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Church History Matters
165 - D&C 122-123 CFM - Lessons From Liberty Jail - E43B October 20-26
00:46:59
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- [00:00]
Casey
One of the proofs that the Church is true is the opposition that it sometimes faces. And I know how painful it can be. It's hard, and sometimes it's hard even though you're doing the right thing, but the Lord is with you. It's not if trials are going to come, they're going to come. It's how you're going to respond to them that really determines how they'll affect you.
- [00:20]
Scott
I sometimes hear people talk in the language of God, gives us trials, so that there may be moments where God actually gives a trial, but I don't think that is very frequent or common at all.
- [00:32]
Casey
Actually, agency is something that we have in regards to our trials. And rather than blaming God, sometimes it's better to ask, well, what am I supposed to learn from this?
- [00:42]
Scott
Hello, Casey. Welcome back to episode two.
- [00:45]
Casey
Yeah, and even though we chose to put a break in the episodes here, there is no break in the Letters from Liberty Jail. The two letters that these sections are composed of. It just continues. And I will say this, the context is the same, too. It's the Mormon War, it's the second Missouri persecutions, whatever you call it. But there is maybe some context for section 122 that we should add, because there's the macro conflict, there's the conflict between the Saints and the settlers in Missouri, but there's also interpersonal conflicts here, some of which we've touched upon. Things like Orson Hyde and Thomas B. Marsh.
- [01:22]
Scott
They've, like, fully turned against Joseph now. They've sworn affidavits against Joseph to the state. Right.
- [01:28]
Casey
At this point, there's things that happen within Liberty Jail and in nearby proximity, which some of section 122 appears to be addressing. And so let's dive into the context for section 122, which, like I said, is largely the same as section 121. But one little nuance here that I think opens up the section a little bit and explains why the Savior says some of the words to Joseph Smith that he does.
- [01:53]
Scott
And maybe for anyone who's just clicked on this and did not listen to episode one, we would invite you to go back to episode one to get the full context of the Liberty Jail letters like, Joseph is in Liberty. There's been a war. There's been betrayal, he's in prison. If you want the full details, go check out the previous episode. Okay, so drop us into this more immediate context, this kind of interpersonal context of section 122. What's going on?
- [02:24]
Casey
All the context, the conflict between the Saints and their neighbors, Joseph Smith and several men have been placed in Liberty Jail. The text of section 122 actually is a straight on continuation from where section 121 ends. Pages 3 and 4 of the second part of the letter. And again, it's just there immediately, without interruption, following verses 121, 34, 36. So if you're reading this, you could just go straight into section 122. But let me mention a couple things. The revelatory part of the letter that is now featured in section 122 might have come as a partial response to the early release of Sidney Rigdon, who was allowed to leave the jail earlier, the month before, in February of 1839. Again, I don't want to criticize Sidney Rigdon. He was a valiant servant. He got us into a little trouble here in Missouri. He gives the salt sermon. But further context. Sidney is an older guy than most of the men in Liberty Jail. And it seems like the stay in Liberty Jail takes a really heavy physical toll on Sidney. And because of that, he's brought to trial before the others. Now, when he's brought to trial, he speaks eloquently about their sufferings, about the conditions in Liberty Jail. In fact, Alexander Doniph, who we mentioned earlier saved these men from the firing squad, is now acting as their lawyer during the hearings surrounding the events. Alexander Doniphan later records of Sidney Rigdon's speech. He wrote such a burst of eloquence. It was never my fortune to listen to at its close. There was not a dry eye in the room. All were moved to tears. And apparently what he said was so moving that he was allowed to be released early from the jail before the others were.
- [04:15]
Scott
And it was connected to his health too, wasn't it?
- [04:17]
Casey
Yeah. And I should mention, Sydney is never super healthy after this. Like, there are records that show that during the Nauvoo period, he could be in bed sometimes for 10 or 12 days because he just really was sort of broken by this whole experience. So that's the maybe little bit of extra context that we should add here. Accepting what happened in Liberty Jail was really hard. And Sidney Rigdon was prone to big, bold statements. I mean, this fits his M.O. it was rough.
