by
The Saints in the Kirtland Temple enjoyed a heavenly spiritual
outpouring that was even greater than the Pentecostal feast
described in the Book of Acts. This great outpouring at Kirtland
was promised and prophesied of several years before these events
happened provided the Saints would build a Holy House where many
of the great keys of the priesthood could be restored. This
treatise recounts these prophecies and describes the great
fulfillment and reports on the later apostasy of many who
witnessed these things and which also resulted in the de-
filement of this great House of the Lord.
Just before Christ ascended to Heaven in front of their eyes, He
said to them "And behold, I send the promise of my Father
upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be
endued with power from on high." (Luke 24:49) About ten days
later on the day of the Pentecost feast, the disciples were
gathered together in a rented upper room where the apostles also
lived. They were fasting and praying "And suddenly there
came a sound from heaven as of a mighty wind, and it filled all
the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them
cloven tongues like as of fire and sat upon each of them. And
they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with
other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts
2:2-4) This was the first Pentecostal heavenly
outpouring.
The Jews in their apocalyptic literature had expressed a belief in a great spiritual outpouring of God connected with the sudden appearance of Elijah the prophet who was taken into Heaven without tasting death 850 years before the birth of Christ. Malachi spoke of this event 400 years BC :'Rehold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Mal 4:5-6) Orthodox Jews even today believe this event will take place before the great appearance of their Messiah. After the transfiguration of Christ, his disciples asked him '"Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come? He replied Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things." (Matt 17:10-11 RSV )
When Christ appeared unto the Nephites, He told of his second coming and the signs preceeding that event and then he quoted the scripture of Malachi concerning the coming of Elijah.
On the evening of the 21st of September 1823 nearly eight years before the organization of the church, Joseph Smith received his visitation from Moroni. After being told of the Golden Plates Joseph mentions "after telling me these things, he commenced quoting the prophecies with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bible. He quoted the 4th chapter of Malachi 5th verse thus "Behold I will reveal unto you the priesthood by the hand of Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. He shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming." He said that this was not yet fulfilled, but soon would be.
In 1830 in September after the church was organized conference was called. There were only about 50 members of the church then. At this conference Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt a new convert from Kirtland, Ohio, Peter whither Jr. and Ziba Peterson were called to go to the borders of the United States by the Lamanites to fulfill a mission. They were to preach to the Lamanites on the way. They were also told that the Lord was going to establish Zion in this land some day (DC 28). They were to leave immediately before winter became too difficult and walk all the way. On the way from New York they stopped off to see Parley's old friend in Kirtland, Ohio. This old friend of Parley Pratt was Sidney Rigdon. They induced him to read the Book of Mormon. He was soon baptized and so were most of his congregation.
Sidney Rigdon decided to leave immediately for New York to meet the prophet who had so changed his life and profession (he was a minister.) He arrived in New York in December 1830. Upon seeking the prophet out he asked Joseph to inquire of the Lord His will concerning him. A rather surprising declaration came of which Sidney was probably ignorant as to its meaning. The Lord said thus, "Behold, verily, verily, I say unto my servant Sidney; I have looked upon thee and thy works. I have heard thy prayers and prepared thee for a great work. Thou art blessed for thou shalt do great things. Behold thou was sent forth, even as John, to prepare the way before me, and before Elijah which should come and thou knewest not." (DC 35:4)
A few days later Joseph received another revelation which stated "And that ye might escape the power of the enemy, and be gathered unto me a righteous people, without spot and blameless wherefore, for this cause I gave unto you a commandment that ye should go to the Ohio; and there I will give unto you my law and there you shall be endowed from on high." (DC 38: 31-32) Three days later on January 5, 1831 he again received a revelation which said, "Thou art not called to go into the Eastern countries, but thou art called to go to the Ohio. And inasmuch as my people shall assemble themselves at the Ohio, I have kept in store a blessing such as is not known among the children of men, and it shall be poured upon their heads. And from thence men shall go forth into all nations." (DC 39:14-15)
Joseph was obedient to the command of the Lord and left the latter part of January for Kirtland in the land of Ohio with Sidney Rigdon. He told all the other saints to follow in the spring when the ice broke up. He found over 400 members of the church waiting for him with a big welcome. They had been praying for him to come, for none of them had seen their prophet. This became a great gathering area. On the 6th of June 1831 the second conference of the church was held in Kirtland. Now the congregation numbered 2,000 members.
