Doctrine and Covenants 85-87

Note: In these three sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, it is important to remember that the English language has no gender-neutral pronouns, and neither does the Lord in any revelations in the Bible or the Doctrine and Covenants. Specific choices are made for some uses. The church (also sometimes called the bride) and its anti-thesis, the great whore of all the earth, are referred to as female when clearly they contain both genders. Humanity is referred to as male (men, sons) when clearly it is all-inclusive. Mothers, fathers, and ancestors are referred to jointly or collectively as fathers. The earth is personified as a female. The familial priesthood jointly held by women and men who have been sealed in the temple is sometimes referred to as the patriarchal priesthood or patriarchal order. 

Doctrine and Covenants 85

As the early Church was trying to establish Zion, many members, including leaders, had difficulty consecrating property to the cause under the order prescribed by the Lord. This revelation was part of a letter answering these concerns sent to William W. Phelps, who was living in Missouri, most of it written in Joseph Smith’s own handwriting (Steven C. Harper, Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants, electronic edition, 509). Joseph Smith states that he has perceived there are concerns about what to do with people who will not follow the order. 

He then says, 

          "Brother William, in the love of God, having the most implicit confidence in you as a man of God, having obtained this confidence by a vision of heaven, therefore I will proceed to unfold to you some of the feelings of my heart and proceed to answer the question."

Letter to William W. Phelps, 27 November 1832, 

Joseph Smith Papers.

1 It is the duty of the Lord’s clerk, whom he has appointed, to keep a ^ahistory, and a general church ^brecord of all things that transpire in Zion, and of all those who ^cconsecrate properties, and receive ^dinheritances legally from the bishop;

2 And also their manner of life, their faith, and works; and also of the ^aapostates who apostatize after receiving their inheritances.

3 It is contrary to the will and commandment of God that those who receive not their ^ainheritance by ^bconsecration, agreeable to his ^claw, which he has given, that he may ^dtithe his people, to prepare them against the day of ^evengeance and burning, should have their ^fnames enrolled with the people of God.

4 Neither is their ^agenealogy to be kept, or to be had where it may be found on any of the records or history of the church.

5 Their names shall not be found, neither the names of the fathers, nor the names of the children written in the ^abook of the law of God, saith the Lord of Hosts [Hosts = Armies].

If you try to come into the Kingdom of God halfway, it isn’t going to work. You have to be “all in.” You have to be a team player. In fact, you have to be a family member. The Kingdom of God is a family.

Today, those who make temple covenants make a covenant to live the Law of Consecration, to treat all others within their sphere of influence as brothers and sisters under their loving care. The Law of Consecration has never been revoked; only its manner of execution has changed. Individual saints now make their own assessment of what is excess that they can contribute to the Kingdom of God in time, talents, and material gains. Bishops then distribute it to those in need so that we can all come closer to living with “all things common.” 

The next part of the revelation is a great and glorious blessing for those who are willing to covenant to live the Law of Consecration, and was written in Joseph Smith’s own hand.

From Joseph Smith Papers, cited above. Note the difference in handwriting.

6 Yea, thus saith the ^astill small voice, which whispereth through and ^bpierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to quake while it maketh manifest, saying:

7 And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in ^aorder the house of God, and to arrange by ^blot the ^cinheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God;

          It is considered by some scholars that this was a warning to Bishop Edward Partridge that he, like Jesse Gause, was not indispensable. If he did not repent of his criticism and materialism, he would be replaced by “one mighty and strong.” Bishop Partridge did repent and so they think prophecy was not fulfilled.

          There was a lot of speculation about this prophecy. Quite a few Saints through the ages, beginning with James Strang in 1844 and recurring with a new person every few years even as late as 2017, have considered themselves to be the “one mighty and strong” and have led a break-off group from the Church (Wikipedia entry for “One Mighty and Strong” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Mighty_and_Strong#cite_note-4 lists them on a chart). Sadly, some have used the prophecy for violence and evil, notably the Lafferty brothers and Brian David Mitchell (Elizabeth Smart’s abductor). Apparently these guys never read D&C 121 about the proper use of Priesthood authority.

Joseph Smith never revealed the identity of the “one mighty and strong.” William W. Phelps thought it referred to Adam and his future meeting at Adam-Ondi-Ahman (Wikipedia, cited above).

One thing I find helpful in understanding the Doctrine and Covenants is remembering that Lord is using these revelations to prepare His people for Celestial glory. His work is always our exaltation. (See Moses 1:39.) At this point in Church history, the temple ordinances had not yet been revealed, but the Lord began to reveal the temple truths line upon line. This passage may be read with a dual meaning as many prophecies may. It could be a prophecy about the financial and real property management of the kingdom of God in Independence. It could be a prophecy about the future meeting of Adam with the righteous at Adam-Ondi-Ahman. These are ideas others have shared. But is there a relevance to us today if we look at it through a temple lens? 

           The literal “house of God” on earth is the temple. Could the “one mighty and strong” refer to Elijah and consequently to temple sealers with a "sceptor of power" being the familial (or patriarchal) priesthood exercised in the temple? (Elijah did not appear until April 3, 1836.) In the temple we receive greater "light" or holiness from messengers of light. We are endowed with power through "eternal words." We gain knowledge from a "Fountain of Truth." Our names are sealed together in a great eternal "order" with the names of our fathers (ancestors) and our children. (This is my own idea so don't count it as doctrine, but it's an idea that makes a lot of sense to me.)

