Discourse, 29 August 1842
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Source Note
JS, Discourse, , Hancock Co., IL, 29 Aug. 1842. Featured version copied [between 29 Aug. and 2 Sept. 1842] in JS, Journal, Dec. 1841–Dec. 1842, in Book of the Law of the Lord, pp. 183–184; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124].
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Historical Introduction
On 29 August 1842, at a special of in , Illinois, JS spoke about outwitting his enemies. These enemies included the legal officials who were attempting to arrest and extradite him to , as well as and individuals JS associated with him, including , , and . Bennett had accused JS of engaging in illicit sexual relations, alleged that JS had sent to assassinate former Missouri governor , and vowed to help extradite JS from to Missouri. Bennett’s claims might have contributed to JS’s arrest on 8 August; although JS was released on a jurisdictional question, he then went into hiding to avoid extradition. Bennett had also created problems in the eastern . On 8 August, had written JS from , urging JS and other leaders to “put down the slanders of Bennett.”While JS was in hiding, the held a four-day meeting with in an attempt to resolve differences between him and JS. The apostles strove “to get him to recall his sayings against Joseph . . . but he persisted.” On 20 August, the council “cut off” Pratt from the church. However, JS’s journal suggests that a day later Pratt “signified his intention of coming out in defence of the truth and go to preaching.” JS returned to his home in , at the request of his wife , on 23 August. Three days later, he convened a meeting with members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and discussed plans to hold a conference and send the available elders on missions to foil ’s efforts.The special conference occurred on 29 August. At ten o’clock that morning, “the Elders assembled in the near the ,” and called on “every Elder who can” to go east in order to counteract ’s “false statements,” preach the gospel, and obtain funds for the temple. JS then spoke, rehearsing the trouble the Saints had had with officials and describing his avoidance of extradition as another victory over them. He then instructed the elders to defend his character and expose the unjust and corrupt actions of and , and he warned , , and that their efforts to oppose him would fail. According to JS’s journal, “Orson Pratt set behind Joseph all the time he was speaking. He looked serious and dejected, but did not betray the least signs of compunction or repentance.” Writing a short time later, recorded that “about 400 Elders have since gone & many others are going.”recorded an account of JS’s discourse into JS’s journal, which was being kept in the Book of the Law of the Lord, probably on or shortly after 29 August 1842. The entry in the journal appears to be a fair copy. Rather than carrying the large Book of the Law of the Lord with him to the , Clayton likely took notes of the discourse in a smaller notebook or on loose leaves and then used his notes to record an account of the discourse in JS’s journal.
Footnotes
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1
JS, Journal, 26 Aug. 1842; John C. Bennett, Nauvoo, IL, 27 June 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 8 July 1842, [2]; John C. Bennett, Carthage, IL, 2 July 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal, 15 July 1842, [2].
Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.
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4
Woodruff, Journal, 10 Aug.–18 Sept. 1842. In the 1850s, Brigham Young wrote that JS, who was in hiding on 20 August, had been informed of Pratt’s intransigence and had instructed the council to “ordain Bro. Amasa Lyman in Bro. Orson’s stead.” In January 1843 JS determined that “as there was not a quorum” when Pratt had been disciplined, he “had not legally been cut off”; JS did, however, uphold Lyman’s ordination. Some sources use the term disfellowshipped in reference to Pratt’s removal, while others use the term excommunicated. Regardless, when Pratt returned to the church in 1843, he “recived the presthood & the same power & authority as in former days,” thus regaining his membership in the Quorum of the Twelve. (Historian’s Office, Brigham Young History Drafts, 64; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 20 Jan. 1843; JS, Journal, 20 Jan. 1843; Taylor, Succession in the Priesthood, 18–20; see also England, Life and Thought of Orson Pratt, 75–86.)
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.
Taylor, John. Succession in the Priesthood: A Discourse by President John Taylor, Delivered at the Priesthood Meeting, Held in the Salt Lake Assembly Hall, Friday Evening, October 7th, 1881. [Salt Lake City?], [1881?].
England, Breck. The Life and Thought of Orson Pratt. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1985.
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7
JS, Journal, 29 Aug. 1842. Boggs, Missouri’s former governor, had claimed JS conspired to murder him. Carlin, Illinois’s governor, had issued a warrant for JS’s arrest in response to Missouri’s extradition request. (Lilburn W. Boggs, Affidavit, 20 July 1842; Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842; Petition to Nauvoo Municipal Court, 8 Aug. 1842.)
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9
Woodruff, Journal, 10 Aug.–18 Sept. 1842.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
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10
Changes in ink density suggest that Clayton recorded the discourse in JS’s journal no later than 2 September 1842. (Book of the Law of the Lord, 183–184.)
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