like a call to lifelong missionary service if he desires it. And that's the entirety of section 99.
- [08:32]
B
Let's talk controversies. Initially, nothing really controversial here, but as we read through this and the context of this, maybe one minor thing we could deal with really fast, which was the tension between your duty to the church and your duty to your family, which can sometimes be a major thing. There's been times in my life when I had a particularly intense calling and I felt guilt, like, am I neglecting my family because I'm carrying out this church assignment? John Murdoch's example is particularly poignant because of what ultimately happens with his children. But I don't know. What do you think about that? The Lord says, don't go on your mission until you've arranged for your children. But because of circumstances, it's two years until he finally gets to see his children and makes it design and knows that they're well. So what does that say about the relationship of importance between being a father and being an elder, carrying out your priesthood duties, but also carrying out your duties as a father.
- [09:31]
A
That's a tension we all have to wrestle with at some point, don't we? I like the priority, I like the order in verse six, is don't go on your mission until your children are provided for. And he's not just talking about food and clothing. Like he needed to make sure that each kid was in a family that would take care of them as they had a design. And he does that. We'll talk more about that in a moment. Once they are in A good family situation as he understood it then, he felt good about going on his mission. So I think that's right. I remember President Hinckley in a training meeting once to priesthood leaders, he said, here's your priorities. Number one, God, number two, your family, number three, your church calling. Number four. I can't remember what number four was, but I was struck by that order of God first, then your family, then your church calling. And sometimes we conflate God and church calling and put that above everything else. But that's not how President Hinckley did it. And you don't see that here in verse 6 either. It's not your church calling and then your family. It's family, then church calling, of course, with the love of God being primary above all else. And God wants us to take care of our families. That's one thought. Do you have any other thoughts on that?
- [10:41]
B
I don't know if there's a perfect way to balance all three. Right. Because a couple years ago, I was given a particularly intense calling, but it was a calling working with the youth. And I had two children that were that age. And devoting time to my calling also meant I got to spend a lot of time with my older children. And I wouldn't give away that time for anything in the world. In fact, that calling probably caused me to spend more time with my kids. We took our young men and young women on a trip to Nauvoo. And so I went on an epic road trip across the continent with my oldest daughter, and we sat next to each other in the van. And I just wouldn't trade that time for anything. But there were times, because the nature of some callings are that they never end and that you could continually put your time into it where you had to create boundaries and just say, I'm going to be at the church and I'm going to do this job until this time, and then I'm going to go home and spend time with your family. And I will say, one of the bishops that I served with was always very good that he had built in a family Sunday every month where we didn't have any meetings, we didn't have word counsel, we didn't have bishopric. He just said, I want you to be there and wake your kids up and get your kids ready for church and bring them to church at least one Sunday of the month so that they don't lose the disconnect that you're their father first and you're an officer of the ward second. So it's One of those things. And John's sacrifices are so poignant that it does highlight that, oh, gosh, for all our good intentions, sometimes people and things do fall through the cracks. We've just got to be continually diligent to make sure that our families are never neglected when we're serving God.
- [12:18]
A
Yeah. And if you want to do a deeper dive into some of our conversation on this, go Back to section 93, where we went to the Lord's rebuke to the first presidency of the Church for neglecting their families and one of the presiding bishops, Newell K. Whitney. So the Lord wants both. It's not an either or, it's a both. And you need to raise your children in light and truth and be diligent in your duties to help build his kingdom on earth. They both matter. So seek wisdom, seek guidance. And that's what John did here. He wasn't comfortable going on his mission yet until he had the Lord's instruction in Section 99. So you see, his love of God is first, and then he has his care for his children. And the Lord said, it's okay. Make sure your children are provided for, and then do the church calling that I've asked you to do. So I see President Hinckley's priorities playing out in this very revelation. But for a deeper dive, go to section 93. I think we spent a lot of time talking about this, and we're talking some big names that got rebuked for not doing a good job as dads. Right. We're talking Joseph Smith, the whole First Presidency.
- [13:18]
B
Right. Which just shows this applies at every level of the Church. You never get a pass on being a parent. That's your top priority after your relationship with God.
