Doctrine and Covenants 60-62

 Stepping Out of The Cage

This spring [2015] our sweet gray tabby died of old age. My youngest daughter wailed that we would never have a cat again, and her two older sisters said, "Oh, don't worry; Mom will always have a cat." They are right. Life is just not right without a cat. Besides the mousing value, the therapy value of that incredibly soft fur is inestimable. Except for a few years in rental housing, in my 52 years, I've always had a cat.

So I headed to the Humane Society to find a new friend. I love Siamese cats, so I planned to get one of those, but when I picked up this beautiful little lady, with her one blue eye and one gold eye, I was smitten. She was sweet, she was inquisitive, she melted in my arms.

The Humane Society workers, however, were very wary. They said they needed me to understand that this cat had "extreme anxiety," that she had originally been adopted by another family from another shelter, and had been surrendered to this shelter because she was crazy and wouldn't stop attacking the family. 

What? She was so sweet! They said, "Yes, that's the way she was at the shelter for the other family as well, but as soon as they got her home, she freaked out. They had her a month and she only got worse. She attacked people and actually caused injury, so they sadly brought her in." After they assured me that I could bring her back and pay a surrender fee if she didn't work out, I decided to take a chance. I was just so taken with that silky fur, and those bright eyes. I named her "Jewel."

Jewel was as sweet as could be. For about 1 hour. And then the devil cat appeared. Anytime someone tried to get near her, she attacked. The claws were out, the teeth were sharp. She ran, she fought, she gave me battle wounds. She'd settle down for a little while, and then suddenly go crazy again. Clearly she was terrified. Throwing a small blanket on her would cover the vicious claws and help me pick her up safely, but I started to wonder if she was beyond hope.

It was curious that she had been so sweet at the shelter. I sat and thought about this. What was the difference between the shelter and our home? The shelter had lots of noise, lots of other animals (we have a small, calm, quiet cocker spaniel who is uninterested in cats), lots of people, lots of smells. And then it hit me: at the shelter she lived in a cage! She felt safe in a cage!

I pulled an old cat carrier from storage and pushed her, yowling and clawing, inside it. She angrily protested for a few minutes, but within an hour she was completely calm and happy. Bingo! She was terrified of too much space! Cats are naturally territorial and if she had been a feral kitten, she may have had some bad experiences treading on another wild cat's space.

My girls and I set out to help her expand her territory and learn that our entire house was safe. We started with her in the cage in the living room. After a while, we let her out, but shut the French doors. She could see us, but she was still in her own room. She explored a little bit, and then started freaking out again, so back into the cage she went to calm down before having another go at it. When she became comfortable with this room, we added another room: the girls' bedroom. She would move around for an hour or two, and then the claws would be back out, and we would return her to her safe cage for a while.

Over a week or two, she increased her territory to include the whole house, but it was almost six weeks before she had any interest in going outside, or even looking out the window! Finally, she couldn't resist the pull of the outdoors, but she stayed right on the back patio for the first day. The next day, she went a couple of feet beyond the patio. It was another week before she ventured beyond the back yard to the canal bank beyond. Occasionally she got scared and had to spend a little time back in the cage.

Now...she is totally comfortable. She loves exploring (but not too far beyond the back yard). She's a very intelligent and very sweet cat. She hops up on the bathroom counter and meows for us to turn the tap on so she can get a drink straight from the source. She has a beautiful voice and communicates well her needs. When you pick her up, she gives you a "neck hug" and a butterfly kiss. She even purs! If you pet her so much that it starts to bug her, she never takes out her claws, but with all four soft paws, she firmly pushes your hand away. She's a wonderful pet.

It seems so silly now to think that she preferred such a constricted space as a cage, when there were so many joys to be found in the freedom of roaming the house, in the companionship of the people around her, in chasing moths in the back yard, in the cool, clear tap water, and in sleeping on a soft blanket on a bed.

But are we not all a little bit like Jewel? Do we not prefer to stay in our comfort zone? Do we not like being with people like ourselves, in familiar situations, doing things we are already good at? Do we not freak out sometimes when the Lord opens the cage and coaxes us into a new church calling, a new visiting teaching district, a mission call, the adventure of marriage, the terror of becoming parents, an unpleasant trial, an opportunity to love someone very unlike ourselves, a new career? Wouldn't we rather be left in our cage?

Now whenever God opens the door and forces me to experience something new, something scary, something uncomfortable, I'm going to remember those first weeks with Jewel, and remind myself that a comfort zone is nothing but a cage that will deny me many amazing adventures and delightful associations, and keep me from experiences and joys I can only now imagine. I'm going to picture Jewel, sitting in the tall grass on the canal bank, spying the ducks, her tail twitching excitedly. I'm going to picture Jewel, chasing after butterflies and bugs, enjoying the thrill of the hunt. I'm going to picture Jewel, purring ferociously on the shoulder of a formerly-scary giant human. And I'm going to dare to embrace the greater freedom outside the cage.

