Lessons and Reflections from the Book:

Saints: The Story of The Church of Jesus Christ In the Latter Days

Submitted to:

Brother Carlo V. Crisanto

In Partial Completion of the course:

Latter-day Saint History

Offered by the Institute of Religion

Submitted by:

Karol Josef S. Gutierrez

Contents

Prelude to the Restoration

Joseph Smith’s First Vision

Obtaining the Record

Translating the Book of Mormon

Restoration of the Priesthood and Witnesses of the Book of Mormon

Publishing the Book of Mormon and Organizing the Church

Gathering to Ohio

The Place for the City of Zion

Revelations and Persecutions in Ohio

Joseph Smith Travels between Ohio and Missouri, Continues Translating the Bible, and Moves
to Kirtland

Persecution in Jackson County

The Camp of Israel

The Kirtland Temple

Apostasy in Kirtland

The First Mission to Great Britain

The Saints Gather in Northern Missouri

Increasing Conflict in Missouri

The Expulsion of the Saints from Missouri

Experiences in Liberty Jail and Far West

Nauvoo the Beautiful

Joseph Smith Practices Plural Marriage in Nauvoo, and British Converts Gather with the Saints
in America

Joseph Smith Organizes the Relief Society and Administers the Temple Endowment
The Wentworth Letter, the Book of Abraham, and Increasing Opposition in Illinois

Doctrinal Developments in Nauvoo

Joseph Smith Confers the Keys of the Kingdom on Members of the Twelve and Delivers the
King Follett Discourse

The Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Is Sustained to Lead the Church

The Saints Complete the Nauvoo Temple, and Many Saints Are Endowed and Sealed
Prelude to the Restoration

The lesson is a reminder of the things which transpired prior to the restoration of the
Gospel in the last days, and of course, the reason why the restoration was necessary in the first
place.

After the Savior established his Church during His mortal ministry and left It in the
stewardship of His Apostles over whom he gave authority to preside over the same, the
prophesies which the same Apostles gave concerning the turning away from true and pure
doctrine came to pass. People corrupted the pure and simple doctrines of the Godhead, of the
Sacrament, and even of the Atonement of the Lord, and thus, the longest period of apostasy
came, rightfully called today by members of the Church as The Great Apostasy.

During the same period, however, well-meaning men and women who were moved by
the Spirit began to see the errors which prevailed and were perpetuated by traditions which
neither Scriptural nor Priesthood basis. These same men and women became part of a
movement called the Reformation, which later led to the concept of Religious Freedom which
has been codified in the Constitution of the United States, which, not coincidentally, has time
and again been said by modern-day Prophets as inspired of God. Indeed, the freedom of
religion is a key element which was necessary to set the tone for the eventual Restoration which
was prophesied of with the same emphasis as the Great Apostasy which the former was to put
an end to.

To the mind of the author, this whole historical context provides all the more reason to
believe that God truly has a plan which cannot, in any way, or by any force, be frustrated. All
things were set in place, and the Restoration took place, right when the Father had planned it to
take place.

Personally, this lesson can give a lot of comfort especially when one does not fully
comprehend where one stands in life at a given moment. True, though we do have our agency
to make the choices that we need to make, it is also necessary to realize that there are many
things which are not within our control. And although that is where agency can be perceived to
have a limitation, it is also where one can see that faith cannot be limited when it is directed to
our Father whose plans will always be fulfilled.
Joseph Smith’s First Vision

The First Vision has many aspects which fascinate the author, especially as one who
studies law where testimonies and accounts which one claims to witness an event are carefully
scrutinized before being appreciated and given weight.

Although a lawyer who conducts a direct examination would only usually make a
painstaking effort to establish the credibility of a witness when the said witness is an expert, it
never hurts to have the witness speak concerning the circumstances which led him or her to
witness the event which he or she is called to testify of.

The same can be said of course, in the matter Joseph Smith, Jr, who, having been
foreordained, was called in this life to be a prophet, as young as 14 years old.

He was raised in a religious household, of course, that is not to say that they all agreed
on doctrine or on religion, but that they, as a family, gave great emphasis on faith in God and
the Holy Bible. This, of course, eventually led the young prophet to love the Scriptures.

The social climate at the time, was of course a major contributor to the reason why the
Prophet had the vision. There being an excitement on the matter of religion and many
contradicting views on how passages of scripture were to be understood, how salvation was to
be attained, how certain sacraments or performances were to be done or when the were
considered necessary, the boy was led to wonder why there would be so much difference when
there was, in fact, only one Bible from which they all claim to teach from.