Many great revelations were given here in Kirtland as the church grew. On December 27, 1832 the Lord revealed "Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become singled to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will. Remember the great and last promise made unto you; cast away your idle thought and your excess laughter far from you. Tarry ye tarry ye in this place, and call a solemn assembly, even of those who are the first laborers in this last kingdom ... Organize yourself; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of Glory, a house of order a house of God." (DC 88:68-70, 119)
Two and a half weeks later the prophet wrote a letter to the brethren in Zion. With the letter he sent this "Olive Leaf" revelation. In the letter by way of explanation he wrote 'You will see that the Lord commanded us in Kirtland, to build a House of God, and establish a school for the Prophets, this is the word of the Lord to us, we will obey: as on conditions of our obedience He has promised us great things; yea even a visit from the heavens to honor us with His own presence. We greatly fear before the Lord lest we should fail of the great honor which our Master proposes to confer on us; we are seeking for humility and great faith lest we be ashamed in his presence." (DHC Vol 1:316)
On May 6, 1833 more word was received concerning the Lord's house: "And it shall be wholly dedicated unto the Lord for the work of the presidency. And it shall not suffer any unclean thing to come unto it; and my glory shall be there. (DC 94:7-8)
Again on June 1, 1833 the Lord makes a promise concerning his house, "Yea verily I say unto you, I gave unto you a commandment that you should build a house, in which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high. For this is the pomise of the Father unto you; therefore I command you to tarry, even as mine apostles at Jerusalem." (DC 95:8-9)
On July 23, 1833 the cornerstone of the temple was laid. Ten days after this the Lord revealed the following. "And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it: Yea my presence shall be there, for I will come unto it, and all the pure in heart, that shall come unto it, shall see God." (DC 97:15-16)
Soon after this time in 1833 trouble started in Jackson County. In November 1833, the saints were driven from Jackson County and the city of Zion. This had the effect of slowing down the work on the Temple. Funds from Zion were cut to a trickle and missionaries were sent to the east to try and raise some money for the temple. In early 1834 mobs were stirred up in the Kirtland area, and mobs tried to destroy the walls and men who labored on the temple in the day time had to watch and guard at night the walls they had laid during the daytime. Heber C. Kimball writes of these days "the Church was in a state of poverty and distress, in consequence of which it appeared almost impossible that the commandment could be fulfilled relative to the Kirtland Temple; at the same time our enemies were raging and threatening destruction upon us, and we had to guard ourselves night after night, and for weeks were not permitted to take off our clothes, and were obliged to lay with our fire locks in our arms." (DHC Vol 11 p2)
On April 21, 1834 a conference was held where the prophet and others spoke. Oliver Cowdery records in his minutes of the meeting that "Elder Rigdon gave an account of the endowment of the ancient apostles (on the day of Pentecost) and laid before the conference the promise to the Elders in the last days which they were to realize after the House of the Lord was built." (DHC Vol 11 P 54)
Oliver Cowdery stressed the importance of a House of God as a place where Pentecostal miracles could occur: "Within that house, God shall pour out his Spirit in great majesty and glory and encircle his people with fire more gloriously and marvelously than at Pentecost." (Letter of Oliver Cowdery to John F. Boynton at Saca, Maine, written May 6, 1834)
Heber C. Kimball records this in his journal about Sidney Rigdon and his concern for the temple. He said "Elder Rigdon looking at the sufferings and poverty of the church, frequently went upon the walls of the building, both night and day, and wept, crying aloud to the Almighty to send means whereby we might accomplish the building." (Life of H.C.K. P 68) The Prophet acted as foreman and went to the quarry to assist in drawing stone.
Joseph received a revelation that he was to take a group of men up to Zion to redeem Zion. This was known as Zions Camp. From this group the Prophet was told that the twelve apostles would be chosen and ordained. They left May 1, 1834. The Prophet arrived back in Kirtland on August 1, 1834. When they returned it was back to the stone quarries to cut stone for the Temple. The Prophet Joseph Smith beheld the structural pattern of the Kirtland Temple in a heavenly vision prior to its construction. One witness to the event relates:"About this time Frederick G. Williams, one of President Smith's counsellors, came into the Temple, when the following dialogue took place in my presence.
Carpenter Rolph said, 'Doctor, what do you think of the
House?' He answered 'It looks to me like the pattern precisely.'
He then related the following: "Joseph received the word of
the Lord for him to take his two counsellors, Williams and Rigdon
,and come before the Lord, and He would show them the plan or
model of the House to be built. We went upon our knees, called on
the Lord, and the Building appeared within viewing distance: I
being the first to discover it. 'Then all of us viewed together.
"After we had taken a good look at the exterior, the
building seemed to come right over us, and the Makeup of this
Hall seemed to coincide with what I there saw to a minutia."
Joseph was accordingly enabled to dictate to the mechanics, and
his counsellors stood as witnesses; and this was strictly
necessary in order to satisfy the spirit of unbelief in
consequence of the weakness or childishness of the Brethren of
those days. (Truman 0. Angell, Autobiography, pp. 4-5)
In a sermon given April 6th, 1853, Brigham Young said that the
pattern of the Kirtland Temple was revealed to the Prophet Joseph
Smith: "Soon after, the Church, through our beloved Prophet
Joseph, was commanded to build a Temple to the Most High, in
Kirtland, Ohio, and this was the next House of the Lord we hear
of on the earth, since the days of Solomon's Temple. Joseph not
only received a revelation and commandment to build a Temple, but
he received a pattern, also, as did Moses for the Tabernacle, and
Solomon for his Temple; for without a pattern, he could not know
what was wanting, having never seen one, and not having
experienced its use." (JD 2:31)
Apostle Orson Pratt echoed the same idea concerning Joseph
Smith's having envisioned the physical appearance of the Kirtland
Temple: "God revealed the pattern according to which that
house should be built, pointing out the various courts and
apartments, telling the size of the house, the order of the
pulpits, and in fact everything pertaining to it was clearly
pointed out by revelation God gave a vision of these things, not
only to Joseph, but to several others, and they were strictly
commanded to build according to the pattern revealed from the
heavens." (JD 13:357)
On February 14, 1835 by revelation the Lord commanded all
those that took part in Zions Camp to meet together so that the
twelve apostles might be chosen.The three witnesses had been
promised in June 1829 that they would have the privilege of
choosing the twelve apostles. (DC 18:37) At the meeting
the three witnesses bowed in prayer for revelation and
inspiration to make the correct-choice. Afterwards they chose the
twelve by inspiration, and then laid their hands on them with
President Smith and ordained them.
On April 21, 1835 the twelve apostles met to receive their
charges from the three witnesses. Oliver Cowdery gave the
following charge to the twelve 'You have been indebted to other
men, in the first instance, for evidence; on that you have acted;
but it is necessary that you receive a testimony from heaven
yourselves so that you can bear testimony that you have seen the
face of God. That is more than the testimony of an angel. When
the proper time arrives, you shall be able to bear this testimony
to the world..nothing can prevent you from coming to God. Your
ordination is not complete till God has laid his hands on you ..
