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Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock

Source Note

JS, Discourse, [, Hancock Co., IL, 7 Apr. 1844]. Featured version inscribed [ca. 7 Apr. 1844] in Thomas Bullock, Minutes, 6–9 Apr. 1844, pp. 14–22; handwriting of ; Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minutes and Discourses, 6–8 Apr. 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock.

Historical Introduction

On 7 April 1844, JS preached a funeral sermon in , Illinois, for member . An early member of the church, Follett had lived through the persecutions and served as a constable in , Illinois. On 27 February 1844, Follett was “stoning up a well” some fifteen feet underground when a rope lowering a tub of rocks snapped and Follett was struck by the falling objects. Although the crushing blow did not kill him instantly, Follett died from his injuries eleven days later, on 9 March, having “suffered much.” Follett’s family and friends requested that JS give Follett’s funeral sermon. JS had originally intended to deliver the sermon on 5 April but postponed it because of poor health. On 6 April, the first day of the church’s April , JS noted that his lungs were weak and consequently delayed addressing the Latter-day Saints at length until the following day.
The meetings on 7 April were held in a east of the partially constructed . Contemporary estimates of the number in attendance varied between ten thousand and twenty thousand. , JS’s counselor in the , observed that the turnout on 7 April exceeded the previous day’s attendance, and believed that it “was the largest congregation ever seen in .” Likewise, the Nauvoo Neighbor reported that “we do not remember that we ever saw so large an audience before, any where in the western country” and noted that “many spectators were present from , , , , and other towns of less noteriety.” After a morning session, the conference adjourned until two o’clock in the afternoon. JS’s sermon, which he delivered in the afternoon session, began at 3:15 and concluded at 5:30.
JS’s sermon was meant to console ’s family, but it was not a eulogy. Instead, JS addressed the subject of death broadly. Although he occasionally addressed Follett’s family and friends directly, he generalized his remarks to all in the audience who had lost family and friends. JS sought to comfort the survivors by teaching about the nature of God—specifically, that God had the form of a man and that God had once been a man and had incrementally advanced to godhood. JS also stated that men and women must similarly learn to become gods. He argued that God had organized the world from existing eternal elements rather than creating it ex nihilo. Likewise, JS declared that “intelligences”—or “the intelligent part” of the “mind of man”—are self-existent and have no beginning or end. Furthermore, God gave these intelligences laws to help them progress to become like him. JS then emphasized the great responsibility of the living to help save the dead and declared that all can be saved except those who commit the “unpardonable sin” of “blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.”
JS preached this sermon amid mounting tension between him and his enemies in , who alleged that JS was a fallen prophet. Two weeks before delivering his 7 April discourse, JS publicly accused , , , , and of plotting to kill him and his family members. Around the same time, William Law, JS’s disaffected former counselor in the , told JS’s brother that he “was ready for an investigation before the Conference, and that there [he] would bring their abominations to light”—apparently referring to the practice of plural marriage. Hyrum reportedly replied that “there would not be an investigation before [the] Conference, that they wanted peace.” At some point, Law apparently “sent Joseph and some of the Twelve, special word that he desired an investigation before the Church in General Conference, on the 6th of Ap’l.”
At the opening of the conference, however, JS explained that he would not discuss the difficulties in the church. Instead, he would instruct the Saints in “principles of eternal truth.” In addition, JS affirmed that “he was not a fallen prophet” and was “never in any nearer relationship to God than at the present time, & would show before the Conferen[ce] closed that God was with him.” During his 7 April discourse, JS referenced the threats against his life at several points, defended his calling as a true prophet, and warned his audience about the dire consequences of denying the Holy Ghost. JS closed his sermon by emphasizing that others did not understand him, that he loved all people, and that he would only be truly known on Judgment Day.
For church member , the 7 April discourse was convincing evidence of JS’s prophetic calling. Fielding affirmed that “Josephs Discourse on the Origin of Man, the Nature of God and the Resurrection was the most interesting Matter of this time and any one that could not see in him the Spirit of Inspiration of God must be dark, they might have known that he was not a fallen Prophet even if they thought he was fallen.” Fielding was not the only one to positively appraise JS’s 7 April discourse. called JS’s sermon “important edefying & interesting.” In a similar vein, , an resident who sympathized with the Latter-day Saints, observed that “Joseph Smith here and on this occasion in tones of truth and taste, elegantly portrayed the designs of heaven and carried the mind through time, declaring his good will, his love and sympathies for the world in its present educated character.” In contrast, remarked that “some of the most blasphemous doctrines have been taught by J. Smith & others” during the conference, referring, among other things, to teachings in JS’s 7 April discourse, such as the notion of a plurality of gods and the belief that God “wrought out his salvation in the flesh with fear and trembling, the same as we do.”
Six individuals—, , , , Samuel W. Richards, and —wrote accounts of JS’s 7 April discourse. Bullock, Clayton, and Willard Richards all recorded their accounts as JS spoke. Bullock specifically attended the conference as a reporter. Clayton, who was JS’s “private clerk,” and Willard Richards, who was JS’s “private se[c]retary & historian,” often acted as scribes for JS and may have been assigned to record the proceedings as well. Bullock took the most comprehensive notes of the three, and his minutes contain many abbreviations. Clayton’s account ends abruptly and fails to record the last part of JS’s discourse. Richards’s account is shorter and less detailed than Bullock’s and Clayton’s and is at times cryptic.
Although they were apparently not assigned to take notes at the April conference, , Samuel W. Richards, and wrote accounts of JS’s 7 April discourse in their respective personal records, probably derived from rough notes they took while JS spoke. Woodruff, for instance, recalled in 1877 that he recorded JS’s 7 April sermon “on the crown of his hat, standing in the congregation.” Certain factors suggest that the account in Woodruff’s journal was a fair copy or refined version of the notes he had taken during JS’s discourse. Particularly telling are the preface that he wrote before his account and the quality of his handwriting. Samuel W. Richards, who attended the April conference, copied a few unpolished notes from JS’s discourse into a notebook sometime after April 1845. Laub copied an incomplete account of the sermon into his journal sometime after 1 January 1845. While Laub’s account captures only part of JS’s discourse, the portion it does record is fairly detailed and contains unique phrases.
A polished account of JS’s 7 April discourse, which was an amalgamation of ’s and ’s notes, appeared in the 15 August 1844 issue of the Times and Seasons. Each of the seven accounts of JS’s discourse is featured here. All transliterations of Hebrew words in this document will provide two spellings: first, the spelling used by , JS’s Hebrew instructor in , Ohio, and second, a modern spelling of the word.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Obituary for King Follett, Nauvoo Neighbor, 20 Mar. 1844, [2]; JS History, vol. C-1, 929, 942–943; JS, Journal, 17 Dec. 1843.