ALGERNON SIDNEY GILBERT

Gilbert and Whitney Store in Kirtland

In June of 1831, following a conference held in Kirtland, the Prophet Joseph Smith traveled with a small group of brethren westward on the Missouri River to the last outpost on the western edge of the United States, Independence, Missouri.

One member of the group traveling with the Prophet was Algernon Sidney Gilbert. He had been instructed earlier by revelation (D&C 52) to be an agent to the Church. Sidney was a business partner with Newel K. Whitney; they operated a store in Kirtland, Ohio. Both were baptized in 1830.

Several missionaries had already arrived in Independence in January, having traveled by foot 1,500 miles, and the Prophet was headed to meet with them. Parley P. Pratt was among them and later wrote that they “preached the gospel to tens of thousands of Gentiles [white people] and two nations of [natives]; baptizing, confirming and organizing many hundreds of people into churches of Latter-day Saints. This was the first mission performed by Elders of the Church in any of the States west of New York, and we were the first members of the same which were ever on this frontier” (Pratt, 40). (I cannot find confirmation of the huge success of this mission, however. I wonder if Parley is remembering wrongly, or if he is talking about members they baptized along the way. Certainly, very few Missiourians joined the Church.)

Far, Far Out of Their Comfort Zones in Independence

Arriving in Independence, the Prophet observed:

“The meeting of our brethren, who had long awaited our arrival, was a glorious one, and moistened with many tears. It seemed good and pleasant for brethren to meet together in unity. But our reflections were many, coming as we had from a highly cultivated state of society in the east, and standing now upon the confines or western limits of the United States, and looking at the vast wilderness of those that sat in darkness; how natural it was to observe the degradation, leanness of intellect, ferocity, and jealousy of a people that were nearly a century behind the times, and to feel for those who roam about without the benefit of civilization, refinement, or religion...” (Smith, History of the Church, 1:188-89).

The first Sunday there, W.W. Phelps preached to a congregation containing a huge variety of people including a handful of Native Americans and a “respectable number” of Black Americans.

The contingent spent the summer surveying the area and purchasing land for a gathering of Saints to a new Zion. In August, they turned toward home. (See Brian and Petrea Kelly, Latter-day History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Covenant Communications, p.79-93.)

Doctrine and Covenants 60-62

Doctrine and Covenants 60 was received in response to their questions about how to safely travel home. The group of men, plus Sidney’s wife, had traveled part of the way to Independence on the water because it was so much quicker than land, but they found that the Missouri River was treacherous, abounding in sawyers (fallen trees that were submerged but still rooted to the river bottom), and full of rapids. On the trip home, they secured canoes, and one of these sawyers nearly capsized the Prophet’s canoe. It was a terrifying experience for all. (See Joseph Smith's Revelations.) The revelation also encouraged them to preach on their way home, “without wrath or doubting, lifting up holy hands upon them. For I am able to make you holy, and your sins are forgiven you” (verse 7). This the travelers did.

Section 61 was then received a few days later with instruction to leave the river and travel overland.

“And now, verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you…” (D&C 61:36).

Section 62 was received further along the way home, commending their preaching efforts.

“…Your mission is not yet full. Nevertheless, ye are blessed, for the testimony which ye have borne is recorded in heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are forgiven you.

“And now continue your journey. Assemble yourselves upon the land of Zion; and hold a meeting and rejoice together, and offer a sacrament unto the Most High” (verses 2-4).

Gilbert and Whitney Store in Independence

A revelation received the following year instructed Sidney to establish a store in Independence for the blessing of “the affairs of the poor” (D&C 82:12). This he did. But things fell apart quickly as the saints tried to settle among a frontier people and only a year later on November 4, 1833, Sidney Gilbert fled Independence, Missouri for the safety of Clay County. His home had been partially demolished by an angry mob. The goods of his Gilbert and Whitney mercantile had been thrown into the street. He had been arrested and imprisoned seven days on a false charge of assault, but then released. He escaped Independence with only his Bible and 19 revelations to Joseph Smith he had personally copied by hand that are now sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, including Section 61 (Susan Easton Black, Who’s Who in the Doctrine and Covenants, Bookcraft, 1997, p. 102-103).

Gilbert and Whitney Store in Liberty

After fleeing to Clay County, Sidney set up a new store in Liberty, Missouri, without the financial and material benefit of having sold the one in Independence. All the saints who had taken refuge in Clay County had lost everything. They worked what jobs they could find, but at length it was determined that someone needed to travel back to Kirtland to tell the Prophet of their plight. By now it was winter and the saints were starving. No one had the health, the money, or the supplies for such a trip, but finally Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight volunteered. Parley went without money to Sidney’s store.

Brother Gilbert remarked, “Brother Parley, you certainly look too shabby to start a journey; you must have a new suit.” He gave him a cloak and what fabric he had left. Several sisters in the shop, overhearing, volunteered to sew the fabric into clothing. With this new set of clothing, Parley and Lyman rode on horseback the 800 miles north.