Finally, the young boy decided to go to the Source of All Truth, and asked. He got his
answer, and that should have been the end of it. Yet somehow, critics still love to take
advantage of the fact that there are three other accounts concerning the same vision, which
seemingly have different elements. And yet, again, to one who scrutinizes testimonies, these
so-called inconsistencies are so inconsequential, seeing as the main element is still established
by all four accounts: that Joseph Smith, the Prophet, did indeed receive a Heavenly Message
and Mandate.

This truth is the truth on which all Latter-Day Saint Doctrine can either be established or
caused to fail. If the vision was true, then God lives and Jesus is Resurrected. If it is fake, then
the Lord Jesus Christ never arose from the tomb, death was never defeated, and there was no
Atonement performed. But it is true. The Prophet did see. And the author knows it.
Obtaining the Record

For three years following this profound experience, the young boy had no heavenly
messengers who visited and ministered unto him. During the same period, he, as implied by his
own words as found in Joseph Smith-History, went on to become a boy, and thus acted like a
boy, which he, later in life, again, as implied by his words, saw as actions unfit for one who was
called of God for a great purpose.

This, to the author’s mind, bears some weight. It is as though the Lord, through the life of
the Prophet of the Restoration, wishes to remind His Saints, that because He calls His servants,
He also expects them to act accordingly, and strive to do so from the very moment that the Lord
makes the calling known. It thus becomes necessary for a faithful Latter-day Saint to pause and
think, “I know I am called of God to do a great work. Now, am I acting like someone who has
been called to this capacity, or am I perpetuating a behavior that is unfit for one called for such a
responsibility?”

It is also seen by the author throughout this lesson that sometimes, though he may be
called of God to perform a certain task, it does not necessarily mean that the Lord would have
Him do so alone. The Prophet Joseph Smith, when he first tried to take out the records, was
forbidden to do so without the presence of his older and wiser brother, Alvin Smith. Later on,
after Alvin’s death, it seems that the Lord willed that Emma would be there for Joseph for when
the time came that Joseph was to obtain the records. In the same manner, the author sees that
when he is called to serve in a certain capacity, he must also be able to humbly receive the help
which the Lord sends to him in order to be able to accomplish the thing which has been
commanded, especially when the help comes in the form of other people, specifically, his future
wife.

Finally, the lesson has impressed upon the mind of the author to always keep things in
the proper perspective, or as is often said by members of the Church, to always have an eternal
perspective.

A faithful disciple will never knowingly give up something eternal for something so
temporary. Yet, when the Prophet Joseph Smith ran to the place where the plates were to be
found, he had forgotten the purpose for which the Angel Moroni had made known unto him their
location. It is thus manifest that even the very elect can, at times, lose perspective, especially
when one acts in a hurried manner.
Translating the Book of Mormon

The process of the Translation of the Book of Mormon is a topic quite dear to the heart
of the author. The author of this paper has always been a lover of literature, and as a
consequence of having been exposed to good books at a young age, has always been critical of
the books he reads, of their literary consequences, and the very plots found in them.

But the Book of Mormon and its translation are undoubtedly quite different from all these.
You look at works like the Iliad and you will find the work that went into its translation and other
similar ones such as the Divine Comedy and the works of others like Pablo Neruda in order to
make the translations great and appealing. Those works differ from the Book of Mormon
because the former were already written originally by brilliant and learned people. If we accept
the faithful member's statements, the contents of the Book of Mormon have their origin from
simple, yet faithful men who were called of God, translated yet again by a man called of God.
Whereas if you accept the statements of the cynical, these were all written by a young man who
was a fraud, yet how could a man with virtually no formal education write a work which spans an
eight hundred-year period, full of claims which, at the time when said claims were made, had no
archeological evidence to corroborate them, only to have groundbreaking discoveries of artifacts
and geographical discoveries over a century later which corroborate those very claims?

To add to these things, you have the testimonies of those who acted as scribes for the
prophet who have attested to the fact that he had not the eloquence at the time of the
translation to make the work from his own mind.

