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Letter to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842

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Letter to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842

Source Note

JS, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to the church and others, 23 June 1842. Featured version published in Wasp, 25 June 1842, vol. 1, no. 11, [2]–[3]. For more complete source information, see the source note for Notice, 28 April 1842.

Historical Introduction

On 23 June 1842, JS wrote a letter to members of the and “to all the honorable part of community” about , addressing his conduct with women in , Illinois, and describing how church leaders had handled the situation. Bennett, who had been serving as the mayor of Nauvoo and as an assistant president pro tempore in the , had been charged with seducing numerous women by telling them that JS sanctioned and practiced “promiscous intercourse between the sexes.” JS explained in this letter that he had become aware of Bennett’s adultery not long after Bennett arrived in Nauvoo in September 1840 and that he had given Bennett several chances to repent and reform.
In spring 1842, JS became increasingly concerned about ’s conduct. In March, JS and sent a letter to the , explaining that they had been informed of “some unprincipled men” who had committed “iniquity” and justified their actions by “say[ing] they have authority from Joseph or the first Presidency or any other Presidency of the church.” On 10 April, JS preached to church members and “pronounced a curse upon all Adulterers & fornicators & unvirtuous persons. & those who had made use of his name to carry on their iniquitous designs.” In the entry for 29 April in JS’s journal, noted that JS had discovered “a conspiracy again[s]t the peace of his household.” Richards later inserted “J.C.B.” in this entry, suggesting that the “conspiracy” involved John C. Bennett. On 11 May, JS and other church leaders withdrew fellowship from Bennett, although they did not make their action public at that time. On 17 May, Bennett resigned as mayor of , and on 19 May, he swore before the Nauvoo City Council that JS had never taught him that extramarital sexual relations were lawful.
A few days later, the began a series of disciplinary hearings against individuals in Nauvoo accused of adultery and fornication, which led to the uncovering of “much iniquity” and the excommunication of several people. Because church leaders had already withdrawn fellowship from , he was not one of the Saints excommunicated by the high council, but several people testified before the high council regarding his conduct. According to JS’s journal, on 26 May at the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge, Bennett himself “confessed the charges preferred again[s]t him concerning. females in Nauvoo.” His confession and contrition on this occasion persuaded JS and other church leaders to not publish—as they had threatened to do—a notice that they had withdrawn fellowship from Bennett. But something apparently changed over the next few weeks because church leaders did publish the notice in the 15 June 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons. On 18 June, JS spoke before thousands of “Citizens of Nauvoo Both Male & female” and “exposed” the “iniquity & wickedness of Gen John Cook Bennet”; Bennett later claimed that he was excommunicated from the church on this day, though no such action is noted in the existing account of the meeting. Three days later, Bennett left Nauvoo for , Illinois.
Fearing that was going to collaborate with Missourians in kidnapping JS, and likely concerned that Bennett would continue to tell people that JS not only approved of his actions with women but was also seducing women himself, JS wrote this letter to inform church members and the public of Bennett’s “character and conduct” and to deny any allegations that he, JS, was involved in similar inappropriate actions. In 1841 and the first months of 1842, JS was apparently in marriage to several women, although only a select few church members knew of the marriages. However, he viewed these sealings—which involved formal proposals to the women and religious ceremonies with witnesses—as fundamentally different from what Bennett accused him of and from Bennett’s own promiscuous behavior.
In the 23 June letter, JS included affidavits from individuals stating that admitted to his conduct and had declared that JS never taught him that such things were correct. Bennett, however, later insisted that he had been coerced into making such statements and did so only because he feared for his life. Bennett also later presented himself as a virtuous man who had never engaged in any immoral practices with women and asserted that JS was the one who had made improper advances toward women in . The charges and countercharges between Bennett and JS were widely published in newspapers throughout the country in the summer of 1842.
JS’s original 23 June 1842 letter is apparently not extant. The letter was published in the 25 June 1842 issue of the Wasp, and this is the version presented here. It was then reprinted in the 1 July 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons. Other newspapers also reprinted the letter, including the New York Herald in its 21 July 1842 issue.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Letter to Emma Smith and the Relief Society, 31 Mar. 1842.

