Memorandum, 2 October 1841
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Source Note
Memorandum, , Hancock Co., IL, 2 Oct. 1841. Featured version copied [ca. late Dec. 1841] in JS Letterbook 2, p. 220; handwriting of ; JS Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS Letterbook 2.
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Historical Introduction
On 2 October 1841 in , Illinois, a memorandum was written listing the documents and other artifacts that JS deposited in the main cornerstone of the . The Nauvoo House was being constructed in response to a 19 January 1841 JS revelation that instructed members to build a house where strangers could board and learn about Latter-day Saint beliefs while visiting Nauvoo. The Nauvoo House was a central building project for the Saints in 1841, along with the Nauvoo , which was also being built in accordance with the January revelation.On the morning of 2 October 1841, a “clear & cool” Saturday, JS, his counselors in the , and other church members met at the south end of Main Street in near the city’s southern wharf to lay the southeast cornerstone for the . In the southeast cornerstone, JS, and possibly others, deposited some documents and coins. Among the items deposited were some of the documents most vital for understanding the theology and history of the Latter-day Saints. Several of JS’s revelations were included, along with records that detailed the formation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the persecution of church members in , and the first overseas mission to . The most important record deposited in the cornerstone was the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon—the copy written as JS dictated his translation. JS apparently hurried home to retrieve the manuscript before the sheet-lead box containing the items was sealed into the cornerstone.According to , all the items deposited in the cornerstone “were carefully encased in sheet lead to protect the contents from moisture, and a stone had been cut to closely fit into the cavity which had been made in the corner stone to receive these things, which stone was fitted in its place and cemented.” Robinson added that “it was thought the papers and other articles would be preserved without decay or injury for ages, if not disturbed.” The building was so close to the east bank of the , however, that the box in the cornerstone experienced flooding at high-water times, significantly damaging the paper items deposited therein.The memorandum listing the artifacts deposited in the cornerstone may have been made at JS’s direction or suggestion, given that it was later copied into both his journal and letterbook. inscribed a copy of the memorandum into JS Letterbook 2. He made the copy in late December 1841 from the original memorandum created on 2 October 1841, which is no longer extant. A second copy of the memorandum was made by in JS’s December 1841–December 1842 journal. Richards also made his copy in late December, so it is likely he also copied from the original memorandum. Because Richards’s version has already been published in the Journals series of The Joseph Smith Papers and because both appear to be derived from the same original text, the Fullmer version is featured here. The few differences that exist between the two versions are noted in the footnotes.
Footnotes
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1
Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:22–24, 56, 60]; see also Agreement with William Law, 26 Apr. 1841.
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2
Foote, Autobiography, 2 Oct. 1841, 57. A general church conference also began on 2 October. Church leaders delayed the business of the conference until the afternoon of 2 October so that the First Presidency could attend the cornerstone ceremony. (Minutes and Discourse, 1–5 Oct. 1841.)
Foote, Warren. Autobiography, not before 1903. Warren Foote, Papers, 1837–1941. CHL. MS 1123, fd. 1.
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3
According to JS’s journal and the memorandum featured here, all the items listed were deposited by “the president,” meaning JS. Ebenezer Robinson later wrote, however, that although JS deposited the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon, “together with other papers and things, including different pieces of United States’ coin,” Robinson himself “put in some copies of the Times and Seasons.” Warren Foote later recalled that “any one had the privilege of putting in any little memento they wished too.” Having the First Presidency place the southeast cornerstone first followed the precedent of temple cornerstone dedications, including the one for the Nauvoo temple approximately six months earlier. Cornerstones have been used to deposit materials of historic value by various civilizations dating back thousands of years. One of their chief functions has been to preserve manuscripts and writings. (JS, Journal, 29 Dec. 1841; Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return [Davis City, IA], Aug. 1890, 315, italics in original; Foote, Autobiography, 2 Oct. 1841, 57; Benediction, 6 Apr. 1841; Jarvis, Time Capsules, 9, 96–102, 175–212.)
The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
Foote, Warren. Autobiography, not before 1903. Warren Foote, Papers, 1837–1941. CHL. MS 1123, fd. 1.
Jarvis, William E. Time Capsules: A Cultural History. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2002.
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4
Ebenezer Robinson recalled, “After the brethren had assembled at the south east corner of the foundation, where the corner stone was to be laid, President Joseph Smith said: ‘Wait, brethren, I have a document I wish to put in that stone,’ and started for his house. . . . I went with him to the house, and also one or two other brethren. He got a manuscript copy of the Book of Mormon, and brought it into the room where we were standing, and said: ‘I will examine to see if it is all here,’ and as he did so I stood near him, at his left side, and saw distinctly the writing, as he turned up the pages until he hastily went through the book and satisfied himself that it was all there.” (Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return [Davis City, IA], Aug. 1890, 314–315.)
The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
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5
Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return [Davis City, IA], Aug. 1890, 315. Warren Foote recalled that “a square hole had been chiseled in the large corner stone like a box. . . . A close fitting cover of stone had been prepared and was laid in cement and the wall built over it.” (Foote, Autobiography, 2 Oct. 1841, 57.)
The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
Foote, Warren. Autobiography, not before 1903. Warren Foote, Papers, 1837–1941. CHL. MS 1123, fd. 1.
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6
The Church History Library has several water-damaged fragments of the printed pages of the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Times and Seasons that were retrieved from the cornerstone. (Fragments from the Cornerstone of the Nauvoo House, CHL; Bible Pages from the Cornerstone of Nauvoo House, CHL.)
Fragments from the Cornerstone of the Nauvoo House, ca. 1829–1841. CHL.
Bible Pages from the Cornerstone of Nauvoo House, no date. CHL.
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7
Entries in JS Letterbook 2 surrounding John S. Fullmer’s inscription of the memorandum indicate that he was copying letters into the ledger contemporaneously. The letter preceding the copy of the memorandum is dated 21 December 1841, and the letter following the memorandum is dated 4 January 1842. Willard Richards had been keeping JS’s journal and making contemporaneous entries in the journal beginning on 13 December 1841. On 29 December 1841, Richards inscribed the list of contents deposited in the Nauvoo House cornerstone. (JS Letterbook 2, pp. 218–221; Historical Introduction to Journal, Dec. 1841–Dec. 1842; JS, Journal, 29 Dec. 1841.)
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