Future treasures in Salem

[telnetd]

Come Follow Me this week is discussing Doctrine and Covenants 111-114.

The Introduction Notes for section 111 has this:

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Salem, Massachusetts, August 6, 
1836. At this time the leaders of the Church were heavily in debt due to their labors 
in the ministry. Hearing that a large amount of money would be available to them in 
Salem, the Prophet, Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, and Oliver Cowdery traveled there from 
Kirtland, Ohio, to investigate this claim, along with preaching the gospel. The brethren 
transacted several items of Church business and did some preaching. When it became 
apparent that no money was to be forthcoming, they returned to Kirtland. Several of the 
factors prominent in the background are reflected in the wording of this revelation.

There is a prophecy in verse 4.

"And it shall come to pass in due time that I will give this city into your hands, that 
you shall have power over it, insomuch that they shall not discover your secret parts; 
and its wealth pertaining to gold and silver shall be yours".

Does this wealth discovery and power over Salem have any bearing on them building new
temples in the Millennial period or is this future wealth required to build the city and temple
in the New Jerusalem in Missouri?

Was this gold and silver concealed by God in his foreknowledge of the many sins of the
Twelve and their rebellion against Joseph Smith that was recorded approximately a year 
later in Doctrine and Covenants 112:12,14-15?

[Pyreaux]

6 hours ago, telnetd said:

Come Follow Me this week is discussing Doctrine and Covenants 111-114.

The Introduction Notes for section 111 has this:

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Salem, Massachusetts, August 6, 
1836. At this time the leaders of the Church were heavily in debt due to their labors 
in the ministry. Hearing that a large amount of money would be available to them in 
Salem, the Prophet, Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, and Oliver Cowdery traveled there from 
Kirtland, Ohio, to investigate this claim, along with preaching the gospel. The brethren 
transacted several items of Church business and did some preaching. When it became 
apparent that no money was to be forthcoming, they returned to Kirtland. Several of the 
factors prominent in the background are reflected in the wording of this revelation.

There is a prophecy in verse 4.

"And it shall come to pass in due time that I will give this city into your hands, that 
you shall have power over it, insomuch that they shall not discover your secret parts; 
and its wealth pertaining to gold and silver shall be yours".

Does this wealth discovery and power over Salem have any bearing on them building new
temples in the Millennial period or is this future wealth required to build the city and temple
in the New Jerusalem in Missouri?

Was this gold and silver concealed by God in his foreknowledge of the many sins of the
Twelve and their rebellion against Joseph Smith that was recorded approximately a year 
later in Doctrine and Covenants 112:12,14-15?

It is often interpreted by members in two primary ways: spiritual treasure of "people" via missionary work and temporal treasure which fulfillment is "in due time", with the latter not being tied directly to building millennial temples or the New Jerusalem in Missouri in common commentary.

Why Spiritual Treasure is the dominant interpretation of the "treasure" in this section, is that the people of Salem are the greater treasure, "there are more treasures than one," (D&C 111:9-10). D&C 111:2 states, "I have much treasure in this city for you, for the benefit of Zion, and many people in this city, whom I will gather out in due time for the benefit of Zion." This promise of many people was later fulfilled through missionary efforts, notably by Elder Erastus Snow in the 1840s, leading to a significant number of converts who went on to benefit the Church's efforts, or "Zion."

The reference to "gold and silver" in verse 4 could be seen as a dramatic literary device to redirect their attention from literal money to eternal souls. However, the reference to "wealth pertaining to gold and silver shall be yours" (verse 4) suggests a literal, temporal blessing of wealth. But since this wealth was not obtained during Joseph Smith's 1836 visit, commentary generally views this as a promise yet to be fulfilled "in due time," through whatever means the Lord chooses to employ for the benefit of Zion, rather than a specific undiscovered cache of gold.

There is no prominent or official LDS commentary that specifically connects the eventual wealth from Salem mentioned in D&C 111:4 to the funding of Millennial temples or the building of the New Jerusalem (Zion) in Missouri. While the building of the New Jerusalem and its temple is the ultimate goal of Zion, the immediate concern of the leaders was their current debt, partly from building the Kirtland Temple, and the gathering of people (converts) for the Church's establishment.

The Twelve's "Sins"

Concerning whether the Twelve Apostles "sins" and rebellion in D&C 112 in July 1837, nearly a year later, was known in foreknowledge and is the reason the wealth in Salem was concealed, is not a standard interpretation found in LDS commentary.

