Prospectus for Elders’ Journal, 30 April 1838
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Source Note
Prospectus for Elder’s Journal, [, Caldwell Co., MO], 30 Apr. 1838; one page; Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898, CHL. Includes docket and archival marking.Bifolium measuring 16 × 10¼ inches (41 × 26 cm). The document was printed with varying type sizes and some bold type. The prospectus was double trifolded for mailing, and later it was refolded for filing and was docketed. The prospectus has marked wear, with some partially separated folds. The document has undergone conservation.Inscribed on the prospectus is a letter from to , circa 18 June 1838. The letter includes Marsh’s signature and a , Missouri, postmark. Woodruff likely donated the document to the Church Historian’s Office as part of his collected papers, possibly during his tenure as assistant church historian (1856–1883) or as church historian (1883–1889).
Footnotes
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2
“Contents of the Historian and Recorder’s Office. G. S. L. City July 1858,” 6, Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; Turley, “Assistant Church Historians,” 20–21; see also Park, “Developing a Historical Conscience,” 115–134.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
Turley, Richard E., Jr. “Assistant Church Historians and the Publishing of Church History.” In Preserving the History of the Latter-Day Saints, edited by Richard E. Turley Jr. and Steven C. Harper, 19–47. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010.
Park, Benjamin E. “Developing a Historical Conscience: Wilford Woodruff and the Preservation of Church History.” In Preserving the History of the Latter-day Saints, edited by Richard E. Turley Jr. and Steven C. Harper, 115–134. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010.
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Historical Introduction
On 30 April 1838, a prospectus announcing the continuation of the Elders’ Journal, the church’s newspaper, was published in , Missouri. The prospectus, which was composed in the first-person plural voice, was presumably published by JS and , whom the document identifies as the editor and publisher, respectively. The church initially established a publishing enterprise in 1831 in response to JS revelations naming individuals to assist in “the work of Printing” and directing that “a Printer unto the ” be “planted in the Land of .” The first church newspaper was published in , Missouri. After the there was destroyed in 1833, the church reestablished printing operations in , Ohio. In April 1838, with JS, , and others living in or relocating to , the church was once again setting up its printing operations there.The Elders’ Journal originally began in . Before the newspaper’s first issue was printed, a prospectus was published in the last two issues of the Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate, the church’s previous newspaper. The launch of early American newspapers was often announced in a prospectus, and the church followed this practice when beginning its newspapers. The original prospectus for the Elders’ Journal explained that the newspaper was “intended to be a vehicle of communication for all the of the church . . . through which they can communicate to others, all things pertaining to their mission” and to the growth of the church in America and abroad. Accordingly, the two Kirtland issues—dated October and November 1837—consisted mostly of letters from church elders. In late December 1837 or early January 1838, the printing press and everything else in the were seized by the in connection with legal action against JS and . On 15 January, when the sheriff sold these items, which were still housed in the printing office, they came under the control of a group of dissenters from the church, who intended to use the printing office to publish materials opposing the church. That night, the office was set on fire and burned to the ground, with all its contents destroyed. The production of the Elders’ Journal and all other church publications ceased.The need to resume publishing the church newspaper was expressed by in an early March 1838 letter to and the . Woodruff, who was a member of the First of the and was preaching in , pleaded that the Elders’ Journal be revived in to assist missionaries in proselytizing efforts. Woodruff’s letter likely arrived in sometime in early or mid-April. On 21 April, the in Far West met and passed several resolutions related to reestablishing the church’s printing operations. The council decided that the Elders’ Journal would be “published monthly, as it was commenced”; that the high counselors would “support as the publisher” and “use their influence to obtain subscriptions”; and that they would publish in the newspaper some of the minutes of their council meetings. The appropriateness of publishing the church’s newspaper in Far West was affirmed five days later, when JS dictated a revelation stating that Far West was “most holy” and a place in “the land of ” to build up a city for the of the Saints.To announce the revival of the Elders’ Journal and “arouse the Saints to energy in obtaining subscribers,” a new prospectus was produced on 30 April 1838 in . The prospectus was apparently printed on a press that had been used by the church in , sold to , brought to in 1837, and repurchased by the church.The authors of the prospectus expressed the hope that the traveling elders would use their influence to obtain subscribers. Copies of the prospectus may have been sent to many of the church’s traveling elders. The copy of the prospectus featured here was sent to , who was still proselytizing in New England. Woodruff succeeded in obtaining several subscribers for the Elders’ Journal and was probably not alone in responding to the call for subscriptions. Meanwhile in , the church was making progress toward recommencing the Elders’ Journal, eventually publishing issues dated July and August 1838.The prospectus was reprinted in the first issue of the newspaper, dated July 1838. The reprinted version of the prospectus bears the date 26 April instead of 30 April. The reprint may have been dated to match the date of JS’s revelation regarding as a new headquarters of the church. In contrast, the original copy of the prospectus, which mailed to , is dated 30 April and bears an 18 June postmark, showing that it significantly predates the version published in the newspaper. The newspaper version differs from the version sent to Woodruff in a few ways, correcting the placement of the apostrophe in the periodical’s title, fixing a misspelled word, modifying punctuation, and adding Far West as the place of publication; these differences indicate the prospectus printed in the newspaper was a corrected version of the original document.
