Why April 26th 1839? Why is it so sacred. Symbolic?
Posted: July 5th, 2010, 11:51 am
(Doctrine and Covenants 115:7-12.)
7 Let the city, Far West, be a holy and consecrated land unto me; and it shall be called most holy, for the ground upon which thou standest is holy.
8 Therefore, I command you to build a house unto me, for the gathering together of my saints, that they may worship me.
9 And let there be a beginning of this work, and a foundation, and a preparatory work, this following summer;
10 And let the beginning be made on the fourth day of July next; and from that time forth let my people labor diligently to build a house unto my name;
11 And in one year from this day let them re-commence laying the foundation of my house.
12 Thus let them from that time forth labor diligently until it shall be finished, from the corner stone thereof unto the top thereof, until there shall not anything remain that is not finished.
(Doctrine and Covenants 115:16-17.)
16 But if my people do build it according to the pattern which I shall show unto their presidency, even my servant Joseph and his counselors, then I will accept it at the hands of my people.
17 And again, verily I say unto you, it is my will that the city of Far West should be built up speedily by the gathering of my saints;
(Doctrine and Covenants 118:1-5.)
1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: Let a conference be held immediately; let the Twelve be organized; and let men be appointed to supply the place of those who are fallen.
2 Let my servant Thomas remain for a season in the land of Zion, to publish my word.
3 Let the residue continue to preach from that hour, and if they will do this in all lowliness of heart, in meekness and humility, and long-suffering, I, the Lord, give unto them a promise that I will provide for their families; and an effectual door shall be opened for them, from henceforth.
4 And next spring let them depart to go over the great waters, and there promulgate my gospel, the fulness thereof, and bear record of my name.
5 Let them take leave of my saints in the city of Far West, on the twenty-sixth day of April next, on the building-spot of my house, saith the Lord.
In the midst of all this, Brigham did not forget or hold lightly the word of the Lord, who had stated in prophecy that the Twelve were to "take leave of my saints in the city of Far West, on the twenty-sixth day of April next, on the building-spot of my house" (Doctrine and Covenants 118:5). Despite sneers and taunts from their enemies to the contrary, Brigham did not agree with some of the brethren who "considered, in our present persecuted and scattered condition, the Lord would not require the Twelve to fulfill his words to the letter, and, under our present circumstances, he would take the will for the deed." This was Brigham at his finest. Persecution had not broken or weakened, but rather honed his qualities and his mastery over himself. Those meeting with him agreed that they ought to fulfill the revelation, "and leave the event in his hands and he would protect us."fn
Brigham, Wilford, John Taylor, Orson Pratt, George A., and Alpheus Cutler traveled the difficult, dreary journey back to the scenes of their sufferings. Passing through Huntsville, they crossed a long stretch of prairie where the roads were still full of fleeing Saints. More as a means of doing good to a brother than a fulfilling of responsibility, Brigham exhorted John E. Page to go with them, even though they found him with his wagon turned upside down, up to his elbows in soap he was scooping up with his hands. He did not see how he could leave his family, but Brigham assured him his family would be fine. "He asked how much time I would give him to get ready. I answered, five minutes. We assisted in loading his wagon; he drove down the hill and camped, and returned with us. We travelled 30 miles and camped for the night."fn
Brigham possessed power to stir confidence and resolve in brother Page, mainly because his own motives were pure and obviously driven by a sincere, unconditional love.
On the morning of the 26th of April, the Twelve found themselves standing on that hallowed ground, with feelings which could not be described. Alpheus Cutler had been master workman of the Lord's house; it fell to him to re-commence laying the foundation, "by rolling up a large stone near the south-east corner." Each of the Twelve prayed vocally, then joined in singing "Adam-ondi-Ahman."
(Song inserted by me)
Stanza one
This earth was once a garden place,
With all her glories common;
And men did live a holy race,
And worship Jesus face to face,
In Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Stanza two
We read that Enoch walk[e]d with God,
Above the pow[e]r of Mammon:
While Zion spread herself abroad,
And saints and angels sung aloud
In Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Stanza three
Her land was good and greatly blest,
Beyond old Israel's Canaan:
Her fame was known from east to west;
Her peace was great, and pure the rest
Of Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Stanza four
Hosanna to such days to come—
The Savior's second comin[g]—
When all the earth in glorious bloom,
Affords the saints a holy home
Like Adam-ondi-Ahman.
(text continues)
"Thus was the revelation fulfilled," Brigham wrote, "concerning which our enemies had said, if all the other revelations of Joseph Smith were fulfilled, that one should not, as it had day and date to it."fn
(Susan Evans McCloud, Brigham Young, A Personal Portrait [American Fork, Ut.: Covenant Communications, 1996], .)
