D&C 103

After Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight had physically reported the conditions of the saints in Zion, after which the Prophet Joseph Smith had inquired of the Lord in what they should do, the Lord began His response with -

"VERILY I say unto you, my friends, behold, I will give unto you a revelation and commandment, that you may know how to act in the discharge of your duties concerning the salvation and redemption of your brethren, who have been scattered on the land of Zion;
2 Being driven and smitten by the hands of mine enemies, on whom I will pour out my wrath without measure in mine own time."  (Doctrine and Covenants | Section 103:1 - 2)

Like always, the Lord tests us then teaches us our duties or the principles of godliness we must learn to become more like Him.  In addition, he promises to punish the wicked, but always according to His own time which suggests to me His love for them giving the wicked time to repent.

With the matters related to thes section, I was touched by the historical records of Parley and a letter written by the Prophet Joseph Smith.  I thought I would include these in my blog this morning.  Elder Pratt recorded -

“After making our escape into the county of Clay—being reduced to the lowest poverty—I made a living by day labor, jobbing, building, or wood cutting, till some time in the winter of 1834, when a general Conference was held at my house, in which it was decided that two of the Elders should be sent to Ohio, in order to counsel with President Smith and the Church at Kirtland, and take some measures for the relief or restoration of the people thus plundered and driven from their homes. The question was put to the Conference: ‘Who would volunteer to perform so great a journey?’

“The poverty of all, and the inclement season of the year made all hesitate. At length Lyman Wight and myself offered our services, which were readily accepted. I was at this time entirely destitute of proper clothing for the journey; and I had neither horse, saddle, bridle, money nor provisions to take with me; or to leave with my wife, who lay sick and helpless most of the time.

“Under these circumstances I knew not what to do. Nearly all had been robbed and plundered, and all were poor. As we had to start without delay, I almost trembled at the undertaking; it seemed to be all but an impossibility; but ‘to him that believeth all things are possible.’ [Mark 9:23.] I started out of my house to do something towards making preparation; I hardly knew which way to go, but I found myself in the house of brother John Lowry, and was intending to ask him for money; but as I entered his miserable cottage in the swamp, amid the low, timbered bottoms of the Missouri river, I found him sick in bed with a heavy fever, and two or three others of his family down with the same complaint, on different beds in the same room. He was vomiting severely, and was hardly sensible of my presence. I thought to myself, ‘well, this is a poor place to come for money, and yet I must have it; I know of no one else that has got it; what shall I do?’ I sat a little while confounded and amazed. At length another Elder happened in; at that instant faith sprung up in my heart; the Spirit whispered to me, ‘is there anything too hard for the Lord?’ I said to the Elder that came in: ‘Brother, I am glad you have come; these people must be healed, for I want some money of them, and must have it.’

“We laid hands on them and rebuked the disease; brother Lowry rose up well; I did my errand, and readily obtained all I asked. This provided in part for my family's sustenance while I should leave them. I went a little further into the woods of the Missouri bottoms, and came to a camp of some brethren, by the name of Higbee, who owned some horses; they saw me coming, and, moved by the Spirit, one of them said to the other, ‘there comes brother Parley; he's in want of a horse for his journey—I must let him have old Dick;’ this being the name of the best horse he had. ‘Yes,’ said I, ‘brother, you have guessed right; but what will I do for a saddle?’ ‘Well,’ says the other, ‘I believe I'll have to let you have mine.’ I blessed them and went on my way rejoicing.

“I next called on Sidney A. Gilbert [actually, A. Sidney Gilbert—see D&C 53, heading], a merchant, then sojourning in the village of Liberty—his store in Jackson County having been broken up, and his goods plundered and destroyed by the mob. ‘Well,’ says he, ‘brother Parley, you certainly look too shabby to start a journey; you must have a new suit; I have got some remnants left that will make you a coat,’ etc. A neighboring tailoress and two or three other sisters happened to be present on a visit, and hearing the conversation, exclaimed, ‘Yes, brother Gilbert, you find the stuff and we'll make it up for him.’ This arranged, I now lacked only a cloak; this was also furnished by brother Gilbert.

“Brother Wight was also prospered in a similar manner in his preparations. Thus faith and the blessings of God had cleared up our way to accomplish what seemed impossible. We were soon ready, and on the first of February we mounted our horses, and started in good cheer to ride one thousand or fifteen hundred miles through a wilderness country. We had not one cent of money in our pockets on starting.

“We travelled every day, whether through storm or sunshine, mud, rain or snow; except when our public duties called us to tarry. We arrived in Kirtland early in the spring, all safe and sound; we had lacked for nothing on the road, and now had plenty of funds in hand. President Joseph Smith and the Church in Kirtland received us with a hospitality and joy unknown except among the Saints; and much interest was felt there, as well as elsewhere, on the subject of our persecution (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, pages 107–9).

The Prophet wrote to Orson Pratt -

“Kirtland, April 7, 1834.

“Dear Brother Orson:—We received yours of the 31st ultimo in due course of mail, and were much grieved on learning that you were not likely to succeed according to our expectations. Myself, Brothers Newel, Frederick and Oliver, retired to the translating room, where prayer was wont to be made, and unbosomed our feelings before God; and cannot but exercise faith yet that you, in the miraculous providences of God, will succeed in obtaining help. The fact is, unless we can obtain help, I myself cannot go to Zion, and if I do not go, it will be impossible to get my brethren in Kirtland, any of them, to go; and if we do not go, it is in vain for our eastern brethren to think of going up to better themselves by obtaining so goodly a land, (which now can be obtained for one dollar and one quarter per acre,) and stand against that wicked mob; for unless they do the will of God, God will not help them; and if God does not help them, all is vain.

“Now the fact is, this is the head of the Church and the life of the body; and those able men, as members of the body, God has appointed to be hands to administer to the necessities of the body. Now if a man's hand refuses to administer to the necessities of his body, it must perish of hunger; and if the body perish, all the members perish with it; and if the head fail, the whole body is sickened, the heart faints, and the body dies, the spirit takes its exit, and the carcase remains to be devoured by worms.

“Now, Brother Orson, if this Church, which is essaying to be [claiming to be] the Church of Christ will not help us, when they can do it without sacrifice, with those blessings which God has bestowed upon them, I prophesy—I speak the truth, I lie not—God shall take away their talent, and give it to those who have no talent, and shall prevent them from ever obtaining a place of refuge, or an inheritance upon the land of Zion; therefore they may tarry, for they might as well be over taken where they are, as to incur the displeasure of God, and fall under His wrath by the way side, as to fall into the hands of a merciless mob, where there is no God to deliver, as salt that has lost its savor, and is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be trodden under foot of men” (History of the Church, Vol. 2, page 48).