Discourse, 16 August 1841, as Published in Times and Seasons

Source Note

JS, Discourse, [
Nauvoo
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
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, Hancock Co., IL], 16 Aug. 1841. Featured version published in “Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 1 Sept. 1841, vol. 2, no. 21, 521–522. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.
Historical Introduction
In a
conference
A meeting where ecclesiastical officers and other church members could conduct church business. The “Articles and Covenants” of the church directed the elders to hold conferences to perform “Church business.” The first of these conferences was held on 9 June...
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held in
Nauvoo
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
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, Illinois, on 16 August 1841, JS delivered a discourse explaining the new role to be taken by the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Members of a governing body in the church, with special administrative and proselytizing responsibilities. A June 1829 revelation commanded Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to call twelve disciples, similar to the twelve apostles in the New Testament and ...
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now that they had returned from their extended mission to
England
Island nation consisting of southern portion of Great Britain and surrounding smaller islands. Bounded on north by Scotland and on west by Wales. Became province of Roman Empire, first century. Ruled by Romans, through 447. Ruled by Picts, Scots, and Saxons...
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. JS arrived at the conference in the afternoon and spoke to the congregation, declaring that the Quorum of the Twelve should assume their position “next to the
first presidency
The highest presiding body of the church. An 11 November 1831 revelation stated that the president of the high priesthood was to preside over the church. JS was ordained as president of the high priesthood on 25 January 1832. In March 1832, JS appointed two...
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.”
1
For more on JS’s late arrival and the business conducted by the Quorum of the Twelve earlier in the conference, see Minutes, 16 Aug. 1841.
JS also stated that the Twelve would take on responsibility for settling immigrants and for other “business of the
church
The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...
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at the
stakes
Ecclesiastical organization of church members in a particular locale. Stakes were typically large local organizations of church members; stake leaders could include a presidency, a high council, and a bishopric. Some revelations referred to stakes “to” or...
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” to relieve the church president from that burden.

JS’s remarks were partially captured in minutes of the conference taken by
Elias Smith
6 Sept. 1804–24 June 1888. Teacher, printer, postmaster, bookkeeper, probate judge, newspaper editor. Born in Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Asahel Smith and Elizabeth Schellenger. Moved to Stockholm, St. Lawrence Co., New York, 1809. Baptized into...
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.
2
See Minutes, 16 Aug. 1841.
Those minutes were later published in the Times and Seasons. In comparison to the original minutes, however, the newspaper’s account is more expansive and detailed, suggesting that additional sources were used to produce the text. Because this published version is the most complete contemporaneous account of JS’s 16 August discourse, it is the version featured here. As with other JS discourse texts, this version preserves only a fraction of what JS said on this occasion.

Footnotes
1. 1
  For more on JS’s late arrival and the business conducted by the Quorum of the Twelve earlier in the conference, see Minutes, 16 Aug. 1841.
2. 2
  See Minutes, 16 Aug. 1841.

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Joseph Smith now arriving proceeded to state to the at considerable length, the object of their present meeting, and in addition to what had stated in the morning, said that the time had come when the should be called upon to stand in their place next to the first presidency, and attend to the settling of emegrants and the business of the at the [p. 521]

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Document Information
Editorial Title
Discourse, 16 August 1841, as Published in Times and Seasons
ID #
671
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D8:227–228
Handwriting on This Page
- Printed text
Footnotes
1. 1
  According to the original minutes of the conference, JS stated that “the twelve should be authorized . . . to assist in the managing the affairs of th[e] kingdom in this place. which he said was the duties of their office &c.” In 1836, within a year of organizing the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, JS had explained “the duty of the twelve; and their authority which is next to the present presidency,” saying that the Twelve Apostles were “not subject to any other than the first presidency.” (Minutes, 16 Aug. 1841; JS, Journal, 16 Jan. 1836; see also Instruction on Priesthood, between ca. 1 Mar. and ca. 4 May 1835 [D&C 107].)
2. 2
  By mid-July 1841 approximately eight hundred recently converted immigrants from the British Isles had arrived in Hancock County, Illinois. In an effort to accommodate the influx of immigrants, JS had recently begun negotiations to purchase additional land in Warren, Illinois. (Letter from Calvin A. Warren, 31 Aug. 1841.)

Discourse, 16 August 1841, as Published in Times and Seasons

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