8 While that man, who was called of God and appointed, that putteth forth his hand to ^asteady the ^bark of God, shall fall by the shaft of death, like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning.

          It is our responsibility to learn, but it is not our responsibility to teach the prophets and apostles. This is a theocracy, not a democracy. The early saints in Missouri struggled to learn this fact and we struggle with it today, particularly those of us living in countries with democratic or republican governments. Giving input is one thing, but reaching out to correct the leadership of the Church puts us on dangerous ground and damages our personal faith.

9 And all they who are not found written in the ^abook of remembrance shall find none inheritance in that day, but they shall be cut asunder, and their portion shall be appointed them among ^bunbelievers, where are ^cwailing and gnashing of teeth.

10 These things I say not of ^amyself; therefore, as the Lord speaketh, he will also fulfil.

11 And they who are of the High Priesthood, whose names are not found written in the ^abook of the law, or that are found to have ^bapostatized, or to have been ^ccut off from the church, as well as the lesser priesthood, or the members, in that day shall ^dnot find an inheritance among the saints of the Most High;

12 Therefore, it shall be done unto them as unto the ^achildren of the ^bpriest, as will be found recorded in the second chapter and sixty-first and second verses of Ezra.

          It is not that they have been rejected by the Church, the problem is that they have cut themselves off from the proper line of revelation by stepping between the prophet and God. It is an estrangement of their own doing, a strangulation of the umbilical cord between heaven and earth.

 Doctrine and Covenants 86

In this section the Lord explains the meaning of the parable of the wheat and the tares found in Matthew 13:24-30. The explanation is helpful because in this revelation the wheat and the tares are reversed in the order in which they are to be gathered vs. the way they are presented in Matthew. First the wheat (the good seed) will be gathered, then the whole field will be burned with the tares that remain.

 

https://www.latterdaylight.com/study-aids/2019/3/22/wheat-and-tares

         It's really hard to tell wheat from tares, especially when they are young. Also, their roots grow closely together and pulling up one will pull up the other. 

          After the explanation of the meaning, the relevance of the parable is given:

8 Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the ^apriesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers—

9 For ye are lawful ^aheirs, according to the flesh, and have been ^bhid from the world with Christ in God—

10 Therefore your life and the ^apriesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage until the ^brestoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began.

11 Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my ^agoodness, a ^blight unto the Gentiles, and through this priesthood, a ^csavior unto my people ^dIsrael. The Lord hath said it. Amen.

          The Lord is speaking to the House of Israel, the members of His Church. The Church functions through the power and authority of the priesthood. The Restoration is still happening, so this scripture is completely relevant to us today. Those who do the work of the priesthood, the four-fold work of the Church--ministering to the poor as Christ did, shining His Light (proclaiming the gospel), perfecting the saints through the work of the priesthood, and redeeming the dead (through temple and family history work)--are saviors unto all the different parts of Israel. Let’s make sure that we are the wheat, nourishing others, and not the tares, drawing light, water, and food to ourselves but with no fruit to show for it.

Doctrine and Covenants 87

Be sure to read this very helpful article about the history of this revelation. It is linked in the electronic scriptures at the beginning of the section. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/revelations-in-context/peace-and-war?lang=eng 

As the heading to this section explains, concern about the welfare and freedom of enslaved people throughout the world was the catalyst for this revelation. The topics of slavery and abolition were highly volatile in the United States. The stakes were high and passions ran accordingly. Even discussing it could be dangerous, and later on proved to be. For that reason, this revelation was not published for years.

W.W. Phelps was living in Missouri where "the small population in Jackson County supported slavery across the board until Mormons started settling parts of the county in 1831" (Mark Lyman Staker, Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio Revelations, 181). Phelps received a copy of this revelation from Joseph Smith in early 1833, a few weeks after it was revealed. Although he didn't publish it, it set his mind thinking even more about the evils of slavery and his editorials focused upon the subject in June and July. The locals tensed. Eventually this conflict led to expulsion of the Saints from Jackson County (Staker, 180-181).

For a great treatment on this section, please listen to an interview with Kenneth Alford, one of the editors of the BYU Saints at War project, on the Follow Him podcast, Episode 32, available on YouTube here, or on any audio podcast app. I highly recommend it! Brother Alford details the fulfillment of this prophecy, not just with the Civil War, but with the continuance of wars throughout the world since that time.

3 For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then ^awar shall be poured out upon all nations.

4 And it shall come to pass, after many days, ^aslaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war.

Missionary work had been successful in the South, but slavery was still a legal institution there and some new converts were slaveholders. Brother Alford reports that there were over 400 members of the Church in the rebel army. He also explains that the Civil War was the first war to employ modern weapons (rifles, gatling guns which were the earliest machine guns) with high accuracy among armies who were still using Napoleanic battle methods such as fighting in tight crowds that made killing massive amounts of people very easy. It was also the first major war that involved the citizens. The battles didn't take place away from the population bases.

He points out that not only do the Southern States call upon Great Britain to help them, later "they [Great Britain] shall also call upon other nations [the Axis of World War I and the Allies of World War II], in order to defend themselves against other nations." World War I never really ended, it just paused before shifting gears into World War II. The focus of war is usually freedom, but with modern warfare and ease of travel, war seems to never reach resolution, but to lead into another conflict. Ten years after the Taliban attack on the World Trade Towers, we are still fighting that war. Throughout the world, wars persist over the freedom or enslavement of groups of oppressed peoples.

