D&C 58:34-65
58:34-43 - The Lord goes into some details about purchasing lands, and more specifically to Martin Harris who is called to “be an example unto the church, in laying his moneys before the bishop of the church.” Martin Harris is a very wealthy man, so he’s in a very good position to be a good example, but also has to, first, settle any concerns with the issue within himself. Martin Harris is also called to “repent of his sins, for he seeketh the praise of the world.” This might be related to the issue of sending his money to the church, there’s a remarkable amount of humility involved in what the Lord is asking MH to do. William W. Phelps is also called “to repent, for I, the Lord, am not well pleased with him, for he seeketh to excel, and he is not sufficiently meek before me.” I’m just glad that my sins and calls to repentance aren’t recorded in the scriptures. But the Lord tells us, and seems like indirectly telling MH and WW Phelps “behold, he who has repented on his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more. By this ye may know if a man repenteth of sin- behold, he will confess them and forsake them.” The IM teaches, “The Lord forgives those who truly repent of their sins. This blessing comes through the Atonement of Church, who ‘suffered… for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent.’ The Lord promises that He will no more remember the sins of those who repent. Repentance, however, requires that we forsake and turn completely from our sins and confess them. Elder Spencer W. Kimball taught: ‘No one can ever be forgiven until he has bared his soul and admitted his intentions and weaknesses without excuses or rationalizations. He must admit to himself that he has grievously sinned. When he has confessed to himself without the slightest minimizing of the offense, or rationalizing its seriousness, or soft-pedaling its gravity, and admits it is as big as it really is, then he is ready to begin his repentance; and any other elements of repentance are of reduced value, until the conviction is established totally, and then repentance may mature and forgiveness may eventually come.’ The Lord’s forgiveness comes to those who truly repent. Elder Kimball also said that ‘those who heed the call, whether members or nonmembers of the Church, can be partakers of the miracle of forgiveness. God will wipe away from their eyes the tears of anguish, and remorse, and consternation, and fear, and guilt. Dry eyes will replace the wet ones, and smiles of satisfaction will replace the worried, anxious look. What relief! What comfort! What joy! Those laden with transgressions and sorrow and sin may be forgiven and cleansed and purified if they will return to their Lord, learn of him, and keep his commandments. And all of us needing to repent of day-to-day follies and weaknesses can likewise share in this miracle.’” This is such an important principle, because honestly, if this weren’t the case, our existence would be pointless and full of pain and suffering. The concept that we can be forgiven if we repent and that the Lord will “remember them no more.” These go hand in hand.
58:44-49 - Interestingly, the command to move to Missouri is not as expedited as the move to Kirtland, this wasn’t a “drop everything and go” command, for “the residue of the elders of my church, the time has not yet come, for many years, for them to receive their inheritance in this land.” I have to ask myself why that is, why have the church divided into 2 entities, especially during a time when communication was limited to the horse and buggy? One reason that I can think of it because Kirtland was the place where a temple could be built and operated safely at that time. A huge influx of Mormons to Missouri could have escalated the problems between the church and the Missourians, to the point where the expulsion would have come much sooner and much more violently. Kirtland was the safe place for the temple during this time, and the Lord gives another reason, because there needs to be much missionary work done before the time will come to establish Zion. I like this because it doesn’t necessarily point to the lack of faith of the saints, though I know that that played/plays a part too, but it says to me that the people in the area are not ready for Zion to be established there. The IM asks “why were the saints commanded not to all gather immediately to the land of Zion?” And answers, “The time had not yet come, and would not for ‘many years,’ for all the Saints to receive their inheritances in Zion. A great deal of work, preparation, and patience is required before Zion can be fully established. The Church had nether the strength nor the means to purchase lands sufficient for all the saints in Zion. So, before Zion could be established, a great deal of missionary work needed to be done to strengthen the Church. The saints were told to ‘push the people together from the ends of the earth,’ that is, through missionary work they must gather together the dispersed members of the house of Israel preparatory to the establishment of Zion. The Church is still in that process.” I don’t think any of the Saints at the time of this first command, to include Joseph Smith, had any idea that the settling of Missouri was going to be hundreds of years in the future, and I think that that was probably a pretty difficult concept for them to come to terms with, I know that it would have been for me.
