CHAPTER XIV.

1831-1832.

THE TWO STAKES--JOSEPH LIVES AT HIRAM--M'LELLIN TRIES TO WRITE A REVELATION AND FAILS--THE APOSTATE, BOOTH, STIRS UP HATRED--JOSEPH TARRED AND FEATHERED.

Joseph was now in Ohio, and for a number of years he made his home there. The Saints were in two bodies; one part gathered about Kirtland, a few miles from Lake Erie in the north-eastern corner of Ohio, and the other about Independence on the western border of Missouri. It was a journey of one thousand miles from one stake to the other and yet for about eight years they were separated. Why did they remain apart? Since that time the Saints have kept together. Now when they have grown in strength and numbers, colonies go out and make homes in Mexico and Canada and other places, and yet the headquarters of the Church and most of the Saints are in Utah. Why did not all in Ohio move to Missouri, the land which the Lord had said was Zion? He had good reasons for keeping some of the Saints at Kirtland, and you will understand them if you go on with this work.

Joseph was not rich, and though he could make money when he turned his mind to business, yet the Lord needed his energy and time for work of a good deal more importance. So instead of building himself a home he went to live at the house of John Johnson at Hiram, Portage county, about thirty-five miles south-east of Kirtland. Sidney Rigdon went with him and together they worked on the translation of the Bible, Joseph translating and Sidney writing.

But there were many other things to do besides translate. W. W. Phelps was sent back to Missouri to begin publishing a monthly paper called the _Evening and Morning Star_. Oliver Cowdery went back also taking with him the revelations that Joseph had received, and the Prophet was busy gathering them. Many special conferences were held, many revelations were received, and much of the time was spent in preaching the Gospel.

A special conference was held October 25th of this year, 1831, at Orange, Cuyahoga county. There were present, twelve High Priests, seventeen Elders, four Priests, three Teachers, and four Deacons, besides a large congregation, so you see that most of the grades of the Priesthood were represented. It is interesting to know that James A. Garfield, who later became President of the United States, was born at this place about three weeks after the conference was held.

One day during meeting Joseph had a revelation from the Lord. After it was given those present began talking about revelations. It must have seemed an easy thing to some of them for the Prophet to speak out what the Lord was revealing to him, and they thought they could do it as well as he. The Lord saw what was in their hearts and revealed through Joseph that the wisest among them might try to make up a revelation. Wm. E. McLellin considered that he was the wisest, and tried to write a commandment, but he made a dismal failure. He could not imitate the words of Jesus Christ even in the least of His commandments. After that attempt all those who saw it felt sure that Joseph was a true Prophet.

When the Church was organized in 1830 the Lord did not command that all the officers should be appointed at once. But as the knowledge and needs of the people increased, He revealed the other offices in the Church and Priesthood. Joseph was not immediately made President with two counselors. For a long time there was no quorum of Twelve Apostles or of Seventy. Men had to be proved, before they could be put into such positions. When the proper time came Joseph was directed to fill up the offices until at length the organization was complete.

It was nearly a year, you remember, after the organization of the Church that Edward Partridge was called to be the first Bishop. He went to Missouri and made his home with the Saints there, and Newel K. Whitney was afterwards appointed, on December 4, 1831, to be Bishop at Kirtland. At this time Joseph received a revelation telling what the duties of Bishop are.

For a year and a half the Prophet had not been disturbed by mobs. When he left Colesville the last time he began to enjoy some peace. But Satan could not be idle very long while Joseph Smith was alive and free, and an opportunity soon came to injure the Prophet. Ezra Booth apostatized and began to lie about him and to fight the Church. The truth is that Satan finds his best tools in the apostates. The devil, you know, is one himself--he apostatized in heaven, and he knows well how to use a person who has denied the faith.

This Ezra Booth had been a Methodist priest, but was converted by seeing some one suddenly healed. He was like Simon, the sorcerer, who offered the ancient Apostles money for the power to confer the Holy Ghost. He wanted the Priesthood, not that he might bless people but that he might smite them and compel them to believe and thus make a great display. When he found that he must be humble and pure if he obtained power in the Priesthood he left the Church and wrote false letters to make the people hate Joseph.

Others at Hiram apostatized also and became very bitter enemies. They were even filled with the spirit of murder that they might destroy the servants of God--men cannot be worse than that.

Emma Smith had twin babies that she had adopted when they were only nine days old. In the spring of 1832, when they were nearly a year old they caught the measles. On the night of March 25th, Joseph sat up with the sicker child until late and then lay down beside it on the trundle-bed and fell asleep. A scream of "murder!" from Emma waked him. He was in the hands of the mob and they were dragging him through the door. He loosened one foot from their hold and kicked one ruffian in the face and sent him sprawling down the door-step, with blood spurting from his nose. But there were too many for him, and he could not get free. They cursed him and choked him until he fainted.

When he came to, they were away from the house. Sidney Rigdon was lying on the ground, where they had dragged him by the feet over the rough ground. He was lying there as if dead. They held Joseph off the ground so that he could not spring. They knew how strong and active he was. The leaders of the mob were holding a council to decide what to do.

They brought a tar bucket and tried to push the paddle, all covered with tar, into his mouth, but he twisted his head so that they could only smear it over his lips and face. Then they tried to poison him with nitric acid, but the bottle broke against his teeth and the acid ran to the ground. But the most horrible thing was now to come. They rent his clothes from his body and suddenly one fell upon him like a fury and with his nails tore the Prophet's flesh, and taking God's name in vain he said "That's the way the Holy Ghost falls on folks." Then they covered his body with tar, and fled.

Slowly Joseph made his way home to Father Johnson's house. When Emma saw him she fainted. They gave him a blanket to cover himself and he went into the room where friends were waiting with Emma. They spent the rest of the night in cleaning the tar from his wounded body. Next morning was the Sabbath, and he went to meeting. Standing up boldly before some of the very men who had tried to murder him, he preached a powerful sermon and in the afternoon baptized three persons.

The spirit of the mob did not die out, they continued to threaten and vex the Prophet and those about him. Sidney was out of his head for two or three days on account of being dragged over the frozen ground, but as soon as he was well enough he hurried away with his sick family from Hiram. One of Joseph's twin babies died from catching cold on that dreadful night, and two days after its death, on the 1st of April, Joseph left for Missouri, in company with Sidney Rigdon, Newel K. Whitney, Peter Whitmer and Jesse Gauge. He arranged for Emma to stay at Bishop Whitney's home.