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Discourse, 21 January 1844

Source Note

JS, Discourse, [, Hancock Co., IL]. Featured version inscribed [ca. 21 Jan. 1844] in Wilford Woodruff, Journal, vol. 5, 1 Jan. 1843–31 Dec. 1844, pp. [181]–[183]; handwriting of ; Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Discourse, 17 Jan. 1843, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff.

Historical Introduction

On 21 January 1844, JS gave a discourse in , Illinois, on the mission of the Old Testament prophet Elijah and the power. According to JS’s journal, kept by , JS delivered the sermon in front of the Mammoth Hotel. Richards noted that “several thousand peoplee” attended and that “the weather was somewhat unple[as]ant.” JS prefaced his discourse by explaining that his health was poor and his lungs weak, making it difficult for him to speak in the open air to a large group. He referred to the prophecy in the book of Malachi that Elijah would return, before the second coming of Jesus Christ, to “turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.” JS explained that this prophecy was fulfilled as the received (or authority), preached the gospel, together, built up , constructed temples, and acted as proxies for their dead in receiving necessary for salvation, such as . He also emphasized that little time remained to complete the work and encouraged the Saints to gather their living relatives to Nauvoo to “be sealed & saved.” In addition, JS taught that it was necessary to receive all the ordinances of the gospel and obey all of God’s laws in order to obtain the highest or “” kingdom of heaven after this life.
inscribed in his journal the only known version of JS’s 21 January 1844 discourse. The quality of Woodruff’s handwriting suggests that the account was a fair copy. It is unknown, however, if Woodruff created his account from notes he took during the sermon or whether he reconstructed it from memory.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 21 Jan. 1844. The Mammoth Hotel, owned by Robert D. Foster, was located on the northeast corner of Mulholland and Woodruff streets on lot 3 of block 19 in Wells’s Addition to Nauvoo. Wilford Woodruff’s account of the discourse, however, states that the meeting occurred at the Nauvoo temple construction site, which was about one block west of the Mammoth Hotel. (Book of Assessment, 1843, Third Ward, 8, Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL; Cochran et al., History of Hancock County, Illinois, 441; Berrett, Sacred Places, 3:184; Woodruff, Journal, 21 Jan. 1844; Hills, Map of the City of Nauvoo, 1842; see also Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 40–41.)

    Nauvoo, IL. Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 16800.

    Cochran, Robert M., Mary H. Siegfried, Ida Blum, David L. Fulton, Harold T. Garvey, and Olen L. Smith, eds. History of Hancock County, Illinois: Illinois Sesquicentennial Edition. Carthage, IL: Board of Supervisors of Hancock County, 1968.

    Berrett, LaMar C., ed. Sacred Places: A Comprehensive Guide to Early LDS Historical Sites. 6 vols. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999–2007.

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

    Hills, Gustavus. Map of the City of Nauvoo. New York: J. Child, 1842. CHL.

    Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, ca. 1845. CHL. MS 3365.

  2. [2]

    JS, Journal, 21 Jan. 1844.

  3. [3]

    Malachi 4:5–6. JS had referenced the coming of Elijah in previous discourses. (See Minutes and Discourse, 1–5 Oct. 1841; and Discourse, 13 Aug. 1843–A.)

  4. [4]

    See Historical Introduction to Discourse, 7 Apr. 1844.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Discourse, 21 January 1844
History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page [181]

When I consider the surrounding circumstances in which I am placed this day, standing in the open air with week lungs & sumwhat out of health, I feel that I must have prayers & faith of my brethren that God may strengthen me & pour out his special blessings upon me if you get much from me this day.
Their are many people assembled here to day & throughout this & from various parts of the world who say that they have received to a certainty a portion of knowledge from God by revelation in the way that he has ordained & pointed out I shall take the broad ground then that if we have or can receive a portion of knowledge from God by immediate revelation by the same source we can receive all knowledge.
What shall I talk about today I know what Br Cahoon wants me to speak about, he wants me to speak about the comeing of Elijah in the last days I can see it in his eye, I will speak upon that subject then, The Bible says “I will send you Elijah before the great & dredful day of the Lord come that he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children & the hearts of the children to their fathers lest I come & smite the whole earth with a curse,” Now the word turn here should be translated -[bind or seal]- But what is the object of this important mission or how is it to be fulfilled, The are to be deliverd the spirit of Elijah is to come, The gospel to be esstablished [p. [181]]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page [181]

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Discourse, 21 January 1844
ID #
1257
Total Pages
3
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Wilford Woodruff

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See Book of Mormon, 1840 ed., 569 [Moroni 10:5]; and Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:61].

  2. [2]

    Probably Reynolds Cahoon.

  3. [3]

    See Malachi 4:5–6.

  4. [4]

    JS’s journal entry for 3 April 1836 notes that JS and Oliver Cowdery experienced a vision in the House of the Lord in Kirtland, Ohio. In the vision, Elijah appeared to them, announcing the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy and conveying to them “the Keys of this dispensation.” (Visions, 3 Apr. 1836 [D&C 110:13–16]; see also JS, Journal, 3 Apr. 1836.)

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