Content preview - You need a premium account to view this content.
Conflict At Kirtland
The year following the dedication of the Kirtland Temple saw a spirit of pride, selfishness, disaffection, and apostasy sweep through the quorums of the Church. In the summer of 1837, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, witnesses to the Book of Mormon, and other priesthood leaders met in the upper room of the Kirtland Temple. Though the preceding year many of these same individuals had witnessed in that building some of the most remarkable spiritual manifestations in the history of the restoration movement, now they were meeting to oppose the leadership of Joseph Smith. At this assembly, some persons who had once been faithful supporters of the Prophet recommended that he be replaced as president of the Church by David Whitmer. Others vehemently opposed this motion, including Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and John Smith. Brigham Young, "in a plain and forcible manner," said that he knew that Joseph was a spokesman for the Lord, and though others "might rail and slander him [the Prophet] as much as they pleased," they "could not destroy" his appointment as a "Prophet of God." Their apostate actions, he declared, would destroy their authority, cut the thread that bound them to the Prophet and to God, and lead them to destruction. Many of the disgruntled members, enraged at Elder Young's efforts to thwart their recommendations, threatened to resolve the conflict with physical blows. The meeting finally ended without agreement on a course of action. According to Elder Young, "The knees of many of the strongest men in the Church faltered."
On another occasion during this turbulent period, Warren Parrish, John F. Boynton, and other dissidents entered the temple on a Sabbath morning armed with pistols and bowie-knives and sat in the Aaronic Priesthood pulpits at the east end. Shortly after the morning service began, the men interrupted the meeting. Eliza R. Snow, who witnessed the interruption, called it "a fearful scene." Drawing their pistols and knives, the dissidents rushed from the stand into the congregation and attempted to gain control of the building. Amid great confusion and with screams of alarm, some persons tried to escape by jumping out the windows. Local officials were summoned, and finally, with the assistance of the police, members of the congregation succeeded in removing the belligerents from the temple. Though no one was injured, the incident was another in a disrupting chain of events leading to the expulsion of the Saints from Kirtland just a few months later.
Economic Problems in Kirtland
The historical roots of apostasy among Kirtland Saints reach back to a policy of community improvement and expansion, followed by a period of improved economic conditions, followed in turn by a year of economic disasters. After the temple was dedicated, many Latter-day Saints concentrated on enlarging their homes, erecting new dwellings and shops, and beautifying their community. A master plan for the improvement of Kirtland was drafted by Joseph Smith in 1836. According to this model, Kirtland was to be divided into rectangular plots and square blocks, with streets bisecting each other at right angles.