Building The Nauvoo House "Our Salvation depends on it"

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_grindael
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Building The Nauvoo House "Our Salvation depends on it"

Post by _grindael »

On February 21, 1843 Joseph gave these remarks to the church:

The building of N. House is just as sacred in my view as the Temple.

I want the Nauvoo House built it must be built, our salvation depends upon it. When men have done what they can or will for the temple, let them do what they can for the Nauvoo House. We never can accomplish our work at the expense of another. There is a great deal of murmuring in the Church—about me, but I don't care any thing about it. I like to hear it thunder. to hear the saints grumbling.—the growling dog get the sorest head. If any man is poor and afflicted. let him come and tell of it.—& not complain or grumble

finishing Nauvoo House like a man finishing a fight. if he gives up he is killed—if he holds out a little longer he may live.—a story. a man who will whip his wife is a coward. I fought with a man who had whipped wife. still remembered he was whipped his wife. I whipped him till he said enough.—hang on to the Nauvoo house thus & you will build it. & you will be on Pishagah & the great men who come will pile their gold & silver till you are weary of receiving them. & if you are not careful will be lifted up & fall and they will cover up & cloak all your former sins & hide a multitude of sins & shine forth fair as the sun &c

those who have labored & cannot get your pay be patient, if you take the means which are set apart let him he will destory themselves if any man is hungry let him come to me & I will feed him at my table

if any are hungry or naked don't take away the brick &c but come & tell. I will divided. & then if he is not satisfied I will kick his back side http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper- ... h-1843/214


From the Encyclopedia of Mormonism,

A revelation to Joseph Smith in January 1841 commanded the Saints to build both the Nauvoo Temple and the Nauvoo House, a hotel that would be "a delightful habitation for man, and a resting place for the weary traveler" (D&C 124:60). The Saints were not to isolate themselves from the world, but to provide attractive accommodations for strangers and tourists while they "contemplate the word of the Lord; and the corner-stone I have appointed for Zion" (D&C 124:23).

Joseph Smith donated the land for the Nauvoo House, and many Latter-day Saints purchased stock. The design of architects Lucien Woodworth and William Weeks called for an L-shaped brick building forty feet deep and three stories high. Construction began in the spring of 1841 and progressed (with interruptions) into 1845. Eventually, the work was discontinued in an effort to complete the Nauvoo Temple.

When the Saints left Nauvoo in 1846, the Nauvoo House walls were up above the windows of the second story. The large unfinished building on the south end of Main Street facing the Mississippi River became the property of Joseph Smith's widow, Emma Smith. Subsequently, Emma's second husband, Lewis C. Bidamon, tore down the extremities of the L-shaped structure and used their bricks to complete the central portion as a smaller hotel, variously known as the Bidamon House and the Riverside Mansion. He and Emma lived there from 1871 until they died. After Bidamon's death, the reorganized church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints purchased the Nauvoo House and still owns it.


Wilford Woodruff diary, Feb. 21, 1843:

President Joseph Smith arose & Addressed the meeting as a Christian Prophet & addressed for about an hour much to our edifycation, many remarks he made were plain & pointed some vary applicable to Dr Foster which he afterwards acknowledged to be true Joseph said the Pagan Prophet had prophesied one thing that was true viz that if we did not build the temple & Nauvoo house it would proove the ruin of the place that if we did not build those buildings we might as well leave the place & that it was as necessary to build one as the other & many other things were said much to the purpose.


Joseph Smith, April 6, 1843:

12 o clock O. Pratt gave way & Joseph. rose to state the object of the meeting. It is my object to ascertain the standing of the first presidency. (as I have been instructed) I present myself for trial, I shall next present my councillors for trial.—3d. to take into consideration the sending out of the twelve or some portion of them or somebody else to get means to build up Nauvoo House & temple —Elders will have the privilege of appeals from the different Conferences to this if there are any such cases. —It is important that this conference give importance to the N. House. as a prejudice exists against the Nauvoo House in favor of the Lords House—There is no place where men of wealth & character & influence can go to repose themselfs. and it is necessary we should have such a place


William Clayton Diary,

This day was a special conference the saints assembled in the Temple soon after 9. I was appointed to take minutes. About 11 prest Joseph arrived and proceeded to business. He first stated the object of this conference, viz. 1st. To ascertain the standing of the first presidency 2nd. To take into consideration the propriety of sending some of the Twelve into the branches abroad to obtain funds for building the Nauvoo House. 3rd. To give a chance to those Elders who have been disfellowshiped or had their licenses taken away in the branches to have a re-hearing & settle their difficulties 14 He then spake on the importance of building the Nauvoo House stressing that the time had come to build it. and the church must either do it or suffer the condemnation of not fulfilling the commandments of God.


