The Missouri War

 This week in Come Follow Me we are reading sections that were given in summer of 1838. The sections don't really relate the history that was happening that summer and fall, but it was a tumultuous time in the early church. There is a good summary of what happened in the Saints Volume 1 Chapters 27-30.  When I was young, and heard about this time period I was made to understand that the mobs were evil, and the saints were innocent victims in the conflict.  Now the Saints history shows a more balanced and honest depiction of the times. Sydney Rigdon talked about "a war of extermination" way before Governer Boggs issued the "Extermination Order."  The band of church members who were called the Danites looted and burned down "gentile" towns, just as the mobs had looted and burned down saints towns. It all culminated with Governor Boggs sending troups to Far West and arresting Joseph Smith and other church leaders. 

I can see why the more balanced view of the stories were not taught in primary, but as an adult, I am glad to hear both sides.  I had always wondered why Go dwould let Joseph Smith languish in Liberty Jail for months. Now I believe that the church had started down a very dark path, one the Lord knew would lead to both their spiritual and temporal destruction. It was a battle they could not win, and Joseph seemed to be going along with it. So God, like many a good father, put Joseph in time out. It worked. After Liberty Jail, Joseph Smith no longer strove to avenge the wrongs of the saints through bloodshed. Instead he sought peaceful means to redress the wrongs against the saints. He even ran for president, when neither local, state, or federal officials would offer help. 

I think God's dealings with Joseph at this time are conforting.  Yes, Joseph made bad mistakes, and yes, the Lord let him suffer the consequences, but Joseph learned from the consequences, and he gained great wisdom and received important direction from the Lord while in Liberty Jail. Dispite the saint's expulsion from "Zion," God was still able to lead the church and eventually guide them to the Salt Lake Valley and Intermountain West where they finally were able to grow and prosper. These stories teach us to remember that God is playing the long game. If we stay humble and patient, he will ultimately lead us through our trials--even the trials of our own making--to a better place.