The Strange Kirtland Temple Ownership Problems

Following the Kirtland Banking Crisis in 1838, Joseph Smith left town in the dead of the night. The town of Kirtland was basically bankrupt. Because of this, ownership of the temple was claimed by several people. John Hamer and Lachlan MacKay will talk about Kirtland Temple ownership problems. It’s a little bit like a soap-opera. We’ll also hear an episode where people stormed the temple with guns and knives to try to take ownership of the temple.

Lachlan: This is the one where Joseph Smith Sr. is at the pulpit on the west end. The dissenters are concerned and hoping to take possession of the temple, and they stormed to the front with guns and knives drawn. I think this is Oliver Huntington, one of the Huntington boys said, “Them that had chicken-hearts dove out the windows for safety.”

The police are called in to restore order. They rush in and they knocked over a stove-pipe. So I just imagine soot filling the room. The best part is, after that chaos, they eject the belligerents and resume the services of the day. {Everyone chuckles}

GT: Really! Wow.

Lachlan: So I think that’s probably what you were referring to.

GT: Yeah, it must have been quite a service! {all chuckle} We don’t talk about that in the LDS tradition very often. I remember reading that somewhere and just going, “Wow!”

Lachlan: I think one of them is even—they are walking from the front to the back, in some cases over the back of the pews, so stepping from pew-box to pew-box because the aisles are full of people, so they have to walk on the top of the pew-boxes to get up there.

We also talk about some other Mormon groups: Strangites & Hedrickites and their involvement in Kirtland Temple ownership. I also update our previous conversation with Dr. Richard Bennett about Brigham Young trying to sell the Kirtland Temple! Was the Kirtland Temple turned into a sheep shed? How did the Kirtland Banking Crisis affect ownership? What else can we learn about the Kirtland Temple over the years? Check out our conversation…..

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