21 August, 1842.
Apparently, it had been thought that Sidney Rigdon meant “to renounce his faith in Mormonism” when he took the stand on 21 August 1842. Instead, he “appeared to bear his testimony of its truth, and add another to the many miraculous evidences of the power of God.”
I stumbled upon this story while reading a commentary on Doctrine and Covenants section 124 verses 103-110. In these verses Sidney Rigdon is admonished to continue to stand by the Prophet Joseph Smith, along with other commandments, and “if he will hearken unto my voice, it shall be well with him” (verse 110).
Smith and Sjodahl remark that, “Sidney Rigdon, according to a generally prevailing impression, was more or less under the influence of a spirit of apostasy. It is related that, in Liberty jail, he declared to his fellow-prisoners that the sufferings of the Lord were nothing compared with his, and while the faithful Saints were straining every nerve to complete the Nauvoo Temple, he had no word of encouragement to them. As a consequence of his disposition, he did not have good health. Like the Corinthians who partook unworthily of the Sacrament (1 Cor. 11:30), he was ‘weak and sickly.’ The Lord, therefore, points out to him the cause of his ailments and promises to heal him, if he will do his duty and stand by the Prophet as a true counselor.”
The admonition from the Lord in section 124 was given on January 19, 1841 so it was 19 months later that he took the stand to detail the miracle he had experienced to those gathered.
As mentioned, given Sidney’s recent state of apostasy, I’m sure the gathered congregation was expecting to see some potential fireworks. They got fireworks, but not the apostasy-themed ones they were expecting.
Sidney told the congregation that his daughter Eliza died. She was pronounced dead by a physician. I will quote the story from the Joseph Smith Papers. “after a considerable length of time she rose up in the bed and spoke in a very powerful tone to the following effect in a supernatural manner: she said to the family that she was going to leave them (being impressed with the idea herself that she had only come back to deliver her message and then depart again,) saying the Lord had said to her the very words she should relate; and so particular was she in her relation, that she would not suffer any person to leave out a word or add one. She called the family around her and bade them all farewell with a composure and calmness that defies all description, still impressed with the idea that she was to go back. Up to the time of her death she expressed a great unwillingness to die, but after her return she expressed equally as strong a desire to go back. She said to her elder Sister, Nancy, ‘it is in your heart to deny this work, and if you do, the Lord says it will be the damnation of your soul.’ In speaking to her sister Sarah she said, ‘Sarah, we have but once to die, and I would rather die now than wait for another time.’ She said to her Sisters that the Lord had great blessings in store for them if they continued in the faith, and after delivering her message she swooned, but recovered again.”
It goes on to say that she continued in a near death fashion for 36 hours before she called her father, Sidney to her. Continuing from the Joseph Smith Papers: “the Lord had said to her, if he (Sidney) would cease weeping for his sick daughter, and dry up his tears that he should have all the desires of his heart; and that if he would go to bed and rest, he should be comforted over his sick daughter, for in the morning she should be getting better and should get well.” Sidney had wept and prayed for his daughter’s life. His daughter told him the Lord had commanded her to stay for Sidney’s prayers.
The account continues, (Sidney speaking), “It has also been rumored that I believe that Joseph Smith is a fallen prophet. In regard to this, I unequivocally state that I never thought so, but declare that I know he is a prophet of the Lord, called and chosen in this last dispensation, to roll on the kingdom of God for the last time. He closed by saying as it regards his religion he had no controversy with the world, having incontrovertible evidence, that through obedience to the ordinances of the religion he now believes, the Lord had actually given back his daughter from the dead.”
There is so much to unpack here. A few things that caught my attention –
Sydney being weak due to taking the sacrament unworthily.
The statement potentially made by Sidney Rigdon to the effect that the Lord’s sufferings were nothing in comparison to his, blasphemous indeed.
Interesting that Eliza was commanded to give the precise words of the Lord. Shows the importance of the Lord’s words, when He speaks, we listen and when we relay His message it must be precise.
Also, interesting that Eliza at first didn’t want to die, but once she had met the Lord, she didn’t want to come back to life. Why did she ultimately come back? Because the Lord commanded her. I believe this not to be out of duty to Him (though of course it was) but out of love. The Lord doesn’t force.
My concluding thought is on the cunningness of the devil. I haven’t studied the life of Sidney Rigdon much after he officially left the church. After reading this story I looked a little more into Sidney Rigdon. Apparently, after Joseph Smith’s martyrdom Sidney went on missions to the East to preach and gather followers to his new church. Sidney called it, “the most successful mission he had ever undertaken.” Where is this church today?
What I thought about the cunningness of Satan is this: Sidney Rigdon appears to never have denied the faith. Maybe that source exists and I haven’t seen it. What Sidney did instead was claim the authority as his own. He was misguided and pride took over. He believed the authority rested with him and so, instead of denouncing the faith, he tried to promote it in his own way. God had chosen his prophet. Sidney Rigdon couldn’t upheave that.
I believe there is a lot to be learned from this story from Church history. I noted just a couple of the interesting points that could result in their own post. Ultimately I settled on this important point –
I’m not sure where Sidney Rigdon’s church is today. I know where the Church of Jesus Christ is today.