- [13:27]
A
Yeah. Good. The other controversy in Section 99, I.
- [13:29]
B
Can'T think of any.
- [13:30]
A
Okay, let's talk consequences of Section 99. In Section 99, John Murdoch is called to serve as a missionary, but is instructed first to provide for his children and arrange for them to travel to Zion. Now let's talk about that situation. So the situation with John's children is actually complex. At the time this revelation is given, the family that is caring for his oldest son, whose name is Oris, had actually left the church. And they insisted that John should pay them for taking care of Oris. Now the family looking after his next son, John, had moved to Missouri, and the family caring for his daughter Phoebe, told John they would keep her no longer and also demanded payment. So John's other daughter, Julia, who is with Joseph, and Emma, is healthy and well, in the care of the prophet and his wife. But his last son, Joseph, as you mentioned, Cayce, had died. In fact, in John Murdoch's own journal, he noted this. He said, my little son Joseph was dead when the prophet was hauled out of bed by the mob in Hyrum. The child, having the measles, lay in bed with him. At that time, they stripped the cloth off the child he took cold and died. That's how he wrote it. And then writing about the mob who's responsible for his son's death John simply said, quote, they are in the Lord's hands. So talk about a difficult situation. Like, it's not like his kids are in marvelous hands, like Julia. Yes, but the oldest, no, the middle one, okay. The third one, not so great. They're demanding payment for them to be taken care of. And this is difficult. So John will spend two months in Kirtland making arrangements for his children before fulfilling his call to serve in the Eastern states. His young kids will go to Zion with Caleb Baldwin. That's who ultimately takes them. And there they're placed in the care of, get this. Edward Partridge, the bishop of the church, Missouri. Which is what the Lord talked about in verse six when he said, it's not expedient that you should go on your mission until your children provided for and sent up kindly unto the Bishop of Zion. And the Bishop of Zion, Edward Partridge, kindly takes care of them. It's two years, as you mentioned, before John was reunited with them. And when he arrived in Missouri as part of Zion's camp, he was told at that point that his daughter Phoebe, who was just six years old, was deathly ill with cholera. This doesn't get easier for John. He wrote in his own journal, quote, I had seen all my children in good health, but the destroyer commenced his work. He says, I immediately went and took care of her until July 6, 1834, when the spirit left the body just at the break of day. Being 6 years, 3 months and 27 days old. It didn't get easier for John. But John's two older sons were happy to report, do live to adulthood and they will serve in the church with distinction and they will stay faithful.
- [16:23]
B
But, man, tough stuff. Now, so we don't end the section on a sour note because that is such. I don't know if I've read much that's more poignant than John talking about taking care of his daughter the last days that she's alive. But let me point out one more thing. Doctrine and Covenants 99 also contains a promise from the Savior to John. Whoso receiveth you receiveth me. So John had the privilege of becoming a very real witness of Jesus Christ. Only a few months after this revelation is given, during the meeting of the School of the Prophets in the spring of 1833, John writes a vision of the Savior in his journal. This is what he wrote. He said. In one of these meetings, the prophet told us that if we would humble ourselves before God and exercise strong faith, we should see the face of the Lord. And about midday, the visions of my mind were opened and the eyes of my understanding were enlightened. And I saw the form of a man, the Savior, most lovely. The visage of his face was sound and fair as the sun. His hair was a bright silver gray, curled in the most majestic form, his eyes a keen, penetrating blue, and the skin of his neck a most beautiful white. And he was covered from neck to the feet with a loose garment, pure white, whiter than any garment that I have ever before seen. His countenance was most penetrating and yet most lovely. And while I was endeavoring to comprehend the whole personage, from head to feet, it slipped from me and the vision was closed up. But it left on my mind the impression of love for months that I never felt before. To that degree, John Murdoch remains a witness of Jesus Christ throughout the rest of his life. He goes on a mission to Australia. He's one of the first missionaries there. Eventually, he settles in Utah and dies as the patriarch of the church and is buried in Beaver, Utah. Shout out to my Beaver relatives. My dad is from Beaver, Utah, and it's a tradition in Beaver. I've never seen the likes of this in any other community that everybody goes to the cemetery on Memorial Day. And in the Beaver Cemetery, there is this huge obelisk that on it says John Murdoch. And I always assumed that that was this John Murdoch. It's not. It's his son, John R. Murdoch, who was one of the founders of Beaver and settled the community and is a great guy, a great man in his own right who deserves a huge obelisk. But for years I went and thought that that huge monument was honoring the John Murdoch in the Doctrine and Covenants. A couple years ago, I found John Murdoch's grave, this John Murd. And it's just a really, really humble little headstone over on the side of the cemetery. And there's nothing really special about it. But I brought my kids over and we stood there and I just read this passage to them. And then I told them, you're Standing on the grave of a person who saw Jesus Christ. I mean, that was just a really poignant reminder to me that sometimes the most significant person in a cemetery doesn't have the biggest headst. Even a person who doesn't really go on to have a great office in the church or be one of the names that's spoken often can have very significant, special experiences. And for John, I mean, his sacrifice was great, but his blessings were great too. And it was such an honor to just see the place where he is resting until he gets to see the Savior again.
