Again there was a long pause and he visibly straightened. The effect was to deepen the anticipation and the silence even more, if that was possible. Then he leaned forward. “And the Lord has made it clear what his way shall be at this time. And he has done so to me through a vision I had in Pittsburgh.”
It was as if an audible shock hit the crowd, though later Nathan wasn’t sure if he heard sounds or just felt the impact of Sidney’s words on the congregation.
“Yes,” he went on firmly. “When I learned of the death of Joseph, I inquired of the Lord, and the Lord opened up in vision what must happen now.” He raised one hand high, as though pointing to the heavens. “It was a continuation of the same vision Joseph and I had while in Ohio concerning the different glories, or mansions, which are in our Father’s house. I saw Brother Joseph there,” he said, his voice thundering now; “he had ascended to heaven and he stood on the right hand of the Son of God.”
Somewhere a woman cried out with audible joy, “Oh, yes!”
Sidney turned toward her and smiled. “It was wonderful. I saw Joseph there in the celestial kingdom, clothed with all the power, glory, might, majesty, and dominion of that kingdom. And I tell you now, that Joseph still continues to hold the keys of the kingdom, even though he has left us. He will continue to hold them throughout all eternity, and no man can take those keys from him. No man can ever take his place, neither build up the kingdom to any other creature or being but to Joseph Smith!”
“Hear! Hear!” a man cried. “Amen!” said several. Nathan had a sudden thought and turned to scan the crowd, looking for John C. Bennett. But if he was there, Nathan could not pick him out. As he thought about it, if Sidney had the slightest modicum of good sense, he would ask Bennett to stay back. Though there were many questions about Sidney’s loyalties in the minds of the Saints, there was no question about Bennett’s. Having Bennett on his side would only hinder Sidney’s cause.
“Then how shall the Church be led?” Sidney shouted. “If Joseph holds all the keys and no man can take his place, how, then, shall we go? Again I remind you what the Lord has said: ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.’ Here is the Lord’s answer. Here is what I was told in that vision.”
Nathan felt Emily brush against his shoulder and turned. She was looking at him with a troubled expression. “Do you think he really had a vision, Papa?”
Nathan reached out and took her hand. “I don’t know, Emily. Let’s listen; then we’ll talk about it afterwards.”
She nodded and they both turned back toward the stand.
“No one can take the place of Joseph,” Sidney repeated, “so there must be a guardian appointed, a guardian who will build up the Church to Joseph. The Lord revealed to me that I am to be that man. Long ago I was appointed the ‘spokesman’ for the Church and to Joseph. I didn’t fully understand what that meant. Now I do. I am the guardian, and I have come back to accept that role and position, even though it may put my life in danger.
“I am the identical man that the ancient prophets have written about, sung about, and rejoiced over. I am called to do the identical work that has been the theme of all the prophets of every generation. We are to prepare the world for the coming of Armageddon.” Now one fist punched the air. “The time is fast approaching and we must be ready. The earth is about to be cleansed and we must be prepared.”
Suddenly, into Nathan’s mind flashed a scene from six years earlier. It was in the public square at Far West. It was the Independence Day celebration, 1838. A newly erected flag pole—the “liberty pole”—stood in the center of the square, proudly flying the Stars and Stripes. Sidney Rigdon was chosen orator for the day and gave, in the same thundering pronouncements, a fiery speech. He exhorted the Saints to defend their liberties even to the death, sweeping off the enemies of God before them if necessary.
The talk was published and quickly swept across Missouri. It was a critical factor in galvanizing the opposition and gave the Missourians the fodder they needed to whip the people into a panic. A month following that speech, the Mormons were attacked as they tried to vote in Gallatin. Two months after that, the Mormon War was sweeping across western Missouri.
Nathan felt a little chill, now remembering something else. Ironically, two days following Sidney’s call to arms, the liberty pole had been struck by lightning, leaving nothing but splinters. It had proven to be an omen of what was to come.
