The Work and the Glory II: American Zion

I moved my famiIy to western New York for Iand.

Like my father and his father before him,

I want to grow oId with my famiIy around me.

With my sons working the Iand by my side, in peace.

The fire of reIigion has gotten hot, competing for every new convert.

That's false doctrine, Reverend.

We're holding orthodox meetings in my home!

And then, Joseph Smith came into our Iives.

A farm boy who cIaimed he taIked with God and saw angeIs.

He printed a new book of scripture

he said he'd transIated from goIden pIates.

He founded a church.

l don't know how Joseph has done this, but it's evil and l want no part of it.

What right do you have to tell us what we will or won't believe?

And it's tearing my famiIy apart.

I've aIready Iost one son. My boy, Joshua.

He hates the Mormons

and hates his brother, Nathan,

You've shamed the family enough.

...for steaIing his girI, Lydia.

Joshua, no!

He's cIeared out for the Missouri frontier

where a Iot of Iost souIs congregate.

Joshua?

But maybe we'II have a IittIe peace today,

for this is a happy day.

Brothers and sisters, it's a good day for a new beginning.

l'm honored to perform the marriage of Nathan Steed and Lydia McBride.

Smith, stop this wedding now!

That man, sir, has no legal right to perform any wedding of any kind.

l request that you put a stop to it immediately.

-Papa. -l'm sorry, Lydia, but l warned you.

Mr. Smith, how do you answer these charges?

l deny them.

Our church was legally organized as of a week ago.

That's a lie!

And l'm an ordained minister in that church.

You have witnesses to the organization of this church?

That's enough, Mr. McBride.

Look, Mr. Steed,

l know you don't want this wedding any more than l do.

-Now... -That has nothing to do with it.

Sir, Mr. McBride has come onto my property uninvited.

l believe you call that trespassing.

And if he doesn't leave quickly, l will be forced to press charges.

This is absurd, Mr. Steed, and you know it.

-This man is a deceiver! -Let's go, McBride.

Goodbye, Lydia.

l think we can continue now.

Thank you, Pa.

Look at me, both of you.

What God joins together, let no man put asunder.

Nathan Steed, my old friend,

and Lydia McBride, my new friend,

do you covenant to be each other's companions through life,

to care for, to cherish

and to give one another all that you have and are

till the end of your days?

Yes, Joseph.

l do.

Good.

Then by the power that is indeed granted me by the state of New York,

and by the authority given by the God of Heaven and Earth,

l pronounce you husband and wife for as long as you both shall live.

And in the spirit of prophecy, l tell you,

this union will one day heal this family.

And it won't be here in Palmyra, but in Zion.

Now Nathan, will you kiss her before someone else comes

and tries to interrupt this marriage?

Joshua.

l just... just want to wish you all the best.

Son?

-Pa. -You stay away from her.

Pa, that's not why l'm here.

You stay away from her and this family. You're no longer welcome here.

-That's a real fine ''How do you do,'' Pa. -lt's not a gun in your face.

Come on! Come on.

You all right?

Yes.

We thank you, Lord, for Nathan and Lydia's new life together.

-Ow! -Matthew.

Bless them.

And Lord, bless Joshua.

Thirty-five acres in sweet corn...

We miss him.

Five acres near the river in squash, tomatoes and beets.

Watch over him and if you can...

Forty acres in wheat.

...bring him back home to us.

Twenty appIe trees.

For all our abundant blessings, we thank you. ln Jesus' name, Amen.

-Joshua. -Amen.

Jessie!

Jessie!

-What's wrong? -Marry me.

Jess,

-marry me. -Fine.

And so by the power vested in me by the great state of Missouri,

l pronounce you man and wife.

Congratulations. l wish you all the happiness, l really do.

-Thanks, Bobby. -Goodnight. Mrs. Steed, Mr. Steed.

l got this.

Jess, l'm gonna take you out of this place. Out of this saloon.

You won't ever have to come back here unless you want to.

Promise me?

-All right. -Promise me.

Jess, all this, this will be like it never happened.

-Oh, hello. My goodness. -We saw the candle in the window.

Come, sit. You must be freezing.

-Hello. -Hello, this is a nice surprise. Nathan.

-Are we interrupting your work? -No, no, don't worry about that.

He's preparing the revelations to publish them.

The ones we've written down anyway.

Sit down, sit down. Make yourselves comfortable.

What can we do for the Steeds?

Joseph, you remember at our wedding,

you told us something.

l believe l told you to kiss the girl.

Yes. Just before that...

You said we weren't gonna stay in Palmyra.

Where's Zion?

l can tell you something more.

Joseph Smith, we have a warrant for your arrest.

What are the charges this time, Frank?

Claiming to have visions, setting the neighborhood in an uproar.

l don't write them, Joseph. l just carry them out.

You'll come with me.

-What are these? -That's none of your affair.

Nathan!

l've got to admit that l'm surprised you jumped in there like that, Nathan.

Something l'd expect Joshua to do, or maybe your pa, but not you.

-Where's Frank? -Frank's out.

-How you doing, Joe? -Joseph!

All right, prophet man, why don't you prophesy for us?

-Joseph! -Who hit you?

Who hit you?

-Frank! -First you tell us who hit you.

Frank's coming back.

Joseph, are you all right?

Yes, l'm all right.

Why won't people just leave us alone?

You asked me what l meant

when l said that you wouldn't be staying in Palmyra.

We're leaving this place.

The Lord is calling his people to Ohio.

-ls that where Zion is? -Zion is more than a place, Nathan.

...to St. Louis for him. Give him a deal if he's ready by tomorrow night.

...New York, l know. But this will get him as far as St. Louis.

He should be interested in half-price.

We are here on a mission to speak to you.

And Wilson Everett's waiting for you. He says to tell you he wants to collect

on what we owe him for those wagons, which puts us in an awkward situation.

-ls he smiling? -Sure, he's smiling.

Then l know what he wants.

Wilson Everett. Something tells me this isn't a friendly visit.

Can't a man just stop by anymore?

So, here it is. l'm good for it, you know that.

But seeing as how l didn't know you were coming,

we can settle things over a friendly game of poker

down at Roundy's tonight.

l think that sounds like a fine idea.

Bought a new dress today.

-You like it? -Yeah, l like it. Why wouldn't l?

Hey, did you see my watch, my new one?

Downstairs on the table.

You ever heard of the Mormons?

Yeah, why?

No reason. Just saw some of them in town today, is all.

ln lndependence?

-Joshua, you up there? -Yeah, l'm coming, Bobby.

Stay away from the Mormons.

Joshua.

l got something to tell you.

What, Jessie?

Nothing. l'll tell you later.

Get back here!

-Thank you, Everett. -See you again.

-You the Mormons? -Yes, sir.

Parley Pratt's the name. And you are?

Stay away from my wife.

Joshua Steed.

-lt's a peaceful place, isn't it? -lt is.

Do you know yet where we'll stay tonight?

Not yet.

l'm sorry, Sister Smith, but l'm sure the Lord will provide for us.

l've heard the Lord provides for those who provide for themselves.

l'm sure l've heard that somewhere.

l believe that.

Anything else, Carl?

-This is it. -The mercantile?

Newell K. Whitney, thou art the man.

l'm afraid you have the advantage of me, sir.

l'm Joseph, the prophet. You've prayed me here.

Now what do you want of me?

-Joseph Smith? -The same.

Joseph Smith. Welcome to Kirtland. Have you a place to stay?

Welcome to Ohio, Sister Smith.

First group should be leaving Palmyra within a week or so.

l'm surprised people were able to sell their farms so quickly.

Some of them made it all right,