6 And thus, with the ^asword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall ^bmourn; and with ^cfamine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and ^dchastening ^ehand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full ^fend of all ^gnations;

7 That the cry of the saints, and of the ^ablood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of ^bSabaoth [the Lord of Armies], from the earth, to be avenged of their enemies.

Is this talking about just one type of saints? Is it just the white pioneers in Jackson County? Or, if this prophecy is a long-term one, as Brother Alford suggests, is it any oppressed saints--enslaved Black American saints, abused Native saints throughout the world, European saints devastated by World War II, saints living in war zones or under dictatorships today in many countries of the world.  

What is it that brings about the wrath of God? It is God's sorrow that brings about His wrath. And what brings about His sorrow? Moses 7:28-40 tells us the answer.

32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own ^ahands, and I gave unto them their ^bknowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his ^cagency;

33 And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should ^alove one another, and that they should choose me, their Father; but behold, they are without affection, and they ^bhate their own blood;

34 And the ^afire of mine ^bindignation is kindled against them;

It is the breaking of the two great commandments and the suffering that ensues. Not just the suffering of the oppressed, but of the oppressors. All are God's children.

37 ...Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands; wherefore should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?

39 And ^athat which I have chosen [Jesus Christ] hath pled before my face. Wherefore, he ^bsuffereth for their sins; inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my ^cChosen shall return unto me, and until that day they shall be in ^dtorment;

40 Wherefore, for this shall the heavens weep, yea, and all the workmanship of mine hands.

It's not the death that causes God to weep. Death is not as tragic to Him as it is to us. It's the suffering caused by the breaking apart of the human family into factions and enemies. 

44 And as Enoch saw this, he had ^abitterness of soul, and wept over his brethren, and said unto the heavens: I will refuse to be ^bcomforted; but the Lord said unto Enoch: Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look.

Enoch viewed the atonement of Jesus Christ. With hope he asked, "Now will everything be okay and the earth be at peace?" 

And God said, "Unfortunately, no. It will actually get much worse." He shows Enoch the suffering of the Saints, the apostacy, the fear, the hatred. But then He shows him the happy ending, the final dispensation.

62 And ^arighteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear ^btestimony of mine Only Begotten; his ^cresurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to ^dgather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called ^eZion, a ^fNew Jerusalem.

63 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy ^acity meet them there, and we will ^breceive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;

64 And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion...

67 And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a fulness of ^ajoy...

Although we live in a time of war and of geological upheaval, we also live in the day of the second establishment of Zion. In Enoch's day, Zion left the earth. In our day, it will stay and the Zion from heaven will join us.

How will this be accomplished? Through the four-fold mission of the Church by priesthood power. We have the power to unite the people of the earth into the family of God. We also have the power, through our righteous efforts to "hasten" the happy ending and "cut short" the plagues:

96 For I, the ^aAlmighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to ^bscourge them for their ^cwickedness.

97 And ^aplagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut ^bshort in righteousness—

98 Until all shall ^aknow me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest, and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall ^bsee eye to eye, and shall lift up their voice, and with the voice together ^csing this new song, saying:

99The Lord hath brought again Zion;The Lord hath ^aredeemed his people, ^bIsrael,According to the ^celection of ^dgrace,Which was brought to pass by the faithAnd ^ecovenant of their fathers.

100The Lord hath redeemed his people;And Satan is ^abound and ^btime is no longer.The Lord hath gathered all things in ^cone.The Lord hath brought down ^dZion from above.The Lord hath ^ebrought up Zion from beneath.

101The ^aearth hath travailed and ^bbrought forth her strength;And truth is established in her bowels;And the heavens have smiled upon her;And she is clothed with the ^cglory of her God;For he ^dstands in the midst of his ^epeople.

102Glory, and honor, and power, and might,Be ascribed to our God; for he is full of ^amercy,Justice, grace and truth, and ^bpeace,Forever and ever, Amen.

Doctrine and Covenants 84

 Why are you grateful to be a member of the Church? Consider making a list of reasons.

Which of these blessings would be possible without priesthood? The answer, of course, is none. 

Doctrine and Covenants 84, called "The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood," is relevant to all members of the Church, not just those who have been ordained. Currently, men are what we might call active priesthood holders, responsible for the administration of ordinances and governance of the Church; outside temple ordinances, women are in a passive priesthood role (for lack of a better word). But all of the good works and administrations of Church members are done through the power of godliness, or the priesthood. The roles of men and women are different, but all are members of the same priesthood team, functioning under the umbrella of its power and authority. Therefore all the principles for exercise of the priesthood must also be applied by women as they carry out their roles as family members, teachers, and sisters in Zion. Notice: the word "ordain" is not found anywhere in D&C 84--the word used is "obtain," which applies equally to men and women.

Elder Carlos E. Asay said, “Of all the holy agreements pertaining to the gospel of Jesus Christ, few, if any, would transcend in importance the oath and covenant of the priesthood" (General Conference Address, October 1985).

D&C 84:33-44 reads: 

"For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.

They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.

"And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord;

For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;

And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;

And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.

"And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.

Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.

"But whoso breaketh this covenant after he hath received it, and altogether turneth therefrom, shall not have forgiveness of sins in this world nor in the world to come.

"And wo unto all those who come not unto this priesthood which ye have received, which I now confirm upon you who are present this day, by mine own voice out of the heavens; and even I have given the heavenly hosts and mine angels charge concerning you.

"And I now give unto you a commandment to beware concerning yourselves, to give diligent heed to the words of eternal life.

"For you shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God."