Critics have pointed to the Prophet Joseph Smith's use of the seer stones as red flags of
something so ridiculous to believe as something divine, and yet you look at how Moses was
able to part an entire sea by striking it with a rod, and you wonder how they can question
something so great over a very small detail. And coming from the author of the paper who looks
at himself as a detail-oriented person, that means something. There are simply things that you
will not be able to comprehend without looking at the bigger picture. And to the mind of the
author, this becomes proof that our Father in Heaven will always prepare ways for His children
to accomplish whatever He trusts them to do. If for the Prophet of the Restoration, the Seer
stone and the Urim and Thummim were prepared for his work of the translation, to the mind of
the author, the Four Standard Works and Temples were prepared for the author to live a life
where he would feel worthy to someday stand in the presence of God.
Restoration of the Priesthood and Witnesses of the Book of Mormon

The topic of the Restoration of the Book of Mormon as part of the lesson prescribed in
the teachers' manual is also very close to the heart of the author because of the author's former
desire to enter the vocation of the priesthood prior to his conversion.

In the author's previous faith, it was believed that there was only the priesthood of Aaron
and that the office of Bishop held the fullness of the priesthood. But through latter-day revelation
and the restoration of important truths, the author now acknowledges and has received a
testimony of the facts that there is the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood, and that the former
is only preparatory for the latter, as the former does not yet hold the authority to grant the gift of
the Holy Ghost.

This, to the mind of the author, is a reason to be infinitely grateful. The author was more
than ready to dedicate his whole life to the vocation of the priesthood, and to his mind as well, if
he had discovered the restored truths later in life when he was already a part of the ministry, it
would have been a reason to be grateful, and yet, at the same time, disappointing, after finding
out that he had dedicated most of his life to something incomplete. Having served as a Knight of
the Altar and as a defender of his former faith, after his conversion and to this day, although he
acknowledges the truth that the Lord has His own timetable, the author cannot help but ask why
he did not find out about these truths sooner, so that he could have dedicated his life to the truth
a bit longer.

On the matter now of the Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, the author cannot help but
look back to the time when he had the privilege of attending the Book of Mormon class taught
by President Malit at the Manila Institute of Religion. The author recalls that he and his
classmates were asked to take note of the impressions they had while reading the testimonies
of the three and eight witnesses, along with the testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The
impressions are as clear as they were when the author felt them with this sentiment: “it is
amazing that none of these witnesses ever recanted their testimony of either the plates or the
Book of Mormon in spite of apostasy of some. However, a personal testimony cannot be
founded on the words of another. True, the testimony of these three and eight witnesses may
serve to strengthen one's own, but the personal witness itself should be personal, to a degree
that even if a record was found that one of them did testify to the contrary, one's witness should
not be shaken. The testimony comes through the Holy Ghost. Not from one of the eleven men
who gave their names to the world as a testimony to the Book of Mormon.
Publishing the Book of Mormon and Organizing the Church

The author finds himself in great awe of the story of the publication of the Book of
Mormon. It is through this particular story that we find multiple accounts which prove that the
Lord will provide means to accomplish the work which He commanded. Whether the problem be
funding for a particular task or the need for manpower, the Lord truly gives a way for His
commandments to be accomplished. One such proof of this is the story of how Martin Harriss
becomes involved in the translation of the work.

The author also finds himself amazed by the determination of the Prophet Joseph Smith
in taking the necessary steps to ensure that the Book of Mormon is published according to the
Lord’s desires. It is never easy to embark on a task that is unfamiliar. Human experience
teaches that when a friend suggests another to take on a new responsibility which the former
needs taken care of, the latter, if he/she is a responsible individual, would first try to assess
his/her competence on the matter.

The same is not the case with the Prophet Joseph Smith. He knew he was unfamiliar,
yet he had faith that God would enable him to do the task which was ahead of him, even when
others looked down on him and rejected him on the belief that his work was fraudulent. Martin is
no exception to this observation, even contributing his own property, albeit he later hesitated.

It is now the firm belief of the author after recounting these stories, that the Lord would
be able to provide all things necessary for the author to accomplish all the Lord’s
commandments throughout mortality.

The author’s mind was also inspired to see how man learns from past mistakes, as with
the case of the Prophet Joseph Smith, when he had asked Oliver to make a copy of the
manuscript. It is also remembered that history shows that aside from the transcript made in the
process of translation, there is also a separate printers manuscript which was acquired from the
Reorginazed Church of Jesus Christ a few years ago. This is proof that mortals must learn line
upon line, even as the Savior grew from grace ro grace. This, to the author’s mind, is a
reflection worth noting.

