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: