Minutes, 6 November 1837
-
Source Note
Minutes, , Caldwell Co., MO, 6 Nov. 1837. Featured version copied [between ca. 6 Apr. and 19 June 1838] in Minute Book 2, pp. 80–82; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 2.
-
Historical Introduction
In fall 1837, JS, , , and members of the traveled to , Missouri, to address issues the faced relating to settlement and church authority. On 6 November 1837, they met in Far West with the and a group of to discuss those matters.and and had traveled from , Ohio, in early September. JS, , , and left Kirtland on 27 September and spent several weeks on their journey west holding meetings in , , and before arriving in by early November. This was JS’s and Rigdon’s first visit to Far West, which had been a growing Latter-day Saint community since the Saints began settling there in fall 1836. JS and Rigdon’s fall 1837 trip was motivated in part by the need for more locations for church members to gather in Missouri. A 17 September conference of elders in Kirtland had appointed JS and Rigdon to establish new areas since “the places appointed for the of the saints were at this time crowded to overflowing.” The elders agreed “that it was necessary that there be more of appointed in order that the poor might have a place to gather to.” An 18 September memorial from Kirtland and his counselors also emphasized the need for more places for the Saints to gather. The 6 November meeting minutes featured here indicate that the church leaders unanimously approved decreasing lot sizes in Far West, perhaps in an effort to provide more lots for church members moving to Missouri. The assembled leaders also decided that there was sufficient room in that part of Missouri to accommodate church members who would continue to arrive there. At a meeting held a few days later, on 10 November, men to the voted to expand the town’s boundaries from one to four square miles, and a committee was assigned to locate sites for additional settlements.Another decision at the 6 November meeting related to the in . According to a letter written by , in 1836 and had “appointed the spot for the house of the Lord to be built” and “drew the plan of said house” without consulting the bishop, high council, or . In November 1836, Whitmer and Phelps appointed a building committee for the temple, again without the permission or counsel of other church leaders. The two men were brought before the Far West high council in early April 1837 to explain why they had taken these steps without consultation and why they had kept the profits from land sales. After investigating the subject, the high council resolved that the original building committee would retain their positions and that Missouri church and his counselors John Whitmer and Phelps “be appointed to superintend the building of the house of the Lord” and “receive Revelations Visions &c concerning said house.” John Whitmer and Phelps were required to transfer the land they held privately to Missouri bishop , who was to oversee the sale of land for the benefit of the church. Ground was broken for the Far West House of the Lord on 3 July 1837, and Phelps expressed his hope that Saints moving there would help fund the building efforts. In August 1837 the Missouri presidency and high council unanimously agreed to “go on moderately and build a house unto the name of the Lord in this place. (Far West) as we have means.” As part of this decision, they made Partridge treasurer, to receive donations and subscriptions for the House of the Lord. Though church leaders apparently continued to collect money for the House of the Lord into fall 1837, plans to build the Far West temple were suspended in this 6 November meeting until revelation directed otherwise.After returning to on 10 December 1837, JS wrote an editorial for the Elders’ Journal describing his travels and the events that had occurred in while he was there in early November. In describing this meeting, JS stated that a committee of four men—, , , and —had been appointed to locate new stakes and instruct the Saints where they should settle, but the committee is not mentioned in the minutes featured here.
Footnotes
-
1
Elders’ Journal, Nov. 1837, 29; Travel Account and Questions, Nov. 1837.
-
2
See Historical Introduction to Letter from William W. Phelps, 7 July 1837.
-
3
Minutes, 17 Sept. 1837–B. “Crowded to overflowing” may have indicated that the land the Saints had purchased was fully occupied, not that there was no room for additional settlement in the vicinity.
-
4
To the Saints Scattered Abroad, the Bishop and His Counselors of Kirtland Send Greeting [Kirtland, OH: 18 Sept. 1837], CHL.
To the Saints Scattered Abroad, the Bishop and His Counselors of Kirtland Send Greeting. [Kirtland, OH: 18 Sept. 1837]. CHL.
-
5
Minutes, 10 Nov. 1837; Elders’ Journal, Nov. 1837, 29.
-
6
Thomas B. Marsh to Wilford Woodruff, in Elders’ Journal, July 1838, 36–38.
-
7
Minute Book 2, 3–7 Apr. 1837.
-
8
Minute Book 2, 7 Apr. 1837.
-
9
Historical Introduction to Revelation, 4 Sept. 1837.
- 10
-
11
Minute Book 2, 5 Aug. 1837.
-
12
Travel Account and Questions, Nov. 1837. When the committee reported to the Far West high council in December, the committee members had changed from those originally named by JS. David W. Patten and Frederick G. Williams had joined the committee, and David Whitmer and John Corrill were no longer on the committee. (Minute Book 2, 7 Dec. 1837.)
-
1
& (from .) The of the church here, and some other Elders.
Opened by prayer by —
Several topics were discussed, where it was unanimously voted, that it be reccommended to the proprietors of the Corporation of , to petition the Trustees of said corporation, to alter the streets or lessen them so as to make each block contain four acres of ground and each block be divided into four lots.
Secondly:
Voted unanimously, that it is the opinion of this , that there— is sufficient room in this country, for the to continue gathering from abroad.
Third
Voted unanimously, that the building of the in this place be postponed till the Lord shall reveal it to be his will to be commenced.
On motion of the meeting was adjourned until early candlelight.
Council met according to adjournment.
Remarks by , , and , and , , , , , , Joseph Smith jr. , upon the previous disposition of the Town plot and the purchase of land &c. &c.
All difficulties were satisfactorily settled except a matter between J. Smith jr. and , which was refered to themselves with the agreement [p. 81]
View entire transcript |
Cite this page
Cite this page