58:50-52 - The Lord now commands Sidney Rigdon to “write a description of the land of Zion.” I wondered why this would have been commanded, until I read the description, and it was incredible. If anything was meant to inspire foreign saints to come and settle or at least send money for the procurement of land, then it was this statement right here, and the Lord even says in verses 51 and 52 that this description as “an epistle and subscription, to be presented unto all the churches to obtain moneys, to be put into the hands of the bishop… to purchase lands for an inheritance for the children of God.” Interestingly, Sidney Rigdon’s first attempt at a description was rejected by the Lord, imagine the humility that it would have taken to submit a second attempt, pretty impressive. The description is as follows: “Description of the Land of Zion: ‘As we had received a commandment for Elder Rigdon to write a description of the land of Zion, we sought for all the information necessary to accomplish so desirable an object. The country is unlike the timbered states of the East. As far as the eye can reach the beautiful rolling prairies lie spread out like a sea of meadows; and are decorated with a growth of flowers so gorgeous and grand as to exceed description; and nothing is more fruitful, or a richer stockholder in the blooming prairie than the honey bee. Only on the water courses is timber to be found. There in strips from one to three miles in width, and following faithfully the meanderings of the streams, it grows in luxuriant forests. The forests are a mixture of oak, hickory, black walnut, elm, ash, cherry, honey locust, mulberry, coffee bean, hackberry, boxelder, and bass wood; with the addition of cottonwood, butterwood, pecan, and soft and hard maple upon the bottoms. The shrubbery is beautiful, and consists in part of plums, grapes, crab apple, and persimmons. The soil is rich and fertile; from three to ten feet deep, and generally composed of a rich black mold, intermingled with clay and sand. It yields in abundance, wheat, corn, sweet potatoes, cotton and many other common agricultural products. Horses, cattle and hogs, though of an inferior breed, are tolerably plentiful and seem nearly to raise themselves by grazing in the vast prairie range in summer, and feeding upon the bottoms in winter. The wild game is less plentiful of course where man has commenced the cultivation of the soil, than in the wild prairies. Buffalo, eld, deer, bear, wolves, beaver and many smaller animals roam at pleasure. Turkeys, geese, swans, ducks, yea a variety of the feathered tribe, are among the rich abundance that grace the delightful regions of this goodly land- the heritage of the children of God. The season is mild and delightful nearly three quarters of the year, and as the land of Zion, situated at about equal distance from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as from the Alleghany and Rocky mountains, in the thirty-ninth degree of north latitude, and between the sixteenth and seventeenth degrees of west longitude (from Washington), it bids fair- when the church is taken from the land- to become one of the most blessed places on the globe. The winters are milder than the Atlantic states of the same parallel of latitude, and the weather is more agreeable; so that were the virtues of the inhabitants only equal to the blessings of the Lord which He permits to crown the industry of those inhabitants, there would be a measure of the good things of life for the benefit of the Saints, full, pressed down, and running over, even an hundred-fold. The disadvantages here, as in all new countries, are self-evident- lack of mills and schools; together with the natural privations and inconveniences which the hand of industry, the refinement of society, and the polish of science, overcome.’” I’m not a huge fan of the south, and have no desire to visit anywhere down there, but when I heard this description, I changed my mind, the wording is beautiful.
58:53-57 - The Lord gives a pretty graphic warning about how the land is to be secured, it is to be purchased “lest they receive none inheritance, save it be by the shedding of blood.” That’s pretty intense, and to me, possibly a reference to the way that Israel of old was secured under Joshua, which was war and bloodshed. The IM comments, “The Lord commanded the Saints to purchase the area of land around Independence, Missouri, as the center place for Zion and to have clear and legal title to it. In this way any disputes over ownership could be settled by law, and violence could be avoided. Smith and Sjodahl pointed out why this commandment was given: ‘The Latter-day Saints are forbidden to make war in order to secure a gathering-place, and especially such a sacred place as that in which the greatest of all God’s temples is to be located. They are not forbidden to defend their lives, their homes, their loved ones, their liberty and country, against murderers and thieves, but they are forbidden to be the aggressors.’ Today the Church is still under the same responsibility to secure, by purchase, the land that will be the center place of Zion.” Again, the Saints aren’t commanded to drop everything and go to Missouri, but “let the word of gathering be not in haste, nor by flight. And let my servant Sidney Rigdon consecrate and dedicate this land, and the spot for the temple, unto the Lord.” This must have been a great honor for SR, to be given the job of dedicating the land for Zion and for the temple. The IM teaches, Sidney Rigdon was commissioned by the Lord to dedicate the land of Zion, which included the temple lot, but Joseph Smith dedicated the actual spot for the temple. Joseph wrote: ‘On the second day of August, I assisted the Colesville branch of the Church to lay the first log, for a house, as a foundation of Zion in Kaw Township, twelve miles west of Independence. The log was carried and placed by twelve men, in honor of the twelve tribes of Israel. At the same time, through prayer, the land of Zion was consecrated and dedicated by Elder Sidney Rigdon for the gathering of the Saints. It was a season of joy to those present, and afforded a glimpse of the future, which time will yet unfold to the satisfaction of the faithful. On the third day of August, I proceeded to dedicate the spot for the Temple, a little west of Independence, and there were also present Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, W.W. Phelps, Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris and Joseph Coe.’”
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