Show history and doctrines of the latter day dak saints to the 1 C following historical sketch was written by Y orson pratt church h historian in dec 1874 foringer r tian atiqa in the universal did i 4 it is now forwarded forway ded for hor bor publication in the NEWS t laerte RD HAY sair SAlI iTS this IS 14 1 the com common mon man nameon name af pf are a re religious rj r 1 i having its origin in the hp resent century the name when stated in fail fall is 11 tle tio tie the charch church of jesus jeus christ of latter day saints n bithe i othe saints believe that this was given by divine diviner revelation the distinguished individual who was the honored instrument in laying the foundation of the lC hurch was wag received by its mem morn bers as ag an inspired prophet t a chosen seer a revelator a grahg ra alato alator of bf asi ali valcient alei elent clent ent records a gr great kat oat apostle holding the keys of power Q er to buildup build up the king hing kingdom doin dorn of grm god on the earth fort for the he last time and for i the falness of times liko like samuel of old joseph smith jr was wa s called in his child ch id if hood while his mind was tn warped by the tho false th theories traditions and creeds of uninspired men meu 1 he was ivas called to do a work marvel ous OUST in its nature and wonderful in stis its results A biographical sketch p of one ao 30 endeared erd eared to the saints n and t d BO so celebrated in modern times cannot can not be uninteresting Mr was bom in the town of sharon windsor county vermont ded dec 23 1805 when ten years yeara old hi his s parents and family moved to palmyra new york in the vicinity of which ho he resided about eleven years during t the ae latter part of this period he dwelt delt in the town of manchester farming was his occupation his education was very limited it is true he could read without much difficulty and write a very imperfect hand and had a slight knowledge of the elementary rules of arithmetic but these were t hi his hig highest 1 and only scholastic attal attai attainments when about fourteen years of age lie jie began seriously to reflect upon lipon the necessity of being prepared for a future state of existence seeing the con eon contentions tensions tent ions lons among fhe the denominations in his n neighborhood e I 1 lie he was at a loss to know ow which among them all was the true christian church while in this state elate nil nit en oil of uncertainty he began lo 10 peruse A tho the scriptures where he found the following comforting vassa passa passage go if rf any of yog you lack wisdom let him i ask of gad that to all nil allmen imen liberally id and up braid eth oth not hot and it phail be given him proud this promise he learned that it was the th i ft 7 privilege of all men to a ask sk god for wisdom with the greatest assurance j that they should receive he 11 there therefore foie fole retired to a secret place in a grove but a short distance distan ce from his fathers house and knelt khel t down and began to pray asking god to iry reveal to him where he might find the true church while exercised in this sacred duty he saw 1 a bright and most glorious light 1 in 4 the r al 11 heavens above abote which at first seemed to t bo be at a considerable dis tance jance I 1 he continued pr praying a I 1 while tho the light a appeared t to a b bp arg gradually j descending towards him and as it drew nearer it increased in brightness and ano magnitude so that by the time it had reached x the thi tops of the trees the whole distan distance around was illuminated great brilliancy so intense was this light i that he was apprehensive that the leaves leaven and boughs or C the trees would be consumed b the contact 0 intact but perceiving q hat no such sueh ennead effect was produced he be was encouraged ath the tho hores hopes that he would gould be bd thrift tha inbi s 1 I 11 ta 6 endure its ita presence wi 4 9 slows JY unni unal tit 4 pe was as enyo ap etl in f tue the ml midst dat of it itchen ik first came upon him hini I 1 it produced tape po culan cular sensation throughout his bia whole system fein fekn and immediately p hh m mind i nd was caught away from the natural objects with which he isas surrounded and was enveloped ci c i in a lle ile heavenly vision ho saw two al glorious pe personages I 1 by vy whom ho he was informed that his hia aln feins were forgiven that the religious sects were not riot right that they had all gone out of the way and that he must not join any of the thea them m he was promised that in due time tho the true jnue doctrine of christ the falness of the llie gospel should be revealed to him and through him to the tho world after which the vision withdrew leaving his mind in a state of calmness and peace indescribable cri bable about four years after on the evening of the of sep september 1823 while engaged in prayer it pleased god to send an holy angel to him the brightness of the thia light surrounding this personage and the glory of his hia countenance were beyond the power of gb to describe his stature was a lit little le above tile the common n size of men in this age his garment was perfectly white aud and had bad the thie appearance of being without leapal this celestial informed mr smith that ilis llis prayers were byge heard