I will state that I was living in Canada at the time, some three hundred miles distant from Kirtland. I was presiding over a number of churches in that region, in fact, over all of the churches in Upper Canada. I knew about this calling and appointment before it came, it having been revealed to me. But not knowing but that the devil had a finger in the matter, I did not say anything about it to anybody. [Brother Woodruff here spoke up and said that he was on the Fox Islands, which were farther away still; and also knew, by the Spirit, that he would be called to the apostleship.] A messenger came to me with a letter from the First Presidency, informing me of my appointment, and requesting me to repair forthwith to Kirtland, and from there to go to Far West. I went according to the command.
When I reached Far West, John E. Page, another one mentioned in the revelation just read to you, was there also. John E. Page and I were ordained into the quorum of the twelve at the same meeting. Brother Woodruff was ordained, after the scenes of the war at Far West; but I think it was right in the midst of the war when Brother Page and I were ordained. Brother Woodruff was ordained on the cornerstone of the foundation of the temple in Far West, on the 26th of April, 1839, when we went to fulfil this same revelation that you have heard read, and I helped to ordain him. Brother George A. Smith was ordained at the same time, and I am informed that he took the place of Thomas B. Marsh, who apostatized. I had not retained this fact in my memory, but I think it is correct. There were two other men ordained at the same time [to the office of seventy], one by the name of Darwin Chase, the other Norman Shearer.
(John Taylor, The Gospel Kingdom: Selections from the Writings and Discourses of John Taylor, selected, arranged, and edited, with an introduction by G. Homer Durham [Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1941], 190.)
One month later Wilford Woodruff was holding a meeting with the Saints at North Vinyl Haven, an island off the coast of Maine (then called the Fox Islands), when a letter arrived from President Thomas B. Marsh of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Brother Woodruff recorded in his journal the contents of this letter, including the final comment, "Know then, Brother Woodruff, by this, that you are appointed to fill the place of one of the Twelve Apostles, and that it is agreeable to the word of the Lord, given very lately, that you should come speedily to Far West, and, on the 26th of April next, take your leave of the Saints here and depart for other climes, across the mighty deep."
Then Brother Woodruff added this very significant statement in his journal. "The substance of this letter had been revealed to me several weeks before, but I had not named it to any person." (Wilford Woodruff, page 93.)
(Boyd K. Packer, The Holy Temple [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980], 191.)
We felt that the Lord God had given the commandment and we had faith to go forward and accomplish it, feeling that it was his business whether we lived or died in its accomplishment. We started for Missouri. There were two wagons. I had one and took brother [Orson] Pratt and President Young in mine; brother Cutler, and one of the building committee, had the other. We reached Far West and laid the corner stone according to the revelation that had been given to us. We cut off apostates and those who had sworn away the lives of the brethren. We ordained Darwin Chase and Norman Shearer into the Seventies. Brother George A. Smith and myself were ordained into the quorum of the Twelve on the corner stone of the Temple; we had been called before, but not ordained. We then returned, nobody having molested or made us afraid. We performed that work by faith, and the Lord blessed us in doing it. The devil, however, tried to kill us, for before we started for England everyone of the Twelve was taken sick and it was about as much as we could do to move or stir. (JD, December 12, 1869, 13:159.)
Brigham Young: 4-6
Early on the morning of the 26th of April [1839] , we held our Conference, cut off 31 persons from the Church and proceeded to ordain Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith to the office of the Twelve, to fill the places of those who had fallen. Darwin Chase and Norman Shearer, (who had just been liberated from Richmond prison, and arrived the evening previous) were then ordained to the office of the Seventies.
The Twelve then offered up vocal prayer in the following order: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith; after which we sang: "Adam-ondi-Ahman," and then we took our leave of the . . . Saints, agreeable to the revelation. . . .
As the Saints were passing away from the meeting, brother [Theodore] Turley said to Page and Woodruff, "Stop a bit, while I bid Isaac Russell good-bye" and knocking at his house called brother Russell. His wife answered, "Come in; it is brother Turley." Russell replied, "It is not; he left here two weeks ago," and appeared quite alarmed; but on finding it was Turley, asked him to sit down; but he replied, "I cannot; I shall lose my company." "Who is your company," inquired Russell. "The Twelve." "The Twelve?" "Yes; don't you know that this is the twenty-sixth, and the day the Twelve were to take leave of their friends on the foundation of the Lord's house to go to the islands of the sea? The revelation is now fulfilled and I am going with them." Russell was speechless, and Turley bid him farewell.
