Follow Him: A Come, Follow Me Podcast - Doctrine & Covenants 98-101 Part 1 : Sherilyn Farnes

Episode Date: September 3, 2021

How are the lives of Lydia and Edward Partridge like ours? Join Sherilyn Farnes as we discuss Doctrine and Covenants 98-101 and the many trials the Missouri Saints face while Joseph is over 800 miles away in Kirtland yet receives revelations for their day and ours. The Lord uses the evil actions of others to create a Zion-hearted people, which is a message for the early Saints and today.Shownotes: https://followhim.co/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followhimpodcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FollowHimOfficialChannel"Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com/products/let-zion-in-her-beauty-rise-pianoPlease rate and review the podcast.

Welcome to Follow Him, a weekly podcast dedicated to helping individuals and families with their Come Follow Me study. I'm Hank Smith and I'm John by the way. We love to learn, we love to laugh. We want to learn and laugh with you. As together, we follow him. Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of Follow Him. I'm your host, Hank Smith, and I am here with my cheerful co-host, John, by the way. Hello, John. Hi, I will do as you say. I'll be cheerful. Well, I, Joseph Smith said he had a native cherry temperament. I think I would love that description.

I would say that you have the same. I would say that you have a native cherry temperament. I would say the name about you. We want to remind everybody, you can find us on social media, Jamie Nielsen, our social media director runs a great Instagram account and Facebook page. So please find us there. If you want to watch the podcast you can on YouTube,

just click over to YouTube, but you can find us there. Show notes, follow him.co, follow him.co, and of course we'd love for you to rate and review the podcast that helps us out quite a bit. John, we have another incredible mind with us today. Why don't you tell us who our guest is. Yes, I will, thanks Hank. I'm excited to introduce

Sheryl and Farns and I have seen her on videos. I think it was the Kurtland America's Holy Land. And I don't remember how many years ago it's made. It's fairly recent, maybe like 2017 or something, but it's really well done. And it's kind of a docudrama mixture of scholars talking like Sherylann with reenactments and we really enjoyed it. It's about an hour long, I think. Anyway, so I'm excited to meet Sherylann. Let me introduce her. Sherylann Farns has studied, published and presented in women's and early American religious history. Much of her research is focused on the Edward

and Lydia Partridge family, beginning with her master's thesis, which focused on Edward Partridge and memory. She has subsequently published and presented about various members of the Edward and Lydia Partridge family in addition to presentations on early church history at the Mormon History Association. She's also presented in various venues on the history of women in cartography, Latvian church history, and maps of 17th century Jesuit cartographer, UCBO Francisco Quino, gosh, I hope I said that right, in New Spain. She earned her first two degrees from BYU in history, has since taught in both the English and church history and doctorate department at BYU. Following time working with

the Joseph Smith Papers project, she elected to pursue her PhD in history at Texan Christian University with a focus on early 19th century Western Missouri. And so welcome, Sheryl and so thank you so much for being with us and tell us your progress in your PhD. I don't know how old this bio is. It's a few years old, but basically the same. So yes, I hope to graduate next year. So in 2022. Wonderful. Let's jump right into our lesson this week, Sherylyn, we are looking at sections 98, 99, 101. And I remember you saying before we hit the record button, that you're excited for this because we get to talk about

the partridges. We get to talk about Edward and Lydia, who are two of my favorite people. And someone, these are two people that I'd hoped as we did this podcast over the course of the year, that they would, they would, we would highlight them. Because I, I think more members of the church should know who they are and the incredible sacrifices they've made. I've stood at Edward Parche's grave in Navu many, many times. The beautiful headstone place there and I just am in awe of all that he did and his wife.

So, why don't you take us back and give us the background you think we need in order to get into section 98? Sure thing. So I have to share a quick story first though. You mentioned that the Kirtland video John and I watched it with my brother's family. He has young children in elementary school. And after we finished watching right, so it's interspersed, and story and speaking, and then reenactments of the events. My little niece turned to me, and she said, did you like it? And she goes, yeah, but I didn't, I like the part that was like a movie, not when the people were talking. And I thought, okay, thanks. So you didn't like the part that I was talking. And she's, and then she correct herself. She's like, you know, like the part when you were talking,

but not the other people. I thought, thanks, thanks really. I'm excited because we have kind of booked in with our revelations, dealing with potentially the St. Sonsan Zion. We have the Saints that have moved to Jackson County starting in the summer of 1831. The missionaries of Lamanites get there

in the beginning of 1831 and then membersaries to the Lamanites get there in the beginning of 1831, and then members of the church start moving there in 1831, including Edward Partridge, who I've already talked about, is commanded to travel there. And I just have to mention his wife, Lydia, what a sacrifice to pack up all those girls

and to move across the country. I will touch later on if we get to a letter that Partridge writes in, August of 1833, where he says, when I left Painsville, I didn't say goodbye to people. I wasn't really intending to move away permanently, but I have. And so, saints are there,

and the violence starts escalating within a year or so. By the summer of 1832, the residents of Jackson County are threatened by the Saints moving in, threatened by their increasing numbers, threatened by their adherence to a profit and their willingness to obey his demands. And so in July of 1833,

we have violence that's escalated. And actually 180 years ago, it's July 20th of 1833, we have violence that's escalated. And actually 180 years ago it's July 20th of 1833 that the mob has gathered. They previously sent out a warning and said, we need to we need to resolve this this Mormon problem. And so they've gathered at the courthouse. Joseph Smith receives this revelation on August 6th. And so he doesn't know about these events when he receives the revelation. And I love the Joseph Smith papers because they highlight that this revelation DNC 98 could be addressed to the Saints and Zion. It could be addressed to the Saints and Carolyn could be applicable to both of them. I want to just give a few kind of quotes that set this stage. When Joseph Smith dictates the revelation, the presidency copies