that his rati 4 forgiven n and that he yas was waa called oai leb leq and choren chorea to bring ferth a sacred record engraved by A ancient nt prophets du on metallic plates havling obtained thi thy sacred booy boob book boob a and nd translated li by th the power of god gad the same he be published the first edition early barly in 1830 on the lath of may 1820 engaged in the work gurk of translation aar anu ano his A cribe scribe olier cowdery became deeply imbres impressed ad upon tipon the subject of water baptism they found that the form and ob 1 jeet of baptism and the authority nee necessary emary to administer this dlane ordinance were clearly tati tali taught by our savior in person among th the ancient israelites of america T they ey earnest earnestly y desired to to totals it i s important duty but kno knowing og that the uninspired deac e 0 of modern times elmea taro tare were wore without t dive divi divine ne authority they were at a loss now ow to receive aho tho he ordinance legally they retired by themselves vei gei an ata earn earnestly es aly besought the lord to show theio thelo theo them w what aut to td do diak while thus praying an angel in hla hia glory appeared and lay irig trig his hands upon their heads hb brila ordained ined them to the priesthood he idd informed them that hla bih hib his name was john job 1 I f the same bame cholin ancient times tim Is came to lb way before the ullo first corn ing of the messiah he told them that the me priesthood which hoof h e conferred upon upon them had xa power 1 to b in water for the remission of sins bins but had no authority to administer the higher ordinance of the laying on of the hands for the baptism of fire and the holy ghost having received authority and also a coinman commandment man dment these two young men mew baptized each other end and were filled with great joy nna also with the spirit of prophecy prop beey becy A few months arter utter they ther began to seriously consider the importance of receiving greater blessings of the gospel which the priesthood of john the baptist had not tho right to confer they again sought in humble prayer for a restoration to the earth erth of tbd higher authority when to their great joy three of the ancient apostles oles oies peter james and ji john an appeared to them and ordained them to the a apostleship giving them the tuil full authority to confirm baptized believers by the laying on of hands for tho the reception of the tho holy ghost and to administer in all ail the higher ordinances ces path of the e gospel having baptized a bev feg penitent believer tho the thelby they yby by divi divine 1 ue command on ther the gih of april 1830 organized the church in fayette Fa yette yelte seneca county new york consisting only of a six ix members rp during the next six months several other small branches were wore organize organized ct in the same state in the tha following autumn fourfis four missionaries sion slona rips aries worp sent by divine revelation giyen given through joseph tho the prophet to the w western a tern boundaries of tho stat of missouri on their way they preached in the northern part of ohio and in afew weeks succeeded in baptizing several and establishing a branch of the tho church many of whom re resided adv an sevea al of these lew bew convent convert and ordained to othe otho the tho prie and an d f jvon went for fon forth li jn in all ji preach r eklof hi gab t word many by y 1 wod euion m tho tha f jasus 3 I ry healed devils devila eto ej o cat cal out te e jarn jain ret 0 wee wea av mado made to waa a th thu tho sp spirit A e or was a abundantly 4 L 1 man I 1 reatea it tie heavens Rs to some visions of the future wele weve seen while up angels ga ministered to and comforted many i thus the word of ot bod waja aop confirmed f armed to the tile believers beli bell evers evera by in january 1831 a royolA revelation ticul was wa 5 given j all ail gli allvlu allt aili lu saints in the east to to ohio this in tho falo following wing apri aaring ll 11 ng was waa kirtland bechio became the residence of the prophet p and tho the headquarters of the tho saints tary fary many paty continued to bo be 91 given ven ona on a great variety subjects of these in due time ivore yvore were wore compiled com compiled and published in the summer of 1831 a large number of missionaries were sent by revelation through ft the tho western states being cd commanded h ded to go two to by two preaching ching baptizing and confirming until they should arrive in county missouri where they should receive further instructions joseph the prophet was wa commanded to proceed to the same place there a number lations were given and written making known the great groat designs of the ifie almighty in relation land it was pointed out opt as the lace where great city eiby hould be built bulit called jhb he orvet sew yew jwj jeru jern alem to ito which the tho righteous cfall of au nations should eventually bo gateb gasperd gat perd rod bod tho precise location was das ignatee igna ted on w which hieb hleb a tern tempie temple ae be rear reab real rear ed which should bo honored with ti ape pre presence yence tence of the e lod lord und and be covered with his glory in ape form of a cloud as in accent times the ap and avins avias was dedicated