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License for Frederick G. Williams, 25 February 1834

Source Note

License,
Kirtland Township

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...

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, Geauga Co., OH, for
Frederick G. Williams

28 Oct. 1787–10 Oct. 1842. Ship’s pilot, teacher, physician, justice of the peace. Born at Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. Moved to Newburg, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 1799. Practiced Thomsonian botanical system...

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, 25 Feb. 1834; printed form with additions in handwriting of
Oliver Cowdery

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

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; signatures of JS and
Cowdery

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

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; one page; CHL.
Single leaf measuring 5⅛ × 6⅛ inches (13 × 16 cm). The form bears a printed decorative border. The folds of the document have weakened over time, leading to tearing and holes. The document underwent conservation efforts in February 1994, shortly after descendants of
Frederick G. Williams

28 Oct. 1787–10 Oct. 1842. Ship’s pilot, teacher, physician, justice of the peace. Born at Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. Moved to Newburg, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 1799. Practiced Thomsonian botanical system...

View Full Bio
donated it to the Church History Department.

Historical Introduction

On 24 February 1834, JS dictated a revelation appointing
Frederick G. Williams

28 Oct. 1787–10 Oct. 1842. Ship’s pilot, teacher, physician, justice of the peace. Born at Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. Moved to Newburg, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 1799. Practiced Thomsonian botanical system...

View Full Bio
to accompany
Hyrum Smith

9 Feb. 1800–27 June 1844. Farmer, cooper. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Randolph, Orange Co., 1802; back to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co...

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on a mission to recruit men and raise funds for the
Camp of Israel

A group of approximately 205 men and about 20 women and children led by JS to Missouri, May–July 1834, to redeem Zion by helping the Saints who had been driven from Jackson County, Missouri, regain their lands; later referred to as “Zion’s Camp.” A 24 February...

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expedition to
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

More Info
. The
license

A document certifying an individual’s office in the church and authorizing him “to perform the duty of his calling.” The “Articles and Covenants” of the church implied that only elders could issue licenses; individuals ordained by a priest to an office in...

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featured here was issued to Frederick G. Williams the following day.
1

Revelation, 24 Feb. 1834 [D&C 103:39].


No minutes from the 25 February 1834 meeting in which the license was issued have been located.
While the document identifies itself as a “letter of commendation,” documents with similar language were later issued and recognized as official licenses.
2

A document employing essentially the same language as this one, for example, was issued to Daniel Kent on 20 September 1836. On the back of Kent’s license was an endorsement made by clerk Thomas Burdick. (Elder’s Certificate for Daniel Kent, 20 Sept. 1836, CHL.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Elder’s Certificate for Daniel Kent, 20 Sept. 1836. CHL. MS 20640.

The church’s founding “Articles and Covenants” required that
deacons

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. The “Articles and Covenants” directed deacons to assist teachers in their duties. Deacons were also to “warn, expound, exhort, and teach and invite all to come unto Christ.” Although deacons did not have the authority...

View Glossary
,
teachers

Generally, one who instructs, but also an ecclesiastical and priesthood office. The Book of Mormon explained that teachers were to be ordained “to preach repentance and remission of sins through Jesus Christ, by the endurance of faith on his name to the end...

View Glossary
,
priests

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. In the Book of Mormon, priests were described as those who baptized, administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto the church,” and taught “the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” A June 1829 revelation directed...

View Glossary
, and
elders

A male leader in the church generally; an ecclesiastical and priesthood office or one holding that office; a proselytizing missionary. The Book of Mormon explained that elders ordained priests and teachers and administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto...

View Glossary
have licenses to perform their
priesthood

Power or authority of God. The priesthood was conferred through the laying on of hands upon adult male members of the church in good standing; no specialized training was required. Priesthood officers held responsibility for administering the sacrament of...

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duties.
3

Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:63–64].


The language used in
Williams

28 Oct. 1787–10 Oct. 1842. Ship’s pilot, teacher, physician, justice of the peace. Born at Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. Moved to Newburg, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 1799. Practiced Thomsonian botanical system...

View Full Bio
’s license reflects language used in the Articles and Covenants regarding licenses.
4

Just as the Articles and Covenants noted that a license authorized a teacher or priest “to perform the duty of his calling,” this document certified that Williams had been ordained an elder and was “duly authorized to preach the gospel, and act in all [th]e ordinances of the house of the Lord, agreeably to the authority of that office.” (Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:64].)


Williams

28 Oct. 1787–10 Oct. 1842. Ship’s pilot, teacher, physician, justice of the peace. Born at Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. Moved to Newburg, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 1799. Practiced Thomsonian botanical system...

View Full Bio
had been issued a similar license on 20 March 1833, shortly after being
ordained

The conferral of power and authority; to appoint, decree, or set apart. Church members, primarily adults, were ordained to ecclesiastical offices and other responsibilities by the laying on of hands by those with the proper authority. Ordinations to priesthood...

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“to the
Presidency of the High priesthood

Both the office of the president of the high priesthood and the body comprising the president and his counselors; the presiding body of the church. In November 1831, a revelation directed the appointment of a president of the high priesthood. The individual...

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.”
5

License for Frederick G. Williams, 20 Mar. 1833.


While that license was issued to certify Williams’s ordination and his authority “to preside over the affairs of the Church,” this elder’s license certified Williams’s authority “to preach the gospel, and act in all [th]e ordinances of the house of the Lord”—a probable reference to the various duties that pertained specifically to the office of elder,
6

Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:38–45].


to which Williams had been ordained in November 1830. Williams had been ordained a
high priest

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. Christ and many ancient prophets, including Abraham, were described as being high priests. The Book of Mormon used the term high priest to denote one appointed to lead the church. However, the Book of Mormon also discussed...