- [04:44]
Scott
So let's. Let's get in here then. To the section. The ends of the earth shall inquire after thy name. And fools shall have thee in derision. And hell shall rage against thee. While the pure in heart and the wise and the noble and the virtuous shall seek counsel and Authority and blessings constantly from under thy hand. Remember the context of verses 1 and 2 from earlier in the letter. Like you said, this is just a continuation from section 121. It would be helpful to go back to section 121, look at the very last verses. It's about righteous leadership. It's about leadership that flows to you without compulsion, without compulsory means is the phrase. When you act virtuously, persuasively, kindly, with pure knowledge, meekness, love, unfeigned. Like when you become that kind of a Christ like leader, you will have this incredible like influence on people that they'll want to follow you rather than you having to like force your will upon people, whether you're children or people that you are over at work or people you're over at in the church. Like these principles of leadership are interesting and I've never actually connected Casey till this moment that verses 1 and 2 of section 122 are a continuation of the blessings of that kind of Christ like leadership. He is saying that people are going to inquire after your name specifically, he's talking to Joseph Smith here. But think about these principles. Fools will have you in derision, people will mock you still. Hell will rage against to you, sure. But the pure in heart, the wise, the noble, the virtuous will seek. They want to come to you to seek counsel and authority and blessings constantly from under your hand. That's interesting to connect that to section 121 in verse 3. And thy people shall never be turned against thee by the testimony of traitors. And although their influence shall cast thee into trouble and into bars and walls, thou shalt be had in honor and but for a small moment. And thy voice shall be more terrible in the midst of thine enemies than the fierce L because of thy righteousness and thy God shall stand by thee forever and ever.
- [06:49]
Casey
In a time filled with discouragement, it's important that the Lord takes a moment to share his own testimony of the importance of the mission of Joseph Smith. And while I want to emphasize the church is the Church of Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith is important to us. He was the prophet chosen to open the last dispensation. Even though Joseph Smith has flaws and imperfections, we have an obligation to testify, as the Lord did, of the divine mission of the prophet Joseph Smith. The Lord says he will stand by Joseph Smith. That's in verse four. And so should the Latter Day Saints. And it worries me a little bit that we're so hesitant sometimes. I see this in some meetings where we worry that we'll be misunderstood if we just say a simple statement like, I know Joseph Smith was a prophet, but it's a really important part of our testimony. Like, I don't know if you remember, Scott, but it felt like when I was a missionary, when we'd get to the first vision part, that was always part of the first discussion. That was always when, like, the phone would ring or a plane would fly over or something would happen because the spirit would get so strong when we testify that Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ. So I found this experience that I've really liked. This is from David O. McKay. I just want to share it. He said, since childhood, it's been very easy for me to believe in the reality of the visions of the prophet Joseph Smith. And he added that his testimony of Joseph Smith was built on the foundation of the witness of the prophet shared by his father, Thomas McKay. And then he shared this story. He said, as a young missionary In Scotland, Thomas McKay experienced severe opposition whenever he bore his testimony of Joseph Smith. And David O. McKay tells the story, saying, one day he concluded the best way to reach these people would be to preach just the simple principles, the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, the first principles of the gospel, and not bear testimony of the restoration. As the week stretched on, Thomas continued to become more and more discouraged. He eventually reached a point where he determined that if he could not rid himself of his feelings of gloominess, it might be better if he returned home seeking guidance from God. He went to a cave near the seashore to plead with God to remove the feelings of depression he was struggling with. He pleaded, oh, Father, what can I do to have this feeling removed? President McKay said his father heard a voice as distinct this is President McKay as the tone I am now uttering, saying, testify that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. Remembering then what he tacitly had decided six weeks or more before, he became overwhelmed with a thought. And the whole thing came to him in a realization that he was there for a special mission, and he had not given that special mission the attention it deserved. Then he cried out in his heart, lord, it is enough. And he went out from the cave. And President McKay later wrote, As a boy, I sat and heard that testimony from one whom I treasured and honored. As you know, I treasured no other man in the world. And that assurance was instilled in my youthful soul. I bring that up because sometimes, like I said, we have this tendency to sort of want to avoid talking about Joseph Smith because of the history or the complexities surrounding his life. But I think the Lord bore testimony of Joseph Smith here, and we have still an obligation to share our testimony of the divine mission of Joseph Smith. We need to do what the Lord does here, which is bear witness that God called the prophet and that the prophet in the latter days was named.
