A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM THE KIRTLAND YEARS

This in from  FB friend who is aan elect lady who is awake and watching and waiting:

"If ever you are tempted to become discouraged or to lose faith, remember those faithful Saints who remained true in Kirtland. Hold on a little longer. You can do this! You are part of a special generation. You were prepared and preserved to live at this important time in the existence of our beautiful planet earth. You have a celestial pedigree and therefore have all the necessary talents to make your life an eternal success story." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Kirtland. What do you know of the Saints' time there?
There seems to be a large amount of contention everywhere we look, including in families (extended or not), wards, cities, nations, you name it. It reminded me of what I've read of the trials during the Kirtland period. The first Ensign of the year in 2010 not only brought that time to our attention again, but also compared us now to that time. The quote I began with is from this article,
Hold on a Little Longer
By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
https://www.lds.org/liahona/2010/01/hold-on-a-little-longer?lang=eng
For some background information, this is from Parley P. Pratt's autobiography...
“About this time, after I had returned from Canada, there were jarrings and discords in the Church at Kirtland, and many fell away and became enemies and apostates. There were also envyings, lyings, strifes and divisions, which caused much trouble and sorrow. By such spirits I was also accused, misrepresented and abused. And at one time, I also was overcome by the same spirit in a great measure, and it seemed as if the very powers of darkness which war against the Saints were let loose upon me. But the Lord knew my faith, my zeal, my integrity of purpose, and he gave me the victory.
I went to brother Joseph Smith in tears, and, with a broken heart and contrite spirit, confessed wherein I had erred in spirit, murmured, or done or said amiss. He frankly forgave me, prayed for me and blessed me. Thus, by experience, I learned more fully to discern and to contrast the two spirits, and to resist the one and cleave to the other. And, being tempted in all points, even as others, I learned how to bear with, and excuse, and succor those who are tempted.”
-Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, revised and enhanced version, pg. 211
“Heber Kimball wrote: “At this time many faltered in their faith; even some of the Twelve were in rebellion against the Prophet of God. John F. Boynton said to me, ‘If you are such a fool as to go at the call of the fallen prophet, Joseph Smith, I will not help you a dime’ (Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, 104-5) quoted in Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, revised and enhanced version, pg.215
“Benjamin F. Johnson recalled these days in Kirtland: “The spirit of charity was not invoked, and brethren who had borne the highest priesthood and who had for years labored, traveled, ministered and suffered together, and even placed their lives upon the same altar, now were governed by a feeling of hate and a spirit to accuse each other, and all for the love of Accursed Mammon. All their former companionship in the holy anointing in the Temple of the Lord, were filled with the Holy Ghost, the heavens were opened, and in view of the glories before them they had together shouted ‘Hosanna to God and the Lamb,’ all was now forgotten by many, who were like Judas, ready to sell or destroy the Prophet Joseph and his followers. And it almost seemed to me that the brightest stars in our firmament had fallen. Many to whom I had in the past most loved to listen, their voices seemed now the most discordant and hateful to me. From the Quorum of the Twelve fell four of the brightest: Wm. E. McLellin, the three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and Martin Harris.... I was then nineteen years of age, and as I now look back through more than fifty years of subsequent experience, to that first great Apostasy, I regard it as the greatest sorrow, disappointment and test through which I have ever passed; the first real experience among false brethren, the greatest sorrow and test for the faithful.” (Johnson, My Life’s Review, 28-29) quoted in Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, revised and enhanced version, pg.215-6
Do you see any similarities to today?
Two other excellent articles on what lessons we can learn from Kirtland are
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1989/04/a-warning-from-kirtland?lang=eng&query=kirtland+speculation+2012 ("Just a few years before, the Saints had enjoyed great faith and spiritual prosperity. How could apostasy take root and flourish in such an atmosphere? ...The apostasy in Kirtland is a somber lesson in what we as disciples of Christ should avoid if we wish to stay true and faithful."
and
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1985/01/making-it-to-the-top-when-is-the-price-too-high?lang=eng&query=kirtland+speculation ("Entrapment #1: Undisciplined Competitiveness, Entrapment #2: Confusing Means and Ends, Entrapment #3: Greed and Fraud, Entrapment #4: Paying Too High a Price, Entrapment #5: Loss of Identity)