Tuesday, March 19, 2024

The Kirtland Bank’s Success Being Contingent Upon the Faithfulness of Those Involved

  

6th I visited the office of the Kirtland Safety Society & saw the first money that was issued by the Treasurer or society it was given to Brother Bump (in exchange for other notes) who was the first to circulate it. I also herd President Joseph Smith jr declare in the presence of F Williams, D Whitmer, S. Smith, W. Parrish, & others in the Deposit office that he had receieved that morning the word of the Lord upon the subject of the Kirtland Safety Society he was alone in a room by himself & he had not ownly the voice of the spirit upon the subject but even an audable voice. He did not tell us at <that> time what the LORD said upon the subject but remarked that if we would give heed to the commandments the Lord had given this morning all would be well. May the Lord bless Brother Joseph with all the Saints & support the above named institution & protect it so that every weapen formed against it may be broaken & come to nought while the Kirtland Safety Society shall become the greatest of all institutions on EARTH (Wilford Woodruff, Journal, January 6, 1837, emphasis in bold added)


Compare the above with what Joseph is recorded to have taught in History, 1838–1856, volume B-1 [1 September 1834–2 November 1838]: 764:

 

Some time previous to this I resigned my office in the “Kirtland Safety Society” disposed of my interest therein, and withdrew from the institution: being fully aware, after so long an experiment, that no institution of the kind, established upon just and righteous principles, for a blessing not only to the church, but the whole nation, would be suffered to continue its operations in such an age of darkness, speculation, and Wickedness.

 

Further Reading:

 

Resources on Joseph Smith’s Prophecies