a corner stoie stole oon pt 01 the temple laid whenn phell the tho missionaries sio sion slon narles aries separated and ano returned to obio ohio having baving 10 learned arn ad the he will of the lord began 1 forgather 19 p that choice and waise tl aney ey purchased thousands zand 0 q I 1 themselves eive elve 3 comfortable homes home F in the meantime perse cautions ullo bv bean an to rage I 1 bler increasing gasing basing in violence until some af pf S the saint were tied up to treet tree i whipped 14 in the most helock ius ing manner 0 others labre were spot fiot hiot dowd down merchandize merchandise dize furniture bedding clothing ag i were robbed dei dee destroyed troyd a or at strewn n k in the streets sta stacks aka ofray of hay aud and 0 gra grain i n were burned cattle catte we were re s shot down for sport about two I 1 hund hundred houses bouses were burned or JI other otherwise W esq destroyed and fidall finally gibout about 1200 saints were driven across the missouri river biver into clay county ali all 11 thi this 4 happened ina inu in a little cvek iwo 0 years from the tho ficht settlement of the sa I 1 I 1 ants in tile county duing during this thia period the saints had boa bou duct ed themselves as good and anet citizens and although their persecutors held aalthe nil all tue the civil officer at 6 the county therewa not b apa case aw of prime erime against the saints tj ta bp ibe found on thel court records J p f thia mid persecution sect sectarians arlanp arians acted a very part th the lieu t governor of lof the state slate and nearly all ali the civil and militar yi officers of tho the county were leaders of the mob and urged them on to deeds of murde murderous ious violence I 1 the exiled sainta next began tot toy qa make themselves homes fu in oclay c a y county missouri but bia only a few elapsed before they were again compelled to flee I 1 they next located in caldwell and davis counties where bub but a very few settlers had preceded them here by emigration they increased ina lna la a few years to about 15 souls in tiiu meantime time their former finding themselves n nob not 0 t b brought rought to jus justice per for thein their crimes began 9 to stir up the people in iti ull ell he the arise in nias pias and drive the stale stae they succeeded in lel iel eAting governor boggs ggs to tile the hein heen highest highe e ia the tate whim when he ara aga again alain in rene renewed wed wad his bli hi highhanded high uh 1 banded handed 1 I le d issuing a an ii e te jn order raised an anargy army of several eral diio Alio thousand usand volunteers p placed aced at their head as chief urn e i of the most mosi violent Si rind tand sent therm thern against the pea cebie ceble set setd 4 tle tie clements men ts iorio sain ts I 1 then commenced a series serles of butcheries but cherles cheries inthe in the thinly populated opu d district as too tob fon for pen to describe men women and children were wele massacred rud aud alle hiie ht 16 struggling in the agolig oft oti death their boots vore jore greedily wrenched from filed led bodies and und distributed ad nong f gilr t t mul mutterers worded were wehe fast 14 ii this thia ellesa ep tesa lesa condition brutally raym J lib t numb ersk rs jpseph p ellb ra ead ing fur ministers neul neni nis uis of the abe gainni wen hi ajie rat rust rubt iti int into t where saen the vm were r olIre tabe tabo tAhe 1 ilk lit to 0 linnian unil unit il flesh of their eig elg r murdered brethren for food among the most cruel and abil J bloodthirsty blood A thirsty hirs hire ty oj these persecutors werty wem many litael 41 81 P 0 different denomination of whom fio flo strenuously tue of nf the tha alo alp 1011 that it torild haxe have been heen carried into thad bouden 11 ru threatened tu withdraw jui I 1 regi maht and wash ud ifrain subh cold old blooded murderous 1 proceedings ce edings ai I 1 in tile the winter of oi ia 1839 the saints by itie itle violence were driven from their i from the state the suffer fuffer sufferings ings of women and giali Tild dreu dren renn reri were vere knifes indescribable crl cri babie bable through huba hunger er and exposure to the pitiless storms of winder er great nu numbers perished the and dl lands a ads owned by these suffering buffering exiles were forcibly taken possession of and are still occupied by these pub I 1 lie iio le robbert and their descendants while the real owners have received no mo remuneration to the present dayi day in of houseless bo homeless exiled citizens of this great xo public republic sought refuge in illinois the great majority locating esli esla county built acety a city on the bank of tbt the tho mississippi river Biver which they called nauvoo 4 a hebrew word ord for beautiful here thoy enjoyed enjo sed peace 0 pt r the next three or four i j sears years ears during which they laid the foundation of a temple their numbers anA annually pally increased by the emigration odthe of the saints the states and from edgland eng Edg lahd buffoon tile the missouri receiving no check spread talf inta illinois violent pern perm persecution cution began to rage nage the leaders of f were threatened with I 1 biath deathy r au another botar expulsion w was as ahrea thib the prof pro phet pheb and alap brother ab he e lea leg pledged |