History of the Church Vol. 7

With the reading of History of the Church Vol. 7, I have concluded the documentary History of the Church series. The way this book was put together made parts of it repetitive, although the information was very interesting. My favorite part was where I got to read excerpts from Brigham Young's journal.

The book begins with Governor Thomas Ford's history of the Mormons in Illinois. Reading his own perspective earned the governor absolutely no love from me. At one point he mentioned that he would probably be remembered as a Herod or a Pilate among the Mormons. He was right. He was a dishonest and despicable man.

This volume of the Church's history contains information about the leadership of the Church being assumed by the 12 Apostles. Before reading it, I never knew just how far off the deep end Sidney Rigdon had gone. The claims he was making and the movements he was pursuing were in direct contrast to established revelations. It would make sense that he would win over a few followers because of his long involvement with Joseph Smith, but after reading his ideas and claims it was even clear for me to see he was not an inspired leader chosen of the Lord to lead the Church.

On the same note, it was sad to read about many in the Church who broke themselves off because they wanted power and authority. Even some members of the Twelve (the prophet's brother William included) turned against their brethren to try to start their own movements. What a blessing that so many relied on testimony and not on flattery. An interesting thing I read, however, on page 367 is a discourse Brigham Young gave on how to correct those who need correcting. He emphasized the need to have charity and the Spirit when doing any correcting because if it is done in an inappropriate way, it could discourage, embarrass, and destroy the person instead of leading them to true repentance. I found that teaching very profound.

I got a kick out of a list of nicknames for the Twelve Apostles that were published in a newspaper:
Brigham Young, The Lion of the Lord
Heber C. Kimball, The Herald of Grace
Parley P. Pratt, The Archer of Paradise
Orson Hyde, The Olive Branch of Israel
Willard Richards, The Keeper of the Rolls
John Taylor, The Champion of Right
and so forth.

This volume also focused heavily on the building and completion of the Nauvoo Temple. I was surprised to read that they held dances inside the temple at one point, until Brigham Young put an end to it because he thought it detracted from the holy nature of the place and the work therein. It was neat to read how important the temple was to the early saints and how much they desired the blessings of it. Orson Pratt gives a wonderful discourse in this volume in which he laments those who sacrifice eternal kingdoms and glory to a moment's gratification.

Unfortunately, this volume ends rather abruptly. I have decided that I need to invest in The Comprehensive History of the Church in order to learn more. But I highly recommend this entire series to anyone wanting to learn more about the church's history and early teachings. I have felt the Spirit many times during the reading and I have loved coming to know Joseph Smith better. I have also felt pangs of sorrow as some heroes I read about turned away from the Church. In contrast, I have been elated when I have read about some of those who turned away and then repented. What a remarkable book series to read!