The Gospel Doctrine Class

Vol 1 Issue 15 The Gospel Doctrine Class April 22, 2001


In This Issue Lesson 12 Lesson 13 Lesson 14 Lesson 15 Lesson 16 Reading Assignments Visitors: Is Your Ward Represented? LDS Links Write The Editor Print Version This Page Gazette Archives FAQs About This Website Old Testament New Testament Book of Mormon Church History		Temple Site Dedicated In Zion Independence, Missouri: On June 19 (1831) President Joseph Smith, in company with Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, Martin Harris, and others, left Kirtland for Missouri. They were hopeful that upon their arrival the Lord would reveal the place for the building of the New Jerusalem. After their arrival in Missouri, on July 20, the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that the center place for the city of Zion and the building of the temple would be in Independence. On August 2, President Smith assisted the Colesville branch in laying the first log, for a house in Kaw township, as a foundation for Zion . The first log was carried and placed by twelve men in honor of the twelve tribes of Israel. Elder Sidney Rigdon consecrated and dedicated the land of Zion for the gathering of the Saints. On August 3, in Independence, Pres- ident Smith dedicated the site for the temple. Also present were Sidney Rigdon, Edward Partridge, W. W. Phelps, Oliver Cowdery, Martin Harris and Joseph Coe. The following day, the first conference of the Church in the land of Zion was held in Kaw township, with the Colesville branch. It was reported that the Sprit of the Lord was present.	The Pratt Chronicles Part XIII As Parley and his com- panions continued west through Ohio they stopped one evening at the home of Simeon Carter. While they were discussing the Book of Mormon, a knock came on the door. An officer came to arrest Parley on "very frivolous charge." Parley went with the officer, two miles, in the dark of night, on a muddy road. "We arrived at the place of trial late in the evening; found false witnesses in attendance, and a Judge who boasted of his intention to thrust us into prison, for the purpose of testing the powers of our apostleship, as he called it; although I was only an Elder in the Church. The Judge boasting thus, and the witnesses being entirely false in their testimony, I concluded to make no defense, but to treat the whole matter with contempt. "I was soon ordered to prison, or to pay a sum of money which I had not in the world. It was now a late hour, and I was still retained in court, tantalized, abused and urged to settle the matter, to all of which I made no reply for some time. This greatly exhausted their	patience. It was near midnight. I now called on brother Petersen to sing a hymn in the court. We sung, 'O how happy are they.' This exasperated them still more, and they pressed us greatly to settle the business, by paying the money. "I then observed as follows: 'May it please the court, I have one proposal to make for a final settlement of the things that seem to trouble you. It is this: if the witnesses who have given testimony in the case will repent of their false swearing, and the magistrate of his unjust and wicked judgment and of his persecution, blackguardism and abuse, and all kneel down together, we will pray for you, that God might forgive you in these matters'." Not willing to pay the fine, Parley was taken to a public house and locked up until the following morning. " In the morning the officer appeared and took me to breakfast; this over, we sat waiting in the inn for all things to be ready to conduct me to prison. In the meantime my fellow travellers came past on their journey, and called to see me. I told them in an undertone to pursue their journey and leave me to manage my own affairs, promising to overtake them soon. They did so." To be continued. (Excerpts from the Auto- biography of Parley P. Pratt)

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