Chapter Eight

CHURCH HISTORY IN THE FULNESS OF TIMESJohn Whitmer (1802–78) was the first presidingelder of the Kirtland Saints until Joseph Smitharrived in February 1831.Newel K. Whitney (1795–1850) was asuccessful businessman as well as prominentin civic affairs. In 1844 he was sustained as thesecond bishop in the Church, and in 1847 as thefirst Presiding Bishop.Following the conference, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon went toColesville to strengthen the members of the Colesville branch and to preachfor the last time to nonmembers in the vicinity. Threats on their livesprevented them from extended proselyting. Upon their return to Fayette,the Prophet sent John Whitmer to Ohio with copies of several of therevelations to comfort and strengthen the Saints. Brother Whitmer was alsoassigned to be their presiding elder until the arrival of the Prophet. By thetime he arrived in Kirtland, the membership of the Church in Geauga andCuyahoga counties in Ohio had swelled to about three hundred, more thantwice the number reported only two months earlier. 3 Since the departure ofthe missionaries to the Lamanites, proselyting in the area had continuedunabated. One of the most successful missionaries was the formerrestorationist preacher, John Murdock. Between November 1830 and March1831, he baptized over seventy settlers living in Cuyahoga County. 4 Othermissionaries fared equally well in their labors in Ohio.G ATHERING TO O HIO B EGINSMoving to Ohio was advantageous to the young Church. By leavingNew York the Saints hoped to leave behind religious persecution,particularly in the Colesville area. In addition, there were more Churchmembers in Ohio than anywhere else, and gathering in one place enabledeveryone to receive instructions from the Prophet, thus maintainingdoctrinal and organizational uniformity. Ohio’s available waterways alsoprovided a gateway to the rest of the country for missionary work. But,most important, the move to Ohio was a step closer to “the borders by theLamanites,” where Zion would be established (D&C 28:9). In Ohio manyprinciples pertaining to the building of Zion could be implemented.Joseph Smith was eager to meet with the Saints in Ohio, and JohnWhitmer wrote urging him to come right away. Joseph sought the Lord’swill and was told to leave immediately, but the prospect of moving seemedgrim to Emma. She had moved seven times in the first four years ofmarriage and was just recovering from a month-long illness in addition tobeing six months pregnant. Under such conditions the three-hundred miletrip to Ohio in the dead of winter was arduous at best. Joseph Knightgraciously provided a sleigh to make traveling less strenuous for her. At theend of January 1831, Joseph and Emma Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and EdwardPartridge set out for Kirtland.About the first of February the sleigh pulled up in front of Newel K.Whitney’s store in Kirtland. Joseph sprang from the sleigh and entered thestore. “‘Newel K. Whitney! Thou art the man.’ he exclaimed, extending hishand cordially, as if to an old and familiar acquaintance. ‘You have theadvantage of me,’ replied the merchant, . . . ‘I could not call you by name asyou have me.’ ‘I am Joseph the Prophet,’ said the stranger smiling. ‘You’veprayed me here, now what do you want of me?’” Joseph explained to the90