Principles for Using the Priesthood: The Example of John Murdock

I love learning about unsung heroes of the Restoration. One of those is John Murdock. Although most of us know that Joseph and Emma Smith adopted twin babies whose mother had died, very few of us know much about their birth father, what he did, what he thought, how he felt.  I decided to read his biography, and found his life very inspiring.  From his journals, I find the example of a man who, through troubles and trials, magnified his priesthood.

1830

"For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ. And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit. And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father. And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world" (D&C 84:45-48).

Brother Murdock searched for and recognized the true Church: 

"Through considerable religious exploration, John had developed some essential points to which a religion must subscribe: First, baptism must be by immersion and a proper candidate for baptism must be one who has faith that Jesus Christ died for our sins—therefore infant baptism was not proper; second, because current churches had lost all authority, 'the Lord must either send an angel to baptize the first man, or he must give special command to some one man to baptize another;' third, the Holy Spirit must attend the 'ministration' of the ordinances" (S. Reed Murdock, John Murdock: His Life and Legacy, Summerwood Publishers, 54).

He was staying on the Morley farm with the communal "Family" that was trying to live with all things common when the missionaries came to Kirtland. He was introduced to the Book of Mormon after other Family members had heard them speak.

“I read [the Book of Mormon] till it was late and went into father Morley’s chamber to bed and had not been long in bed, before [the Family] returned [from a meeting confirming new members], and some half dozen or more came into the same house, and as soon as they came into the house, although I was in bed…the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, witnessing to me the truth of the work” (Murdock, 58).

1831

John and his wife, Julia Clapp Murdock, had three small children and had endured the death of an infant. In 1831 their twins were born and Julia died delivering them.  

"Late in his life, John revealed his real feelings in a letter to his daughter Julia: 'The anguish of soul that I felt at this time you may try to imagine. I was bereft of a tender companion, a feeling mother, a good housekeeper and one that I love and yet love the memory of her.' John’s letter describes that the twins were born without any 'great agony or pain to the mother' and all appeared to be in order when Julia called for John and told him she was going. She shook hands with John and all in the room and then quietly died. 'She took me by the hand and bid me farewell and also all in the room and folded her arms acrost her breast peacably and sweetly went to sleep in Jesus in hope of a glorius resurrection' (Murdock, 68).

 

Of necessity, children in such situations in those days were often placed in other families since there was no such thing as daycare.  The newborns, of course, needed a lactating mother to survive.  So the twins were placed with the Smiths, and Orrice, 7, John R., 5, and Phebe, 3, were placed with other families.  Brother Murdock paid for their keep as he left on the mission he was called to in D&C 52. 

“And these signs shall follow them that believe— In my name they shall do many wonderful works; In my name they shall cast out devils; In my name they shall heal the sick" (D&C 84:65-68).

John Murdock and Parley P. Pratt were mission companions.

"After Parley and John left St. Louis, they experienced sore trials. Parley was so sick he could not go on; he lay down in the prairie. John spoke to Parley: 'I said Bro. P. Can you travel any further, said ‘he could not. I asked Do you believe the Son will heal you? He said the Son would heal him according to his Faith but "my faith is small." I said do you want me to lay hands on you? He said, ‘yes.’ I fell on my knees and with many tears laid my hands on him in the name of the Lord Jesus, and prayed for him and we both arose and traveled and gave glory to God for his goodness and Bro. P. gained health and strength from that time'” (Murdock, 87).

While on the mission, baby Joseph died in the care of the Smiths. Between missions Brother Murdock likely boarded with the families keeping his children. He boarded with the Smiths for a short time, while attending the School of the Prophets. Julia was not yet two. He did not reveal his identity to her. She was five years old before she learned that she was adopted.

1832

"And now, verily I say unto you, that it is not expedient that you should go until your children are provided for, and sent up kindly unto the bishop of Zion. And after a few years, if thou desirest of me, thou mayest go up also unto the goodly land, to possess thine inheritance; Otherwise thou shalt continue proclaiming my gospel until thou be taken. Amen" (D&C 99:6-7).

He was called on another mission, but first “kindly placed” his children again.

1833

"The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church— To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant" (D&C 107:18-19).

At this time, Brother Murdock was attending the School of the Prophets, and was privileged to see a vision of the Heavens. 

“We had a number of prayer meetings in the Prophet’s chamber, in which we obtained great blessings. In one of these meetings the Prophet told us if we could humble ourselves before God, and exercise strong faith, we should see the face of the Lord. And about midday the visions of my mind were opened, and the eyes of my understanding were enlightened, and I saw the form of a man, most lovely, the visage of his face was sound and fair as the sun. His hair a great silver grey, curled in most majestic form. His eyes a keen penetrating blue, and the skin of his neck a most beautiful white and he was covered from the neck to the heel with a loose garment, pure white, whiter than any garment I have ever before seen. His countenance was most penetrating, and yet most lovely. And while I was endeavoring to comprehend the whole personage from head to feet it slipped from me and the vision was closed up. But it left on my mind the impression of love for months, that I never felt before to the degree.” (Murdock, 96-97)

As many of the Saints were gathering to Missouri in the Spring of 1833, Brother Murdock paid a church member $10 each to deliver his children to Bishop Partridge in Zion, who placed each in a different home.

"The decisions of these quorums, or either of them, are to be made in all righteousness, in holiness, and lowliness of heart, meekness and long-suffering, and in faith, and virtue, and knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity; Because the promise is, if these things abound in them they shall not be unfruitful in the knowledge of the Lord" (D&C 107:30-31).

