A Revelation to Thomas B. Marsh
Reflections on Doctrine and Covenants 31
Doctrine and Covenants 31 contains a revelation from the Lord through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Thomas B. Marsh.
Who was Thomas B. Marsh?
This is Hoyt W. Brewster Jr.’s entry on Marsh, Thomas B. in his Doctrine & Covenants Encyclopedia (see also here and here):
Thomas B. Marsh is mentioned in several revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 31; 52:22; 56:5; 75:31; 112). Marsh was very prominent in the early affairs of the Church and had the distinction of being called as the first President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Prior to joining the Church in 1830, he was described as one upon whom “the spirit of prophecy… rested… in some degree.” He became acquainted with the Church through a newspaper description of the “golden Bible.” He journeyed to Palmyra, arriving just in time to see the first sixteen pages of the Book of Mormon come off the printing press. He secured a copy of this, in which both he and his wife expressed their belief. (Jenson 1:79.)
His ordination as an Apostle on April 26, 1835, placed him constantly in the ministry. He experienced the persecution in Missouri and at one point spoke so movingly on the suffering of the Saints that even his tormentors shed tears. However, in the fall of 1838, disaffection settled into his life and he took offense at “a trivial matter,’ which led him to publish false accusations against the Saints (HC 3:166-67; see also JD 3:283-84). George A. Smith later stated that this affidavit was responsible for the “extermination order” signed against the Mormons by the governor of Missouri, Lilburn W. Boggs (JD 3:284)
He was excommunicated MArch 17, 1839. He rejoined the Church in July 1857, and spoke the following words at a Sunday service in Salt Lake City, on September 6, 1857: “Many have said to me, ‘How is it that a man like you, who understood so much of the revelations of God as recorded in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, should fall away?’ I told them not to feel too secure, but to take heed lest they also should fall; for I had not scruples in my mind as to the possibility of men falling away.
“I can say, in reference to the Quorum of the Twelve, to which I belonged, that I did not consider myself a whit behind any of them, and I suppose that others had the same opinion: but, let no one feel too secure; for, before you think of it, your steps will slide. You will not then think nor feel for a moment as you did before you lost the Spirit of Christ; for when men apostatize, they are left to grovel in the dark….
“I have frequently wanted to know how my apostasy began, and I have come to the conclusion that I must have lost the Spirit of the Lord out of my heart.
“The next question is, ‘How and when did you lose the Spirit?’ I became jealous of the Prophet, and then I saw double, and overlooked everything that was right, and spent all my time in looking for the evil; and then, when the Devil began to lead me, it was easy for the carnal mind to rise up, which is anger, jealousy, and wrath. I could fell it within me; I felt angry and wrathful; and the Spirit of the Lord being gone, as the Scriptures say, I was blinded, and I thought I saw a beam in brother Joseph’s eye, but it was nothing but a mote, and my own eye was filled with the beam.” (JD 5:206-7.)
Marsh died in January 1866 at Ogden, Utah. pp. 344-45
A more detailed history of Thomas B. Marsh is found in the LDS Church History Topics section, and we also learn more about him in the first volume of Saints:
That same spirit drew others to the Book of Mormon as it was being printed. Thomas Marsh, a former printer’s apprentice, had tried to find his place in other churches, but none of them seemed to preach the gospel he found in the Bible. He believed that a new church would soon arise that would teach restored truth.
That summer, Thomas felt led by the Spirit to travel hundreds of miles from his home in Boston to western New York. He stayed in the area three months before turning toward home, uncertain why he had traveled so far. At a stop along the way back, however, his host asked if he had heard about Joseph Smith’s “golden book.” Thomas told the woman he had not and felt compelled to learn more.
She told him he should talk to Martin Harris and directed him to Palmyra. Thomas went there immediately and found Martin at Grandin’s printshop. The printer gave him sixteen pages of the Book of Mormon, and Thomas took them back to Boston, eager to share the first taste of this new faith with his wife, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth read the pages, and she too believed they were the work of God.10
Elizabeth Marsh also became converted to the Restored Gospel and Church of Jesus Christ (see also here):
Soon after the Lord revealed His law in Kirtland, the Saints in New York made final preparations to gather to Ohio. They sold their land and property at great loss, packed their belongings in wagons, and said goodbye to family and friends.
Elizabeth and Thomas Marsh were among the Saints preparing to move. After Thomas received the pages from the Book of Mormon and returned home to Boston, they had moved to New York to be closer to Joseph and the church. The call to gather to Ohio came just a few months later, so Elizabeth and Thomas packed up once more, resolved to gather with the Saints and build Zion wherever the Lord directed.
