Minutes and Discourses, , Geauga Co., OH, 7–8 Mar. 1835. Featured version copied [not before 25 Feb. 1836] in Minute Book 1, pp. 192–197; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 1.
Historical Introduction
On 7 and 8 March 1835, JS, his counselors, and a large body of church leaders, including recently ordained members of the , held meetings in , Ohio, to bless 121 men who had participated in or donated resources to the building of the in Kirtland. Construction of the structure had begun in June 1833, and the walls had been completed by the time of these meetings. The blessings in these meetings appear to be a continuation of blessings provided to individuals beginning in mid-February. In a meeting on 14 February, JS recognized the participants in attendance. Over the next several weeks, many of these individuals were blessed by the ; some were also designated as either or members of the Seventy. At the 7–8 March meetings, other individuals were similarly blessed for helping construct the House of the Lord. However, the list of those blessed may not be a comprehensive list of those who worked on the building; more individuals, including former Camp of Israel participants, likely also contributed to that effort. It appears that the blessings given in these meetings were meant mainly for those men who remained in Kirtland to work on the House of the Lord instead of going on the Camp of Israel expedition.
The departure of the Camp of Israel from in May 1834 slowed but did not fully stop construction on the . According to , “only , , and a few aged workmen” remained behind to work on the structure. Kimball indicated that construction accelerated when members of the Camp of Israel began to return in August 1834 and that “every man lent a helping hand” to the endeavor. The minutes of these 7–8 March meetings, however, indicate that more construction may have occurred during the Camp of Israel expedition than Kimball described. Of the individuals blessed during the 7–8 March meetings, only JS, , , Erastus Rudd, and had participated in the expedition to . Many men had apparently stayed in Kirtland to work on the House of the Lord, including and , both of whom served on the building committee; , the supervisor of construction; and a number of stonemasons, brick makers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and other skilled tradesmen.
The meetings at which the blessings were given began Saturday morning, 7 March, with JS speaking about the need for the church to cleanse and purify itself. JS continued speaking in the afternoon, proclaiming that those who committed themselves to the construction of the “should own it, and have the control of it.” A list of individuals who had thus distinguished themselves was drafted, presented to the body, and unanimously approved, after which those present committed to continue their labors. The blessings were given during the remainder of the meeting, with acting as voice for at least a portion of them. These blessings continued the following day. In all, 121 blessings were given, 45 on 7 March and 76 on 8 March. Some ordinations were also performed, including ’s ordination as a seventy. Additionally, an addendum to the minutes, likely not contemporaneous to the meeting, includes the names of individuals who were ordained as seventies at an undesignated time.
served as clerk of the meeting and recorded its minutes. later copied them into Minute Book 1.
Heber C. Kimball related that the walls were constructed at tremendous speed, with all in Kirtland aiding the effort. Kimball’s journal indicates that the walls were completed by December 1834. However, by early March 1835, plastering on the interior was not yet finished, stucco needed to be applied to the exterior, and the building still lacked a roof. The Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate reported the completion of the roof in July 1835. The stuccoing and plastering began in November 1835. (Kimball, “Journal and Record,” 48–51; “The House of God,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, July 1835, 1:147; JS History, vol. B-1, 684; Minutes, 6 June 1833.)
Kimball, Heber C. “The Journal and Record of Heber Chase Kimball an Apostle of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” ca. 1842–1858. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 1.
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.
JS History / Smith, Joseph, et al. History, 1838–1856. Vols. A-1–F-1 (original), A-2–E-2 (fair copy). Historian’s Office, History of the Church, 1839–ca. 1882. CHL. CR 100 102, boxes 1–7. The history for the period after 5 Aug. 1838 was composed after the death of Joseph Smith.
The total Latter-day Saint population in Kirtland at the end of 1834 was around only 400, so between the 200 or so Camp of Israel participants and the 119 listed here, a majority of men in Kirtland at the time may be represented on these lists, even granting that some of either group may not have been Kirtland residents and therefore were not included. (Backman, Heavens Resound, 140.)
Backman, Milton V., Jr. The Heavens Resound: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Ohio, 1830–1838. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983.
