Minutes, 4 May 1833
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Source Note
Minutes, , Geauga Co., OH, 4 May 1833. Featured version copied [between 4 and ca. 6 June 1833] in Minute Book 1, p. 20; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 1.
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Historical Introduction
In late December 1832 and early January 1833, JS dictated two revelations that led to the establishment of the , an organization designed to instruct “in all things, that is expedient for the officers; or in other words, them who are called to the ministry in the Church.” Meetings of the school, which began in late January 1833, were generally held in a room on the second floor of ’s . An 8 March 1833 revelation reiterated in the voice of the Lord the importance of organizing the School of the Prophets so members “may be perfected in their minstry for the salvation of .” Shortly thereafter, however, many of the students of the school were sent on missions to raise money to purchase the property. explained that the decision to purchase the as well as other properties “made it necessary to call the out of school for the purpose of going again into the world and procuring means for Paying for the farms.” The anticipated return of these elders apparently led to the decision to move forward with plans to construct a separate building in which to hold the school’s meetings.As reflected in the minutes featured here, a conference of held on 4 May 1833 appointed a committee of three men—, , and —to procure funds for the construction of the building by subscription, meaning that funds would be sought from donations made by individual church members. On 1 June 1833, the committee sent a letter to church congregations, seeking donations to “establish an house and prepare all things necessary whereby the Elders may gather into a school called the school of the prophets and receive that instruction that the Lord designs they should receive.”
Footnotes
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1
Revelation, 27–28 Dec. 1832 [D&C 88:1–126]; Revelation, 3 Jan. 1833 [D&C 88:127–137]. In January 1833, JS explained to church authorities in Missouri that “the Lord commanded us in Kirtland to build an house of God, & establish a school for the Prophets.” (Letter to William W. Phelps, 11 Jan. 1833.)
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2
Brigham Young later explained that the first School of the Prophets was held in “a small room over Joseph Smith’s kitchen” in Newel K. Whitney’s store. (Brigham Young, Discourse, 8 Feb. 1868, in George D. Watt, Discourse Shorthand Notes, 8 Feb. 1868, Pitman Shorthand Transcriptions, CHL; see also Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 8 Feb. 1868, 12:157–158.)
Pitman Shorthand Transcriptions, 1998–2013. CHL.
Journal of Discourses. 26 vols. Liverpool: F. D. Richards, 1855–1886.
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3
Revelation, 8 Mar. 1833 [D&C 90:7–8].
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4
Coltrin, Diary and Notebook, 23 Mar. 1833; Minutes, 23 Mar. 1833–A; Minutes, 23 Mar. 1833–B.
Coltrin, Zebedee. Diary and Notebook, 1832–1833. Zebedee Coltrin, Diaries, 1832–1834. CHL. MS 1443, fd. 2.
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5
Hyrum Smith et al., Kirtland, OH, to “the Churches of Christ,” 1 June 1833, in JS Letterbook 1, pp. 36–37.
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1
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