D&C Section Fifty Six

Ezra Thayer was involved in the problems in Thompson, Ohio. He was one of those who was to provide land for the saints. He was also commanded to go to Missouri as a companion to Thomas B. Marsh. When the time approached, Ezra was not ready to go and rebelled so the Lord revoked his commandment to go to Missouri and appointed Selah Griffin to take his place. There are some who get upset when the church changes something. When the temple endowment sessions were changed from live presentations to filmed ones, there were members who claimed the general authorities had lost their way and were altering something sacred that shouldn't be. It's important to remember that the Lord's principles never change, only his practices and procedures do.

Ezra Thayer rebelled and if there is one sin that is probably repugnant to the Lord it is rebellion. He says his anger his is kindled against the rebellious. Satan was cast out for rebellion. A person who rebels is one who actively and violently resists and fights against something. It would have been one thing for people like Ezra Booth and Ezra Thayer and others like them to just say, "Fine, you do it your way. I'm leaving because I don't believe in what you believe." and then just walk away. But these men couldn't. The Lord accurately labeled the source of Ezra's problems, pride and selfishness. Another example of someone who rebelled in Kirtland was John Boynton. He was educated, had great zeal for the church and became an apostle. But by1837 Boynton was shouting, "Joseph Smith a fallen Prophet!" Boynton joined with apostates in seeking to demean the Prophet in the eyes of the Saints. He tried to establish a new religion, and take possession of the Kirtland Temple. One morning before a temple service, he entered the temple armed with a pistol and a bowie knife and sat in the Aaronic Priesthood pulpit. After the service started, Boynton led other dissidents and rushed into the congregation threatening to "blow out the brains of the first man who dared to stop him from controlling the temple. He was arrested, repented and was reinstated as a prophet. But it was not lone before this rebellious spirit got the best of him and he was excommunicated.

In this section, the Lord also warns the members of the church in three ways. He warns those who "seek to counsel in [their] own ways, [whose] hearts are not satisfied and find pleasure in unrighteousness." The second warning goes to those who are rich and won't help the poor. And the third go to the poor who are not humble, who are never satisfied, but are not willing to work and support themselves but take from others for their support. Those are definitely three major problems in our society today.