Thirty-One (1836)The people wanted their “god” to acknowledge their righteousness and his
acceptance of their temple. Joseph counseled with Oliver Cowdery and Sidney Rigdon on
the matter. But bickering and jealousness ensued in attempting to figure out which
Associate President (Cowdery or Rigdon) would help Joseph inquire of the Lord his will
concerning the matter. Cowdery felt cheated ever since Rigdon had received a glorious
vision^33 a few years previously, which “by the power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and
our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God.”^34
Cowdery had pestered Joseph since Rigdon’s vision to have his own vision with Joseph.
Oliver wanted to see Christ and give his own personal testimony “that he lives!”^35
When Rigdon wasn’t around to argue the matter and commit more bickering and
jealousy, and when an occasion presented itself, Joseph did even better for Oliver. Between
the two of them, they wrote up a revelation as a vision they received through the “eyes of
their understanding.” According to the “revelation,” Oliver got to see, not only Christ, but
also Moses, Elias, and Elijah.^36 With Joseph present, Oliver had tacit approval to declare the
presence of these beings and even to “see” as Joseph instructed him to perceive them.
The people’s house was accepted by their god—the God of this world. Soon
thereafter, Joseph turned the full reigns of the Church over to its leaders to “go wheresoever
they will, and preach the Gospel”^37 —not the Lord’s Gospel, but their gospel. To prove, once
again, how ignorant the leaders of the people were of the true everlasting gospel delivered by
the Savior, Joseph asked the leaders of the church if they felt good about making a
covenant, that if any more of our brethren are slain or driven from their lands
in Missouri, by the mob, we will give ourselves no rest, until we are avenged
of our enemies to the uttermost.^38The “covenant was sealed unanimously, with a hosanna and an amen,”^39 completely
contrary to the “everlasting Gospel delivered by the Savior.”
Joseph wrote:
I then observed to the quorums, that I had now completed the organization of
the Church, and we had passed through all the necessary ceremonies, that I had
given them all the instruction they needed, and that they now were at liberty,
after obtaining their licenses, to go forth and build up the Kingdom of God.^40The people had their temple; and their god had acknowledged his acceptance of it.^41
They were continually fasting, praying, and attending the meetings held in the Kirtland
Temple, calling upon God from the temple altars, looking for the endowment they had been
promised by the Father. Just as Joseph symbolically revealed to them when the official
endowment was finished a few years later, the people were continually receiving an answer to
their many prayers inside of their temple, kneeling at its altars. The “god of this world”^42
answered their prayers every time, giving them exactly what they desired—religion. The
people had
strayed from [the Lord’s] ordinances, and...broken [his] everlasting
covenant. They [sought] not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every
man walke[d] in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose
image is in the likeness of the world.^43