Minutes and Discourse, 1–5 October 1841

  • Source Note
  • Historical Introduction

Document Transcript

MINUTES OF A OF THE , HELD IN , ILL., COMMENCING OCT. 1ST, 1841.
Friday, Oct. 1st. In consequence of the inclemency of the weather, the congregation were prevented from assembling, and conference, from business.
Saturday, 2nd, A. M. The conference assembled on the meeting ground; but as the were absent laying the corner stone of the , business was delayed, and the conference organised themselves in their several in order. Br. opened divine service, and Br. closed. The conference then made choice of Br. Joseph Smith to Preside in conference, and appointed and as Secretaries.
P. M. Pres. Joseph Smith opened by calling on the choir to sing a Hymn—sung 18th Hymn. The President then read a letter from Br. giving an account of his journeys and success in [p. 576] his mission, which was listened to with intense interest; and the cenference, by vote, expressed their approbation of the style and spirit of said letter. The President then made remarks on the inclemency of the weather and the uncomfortable situation of the with regard to a place of worship, and a place of public entertainment.
The was then called upon by the President, to elect a general church Clerk in place of deceased. Conference made choice of . Br. then called upon the conference to elect a of the ’s , in place of , deceased. Br. was nominated and duly elected.
Br. then presented to the notice of the conference, the business commenced at a late special conference, with regard to the appointment of suitable and faithful men to the several important stations of labor in this and other countries.
Br. then addressed the conference on the importance of order and uniformity of instruction, and, of a unanimity of effort to spread the work of the kingdom. Joseph Smith then made some corrections of doctrine in quoting a passage from 1 Cor. 12, 28, showing it to be a principle of order or gradation in rising from one office to another in the .
Br. made remarks disapprobatory of the course pursued by some , in withstanding the efforts of the Presidency to the saints, and in enticing them to stop in places not appointed for the gathering; particularly the conduct of Elder of . Brs. and having travelled in places where Br. had been in his journeying eastward from his visit to , testified that he had in many places taught doctrine contrary to the revelations of God and detrimental to the interest of the church.
Moved, seconded and carried that Elder be disfellowshiped by the conference as an Elder till such time as he shall make satisfaction.
Closed with singing by the choir, Hymn 124—and prayer by Br. .
Conference adjourned till to-morrow morning, 9 o’clock.
Sunday 3rd, A. M. Conference assembled and was called to order by , and divine service commenced by the choir singing Hymn 274 and prayer by Br. .
President Joseph Smith, by request of some of the , gave instructions on the doctrine of for the Dead; which was listened to with intense interest by the large assembly. The speaker presented “Baptism for the Dead” as the only way that men can appear as saviors on mount Zion. The proclamation of the first principles of the gospel was a means of salvatien to men individually, and it was the truth, not men that saved them; but men, by actively engaging in rites of salvation substitutionally, became instrumental in bringing multitudes of their kin into the kingdom of God. He explained a difference between an angel and a ministering spirit; the one a resurrected or translated body, with its spirit, ministering to embodied spirits—the other a disembodied spirit, visiting and ministering to disembodied spirits. Jesus Christ became a minestering spirit, while his body laying in the sepulchre, to the spirits in prison; to fulfil an important part of his mission, without which he could not have perfected his work or entered into his rest. After his resurrection, he appeared as an angel to his disciples &c. Translated bodies cannot enter into rest until they have undergone a change equivalent to death. Translated bodies are designed for future missions. The angel that appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos was a translated or resurrected body.— Jesus Christ went in body, after his resurrection, to minister to translated and resurrected bodies. There has been a chain of authority and power from Adam down to the present time. The only way to obtain truth and wisdom, is not to ask it from books, but to go to God in prayer and obtain divine teaching. It is no more incredible that God should save the dead, than that he should raise the dead. There is never a time when the spirit is too old to approach God. All are within the reach of pardoning mercy, who have not committed the unpardonable sin, which hath no forgiveness, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. There is a way to release the spirit of the dead; that is, by the power and authority of the Priest[h]ood—by binding and loosing on earth [p. 577]
