Relief Mine -- Chapter 7, Part One

2002-9-19 05:21:00

The Relief Mine
By Ogden Kraut
First Published 1978

Chapter 7, Part 1 -- Opposition Begins

For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (Matt. 18:7)

From the commencement of the restored Gospel, "Satan . . . has laid a cunning plan, thinking to destroy the work of God; . . . he stirreth up their hearts to anger against this work." (D & C 10:22-24) Thus, whenever God sets about to perform a special work, the devil promptly prepares a means to destroy it.

The warning by the two Nephite messengers began to be realized. The powers of darkness were being combined in an effort to destroy or stop the work of that mine. It is reasonable that if the Lord was inspiring that work, and its mission was to help save millions of people from calamities, then surely the Prince of Darkness would oppose it.

Opposition often came from many different sources, but always with the same objective--stop Bishop Koyle and stop the work at the mine! One day when Frank Woodward was in charge of the drilling, he said that "a little dark Lamanite" appeared to him and told him that "This is the beginning of the

Turndown'", and Frank was very powerfully convinced that he should make the drilling according to the Lamanite's instructions--to follow the wall that leaned to the east. The Bishop allowed Frank and those who wanted to pursue his lead to make a 4' x 4' "worm hole", while the majority of men followed Koyle's directions. After much digging by both groups, the worm hole intercepted the Bishop's diggings further down; the main [56] group had already passed Frank's group. To this day, when difficulty or opposition arises, it is usually attributed to the "Little Dark Lamanite".

Bishop Koyle was told that three men would lose their lives at the mine. The first was Lee Gardner in 1912, who was killed when he fell in the old workings as he was going on his last shift, just prior to leaving on a mission for the Church.

The second man killed was Reid Weight:

. . . on September 17, 1934, just 40 years to the day and hour from the time they first started to work the mine September 17, 1894, Reid Weight, young, energetic, intelligent, of the highest moral fiber, and a life-long supporter of the Dream Mine, met his death from the shedding of his blood when a misfire--water soaked and nine hours old--unexpectedly exploded when he was preparing to remove it. His working companion, Leroy Barney, was with him at the time in that narrow shaft of the winze which they had deepened to about 250 feet at the time--stood with him side by side as they watched a bucket of muck go up the hoist. Suddenly in an instant, there was an explosion of six sticks of deadly dynamite from the watersoaked nine-hour-old misfire. Miraculously, Barney was quite uninjured from the blast, but young Reid Weight was severely and mortally wounded, and his life's blood was shed in the mine--willingly and without regret, for he did not lose consciousness until the very end, and he was able to express himself. His brother, Lewis Weight, who operated the hoist at the time, still carried on with the other loyal workers at the mine to help vindicate that death and confirm that testament of the Relief Mine. (Dream Mine Story, Pierce, p. 77)

[57] The third man killed was 17-year-old David Kunz, who died on December 27, 1939, while he was shoveling gravel near a six-foot embankment, a large chunk of frozen dirt and ice toppled on him.

The work of God has always encountered opposition. The Relief Mine would, of course, be a prime object of opposition from the devil. The two heavenly messengers warned Bishop Koyle that it would come, but the manner of opposition by the adversary was most unusual.

During the 1880's the Church was unmercifully persecuted by the United States Government for living the law of plural marriage. The Church took sanctuary outside of the U.S. borders by establishing colonies in Canada and in Old Mexico for the polygamists. If a man chose to take plural wives, it was necessary that he travel to one of these colonies so he would not be breaking a United States law.

However, after the Smoot hearings by the U.S. Senate from 1904-06 and additional pressures from the Government after that, the Church decided to further relinquish faith in the principle of plural marriage by issuing another "manifesto" in 1910. This created a reason for President Joseph F. Smith to make a visit to the Mormon colonies where he attempted to break up the practice of plural marriages. He also wanted to prevent any further contracts in that relationship. He would promote genealogy as a substitute for living plural marriage just as Wilford Woodruff had done. In his attempt to justify the abandonment of that principle, he declared that the next temple would be built in Mexico.

But the Saints in Mexico were prospering quite well--they were a faithful people and of course were somewhat taken back by the announcement that the Church would now abandon plural marriage "in all the world." In 1890 the Church conceded to the pressure of the government by abandoning any further solemnizations of plural [58] marriages in their temples and endowment house; now they were relinquishing that practice everywhere. For these concessions and forfeitures, the Saints were promised a temple. This was a poor consolation prize as they were soon to experience.