In a very similar sense, the Church grew line upon line, from grace to grace. It was
necessary to first restore the Priesthood, print the Book of Mormon, distribute the same so that
word may spread throughout the scattered remnants of Israel, that they may heed the call of the
gathering when finally, the Church was organized and restored, never again to be lost.
Gathering to Ohio

The chapters under this lesson immediately called to the mind of the author the place in.
Ohio called “Shaker Heights,” which actually derived its name from the group which was then
better known as by the name of “Shakers.”

It is not lost in the mind of the author how, to the mind of a skeptic, the stories and
claimes of the Shakers may seem just as outrageous as the claims of the Latter-day Saints,
who also claim visions, heavenly beings, and new scripture. It is therefore not difficult to
understand why, upon arriving at Ohio, the Prophet Joseph Smith found that many saints have
fallen into the belief of errant and false doctrines.

However, while their confusion can be understood by men and women who empathize
and men who seek to see things from the perspective of others, it is also quite difficult to
understand when considered from the standpoint of logic. It must be observed that while the
Shakers and Latter-day Saints have much in common, there is one fundamental thing which
divides them: scriptural affirmation from the Holy Bible. The Latter-day Saints claim the
occurance of a falling away, commonly referred to as apostasy, a restoration of things lost, and
authority given by no less than God Himself through His authorized servants to those whom He
had called in the specific dispensation.

This, to the mind of the author, must serve as a sort of warning for the student of Latter-
day Saint History to be wary of the accounts and statements made by both non-members and
members alike. The author has been accustomed to hearing of accounts and claims and
statements which, truly, though it can be understood why they are so appealing to others, it also
cannot be understood without exerting effort why men and women of the faith would consider
these claims to be true when there is not only and absence of factual basis to support these
beliefs, but there is also no scriptural or doctrinal reason to believe in them. The Latter-day
Saints are a people who stand for the truth, yet, for some reason, we find these faithful men and
women who stumble and struggle to re-wire their thinking from one of gullibility to one which
seeks affirmation before believing. After all, we are challenged to go to the Source of all truth to
ask if the Book of Mormon is true before we choose to be baptized (Moroni 10:3-5). How then
are we so easy to believe anything without looking for a source of its truthfulness?
The Place for the City of Zion

The chapter of the literature which corresponds to this specific lesson is particularly
touching to the heart of the author because it speaks greatly of the sacrifices which pioneers
made, the struggles they willingly went through, and the many things they had worked hard for
which they willingly and easily gave up after being called to gather, first in Ohio, and later on to
Independence.

When called to gather to Ohio, the saints were quick to heed the call. They were ready
and willing, for the more part, to leave all things they had worked for, in order to heed the call of
a Prophet of God. They then endured many things, including diseases which they did not even
need to go through, had they chosen to simply continue on with their quiet lives rather than
follow God’s command through His chosen servant, which naturally, and overtly, involved great
sacrifices which were, speaking from practicality, things that they did not need to do because
they had all things which they needed to live comfortable lives.

It is however, not lost to the mind of the author, that although these things were not
necessary for them to live good and comfortable lives, it was, however, necessary for them to
do so in order ensure that they would eventually receive an inheritance in heaven.

The author posits that one of the greatest measures of faith is to see how a man or a
woman would choose, when given a choice between heeding the counsels of men and
responding and acting on the commandments of God. All children of Adam and Eve eventually
make mistakes, transgress commandments, and commit sins, but there are many stories of
valiant men and women that make us believe that when given the choice, they would always,
without hesitation, be able to, as they would, choose to follow God’s commandments and ignore
the scorns of men.

The author finds an example of this in the lives of Edward Partridge and his wife Lydia,
more particularly so with the latter, who, upon receiving her husband’s letter, made ready the
children and the things to be brought to Missouri, even undertaking the sale of their residence
and business, in spite of the many comments of th people around them who thought that the
move was peculiar at the very least, and preposterous at most, especially because it was done
at the heed of a young boy whom they knew was a Prophet of God.
Revelations and Persecutions in Ohio

The chapters corresponding to the lesson contain the accounts of the manner in which
the Prophet received the vision which was how the Lord reveled to him and to Sydney Rigdon
the turths of the Plan of Salvation, including the truth of the pre-existence and the kingdoms of
glory.

