Trivia Correction: The answer to trivia question #4 has been changed from Answer C (Section 115) to a new Answer A, which has been updated to "It was an unpublished revelation."*
“Dear and well beloved brotheren. Through the grace and mercy of our God, after a long and tedious journey of two months and one day, I and my family arrived in the City of Far West.” — Joseph Smith1
In early 1838, growing dissent and hostility in Kirtland compelled Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon to flee for Far West, the new gathering place of the Saints in Missouri. Threats of mob violence loomed over the church, while debt and false legal charges hounded the Prophet. If caught, Joseph could face a costly trial and possible imprisonment.2
On January 12, 1838, Joseph sought the Lord’s guidance and received a revelation directing the First Presidency to move their families to Missouri.2 That night, Joseph and Sidney slipped out of Kirtland on horseback, riding nearly sixty miles before stopping to wait for their families. Once their wives and children arrived, they set out together for Far West (a trip of more than 800 miles),3 not expecting to ever see Kirtland again.2
Meanwhile, in Missouri, Oliver Cowdery and other dissenters were turning against Joseph and the church. Oliver questioned the motives of leaders like Thomas Marsh, suspecting they had somehow turned the prophet against him. His disdain for Church leaders grew as he awaited Joseph’s arrival.4
Joseph, Emma, and their children arrived in Far West on March 14, 1838, after two difficult months on the road. The Saints greeted them warmly, a happy change from the dissent they had left behind.4 Joseph hoped to make a fresh start in Missouri by establishing new stakes for the gathering Saints. But he first had to address the growing apostasy, approving the excommunications of Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and other prominent dissenters.4
