Without Disclosing My True Identity
the latest eastern fashions for sale. And who was one of his first and most appreciative
customers? None other than Lilburn Boggs, who furnished some space in his home for
Whitmer’s store.
When the Mormons first came to the area, very few had ever heard about them.
Most considered them to be a group of Protestants that had branched off from another
church somewhere back East. In 1831, when he allowed a Mormon to work out of his home,
Lilburn Boggs certainly had no idea what would transpire in 1838 when, as Governor, he
would issue an extermination order for all Mormons living in Missouri. LDS history
denounces the great persecution that the LDS people endured at the hand of the
Missourians. There was no sound justification for usurping the United States Constitution
and condemning a man for his religious beliefs; yet LDS historical records do not answer the
question as to why the President himself did not send troops to rescue the Mormons when
called upon personally by Joseph himself.^78
The people of Missouri and the United States did not know about Rigdon’s
“statements of the will of God concerning the description of the land of Zion.”^79 These
revelations were kept secret until it became the “desire of the people”—more especially,
Rigdon, who wanted everyone to know about his special connection with God—to make
them public. When the Mormons started a printing press and produced the Evening and
Morning Star in September 1831, it was the first time the public became aware of what the
Mormons’ view of their lands actually was! And then, when a non-member of the LDS
Church read that “God’s will” was “to purchase this whole region of country, as soon as time will
permit. ...Let them do this lest they receive none inheritance, save it be by the shedding of blood,”
WHAT WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO THINK?
When the Missourians of Jackson County became aware of what was being
published as “God’s will,” there became a general fear and a great deal of
misunderstanding among them. In the meanwhile, Boggs had gotten to know Peter
Whitmer and liked him; and, being a consummate politician at the time, Boggs made an
effort to meet with Joseph and his entourage in the spring of 1832. The meeting did not
last too long when Boggs realized that the Mormon leader considered slaves to be full,
equal human beings,^80 who deserved to be taught the “everlasting gospel” and have
their own inheritance in the city of Zion. In Boggs’ mind, the Mormon leaders were
abolitionists—those who supported the official end of slavery; and what was written in
the Evening and Morning Star seemed to concur with his assumption. There was no doubt
that Joseph was anti-slavery; but unfortunately, his people, the LDS/Mormons, were
not; their desires were for the things of the world; and they had been no less prejudiced
against the darker-skinned people by their continued belief in the Bible than had the rest
of the Christian world.^81
Prophecy of the Civil War
On Christmas Day, 1832, Joseph issued his own prophecy about slavery.^82 He
prophesied of the coming Civil War and that “the inhabitants of the earth [shall] be made to
feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God”^83 because of their
support of slavery. He prophesied that the Native Americans, to whom Joseph referred to as
the true Saints, who had been driven from their homes and had their blood spilt upon the
earth, would be avenged.^84 Again, modern Mormons stole the revelation for themselves,