This doctrine appears glorious, inasmuch as it exhibits the greatness of divine compassion and benevolence in the extent of the plan of human salvation. This glorious truth is well calculated to enlarge the understanding, and to sustain the soul under troubles, difficulties, and distresses.
For illustration the speaker presented, by supposition, the case of too men, brothers, equally intelligent, learned, virtuous and lovely, walking in uprightness and in all good conscience, so far as they had been able to discern duty from the muddy stream of tradition, or from the blotted page of the book of nature. One dies, and is buried, having never heard the gospel of reconciliation; to the other the message of salvation is sent, he hears and embraces it, and is made the heir of eternal life. Shall the one become a partaker of glory, and the other be consigned to hopeless perdition? Is there no chance for his escape? Sectarianism answers, “none! none!! none!!!” Such an idea is worse than atheism. The truth shall break down and dash in pieces all such bigoted Pharisaism; the sects shall be sifted, the honest in heart brought out and their priests left in the midst of their corruption. The speaker then answered the objections urged against the for not admitting the validity of sectarian baptism, and for withholding fellowship from sectarian churches[.] It was like putting new wine into old bottles and putting old wine into new bottles. What, new revelations in the old churches! New revelatiens knock out the bottom of their bottomless pit. New wine into old bottles!—the bottles burst and the wine runs out. What, Sadducees in the new church! Old wine in new leathern bottles will leak through the pores and escape; so the Saddacee saints mock at authority, kick out of the traces, and run to the mountains of perdition, leaving the long echo of their braying behind them.
The speaker then contrasted the charity of the sects, in denouncing all who disagree with them in opinion, and in joining in persecuting t[h]e saints, with the faith of the saints, who believe that even such may be saved in this world and in the world to come, (murderers and apostates excepted.)
This doctrine, he said, presented in a clear light, the wisdom and mercy of God, in preparing an for the salvation of the dead, being by proxy, their names recorded in heaven, and they judged according to the deeds done in the body. This doctrine was the burden of the scriptures. Those saints who neglect it, in behalf of their deceased relatives, do it at the peril of their own salvation.
The of the fulness of times will bring to light the things that have been revealed in all former dispensations, also other things that have not been before revealed. He shall send Elijah the prophe[t] &c., and restore all things in Christ.
The speaker then announced, “There shall be no more baptisms for the dead, until the ordinance can be attended to in the font of the and the church shall not hold another general , until they can meet in said . For thus saith the Lord!”
Closed by prayer by —adjourned for one hour.
P. M. Conference opened by the choir singing Hymn 105, and prayer by Br. .
Br. addressed the at some length, on the importance of teaching abroad the first principles of the gospel, leaving the mysteries of the kingdom to be taught among the saints.
Also, on the propriety of the Elders, many of them, remaining at home, and working on the ; and that their labors will be as acceptable to the Lord as their going abroad, and more profitable for the church—that those who go abroad must take a recommend from the proper authorities, without which they will not be fellowshiped—and that those who go and those who remain make consecrations more abundantly than heretofore.
Br. , followed with remarks of a similar purport; resigning his mission of gathering means for the buildings.
