The Wishing Star (19 page)

It was a late summer afternoon when he reached the main street of South Bainbridge, weary and foot-sore. Trudging into town, he could see the school through the trees; just ahead was the tavern, to his right the general store. Absorbed by memories, Tom nearly stumbled into a group of men standing on the corner.

“Tom Timmons, can I be dreamin'?” Tom stopped abruptly and his startled eyes met those of Martin Harris. Behind him stood Joe Smith and Oliver Cowdery. Joe grinned with delight as he clapped Tom on the shoulder.

“The Lord is good!” Joe exclaimed. “David Whitmer, this is Tom Timmons from up Manchester way.” He turned his attention to Tom. With a broad grin he said, “You've come just in time to celebrate with us. How did the news travel so fast?”

“News?” Tom blinked, still not believing his eyes. “I'm just travelin' through—what news?”

For a moment Joe looked startled; then he threw back his head. “The Lord sent you! That's even better!”

Tom looked slowly around the group of sober men, “What's goin' on?”

Joe stepped closer and clapped Tom on the shoulder again, “Let me tell you. We've been bringing the gospel to the people of South Bainbridge and Colesville, and the Lord's blessing mightily. Everybody's buying the
Book of Mormon
and they're falling over themselves to join the church.”

“So you really have started a church,” Tom said slowly.

Joe nodded. “April 6, 1830, at Fayette, New York, the Church of Christ was organized with six people. Now there's so many converts we can hardly keep up with the baptizing. This will go down in history, mark my word. The Lord has revealed His restored gospel in these latter days, just before the end of all things as we know them. Tom, my lad, there's a new day dawning. The Lord's going to be returning to claim His own and set up His kingdom. It is our task to carry the news to everyone. Will you be joining us?”

“Joe,” Tom said slowly, studying his face, “you're so changed I can't hardly believe it's you. I was wantin' to find you, to see if we could get the diggin' bunch together again. I'd heard you was serious about this church business, but I didn't reckon it had gone this far. Join, huh?” He scratched his forehead. “Mind if I hang around a while and see what's goin' on?”

“I'll bring you up-to-date,” Martin said eagerly, not noticing how Tom pulled away from him. “Soon as we started havin' a little success convertin' folks here, the soreheads began makin' things hot. They brung up that old charge against Joe here.”

He paused to snort his disgust. Tom thought incredulously,
This man beat up his wife and my sister, and he stands here talking to me like nothing's wrong!

“Chawin' it like a dog with a bone,” Martin continued. “I don't see the sense of it. They made a big fuss over Joe usin' the seer stone, like it was the worst thing that could happen. I set them straight. Leastwise, they shut up when I told them that Joe used the stone to find the gold plates. I think that pretty well convinced them the business couldn't be bad.”

Tom recalled the battered faces of Jenny and Lucy Harris. Finally, he shook his head as if to clear it as Martin's excited words and joyful face pushed through that ugly picture. It was impossible to understand, to fit the two views of Martin together.

“It was the churches,” Cowdery added. “They didn't like seeing their people so happy, seeing them pull out of the old dead places and go to the true church. That's why they brought up those old charges against Joe. Lo and behold, the statute of limitations had passed, so they had to let him off scot-free!”

David added enthusiastically, “Practically as soon as he stepped out of court, the law from Colesville slapped him with another warrant. But they couldn't stick him with anything there, either.”

Martin Harris chuckled, “Court spent twenty-three hours listenin' to everybody in the country complain about the man. But they weren't able to make a thing stick. The feelin' is that Judge Noble wasn't a bit happy with his decision. He was sayin', aside like, that you cain't do much with a fella who's practicin' his religion, even if you don't like the way he's a-doin' it.”

“Joe's lucky.” Tom turned to see the stern-faced older man speaking. “The laws against digging for money and treasures been on the books since 1788, and I don't expect them to be dropped soon. I'm advising him to keep his nose clean.”