D&C 111:1 already explicitly addresses the current "follies" of Joseph Smith and his companions already traveling to Salem from rumors of hidden treasure and seemingly mercifully does not withhold such a blessing, though perhaps redirects their focus to greater treasures. The promise in D&C 111:4 does not seem conditional on the future behavior of the Twelve.

Lord does say he will "order all things for your good, and for the preservation of my people, if ye are faithful and wise as serpents, and yet without sin" (D&C 111:11), making the fulfillment of the promises conditional on the faithfulness of the leaders, but primarily on the Lord's timing and purposes for Zion. The Lord's message in D&C 111 is one of mercy and redirection: He accepts their misguided attempts to solve their financial problems and assures them that the greatest treasure is the gathering of souls, a work that will ultimately ensure their financial deliverance (D&C 111:5, 10).

Edited October 9, 2025 by Pyreaux

[The Nehor]

Weirdly you can use this event as evidence that Joseph Smith was sincere in hiring himself out as a treasure hunter. If he was a con man it is doubtful he would have fallen for this con and paid Burgess (the guy who said there was buried treasure in a house in Salem) in advance.

[telnetd]

On 10/9/2025 at 2:07 PM, Pyreaux said:

It is often interpreted by members in two primary ways: spiritual treasure of "people" via missionary work and temporal treasure which fulfillment is "in due time", with the latter not being tied directly to building millennial temples or the New Jerusalem in Missouri in common commentary.

I'm not seeing how the words in the phrase "... the leaders of the Church were heavily
in debt due to their labors in the ministry. Hearing that a large amount of money 
would be available to them in Salem" could be interpreted as referring to spiritual 
debts and spiritual treasures.

[Pyreaux]

1 hour ago, telnetd said:

I'm not seeing how the words in the phrase "... the leaders of the Church were heavily
in debt due to their labors in the ministry. Hearing that a large amount of money 
would be available to them in Salem" could be interpreted as referring to spiritual 
debts and spiritual treasures.

Correct, nor should you, that is the introductory note that sets the historical context for later reframing by the Lord about what is of value in Salem. The Church leaders' concerns were only about debt and money which is then contrasted with the Lord's subsequent message focusing on assorted and more lasting treasures.

There is a reframing of the concept of "treasure", "more treasures than one", which would benefit Zion more than any immediate money find. Therefore, the introductory note is interpreted as the triggering event for a revelation that ultimately teaches a spiritual principle: God's treasures includes souls, and His solutions to temporal problems come in His time and through His means.

[telnetd]

On 10/12/2025 at 1:46 PM, Pyreaux said:

Correct, nor should you, that is the introductory note that sets the historical context for later reframing by the Lord about what is of value in Salem. The Church leaders' concerns were only about debt and money which is then contrasted with the Lord's subsequent message focusing on assorted and more lasting treasures.

According to the Introduction notes, they didn't find the treasure they were hoping
for so they returned.

When it became apparent that no money was to be forthcoming, they returned to
Kirtland.

Mentioned again in the Religion 324-325 seminary manual, chapter 44.

In the summer of 1836, the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders were deeply 

concerned about the Church’s finances. In the preceding years the Church had accumulated 
heavy debts as Church leaders had obeyed the Lord’s commandments to build the Kirtland 
Temple, to purchase lands in Ohio and Missouri, and to fund Zion’s Camp. The Church 
also needed funds to buy land for Church members in Missouri who had been forced from 
their homes. In 1834 the Lord had instructed the Prophet and other Church leaders to 
“pay all [their] debts” (D&C 104:78). However, they had been unable to do so because 
they had lost income-producing businesses, such as Sidney Gilbert’s store and William 
W. Phelps’s printing office in Independence, Missouri.

Fifty-three years after the Prophet Joseph Smith and his companions visited Salem, 
Massachusetts, Ebenezer Robinson, a former Church member, wrote an account regarding 
this visit. He claimed that a Church member named Brother Burgess came to Kirtland, 
Ohio, in 1836 and “stated that a large amount of money had been secreted in the cellar 
of a certain house in Salem, Massachusetts, which had belonged to a widow, and he 
thought he was the only person now living, who had knowledge of it, or the location of 
the house” (in The Joseph Smith Papers, Documents, Volume 5: October 1835–January 1838, 
274).