Br. called upon the conference to appoint a committee to petition Congress for redress of wrongs and injuries received in .
On Motion—, , and , were appointed said committee.
On Motion—Elder was appointed to present said petition at the city of .
Closed by the choir singing hymn 125 and prayer by Elder . [p. 578]
Monday 4th A. M. opened by the choir singing hymn 183 and prayer by Bro. .
Joseph Smith made a lengthy exposition of the condition of the temporal affairs of the , the agency of which had been committed to him at a general conference in —explaining the manner that he had discharged the duties involved in that agency, and the condition of the lands and other property of the church.
On Motion, resolved—That be vested with power of attorney to go, settle, and if possible close a business concern left in an uncertain condition by Elder deceased.
Prayer by Bro. —Adjourned for one hour.
P. M. Conference opened by the choir singing hymn 88 and prayer by Elder .
Bro. spoke at some length on the subject introduced in the former part of the day, and on the old debts and obligations that are freqently brought up from and ; one of which, in the form of a $50 note, he held in his hand and proclaimed as his text.
On Motion, Voted viva voce unanime That the trustee in trust of church property here, be instructed not to appropriate church property to liquidate old claims that may be brought forward either from or .
Pres presented to the notice of conference some embarassment growing out of his signing as security, a certain obligation in in favor of Mr Eaton.
On motion, Voted that church property here shall not be appropriated to liquidate said claim.
Bro. made some appropriate and weighty remarks on the importance of more liberal consecrations and more energetic efforts to forward the work of building &c. After purchasing Bro. ’s text by paying him fifty cents, he tore it in pieces and gave it to the winds, saying “go ye and do likewise.” Choir sung hymn 104 and Pres’t. closed by prayer. Conference adjourned to meet tomorrow morning 9 o’clock.
Tuesday 5th A. M. Conference opened by the choir singing hymn 274 and prayer by Bro. .
Bro. , by request of Pres’t. Joseph Smith, presented and read to the conference a recent letter from Esq, one of the proprietors of the , in reference to some misunderstanding in the adjustment of their claims, and conciliatory of any hard feelings growing out of such misunderstanding.
Bro. spoke on the contents of the letter and express[e]d his earnest desire that that business might be speedily adjusted, and a proper title obtained by the church. Bro’s. and followed with appropriate remarks.
On motion, Voted that Pres’t. Joseph Smith write an answer to on the subject of his claim.
On Motion—by Pres’t. Joseph Smith—Voted that the write an epistle to the saints abroad to use their influence and exertions to secure, by exchange, purchase, donation &c., a title to the .
Bro. presented an appeal from the ’s against Elder charging him with a breach of the ordinances of the , and of the peace with falsehood and with scismatical conversation and behavior—signed by . After hearing suffic[i]ent testimony in his case.
On Motion Conference Voted that Elder be cut off from the church.
Closed by the choir singing 275 hymn, prayer by . Adjourned for one hour.
P. M. Conference opened by the choir singing hymn 104, and prayer by Bro. .
Bro. read to the conference, the minutes of a special conference held in the city of Aug. 16th 1841.
Pres’t. Joseph Smith made remarks explanatory of the importance of the resolutions and votes passed at that time.
On Motion, Voted, that this conference sanction the doings of said special conference.
Bro. proposed to the congregation, that those who would take laborers on the into their houses to board with them while thus laboring should manifest their willingness by ri [p. 579]sing and giving their names,—about sixty persons arose.
closed by the choir singing Hymn 284 and prayer by Bro. .
Conference adjourned sine die.
Although conference commenced under discouraging circumstances owing to the inclemency of the weather, yet a vast number of brethren and visitors from abroad were present; and on Saturday and Sunday, the weather having become favorable, the congregation was immense. The graatest unanimity prevailed; business was conducted with the most perfect harmony and good feelings; and the assembly dispersed with new confidence in the great work of the Last Days.
JOSEPH SMITH, Pres’t.
,) clerks.
,)
[p. 580]

