Footnotes
This serialized history drew on the journals herein beginning with the 4 July 1855 issue of the Deseret News and with the 3 January 1857 issue of the LDS Millennial Star.
The labels on the spines of the four volumes read respectively as follows: “Joseph Smith’s Journal—1842–3 by Willard Richards” (book 1); “Joseph Smith’s Journal by W. Richards 1843” (book 2); “Joseph Smith’s Journal by W. Richards 1843–4” (book 3); and “W. Richards’ Journal 1844 Vol. 4” (book 4). Richards kept JS’s journal in the front of book 4, and after JS’s death Richards kept his own journal in the back of the volume.
“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.
“Inventory. Historian’s Office. 4th April 1855,” [1]; “Contents of the Historian and Recorder’s Office G. S. L. City July 1858,” 2; “Index of Records and Journals in the Historian’s Office 1878,” [11]–[12], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; Johnson, Register of the Joseph Smith Collection, 7.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
Johnson, Jeffery O. Register of the Joseph Smith Collection in the Church Archives, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1973.
Footnotes
JS, Journal, 21 Dec. 1842.
Source Note to JS, Journal, 1835–1836; Source Note to JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838.
JS, Journal, 10 Mar. 1843.
JS, Journal, 22 Sept. 1843.
JS, Journal, 1 Dec. 1842 and 20 Jan. 1843; see also “History of Joseph Smith,” Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 3:726–728.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
See Appendix 3.
The revelation, recorded by Clayton, described the principles of eternal marriage and plural marriage. It explained that a man and woman who were “sealed” as husband and wife by one holding the proper priesthood authority shall, after death, “pass by the angels and the Gods . . . to their exaltation and glory in all things . . . which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever.”Revelation, 12 July 1843, in Revelations Collection, CHL [D&C 132:19, 34–35]. In addition, the revelation taught that Abraham, who was married to Sarah, was under no condemnation for taking Hagar as a second wife because God had commanded him to do so. According to the revelation, other ancient prophets also had the keys, or authority from God, to participate in or perform plural marriages, and those who married plural wives under the direction of these prophets stood blameless before God. Though the revelation was dictated on 12 July 1843, the general outlines of the revelation were reportedly understood much earlier.Orson Pratt, in Journal of Discourses, 7 Oct. 1869, 13:193; Bachman, “Ohio Origins of the Revelation on Eternal Marriage,” 19–32. Clayton described the recording of the revelation in his journal entry of this date: “This A.M. I wrote a Revelation consisting of 10 pages on the order of the Priesthood, showing the designs in Moses, Abraham, David and Solomon having many wives & concubines &c. After it was wrote Prests. Joseph & Hyrum presented it and read it to E[mma Smith] who said she did not believe a word of it and appeared very rebellious.” Clayton later noted that on 12 July, JS also had the revelation read to a few close associates.Clayton, Journal, 12 July 1843. The following day, Joseph Kingsbury made a copy of the revelation, after which JS gave the original manuscript to Emma Smith with the understanding that she intended to destroy it.William Clayton, Affidavit, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, 16 Feb. 1874, in Joseph F. Smith, Affidavits about Celestial Marriage, CHL.
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
Journal of Discourses. 26 vols. Liverpool: F. D. Richards, 1855–1886.
Bachman, Danel W. “New Light on an Old Hypothesis: The Ohio Origins of the Revelation on Eternal Marriage.” Journal of Mormon History 5 (1978): 19–32.
Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.
Smith, Joseph F. Affidavits about Celestial Marriage, 1869–1915. CHL. MS 3423.
According to Willard Richards, Adams and Hollister had traveled together to Springfield. (Willard Richards, Nauvoo, IL, to Brigham Young, New York City, NY, 18 July 1843, Brigham Young Office Files, CHL.)
Brigham Young Office Files, 1832–1878. CHL. CR 1234 1.
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