Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 4 August 1839–A, as Reported by Willard Richards
Source Note
JS, Discourse, [, Lee Co., Iowa Territory, or , Hancock Co., IL], [between ca. 26 June and ca. 4 Aug. 1839]. Featured version copied [between 13 Jan. 1840 and 20 Apr. 1841] in Willard Richards, “W. Richards Pocket Companion Written in England,” pp. 63–73; handwriting of ; Willard Richards, Journals and Papers, CHL.
, “W Richards Pocket companion written in England,” notebook, [between 13 Jan. 1840 and 20 Apr. 1841]; handwriting of ; 102 pages; Willard Richards, Journals and Papers, CHL. Includes use marks, drawings, and archival markings.
Blank book measuring 6¼ × 4 × ⅜ inches (16 × 10 × 1 cm). The book contains seventy-six leaves in six gatherings. The first leaf of the first gathering is glued to the front board, and the last leaf of the last gathering is glued to the back board. ’s entries in the book are in brown ink. The volume contains stains and mold damage throughout. The volume’s limp case binding is supported by two strips of vellum tape along a hollow-back spine. After the book was bound, brown leather—possibly sheepskin—was pasted along the boards and spine of the book. Richards inscribed “Pocket Companion” in ink on the cover of the volume. He similarly wrote “W Richards Pocket companion written in England” on the recto of the second leaf. The majority of the volume’s content is a copy of apostle ’s “Book of Revelations,” which contains several JS revelations and discourses as well as a sermon by . Richards copied the content at some point after 13 January 1841, when Woodruff arrived in for a proselytizing mission with Richards and others. Richards next wrote nearly thirty pages of scriptural notes under the heading “The Subject of the Dispensation of the fullness of Times” and then copied additional instructions from JS, which he likely received from another missionary, possibly . Afterward, Richards copied selections from JS’s Bible revisions for Genesis and Matthew, followed by a passage from a revelation not included in Woodruff’s “Book of Revelations.” Richards apparently completed making entries in the volume by 20 April 1841, when he boarded a ship to leave England. After Richards became church historian and recorder later in the 1840s, this volume and his other personal papers were included among the archival holdings of the church. An early inventory of church records includes a reference to “Drs. private books & Papers,” which likely included the “Pocket Companion.” The volume contains archival and use marks throughout, suggesting that at some point material was copied from the “Pocket Companion,” likely by staff in the Church Historian’s Office in the mid-1850s. The use of the volume in the Church Historian’s Office suggests that the volume has been in continuous institutional custody.
“Schedule of Church Records. Nauvoo 1846,” [1], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
Historical Introduction
In the “Pocket Companion” notebook that kept during his 1837–1841 mission in , he included a discourse JS gave on the and other doctrinal matters. Although Richards did not identify the discourse as JS’s, the majority of the entries in the pocket notebook are JS revelations or discourses that Richards copied without attributing them to JS. When this discourse was added to JS’s multivolume manuscript history by in 1845, the discourse was ascribed to JS.
did not date this discourse when he copied it into his notebook, but JS probably gave the discourse in summer 1839, likely between late June and early August, as members of the and the Quorums of the prepared to leave for their mission to Europe. During late June and early July, JS addressed the apostles and seventies on several “ of the Kingdom of God,” including the discernment of spirits, the spirit of prophecy and revelation, humility and cooperation, and the doctrines of election and salvation. The discourse featured here explores similar themes and was probably given around the same time. In JS’s history, placed this discourse after a JS sermon dated 2 July and added a heading to this discourse, explaining that JS gave it around the time of the 2 July sermon. However, the discourse could have been given as late as 4 August, the last time the apostles and seventies met with JS before the first of the men left for their mission to Europe. Although the apostles and seventies had intended to leave in early July, they were delayed when most of them and their families contracted malaria. Because so many were ill, few meetings were held in July. Sunday meetings resumed on 28 July, with JS and some of the apostles speaking the next week, on 4 August. On 8 August, two of the apostles departed for Europe.
’s copy of this discourse states that the priesthood authority Peter, James, and John gave to JS was the same that had been given to the ancient patriarchs beginning with Adam and that this authority was eternal. The discourse also expounds on the prophecies in Daniel chapter 7, the role of Adam, the gatherings that had and would yet take place in , and other signs prophesied to occur before the second coming of Jesus Christ.
was not present when JS gave the discourse; he was proselytizing in and apparently copied the discourse from one of the apostles or seventies who arrived in Britain starting in December 1839 and who brought an account of the discourse with them. He copied this discourse into his “Pocket Companion” between January 1840 and April 1841, at around the same time he copied two other discourses: one on the parable of the sower in Matthew, chapter 13, and the other on John, chapter 14, and the steps necessary to gain salvation and eternal life. As with the discourse featured here, the other two discourses were likely given between late June and early August, and Richards probably copied the discourses from the same source. Although the source Richards copied from is unknown, he may have copied from notes that apostle made. Two parenthetical remarks included in Richards’s copy of the featured discourse end with the initials “J. T.”—presumably indicating the notes were interpolations made in the text by Taylor, who arrived in England in January 1840.
The featured discourse includes a discussion of how to discern between good and evil spirits. A discourse JS gave on 27 June was also on the topic of discerning spirits, and it is unclear whether JS revisited this subject in multiple discourses or whether the featured document is a different account of the 27 June discourse. (See Discourse, 27 June 1839.)
See Richards, Journal, 16 Jan. and 9 Apr. 1840; “From England,” Times and Seasons, May 1840, 1:110–111; and “From England,” Times and Seasons, June 1840, 1:119–121. ApostlesJohn Taylor and Wilford Woodruff arrived in England in January 1840; several other apostles arrived in April. Richards could have copied the discourse notes of one of these apostles anytime between their 1840 arrivals and his 1841 return to the United States.
first given To Adam: he obtained to the firstPresidency & held the of it, from genration to Generation; he obtained it in the creation before the world was formed as in Gen. 1, 26:28,— he had dominion given him over every living Creature. He is Michael, the Archangel, spoken of in the Scriptures,— Then to Noah who is Gabriel, he stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this office & was the Father of all living in his day, & To him was Given the Dominion. These men held keys. first on earth, & then in Heaven.— The Priesthood is an everlasting principle & Existed with God from Eternity & will to Eternity, without beginning of days or end of years. The Keys have to be brought from heaven whenever the Gospel is sent.— When they are revealed from Heaven it is by Adams Authority.
Dan VII Speaks of the Ancient of days, he means the oldest man, our Father Adam, Michael; he will call his children together. & hold a council with them. to prepare them for the coming [p. 63]
See Revelation 12:7; and Jude 1:9; see also Revelation, 27–28 Dec. 1832 [D&C 88:112–115]. As early as 1833, church leaders identified Adam as Michael. (See Oliver Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, to John Whitmer, [Liberty, MO], 1 Jan. 1834, in Cowdery, Letterbook, 15.)
Cowdery, Oliver. Letterbook, 1833–1838. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
See Daniel 8:16; 9:21; and Luke 1:19, 26; see also Oliver Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, to John Whitmer, [Liberty, MO], 1 Jan. 1834, in Cowdery, Letterbook, 15.
Cowdery, Oliver. Letterbook, 1833–1838. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.