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

  2. [2]

    Nauvoo Masonic Lodge Minute Book, 10 Mar. 1844; Obituary for King Follett, Nauvoo Neighbor, 20 Mar. 1844, [2]. Follett was buried on 10 March “in due Masonic form.” (See also Historian’s Office, Journal, 10 Mar. 1844.)

    Nauvoo Masonic Lodge Minute Book. / “Record of Na[u]voo Lodge Under Dispensation,” 1842–1846. CHL. MS 3436.

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

    Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

  3. [3]

    Woodruff, Journal, 5 Apr. 1844; Notice, Nauvoo Neighbor, 20 Mar. 1844, [2].

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

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

  4. [4]

    Discourse, 6 Apr. 1844.

  5. [5]

    Samuel Richards noted that “the Grove a little East of the Temple was selected for the meeting ground” for the conference. He also reported that “seats were made,” as were other “necessary arrangements for the congregation.” (Richards, Reminiscences and Journal, 6 Apr. 1844; see also JS, Journal, 6 Apr. 1844.)

    Richards, Samuel W. Reminiscences and Journal, ca. 1843–1845. Samuel W. Richards, Papers, 1839–1909. CHL. MS 1841.

  6. [6]

    Richards, Journal, 7 Apr. 1844; Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, 6–9 Apr. 1844, 12; Woodruff, Journal, 7 Apr. 1844.

    Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

  7. [7]

    Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, 6–9 Apr. 1844, 8; JS, Journal, 7 Apr. 1844.

  8. [8]

    “Conference,” Nauvoo Neighbor, 10 Apr. 1844, [2].

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

  9. [9]

    JS, Journal, 7 Apr. 1844. Wilford Woodruff gave the start time as three o’clock in the afternoon. Thomas Bullock agreed with Richards’s ending time of 5:30. (Woodruff, Journal, 7 Apr. 1844; Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, 6–9 Apr. 1844, 22.)

  10. [10]

    Matthew 12:31–32; see also Mark 3:29; and Luke 12:10.

  11. [11]

    Discourse, 24 Mar. 1844–A; JS, Journal, 24 Mar. 1844; Historian’s Office, Journal, 24 Mar. 1844.

  12. [12]

    William Law reported, “I told him [Hyrum Smith] then to cease their abominations, for they were from Hell & that I knew it. he said they were not doing anything in the plurality of wife business now, and that he had published a piece against it; when I came to examine the piece referred to I found that it amounted to this, that no one should preach or practice such things unless by revelation (of course through Hyrum or Joseph).” (Law, Record of Doings, 29 Mar. 1844, in Cook, William Law, 48, underlining in original.)