Footnotes

  1. 1

    For more on the Nauvoo House, see Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124]; and Agreement with William Law, 26 Apr. 1841.  

  2. 2

    Hymn 18 begins with the lines, “Jesus from whom all blessings flow, / Great Builder of thy church below; / If now thy spirit moves my breast, / Hear, and fulfill thine own request!” (Hymn 18, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1841], 26–28.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Edited by Emma Smith. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835.

  3. 3

    Orson Hyde sent two letters that could have been read at this conference. One was dated 15 June 1841 from London, England, and the second was dated 17 July 1841 from Ratisbon (Regensburg), Germany. Hyde’s 15 June 1841 letter was printed in the 1 October 1841 issue of the Times and Seasons in advance of this conference, but the later history of the church states that the letter JS read at this afternoon conference session was “dated Ratisbon July 17. 1841.” (Letter from Orson Hyde, 15 June 1841; Letter from Orson Hyde, 17 July 1841; JS History, vol. C-1, 1228.)  

  4. 4

    Thompson served as scribe for JS and as clerk for the church before he died on 27 August 1841. He had also assisted in editing the church’s newspaper, Times and Seasons. Thompson’s obituary stated that he “wrote from the mouth of the Prophet, those sacred revelations recently received, and in his dying hour gave a fearless testimony as to the truth of those things in which we believe.” (“Death of Col. Robert B. Thompson,” Times and Seasons, 1 Sept. 1841, 2:519–520; see also Letter to Oliver Granger, 30 Aug. 1841.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  5. 5

    Sloan had been serving as recorder for the Nauvoo City Council. (See Minutes, 3 Feb. 1841.)  

  6. 6

    On 7 August 1841, Don Carlos Smith died unexpectedly at the age of twenty-five. According to Hyrum Smith, his death was caused by “a q[u]ick Consumption.” (Letter to Oliver Granger, 30 Aug. 1841; see also “Death of General Don Carlos Smith,” Times and Seasons, 16 Aug. 1841, 2:503; and Ebenezer Robinson, “To the Patrons of the Times and Seasons,” Times and Seasons, 16 Aug. 1841, 2:511.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  7. 7

    George Miller had served as a bishop in Nauvoo and as trustee and president of the Nauvoo House Association. (See Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:62]; Agreement with William Law, 26 Apr. 1841; and Minutes, 16 Aug. 1841.)  

  8. 8

    See Minutes, 16 Aug. 1841.  

  9. 9

    A November 1831 revelation presented a hierarchy of priesthood offices ranging from the office of deacon, the lowest office in the priesthood, to the office of high priest. (Revelation, 11 Nov. 1831–B [D&C 107:63–64].)  

  10. 10

    JS had earlier instructed the Saints to gather to locations in Hancock County, Illinois, and Lee County, Iowa Territory. (See Letter to the Saints Abroad, 24 May 1841.)  

  11. 11

    Church leaders in Nauvoo had heard that Almon Babbitt was, among other things, encouraging Saints to gather to Kirtland, Ohio, contrary to the counsel of JS. (See Historical Introduction to Letter from Almon Babbitt, 19 Oct. 1841.)  

  12. 12

    The church withdrew fellowship from Almon Babbitt in July 1840 for making disparaging comments about JS and Sidney Rigdon. Babbitt was restored to fellowship in August 1840. (See Letter to Oliver Granger, between ca. 22 and ca. 28 July 1840; and Minutes, 5–6 Sept. 1840.)  

  13. 13

    Hymn 124 begins with the lines, “O’er the gloomy hills of darkness, / Look, my soul, be still, and gaze; / All the promises do travail / With a glorious day of grace; / Blessed Jubilee!” (Hymn 124, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1841], 134.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Edited by Emma Smith. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835.

  14. 14

    Hymn 274 begins with the lines, “Come, let us anew our journey pursue, / Roll round with the year, / And never stand still till our Master appear. / His adorable will let us gladly fulfill, / And our talents improve / By the patience of hope and the labor of love.” (Hymn 274, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1841], 301–302.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Edited by Emma Smith. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835.

  15. 15

    For more information on baptism for the dead, see Minutes and Discourse, 3–5 Oct. 1840; and Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:29–32]. The most recent issue of the Times and Seasons contained a poem on baptism for the dead that treated similarly the doctrinal tenets JS spoke about here. (J. H. Johnson, “Baptism for the Dead,” Times and Seasons, 1 Oct. 1841, 2:555; see also Vilate Murray Kimball, Nauvoo, IL, to Heber C. Kimball, London, England, 11 Oct. 1840, photocopy, Vilate Murray Kimball, Letters, CHL; and Phebe Carter Woodruff, Lee Co., Iowa Territory, to Wilford Woodruff, Manchester, England, 6–19 Oct. 1840, Wilford Woodruff Collection, CHL; “Joseph Smith Documents from February through November 1841.”  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Kimball, Vilate Murray. Letters, 1840. Photocopy. CHL.

    Woodruff, Wilford. Collection, 1831–1905. CHL. MS 19509.

  16. 16

    See Obadiah 1:21.  