- [10:08]
Scott
Joseph Smith Jr. That line at the end of verse four. Thy God shall stand by thee forever and ever. You're saying if it's good enough for God, it should be good enough for us. Stand by Joseph Smith despite his weaknesses. God did that. We can, too. Okay, let's go to verse five. The Lord says, if thou art called to pass through tribulation, if thou art in perils among false brethren, if thou art in perils among robbers, if thou art in perils by land or sea, if thou art accused with all manner of false accusations, if thine enemies fall upon thee, if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters, and if with a drawn sword, thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife and of thine offspring and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments and shall say, my father, my father, why can't you stay with us, O my father, what are the men going to do with you? And if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb. And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee, if thou be cast into the deep, if the billowing surge conspire against thee, if fierce winds become thine enemy, if the heavens gather blackness and all the elements combine to hedge up the way. And above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape, open the mouth wide after thee. That's a very long and awfully specific list of problems, Casey. If all those things happen, the Lord says, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give the experience and shall be for thy good. Now, all of those events actually are literal, and they had happened to the prophet Joseph Smith like nothing here is hypothetical. Joseph was betrayed by false brethren, verse 5. Right. Such as George Hinkle, who turned them over to the Missouri militia. He was falsely accused, verse 6, by many former church members who swore out affidavits against the prophet so that they could avoid themselves being persecuted. He's ripped from the society of his family, including his eldest son, who's 6 years old who pleaded for Joseph's life. The prophet was cast into a pit and endured terrible conditions while being held in Independence, Richmond and Liberty Jail. Pick your pit. He was in three pits there. Lyman White, who was in Liberty Jail alongside Joseph, actually witnessed the heart wrenching separation of the prisoners from their families back in Far West. Here's what Lyman says. See if this sounds familiar. He said about the hour the prisoners were to have been shot on the public square in Far West. They were exhibited in a wagon in the town, all of them having families there but myself. And it would have broken the heart of any person possessing an ordinary share of humanity to have seen the separation. The aged father and mother of Joseph Smith were not permitted to see his face, but to reach their hands through the curtains of the wagon and thus take leave of him when passing his own house. He was taken out of the wagon and permitted to go into the house. House, but not without a strong guard. And he was not permitted to speak with his family, but in the presence of his guard and his eldest son Joseph, about 6 years old, hanging to the tail of his coat, crying, father, is the mob going to kill you? The guard said to him, go back, you will see your father no more. Then he continues. The prisoners then set out for Jackson county accompanied by Generals Lucas and Wilson and about 300 troops for a guard. This whole scenario, all these hypothetical if, if, if, if, if is describing the last several months of Joseph Smith's own life. And the Lord says, even if that happens, all these things shall give the experience, Joseph, and shall be for thy good.
- [13:33]
Casey
And that's sort of the point here, right? As terrible as these trials are, the Lord in verse seven repeats his earlier lesson, which is now found in what section 121, that trials can be a sanctifying and purifying experience for those who endure them. Well, this is a major theme. It seems like almost every time the leaders of the church speak to us. For instance, President Henry B. Eyring said, you might reasonably wonder why a loving and an all powerful God allows our mortal test to be so hard. It is because he knows that we must grow in spiritual cleanliness and stature to be able to live in his presence in families forever. To make that possible, Heavenly Father gave us a Savior and the power to choose for ourselves by faith to keep his commandments and to repent, and so come unto Him. Everybody eventually encounters some kind of unfair or unkind treatment. I remember a talk where Elder Dale talked about infuriating unfairness, but his counsel was do not let unfairness harden you or corrode your faith in God. Instead, ask God for help. Increase your appreciation for and reliance on the Savior. Rather than becoming bitter, let him help you become better. Allow him to help you persevere, to let your afflictions be swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Join him in his mission to heal the brokenhearted, to strive to mitigate unfairness and become a stone catcher. That's the the theme of the address, and that's where we get to these verses that the context hinges on. He says this. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than He? Therefore hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee, for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, Thy years shall not be numbered less. Therefore fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.
- [15:25]
Scott
Wow. Verse 8. Can we just talk about that for a second? The Son of Man has descended below them all. Art Thou greater than He? The obvious answer is no. I think the Lord is saying this to give us some perspective and comfort. Like the Savior has power to help and heal and comfort and bless us. And he gained a lot of empathy through his own experiences in his own mortality. Like, I love how the Book of Mormon says it. Like, for instance, the prophet Alma testified, after he's born as a mortal, he shall quote, go forth suffering, pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind. Like the whole gamut, right? Jesus is going to experience that immortality and this, that the Word might be fulfilled. Word of Isaiah which saith, he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people. He'll even experience death. Alma says he'll take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people, and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh, how to succor his people according to their infirmities. So I love verse 8. Is not Jesus flexing right? The Son of Man has descended below them all. Art Thou greater than He? I did that so that I can help you, so that I can succor you. I've been in circumstances like this and I can empathize and succor you like, I think that's powerful. Only Jesus knows the depth of suffering. Greater than man can suffer is how King Benjamin's angel said it in Mosiah 3, right? Deep, poignant suffering. So he can help us. And then let's talk about Verse nine. The Lord's statement to the prophet that, quote, thy years are known and shall not be numbered less, I think was meant to be a comfort. The prophet's mission is difficult. It's filled with suffering. But the Savior, I think here is offering his assurance that Joseph's mission is not yet at an end. The prophet knew that his days were numbered, but he also had faith that the Lord would allow him to complete his mission. In fact, in a discourse given about a year before his martyrdom, Joseph taught, he said, quote, I know what I say. I understand my mission and business. God Almighty is my shield. And what can man do if God is my friend? I shall not be sacrificed until my time comes. Then he said, I shall be offered freely. It's interesting that Lyman White will later say after Joseph's death, he'll say that in Liberty Jail. Well, Joseph told him that the sense he had was he had about five years left. He had about five years of life left, which if you fast forward from 1839 to 1844, that's five years. Joseph will die in five years. Lucy Mack Smith said after that heart wrenching moment when Joseph was, you know, she could only reach through the curtains and feel Joseph and Hyrum's fingers. And as the wagon drove away and she thought she might never see her, her sons again, she says in her own history that she went and poured her soul out to God and asked him to bless her family. And the Lord gave her an assurance that Joseph would continue for five years, after which his enemies would have no more power over him, is how Lucy said it. Whether that would mean he would die or not, Lucy wasn't sure. But after five years, his enemies would no longer have power over him. So independently, both his mom and Joseph Smith, according to Lyman White, had this sense of about five years. So when the Lord says, thy days are known and shall not be numbered less, there you go. That was the sense that he had. And that's pretty poignant. Most of us don't get that kind of clarity on how much time we have left. But I love that sense of mission that he's driven. That last five years of his life is just unparalleled. He unloads. He does everything he can to get everything out of him to the people and to prepare them for his absence.