Tarry at Kirtland until you are endowed with power from on high.
you need a fountain of wisdom, knowledge and intelligence such as
you never had ..." (DHC V. II P. 197)
By the latter part of 1835 some of the upper chambers ware
completed so that some meetings could be held. Every one was
anxious to be able to hold the school of the prophets there Early
in November the Lord was not satisfied with the way the twelve
apostles were not humbling themselves and preparing themselves
for their great promised endowment. November 3rd He said
concerning this in a revelation "Behold they are under
condemnation because they have not been sufficiently humble in my
sight, and in consequence of their covetous desires...Verily I
say unto you, they must all humble themselves before me, before
they will be accounted worthy to receive an endowment, to go
forth in my name unto all nations...let them repent speedily, and
prepare their hearts for the solemn assembly, and for the great
day which is to come, verily thus saith the Lord Amen." (DHC
Vol. II p 301)
Some of the Twelve felt a little dissatisfaction in the
revelation chastising them, when they read it. On November 12,
Joseph asked the Twelve to meet with him to explain the coming
endowment when the House of the Lord was finished Among other
things he said this to the Twelve, I'...let me tell you,
brethren, that great blessings await us, if we are faithful in
all things, for we are even entitled to greater blessings than
they were (the original twelve), because they had Christ in
person with them, to instruct them in the great plan of
salvation. You want to know many things that are before you, that
you may know how to prepare yourselves for the great things that
God is about to bring to pass...The House of the Lord must be
prepared, and the solemn assembly called and organized in it,
according to the order of the House of God; and in it we must
attend to the ordinance of washing of feet... The endowment you
are so anxious about, you cannot comprehend now nor could Gabriel
explain it to the understanding of your dark minds; but strive to
be prepared in your hearts, be faithful in all things...Let us be
faithful and silent, brethren, and if God gives you a
manifestation, keep it to yourselves; be watchful and prayerful,
and you shall have a prelude of those joys that God will pour out
on that day. Do not watch for iniquity in each other, if you do,
you will not get an endowment, for God will not bestow it on
such. But if we are faithful, and live by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God, I will venture to prophesy that
we will get a blessing worth remembering, if you should live as
long as John the Revelator; our blessings will be such as we have
not realized before, nor received in this generation. You need an
endowment, brethren, in order that you may be prepared and able
to overcome all things; and those who reject your testimony shall
be damned. The sick will be healed, the lame made to walk, the
deaf to hear, and the blind to see, through your
instrumentality." "I feel disposed to speak a few
words more to you, my brethren, concerning the endowment: All who
are prepared, and are sufficiently pure to abide the presence of
the Savior, will see him in the solemn assembly." (DHC
VII P 308-310) On New Years Day 1836 Joseph the Prophet
exclaimed at a gathering "Jubilee Year!" "The day
is nearing to obtain the endowment and the solemn assembly."
(After 100 Years by Nancy B. Williams P. 92 Zions Press 1951)
The temple was being rushed to completion The school of the prophets was removed to the temple in the first part of January. The west room in the upper part of the temple was consecrated by prayer for the school of the prophets on January 4th, 1836. On January 21, 1836, the First Presidency met in this dedicated room of the temple to ordain Father Smith as the Patriarch and to instigate the ordinance of the Washing of The Feet, to anoint each other and receive a blessing under the hand of Father Smith. They each received a blessing which included many prophecies. Joseph recorded also the following visions and manifestations. "The Heavens were opened upon us, and I beheld the celestial kingdom of God, and the glory thereof, whether in the body or out I cannot tell. I saw the transcendent beauty of the gate through which the heirs of the kingdom will enter which was like unto circling flames of fire also blazing throne of God whereon was seated the Father and the Son. I saw the beautiful streets of the kingdom, which had the appearance of being paved with gold. I saw fathers Adam and Abraham." He received the following revelation also. "All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the Celestial Kingdom of God...For I the Lord will judge all men according to their works according to the desire of their hearts." Joseph went on to state, "Many of the others saw glorious visions also angels administered unto them as well as to myself, and the power of the Highest rested upon us and the Temple was filled with the glory of God and we shouted Hosanna to God and the Lamb. Some of them saw the face of the Savior and the spirit of prophecy and revelation was poured out in mighty power. This all lasted until nearly 2:00 in the morning." The next day instead of studying they spent the time rehearsing to each other the glorious scenes that occurred there the night before, while attending to the ordinance of holy anointing. That evening the twelve apostles met in the upper room to receive their anointing along with the seven presidents of Seventies and the High Council of Zion and Kirtland, Joseph said..."I laid my hands upon them and pronounced many great and glorious things upon their heads, the heavens were opened, and angels administered unto us...The Heavens were opened to Elder Sylvester Smith, and he leaped up exclaiming "The horsemen of Israel and the Chariots thereof..." ... The gift of tongues fell upon us in mighty power angels mingled their voices with ours, while their presence was in our midst, and unceasing praises swelled our bosoms for the space of half an hour.. We accordingly closed our interview and returned home about two o'clock in the morning, and the spirit and visions of God attended me through the night." (DHC V.ll p 379-382)
On January 28, a week later, the presidency met with the High
Priests and Elders Quorum to consecrate and anoint them. The
Seventy and the Twelve Apostles were meeting in another room
adjoining. He called on the Seven Presidents and the Twelve to
call upon God with uplifted hands, to seal the blessing which had
been promised them by the holy anointing. Of this meeting Joseph
said, "President Sylvester Smith saw a pillar of fire rest
down on the heads of the quorum (12), as we stood in the midst of
the twelve... Elder Roger Orton saw a mighty angel riding upon a
horse of fire, with flaming sword in hand, followed .by five
others, encircle the house, and protecting the Saints, even the
Lords anointed from the power of Satan and a host of Evil Spirits
which were striving to disturb the Saints. President William
Smith, one of the Twelve, saw the heavens opened, and the Lord
protecting the Lords anointed. President Zebedee Coltrin, one of
the seven presidents of the seventy, saw the Savior extended
before him, as upon the cross, and a little after, crowned with
glory upon his head above the brightness of the sun. (DHC
V.ll P. 386)
Elder Harrison Burgess in his Sketch of a Well Spent Life left
this account of the meeting. "The Lord blessed His people
abundantly in that Temple with the Spirit of prophecy, the
ministering of angels, visions etc. I will here relate a vision
which was shown me. It was near the close of the endowments. I
was in a meeting for instruction in the upper part of the Temple,
with about a hundred of the High Priests, Seventies and Elders.