Elizabeth’s determination grew out of her conversion. Although she believed the Book of Mormon was the word of God, she had not been baptized right away. After giving birth to a son in Palmyra, however, she asked the Lord for a witness that the gospel was true. A short time later, she received the testimony she sought and joined the church, unwilling to deny what she knew and ready to lend a hand to the work.
“There has a great change taken place with me, both in body and mind,” Elizabeth wrote Thomas’s sister shortly before they left for Ohio. “I feel a desire to be thankful for what I have received and still look for more.”
In the same letter, Thomas shared the news of the gathering. “The Lord calleth for all to repent,” he declared, “and assemble at Ohio speedily.” He did not know if the Saints were going to Ohio to build Zion or if they were preparing for a more ambitious move in the future. But it did not matter. If the Lord commanded them to gather to Missouri, or even to the Rocky Mountains a thousand miles beyond the nation’s western border, he was ready to go.
“We know nothing of what we are to do, save it be revealed to us,” he explained to his sister. “But this we know: a city will be built in the promised land.”15
Thomas B. Marsh had been baptized and ordained an elder in the Church of Jesus Christ, and the revelation in D&C 31 was received after the second conference of the Church. In this revelation the Lord called Thomas B. Marsh to preach the Gospel, and he was assured of his family’s well-being. The Lord also counseled Marsh to be patient, to pray always, and to follow the Comforter:
Thomas, my son, blessed are you because of your faith in my work.
Behold, you have had many afflictions because of your family; nevertheless, I will bless you and your family, yea, your little ones; and the day cometh that they will believe and know the truth and be one with you in my church.
Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation.
You shall declare the things which have been revealed to my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun. You shall begin to preach from this time forth, yea, to reap in the field which is white already to be burned.
Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your back, for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Wherefore, your family shall live.
Behold, verily I say unto you, go from them only for a little time, and declare my word, and I will prepare a place for them. (D&C 31:1-6)
It’s difficult to think of a greater blessing and more encouraging words than this revelation to Thomas B. Marsh. I believe that it is the hope of many who serve the Lord that He will bless our families and lead them to believe and know the truth and be one with us in His Church. It’s always a great blessing to have our sins forgiven as well.
Smith and Sjodahl comment on these verses as follows:
This Revelation was also received while the second Conference of the Church was in session. It was given for the benefit of Thomas B. Marsh especially.
Thomas B. Marsh was born at Acton, Mass., Nov. 1st, 1799. He came on a visit to Palmyra at the time when the Book of Mormon was being printed, and Martin Harris gave him a sheet containing the first sixteen pages of that book. He read these pages and showed them to his wife, and both received a testimony that the book was of God. When he learned that the Church had been organized, he moved to Palmyra and was baptized by David Whitmer. This was in the month of September, 1830, shortly before this Revelation was received. After a career of varied experiences, Marsh moved to Kirtland, where he was called to the Apostleship. In July and August, 1837, he accompanies the Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon on a mission to Canada, and the following year he and David W. Patten were appointed presidents of the Church in Missouri, until the arrival of the Prophet. In August, 1838, a year of apostasy, he became disaffected and turned traitor to his brethren. He made an affidavit to the effect that the “Mormons” had a company called “Danites,” organized for the purpose of murdering “enemies” - a statement he certainly knew to be false. After that he became a vagabond, without resting-place, without peace, for many years.
In 1857, he came to Salt Lake City, and asked forgiveness and reinstatement in the Church. President Young introduced him to the audience in the Bowery, on the bth of September. He told the congregation that he had suffered greatly during his absence from the Church, but that he acknowledged the hand of the Lord in the chastisement he had received. He made the following significant remark concerning the beginning of his apostasy:
“I became jealous of the Prophet, and then I saw double and overlooked everything that was right, and spent all my time in looking for the evil. *** I saw a beam in Brother Joseph’s eye, but it was nothing but a mote, and my own eye was filled with the beam. *** I talked with Brother Brigham and Brother Heber, and I wanted them to be mad like myself; and I saw they were not mad, and I got madder still because they were not. Brother Brigham, with a cautious look, said, ‘are you the leader of the Church, Brother Thomas?” I answered, “No!” ‘Well, then,’ said he, ‘Why do you not let that alone?” Well, this was about the amount of my hypocrisy. I meddled with that which was not my business” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. V., p. 207)
At the conclusion of his address he was by unanimous vote received into full fellowship as a member of the Church.
