Without Disclosing My True Identity
8 And blessed are all the pure in heart who in righteousness seek to know
God and His ways, that they might understand truth, and not to consume it
upon their lusts as do they who are impure; behold, they shall know God.
9 And blessed are the peacemakers who contend with no man over doctrine.
Yea, these shall come to know the true doctrine, and then they shall be called
the children of God.
10 And blessed are they which are persecuted and mocked by others because
of their righteous works; for they shall find their peace and happiness in the
kingdom of heaven.
11 And blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and
shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, because of that which ye do
for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad in your persecutions and afflictions; for so
persecuted they the prophets who were before you, who I sent unto the
people to teach them these things; for your reward shall be given you from
heaven by receiving peace and comfort from the Spirit of God.^73The early Saints were far from this type of people. The majority, especially the
leaders, were far from being “poor of spirit.” They did not mourn because of the doctrines
of men, but created even more. Far from meek, they believed with all of their hearts that
they and their church were God’s chosen ones. In no other way did they meet the criteria set
forth by Christ for those who would receive his gospel.
The Saints Embrace Debt, Expecting God to Bail Them Out
The cost of the Kirtland temple added to the great debts of the Church. As mentioned
previously, many of the men desired to become missionaries or leaders in the priesthood,
dedicating all of their time in the affairs of the Church. These men and their dependents
expected to be cared for by the Church. There was a much greater amount of money going out
of the Church’s coffers than what was coming in. Joseph’s hands were tied.
As a consequence of the people getting what they wanted, the Church
substantially increased its debt during 1837. The people strongly believed that nothing
was impossible when they were keeping God’s commandments—not those of “the
everlasting gospel”—but the commandments of the Church to spread Zion throughout
the world and everything they imagined to be good. In their hearts and minds, the
people believed that God would provide the means to pay their debts. Under these
circumstances, Joseph once again was forced to “inquire of the Lord” and receive a
“revelation” to inflate their belief that the coffers of the church would be filled by
“revealing” the prospect of a large amount of money available to the “Saints” in Salem,
Massachusetts to solve their financial misfortunes. (D&C, section 111.) Joseph knew they
would not find anything in Salem and hoped that maybe then the people would see that
the Lord wasn’t going to help them pay their debts; but the blind could not see.
Church leaders in other cities were sending their poor and needy to Zion. The
leadership of the Church told them to stop “sending their poor from among them, and
moving [them] to this place [Kirtland], without the necessary means of subsistence.”^74 The
Church was extended in credit in the amount of tens of thousands of dollars. Most of the
loan notes were signed by multiple church leaders, convincing creditors to lend even more.