The Saints felt to shout, Hosanna and the Spirit of God rested
upon me in mighty power and I beheld the room lighted up with a
peculiar light such as I had never seen before. It was soft and
clear and the room looked to me as though it had neither roof nor
floor to the building and I beheld the the Prophet Joseph and
Hyrum Smith and Roger Orton enveloped in the light: Joseph
exclaimed aloud 'I behold the Savior, the Son of God.' Hyrum
said, 'I behold the angels of heaven.' Brother Orton exclaimed 'I
behold the chariots of Israel.' All who were in the room felt the
power of God to that degree that many prophesied, and the power
of God was manifest, the remembrance of which will remain with me
while I live upon the earth." (Crowther, Gifts of the
Spirit, p. 59 1965)
Brigham Young was asked by his wife after returning home from
the meeting what he had been doing so late. He replied, "The
upper part of the temple was illuminated and I have been watching
my friends. The brethren who have been ministering in the temple
have been quietly observing personages passing to and fro, and
about in the upper part of the building." (S. Dilworth
Young, Here is Brigham p. 143, 1964)
On Saturday February 6 the Twelve and Seven Presidents of
Seventies were gathered for instruction. Joseph relates Many
arose and spoke, testifying that they were filled with the Holy
Ghost, which was like fire in their bones, so that they could not
hold their peace, but were constrained to cry hosanna to God and
the Lamb, and glory in the Highest. President William Smith, one
of the Twelve, saw a vision of the Twelve, and Seven in council
together, in old England, and prophesied that a great work would
be done by them in the old countries, and God was already
beginning to work in the hearts of the people. President Zebedee
Coltrin, of the Seven, saw a vision of the Lords Host, and others
were filled with the Spirit, and Spake with tongues and
prophesied." (DHC V. II P 392)
On February 22 Brigham Young was asked to leave the Hebrew school
to supervise the painting of the main assembly room on the main
level as they were now ready for painting. From daylight to dark,
he and a few helpers applied the paint to the walls, the pulpits,
and the furniture. At the same time the women were busy sewing
together the yards of cloth for the veils and curtains of the
temple...It took about thirty days to finish painting the inside
of the temple to Brigham's satisfaction.
The dedication was set for Sunday March 27, 1836 after everything was cleaned up and ready, The doors promptly opened at 8:00 AM. Nearly one thousand people had gathered there waiting to get in. Some had to be turned away. They sang some songs written by some of the brethren; Sidney Rigdon offered a prayer and then spoke for two and one half hours. They then sustained the general authorities. The prophet Joseph then arose and offered the dedicatory prayers Among other things he said: "Thou hast commanded thy servants to build a house to thy name in this place. And now thou beholdest O Lord, that thy servants have done according to thy commandment...thou knowest that we have done this work through great tribulation; and out of poverty we have given our substance to build a house to thy name, that the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself...And now, Holy Father, we ask thee to assist us, thy people with thy grace, in calling our solemn assembly, that it may be done to thy honor and to thy divine acceptance...And in a manner that we may be found worthy, in thy sight, to secure a fulfillment of the promises which thou hast made unto us, thy people, in the revelation given unto us that thy glory may rest down upon the people, and upon thy house, which we now dedicate to thee...And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with power which thou hast ordained to be poured out upon those sho shall reverence thee in thy house... Let it be fulfilled upon them, as upon those on the day of Pentecost; let the gift of tongues be poured out upon thy people, even cloven tongues of fire, and the interpretation thereof. And let the house be filled, as with a rushing mighty wnnd with thy glory...That all the ends of the earth may know that we, thy servants, have heard thy voice, and that thou hast sent us." (DC 109: 2,3,10-12,22,36,37)
"President Frederick G. Williams arose and testified that while President Rigdon was making his first prayer, an angel entered the window and took his seat between Father Smith and himself and remained there during the prayer... President David Whitmer also saw angels in the house. President Hyrum Smith made some appropriate remarks congratulating those who had endured so many toils and privations to build the house. President Oliver Cowdery testified of the truth of the Book of Mormon, and of the work of the Lord in these last days. The Lords Supper was then administered; President Don Carlos Smith blessed the bread and the wine, which was distributed by several Elders to the church; after which I bore record of my mission, and of the ministration of angels...President Brigham Young gave a short address in tongues, David Patten interpreted, and gave a short exhortation in tongues himself...The assembly dispersed a little past four o'clock " (DHC Vol.II P 427-428) Heber C. Kimball says of this meeting "During the ceremonies of dedications an angel appeared and sat near President Joseph Smith, Sr., and Frederick G. Williams, so that they had fair view of his person. He was a very tall personage, black eyes, white hair, and stooped shouldered; his garment was whole, extending near his ankles; on his feet he had sandals. He was sent as a messenger to accept the dedication " (Life of Heber C. Kimball P 91) Brigham reports that "Several brethren, upon invitation, bore testimony of the truth and stated they had seen angels present in the temple." (S. Dilworth Young, Here is Brigham , p 149)
Joseph instructed the quorums of the priesthood to return that
evening to receive instruction on the great solemn assembly of
the priesthood to be held the following Wednesday March 30, 1836.
Joseph says of that meeting, "I met the quorums in the
evening and instructed them respecting the ordinance of washing
of feet, which they were to attend to on Wednesday following; and
gave them instructions to the spirit of prophecy...Brother George
A. Smith arose and began to prophesy, when a noise was heard like
the sound of a rushing mighty wind, which filled the temple, and
all the congregation simultaneously arose, being moved upon by
invisible power; many began to speak in tongues and prophesy;
others saw glorious visions; and I beheld the Temple was filled
with angels, which fact I declared to the congregation. The
people of the neighborhood came running together (hearing an
unusual sound within, and seeing a bright light like a pillar of
fire resting upon the temple) and were astonished what was taking
place. This continued until the meeting closed at 11:00 PM."