this revelation into a letter to the saint's in Zion and just says, quote, here follows a never mother revelation received today. So on July 15th, just a few days after Oliver Cowrie has written a letter, this group in Jackson County. So to kind of set the stage, we're on the very, very western edge of Missouri. On the other side of the western border of Missouri is what's called unorganized territory, later becomes Indian territory. And so we're on the very western edge. And there's a lot of background, a lot of history with the saints coming from Ohio and feeling frustrated and feeling kind of superior to the people who live in Western Missouri at this time period. And I believe a lot of that's been dressed. So we won't go back

over that. But this group of people in Jackson County issue a manifesto declaring their intent to quote rid our society of the members of the church. And they say, quote, peaceably if we can forcibly, if we must. Says, uh, some Jackson County residents have long been trying to get rid of the saints. But the revelation itself never specifically addresses Jackson County or the specific circumstances. However, Joseph Smith obviously could have known or could have received revelation that would be applicable even before he knew the particulars of what was going on in Jackson County. It's specifically addressed to the presidency of the High Priesthood, which is in Kirtland itself. And those circumstances in Ohio are not that great either.

We have opposition that's been intensifying, have a man named Dr. Phelastis Hurlbutt, which I believe you mentioned him on your podcast. His given name is Dr. That's not a title. And that's what I should have done. Before I got my PhD, I should have just named myself doctor then I wouldn't have to earn that title. So in late June 1833, this Bishop's Court excommunicates Dr. Flesis Herobot and then he briefly comes back to the church

and then he's excommunicated again. And so after he gets excommunicated the second time, Joseph Smith writes that he goes around and he quote, sought the destruction of the saints in this place and more particularly myself and my family. Joseph Smith writes a letter to Edward Partridge a few weeks after this revelation,

saying that the saints in Kirtland suffered quote, great persecution on account of her, but who lied quote in a wonderful manner and that people are running after him and giving him money to break down Mormonism, which much endangers our lives. And it's interesting because we look back and we often talk about the Saints in Missouri and their struggles, because that's so much a part of our memory. And in some ways, I think we jump over the tension, the fear that's going on in Kirtland at that point in time. So, that's something to kind of keep in mind. Joseph Smith says, at this time period,

we are no safer here in Kirtland than you are in Zion. The cloud is gathering around us with great fury and all favors host or in other words, all hell and the combined powers of earth are marshaling their forces to overthrow us. So, that's kind of some background of what Joseph Smith is feeling. Interestingly though this revelation is we find it really applicable to the St.

Enzion. Not very many church members mentioned it in their writings. So we don't know if they didn't see this applicable to themselves if they just didn't mention it and you know, record it in the reminiscences. Thank you for that background. I really glad you mentioned things weren't much better in Kirkland. In the synopsis, it says in July 1833, a mob destroyed church property,

Tardin Feather II church members. Can you give us some more background on exactly who those were, who those two men were, and what happened to the church property, which I believe was the press. And so this mob gets together and the appointed committee of about 13 men to talk with some leaders of the church and they interview some of the, the principal members of the church about six of them and they say,

we want you to leave the county and you need to, you need to agree to leave the county right now. And the church leaders, of course, want to consult with Joseph Smith and, you know, what should we do? They say, can you give us a few months? They say, no And the church leaders, of course, want to consult with Joseph Smith. And, you know, what should we do? They say, can you give us a few months? They say, no, the church leaders say, can you give us 10 days? It's at least deliberate.

You know, we've spent over a million man hours investing in farms and buildings. And the mob says, no, you have 15 minutes to decide. And they refuse to make an agreement. And as one of the mob members walks out of the room, he says to Edward Partridge, the work of destruction will commence immediately. So they go down the street to the printing press,

even if WWE Phelps knew what they were gonna do, he probably wouldn't have been able to get there in time to warn his wife. His wife, Sally Phelps, is actually home with her children, one of the children is sick. And she hears a pounding and the doors broken down. These men, armed men, Russian, they thrust her and her children out into the street and they go upstairs and start throwing the type

out the window and pages of the book of commandments. This is where we get that story of Mary Elizabeth Rowlands Lightner and her sister Caroline saving the pages of the book of commandments. Potentially what Caroline thought at the peril of their own lives, but Mary knew that those revelations were true and she wanted to save them. She had an experience speaking in tongues and she'd felt the spirit that confirmed those were true and so she wanted to save those. And so they destroyed the home. And I think one thing, it's important to remember, we often talk about the persecution of the saints and then we say, and then this happened and life got better, that

well, they probably didn't have the name of post-traumatic stress disorder, right? What does it do to you if you're sitting peacefully at home and someone barges in the door? How many weeks, how many months does it take to get over sitting in your home and wondering? Is someone going to come in and burst into my home and throw me into the street again? That these are long-term effects that they have on the saints. So they go, they take Charles Allen, they take Edward Partridge and they tar and feather them. And actually I'd love to read to you a few of Partridge's words because he writes about it later kind of his experience. He says, I was

taken from my house by the mob. His house was about half a mile west of the center of independence. He's at home. Two of his little girls are actually down by the stream. They turn around, they see 50 armed men coming, surrounding their home. And so they just wait paralyzed by the spring where they're getting water, not wanting to go home. Three men go inside the house. Edwards wife Lydia has just given birth to Edward Partridge's junior. They come Edward Partridge agrees to go with them, I think, sensing the futility to resist, perhaps an attempt to protect his family. He says, so I was taken from my house by the mob who escorted me half a mile to the courthouse

on the public square and independence. And again, I picture Lydia. You know, she's half a mile away. Did she hear the crowd roaring and wonder, what are they doing to my husband? Partridge continues. He says, I was surrounded by hundreds of the mob. I was stripped of my hat, co-invest. Another man had tried to take more of his clothes off. Partridge says, I strongly protested against being stripped to naked in the street. And so someone more humane,

he says, interfered and said, okay, let him keep his shirt on, keep his pants on. He's stopped with tar from head to foot and then feathers are put on him. And all this because I would not agree to leave the county and my home where I had lived two years. He says, before tiring and feathering me, I was permitted to speak. I told them the saints had the suffer persecution in all ages of the world that I had done nothing which ought to offend anyone. That if they abused me, they would abuse an innocent person. That I was willing to suffer for the sake of Christ, but to leave the country, I was not then willing to consent to it. And by country there meaning not leave the United States, but leave the country side that he was living in.

