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REXBURG, Idaho—Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, a member of
the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, spoke on the history and legacy of the Nauvoo Temple in
his devotional address at Brigham Young University-Idaho Oct. 15.
He
described the intense persecution of the early Saints in Missouri, epitomized by the words of General John B.
Clark: “You need not expect any mercy, but extermination,
for I am determined the governor’s order shall be executed. As for
your leaders, do not once think—do not imagine for a moment—do
not let it enter your mind that they will be delivered, or that you will
see their faces again, for their fate is fixed—their die is
cast—their doom is sealed.”
The
Saints eventually found refuge in Quincy, Ill. Meanwhile, the Prophet Joseph Smith escaped
Liberty Jail with the aid of his captors, and in the spring of 1839, he,
too, arrived in western Illinois.
Although
the mud and mosquitoes of an area in the bend of the Mississippi River were not inviting, “the Prophet could see
through the swamp, sickness and obscurity,” Elder Wirthlin
said. “He could see what the industry of the Saints and the blessings
of heaven could make of this place. The swamp could be drained and the city
could become a healthy place. This could become a place of beauty and a
place of refuge.”
Not
long after designating the area as the gathering place, Joseph Smith named
the city “Nauvoo,” a Hebrew word implying “a beautiful
situation” and “the idea of rest.”
Saints
began to arrive, many poor and sick, but armed with an unshaken faith in
the Lord, Elder Wirthlin said.
“Through their untiring
efforts, they drained the swamp and began to build. Eventually, a city
began to rise. And it was beautiful. And it was a place of rest for the
weary Saints of God who had sacrificed so much for their convictions. And
it was a place blessed of the Father and saturated with manifestations of
the Holy Spirit.”
The Prophet began to speak of a
great work that would unite the Saints under a common labor and prepare
them for spiritual endowments that they could scarce imagine, Elder Wirthlin explained. William Weeks was commissioned to
draw plans for the temple, and the Saints were asked to give a tithe of
their means and of their time.
Persecution began again and
culminated in June of 1844 as Joseph agreed to surrender himself at Carthage.
As they left the city, he stopped for a few moments as he passed the
temple, still only one story high and, looking out over his beloved city,
said, “This is the loveliest place and the best people under the
heavens; little do they know the trials that await them.”
At about 5 p.m. on the afternoon of June 27, 1844, an armed mob—painted
black—of from 150 to 200 persons descended on Carthage
jail.
“Hyrum was shot first and
fell calmly, exclaiming: I am a dead man! Joseph leaped from the window,
and was shot dead in the attempt, exclaiming: O Lord my God!”
“Many believed
that the death of Joseph Smith would mean an end to The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many believed that with the death of their
prophet, the Saints would scatter and abandon their faith,” Elder Wirthlin said. “Such was not the case. The Saints
rallied around Brigham Young and they became even more determined to finish
the temple as a monument to the martyrs.” Finally, a year after the
martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum, the temple was complete.
Persecution soon made it
apparent that the Saints would have to leave again. The town was deserted,
and mobbers began inhabiting—and
desecrating—the temple. In time, lighting struck the belfry,
arsonists set the building on fire, and a tornado knocked down a wall.
Eventually, the temple was torn down stone by stone, which was used in
other buildings.
Then, nearly a century and a
half later, on April 4, 1999,
President Gordon B. Hinckley said in his final remarks at General
Conference, “I feel impressed to announce that among all of the
temples we are constructing, we plan to rebuild the Nauvoo
Temple.”
President Hinckley’s
grandfather, Ira N. Hinckley, was a young man in Nauvoo. His father, Bryant
S. Hinckley, served as president of the Northern States Mission which
included Nauvoo. In 1938, his father wrote that Nauvoo would rise again
and, “annually, thousands . . . will visit it.” In
1939, President Hinckley’s father led a 100th anniversary celebration
of the founding of Nauvoo. President Hinckley has said that his father
“wished with all his heart to see the temple rebuilt and worked to
that end.”
The property, temple plans and
journals and photographs detailing the temple were all acquired and led up
to the rebuilding of the temple.
Elder Wirthlin
was ordained an Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
on Oct. 9, 1986. He was
sustained and set apart as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve
Apostles on April 4, 1975
and served in the capacity until he was called to the First Quorum of the
Seventy in April 1976. He was set apart in the Presidency of the First
Quorum of the Seventy Aug. 28,
1986, where he was serving when called to be an Apostle in
October.
Next
week’s devotional will feature the dedication of the new Gordon B.
Hinckley Building on campus. The dedication will be carried live on KBYI,
100.5 FM and again at 9 p.m.
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