- [19:03]
Casey
He really does does live the last five years like he's on kind of borrowed time. But he accomplishes the work that he needs to. Let's keep going to section 123. Section 123 is the continuation of the same letter. It's found on pages five through seven. Context is exactly the same, but there are a couple paragraphs between the last verse of section 122 and the first verse of section 123. We're not going to read them all, but here's just a couple samples. The letter reads. We have reason to believe that many things were introduced among the saints before God had signified the times and notwithstanding the principles and plans, may have been good yet aspiring men, or in other words, men who had not the substance of godliness about them, perhaps undertook to handle edged tools. Children, you know, are fond of tools while they are not yet able to use them. Time and experience, however, are the only safe remedies against such evils. There are many teachers, but perhaps not many fathers. There are times coming when God will signify many things which are expedient for the well being of the saints, but the times have not yet come, but will come as fast as can be found, and reception for them. And again. And there is where section 123 starts, right in verse one. I'm just going to continue here. And again we would suggest for your consideration the propriety of the saints gathering up a knowledge of all the facts and sufferings and abuses put on them by the people of this state, and also of the property and amount of damages which they have sustained, both of character and personal injuries, as well as real property, and also the names of all persons that have had a hand in their oppressions as far as they can get a hold of them, and find them out and perhaps a committee can be appointed to find out these things, and to take statements and affidavits, and also gather up the libelous publications that are afloat, and all that are in the magazines and in the encyclopedias, and in all the libelous histories that are published and are writing, and by whom, and present the the whole concantiation of diabolical rascality and nefarious and murderous impositions. My favorite phrase in the entire doctrine and Covenants. Diabolical rascality and nefarious and murderous impositions. I'm going to work that into a conversation later today that have been practiced upon this people, that we may not only publish to all the world, but present them to the heads of government in all their dark and hellish hue, as the last effort which is enjoined on us by our Heavenly Father, before we can fully and completely claim that promise which shall call him for forth from his hiding place and also that the whole nation may be left without excuse before he can send forth the power of his mighty arm.
- [21:45]
Scott
So he's talking about gathering up a case to be made against their oppressors. Right. To get all the Saints to gather their witness, their affidavits, every shred of evidence of the diabolical rascality and nefarious and murderous impositions that have come against the Saints in order to present that to the heads of government. So this is a call for the Saints to make their case before those who can rule on their behalf, basically. Right, like, what's that. What's the outcome of verses one through six, by the way? Like, maybe this is a good time to just talk consequences of these verses, because I think it kind of matters here.
- [22:18]
Casey
This might be a nice visual for the people that are watching the podcast rather than listening. But this is a book called Mormon Redress Petitions. It was edited by Clark Johnson. But this is basically what verses 1 through 6 are asking them to do. The book itself is over 800 pages long, and it basically is the collected statements of the Saints from Missouri who went through depredations during this time, who lost property, who had family members murdered. And this was intended to be presented to the government and to create a physical record. So you can see it's a pretty big book and it's pretty horrific reading. Like, I don't recommend reading this in public, maybe privately. I read it in a class, and it triggered some people, like, the descriptions in here are a little too vivid of some of the things that occurred. But this is what the Lord's asking them to create, and they do create it. This is the end result here.