The author finds himself both amused and intrigued by the Prophet’s remark at the end
of the account, when the elders took notice of Sydney Rigdon who was pale and at the time
seemed to have all his energy taken from him. At this moment, the Prophet said, “Sydney is not
used to it as I am.” To the mind of the author, this remark causes him to ask whether or not the
Prophet Joseph Smith ever felt exhaustion from his encounters in receiving heavenly visions
and having heavenly visitors.

The author’s mind is then directed to the account of the Prophet’s First Vision, after
which, when he had come home, his mother took notice that the young, 14 year-old boy did in
fact seem exhausted.

This in turn, led the author to ask whether there are more accounts where heavenly
manifestations do cause the exhaustion of mental and physical faculties which led the author to
remember the many accounts in the Holy Bible and in the Book of Mormon in which this was th
case. And true enough, similar to the Prophet’s seemingly comedic remark, when those called
of God persisted in faith and truth, as they continued to receive more heavenly manifestations
there on, they began to be, as the Prophet had put it, “used to it.” Perhaps, the exhaustion was
still there, but they had grown accustomed to it, and the author then had the pleasure of
realizing how much fasting and prayer have given him a feeling of being “used to it.”

Another point in the lesson which has been the cause for the author to receive
impressions is the account of how the Saints responded to the new revelation on the Kingdoms
of Glory. Some found it easy to accept while others found it too far deviating from their
traditional connotation of Heaven and Hell, and thus too difficult to accept, later on apostatizing.
This is a peculiar thing which escapes the understanding of the author because he is unable to
understand, how could these saints who have already given up so much now choose to turn
their backs on something simply because it is new to their minds? Further, if examined deeper,
the doctrine which for them was the cause of their apostasy is actually an answer to a question
which has left the christian world baffled, with no one able to offer an answer on the matter of
Paul’s statement found in 1 Corinthians 15. For nearly two millenia, a question was
unanswered, and now that a Prophet offered an answer which no mortal mind could have
conceived of, they simply flake out and let their doubts overcome their faith. Why?

It is also not lost to the knowledge of the author that this has happened many times more
in the past, as when the doctrine of plural marriage was revealed, and again when the practice
was put to a halt by the first Official Declaration.

In more recent events, some faithful members had trouble accepting the policy which
was revealed to the late President Thomas S. Monson on the requirement of permission from
the First Presidency before baptizing children under 18 years of age who were adopted by
same-gender couples.

The same was the case again with faithful members when the policy just previously
mentioned was changed to allow these children to receive the ordinances provided that their
parents grant their consent, and on a larger leap, the policy that same-gender marriages would
no longer be considered as apostasy but rather, as serious transgressions which could be
ground for church discipline.

It taxes the mind of the author how the first policy for children of LGBT couples was
difficult to accept the others, seeing as the Lord’s Church puts great weight on the sacred
institution of the Family. If this policy was not put into effect, imagine a family with two dads, with
a young man 14 years of age who attends Sunday School and Seminary, and is told constantly
that same-gender marriages are acts of apostasy, hence, abominations before God. Imagine
the conflict that would be built in the heart and mind of that young man. And this, to the author,
is proof that the policy was made out of God’s love for children in these circumstances.

The same goes for the new policy which is consistent with what the Lord Himself has
said is the second greatest commandment: that we love our neighbors as ourselves, that is, no
matter how different, no matter what lifestyle choices they make. Moreover, to the mind of the
author, this new policy revealed by the Lord to His Mouthpiece also addresses the issue of the
possible emotional conflict that could have been created in a child, seeing as the Church no
longer considers same-gender marriages as apostasy, and the parents would also need to
understand what it would mean when their child receives the ordinances of Naming and
Blessing, and Baptism and Confirmation later on, with the goal that they may, someday, enter
the Holy Temple and receive the ordinance of Eternal Marriage.
 Finally, the author wishes to express the impressions on his heart whaen he read of the
persecutions directed towards the saints and even on the Prophet Joseph Smith himself.

The author iss, in all honesty, conflicted as to which part of the account was more
difficult to learn of and imagine: the physical pain inflicted on the Prophet and on Sidney Rigdon,
or the statements of blasphemy and sacrilege against God and the Holy Ghost.

