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Minutes, 16 August 1841

Source Note

Special Conference of the Church, Minutes, , Hancock Co., IL, 16 Aug. 1841; handwriting of ; two pages; Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, CHL. Includes docket.
Single leaf measuring 12¼ × 7⅝ inches (31 × 19 cm). The document is ruled with faint blue lines—thirty-eight lines on the recto and forty on the verso. It has one vertical fold and six horizontal folds and contains a vertically written docket in the bottom right of the verso.
These minutes are part of a larger collection of general church minutes created or collected by the Church Historian’s Office. The document was docketed by , who served as JS’s scribe from 1843 to 1844 and as clerk to the church historian and recorder from 1845 to 1865. The minutes have likely been in institutional custody since their creation.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 456, 458; Woodruff, Journal, 22 Jan. 1865.

    Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.

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

Historical Introduction

On 16 August 1841 the held a special in , Illinois, to transact “business necessary to be done before the meeting of the general conference” in October. One such item pertained to the role of the in church administration. Members of the Twelve had recently returned from their mission to , and with the experience they gained there, they were poised to help JS “in managing the affairs of th[e] kingdom” in Nauvoo, allowing him to focus more on spiritual matters.
According to a later history of , apostles Young, , , , and met on 10 August with JS, who directed them to send missionaries to various locations in the eastern and “to take the burthen of the business of the Church in , and especially as pertaining to the Church lands, settling of the Saints on their arrival and selling Church lands.” This new administrative assignment to the Twelve was formalized in the 16 August special conference. Moreover, their remit now extended throughout the world, including, for the first time, the Nauvoo area—whereas previously they had been assigned to serve as a traveling , presiding over and managing the affairs of the church in all places where no or high council existed.
The special conference of 16 August was held primarily to inform the Saints of the Twelve’s new administrative responsibilities and to invite the Saints to sustain the in their efforts. The five aforementioned members of the Twelve attended, and presided over the beginning of the conference in JS’s absence because JS and were mourning the death of their infant son, . When JS arrived for the afternoon session, he affirmed what Young had said and gave instructions about the new responsibilities of the Quorum of the Twelve. succinctly summarized the conference when he wrote in his journal, “Conference—Business of the Church given to the 12.”
Two contemporaneous versions of the minutes for this special conference exist: an original, handwritten document created by either during or shortly after the conference and a second version printed in the Times and Seasons. Though the Times and Seasons version is more complete and polished, it was likely based on Smith’s handwritten original, which is featured here. Significant differences or additions in the Times and Seasons version appear in the annotation.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    “The Twelve,” Times and Seasons, 2 Aug. 1841, 2:487. Since at least 18 June 1840, JS had sought to be relieved from his duties pertaining to the development of Nauvoo, including land sales and related business. (Memorial to Nauvoo High Council, 18 June 1840.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  2. [2]

    Historian’s Office, Brigham Young History Drafts, 56.

    Historian’s Office. Brigham Young History Drafts, 1856–1858. CHL. CR 100 475, box 1, fd. 5.

  3. [3]

    Minutes and Discourses, 27 Feb. 1835.

  4. [4]

    “Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 1 Sept. 1841, 2:521–522.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  5. [5]

    Richards, Journal, 16 Aug. 1841.

    Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

  6. [6]

    “Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 1 Sept. 1841, 2:521–522.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Minutes, 16 August 1841
Minutes, 16 August 1841, as Published in Times and Seasons History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page [1]

At a <​special​> of the held in the City of August 16th 1841 was unanimously appointed to preside over the conference and and appointed Clerks
Conference Opened by prayer by the after a hym had been sung by the Clerk Choir
The objects of calling the conference was then made known by the chairs who stated that Joseph Smith had called the conference to transact some business necessary to be done before the <​meeting of the​> general conference <​to be held​> in Oct next. The items of business of to be to select men to send into the vinenayard qualified to preach the gospel and men of experience &C. To take measures to provide for emigrants <​who are​> coming to this place and prevent impositions being practised by speculators &c. &c. A List of names of and cities was read <​by the ​>. Voted that the names of persons selected to go out to preach be presented one by one before the conference. The following were then presented and the places of their Labour designated and were accepted unanimou[s]ly
La.
A[braham] O. Smoot Charleston S. C.
Mass
"
Baltimore Md.
.
On motion of seconded by Resolved that the select the individuals to go <​out and preach​> & to the several places design[ated] to be supplied; to expedite the business of <​and present them to​> the conference <​with a view of expediting the business of the conference​> The situation of the poor in the City of was then presented to the conference by and . and a collection taken up for their benefit <​After​> Singing by the choir.— Adjourned for 1 hour and to meet at 2 oclock P.M. [p. [1]]
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Source Note

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, 16 August 1841
ID #
8323
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D8:222–227
Handwriting on This Page
  • Elias Smith

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Both Smith and Barnes had served as clerks in prior church meetings and committees. (See, for example, Minutes, 28 June 1838; and Far West Committee, Minutes, Jan.–Apr. 1839.)

    Far West Committee. Minutes, Jan.–Apr. 1839. CHL. MS 2564.

  2. [2]

    The version of the minutes published in the Times and Seasons adds the following here: “(who was then absent on account of the death of his child,).” (“Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 1 Sept. 1841, 2:521.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  3. [3]

    See Minutes and Discourse, 1–5 Oct. 1841.

  4. [4]

    The version of the minutes published in the Times and Seasons renders the latter half of this sentence as follows: “take measures to assist emigrants who may arrive at the places of gathering, and prevent impositions being practiced upon them by unprincipled speculators.” (“Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 1 Sept. 1841, 2:521.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  5. [5]

    At this point, the version of the minutes published in the Times and Seasons presents a substantial addition: “and he hoped that no one could view him and his brethren, as aspiring because they had come forward to take part in the proceedings before them; for he could assure the brethren that nothing could be fa[r]ther from his wishes and that of his Quorum, than to interpose with church affairs at Zion and her stakes, for he had been in the vineyard so long he had become attached to foreign missions, and nothing could induce him to retire therefrom, and attend the affairs of the church at home but a sense of duty, the requirements of heaven, or the revelations of God, to which he would always submit, be the consequence what it might; and the brethren of his Quorum responded Amen.” (“Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 1 Sept. 1841, 2:521, italics in original.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  6. [6]

    The state of impoverished individuals residing in and coming to Nauvoo (including the great numbers of poor from England) was discussed frequently by church leaders. For example, in a 1 March 1841 proclamation, Vinson Knight encouraged the Saints to bring their tithes and offerings to the April general conference so that “the poor can eat, and the needy have their wants supplied.” George Miller later wrote of his experiences as a bishop called to aid the poor in Nauvoo during this time: “The poor, the blind, the lame, the widow, and the fatherless all looked to me for their daily wants. . . . I was here thrown into straits unlooked for. No tithing in store, the rich amongst us pretended to be too poor to barely feed themselves and nurse their speculations, which they were all more or less engaged in, and those that were really poor could not help themselves.” (Vinson Knight, “Proclamation,” Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1841, 2:341; George Miller, St. James, MI, to “Dear Brother,” 26 June 1855, in Northern Islander [St. James, MI], 16 Aug. 1855, [3]–[4]; see also Letter to Quorum of the Twelve, 15 Dec. 1840; and Minutes, 7–11 Apr. 1841.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Northern Islander. St. James, MI. 1850–1856.

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