▁they ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁very ▁entire ▁future ▁of ▁the ▁L atter ▁Day ▁Saint ▁movement ▁was ▁at ▁st ake . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁R ig don ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁s way ▁aud ien ces , ▁he ▁became ▁Smith ' s ▁sp okes man ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁promote ▁church ▁orth odox y , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁R ig don ▁also ▁became ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁milit ancy ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁in ▁Far ▁West . ▁ ▁S erm on ▁On ▁ 1 9 ▁June ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁in ▁Far ▁West , ▁R ig don ▁delivered ▁a ▁har sh ▁public ▁condem n ation ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁the ▁members ▁and ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁for ▁their ▁perce ived ▁dis loy alty ▁towards ▁Smith ▁and ▁R ig don . ▁ ▁While ▁no ▁summary ▁or ▁text ▁of ▁R ig don ' s ▁ser mon ▁remains , ▁e y ew it ness es ▁indicated ▁that ▁R ig don ▁took ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁his ▁text ▁from ▁the ▁fifth ▁chapter ▁of ▁the ▁G ospel ▁of ▁Matthew . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁R ig don , ▁the ▁diss ent ers ▁were ▁like ▁the ▁" s alt " ▁spoken ▁of ▁by ▁Jesus ▁( part ▁of ▁the ▁met aph ors ▁of ▁Salt ▁and ▁Light ▁in ▁the ▁S erm on ▁on ▁the ▁Mount ) ▁and ▁must ▁be ▁" t rod den ▁under ▁foot ". ▁ ▁R ig don ▁was ▁then ▁followed ▁by ▁Smith ▁with ▁a ▁short ▁speech , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁seem ingly ▁san ction ed ▁what ▁R ig don ▁had