CHAPTER XXIII.

1836.

THE PROPHET'S GROWTH IN KNOWLEDGE--GLORIOUS VISIONS IN THE TEMPLE--DEDICATION--KEYS OF THIS DISPENSATION CONFERRED--ELDERS GO OUT TO PREACH.

Do you remember in one of the early chapters of this book it was said that when Joseph began translating the Book of Mormon he could not spell so well as an ordinary schoolboy of these days? His ignorance was not because he was dull or lazy. His energies were spent in the field and forest, and he did not live among people that wrote much or had much knowledge of books. Just as soon though as he began spending his time in the Lord's service, his learning grew very fast.

In translating the Book of Mormon Joseph was in the best school a man could attend. The Holy Ghost, which is the spirit of intelligence, inspired his mind, and he read and understood a strange language entirely different from our own. When he finished this work he probably had more knowledge of the Egyptian writing than any other man living. The work on the Book of Mormon gave him also a better grasp and understanding of English, and caused within him a thirst for learning that was never quenched. His work in rewriting the Bible helped him very much, and when he translated the books and writings of Abraham and Moses from the Egyptian found on the papyrus with the mummies, he was a well educated man. He understood much concerning the movement of stars and heavenly bodies, and more important, he knew that in the past many of them were worlds like ours and are now as ours will be. He understood how people should be governed. And the highest knowledge of all--he knew our Father in Heaven, better than did any one else on earth.

Think what a blessing this last is! If a bright boy works with an intelligent man whom he admires very much, it is not long until he begins to look at matters just as his older friend does. When that friend is the Lord and the boy is any righteous human being, this same thing happens, only when we look at matters as the Lord looks at them we are not led astray by the opinions of men, but we see the absolute, the whole truth.

The Prophet was now a man thirty years old, and yet with all the other duties he found time to go to school. He studied a number of subjects but was perhaps most interested in Hebrew. A fine Jewish scholar was employed to teach the brethren at Kirtland, and this man said he had never seen a class learn so quickly. The Prophet loved education and true knowledge, and even in the hardest troubles found time to study. He set the example, children, every one of you follow it through life. Study hard and learn all that is true and good and beautiful, and your lives will be far more happy and far more useful.

We have come now to one of the great reasons why God did not direct all of His Saints to go to Missouri but kept a part of them for a number of years in Kirtland. He permitted some to go to Jackson county and buy land there and begin to build up Zion. The Saints were not righteous enough to prevail against the persecutions of their enemies and were driven away from their land. But the feeling was left in their hearts and in the hearts of their children and in the hearts of all true Latter-day Saints that we have a claim on Jackson county, and it will be the greatest joy of our lives to go back and redeem Zion in the Lord's own time.

Now our Father in Heaven in His mercy kept some of the Saints in Kirtland where they could build a temple to Him and receive the holy endowments and blessings that had been given to few people on earth.

It was in July, 1833, that the corner stones of this first temple built in latter days were laid. March 27, 1836, was the day on which it was dedicated, so you see that less than three years were used in building it. The Salt Lake temple was forty years being built, but it is far larger and more costly than was the one at Kirtland.

Before the dedication many glorious things took place that prepared the leading Elders and the Prophet for the great event. One night in the latter part of January the First Presidency and some of the Elders from Missouri as well as from Kirtland came together for the purpose of anointing one another. Joseph and his counselors first poured oil on the head of Joseph Smith, Sen., the Patriarch of the Church, and he in turn blessed them.

But the anointings were not the only matters of importance that took place in the unfinished temple that winter night. Angels drew aside the curtains of heaven, and the host that dwelled there and our Redeemer Jesus were seen. The Elders shouted hosannah and glory to God in the highest, and their souls were filled with infinite joy. The Prophet saw in visions the celestial kingdom of God, and the flaming gates through which the heirs of the kingdom will enter. He saw the glorious throne whereon the Father and Son were seated. He beheld within the beautiful city Fathers Adam and Abraham, his own parents and his brother Alvin who had died years before.