Thus was this revelation fulfilled, concerning which our enemies said, If all the other revelations of Joseph Smith were fulfilled that one should not, as it had day and date to it. (MS, September 12, 1863, 25:567, 583-84.)
(Roy W. Doxey, comp., Latter-day Prophets and the Doctrine and Covenants [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1978], 4: 167 - 169.)
On the morning of the 26th of April, 1839, notwithstanding the threats of our enemies that the revelation which was to be fulfilled this day should not be, and notwithstanding that ten thousand of the Saints had been driven out of the State by the edict of the governor, and though the Prophet Joseph and his brother, Hyrum Smith, with other leading men were in the hands of our enemies, in chains, and in prison, we moved on to the temple grounds in the city of Far West, and held a council, and fulfilled the revelation and commandment given unto us, and we performed many other things at this council.
We excommunicated from the Church thirty-one persons, who had apostatized and become its enemies.
The "Mission of the Twelve" was sung, and we then repaired to the south-east corner of the temple ground, and, with the assistance of Elder Alpheus Cutler, the master workman of the building committee, laid the southeast chief corner stone of the temple, according to revelation.
There were present of the Twelve Apostles: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page and John Taylor, who proceeded to ordain Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith, to the apostleship, and as members of the quorum of the Twelve, in the places of those who had fallen, as they had been called by revelation.
Darwin Chase and Norman Shearer, who had just been liberated from Richmond prison, were also ordained to the office of Seventies. The Twelve then offered up vocal prayer in the following order: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith, after which we sang "Adam-ondi-Ahman."
The Twelve then took their leave of, and gave the parting hand to, the following Saints, agreeable to revelation: A. Butler, Elias Smith, Norman Shearer, Wm. Burton, Stephen Markham, Shadrach Roundy, Wm. O. Clark, John W. Clark, Hezekiah Peck, Darwin Chase, Richard Howard, Mary Ann Peck, Artimesia Granger, Martha Peck, Sarah Granger, Theodore Turley, Hiram Clark, and Daniel Shearer.
Bidding good-by to the small remnant of the Saints who remained on the temple ground to see us fulfill the revelation and commandments of God, we turned our backs on Far West and Missouri, and returned to Illinois. We had accomplished the mission without a dog moving his tongue at us, or any man saying, "Why do you do so?"
(Wilford Woodruff, Leaves from My Journal [Salt Lake City: Juvenile Instructor Office, 1881], 71 - 72.)
7 Let the city, Far West, be a holy and consecrated land unto me; and it shall be called most holy, for the ground upon which thou standest is holy.
8 Therefore, I command you to build a house unto me, for the gathering together of my saints, that they may worship me.
9 And let there be a beginning of this work, and a foundation, and a preparatory work, this following summer;
10 And let the beginning be made on the fourth day of July next; and from that time forth let my people labor diligently to build a house unto my name;
11 And in one year from this day let them re-commence laying the foundation of my house.
12 Thus let them from that time forth labor diligently until it shall be finished, from the corner stone thereof unto the top thereof, until there shall not anything remain that is not finished.
(Doctrine and Covenants 115:16-17.)
16 But if my people do build it according to the pattern which I shall show unto their presidency, even my servant Joseph and his counselors, then I will accept it at the hands of my people.
17 And again, verily I say unto you, it is my will that the city of Far West should be built up speedily by the gathering of my saints;
(Doctrine and Covenants 118:1-5.)
1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: Let a conference be held immediately; let the Twelve be organized; and let men be appointed to supply the place of those who are fallen.
2 Let my servant Thomas remain for a season in the land of Zion, to publish my word.
3 Let the residue continue to preach from that hour, and if they will do this in all lowliness of heart, in meekness and humility, and long-suffering, I, the Lord, give unto them a promise that I will provide for their families; and an effectual door shall be opened for them, from henceforth.
4 And next spring let them depart to go over the great waters, and there promulgate my gospel, the fulness thereof, and bear record of my name.
5 Let them take leave of my saints in the city of Far West, on the twenty-sixth day of April next, on the building-spot of my house, saith the Lord.
