Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 1 March 1835

Source Note

Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, [
Kirtland Township
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...
More Info
, Geauga Co., OH], 1 Mar. 1835. Featured version copied [not before 25 Feb. 1836] in Minute Book 1, pp. 172–186; handwriting of
Warren Cowdery
17 Oct. 1788–23 Feb. 1851. Physician, druggist, farmer, editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Married Patience Simonds, 22 Sept. 1814, in Pawlet, Rutland Co. Moved to Freedom, Cattaraugus Co., New York, 1816...
View Full Bio
; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 1.
Historical Introduction
On the morning of 1 March 1835, church members convened a meeting in
Kirtland
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...
More Info
, Ohio, apparently as a continuation of a meeting that had adjourned on 28 February. Several men appointed to the office of
Seventy
A priesthood office with the responsibility to travel and preach and assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, similar to the seventy in the New Testament. In February and March 1835, the first members of the Seventy were selected and ordained. All of those...
View Glossary
were given
ordination
The conferral of power and authority; to appoint, decree, or set apart. Church members, primarily adults, were ordained to ecclesiastical offices and other responsibilities by the laying on of hands by those with the proper authority. Ordinations to priesthood...
View Glossary
blessings in that 28 February meeting.
1
For more information about these meetings and the Seventy in general, see Historical Introduction to Minutes and Blessings, 28 Feb.–1 Mar. 1835.
The blessings continued in this 1 March 1835 meeting, and at least thirty-three individuals, including some not designated as seventies, were blessed.
2
Although not all blessings explicitly state that an individual was ordained a seventy, it appears that the only men not made seventies at this time were John Murdock, Solomon Denton, Benjamin Winchester, Hyrum Smith, and Frederick G. Williams.
All those receiving ordinations and blessings in this meeting had participated in the
Camp of Israel
A group of approximately 205 men and about 20 women and children led by JS to Missouri, May–July 1834, to redeem Zion by helping the Saints who had been driven from Jackson County, Missouri, regain their lands; later referred to as “Zion’s Camp.” A 24 February...
View Glossary
expedition.
3
Bradley, Zion’s Camp 1834, 269–275; Account with the Church of Christ, ca. 11–29 Aug. 1834.
Comprehensive Works Cited
Bradley, James L. Zion’s Camp 1834: Prelude to the Civil War. Logan, UT: By the author, 1990.
According to later reminiscences, many of these blessings were performed by members of the church presidency, including JS, his
father
12 July 1771–14 Sept. 1840. Cooper, farmer, teacher, merchant. Born at Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Asael Smith and Mary Duty. Nominal member of Congregationalist church at Topsfield. Married to Lucy Mack by Seth Austin, 24 Jan. 1796, at Tunbridge...
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,
Sidney Rigdon
19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...
View Full Bio
, and
Oliver Cowdery
3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...
View Full Bio
.
4
For examples, see Hutchings, Journal, 15 Feb. 1835; Burgess, Autobiography, 4; and “Biographies of the Seventies of the Second Quorum,” 22.
Comprehensive Works Cited
Hutchings, Elias. Journal, Dec. 1834–Sept. 1836. CHL. MS 1445.
Burgess, Harrison. Autobiography, ca. 1883. Photocopy. CHL. MS 893. Also available as “Sketch of a Well-Spent Life,” in Labors in the Vineyard, Faith-Promoting Series 12 (Salt Lake City: Juvenile Instructor Office, 1884), 65–74.
“Biographies of the Seventies of the Second Quorum,” 1845–1855. In Seventies Quorum Records, 1844–1975. CHL. CR 499.
The minutes indicate that several individuals who had recently been
baptized
An ordinance in which an individual is immersed in water for the remission of sins. The Book of Mormon explained that those with necessary authority were to baptize individuals who had repented of their sins. Baptized individuals also received the gift of...
View Glossary
were also confirmed members of the church at the meeting, and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered. JS also gave instructions on the necessity of worthiness when partaking of the sacrament.

It is unclear who originally recorded the ordination blessings or the minutes of the meeting.
Warren Cowdery
17 Oct. 1788–23 Feb. 1851. Physician, druggist, farmer, editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Married Patience Simonds, 22 Sept. 1814, in Pawlet, Rutland Co. Moved to Freedom, Cattaraugus Co., New York, 1816...
View Full Bio
later copied them into Minute Book 1.

Footnotes
1. 1
  For more information about these meetings and the Seventy in general, see Historical Introduction to Minutes and Blessings, 28 Feb.–1 Mar. 1835.
2. 2
  Although not all blessings explicitly state that an individual was ordained a seventy, it appears that the only men not made seventies at this time were John Murdock, Solomon Denton, Benjamin Winchester, Hyrum Smith, and Frederick G. Williams.
3. 3
  Bradley, Zion’s Camp 1834, 269–275; Account with the Church of Christ, ca. 11–29 Aug. 1834.
  
  Bradley, James L. Zion’s Camp 1834: Prelude to the Civil War. Logan, UT: By the author, 1990.
4. 4
  For examples, see Hutchings, Journal, 15 Feb. 1835; Burgess, Autobiography, 4; and “Biographies of the Seventies of the Second Quorum,” 22.
  
