Part 1: 2 February–30 March 1841
After the
articles of incorporation for the city of , Illinois, were
approved in December 1840, the turned their attention to developing the city. In
early 1841 they acted on
their newly acquired civic power by organizing the Nauvoo City Council
and the . Prompted by a
revelation of 19 January 1841, JS implored the Saints
to begin construction on the and the . As the city expanded, complemented by these building
projects, JS took measures to meet debt payments on the land he, , and had purchased for
the church in August 1839.
Through communications with his
, JS also oversaw the settlement of debts that
had been acquired during his time in , Ohio.
JS’s appointment as trustee-in-trust on
2 February 1841 established the church
as a lawful religious society in . Though much of JS’s time was
occupied with temporal matters, he continued to labor for the spiritual
welfare of the Saints. In a variety of settings, including lyceum
meetings and Sabbath-day meetings, JS delivered discourses—addressing
topics such as for the dead, the temple, the necessity of
the fall of Adam, and loyalty. JS also dictated a
revelation in March that directed the Saints in to gather in
, Iowa
Territory, and to establish a city named .