The Lord excuses the Saints from building a temple in Jackson County, Missouri, because of oppression from their enemies. He commands the Saints to build a temple in Nauvoo, Illinois.
Doctrine and Covenants 124:49–55
49 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings.
50 And the iniquity and transgression of my holy laws and commandments I will visit upon the heads of those who hindered my work, unto the third and fourth generation, so long as they repent not, and hate me, saith the Lord God.
51 Therefore, for this cause have I accepted the offerings of those whom I commanded to build up a city and a house unto my name, in Jackson county, Missouri, and were hindered by their enemies, saith the Lord your God.
52 And I will answer judgment, wrath, and indignation, wailing, and anguish, and gnashing of teeth upon their heads, unto the third and fourth generation, so long as they repent not, and hate me, saith the Lord your God.
53 And this I make an example unto you, for your consolation concerning all those who have been commanded to do a work and have been hindered by the hands of their enemies, and by oppression, saith the Lord your God.
54 For I am the Lord your God, and will save all those of your brethren who have been pure in heart, and have been slain in the land of Missouri, saith the Lord.
55 And again, verily I say unto you, I command you again to build a house to my name, even in this place, that you may prove yourselves unto me that ye are faithful in all things whatsoever I command you, that I may bless you, and crown you with honor, immortality, and eternal life.
President J. Reuben Clark Jr. said:
“Our Gospel comes in ‘one package.’ We may not choose the particular thing that we like and ignore everything else, nor submerge nor subdue it. Everything that the Lord has revealed except those things which have been fulfilled by His own life and mission and those things which in His wisdom He has relieved or absolved us from doing [for now], such as the carrying on of the United Order (see D&C 105:34), the building of the temple in Missouri (see D&C 124:49–54), and like things—everything else is part and parcel of the Gospel. We may not, I repeat, say to ourselves, nor to one another, that this is the important thing or that is the important thing, the others being non-essential or unessential. We have no right to draw distinctions and differences among the commandments of the Lord. The Lord has given us nothing that is useless or unnecessary. He has filled the scriptures with the things which we should do in order that we may gain salvation.”
(In Conference Report, Apr. 1955, 10–11.)