Joe threw his head back and laughed joyously, “Ah, Thompson, the Lord's a step ahead of you. An angel's come and told me to give up the digging business.” Tom began to chuckle and Joe linked his arm through Tom's. “Why don't you come along with us?” Tom nodded, and immediately Joe sobered. “Tom, this may just seem jolly, but it's a burden, and don't you ever forget it. The Lord's laid a mighty responsibility on me, and I need all the help I can get from my true friends.”

Looking back on it all later, Tom continued to marvel at the tilting of events that had so quickly tumbled him back into Joe Smith's life again.

The easy camaraderie among these men made the whole situation nearly unbelievable to Tom. But life seemed to fluctuate incessantly. The group shifted from gaiety to desperate prayer and fasting until Joseph sent them two by two into the surrounding area with their bundles of books and the tale of the new church.

All the while, Tom stood by as a spectator, watching the events surrounding Joe. New converts continued to flock forward for baptism, and opposition continued, too. Just as quickly as Joe erected dams for his baptismal pools, townspeople tore them out.

Tom watched Joe struggle with the tension between his new converts and the need to support his wife. Joe finally went back to farming. On a day that Oliver Cowdery paid his visit, Tom was pitching hay while Joe drove the team of horses.

When Tom rammed his pitchfork into the ground and walked up to the wagon, he heard Oliver Cowdery chiding Joe about neglecting the church. Even Tom breathed a sigh of relief when Joe recited a new revelation from the Lord, telling him that the new church was to support him and his wife. But the hard words at the end of the revelation, stating the Lord would send curses instead of blessings if His people didn't follow this command, left Tom feeling uneasy.

The first leaves had donned autumn colors before Tom gave serious consideration to the winter ahead. He chewed a straw and pondered the end of the carefree summer. “Tom,” he addressed himself, “it's time for funnin' to end. The winter will be hard and hungry if'n you don't get yourself a real job and snug in for the season.”

He was still muttering to himself when Joe came out to lean on the fence rail beside him. “Tom,” he said, facing him with that penetrating gaze which still made Tom squirm, “I've been meaning to have a talk with you. Seems you're still on the fence about your beliefs. Now, Tom, you know I'm not pushing a single person to accept what his mind refuses to entertain. But, my friend, I must caution you to not delay. If you are convinced that all this is from the Lord, then choose ye whom ye will serve.”

“Joe, it isn't that. You're my good friend, and I'm happy bein' around you, but this is all like a box canyon. I gotta get out and be gettin' on with life. I've a livin' to earn, body and soul to keep together.”

His lips twisted at his attempted humor, but Joe's steady gaze tore the grin away. “You're not facing the seriousness of it at all. Tom, if this is from the Lord, there's no way you can turn your back on it without losing your soul.”

Tom chewed his straw and thought. Finally Joe said softly, “I'm not of a mind to persuade anybody. Tom, you must decide for yourself, but I can give you some help. The Lord gave some good advice to Oliver and I'm prone to use it to help you. He said to him that a body is to be studying out truth in his mind. Then he should ask the Lord if it is right. The Lord will cause his bosom to burn within as a testimony if it is.”

“Joe, it isn't that I doubt. It's just that I don't care for religion. Seems to me there's enough trouble in life without gettin' connected with more. And I see you headed for opposition.”

“So, other things are more important than following the Lord's commandments? You need to open your heart to what He's revealing. I'll be praying that the Lord will convince you otherwise.” Joe paused for a moment and then added, “You're footloose now. How about coming to Fayette with us for the general conference of the church? Might help you to see how the Lord's operating now.”

At the church conference Tom listened as Hiram Page stood to his feet and humbly confessed the sin of having used a seer stone. With a voice full of contrition, he admitted, “I was a-tryin' to elevate myself. I promise to give it up. I know now it is only the Prophet who has the gifts. I'll never use the stone again.”

Tom met Newel Knight at the conference and heard his story. “The Prophet cast a devil out of me,” he said soberly. His tiny wife nodded at his elbow, as he added, “If it hadn't happened, I'd be dead now. Satan had me by the throat squeezing the life outta me, and I was even unconscious for a time. When you have a testimony like this, you know this has gotta be the right church.”