(DHC Vol II P. 428)
William Draper, A counselor in one of the Aaronic Priesthood
quorums, affirmed that the power of God was manifested so greatly
"that my pen is inadequate to write it full or my tongue to
express it. But I will here say that the Spirit was poured out
and came like a mighty rushing wind and filled the house, that
many that were present spoke in tongues and had visions and saw
angels and prophesied; and had a general time of rejoicing such
as had not been known in this generation." (_
Biographical Sketch of the Life and Travels of William Draper,
p.3)
In Edward Partridge's recorded testimony, he related the
following miraculous occurrences which transpired on March 27th,
1836. "On the first day of the dedication, President
Frederick G. Williams, one of the Counsellors to the Prophet, and
who occupied the upper pulpit, bore testimony that the Savior,
dressed in his vesture without seam, came into the stand and
accepted of the dedication of the house, that he saw him, and
gave a description of his clothing and all things pertaining to
it...Many individuals bore testimony that they saw angels, and
David Whitmer bore testimony that he saw three angels passing up
the south aisle, and there came a shock on the house like the
sound of a mightily rushing wind, and almost every man in the
house arose, and hundreds of them were speaking in tongues,
prophesying or declaring visions, almost with one voice." (JD
11:10)
Apostle George A. Smith testified that "on the evening
after the dedication of the Temple, hundreds of the brethren
received the ministering of angels, saw the light and personages
of angels, and bore testimony of it. They spake in new tongues,
and had a greater manifestation of the power of God than that
described by Luke on the day of Pentecost." (JD 2:215)
Levi Jackman, who attended the dedicatory services, told of how
the sick were healed in the Temple of God. "The House was
dedicated on Sunday, the 27th of March 1836. After which and in
the course of the same week Elders received their endowments and
I think it was as great a thing as it was at the day of Pentecost
with the apostles; for cloven tongues of fire rested on many and
they spoke with tongues and prophesied. And the sick was healed,
the lame was made to walk.
And one who had the devil cast out of him, who had been possessed
for four years, and was confined with chains. He would bite
pieces out of his own flesh like a beast and would curse God and
the angels...When the devil was cast out, he immediately became
calm. They took his chains off and he was like another man.
Angels appeared to many and great and marvelous things took place
in these days." (Journal of Levi Jackman, March 27,
1836, Church Historian's Office.)
The next Wednesday-about three hundred official members of the priesthood met for the Solemn Assembly of the priesthood. Among other things Joseph says of this meeting..."The presidency proceeded to wash the feet of the twelve, pronouncing many prophecies and blessings upon them in the name of the Lord Jesus; and then the twelve proceeded to wash the feet of the Presidents of the several quorums The brethren began to prophesy upon each others heads....It was expedient for the brethren to tarry all night and worship before the Lord in his house." The brethren continued exhorting, prophesying, and speaking in tongues until five o'clock in the morning. The Savior made his appearance to some while angels ministered to others, and it was a Pentecost and an endowment indeed, long to be remembered, for the sound shall go forth from this place into all the world, and the occurrence of this day shall be handed down upon the pages of sacred history, to all generations; as the day of Pentecost, so shall this day be remembered and celebrated as a year of jubilee, and a time of rejoicing to the Saints of the Most High God." (DHC Vol. ll p.432-433) Heber C. Kimlball remarks about this Solemn Assembly; "The meeting continued on through the night; the spirit of prophecy was poured out upon the assembly, and cloven tongues of fire sat upon them; for they were seen by many of the congregation. Also angels administered to many, for they were seen by many....During this time many great and marvelous visions were seen." (Life of Heber C. Kimball P.93)
Benjamin Brown speaks of this time thus: "The succeeding winter I again went to attend the dedication of the temple, and to meet with the Solemn Assembly that was there convened. There the Spirit of the Lord, as on the day of Pentecost, was profusely poured out. Hundreds of Elders spoke in tongues, but many of them being young in the Church, and never having witnessed the manifestation of this gift before, some felt a little alarmed. This caused the Prophet Joseph Smith to pray to the Lord to withhold the Spirit. Joseph then instructed them on the nature of the gift of tongues, and the operation of the Spirit generally we had a most glorious and never to be forgotten time. Angels were seen by numbers present, and the first endowments were received." (Gems For Young Folks,Juvenile Instructor Office, Salt Lake City 1881 P. 65. Reprinted in Four Faith Promoting Classics Bookcraft 1968)
Apostle George A. Smith records that "on the first day of the dedication, President Fredrick G. Williams, one of the Council of the Prophet, and who occupied the upper pulpit, bore testimony that the savior dressed in his Vesture without seam, came to the stand and accepted of the dedication of the House; that he saw Him and he gave a description of His clothing and all things pertaining to it." (Journal of Discourses Vol. XI p.10)
Heber C. Kimball mentions about this assembly of priesthood members that, "While these things were being attended to, the beloved disciple, John, was seen in our midst by the Prophet Joseph, Oliver Cowdery and others.. " (Life of Heber C. Kimball P. 92)
On May 18th, 1868, when addressing the Provo School of the Prophets, Elder Kimball declared that "when the Twelve in a circle were anointed, John stood in their midst.. " and that "Peter was in the stand with a key in his hand and chain...I can bring twenty witnesses to prove this. They looked at them for 1and a half or 2 hours in the Kirtland Temple." Finally, while delivering a conference address in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on February 9th, 1862, Elder Kimball described the Apostle Peter's attire: ".. but let me inform you that when Peter came and sat in the Temple in Kirtland, he had on a neat woolen garment, nicely adjusted round the neck " (Minutes of the School of the Prophets, held at Provo, Utah, May 18, 1868, B. Y. U. Library - JD 9:376)
Even with all these manifestations, the prophet still awaited the visitation of Elijah that was promised him earlier to restore something to them. This was to be accomplished the next Sunday April 3rd. Many who had not been able to attend the Sunday before on the Dedication day were there in attendance. Over one thousand people gathered hoping that the Lord would again pour out His spirit and they could enjoy another Pentecost Joseph writes the following concerning the service. "Thomas B.. Marsh and David Patten spoke in the forenoon to an attentive audience of about one thousand people. In the afternoon I assisted in distributing the Lord's Supper to the church . After having performed this service to my brethren, I retired to the pulpit, the veils being dropped, and bowed myself, with Oliver Cowdery, in solemn prayer the following vision was opened to both of us: "The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened. We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us, and under His feet was a paved work of pure gold in color like amber. His eyes were as a flame of fire, the hair of his head was white, like the pure snow, His countenance shone above the brightness of the sun, and his voice was as the sound of rushing water even the voice of Jehovah, saying, I am the first and the last, I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain, I am the advocate with the Father...Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have with their might, built this house to my name, for behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here, and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this House. Yea I will appear unto my servants and speak to them with mine own voice Yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this houses and the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands...After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us, and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the Ten Tribes from the land of the North.., After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us, for Elijah the prophet, who was taken into heaven without tasting death, stood before us and said ' Behold the time has fully come, which was spoken by the mouth of Malachi testifying that he, Elijah should be sent before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come. Therefore the keys of this dispen- sation are committed into your hands, and by this ye might know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors." (DC 110)
The promises of the Lord were fulfilled, to those visiting and meeting in the Temple for some time after the dedication of the Temple. Prescinda Huntington relates some of these marvelous experiences, "In Kirtland, we enjoyed many great blessings, and often saw the power of God manifest. On one occasion I saw angels clothed in white walking upon the Temple. It was during one of our monthly fast meetings, when the Saints were in the Temple worshiping. A little girl came to my door and in wonder called me out, exclaiming: 'The meeting is on top of the meeting house." I went to the door, and there saw the temple angels clothed in white covering the roof from end to end. They seemed to be walking to and fro; they appeared and disappeared before I realized they were not mortal men. Each time in a moment they vanished, and their reappearance was the same. This was in broad daylight, in the afternoon. A number of children in Kirtland saw the same. When the brethren and sisters came home in the evening, they told on the power of God manifested in the temple that day, and of the prophesying and speaking in tongues. It was also said in the interpretation of tongues that 'The angels were resting down upon the house.'
At another fast meeting I was in the Temple...While the congregation was praying we heard, from one corner of the room above our heads, a choir of angels singing most beautifully, They were invisible to us, but myriads of angelic voices seemed to unite in singing some song of Zion, and their sweet harmony filled the Temple of God."
At another time a cousin of ours came to visit us at Kirtland. She wanted to go to one of the saints' fast meetings, to hear someone sing or speak in tongues, but she said she expected to have a hearty laugh. Accordingly we went with our cousin to the meeting, during which a Brother McCarter rose and sang a song of Zion in tongues I arose and sang simultaneously with him the same tune and words, beginning and ending each verse in perfect unison, without varying a word. It was just as though we had sung it together a thousand times. After we came out of meeting our cousin observed, "Instead of laughing, I never felt so solemn in my life " (Edward Tullidge, Women of Mormondom, pp 207-209)
"We were also in the temple at a Pentecost. In the
morning Father Smith prayed for a Pentecost, in the opening the
meeting That day the power of God rested mightily upon the
Saints. There was poured out upon us abundantly the spirit of
revelation, prophecy and tongues. The Holy Ghost filled the
house: and along in the afternoon a noise was heard. It was the
sound of a mighty wind. But at first the congregation was
startled, not knowing what it was. To many it seemed as though
the roof was all in flames..." (Women of Mormondom, by
E. W. Tullidge, P 207-209)
Recalling those same Pentecostal events, Eliza R. Snow wrote:
"There we had the gift of prophecy - the gift of tongues -
visions and marvelous dreams were related - the singing of
heavenly choirs was heard, and wonderful manifestations of the
Elders, were witnessed. The sick were healed - the deaf made to
hear - the blind to see and the lame to walk, in very many
instances. It was plainly manifest that a sacred and divine
influence - a spiritual atmosphere pervaded that holy edifice.
Yes, indeed, for the Son of God, in His glory, had honored it
with His royal presence... I will relate one more remarkable
circumstance which transpired in that interesting season - a
circumstance which was not confined to either section of the
Temple, but was witnessed by the many who were congregated on
that day; and certainly all now living who were present on that
occasion will remember. It is a testimony of answer to prayer
that never can be forgotten . Father Smith presided over the
meeting in the northwest section of the Temple, and after the
meeting was opened by singing, he was mouth in prayer, and in
course of supplication he very earnestly prayed that the Spirit
of God might be poured out as on the day of Pentecost-that it
might come 'as a rushing mighty wind.' Some time after, in the
midst of the exercises of the forenoon it did come; and whether
Father Smith had forgotten what he prayed for, or whether in the
fervency of his heart, when praying he didnot realize what he
prayed for, I never ascertained; but when the sound came and
filled the house with an expressipn of great astonishment he
raised his eyest exclaiming, 'What! Is the house on fire?' But
presently he comprehended the cause of his alarm, and was filled
with unspeakable joy. (Eliza R. Snow, Biography and Family
Record of L-orenzo Snow, pi 11,14)
Truman 0. Angell recorded another miraculous incident which occurred on the aftermath of that memorable day of the Temple's dedication. Brother Angell, the architect of the Salt Lake Temple, stated that he and Brother Brigham Young beheld two heavenly personages acting as sentries to guard the Temple. "After the building was dedicated, a few of us, some six or eight, having Patriarch Joseph Smith, Sr., in company, went morning and evening to pray, entering at the West end of the Temple and going clear through to the East stand. This we enjoyed very much. The stand being enclosed by curtains or veils made it quiet by itself and a good place to pray with none to molest. One evening, having been in the country, I had tried the door and knew they were at prayer. I felt out of place and went to my house, but soon came out and met Brother Brigham inquiring for Oliver Cowdery. I said I had not seen him. We walked out towards the Temple, approaching the building on the side which was used for the Prophet Joseph and his counselors, a portion of the attic on the East being especially appropriated to their use. In the said attic, and right over the stand where the Brethren were praying in the Hall below were two windows in the gable and to help give light to his compartment or room, the windows being 12 to 14 feet apart, and unusually high from the floor; being nearly 4 feet to the bottom of the lower sash. When about ten rods distant we looked up and saw two Personages; before each window, leaving and approaching each other like guards would do This continued until quite dark As they were walking back and forth, one turned his face to me for an instant; but while they walked to and fro, only a side view was visible. I have no doubt that the house was guarded as I have had no other way to account for it. (Truman 0. Angell Autobiography, p 10)
For months after the dedication great spiritual blessings were
manifested. Wilford Woodruff records this in his journal:
"March 23rd, 1837. I repaired to the House of the Lord ...