  17. 17

    In a 4 January 1833 letter to Noah C. Saxton, JS enumerated the first principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ: “Repent of all your sins and be baptized in water for the remission of them, in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Ghost, and receive the ordinance of the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power, that ye may receive the holy spirit of God, and this according to the holy scriptures, and of the Book of Mormon; and the only way that man can enter into the Celestial kingdom.” In 1837 the church newspaper Messenger and Advocate identified “faith, repentance, baptism, remission of sin, and . . . the reception of the Holy Ghost” as the five “first principles of the gospel.” (Letter to Noah C. Saxton, 4 Jan. 1833; A. Cheney, “The Gospel,” Messenger and Advocate, May 1837, 3:498–500; see also Letter to the Elders of the Church, 2 Oct. 1835; Acts 2:38; 19:1–6; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 118–119, 508, 514 [2 Nephi 31:5–13; 3 Nephi 27:20; 4 Nephi 1:1].)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

  18. 18

    See Hebrews 1:14; and Vision, 16 Feb. 1832 [D&C 76:88]. In June 1839, JS taught Wilford Woodruff and other apostles how to detect the difference between the devil and angels of light. JS made similar remarks in a December 1840 discourse. (Discourse, 27 June 1839; Discourse, Dec. 1840.)  

  19. 19

    See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 476–479 [3 Nephi chap. 11]; John 20:11–29; and Luke 24:13–43; see also 1 Peter 3:19.  

  20. 20

    See Revelation 1:1. Robert B. Thompson read JS’s explanation of the concept of translated beings at a general church conference a year earlier. (See Instruction on Priesthood, ca. 5 Oct. 1840.)  

  21. 21

    A year earlier, JS prepared instructions that included information regarding Adam’s role in the chain of priesthood authority, which were then read at the October 1840 general conference. (See Instruction on Priesthood, ca. 5 Oct. 1840; see also Discourse, between ca. 26 June and ca. 4 Aug. 1839–A.)  

  22. 22

    See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 142, 332 [Jacob 7:19; Alma 39:6].  

  23. 23

    See Visions, 3 Apr. 1836 [D&C 110]; and Matthew 16:19.  

  24. 24

    See John 17:12; and Vision, 16 Feb. 1832 [D&C 76:43].  

  25. 25

    The biblical Pharisees opposed the teachings of Jesus Christ. (See Matthew chap. 23; Mark 7:1–6; and Luke 11:37–54.)  

  26. 26

    See Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; and Luke 5:37.  

  27. 27

    See Revelation 17:8.  

  28. 28

    See Matthew 27:41–43; and Mark 11:27–33; 12:18–27.  

  29. 29

    See Ephesians 1:10; and Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:41].  

  30. 30

    See Malachi 4:5; see also Visions, 3 Apr. 1836 [D&C 110:13–16].  

  31. 31

    This passage appears to paraphrase the January 1841 revelation that called for a baptismal font to be built in the temple so the Latter-day Saints could properly perform baptisms for the dead. (See Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:29–32].)  

  32. 32

    Hymn 105 begins with the lines, “We’re not ashamed to own our Lord, / And worship him on earth; / We love to learn his holy word, / And know what souls are worth.” (Hymn 105, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1841], 113–114.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Edited by Emma Smith. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835.

  33. 33

    Elders and other missionaries were typically given licenses or recommendations attesting to the bearer’s worthiness and authorization to proselytize or perform other duties for the church. (See, for example, Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:11]; License for Frederick G. Williams, 20 Mar. 1833; and Recommendation for Heber C. Kimball, between 2 and 13 June 1837.)  

  34. 34

    The Saints had been admonished to devote every tenth day to laboring on the construction of the temple. (See “Ecclesiastical,” Times and Seasons, 1 Feb. 1841, 2:296; Letter to Quorum of the Twelve, 15 Dec. 1840; and Minutes and Discourse, 3–5 Oct. 1840.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  35. 35

    Since May 1841, Lyman Wight had been traveling around Illinois to raise funds for the Nauvoo House Association and other construction projects in Nauvoo. (William A. Empey, Invoice, 26 May 1841, Nauvoo House Association, Records, CHL; Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:62, 70]; “History of Lyman Wight,” 11, Historian’s Office, Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861, CHL.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    Nauvoo House Association. Daybook, 1841–1843. Nauvoo House Association, Records, 1841–1846. CHL.