“We arrived in Kirtland early in the spring, all safe and sound; we had lacked for nothing on the road, and now had plenty of funds in hand. President Joseph Smith and the Church in Kirtland received us with a hospitality and joy unknown except among the Saints…” (Parley P. Pratt, Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985, p. 88).

Joy Outside of Comfort

I love that phrase of Parley's: “Joy unknown except among the Saints.”

If we rely upon the Lord, life as a Latter-day Saint is predominantly joyful, even when we are so far out of our comfort zone “cages” that we might call our experiences trials and adversity. It is a joy that overrides our circumstances because it is brought by unity with God who is Love, through the Holy Ghost which brings joy, as we love and serve and associate with our brothers and sisters here on this earth and beyond. The hard experiences we have may not get easier, but we become stronger and more peaceful through this pure love of Christ that comes into our hearts and passes through us to others. Our experiences, especially the hard ones, expand our territory of comfort and enlarge the circle of our influence of love, which increases our joy. Even though it’s a silly comparison, the thoughts of my cat, Jewel, and her growth from comfort and safety inside a cage to greater happiness, companionship, and joyful exploration throughout our home and property frequently reminds me to give up my terror and look outside my safety net for joy. I find it in the service of the Lord and in service to my neighbor and in the enjoyment and exploration of His beautiful earth and the people in it.

(Make sure you read the Church's Revelations in Context for these sections which is on the Church's website. Most of them are now linked in the "Come, Follow Me" lessons and even in the scriptures themselve. You can just click the link I've provided, but if you want to look up this manual anytime on your own, you get to it on the Gospel Library phone app or on the Church website. From the "Library" tab, select "Church History," then "Doctrine and Covenants Study.")

Doctrine and Covenants 58-59

BEING WISE AGENTS

Section 58 of the Doctrine and Covenants was received August 1, 1831. It contains the great promise that God holds much greater things in store for us if we obey His commandments and endure to the end than we can possibly imagine for ourselves. (See verses 2-3.)

This is followed by specific instructions to specific members, many of which can be relevant to us, as the Spirit reveals. The most well-known counsel in this section is:

"For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will and bring to pass much righteousness; for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward" (D&C 58:26-28).

As “agents unto ourselves” we can be anxiously engaged in good causes of our own choice. This pleases the Lord. We all have our own interests, our own personalities, and if we seek to bring to pass righteousness, we can do that in the career we choose to pursue, in the neighborhood where we choose to live, with the person we choose to marry, and through the hobbies and interests we choose to love. We can also choose to serve missions, particularly those of us in our later years, and senior missionaries can even choose to a great degree where they would like to serve. [If you are a senior couple reading this in 2025-2027, check out the "Sierra Leone Bo Mission President" account on Facebook and see if you would like to serve in this explosively fast-baptizing mission led by my brother and sister-in-law, Scott and Kathy Wyatt. They would love your help and you would have so much joy working among these amazing people, poorest in money and richest in Spirit!] 

The point of life is to use our agency (the only thing that is truly ours) to do good.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 59 begins with a great promise:

"Behold, blessed, saith the Lord, are they who have come up unto this land with an eye single to my glory, according to my commandments. For those that live shall inherit the earth, and those that die shall rest from all their labors, and their works shall follow them; and they shall receive a crown in the mansions of my Father, which I have prepared for them" (D&C 59:1-2).

We receive marvelous blessings if we have “an eye single to [God’s] glory" and if we do works of righteousness. This revelation gives guidance on how to make this easier.

THE LAW OF THE LORD

First, the Lord reminds the Saints of His Law, which is eternal and was given to the ancient Israelites and repeated by Jesus Christ to the primitive Church.

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength” (D&C 59:5-6). (See also Deut. 6:4,5 and Matt. 22:37-40.)

The Old Testament version begins with the great pronouncement, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord,” something that was a new and key understanding for these ancient people who lived in a land of polytheists (people who worshiped multiple gods).

The New Testament version of the Lord’s law adds another key that was important to the Jews to understand, a people who had for millenia considered themselves “chosen” and therefore better than others: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 22:39). In describing who may be considered a neighbor, the Lord chose a story of a Samaritan—someone who worshipped differently than they did, someone of mixed race and culture—thus expanding the circle of the new Christian’s loving influence. (See Luke 10:25-37.)

For the Latter-day Saints, an additional new key of understanding this eternal law is given, a key that may be difficult for us to understand and do: “…and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him” (D&C 59:5).

As Section 58 invites us to be “agents unto ourselves” to bring about righteousness, Section 59 invites us to be agents unto Christ—to serve in His name. How do we serve in the name of Jesus Christ? All our prayers and our priesthood ordinances are done in the name of Jesus Christ, but I think this section refers to much more than ordinances. An agent is one who acts in the place of another person, and who does what that person would want done. To act as agents for Jesus Christ, we must know Him, we must know His will, and we must unite our will with His. The rest of this section gives us amazing tools for doing so.