The time was taken up during the day in each apartment in
singing, exhortation, and prayer, some had the gift of tongues,
others an interpretation of tongues, and all was in order. The
power of God rested upon the people. The gifts were poured out
upon us. Some had the administering of angels; and the image of
God sat upon the countenances of the Saints. At four o'clock p m.
the veils were all rolled up together which brought the whole
congregation in full view of each other; and, while the presence
of the Lord filled the house, the congregation of Saints fell
upon their knees, and all as one man, vocally poured forth
rejoicing .
April 6th, 1837. This being more particular the day of the Solemn
Assembly, or a day that is looked upon annually with a feeling of
greater interest in celebration of the 6th of April, 1830, as
upon that day the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was
first organized in this last dispensation of the fulness of times
. . .
After the First Presidency cIosed their remarks, the Twelve were called upon to break bread for the multitude(as Jesus did in the days of the Apostles) that they might be filled. They did so; and were all filled and was made glad while feasting with patriarchs, prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors, teachers and deacons. After the feast was closed, thanks was returned to God with uplifted hands to heaven. Being about the setting of the sun, all had the privilege of returning to their homes that felt disposed to do so; and the rest might spend the night in the house of the Lord in prayer, exhortation, praise, and thanksgiving. At about candle light the meeting commenced with great interest. Joseph requested the congregation to speak their feelings freely and pray according to the spirit. The saints began to open their mouths; and they were filled with language unto edification: one a prayer; another an exhortation; some a doctrine and a psalm; others the gift of tongues; some the interpretation of tongues. Prophecy was also poured out upon us. All things were done decently and in order. The night was spent gloriously by the saints. Much of the gifts of the gospel rested upon us One brother clothed with the gift of tongues laid his hands upon my head and prophesied great blessings upon me. Another brother possessing the interpretation of tongues uttered it unto me to my joy and consolation with the many blessings pronounced upon my head. He rehearsed the blessing that Jacob pronounced upon the head of Joseph and said that I should possess the blessings of heaven and of earth and be much blessed in my ministry, etc.etc. Much prophecy was uttered upon the heads of many of the Saints in other languages and was interpreted which was glorious. Thus, this day and night was spent gloriously; and whose scenes will long be remembered. (Wilford Woodruff Journals, Church Historian's office, Salt Lake City, Utah)
With great outpourings of the spirit comes contrastingly
buffetings from Satan to try people's faith. This often causes
the weak to apostatize even after seeing great manifestations.
Brigham Young said of this: " I ask, is there a reason for
men and women exposed more constantly and more powerfully to the
power of the enemy by having visions than by not having them?
There is and it is simply this. God never bestows upon His
people, or upon an individual, superior blessings without a
severe trial to prove them, to prove that individual or that
people, to see whether they will keep their covenants with Him,
and keep in remembrance what he has shown them. Then the greater
the vision the greater the display of the power of the enemy. So
when individuals are blessed with visions, revelations, and great
manifestatiions, look out, then the Devil is nigh you, and you
will be tempted in proportion to the visions, revelations or
manifestation you have received." ( JD 3:205-206)
Because of this fact many of the people who saw visions in the
Kirtland Temple later apostatized. George A. Amith speaks of this
happening. He said, "On the evening after the dedication of
the Kirtland Temple, hundreds of brethren received the
ministering of angels, saw the light and personages of angels,
and bore testimony of. They spoke in new tongues, and had a
greater manifestation of the Power of God than described by Luke
on the day of Pentecost. Yet a great portion of the persons who
saw these mani- festations, in a few years, and some of them in a
few weeks, apostatized." Eliza R. Snow tells of this
apostasy. "The Temple at Kirtland was completed, and in it
they had been recipients of marvelous blessings and many who had
been humble and faithful to the performance of every duty - ready
to go and come at every call of the priesthood were getting
haughty in their spirits, and lifted up in the pride of their
hearts. As the Saints drank in the love and spirit of the world,
the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from their hearts and they were
filled with pride and hatred toward those who maintained their
integrity. They linked themselves together in an opposing party -
pretended that they constituted the Church and claimed that the
Temple belonged to them and even attempted to hold it. Warren
Parrish who had been a humble, successful preacher of the gospel,
was the ringleader of this apostate party. One Sabbath morning,
he with several of his party, came into the temple armed with
pistols and bowie knives .. as a brother on the west took the
floor and commenced to speak a fearful scene ensued. The apostate
speaker becoming too clamorous that Father Smith called for the
police to take that man out of the house, when Parrish, John
Boynton, and others drew their pistols and bowie knives and
rushed down from the stand into the congregation. John Boynton
saying he would blow out the brains of the first man who dared to
lay hands on him...this was a terrible scene to be enacted in a
Temple of God."(N.B. Lundwall, Temples of the Most High,
pp 30-32)
