Discourse, 5 January 1841, as Reported by William P. McIntire

Source Note

JS, Discourse, [
Nauvoo
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
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, Hancock Co., IL, 5 Jan. 1841]. Featured version copied [ca. Jan. 1841] in William P. McIntire, Notebook, pp. [3]–[5]; handwriting of
William P. McIntire
29 May 1813–5 Jan. 1882. Tailor. Born in Wheatfield, Indiana Co., Pennsylvania. Son of George McIntire and Sarah Davis. Married Anna Patterson, ca. 1833, in Pennsylvania. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Erastus Snow, 23 Nov. 1836...
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; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Account of Meeting and Discourse, 5 Jan. 1841, as Reported by William P. McIntire.
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See Historical Introduction to Account of Meeting and Discourse, as Reported by William P. McIntire.

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Joseph Smith said to D Ells, & to the Congragetion that he for a len[g]th of time, thought on phreknoledgee [phrenology]; & that he had a revalation. the Lord rebukeing him sharply on Creating such a thing; & further said there was no reality in such a science but was the workes of the Devil;

he also said the Lord had told him that bro.— Law would do well; he would go & preach the gospel he also said as for his own knowledge the Earth was make made out of sumthng for it was imposible for samthng to be made out of nothing fire,— air, & watter are eternal existant principles which are the Composition of which [p. [3]]

Joseph Smith said to D Ells, & to the Congragetion that he for a length of time, thought on phreknoledgee [phrenology]; & that he had a revalation. the Lord rebukeing him sharply on Creating such a thing; & further said there was no reality in such a science but was the workes of the Devil;

he also said the Lord had told him that bro.— Law would do well; he would go & preach the gospel he also said as for his own knowledge the Earth was made out of sumthng for it was imposible for samthng to be made out of nothing fire,— air, & watter are eternal existant principles which are the Composition of which [p. [3]]

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Document Information
Editorial Title
Discourse, 5 January 1841, as Reported by William P. McIntire
ID #
17488
Total Pages
3
Handwriting on This Page
- William McIntire
Footnotes
1. 1
  Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary loosely defined phrenology as “the science of the human mind and its various properties.” In practice, phrenology consisted of measuring various exterior dimensions of the head and, based on standardized tables, using those measurements to determine character and personality traits. Phrenology was popular at this time and was considered a legitimate science by some, though others disbelieved it and viewed it as entertainment. JS received personal phrenology readings both before and after this discourse. He spoke against phrenology on at least one other occasion. Willard Richards recorded in a May 1843 entry in JS’s journal that JS objected to a phrenologist who was “performing” in Nauvoo, saying that he “thought we had been imposed upon enough— by such kind of things.” (“Phrenology,” in American Dictionary [1828]; Phrenology Charts, 14 Jan. 1840; A. Crane, “A Phrenological Chart,” Wasp, 2 July 1842, [2]; JS, Journal, 6 May 1843; 13 and 14 Oct. 1843.)
  
  An American Dictionary of the English Language: Intended to Exhibit, I. the Origin, Affinities and Primary Signification of English Words, as far as They Have Been Ascertained. . . . Edited by Noah Webster. New York: S. Converse, 1828.
  The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.
2. 2
  “Law” was probably William Law, who was made a counselor to JS in the church’s First Presidency two weeks later. (Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:91]; Cook, “William Law, Nauvoo Dissenter,” 54.)
  
  Cook, Lyndon W. “William Law, Nauvoo Dissenter.” BYU Studies 22 (Winter 1982): 47–72.

Discourse, 5 January 1841, as Reported by William P. McIntire

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