- [23:16]
Scott
Well, and it's interesting to note, too, kind of the aftermath of this is that hoping to secure the help from the federal government, once Joseph is out of Liberty Jail, he's actually going to travel with a couple other church leaders to Washington, D.C. he'll get there November 28, 1839, the same year, the end of this year. Right. And he and his companions are going to be there for, like, three weeks trying to advocate for the cause of the saints in D.C. the day after their arrival, they're able to arrange a meeting at the White House with Martin Van Buren, who's then the President of the United States. Unfortunately, the meeting with Van Buren was actually discouraging Elias Higbee, who was there with them. He later recalled this. He said, quote, we presented him with our letters of introductions. As soon as he had read one of them, he looked upon us with a kind of half frown and said, what can I do? I can do nothing for you. If I do anything, I shall come in contact with the whole state of Missouri. It was a voting year. In another statement, he says, if I go for you, then I'm going to lose the vote of Missouri. And Van Buren's response illustrates, like, the growing concerns in the United States at the time over the role of federal and state governments. And like they were trying to get the federal, the head of the federal government to help them. He said, I can't do anything because you know the governor, that's, that's his issue. But the Saint's retort is, the governor is the one who issued the extermination order, sir, like, do you not have power to intervene on our behalf? And he's like, nah. Plus it's a voting unit and if I go for you, then I'm going to lose the vote of Missouri, which is the worst.
- [24:44]
Casey
This is really frustrating, but it's kind of American History 101. Prior to the Civil War, there was a lot of dispute over whether or not the federal government or the state governments were supreme. And Van Buren is known as the little Wizard. He's like a politician's politician. He's playing the game here basically and saying, I don't want to tick off Missouri because I don't want to affect my reelection chances. Which, by the way, he lost reelection election and lost the presidency as well. But the actions of the Saint here kind of mirror the earlier counsel given to them by the Lord in 1833. When you'll remember, way back in section 101, the saints were told to appeal to the federal government for assistance when they were kicked out of Jackson county during the first Missouri persecutions. @ the time, the Lord promised that if the government would not assist the Saints, he would, this is the wording in section 101, arise and come forth out of his hiding place and in his fury, fury vex the Nation. That's verse 89 of section 101. The conflict over states rights is later one of the primary factors that leads to the American Civil War from 1860 to 1865. So just that whole boondoggle that they got involved in earlier, but this time it's the President of the United States saying, I'm not going to do anything, even though you guys are right.
- [26:01]
Scott
And I remember in Joseph's history he says this about Van Buren. He said his whole course went to show that he was an office seeker, that self aggrandizement. Which Joseph condemns so much in these letters, doesn't he? That self aggrandizement was his ruling passion and that justice and righteousness were no part of his composition. And then he says, on my way home from Washington D.C. i did not fail to proclaim the iniquity and insolence of Martin Van Buren toward myself and an injured people which will have its effect upon the public mind. And may he never be elected again to any office of trust or power by which he may abuse the innocent and let the guilty go free. And like you said, he was not re elected and he does not ever hold another office of trust ever again. So very interesting. Anyway, okay, let's go to verse seven. I love this verse so much. Verse seven starts like this. It is an imperative duty. Joseph saying to the saints that we owe to God, to angels with whom we shall be brought to stand. And also to ourselves, to our wives and children who have been made to bow down with grief, sorrow and care under the most damning hand of murder, tyranny and oppression, supported and urged on and upheld by the influence of that spirit which hath so strongly riveted the creeds of the fathers who inherited lies upon the hearts of the children. Children. And filled the world with confusion and has been growing stronger and stronger and is now the very mainspring of all corruption. And the whole earth groans under the weight of its iniquity. That's a long sentence, first of all. But it. Joseph has some, he has some long ones in here. There is a duty. There's a duty we owe to God and angels and to our wives and kids and each other. Those of us who've been made to suffer under the evil that has come from those who are under the influence of an evil spirit. Right? And about that evil spirit, about those, those creeds, those beliefs that are riveted so deeply on the hearts of the fathers. I love that phrase. Riveted on the hearts of the fathers who've inherited lies on the hearts of their children. Here's what he says about that. I guess we'd call that multi generational lies, trauma, prejudice. He calls that an iron yoke. Verse 8. It is a strong band. They, those lies are the very handcuffs and chains and shackles and fetters of a heaven hell. I sense compassion in this. Actually, Casey, I sense an interesting perspective from the prophet here where he's saying like the people who did this stuff to us did it because they actually believed in some twisted way that they were doing maybe a helpful or a good thing. And it's because they've inherited lies on their hearts that have become the very, the very handcuffs and chains and shackles and fetters of hell, the false traditions of their fathers, or whatever you want to call them. This is why they're acting out the way they're acting out. So picking up that thought in verse nine, it is an imperative diet duty that we owe not only to our own wives and children, but to the widows and fatherless whose husbands and fathers have been murdered under its iron hand, which dark and blackening deeds are enough to make hell itself shudder and to stand aghast and pale, and the hands of the very devil to tremble and palsy. What's the duty? What's the duty that we owe? Verse 11. It's an imperative duty that we owe to all the rising generation, to all the pure and holy heart. For there are many yet on the earth among all the sects and parties and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it. Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness wherein we know them, and they are truly manifest from heaven, these should then be attended to with great earnestness. He says. So what's he talking about here? What's he about talking. Talking about? Well, it's those first verses one through six, about let's bring forth the truth about what really happened. That's part of it, right? Let's bring forth the truth about what really happened to us. There are so many lies and so many rumors and so much false information about there. About what really happened. Let's compile our 750 page book. That's part one. It's a duty that we owe to the innocent who suffered. And it's also a duty to the rising generation that we owe, that the truth should be known. There are a lot of people who have a lot of prejudice against us. There are a lot of people who've inherited lies riveted upon their hearts against us and people like us. And it's a duty that we owe to all of them, anyone who suffered and those in the future who may come under the power of such prejudice and bigotry, both as perpetrators or victims, to let the truth be known. We need to figure out a way to get the truth out there. It's a cool call, it's a difficult call, but it's the right Call. We gotta get the truth out there in a way that cuts through all of this disinformation and the inherited lies on the hearts of so many.