By this time the multitude made so much noise that I could not be heard, somewhere cursing and swearing, saying, call upon your Jesus. Others were equally noisy and trying to steal the rest that they might be enabled to hear what I was saying. And that this part of think is really interesting. Partridge writes later, this reminiscence is later on, but he says, until after I had spoken, I knew not what they intended to do with me, whether to kill me, to whip me, or what else I knew not.

I bore my abuse with so much resignation and meekness that I appeared to astound the multitude, who permitted me to retire in silence. Many looking very solemn, their sympathies having been touched as I thought. And as to myself, I was so filled with the spirit and love of God that I had no hatred towards my persecutors or anyone else. I think it's pretty impressive. And then to just give a quick view of what happens next, Partridge has a man come and talk to him later that day. And this is one of my favorite quotes from Edward Partridge

because after they tar and feather him, they permit him to go home, they scrape the tar and his family, help scrape the tar and feathers off of him. Partridge says, my life was threatened by one of the headmen of the mob saying that if he lived till next Tuesday night, I should die. That was the day the mob had set for the next meeting. So July 20th, 30th, talking about.

Partridge says, Tuesday came and while I waited for the mob to come and take me, I had many disagreeable sensations running through my mind. I think is a little bit of an understatement that they might be coming to attack me. But many disagreeable sensations. That's a little bit of the background. So that's what's going on.

The Saints reconvened the leaders of the church agree to leave the county to prevent further bloodshed. And then we can pull in some things as we go further on, but six men actually offer their lives at Repartridge among them and say, if you will take us, you can take us and you can kill us. If you promise, you will let all the saints alone and let them live here. Kind of makes verse 13 a little more poignant to me in DNC 98 when it says, who so lay it down his life in my cause for my name's sake, she'll find it again, even life eternal, therefore be not afraid of your enemies. When you know that background that there have been a handful of men who said literally not just in the, you know, the New Testament sense wherever

lay it down his life for my cause, she'll find it. But the sense of literally, I will give up my life if you will promise to protect these several hundred saints here. Wow. And as you said before, this revelation is coming to Joseph Smith without a knowledge of what has happened to Edward Partridge and Charles Allen and the printing press, right? Yeah, there's no way they could have between June and August. Yeah.

I just, I wish I was more Edward Partridge like because, man, if my neighbor came over and said, you have, you know, you've got to decide if you're going to move in 15 minutes, because I don't like you. I just I wouldn't be thinking of my of how I could be more Christ like. But the he it's impressive he just took it. He said I it was it was better right it was better because I think it lost its fun because he didn't fight back. He just sat there and took it and he says, yeah, they kind of disperse thinking, oh, that wasn't.

What was the phrase he used to Sherylant? I bore my indignities with... See, he says, I bore my abuse with so much resignation and meekness that it appeared to astound the multitude. Many looking very solemn, there's some of these having been touched as I thought. And they talk about being filled with the spirit and the love of God and having no hatred towards any of these men. Which Hank, I love that you mentioned your neighbor, right?

Sometimes we're like, oh, here's these unknown men coming to attack. No, partridge writes a list. And you know, all the saints could write lists of, no, I know these men. I sold food to them where they bought a wagon of me. It's not a stranger. And I think that is infinitely more scary in some ways to feel that your neighbors are coming against you than some strangers you don't know. I remember hearing Alex Baugh talk about this at one point, and he, he quotes John McCoy who writes a reminiscence of this, and he basically says, no two classes of people were ever more opposite,

more unfit to live together than these two people. And he's a Mazurian who later just says they were just the exact opposite people. And as much as you can say the letter day saints maybe, I think we mentioned this on other podcast, Sherylyn, that they probably said things they probably shouldn't say, right? They probably said, oh, this whole country is going to be ours, this whole county is going

to be ours, it's the Lord's. That does not, the response of will, get out or will kill you, hurt you, destroy your house. That does not warrant. It doesn't, what the saints have done does not warrant that type of response from anyone. Sherlyn, do you think they agree to just, I mean, what else are you going to do?

Right? They'll destroy everything if you don't agree. Yeah. So they're not gonna get to ask Joseph, right? They're not gonna get to ask Joseph about this. In fact, I think Joseph is gonna write letters saying, don't, you don't have to leave. It's illegal. And they're going, well, as much as we know that, it's not going to, that doesn't kind of help us in that.