- [19:51]
A
It's beautiful, man.
- [19:52]
B
All right, section 100, we made it.
- [19:55]
A
To the triple digits, Casey. Triple digits in the Doctrine and Covenants.
- [19:58]
B
Here we are celebration. We're making our way through. And section 100 is in the right order and does go back to this crisis in Missouri thing. But you could tie it to section 99 by saying both of them are about family and about worrying about your family. In the midst of extraordinary things.
- [20:20]
A
This.
- [20:21]
B
Is happening while all that persecution is occurring in Missouri and increasing. But in the midst of this, the church continues to do missionary efforts, and the church continues grow. In fact, here's the setup. In September 1833, Freeman and Hulda Nickerson, who were new converts to the church, just converts of a few months, visited Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in Kirtland and invite them to travel to Perrysburg, New York, to teach several of their relatives. Perrysburg is about a week away from Kirtland at the way they traveled back then. And Joseph is really nervous over leaving his family. We mentioned mention that Dr. Philastus Hurlbut is making threats towards his family. In a journal entry written a few weeks after Hurlbut was excommunicated from the church, Joseph Smith wrote that Hurlbut sought the destruction of the saints in this place, meaning Kirtland, but more particularly myself and my family. And so when they get to Perrysburg, Joseph Smith is just really worried that actual violence could come to his family. He writes in his journal when he gets there. I felt very well in my mind, the Lord is with us, but I have much anxiety about my family. And so the context of Section 100, it's clear that Joseph and Sidney are worried about their families in Kirtland, but they're also really worried about these increasing reports of trouble and violence that are happening among the saints in Missouri. And so this revelation, which isn't a really long revelation, is intended to just address this concern, this anxiety that they're feeling about their families and about the saints. And that's the basic setup for the section.
- [21:59]
A
I met a couple at the temple in Provo recently, probably a month ago. They recognized me from Church History Matters. And they said, we love church history. In fact, my last name, maiden name is Hurlbut. And I said, really? Are you related to the Dr. Philastas Hurlbut of Church History? And she said, we have done all the research and we cannot find whether we're related. And I said, with a last name like Hurlbut, Like, I don't know how many of you there are, but you might be related. She's like, yeah, you know. I said, listen, Jesus's genealogy in Matthew 1 also had some dicey characters in it too. So we can, you know, we can. Doesn't matter who your ancestors are. We all get to choose whether we follow the Lord or not. And anyway, Hurlbut man, that guy, right?
- [22:45]
B
People are punished for their own sins and not for their parents, transgressions or their distant relative who might not even be related to them. And that's enough said about Dr. Philasta's hurlbut for now.