While on his second mission, a member named Ezra Landon was openly disputing that Joseph Smith's vision of the three degrees of glory (recorded in D&C 76) was not divine. This vision was quite controversial because it was vastly different from the doctrine of any of the American churches of the day. John and his companions were able to kindly explain the doctrine so that Brother Landon understood and embraced it.

“Landon was invited to meet with four of the high priests privately. The meeting was commenced with prayer. Orson Pratt opened the conference, by stating that Brother Landon had said, 'The vision was of the Devil.' Landon responded by saying that he would not have the revelation taught in the church for one thousand dollars. Landon then rose and stressed the sacrifices he had made for the church and the good he had done for the cause. 

"John reminded Brother Landon that there were many who had similarly sacrificed including Ezra Booth, who had suffered privations and hardship, traveled to Missouri and had afterward denied the revelations. Brother Landon was encouraged to repent: 'Bro. Orson led in explanation of the vision…Myself and Bro. Lyman followed….

"'Bro. Landen confessed that he had talked hard to the brethren, asked them for forgiveness, said that he heartily received all that he taught and would teach it to the church, and said he would not for two thousand dollars be set back where he was when we came to him. We allowed him to stand in his office and a good portion of the church met that afternoon and we taught the same things to the church….” (Murdock).

1834

Abuses from the local citizens in Jackson County, Missouri caused Joseph Smith to ask a group of brethren (and a few sisters) to join with him to travel to Missouri to defend the members there and fight for their rights. John Murdock joined the Zion’s Camp march straight from the mission field. 

Upon their arrival in Jackson County, cholera broke out among the camp. The members in the two homes nearest the camps took in the sick, although the disease was deadly and extremely contagious. One of those homes was A. Sidney Gilbert’s. Sidney Gilbert was one of the few men in the Church older than John Murdock, Sidney being 43 and John 40. Sidney and his wife were childless but had taken on the care of three motherless children: Mary Elizabeth and Catherine Rollins who were their nieces. These girls would later save the pages of the Book of Commandments. The other child was John’s own little girl, Phebe, now 6. Sidney got sick and little Phebe also caught the disease. She had the comfort of her own father's care as she suffered for six days and then died on July 6th. 

"The Spirit left the body at the break of day…Two young brethren namely Reid Peck & Henry C. Rawlings assisted me and we buried her a little after sunrise in the morning. She was decently laid out, and they dug a grave and we laid two split shakes [large shingles] in the bottom and each side and laid in some straw, and laid the corpse on it, laid two sticks across and covered it over, and that was her coffin" (Murdock, 126).

1836

John remarried in 1836. He and his new wife, Amoranda Turner, gathered his two boys home again. They had been so lovingly cared for that they didn't really want to leave the homes they had been placed in for the past several years. Little John R. hardly remembered any other family. Their father worked to build loving family relationships with them. Orrice was 12; John was 10. 

Unfortunately, Amoranda died after only one year of marriage.

1838

John married for a third time in 1838. His third wife, Electa Allen, gave birth to three children, two boys, Gideon and Hyrum, and a baby girl who died.

"Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven" (D&C 121:45).

During this year of violence and danger in Jackson County, John Murdock’s courage and peaceable demeaner ended a confrontation with a mob. 

“…when we were there [at Adam-Ondi-Ahman] three men, armed with rifles, came on horseback into the road forward of us, and cocked their rifles…the forward one whose name was Elijah Frost, cried out ‘Damn you who are you and where are you going?’ 

"Said I ‘Who are you and where are you going?’ 

"And I discovered they were Ruffians and as there was three of them and two of us, I thought we would not give up so easy and put my hand to my pistol, but at the same time discovered more of the same company, coming over the ridge. I did not draw my pistol, and they soon were all round the wagon, and I felt very safe, for the Lord took all fear from me. …

"I said to them ‘gentlemen show me two men among you that shall be traveling the road peaceably on their own business as we were doing, and let them be attacked by three ruffians, as we supposed we were and if they will not defend themselves, I will show you two cowards and scoundrels...’

"I asked him if we could pass peaceable without being ill treated. He said we should. I told him our brethren had the same promise in Jackson Co. and then were driven out the next day at the point of the sword and bayonet. 

"They then with one consent cried out ‘Damn you’ and cocked their rifles…

"I surrendered my pistol and Bro. Rufus his rifle and Frost wished us well & wanted to shake hands with me. I did so, and told him before he could do well, he must repent…

"...They again cried out ‘damn you we do not repent,' again cocked their rifles, but after a little uncocked them, and I said to them 'gentlemen if you are done with me, and have no further business with me, I want you to open up right and left, and give me room to drive for I will neither drive through you, or around you.' And they opened up right and left and I drove off on a walk…”

1845

John endured the death of his third wife! He was now living in Nauvoo.

1846

At the age of 54, John married his fourth wife, Sarah Zufelt, and adopted her little boy, George. He was called as Bishop in Nauvoo.

September 19, 1846

The Saints had been cast out of Nauvoo, and the Murdock family with them. While camped at Winter Quarters, the youngest Murdock, little 2-year-old Hyrum (child of Electa) died and was buried with a cottonwood log for a coffin. The Murdocks took in two little orphan girls whose parents also had died there.

1847

The oldest Murdock sons, John R. and Orrice, both joined the Mormon Battalion. The rest of the family traveled to Salt Lake Valley in the second wagon train. Six-year-old Gideon drove the family’s second wagon the entire way. (This same little boy was assigned to stand guard against Indians in Utah when he was 13, armed with a very heavily loaded musket. He later said, “I did not know which I was most afraid of: the gun or the Indians” (Murdock, 324). 

