Zion church presidency and high council, Minutes, , Caldwell Co., MO, 13 Apr. 1838. Featured version copied [between 1 Oct. 1842 and 14 Sept. 1843] in Minute Book 2, pp. 126–133; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 2.
Historical Introduction
On 13 April 1838, JS participated in a meeting that the and held to consider the charges against and . Johnson had begun challenging JS’s leadership by May 1837, when he and fellow filed charges with , accusing JS of “lying & misrepresentation— also for extortion— and for— speaking disrespectfully against his brethren behind their backs.” The next month, Johnson and his fellow apostle and business partner, , sought to dissuade apostle from accepting a missionary appointment to . In a 3 September 1837 conference, Johnson, his brother , and Boynton were rejected as apostles because of their opposition to the . The three men reconciled with the church a week later at another conference and were reinstated as apostles. Shortly afterward Johnson traveled with to . While there, Johnson attended the November church conference, during which he was again sustained as an apostle. However, by December, Johnson was meeting with Cowdery, David and , and other dissenters in to discuss their opposition to other church leaders. Johnson seems to have associated especially with Cowdery, and the two apparently planned to start a legal practice together. In January 1838, Johnson attended a meeting with Cowdery, the Whitmer brothers, and other dissenters, during which they made plans to leave Far West because of their opposition to the high council there. Johnson also continued to correspond with and other , Ohio, dissenters. On 7 April 1838, apostle reported at a church conference that he could not sustain Johnson and four other members of the . Two days later, church leaders wrote to Johnson, Cowdery, and David Whitmer, reporting that charges had been made against them and that hearings would be held on 12 April for Cowdery and on 13 April for Johnson and Whitmer.
Neither nor attended the 13 April hearing, during which the high council and the presidency investigated the charges against the two men. Instead, like the day before, Johnson and Whitmer sent letters expressing their opposition to the charges and the council proceedings and indicating they were withdrawing from the church. The council deliberated over Johnson’s case during two sessions, with JS testifying against Johnson during the first session. As a result of the testimony JS and others offered, the council excommunicated Johnson.
The council then turned to the case of . After he, , and had been removed from the presidency in February 1838, the three men had decried the decision. In a 10 March letter, the men argued that the procedures for removing them were “contrary to the principles of the revelations of Jesus Christ, and his gospel.” Later in the day, the high council read the letter and excommunicated Phelps and John Whitmer. No action was taken against David Whitmer until 9 April, when he was notified of his 13 April trial. During the trial, the council read the letter and determined that he should be excommunicated. As the final item of business during the meeting, the council revoked Cowdery’s November 1837 assignment to help identify locations for new Latter-day Saint settlements.
Minutes of the council meeting were taken by the high council clerk, . The minutes were copied into Minute Book 2 by in 1842 or 1843.
At least some of the difficulty between these men and the church revolved around the collapse of the economy in Kirtland, Ohio. During the meeting, Boynton attributed his opposition to “the failure of the bank.” Although Sidney Rigdon rejected Boynton’s explanation, Rigdon likewise thought the root of the conflict was related to economic concerns; he condemned Johnson and Boynton for operating a mercantile firm while neglecting their ecclesiastical responsibilities. (Minutes, 3 Sept. 1837.)
See, for example, Oliver Cowdery, Far West, MO, to Warren Cowdery and Lyman Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, 24 Feb. 1838, in Cowdery, Letterbook, 87; and Stephen Burnett, Orange Township, OH, to Lyman Johnson, 15 Apr. 1838, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 64–66.
Cowdery, Oliver. Letterbook, 1833–1838. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
JS Letterbook 2 / Smith, Joseph. “Copies of Letters, &c. &c.,” 1839–1843. Joseph Smith Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155, box 2, fd. 2.
Absolon [Absalom] Scritchfield testifies, that he has seen come to ’s (tavern) and drink liquor, say brandy.
testifies that he has neglected to attend meeting on the Sabbath days.
concurs with the above testimony.
The adjourned for one hour.
The Council convened agreeable to adjournement.
Opened in prayer by President .
, testifies that came to ’s a few mornings since, with his head cut the blood running out of his ears, also his stomach was injured, & said had fought him; which was proved in court afterwards.
concurs with the above testimony.
, testifies that told him that he had given a pounding, because he had given him the lie, and if any other man should give me the lie, he would not promise that he would not get the same sauce.
Also testifies that told him, previous, to a decision, being had by civil authority, that he would not begrudge paying five dollars for whipping a man as he did , but if the judgement was any wise high, he would change the venue and take it out of the .
, testifies that told him that he would change the venue and take the suit out of the , previous to the time that the warrant was issued.
, testifies that, previous to decision being given on the case of , told him he intended to get bail and take a change of venue and take it out of the .
testifies that told him, that he had learned the [k]nack of [p. 130]
Johnson claimed he had a promissory note from JS for $1,000, but JS claimed the note was actually the record of a loan Johnson received from the Kirtland Safety Society in 1837. According to an April 1838 letter to Johnson from disgruntled church member Stephen Burnett, JS claimed that Johnson obtained a $2,000 loan from the Safety Society in 1837 and used the money to purchase land in Missouri. Existing financial records for the Safety Society show that Johnson secured smaller loans from the institution in January 1837; there is no evidence of a $1,000 or $2,000 loan in the records, which are incomplete. Records do indicate Johnson purchased a significant amount of land in Missouri during the time frame Burnett specified in his letter, suggesting that a loan of $1,000 or $2,000 may have existed. (Stephen Burnett, Orange Township, OH, to Lyman Johnson, 15 Apr. 1838, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 65; Kirtland Safety Society Accounts and Discounted Notes, Jan. 1837, JS Office Papers, CHL; Vilate Murray Kimball, Kirtland, OH, to Heber C. Kimball, Preston, England, ca. 10–12 Sept. 1837, Heber C. Kimball, Collection, CHL.)
JS Letterbook 2 / Smith, Joseph. “Copies of Letters, &c. &c.,” 1839–1843. Joseph Smith Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155, box 2, fd. 2.
Kimball, Heber C. Collection, 1837–1898. CHL. MS 12476.
John P. Greene was the brother-in-law of Brigham and Phineas Young. (Greene, “Biographical Sketch of the Life and Travels of John Portenus Greene,” 1.)
Greene, Evan Melbourne. “A Biographical Sketch of the Life and Travels of John Portenus Greene,” 1857. CHL. MS 15390.