Independence, Missouri

Missouri was designated to be the gathering place for the saints as they prepared to leave Kirtland, Ohio. On June 9, 1831, the Prophet Joseph Smith and eight others began their nearly nine hundred-mile journey from Kirtland to the western border of Missouri. At last they were fulfilling their long-awaited hope and were bound for the land of Zion, although they did not know at this point where it was located. In July of 1831, the location was revealed: "This land, which is the land of Missouri.... is the land which I have appointed and consecrated for the gathering of the saints. Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place."

While in Independence, Joseph Smith presided over occasions at which the land was dedicated for the gathering of the saints. In addition, the temple site was dedicated as the place where a future temple would stand.

In June 1832, Elder W.W. Phelps began publishing the Evening and Morning Star. Many of Joseph's revelations were published in the paper. It was the only newspaper in the county and it printed both national and international news. As such, members and non-members alike read the paper. "The Star" addressed several gospel topics such as Sabbath Day observance, service, education, etc., but the subject of the gathering of the saints received the most attention in the pages of the Star, and many articles were printed dealing with the matter. By November 1832, there were 810 saints in Missouri. Up to this point, Zion was able to absorb its immigrants, and the saints were pleased with the results.

From early 1832 until July 1833, the saints enjoyed relative peace in Jackson County. However, their increasing numbers made the local folks uncomfortable. The lifestyle of the saints was very different from the average frontiersmen in Independence. They feared the potential political power of the Church. By July, there were over 1,200 saints in Jackson County and more arriving monthly. The ambitious saints were taking profitable trade business from local citizens. The Mormons wanted to teach the Indians, but the Frontiersmen despised the Indians.

Within days, 500 citizens gathered to solve "the Mormon problem." The printing office was destroyed by mobs and the violence had begun again. The saints were soon expelled from Jackson County. What would become of Zion? It had been postponed for a time. But the revelations are clear: Jackson County, Missouri, has a glorious future. You may be back here someday to establish the New Jerusalem.

Scriptures to read: Doctrine and Covenants 42; 52:2-3; 54:8; 57:1-2; 98; 101 (introduction); 105; 116:1 and 124:54.

Independence, Missouri Bus Tour (Missouri Mormon Walking Trail)

1. Temple Lot
Joseph Smith and other church leaders dedicated this area for construction of a temple, 3 August 1831. A temple complex was envisioned as the center of a city to be called Zion. Of this day Joseph said, "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, WW Phelps, Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris, and Joseph Coe." The day before the dedication of the Temple Lot Joseph helped lay the first log for a house "as a foundation of Zion in Kaw Township. The log was carried 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 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 the faithful."

2. Fournoy Home
In December 1831, Jones Hoy Flournoy sold 63 acres of land, later known as the Temple Lot, to the Mormons. Rescued from demolition and relocated to this site, this building is one of the few remaining examples of pioneer home construction in Independence.

3. Courthouses and Public Square
The Public Square was the scene of increasing tension among the Mormons and other Missouri settlers. Sidney Rigdon preached from the courthouse steps in 1832. *Edward Partridge and Charles Allen were dragged to the Public Square and tarred and feathered on 20 July 1833. Mormon leaders appeared in the courtroom that year. Church members stacked their weapons around a twelve-foot stump in the courthouse yard while surrendering to the Missouri Militia in November 1833.

4. Gilbert Store, Lot 51
This is the site of the Gilbert and Whitney & Co. church store, purchased in 1832 by Algernon S. Gilbert. In 1833, Mormon leaders met here to reason with opponents who demanded the church's removal. On 20 July 1833, 500 men gathered to demolish the establishment. Gilbert agreed to close the store. In November 1833, the business was again the target of destruction, its doors battered open and its contents strewn into the street. Gilbert died of cholera in 1834 after the Mormons' exodus from Jackson to Clay County, Missouri.

5. The Evening and the Morning Star Printing Office, Lot 75
The Book of Commandments (Doctrine and Covenants) was published here, after the Lord approved the publication of the revelations and provided His own preface to the book (now D&C 1). First published in 1833, the Book of Commandments was scheduled for a print run of 10,000. It is unknown how many copies were printed, as the printing press was destroyed by an anti-Mormon mob in Independence, Missouri, when the printers had reached only chapter 65. Church members managed to salvage enough of the loose leaves to bind several copies of the book. Original copies of the Book of Commandments are extremely rare today.

