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Footnotes
Whitmer, “The Book of John Whitmer,” Andrew Jenson typescript, ca. Mar. 1894, 68.
Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer, 1831–ca. 1846.” Andrew Jenson typescript, ca. Mar. 1894. CHL. MS 3552.
Whitmer, “The Book of John Whitmer,” Andrew Jenson manuscript copy, ca. Sept. 1893, 85.
Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer, 1831–ca. 1846.” Andrew Jenson typescript, ca. Mar. 1894. CHL. MS 3552.
The leaf currently bears remnants of this tape. A microfilm made of the manuscript in 1974 shows clear evidence of the tape. (Whitmer, “The Book of John Whitmer,” microfilm, Oct. 1974, Research Library and Archives, Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Independence, MO, copy at CHL.)
“The Book of John Whitmer,” microfilm, Oct. 1974. Research Library and Archives, Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Independence, MO. Copy at CHL. MS 19850.
“Church History,” Journal of History, Jan. 1908, 43–63; Apr. 1908, 135–150; July 1908, 292–305.
“Church History.” Journal of History 1, no. 1 (Jan. 1908): 43–63.
John Whitmer, Far West, MO, to William W. Phelps, Nauvoo, IL, 8 Jan. 1844, JS Office Papers, CHL.
JS Office Papers / Joseph Smith Office Papers, ca. 1835–1845. CHL. MS 21600.
Willard Richards, Nauvoo, IL, to John Whitmer, Far West, MO, 23 Feb. 1844, copy, Willard Richards, Papers, CHL.
Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490.
Whitmer, “The Book of John Whitmer,” Andrew Jenson typescript, ca. Mar. 1894, [69]; “Report of Elders Orson Pratt and Joseph F. Smith,” Deseret News, 27 Nov. 1878, 674–675; 4 Dec. 1878, 690.
Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer, 1831–ca. 1846.” Andrew Jenson typescript, ca. Mar. 1894. CHL. MS 3552.
Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.
“Revelation Revisers,” Missouri Republican (St. Louis), 16 July 1884, [7]; see also “The Book of Mormon,” Chicago Tribune, 17 Dec. 1885, 3.
Missouri Republican. St. Louis. 1822–1919.
Chicago Tribune. Chicago. 1847–.
Andrew Jenson et al., “Historical Landmarks,” Deseret Evening News, 26 Sept. 1888, 7; T. E. Lloyd, “The Carroll-Lloyd Expose,” Zion’s Ensign, 15 July 1893, 6; “The Book of Mormon,” New York Times, 21 Sept. 1899, 9; George Schweich, Richmond, MO, to O. R. Beardsley, 17 Jan. 1900, Miscellanea, Marie Eccles-Caine Archives of Intermountain Americana, Utah State University Special Collections, Logan; Walter W. Smith, Independence, MO, to S. A. Burgess, Independence, MO, 15 Apr. 1926, J. F. Curtis Papers, CCLA; see also Heman C. Smith, Lamoni, IA, to George Schweich, 20 July 1896, CCLA.
Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.
Zion’s Ensign. Independence, MO. 1891–.
New York Times. New York City. 1857–.
Schweich, George. Letter, Richmond, MO, to O. R. Beardsley, 17 Jan. 1900. Miscellanea, Marie Eccles-Caine Archives of Intermountain Americana, Utah State University Special Collections, Logan.
Curtis, J. F. Papers. CCLA.
Smith, Heman C. Letter, Lamoni, IA, to George Schweich, 20 July 1896. CCLA.
“Minutes of First Presidency,” 24 Apr. 1902, CCLA; Walter W. Smith, Independence, MO, to the RLDS First Presidency, Independence, MO, 14 Sept. 1925, Whitmer Papers, CCLA; see also Source Note to Revelation Book 1.
“Minutes of First Presidency, March 1898 to September 1907, Record No. 1.” CCLA.
Whitmer Papers. CCLA.
JSP, MRB / Jensen, Robin Scott, Robert J. Woodford, and Steven C. Harper, eds. Manuscript Revelation Books. Facsimile edition. First volume of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2009.
Footnotes
Whitmer, History, 24.
Whitmer, History / Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment,” ca. 1838–1847. CCLA. Available at josephsmithpapers.org.
See Historical Introduction to Revelation Book 1.
JSP, MRB / Jensen, Robin Scott, Robert J. Woodford, and Steven C. Harper, eds. Manuscript Revelation Books. Facsimile edition. First volume of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2009.
Revelation, ca. 8 Mar. 1831–B, in Doctrine and Covenants 63:2, 1835 ed. [D&C 47:3].
Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835. Also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
Minute Book 2, 9 Apr. 1831.
Minute Book 2 / “The Conference Minutes and Record Book of Christ’s Church of Latter Day Saints,” 1838, 1842, 1844. CHL. Also available at josephsmithpapers.org.