It taxes the mind, the heart, and the soul of the author, to fathom how it is possible that
there are men and women in this world who are filled with so much hate, who are so ignorant
that their fear of what they do not understand would lead them to violence, and who are
brimming with intolerance to diversity. Even more sad to consider, in the mind of the author, is
the fact that there are those who profess to be of the Faith, yet are the same as those who
persecute even men and women who are simply victims of circumstance, such as members
who preach that it is okay for addicts and rebels to die summarily and without due process,
when these very same members are ignorant of the law, of basic humanity which carries with it
the inalienable right to dignity, and the circumstances which led addicts and rebels to be what
they are.

It is the firm hope of the author that all men and women who have the opportunity to
read this paper would seek to understand what the inalienable right to human dignity means.

We cringe at the thought of out Prophet whose dignity was attempted to be stripped of
him, but at the end of the day, the Prophet is still just a man, amd like all men, is entitled that his
dignity be left in tact, free from oppression and tyranny.

The author prays that the day comes that those who were once persecuted would no
longer allow themselves to be, in any way, persecutors.
Joseph Smith Travels between Ohio and Missouri, Continues
Translating the Bible, and Moves to Kirtland

“You would not think it a hardship to come here,” are words written by Phebe Peck to her
old friends who had yet to be baptized in the Church. These are words which struck the author’s
heart deeply.

The author has written a piece posted on his facebook profile which expresses his
sentiment on making sacrifices to heed the Lord’s call. The piece is quoted hereafter:

“The day when your family tells you to delay, or worse, to not do something which the
Lord has commanded through His prophets and apostles is the day that you have to
choose whom ye will serve.

“We've seen it in conversion stories where someone chooses to be baptized in spite of

opposition from family.

“We've heard it about young men and women who chose to serve missions in spite of
what loved ones said.

“We've heard couples testify of what a blessing it was to choose to marry in the temple,
even when parents and siblings thought it was ridiculous to even consider it, given the
circumstances.

“And everytime we hear stories like these, we stand in awe of the people who have
made the valiant, noble, and gospel-inclined choice. We even say to ourselves, ‘I want to
have that kind of faith.’

“But before you have that thought again the next time you hear a similar story, let me tell
you, it's not easy. Especially if you love your family. Because exercising this kind of faith
means having the courage to break the hearts of the people you love most in the world,
to satisfy the One who loves you most in all Creation.

“You will spend your lifetime having to live with the fact that you know you broke their
hearts when you chose not to listen to them, because you had to listen to the One who
gave them to you in the first place.

“How do I know? Well, I'm speaking from experience.

 “And I have no words to explain how much it breaks my heart to think of how much I
broke the people I love most because I chose to be baptized and I chose to serve a
mission when we had nothing.

“But I chose to because I had to show my love for the One who gave me everything.

“Faith means having the courage to break hearts. Because you know that it would be the
only way to show your love for the Only One who matters.

“But here's what I can say to you: when you do finally choose to listen to Him, I promise
you, all the comfort you will ever need for the rest of your life will come THE SECOND
you make that choice. He will let you know that you are making the right choice. Even if
you break the hearts of the people you love, and in the process, you break your own.

“After all, the Lord asks us to offer up a broken heart.”

Another point which struck the author in particualr with the lesson assigned was how the
revelation to Joseph Smith that priesthood holders must preach the gospel was given in order to
bring people to the “safety of Zion and the temple.” Now, when we look at the word “safety” in its
generic sense, and look at the history of persecution which the pioneers of the The Church of
Jesus Christ had to endure, one would have to raise an eyebrow and ask, “really? What safety
is there in being drived out of homes and harassed, even having their right to practice their
religion effectively stripped of them in the case of Reynolds v. United States? And yet, if one
looks at the word safety from the perspective of the gospel, we look at the Holy Bible, at the
Book of Mormon, and even in the Doctrine and Covenants, and we find story after story,
account after account, of the people who endured persecutions and have had their salvation,
their exaltation, and their heavenly inheritance “secured” in the Lord.

The account concerning the creation of the School of the Prophets was also particularly
inspiring to the author, especially because it is this very account which inspired the author,
among other things, to pursue further studies and enter into law school.

Finally, the account of the manner in which the Lord revealed the pattern was particularly
reassuring for the author. Having been a convert of only 5 years, yet having been extended
callings to serve in multiple capacities which were foreign to the author, the author can both
attest to and take comfort in the truth that God helps those whom He calls when He commands
them to undertake great tasks.
Persecution in Jackson County

Pain and trauma caused by hatred and intolerance, whether against a religion or the for
the sake of religion, are some of the effects of the most vile corruption of beautiful points of
doctrines of different religions around the world.

