Journal, March–September 1838
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Source Note
JS, “The Scriptory Book—of Joseph Smith Jr.—President of The Church of Jesus Christ, of Latterday Saints In all the World,” Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838; handwriting of and ; sixty-nine pages; in “General,” Record Book, 1838, verso of Patriarchal Blessings, vol. 5, CHL. Includes redactions and archival marking.JS’s “Scriptory Book” is recorded on pages 15 to 83 of a large record book entitled “General” that also includes a list of church members in , Missouri (pages 2–14), a copy of JS’s 16 December 1838 letter from the , Missouri (pages 101–108), and an aborted record partially entitled “Recor” in unidentified handwriting (page 110). The book, which measures 13 x 8¼ x 1¾ inches (33 x 21 x 4 cm), has 182 leaves of ledger paper sized 12½ x 7¾ inches (32 x 20 cm) with thirty-seven lines in blue ink per page. There are eighteen gatherings of various sizes, each of about a dozen leaves. The text block is sewn all along over three vellum tapes. The heavy pink endpapers each consist of a pastedown and two flyleaves pasted together. The text block edges are stained green. The volume has a hardbound ledger-style binding with a hollow-back spine and glued-on blue-striped cloth headbands. It is bound in brown split-calfskin leather with blind-tooled decoration around the outside border and along the turned-in edges of the leather on the inside covers. At some point the letter “G” was hand printed in ink on the front cover. The original leather cover over the spine—which appears to have been intentionally removed—may have borne a title or filing notation.The journal is inscribed in black ink that later turned brown and is almost entirely in the handwriting of . ’s handwriting appears in a copy of the 23 July 1837 revelation for (D&C 112) on pages 72–74. Running heads added by Robinson throughout the journal indicate the months of the entries on the page. The volume was later used in , Illinois, as a source for JS’s multivolume manuscript history of the church. During the preparation of the history, redactions and use marks were made in graphite pencil. Redactions in graphite and ink may have been made at other times as well. In 1845, the book was turned over so that the back cover became the front and the last page became the first. This side of the book was used to record patriarchal blessings. The original spine may have been removed at this time. The spine is now labeled with a number “5”, designating its volume number in a series of books of patriarchal blessings.The volume is listed in Nauvoo and early Utah inventories of church records, indicating continuous custody. At some point, the leaf containing pages 54 and 55 was torn from the journal. This removed leaf—which is transcribed herein and contains, among other writings, the earliest extant text of an 8 July 1838 revelation for the Quorum of the Twelve (D&C 118)—was for a time kept in Revelation Book 2. It is now part of the Revelations Collection at the Church History Library.
Footnotes
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1
“Schedule of Church Records. Nauvoo 1846,” [1]; “Historian’s Office Catalogue,” [2]; Historian’s Office, “Index of Records and Journals,” [12], Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838, microfilm, JS Collection, CHL.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155.
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2
Best, “Register of the Revelations Collection,” 19.
Best, Christy. “Register of the Revelations Collection in the Church Archives, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” July 1983. CHL.
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1
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Historical Introduction
Following the climactic events they experienced in the in spring 1836, JS and church members renewed their efforts on three fronts: proselytizing, raising funds to purchase land in on which to settle increasing numbers of Latter-day Saints, and building a larger and stronger Latter-day Saint community in , Ohio. But in neither Missouri nor did events unfold as expected. Success in gathering converts to Missouri provoked renewed external opposition, again forcing church members in that state to relocate. Meanwhile, conflicts engulfed JS in Kirtland.Revelations directed Latter-day Saint elders to proselytize throughout the world after being empowered in the . A modest beginning during the remainder of 1836 crescendoed the following year with missionary service throughout the and and the successful launching of a ministry in England. Their mission was not only to preach and make converts but also to gather the descendants of the biblical house of Israel, now scattered throughout the world. Converts were encouraged to move to designated locations in and . The Mormon quest to establish Zion in Missouri, temporarily abandoned after the Saints’ expulsion from , was thereby reinvigorated.Beginning in April 1836, JS and his associates engaged in an aggressive fund-raising campaign for land purchases in . Meanwhile, converts flocked to , Missouri, to join the Latter-day Saints who had been expelled from in 1833. The rapid growth of the Mormon population eroded the tolerance of other Clay County residents, who concluded in late June 1836 that the Saints must leave. By then threats of violence and the intimidation of incoming Mormons made the once welcoming community much less so. Returning to Jackson County was also an unrealistic option.Attempting to prevent future hostilities—and probably to divert Mormon immigration away from more coveted lands—on 29 December 1836, the legislature created , northeast of , exclusively for Mormon settlement. That act gave rise to conflicting expectations. Many Missourians believed the Latter-day Saints were thereafter to confine their settlement to Caldwell County. The Saints willingly left Clay County and established headquarters at in Caldwell County, but they made no formal commitment to limit their settlement to one county. Indeed, they anticipated establishing numerous additional stakes of Zion elsewhere in northwestern Missouri. Tension over future Mormon expansion was inherent in the arrangement.Conflict also increased at church headquarters in . In seeking to establish a sacral society directed by prophetic leadership, JS crossed conventional boundaries between religious and secular affairs. For him, God’s commandments made no distinction between the spiritual and the temporal. Subjecting oneself to a religious leader’s direction in temporal matters clashed with American ideals of unfettered individual freedom. As the Mormon population of Kirtland continued to grow, JS and his associates conceived expansive plans for that community. A pivotal element was a bank, which could help provide capital for development. Though they were unable to obtain a state charter—an ultimately fatal flaw—they nevertheless established a financial institution in January 1837. The “Kirtland Safety Society” faltered early, due in part to negative publicity, the refusal of many area banks to accept Safety Society notes, and the predatory actions of outsiders who systematically acquired its notes and quickly demanded payment in specie, thus depleting its reserves. The Safety Society suspended such payments in late January, then failed several months later during the recession that gripped the . Stresses related to the bank failure, mounting personal debt of Kirtland Mormons, and church indebtedness due to construction of the caused some to question the scope and legitimacy of JS’s prophetic leadership. Some of JS’s closest associates became disaffected. Prominent among the dissenters were JS’s former secretary , several apostles, a number of the members of the Quorum of the Seventy, and the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon plates. Their discontent escalated from dismay with JS’s financial leadership to rejection of his religious leadership.Such views eventually spread to nearly one-third of the church’s general leadership and over ten percent of the local church membership in . Declaring JS a fallen prophet, and others attempted to establish a church of their own and to take control of the . , saddled with crushing personal financial losses, privately disparaged JS. Some dissidents sought to replace JS with as church president. clashed with JS over the Safety Society. Compounding JS’s problems was the antipathy of numerous non-Mormon residents of and vicinity, some of whom used both the legal system and threats of violence to harass him and other Latter-day Saints.In fall 1837, JS moved vigorously to reassert his authority as church president. At a conference in September, he and church leaders loyal to him disciplined dissidents in —including three apostles and a number of members of the high council. Meanwhile, problems developed among church leaders in , where the high council, the bishopric, and apostles and decried unilateral actions by the Missouri presidency. Concern focused particularly on the management by counselors and of the proceeds from the sale of property in . When Marsh traveled to Kirtland in summer 1837, he probably informed JS of these Missouri leadership issues. To underscore the importance of unity and to prepare the way for changes in Missouri leadership if they should be required, JS sent minutes of the September Kirtland conference to Missouri, along with a revelation, additional written counsel, and verbal instructions conveyed by Marsh and JS’s brother , an assistant counselor in the presidency. Soon after, JS and his loyal first counselor, , traveled to , Missouri, where with Hyrum Smith they met with local church leaders in early November and reached what seemed to be a satisfactory resolution of most of the outstanding issues. At a conference the following day, the local presidency were retained after they made confessions in response to objections raised against them. However, the First Presidency underwent major changes. , JS’s second counselor, was removed from office after considerable discussion and replaced with Hyrum Smith. The name of , who earlier was placed next to JS in the presidency, was not even presented for approval on this occasion; thus he was silently displaced. After JS’s return to Kirtland, it became evident that unresolved issues in Missouri required further attention.An 1831 revelation had signaled that would eventually yield to as the major gathering center for the Latter-day Saints. When arrangements were completed in late 1836 for Mormon settlement in , renewed large-scale migration of Mormons to Missouri became feasible. JS and the presidency had anticipated moving there earlier in 1836 to direct the resettlement of incoming converts, but the delay in establishing a permanent Missouri location and the entanglements of Kirtland kept them in . By late 1837, JS was planning to move as soon as possible. Threatened by dissidents and pursued by creditors, he learned in January 1838 of his impending arrest on a charge of illegal banking—quite likely a ruse devised by his opponents to drive him from Ohio. JS and had already been found guilty of such a charge in October 1837, had been fined $1,000 each, and had an appeal pending. On 12 January, a new revelation directed that JS and the presidency were to terminate their work in Kirtland “as soon as it is practicable” and move to Missouri. JS and Rigdon left within a few hours and were joined soon afterward by their families.While JS was en route to , his supporters there were working to root out dissent among local church leadership. Senior apostle and members of the high council conducted, in each of five settlements, meetings of church members in which the conduct of the Missouri presidency was reviewed. Marsh indicated that the meetings were conducted according to instructions from JS. The outcome of each meeting was that the leadership of the presidency—consisting of , , and —was rejected. The Missouri high council and bishopric replaced the presidency with an interim presidency of Marsh and apostle , and soon afterward the high council excommunicated Phelps and John Whitmer. The reassertion of authority in Missouri under JS and those loyal to him was well under way when JS reached Far West on 14 March 1838., who was appointed the church’s general clerk and recorder in in September 1837, arrived in on 28 March 1838, two weeks after JS, and was immediately pressed into service. Within a day or two of arriving, he began writing what would become the present journal. Robinson made his initial inscriptions in a general church record book that already included a roster of Latter-day Saints living in . He began writing on the first blank page following the previously inscribed roster. The journal Robinson kept for JS documents critical developments in the struggle of JS and the presidency to maintain leadership of the church and to fulfill ambitious plans for Zion in . It records their efforts to found settlements outside their headquarters and gathering center in Caldwell County during spring and summer 1838, as well as the first signs of the deterioration of that effort. The journal is primarily a documentary record. Several key developments are depicted only by documents copied into the record without narrative ligatures.The journal entries only occasionally provide insights into intentions, perceptions, evaluations, and feelings. When they do so, ’s perspective is usually represented. In the journal entries, Robinson refers to JS in the third person and to himself in the first. Thus references to “I” or “myself” in the journal entries usually indicate Robinson rather than JS.The journal opens with a brief retrospective account, apparently dictated by JS, of his arrival in on 14 March 1838. Then follows a copy of a motto recently composed by JS and signed by JS, , and a half-dozen prominent Latter-day Saints. The motto reflected JS’s experiences with dissent and persecution in and signaled his determination to vigorously assert the Latter-day Saints’ right to establish themselves in and to pursue their goals without harassment. JS’s letter of 29 March 1838, copied on pages 23–26 of the journal, indicates that the motto was already inscribed in the journal by that date.Following the motto are two sets of questions and answers about the book of Isaiah. A series of transcripts or summaries of eight documents follows. These materials relate to a seven-month series of events that culminated in the 12–13 April 1838 excommunications of and . As indicated by the date on the title page of the journal, 12 April 1838, apparently began transcribing these documents and entries on the same day that Cowdery was excommunicated. Cowdery’s trial seems to have been the motivating factor for transcribing this set of documents and creating an ongoing record with its own identity. These documents include minutes, instructions, and revelations originally written in as early as 3 September 1837; minutes of a conference in which joined and as “Presidents Pro. Tem” of the church in ; and terse synopses of the excommunication proceedings. In stark contrast to the frank evaluations of key leaders that JS dictated for his earliest journal, the present journal’s businesslike documentary treatment yields little insight into the interpersonal dynamics of their estrangement or the impact that severing ties to former close associates had on JS. Robinson also copied a letter from a Missouri landholder offering property at , Carroll County, to JS as a strategic site for control of commerce in the region. A purchase was eventually consummated, and Latter-day Saints settled there, angering those Missourians who objected to Mormon settlement outside .Following copies of brief personal revelations that JS dictated for apostles and in mid-April 1838, recorded JS’s 26 April 1838 revelation mandating the continued growth of , the construction of a there, and the establishment of Latter-day Saint settlements in that vicinity. The revelation sanctioned the name for the church that JS and others had recently begun to use: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.After inscribing this substantial body of recapitulations and copied documents, recorded daily journal entries, beginning with an entry for 27 April 1838. By this point, Robinson was serving as a scribe to the First Presidency, and the journal focused not only on JS but also on (Robinson’s father-in-law) and , both counselors in the church presidency. Frequently, but not consistently, the scribe accompanied JS and the presidency on trips away from . However, since the record book was large, Robinson likely did not carry it with him on every occasion, and a number of entries may not have been recorded until several days later.The first day of ’s regular journal entries, 27 April, was the same day JS, , and Robinson started JS’s history. Thus a promising record-keeping routine began to be established, which lasted for six weeks. Entries for the first three weeks document a brief interlude of settled existence in , with JS and his counselors collaborating on the history, studying grammar, and attending meetings, and JS working his garden. However, the presidency was soon on the move again. After receiving word of a sizable migration of Latter-day Saints to , they left Far West for in mid-May to select and survey lands for future arrivals. JS’s labors in the north were punctuated by brief visits home, during one of which gave birth to their son .Settling in sparsely settled offered incoming Latter-day Saints, many of whom were poor, a place to live while neither buying nor renting. As squatters on government land, heads of households could apply for preemption rights (first right of purchase) on up to 160 acres of land that they occupied, pending completion of official government land surveys. Applicants were not required—or even allowed—to pay the government for the land until after the surveys were completed. Then, to acquire title to the property, they were to pay the relatively low price of $1.25 per acre prior to an announced date, after which their property would otherwise be offered for sale to the general public, along with the unclaimed land in the surveyed area. The selection and private surveying of Daviess County land by JS and his colleagues provided the basis for orderly and relatively compact settlement coordinated by church officials. Settling in , by contrast, involved more conventional purchases. Government surveys were already completed for that county, and government land was already being sold.The pattern of record keeping became more varied after the presidency and their scribe traveled to in early June. ’s daily entries lapsed as the Mormons laid out a city plot for a Latter-day Saint settlement at , began building homes, and organized a stake. They persisted in creating the new settlement despite their neighbors’ earlier attempt to frighten the area’s first Mormon settlers into leaving Daviess County.Meanwhile, tensions continued between JS and the majority who supported him on the one hand and prominent excommunicants who remained in after being expelled from the church on the other. JS and came to feel that peace and harmony among the Latter-day Saints—essential if they were to succeed in establishing Zion in —was impossible as long as these individuals remained among them. After Rigdon denounced these former leaders in a sermon in mid-June, they were threatened with violence, and several of them left the county. Active in compelling their departure was a new volunteer paramilitary organization of Mormon men called the Danites, of which was an officer. The Danites sought to rid the church of dissent, to ensure the fulfillment of church leaders’ directives, and later to help combat external threats against the Saints.Although ’s journal keeping for JS lapsed for most of June and July, he did note significant developments in three early July entries consisting primarily of copied correspondence and revelations. He wrote an entry for 4 July, when ’s oration at the Mormons’ celebration of Independence Day at signaled their intentions to expand beyond the confines of and warned that they would not countenance persecution. The entry for 6 July is a copy of a letter received that day from and , en route to Far West after completion of their mission to the British Isles. It is followed by Robinson’s transcription of a letter from JS’s brother reporting the circumstances of members of the extended Smith family moving together from to Far West. At least six of the eight revelations recorded at that point in the journal were read to a church congregation at Far West on 8 July. Three dated 12 January 1838, the day that JS left Kirtland for Far West, focused on the church presidency, reinforcing their authority, establishing stringent requirements for any attempts to discipline them, and directing them to leave Kirtland and move to as soon as possible. Five more revelations, all dated 8 July, provided directions for the reorganization of the Quorum of Twelve and a proselytizing mission that they were to undertake in Europe, called for tithing to be instituted in the church, and gave instructions for several church leaders and former leaders. Between the January revelations and the July revelations, Robinson recorded a brief synopsis, from a millenarian perspective, of contemporary developments affecting the church in Missouri, including consequences of the expulsion of dissidents in June and the influx of numerous Latter-day Saint settlers to northwestern Missouri.did not resume regular journal entries until 26 July. From that point, his journal keeping was relatively consistent through 10 September, when the journal ends. These entries show that expansion beyond —an integral part of Mormon plans—came at a price. Mormon immigrants from were assigned to settle in during summer 1838, and on 6 July, “Kirtland Camp,” the largest single group of Saints to leave for , began their laborious trek. Their arrival made it evident to the Mormons’ neighbors in Daviess County that within a few months the Mormons would outnumber other citizens. Meanwhile, in late July, Carroll County residents pressed the Saints to leave . Further growth of Mormon numbers and influence was unthinkable for many residents of northwestern Missouri.On election day, 6 August, , a candidate for the state legislature, mounted a whiskey barrel at the village square at , Daviess County, to persuade a crowd of men to prevent the Latter-day Saints from voting. A brawl ensued, and at , JS heard from an otherwise credible non-Mormon source that the corpses of Latter-day Saint casualties were being withheld from church members in , a report later proved false. JS accompanied a body of armed men to Daviess County to recover the bodies for burial but learned at that, despite multiple injuries, there were no fatalities on either side. There they also heard a rumor that local justice of the peace was raising a mob to avenge blows the Mormons had landed in the Gallatin fracas. JS and his associates, now including prominent Adam-ondi-Ahman resident , visited the home of Black, who a year earlier had warned Latter-day Saints to leave the county. The Mormons found no mob but obtained a signed commitment from Black that the rights of Latter-day Saints would be protected. The following day, a delegation of prominent Daviess County citizens met with JS, Wight, and other Latter-day Saints at Adam-ondi-Ahman, where both sides exchanged pledges to avoid injuring the other and to settle any disputes through legal channels.In violation of these commitments, and used an embellished account of the encounter at Black’s home to mobilize both legal and vigilante action against the Mormons. Peniston traveled with others to , Ray County, to recruit volunteers to help protect the old settlers of . While there, Peniston showed local citizens an affidavit from Black claiming that the Mormon party that visited his house had threatened him with immediate death if he refused to sign their agreement. Peniston filed a complaint with , judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit Court of . King’s jurisdiction included both and Daviess counties, as well as , , Carroll, Clinton, and counties. King issued a warrant for the arrest of JS and . Then Black, Peniston, and their allies fanned out to recruit volunteers from additional counties. After Black’s visit to Livingston County, Missouri newspapers spread claims that Mormons had threatened additional Daviess County settlers, destroyed crops, and perhaps even murdered Peniston and other prominent residents. Some counties, such as Ray and , responded by sending investigative committees. When JS and Wight were not arrested as anticipated, Peniston and other members of a Daviess County “Committee of Vigilance” again agitated throughout northwestern Missouri for volunteers to gather to Daviess County—this time to drive the Latter-day Saints out of the county.’s assertion that JS and other Latter-day Saints had threatened his life, coupled with a new claim that JS and were resisting arrest, confirmed Missourians’ fears that the Latter-day Saints considered themselves above the law. Many Missourians concluded that they should take the law into their own hands. The vigilantes called for men from other counties to come armed to on 7 September in preparation for an 8 September offensive against the Mormons.In hopes of heading off confrontation and to counter the notion that they would not be subject to the law, JS and submitted to arrest and attended a preliminary hearing on a charge of riot. On 7 September 1838, when JS appeared at the hearing, he was greeted by the anti-Mormons who had gathered in . heard testimony and bound JS and Wight over for trial, but the anti-Mormon vigilantes were not pacified. The assault originally scheduled to begin on 8 September was merely postponed for two days while the vigilantes arranged with sympathizers in to deliver a stockpile of rifles on 9 September. As the present journal was coming to a close, Mormon companies of militia headed for Daviess County to protect the Latter-day Saints residing there. Another Mormon militia unit intercepted the shipment of weapons from Ray County, foiling plans for the offensive. After the vigilantes’ plan was thwarted, they confined their efforts for a time to terrorizing outlying Mormon homes; in response, Latter-day Saint militia from entered Daviess County. In mid-September, state militia intervened. Mormon and non-Mormon groups from outside Daviess County were sent home, and crisis, for the moment, was averted.
Footnotes
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1
Minute Book 1, 2 Apr. 1836; JS, Journal, 2 Apr. 1836.
Minute Book 1 / “Conference A,” 1832–1837. CHL. Also available at josephsmithpapers.org.
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2
“Public Meeting,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Aug. 1836, 2:353–355; Stokes, “Wilson Letters,” 504–509.
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.
Stokes, Durward T., ed. “The Wilson Letters, 1835–1849.” Missouri Historical Review 60, no. 4 (July 1966): 495–517.
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3
An Act to Organize the Counties of Caldwell and Daviess [29 Dec. 1836], Laws of the State of Missouri [1836], 46–47; History of Caldwell and Livingston Counties, 103–105; Riggs, “Economic Impact of Fort Leavenworth,” 129.
