TEXT: “Notice” is underlined three times.

In a 23 June 1842 letter to church members, JS presented his account of events leading to the preparation of this notice and implied that he had worked with Bennett to reform his conduct since about July 1841. An August 1842 editorial in the Times and Seasons also noted that Bennett “ha[d] been dealt with from time to time” and that he sometimes “acknowledge[d] his iniquity, ask[ed] and pray[ed] for forgiveness, beg[ged] that he might not be exposed.” The editorial continued, “He was in this way borne with from time to time, until forbearance was no longer a virtue.” (Letter to the Church and Others, 23 June 1842; “John C. Bennett,” Times and Seasons, 1 Aug. 1842, 3:869.)

Signatures of Hyrum Smith and William Law.

The published version of this notice lists the names of the members of the Twelve essentially in order of their seniority in the quorum (Young, Kimball, Wight, William Smith, Page, Taylor, Woodruff, George A. Smith, and Richards, although Wight was the most recently ordained apostle), rather than the order presented here. Two members of the Twelve—Parley P. Pratt and Orson Hyde—were not included in this list because they were serving missions overseas at the time. (“Notice,” Times and Seasons, 15 June 1842, 3:830; Pratt, Autobiography, 356–357; “History of Orson Hyde,” 16, Historian’s Office, Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861, CHL.)

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.

Historian’s Office. Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861. CHL. CR 100 93.

Signatures of Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Lyman Wight, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Willard Richards.

Bennett claimed that Wight was in Tennessee at this time and that his signature was forged. However, JS visited Wight in Nauvoo on 6 May 1842, and Wight was present at a 14 May 1842 meeting of the Nauvoo City Council. Wight’s signature on the document matches his handwriting and signature in other documents. (Bennett, History of the Saints, 41; JS, Journal, 6 May 1842; Nauvoo City Council Rough Minute Book, 14 May 1842, 25.)

Bennett, John C. The History of the Saints; or, an Exposé of Joe Smith and Mormonism. Boston: Leland and Whiting, 1842.

Remainder of signatures in handwriting of Willard Richards.

Page, who had been in Nauvoo in early April 1842, had evidently departed for Pittsburgh by the time this notice was being prepared. (Minutes and Discourses, 6–8 Apr. 1842.)

Although Willard Richards signed for William Smith, and although Bennett claimed that Smith was in Pennsylvania, it appears that Smith was in Nauvoo at this time. A Nauvoo City Council meeting held 19 May 1842 elected him as a counselor and appointed him to a committee, suggesting he likely was present. (Bennett, History of the Saints, 41; Minutes, 19 May 1842.)

Bennett, John C. The History of the Saints; or, an Exposé of Joe Smith and Mormonism. Boston: Leland and Whiting, 1842.

Although Willard Richards signed for George A. Smith, it appears that Smith was in Nauvoo at this time. A Nauvoo City Council meeting held 19 May 1842 elected him as a counselor and appointed him to a committee, suggesting he likely was present. (Minutes, 19 May 1842.)

TEXT: “O[hole in paper]son Pratt”. According to John C. Bennett, the notice was presented to Pratt to sign, but Pratt “REFUSED to sign it—stating as his reason THAT HE KNEW NOTHING AGAINST ME.” (Bennett, History of the Saints, 41, emphasis in original.)

Bennett, John C. The History of the Saints; or, an Exposé of Joe Smith and Mormonism. Boston: Leland and Whiting, 1842.

Willard Richards handwriting ends; Newel K. Whitney begins.

Signatures of Newel K. Whitney, Vinson Knight, and George Miller.