The Temple Lot - Independence, Missouri

The Temple Lot is a two-acre grassy field next to the Church of Christ in the center of Independence, Missouri. The name also refers to the original 63 acres purchased by Bishop Edward Partridge, which is now subdivided into property owned largely by the Community of Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Church of Christ (Temple Lot). The site, as planned by Joseph Smith, Jr., and other early Latter-day Saint leaders, was to house a complex of twenty-four temples, including one temple that Jesus would visit during the events leading up to the Second Coming of Christ.

History of the property
Joseph Smith, Jr., declared that the City of Zion, or the New Jerusalem, would be built on the American Continent beginning in Jackson County, Missouri, to eventually "fill the whole earth."

On August 3, 1831, Joseph Smith, Jr., and a small group of associates went to a forested area a half-mile west of the Independence courthouse. Joseph then indicated that the specific spot where the temple was to stand, and placed a stone to mark the northeast corner. This is a sacred site for all Latter-day Saints. Many important events to the history of the world will occur at the temple lot - including the beginning of the building of the New Jerusalem. Latter-day Saints believe at least one temple will be built on the tract prior to the Second Coming of Christ, ushering in of the millennial age of peace. Due to frequent violence from the residents in the area, and an extermination order from the Governor Lilburn Boggs urging that they "be exterminated or driven from the state," most Mormons left Missouri. The first groups left Jackson County in 1833, to settle in Caldwell County and Far West. Later, in 1839, Mormons left the entire state of Missouri for Illinois.

In 1864, Granville Hedrick, from the Church of Christ, purchased eight lots, which now comprise the temple lot property. The group made several attempts to build the temple, the most successful of which lost funding to do so during the Great Depression. In 1891, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (as the Community of Christ was then known) sued the Church of Christ for the title to the temple lot, and initially won.

Attempts to build a Temple
On April 6,1929, the Church of Christ formally broke ground to build the temple. When they began excavating for the basement, a worker found the stones that were buried by Joseph Smith, on or about May 22, 1929. This event was noted in the church newsletter, Zion's Advocate. These two stones are currently in the small museum in the Church of Christ, and two other engraved stones, embedded visibly in the lot, mark their original position. Similar stones, for a total of six, presently mark the outer corners of the temple.

The Great Depression occurred, which prevented the Church of Christ from building their temple. The excavation remained for many years, but was eventually filled in and replaced with a grassy field. On January 1, 1990, a former member of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) who had recently joined the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message set fire to the church building, claiming his actions were part of a political protest and a prophecy that "war is coming to America." The fire caused significant damage to the second story of the building, although the first floor containing church records and documents remained intact. On February 1, 1990, the remainder of the building (originally built in 1905) was razed. Construction of a new headquarters building began in August 1990. Though he pled "not guilty" to the charges (on First Amendment grounds), the man was convicted by a jury of second-degree arson and breaking and entering on January 16. 1991. It was the second time the building had burned; the first time was in early September 1898.

Saving the Book of Commandments

Fifteen-year-old Mary Elizabeth Rollins and her thirteen-year-old sister Caroline lived in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, in 1833. At this time, revelations Joseph Smith had received were being printed by William W. Phelps, who had opened a print shop and newspaper office on the upper floor of his home. The printed revelations were to be bound into a book called the Book of Commandments.

By July the non-Mormons in the area were angry because of the growing number of Mormons. Earlier in the year some people in Missouri had been trying to get the Mormons to move away from Jackson County. When Brother Phelps wrote a newspaper editorial that was misunderstood by the non-Mormons, it increased their anger. The non-Mormons held a town meeting and ordered the Mormons to leave their new homes or be killed. Mormon leaders called to the meeting were told they had only 15 minutes to move out of the county.