An Act to Organize the Counties of Caldwell and Daviess [29 Dec. 1836], Laws of the State of Missouri [1836], 46–47
History of Caldwell and Livingston Counties, Missouri, Written and Compiled from the Most Authentic Official and Private Sources. . . . St. Louis: National Historical Co., 1886.
Riggs, Michael S. “The Economic Impact of Fort Leavenworth on Northwestern Missouri, 1827–1838. Yet Another Reason for the Mormon War?” In Restoration Studies IV: A Collection of Essays about the History, Beliefs, and Practices of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, edited by Marjorie B. Troeh and Eileen M. Terril, 124–133. Independence, MO: Herald Publishing House, 1988.
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4
“The Mormons in Carroll County,” Missouri Republican, 18 Aug. 1838, [2], daily edition; “Mormonism,” Kansas City Daily Journal, 12 June 1881, 1; Willard Snow, Petition for redress, no date, Library of Congress Collection, National Archives, Washington DC.
Missouri Republican. St. Louis. 1822–1919.
Kansas City Daily Journal. Kansas City, MO. 1878–1891.
Library of Congress Collection. National Archives, Washington DC. Redress petitions from this collection are also available in Clark V. Johnson, ed., Mormon Redress Petitions: Documents of the 1833–1838 Missouri Conflict, Religious Studies Center Monograph Series 16 (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1992).
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5
Revelation, Sept. 1830–A, in Doctrine and Covenants 10:9, 1835 ed. [D&C 29:34–35].
Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835. Also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
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6
Adams, “Chartering the Kirtland Bank,” 467–482; Backman, Heavens Resound, 314–321; “James Thompson’s Statement,” in Naked Truths about Mormonism, Apr. 1888, 3.
Adams, Dale W. “Chartering the Kirtland Bank.” BYU Studies 23 (Fall 1983): 467–482.
Backman, Milton V., Jr. The Heavens Resound: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Ohio, 1830–1838. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983.
Naked Truths about Mormonism: Also a Journal for Important, Newly Apprehended Truths, and Miscellany. Oakland, CA. Jan. and Apr. 1888.
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7
Esplin, “Emergence of Brigham Young,” chaps. 5–6.
Esplin, Ronald K. “The Emergence of Brigham Young and the Twelve to Mormon Leadership, 1830–1841.” PhD diss., Brigham Young University, 1981. Also available as The Emergence of Brigham Young and the Twelve to Mormon Leadership, 1830–1841, Dissertations in Latter-day Saint History (Provo, UT: Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History; BYU Studies, 2006).
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8
Backman, Heavens Resound, 323–329, 437n68.
Backman, Milton V., Jr. The Heavens Resound: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Ohio, 1830–1838. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1983.
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9
Minute Book 2, 12 Apr. 1838; Oliver Cowdery, Far West, MO, to Warren Cowdery, [Kirtland, OH], 21 Jan. 1838, in Cowdery, Letterbook, 80–83.
Minute Book 2 / “The Conference Minutes and Record Book of Christ’s Church of Latter Day Saints,” 1838, 1842, 1844. CHL. Also available at josephsmithpapers.org.
Cowdery, Oliver. Letterbook, 1833–1838. Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
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10
Historian’s Office, “History of Brigham Young,” 15.
Historian’s Office. “History of Brigham Young.” In Manuscript History of Brigham Young, ca. 1856–1860, vol. 1, pp. 1–104. CHL. CR 100 150, box 1, fd. 1.
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11
Williams, “Frederick Granger Williams,” 254–256.
Williams, Frederick G. “Frederick Granger Williams of the First Presidency of the Church.” BYU Studies 12 (Spring 1972): 243–261.
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12
Adams, “Grandison Newell’s Obsession” 168–188.
Adams, Dale W. “Grandison Newell’s Obsession.” Journal of Mormon History 30 (Spring 2004): 159–188.
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13
Minute Book 2, 3 and 5–7 Apr. 1837; Thomas B. Marsh, [Far West, MO], to Wilford Woodruff, [Vinalhaven, ME], 1838, Elders’ Journal, July 1838, 37–38. Missouri church president David Whitmer spent most of 1836 and 1837 in Kirtland.
Minute Book 2 / “The Conference Minutes and Record Book of Christ’s Church of Latter Day Saints,” 1838, 1842, 1844. CHL. Also available at josephsmithpapers.org.
Elders’ Journal of the Church of Latter Day Saints. Kirtland, OH, Oct.–Nov. 1837; Far West, MO, July–Aug. 1838.
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14
Minute Book 2, 6 and 7 Nov. 1837.
Minute Book 2 / “The Conference Minutes and Record Book of Christ’s Church of Latter Day Saints,” 1838, 1842, 1844. CHL. Also available at josephsmithpapers.org.
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15
Revelation, 11 Sept. 1831, in Doctrine and Covenants 21:4, 1835 ed. [D&C 64:21–22].
Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835. Also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
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16
[JS], Editorial, Elders’ Journal, Nov. 1837, 28.
Elders’ Journal of the Church of Latter Day Saints. Kirtland, OH, Oct.–Nov. 1837; Far West, MO, July–Aug. 1838.
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17
Adams, “Grandison Newell’s Obsession”; Historian’s Office, “History of Luke Johnson,” 6, Histories of the Twelve, ca. 1858–1880, CHL.
Adams, Dale W. “Grandison Newell’s Obsession.” Journal of Mormon History 30 (Spring 2004): 159–188.
Historian’s Office. Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861. CHL. CR 100 93.
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18
Firmage and Mangrum, Zion in the Courts, 56–57.
Firmage, Edwin Brown, and Richard Collin Mangrum. Zion in the Courts: A Legal History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830–1890. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1988.
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19
Revelation, 12 Jan. 1838–C, in Revelations Collection, CHL; see also JS, Journal, 8 July 1838.
Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.
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20
Minute Book 2, 5–10 Feb. and 10 Mar. 1838.
Minute Book 2 / “The Conference Minutes and Record Book of Christ’s Church of Latter Day Saints,” 1838, 1842, 1844. CHL. Also available at josephsmithpapers.org.
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21
Walker, “Mormon Land Rights.”
Walker, Jeffrey N. “Mormon Land Rights in Caldwell and Daviess Counties and the Mormon Conflict of 1838: New Findings and New Understandings.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Mormon History Association, Salt Lake City, 24–27 May 2007.
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22
Gentry, “Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri,” 153–156; Baugh, “Call to Arms,” 106.
Gentry, Leland Homer. “A History of the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri from 1836 to 1839.” PhD diss., Brigham Young University, 1965. Also available as A History of the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri from 1836 to 1839, Dissertations in Latter-day Saint History (Provo, UT: Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History; BYU Studies, 2000).
Baugh, Alexander L. “A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri.” PhD diss., Brigham Young University, 1996. Also available as A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri, Dissertations in Latter-day Saint History (Provo, UT: Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History; BYU Studies, 2000).
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23
Reed Peck, Quincy, IL, to “Dear Friends,” 18 Sept. 1839, pp. 23–25, Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA; Corrill, Brief History, 30.
Peck, Reed. Letter, Quincy, IL, to “Dear Friends,” 18 Sept. 1839. Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
Corrill, John. A Brief History of the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, (Commonly Called Mormons;) Including an Account of Their Doctrine and Discipline; with the Reasons of the Author for Leaving the Church. St. Louis: By the author, 1839.
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24
Oration Delivered by Mr. S. Rigdon, 12.
Oration Delivered by Mr. S. Rigdon, on the 4th of July, 1838. Far West, MO: Journal Office, 1838. Also available in Peter Crawley, “Two Rare Missouri Documents,” BYU Studies 14 (Summer 1974): 502–527.
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25
Tyler, “Daily Journal,” 6 July 1838.
Tyler, Samuel D. Journal, July–Oct. 1838. CHL. MS 1761.
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26
Hartley, My Best for the Kingdom, chap. 6.
Hartley, William G. My Best for the Kingdom: History and Autobiography of John Lowe Butler, a Mormon Frontiersman. Salt Lake City: Aspen Books, 1993.
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27
Baugh, “Call to Arms,” 103–111.
Baugh, Alexander L. “A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri.” PhD diss., Brigham Young University, 1996. Also available as A Call to Arms: The 1838 Mormon Defense of Northern Missouri, Dissertations in Latter-day Saint History (Provo, UT: Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History; BYU Studies, 2000).
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28
“Public Meeting,” Missouri Republican, 8 Sept. 1838, [1], “for the country” edition.
Missouri Republican. St. Louis. 1822–1919.
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29
William Peniston, Affidavit, Ray Co., MO, 10 Aug. 1838, private possession, copy in CHL; State of Missouri, Warrant for JS and Lyman Wight, Ray Co., MO, 10 Aug. 1838, private possession, copy in CHL.
Peniston, William. Affidavit, Ray Co., MO, 10 Aug. 1838. Private possession. Copy in CHL.
Missouri, State of. Warrant for Joseph Smith and Lyman Wight, Ray Co., MO, 10 Aug. 1838. Private possession. Copy in CHL.
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30
See, for example, “The Mormons,” Missouri Argus, 6 Sept. 1838, [1].
Missouri Argus. St. Louis. 1835–1841.
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31
JS, Journal, 11 Aug. 1838; “The Mormon Difficulties,” Niles’ National Register, 13 Oct. 1838, 103.
Niles’ National Register. Washington DC, 1837–1839; Baltimore, 1839–1848; Philadelphia, 1848–1849.
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32
“Mormons Once More,” Hannibal Commercial Advertiser, 25 Sept. 1838, [1].
Hannibal Commercial Advertiser. Hannibal, MO. 1837–1839.
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33
LeSueur, 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, 70.
LeSueur, Stephen C. The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1987.
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34
LeSueur, 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, 77–83.
LeSueur, Stephen C. The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1987.
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35
David R. Atchison, Grand River, MO, to Lilburn W. Boggs, Jefferson City, MO, 17 Sept. 1838, Mormon War Papers, MSA; LeSueur, 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, 87–89, 96–97.
Mormon War Papers, 1838–1841. MSA.
LeSueur, Stephen C. The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1987.
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1
Document Transcript
<The Scriptory Book—>
<of Joseph Smith Jr.—>
<President of The Church of>
<<Jesus> Christ, of Latterday Saints>
<In all the World.>
< April 12th. 1838.>
<Kept by Recorder>
<of the Church of Jesus Christ>
<of Latter Day Saints>
[17 lines blank]
<The following is a letter from Prest Smith☞> [p. 15]
Editorial Note
On the night of 12 January 1838, JS and left , Ohio, on horseback to escape the threat of arrest and violence. They stayed with friends in , Ohio, until their families arrived. Enemies in pursuit, inclement weather, and lack of provisions complicated the journey. The families sometimes traveled together and sometimes apart until, in eastern Illinois, they separated because of sickness in the larger and more unwieldy Rigdon group, which included scribe .