Image from Church of Jesus Christ Media

THE LAW OF GRATITUDE

“Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things” (verse 7).

Is this a law? Keeping a law brings a specific outcome. Being grateful brings happiness, pure and simple. Being grateful to God brings us closer to Him, more aware of His presence, more in tune with His purposes. It’s amazing how often we forget this very clear path to increased joy. Being grateful includes not only giving thanks, but also not complaining. The crazy extremes of weather in my home town often made me miserable throughout my life. One day several years ago, I realized how futile it was to complain about the weather and I stopped. I was shocked that winter to discover how much happier I was, just because I accepted the weather every day as a neutral or positive aspect of life.

Think of one thing that is giving you frustration right now in your life. Now—stop complaining about it. Just stop. Increasing your happiness is that simple.

Yes! Northern Utah weather!

THE LAW OF THE SABBATH

“Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day” (verses 8-9).

Keeping the Sabbath day helps us keep our heart broken (open to the Lord’s input) and our spirits contrite (teachable). It is a tithing of our time. Note that the Lord requires 1/10^th  of our money to be fully given to Him, but even more of our time—1/7^th! We use the Sabbath day to remember the Savior, repent, reprioritize, and realign our will with His. We use it to become better agents unto Christ.

Clock in Paris, France train station, now the Orsay Museum

THE LAW OF THE FAST

"…Let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.

"Verily, this is fasting and prayer, or in other words, rejoicing and prayer" (verses 13-14).

Why is a proper fast joyous? Well, there are two parts to the Law of the Fast, and both contribute to the joy felt by the fasting saint.

Part One: Fasting and Prayer

Look at footnote a to verse 13 which tells us that we can make our physical fast symbolic of a spiritual hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Now where have we heard this phrase before, “hungering and thirsting after righteousness”? Of course, in the Beatitudes! Let’s turn to the Nephite version in 3 Nephi 12:6:

"And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost."

When you are filled with the Holy Ghost, what emotions do you experience? Peace and joy!

"…I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy." (D&C 11:13)

And D&C 6:23 as well as many other scriptures tell us that the Spirit brings peace.

So fasting in the correct manner, is going to result in peace and joy. It will also give us many other fruits of the Spirit.

(Quotes from Elder Wirthlin below come from April 2001 General Conference)

Now, if we are fasting because we are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, we will be praying as well. As Elder Wirthlin explains,

"…If we want our fasting to be more than just going without eating, we must lift our hearts, our minds, and our voices in communion with our Heavenly Father. Fasting, coupled with mighty prayer, is powerful. It can fill our minds with the revelations of the Spirit. It can strengthen us against times of temptation.

"Fasting and prayer can help develop within us courage and confidence. It can strengthen our character and build self-restraint and discipline…Each time we fast, we gain a little more control over our worldly appetites and passions."

Further, he says,

"I don’t mean just missing one meal, then eating twice as much the next meal." (I think he’s talking about me here.)

Another thing Elder Wirthlin says is that “Often when we fast, our righteous prayers and petitions have greater power.” Our spiritual hunger and thirst is going to be filled to a greater level. Our requests for blessings of other kinds will also have more power.

So what sorts of things might we pray for as we fast?

1-Personal righteousness (as Elder Wirthlin mentioned)

2-Special blessings to help with problems (surgery, job hunt, troubled child...)

3-Increased abilities for our church callings (as the sons of Mosiah did, see Alma 17:2-3)

4-Gratitude (See Alma 45:1)

5-To align our will with God’s

Elder Wirthlin says that teaching our children to fast will give them increased power to resist temptations along their life’s path.

I love the way one Primary President in our ward taught fasting to the children. She told them that it was great to feel hunger pangs when you fast, because whenever you feel them, you are reminded that you are fasting, and that will remind you to say another little prayer in your heart.

If we are giving up 2 meals each month to fast, and if we normally eat 3 meals each day, in a 30-day month, we are only giving the Lord 1/45^th of our monthly food intake. Even the poorest Saint can give this much.

Fast Offerings

Sometimes we may feel that the Lord is not answering our prayers despite our faith and request. One reason may be that our desire is not in harmony with His plan. But there may be another reason as well. We may not be keeping the second part of the Law of the Fast. To quote Brother Wirthlin again:

"…Amulek explained that often our prayers have no power because we have turned our backs on the needy (Mosiah 4:26). (See also Isaiah 58:6-11.) If you feel that Heavenly Father is not listening to your petitions, ask yourself if you are listening to the cries of the poor, the sick, the hungry, and the afflicted all around you.

"Some look at the overwhelming need in the world and think, What can I do that could possibly make a difference?

"I will tell you plainly one thing you can do. You can live the law of the fast and contribute a generous fast offering."