Isn't that the case that they have to agree? I mean, yeah. And they're leaving behind how much property? I think it's somewhere around 2,000 acres. So Edward Partridge, after being tired and feathered in July 1833, he writes a letter about a month later to his fellow citizens of Painsville, Ohio,

where he just had moved from. And I just wanted to read a few lines from that because I think it highlights kind of partridges his willingness to commit to the cause. He says, when I left Painsville, I told people I was coming back and Bade none a farewell but for a short time. Consequently, I feel a great desire to return once more and bid your connections and my friends and acquaintances and eternal farewell unless they should be willing to forsake all for the sake of Christ and be gathered with the saints of the most high God. And he goes on for pages using scriptural

examples to try and convince his fellow residents in Painsville to join the church. And he talks about light bursting forth. I love this line. He says, since the days of Lutheran Zwingli, the reformers, light has been bursting forth in the religious world. And then he says, my dear friends, need I say more to convince you of the truth and reality of this work, I feel willing to spend and be spent in the cause of my blessed master. I just love that line. I feel willing to spend and be spent in the cause of my blessed master. In another line to his family, I believe it's in 1834 letter, he talks about since I last saw you. I've passed through some trying times, you know, just very, very understated. And in fact, earlier in this letter, he says, I want you to realize these things. Think what it is to give up all for Christ. All the sacrifices

that I have made, I count as not. When compared with the hope that I have of one day being enabled to exclaim with Paul, I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Edward Partridge. Edward Partridge. I think he's pretty impressive. Yeah, he is the epitome. I think he, I just feel like Edward Partridge is

and Lydia are kind of the epitome of Latter-day Saints of their day. Kind of unknown, I think some people will know who the Partterges are, but unless you've studied church history in depth, you might not really, except for their names, you know, come up in the doctrine of covenants,

you might not know who they are. And I think you're giving just a kind of a picture of these people, and it seems like so many Latter-day Saints of that day, feel that same way. I will sacrifice, I will move forward. I am willing to do this because the life he gave up compared to the life he got in Jackson County, for at least those two years, I don't think there could be a more stark difference, right? He was

very affluent. He was doing very well in Payne'sville, had a lot of friends and it comes to Missouri where it's almost the exact opposite. Lots of stress, lots of difficulty, and his neighbors don't like him. Oh, Edward Partridge. I'm not going to have any more children, John. So, hopefully I'll have a grandchild, and they'll, if I can convince them, we'll name them. Edward Partridge. Edward Partridge by the way. That'd be a good. Yeah, we've run that room in this Sequoia, so we're not adding anymore either, but I was want to refresh our memories. He was the one that was a hadder, right?

Yes, he was at a very successful hat business and owed additional property as well. Besides what you think a had her would own had a very nice home. And sometimes I think we look back and we say, oh, people 200 years ago, they, but they, you know, it was no big deal to go across the plains. They were used to camping. His daughter writes about it will get to in section 101 when they get kicked out permanently of Jackson County. She says, that was the first night I had ever slept out of doors. That's not that they were just used to camping by the wayside, but it was something that was that was unusual. Yeah, but yes, a very successful had her. His counselor in the bishopric Isaac Morley had done very much the same thing. Sold his farm in Ohio,

is it very big farm donated the money to the church and gone to Missouri. So many like this that are just consecrated people. Yeah and not necessarily getting what even their property is worth. It's one thing to say, oh, I'll sell my house, you know, like now prices are high and you tell you could sell your house, make a lot of money, or you know, at least get the value of your home. But then he gets a letter from an associate, I think it's Harvey Redfield in the fall of 1831 and says, you know, it's we're having some trouble here selling the property and, and, you know, making do his daughter.

I think it's Emily that talks about him getting like an old horse for one of the pieces of property. That's just not, yeah, not a lot of things that were compensated in a temporal sense. But it kind of like in this 1833 letter that August that I was reading from August 31st, 1833, he says, since I have torn my affections from this world's goods and from the vanities and toys of time and sense and been willing to love and serve God with all my heart and be led by a souly spirit, mine mind his bit as it were continually expanding, receiving the things of God, until glory is indescribable, present themselves before me. And so just that willingness to sacrifice. And yeah, he was well respected. There's an election where he beats out a much older

of what I would think a more respected manhood won some previous elections in Painsville and Partridge beats him out. So you get a sense for this respect. One of his wife's brothers, name's his child Edward Partridge Clisby. He married Lydia Clisby and her brother named, you know, not just, oh, I'll name him Edward, but named it child actually, Edward Partridge Clisby. So we were talking about Edward Partridge being willing to give up all. And I think one of the reasons he was, and I'm extrapolating a little bit here, but I would, I would make an educated guess that he felt seen, that he felt the Lord saw him. And I'm extrapolating a little bit here, but I would, I would make an educated guess that he felt seen that he felt the Lord saw him. And that's in 98 versus 1 to 3. When it says, verily, I say unto you, my friends, if you're not, let your hearts be comforted. You rejoice

ever more in it. Everything gives thanks, waiting patiently on the Lord for your prayers, have entered into the ears of the Lord of the Sabbath and are recorded with the seal and testament. The Lord has sworn in decree that they shall be granted. Therefore, he giveeth this promise unto you with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled. And all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good. And to my name's glory, say, at the Lord. And it made me think of Sister Michelle Craig's talk from October General Conference when she talks about seeing others, I believe it's called eyes to see.

She quotes columnist David Brooks who said, many of our society's great problems flow from people not feeling seen and known. There is a core trait that we all have to get better at and that is the trait of seeing each other deeply and being deeply seen. And so I think part of what motivates any of us, right? The early saints or us today, is when we know that the Lord loves us, that he sees us, that he's aware of us, then we're willing to sacrifice because we feel seen. Thank you for mentioning that talk. That's the one where she had a prompting, put down your phone when you're in line and then started talking to that man who found out it was his birthday. That was a great example of seeing people.

My dissertation for my doctorate degree was on high-trust relationships. And if there is anything that creates trust in almost any relationship, it is listening to someone. Really, truly just listening, not correcting, not fixing anyone, not offering solutions, just hearing them and letting them know that they've been both seen and heard. So I love that you brought that out, Sherylyn. You are heard and seen. And you're right.

Once you know that, once you know that the Lord hears you and sees you, there's a confidence that comes no matter what you go through. Wow, that was excellent, really, really good. Let's keep going. I have a feeling the entire section's going to be this good with you, Sherylann. So I'm... It's good because it's the doctrine and confidence. That's why it's good.