At the beginning of their journey, JS and wrote to in requesting assistance. In response, the Missouri high council organized wagon teams to meet the families and help them finish their journey. met JS and his family at , Randolph County, Missouri—about one hundred miles from , Missouri—and brought them to Far West in his carriage. The retrospective opening entry, penned by scribe after his arrival in late March, was apparently dictated by JS.
On the 13th. day of March I with my family and some others arrived within 8 milds [miles] of and put up at to tarry for the night. Here we ware meet by an escort of bretheren from the town who came to make us welcome to their little . On the next day as we ware about Many of the bretheren came out to meet us who also withe open armes welcomed us to their boosoms. We were immediately received under the hospitable roof of who treated us with all kindness possible. here we refreshed ourselves withe much sattisfaction after our long and tedious Journey and the bretheren braught in such necessaries as we stood in need of for our presant comfort and necessities.
After being here two or three day’s my Brother arrived with his family an[d] shortly after his arrival while walking with him & cirtain other bretheren the following sentements occured to my mind.—
Motto of the .
The Constitution of our country formed by the Fathers of Liberty.
Peace and good order in society Love to God and good will to man.
All good and wholesome Law’s; And virtue and truth above all things
And Aristarchy live forever!!!
But Wo to tyrants, Mobs, Aristocracy, Anarchy and Toryism: And all those who invent or seek out unrighteous and vexatious lawsuits under the pretext or color of law or office, either religious or political.
Exalt the standard of Democracy! Down [p. 16]
with that of Priestcraft, and let all the people say Amen! that the blood of our Fathers may not cry from the ground against us.
Sacred is the Memory of that Blood which baught for us our liberty.
| Signed | Joseph Smith Jr. |
| .— |
Quest. on Scripture.
1st. Who is the stem of Jessee spoken of in the 1st. 2d. 3d. 4th. and 5th. verses of the 11th. Chap. of Isiah.
Ans. Verely thus saith the Lord It is Christ
Q. 2d. What is the Rod spoken of in the 1st. verse of the 11th. verse Chap. that shoud come of the stem of Jessee.
Ans. Behold thus saith <the Lord> it is a servant in the hands of Christ who is partly a decendant of Jessee as well as of Ephraim or of the house of Joseph, on whome thare is Laid much power.
Qest 3d. What is the Root of Jessee spoken of in the 10th. verse of the 11th. Chap.
Ans. Behold thus saith the Lord; it is a decendant of Jessee as well as of Joseph unto whom rightly belongs the and the of the Kingdom for an ensign and for the of my people in the Last day.— [p. 17]
Questions by
1st. Q. What is ment by the command in Isiah 52d. chap 1st. verse which saith Put on thy strength O and what people had I[sa]iah referance to
A. He had reference to those whome God should call in the last day’s who should hold the power of to bring again zion and the redemption of Israel.
And to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood which she (zion) has a right to by lineage: Also to return to that power which she had lost
Ques. 2d. What are we to understand by zions loosing herself from the bands of her neck 2d. verse.
A. We are to understand that the scattered remnants are exorted to to return to the Lord from whence they have fal[l]en which if they do the promise of the Lord is that he will speak to them or give them revelation See 6th. 7th. and 8th. verses The bands of her neck are the curses of God upon her or the remnants of Israel in their scattered condition among the Gentiles.
Editorial Note
here copied into the journal a series of transcripts or summaries, all but one of which pertain to JS’s reinforcement of his leadership of the church and the removal and replacement of several leaders. The first documents were from late summer 1837, when after months of determined opposition, JS finally moved against dissidents. On 3 September 1837 JS convened a conference in , Ohio, that sustained him as president and “rejected” dissenting apostles and some others. The following day JS wrote a letter, here copied into this journal, to the Latter-day Saints in informing them of the stabilization of authority in Kirtland and including a copy of the conference minutes. The letter also warned them of , , and others who were or soon would be in Missouri and whose support JS questioned. A revelation dated 4 September, the same date as the letter, also declared that Missouri leaders and must repent of certain unnamed offenses or be removed from office. Together, these documents raised questions about Cowdery and the entire Missouri presidency, all of whom were in Missouri by the time JS arrived there in early November 1837 to hold a conference with the same purpose as the September conference in . JS and church leaders aired and presumably resolved concerns about the Missouri leaders in a meeting the day before the conference and in the conference itself, but they did not reach agreement with Oliver Cowdery. After JS returned to Ohio, tensions and problems involving the Missouri presidency also resurfaced.
The following letter I wrote previous to my leaving and sent by the hand of
Sept 4th A.D. 1837
Geauga Co. Ohio
Joseph Smith Jr. of the in all the world
To & the whole Church in Zion [p. 18]
Sendeth greeting, Blessed be the God of and father of our Lord Jesus Christ Who has blessed you with many blessings in Christ, And who has delivered you many times from the hands of your enimies And planted you many times in an heavenly or holy place, My respects & love to you all, and my blessings upon all the faithfull & true harted in the & for as much as I have desired for a long time to see your faces, & converse with you & instruct you in those things which have been revealed to Me partaining to the Kingdom of God in the last days, I now write unto you offering an appolegy, My being bound with bonds of affliction by the workers of iniquity and by the labours of the Church endeaveroung in all things to do the will of God, for the salvation of the Church both in temporal as well as spiritual things. Bretheren we have waided through a scene of affliction and sorrow thus far for the will of God, that language is inadequate to describe pray yea therefore with more earnestness for our redemption, You have undoubtedly been informed by letter & otherwise of our difficulties in which are now about being settled and that you may have a knowlege of the same I subscribe to you the following minuits of the comittee, of the whole Church of the authorities &.c. refering you to my brother & br for further particulars also that you [p. 19]
may know how to proceed to set in order & regulate the affairs of the Church in zion whenever they become disorganized The minuits are as follows;
Minuits of a assembled in committee of the whole Church on the 3rd. of Sept. 1837 9 o clock A.M. was called upon to take the minuits of the conference, then presented Joseph Smith Jr to the Church to know if they still looked upon & would still receive & uphold him as the of the whole Church And the vote was unanymous in the affirmative: Prst. Smith then presented & for his councilors and to constitute with himself the three first Prest. of the Church. Vote unanymous in the affirmative, Prest. Smith then introdused , & for assistant Councilors. These last four together with the three first are to be concidred the heads of the Church, Carried unanymously. Voted that hold his office as & continue to act as such in & that & continue to act as The were then presented one by one When , were received unanymously in their & & were though privileged with conffesing and making sattisfaction, (which was the only one present at the time) arose and endeavoured to confess, Justifying himself in <on> <in> his former conduct by reason of the &c his conduct was strongly protested by Elder [p. 20]
in a plain and energetic manner, Stating verious reasons why he would or could not receive him into fellowship until a hearty conffession and repentance was manifested, He was followed by who acquiesed in testimo[n]y & resolutions again arose & still attributed his difficulties to the , stating that he had understood the Bank was instituted by the will of God, and he had been told that it never should fail let men do what they would Prest. Smith then arose and stated that if this had been declared, no one had authority from him for so doing, For he had allways said unless the institution was conducted on richeous [righteous] principals it would not stand, A Vote was then taken to know if the congregation was sattisfied with s confession Voted in the negative Conf— Adjourened for one hour——
assembled at 2 o clock P M. Op[e]ned by reading singing & prayer, The Prest. then arose & said he would call upon the church to know if they were sattisfied with their and should proceed to name them individualy & <*> wire [were] objected to, also but this case put over untill he should be present, , These were voted to retain their office & were chosen to fill the place of those objected to, The Prest. then called upon the congregation to know if the recent appointed of the seventies should stand in their calling Voted that [p. 21]
& should retain his <their> office as of the was objected. The Pres then arose and made some remarks concerning the formers Prests of the Seventies, the callings and authorities of their &c. &c. Voted that the old Presidents of the seventies be refered to the of , And also that of if any of the members of the quorum of the seventies should be dissattisfied & would not submit to the Present order, and receive these last Presidents that they Should have power to demand their & they should no longer be concidered members of the church
Closed by Prayer by the President
| Joseph Smith Jr Prest | Clerk |
| Clk | Joseph Smith Jr Prest |
Dear Brotheren
has been in transgression, but as he is now chosen as one of the Presidents or councilors I trust that he will yet humble himself & magnify his calling but if he should not, the church will soon be under the necessaty of raising their hands against him Therefore pray for him, & others have been in transgression but we hope that they may be humble & ere long make sattisfaction to the Church otherwise they cannot retain their standing, Therefore we say unto you beware of all disaffected Characters for they come not to build up but to destroy & scatter abroad, Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel or introduce [any other?] order of things <than> those things which ye have received and are authorized to received from the let him be accursed, May God Almighty Bless you all & keep you unto the coming & kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; Yours in the Bonds of the — J. Smith, Jr.
