Now let's see, I left the Far West Temple site in Caldwell County, Missouri, several weeks ago and headed for John Whitmer's grave --- then got distracted. Well here we go again.
One of the fascinating aspect of early Mormon history is the fact that power struggles and disagreements between Joseph Smith Jr., trusted lieutenants and his successors as prophet left many of the most important early figures in development of the church rolling around in the dust along the way, excommunicated and scorned as the church reinvented itself in Utah.
John Whitmer (27 August 1802-11 July 1878) was one of the more important among these "dissidents." He, along with his parents Peter and Mary (Musselman) Whitmer, brother David Whitmer and other family members were among the earliest members of the church. Translation of the Book of Mormon was completed in his parents' home with John's brother-in-law Oliver Cowdery as principal scribe (John himself was a lesser scribe of this and other revelations). The church itself was organized in the Whitmer home. David was one of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon and John, one of the Eight Witnesses.
The Whitmers, David and John, rose to places of great importance in the emerging church in "Zion" (Missouri). David eventually was named president of the Stake of Zion with John and W.W. Phelps as counselors. John was the church's first official historian.
Then, kaboom, Joseph Smith Jr. lost control in Kirtland (where church headquarters had remained) and pursued by a nasty banking scandal took himself, his lieutenants there and most church members remaining in Ohio during 1838 to Far West, founded in Caldwell County by the Whitmers, Phelps and the Missouri leadership.
A nasty leadership struggle ensued, actively encouraged by Sidney Rigdon, among the nastiest of the prophet's Ohio lieutenants. There seem to have been all sorts of motives here. One simply was that the Missouri presidency was accustomed to running Missouri, and arrival from Ohio of another leadership team generated instant conflict. The Ohioans had lost control in Ohio to dissidents, and were determined that it wouldn't happen again. The Missourians, in turn, were not happy with some things that had been going on in Ohio, including the banking fiasco and, reportedly, the prophet's new plural marriage revelation which apparently became common knowledge among top leaders. That, the Missourians felt, was adultery, not revelation.
The Missourians had opened themselves to charges by doing a few things they probably wouldn't have done had they known what was coming --- purchasing land in Caldwell County for the church in their own names, for example. That opened them to charges of profiteering.
When push came to shove, the Ohioans prevailed and all the Whitmers, Cowdery, Phelps and others were excommunicated. They remained at Far West for a time, then old Sidney delivered his "Salt" sermon, interpreted as a death threat by the dissidents and backed by the newly-organized and probably quite nasty Danites. The dissidents, including the Whitmers, fled.
After the 1838 Mormon War ended disastrously for the Saints and the majority fled east, coming to rest finally at Nauvoo, John Whitmer returned to his farm at Far West, acquired other property (including the Temple site) and settled down to life as a successful farmer. He also wrote the first history of the church, carrying it up to the point he was separated from it.
Upon his death during 1878, John was buried in the cemetery at Kingston --- created to replace Far West as the county seat because of its central location --- and he rests there today with his wife and other family members.
Kingston is one of those odd towns, not uncommon in Missouri, where the courthouse, other government offices and a brand spanking new jail seem to be the only justifications for its existence. It has a couple of hundred residents at the most.
The cemetery is located on a point of land in northeast Kingston. If you enter northward on the eastern-most drive and keep watch to your left, you'll eventually see a sign pointing to John Whitmer's grave on one of the highest points in the cemetery. The vintage family tombstone has been supplemented by a new granite tablet explaining in very diplomatic language his role in the early Mormon church.
As the years have passed nearly all historians --- including those devoutly Mormon --- have acknowledged that John Whitmer was an honest, honorable man caught up in a power struggle. You don't have to look too far, however, to discover that it's still OK to take snarky potshots at him.
It's useful to remember that John, although estranged from the church he helped to create, never questioned the legitimacy of the Book of Mormon or of Joseph Smith's prophetic stature. So in many senses, he was a Saint to the end.
It's also interesting to note that Sidney Rigdon took a nosedive into the dust himself when he decided that he, rather than Brigham Young, should lead the Saints after Joseph Smith Jr.'s murder. Kind of divine justice, that.
If you stop by to see old John, look to the right as you're driving along toward his grave and say "hey" to my Rhea cousins, also buried here. William, Bettie and their family arrived several years after the Saints had departed, but I've always thought it interesting that they ended up here at all.
No comments:
Post a Comment