Thirty-Six (1841)people observe not this law, to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify the land
of Zion unto me, that my statutes and my judgments may be kept thereon,
that it may be most holy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land
of Zion unto you. And this shall be an ensample [sic] unto all the stakes of
Zion. Even so. Amen.^83The lay members of the Church did not have a chance to prosper like their leaders.^84
They were poor; therefore, “their surplus property” was all that was not sufficient for their
needs. The LDS/Mormon priesthood had invented a religious serfdom in the kingdom and
lands over which they lorded with the iron hand of religious authority.
Along with their priesthood authority, the leaders and their words became the
“word of the lord.” The “needs” of Sidney Rigdon, John Bennett, Brigham Young, and many
other prominent Saints were quite different than those of the regular members; their debts
were significantly greater than those of the ordinary members, as were the Pharisees and
Sanhedrin of old. So, after the members gave all their surplus property, it was still—by
decree of the “lords of the priesthood”—only “the beginning of the tithing of my people.”
They then “commanded” church members to give “one-tenth of all their interest annually,”
which religious “serfdom” was to become a “standing law unto them forever.” Their
“interest” included everything that they took “interest” in of a financial or material nature.
If they raised chickens, they were interested (pun intended) in chickens, and paid a tenth of
all that they had an “increase” in.
The “standing law” was eventually changed to 10% of their gross income. The
precedent was now set, by the voice of “the Lord.” But the true Lord had not said a thing
about tithing or about having to pay any “interest” in “the fullness of the everlasting
Gospel he delivered to the Nephites.” (The commandments of men now said that tithing
was “for the building of mine house...the foundation of Zion and for the priesthood...and
for the debts of the Presidency of my Church.”) The General Authorities of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“the Lord”) now required its members to purchase their
way into the graces of God, or be burned for nonpayment.^85
Joseph Files for Bankruptcy Contrary to the Wishes of the Church Council
By the time Nauvoo started to expand and flourish, the Church owed creditors all
over the United States. Joseph was being sued in absentia^86 on ex-parte orders^87 in many
courts across the land. In August 1841, some relief finally came from the avalanche of
lawsuits directed at Joseph and the Church. The U.S. Congress passed some voluntary,
personal bankruptcy laws that protected Joseph and other Church leaders from their
creditors. After the laws were passed, many of Joseph’s creditors simply gave up trying to
find him, believing that even if they did, he would probably file for bankruptcy. In thinking
this they were correct; he would have, and he eventually did.^88 Heaping insult on injury, the
leaders of the Church came out with an epistle opposing bankruptcy and wrote in council to
the members of the Church on April 12, 1842:
How can we prosper while the Church, while the Presidency, while the
Bishops, while those who have sacrificed everything but life, in this thing,
for our salvation, are thus encumbered? It cannot be. Arise, then, brethren,
set them free, and set each other free, and we will all be free together, we