“I tell you now, brothers and sisters,” Sidney was roaring, “the time is near at hand when you will see one hundred tons of metal per second thrown at the enemies of God. You will see blood flow as deep as the horses’ bridles. I am going to fight a real and bloody battle with sword and with gun. I will fight the battles of the Lord. I will cross the Atlantic, encounter the forces of Queen Victoria, and overcome them. I will plant the America standard on English ground, and then march to the palace of her majesty and demand a portion of her riches and dominions.”
Just to the left and behind them, Derek and Peter Ingalls sat together, Derek with Rebecca and their children, Peter sitting beside Kathryn McIntire’s wheelchair. Nathan could not help stealing a glance at them. Derek and Peter were English. So were hundreds of others in the congregation. And in that quick glance he had his answer. This was not what they expected to hear. He could see the obvious discomfort on their faces and on the faces of many others, and not just the British Saints.
“If the queen refuses to give heed to our demands,” Sidney was shouting, “I will take the little madam by the nose and lead her out, and she shall have no power to help herself. If I do not do this, the Lord never spake by mortal man.”
He leaned back, his shoulders slumping. “That is all I have to say at the moment, my brothers and sisters. The times which are coming are such that we must not be without a leader. No one but Joseph has been called to lead us. But I have been called by the voice of the Lord to act as guardian until Joseph himself descends as a mighty angel and takes the reins of the kingdom himself. Thank you.”
He turned and sat down, leaving the congregation to stare at him, a few in open admiration, but most in stunned and bewildered amazement.
Chapter Notes
Brigham Young, Orson Hyde, and Wilford Woodruff were in Boston on the day of the Martyrdom. A conference of the Church was scheduled there for 29 June, and seven members of the Twelve attended that conference (see HC 7:149). Though they split up again following that meeting, after word reached them of the Martyrdom on 9 July, Brigham Young, along with Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, Lyman Wight, and Orson Pratt were eventually able to link up together and head for Nauvoo. They traveled by railway, boat, stagecoach, and buggy, reaching Nauvoo on 6 August. The story of Brigham’s remarkable experience with the oxen is found in the official history of the Church (see HC 7:224). There were two other people in the stagecoach besides the five Apostles, but for purposes of the novel they are not included here.
The meeting held on 4 August is briefly described in the official history of the Church (see HC 7:224–25). Fuller accounts of Sidney’s “vision” and of his claims to the guardianship, as well as his fiery call for battle, are given in other sources, including an 1845 speech by Orson Hyde to a group of high priests in Nauvoo (see Speech of Orson Hyde, Delivered Before the High Priests Quorum, in Nauvoo, April 27th, 1845, Upon the Course and Conduct of Mr. Sidney Rigdon, and Upon the Merits of His Claims to the Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [Liverpool: James and Woodburn, 1845], pp. 11–16). Though Elder Hyde specifically places some of Sidney’s remarks (e.g., the mention of battles and going to Queen Victoria) in the context of a 1 September 1844 talk that Sidney gave just before returning to Pennsylvania, other sources mention material of this same nature in both the 4 August and the 1 September speeches.
The scripture cited by Sidney in which he is named as “spokesman” is now D&C 100:9, 11. The revelation cited by Nathan in which Sidney is told to stay with the people is now D&C 124:
104–5.
Chapter 7
I just should have gone,” Caroline said forlornly. “I was feeling quite well this morning. I wish I had been with you.”
Joshua, who was standing behind her chair, bent down and kissed her on the cheek. “It was beastly hot by the afternoon meeting. It would have been too much for you. Besides, even though you’ve got that splint off your ankle now, it’s better if you’re not on it too much yet.”
Normally they would have been at Father and Mother Steed’s house, their usual tradition for a Sabbath evening, but in the past four days Carl and Melissa had worked hard to get their house opened up again and ready to live in. With Jane Manning’s help, they had finished the previous evening and Melissa had insisted they use their Sunday evening get-together as a formal housewarming party, even though both she and Carl suspected the main topic of conversation would be the meeting held earlier in the day. Also contrary to the norm, it was adults only tonight. The older children were scattered among the houses tending their brothers and sisters, or their cousins in the case of those with younger children only.
