Item Detail
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28168
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3
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1
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English
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Wise Men and Wise Women : The Role of Church Members in Financing Church Operations, 1834-1835
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Journal of Mormon History
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July 2017
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43
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3
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Champaign, IL
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University of Illinois Press; Mormon History Association
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1-21
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In 1834, Joseph Smith and the Church of the Latter Day Saints were desperately in need of money. Land had been purchased for the Kirtland House of the Lord, and construction was proceeding on that structure. The Saints in Missouri had lost their land in Jackson County and were living in poverty. In addition, the Church needed money to deal with the demise of the United Firm, an organization set up to fund the Church's financial and publishing endeavors. In response, Church members—men and women—donated funds in 1834 and 1835 that allowed the Camp of Israel expedition (Zion's Camp) to attempt to rescue the Saints in Missouri, staved off creditors for a time, published Smith's revelations, and built the temple. Smith saw these contributions as critical and expressed his gratitude in private and in public. Examining these donations allows historians to see the financial difficulties Smith and the Church faced in 1834 and 1835 and the role that ordinary Saints played in resolving the concerns. [From the text]