- [30:49]
Casey
Yeah. And he is acknowledging here that the mob that persecuted and murdered the Saints, here's the wording, they were urged on and upheld by the influence of that spirit which has so strongly riveted the creeds of the Fathers who have inherited lies. He's saying this is like the Lamanites in the Book of Mormon, where hatred against the Saints was implanted in their enemies in part by cultural circumstances. You can see the Book of Mormon discussing this. And unfortunately, some of the worst persecutions of Disciples of Christ have come from people who also profess to be disciples of Christ too. They take the teachings of Christ, the teachings of the Bible, and they distort them and they misuse them for wicked purposes. These are horrible situations where Christians attack other Christians. And he's saying the Saints have a sacred charge to recount, to record their persecutions partly to show the danger of religion when it's twisted into a weapon to use against other people or to create othering. You know, to create a separation.
- [31:54]
Scott
As of this recording, there was recently an attack on members of our church in Michigan. It's been all over the news at the moment we're recording this. Four members of our church were killed by a gunman. The church was burned down. I think everybody who's listening to this probably knows about this already. There was a tweet that went out that said Christianity is under attack. Someone said that about what was happening at that moment and whether it is or isn't. You know, we can debate that later. But. But what, what, what concerned me is that there was then a response to that that says Mormons aren't Christians in that moment. Like Casey, I'm just so disappointed. Like another Christian persecuting Christians, like you said, by denying our Christianity in the. Of middle midst of a moment where we were just wounded deeply, where our people were attacked. Like, I just, I just. I just saw it again. I saw what section123 is talking about where. Where the. The beliefs on the hearts of people sometimes cause us to not be compassionate toward each other and in fact even to be antagonistic toward one another. Even though the person who tweeted that was not the perpetrator or wasn't even, you know, encouraging it or applauding it. They just intersected and so such a insensitive way that was so, like, unnecessary to try to other. Like you said, to try to other Latter Day Saints away from the Christian community. And it's just hurtful and it's unnecessary and we've got to do like section123 says and try to get the truth out there to pop these rivets off the hearts of those who have them on them, right? Like there's just too much harm that comes from false information.
- [33:27]
Casey
There's opposition, right? And, and whatever the purpose was for the opposition, it is part and parcel of being a disciple of Jesus Christ that you may have to endure persecution. I love this quote from Brigham Young. He said, every time you kick Mormonism, you kick it upstairs, you never kick it downstairs. The Lord Almighty so orders it. And I hope that we keep in mind that that is part of the deal, right? That one of the proofs that the church is true is the opposition that it sometimes faces. And I know how pain it can be to feel othered. I spend enough time on the Internet to know that it's still shocking how ignorant and sometimes bigoted people just are about Latter Day Saints. But we press on.
- [34:13]
Scott
And one of the things we do to press on. I think Section123 is saying here is help people come to a knowledge of the actual truth about us. Somehow, some way, we got to figure out a way to do this.
- [34:23]
Casey
Don't give up. So picking up in verse 15, he said, Let no man count them as small things. For there is much that lieth in futurity, purity pertaining to the Saints which depends upon these things. You know, brethren, that a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the winds and the waves. Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power. And then we may stand still with the utmost assurance to see the salvation of God and for his arm to be revealed. So that's the liberty jail letter or letters I should say, because they're still too stuff that is particularly powerful in the moment we're facing right now. But I can't think of a time when this isn't going to be widely applicable to just say it's hard. And sometimes it's hard even though you're doing the right thing. But the Lord is with you and all of these things can give you experience. They can help you be a better person, a more kind, a more empathetic person. It's not if trials are going to come, they're going to come come. It's how you're going to respond to them. That really determines how they'll affect you.