View Glossary
in October 1831 but continued to have “authority to officiate in all the lesser offices” of the priesthood when necessary, provided, evidently, that he was properly licensed to do so.
7

Minutes, 25–26 Oct. 1831; Revelation, 1 Nov. 1831–A, in Doctrine and Covenants 22:2, 1835 ed. [D&C 68:19]. A spring 1835 JS revelation explained that the office of elder was one of the “lesser offices” in which a high priest was authorized to act. (Instruction on Priesthood, ca. Apr. 1835, in Doctrine and Covenants 3:5–8, 1835 ed. [D&C 107:10–12, 17].)


This license is a printed form, with the name of the individual, the date, and the names of the clerk and moderator filled out by hand. It is one of the earliest printed licenses known to have been issued in the
Church of Christ

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

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; previously, licenses were handwritten. In comparison to earlier licenses, this printed form is longer but incorporates much of the same language.
8

See, for example, License for Edward Partridge, ca. 4 Aug. 1831–ca. 5 Jan. 1832; License for William Smith, 5 Oct. 1831; and License for Frederick G. Williams, 20 Mar. 1833.


Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Revelation, 24 Feb. 1834 [D&C 103:39].

  2. [2]

    A document employing essentially the same language as this one, for example, was issued to Daniel Kent on 20 September 1836. On the back of Kent’s license was an endorsement made by clerk Thomas Burdick. (Elder’s Certificate for Daniel Kent, 20 Sept. 1836, CHL.)

    Elder’s Certificate for Daniel Kent, 20 Sept. 1836. CHL. MS 20640.

  3. [3]

    Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:63–64].

  4. [4]

    Just as the Articles and Covenants noted that a license authorized a teacher or priest “to perform the duty of his calling,” this document certified that Williams had been ordained an elder and was “duly authorized to preach the gospel, and act in all [th]e ordinances of the house of the Lord, agreeably to the authority of that office.” (Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:64].)

  5. [5]

    License for Frederick G. Williams, 20 Mar. 1833.

  6. [6]

    Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:38–45].

  7. [7]

    Minutes, 25–26 Oct. 1831; Revelation, 1 Nov. 1831–A, in Doctrine and Covenants 22:2, 1835 ed. [D&C 68:19]. A spring 1835 JS revelation explained that the office of elder was one of the “lesser offices” in which a high priest was authorized to act. (Instruction on Priesthood, ca. Apr. 1835, in Doctrine and Covenants 3:5–8, 1835 ed. [D&C 107:10–12, 17].)

  8. [8]

    See, for example, License for Edward Partridge, ca. 4 Aug. 1831–ca. 5 Jan. 1832; License for William Smith, 5 Oct. 1831; and License for Frederick G. Williams, 20 Mar. 1833.

Page [1]

TO WHOM THESE PRESENCE MAY COME:
THIS Ce[r]tifies,
1

TEXT: “Ce[page torn]tifies”.


that
Frederick G. Williams

28 Oct. 1787–10 Oct. 1842. Ship’s pilot, teacher, physician, justice of the peace. Born at Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. Moved to Newburg, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 1799. Practiced Thomsonian botanical system...

View Full Bio
,
has been received into this
church of Christ

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

View Glossary
, organized on the sixth of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand, eight hundred, and thirty; and has been
ordained

The conferral of power and authority; to appoint, decree, or set apart. Church members, primarily adults, were ordained to ecclesiastical offices and other responsibilities by the laying on of hands by those with the proper authority. Ordinations to priesthood...

View Glossary
an
elder

A male leader in the church generally; an ecclesiastical and priesthood office or one holding that office; a proselytizing missionary. The Book of Mormon explained that elders ordained priests and teachers and administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto...

View Glossary
according to the rules and regulations of said church, and is duly authorized to preach the gospel, and act in all [th]e
2

TEXT: “[Hole in paper]e”.


ordinances

A religious rite. JS taught that ordinances were covenants between man and God, in which believers could affirm faith, gain spiritual knowledge, and seek blessings. Some ordinances were considered requisite for salvation. The manner in which ordinances were...

View Glossary
of the
house of the Lord

The official name for the sacred edifice in Kirtland, Ohio, later known as the Kirtland temple; also the official name for other planned religious structures in Missouri. JS and the Latter-day Saints also referred to the House of the Lord in Kirtland as “...

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, agreeably to the authority of that office.
From the satisfactory evidence which we have of his good moral character, and his zeal for the cause of righteousness, and diligent desire to persuade men to forsake evil and embrace truth, we confidently recommend him to all candid and upright people, in every country where he may be permitted to travel, in the order of Divine providence, as a worthy member of society; being sent from the bosom of this church to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation to mankind.
We, therefore, in the name, and by the authority of this church, grant unto this, our worthy brother in the Lord, this letter of commendation as a proof of our fellowship and esteem: praying for his success and prosperity in our Redeemer’s cause.
Given in, and by the direction of a
conference

A meeting where ecclesiastical officers and other church members could conduct church business. The “Articles and Covenants” of the church directed the elders to hold conferences to perform “Church business.” The first of these conferences was held on 9 June...

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of the elders of this church, assembled in
Kirtland

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...

More Info
, Geauga county, Ohio, this 25th day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred, and thirty four.
Joseph Smith Jr. Moderator.
Oliver Cowdery

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

View Full Bio
,
Clerk. [p. [1]]
View entire transcript

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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page [1]

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
License for Frederick G. Williams, 25 February 1834
ID #
2237
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D3:463–465
Handwriting on This Page
  • Printed text
  • Oliver Cowdery
  • Joseph Smith Jr.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    TEXT: “Ce[page torn]tifies”.

  2. [2]

    TEXT: “[Hole in paper]e”.

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