Yeah, that's why it's good. Okay. So in verse six, we have, the Lord says, therefore either Lord justify you in your brethren of my church and befriending that law, which is the constitutional law of the land, right? Which immediately, I don't know about you, but made me think of elder Oaks talk about the constitution

and just our relationship with the constitution. And the things do, they try and petition the judges, they try and petition the governor, they write lengthy petitions, do, they try and petition the judges, they try and petition the governor, they write lengthy petitions, and then they try and petition the president, or they don't try, they do petition the president of the United States. And they're not afforded the help that they want. In fact, in kind of an ironic turn of events,

Partridge file suit against the people that Tarton Feather Tim, and they say in their reply, their affidavits. So remember, it's a mob of 200, 300 men and Edward Partridge and Charles Ellen. They said out of self-defense, we did a necessity beat the said Edward Partridge. And so we're trying to protect ourselves.

Yeah, one guy against a couple of hundred, yes. It was self-defense. Yeah. And so, you know, and maybe there's begun a broader term, say we worried it was self-defense. Yeah, and so, you know, and maybe there's big in a broader term, say we worried that our society was gonna disintegrate, we're gonna lose slaves, et cetera. Partridge wins the suit, but he's awarded damages,

he's awarded court costs and damages of one cent. So kind of a slap in the face of like sure, you know what, we're gonna let you win, but here you go, here's your one cent, that's your damages, little bit insulting there. I think, Sheryl and this is going to go on for the next decade. These legal Joseph Smith, even from Nalvoo, right, is going to be seeking legal, legal, legal means of using his lawyers to try and get their land back in Jackson County. Yeah. Yeah. Very, very extended court cases and battles. They try and go legally and it's not working. And it seems like the Lord is saying that's, I want you to do that, right? Yeah.

You can use the law. Yeah. Do everything you can. In fact, this, this I believe is the first time the Constitution is mentioned. It's not the last time, but it's the first time in the doctrine of covenant. So if I'm not mistaken. And I love something that Richard Bushman said about this, because I had never kind of connected these two, but this is what this is in Steve Harper's book, Making Sense of the Doctrine of covenants. He said, as a result of Section 98, the Church befriended constitutional law and principles

as allies in seeking redress for the violations of the St. civil and religious liberties and property rights. And then, quote, from then on, wrote, historian Richard Bushman, Joseph was never far removed from politics. For a decade, he sought protection from the government, usually without success, until finally frustrated by his inability to rally government to the saints side, he ran for president.

And I love that he connected the idea, because some people might think, who do you think he was just deciding to run for president? But I like how Richard Bushman put it. He had sought protection from the government, so frustrated with his inability to rally the government, he ran for president, that was interesting. Yes, I remember I read that making sense

is my all time favorite DNC commentary. Because yeah, it sets the context, gives you the content and then says, what happens as a result of it? And yeah, that struck me in a way it hadn't before when I was reading up on these sections. I'm glad you brought that up. But the Sheryl and the Law doesn't help you

if the Law is the mob. Right? If the mob controls the law, I can see how frustrating that is going to be. And it sounds like judges too, who are willing to reward somebody one cent for lawlessness. A mob is by definition lawlessness, you know. So the constitution was there, it was an ideal,

but it wasn't, it didn't seem to work very well in that instance. Sure, then I think our listeners might be wondering and we've talked about this in the past, so you don't have to cover every issue, but what is it that the mob has against the Latter-day Saints? Like, what is the problem that they see, they're justified in taking what,

how many 1,200 people and kicking them out of their county? Yeah, that's a great question. That's a million dollar question actually, because there is some disagreement. Traditionally, we've said it's religion, that they're concerned if they blindly follow Joseph Smith, all of a sudden there's so many Latter-day Saints that they're gonna vote as a block

and they're gonna take over the local government. And so that they're Northerners, and so primarily non-slaveholders, Missouri is a slave state. It kind of pokes up from the south and it's surrounded by non-slave states. But then one of the things I'm actually studying in my dissertation is the economic conflicts, right? There is interaction between the saints and others. But there potentially is more concern with economic differences than I think we previously

have given credit for. The Santa, we don't talk a lot about the Santa Fe trail when we talk about early Mormon history, but independence is the jumping off for the Santa Fe trail at this time period, which is a hugely profitable endeavor of Wagon, Roe Ragon trains, you know, outfitting there and then traveling to Santa Fe and making a lot of money, as well as Fort Leavenworth is to the north, potentially supplying those areas. So if you look at the mobs demands, though, they at least at one point say, you know, any differences, the other differences aside, if you renounce your religion, you can stay here.

We're not going to, we're not going to harass you. So religious differences is what? Two, yeah. One of the things that people often say is the biggest concern. Wow. Yeah, and religion and money and politics. That will just those three things. My goodness. Yeah. The Lord says in verse 9, when the wicked rule the people mourn, I think that's quite an understatement. These poor, ladder-day saints, there is no redress for them because the law is controlled by those who want to get rid of them, who want them out.

Mm-hmm. Yeah, and verse 10 kind of makes sense in light of what I think you were saying a few minutes ago, Hank, where Honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently and good men and wise men. You should observe to uphold because if you don't have honest and wise men as your judges and your county leaders, when something happens that's hurting the minority, you can't protest because they're not going to listen. That verse 10 honest and wise men, it makes me think of Alexander Donovan, the the church's. He seems, as I've read a more about him, and we probably don't have time to talk about him here, but we will, as we get closer to Liberty Jail, right? He seems to be an honest and wise man for the saints to rely on,

and they do rely on him quite a bit. I've heard verse 10 called the Lord's Voter Guide. This is how you know who to vote for and of course, honest men and women and wise men and women and good men and women. That will work if it's kind of like the John Adams statement that our constitution was made for a moral and religious people and it's holy and adequate to the government of any other. And the leaders, it'll work if there's honest and good and wise people and the rest of us too, you know.

