Lecture Notes: History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Independence, Missouri

Introduction

• Speaker: Casey Griffiths, a church history teacher
• Location: Independence, Missouri, a significant site for Latter-day Saints
• Focus: Explore the Temple Lot, the concept of Zion, and its historical evolution

Temple Lot and the City of Zion

• Temple Lot: A sacred site where early Latter-day Saints intended to build the City of Zion or New Jerusalem
• Book of Mormon Prophecy: Predicted the establishment of Zion in the Americas, leading Joseph Smith to seek divine guidance
  • Doctrine and Covenants 28: Revealed no man knew Zion’s location, but it would be "on the borders by the Lamanites"
• Mission to the Lamanites: Oliver Cowdery's mission to preach and establish the New Jerusalem’s location

Revelation and the Move to Missouri

• Doctrine and Covenants 57: Declared Independence as the center place for Zion and designated a spot for the temple
• Temple Plan: Initially intended to build 24 temples
  • Did not solely serve for sacred ordinances but also administrative purposes
  • Comparable to modern-day church administrative buildings

Challenges and Unfulfilled Plans

• Far West: Once a thriving community, now largely empty due to persecution and expulsion (extermination order of 1838)
• Revelations in Far West: Doctrine and Covenants 115 and 119 revealing the name of the church and the law of tithing

Adam-ondi-Ahman

• Speculated Temple Site: Historical and future significance
• Doctrine and Covenants: Predicts a future gathering and divine visitation in this location

Modern Interpretation and Reflection

• Doctrine and Covenants 124: States the Lord no longer requires the building of the temple complex
• Joseph Smith’s Perspective: Later viewed Zion as a broader concept, encompassing all of North and South America
  • Article of Faith 10: Zion envisioned as all of the Americas
• Future Prophecy: Suggests potential future relevance of these sites, dependent on further revelation

Conclusion

• Legacy: Although the original plans were not completed, they left a legacy for global temple building
• Significance of Temples: Serve as spiritual preparation for the return of Christ
• Zion's Modern Meaning: Any place where Latter-day Saints gather and establish temples is considered Zion