Blessed are you because of your faith] Thomas B. Marsh had embraced the gospel on the testimony of the Spirit concerning sixteen pages of the Book of Mormon, and he moved to Palmyra in order to join the Church. This was faith. Many “inquirers” cannot be moved, though they have an entire library from which to draw information. God commends him for his faith.
You have had many afflictions] The trials he had passed through, because of the unbelief of his relatives, were not unknown to his Heavenly Father. “My Father knows!” This assurance was accompanied by the promise, “I bless you and your family.” God blesses the families of his faithful servants. That is part of their reward. Children often owe their success in life to the faith of their parents. Israel was blessed because of the faith of Abraham, their ancestor.
Your tongue shall be loosed] As long as Thomas B. Marsh was faithful he was an eloquent speaker. At the time of the troubles in Clay County, Mo., he was elected a member of a committee to lay the grievances of the Saints before the authorities of the state. On that occasion he spoke so impressively that General Atchison, who was present, shed tears, and the meeting passed resolutions to assist the Saints in finding a new location.
The things which have been revealed] Marsh was here given his commission to preach the gospel as revealed through the Prophet. Even as an Apostle of our Lord, he had no other commission. As long as he was faithful to this charge, he was singularly blessed, but when, through envy and pride, he turned away from the leadership of the Prophet, he fell. (pp. 164-66)
The Lord’s revelation to Thomas Marsh continues:
Yea, I will open the hearts of the people, and they will receive you. And I will establish a church by your hand;
And you shall strengthen them and prepare them against the time when they shall be gathered. (D&C 31:7-8)
This is the Smith and Sjodahl commentary on these verses:
Establish a church by your hand] Thomas B. Marsh was very active as a missionary, but whatever success he had was the work of God. No missionary has any reason to be proud, for he is but an instrument- a brush in the hand of an artist, a tool in the hand of an architect. Still, the divine Master-builder acknowledges the services of those though whose instrumentality His work is done.
Strengthen them *** they shall be gathered] The principle of gathering had just been revealed (Sec. 29:2-8). Marsh was to be one of the servants of the Almighty whose duty it would be to strengthen and prepare the people for gathering. It takes both strength of character and preparation to gather to Zion, and this will be still more the case, when the City of Zion is to be built up, and the laws of God must be observed. Marsh, in the autumn of 1832, led a company of Saints to Jackson Co., Mo. (p. 166)
If Marsh led a company of Saints to Jackson County Missouri in 1832, gathering them to build up the City of Zion, I wonder why, almost two hundred years later, the Saints continue to build up Babylon in the wilderness of Utah and throughout the world. Why the delay in building up Zion? Although the common argument or the conventional response to this question is that the Saints are building up Zion in their stakes, wards, and homes wherever they live, it seems to me that modern Saints have simply lost sight of the Lord’s original purpose and plan. Is it because we lack the strength of character and the desire to observe the laws of God? Thomas Marsh was one of the early Saints who eagerly sought to gather the Lord’s people to Zion, not only spiritually through missionary work, but temporally as well.
The Lord’s revelation to Thomas B. Marsh concludes:
Be patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile. Govern your house in meekness, and be steadfast.
Behold, I say unto you that you shall be a physician unto the church, but not unto the world, for they will not receive you.
Go your way whithersoever I will, and it shall be given you by the Comforter what you shall do and whither you shall go.
Pray always, lest you enter into temptation and lose your reward.
Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you. These words are not of man nor of men, but of me, even Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, by the will of the Father. Amen. (D&C 31:9-13)
What does it mean for Thomas B. Marsh to be a physician unto the church, but not unto the world? Why wouldn’t the world receive him? I have volumes to write on this topic, and plenty of my own opinions regarding healing and medicine, but I wonder what my readers think. How could Thomas B. Marsh be a physician unto the Church, but not unto the world?
This is the Smith and Sjodahl commentary on these verses, and on the life of Thomas B. Marsh:
9-13. The Lord here imparts special instructions for the guidance of His servant. Among these are: - Be patient in afflictions, revile not against those that revile; govern your house and be steadfast; pray always, lest you enter into temptation and lose your reward; and be faithful unto the end.
The Lord knew the dangers threatening Thomas B. Marsh and warned him of them.