. . . when Bishop Koyle heard this announcement , he was puzzled. Said he, "President Smith wouldn't have made that promise if he had seen what I saw in a dream. I saw Mexican soldiers driving these Saints out of Mexico, and they were allowed to take only one piece of baggage each with them. There won't be enough of our people in Mexico to support a temple if this happens." (Pierce, p. 23)

Word soon spread of Bishop Koyle's prophecy about the temple NOT being built in Mexico at this time. Here were two prophecies being circulated, but they contradicted each other. Both men claimed divine instruction. Both spoke about the Mexican Temple. It seemed as though it was some sort of test--a catalyst toward solidifying the issue of who had favor with the Lord. Church members and stockholders were apprehensive as to what would soon transpire.

This was becoming a vital issue--who had the gift of prophecy: the President of the Church or a little humble farmer in Leland, Utah? If the temple were built and the Saints were not driven out of Mexico, then it was obvious that Bishop Koyle was deceived, and he did not have the spiritual communication with the Lord that he claimed. On the other hand, if the temple were not built and the Saints were driven out of Mexico, then the same premise was true of the President of the Church. Rumors spread like wildfire, and it was not long before President Joseph F. Smith heard that Koyle claimed the President was a false prophet--which wasn't what he said at all. Only fate and time would settle the issue of who spoke the truth.

[59] Then came the revolutionary forces of General Francisco Madero and Pancho Villa in the revolutionary uprising in Mexico. General Madero had no use for the Mormons, who wished to remain neutral; neither had the U.S. Government given any favorable aid for their revolution. In 1912 these revolutionaries began their attacks on border towns, including also the Mormon settlements. They actually drove the Mormons from Mexico, allowing them to take only "one piece of baggage each", just as Bishop Koyle had seen in his dream. The Mormon Mexican colonies were broken up. No temple would be built there.

Such a catastrophic event for the Mexican Saints was a great sorrow for them. But the failure of the temple promise prophecy was even more disheartening to the leaders of the Church. Bishop Koyle's prophecy and his dreams began to stir up new commotion and excitement, while faith in the spiritual powers of the Church President began to wane. This kind of embarrassment usually causes jealousy and anger; retaliation is the result.

On April 22, 1913, the First Presidency wrote to Jonathan Page, Bishop Koyle's stake president, for information concerning the mine and Bishop Koyle. Page replied but they again wrote to Page on July 19, 1913, asking for more information. By August of 1913, the First Presidency confirmed their stand against the mine by issuing a statement against the work. Many members of the Church were astounded. They questioned the source of such actions, saying that a work that God had established should not be opposed by men who should be able to obtain the word and will of the Lord.

When challenged to produce a revelation received by himself or anyone else indicating that the mine was not of God, Talmage was unable, or at least failed to do so. (Historical Study of the Koyle Relief Mine, Christianson, p. 43)

[60] But Dr. Talmage was not the only one questioned or challenged for a revelation against the mine. From that time to the present, no revelation has ever been produced--which if one had been given, would have been published--many times. On the contrary many, many stockholders have born testimony to revelations given to them in which it was made known that the work of that mine was of God.

In a meeting on August 7, 1913, the First Presidency decided to send Elder Francis M. Lyman of the Council of Twelve Apostles to Spanish Fork for the purpose of releasing John Koyle as bishop of the Leland Ward. (See Journal History, August 7, 1913, p. 3.) Acting under the orders of Francis Lyman, the Stake President released John Koyle as bishop, in which office he had served since May 31, 1908. (He had served as a counselor from 1900 to 1908.) Lars Peter Olsen became the new bishop of Leland Ward.

Without allowing Bishop Koyle a word of defense, he reprimanded him severely and dismissed him from his office as Bishop of the Leland Ward. Bishop O. B. Huntington of the Springville First Ward, who witnessed it, said in my hearing that never in his life had he seen a man handled so roughly and swiftly as Bishop Koyle was handled, and given no chance whatever to defend himself. (The Dream Mine Story, Pierce, p. 24)

Early in June of 1914, Stake President Page and the high council of Nebo Stake, acting according to the demands of the First Presidency, summoned the executives of the mine to appear before them for a hearing. At this hearing the accused were warned that all operations and stock sales must cease or else excommunication would follow. Koyle asked to see what charges had been brought against him. He was shown a letter from President Joseph F. Smith in which the following accusations were listed: [61] 1. That Koyle intended to redeem all of the dead. 2. That Koyle was going to utilize the wealth of his mine to build up the City of Zion in Jackson County, Missouri. 3. That he intended to increase the capital stock of the company, then sell out and make himself rich. 4. That Koyle was receiving revelation for members of the Church.