Kimball, “Journal and Record,” 20. The original revelation about the Camp of Israel called for “young men, & the middle aged” to be recruited for the expedition. A comparison of age distributions between Camp of Israel participants and those listed as receiving blessings during the 7–8 March meetings generally supports the idea that the participants were young men. The age distributions also support Kimball’s assertion that “aged workmen” remained behind. Further support is found in the ways that some families split, with sons joining the Camp of Israel and older fathers remaining in Kirtland. Some exceptions include older fathers joining their sons on the Camp of Israel. The published extracts of Kimball’s journal omit the “aged” qualifier. (Revelation, 24 Feb. 1834 [D&C 103:22]; “Elder Kimball’s Journal,” Times and Seasons, 15 Jan. 1845, 6:771. For birth dates and lists of the members of the church in Kirtland and the members of the Camp of Israel, see Backman, Profile, 1–80, 93–94.)
Kimball, Heber C. “The Journal and Record of Heber Chase Kimball an Apostle of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” ca. 1842–1858. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 1.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Backman, Milton V., Jr., comp. A Profile of Latter-day Saints of Kirtland, Ohio, and Members of Zion’s Camp, 1830–1839: Vital Statistics and Sources. 2nd ed. Provo, UT: Department of Church History and Doctrine and Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1983.
Kimball, Heber C. “The Journal and Record of Heber Chase Kimball an Apostle of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” ca. 1842–1858. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 1.
Ira Ames, who remained in Kirtland and later assumed duties as bookkeeper for the House of the Lord construction, wrote, “Early this Spring [1834] the commandment went forth to gather up the strength of the Lords house and go up to the Redemption of Zion. I went to Joseph, who knew well my situation. He told me to tarry at home, build my house, and work on the Temple. In a short time I completed my house and moved my family into it. And worked the whole summer on the Temple. And when Joseph returned from Missouri he praised us much for our dilligence.” Ames was a recent arrival in Kirtland and worked as a cobbler. It is unclear if JS gave similar directions to others, but the list of individuals blessed does include a number of men whose trades, like Ames’s, were not construction-related and who were seemingly capable of participating in the march to Missouri. (Ames, Autobiography, 1834, 10.)
Ames, Ira. Autobiography and Journal, 1858. CHL. MS 6055.
The postscript-like nature of these additional blessings suggests that Warren Cowdery may have added them to the original minutes when he copied the minutes into Minute Book 1 in 1836.
, and were then blessed with the blessings of Heaven and a right in the in this place, agreeably to the labor and expense they have performed on the same. , & were next called who received the like blessing. The right here spoken of is according to each man’s labor or amount of donations. & were called was promised wisdom and ability to proclaim the gospel in addition to a place in the . and Gideon Ormsby were next called and received promises of a right in the . was also an Elder. Albert Miner, & were next called and received like blessings. Isaac Hubbard & Horace Burgess were then called & blessed was ordained an Elder. H. Burgess was also ordained & were called & blessed. . Giles Cook Junr and . Giles Cook Junr. & were ordained Elders. Wm. Carter Jaman Aldrich & were next called. Wm. Carter who was blind, was promised a blessing of being restored to sight if faithful.
, Joel McWithy & Matthew Foy were called. and were next called.
was ordained a missionary to the after others have unlocked the door; with a promise of gathering many to . and of returning at the end of his mission with great joy, to enjoy the blessings of his family. , , and were called. was promised a blessing of health (if faithful) was told that God had a work for him, to go and preach the gospel to the sectarian priests of this age. [p. 195]
The wording here seems to imply a graduated scale of access to the House of the Lord. When the building was dedicated in 1836, so many church members wanted to attend that two separate dedications were held. The amount of time individuals spent working on the House of the Lord and the amount of money they donated may have determined whether they could attend the first dedicatory session or the second. (Revelation, 2 Jan. 1831 [D&C 38:32, 38]; Revelation, 27–28 Dec. 1832 [D&C 88:119]; Revelation, 1 June 1833 [D&C 95]; JS, Journal, 27 Mar. 1836.)
Though partially blind from birth, William Carter could distinguish between light and dark and was able to work on the House of the Lord. In 1836, he traveled to the East in hopes of having his eyes operated on but was unable to do so. By 1840, he found his way to the Institution for the Blind in Columbus, Ohio, and later traveled to Illinois, likely Nauvoo, before returning to Ohio. (Barry, “William Carter,” 156–157.)
Barry, Phillips. “William Carter, the Bensontown Homer.” Journal of American Folklore 25, no. 96 (Apr.–June 1912): 156–168.