Fast offerings are one reason that joining the Church of Jesus Christ is a better way to serve God than simply "being spiritual" on your own. Alone, we can each do lovely things to help those within our sphere of influence. As members of a powerful Church with excellent stewards, and often combining with other powerful churches and charities, we can contribute massively, such as in the recent efforts to bless women and children in the poorest of countries.

When fasting, we take command of our physical bodies, we worship God with more clarity, and we have an easy way to contribute to the wellbeing of our neighbors. We can help God “bring to pass…the eternal life of man” (His work) and we can therefore participate in His joy (His glory) (See Moses 1:39).

At the end of Section 59, we receive another beautiful promise:

"But learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and the Spirit beareth record. Amen" (D&C 59:23-24).

Every day is a great day to act as agents unto Christ and agents unto ourselves to serve His children and build up His kingdom. When we are agents unto Christ, we act in specific ways He commands. When we are in situations where we may choose between multiple good actions and the Spirit doesn’t direct towards one or the other, we can be agents unto ourselves and do the one we want to do. Both uses of agency can bring about righteousness, unity and love, and together they will earn an eternal reward.

 

FIFTH SUNDAY BONUS: A Table in the Wilderness

July 24th is celebrated as Pioneer Day in Utah (where I live) because it is the day that President Brigham Young's pioneer wagon entered the Salt Lake Valley. If you have an upcoming 5th Sunday, you may want to share this with your ward or branch, or with your family for a family home evening, wherever you may live. Understanding the intricacies of the migration of the body of the Church to Salt Lake City is a huge testimony-builder with many working parts that were far beyond coincidental.

This blog post is available in PowerPoint form. E-mail me if you want a copy; I'd love for you to share it with your ward or branch or family!   

thepianoisgrand@gmail.com

A Table in the Wilderness

A Timeline of the Miraculous Latter-day Saint Migration West

Shortly after the evacuation of Nauvoo, in a pioneer camp on the west of the Mississippi River, a destitute Mormon mother, Sarah Leavitt, was confronted by an antagonistic government officer.

"Why, madam," he said, "I see nothing before you but
inevitable destruction in going off into the wilderness among savages, far from civilization, with nothing
but what you can carry in your wagon…I see nothing before you but starvation.”

Quoting Psalm 78:19, Sarah told him, “The Lord [will] spread a table for us in the wilderness…”

The officer was right: there was no chance of success.
And yet the Mormons triumphed.
Here is the timeline of their story.

A statue honoring Sarah Sturtevant Leavitt is located in Santa Clara, Utah

On the base of her statue, excerpts of her testimony are inscribed.

--1841--
 

The first American overland pioneers leave Missouri for the Oregon territory. They follow existing trails to Fort Hall in Eastern Idaho, abandon their wagons when the trail ends but safely reach Oregon.

--1842--

Congress sends Army Captain John C. Fremont on a series of exploratory expeditions to the western territories. Copies of his maps are given to Mormon Church leaders by an Illinois senator. 

--1843--

 Large numbers of American pioneers are migrating westward to California and Oregon on the Oregon Trail.

--June 27, 1844--

Joseph Smith is murdered at Carthage Jail. 
Persecutions increase for the Latter-day Saints in Nauvoo.

--October 1845--

The Quincy Convention calls for all Mormons to leave Nauvoo by May of 1846.

A few days later, the Carthage Convention calls for their forced removal by militia, should they fail to meet the deadline.

12,000 saints in Nauvoo and another 2,000-3,000 in the surrounding states will soon be homeless.

--October 11, 1845-- 

President Brigham Young calls team captains for the move west and Nauvoo saints begin gathering supplies and making wagons. Saints in other areas are called to gather with them and go west. The plan is that they will all go together in one gigantic 2,500-wagon train in an organized fashion.

--January 1846-- 
  

John Brown is sent from Nauvoo to collect the families he baptized on his mission three years earlier in Monroe County, Mississippi to join the expedition west. The congregation of saints there includes white and Black people. (Most of the Black saints are enslaved people.)

Map & Text color code

Red = Nauvoo saints

Yellow = Mississippi saints

Blue = East coast saints

Green = Mormon Battalion 

Meanwhile, a community of converts on the east coast, too poor to make the overland trek, pools its money to charter the Ship Brooklyn. They will take a dangerous voyage around Cape Horn to the west coast, stopping off in Chile and Hawaii on the way. From there, they will travel to meet the saints at their final destination, once President Young decides where that is. Sam Brannan is called to lead the group.

--February 4, 1846--

Because of violence and threats, the first saints leave Nauvoo. The organized plan is abandoned, and there are eventually three exoduses over the following 9 months or so.

--also February 4, 1846--

The very same day, the ship Brooklyn leaves New York City with 238 saints living between-decks in 2,500 feet of space. The lower hold is full of cows, pigs, chickens, sawmills, a gristmill, seeds, tools, a printing press and everything they need to set up a civilization from scratch.

