The years before 1838 were difficult for the members and leaders of
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
LDS Church Apostle
Heber C. Kimball would later say that the bank's failure was so shattering that afterwards "there were not twenty persons on earth that would declare that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God." Smith's former secretary,
Warren Parish, along with
Martin Harris and others, vied for control of the church in Kirtland, taking possession of the
Kirtland Temple, "
excommunicating" Smith and Rigdon, and forcing Smith and Rigdon to relocate and establish a community at
Far West, Missouri. They were followed there by hundreds of loyalists in a trek known as the "
Kirtland Camp." However, after fleeing from Kirtland, Smith faced continuing external persecutions, along with serious internal dissensions. Smith and Rigdon became determined to extinguish this perceived apostasy in the church as they believed that the very entire future of the
Latter Day Saint movement was at stake. Due to Rigdon's ability to sway audiences, he became Smith's spokesman in an attempt to promote
church orthodoxy, and as a result Rigdon also became symbol of the militancy of the church in
Far West. ==Sermon==