over * [p. 22]
was objected to by reason of his absence on a mission and circumstances such that it is impossible for him to attend to the duties of this office
| J. Smith Jr Prest | (Clerk |
Revelation to Joseph Smith Jr Given
in Geauga Co. Ohio Sept 4th 1837
Making known the transgression of
Verily thus saith the Lord unto you my Servent Joseph. My Servents & have done those things which are not pleasing in my sight Therefore if they repent not they shall be removed out of their places Amen—
J Smith Jr
The above letter & revelation relative to the transgression and[of] <&.> has been fulfiled as will be seen in the following Sequence
March 29th A.D. 1838
To the first of the in
Dear & well beloved brotheren. Through the grace & mercy of our God, after a long & tedious journey of two months & one day, I and my family Having been met at 120 miles from this by brotheren with teams & money to forward us on our Journey When within eight miles of the City of We were met by an [p. 23] escort of bretheren from the city Who were & severel others of the faithfull of the West Who received us with open armes and warm hearts and welcomed us to the bosom of their sosciety On our arrival in the city we wire [were] greeted on every hand by the saints who bid us welcom; Welcome; to the land of their inheritance Dear bretheren you may be assured that so friendly a meeting & reception paid us Will [well] for our long seven years of servictude persecution & affliction in the midst of our enimies in the land yea verily our hearts were full and we feel greatfull to Almighty God for his kindness unto us. The particulars of our Journey brotheren cannot weell be writen but we trust that the same God who has protected us will protect you also, and will sooner or later grant us the privilege of seeing each other face <to> face & of rehersing of all our sufferings We have herd of the destruction of the which we presume to believe must have been occasioned by the Parrishites or more properly the Aristocrats or Anarchys as we believe, The saints here have provided a room for us and daily necessary’s which is brought in from all parts of the to make us comfortable, so that I have nothing to do but to attend to my spiritual concerns or the spiritual affairs of the Church The difficulties of the Church had been ajusted before arrival here by a Judicious With & who acted as Pres. Pro. Tem. of the Church of being appointed by the voice of the Council & Church & having been cut off from the Church, remains as yit The saints at this time are in union & peace & love prevails throughout, in a word Heaven smiles upon the saints in . Various & many have been the falshoods writen from thence [p. 24] to this place, but have prevailed nothing, We have no uneaseness about the power of our enimies in this place to do us harm Br & family arrived here soon after we did in go[o]d health. Br Br & Br arrivd here when we did, They were with us on the last of our journey which ad[d]ed much to our sattisfaction, They also are well They have provided places for their families & are now about to break the ground for seed, Being under the hand of wicked vexatious Lawsuits for seven years past my buisness was so dangerous that I was not able to leave it, in as good a situation as I had antisipated, but if there are any wrongs, They shall all be noticed so far as the Lord gives me ability & power to do so, say to all the brotheren that I have not forgotton them, but remember them in my prayers, Say to that I remembr her, Also Br Daniel Carter & family & family, Finally I cannot innumerate them all for the want of room I will just name the &c. My best respects to them all for the want of room & I commend them and the in to our Heavenly Father & the word of his grace, which is able to make you wise unto Salvation I would just say to , that I saw in a vision while on the road that whereas he was closely persued by an innumerable concource of enimies and as they pressed upon him hard as if they were about to devour him, It <&> had seemingly attained some degre[e] of advantage over him But about this time a chariot of fire came and near the place and the Angel of the Lord put forth his hand unto & said [p. 25] unto him thou art my son come here, and immediately he was caught up in the Chariot and rode away triumphantly out of their midst and again the Lord said I will raise th[ee] up for a blessing unto many people Now the particulars of this whole matter cannot be writen at this time but the vision was evidently given to me that I might know that the hand of the Lord would be on his behalf
J Smith Jr
I transmit to you the folowing motto of the Recorded on Pages 16 & 17 of J Smith Jr Scriptory Record Book A. We left 30 miles this side of in consequence of the sickness of Br. s wife, on yesterday arrived here who informed us that his father in Law () was at detained there on account of the ill health of his wife, They will probaly be here soon, Choice seeds of all kinds of fruit also Choice breed of Cattle would be in much demand also, best blood of horses garden seeds of every description also hay seed of all sorts, all of these are much needed in this place
Verry respetfully I subscribe myself your servent in Christ our Lord & Savior
Joseph Smith Jr
of the Church of
Jesus Christ of
Latterday Saints
Editorial Note
The following letter, which concerns a potential land purchase, interrupts the series of documents dealing with dissenting church leaders. After transcribing this letter, copied in four more documents in that series. Despite the “solution” to the “Mormon problem” in —namely, Caldwell County, and only Caldwell County, for the Mormons—by early 1838 shrewd observers of northwest Missouri saw the potential for competition between the Latter-day Saints and their neighbors beyond Caldwell County. In this letter , an owner of land in Carroll County, suggested that the Latter-day Saints purchase land in that area as a strategic site for settlement and commerce. Thomas’s letter introduced JS to , who visited JS on 1 April 1838. Church leaders later met with Thomas and Root and eventually agreed to purchase land from Root at , where Saints proceeded to settle.
Mo. March 31st 1838
Respected Sir
Permit me to introduce to your acquaintance Mr of near this place on His buisness I am unacquainted with, Though any thing he may say to you, you may put the most implisit confidence in, as I have allways found him to be a man of truth & honor, neither have I ever [p. 26] known him to give a misrepresentation of any part, He is a merchant and I suppose doing a moderate buisness[.] his place is now, onley laid out about a year since a beautifull sight to the , and a first rate landing And Sir permit me to say to you, if you could make it convenient or for your advantage to settle in this County, I would let you have part of my land[.] There is yet to enter adjoining my land, as good land is in the world, I have no doubt you can do as weell here in forming a settlement and probaly better than any place in the state The facilities of the will be of great servise to in settling this uper country besid[e]s some of the knowing ones have aimed to uproot you, but here you can break them down in turn, I will join you in the speculation if necessary and if possible the church[.] I will have after paying for 1600 acres of land $4,000, If they pay me in , enough give my respects to & accept for yourself
a friends respect
Elder Joseph Smith Jr
N.B. P.S. Further I own a section of land in near the forks of , and if necessary sell or make a settlement there I know of no man in the world I would rather entertain than yourself I would be glad if you would find whether my debt is secure in that place, and let me know Please to help me if you can do so without being oppressive to your feelings or interest these I do not wish you [to?] violate for me is my confidential friend anything [you?] may say to him is safe, if you cannot come [p. 27] a line from you at any time will be thankfully Received through the mail or otherwise
I expect is on the buisness which I have named to you in this, We have consulted on this buisness by others——
Letter Sent to in consequence of witholding the records of the church in the city of when called for by the Clerk &c
April 9th 1838
Mr
Sir. We were desireous of honouring you by giving publicity to your notes on the history of the , after such corrections as we thaught would be necessary; knowing your incompetency as a historian, and that your writings coming from your pen, could not be put to the press, without our correcting them, or elce the Church must suffer reproach; Indeed Sir, we never supposed you capable of writing a history; but were willing to let it come out under your name notwithstanding it would realy not be yours but ours. We are still willing to honour you, if you can be made to know your own interest and give up your notes, so that they can be corrected, and made fit for the press. But if not, we have all the materials for another, which we shall commence this week to write
| your humble Servents | |
| Attest | Joseph Smith Jr |
| Clerk | of the whole |
| Church of Latterday Saints |
N.B. * over— [p. 28]
*The preceding letter to was entered through a mistake occupying a space not belonging to it. not standing in its place
Minuits of a Conf. of the authorities of the Assembled at their first quarterly in the City of April 6th 1838 for the aniversary of the organization of the church, Also to transact Church buisness,
Presidents Joseph Smith Jr & Presided 2nd & , were appointed Sexton and door keepers & <Historians> 3 , , & of the were appointed Presidents Pro. Tem of the city of <Church of Christ of L.D. Saints in .>, as the former Pres. had been put out of their office 4th was elected as general Church Clerk & Recorder to keep a record of the whole Church also as Scribe for the first Presidency
5th was Chosen Clerk & Recorder for the city <High Council & Church in > also for the
The remainder of the proceedings will be seen in the record kept by Also the as will be seen by the following abridgement
Editorial Note
In late January and early February 1838, and , senior members of the Quorum of the Twelve, and the high council investigated the actions and attitudes of the Missouri presidency—, , and —and conducted a series of meetings of the general membership of the church in that resulted in the removal of the presidency from office. Marsh indicated that the proceedings were carried out according to instructions from JS. Phelps and John Whitmer were excommunicated on 10 March 1838, just days before the arrival of JS in . A month later, with JS present, , David Whitmer, and apostle were tried and excommunicated in separate proceedings. recorded a summary of those proceedings in this journal.
The extent to which the church and its leaders should be involved in its members’ temporal affairs was a central issue in 1837 and 1838. Dissenters were critical of JS’s decisions and even of his very involvement in nonecclesiastical matters. The financial decisions of and other leaders in , which were not in keeping with JS’s views of how church leaders should operate, were the basis for some of the charges against the Missouri presidency in January and February of 1838, charges that resulted in their removal from office. These decisions were also central in the April excommunication trial of Oliver Cowdery.
faced nine charges relating to financial management and loyalty to JS and the church. The trial proceeded according to official instructions for trying “a president of the high priesthood” before a “common council of the church,” which consisted of a bishop acting as a “common judge” assisted by twelve high priests. In a letter written to the high council, Cowdery underscored his refusal to be “influenced, governed, or controlled, in my temporal interests by any ecclesiastical authority or pretended revelation what ever.” Denouncing JS’s ecclesiastical interventions in his personal financial affairs as a violation of “Constitutional privileges and inherent rights,” Cowdery announced his withdrawal from church membership.
Charge prefered against before the high Council in Mo.— by Elder ,
To the and of the , [p. 29]
I do hereby prefer the following Charges against , which consists of nine in number. 1st For persecuting the bretheren, by urging on vexatious lawsuits against the Bretheren and thus dirstressing the inocent. 2nd For seeking to destroy the Character of Pres. Joseph Smith Jr by falsly insinuating that he was guilty of adultery &c. 3rd. By treating the Church with contempt by not attending meeting. 4th. For virtually denying the faith by declaring that he would not be governed by any eclesiasticle authority nor revelation whatever in his temporal affairs. 5th For selling his lands in Contrary to the revelations. 6th For writing and sending an insulting letter to Pres. while on the attending to the duties of his office as president of the Council and <by> insulting the high Council with the contents of said letter: 7th For leaving his Calling in which God had appointed him by revelation for the sake of filthy lucre & turning to the practice of Law. 8th For disgrasing the Church by being Connected in the Bogus buisness as common report says. 9th For dishonestly retaining Notes after they had been Paid, and finally for leaving or forsaking the cause of God and returning to the begerly elements of the world, neglecting his high and holy Calling Contrary to his profession
April 11th 1838——
The and high Council assembled at the , in trial of the above Charges April 12th 1838 After the organization of the Council the above Charges were read. Also a letter from , as will be found recorded in the Church record of the city of Book A. The 1st 2nd 3rd 7th 8th & 9th Charges were Sustained [p. 30] The 4th & 5th Charges were rejected & the 6th withdrawn Consequently he () was of the Voted by the that be no longer a Committee to select locations for the of the Saints——
Editorial Note
The day following ’s trial, the high council tried former Missouri president for his membership in the church. At this high council hearing, Whitmer was to be tried as a high priest, which Whitmer rejected because he still considered himself president and refused to recognize as legitimate the earlier proceedings that removed him from office. Although the 7 November 1837 conference clarified that he presided only over the church in Missouri, Whitmer still believed that he should instead be tried not only as president in Missouri but as a president of the high priesthood and therefore not subject to the decision of a regular council of high priests—and that attending the council and “a[n]swering to charges as a High Priest, should be acknowledgeing the correctness and legality of those former assumed Councils.” Nonetheless, believing that the high council was determined to remove him at all costs—even, he charged, if it required violating the church order outlined in revelations—Whitmer announced by letter his withdrawal from the church’s “fellowship and communion.” After reading Whitmer’s letter, the council concluded that “it was not considered necessary to investigate the case, as he had offered contempt to the Council by writing the above letter” and that Whitmer was therefore “not worthy a membership in the Church,” whereupon he was excommunicated.
