A Short Distance to the West - Far West, MO
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member YoSam.
N 39° 40.287 W 094° 07.868
15S E 402984 N 4391903
This is one of four such markers at this site. They mark the corners of the proposed Temple, and add details of the history here.
Waymark Code: WMQ01E
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 11/20/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member iconions
Views: 3
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County of marker: Caldwell County
Location of markers: MO D & MO H, temple site, 5½ miles W. of Kingston
Markers erected by: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Marker text: Short distance to the west of this site
Joseph F. Smith, son of Hyrum and Mary Smith, was born on November 13, 1898.
He became the sixth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

"Caldwell County in 1836 was a wilderness. By the spring of 1838 the population was more than 5000 of which more than 4900 were Latter-Day Saints with the greater concentration at Far West which by this time had one hundred and fifty houses, four dry goods stores, three family groceries, half a dozen blacksmith shops, a printing establishment and two hotels. A large and comfortable schoolhouse had been built in 1836 and served also as a church and Courthouse."
 (History of Caldwell County, Williams, pp.120-121)
Far West was the County Seat of Caldwell County.

"Among the notable revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants received at Far West and vicinity are: the proper name of the church was given (115:4); four new members of the Twelve Apostles were named and the Twelve as a quorum were called to serve an overseas mission (118:1-6); and the law of tithing was explained (119, 120). "Joseph Smith and other Church leaders were arrested in Far West on October 31, 1838, by the state militia and taken to Independence, then to Richmond, and from there to Liberty, Missouri, where they were imprisoned. While the Prophet was in prison during the winter and spring of 1838-1839, the Latter-day Saints were driven from Far West and other Missouri sites under Governor Boggs's Extermination Order and relocated in Illinois."
 ~ Larry C. Porter; Brigham Young University

Web link: [Web Link]

History of Mark:

"Early Latter-day Saints began to settle in northwestern Missouri soon after the Church of Christ was organized in 1830. According to a revelation given by Joseph Smith Jr., Independence would be the "centerplace" of the City of Zion when Jesus returned. However, disputes between Mormon and Missourian settlers in Independence led to the expulsion of the Mormons from Jackson County in 1833. Most Mormons temporarily settled in Clay County, Missouri. Towards the end of 1836, Caldwell County was created specifically for Mormon settlement to recompense Mormon losses in Jackson County. Shortly after the creation of Caldwell County, Far West was made the county seat.

"Far West became the headquarters of the Latter-day Saint movement in early 1838 when Prophet Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon relocated to the town from the previous church headquarters, Kirtland, Ohio. Joseph Smith taught the Latter-day Saints that the Garden of Eden had been in Jackson County and when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden, they moved to the Caldwell County and Daviess County areas of Missouri. While headquartered in Far West, the official name of the church was changed from Church of Jesus Christ to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." ~ Wikipedia



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