Before the 15 minutes had passed, the mob broke into the home of Brother Phelps. "Sister Phelps was alone with her children when the threatening mob surrounded the house" (p. 36). She quickly took "her sick baby in her arms [and] hurried with the other children ... to safety in the woods close by. Concealed in a corner of a nearby fence, Mary Elizabeth and Caroline watched with horror as the angry men rushed into the house [and threw] the family's [things] into the street. Upstairs the mob found the valuable press and ... eagerly they hurled the [printing press and type out the window] to the street below" (pp. 3637). Someone said, " 'So much for the Mormon commandments,' [and then] dumped the huge sheets of printed pages onto the pile of [trash] in the street. Mary Elizabeth decided to try to save the revelations. 'They will kill us!' warned Caroline" (p. 37), but she agreed to help.

When the mob had their backs turned, the girls ran into the street and filled their arms with the pages. They "were just turning away when some of the mob spotted them. ... Squeezing through a gap in the fence, [the girls] found themselves in a cornfield, hidden ... by thick rows of [cornstalks]" (p. 37). The men searched through the corn but could not find the girls, who had placed the "precious printed sheets on the ground [and] covered them with their bodies" (p. 37).

When the sound of footsteps faded, the girls made their way to an old log stable. "They approached cautiously ... [and] found Sister Phelps and her older children, carrying branches to pile up to make beds for the night" (p. 37). Knowing Brother Phelps would know what to do with the papers, the girls gave them to Sister Phelps.

Mary Elizabeth and Caroline were sad that they had not had time to read the revelations they had risked their lives to save. However, before long "Oliver Cowdery made up copies of the book, incomplete as it was, and gave one [book] to [Mary Elizabeth]. Two years later the revelations in the little Book of Commandments were [reprinted], together with [other revelations]" (p. 37). Today we have these important revelations printed in the Doctrine and Covenants.

Summary

In July 1833, people in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri, were angry with the Mormons and wanted them to leave. A mob broke into William W. Phelps's print shop and threw his printing press and printed pages out the window. The pages contained revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith that were to be bound into a book called the Book of Commandments. Two girls, Mary Elizabeth Rollins and her sister Caroline, were hiding nearby and decided to save as many pages as possible. They ran out, filled their arms with papers, and hid in a cornfield. The mob tried to find the girls but failed. The pages the girls saved and others were later used to make up copies of the Book of Commandments. Today the contents of this book are part of the Doctrine and Covenants.

A Few Missouri Facts...

*Motto: The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law
*Entered the Union: August 1821 as the 24th state
*Capital: Jefferson City
*Size: 69,500 square miles, ranks as the 19th largest state
*Land Use: Crops- 29%; Pasture- 15%; Forest- 28%; Other- 11%

Adam-ondi-Ahman: Once the saints were established in Clay County, Missouri (after having been expelled from Jackson County), their numbers began to increase. The Prophet Joseph was interested in finding additional locations to settle because numerous saints were coming from the Kirtland area. In May 1838, Joseph and others went exploring in Davies County where Lyman Wight had a settlement on the Grand River. While there, he received a revelation that this was the site of Adam-ondi-Ahman. Joseph revealed that this was the place where Adam, before his death, called his righteous posterity together and there bestowed upon them his last blessing. It is also the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or the Ancient of Days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the Prophet.

Far West: The population had swelled in Caldwell County to 5,000 Mormons. The saints built more than 150 homes, four dry goods stores, three family grocery stores, several blacksmith shops, two hotels, a printing shop and a large schoolhouse that doubled as a church and courthouse. In addition, the Lord commanded the saints to build a temple in Far West. Joseph and Emma lived there for several months. This is where Joseph wrote his history as found in the Pearl of Great Price.

What peace the saints had encountered in Northern Missouri didn't last long. The three months from August 1838 - October 1838 were among the most terrible in our history, including the Battle of Crooked River, Haun's Mill, the Siege at Far West, and Governor Boggs Extermination Order. Later that year, Brigham Young (he was in charge because the Prophet was in Liberty Jail), organized the Committee on Removal, preparing the saints to leave Missouri. The saints were on the move again. It was 1839. The Nauvoo experience awaited them.

Scriptures to read: Liberty Jail, Doctrine and Covenants 121-123; Adam-ondi-Ahman, Daniel 7:9-10,13-14,22,27 and Doctrine and Covenants 107:53-57.

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