Dr. Craig J. Ostler: The spirit of the restoration, and the dedication of the Kirtland, Ohio saints from 1831 to 1837, is evident to the modern visitor through restored buildings here in what’s known as the Kirtland Flats. Early in the 1820’s, Newel K. Whitney came into this area and settled here because he saw a prime piece of real estate due to the fact this is the major intersection in Kirtland, Ohio, or it was at that time. Running north and south, you have the main road here and then running east and west, behind me. Everyone who is traveling in this area would pass through this intersection. So Newel K. Whitney set up a red store just on the northwest corner of the intersection and did very, very well.1 Peter French, who was a local resident, owned a lot of this property and over time Newel K. Whitney purchased lot after lot and pieces of lots from Peter French. One of the most important would be right behind me, where he then torn down what was a log building that Peter French had and put in a white store.2
Dr. John P. Livingstone: Newel K. Whitney was such a meticulous record keeper that his ledgers were able to be used by those who restored the building to its 1830 appearance and were able to stock it based on the information that they got from those ledgers.3
This is the trading room in the Newel K. Whitney store, which is east of the mercantile or main store area. Because money was not readily available, individuals would come bringing products and goods to trade with Newel K. Whitney in exchange for store credit.
Dr. Craig J. Ostler: It was served as a Bishops’ Storehouse. When the saints arrived in Kirtland, the Lord fulfilled His promise that in Ohio he would give the saints His law, which part of that is definitely known as the law of consecration or stewardship.4 Each individual was to consecrate all of their goods to the Lord and receive a stewardship by which they could then produce whatever commodities they needed for their families as well, hopefully have surplus that then could be given to the poor and the needy in providing for them. In order to do that the Lord called for what he referred to as “my storehouse,” which we call today a Bishops’ Storehouse.5
Dr. John P. Livingstone: This Bishop’s Storehouse and subsequent Bishop’s Storehouses were created in Missouri, Illinois, Utah, and finally around the world. And of course in Bishop’s Storehouses around the world today not only are commodities given to individuals when they have the need, but services are also provided as well.
Dr. Craig J. Ostler: With that, then what we are seeing is the beginning of what is known as the great welfare system of the Church, began here is some very small quarters; much smaller than any other Bishops’ Storehouse. Once again we can’t help but see the hand of the Lord and his fore knowledge of what would be needed in a later day, that the saints needed to learn, and especially bishops needed to be looked to as those who would provide for the poor and needy.
Dr. John P. Livingstone: It would seem that when we reach out and sacrifice to help others, we love. No sacrifice, no love. The Lord wants us to love.
Dr. Craig J. Ostler: I believe this was probably the first Bishop’s Storehouse or Lord’s storehouse in this dispensation and it had a dual use, of both that trading room as well as the Bishop’s storehouse. It took on added significance at a later time as recorded in Section 72 of the Doctrine and Covenants. The Lord addressed the high priest of His Church. He said, “Hearken, and listen to the voice of the Lord, O ye who have assembled yourselves together, who are the high priests of my church, to whom the kingdom and power have been given. For verily thus saith the Lord, it is expedient in me for a bishop to be appointed unto you, or of you, unto the church in this part of the Lord’s vineyard” (D&C 72:1-2). And then He continued, “And now, I say unto you, my servant Newel K. Whitney is the man who shall be appointed and ordained unto this power”(D&C 72:8). Now when this revelation was received, Newel K. Whitney was one of the high priests in the room. His immediate response is, “I do not see a bishop in myself.” And the prophet Joseph Smith was actually approached by Newel K. Whitney in the first probably, refusal to serve as a bishop that the church had ever had. And Joseph looked at him and said, “I think the Lord sees more in you than you do.”6 And he [Newel K. Whitney] says, “ But I don’t know what a bishop does.” The Lord then responded to Newel K. Whitney’s request with these words, “The word of the Lord, in addition to the law which has been given, making known the duty of the bishop who has been ordained unto the church in this part of the vineyard, which is verily this— To keep the Lord’s storehouse; to receive the funds of the church in this part of the vineyard; To take an account of the elders as before has been commanded; and to administer to their wants, who shall pay for that which they receive, inasmuch as they have wherewith to pay; That this also may be consecrated to the good of the church, to the poor and needy” (D&C 72:9-12). Although they used this as a trading room, (we had also seen the mercantile room earlier) everything becomes available to the Church members in Kirtland through Newel K. Whitney and this room as the Bishops’ Storehouse.
1Peter French to Newel K. Whitney, Property Land Deed, June 1, 1822, Geauga County Property Records, vol. 8, p. 426; cited in mark L. Staker, “’Thou Art the Man:’ Newel K. Whitney in Ohio,” BYU Studies, Vol. 42, Number 1 [2003], 85, 126, n. 41.
2Backman, Jr., Milton V., The Heavens Resound: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Ohio, (Salt Lake City, Deseret Book Company, 1983), 37.
3Berrett, Lamar C., Sacred Places: Ohio and Illinois, (Salt Lake City, Deseret Book Company, 2002), 11.
4See D&C 38:32; 41:2-3; 42:30-39.
5D&C 42:34; Backman, Jr., Milton V., The Heavens Resound: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Ohio, (Salt Lake City, Deseret Book Company, 1983), 70-71.
6The account of this exchange was related as an anecdote told by Presiding Bishop Edward Hunter to Elder Orson F. Whitney concerning his grandfather. See Conference Report, June 1919, 47-48.