The author, while reading the chapters assigned, was reminded of the words of Pope
Paul VI in his encyclical entitled “Humanis Digntitate,” wherein he taught that man has a dignity
which cannot be alienated from him by governments, which dignity comes from the fact that
man is created in the image and likeness of God. Because of this dignity, Pope Paul VI taught
that men have certain freedoms which must not be trifled with, including the freedom of religion.
He continued to teach that this freedom should remain inviolate, that no government, let alone
man, must infringe the same.

The author’s heart was broken while reading the account of the persecutions against the
Saints. But this, to the mind of the author, must serve to strengthen the testimony of a Latter-
Day Saint. This is because the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, during His mortal ministry, said to his
disciples that they too shall suffer great persecutions. The author wishes to turn the mind of the
reader or student of Latter-Day Saint History to the statement of a renowned Catholic Scholar
who says that either the Catholics are right, or the Latter-Day Saints are right. And if we take the
Catholic Scholar’s words to be logically sound, then we must look at which Church has received
more persecution. The Catholic Church may claim that they have, but their claim is valid only if it
is accepted that the early saints during the time of the Ancient Apostles were indeed part of the
organization which is known as the Catholic Church today. However, their claim can only be
found to have root in the fact that Linus was Bishop of Rome. Not Apostle, but Bishop.

On the other hand we have The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints whose
history, from the very first moment Joseph Smith shared his experience concerning the first
vision, has been full of persecution, and still suffers the same to this day, being judged for being,
as the unbelievers would say, “unprogressive,” simpy because it stands for traditions and
doctrines which have their foundations on Prophets, Apostles, and Revelations.

With this in mind, the author finds his heart to be further broken because in spite of the
history of the Church of Jesus Christ which has experienced persecutions in abundance from
the ancient days down to the latter-days, we find that there are those who claim to be “saints”
and yet speak, think, and act in ways which persecute and demean others simply because
these other people do not conform with what we believe in. It seems as though the have missed
the point that the reason why we were and are persecuted is because we do not conform with
what the world believes in.

It is the authors firm belief that if the faithful latter-day saint truly follows the path of
discipeship, there will be no place in his or her heart for intolerance, hatred, or persecution.
Even more so, that the faithful saint would never find justification for the same because of our
Faith.
The Camp of Israel

The author has always had the greatest respect for those who, like captain
Moroni, have taken upon themselves the cause of defending Liberty, in the name of
their God, their wives, and their children. The author has also had the great pleasure of
being acquainted with some faithful men and women who have taken upon themselves
this noblest of causes and has the highest admiration for all these men and women.

The author finds great inspiration from the story of The Camp of Israel or Zion’s
Camp mostly because it is a story of men who are fighting for their freedom to believe in
what they do believe, to worship in whom or what they wish to worship. It is also
impressed upon the author’s memory how a friend sent a photo from Salt Lake with
statements as to the responsibility of those in power to uphold these liberties and to
ensure that they remain inviolate.

The account concerning Zion’s Camp also serves to strengthen the testimony of
the student because of the lesson found therein that the Lord indeed prepares ways for
His children to accomplish His commandments, though not in the way that we, His
Children, expect. Sometimes, all the Father asks us, His Children, to do, is to follow the
commandment, and see how far we will go in order to try to accomplish it, only to realise
in the end that he has commanded the same in order to accomplish another task
entirely. As an example, though Zion’s Camp never did what they supposedly set out to
do, the Camp accomplished the purpose the Father had all along: to strengthen and
prepare those who have been foreordained to be leaders of His Son’s Restored Church.
This, the student realised more upon reading these words: “Because of the failure to
reestablish the Saints on their lands in Jackson County, Zion’s Camp was considered
by some an unsuccessful and unprofitable endeavor. A brother in Kirtland—one who
lacked the faith to volunteer to go with the camp—met Brigham Young on his return
from Missouri and asked, ‘Well, what did you gain on this useless journey to Missouri
with Joseph Smith?’ ‘All we went for,’ promptly replied Brigham Young. ‘I would not
exchange the experience I gained in that expedition for all the wealth of Geauga
County,’ the county in which Kirtland was then located [Brigham Young, in B. H.
Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church, 1:370–71]” (David A. Bednar, “On the
Lord’s Side: Lessons from Zion’s Camp,” Ensign, July 2017, 29).
The Kirtland Temple

In studying this chapter, the student cannot help but be emotional because of the
fact that the young Prophet was able to see, through a vision, the Celestial Kingdom.

