The Salem Incident
Presuming that the
Lord would surely bless his Prophet with the means to pay his debts, Joseph
expected to find a solution. A man named Burgess showed up with a story that
there was a treasure, supposedly hidden many years ago, in a house in Salem,
Massachusetts. It was hoped that the Lord would bless Joseph to find this
treasure, perhaps like the apostles of old found a coin in the mouth of a fish,
in order for the Lord to “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s.” On Monday
afternoon, 25 July 1836, Joseph, Hyrum, Oliver, Sidney, and Sidney’s son-in-law,
George Robinson (who was serving as Joseph’s scribe at the time), left by
carriage for Salem, in hopes of finding the house, and the treasure, in order
to provide badly needed funds to make the building of the Lord’s kingdom
possible. On 19 August, Joseph wrote to Emma that they had arrived (Dean C. Jesse, Personal Writings of Joseph Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1984], pp. 349-50). While
Joseph was away, Emma would have had to deal with many inquiries about where he
had gone; those who knew that he was doing must have pressed her for news for
his success or failure in this venture.
In Salem, the group
was disappointed at every turn. After a time it became obvious that they were
not going to find any treasure. Much disturbed and concerned, Joseph went to
the Lord to inquire why. The answer came in the form of a revelation that
informed Joseph the Lord was “not displeased” with them, notwithstanding their
foolish attempt to find a treasure to finance the work (See Doctrine & Covenants 111). He was informed
that in spite of his folly, the Lord would bless them. They were instructed to
preach the gospel in and around Salem, and to look into the records of the
past, as the records of their ancestors were to be found in that city—a treasure
of a different kind, to be sure.
The Lor told Joseph
not to concern himself about the debts, assuring him that the means of paying
them would be provided, not through finding treasure, but by an increase of
members who would give abundantly to the cause. Clearly, the Lord let Joseph come
to the understanding that He (the Lord) would build His kingdom through sacrifice
and service, not through miracles.
By the time they
arrived home in the middle of September, a new plan had been devised, which
they felt could alleviate the financial crisis. Since the Church had a great
deal of land, it was hoped they could convert these solid assets into cash by
opening a banking establishment in Kirtland. In November, papers were drawn up
creating the Kirtland Safety Society. Orson Hyde went to Columbus to make
application for Articles of Incorporation and to request a charter from the
Ohio State Legislature. So sure were they of this plan, that Oliver was
dispatched to Philadelphia to obtain plates to print notes for the Society. (Gracia
M. Jones, Emma and Joseph: Their Divine Mission [American Fork, Utah:
Covenant Communications, Inc., 1999], 106-7)
Further Reading
Elizabeth Kuehn, More
Treasures than One
Craig James Ostler, Treasures,
Witches, and Ancient Inhabitants (D&C 111)