This same day the high council also heard the case of , a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. The letter of charges against Johnson included specific instructions regarding an earlier judicial matter, instructions that Johnson rejected as a violation of his constitutional rights. He therefore responded to the letter by refusing to cooperate and by announcing his withdrawal from fellowship with the Saints until that matter was removed from the charges. Johnson’s hearing, which included testimony of a number of witnesses, resulted in his excommunication.
The following against before the which assembled on the 13th of April 1838 for the purpose of attending to such Charges. Which Charges are as follows
1st For not observing the words of wisdom, 2nd For unchristianlike conduct in neglecting to attend to meetings in uniting with and possesing the same spirit of the desenters 3rd In writing letters to the desenters in unfaivorable to the Cause, and to the Character of Joseph Smith Jr. 4th In neglecting the duties of his calling and seperating himself from the Church while he has a name among us. 5th. For Signing himself of the after he had been cut off, in an insulting, letter to the High Council,
After reading the above Charges together with a letter sent to the Pres. of said Council, (a copy of which may be found recorded in record Book A.) The Council considered the charges sustained and Consequently Considred him of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints.—
Also the same day and date a against consisting of 3 charges which which were read together with a letter from him in answer to them Which will be <found> recorded in record [p. 31] Book A. The charges were sustained and he was consequently .——
Editorial Note
The previous entry concludes the series of copied items regarding discipline of church leaders. At this point copied in three nearly contemporaneous revelations.
Revelation to . given April 11th. 1838 Verily thus Saith the Lord, it is wisdom in my Servant , that he settle up all his buisness, as soon as he possibly, can, and make a disposition of his merchandise, that he may perform a mission unto me next spring, in company with with others even including himself, to testify of my name and bear glad tidings unto all the world, for verrily thus Saith the Lord that inasmuch as there are those among you who deny my name, others shall be planted in their stead and receive their Amen.——
Revelation given to at April 17th 1838. Verrily thus Saith the Lord, Let my Servant go unto the place which he has baught on and there provide for his family until an effectual door is op[e]ned for the suport of his family untill I shall command [him] to go hence, and not to leave his family untill they are amply provided for Amen.——
given in , April 26<th>, 1838, Making known the will of God, concerning the building up of this place and of the &c.
Verrily thus Saith the Lord unto you my Servant Joseph Smith Jr. and also my Servant , and also my Servant , and your counselors who are and who shall be hereafter appointed, and also unto my Servant and his Counsilors, and also unto my faithfull Servants, who are of the of my Church in (for thus it shall be called) and unto all the and people of my , Scattered abroad [p. 32] in all the world, For thus shall my Church be called in the Last days even the , Verrily I say unto you all; arise and shine forth forth that thy light may be a standard for the nations and that thy to-gether upon the land of and upon her may be for a defence and for a reffuge from the storm and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole Earth, Let the City , be a holy and consecrated land unto me, and <it shall> be called <most> holy for the ground upon which thou standest is holy Therefore I command you to build an unto me for the gathering togethering of my Saints that they may worship me, and let there be a begining of this work; and a foundation and a preparatory work, this following Summer; and let the begining be made on the 4th day of July next; and from that time forth let my people labour diligently to build an , unto my name, and in one year from this day, let them recommence laying the foundation of my ; thus let them from that time forth laibour diligently untill it shall be finished, from the Corner Stone thereof unto the top thereof, untill there shall not any thing remain that is not finished.
Verrily I say unto you let not my servant Joseph neither my Servant , neither my Servant , get in debt any more for the building of an unto my name. But let my be built unto my name according to the pattern which I will shew unto them, and if my people build it not according to the pattern which I Shall shew unto their , I will not accept it at their hands, But if my people do build it according to the pattern which I shall shew unto their presidency, even my servant Joseph and his Councilors; then I will accept it at [p. 33] the hands of my people, And again; Verrily I say unto you it is my will, that the City should be built up spedily, by the of my Saints, and also that other places should be appointed for in the regions round about as they shall be manifested unto my Servant Joseph from time to time. For behold I will be with him and I will Sanctify him before the people for unto him have I given the of this Kingdom and ministry even so— Amen.
Editorial Note
Up to this point in the journal, apparently copied documents to catch up on recent events. From this point forward, the journal generally consists of regular entries, especially during the next six weeks. However, given the large size of the record book containing this journal, it is unlikely that Robinson carried it as he accompanied JS on various activities. A number of entries may have been written several days after the events.
Friday April the 27th 1838. This day was chiefly spent in from the earliest perion [period] of its existance up to this date, By Presidents, Joseph Smith Jr & , also was engaged in keeping this record
Saturday 28th This morning Prests Smith & & , were invited into attend the ; and accordingly attended, the buisness before the high council, was the trial of an case appealed, from the of the Church, near ; Whereas [blank] Jackson was plantiff, and defendant. Council called to order. &. , Presiding, It appeared in calling the council to order, that some of the seats were vacated; the council then proceeded to fill those seats: &c. And as there appeared to be no persons to fill Said Seats, Eligible to that office; Presidents Smith & , were strongly solisited to act as councilors, or to Preside, and let the then presiding officers sit on the council; &c. They accepted of the former proposal, and accordingly Prest. Smith was choosen to act on the part of the defence, and to speak upon the case, togeth[er] with . and , was chosen to act on the part of the prossecution, and to speak upon the case together with , after the council was organized, and op[e]ned by prayer; the notorious case of , was called in question; after some arbitrarious speeches, to know whether witnesses should be admitted, to testify against , or whether he should have the privilege of confessing his own Sins, It was desided; that witnesses Should be admited, and also the writen testimo [p. 34]ny of the said of Said Jackson. Naw as to this man , it is a well known <fact,> and without contradiction, that he has been in transgression <ever> Since he first came into , which is some four, or five years since, as appeared this day, by different witnesses, which are unimpeacible [unimpeachable]. Witnesses against the <this> man , were these 1,st , wife of said plantiff, Jackson. one <an> Br. Best: also . Br : also Br. ; also Br Benjamin, and the plantiff; Which testimony says, Whereas, the plantiff, had some time last season, sent his wife from , Illinois, to this country as he himself could not come, at that time, accordingly his wife , came and settled in the first above mentioned, Now the <this> man had settled in this branch also, and was their presiding , and had gained to himself great influence in and on over that branch, and it also appears that the this man had great possessions, and (if we may judge from testimony given this day) calculates to keep them let the saints of God’s necessity necessities be what they may, and it also appears that this man was in want of a wife (if actions bespeak the desires of any man) consequently set his wits to work to get one, he commences by getting (as he said,) revelations from God, that he must marry , or that she was the woman for to make his wife, and it appeared that these revilations were frequently received by him, and shortly introdused them to , It also was manifested that the old man had sagasity enough to know; that unless he used his priestly office, he to assist him in accomplishing his designs, <he would fail in the attempt;> he therefore told that he had a had a revelation from god that her husband was dead &c. and that She must concent to marry him, or she would be forever miserable; for he had seen her future state of existance, and that she must remember, that whoom soever he blessed, would be blessed, and whom soever he cursed, would be cursed, [p. 35] influencing her mind if possible, to believe his power was sufficient, to make her forever miserable; provided she complied not with his request. &c. Accordingly, they came to an agreement, and were soon to be married, but fortunately or unfortunately for both parties previous to the nuptial arrival of the nuptial day, Behold!! to the asstonishment of our defendant, the husband of arrived at home, and consequently, disanuled the proceedings of the above alluded parties, the old gentleman , at this time (if not before,) knew verry well, that his god who gave his these revelations, (if any revelations he had,) must of course be no less than the devil, and in order to paliate the justice of his crime, sadled the whole burden upon the devil, that in scourging the person, who had previously befriended him, and counseled him in his former days; peradventure he might extricate himself from the Snare, of his own setting, and dictation. But, alass!! to[o] late for the old man, the testimony, being closed, and the Sword of Justice, began to be unsheathed, which fell upon the old man like a scourge of ten thousand lashes, wielded by the hand of President & , inspired by the spirit of justice, accompanied with a flow of elequence, which searched for the feelings, like the sting of so many scorpions, which served to atone for past iniquity. there were no feelings that were not felt after, there were no sores that were not probed, there were no excuses rend[e]red that were not exceptionable. After Justice had ceased to weild his <its> sword, Mercy then advanced to rescue its victom, which inspired the heart of President J. Smith Jr, & who, with profound elequence <&> with <a> deep & sublime thought, with clemency of feeling, spoke in faivour of mercy the defendant, but in length of time, while mercy appeared to be doing her utmost, in contending against justice, the latter at last gained the ascendency, and took full power over <possession of> the mind of [p. 36] the speaker, who leveled a voley of darts, which came upon the old man, like <a> huricanes upon the mountain tops, which seemingly, was about to sweep the victom entirely out of the reach of mercy, but amidst the clashing of the sword of Justice, mercy still claimed the victom, and saved him still in the , and in this last kingdom Happy is it for those whose sins (like this mans) goes before them to Judgement, that they may yet repent and be saved in the Kingdom of our God. desided, that inasmuch as this man, had confessed his sins, and asked for, forgiveness, and promised to mark well the path of his feet, and do, (inasmuch as lay in his power.) what God, Should required at his hand<s>. accordingly, it was decided, that he give up his as , and stand as a member in the Church, this in consequence of his being concidered not capable of dignifying that office, &c Council Adjourned
, Scribe
Sunday the 29th. This day was spent chiefly in meeting with the saints. in this place, and in administering unto them, the word of Life.
Monday, the 30.th This day was spent by the , in writing the history of the Church; and in resitation of grammer lessions, which ressitations is attended to, in the <each> morning previous to writing.
<May>
Tuesday 1st May 1838, This day was also spent in writing Church History, by the
Wednersday 2nd This day was also spent in writing history, and <receiving> lectures on grammer. by . [p. 37]
Thursday the 3.rd. This day also was spent in Writing & parsing and in administering to the Sick.
Friday 4.th. This day also was spent in studying, & writing history, by the . also <a> letter from .
Saturday 5.th This day was spent, by the , in writing for the Elders Journal. Also received intelligence from , by one br— Bailey. who called upon Pres. Smith, and stated that two hundred Wagons, with families; would probably be here in three weeks. The presidency also attended an address, dilivered by . upon Politics. <Political matters> . is a candidate for Congress. (he is a Federalist.)
