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Discourse, 7 March 1844–A, as Reported by Willard Richards

Source Note

JS, Discourse, [, Hancock Co., IL, 7 Mar. 1844]. Featured version inscribed [ca. 7 Mar. 1844] in JS, Journal, 1842–1844, bk. 4, pp. [10]–[15]; handwriting of ; JS Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS, Journal, 1842–1844.

Historical Introduction

On 7 March 1844, at the site where the was being built in , Illinois, JS delivered a discourse about recent challenges to the temple’s progress and city’s development. Three days earlier, JS had called the meeting, which noted was attended by “six or eight thousand saints.” JS gave two discourses, separated by sermons by several other members.
In JS’s first discourse of the meeting, he presented three specific examples of recent conflict caused by citizens. He briefly referenced , who had allegedly accused of having multiple “spiritual wives” and had claimed that many of Nauvoo’s females lived as prostitutes. JS then spoke of and , who were longtime landowners in the area and whose intervention in collecting wharfage from steamboat operators had occupied the city council two days earlier. He concluded by accusing local physician of writing an antagonistic, anonymous letter that had appeared in the New-York Daily Tribune at the end of January 1844.
, who was JS’s “private se[c]retary & historian,” recorded the discourse in JS’s journal, which he was keeping for JS. recorded the discourse in his own journal. Woodruff inadvertently duplicated a few phrases, which suggests that he was copying the text from another source, presumably rough notes that he made while at the meeting. In addition to the accounts by Richards and Woodruff, one of the principal targets of JS’s criticism——made an account. On 12 April 1844, Foster wrote a letter to , editor of the Warsaw Signal, in which he acerbically summarized the meeting. All three accounts of the discourse are featured here.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 4 Mar. 1844; Woodruff, Journal, 7 Mar. 1844.

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

  2. [2]

    JS, Journal, 7 Mar. 1844; see also Discourse, 7 Mar. 1844–B.

  3. [3]

    John Scott, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 26 Feb. 1844, City of Nauvoo v. Bostwick (Nauvoo Mayor’s Ct. 1844), Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL. The previous month, the Nauvoo mayor’s court fined Bostwick for slander. Following the trial, Bostwick’s attorney, Francis M. Higbee, said he would appeal the decision to the municipal court and, if necessary, to the circuit court—a move JS interpreted as an attempt to stir up a mob against Latter-day Saints in Nauvoo. Although the case was later brought before the circuit court, it was dismissed in May at Bostwick’s request, for unspecified reasons. (JS, Journal, 26 Feb. 1844; Notice, 9 Apr. 1844.)

  4. [4]

    See Resolution, 5 Mar. 1844.

  5. [5]

    “The Mormons and Their Prophet—Legislation at Nauvoo—The Temple,” New-York Daily Tribune (New York City), 27 Jan. 1844, [1].

    New-York Daily Tribune. New York City. 1841–1924.

  6. [6]

    JS, Journal, 21 Dec. 1842; Historical Introduction to JS, Journal, Dec. 1842–June 1844.

  7. [7]

    “Important from Nauvoo,” Warsaw (IL) Signal, 25 Apr. 1844, [3].

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Discourse, 7 March 1844–A, as Reported by Willard Richards Journal, December 1842–June 1844; Book 4, 1 March–22 June 1844 *Discourse, 7 March 1844–A, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff *Discourse, 7 March 1844–A, as Reported by Charles A. Foster History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page [12]

another. thing. I want to speak about the Lawyers— of this .— I have good feelings & and I will reprove them— and the prophets always did say wo unto you ye Lawyers.— the Maratim [maritime] laws of the have ced[ed] up th[e] tolls wharfage &c. to th[e] respective corporations who have jurisdi[c]tion. &c——
Shallow drafts intoxicate th[e] brain &c—
<​Look at the reason.—​>
no vessel could land any where, if subj[e]ct to individuals laws.—— Co[r]poration owns the streets of th[e] . and have a right to tax the Boats to make wharfs. th[e] same as to tax citizns to make roads— want evry man in this to stay at home & let. the Boat Captai[n]s. [p. [12]]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Discourse, 7 March 1844–A, as Reported by Willard Richards
ID #
1288
Total Pages
6
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Willard Richards

Footnotes

  1. [4]

    See Luke 11:46, 52.

  2. [5]

    The Nauvoo charter granted the city council authority to pass any law not repugnant to the United States or Illinois constitutions. The United States Constitution, the Illinois Constitution, and Illinois laws and statutes were silent on the matter of municipal wharf or dock taxation, and thus the Nauvoo City Council had exclusive power to regulate ferries or boats within and on the city limits. (Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840; An Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo [16 Dec. 1840], Laws of the State of Illinois [1840–1841], p. 54, sec. 11; Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 16 Dec. 1843, 196–197; see also Dillon, Commentaries on the Law of Municipal Corporations, 474–477.)

    Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835. Vandalia, IL: J. Y. Sawyer, 1835.

    Dillon, John F. Commentaries on the Law of Municipal Corporations. Vol. 1. Boston: Little, Brown, 1911.

  3. [6]

    See Pope, Essay on Criticism, 14.

    [Pope, Alexander]. An Essay on Criticism. London: W. Lewis, 1711.

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