Caroline turned her head, looking up at Joshua. “You really think Brother Rigdon swayed the people?” she asked.
There was no hesitation. “Absolutely. He’s a master with a crowd. I thought they were going to applaud him when he finally sat down this morning. Probably would have if it hadn’t been a church service.”
Four or five of them stirred at once in response to that, but it was Kathryn McIntire who jumped in first. “I don’t think so,” she said. “At first, when he was talking about his vision, I could tell some people were really impressed. But then he started in on all that blood and gore stuff.”
“Yes,” Jenny said, even before her sister had finished. “And all that about England. That was awful.”
Derek hooted at that. “Now, that tells you something, Caroline,” he said. “When even the Irish are offended by what he said about the British monarch, you can be sure it wasn’t well received.”
“Come on,” Joshua said, surprised at this reaction. “Sure, it was a little fiery, but that’s Sidney’s style. And some people like what he said. They think the English have been due for a comeuppance for some time now.”
“Well, I don’t think he made much of an impression on the English who were present,” Lydia suggested. “Which, by the way, is no small number.”
“You wouldn’t understand, Joshua,” Matthew said. “When Derek and I were in England, I was really surprised to find out how strongly the people feel about their royalty. And Queen Victoria is one of the most popular of the royals, as they call them, in several generations. Even the poorest of the common people love her. If Brother Rigdon had made those kind of statements in London—calling her a ‘little madam,’ promising to lead her around by the nose—he wouldn’t have had the chance to finish his speech, I can tell you that.”
“You jolly well better believe it,” Derek said. “Though Peter and I now consider ourselves dyed-in-the-wool Americans, I felt my blood boiling a little this morning.”
Joshua moved around and sat down on the floor beside Caroline. He was smiling tolerantly. “I’m not saying that I agreed with what he said. I’m just saying that I think he swayed a lot of people there today.”
“But tell me about the afternoon meeting,” Caroline said. “Nathan said there was quite a disagreement between President Marks and the Twelve.”
Joshua looked at his brother. “You explain what happened, Nathan. You know all the people better than I do.”
Nathan nodded. “Well, Sidney’s claims during the morning service stirred up considerable controversy, as Joshua has already indicated. But in the afternoon service, he was not scheduled to speak again. Charles C. Rich, a member of the Nauvoo Stake high council, was speaking to us. All of a sudden, President Marks stood up and stepped forward.”
“While Brother Rich was speaking?” Caroline asked in surprise.
“Yes, right in the middle of his talk.”
“Just before that happened,” Rebecca volunteered, “I saw Brother Rigdon lean over and say something to President Marks. That’s when he got up.”
“What did he say?”
Nathan was shaking his head, his mouth tightening with a touch of anger. “President Marks said that he had an announcement for the congregation. So right there, in the middle of Brother Rich’s talk, he announced that on Thursday there will be a public meeting held for the purpose of choosing a guardian for the Church.”
“No!” Caroline cried.
“Yes,” Joshua answered. “And those were his words. ‘For the purpose of choosing a guardian.’ Since Sidney had already pronounced that he had been called to be the guardian, there was no question but what Marks was saying the meeting would be held to sustain Sidney Rigdon.”
“Exactly,” Nathan agreed, “and everyone knew it.”
“Can he do that? Did he even ask the Twelve?”
“Yes and no.” Nathan’s frown deepened. “The announcement triggered a lively debate. A Brother Grover, whom I don’t know, proposed that the meeting be delayed until there had been more time to examine Rigdon’s revelation. He spoke for a lot of people. There was a lot of agitation by then.”
Benjamin picked it up now. “President Marks tried to calm things by telling us that Brother Rigdon had suggested the meeting be held on Tuesday, just day after tomorrow, but Marks had determined it would be on Thursday instead.”