Sunday 6th This day, President Smith. delivered a discourse. to the people. Showing, or setting forth the evils that existed, and would exist, by reason of hasty Judgement or dessisions upon any subject, given by any people. or in judgeing before they hear both sides of the question, He also cautioned them against men men, who should come here whining and grouling about their money, because they had helpt the saints and bore some of the burden with others. and thus thinking that others, (who are still poorer and who have still bore greater burden than themselves) aught to make up their loss &c. And thus he cautioned them to beware of them for here and there they through [throw?] out foul insinuations, to level as it were a dart to <the> best interests of the Church, & if possible to destroy the Characters of its He also instructed the Church, in the mistories of the Kingdom of God; giving them a history of the Plannets &c. and of Abrahams writings upon the Plannettary System &c. In the after part of the day Prest. Smith spoke upon different subjects he dwelt some upon the Subject of Wisdom, & upon the word of Wisdom. &c.—— [p. 38]
Monday 7th This day was spent in company with one of our Judges, also the Demecratic candidate for the State Senate. & in company with & , who this day arrived in this place, the former. from . and the latter from the City of ; where he had been preaching for some time past; And our hearts were made glad with the pleasing inteligence<s> of <the> of the Saints flocking from all parts of the world to this land; to avoid the destructions which are coming upon this generation, as spoken by all the holy Prophets since the world began
Tuesday 8th This day Presidents, J. Smith Jr. & spent the day with in visiting the place he had selected, to live, also in some private buisness of their own, also in the after part of the day, in answering the questions proposed in the Elders Journal. Vol. 1st No. 2nd Pages 28<th>, & 29<th> On yesterday our beloved Brother , lost his Son who died near the close of the day, This lad, brother though young, adorned his profession as a saint of God, and died in the faith of the everlasting Gospel;
Wednersday 9th. This day, the , attended the funeral of , And Prest. Smith was requested to preach the funeral discourse, and accordingly complied, and we were greatly edified upon the occasion,
Thursday 10th This day, President , delivered an address in the in the south west quarter of the , upon the Subjects of the Political policy of our Nation, to a large concourse of People from all quarters of the and even from other counties [p. 39]
Allthough, he being verry hoarse, with a bad <Severe> cold, yet being assisted, by the spirit, and power, of Allmighty God, was enabled to elucidated the policy, to the understanding of all present, Both of the Federal party, and also of the Democratic party, from the time of this <their> first appearance in our country; endeavering to give an impartial hearing on both Sides of the question, In consequence of One speech, delivered upon Politics in the same place, a short time previous to this: Who touched upon one side of the matter only; He being a Federalist, and knowing that for the good of his cause, and for the safety of his electionereing campaign: it would be policy for him to dwell on one side of the question onley; But the Politics of this Church (with but few exceptions onley,) are that of the Democracy; which is the <Allso> the feelings of the speaker <who spoke> this day, and <all> of < all> the , It <is> my principles also. Prest Smith, and attended the Delivery of said speech and were highly edified
Thursday Friday 11th This day, the attend[ed] the , in case of the trial of & Doctor McCord, Who were found in transgression. Mr. Mc.Cord, arose, and said, he was sorry to troubl the council on his account, for he had intended to withdraw from the church, before he left the place. he also stated, he had no confidence in the work of God, neither in his Prophet, which he <has> raised up in these last days, and consequently should go his own way, he accordingly gave up his License, and departed , also said the same. He further said he had no confidence in the heads of the Church, beleiving they had transgressed, and got out of the way, and consequently <he> left of[f] praying and keeping the commandments of God, and went his own way, and indulged himself in his lustfull desires. But when he heard, that [p. 40] the , had made a general settlement and acknowleged their sins, he then began to pray again, and to keep the commandments of God. Though when interogated by Prest smith he said he had seen nothing out of the way himself but it was heresay, and thus he judged from heresay. But we are constrained to say, O!! foolish Man! what excuse is that thou renderest, for thy sins, that because thou hast heard of some mans transgression, that thou shouldest leave thy God, and forsake thy prayers, and turn to those things that thou knowest to be contrary to the will of God, we say unto thee, and to all such, beware! beware! for God will bring the[e] into Judgement for thy sins.
Saturday 12th. This day Prests Smith & together with , attended the to Lay before them it, some buisness pertaining to themselves directly, and individually.
The laid before them high Council, their situation, as to maintaining their families in the situation & relation they stood to the Church. spending, as they have, for eight years, their time and tallents & property in the service of the Church, and are now reduced as it were, to absolute begery, and still were detained in service of the Church, and it now become necessary that something should be done for their support, or either by the Church, or else they must do it themselves, of their own labour, labours, and if the Church said help yourselves, they would thank them, and immediately do so, but if the Church said serve us, then some provisions must be made for them. The subject was taken into concideration, by the Council (who acts for the Church), and thouroughly investigated. Whereupon [p. 41] the Council voted to authorize the , to give or to make over to Prests. Joseph Smith Jr & each an eighty of land, situate adjacent to the city Corporation which land is the property of the Church. Also voted that a committee of three, be appointed, of the council, to contract with said to their sattisfaction, for their sevices, this present year, not for preaching or for receiving the word of God by revelation, neither for instructing the saints in richteousness, but for services rendered in the Printing establishment, in translating the words ancient records &c. &c. The Committee, which consisted of , & , who agreed that Prests. Smith & should be entitled to, & receive for this year [blank] as a just remuneration for their Services.
Sunday 13th. Today Prest (late of ) delivered a discourse to the saints, in the former part of the day, and , preached the funeral sermon of , son of in the after part of the day.
Monday 14th Prest. Smith spent this day in ploughing for, himself in his garden. spent the day in correcting and prepareing matter for the press, and also <spent a short time> in Company with Elder , who arrived this day from Ohio. And I have spent this day in helping Prest smith, and also in writing,
Friday 18th To day Presidents J Smith Jr & and Bishop , , , and many others, left to for the purpose of Laying off of , making Locations & laying claims for the of the saints for the benefit of the poor, and for the upbuilding of the Church of God, We traveled this day to the mouth of , which [p. 42] is a tribuitary to , where we camped for the night, we passed this day a beautifull country of land, a majority of which is Prarie which signifies untimbered land and thickly covered with grass and weeds, there is a plenty of wild game in this land, such as Deer, Turkey, Hens, Elk, &.c. we saw a large black wolf, Prest smith put on his dog after the wolf and <we> followed on after, but the wolf out run us and we lost, the <Him> wolf we have nothing to fear in camping out except Rattle sknakes which are peculiar <natural> to this country, though not verry numerous, we turn our horses loose and let them feed in the prairie,
<19 sat> The next morning we struck our tents, and marched crossed at the mouth of at a place called , is as large beautifull deep and rapid stream and will undoubtedly admit of steam Boat and other water craft navigation, and at the mouth of is a splendid harbour for the safety of such crafts, and also for landing freight We next kept up the mostly in the timber for ten miles, untill we came to Col. ’s who lives at the foot of , a name appropriated by Prest smith, in consequence of the remains of an old Nephitish Alter an Tower, In the after where we camped for the sabath, In the after part of the day, Prest<s.> smith and and , went to about a half mile from this place up the , for the purpose of near said , in Township 60, Range 27 & 28, and Sections 25, 36, 31, 30, which was called a name appropriated by the bretheren present, But after wards named by the mouth of [the] Lord and was called , because said he it [p. 43] is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or the Ancient of days shall sit as spoken of by Daniel the Prophet,
<20> Sunday was spent principally at , but at the close of the day we struck our tents and traveled about six miles north and camped for the knight, we had in company at this place and company traveling also to the north, <21 M[onday]> in the morning after making some Locations in this place which is in Township 61 Range 27, & 28, we next returned to about two miles in order to secure some land near which we passed the day previous, and finding a mistake in the <former> survey concluded to send the surveyor south 5 or 6 miles to obtain correct survey, we did so, and some of us taried to obtain water for the camp
In the evening we held a council, to consult the bretheren upon the subject of our journey to know whether it is wisdom to go immediately into the north country or to tarry here and about here to secure the land on &.c. The Bretherin spoke their minds verrily <verry> freely upon the subject, Prest Smith said he felt impressed to tarry and secure the land near by, all that is not secured between this and especially on , said if they should go to north in this expedition he thought it best to go immediately to that place, but thought it best by all means, to secure the land near by on the &c, The question was put by Prest Smith and carried unanymously in favour of having the land secured on the and between this place and , <22> The next day with a company went to the east of the camp and selected some of the best locations in the country, and returned with news of good locations in that vicinity yet [p. 44] to be secured, in that vicinity Prest Smith and followed on in their course, but could not find them and consequently returned to the camp in , we next scouted west in order to obtain some game to suply our necessities but found or killed none, we [saw?] some ancient antiquities about one mile West of the camp, which conscisted of stone mounds, appearently laid up in squire [square] piles, though somewhat decayed and obliterated, by the almost continual rains undoubtedly these were made to seclude some valuable treasures deposited by the aborigionees of this land
<20 3> The next day we all traveled and located lands East, on and near the city of , towards knight Prest<s> smith & went to s and the remainder returned to the tents,
<24> The next morning the company returned to to finish the survey, and also returned to the surveying, and Prst smith returned to
<25> Friday this day our company went up the and made some locations, in the after part of the day we struck our tents, and mooved to s
<26> The next day we surveyed land across the opposite <27> sunday was spent principally at s. <28> The next morning we started for home . about noon we met <Prst<s.>> J Smith J and , and Some 15 or 20 others, who were going to seek locations in the north, we continued our way home where we arived Monday evening and found our families well &c, <30> th[e] 30 Prest returned <to> . Friday 1st of June Prest J Smith Jr on account of s sickness who was
Editorial Note
Though ’s journal keeping lapsed for most of June and July, he did summarize a pivotal month from 4 June through 4 July 1838 in two journal entries. JS spent much of June north of in , Missouri, at the newly designated Mormon settlement of , where he organized a stake on 28 June 1838—one year after some of the first Mormon settlers in Daviess County had been warned by local residents that they must leave. However, on 17 June JS was present at Far West when his counselor preached a provocative sermon. In response to ongoing activities of prominent excommunicated dissenters in that threatened to disrupt the community and undercut church leadership, Rigdon used as his text Matthew 5:13, likening the excommunicants to salt that had lost its savor and was “henceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men.” According to one observer, JS seconded the thrust of Rigdon’s remarks. Following the “Salt Sermon,” George W. Robinson—the scribe for this journal—and eighty-two other Mormon men signed a letter warning , , , , and to leave Caldwell County within three days or be expelled by force. Later accounts claimed that the letter accused the excommunicants of counterfeiting and other crimes of deceit, stealing, and persecuting the Latter-day Saints through lawsuits. John Whitmer later recounted that Robinson, at the presidency’s instigation, began suing the named men, as well as , “by attachment for debts” and soon seized most of their belongings. All but Phelps, who wrote to the church presidency of his good intentions and willingness to rectify any wrong he had committed, soon left Far West under threats of physical violence. Though driving the men from Far West may have eased tensions within the community, the subsequent agitations of the outcasts increased tension between the Latter-day Saints and Missourians in neighboring counties.