(I put the blue star on Boston.

The saints were from the Boston area, but the ship departed from New York)

--The Nauvoo Covenant--

Time has not been adequate to prepare wagons and supplies for all the saints in Nauvoo. Many do not have the means, having been unable to sell their homes at fair prices. A covenant is made that those who leave first will stop at a safe spot along the trail and send wagons and teamsters back and forth for all those who wish to come. 

By spring, there are over 10,000 saints scattered across Iowa, obtaining jobs to earn money along the way. The Nauvoo Brass Band plays concerts for pay as they travel. Pioneers build temporary settlements with crops planted for those who follow.

Pres. Young calls Jesse Little to go to Washington, D.C. to petition the government for a contract to build roads and forts on their way west in order to finance the trek.

--Early Spring 1846--

The Brooklyn has blown nearly to Africa before finding trade winds to blow her back to the Cape. She's made it safely around Cape Horn, chipping ice ahead of her in the water, and she's survived the oppressive heat of the tropical doldrums. Now a huge storm blows her away from Chile, where the passengers had planned to resupply. So instead, the captain steers them to the Juan Fernandez Islands. 

There they are able to obtain fresh water, fish, fruit, potatoes and firewood at a cost hundreds of dollars less than Chilean prices. It is another “table in the wilderness.”

--April 8, 1846--

The first group of Mississippi saints leaves to join the Nauvoo saints and travel to the west. There are 43 in the company.

--May 1, 1846--

The Nauvoo Temple is finally dedicated, although temple work had ceased in February. Over the winter, 6,000 saints had received their endowments in the completed portions of the Nauvoo Temple. The temple is immediately put up for sale, but no reasonable offer is made. (They ask $200,000 and years later finally receive $5,000.)

Even while in this distress, a few men are called on missions to Europe straight from the refugee camps.

--May 13, 1846--

The U.S. declares war on Mexico

--May 21, 1846--

  

Jesse Little arrives in Washington, realizes the government’s focus is now the war, and petitions U.S. President James Polk to contract a battalion of Latter-day Saint men to fight in the war. It is a very bold move, considering the government had just forced the church members to surrender all their weapons the year before because of the conflict in Missouri. Polk is highly dubious, but amazingly, Little convinces him and wins the contract.

The formation of the "Mormon Battalion" puts Brigham Young and the church on the same team as the U.S. government at last, and ends the very real threat of governmental interference on the trek west.

--May 26, 1846--

John Brown and the Mississippi saints arrive in Independence, Missouri, the jumping-off point for all travel to the west, hear wild stories about Mormons on the trail in the west, and assume that Brigham Young has gone on ahead of them. They decide to head west to catch up, rather than go north to Nauvoo.

--June 20, 1846--

The Ship Brooklyn stops in Hawaii to deliver a load of cargo. 

12 people have died on the voyage. The U.S. Navy is stationed at Pearl Harbor, preparing for war with Mexico.

--June 29, 1846--

The Nauvoo refugees arrive at the Missouri River.

U.S. Army Captain James Allen meets them & musters 540 men for the Mormon Battalion.

Pres. Young delays the journey west for a year to allow time for the Battalion to earn money. He establishes Winter Quarters in Nebraska.

--July 10, 1846--

Meanwhile, the Mississippi wagon train has hurried all the way to Laramie, Wyoming before a passing traveler (it's a busy road these days) tells them that no “Mormons” are ahead of them on the trail. At the invitation of a trapper, they leave the trail to wait out the winter at Pueblo, Colorado with the group of trappers and their Spanish and Native wives. 

--July 21, 1846--
The Mormon Battalion leaves Winter Quarters, the only religiously-based military unit in the history of the United States. 

Brigham Young promises them that none will die in battle. 

They head south to be outfitted at Fort Leavenworth.

(There's an itty-bitty green line down from Winter Quarters.)

--July 31, 1846--

After a 24,000-mile voyage, the Ship Brooklyn saints arrive at present-day San Francisco, then just a small town, and find out that an American warship had sailed into the harbor just 3 weeks earlier, and planted a flag. They are back in the United States! 

One passenger later writes, “Of all the memories of my life, not one is so bitter as that dreary six months’ voyage, in an emigrant ship, round the Horn.” 

San Francisco immediately becomes an overwhelmingly Mormon community. They start farming while they await instruction from Brigham Young.

--August 7, 1846--  

The Mississippi saints arrive at Pueblo with plenty of summer left to build homes and a log church, earning food by working for the trappers.

John Brown returns east to meet with Pres. Young and then bring more saints from Mississippi. 

--August 1846--

The Mormon Battalion leaves Fort Leavenworth, marching southwest to fight Mexico. They are given a clothing allowance of $42 each ($21,000 total), which they immediately turn over to the Church, opting to wear their old clothes. Through their term of service, they earn $50,000, an enormous sum of money, which finances the pioneer emigration west.

