Without Disclosing My True Identity
everlasting Gospel,” nor ever mentioned in the Book of Mormon. This action created strife,
malice, hatred, and continued prejudice. That is not all. LDS/Mormons have become
some of the most outspoken American patriots and those responsible for keeping and
strengthening borders and nationalism, thus isolating the poor and the needy of the
darker-skinned races from the riches of America.
LDS Missionaries Focus on the Church Instead of the Everlasting Gospel
The year of 1840 was a pivotal transformation point in LDS/Mormon history. By
this time, the Church and its gospel had nothing to do with what was written in the Book of
Mormon. The simple “gospel of Jesus Christ,” was replaced with the Mosaic ordinances and
patriarchic priesthood authority of the LDS Church. According to Church doctrine, “living
the gospel” meant obeying and living Church doctrine and authority. The LDS missionaries
proclaimed to the world that the fullness of the gospel had been restored to the earth, yet
nothing in their missionary lessons covered what was delivered by the Savior to the Jews or
to the Nephite and Lamanite people; the same is also true today. It became all about the
Church. Baptism, instead of being a symbolic outward demonstration of spiritual rebirth to
follow the counsel of Christ, evolved into a commitment one made to obey the doctrines of
the Church and follow its leaders. In all things, the LDS Church as an organization and
religion, and not the “fullness of the everlasting Gospel delivered by the Savior,” became the
central focus of all missionary efforts.
The Worldly Reasons for Missionary Success in England
England became the proving ground for Brigham Young’s escalating authority and
his authoritarian version of the LDS/Mormon faith. Joseph largely stayed out of the way of
Young and the Twelve as they became overly excited about the missionary prospects in
Europe. From the letters he received, Joseph quickly realized that the people joining the
church were swayed by the promises of riches as “God’s chosen people.” Most converts
were very poor and many were even under indentured contracts.
The Twelve, led by Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, John
Taylor, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, George A. Smith, and Willard Richards, were
successful in England among the poor who wanted assistance traveling to America.
These people did not want to immigrate in order to live the gospel (after all, they were
never taught the gospel). Rather, they were in search of a better life filled with the
prosperity offered by “the desires of this great and abominable church...the gold, and
the silver, and the silks, and the scarlets, and the fine-twined linen, and the precious
clothing.”^11 Zion in America promised all of these things in abundance.
LDS historians described the scene:The typical English convert was a dissatisfied Christian seeking religion
along the margins of conventional church life. And, as Brigham Young
said in a report to Joseph, “almost without exception it is the poor that
receive the gospel.” Though poor men themselves, the apostles were
appalled by the miserable living conditions they encountered. In the
Midlands manufacturing towns, Young and Richards found workers who