Footnotes

1. [1]

   William E. McLellin, Independence, MO, to Mark H. Forscutt, Plano, IL, 1 Oct. 1871, Saints’ Herald, 15 July 1872, 435–436.

   Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.

2. [2]

   JS History, vol. A-1, 50.

3. [3]

   See Historical Introduction to Revelation Book 1; and Revelation, ca. 8 Mar. 1831–B [D&C 47:1].

4. [4]

   Revelation, 14 June 1831 [D&C 55:4]; Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:11].

5. [5]

   Edward Partridge, Independence, MO, to Lydia Clisbee Partridge, 5–7 Aug. 1831, Edward Partridge, Letters, 1831–1835, CHL; see also JS History, vol. A-1, 154.

   Partridge, Edward. Letters, 1831–1835. CHL. MS 23154.

6. [6]

   Ezra Booth, “Mormonism—No. II,” Ohio Star (Ravenna), 20 Oct. 1831, [3].

   Ohio Star. Ravenna. 1830–1854.

7. [7]

   Others before Booth made similar charges about the secrecy of the revelations, but the Booth letters made a larger impact and evoked a larger response. (See, for example, “The Mormon Creed,” Painesville [OH] Telegraph, 19 Apr. 1831, [4]; and JS History, vol. A-1, 179.)

   Painesville Telegraph. Painesville, OH. 1822–1986.

8. [8]

   William E. McLellin, Independence, MO, to Mark H. Forscutt, Plano, IL, 1 Oct. 1871, Saints’ Herald, 15 July 1872, 435.

   Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.

9. [9]

   “Letter from Elder W. H. Kelley,” Saints’ Herald, 1 Mar. 1882, 67.

   Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.

10. [10]

    William E. McLellin, “From a Letter Dated Dec. 14th, 1878,” John L. Traughber Papers, Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

    McLellin, Wiliam E. “From a Letter Dated Dec. 14th, 1878.” John L. Traughber Papers. J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

11. [11]

    Whitmer, Address to All Believers in Christ, 54.

    Whitmer, David. An Address to All Believers in Christ. Richmond, MO: By the author, 1887.

12. [12]

    Revelation, ca. 7 Mar. 1831 [D&C 45:72].

13. [13]

    Whitmer, Address to All Believers in Christ, 54–55. Whitmer’s account, published in 1887, mistakenly gave the date of the decision to publish the revelations as “the spring of 1832,” although he correctly provided the location of the conference as Hiram. Since Whitmer’s purpose in publishing this account was to argue that JS was a fallen prophet (for several reasons including JS’s willingness to publish the revelations), and since the account was written so much later, Whitmer may have overstated his own opposition to the decision.

    Whitmer, David. An Address to All Believers in Christ. Richmond, MO: By the author, 1887.

14. [14]

    Unauthorized publications of the revelations, however, had appeared in a number of regional newspapers. The Painesville Telegraph published the church’s “Articles and Covenants” on 19 April 1831, having obtained a copy from Martin Harris. The Western Courier published the February 1831 revelation giving the “Laws of the Church of Christ” in September 1831, having obtained it from “a responsible and intelligent individual, who has devoted much time to make himself acquainted with the principles, practices and objects of the Mormonite leaders”—probably Symonds Rider, a disaffected elder. (“The Mormon Creed,” Painesville [OH] Telegraph, 19 Apr. 1831, [4]; Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20]; “Secret Bye Laws of the Mormonites,” Western Courier [Ravenna, OH], 1 Sept. 1831, [1]; see also “Joseph Smith–Era Publications of Revelations.”)

    Painesville Telegraph. Painesville, OH. 1822–1986.

    Western Courier. Ravenna, OH. 1826–1833.

15. [15]

    Revelation, 1 Nov. 1831–B [D&C 1].

16. [16]

    Revelation, 1 Nov. 1831–A [D&C 68].

17. [17]

    Testimony of Three Witnesses, Late June 1829; Testimony of Eight Witnesses, Late June 1829.

18. [18]

    JS History, vol. A-1, 161; Revelation, ca. 2 Nov. 1831 [D&C 67].

19. [19]

    Testimony, ca. 2 Nov. 1831; JS History, vol. A-1, 162–163.