Analysis of Key Events by Month (1836)

January 1836

• 15 Jan.: Joseph Smith and other Church leaders performed washings, anointings, and priesthood blessings in preparation for the Kirtland Temple dedication.
  Significance: These ceremonies were spiritual preparatory ordinances that symbolized purification and sanctification, setting the stage for the anticipated outpouring of divine manifestations in the temple.

March 1836

• 27 March: The Kirtland Temple was dedicated in a grand spiritual event attended by hundreds of Saints.
  Significance: The first temple built in the modern dispensation became a focal point for divine manifestations, including angelic visitations, spiritual gifts, and revelations. It solidified Kirtland as a sacred gathering place.
• 30 March: The first solemn assembly was held in the Kirtland Temple.
  Significance: Church leaders met in the temple for special prayers and blessings, setting a precedent for future temple dedications and leadership meetings.

April 1836

• 3 April: Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery experienced glorious visions in the Kirtland Temple, recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 110.
  Significance:
• Jesus Christ appeared and accepted the temple.
• Moses restored the keys of gathering Israel.
• Elias restored the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham.
• Elijah restored the sealing power.
  These events fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy that Elijah would return before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, establishing temple ordinances and eternal families as central doctrines.

June 1836

• 29 June: Joseph Smith and his family moved from the Whitney store into their new home in Kirtland.
  Significance: This reflected the increasing stability of the Church in Kirtland, which had become the headquarters of the growing movement.

September 1836

• 12 Sept.: Joseph Smith received a revelation instructing the Saints to be wise in their financial dealings.
  Significance: This guidance foreshadowed the financial struggles that would later contribute to instability in Kirtland.

October 1836

• 2 Oct.: The Kirtland Safety Society bank was organized in an effort to provide financial stability to the Saints.
  Significance: The bank was meant to support the Saints’ economic needs, but financial mismanagement and opposition would later lead to its collapse, contributing to tensions in Kirtland.

Overall Significance of 1836

1. The Kirtland Temple was completed and dedicated:
• This was the first temple built in the modern dispensation.
• It became a site of glorious visions, divine manifestations, and priesthood restorations.
2. The Restoration of Essential Priesthood Keys (D&C 110):
• Moses restored the gathering of Israel.
• Elias restored the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham.
• Elijah restored the sealing power, laying the foundation for temple ordinances.
  These events expanded the mission of the Church beyond personal salvation to include family exaltation and the gathering of Israel.
3. The Church’s growing financial concerns:
• Economic growth led to the establishment of the Kirtland Safety Society bank.
• However, financial struggles and opposition would soon lead to instability and internal conflict.