- [35:33]
Scott
You know, we don't have a large controversy section, actually, which might be surprising. But one controversy I thought about, Casey, that we might just discuss briefly is something that I sometimes hear in our church, in our discourse with each other, as we talk about trials. I sometimes hear people talk in the language of. Of God gives us trials. So that. Right. And I sometimes wince at that. There may be moments where God actually gives a trial, but I don't think that is very frequent or common at all, actually, especially when it's like, trials where, like, bad things are happening to us. Like, the question really is, like, does God inspire or cause bad things to happen to us? Does he inspire bad people to hurt us? Does he inspire, you know, circumstances to be such that we will suffer? And like, I know we're not saying that God is, like, pulling the strings and making us suffer, but sometimes our language is like that. And sometimes I hear that from the Liberty Jail letter. Some people will quote this. And Casey, that's not what he's saying. The Lord is saying to Joseph, he does say all these things shall give the experience and shall be for thy good. What he's not saying is, is, Joseph, I inspired the Missouri mobs to put you in this dungeon so you could learn some stuff, right? Like, we're going to have suffering. We're going to have bad things happen to us. And sometimes people are going to use their ability to choose their agency to hurt us or hurt the people that we love. Things are going to happen. And the Lord, he allows it. As President Eyring said in that quote that you read, he will allow this to happen, but he doesn't cause it. But he is wisely counseling Joseph and everyone who suffered suffers that if you endure this, well, like, this could be good. Like, you can, like, good can come from this, right? You can. You can grow from this. You can become better, you can become softer, you can become more. More gentle, more compassionate, more loving, more understanding, more empathetic as a result of what you go through, it can be for your good. I think that's a very important distinction to make. What do you want to say about that? Between God causing versus versus God allowing so that we can learn and grow.
- [37:40]
Casey
The question is, why doesn't God intervene? I guess because there are things we classify as acts of God. A tree falls on your house or a hurricane hits your community. The question isn't, did God cause it? It's why did he intervene to stop it? Because sometimes he does. And we don't really know the reason why he does or doesn't intervene. The central question we have to ask is what are we going to do about it? How do we respond? Like, while you were talking, a thought came to mind about a seminary student. I taugh a long time ago and I can't even remember her full name. And so I won't mention her first name here, but she was a dancer and, you know, something really simple happened, like she just landed on her ankle the wrong way. But unfortunately, the injury didn't get better and they had to amputate her foot. And then by the time she was in my class, they had had to continue amputating because of complications all the way up to her knee. That's the sort of trial that could really turn a person sour and make them ang angry. But she wasn't. She didn't know the reason why it happened, but she didn't blame God for it happening. And she saw it as an opportunity to be a light and to lift the people around her. I've seen other people go through trials less severe than that and turn really bitter. So again, it's not a question of if trials are going to come, it's how you're going to respond to them. Some people that emerged from Liberty Jail never really recovered. Joseph Smith seems to recover with his humanity intact and a willingness to try and right the wrong that happened here and a confirmed desire that what he was doing was right and that he had an obligation to try and right the wrongs and correct the untruths and lies that had led to what happened to them. If you're going through severe trials, I'm not trying to belittle or downplay that, but agency is something that we have in regards to our trials. And rather than blaming God, sometimes it's better to ask, well, what am I supposed to learn from this?
- [39:41]
Scott
And remember like, that God said, like in verse 4 of section 122, I stand with you, Joseph. I'm standing with you in your suffering. He's not removing it. He didn't blast the hinges off the gates of Liberty Jail and knock all the guards unconscious and lead them. He just said, I'm here with you. I'm with you in your suffering. The Son of Man has descended below them all. I understand. It's really interesting to watch how the Lord ministers here to Joseph to too. Like, so did Joseph have questions about why God hadn't intervened? Yeah, that's how the whole thing starts in section 121. Right. Well, God where art thou? How come you're not coming out of your hiding place and, like, taking vengeance on our enemies and helping us out? Like, Joseph had questions. Joseph had assumptions about what God would do, which God did not do. And we. So we see through the course of this letter from verse one of section 121 to, like, 122, where he's saying, like, I stand by you, Joseph. It is really awful what people did to you. Let me tell you, these things can make you a better person. All these things shall give the experience and be for thy good. In my mind, there's just a big difference between God causes the suffering and God allows it in order for us to learn and grow. And I see that all throughout these Liberty Jail letters, which I think is important.
