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Show 1 COLONIZATION MORMON COLORADO THE OF RIVER LITTLE VALLEY INTRODUCTORY Persecution A Factor In Settlement Of the West members or the mhurch of Jesus 'Christ of Saints \tlas effected in Arizona in the lley of the Little At that time there were a. few of 1876. in the Permanent settlement Latter-day Colrado River, by Spring Mexicans, traders, and perhaps trappers in the valley, but to consider the countr.y populated or settled. 'insufficient in'numbers The aborigines" however, l'iere living thr.oughout the area; and a' fe\tl military forts had been established for the control of the redmeh-- Forts Defiance and Wingate in. the' extreme eastern part of the river drainage basL, and others south of the Mogollon Rim, from which as A .·few Mormons, bound for C'al sistance might be obtained if need be. southern part of Arizona as early as ifo'mla, had passed through the. the 1850 decade; and a very" limited number, or these JDB,."1 have· remained in the vicinities of Phoenix and Tueeon, to unite later with other mn bars of their faith; but as far as I know none of these had penetrated the Valle7 of the Little Colorado. This fitst colonization movement, consisting of four companies arriving .,at,_.their destina.tion in March, 1876 and followed by others later were directly under the auspices of the Mormon. Church, and strictly in accofd with Church policies in Since these policies were Yer.y largely such matters at that time. the results of past experiences of the mhurch, it may be well to in scattered sert here a brief outline of earlier Church.histo. prophet-founder of the Church, Joseph Smith, met strong opposi told them of his his ministerial friends and others.when he from tion was far from ac this course Of Vision. experience First supernatural. with the ceased such had all that since they taught ceptable to them; Father the doctrine of The His and Savior the of Apostles. The passing and in the form of men was the Son to the boy Joseph of statement and the also far from orthodox; because of none they were all wrong and Smith that he must join them, affront to them, and an have seemed an abomination in His sight may and the Son being two distinct personages the information was coming to them through a boy The coming forthof the Book of Mormon, with under 15 years of age. the many appearances of the Angel Moroni, with instructions and informa tion for th young man, and the asserted actual delivery of the long-' Persecution hidden "gold plates" to him/greatly fanned the indignation. intense that it appeared came quickly from the first; and soon becae so even the life of the young man might b endangered. especially since so organized at Fayette, Seneca CO., New York Apr. 6, 1830, association or society. with six members as required by law for such an for this were assembled men of which repute with good The readiness The Church was organization and other These men were citizens the Church work may have been somewhat disconcerting dregs of society, but were from a class of considered immune from such "heresies" as not from the perhaps generally prophet's teachings and asserted experiences were thought to he. * |
