By 1838, many
Saints left Ohio to join with those driven from their homes
in Missouri. They gathered in the wilderness area of
Caldwell County in northwest Missouri and built the
city of Far West as a temporary place of refuge.
Joseph Smith and his family arrived in March 1838. The
following month, God revealed to the Prophet that Far
West was located on holy ground, and the Saints were
commanded to build a temple here. Cornerstones for the
temple were laid during a celebration in early July.
As persecutions
raged, Joseph continued to receive direction from the
Lord. Here, God revealed that His Church was to be called
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. He
directed the Saints to "pay one-tenth of all their
interest annually" to financially sustain the
Church. And from Far West, the Lord sent the Twelve
Apostles on an important mission to England.
The Prophet and
other Church leaders were captured by a mob in the fall
of 1838. Most were soon released, but Joseph and five others
were moved to Liberty Jail. By the following spring,
the Saints had fled Far West to safe havens in
Illinois and Iowa.
In 1908, the
Church purchased 80 acres in Far West, including the temple
lot. President David O. McKay dedicated monuments at the
temple site in 1968.