- [22:55]
A
Okay, into the content of the revelation. So verse one begins like this. Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my friends Sydney and Joseph. Your families are well. I love that he begins like that. Your families are well. They are in mine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good. For in me there is all power. Therefore follow me and listen to the counsel which I shall give unto you. Behold, and lo, I have much people in this place in the regions round about. And an effectual door shall be opened in the regions round about in this eastern land. Therefore I the Lord have suffered you to come unto this place. For thus it was expedient in me for the salvation of souls. Let's pause right there and just think for a second. With. With so many pressing concerns in the fall of 1833, the fact that Joseph and Sidney go on this mission is. Is pretty cool. Like, they could have delegated the mission to Perrysburg to other elders. But the Lord assures here, the Lord assures Joseph and Sidney that their mission to this place will open an effectual door in the regions roundabout, he says. Verse 3. So these two leaders stay in that area from October 12th to November 1st, almost. Almost a month. And they're going to preach to several large receptive groups. Actually, among those converted were Freeman Nickerson's two grown sons, Moses and Eliezer. Now, Joseph and Sidney also converted this girl named Lydia Bailey, who later marries Newell Knight, one of Joseph's first converts, one of his closest friends from his boyhood. Now, a few weeks after Joseph and Sydney go back to Kirtland, Moses Nickerson, one of his recent converts, writes to Sidney Rigdon, and he says this. Your labors while in Canada have been the beginning of a good work. There are now 34 members attached to the church at Mount Pleasant, all of whom appear to live up to their profession, five of whom have spoken in tongues and three who sing in tongues. And we live at the top of the mountain. For my part, I feel that I cannot be thankful enough for that which I have received. The Scriptures have been open to my view beyond account. So when the Lord said that an effectual door would be opened in this region and the lands round about. So Perrysburg is right by Canada, they went to Canada. In Canada, that's where Moses nickerson is. But 34 members of the church, Casey, that. That doesn't even begin to account for how many people will eventually come into the church because of this little mission. For what is this, like a three week mission? This little three week mission is going to lead to actually tens of thousands of people coming into the church. We should talk about that story, too.
- [25:23]
B
So keep in mind, the Lord says that there's an effectual door. That's the wording that he uses here. And it seems like the real harvest comes two years later when Parley P. Pratt comes back through this region. He travels in company with Freeman Nickerson to Toronto, where he's instrumental in converting hundreds of the church. And among this group that probably converts in Toronto is future church president John Taylor and Mary Fielding, who later marries Hyrum Smith. She is the mother of Joseph F. Smith, future president of the church, grandmother of Joseph Fielding Smith, future president of the church, also John Taylor, Joseph Fielding and other converts from the mission in Toronto are originally from Great British Britain. They come from the British Isles. And after their conversion, they start writing letters to their family members on the other side of the ocean, which prepares the way for the immense success of the British mission and the tens of thousands of converts that will come from that. So this effectual door that's opened by Joseph and Sidney on this mission eventually becomes the portal through which tens of thousands of saints and at least three church presidents emerge. And I'll just note parenthetically, I just got back from traveling through the British Isles and the effect of these early converts. There's a mission in 1837 where Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde and a few other missionaries go and kind of open the door. And then there's a mission in 1840 where in section 118, the entire quorum of the 12 are called to go to the British Isles. That is immense. Like, if you look at an ethnic breakdown where people claim their ancestry from in the United States, there's a lot of Germans and a few British here and there. But the inner Mountain west, that region where there's a lot of Latter Day Saints, is almost all British. Like, almost everybody in this area comes from a convert who joined the church in the British Isles and then emigrated to the United States. So much so that I've heard some historians say that if you walk down the street in Salt Lake in, say, the 1860s or 70s, you were more likely to hear an English accent than you would hear an American accent. So small things lead to big results. And that effectual door really makes the church an international church and brings in a lot of the people that become stalwart saints and church leaders throughout the rest of the 19th century.
- [27:42]
A
Yeah. So if you're talking about these verses with your family or with a Sunday school class, it would be great just to ponder verse three and four, what the Lord is saying about an effectual door. This is a three week mission. He says, I've suffered you to come to this place because it was expedient in me for the salvation of souls. Like, there's no missionary work that's wasted. Joseph and Sidney just saw a couple converts, that's it. But from those converts came the paving of the way for more converts which, which paved the way for the British mission, which paved, you know, this is how the Lord works. It's just a cool example of, by small things the Lord brings to pass. Great things. Very cool story.