“I talked with William Clayton afterwards,” Nathan added, “and—”
“Who is he?” Melissa asked.
“Brother Clayton is one of the clerks for the Church,” Nathan answered. “Anyway, he told me he was dissatisfied with the hurried manner in which this was being done. He is suggesting they wait until the remainder of the Twelve return.”
Caroline was shaking her head. “And all of this was right in the worship service.”
“Yes,” Nathan replied. “First President Marks got up. Then Sidney stood too.”
“I think by then,” Mary Ann said dryly, “there wasn’t much of a spirit of either worship or service.”
That brought a laugh from all of them, and several murmurs of agreement.
“So,” Carl prompted Nathan, following along closely with the report. “Sidney Rigdon got up. Then what?”
“Sidney told us he was some distance from his family and was anxious to return to them. He asked if the people had anything for him to do; otherwise he would be on his way back to Pittsburgh, as there were thousands and tens of thousands there who would receive him.”
“In Pittsburgh?” Carl asked dubiously. “Do you have a lot of members in Pittsburgh?”
Nathan laughed. “A hundred maybe. Perhaps less.”
“Then . . . ?”
Nathan shrugged. “I’m just telling you what he said. Anyway, in spite of the protests, President Marks said the meeting for Thursday would stand. We will meet to appoint a guardian for the Church.”
“President Marks has always been a strong supporter of Sidney Rigdon,” Benjamin said. “And he’s not particularly fond of Brigham Young. There’s no question as to who he wants to see take over here.”
“So,” Carl concluded, “back to Caroline’s question. Is Sidney Rigdon going to carry the day?”
“No!” Nathan said flatly, even as Joshua was nodding.
“Who, then?” Melissa asked. “Willard Richards?”
“Willard’s a fine man,” Nathan said, “but I don’t think the people think of him as the one to lead the Church.”
That brought Lydia’s head around. She gave him a quizzical look. He went on. “I don’t think Parley can do it, not George A. either, as much as we personally care for these brethren.”
“Are you agreeing with Joshua, then?” Caroline asked him. She looked as surprised as Lydia by his stance.
“Yes, I am, I guess.”
“See there?” Joshua crowed. “If Nathan and I agree on something, it has to be right.”
“No!” Nathan said sharply. “Absolutely not. But that wasn’t what Joshua was—”
“That’s right,” Joshua broke in. “I wasn’t suggesting that he should lead the Church. I was only saying that after today, I think he will lead the Church.”
Nathan laughed. “I knew it was too good to be true. No, if that’s what you meant, I don’t agree with you.”
They all laughed at that. To an outside observer, Joshua and Nathan seemed always to be disagreeing with each other on various matters. To the family, this was evidence of the depths of their relationship. Though poles apart in their thinking and beliefs, they spoke freely with one another without fear of offense or misunderstanding.
“No, all I was saying was that I agree with Joshua’s assessment of the impact that Sidney had on the people today. I think he did influence some minds. Obviously, President Marks has his made up.”
Now Benjamin jumped in and likewise caught them by surprise. “If you took a vote tonight, I think it would be Sidney Rigdon as guardian of the Church.”
“I agree!” Joshua said triumphantly.
“But, Grandpa,” Will exploded, “don’t you think that would be wrong?”
“I certainly do. At least, I think it’s wrong to do it this way. It’s like Sidney wants to get it done before people have a chance to really think about it.”
Nathan was nodding emphatically. “And before the Twelve get here to talk to people and change their minds.”
“The people are hungry for an end to this,” Benjamin said. “It’s been almost six weeks now. There are still a dozen rumors that our enemies are trying to marshal arms against us. The upcoming elections have everyone stirred up. If the anti-Mormon candidates win, it could mean disaster for us. You can feel the fear and tension in the air. It is not the time to be without a head. The people want someone to lead them. Someone strong, decisive, proven. Sidney, at least on the surface, fits that description.”
“But you don’t think he’s the one?” Carl asked.
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