THE ENEMY FROM WITHIN 

THE ENEMY FROM WITHIN 

Written by Kimberly W Smith 

“The devil has only one purpose: to destroy testimony in order to destroy the ordinances, the doctrines of salvation, and exaltation to which Brigham Young, John Taylor, Willard Richards and others testified of to the anger of Joseph Smith’s enemies-enemies from within who were in league with the underworld. 

In the spring of 1844, Joseph Smith was alerted by two young men, Denison L. Harris and Robert Scott, [Article about these men Here] of a secret movement to take both his life and the lives of several other leading men in the Church, including Hyrum Smith. These observant and courageous young men had been personally invited to the secret meetings by the conspirators. Risking their own lives, the boys attended three of the furtive meetings as spies, and brought to Joseph a report of what they had witnessed—including a recounting of the requirement that everyone present at the meeting take a blood oath to be willing to take the life of Joseph Smith. 

In addition to the testimonies of these young men, two other men—M.G. Eaton and A.B. Williams [BYU Studies about these men]—went before justice of the peace Daniel H. Wells to swear out an affidavit concerning their knowledge of those who had secretly combined to murder the Prophet and his brother. Included in this affidavit were the names of the leaders in the plot—Chauncy L. Higbee, R.D. Foster, Joseph H. Jackson, and William and Wilson Law—corresponding with the witnesses of the two young men.

These men had become desperately wicked. The mask of treachery having fallen at last from their faces, their fierce opposition was forced out into the open, and they joined with the avowed enemies of the Saints outside of Nauvoo to kill the Prophet Joseph Smith. 

For additional details read more about this conspiracy here:

https://passingdownthefaith.org/2021/07/conspiracy-of-nauvoo-in-1844/.html

TODAY THERE IS A NEW CONSPIRACY

A conspiracy over the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith and who killed him. 

In our generation, enemies  from within the church-also in league with the under world- blame Joseph Smith’s closest and most faithful associates for his murder. Why? 

To do that which was done in 1844: to destroy testimony in order to destroy the ordinances, the doctrines of salvation, and exaltation to which Brigham Young, John Taylor, Willard Richards and others testified of to the anger of modern apostates who reject Temple ordinances and the wearing of the Temple Garment. 

It must be observed that the very conspirators behind the plot to kill the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were men once enlightened by the Spirit of God; they had great knowledge of things revealed to them pertaining to righteousness—and then, having fallen away into sin and disbelief, they rejected the revelations of Joseph Smith, and their minds became darkened—eventually leading them to betray the Prophet and to seek to take away his life. 

The type of apostates that existed in the early days of the Church are similar to the type we face today.

There are members of the Church in this generation who are animated by the same evil spirit that possessed the apostates in Nauvoo. Perhaps they are not conscious that they are more or less the instruments of a secret and invisible power which operates upon them. They are being influenced by this invisible power of darkness to twist and distort the truth, misrepresent the facts, and are maliciously seeking to persuade others to believe the following:

👉🏻that the Prophet Joseph Smith neither taught, nor entered into, plural marriage

👉🏻that the Church was rejected for failure to build the Nauvoo Temple before Joseph died 

👉🏻that the Twelve Apostles usurped the leadership of the Church

👉🏻that Brigham Young conspired to kill Joseph Smith for power and ‘polygamy’

👉🏻that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not hold the keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood 

👉🏻that the Temple Endowment is a Satanic invention of Brigham Young 

They piously pretend to be “exposing” the “facts” while they mislead others with half-truths and manipulation of fact, hoping to attract members to their own interpretation of history and the revelations of Joseph Smith. As a result of insufficient knowledge of scripture and of real history, there is a surprisingly sufficient number of people whose inadequate understanding of doctrine leaves them susceptible to embracing the most sensationalized fiction and vicious falsehoods over proven facts and pure truth. 