John, we could probably throw in a book of Mormon reference to what is it King Mosiah. He gets rid of kings for one reason is what if you have a terrible king? Yeah, but if you have a wicked king, you can do nothing. He even set up, he even set up checks and balances in some degree. Wasn't the judges super specific, but lower judges could outvote a higher judge and try to, it's not possible that you'll always have just men to be your king.

So, so let's do your business by the voice of the people, but if the people turn, yeah, that the majority choose wickedness, then you're in trouble. Yeah. That's exactly right. Let's keep going, Sherlyn. What else do you see in this section?

That actually ties in exactly with versus kind of 14 through 16, 16, 17, where the Lord is talking, I'll prove you in all things, whether you all abide in my covenant, again, in light of these persecutions, both in Curtlyn and Missouri, a little bit background helps them make more sense, whether you abide in my covenant, even

unto death that you may found worthy. If you'll not abide, you're not worthy of me. But then 16 kind of stopped me. I never noticed this one or thought about it in this way when until I was reading it in the past month. Therefore, renounce, warn, proclaim peace, and seek diligently to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers and the hearts of the fathers to the children, gain the hearts of the Jews and to the prophets, the prophets to the Jews. And I thought, wait a second, we're talking about who, so lay it down as life. Okay, I'll prove you in all things. If you want to buy to my covenant, renounce war and do family history.

And I was like, wait, where did that come from? But then- It's a long halicine here. Yeah, but then if you kind of step back and look at it, I love Steve Harper, I think it's going to Steve Harper is making sense. He said, you know, renounce where I'm proclaim peace. What is peace? It's sealing families.

It's teaching people that you can be live with your families together in love. And it's uniting the whole human family in the sealing relationships. And so then that made a little more sense. But yeah, yeah, there's definitely that overtoned of right, because they're not doing temple work at this time. It's just barely 1833, but it's part of the mission of peace. I love that phrase. Abide in my covenant. That's a sermon and a sentence in verse 15. Abide in my covenant reminds me of section 50, continue in God type of a thing. Like that phrase.

So he's telling, it sounds like he's telling him, you're my people, but you're not perfect. I mean, down in verse 20, they got a forsake there, there's sins, there wicked ways, the pride of their hearts, their covetousness, and hey, give me her this one for. And all their detestable things. That's for? And all their detestable things. That's verse 20. All their detestable things.

And I've just loved that. I've heard a word of wisdom and eternal life. And so I've been thinking, what are detestable things? I gotta ponder that one. We've got mobs going after the saints and the Lord is saying, I want to you to look at yourself. I want you to focus on your sins. You do not forsake your sins in your wicked ways,

the pride of your hearts, your covetousness, and detestable things. Interesting how the Lord does that. I want him to get mad at our enemies here. And he says, don't be afraid of your enemies. Let's work on you. Let's talk about the sins you're not forsaking. And then he says, this chening is is coming because of this

In fact, I think W. W. Feltz is gonna write to Joseph that That he said it was right that we should be driven from Jackson County because of the rebellious among us But what are we the pure and heart supposed to do right with Joseph? What are we supposed to do? We've been driven over here. Where did they go? They went to Clay Counties, that right? Most of them, yeah, went north to just across the Missouri River. I think there's a farmer there by the name of Michael Arthur

who lets hundreds of Latter-day Saints live on his property. In fact, there's a memorial to him out in the middle of nowhere. I don't know. When I do a search history tour, they're going, where are we going, right? This little dirt road. But then there's this little patch of grass and this beautiful memorial. And on one side of the memorial is the as Michael Arthur who took these, who took these Latter-day Saints in. That'll probably come up a little bit later. That's great. When they go to Clay County, they are overwhelming the population. It would make sense that, yeah, they have someone that's saying, come stay on our land, that

we'd want to memorialize that because every available structure is taken up. When Partridge crosses the river, he and John Coral share an old abandoned stable. That's where their families live. For two years, and Emily, his daughter, Partridge's daughter writes, the ink would freeze in his pen as he sat close to the fire that it was inhabited with rats and rattlesnakes and just not pleasant. So, yeah, Clay County itself was a fine place, but they didn't have the place to go when they left. Right. So we frequently talk about Quincy taking us in, but that's not for years later. This is the people of Clay County

who took us in for a number of years. At least those, I think it was around 12 to 1500 Latter-day Saints at the time, but I'm kind of getting off out of the revelation. Do you want to go back into it? Sure. Verse 18 was one that, ever since I learned the context of, in my father's house, or many mansions, and just the new testament practice of, probably one of you could explain it better of building on that you would have the home, and then the son would, if I remember correctly, build on an additional room or an additional home onto the father's home, and then you would just build out,

and so this concept of a connected family, intergenerational family living together, and the Lord's name, I've prepared a place for you or my father, I am, there you shall be also. It's just it's a comforting again. Hey, you the Lord knowing they're about to be forced from their homes. Just that reminder, you always have a home in me, you have a home in Christ and your physical home may leave, but you have a home in Christ. It seems to be the Lord's approach a lot is Is an eternal perspective because yeah their trials I may for some be worse since they've joined the church But there's this there's eternal perspective promises of I'm watching you. I've heard you prayers and in fact

I have many mansions prepared for you so abide in my covenant and many mansions prepared for you. So abide in my covenant and change in perspective. More trials, but a change in perspective, maybe as a result of coming into the joining the church, perhaps. Yeah. It seems to me that if someone listening is going through really hard things, especially as a result of someone else's choices versus one through 18 could be a blessing to that person, right? If someone has used their agency and made your life very difficult, you could read versus one through 18 and it would apply to you. And I imagine there's many people listening who need this. Like it's okay to do the legal thing, right? It's okay to, if you need to pursue some legality, that's okay. Focus on repenting of your own sins. This is just, don't be afraid of your enemies. Keep your covenants. I can see why you said Edward Partridge feels seen and heard.

Now, Sherylann, it seems like verse 18 is kind of a transition point, because the Lord is going to talk specifically about Kurtland. So, it seems that way. I agree with you. That's kind of the tone of it. I'm not well pleased with many who are in the church at Kurtland, and then talks about sins and wicked ways, the detestable things that you mentioned. And then I think it's interesting that the Lord then goes through and says, if you observe to this is 22, to do whatsoever, I command you,

either Lord will turn away all wrath and indignation from you and the gates of hell shall not prevail against you. And going on in 23, continuing on for that whole next column, for those in the paper scriptures, the next several verses. But he talks about those when they come against you, you bear it patiently, revile not against them. Either seek revenge, you're going to be rewarded. And then if your enemy comes against you in verse 25, the second time, and you don't revile, you bear it patiently, your reward is a hundred and fold. Again, he shall smite you the third time, you bear it patiently, your rewards will be doubled unto you fourfold. And so so this the Lord going through and just talking about how do we interact with

those that treat us poorly, right, that can be a whole range of things, it can be a small slight to these massive offenses. And just how do we respond and how do we, you know, fight back? And the saints initially in Jackson County and in July of 1833, they felt that it was their duty to not fight back and to just, you know, peaceably say, okay, hey, we'll leave, but then eventually they feel, perhaps because of some of these revelations, they feel that, okay, we're actually justified because you get to the point that it says 28, the animation on that is, get my vengeance. She'd be not brought into judgment before me, that you warn him in my name, that he come no more upon you. So warn him not to come upon you, your family, your relatives, anyone.

And then he says, and then if he shall come upon you, I've delivered that enemy into thine hands. And so, you know, that is obviously, I love that we get doctrine from all scripture, right? And so we have the Lord saying, forgive 70 times seven. Here is this specific instruction for the saints. Is this for the people in Kirtland that, you know, to specifically say treat your enemies. And I'm not going to interpret what exactly it means. But I think it's useful to look at it and say, okay, what principles are we being taught here? How does that fit with principles where taught elsewhere? Maybe what parts are specific to the saints at that time period of revenge, not revenge,

but you're able to fight back, you've worn them, you've asked them not multiple times. But I'll be curious to hear your thoughts in the middle part or middle to end of 98. How do each of you view it? Well, I think, yeah, I really like this because I think the Lord is saying, I want you to bear these things

patiently and revile not against them. That's what I want, right? However, he says, there's a boundary on that where if you feel like your life is endangered, you are justified in defending yourselves. And I think the Lord, he understands his children and saying, you know, there comes a time when it's okay, it's okay, you think of in the Book of Mormon right John the Captain Moroni,

going to in defense of his family, our families, our God, our religion, and there is a time for that. Yeah, I like that in verse 33, this is the law that I gave unto mine ancients that they should not go out unto battle against any nation. Kendra, Tongue, people, save either Lord commanded them. And there's, like you said, Hank, I think of when Polhorn writes to Maroni, he says, whatsoever evil we cannot resist with our words, such as rebellions and dissensions, and he's saying diplomacy first, talk first, you know, then let us resist them with our swords. That's like

Alma at 6114. And also, the idea of going up to battle against a nation. Do you remember when Mormon says, okay, I utterly refuse to help them from this time forward because they swear they would go up to them and attack them in kind of a more defensive posture, stay home and defend. But I love what Sheryl and said because you have to take all the scriptures in one and see what what are we being taught here? What's this law of war that he's taught? What are the saints and specifically in Kirtland being taught right here? And I think the Lord isn't saying we have to just

just take it again and again and again, but he's telling us what to do here. Yeah, and I think, Cherlin, I think you're exactly right with this has got to apply to the saints because I there's not very many people in 2021 who are going to experience by the hand of another person what the Jackson County Saints experienced. I don't think the Lord is saying, you know, if someone bothers you a few times, it's you can go and you know hurt them is people who are threatening their lives, taking their possessions, stealing from them,

and threatening their children's lives. But notice, I think in verse 40, he says, if they repent, you will forgive 70 times seven. So that one hasn't been taken away. That statement that the Savior made to Peter, right? How often should I forgive my brother? 70 times seven. So number 491 is it, John. And you are on like 230 something for me. I'm keeping track. Oh, I thought it

was a 230 one. So I will change that in my notes. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. But that one hasn't been rescinded. That if your brother is repenting, it's forgiveness is the commandment back to section 64. Right. I can, I the Lord will forgive whom I will will forgive but of you it is required to forgive all men Section 64 verse 10

What says now shall forgive him right? I think it's important to make a distinction between forgiveness and putting yourself back in a bad situation Right forgiveness is not allowing someone to continue to hurt you if you can remove yourself like from an abusive Situation or a dangerous situation you can forgive and still make yourself safe I think just just good good to remember that. I often remind my students in my New Testament classes that the Lord has boundaries. There was a time he wouldn't speak to Herod. There was a time that he told Peter when he was out of line. There's the things he says to the religious hypocrites, the Lord definitely has boundaries. And he doesn't put himself. I can't see a time where, except for the atonement, where the Savior says,

I'm going to go put you and me in a dangerous situation on purpose. Yeah, this is a very important point to make. We're not telling people to just keep forgiving when they're in an abusive situation. people to just keep forgiving when they're in an abusive situation. Sherlyn, what you've been saying here reminds me of a talk from Elder Jifre Arholin. This is the October 2018 general conference. He says it is, however, important for some of you living in real anguish to note what he did not say.