Revelation, June 1829–C, in Doctrine and Covenants 40:3, 1835 ed. [D&C 15:6]; Revelation, July 1830–B, in Doctrine and Covenants 49:1, 1835 ed. [D&C 26:1]; Revelation, Sept. 1830–E, in Doctrine and Covenants 52:3, 1835 ed. [D&C 30:9–11].
Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835. Also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
Whitmer, History, 1.
Whitmer, History / Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment,” ca. 1838–1847. CCLA. Available at josephsmithpapers.org.
Revelation, 11 Nov. 1831–A, in Doctrine and Covenants 28:1–2, 1835 ed. [D&C 69:3, 7].
Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835. Also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
JS, Hiram, OH, to William W. Phelps, [Independence, MO], 31 July 1832, copy, JS Collection, CHL.
Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155.
John Whitmer, Independence, MO, to JS and Oliver Cowdery, Kirtland Mills, OH, 29 July 1833, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 52–55; Oliver Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, to John Whitmer, Missouri, 1 Jan. 1834, in Cowdery, Letterbook, 14–17.
JS Letterbook 2 / Smith, Joseph. “Copies of Letters, &c. &c.,” 1839–1843. Joseph Smith Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155, box 2, fd. 2.
Cowdery, Oliver. Letterbook, 1833–1838. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
JS to John Whitmer, Blessing, 22 Sept. 1835, in Patriarchal Blessings, 1:14.
Patriarchal Blessings, 1833–. CHL. CR 500 2.
Whitmer, History / Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment,” ca. 1838–1847. CCLA. Available at josephsmithpapers.org.
Whitmer, History / Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment,” ca. 1838–1847. CCLA. Available at josephsmithpapers.org.
Historical evidence also suggests that Whitmer made the extant copy of the entire history in 1838. Following Whitmer’s excommunication in March 1838, church leaders made a concerted effort to obtain the records in his possession. This effort was partially successful: Whitmer apparently turned over a copied list of names of members who had resided in Missouri and possibly made available some minutes he had kept. Whitmer may have copied his history in order to turn it over to church leadership but then changed his mind and retained the volume. (“Names of the Members of the Church in Missouri. Then Situated Most in Caldwell County,” 2–14; Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” The Return, Sept. 1889, 133; compare items copied in Minute Book 2.)
The Scriptory Book of Joseph Smith, 1838. CHL. MS 8955.
The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
It is not known how extensively Whitmer revised earlier drafts when creating the extant “Book of John Whitmer,” although, as noted, he retained some of his present-tense language from the early 1830s. Some passages suggest that Whitmer was writing later, as when he noted that some who were ordained to the high priesthood at a June 1831 church conference subsequently “deni[e]d the faith.” Also, when describing conditions in Jackson County, Missouri, in March 1832, he alluded to the expulsion that occurred the following year. (See Whitmer, History, 23, 28, 38.)
Whitmer, History / Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment,” ca. 1838–1847. CCLA. Available at josephsmithpapers.org.
Revelation, ca. 8 Mar. 1831–B, in Doctrine and Covenants 63:2, 1835 ed. [D&C 47:3].
Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835. Also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
The published letters were copied into JS’s 1834–1836 history.
JS History, 1834–1836 / Smith, Joseph, et al. History, 1834–1836. In Joseph Smith et al., History, 1838–1856, vol. A-1, back of book (earliest numbering), 9–20, 46–187. Historian's Office, History of the Church, 1839–ca. 1882. CHL. CR 100 102, box 1, vol. 1.
The revelations dating from this time period but not included by Whitmer in his history are as follows: Revelation, 9 Dec. 1830, in Doctrine and Covenants 57, 1835 ed. [D&C 36]; Revelation, 5 Jan. 1831, in Doctrine and Covenants 59, 1835 ed. [D&C 39]; Revelation, 6 Jan. 1831, in Doctrine and Covenants 60, 1835 ed. [D&C 40]; Revelation, 15 May 1831, in Revelation Book 1, p. 85; Revelation, 20 May 1831, in Doctrine and Covenants 23, 1835 ed. [D&C 51]; Revelation, 8 June 1831, in Doctrine and Covenants 66, 1835 ed. [D&C 53]; and Revelation, 14 June 1831, in Doctrine and Covenants 68, 1835 ed. [D&C 55]. These seven revelations were directed to individuals and not to the church as a whole.
Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835. Also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
Revelation Book 1 / “A Book of Commandments and Revelations of the Lord Given to Joseph the Seer and Others by the Inspiration of God and Gift and Power of the Holy Ghost Which Beareth Re[c]ord of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost Which Is One God Infinite and Eternal World without End Amen,” 1831–1835. CHL.