Footnotes
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1
Revelation, 14 June 1831 [D&C 55:4–5]; Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:11, 14].
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2
“Prospectus,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Aug. 1837, 3:545–547; “Prospectus,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Sept. 1837, 3:571–574.
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.
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3
See, for example, “Prospectus of a New Country Paper,” Gazette of the United States and Daily Advertiser (Philadelphia), 13 Oct. 1801, [2]; and “Prospectus of the American Spectator and Washington City Chronicle,” Western Intelligencer (Hudson, OH), 21 Jan. 1830, [3].
Gazette of the United States and Daily Advertiser. Philadelphia. 1800–1801.
Western Intelligencer. Cleveland, OH, 1827; Hudson, OH, 1828–1830.
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4
See “Prospectus,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Sept. 1834, 192; “Prospectus,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Aug. 1837, 3:545–547; and “Prospectus,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Sept. 1837, 3:571–574.
The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.
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5
Leaders may have also envisioned the new publication as a means to document proselytizing efforts for historical purposes. The prospectus asserted the newspaper would be a vehicle to “transmit to succeeding generations an account of their religion, and a history of their travels, and of the reception which they met with in the nations.” (“Prospectus,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Aug. 1837, 3:545, 546.)
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.
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6
See, for example, Heber C. Kimball, Preston, England, to Vilate Murray Kimball, Kirtland, OH, 2–6 Sept. 1837, in Elders’ Journal, Oct. 1837, 4–7; and Orson Hyde, Preston, England, to Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, Kirtland, OH, 14 Sept. 1837, in Elders’ Journal, Nov. 1837, 19–22.
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7
“Sheriff Sale,” Painesville (OH) Telegraph, 5 Jan. 1838, [3]; Hepzibah Richards, Kirtland, OH, to Willard Richards, Bedford, England, 18–19 Jan. 1838, Willard Richards, Papers, CHL; John Smith and Don Carlos Smith, Kirtland Mills, OH, to George A. Smith, Shinnston, VA, 15–18 Jan. 1838, George Albert Smith, Papers, CHL.
Painesville Telegraph. Painesville, OH. 1822–1986.
Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL.
Smith, George Albert. Papers, 1834–1877. CHL. MS 1322.
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8
Subsequent correspondence between Marsh and Woodruff traveled in less than four weeks, suggesting Woodruff’s letter to Partridge and the First Presidency did as well.
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10
Revelation, 26 Apr. 1838 [D&C 115:6–7].
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See, for example, Woodruff, Journal, 22 and 31 July 1838.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
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13
In May, Rigdon was assigned to edit the letters that would be included in the Elders’ Journal. In June the high council resolved that Marsh would be the “sole proprietor of the printing establishment.” (Minute Book 2, 12 May and 23 June 1838.)
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14
“Prospectus for the Elders’ Journal,” Elders’ Journal, July 1838, 34.
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15
See Revelation, 26 Apr. 1838 [D&C 115].
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