Joseph Smith, April 19, 1843:

3. P.M. in the presidendents office; Brigham Young Walmart Smith, Parley P. Pratt. Orson Pratt. Wilford Woodruff— John Taylor. Geo a Smith. W Richds [Willard Richards].—Joseph said. to the Twelve.—Go in the name of the Lord God & tell Lucien Woodworth to put the hands onto the Nauvoo House & begin the work. & be patient till means can be provided.—call on the inhabitants of Nauvoo. & get them to bring in their means, then Go to Laharpe & serve them the same. Thus commence your career, And never stand still till the Master appear, for it is necessary the house should be done. ... don't be scart about the temple. don't say any thing against it. but make all men know your mission is to build the Nauvoo House ... Write to Oliver Cowdery. & ask him if he has not eat husks long enough: if he is not ready to return & go up to Jerusalem, Orson Hyde hath need of him. (A letter was written & signed by the members of the Quorum present).


This video (start at the 15m mark) explains why it was not built, because they did not have the "resources" https://www.lds.org/media-library/video ... e?lang=eng

They also claim that Joseph "knew" that his time in Nauvoo was "limited". So why put emphasis on building the Nauvoo House and the Temple if they were just going to abandon them. Yet, on the 19th of July, 1840 Joseph gave this prophecy:

—And I prophecy in the name of the Lord that the state of Illinois shall become a great mountain and mighty mountain as a city set upon a hill that cannot be hid and a great that giveth light to the world and The city of Nauvoo als[o] shall become the greatest city in the whole world.


And in the same sermon in 1840 Joseph also said,

Now from this hour bring every thing you can bring and build a Temple unto the Lord a house into the mighty God of Jacob. We will build upon the top of this Temple a great observatory a great and high watch tower and in the top thereof we will Suspend a tremendous bell whi that when it is rung shall rouse the inhabitants of Madison wake up the people of Warsaw and sound in the ears of men [in] Carthage Then comes the ancient records yea all of them dig them yea bring them forth speedily

Then shall the poor be fed by the curious who shall come from all parts of the world to see this wonderful temple Yea I prophecy that pleasure parties shall come from England to see the Mamoth and like the Queen of Sheba shall say the half never was told them. School houses shall be built here and High schools shall be established and the great men of the [earth] shall send their sons here to board while they are receiving their education among us And even Noblemen shall crave the priviledge of educating their children with us and these poor saints shall chink in their pockets the money of these proud men received from such as come and dwell with us

Now brethren I obligate myself to build as great a temple as ever solomon did if the church will back me up. Moreover it shall not impoverish any man but enrich thousands I prophecy that the time shall be when THESE SAINTS shall ride proudly over the mountains of Missouri and no Gentile dog nor Missouri dog shall dare lift a tongue against them but will lick up the dust from beneath their feet and I pray the father that many here may realize this and see it with their eyes.


How in the world does one reconcile this with Joseph claiming that their time in Nauvoo was "limited"? We have no coherent answers from the church or its apologists. (See, https://history.lds.org/article/doctrin ... o?lang=eng)

If their very "salvation" depended upon the building of the Nauvoo House, then was the church lost when they abandoned it?

Original drawing of the Nauvoo House by William Weeks,

Image
Riding on a speeding train; trapped inside a revolving door;
Lost in the riddle of a quatrain; Stuck in an elevator between floors.
One focal point in a random world can change your direction:
One step where events converge may alter your perception.
_Shulem
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Re: Building The Nauvoo House "Our Salvation depends on it"

Post by _Shulem »

It's obvious, the prophecy failed and revelation given by Jesus Christ to Joseph Smith was bogus. Surely we see the plans set forth by Joseph Smith were thwarted just as the plan to build the temple in Jackson County was thwarted. The prophecies failed.

Organizing the Church in Nauvoo

Legacy of the Revelation wrote:The Nauvoo experience can be understood more accurately in the context of this revelation and the attempts of the Saints to be obedient to its commandments . . . . Unfortunately, one after another, their assignments, promised blessings, and aspirations were met with challenges and frustration. John C. Bennett, Nauvoo’s first mayor and later a member of the First Presidency, was promised that his “reward shall not fail if he receive counsel.” But he apostatized only a year and a half later and became a bitter opponent of the Church.


Blame the prophetic failure on the apostate -- it's Bennett's fault not the Lord's.

Legacy of the Revelation wrote:General Church clerk Robert B. Thompson, appointed by the revelation as one of those who should author the proclamation, died only seven months later.


The clerk died so the prophecy couldn't be fulfilled. It's his fault not the Lord's.

Legacy of the Revelation wrote:Due to the Saints’ impoverished condition and the press of building a new city, both the temple and the Nauvoo House progressed slowly.


The saints did not have enough money to build both because of their lack of faith. Blame the saints. It's not the Lord's fault.
_DoubtingThomas
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Re: Building The Nauvoo House "Our Salvation depends on it"

Post by _DoubtingThomas »

Very interesting grindael.
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