Thomas B. Marsh was the name of a man who came to Kirtland with the Church.  He became a leader among the Saints and was president of the first quorum of Twelve Apostles.  Elder Marsh did much missionary work and suffered with the Saints in their persecution; but in 1838 he became dissatisfied and did some wicked things against his brethren.  He was therefore cut off from the Church.  Nineteen years after he came back and was baptized again.  He came to Utah and lived at Ogden, where he died, a poor, broken-down man.

Topics.—­1.  The gathering. 2.  The move to Ohio. 3.  Orson Pratt. 4.  Sidney Rigdon. 5.  Thomas B. Marsh.

Questions and Review.—­1.  What is meant by the gathering? 2.  Quote some scriptural passage on the gathering. 3.  Where was the first gathering place? 4.  Locate Kirtland. 5.  Tell about Joseph’s first visit to Kirtland. 6.  Who was Newel K. Whitney? 7.  When did most of the Saints move to Kirtland? 8.  Tell what you can about Orson Pratt? 9.  Name some of his books. 10.  What high position did Sidney Rigdon hold? 11.  Why did he leave the Church? 12.  Tell about Thomas B. Marsh.

CHAPTER XII.

The land of Zion.

The Book of Mormon (13th chapter of Ether) tells us that this land of America is a “choice land above all other lands;” and the Lord has said that the people who lived here must serve him or in time be destroyed.  This you will remember was proved so often in the history of the Nephites.

Strictly speaking, the whole of America is the land of Zion, but the Lord revealed to Joseph that there should be a “center place,” where a great city should be build which should be called the city of Zion, or the New Jerusalem.  This city will be the capital or in the center of a large district of country full of people who serve the Lord.  A grand temple will be built in the central city, and the glory of the Lord will rest upon it by day and by night.  Then shall there be peace in the earth for a thousand years, and the Saints will be busy working to save all the people who live or have ever lived on the earth.  Jesus with his angels will no doubt visit the earth from time to time to look after his work at this glorious period.

Now all this was to have a beginning, one of these small beginnings we have spoken about.

June 7th, 1831, the Prophet Joseph received a revelation instructing him and twenty-eight other elders to go on missions.  They were to travel two and two by different routes through the Western states, preaching the gospel and building up the Church on the way.  They were to meet in the state of Missouri about a thousand miles from Kirtland and there hold a conference.  At this time, if they were faithful, the Lord would reveal to them the location of the central place and the spot where the temple should sometime stand.

The brethren went on their missions as they had been instructed, and Joseph and his party arrived at Independence, Missouri, about the middle of July, 1831.  Oliver Cowdery and the other brethren who had been sent on the mission to the Indians, you will recollect, stopped at Independence.  They were very glad to meet Joseph and his companions again.