In the midst of all this, Brigham did not forget or hold lightly the word of the Lord, who had stated in prophecy that the Twelve were to "take leave of my saints in the city of Far West, on the twenty-sixth day of April next, on the building-spot of my house" (Doctrine and Covenants 118:5). Despite sneers and taunts from their enemies to the contrary, Brigham did not agree with some of the brethren who "considered, in our present persecuted and scattered condition, the Lord would not require the Twelve to fulfill his words to the letter, and, under our present circumstances, he would take the will for the deed." This was Brigham at his finest. Persecution had not broken or weakened, but rather honed his qualities and his mastery over himself. Those meeting with him agreed that they ought to fulfill the revelation, "and leave the event in his hands and he would protect us."fn
Brigham, Wilford, John Taylor, Orson Pratt, George A., and Alpheus Cutler traveled the difficult, dreary journey back to the scenes of their sufferings. Passing through Huntsville, they crossed a long stretch of prairie where the roads were still full of fleeing Saints. More as a means of doing good to a brother than a fulfilling of responsibility, Brigham exhorted John E. Page to go with them, even though they found him with his wagon turned upside down, up to his elbows in soap he was scooping up with his hands. He did not see how he could leave his family, but Brigham assured him his family would be fine. "He asked how much time I would give him to get ready. I answered, five minutes. We assisted in loading his wagon; he drove down the hill and camped, and returned with us. We travelled 30 miles and camped for the night."fn
Brigham possessed power to stir confidence and resolve in brother Page, mainly because his own motives were pure and obviously driven by a sincere, unconditional love.
On the morning of the 26th of April, the Twelve found themselves standing on that hallowed ground, with feelings which could not be described. Alpheus Cutler had been master workman of the Lord's house; it fell to him to re-commence laying the foundation, "by rolling up a large stone near the south-east corner." Each of the Twelve prayed vocally, then joined in singing "Adam-ondi-Ahman."
(Song inserted by me)
Stanza one
This earth was once a garden place,
With all her glories common;
And men did live a holy race,
And worship Jesus face to face,
In Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Stanza two
We read that Enoch walk[e]d with God,
Above the pow[e]r of Mammon:
While Zion spread herself abroad,
And saints and angels sung aloud
In Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Stanza three
Her land was good and greatly blest,
Beyond old Israel's Canaan:
Her fame was known from east to west;
Her peace was great, and pure the rest
Of Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Stanza four
Hosanna to such days to come—
The Savior's second comin[g]—
When all the earth in glorious bloom,
Affords the saints a holy home
Like Adam-ondi-Ahman.
(text continues)
"Thus was the revelation fulfilled," Brigham wrote, "concerning which our enemies had said, if all the other revelations of Joseph Smith were fulfilled, that one should not, as it had day and date to it."fn
(Susan Evans McCloud, Brigham Young, A Personal Portrait [American Fork, Ut.: Covenant Communications, 1996], .)
I will state that I was living in Canada at the time, some three hundred miles distant from Kirtland. I was presiding over a number of churches in that region, in fact, over all of the churches in Upper Canada. I knew about this calling and appointment before it came, it having been revealed to me. But not knowing but that the devil had a finger in the matter, I did not say anything about it to anybody. [Brother Woodruff here spoke up and said that he was on the Fox Islands, which were farther away still; and also knew, by the Spirit, that he would be called to the apostleship.] A messenger came to me with a letter from the First Presidency, informing me of my appointment, and requesting me to repair forthwith to Kirtland, and from there to go to Far West. I went according to the command.
When I reached Far West, John E. Page, another one mentioned in the revelation just read to you, was there also. John E. Page and I were ordained into the quorum of the twelve at the same meeting. Brother Woodruff was ordained, after the scenes of the war at Far West; but I think it was right in the midst of the war when Brother Page and I were ordained. Brother Woodruff was ordained on the cornerstone of the foundation of the temple in Far West, on the 26th of April, 1839, when we went to fulfil this same revelation that you have heard read, and I helped to ordain him. Brother George A. Smith was ordained at the same time, and I am informed that he took the place of Thomas B. Marsh, who apostatized. I had not retained this fact in my memory, but I think it is correct. There were two other men ordained at the same time [to the office of seventy], one by the name of Darwin Chase, the other Norman Shearer.
(John Taylor, The Gospel Kingdom: Selections from the Writings and Discourses of John Taylor, selected, arranged, and edited, with an introduction by G. Homer Durham [Salt Lake City: Improvement Era, 1941], 190.)
One month later Wilford Woodruff was holding a meeting with the Saints at North Vinyl Haven, an island off the coast of Maine (then called the Fox Islands), when a letter arrived from President Thomas B. Marsh of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Brother Woodruff recorded in his journal the contents of this letter, including the final comment, "Know then, Brother Woodruff, by this, that you are appointed to fill the place of one of the Twelve Apostles, and that it is agreeable to the word of the Lord, given very lately, that you should come speedily to Far West, and, on the 26th of April next, take your leave of the Saints here and depart for other climes, across the mighty deep."
Then Brother Woodruff added this very significant statement in his journal. "The substance of this letter had been revealed to me several weeks before, but I had not named it to any person." (Wilford Woodruff, page 93.)