The student, while writing this, is overcome with much emotion, because the
student cannot even count the number of times wherein he wished that heaven had
visiting hours. There are difficult days when all the student prays for is to be in the
presence of His Father, to counsel, to speak, to listen, to hold, to sing, and simply to be
there. Then the student’s mind was again opened to the fact that Heaven does indeed
have visiting hours, just not in the same way that one would expect for a retirement
home or a hospital.

Whenever a faithful Saint kneels in prayer, he visits the Celestial Kingdom

because he accesses power from his Father who resides therein.

Whenever a faithful Saint enters the temple worthily to receive an ordinance for
himself or for the dead, he visits the Celestial Kingdom because his actions within the
temple are recorded in Heaven.

Whenever a faithful priesthood holder exercises his priesthood in righteousness,

the same is done so under the authority of heaven.

The lesson truly has brought great comfort to the student.

Apostasy in Kirtland

“Are you going to be a Mormon?” someone asked him.

“I don’t know,” John said. “I am going to investigate and pray for the Lord to help
me. If there is truth in this thing, I will embrace it—and if error, I want nothing to do with
it.”

Phebe,” she had said, “will you come back to me if you find Mormonism false?”

“Yes, Mother, I will,” Phebe promised.

The quotes abobe were taken from Saints simply because the author has had
the same sentiment and still does. The reason the author is still so bold to say that he
would be ready to leave if things are proven false is because the very reason why the
author joined the Church is because he has received his answer from God. And he
knows that God cannot lie. Just as well, the author knows that in the day of reckoning,
he cannot face God and claim that he did not know because he cannot deny the same
from the God who knows all things.

Many things have challenged the reslove of the author to remain faithful. The
author has been challenged more specifically when he came to realise that there are
those who claim to be faithful to the Gospel and abide by its precepts, yet sees that they
adhere support the acts of those people who make a mockery of God. The author has
also wondered if it was worth it to sit in the same room as people who believed it was
okay to kill people in spite of the lack of evidence of guilt and even the absolute
absence of due process.

This, to the mind of the author, must be some of the things that were running
through the minds of the early Saints of the Restored Church when they witnessed the
scene of contention between Joseph Smith Sr. and William Smith on one side, and the
dissenting apostles on the other.

But they attended the emergency conference at the call of the Prophet Joseph
Smith. Because at the end of the day, our faith is not anchored on the men who are
called but by He who calls them.
The First Mission to Great Britain

The reaction of Heber C. Kimball when he was called to serve as the

first missionary in Great Britain is quite reflective of the student’s feelings
when he was called to serve as young single adult representative when I
was just a recent convert, as a full-time missionary less than 2 years after I
was baptised, then as a teacher in Sunday School after returning from my
mission as well as the youngest Auditor in the Stake, in charge of auditing
wards’ and she Stake’s finances, and now, as an assistant clerk for the
Stake in charge of finances.

It seems as though the tasks entrusted unto me whenever I am called

to serve in different capacities are tasks which, at the moment they are
tendered, are seemingly insurmountable responsibilities which are beyond
the ability of the student. And yet, whenever I am called to serve, and I
accept the call, the Lord has more ways than one of proving that I am
exactly the instrument he needed to fulfil the task.

I cannot even begin express the gratitude in my heart for the Lord’s
trust and confidence in me, things which I struggle deeply too give myself
many times.
The Saints Gather in Northern Missouri
Increasing Conflict in Missouri
The Expulsion of the Saints from Missouri
Experiences in Liberty Jail and Far West
Nauvoo the Beautiful
Joseph Smith Practices Plural Marriage in Nauvoo, and British
Converts Gather with the Saints in America
Joseph Smith Organizes the Relief Society and Administers the
Temple Endowment
The Wentworth Letter, the Book of Abraham, and Increasing
Opposition in Illinois
Doctrinal Developments in Nauvoo
Joseph Smith Confers the Keys of the Kingdom on Members of the
Twelve and Delivers the King Follett Discourse
The Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith
The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Is Sustained to Lead the Church
The Saints Complete the Nauvoo Temple, and Many Saints Are
Endowed and Sealed