- [28:18]
B
Yeah. And from the context, it sounds like Joseph and Sidney were really reluctant to go, but that this results in big things. In fact, look in verse 5. Verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto this people. Speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and you shall not be confounded before men. For it shall be given unto you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say. But a commandment I give unto you, that ye declare whatsoever thing ye declare in my name in solemnity of heart and the spirit of meekness in all things. And I give you this promise that inasmuch as you do this, the Holy Ghost shall be shed in bearing record unto all things whatsoever ye shall say. Now if I can pause for just A second, I want to point out one convert who we've already mentioned. I want to highlight her the promises the Lord makes here in verses 5, 6 and 8, when he's talking about the people that they're going to convert. And. And knowing the right things to say specifically are particularly poignant for a woman who is staying there named Lydia Goldthwaite Bailey Knight. And we already mentioned she eventually marries Newell Knight, who's one of the great men of the early church, one of Joseph Smith's friends going all the way back to New York and that area. The Knight family, just their contributions can't be overstated. But here's Lydia's story. So during Joseph and Sidney's mission to this area, Lydia recorded that she heard Joseph Smith tell of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. And this is the way she describes it. She said she saw his face become white and shining and a glow seemed to beam from every feature. And in her own personal history, she records that when she was baptized a few days later, she cried out while standing in the freezing water, Glory to God in the highest, thanks be to his holy name that I have lived to see this day. And at a meeting held the night of her baptism, Lydia was caught up in the Spirit speaks in tongues. According to her own biography, she said she was enveloped as with a flame and unable longer to retain her seat. She arose and her mouth was filled with praises of God and his glory. The spirit of tongues was upon her and she was clothed in a shining light so bright that all presence saw it with great distinctiveness above the light of the fire and the candles. Now all this is particularly poignant because of Lydia's background. Lydia had earlier been abandoned by her husband and she wondered about her place in the new church. In fact, she had a rough life before she comes into the church. She records that during these meetings that happen in Perrysburg, Joseph Smith speaks to her and says, I have been pondering on Sister Lydia's lonely condition and wondering why it is that she has passed through so much sorrow and affliction and is thus separated from her relatives. And now I understand it, the Lord has suffered it even as he allowed Joseph of old to be afflicted, who was sold by his brethren as a slave to a far country, and through that became a savior to his house and country. Even so shall it be with her. The hand of the Lord will overrule it for good to her and her father's family. And then he spoke directly to Lydia. And according to her, he said, sister Lydia Great are your blessings. The Lord your Savior, loves you, you and overrule all your past afflictions for good among you. Now, again, some of the background here is her husband wasn't the greatest guy. She had had a daughter with him, but the daughter died. So she's been in a bad marriage and lost a child when she comes to this moment where she joins the church. Now, a few years later, Lydia moves to Kirtland, where she meets and falls in love with noulknight, Joseph's friend going all the way back to New York, who had lost his wife Sally. And their marriage was personally performed by Joseph Smith. And during the ceremony, Joseph tells them that marriage, these are the way they record it. Marriage was an institution of heaven, first solemnized in the Garden of Eden by God himself, by the authority of everlasting priesthood. So their marriage is one of the first times Joseph Smith highlights the significance of marriage, that it's not just a social convenience. It's an everlasting covenant that goes back to the Garden of Eden. And Lydia, no actually have a wonderful family. They're close companions. They have seven children together. Newell dies during the trek west. Lydia dies in the faith in St. George, and her family continues to impact and affect the church. In fact, before she dies, she's able to rebuke her son, Jesse Knight, who there's a building named after on BYU campus. And he comes into the church and he's a rich mining magnate at this time. He's able to help the church when it goes through a really tough financial period. So her life is an assurance that, well, the Holy Ghost shall be shed forth and bearing record, like it says in verse 8. The Lord has greater blessings in store for even a person who has gone through trials up to this point. He's had a rough life that the Lord will bless and help them.