(Boyd K. Packer, The Holy Temple [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1980], 191.)
We felt that the Lord God had given the commandment and we had faith to go forward and accomplish it, feeling that it was his business whether we lived or died in its accomplishment. We started for Missouri. There were two wagons. I had one and took brother [Orson] Pratt and President Young in mine; brother Cutler, and one of the building committee, had the other. We reached Far West and laid the corner stone according to the revelation that had been given to us. We cut off apostates and those who had sworn away the lives of the brethren. We ordained Darwin Chase and Norman Shearer into the Seventies. Brother George A. Smith and myself were ordained into the quorum of the Twelve on the corner stone of the Temple; we had been called before, but not ordained. We then returned, nobody having molested or made us afraid. We performed that work by faith, and the Lord blessed us in doing it. The devil, however, tried to kill us, for before we started for England everyone of the Twelve was taken sick and it was about as much as we could do to move or stir. (JD, December 12, 1869, 13:159.)
Brigham Young: 4-6
Early on the morning of the 26th of April [1839] , we held our Conference, cut off 31 persons from the Church and proceeded to ordain Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith to the office of the Twelve, to fill the places of those who had fallen. Darwin Chase and Norman Shearer, (who had just been liberated from Richmond prison, and arrived the evening previous) were then ordained to the office of the Seventies.
The Twelve then offered up vocal prayer in the following order: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith; after which we sang: "Adam-ondi-Ahman," and then we took our leave of the . . . Saints, agreeable to the revelation. . . .
As the Saints were passing away from the meeting, brother [Theodore] Turley said to Page and Woodruff, "Stop a bit, while I bid Isaac Russell good-bye" and knocking at his house called brother Russell. His wife answered, "Come in; it is brother Turley." Russell replied, "It is not; he left here two weeks ago," and appeared quite alarmed; but on finding it was Turley, asked him to sit down; but he replied, "I cannot; I shall lose my company." "Who is your company," inquired Russell. "The Twelve." "The Twelve?" "Yes; don't you know that this is the twenty-sixth, and the day the Twelve were to take leave of their friends on the foundation of the Lord's house to go to the islands of the sea? The revelation is now fulfilled and I am going with them." Russell was speechless, and Turley bid him farewell.
Thus was this revelation fulfilled, concerning which our enemies said, If all the other revelations of Joseph Smith were fulfilled that one should not, as it had day and date to it. (MS, September 12, 1863, 25:567, 583-84.)
(Roy W. Doxey, comp., Latter-day Prophets and the Doctrine and Covenants [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1978], 4: 167 - 169.)
On the morning of the 26th of April, 1839, notwithstanding the threats of our enemies that the revelation which was to be fulfilled this day should not be, and notwithstanding that ten thousand of the Saints had been driven out of the State by the edict of the governor, and though the Prophet Joseph and his brother, Hyrum Smith, with other leading men were in the hands of our enemies, in chains, and in prison, we moved on to the temple grounds in the city of Far West, and held a council, and fulfilled the revelation and commandment given unto us, and we performed many other things at this council.
We excommunicated from the Church thirty-one persons, who had apostatized and become its enemies.
The "Mission of the Twelve" was sung, and we then repaired to the south-east corner of the temple ground, and, with the assistance of Elder Alpheus Cutler, the master workman of the building committee, laid the southeast chief corner stone of the temple, according to revelation.
There were present of the Twelve Apostles: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page and John Taylor, who proceeded to ordain Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith, to the apostleship, and as members of the quorum of the Twelve, in the places of those who had fallen, as they had been called by revelation.
Darwin Chase and Norman Shearer, who had just been liberated from Richmond prison, were also ordained to the office of Seventies. The Twelve then offered up vocal prayer in the following order: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith, after which we sang "Adam-ondi-Ahman."
The Twelve then took their leave of, and gave the parting hand to, the following Saints, agreeable to revelation: A. Butler, Elias Smith, Norman Shearer, Wm. Burton, Stephen Markham, Shadrach Roundy, Wm. O. Clark, John W. Clark, Hezekiah Peck, Darwin Chase, Richard Howard, Mary Ann Peck, Artimesia Granger, Martha Peck, Sarah Granger, Theodore Turley, Hiram Clark, and Daniel Shearer.
Bidding good-by to the small remnant of the Saints who remained on the temple ground to see us fulfill the revelation and commandments of God, we turned our backs on Far West and Missouri, and returned to Illinois. We had accomplished the mission without a dog moving his tongue at us, or any man saying, "Why do you do so?"
(Wilford Woodruff, Leaves from My Journal [Salt Lake City: Juvenile Instructor Office, 1881], 71 - 72.)