He did not say you are not allowed to feel true pain or real sorrow from the shattering experiences you've had at the hand of another. Nor did he say, in order to forgive fully, you have to re-enter a toxic relationship or return to an abusive destructive circumstance. But notwithstanding even the most terrible offenses that might come to us, we can rise above our pain only when we put our feet onto the path of true healing, that path is the forgiving one walked by Jesus of Nazareth who calls out to each of us, come follow me. What a great, a great idea there. I think you've, I think that's a very important note you just made.

I love that quote. Thanks for sharing that. I served my mission in the country of Latvia and it was during communist times that a lot of the young adults at the time, their parents grew up in a communist Latvia where religion was discouraged, drowned upon, persecuted. But it surprised me how many of them said, when we talked to them and say, do you believe in God? And they'd say, well, you know, I don't know, or maybe a little bit, but then they would say, but my grandma taught me to pray that that skipped a generation. And the grandma said, you know what? Okay, my child is not following what I would hope they would follow,

but I'm going to try and preserve this faith in any way I can. And I'm going to teach this grandchild to pray whether or not they choose to praise up to them, but at least I'm going to teach them to pray. And so I think there's a lot of people like that who are kind of the unsung heroes, whether they're the the break withs or the transition figures, or the intergenerational. And they say, hey, my next generation down isn't doing what I hope, but I can still reach out to other generations. Related to this verse, it's kind of a different tone.

So I hate to break that nice tone you have, but Emily Partridge, when she writes about, it's interesting when she writes her autobiography. She spends most of her autobiography that she's writing in the 1880s, talking about the persecutions in Missouri. And so this real, it's a formative years. It was less than a tenth of her life, but a lot of her formative years. And so she writes in 1885 and she says, nearly all of the saints that were living then in the 1830s have passed away. And the few that are living now are saints that were living then in the 1830s have passed away. And the few that are living now

are those that were children then. And they are becoming advanced in years and it will not be very long. And there will be none left living upon the earth to bear witness against the horrid deeds of the Missouri mob. But the record of their wicked deeds will remain and condemn them. They will yet have to foot the bill with interest.

And I think it's just kind of interesting. She says she gets this sense, it's kind of an eternal perspective of maybe they died, but they will be held accountable one day for what they've done. And that she, you know, could move forward in her life in other ways, but knowing that they God would take care of them. Well, while you're talking about that, tell us what the partridge posterity did. So it sounds like they came west. Yeah. So they they eventually moved the partridge posterity did. So it sounds like they came west. Yeah, so they eventually moved west,

partridge, Edward Partridge dies in Navu and their daughter Harriet dies in Navu, but the rest of the partridge is move west and three of them marry Amos Alignment and Emily Marys Brigham Young and has children with them and the other three sisters, Lydia and Caroline and Eliza have children with Amos Alignment and there's a great story. Eliza has a great diary and we have some

writings from Emily as well, some journal entries and they remain faithful to the end of their lives. And Lydia, the mother, Eliza writes of her mother at one point near the end of her life, she's about her mother. She's like, oh, she's doing this. She's like, you know, mending and knitting and things and making herself useful in more ways than could be expected of a woman of her age. But she's got a great, I'm trying to think if I pulled it up, but Lydia has a beautiful testimony that she shares of why she perseveres. Her second husband also passes away.

And well, we better stop there. I could go on for a long time about the partridge and what they did. Right. Well that's great. So any sons, any sons from Edward Partridge? Yep. So three weeks before he was tard and feathered, his namesake Edward Partridge Jr. was born, seeking Weston and married and has a posterity as well. Wonderful. John, I just can't pass up this opportunity, but I feel like you're doing quite a bit

for a person of your age. I just really feel like you're contributing quite a bit to the church and the world because we know that you served your mission with Wilford Woodruff. We were companions, yeah. But let me turn up. Hey, I'm the managing leader of the Wilford Woodruff

papers, so I will be sure and pass along any references to you in his journals. Yeah. But let me turn up. Hey, I'm the managing leader of the Wilford Woodruff papers. So I will be sure and pass along any references to you in his journals. He said that again. I have to turn up my my a year. Oh, I write when she said it, I thought, should I? Should I? So Mary Liz with Rollins Lightner, right, gives a BYU

devotional. And so you're like, she was an early trickistry and she has a BYU devotional. It's kind of mind-blowing. I think it's just those. Wow. That is incredible. It really is. I did not know that. I think it's 1905 or something. So she's pretty elderly, but yeah. Yeah, I was hiding out there with them, manuscripts, and... Yeah, she was there with the pages in the corn. Yeah. I remember loving that story as a primary

student. Uh, Sherlyn, I just, I really, I just want to say one more time, the idea that you are heard and seen coming from section 98. I imagine that when the Saints in Jackson County got this letter, that this would have been just a strengthening, a document for them, that the Lord is, I know you, I know what you're going through, keep your covenants, and there is going to be justice in my time. In fact, if you read the biography of Harry Truman, the very first chapter is all about where he grew up, which is Jackson County, Missouri, and he talks about the Civil War. Now, I don't think this is a wonderful thing. I don't think that this is a sea. You shouldn't mess with us. But in that book, McCullough writes that there is no other county in the country that suffers more from the Civil War

than Jackson County, Missouri. Everybody is driven from their homes. It is... Now, I'm not... I wouldn't... I don't want to say that was the Lord doing that because I don't know. But it does seem that when you do these things to these people, what what is it? What would we call it karma? Right that we kind of We we kind of what is it that that Rocky Balboa's coach said to him John your mouth is right in checks your body can't cash It just seems that there there comes a due date Hon on these things. Please join us for part two of this podcast.

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