General Notes
Thomas B. Marsh was commanded to govern his house in meekness, and to be steadfast. In this he utterly failed. And for that reason he apostatized and became active in drawing the mob against the Saints in Missouri, in persecution. George A. Smith, in an address delivered in Salt Lake City, April 6th, 1856, tells the story. When the Saints were living in Far West, the wife of Marsh and Sister Harris agreed to exchange milk, in order to enable each of them to make a larger cheese than they could do separately. Each was to take to the other the “strippings,” as well as the rest of the milk. Mrs. Harris performed her part of the agreement, but Mrs. Marsh kept a pint of “strippings” from each cow. When this became known the matter was brought before the Teachers, and these decided against Mrs. MArsh. An appeal was taken to the Bishop. He sustained the Teachers. If Marsh had obeyed the Revelation and governed his house in humility and with steadfastness, he would have righted the wrong done, but, instead of doing so, he appealed to the high Council. Marsh, who at the time was President of the Twelve, possibly thought that the Council would favor him, but that body confirmed the Bishop’s decision. He was not yet satisfied, but appealed to the First Presidency, and Joseph, the Prophet, and his two Counsellors consented to review the case. They approved the finding of the High Council. Was Marsh satisfied then? No. With the persistency of Lucifer himself, he declared that he would uphold the character of his wife, “even if he had to go to hell for it.” Elder George A. Smith observes:
“The then President of the Twelve Apostles, the man who should have been the first to do justice and cause reparation to be made for wrong, committed by any member of his family, took that position, and what next? He went before a magistrate and swore that the ‘Mormons’ were hostile to the State of Missouri. That affidavit brought from the government of Missouri an exterminating order, which drove some 15,000 Saints from their homes and habitations, and some thousands perished through suffering the exposure consequent on this state of affairs” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. III. p. 284).
Marsh appears before us in the early history of the Church as a man of great faith. This attribute again became prominent, when, after many years of apostasy and suffering, he wended his way to Utah to confess his sins and ask for pardon. With all his efforts he could raise only five dollars and ten cents, and with this sum he started on his way from Harrison Co., Mo, to Salt Lake City. He looked at this money and said, “Lord, if you will help me, I will go.” He says, “Before I got of of the State, the Lord had changed my fortune, and I had $65.05. I then concluded within myself that the Lord was with me.”
At the time Marsh was reinstat as a member of the Church, President Brigham Young referred to the fact that Marsh said he was an old man. President Young said,
“Brother Thomas considers himself very aged and infirm, and you can see that he is, brethren and sisters! What is the cause of it? He left the gospel of salvation. What do you think is the difference between his age and mine? One year and seven months to a day; and he is one year, seven months, and fourteen days older than Brother Heber C. Kimball. ‘Mormonism’ keeps men and women young and handsome; and where they are full of the Spirit of God, there are none of them but will have a flow upon their countenances; and that is what makes you and me young; for the Spirit of God is with us, and within us” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. V., p. 210).
This is where I think Brigham Young and Smith and Sjodahl wax self-righteous. Whatever Thomas B. Marsh’s faults, and whatever harm he caused by his apostasy, I’m sure that there is much more to this story. In fact, I wonder if the milk strippings story is true at all. It also seems to me that Marsh had good reasons for his actions, and Brigham Young’s “forgiveness” speech when Marsh returns, in my opinion, raises more questions about Brigham Young’s character than it does about Thomas Marsh’s character:
He has told you that he is an old man. Do you think that I am an old man? I could prove to this congregation that I am young; for I could find more girls who would choose me for a husband than can any of the young men.
Brother Thomas considers himself very aged and infirm, and you can see that he is, brethren and sisters. What is the cause of it? He left the Gospel of salvation. What do you think the difference is between his age and mine? One year and seven months to a day; and he is one year, seven months, and fourteen days older than brother Heber C. Kimball.
“Mormonism” keeps men and women young and handsome; and when they are full of the Spirit of God, there are none of them but what will have a glow upon their countenances; and that is what makes you and me young; for the Spirit of God is with us and within us.
When brother Thomas thought of returning to the Church, the plurality of wives troubled him a good deal. Look at him. Do you think it need to? I do not; for I doubt whether he could get one wife. Why it should have troubled an infirm old man like him is not for me to say. He read brother Orson Pratt's work upon that subject, and discovered that the doctrine was beautiful, consistent, and exalting, and that the kingdom could not be perfect without it. Neither can it be perfect without a great many things that the people do not yet understand, though they will come in the own due time of the Lord.
I recommend this article in MormonThink for a better approach to understanding Thomas B. Marsh and his decisions.