 --September 13, 1846--

The Battle of Nauvoo

Less than 1,000 of the most destitute Mormons remain in Nauvoo, including Hyrum Smith’s widow, Mary Fielding Smith, with her children, as well as Truman O. Angell, the future architect of the Salt Lake, St. George and Logan Temples. These stragglers are attacked by anti-Mormons, and forced to sign the surrender of the city three days later, whereupon they are driven out at gunpoint.

--September 14, 1846--

At Winter Quarters, an 11-man rescue party leaves to bring the last saints out of Nauvoo, knowing nothing about the attack.

--September 25, 1846--

Reports of the "Battle of Nauvoo" reach Winter Quarters, and another rescue party is sent with 20 wagons.


--October 6, 1846

The rescue party arrives at the "poor camps" outside Nauvoo to find the situation much more desperate than they are prepared to meet. The rescue captain, Orville Allen, sends some of his men into the surrounding area to purchase more supplies. Meanwhile the people are starving.

--October 9, 1846--

Thousands of exhausted quail suddenly fly into the refugee camp, flopping onto the ground all around the wagons and tents, and even onto the arms and the heads of the pioneers. Even the sick can easily pick up a bird with no resistance at all. The suffering saints eat well that day at a “table in the wilderness.” The quail stop coming at 3:00 p.m. The men arrive back with the supplies and the rescue team heads back with the first group at 4:30.

--October 1846--

The Mormon Battalion arrives at Santa Fe. Many members have fallen ill along the way. The sick Battalion members are sent to Pueblo, Colorado, not knowing there are other saints already there.

--October 1846--

John Brown arrives back at Winter Quarters. Pres. Young requests that he enlist several strong Mississippi men to join his advance team and wait to emigrate the rest of the Mississippi saints the next year.

The sick Battalion members arrive at Pueblo to find the Mississippi saints waiting there--surprise! To add to the reunion, the leader of the sick contingent is James Brown, another missionary who served in Monroe, Mississippi. 

--October 24, 1846--

Sam Brannan publishes an early edition of The California Star newspaper, printed on the Mormon press.

--January 9, 1847

The first subscriptions are delivered by hand, or hawked on street corners in San Francisco, and copies are sent east and to Great Britain on ships.

--January 1847--

John Brown arrives back in Mississippi. He selects four white men with four Black enslaved men for the journey. Two of the Black men die before reaching Winter Quarters. The other two are brothers, Oscar Crosby and Hark Lay.

--January 22, 1847--

The Mormon Battalion arrives at San Diego, having walked 2,000 miles, the longest military march in history.  It has been an almost unimaginably difficult journey. The war is over, so they are assigned to garrison duty and civic improvement. 20 men have died on the journey due to sickness or injury, and all the men are nearly starved to death, but they have seen no armed conflict.

--April 5, 1847--

The advance pioneer party leaves Winter Quarters, led by Pres. Young. There are 148 in the party, including the men from Mississippi and an additional Black enslaved convert from the south already there (a friend of the other two) named Green Flake. Green remains faithful all his life, and later works in the home of Brigham Young.

(Green Flake)

--May 1847--

Seventeen saints from the group waiting at Pueblo travel north to Fort Laramie to watch  for Brigham Young’s arrival on the trail.

--June 3, 1847--

Pres. Young’s advance team arrives at Fort Laramie. Those waiting from Pueblo join the group, and one of the apostles in the team, Amasa Lyman, goes to Pueblo to bring the rest to the Great Basin.

--June 30, 1847--

Sam Brannan, having made his way east from California, reports to Pres. Young at his camp along the trail. 

--July 16, 1847--

The Mormon Battalion is mustered out of service at Los Angeles and the men begin to make their way north.
Some head straight to the Salt Lake Valley to get on the trail back to Winter Quarters to get family.
Others go north to San Francisco to join with the Brooklyn saints in the biggest Latter-day Saint community in the west, and hope to earn money to take back to Salt Lake. 

--July 22, 1847--

Happily surprised to find the cut-off from the Oregon Trail down to the Great Basin has already been blazed (by the Donner party, who were following bad advice about it being a great shortcut to California), the first advance party (including the three Black men) arrives in Salt Lake Valley far ahead of schedule and immediately plants crops.
Two days later, on what is now celebrated as Pioneer Day in Utah, Pres. Young’s party arrives in Salt Lake Valley. Sam Brannan teaches the Saints to make adobe bricks for houses, a skill he learned in California.

--September 8-11, 1847--

About 100 Battalion members find work building a saw mill for John Sutter on the American River near San Francisco.

--Autumn 1847--

The first Battalion members arrive in the Salt Lake Valley from
Los Angeles. They are able to teach the saints invaluable skills for desert farming and irrigation which they learned from the Pueblo Natives and the Mexicans as they toiled through the southwest.

