Minutes and Discourses, 27 February 1835, as Reported by Oliver Cowdery
Source Note
Minutes and Discourses, , Geauga Co., OH, 27 Feb. 1835. Featured version copied [not before 25 Feb. 1836] in Minute Book 1, pp. 86–88; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 1.
This evening a meeting of nine of the , who had been chosen and was held at the house of Joseph Smith Junr. with Presidents and and certain others (Viz.) & , and . It may be well to give, also, the names of those nine who were present. , , , , , , & . had now gone to and & had not yet arrived to receive their ordination After the company were assembled, and the meeting opened by prayer of President J. Smith Junr. he (President Smith) arose and said, he had something to lay before the , and he thought if he were heard patiently, he could lay before the council an item which they would [find] to be of importance. He had for himself, learned a fact, by experience, which on reflection, always gave him a deep sorrow. It is a fact (said President Smith) that if I now had in my possession, every decision which has been had, upon important items of doctrine and duties, which have been given since the commencement of this work, I would not part with it for any sum of money, but we have neglected to take minutes of such things, thinking, perhaps, that they would never benefit us afterward, which, had we now, would decide almost any point of doctrine, which might be agitated. but, this has been neglected and now we cannot bear record to the , and to the world, of the great [p. 86]
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
Pratt and Marsh arrived in Kirtland in April 1835 and were ordained there on 26 April 1835. (Pratt, Autobiography, 130–131; Pratt, Diary, 26 Apr. 1835; Minutes, 26 Apr. 1835.)
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
Pratt, Orson. Journal, 1833–1837. Orson Pratt, Autobiography and Journals, 1833–1847. CHL. MS 587, fds. 2–4.