- [40:57]
Casey
Yeah. Now, there are other controversies surrounding this episode in church history. We dealt with a lot of them in our series on peace and violence. And so probably better if we don't go into depth about the Danites and everything that happened here. But for me, the most powerful lesson is exactly what we just talked about. This idea of trials and why they happen and why they sometimes happen when you haven't done anything wrong, in fact, when you were trying to do what was right.
- [41:24]
Scott
Yeah. An incredible insight into that right with section 123 is like, sometimes people do really mean things to you when you're innocent, not because you have a problem, but because they have false beliefs that they're acting on in a way that hurts you. And, man, if we could just do everything that lies in our power cheerfully to try to help the truth come forth in a way that will help people to see, you know, the reality of the situation, then suffering is going to go down. You know, the net suffering in the world will go down. If we can get rid of some of these false beliefs that rivet themselves on the hearts of people that cause such prejudice and bigotry, and therefore violent actions against one another, like truth, can set us all free in a powerful way. Okay, Casey, so with all that, what do you want to say about our fourth c. Consequences? What comes out of these Liberty Jail letters?
- [42:13]
Casey
Well, we've already talked a lot about consequences. They go to Washington, they meet with the president. They do everything they can to peacefully seek redress from what happened from the Missourians here. And this really does set us up for a lot of the conflicts, conflicts that happened in Nauvoo and that eventually lead all the way to Joseph Smith's death. But the major consequences, despite the tribulations that they endure the prophet and his companions emerge from Liberty Jail with their faith in God and humanity intact. They Write in section 123 that there are good people of all faiths who are, in their words, only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it. And the revelations in Liberty Jail transform it from a terrible prison into a temple of learning and enlightenment. BH Roberts likes to refer to Liberty Jail as the Temple Prison. Joseph Smith emerges from his trials with a closer relationship with God, with a greater love for his friend, with increased optimism about the work of the latter days. And he gains a determination to not only just do his duty, but to also do it cheerfully, do all in his power to accomplish the works of God. I mentioned a little bit earlier there's a tremendous talk by Jeffrey R. Holland called Lessons from Liberty Jail.
- [43:27]
Scott
Yes, Elder Holland said this quote, every one of us, in one way or another, great or small, dramatic or incidental, is going to spend a little time in Liberty Jail. Spiritually speaking, we will face things we do not want to face for reasons that may not have been our fault. Indeed, we may face difficult circumstances for reasons that were absolutely right and proper reasons that came because we were trying to keep the commandments of the law. Lord but the lessons of the winter of 1838, 39 teach us that every experience can become a redemptive experience if we remain bonded to our Father in heaven through that difficulty. These difficult lessons teach us that man's extremity is God's opportunity. And if we will be humble and faithful, if we will be believing and not curse God for our problems, he can turn the unfair and inheritance, humane and debilitating prisons of our lives into temples, or at least into a circumstance that can bring comfort and revelation, divine companionship and peace.
- [44:30]
Casey
A visit to Liberty Jail is a special experience. The jail itself was torn down a couple decades after. There were some church historians that made it back in time to take pictures. But the church returned and purchased the house where Liberty Jail was and even some of the original floor that was there, and rebuilt this nice little visitor center. It's so poignant to go there and get a feel for what they experienced, but recognize and know that the dark times in our life can be really revelatory. SCOTT When I think of the times when I've undergone a lot of spiritual growth, it usually hasn't been when things were going great. It's usually been when things were going poor, poorly. And that might be part of the reason why we experience trials. Like the Lord said, it gives us experience and it's for our good and it helps us understand God and understand each other better because it kind of sands off the hard edges of our personality and character and helps us become more soft hearted.
- [45:30]
Scott
Yeah, I love that. In fact, let me end with one more quote from one of my heroes, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, talking about this. In fact, he wrote a whole book called, but for a small moment, a little phrase from section 122. But he said this. He said this Missouri dungeon served as Joseph's tutoring temple during months of incarceration, months of preparation, he calls them, for the final five years of his earthly ministry. And so, Casey, with, with the end of section 123, here we are now closing a leaf on the Missouri and Kirtland time period. And we're about to now head into that final five years. Elder Maxwell's talking about the five years in Nauvoo, Illinois, where we're going to get some of the crowning revelations of the prophet Joseph Smith. So we look forward to that. Next week we're going to be diving into section 124, the command to build the Nauvoo Temple and a whole lot of other things. It's the longest section in the Doctrine and Covenants, and so we look forward to that. Buckle up and let's get ready for Nauvoo. What does Joseph do? What is the Lord's prophet going to do for the last five years of his life, which he knows he has about five years. So it's going to be a blast to watch this unfold. We'll see you next week.
- [46:38]
Casey
All right. Until next time.