Journal, March–September 1838

  • Source Note
  • Historical Introduction
Page 18
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Questions from Elias Higbee regarding the Book of Isaiah
Questions by
1st. Q. What is ment by the command in Isiah 52d. chap 1st. verse which saith Put on thy strength O and what people had I[sa]iah referance to
A. He had reference to those whome God should call in the last day’s who should hold the power of to bring again zion and the redemption of Israel.
And to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood which she (zion) has a right to by lineage: Also to return to that power which she had lost
Ques. 2d. What are we to understand by zions loosing herself from the bands of her neck 2d. verse.
A. We are to understand that the scattered remnants are exorted to to return to the Lord from whence they have fal[l]en which if they do the promise of the Lord is that he will speak to them or give them revelation See 6th. 7th. and 8th. verses The bands of her neck are the curses of God upon her or the remnants of Israel in their scattered condition among the Gentiles.

Editorial Note
here copied into the journal a series of transcripts or summaries, all but one of which pertain to JS’s reinforcement of his leadership of the church and the removal and replacement of several leaders. The first documents were from late summer 1837, when after months of determined opposition, JS finally moved against dissidents. On 3 September 1837 JS convened a conference in , Ohio, that sustained him as president and “rejected” dissenting apostles and some others. The following day JS wrote a letter, here copied into this journal, to the Latter-day Saints in informing them of the stabilization of authority in Kirtland and including a copy of the conference minutes. The letter also warned them of , , and others who were or soon would be in Missouri and whose support JS questioned. A revelation dated 4 September, the same date as the letter, also declared that Missouri leaders and must repent of certain unnamed offenses or be removed from office. Together, these documents raised questions about Cowdery and the entire Missouri presidency, all of whom were in Missouri by the time JS arrived there in early November 1837 to hold a conference with the same purpose as the September conference in . JS and church leaders aired and presumably resolved concerns about the Missouri leaders in a meeting the day before the conference and in the conference itself, but they did not reach agreement with Oliver Cowdery. After JS returned to Ohio, tensions and problems involving the Missouri presidency also resurfaced.

Letter to John Corrill and the Church in Missouri • 4 September 1837
The following letter I wrote previous to my leaving and sent by the hand of
Sept 4th A.D. 1837
Geauga Co. Ohio
Joseph Smith Jr. of the in all the world
To & the whole Church in Zion [p. 18]
Questions from Elias Higbee regarding the Book of Isaiah
Questions by
1st. Q. What is ment by the command in Isiah 52d. chap 1st. verse which saith Put on thy strength O and what people had Isaiah referance to
A. He had reference to those whome God should call in the last day’s who should hold the power of to bring again zion and the redemption of Israel.
And to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood which she (zion) has a right to by lineage: Also to return to that power which she had lost
Ques. 2d. What are we to understand by zions loosing herself from the bands of her neck 2d. verse.
A. We are to understand that the scattered remnants are exorted to to return to the Lord from whence they have fallen which if they do the promise of the Lord is that he will speak to them or give them revelation See 6th. 7th. and 8th. verses The bands of her neck are the curses of God upon her or the remnants of Israel in their scattered condition among the Gentiles.

Editorial Note
here copied into the journal a series of transcripts or summaries, all but one of which pertain to JS’s reinforcement of his leadership of the church and the removal and replacement of several leaders. The first documents were from late summer 1837, when after months of determined opposition, JS finally moved against dissidents. On 3 September 1837 JS convened a conference in , Ohio, that sustained him as president and “rejected” dissenting apostles and some others. The following day JS wrote a letter, here copied into this journal, to the Latter-day Saints in informing them of the stabilization of authority in Kirtland and including a copy of the conference minutes. The letter also warned them of , , and others who were or soon would be in Missouri and whose support JS questioned. A revelation dated 4 September, the same date as the letter, also declared that Missouri leaders and must repent of certain unnamed offenses or be removed from office. Together, these documents raised questions about Cowdery and the entire Missouri presidency, all of whom were in Missouri by the time JS arrived there in early November 1837 to hold a conference with the same purpose as the September conference in . JS and church leaders aired and presumably resolved concerns about the Missouri leaders in a meeting the day before the conference and in the conference itself, but they did not reach agreement with Oliver Cowdery. After JS returned to Ohio, tensions and problems involving the Missouri presidency also resurfaced.

Letter to John Corrill and the Church in Missouri • 4 September 1837
The following letter I wrote previous to my leaving and sent by the hand of
Sept 4th A.D. 1837
Geauga Co. Ohio
Joseph Smith Jr. of the in all the world
To & the whole Church in Zion [p. 18]
Page 18