Chapter Eight

GATHERING TO OHIOcause the spirit of God to be withdrawn; and to uproot and destroy thoseglorious principles which had been developed for the salvation of the humanfamily.” 13 “With a little caution and some wisdom” and the guidance ofseveral revelations, he succeeded in overcoming these problems. 14Still, in late February 1831, some individuals continued to claim they hadreceived revelations. This was not a new problem; Hiram Page had done thesame thing in Fayette the previous fall (see D&C 28). One of these so-called“revelators” was a professed prophetess named Hubble, who claimed sheshould be allowed to become a teacher in the Church. According to JohnWhitmer, she “appeared to be very sanctimonious and deceived some whowere not able to detect her in her hypocrisy.” Many saw through her falseclaims, however, and “her follies and abominations were made manifest.” 15The Prophet inquired of the Lord about her stratagems. In a revelationdirected to the elders of the Church, the Lord declared “that there is none otherappointed unto you to receive commandments and revelations until [JosephSmith] be taken, if he abide in me” (D&C 43:3). So-called revelations throughothers for the guidance of the Church were not of God (see D&C 43:4–6).Shortly thereafter another revelation called the elders to go forth bytwos in all directions to preach the gospel (see D&C 44:1–3; 42:6–7). Soonmany elders were seen going into villages and towns throughout Ohio. Forexample, John Corrill recounted that he and Solomon Hancock “went toNew London, about one hundred miles from Kirtland, where we built up achurch [branch] of thirty-six members in about three weeks time, though wewere bitterly opposed by other preachers.” 16 That spring the Church in Ohioincreased by several hundred converts.The growing Church did not go unnoticed in northern Ohio. JosephSmith wrote that in the spring of 1831, “many false reports, lies, and foolishstories, were published in the newspapers, and circulated in everydirection, to prevent people from investigating the work, or embracing thefaith.” 17 For example, a devastating earthquake struck near Peking, China,which a young Mormon girl had predicted six weeks earlier. This eventconvinced Symonds Ryder, a well-known Campbellite preacher who hadbeen perplexed over Mormonism for some time, to join the Church. Hisconversion caused quite a disturbance in the vicinity, and the earthquakewas heralded in the newspapers as Mormonism in China. “But to the joy ofthe Saints who had to struggle against everything that prejudice andwickedness could invent,” the Prophet received a revelation that identifiednumerous signs that will precede the second coming of the Lord. 18 In it theSaints were commanded to “stand in holy places” and take “the Holy Spiritfor their guide,” and they were promised that they would be rewarded forthis with the establishment of the “New Jerusalem” (D&C 45:32, 57, 66).Also in the spring of 1831 a Methodist preacher named Ezra Boothbrought a party to Kirtland, which included a well-to-do farmer named John93