--January 24, 1848--

Gold is discovered at Sutter's Mill. The location of the biggest find is dubbed “Mormon Island” because of the church members who worked there. Word travels quickly by mouth and ship first to Oregon, Hawaii, and Latin America. 

--March 15, 1848--

 The Californian newspaper publishes the first article proclaiming the discovery of gold. 

--June 10, 1848--

Sam Brannan's California Star publishes the cautiously optimistic opinion that there is room for another 50,000 prospectors without ruining the area. This news is dispatched back east by Mormon Battalion express riders. Four days later, they suspend publication so that the staff can rush to the gold fields themselves. Eventually tens of thousands around the world rush to California to get rich.

--Summer 1848--

Many more Latter-day Saints emigrate. To avoid harassment from other hostile pioneers, they travel on the north of the Platte River, rather than on the Oregon Trail to the south. This separation contributes to a better survival rate for the saints, thanks to the organization and cleanliness of their camps, and the avoidance of cholera contamination left behind
by Oregon Trail travelers.

--Summer 1848--

Insects, frost, and drought destroy much of the crop in the Great Basin. The saints nearly starve through the winter. In the midst of this crisis, Heber C. Kimball, a counselor in the First Presidency, prophesies that “States’ goods would be sold in the streets of Salt Lake City cheaper than in New York, and that the people would be abundantly supplied with food and clothing.”

--1849--

The tools of the settlers in Salt Lake City are wearing out with no chance of replacement. 

The California Gold Rush brings many fortune-seekers out west. Merchants race from the east to make a profit off the prospectors; hearing that merchant ships have beat them to San Francisco, some overlanders change their minds, head down to Salt Lake City, and sell their wares at extremely low prices in order to lighten their loads and rush ahead to prospect for themselves. The prices are lower than in New York City by half. 

The presence of the prospectors also greatly inflates the prices the Salt Lake City retailers and tradesmen can charge. 

In addition, prospectors drop tools and supplies all along the trail near Utah in order to lighten their loads and speed their journey, knowing they can buy more in California. Latter-day Saint men go along the trail and pick up amazing amounts of tools, wagons, stoves, even food like beans and bacon. It’s another “table in the wilderness.”

--May 25, 1849--

Apostle Amasa Lyman arrives in San Francisco and encourages the Brooklyn saints to come to the Salt Lake Valley. Increasing lawlessness in California provides additional incentive. Besides gold-prospecting, members have made money from the prospectors themselves. One member, Alondus Buckland, sells his Buckland House hotel situated on a corner lot in downtown San Francisco for an estimated $10,000, donating some to the church and using some to emigrate his extended family and the rest of his hometown back east.

--July 14, 1849--

The California saints' wagon company, later known as “The Gold Train,” leaves for Utah, heavily loaded with gold. It is a dangerous journey, as the company dodges would-be thieves on the busy road.

About 1/3 of the Brooklyn saints eventually leave California to resettle in Utah.

--September 28, 1849--

“The Gold Train” arrives in Salt Lake City, and deposits nearly $15,000 in the church’s bank account. With this money, Pres. Young establishes the Perpetual Emigration Fund which funds the emigration of an additional 100,000 saints over the following years, mostly from Europe.

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60,000-70,000 “Mormon” pioneers eventually emigrate overland
until 1869 when the transcontinental railroad is completed. 

Most of them are converts from the European Mission.

The death rate among the Latter-day Saint pioneers is unknown, but is estimated at less than 10% (including the Martin/Willie handcart disaster, and the deaths at Winter Quarters). This is about 5% lower than other pioneers, despite the fact that the church wagon trains consisted of many more inexperienced travelers; old, disabled, or ill people; and families with young children.

Sarah Leavitt was right. The Lord did prepare a table in the wilderness.

Bibliography

•Stewart R. Wyatt, sacrament meeting talk, Boise, Idaho, 22 July 2012

•Sarah Sturtevant Leavitt (my great-great-great-grandmother), personal history

•William G. Hartley, “The Pioneer Trek: Nauvoo to Winter Quarters,” Ensign, June 1997

•Joan S. Hamblin, “Voyage of the Brooklyn,” Ensign, July 1997

•Leonard J. Arrington, “Mississippi Mormons,” Ensign, June 1977

•Mormon Battalion Fact Sheet, MormonNewsroom.org

•Susan Easton Black, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, July 1998

•William G. Hartley, “On the Trail in September," Ensign, September 1997

•"The Excitement and Enthusiasm of Gold Washing Still Continues--Increases," California Star, accessed at  The Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco

•Clair L. Wyatt, The True Story of Nancy Laura Aldrich: Ship Brooklyn Pioneer, 2000

•Richard E. Bennett, We’ll Find the Place: The Mormon Exodus, 1846-1848, Deseret Book

•Margaret Blair Young and Darius Aidan Gray, One More River to Cross, Deseret Book

•Leonard J. Arrington, Great Basin Kingdom, Deseret Book

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