He was astonished to see his brother there, because he had passed away before the Gospel was restored, but the Lord declared that all who had died without hearing the Gospel, who would have accepted it if they had heard it will be heirs to the celestial kingdom. Alvin was not enjoying celestial glory at the time of this vision. The Prophet was of course beholding the future, as at this time his parents were both alive, but the doctrine of baptism for the dead had not been revealed, and so the Lord answered him in this way. The explanation is perfectly true. Honest, pure souls who have died without a knowledge of the Gospel are heirs to the kingdom. And yet they can not enter it until baptism has been performed by their relatives or friends here on earth.

The glorious meeting did not end until two o'clock in the morning, and the next night the Elders again met. The Twelve Apostles and presidents of Seventies also met with them and received their anointings and blessings. Once more angels ministered unto them and mingled their voices in shouts of praise. The gift of tongues came upon the Elders and they had another spiritual feast. A week later High Priests, Seventies and Elders assembled to be blessed and anointed, and like visions and glorious signs were shown unto them.

Early Sunday morning on the twenty-seventh of March, 1836, the Saints of Kirtland with those who had come from Missouri and other places for the occasion made their way to the House of the Lord. They waited patiently until eight o'clock, when the doors were opened and they were received and seated by the Prophet, Oliver Cowdery, and Sidney Rigdon. Less than a thousand could enter, for the building was not very large. At nine, when the presiding authorities were seated on each end of the room, the services began. They sang hymns, prayers were offered, Sidney and others preached and the congregation voted to sustain the authorities. President Joseph Smith offered the prayer of dedication, and this was sealed by the shout from all the Saints repeated three times, "Hosannah, hosannah, hosannah to God and the Lamb. Amen, amen, amen."

After this there was more speaking. Brigham Young and David Patten addressed the Saints in tongues, and George A. Smith rose and prophesied. Then was heard a rushing like the noise of a mighty wind, and a bright pillar of fire rested on the temple. Angels filled the room and were seen. The whole body of Saints rose to their feet and some spoke in tongues and some prophesied, and some saw glorious visions of eternity. The people of the neighborhood, hearing the rushing sound and seeing the pillar of light, were astonished and ran to the temple to see this strange thing. That night at eleven o'clock the Saints went home and the dedication of the House of the Lord, the first temple of the latter days was completed.

On March 29th, the Prophet with his counselors and some other Elders met in the holiest place of the temple. There they fasted and prayed and washed each other's feet until morning, when they met with all the officers of the Church holding the Melchizedek Priesthood. The ordinance of the washing of feet was carried out through the whole assembly, the sacrament was administered, and Joseph told the Priesthood their various duties. At nine o'clock in the evening Joseph went home to rest after a most joyful night and day and left the meeting in the hands of the Apostles. During the night the gift of tongues came to some, angels appeared to others, and others, still more blessed, saw the Savior.

On the following Sunday, the third of April, during afternoon meeting in the temple, Joseph and Oliver drew the curtains of the pulpit, thus closing them from the congregation, and kneeled in silent prayer. When they arose they beheld the Lord standing on the breastwork of the pulpit which seemed to be overlaid with pure gold. His hair was white as snow, His face was brighter than the noonday sun, and His eyes were like flames of fire. He told them that He had accepted the temple and spoke many blessings on the children of men. His voice was like the rushing of great waters. After this vision ended, Moses came and committed unto them the keys of the gathering of Israel, then Elias gave the dispensation of the Gospel of Abraham; and Elijah, the Prophet, who was carried to Heaven in a chariot of fire, conferred the keys of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers.

These great keys are necessary in this dispensation of the Gospel, for this is to be the fullness of times, when all that has been in the past will be brought back to make the Gospel perfect. Do you wonder why Oliver was with Joseph instead of Sidney Rigdon, or Frederick G. Williams? Oliver had been ordained by Joseph to be an assistant president and so he was at this time of equal rank with them.

During these days of jubilee the Twelve Apostles and worthy Elders received their endowments in the temple and then scattered out into the ever-widening fields of missionary work. Joseph also went out and spent two months in gathering the blessed harvest.