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

  36. 36

    This committee was the latest in a series of efforts by the Latter-day Saints to petition Congress for redress. Nearly two years earlier, a committee of three men, led by JS, traveled to Washington DC to ask the federal government for redress for the property and lives the Saints had lost in Missouri in the 1830s. After some discussion of the Saints’ case in the Senate, the Senate Judiciary Committee stated that the federal government did not have jurisdiction and declared that the “petitioners must seek relief in the courts of judicature of the State of Missouri.” Elias Higbee and Robert B. Thompson sent another petition, nearly identical to the first, to the United States Congress on 28 November 1840; it was again referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee and no action was taken beyond printing the petition. (Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840; Report of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 4 Mar. 1840; “Latter-day Saints,” Alias Mormons: The Petition of the Latter-day Saints, Commonly Known as Mormons, House of Representatives doc. no. 22, 26th Cong., 2nd Sess. [1840]; Congressional Globe, 26th Cong., 2nd Sess., p. 175 [1841]; see also Lewis Cass, Washington DC, to Sidney Gilbert et al., Liberty, MO, 2 May 1834, William W. Phelps, Collection of Missouri Documents, CHL.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    “Latter-day Saints,” Alias Mormons: The Petition of the Latter-day Saints, Commonly Known as Mormons. House of Representatives doc. no. 22, 26th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1840).

    The Congressional Globe, Containing Sketches of the Debates and Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Congress. Vol. 8. Washington DC: Blair and Rives, 1840.

    Phelps, William W. Collection of Missouri Documents, 1833–1837. CHL. MS 657.

  37. 37

    Why these three men were selected for this committee is unknown. Elias Higbee had gone with JS on the first trip to petition Congress in 1839–1840. (See Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 30 Oct. 1839–27 Jan. 1840.)  

  38. 38

    Hymn 125 begins with the lines, “Go, ye messengers of glory, / Run ye legates of the skies, / Go and tell the pleasing story, / That a glorious angel flies, / Great and mighty, / With a message from the skies.” (Hymn 125, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1841], 135.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Edited by Emma Smith. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835.

  39. 39

    Hymn 183 begins with the lines, “Alas! and did my Savior bleed! / And did my Sov’reign die? / Would he devote that sacred head / For such a worm as I?” (Hymn 183, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1841], 200–201.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Edited by Emma Smith. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835.

  40. 40

    At a 24 April 1839 conference in Quincy, Illinois, JS was appointed part of a committee to “visit the Iaway Territory immediately” to investigate purchasing property. According to JS’s journal, after this appointment he “went to Ioway made purchases & returned.” On 30 April 1839, church leaders also purchased from Isaac Galland and Hugh White around 189 acres in the area of Commerce, Illinois, which was part of what would later constitute Nauvoo. In June 1839, church leaders acquired nearly 20,000 acres of land in Iowa Territory known as the Half-Breed Tract. In August 1839, JS and his counselors in the First Presidency bought land in Commerce from Horace Hotchkiss, John Gillet, and Smith Tuttle. By June 1840, however, JS sought to be relieved from his land transaction duties. The expansion of the responsibilities of the Quorum of the Twelve at a 16 August 1841 conference was, in part, meant to accomplish that end. (Minutes, 24 Apr. 1839; Minutes, 4–5 May 1839; JS, Journal, 24 Apr.–3 May 1839; Memorial to Nauvoo High Council, 18 June 1840; Minutes, 16 Aug. 1841.)  

  41. 41

    Granger died in August 1841. He had served as JS’s agent for land and financial transactions, focusing on resolving debts in Kirtland. The “business concern left in an uncertain condition” could refer to a number of matters, but the latest letter from JS to Granger suggested that the most pressing issue involved a Mr. Davenport from New York City. (See, for example, Letter to Oliver Granger, between ca. 22 and ca. 28 July 1840; and Letter to Oliver Granger, 4 May 1841; see also Letter to Oliver Granger, 30 Aug. 1841; and Power of Attorney to Reuben McBride, 28 Oct. 1841.)  

  42. 42

    Hymn 88 begins with the lines, “Great God, attend, while Zion sings / The joy that from thy presence springs; / To spend one day with thee on earth / Exceeds a thousand days of mirth.” (Hymn 88, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1841], 97–98.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Edited by Emma Smith. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835.