Mother Smith tells of this apostasy after this incident in the temple. "At the time a certain young woman, who was living at David Witmer's uttered a prophecy, which she said was given her by looking through a black stone that she had found. This prophecy gave some altogether a new idea of things. She said the reason why one third of the church would turn away from Joseph was because that he was in transgression himself; that he would fall from his office on account of the same; that David Whitmer or Martin Harris would fill Joseph's place. The girl soon became an object of great attention among those who were disaffected. Dr. Williams became her scribe and wrote her revelations for her. Jared Carter soon inbibed the same spirit, and I was informed that he said in one of their meetings that he had power to raise Joseph Smith to the highest heavens, or sink him down to the lowest hell... They still held their secret meetings at David Whitmer's and when the young woman who was their instructress was through giving what revelation she intended for the evening, she would jump out of her chair and dance over the floor, boasting of her power, until she was perfectly exhausted. Her proselytes would also, in the most vehement manner proclaim their purity and holiness, and the mighty power which they were going to have. They made a standing appointment for meetings to be held every Thursday in the Holy Temple the House of the Lord." (Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith, Up 242-243)
By Daniel Tyler "At or near the close of the endowments, the Prophet Joseph addressed us. Among other things he said: 'Brethren, for some time Satan has not had power to tempt you. Some have thought that there would be no more temptation. But the opposite will come; and unless you draw near to the Lord you will be overcome and apostatize.' A few months later, four of the Apostles were cut off from the Chureh for apostasy, and the standing of one or two others was very doubtful. Numbers from other quorums also fell away and were cut off." Apostasy became so great that Joseph fled Kirtland on a moment's warning on the night of January 12, 1838 with apostates seeking to take his life. After the apostasy, later came the defilement of the Holy Temple. Cecil McGavin writes that "When the assembly room on the ground floor was needed for any meeting of the citizens, it too as the basement was transformed into a stable to shelter the livestock of the neighborhood. The low benches were removed from the wooden enclosures and used for firewood, while sheep were herded into the small pews in the sacred room where the voices of angels had been heard but a short season before. Upon the pulpit where the Lord had stood, stores of straw were piled by the crude farmers who whistled or cursed as they did their chores in the house which had been built for God. In the 1880's, the Reorganized Church became interested in restoring it as nearly as possible to its original simplicity and beauty." (N.B. Lundwall, Temples of the Most High, P 37-40)
The temple at Kirtland has served its purpose and has ceased to be a House of the Lord. It was but a stepping stone to greater and more complete temples wherein the sacred ordinances of the Priesthood could be administered.
Let us recap the significance of these events, As early as January 1831 the Lord began to foretell of these great spiritual outpourings that would be such as had not been known among the children of men, The Lord gave the command to build the Kirtland Temple in December 1832 and promised a personal visit with great manifestations and display of glory, In July 1833 when laying the cornerstone, the Lord promised if they kept that building sacred and not defile it that he would visit the temple often and manifest Himself to the people and the pure in heart would see him and great glory would be manifested there. In 1834 the Lord promised a Pentecost Feast more gloriously than the first Pentecost at Jerusalem. The people were expecting and anticipating this event long before it occurred. We have shown that all of these events came to pass to the very letter with even more heavenly manifestations than the people expected, Truly these events were only rivalled by the Lord's ministry to the Nephites when such great heavenly manifestations occurred. Much of this could be the rejoicing of the angels in the restoration of the sealing power and the temple ordinances after the long period of apostasy and darkness.
_
(From a discouse delivered at Logon, Utah, May 20, I877.)
The Lord told us when we were living in the State of New York, to
go to the Ohio; there to build a Temple to the name of the Most
High. And there the Lord condescended to bestow upon his servants
and people a great endowment, a blessing such as was not known
among the children of men. And from thence they should go to the
nations of the earth, and publish these tid ings. We went to the
Ohio; and after we had been sufficiently taught and instructed,
the Lord commanded us through Joseph, to build a Temple, giving
the pattern thereof, and the size there- of, the size of the
inner and outer courts, the size of the several rooms and
apartments, and the form of the pulpits and every- thing
pertaining to it was given by the inspiration of the Al- mighty
that rested upon Joseph, and upon those associated with him.
When the Temple was built, the Lord did not see proper to reveal all the ordinances of the Endowments, such as we now understand. He revealed little by little. No rooms were prepared for washings; no special place prepared for the anointings, such as you understand, and such as you comprehend at this period of the history of the Church! Neither did we know the necessity of the washings, such as we now receive. It is true, our hands were washed, our faces and our feet. The Prophet Joseph was commanded to gird himself with a towel, doing this in the Tem- ple. What for? That the first Elder might witness to our Father and God, that we were clean from the blood of that wicked generation, that then lived. We had gone forth according to our best ability, to publish glad tidings of great joy, for thousands of miles, upon this continent. After this we were called in, and this washing of hands and feet was to testify to God that we were clean from the blood of this generation. The holy anoint- ing was placed upon the heads of his servants, but not the full development of the Endowments in the anointings. These admin istrations in the Kirtland Temple were revealed, little by little, corresponding with what I have already been saying, that the Lord does not give the fulness at once, but imparts to us accord- ing to his own will and pleasure. Great were the blessings re ceived. We were commanded to seek and behold the face of the Lord; to seek after revelation; to seek after the spirit of prophecy, and the gifts of the Spirit; and many testify to what they saw. But yet they were inexperienced; they had not proven them selves in their religion long enough. They obtained blessings greater than some of them were prepared to receive. They per haps might have been faithful if they had exercised the agency which God gave them. But how easily are mankind toppled first this way, then that way; and are led astray, even after the heav ens were opened and chariots and horses of fire as well as angels were seen; still many of those brethren apostatized. (J. D., Vol. 19:15-16).