Thirty (1835)system the opportunity to observe how people with uncontrolled human nature act when
given the permission—or rather, the non-interference—to do so by their creator. If given
the choice, would the people create peace and equality upon earth, i.e., a “city of Zion”; or
would they isolate themselves from all others and promote their own version of pride,
vain ambition, control, dominion, and compulsion upon the souls of the children of men?
Unfortunately, they chose the latter to their own condemnation^48 —but for the benefit of
the whole world.
Temples, Missionary Work, and Debt
During 1835, the people at Kirtland continued in the process of building a grand
“House of the Lord,”^49 it becoming the first LDS Temple. They wanted this temple—and
they were going to get it. But to do so, the Church became encumbered with a considerable
amount of debt. The more humble members of the Saints, who weren’t continually worried
about holding an office in the priesthood, were the ones who actually worked and
supported the Church leadership and the many missionaries, including the newly formed
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The High Priests were attending to the outward ordinances
of the church meant for the “lesser priesthood,” managing church affairs and traveling
throughout the world to let everyone know about their church and to sell copies of the Book
of Mormon. In the meantime, the humble church members who were left to labor could not
keep up with the rising demands and expectations of their leaders.
Joseph was increasingly burdened, not only with giving in to the free will of those
men who desired to serve as missionaries and leaders in the Church, but by the heavy
financial burden that encumbered the Church so that the leaders and their families could
then be supported by the Church. In contrast, there was a dwindling number of “humble
followers of Christ,” in the case of those mentioned above, who were “led, that in many
instances they [did] err because they [were] taught the precepts of men,”^50 giving their all to
“build up of the kingdom of God on earth.”^51
Like his father, Joseph was a very poor businessman. He depended on the counsel of
others pertaining to matters of money, credit, debt, business, and the solicitation and
distribution of promissory notes—things in which he really had no personal interest.
Nevertheless, he did the best he could with the advice he received from others.
Joseph set up some businesses in Kirtland by borrowing money and goods on credit
from businesses operating in eastern cities. These businesses welcomed the aspirations of the
western people to explore new lands, acquire them, and generate income. The law of the land
was strict at the time for the repayment of debts when goods and services were involved, so
these eastern companies believed they could depend upon the law to collect on their notes.
The LDS Church borrowed goods on credit, sold them on credit to others at an increased price
for a substantial profit, or gave them to the workers building the Kirtland Temple.
The financial problem was compounded when the people who bought the goods on
credit from the Church—the same goods that were purchased on credit from the eastern
companies—were the same people who accepted the commandment to give all that they
had to the Church according to the Law of Consecration. The Church was “robbing Peter to
pay Paul,” who owed a creditor outside of the Church. It became a financial nightmare
when the eastern companies came to Kirtland seeking payment on their notes. The essence
of the Church’s problem was that the “cash cow” or “cash engine” of the Church were the
“humble followers” who gave away all that they had to the Church to “build up the