- [33:12]
A
That's cool. Great story, man. All right, let's go to verse nine. It says, and it is expedient in me that you, my servant Sidney, Sidney, should be a spokesman unto this people. Yea, verily, I will ordain you unto this calling, even to be a spokesman unto my servant Joseph. That reiterates a promise the Lord gave to Sidney back in section 35 of the doctrine and Covenants. And he says, and I will give unto him, meaning Joseph Smith, power to be mighty in testimony. And I will give unto thee, Sidney, power to be mighty in expounding all scriptures. That thou mayest be a spokesman unto Joseph, and he shall be a revelator unto thee, that thou Mayest know the certainty of all things pertaining to the things of my kingdom on the earth. That's a great little exchange there of positioning Sidney and Joseph in relationship to one another. And it's interesting to note that Joseph Smith was given the gift of being mighty and bearing testimony, whereas Sidney's gift was more about expounding the meaning of Scripture. It was around this time that Joseph and Sidney go out to preach. Preach. And Sidney went on for, I want to say, two hours, just expounding the scriptures and just staying mostly in the Bible, which actually ended up frustrating Joseph a little bit. He stood up, according to one account, and says, if no one's willing to bear certain testimony about what the Lord has done through the restoration, I will. And then he just took the next 10 or so minutes and bore testimony of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the ministration of angels. And those who heard Sidney said his sermon was good, but when Joseph stood up and bore testimony, it was electric. Several people came up afterwards and requested baptism. So both gifts are needed. But sometimes there was a tension here actually between Joseph the mighty testimony bearer and Sidney the scriptorian. Right. Who could expound scripture. Typically, they work together incredibly well, but that one story is just an interesting highlight of Joseph just standing up and bearing witness of what God had done through him and people coming up and requesting baptism. I love that. Also, we should say one more thing about Sidney being called to be the spokesman to Joseph like this must have been pretty reassuring for Sidney, given the considerable head trauma he had suffered the year before. You'll recall that when he was badly beaten and injured during the mob attack at the John Johnson farm. He's a remarkably gifted preacher. He's a remarkably gifted leader prior to that. Right. And. And a vital part of the early restoration and the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible Project, all of that. George Q. Cannon, he later writes of Sidney, he says, quote, those who knew Sidney Rigdon know how wonderfully God inspired him, and with what wonderful eloquence he declared the word of God to the people. He was a mighty man in the hands of God as a spokesman as long as the prophet lived, or up to a short time before his death, where things will get a little bit shaky, which we'll talk about later with Sidney, but. But just an incredible spokesman for the prophet. So eloquent. And it seems like sometimes Joseph would allow Sidney to have the stage. He'd let Sidney speak quite a lot longer than maybe people, you know who wanted to hear Joseph speak were comfortable with After Liberty, Joe and Sidney starts to go downhill, Joseph will now step up and without a spokesman, will begin to unbosom the doctrine and the theology and the revelations the Lord has given him. And in Nauvoo, he tries to unload there for the next five years. And frankly, that's where we get some of Joseph Smith's very best sermons that he ever gave. And this is when Sidney is on a decline, so. So they're going to have to navigate this relationship of mighty testimony bearer and scriptorian. And. And over time, Joseph's going to need to rise up into the role of preacher as well, which originally surprised me, Casey, when I learned that Joseph. Joseph didn't really feel comfortable as a preacher early on in his career. But later in Nauvoo, he'll kind of grow into that which is great when he no longer has Sidney and he no longer has Oliver there to kind of be these really eloquent frontsmen, you know, Joseph will step up and. And deliver on his own with the Lord as his helper. Anyway, stuff to come.