Nineteen wards were established upon arrival at the Valley. John was called as bishop of the 14th ward.

1849

As John R. and Orrice both married, Father John & his fourth wife Sarah had a new baby, Brigham Young Murdock.  This numbered 13 children for John: 10 biological, two adopted (Sarah’s George and a little girl named Mary Cooper) and one foster child (Martha Henderson).  

1851-53

"For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies" (D&C 84:33).

On February 20, 1835 John Murdock had received his Patriarchal Blessing at the hands of Joseph Smith, Sr. It stated “…thy Children shall be blessed of the Lord, and the Holy Priesthood, after the holy order of God shall be established with thy children, and thy children’s children unto the end of the earth…thou shalt have power to bring souls unto Jesus, by proclaiming the gospel till the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, in power and glory…” (Murdock, 135) It was not a blessing of long life on earth for most of his children, however: Orrice, John R., Julia Smith, Gideon, and George are the only ones known to survive childhood, and George only lived to be 35.

John Murdock magnified his callings outlined in the blessing.  He always loved being a missionary and requested a call to serve once again before he was too old and infirm. He’d had bad health his whole adult life. He was called as one of the first full-time missionaries to Australia, and President of the mission there. 

1853

A month after his return, he was called as a patriarch, in which capacity he served for 13 years.

John married a fifth wife in an attempt to live polygamy, but she hated being in their household and would never move in, although she would come over and help.  After 2-1/2 years, the marriage was dissolved.  John never stated any animosity whatsoever toward this wife. Polygamy was hard.

1859

In 1859 John wrote a letter to his daughter Julia, who was living back in Illinois with her adoptive mother, Emma Smith, no longer a member of the Church.  He share with her his conversion story and testimony of the gospel, as well as his reason for placing her with the Smiths.

1871

John Murdock died at age 79, two days before Christmas.  

“John’s life became the gospel of Jesus Christ and if there were a single word to capture the core of his relationship to the gospel, it would be ‘constant.’  From start to finish, John stayed true to the faith, he persevered to the end of his mortal ability to do so."  (Murdock, 329).  

Hundreds of thousands of people today are members of the Church because of the missionary labors of John Murdock and of his children.

His Posterity

In the posterity of John Murdock, we see the blessing fulfilled which the Lord promised to those who honor their priesthood. His three biological sons were great contributors to the building of the Kingdom.  Besides serving in the Mormon Battalion, John R. helped rescue the Martin and Willie handcart companies and became a great philanthropist when he became wealthy.  Orrice and John R. both sheltered and raised others’ children during times of trial, as had been done for them.  They shared a great brotherhood their entire lives.  When John R. died at age 87, Orrice, then 89, held his hand in his casket, with tears running down his face.  He died within two years.

Gideon, who was only six when his brothers joined the Mormon Battalion, became a bishop and a sheriff and a temple worker.  He was well-known for his lengthy prayers.  “When Uncle Gideon would come for dinner, the hostess would not put the potatoes on to cook until it was time for Gideon to say the blessing on the food.  When Gideon was through with the blessing, the potatoes would be done as well.”

These three sons stood by their father and helped him, taking him into their homes in his old age.  On the day of his death, Orrice wrote in his journal, “My father departed this life.  He had born the heat and burden of the day.  He has gone to reap the reward of a righteous man.”  

May we all (both men and women) keep the oath and covenant of the priesthood, and bear the heat and burden of the day, remaining constant to the gospel cause as did John Murdock.

Order of the Restoration of the Priesthood and its Offices

See Bill Beardall’s excellent  Gospel Doctrine Class website for all the details on how the restoration occurred, physically and temporally.

Doctrine and Covenants 81-83

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 81

Section 81 is given to a counselor to the Prophet as to how to fulfill his duties. One counselor did not do this, and so another was called. Frederick G. Williams, who was a scribe to the prophet already, replaced Jesse Gause and did not ask for a new revelation but simply crossed out the name and inserted his own in the record. He understood the revelation was for the calling and not for an individual.

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 82

Section 82 regards the United Firm. For details regarding the United Firm, please see Max H Parkin, "Joseph Smith and the United Firm: The Growth and Decline of the Church's First Master Plan of Business and Finance, Ohio and Missouri, 1832-1834," BYU Studies, Vol. 46, no. 3.

DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 83--CARE FOR THE WIDOWS AND CHILDREN

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord, in addition to the ^alaws of the church concerning women and children, those who belong to the church, who have ^blost their husbands or fathers:

2 ^aWomen have ^bclaim on their husbands for their maintenance, until their ^chusbands are taken; and if they are not found transgressors they shall have fellowship in the church.

3 And if they are not faithful they shall not have fellowship in the church; yet they may remain upon their inheritances according to the laws of the land.

4 All ^achildren have claim upon their ^bparents for their ^cmaintenance until they are of age.

5 And after that, they have ^aclaim upon the church, or in other words upon the Lord’s ^bstorehouse, if their parents have not wherewith to give them inheritances.

6 And the storehouse shall be kept by the consecrations of the church; and ^awidows and orphans shall be provided for, as also the ^bpoor. Amen.

This revelation was given in April 30, 1832. Little did the Prophet Joseph know that in 12 years his wife would be counted among the widows and his children among the fatherless. Who would take care of them? Spoiler alert: It wasn't the Church. (The Church, however, did take care of Lucy Mack Smith and financially assist Joseph's sisters for the rest of their lives. For details, click here.)