In a 4 July oration at , two and a half weeks after the Salt Sermon, evoked the spirit of the Declaration of Independence by insisting that the Latter-day Saints must be free to act unhampered by persecution and specifically stated that they would not countenance vexatious lawsuits. After reviewing previous outrages suffered by the Latter-day Saints in , Rigdon concluded his speech by declaring that should opponents again use violence against the Latter-day Saints, the Saints would not only defend themselves but also wage “between us and them a war of extermination,” a threat that came back to haunt the Latter-day Saints in coming months. Rigdon’s defiant remarks were understood by adversaries as a declaration of independence from Missouri law.
Monday 4th Prests. J Smith Jr [p. 45] & and others left this place for , we stayed this knight at br. , the next morning we went to s. it rained and was somewhat wet We continued surveying and building houses &c for some time day after day, the Surveyors run out the city plott and we returned to This day was spent in diverse labors for the Church together with a greater share of this month and the ensuing one
July 4th 1838 This day was spent in in commemoration of the decleration of <the> Independance of the , and also to make our decleration of Independance from all mobs and persecutions which have been inflicted upon us time after time <un>till we could bear it no longer. being driven by ruthless mobs and enimies of the truth. from our homes our property confiscated our lives exposed and our all jeopardized by such conduct, We therefore met on this day in Mo. to make our decleration of independance, and to Lay the cornerstones of the agreeably to the commandment of the Lord unto us given April 26th 1838, as recorded on Page<s.> 32, 33, & 34 Book A.— An address was deliverd by Prest ,[.] Prest J Smith Jr Prest of the day, Prest Vice Prest. & Prest. Orator, Chief Marshial , & , asst. Marshaul, and commanded the Regiment, The order of the day was most splendid and beautifull Several thousands of spectators were present to witness the sene, The address a was delivred on the under the hoisted flagg representing the Liberty and independence [p. 46] of these .
Shortly after Prests. J, Smith Jr and , left this place for we saw a deer or two on the way. Prest Smith set his dogs after them one of which was a gray hound which caut the deer but could not hold him, although he threw him down, yet he injoured the dog so badly that he let him go, and we lost him, The race was quite amusing indeed.
I would mention or notice something about and who b[e]ing guilty of bace iniquities and that to[o] manifest in all the eyes of all men, and being often entreated would continue in their course seeking the Lives of the and to overthrow the Kingdom of God which they once testified off [of]. preached one sabbath upon the salt that had lost its savour, that it is henceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and troden under foot of men, And the wicked flee when no man pursueth, These men took warning, and soon they were seen bounding over the prairie like the scape Goat to carry of[f] their own sins we have not seen them since, their influence is gone, and they are in a miserable condition, so also it [is] with all who turn from the truth to Lying cheating defrauding & swindeling
Some time past was spent in trying to obtain pay from these men who are named above, who have absconded, and endeavered to defraud their creditors [p. 47]
Editorial Note
At this point, copied into the journal a number of documents. Regular journal entries do not resume until 26 July 1838. Robinson first copied a letter JS received on 6 July from returning missionaries and and one from JS’s brother en route from , Ohio, to with family and friends. Then in an entry for 8 July, Robinson recorded three revelations dated six months earlier—the day that JS left Kirtland for Far West—and five additional revelations dated 8 July. The revelations related to the leadership crisis and persecution in Kirtland and to the challenges of reordering church leadership and resources in . Sandwiched between the 12 January revelations and the 8 July revelations is Robinson’s brief summary of further developments he observed in June and early July as Latter-day Saint settlers poured into and counties and residents from surrounding areas tried to assess the complaints of the dissenters who had recently been expelled from Caldwell County.
July 6th This day received a letter from & Two of the of the Lamb in these last Days, who having been on a mission to England Just returned to Ohio and dated same place, Directed to Prest J. Smith Jr.
Dear Brother Joseph
In health peace & saf[e]ty we arrived in this place on monday last, from the scene of our labor during the past year after a passage of 31 days. We cannot give a full account of our labors now, but suffise it to say the standard of truth is reared on the other side of the great waters, and hundreds are now fi[gh]ting the good fight of faith, beneath the shade of its glorious banner. We have fought in the name of the Lord Jesus, and under the shadow of the cross we have conquered, Not an enimy has risen up against us, but that has fallen for our sakes, Every thing we have done has prospered, and the God of the Holy Prophets has been with us, and to him belongs the praise Our bretheren in the East are poor yet rich in faith and the peace of our God abides upon them, we have not interfeered with the priests at all except when we have been assalted by them, We have preached repentance & & baptism & repentance, We have strictly attended to our own buisness and have let others alone We have experienced the truth of solomons words which are as follows When a mans ways please the Lord he maketh his enimies that they are at peace with him our enimies have seen their entire insufficincy to stand against the power of truth manifest through us, and have gone away and left us in peacefull possession of [p. 48]
the field, Concerning the Nicholatine Band of which you warned us against we would say God is not there, and we are not there, they deal in sand stone & bogus, but we in faith hope & Charity We have not means to situate our families in at present and as we have not been chargable to the Church hitherto, we do not like to become a burthen to them in the extreme state of poverty to which they are reduced, We can preach the gospel when the Lord is with us, and by it we can live, and the time will come when we shall have means to settle with the saints. is not our home, it looks dolefull here, We shall go westward as soon as we can, the folks here tell many dark and pittifull tales about yourself & others. but the faults of our bretheren is poor entertainment for us, We have no accusation to bring for the Lord has shown us that he has taken the matter into his own hands, and every secret shall be braught to light and every man chastened for his sins, untill he confess and forsake them and then he shall fined mercy Therefore we can say we are at peace with God and with all mankind, and if any creature has aught against us, we have naught against him, and we say forgive us for Christ sake, We should be glad to see all our bretheren of the , and we s[h]all as we can consistantly, our good wishes and best respects to them To yourself and families, and to all the faithfull bretheren and sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord, Will you or some other of the bretheren write us soon and let us know the true state of things in , We have been gone allmost a year and have heard but very little, but we now hear much, We would like to know if a spirit of union prevails &c. &c. We are as ever your bretheren in the bonds of the ,
| To Prest J, Smith Jr. | |
| We are one |
[p. 49]
The following is letter from
Nine Miles from Ind.
Bro. Joseph
I sit down to inform you of our situation at the present time. I started from Ohio the 7th of May, in company with , , , & Lewis Rob[b]ins, and families, also is one of our number, we started with 15 horses seven wagons, & two cows, we have left two horses by the way sick one with a swelling in <on> his shoulder, a 3rd horse (as it were our dependance) was taken lame, last evening and is not able to travel, and we have stop[p]ed to docter him We were disappointed on every hand before we started, in getting money, we got no assistance whatever only as we have taken in and she has assisted us as far as her means extends, we had when we started $75 dollars in money, we sold the 2 cows for $13.50 per cow we have sold of your goods to the amt of $45.74 and now we have only $25 dollars to carry 28 souls & 13 horses, 500 miles, we have lived very close and camped out knight, notwithstanding the rain & cold, & my babe only 2 weeks old when we started, is very feeble & are not well but very much fatigued, has a severe cold, and it is nothing in fact but the prayer of faith and the power of God, that will sustain them and bring them through, our carriage is good and I think we shall be braught through, I leave it with you and to devise some way to assist us to some more expence money, we have had unaccountable road <bad> roads, had our horses down in the mud, and broke of[f] one wagon tongue [p. 50]
and fills, and broke down the carriage twice and yet we are all alive and camped on a dry place for allmost the first time, Poverty is a heavy load but we are all obliged to welter under it, it is now dark and I close, may the Lord bless you all and bring us together is my prayer Amen
All the arrangements that left for getting money failed, they did not gain us one cent
| To J. Smith Jr. |
The following Revelation<s.> was <were> read in the congregation this day, which was given in ——
Revelation Given at the in Geauga Co. Ohio. In the presence of J. Smith Jr., & January 12th 1838.——
When inquiry was made of the Lord relative to the trial of the of the , For transgressions according to the item of law, found in the Book of Covenants 3rd. Section 37 Verse
Whether the descision of such an of one , shall be conclusive for and all her stakes
Thus saith the Lord, Let the first Presidency of my Church, be held in full fellowship in Zion and all her stakes, untill they shall be found transgressors, by such an high Council as is named in the above alluded section, in Zion, by three witnesses standing against each member of said Presidency, and these witnesses shall be of long and faithfull standing, and such also as cannot [p. 51]
be impeached by other witnesses before such , and when a descision is had by such and Council in , it shall only be for Zion, it shall not answer for her , but if such descision be acknowledged by the Council of her stakes, then it shall answer for her stakes, But if it is not acknowledged by the stakes, then such stake may have the privilege of hearing for themselves or if such descision shall be acknowledeged by a majority of the stakes, then it shall answer for all her stakes And again,
The of my Church, may be tried by the voice of the whole body of the Church in Zion, and the voice of a majority of all her stakes And again
Except a majority is had by the voice of the Church of Zion and a majority of all her stakes, The Charges will be concidered not sustained and in order to sustain such Charge or Charges, before such Church of Zion or her stakes, such witnesses must be had as is named above, that is the witnesses to each President, who are of long and faithfull standing, that cannot be immpeached by other witnesses before the Church of Zion, or her stakes, And all this saith the Lord because of wicked and asspiring men, Let all your doings be in meekness and in humility before me even so Amen—
Revelation Given the same day January 12th 1838, upon an inquiry being made of the Lord, whether any branch of the can be concidered a stake of Zion, untill they have acknowledged the authority of the first Presidency by a vote of such Church
Thus saith the Lord, Verrily I say unto nay. [p. 52]
you Nay
No shall be appointed, except by the , and this Presidency be acknowledged, by the voice of the same, otherwise it shall not be counted as a stake of and again except it be dedicated by this presidency it cannot be acknowledged as a stake of Zion, For unto this end have I appointed them in Laying the foundation of and establishing my Kingdom Even so Amen.
Revelation Given the same day January 12th 1838.
Thus saith the Lord, let the Presidency of my Church, take their families as soon as it is practicable, and a door is open for them, and moove to the west, as fast as the way is made plain before their faces, and let their hearts be comforted for I will be with them, Verrily I say unto you, the time has come, that your labors are finished in this place for a season. Therefore arise— and get yourselves, into a land which I shall show unto you, even a land flowing with milk & honey, You are clean from the blood of this Generation people, And wo, unto those who have become your enimies, who have professed my name saith the Lord, for their Judgement lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not, Let all your faithfull friends arise with their families also, and get out of this place, and themselves together unto Zion and be at peace among yourselves, O ye inhabitants of Zion, or their shall be no saf[e]ty for you; Even so Amen. [p. 53]
It hap[pe]ned about these times that some excitement was raised in the adjoining Counties, that is &