- [37:13]
B
First couple verses are welcome reassurance that the families are going to be okay, that they're doing what they're supposed to be doing, that it's going to have a big impact. And then the next big concern they have is addressed in verse 13, which is about their friends in Missouri, about the saints in Missouri. And there's some ominous tones here. For instance, verse 13, I give unto you a word concerning Zion. Zion shall be redeemed. Although she is chastened for a little season, they'd already been chastened a little bit and a little season season. And we don't know how long that is because we don't know exactly what the redemption of Zion completely looks like. But he assures them, my servants Orsonheide and John Gould, the two people that Joseph had sent to Zion to find out what was going on, are in my hands. And inasmuch as they keep my commandments, they shall be saved. Therefore let your hearts be comforted, for all things shall work together for good. To them that walk uprightly and to the sanctification of the church, I will raise up unto myself a pure people that will serve me in righteousness. And all that call upon the name of the Lord and keep his commandments shall be saved. Even so. Amen. So these are direct allusions Back to section 97, where the Lord warned the saints there that Zion is the pure in heart, that the people are more important than the land is necessarily, and that that's part of the great moving cause behind all this. Like you said a little bit earlier, the Lord isn't the cause of our suffering necessarily, but sometimes he utilizes our suffering in order to purify us, in order to make us better, in order to help us become better instruments in his hand, able to carry out his work. So ominous tones hinted here, but an assurance that eventually things will work out. And that's going to lead us into the next section where the Saints do have to deal with some major, major, major, major issues in Zion.
- [39:04]
A
Foreign controversies with section 100. Casey, can you think of any controversies with this?
- [39:13]
B
None that really come to mind here. This is just a good section of reassurance, kind of the last calm before the storm fully breaks in Zion.
- [39:21]
A
It's nice to have a break sometimes from controversies, Casey. Not every section has to be controversial. So, yeah, no controversies here that I can think of.
- [39:29]
B
Okay, then let's move on to consequences.
- [39:31]
A
Okay, so Orson Hyde and John Gould that the Lord mentioned in verse 14 were dispatched in early August to Missouri to go and find out more information on the plight of the Saints there. All right, so the two elders traveled in a realm of, let's call it, uncertainty and violence. And it's clear from verse 14 that Joseph and Sidney were worrying about their safety. So let's talk about what happens. The sufferings of the Saints in Zion weighed heavily on them during this time time. But rather than simply waiting and worrying in Kirtland for word from Missouri, Joseph and Sydney's mission to Perrysburg shows their determination to do good when and where they could. That's, I think, really important to see here. Their time in the area was well spent, as we've discussed, and their efforts were well rewarded with a rich harvest of souls over time, over the next couple years. Maybe there's a lesson in that, Casey, as far as consequence, because maybe sometimes the best medicine for coping with serious worries and troubles, especially things you can't do a lot about right there in Ohio. A lot of stuff is breaking out in Missouri. Maybe the best way to cope with that is to lean into what you do, have control over and do as much good as you can in the realm that you have some control over. Right. Diving into the service of other people, doing the Lord's work that he's called you to do. That's what they do. And it is met with great blessing upon their heads. And we know that the experiences that Joseph and Sidney had in and around Perrysburg left the prophet with a very special love for the Saints in that area. In fact, in a letter that he wrote just a few weeks after returning to Kirtland, he writes to his friends in Perrysburg and says, quote, I remember brother Freeman, that is Freeman Nickerson, and his wife Ransom also, and sister Lydia, which is Lydia Bailey that you talked about, Casey and little Charles. He says, with all the brethren and sister and I entreat for an interest in all your prayers before the throne of mercy in the name of Jesus. I hope that the Lord will grant that I may see you all again and above all that we may overcome and sit down together in the kingdom of our Father. Just a great pastoral care for these people that he met and loved. Joseph will also return home and find that all was indeed as the Lord promised when he said, your families are well, well, and they're in my hands. Verse 1. The Prophet recorded his gratitude for this fulfilled promise, writing in his journal when he returned home Friday, November 1st. Left Buffalo, New York at 8am and arrived at home Monday the 4th, November, 1833 at 10am Found my family all well according to the promise of the Lord, for which blessings I feel to thank His Holiness. Name Amen.
- [42:11]
B
Nice little moment of calm before what comes next, unfortunately, which is going to be pretty bad. And that's what we're going to cover in our next episode as we talk about Section 101 and the persecution of the saints in Missouri.
- [42:24]
A
Okay, so we'll see you over in episode three. Thanks, Casey.
- [42:27]
B
All right, thanks, Scott. We'll see you there.
- [42:35]
A
Sa.