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Close to the heart of every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the memory of the "Mormon Trail. " The name Mormon is given as a nickname for members of this Church. We like to call ourselves Latter-day Saints though, so that is the term I will use. The Latter-day Saints believe in the Book of Mormon which was translated from golden plates given to Joseph Smith by an angel. It was published on March 26, 1830. It is "the most correct of any book on the earth, " a record of "the principal ancestors of the American Indians" and their dealings with Jesus Christ.
Because of these beliefs, Latter-day Saints have been persecuted several. The Saints had to move from place to place, state to state to get away from the mobs of southerners and so called "Christians" that hated them. Southerners strongly opposed the Saints, who did not believe in slavery. The Protestants hated them because they were loosing members to "Joe Smith" and his "Mormon" church. The Saints believed in a gathering of Zion. This means that the Prophet Joseph Smith, or whoever was the leader at a particular time, could designate a place as Zion, or the place for the "pure in heart" for all of the members of the Church to gather to.
At one time Zion was Kirtland, Ohio. Then it was Jackson County Missouri. After many persecutions, the Saints were forced to move on to Clay, Daviess, and Caldwell Counties of Missouri. They where only at each of these places a short time until they were threatened, beat, imprisoned, and forced to leave, just for practicing what they knew was right.
They established great city after great city until they arrived near the Great Salt Lake and established Salt Lake City. When the Saints were in Missouri, many persecutions arose because Missouri was a slave state. There were many members, none of whom practiced or believed in slavery. This was a factor of many persecutions. As things were going, many Latter-day Saints could have been political leaders; "Yankees." Southerners, predictably, would be fearful of the political power of so many "Mormons." Members were beaten, tarred and feathered, and even killed.
Finally, after being non-violent for some time, a few of the male members of the Church decided to defend themselves. After a few battles took place, such as the battle of Crooked River, Governor Books issued a Missouri militia order to "exterminate or drive (the Saints) from the state" on October 27, 1838, This order was perceived as open season on the "Mormons" and resulted in occurrences such as the mob's massacre of men, women, and children at Have's Mill. Joseph Smith and other church leaders, on November 30, 1838 were put into Liberty Jail, by wicked men, for no just cause. Nearly 8, 000 scared members fled into Illinois not knowing what was to happen next. Then in April of 1839, Joseph Smith and the other leaders escaped into Illinois and established the great city of Nauvoo in 1840. Nauvoo, at one time, was the largest city in Illinois.
It was larger than Chicago! All things were going great. The Saints were so peaceful, that they never had or needed a jail in Nauvoo. Joseph Smith even ran as a candidate for the President in 1844 and was nominated in convention. On August 6, 1842, Joseph Smith prophesied that things would not always be so great.
He said that the Saints would yet see persecutions and mobs. He said that the Latter-day Saints would be eventually driven to the Rocky Mountains. During the last two years of his life, he spoke regularly of sending exploring parties out to find that place in the Rocky Mountains. On June 24, 1844, Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum Smith, were arrested on false charges with no evidence whatsoever of any crime. When Joseph Smith went to Carthage jail, two or three days before his assassination, he said, "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am as calm as a summer's morning; I have conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men.
I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me -- He was murdered in cold blood. " Joseph Smith was assassinated June 27, 1844 by a mob of 150 - 200 men painted black. His brother, Hyrum, was hit first examine "I am a dead man!" Joseph Smith leaped from a window while being shot examine his last words, "O Lord My God!" On August 8, 1844, Brigham Young, as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, assumed responsibility as President of the Church. He decided to carry out Joseph Smith's idea to go to the Rocky Mountains. In January of 1845, Nauvoo's charter was revoked by the Illinois Legislature.
Mobs once again arose like the Prophet Joseph Smith had said. The Saints felt they had to leave as soon as they could. On February 4, 1845, Charles Shumway took the first refugees out of the great city of Nauvoo across the frozen Mississippi River to Montrose, Iowa. From Montrose they followed a six mile track of mud to Sugar Creek.
There they camped awaiting to hear from President Young. Once he got there, he organized them and prepared them for the long, drury, death-filled journey to Zion. At times, it rained continually for days. After so much rain, many of the people became sick and depressed. In order to have some fun, they would sometimes build miniature dams out of the mud in their camps. The rain produced awful conditions.
Brigham Young wrote with dry humor, "We passed through only one mud hole today, which was about six miles in length. " On April 15, 1845, the pioneers made it to Locust Creek and set up camp. William Clayton had been worried about his wife that was pregnant in Nauvoo when he left. She stayed behind because she could not travel. One day he was worried because it was around the due date for the baby. He received a letter the very same day from her stating that his child was born. He then went off by himself, prayed, and was inspired to write "All is Well. " It became the anthem of the Saints and later known as "Come, Come, Ye Saints. " Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear; Though hard you this journey may appear; Do this, and joy your hearts will swell -- Why should we morn or think our lot is hard; Why should we think to earn a great reward Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.
And soon we " ll have this tale to tell -- Above the rest these words we " ll tell -- And should we die before our journey's through, We then are free from toil and sorrow too; To see the Saints their rest obtain, Oh, how we " ll make this chorus swell -- On April 24, 1845, the Latter-day Saints stopped at a place they called Garden Grove. Brigham Young spoke to the people and said, "I am reduced in flesh so that my coat that would scarcely fit around me last winter, now laps over twelve inches. I can hardly keep from lying down to await the resurrection. " Parley P. Pratt was in the exploring party that lead the way by going and...
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Research essay sample on Prophet Joseph Smith Members Of The Church