  2. [2]

    JS, Journal, 10 Apr. 1842.

  3. [3]

    JS, Journal, 29 Apr. 1842.

  4. [4]

    Notice, 11 May 1842.

  5. [5]

    “New Election of Mayor, and Vice Mayor, of the City of Nauvoo,” Wasp, 21 May 1842, [3]; Letters from John C. Bennett and James Sloan, 17 May 1842; JS, Journal, 19 May 1842.

    The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.

  6. [6]

    Woodruff, Journal, 27 May 1842; Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 27 May 1842; Catherine Fuller Warren, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 25 May 1842, Testimonies in Nauvoo High Council Cases, CHL.

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

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

    Testimonies in Nauvoo High Council Cases, May 1842. CHL.

  7. [7]

    JS, Journal, 26 May 1842; JS et al., “Notice,” Times and Seasons, 15 June 1842, 3:830.

  8. [8]

    Woodruff, Journal, 18 June 1842; John C. Bennett, Nauvoo, IL, 27 June 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 8 July 1842, [2].

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

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

  9. [9]

    [Nauvoo Masonic Lodge], Nauvoo, IL, to Abraham Jonas, [Columbus, IL], 21 June 1842, Letters pertaining to Freemasonry in Nauvoo, CHL.

    Letters pertaining to Freemasonry in Nauvoo, 1842. CHL.

  10. [10]

    Although he was apparently not part of the small circle of participants in or witnesses of authorized plural marriages, Bennett may have had some knowledge of JS’s sealings to several women and may have been referring to these plural marriages in his accusations against JS.

  11. [11]

    John C. Bennett, Nauvoo, IL, 27 June 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 8 July 1842, [2].

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

  12. [12]

    See, for example, “A Row among the Mormons,” Sun (Baltimore), 22 July 1842, [2]; “Trouble in the Mormon Camp,” Logansport (IN) Telegraph, 30 July 1842, [1]–[2]; and “Important from the Far West,” New York Herald, 21 July 1842, [2].

    Sun. Baltimore. 1837–2008.

    Logansport Telegraph. Logansport, IN. 1837–1849.

    New York Herald. New York City. 1835–1924.

  13. [13]

    JS, Nauvoo, IL, to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842, in Times and Seasons, 1 July 1842, 3:839–842.

  14. [14]

    “Important from the Far West,” New York Herald, 21 July 1842, [2].

    New York Herald. New York City. 1835–1924.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Letter to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842 Letter to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842, as Published in Times and Seasons Times and Seasons, 1 July 1842 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”
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cutors, the Missourians, and has threatened destruction upon us; but we should naturally suppose, that he would be so much ashamed of himself at the injury he has already done to those who never injured, but befriended him in every possible manner, that he could never dare to lift up his head before an enlightened public with the design either to misrepresent or persecute; but be that as it may, we neither dread him nor his influence; but this much we believe, that unless he is determined to fill up the measure of his iniquity, and bring sudden destruction upon himself from the hand of the Almighty; he will be silent, and never more attempt to injure those concerning whom he has testified upon oath he knows nothing but that which is good and virtuous.
Thus I have laid before the , and before the public, the character and conduct of a man who has stood high in the estimation of many; but from the foregoing facts it will be seen that he is not entitled to any credit, but rather to be stamped with indignity and disgrace so far as he may be known. What I have stated I am prepared to prove, having all the documents concerning the matter in my possession, but I think that to say further is unnecessary, as the subject is so plain that no one can mistake the true nature of the case.
I remain yours, respectfully,
JOSEPH SMITH.
, June 23, 1842. [p. [3]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842
ID #
4787
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D10:178–187
Handwriting on This Page
  • Printed text

Footnotes

  1. [19]

    In a 27 June 1842 letter, Bennett stated that because JS was “indicted for murder, treason, burglary, and arson, in Missouri,” Bennett would gladly “deliver him up to justice, or die in the attempt.” (John C. Bennett, Nauvoo, IL, 27 June 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 8 July 1842, [2].)

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

  2. [20]

    See Revelation, 24 Feb. 1834 [D&C 103:3].

  3. [21]

    See 1 Thessalonians 5:3; and Revelation, 3 Nov. 1831 [D&C 133:15].

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