During the afternoon of 16 July 1843 in , Illinois, JS preached a discourse about eternal marriage in the near the unfinished . The previous May, JS had privately taught that “except a man and his wife enter into an and be married for eternity while in this probation by the power and authority of the they will cease to increase when they die (i e) they will not have any children in the resurrection.” Stated positively, JS taught that “those who are married by the power & authority of the in this life & continue without committing the sin against the Holy Ghost will continue to increase & have children in the .” On 12 July 1843, JS dictated a lengthy revelation that detailed the law of eternal marriage, including the principle of plural marriage. The sensitivity of the latter practice meant the revelation would be known among only a small number of members.

JS’s 16 July 1843 discourse was the first occasion on which he publicly taught the concept of eternal marriage, promising that he would teach the Latter-day Saints more about eternal unions when the was completed. JS also announced in the discourse that the Saints should recognize as a prophet. JS’s scribe , who was not present for JS’s discourse but who heard reports of it soon after, related to fellow on 18 July that JS “said he would not p[r]ophecy any more” but that “Hyrum should be the prophet.” The announcement was likely based in part on an 1841 revelation that confirmed Hyrum Smith’s appointment as church and also designated him as a “prophet and a seer and a revelator” authorized to “act in concert” with JS. Some church members were confused by JS’s 16 July comments regarding his brother, fearing that JS intended to resign as prophet. A week later, on 23 July, JS publicly reassured the Saints that he would remain the prophet.

and recorded accounts of JS’s 16 July 1843 discourse in their journals. Both accounts are featured here. The polished nature of each version suggests that the men reconstructed JS’s words after the fact, likely based on notes but possibly from memory.