For I, the Lord, will to retain a stronghold in the land of Kirtland.

For the space of five years in the which I will not overthrow the wicked, that thereby I may save some.

Hey listeners, this is Brendan from Book of Mormon Central, and today's podcast addresses the question,

Why did the Curtland Safety Society fail?

In a revelation given to the elders of the church, through the prophet Joseph Smith on September 11th, 1831,

the Lord promised to preserve Curtland as a stronghold for the space of five years.

In those years, the church in Curtland grew and flourished, culminating with the dedication of the Curtland Temple in March of 1836, an event that was accompanied

by many divine manifestations and profound spiritual experiences. By this time, the church had

accrued significant debts, both from the construction of the Kirtland Temple, as well as various

business endeavors. After the dedication of the temple in the spring, Joseph

and other church leaders turned their attention to both alleviating these debts and also building

up Kirtland's economy. Compounding these challenges, many saints who migrated to Kirtland

were poor and in desperate need of economic opportunities. Church leaders were looking to

provide for these saints and pay off

the debts at the same time. Over the summer, Joseph and other church leaders were engaged in various

efforts designed to grease the wheels of Kirtland's economy, and also to resolve the church's debts.

However, these efforts were often complicated by other prominent members and leaders who established

competing businesses

and bought up land, driving up the real estate prices, and then seeking to turn a profit. On September

12th or 13th, 1836, Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Hiram Smith, and Oliver Cowdery returned from

their trip to Salem, Massachusetts, with a clear sense of direction to establish a bank and acquire land as a

solution to the church's economic problems. In the 1830s, banks could acquire a capital in the form

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