    Cook, Lyndon W. William Law: Biographical Essay, Nauvoo Diary, Correspondence, Interview. Orem, UT: Grandin Book, 1994.

  13. [13]

    “Preamble,” Nauvoo Expositor, 7 June 1844, [2].

    Nauvoo Expositor. Nauvoo, IL. 1844.

  14. [14]

    Discourse, 6 Apr. 1844.

  15. [15]

    Fielding, Journal, 6 Apr. 1844, 28–29.

    Fielding, Joseph. Journals, 1837–1859. CHL. MS 1567.

  16. [16]

    Woodruff, Journal, 7 Apr. 1844; William Goforth [Sissimus, pseud.], Nauvoo, IL, 10 Apr. 1844, Letter to the Editor, Nauvoo Neighbor, 1 May 1844, [2]. Some attendees wrote glowing reports on the conference. Thomas Bullock observed that “the speakers have all had the Spirit of the Lord upon them. spoke powerful. and told of great things.” He considered the conference “the greatest, best and most glorious five days that ever were consecutively” and concluded that “all rejoiced” with “much good done.” Others shared Bullock’s sentiment. Ellen Douglas wrote to her family in England that “the teaching which we heard made our hearts rejoice. I for one feel to rejoice and to praise my God that he ever sent the Elders of Israel to England and that he ever gave me a heart to believe them.” Likewise, Sally Randall wrote to her friends: “I wish you could have the teachings that we have here at the conference.” (Historian’s Office, Journal, 9 Apr. 1844; Ellen Douglas to family in England, 14 Apr. 1844, Ellen B. Parker Letters, 1842–1851, Martha G. Boyle Family Papers, 1842–1972, CHL; Sally Randall, Nauvoo, IL, to “Dear Friends,” 21 Apr. 1844, CHL.)

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

    Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

    Boyle, Martha G. Family Papers, 1842–1972. Microfilm. CHL.

    Randall, Sally. Letters, 1843–1852. Typescript. CHL.

  17. [17]

    Law, Record of Doings, 1 June 1844, in Cook, William Law, 49. The Nauvoo Expositor also criticized the idea of a plurality of gods. (“Preamble,” Nauvoo Expositor, 7 June 1844, [2]; see also “Resolutions,” Nauvoo Expositor, 7 June 1844, [2].)

    Cook, Lyndon W. William Law: Biographical Essay, Nauvoo Diary, Correspondence, Interview. Orem, UT: Grandin Book, 1994.

    Nauvoo Expositor. Nauvoo, IL. 1844.

  18. [18]

    In his account of the April conference, William Goforth observed that four clerks were recording the “masterly sermons” preached. (William Goforth [Sissimus, pseud.], Nauvoo, IL, 10 Apr. 1844, Letter to the Editor, Nauvoo Neighbor, 1 May 1844, [2].)

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

  19. [19]

    Historian’s Office, Journal, 6–9 Apr. 1844.

  20. [20]

    Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 31.

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

  21. [21]

    JS, Journal, 21 Dec. 1842.

  22. [22]

    Bleak, Annals of the Southern Utah Mission, 10 June 1877; Woodruff, Journal, 7 Apr. 1844.

    Bleak, James Godson. Annals of the Southern Utah Mission, ca. 1903–1906. CHL.

  23. [23]

    Richards, Reminiscences and Journal, 6 Apr. 1844; see also Richards, Notebook, [66].

    Richards, Samuel W. Reminiscences and Journal, ca. 1843–1845. Samuel W. Richards, Papers, 1839–1909. CHL. MS 1841.

    Richards, Samuel W. Notebook, ca. 1844–1845. Samuel W. Richards, Papers, 1839–1909. CHL.

  24. [24]

    Laub, Reminiscences and Journal, 1 Jan. 1845, 1.

    Laub, George. Reminiscences and Journal, 1845–1857. CHL. MS 9628.

  25. [25]

    Apparently, by 10 April there were plans to publish the discourses from the conference. (William Goforth [Sissimus, pseud.], Nauvoo, IL, 10 Apr. 1844, Letter to the Editor, Nauvoo Neighbor, 1 May 1844, [2]; see also Historian’s Office, Journal, 10, 23–26, and 28 Apr. 1844; and the docket for the 6 April 1844 minutes in Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, 6–9 Apr. 1844.)

    Nauvoo Neighbor. Nauvoo, IL. 1843–1845.

    Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

    Historian’s Office. General Church Minutes, 1839–1877. CHL

  26. [26]

    JS, Journal, 26 Jan. and 29 Mar. 1836; Seixas, Manual Hebrew Grammar, 55.

    Seixas, Joshua. Manual Hebrew Grammar for the Use of Beginners. 2nd ed., enl. and impr. Andover, MA: Gould and Newman, 1834.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock *Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by William Clayton *Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Willard Richards Journal, December 1842–June 1844; Book 4, 1 March–22 June 1844 *Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff *Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by George Laub *Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Samuel W. Richards *Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Published in Times and Seasons History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 19

the first principles of Man are self exist with God— that God himself finds himself in the midst of Sp[irits] & bec he saw proper to institute laws for those who were in less intelligence that they mit. have one glory upon another in all that knowledge power & glory & so took in hand to save the world of Sp: you say honey is Sweet & so do I. I can also taste the Sp of Eternal life I know it is good & when I tell you— of these things that we[r]e given me by Insp[iration] of the H S. you are bound to rece[ive] it as sweet & I rej[oice] more & more— Mans rel[ation] to God & s I will open your eyes in rel to your dead all things which God of his inf[inite] reason has seen fit to reveal to us in our mortal state in regard to our mortal bodies are rev[eale]d. to us as if we had no bodies & those revns. which will save our dead will save our bodies— & God reveals them to us in the view of no Eternal diss[olutio]n. of the body— hence the awful responsibility tha[t] rests upon our us for our dead— for all the Spirits must either obey the Gospel or be d——d [damned] solemn thot. dreadful thot. is there nothing to be done for those who have gone before us witht. obey[in]g the decrees of God wod. to God that I had 40 days & nights— to tell you all to let you know I am not a fal[le]n prop[het]— what kind of characters are those who can be saved altho their bodies are decaying in the grave— the greatest responsibility that God has laid upon us to seek after our dead— the apostle says they without us cant be perfect— now I am speaking of them I say to you Paul, you cant be perfect witht. us.— those that are gone before & those who came after must be made perfect— & God has made it obligatory to man— God said he shall send Elijah &c I have a decla[ratio]n to make as to the prov[isio]n. which God made from before the found[atio]n. of the world. what has J. sd. all sins & all blas[phemies] every trans[gression]: that man may be guilty of there is a Saln. for him or in the world to come— every Sp in the Et[ernal]: world can be ferreted out & saved unless he has com[mitte]d. that Sin which cant be rem[itte]d. to him— that God has wro[ugh]t. out saln. for all men unless they have comd. a certn. sin a friend who has got a friend in the world can save him unless he has comd. the unpard[onable] sin & so you can see how far you can be Savior [blank] there is no thing that a man can commit the unpardonable sin after the dissn of the body & there is a way possible for escape not partarly d——d— those that are witht. wisdom until they get exalted to wisdom [p. 19]
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Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock
ID #
1321
Total Pages
9
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  • Thomas Bullock

Footnotes

  1. [53]

    See Book of Abraham Excerpt and Facsimile 2, 15 Mar. 1842 [Abraham 3:23–26].

  2. [54]

    The Times and Seasons account renders this passage as “God reveals them to us in view of no eternal dissolution of the body” (italics added).

  3. [55]

    See Hebrews 11:40; and Letter to the Church, 7 Sept. 1842 [D&C 128:15].

  4. [56]

    See Malachi 4:5–6. Wilford Woodruff’s account fleshes out this reference, noting that “it is necessary that the seals are in our hands to seal our children & our dead for the folness of the dispensation of times.” JS’s journal entry for 3 April 1836 notes that JS and Oliver Cowdery experienced a vision of Elijah appearing to them in the House of the Lord in Kirtland, Ohio, announcing the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy and conveying to them “the Keys of this dispensation.” JS had taught about Elijah and the sealing power in several recent discourses. (Visions, 3 Apr. 1836 [D&C 110:13–16]; JS, Journal, 3 Apr. 1836; see also, for example, Discourse, 13 Aug. 1843–A; Discourse, 21 Jan. 1844; and Discourse, 10 Mar. 1844.)

  5. [57]

    See Matthew 12:31.

  6. [58]

    The Times and Seasons account renders this passage as “A man can not commit the unpardonable sin after the dissolution of the body.”

  7. [59]

    Wilford Woodruff’s account renders this passage as “He cannot be damned through all eternity, their is a possibility for his escape in a little time.”

  8. [60]

    The Times and Seasons account renders this passage as “Knowledge saves a man, and in the world of spirits a man cannot be exalted but by knowledge; so long as a man will not give heed to the commandments, he must abide without salvation.”

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