EMMA'S ESCAPE FROM NAUVOO

When Joseph Smith was killed in June of 1844, he left his wife Emma with four young children and a fifth on the way. The following year, mobs threatened the Saints with death if they did not leave Nauvoo and those who could did so in February of 1846 and throughout the spring. By summertime, only 150 members remained in Nauvoo, mostly the poor or widowed who did not have means to travel. Emma Smith and her family, including most of her in-laws, were in this group. They had no funds, and they had enormous debt. Which parts of the debt and which parts of the property belonged to Emma and which to the Church would not be resolved for over a decade. (See Church History Topics, "Emma Smith") 

This is one of those unpleasant episodes in Church history wherein problems were extremely complicated, personalities were necessarily strong, emotions were exceptionally high, trust was unfortunately low, and no one had a template to tell them how to best proceed. 

Battle of Nauvoo, by C.C.A. Christensen (ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

LEWIS BIDAMON'S ROLE IN NAUVOO

Lewis Crum Bidamon had moved to Nauvoo earlier that year to take advantage of the low prices on property being sold by the departing Saints. The place was still very dangerous, however, with mobs attacking citizens. He had petitioned the governor to protect the city, but to no avail. The governor said he was tired of the problems in Nauvoo. Bidamon tried negotiating with the camp of the mob soldiers on behalf of the women, children, sick, and elderly left behind by the Saints. He was told they would throw the women and their children in the Mississippi River and they tried to get him to join up. He was sickened by their heartless cruelty. 

On September 10, 1846, an army of 1,000 local mobsters attacked Nauvoo to drive out the stragglers in what is now called The Battle of Nauvoo. Emma, with her children, ran to the river where "she prevailed upon a friendly riverboat captain to stop at the landing in Nauvoo where she and her family boarded the Toby, to go north to Fulton, Illinois, for refuge.  They heard the first volley of shots as the Battle of Nauvoo began as they were leaving" (Gracia Jones, "In Memory of Major Lewis Crum Bidamon," JosephSmithJr.org, August 16, 2020). Bidamon joined the Saints in defending the city. For his bravery, he was afterwards known as "Major" Bidamon.

Newel K. Whitney, as presiding bishop of the Church, was organizing rescue parties from Winter Quarters to emigrate these indigent remainders two weeks before the battle occurred, but they had not yet reached the area. By the time they arrived, Emma Smith was already gone.

The following January, Bidamon wrote to Emma Smith asking if he could rent the Nauvoo House. She wrote back that it was already rented. Shortly afterward, Bidamon became aware that the renter was planning to move out and steal all of Smith's property, so he wrote her again with this information. She reportedly said, "I have no friend but God and nowhere to go but home." She gathered her children and meager belongings and hurried back to Nauvoo, catching the thief in the act and saving her home and furnishings. She reopened the hotel in the almost-deserted Nauvoo. Emma had always had a good head for business and she knew this would be a sure way to both shelter and support her family.

Nauvoo Mansion House, late 19th Century

JosephSmithPapers.org

MAJOR LEWIS BIDAMON'S CARE FOR THE SMITH FAMILY

Emma Smith was only 39 years old when she became a widow. She was a beautiful and refined woman who had two suitors after she returned to Nauvoo. Bidamon was the one she chose to marry. The wedding curiously took place on Joseph's birthday, December 23, 1847. Perhaps she wanted a happy memory on that day to replace her deep sorrow. Perhaps it was just the most convenient day for all. Perhaps birthdays were not a big deal in that time. She seldom shared her inner thoughts with others or wrote them down, so we cannot know.

Emma's great-great-granddaughter, Gracia Jones, writes about the legal difficulties facing a single mother in 19th Century America: "Emma’s marriage displeased many of the Saints, particularly the men who had been placed as agents over the Church business in Nauvoo.  But, to some extent, her marriage alleviated some of the pressures.  One of the interesting aspects of the law at that time was that a widow had to petition the court for guardianship of her children.  She not only had to pay for the privilege, she had to account to the court yearly on what she spent to support a minor child." [Is this crazy or what? Women had so few legal rights.] "If a woman remarried, her children became wards of the step-father. With this marriage to Joseph’s widow, Lewis did not gain anything financially, but took upon himself the responsibility of being a father to her children, a role he seems never to have resented nor shirked.  They shouldered the burden of debt, court litigation, even the forced sale of the property, more than once.  During one of these troubled times, Lewis’ brother Christian Bidamon stepped forward to purchase the property and Emma was enabled to buy it back from him.  Visitors to Nauvoo today owe thanks to Major Lewis C. Bidamon for helping Emma preserve the Smith homes, which so many enjoy visiting...

Shortly after the marriage, Bidamon set out to provide for his new family. He and his brother followed the prospectors to California to sell them goods, in an unsuccessful attempt to earn enough to pay off Joseph Smith's debts. During the year they were apart, Lewis and Emma wrote to each other.

Emma: "My dear Lewis, I have scarcely enjoyed any good thing since you left home, in consequence of the terrifying apprehension that you might be suffering for the most common comforts of life...Some think that I might be content, but I am not, neither can I be until you are within my grasp."

Lewis: "I do not like California. It affords no charms for me and especially in the absence of her and only her that can make me happy." (Joni Wilson, "Emma's Enduring Compassion," Nauvoo Journal, May 2013, 72).

