DEATH OF A KING IN THE KINGDOM, Chapter 10 of Kingdom of God volume 3

DEATH OF A KING IN THE KINGDOM, Chapter 10 of Kingdom of God volume 3

 Pages 121-131

If my life is of no value to my friends, it is of none to myself. (Joseph Smith, TPJS, p. 377)

http://ogdenkraut.com/?page_id=141

Going back to the 1840’s, the Mormon statements and claims of a temporal kingdom could not be overlooked. Mormon apostates and observant politicians exposed the embryo of this temporal kingdom. They could see only a potential power and competition developing–not any virtue. In reality the Kingdom of God supported the Constitution in guaranteeing freedom and liberty; but apparently that is what the outsiders feared. Even though they claimed to be Christians, their vile and wicked conduct proved differently.

One may wonder why the Mormons came into violent conflict with their neighbors in all seven major areas in which they settled. One early anti-Mormon author said it was because they incorporated their economic, social and political ideals into their religion. If their religion had been just spiritual teachings or feelings, like other Christian churches, the Saints would not have been perceived as a threat to the rest of society. 

Joseph Smith became even more aware of a conspiracy to take his life from the testimony of two young boys. Dennison L. Harris and Robert Scott attended a meeting of 200 apostate Mormons who were preparing to kill Joseph. They reported back to Joseph Smith what they had witnessed.