JS and Sidney Rigdon, Far West, MO, to John Whitmer, 9 Apr. 1838. Because Whitmer copied or prepared the extant “Book of John Whitmer” from an earlier draft or notes, it is unknown whether JS and Rigdon meant for Whitmer to turn over the text now known as the “Book of John Whitmer” or whether they hoped to obtain earlier notes or sources Whitmer used for his history.
JSP, J1 / Jessee, Dean C., Mark Ashurst-McGee, and Richard L. Jensen, eds. Journals, Volume 1: 1832–1839. Vol. 1 of the Journals series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2008.
Minute Book 2, 6 Apr. 1838; JS, Journal, 27 Apr. 1838.
Minute Book 2 / “The Conference Minutes and Record Book of Christ’s Church of Latter Day Saints,” 1838, 1842, 1844. CHL. Also available at josephsmithpapers.org.
Whitmer, “The Book of John Whitmer,” Andrew Jenson typescript, ca. Mar. 1894, [70].
Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer, 1831–ca. 1846.” Andrew Jenson typescript, ca. Mar. 1894. CHL. MS 3552.
John Whitmer, Far West, MO, to William W. Phelps, Nauvoo, IL, 8 Jan. 1844, JS, Office Papers, CHL.
JS Office Papers / Joseph Smith Office Papers, ca. 1835–1845. CHL. MS 21600.
Willard Richards, Nauvoo, IL, to John Whitmer, Far West, MO, 23 Feb. 1844, copy, Willard Richards, Papers, CHL.
Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490.
[William E. McLellin], “Our Tour West in 1847,” Ensign of Liberty, Aug. 1849, 99–105; [Ebenezer Robinson], “Elder David Whitmer,” The Return, Jan. 1889, 10; see also Porter, “Odyssey of William Earl McLellin,” 341–346.
Ensign of Liberty. Kirtland, OH. Mar. 1847–Aug. 1849.
The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
Porter, Larry C. “The Odyssey of William Earl McLellin: Man of Diversity, 1806–83.” In The Journals of William E. McLellin, 1831–1836, edited by Jan Shipps and John W. Welch, 291–378. Provo, UT: BYU Studies; Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1994.
Near the end of his life, Whitmer wrote regarding the printed testimony of the Eight Witnesses to the Book of Mormon, “It is the Same as it was from the beginning, and it is true. . . . I have never denied my testimony as to the Book of Mormon, under any circumstances whatever.” (Joseph R. Lambert, Lamoni, IA, to E. L. Kelley, 29 Jan. 1884, CCLA.)
Lambert, Joseph R. Letter, Lamoni, IA, to E. L. Kelley, 29 Jan. 1884. CCLA.
“Executor’s or Administrator’s Inventory, Certificate, and Affidavit,” Estate of John Whitmer, 11 Oct. 1878, photocopy, private possession; Caldwell Co., MO, Probate Court, Inventories, Appraisements, Sale Bills, vol. C, pp. 91–92, microfilm 955,841; Caldwell Co., MO, Probate Court, Records, vol. D, pp. 35–38, microfilm 955,386, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.
“Executor’s or Administrator’s Inventory, Certificate, and Affidavit,” Estate of John Whitmer, 11 Oct. 1878. Photocopy. Private possession.
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
The two men arrived 27 February 1831. (JS, Kirtland, OH, to Hyrum Smith, Harpursville, NY, 3 Mar. 1831, JS Collection, CHL.)
Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155.
The Shakers had a settlement in North Union, Ohio, fifteen miles southwest of Kirtland. (See Meader, “Shakers and the Mormons,” 86.)
Meader, Robert F. W. “The Shakers and the Mormons.” Shaker Quarterly 2 (Fall 1962): 83–96.
Revelation, 7 May 1831, in Doctrine and Covenants 65, 1835 ed. [D&C 49]. This revelation supplied a cautionary list of doctrinal differences between the Latter-day Saints and the Shakers: The Shakers knew “the truth in part, but not all”; Jesus was sent into the world “for the redemption of the world” and not merely, as most Shakers believed, as an exemplar; Shakers considered celibacy a more holy state than marriage, whereas the Latter-day Saints believed that “marriage is ordained of God unto man”; some Shaker communities forbade the eating of meat, but the Latter-day Saints accepted the practice. (Doctrine and Covenants 65:1, 3, 1835 ed. [D&C 49:2, 5, 15].)
Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835. Also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, and Leman Copley. (Revelation, 7 May 1831, in Doctrine and Covenants 65:1, 1835 ed. [D&C 49:1]; see also Flake, “Shaker View of A Mormon Mission,” 94–99.)
Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835. Also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
Flake, Lawrence R. “A Shaker View of a Mormon Mission.” BYU Studies 20 (Fall 1979): 94–99.
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 12 [1 Nephi 4:8–9].
The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi. Palmyra, NY: E. B. Grandin, 1830.
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