Minutes and Discourses, 27 February 1835, as Reported by William E. McLellin
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Source Note
Minutes and Discourses, , Geauga Co., OH, 27 Feb. 1835. Featured version copied [between ca. 27 Feb. and May 1835] in “Record of the Transactions of the Twelve,” pp. 1–4, in Patriarchal Blessing Book 2; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Record of the Twelve, 14 Feb.–28 Aug. 1835.
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Historical Introduction
On 27 February 1835, JS held a council at his home in , Ohio, to instruct nine of the newly appointed on the importance of keeping a record of their meetings and decisions. The council then designated and to serve as clerks for the . JS also further instructed the apostles on their duty as traveling high counselors and described their distinctive calling, role, and jurisdiction.Although an April 1830 revelation instructed the church to keep records, early record-keeping projects were inconsistent. For instance, journal-keeping efforts for JS lapsed after ten days in 1832, resumed semioccasionally from October 1833 until 5 December 1834, and then lapsed again until late September 1835. JS and the church eventually became more consistent at working on and maintaining histories, journals, letters, minutes, and other documents, but in February 1835, such efforts were unpredictable and at times even negligent. The impetus for a renewed concentration on record keeping may have been the barrage of perceived falsehoods and misrepresentations about the church that, in part, led church leaders to continue concerted efforts to publish a collection of JS revelations, to be known as the Doctrine and Covenants. At this 27 February 1835 meeting, JS suggested that incomplete record keeping meant that “we cannot bear record to the church, and to the world, of the great and glorious manifestations which have been made to us, with that degree of power and authority, we otherwise could.”JS also noted that church leaders had “neglected to take minutes” of decisions on doctrinal and administrative matters. His commentary underscores the fact that the extant records of the early church provide far from complete coverage of early administrative decisions and even revelations. JS’s assertion is confirmed by the lack of early church records for many events mentioned in other sources. For example, there are no extant minutes of the 25 January 1832 at which JS was designated . Various clerks, mainly and , kept minutes of church meetings at least as early as 9 June 1830. However, after Cowdery and Whitmer left for in November 1831, there is no indication that minutes of any church proceedings were kept in until early December 1832. There is also no extant record of the vision or revelation to call the Twelve Apostles and the , which JS alluded to when the Twelve were selected. JS considered the records available in February 1835 so incomplete that he felt “deep sorrow” for the “fountain of intelligence or knowledge of infinite importance which is lost.”In response to JS’s instruction, the Twelve appointed and as clerks, and Hyde and McLellin began recording the minutes of the Twelve’s meetings, including those of this 27 February meeting, on loose-leaf paper. By May 1835, they acquired a book and began recording minutes of their meetings in it, titling the volume “A record of the transactions of the twelve apostles of the church of christ of latter day saints,” or Record of the Twelve.Two extant records contain the minutes of the 27 February 1835 meeting. copied one version of the minutes, listing as clerk, into the Record of the Twelve probably sometime in early May 1835, making it the earliest extant version. In 1836, copied another version of the minutes, showing as the clerk, in Minute Book 1. The two original minutes drafted by McLellin and Oliver Cowdery are no longer extant. While the versions in the Record of the Twelve and Minute Book 1 contain much of the same information, each also provides important unique material. The version recorded in the Record of the Twelve, for example, includes more information about the power and authority of the Twelve than the version in Minute Book 1 does. According to the Record of the Twelve version, JS explained that the duty of the Twelve was to “go and unlock the kingdom of heaven to foreign nations”; he also stated that they stood in “the same relation to those nations” as JS stood to them, “as a minister.” JS’s remarks, as recorded in the Record of the Twelve, foreshadow further counsel given to the Twelve Apostles in May 1835, as well as instructions on priesthood that were included in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Footnotes
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1
For more information on the calling of the Twelve, see Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 14–15 Feb. 1835.
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2
Revelation, 6 Apr. 1830 [D&C 21:1].
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3
For an extended treatment of JS’s record keeping, see “Joseph Smith and His Papers”; see also Revelation, ca. 8 Mar. 1831–B [D&C 47].
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4
See “Joseph Smith and His Papers.”
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5
Historical Introduction to Preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, 17 Feb. 1835; Minutes, 24 Sept. 1834.
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6
See Historical Introduction to Revelation, 25 Jan. 1832–A [D&C 75: 1–22].
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7
Minute Book 2, 21 Oct. 1831–27 Sept. 1832; Minutes, 9 June 1830; Whitmer, History, 38; Minutes, 3 Dec. 1832.
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9
The Record of the Twelve is the only known record created by the Twelve Apostles during the first several years after their organization. The record was kept through August 1835 and subsequently used to copy and record patriarchal blessings. For more information on the Record of the Twelve, see Esplin and Nielsen, “Record of the Twelve,” 4–52.
Esplin, Ronald K., and Sharon E. Nielsen. “The Record of the Twelve, 1835: The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles’ Call and 1835 Mission.” BYU Studies 51, no. 1 (2012): 4–52.
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10
See Minutes and Discourse, 2 May 1835; and Instruction on Priesthood, between ca. 1 Mar. and ca. 4 May 1835 [D&C 107].
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or a neglect to appoint a man to occupy a few moments in writing. Here let me prophecy the time will come when if you neglect to do this, you will fall by the hands of unrighteous men. Were you to be brought before the authorities and accused of any crime or misdemeanor and be as innocent as the angels of God unless you can prove that you were somewhere else, your enemies will prevail against you: but if you can bring twelve men to testify that you were in some other place at that time you will escape their hands. Now if you will be careful to keep minutes of these things as I have said, it will be one of the most important and interesting records ever seen. I have now laid these things before you for your consideration and you are left to act according to your own judgments.”
The then expressed their approbation of the foregoing remarks and proceeded to nominate and appoint and to serve as clerks for the ‘twelve’.
The following question was then proposed by president J Smith Jun. (viz) What importance is attached to the callings of these differrent from the other callings and offices of the . After some discussion by Elders , , and , the following decision was given by President Smith, the Prophet of God.
“They are the twelve apostles who are called to a travelling to preside over all the churches of the saints among the gentiles when there is no presidency established. They are to travel and preach among the until the Lord shall shall command them to go to the Jews. They are to hold the of this ministry— to unlock the door of the kingdom of heaven unto all nations and preach the Gospel unto every creation. This is the virtue powr and authority of their — Amen. It is all important that the twelve should understand the power and authority of [p. 3]
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