Kirtland Notes $1 & $5
In 1836, the LDS Church was centered at Kirtland, Ohio and was undergoing substantial growth. The Saints were constructing the Kirtland Temple, at considerable cost, as well as financing property and business acquisitions, the immigration of poor members to Ohio, and missionary work. In an attempt to serve the banking needs of the growing community, on November 2, 1836 the Kirtland Safety Society Bank drafted a constitution. The preamble stated it was...for the promotion of our temporal interests, and for the better management of our different occupations, which consist in agriculture, mechanical arts, and merchandising. One year later, amid controversy and speculation, the bank finally failed. Members and leaders of the church were forced to flee Kirtland to escape the risk of prison and mob action.
