The Papers
Browse the PapersDocumentsJournalsAdministrative RecordsRevelations and TranslationsHistoriesLegal RecordsFinancial RecordsOther Contemporary Papers
Reference
PeoplePlacesEventsGlossaryLegal GlossaryFinancial GlossaryCalendar of DocumentsWorks CitedFeatured TopicsLesson PlansRelated Publications
Media
VideosPhotographsIllustrationsChartsMapsPodcasts
News
Current NewsArchiveNewsletterSubscribeJSP Conferences
About
About the ProjectJoseph Smith and His PapersFAQAwardsEndorsementsReviewsEditorial MethodNote on TranscriptionsNote on Images of People and PlacesReferencing the ProjectCiting This WebsiteProject TeamContact Us
Published Volumes
  1. Home > 
  2. The Papers > 

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 [183]

before we get our salvation secure for thei [there] is so many fools in the world for the devil to operate upon it gives him the advantage often times, The question is freequently asked can we not be saved without going through with all thes &c I would answer No not the fulness of salvation, Jesus said their was many mansions in his fathers house & he would go & prepare a place for them. House here named should have been translated -[kingdom]- & any person who is exhalted to the highest mansion has to abide a law & the whole law to, But their has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation it has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn do[d]ger for a wedge & a pumpkin for a beetle; Even the are slow to understand I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to recieve the things of God, but we freequently see some of them after suffering all they have for the work of God will fly to peaces like glass as soon as any thing comes that is contrary to their traditions, they cannot stand the fire all at all, How many will be able to abide a celestial law & go through & recieve their exhaltation I am unable to say but many are called & few are chosen [p. [183]]
View entire transcript

|

Cite this page

Source Note

Document Transcript

Page [183]

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. [10]

    See Revelation, 6 May 1833 [D&C 93:19–20, 27]; and Vision, 16 Feb. 1832 [D&C 76:56, 71, 76–77, 86, 94–95].

  2. [11]

    See John 14:2; and Revelation, 6 Aug. 1833 [D&C 98:18].

  3. [12]

    See Revelation, 27–28 Dec. 1832 [D&C 88:21–22].

  4. [13]

    See Jeremiah 9:7; Malachi 3:2; 1 Corinthians 3:13–15; and Letter to the Church, 7 Sept. 1842 [D&C 128:24].

  5. [14]

    See Matthew 20:16; 22:14; Revelation, 1 June 1833 [D&C 95:5]; and Letter to Edward Partridge and the Church, ca. 22 Mar. 1839 [D&C 121:34, 40].

© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of UseUpdated 2021-04-13Privacy NoticeUpdated 2021-04-06