The Bishop responded by saying the charges were false. He requested the permission to refer his case before the president of the Church, since he had made the charges. But he was never allowed to face his accusers.

Further difficulties for Bishop Koyle were not long in coming. Page had one time given the whole mining venture his approval and had declared that it was inspired. It is not known what pressures had been placed upon him, but he informed Bishop Koyle that work on the mine must cease or else he would lose his membership in the Church! Bishop Koyle remembered the Nephite warning that the mine would be shut down, but the same powers that closed it would see that it was opened again. So he humbly submitted to the mandate of the Church and the mine was closed.

This presents one of the strange paradoxes in Church history. The mine was accepted and believed in by many members of the Church. They claimed the same spirit that told them the Gospel was true, dictated to them that the mine was true also. They could not deny one any more than they could the other. Some members of the Church were hostile and bitter against the mine declaring it to be of the devil. Again, others cared less and considered that it was just an ordinary mine.

Apostle James E. Talmage prepared a newspaper article entitled, "The Warning Voice," in opposition to the mine, which article was signed by the First Presidency of the Church on August 2, 1913:

[62] The 1913 Announcement

"A WARNING VOICE"

"To the Officers and Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: "From the days of Hiram Page (Doc. and Cov., Sec. 28), at different periods there have been manifestations from delusive spirits to members of the Church. Sometimes these have come to men and women who because of transgression became easy prey to the Arch-Deceiver. At other times people who pride themselves on their strict observance of the rules and ordinances and ceremonies of the Church are led astray by false spirits, who exercise an influence so imitative of that which proceeds from a Divine source that even these persons, who think they are "the very elect," find it difficult to discern the essential difference. Satan himself has transformed himself to be apparently

an angel of light.' "When visions, dreams, tongues, prophecy, impressions or any extraordinary gift or inspiration conveys something out of harmony with the accepted revelations of the Church or contrary to the decisions of its constituted authorities, Latter-day Saints may know that it is not of God, no matter how plausible it may appear. Also they should understand that directions for the guidance of the Church will come, by revelation, through the head. "All faithful members are entitled to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for themselves, their families, and for those over whom they are appointed and ordained to preside. But anything at discord with that which comes from God through the head of the Church is not to be received as authoritative or reliable. In secular as well as spiritual affairs, Saints may receive Divine guidance and revelation affecting themselves, but this does not convey authority to direct others, and is not to be accepted when contrary to Church covenants, doctrine or discipline, or to known facts, demonstrated truths, or good common sense. "No person has the right to induce his fellow members of the Church to engage in speculations or take stock in ventures of any kind on the specious claim of Divine revelation or vision or dream, especially when it is in opposition to the voice of recognized authority, local or general. The Lord's Church

is a house of order.' It is not governed by individual gifts or manifestations, but by the order and power of the Holy Priesthood as sustained by the voice and vote of the Church in its appointed conferences. "The history of the Church records many pretended revelations claimed by impostors or zealots who believed in the manifestations they sought to lead other persons to accept, and in every instance, disappointment, sorrow and disaster have resulted therefrom. Financial loss and sometimes utter ruin have followed. "We feel it our duty to warn the Latter-day Saints against fake mining schemes which have no warrant for success beyond the professed spiritual manifestations of their projectors and the influence gained over the excited minds of their victims. We caution the Saints against investing money or property in shares of stock which bring no profit to anyone but those who issue and trade in them. "Fanciful schemes to make money for the alleged purpose of redeeming Zion' or providing means for the salvation of the dead' or other seemingly worthy objects, should not deceive anyone acquainted with the order of the Church, and will result only in waste of time and labor, which might be devoted now to doing something tangible and worthy and of record on earth and in heaven. "Be not led by any spirit or influence that discredits established authority, contradicts true scientific principles and discoveries, or leads away from the direct revelations of God for the government of the Church. The Holy Ghost does not contradict its own revealings. Truth is always harmonious with itself. Piety is often the cloak of error. The counsels of the Lord through the channel he has appointed will be followed with safety. Therefore, O! ye Latter-day Saints, profit by these words of warning.

"JOSEPH F. SMITH,
ANTHON H. LUND, CHARLES W. PENROSE,
First Presidency.

  

-- End Of Chapter --

  

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Chapter Seven -- Part Two

Chapter Six

Dream/Relief Mine Chapter Index

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