  43. 43

    This fifty-dollar note was likely a Kirtland Safety Society note, which was worthless at that time. (See Kirtland Safety Society Notes, 4 Jan.–9 Mar. 1837. For more on Kirtland debts, see Introduction to Part 5: 5 Oct. 1836–10 Apr. 1837.)  

  44. 44

    A Latin phrase loosely meaning unanimous by oral vote.  

  45. 45

    That is, JS. (See Appointment as Trustee, 2 Feb. 1841.)  

  46. 46

    About ten days after this general conference ended, Brigham Young, Lyman Wight, and others of the Twelve sent an epistle inviting Saints for “many miles distant around us to send in their teams for drawing stone, lumber, and materials for the buildings; and at the same time load their waggons with all kinds of grain and meat, provision and clothing; and hay and provinder in abundance, that the laborer faint not, and the teams be made strong; also that journeymen, stonecutters &c. come bringing their tools with them, and enlist in the glorious enterprize.” (Brigham Young et al., “An Epistle of the Twelve,” Times and Seasons, 15 Oct. 1841, 2:567–568.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  47. 47

    See Luke 10:37.  

  48. 48

    Hymn 104 begins with the lines, “My soul is full of peace and love, / I soon shall see Christ from above; / And angels too, the hallow’d throng, / Shall join with me in holy song.” (Hymn 104, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1841], 112–113.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Edited by Emma Smith. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835.

  49. 49

    Hymn 274 was sung two days earlier at the morning meeting on 3 October and begins with the lines, “Come, let us anew our journey pursue, / Roll round with the year, / And never stand still till our Master appear. / His adorable will let us gladly fulfill, / And our talents improve / By the patience of hope and the labor of love.” (Hymn 274, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1841], 301–302.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Edited by Emma Smith. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835.

  50. 50

    See Letter from Smith Tuttle, ca. 15 Sept. 1841.  

  51. 51

    The next letter JS sent to Hotchkiss was dated 10 December 1841. Prompted by this motion, however, JS wrote a letter to Hotchkiss’s business partner Smith Tuttle on 9 October 1841. (See JS, Nauvoo, IL, to Horace Hotchkiss, Fair Haven, CT, 10 Dec. 1841, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 216; Letter to Smith Tuttle, 9 Oct. 1841.)  

  52. 52

    See Brigham Young et al., “An Epistle of the Twelve,” Times and Seasons, 15 Oct. 1841, 2:567–569.  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  53. 53

    John A. Hicks, the president of the elders quorum in Nauvoo, was “objected to” for unspecified reasons at the April general conference six months earlier. (See Minutes, 7–11 Apr. 1841.)  

  54. 54

    Hymn 275 begins with the lines, “An Angel from on high, / The long, long silence broke— / Descending from the sky, / These gracious words he spoke: / Lo! in Cumorah’s lonely hill / A sacred record lies concealed.” (Hymn 275, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1841], 302–303.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Edited by Emma Smith. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835.

  55. 55

    Hymn 104 was sung at the afternoon meeting the previous day and begins with the lines, “My soul is full of peace and love, / I soon shall see Christ from above; / And angels too, the hallow’d throng, / Shall join with me in holy song.” (Hymn 104, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1841], 112–113.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Edited by Emma Smith. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835.

  56. 56

    See Minutes, 16 Aug. 1841.  

  57. 57

    JS may have spoken, as he did on 16 August, about the Twelve managing the “affairs of the kingdom.” (See Minutes, 16 Aug. 1841.)  

  58. 58

    Hymn 284 begins with the lines, “Hail the day so long expected, / Hail the year of full release, / Zion’s walls are now erected, / And the watchmen live in peace / From the distant courts of Zion, / The shrill trumpet loudly roars.” (Hymn 284, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1841], 312–313.)  

    Comprehensive Works Cited

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Edited by Emma Smith. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835.

  59. 59

    The conference was adjourned for an indefinite period in accordance with JS’s instruction that another general meeting would not occur until the baptismal font in the temple was completed and the meeting could be held inside the temple.  

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