It is possible that the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders heard Brother 
Burgess’s claim and decided to travel to Salem, Massachusetts, to search for the hidden 
money so they could pay some of the Church’s debts. According to Robinson’s account, 
Brother Burgess met the brethren in Salem but could not identify the house where the 
money was hidden because he no longer recognized the city, and he left Salem soon 
thereafter (see The Joseph Smith Papers, Documents, Volume 5: October 1835–January 1838, 
274). The Prophet Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery, and Hyrum Smith leased a 
house in Salem and spent the next several weeks preaching the gospel, visiting local 
historical sites, and trying to obtain a treasure that could help pay their debts. On 
August 6, 1836, one day after arriving in Salem, the Prophet Joseph Smith received the 
revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 111. It was not published in the Doctrine 
and Covenants during the Prophet’s lifetime. It was first included in the 1876 edition 
(see The Joseph Smith Papers, Documents, Volume 5: October 1835–January 1838, 277).

[Pyreaux]

5 hours ago, telnetd said:

According to the Introduction notes, they didn't find the treasure they were hoping
for so they returned.

When it became apparent that no money was to be forthcoming, they returned to
Kirtland.

Mentioned again in the Religion 324-325 seminary manual, chapter 44.

In the summer of 1836, the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders were deeply 

concerned about the Church’s finances. In the preceding years the Church had accumulated 
heavy debts as Church leaders had obeyed the Lord’s commandments to build the Kirtland 
Temple, to purchase lands in Ohio and Missouri, and to fund Zion’s Camp. The Church 
also needed funds to buy land for Church members in Missouri who had been forced from 
their homes. In 1834 the Lord had instructed the Prophet and other Church leaders to 
“pay all [their] debts” (D&C 104:78). However, they had been unable to do so because 
they had lost income-producing businesses, such as Sidney Gilbert’s store and William 
W. Phelps’s printing office in Independence, Missouri.

Fifty-three years after the Prophet Joseph Smith and his companions visited Salem, 
Massachusetts, Ebenezer Robinson, a former Church member, wrote an account regarding 
this visit. He claimed that a Church member named Brother Burgess came to Kirtland, 
Ohio, in 1836 and “stated that a large amount of money had been secreted in the cellar 
of a certain house in Salem, Massachusetts, which had belonged to a widow, and he 
thought he was the only person now living, who had knowledge of it, or the location of 
the house” (in The Joseph Smith Papers, Documents, Volume 5: October 1835–January 1838, 
274).

It is possible that the Prophet Joseph Smith and other Church leaders heard Brother 
Burgess’s claim and decided to travel to Salem, Massachusetts, to search for the hidden 
money so they could pay some of the Church’s debts. According to Robinson’s account, 
Brother Burgess met the brethren in Salem but could not identify the house where the 
money was hidden because he no longer recognized the city, and he left Salem soon 
thereafter (see The Joseph Smith Papers, Documents, Volume 5: October 1835–January 1838, 
274). The Prophet Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery, and Hyrum Smith leased a 
house in Salem and spent the next several weeks preaching the gospel, visiting local 
historical sites, and trying to obtain a treasure that could help pay their debts. On 
August 6, 1836, one day after arriving in Salem, the Prophet Joseph Smith received the 
revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 111. It was not published in the Doctrine 
and Covenants during the Prophet’s lifetime. It was first included in the 1876 edition 
(see The Joseph Smith Papers, Documents, Volume 5: October 1835–January 1838, 277).

Yes, you are reciting the historical events surrounding the Salem trip, but still missing the crucial point about the nature and purpose of the revelation itself (Doctrine and Covenants 111).

Yes, they were seeking money to pay temporal debts. (Confirmed by the Introduction and the Seminary Manual).

Yes, they did not find the physical treasure. (Confirmed by Robinson’s account and the critic's conclusion).

Yes, they returned to Kirtland. (Confirmed by the historical narrative).

The revelation is not judged by whether or not they found a physical treasure. The revelation's purpose was to shift the focus of the leaders' immediate temporal need to the spiritual priority. Essentially a reproof and redirection from the Lord, turning the brethren's attention from a literal treasure hunt to the work of salvation.

The successful fulfillment of this revelation is measured by a spiritual fulfillment, not the financial ones.

"I have much treasure in this city for you" (v. 2), referring primarily to the souls of the people ("many people... whom I will gather out in due time"). "Concern not yourselves about your debts, for I will give you power to pay them" (v. 5). The Lord promises to solve the problem in His time and way. "Be diligent in declaring the word" and preach the gospel (v. 9).

The brethren failed at their initial, self-directed goal. However, the revelation promises alternative treasure, the growth of the Church in that area and assures them that their temporal debts would eventually be paid through God's power and means, which, as discussed previously, did happen over time through the agency of faithful members.

The revelation is not seen as a promise of a successful treasure hunt; hence the work Joseph Smith and his companions began through preaching during their time in Salem led to the establishment of important branches and provided key contacts for the Church's future missionary work in the eastern states and abroad.