In Nauvoo, persecution became an obsession for the dissenters. When William Law and other apostates conspired against the Prophet Joseph Smith to take his life, they were successful in their efforts to rile up a murderous mob of wicked men who were mere tools of a higher power of darkness. The conspirators succeeded because they employed the cunning use of slander, and the influential power of the press. 

The same diabolical tactics are being employed today to vilify the name and character of Brigham Young. The modern-day printing press has become more sophisticated; with the clever use of video, slick graphics, skillful editing, and carefully extrapolated quotes taken out of context, it almost appears that anyone can make anyone believe whatever they desire. 

In this final dispensation, the forces of evil have united and intensified under the powerful influences of Satan. Describing the apocalyptic events of the last days, John the Revelator foresaw when “the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Seeing that the dragon could not destroy the testimony of our faithful pioneer ancestors, he has employed all his cunning to make war on their “seed,” to incite hatred in us towards our forefathers and mothers. 

APPENDIX

To the enemies of the Church, the martyrdom of Joseph Smith was believed to be the end of ‘Mormonism.’ But the course set before Brigham Young was clear; the Gospel in its purity and fullness had been revealed through the Prophet, and the foundation of the Kingdom had been laid. Brigham Young would subsequently maintain and build upon that foundation. The first object was to assure the fulfillment of promises made by the Prophet Joseph Smith to the Saints that they would receive the sacred temple endowment, as directed by the Lord: 

“And again, verily I say unto you, I command you again to build a house to my name, even in this place [Nauvoo], that you may prove yourselves unto me that ye are faithful in all things whatsoever I command you, that I may bless you, and crown you with honor, immortality, and eternal life.”

The dedicated Saints worked diligently toward the completion of the temple, even under threats of violence which demanded that they leave Illinois. 

Despite the devices of the mob, the temple was completed with “the aid of sword in one hand and trowel and hammer in the other and with the blessings of heaven.” The Saints endured hunger, thirst, weariness, threats, and violence, so that they could receive their endowments and the promised temple blessings. Then, to save the lives of the Saints from cruel murder and complete extermination, Brigham Young moved them westward. He later remarked:

“Of our journey hither, we need say nothing, only God led us. Of the sufferings of those who were compelled to, and did leave Nauvoo in the winter of 1846, we need say nothing. Those who experienced it know it, and those who did not, to tell them of it would be like exhibiting a beautiful painting to a blind man.”

Contrary to the vain imagination of some in this generation, God did not reject the Church in Nauvoo—but rather, He saved it by a miracle. Up to the time the Nauvoo Temple was partly finished, the enemies of the Church—to a great extent—triumphed over the Saints. They were driven from place to place, and compelled through violence to flee from one state to another. But God did for them as he did for His ancient covenant people when he caused the waters of the Red Sea to separate, that they might pass through and escape the destruction threatened by their enemies.

History vindicates Brigham Young by virtue of the fulfillment of a number of prophecies. On August 6, 1842, the Prophet Joseph Smith prophesied by divine inspiration that the Latter-day Saints would be “driven to the Rocky Mountains,” and that some Saints would “live to go and assist in making settlements and build cities and see the saints become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains.”

The 1842 prophecy was literally fulfilled under the leadership of Brigham Young. Apart from President Young’s divine appointment, the principal cause for his success in the Church can be attributed to his unwavering loyalty to Joseph and his uncompromising commitment to every principle and doctrine ever taught by Joseph, including the principle of Celestial plural marriage.

ADDITIONAL WITNESSES 

“Now I promised to say a little about Church History. 1st Did Joseph appoint any to succeed him after his death while he was alive. He did. He imparted the Keys of the Kingdom to fifty and gave them their full authority – equal with himself and Brigham Young was their President. After he had done this he commissioned the Twelve in the following language. On you I have placed the burden of rolling of the Kingdom to the nations of the earth and building up the kingdom and a great deal more of the same import.” (Elias Adams letter to George Adams, 18 February 1847, LDS Archives) Kimberly Smith