  Hutchings, Elias. Journal, Dec. 1834–Sept. 1836. CHL. MS 1445.
  Burgess, Harrison. Autobiography, ca. 1883. Photocopy. CHL. MS 893. Also available as “Sketch of a Well-Spent Life,” in Labors in the Vineyard, Faith-Promoting Series 12 (Salt Lake City: Juvenile Instructor Office, 1884), 65–74.
  “Biographies of the Seventies of the Second Quorum,” 1845–1855. In Seventies Quorum Records, 1844–1975. CHL. CR 499.

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March 1st 1835

The met this morning (Sabbath) to proceed with the of the , There being several who had been recently present, and being expedient that they should be , and also that the should be administred to the , the business of ordination was suspended for a short time. Joseph Smith Junr addressed the Church & the council and the church upon the propriety upon the propriety of attending to this with pure hearts, and pure desirles. He touched upon the propriety of this institution in the church & urged the vast importance of doing it with acceptance to the Lord, He asked how long do you suppose a man may partake of this ordinance unworthily and the Lord not withdraw his spirit from him? How long will he thus trifle with sacred things and the Lord not give him over to the buffitings of Satan until the day of Redemption? The church should know if they are unworthy, from time to time, to partake, The servants of the Lord will be forbidden to administer it. Therefore our heart ought ought to humble themselves, and we to repent of our sins, and put away evil from among us. some further remarks were made and the sacrament was then administred. The council then proceeded to business and the following names were called (Viz.) , Salmon Warner, and .

A prayer was put up that he might be strong in his mission to the , that the Lord would open to him the mysteries of the Kingdom, the [that?] he be supported [p. 172]

March 1st 1835

The met this morning (Sabbath) to proceed with the of the , There being several who had been recently present, and being expedient that they should be , and also that the should be administred to the , the business of ordination was suspended for a short time. Joseph Smith Junr addressed the Church & the council and the church upon the propriety upon the propriety of attending to this with pure hearts, and pure desirles. He touched upon the propriety of this institution in the church & urged the vast importance of doing it with acceptance to the Lord, He asked how long do you suppose a man may partake of this ordinance unworthily and the Lord not withdraw his spirit from him? How long will he thus trifle with sacred things and the Lord not give him over to the buffitings of Satan until the day of Redemption? The church should know if they are unworthy, from time to time, to partake, The servants of the Lord will be forbidden to administer it. Therefore our heart ought to humble themselves, and we to repent of our sins, and put away evil from among us. some further remarks were made and the sacrament was then administred. The council then proceeded to business and the following names were called (Viz.) , Salmon Warner, and .

A prayer was put up that he might be strong in his mission to the , that the Lord would open to him the mysteries of the Kingdom, the [that] he be supported [p. 172]

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Document Information
Editorial Title
Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 1 March 1835
ID #
6818
Total Pages
15
Print Volume Location
JSP, D4:264–279
Handwriting on This Page
- Warren A. Cowdery
Footnotes
1. 1
  A later JS history stated that “the Church in council” met on 28 February 1835 to select “certain individuals from the number of those who went up to Zion” as members of the Seventy. (JS History, vol. B-1, 577.)
  
  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.
2. 2
  According to the “Articles and Covenants” of the church, new members were confirmed “by the laying on of the hands, & the giving of the Holy Ghost.” (Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830, in Revelation Book 1, p. 55 [D&C 20:41].)
3. 3
  The church’s Articles and Covenants instructed the church to “meet together oft to partake of bread & wine, in Rememberance of the Lord Jesus.” The sacrament was administered at early church conferences, and an August 1831 revelation directed church members to offer their sacraments on God’s “holy day.” (Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830, in Revelation Book 1, p. 57 [D&C 20:75]; Revelation, 7 Aug. 1831 [D&C 59:9].)
4. 4
  The Book of Mormon relates that when Christ visited the Nephites after his resurrection, he told the twelve disciples he had selected that they should “not suffer any one, knowingly, to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye shall minister it.” (Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 492 [3 Nephi 18:28–29].)
5. 5
  Barlow’s blessing is not recorded here, but he presumably received one like the others.
6. 6
  According to a later source, Levi Hancock was absent when JS designated the Seventy; he received his ordination at a later time. Hancock’s own reminiscences place him in Kirtland in February 1835, but they do not mention his ordination. The record of his blessing, however, is different from the others in that it does not address Hancock directly but in the third person. (Young, History of the Organization of the Seventies, 4; Hancock, Autobiography, 149–150.)
  
  Young, Joseph, Sr. History of the Organization of the Seventies: Names of First and Second Quorums. Items in Relation to the First Presidency of the Seventies. Also, a Brief Glance at Enoch and His City. Embellished with a Likeness of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and a View of the Kirtland Temple. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Steam Printing Establishment, 1878.
  Hancock, Mosiah Lyman. "Autobiography of Levi Ward Hancock," ca. 1896. CHL. MS 570.

Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 1 March 1835

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