****

In October, Tom left Fayette with a group going on the first missionary journey to the Lamanites. When he returned, there was a new face among the converts—Sidney Rigdon. Rigdon was a preacher, formerly a member of the Cambellites.

It didn't take Tom long to see this new convert's impact on the scraggly bunch of farmers who comprised the new church. This dignified man had the voice and demeanor of a professional orator.

Standing in the shadows watching the two men together, Tom saw Joseph stumble in his youthful inexperience. He also saw the attention the new convert was attracting and began to wonder if Joe was losing out to the newcomer. But while pity was stirring in Tom's breast, the Lord spoke to Joseph again.

When Tom heard the revelation read, he breathed a sigh of relief for Joe. “That's right good,” he muttered to Martin Harris standing beside him. “Now we all know for certain that the Lord sent Rigdon to Joseph just as He sent John the Baptist to Jesus. Rigdon's to be Joe's helper. It's good to know that the Lord approves of Joe just the way he is, and He isn't faultin' him 'cause he's not the smooth talker Rigdon is.”

Chapter 14

“I tell you, these are the last days!” Tom was watching as Joe Smith leaned forward to rest his hand on Rigdon's knee. Joe's earnest gaze was fastened on the older man as he repeated, “The last days. It wouldn't surprise me none to see Jesus Christ return during my lifetime. Sidney, we've much to do before His return!”

It was the end of October 1830. Joe, his family, and some of his followers had taken up residence in Fayette, New York. They were on the Whitmer farm where the new church had been started the previous summer.

Tom looked around the tiny room where that event had taken place. Rigdon's voice was taut with excitement as he answered Joe, and Tom felt a shiver run up his back. “I know, I know. The whole country is feeling it, talking about it, and doing nothing at all.” He paced the room, saying, “Every other soapbox has a prophet on it nowadays, proclaiming the return. But they will all fail.”

Joe's voice overlapped Rigdon's, “We've a big mission for these few short years. With the Lord on our side, nothing on this earth will stand in our way. Priestcraft has corrupted the church Jesus started; no wonder He swept truth from the earth! But now the true church of Jesus Christ has been restored in these latter days.” He stressed his next words, “In this dispensation God has prepared men's hearts to accept the truth.”

Rigdon's eager hand reached out, but Joe shook it off. “That guarantees success,” he continued. “But it isn't only telling about the true, restored church and bringing the lost tribes into the fold.” His voice deepened. “There's something else that must be done.”

Rigdon shifted forward on his chair and waited. Tom's attention was caught by the older man's excitement before he heard Joe's words.

“Zion,”
he said. “We have been given the task of building Zion on this continent. Jesus Christ is going to return to this continent, not to Jerusalem. How do I know? He's told me so. Let me read to you from the latest revelation.”

The sun of the late October day streamed through the window. Joe wiped perspiration from his face and picked up a sheaf of papers. Clearing his throat, Joe began, “Now this is just part of it: ‘And Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he dwelt in the midst of Zion; and it came to pass that Zion was not, for God received it up into his own bosom; and from thence went forth the saying,
Zion is fled
.'

“Enoch built such a perfect city God removed it from earth.” In the quiet Tom heard a fly buzz against the window. Joe sighed and leaned forward. “Sidney, my friend, we have been given the task of building the New Jerusalem. When Christ returns, the city of Enoch will descend out of heaven to that very spot.”

Sidney Rigdon jumped to his feet and paced the room in quick, hard strides. He stopped in front of Joe, his eyes burning with excitement. Surprisingly his voice was low and controlled. “Smith, we've got a whole bunch of converts just sitting out there waiting for us.”

Joe looked startled, and Sidney explained. “Kirtland, Ohio. These people are ready for the message right now, and we mustn't delay.” He paused and then added, “You know, converting them will be easier if we're all there.”

Astonished, Tom cut into the conversation. “We're to uproot the whole lot and move to Ohio? Get the people from Manchester and Palmyra, Colesville and Bainbridge all to move? Rigdon, that's asking too much.” Tom looked at the man's square jaw and hastily added, “I guess I'd better get busy with my chores.”