PRESERVATION OF MANUSCRIPT

Years later, when Bidamon was building an addition onto the Mansion House, he uncovered the cornerstone in which the original manuscript for The Book of Mormon had been hidden by Joseph Smith. It was damaged by moisture and time, but what was still readable he divided among the various sects of Mormonism. It had no value to him, but he knew it had great value to believers. He gave a portion to Apostle Franklin D. Richards and it stayed in the Richards family until it was donated to the Church in 1946. It is now on display at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City as well as online at JosephSmithPapers.org (Jones).

BIDAMON AS A FATHER

Although polar-opposite reports were written about the character and aspect of Major Bidamon, depending on the bias of the one doing the reporting, evidence is strong that he was a good man and a good stepfather to Emma's children. He was loved and honored by Emma's boys, who worked by his side in his shop and in the field and whose education he fostered. He had two teenaged daughters from a previous marriage whom Emma and her children welcomed into their home and life. They maintained a loving relationship throughout their lives. Joseph III wrote, "Our stepfather is as good as a stepfather can be. He loves us all as well as he does his own children" (Wilson, 73).

Major Bidamon (seated left) with his four stepsons: Frederick and David, standing; Alexander and Joseph III, seated. (JosephSmithJr.org)

Perhaps no report is as telling, however, as the kindness Lewis Bidamon extended to his wife's first husband's mother, Lucy. Three years into their marriage, Emma brought Lucy into the Mansion House to care for her. She had been previously living with her daughter Lucy and her husband, but they moved east and Emma agreed to take over. She and Emma had a close relationship and great admiration for each other. Emma and Lewis cared for Lucy for the last four years of her life (Wilson, 74).

BIDAMON AS A CITIZEN

Major Bidamon was what we might call a "character," attracting attention through his fun-loving attitude and his love of conversation. He served as a justice of the peace and an assistant constable.

"In his later years, Major Bidamon became a favorite with reporters passing through Nauvoo.  He was always good natured, cordial, full of jokes and entertaining stories.  He never allowed anyone in his hearing to get away with disparaging words about the Prophet Joseph Smith.  Though he was not religious and sometimes rather roughly irreligious, he defended the Mormon’s right to believe what they chose and did all he could to defend Nauvoo" (Jones). He knew that his wife believed Joseph Smith and he respected that. He was beloved by his children, and he adored his grandchildren as well as Emma's and Nancy's, who trailed after him as he worked about the place, and to whom he never spoke a harsh word.

At his death, Bidamon's obituary stated, "Deceased was probably best known in the city, he became widely known to the general public, as the husband of Joseph Smith’s widow and the visits of all noted people, newspaper corrospondence, authors, etc., was never complete without paying a visit to the Major and the old mansion house; and all writer’s account of Nauvoo invariably gave an elaborate write up of him.  He was good natured, humorous and a jocular character and he scarely let a visitor go without first telling him of his “red hat” and “dark closet” jokes – Jokes that have become famous" (JosephSmithJr.org). (Makes you want to know those jokes, doesn't it?)

Bidamon was buried by Emma, Joseph, and Hyrum Smith, but sadly his grave was never marked until 2016. 

EMMA'S CARE FOR WIDOWS AND CHILDREN

Emma Smith Bidamon was widely known for her kindness in taking care of outcasts and orphans. Sometime I'd like to compose a list of them; there are so many. She did not descriminate by race, either, taking the entire family of Jane Manning James into her home while Joseph was still alive, and keeping Jane on after all the others found new situations. But of all the acts of compassion which Emma performed in her life, the most stunning involved Nancy Abercrombie. 

Lewis Bidamon had an extra-marital affair with Nancy which resulted in the birth of a son, Charles Edward, in 1864. (One source says he was called "Charlie," another "Eddie." I'm going with Eddie.) Eddie's mother had lived a challenging life. Apprenticed as a seamstress away from her own family at the tender age of 7, she had been married at 17 to a man who died or disappeared after the birth of her first child, married to a second man who died after the birth of her second child, and was living with a family near Nauvoo years later when she gave birth to a third child whose father was not revealed. Her fourth child was Eddie. When Eddie was 4 years old, Nancy was unable to care for him any longer and appealed to Emma. Without rancor, 64-year-old Emma accepted him into her own home. He called her Grandmother. 

Four years later, in an almost unbelievable act of charity, Emma hired Nancy as a housekeeper to allow her to live with her now 8-year-old son. (Two of Nancy's children were by this time adults, and it is not known where the third lived.) Emma was 68, Lewis was 66, Nancy was 39. As Emma neared the end of her life, she asked Lewis to promise to marry Nancy and legitimize Eddie's family relationship, which he did one year after she died.

Still image of Eddie and Emma from the wonderful feature film, "Emma Smith: My Story,"

 JosephSmithJr.org

After her death, Eddie recalled Emma as "a person of even temper. I never heard her say an unkind word, or raise her voice in anger or contention...a noble woman, living and showing charity for all, loving and beloved" (Wilson, 75-76).

Charles Edward Bidamon

JosephSmithJr.org

TRUE RELIGION

As was taught by the brother of the Lord, 

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27). 

Note that care for the fatherless and widows is mentioned first, and keeping oneself holy is mentioned second. We cannot be truly unspotted from the world without living in that messy and muddy world and reaching out to those to whom it has dealt harsh blows. Lewis and Emma Bidamon did so, even though life had also dealt hard blows to them. Major Bidamon defended women and children in battle and took on a young family of six plus mother-in-law, including all their debts, legal battles, and negative press. He defended Joseph Smith's name, though he had never met the man. As for Emma, she had experienced a life of trauma and loss, but still she kept the commandment to love whomever was placed in her path.