Footnotes
Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:62]. The more detailed instruction in the version in Revelation Book 1 that the elders should “meet in conference once in three Month to [do] Church business” appears to be a later addition. Oliver Cowdery’s 1829 “Articles of the Church of Christ” declared that “the church shall meet together oft for prayer & suplication casting out none from your places of worship,” but there are no records from meetings held before the formal organization of the church on 6 April 1830. Lucy Mack Smith wrote that during fall and winter of 1829–1830, “we held no meetings because of the plotting schemes of the people against us,” implying that meetings had taken place earlier in 1829. (Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830, in Revelation Book 1, p. 56 [D&C 20:62]; “Articles of the Church of Christ,” June 1829; Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–1845, bk. 9, [12].)
JS History, vol. A-1, 41.
Jacob Whitmer was the only one of the eleven witnesses of the plates not listed in the minutes. (See Testimony of Three Witnesses, Late June 1829; and Testimony of Eight Witnesses, Late June 1829.)
Regarding spiritual manifestations at the meeting, JS’s history noted that “the Holy Ghost was poured out upon us in a miraculous manner many of our number prophecied, whilst others had the Heavens opened to their view, and were so over come that we had to lay them on beds, or other convenient places.” Newel Knight, one of the attendees not listed in the minutes, reported that he “beheld the Lord Jesus Christ, seated at the right hand of the majesty on high.” (JS History, vol. A-1, 41–42.)
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| Elders Present: | |
| Joseph Smith, junior. | , |
| , | , |
| , | |
| Elders of this Church. | Priests of this Church. |
| of this Church | |
| and . |
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The Peter Whitmer Sr. home, where the conference was held, was also the site where the church had been officially organized two months earlier. (See Historical Introduction to Revelation, 6 Apr. 1830 [D&C 21].)
JS’s history dates the conference to “the first day of June 1830.” Because the minutes featured here are a later copy dating from 1838, it is possible that a transcription error in the minutes accounts for the discrepancy; more likely, the reconstruction in the history is misdated. (JS History, vol. A-1, 41.)
TEXT: “junior.” possibly inserted later.
This practice of obtaining “common consent” was mandated by revelation one month later. (Revelation, July 1830–B [D&C 26:2].)
Of those listed as having received their ministerial licenses at this conference, only the licenses of John Whitmer, Joseph Smith Sr., and Christian Whitmer are extant. (See License for John Whitmer, License for Joseph Smith Sr., and License for Christian Whitmer, 9 June 1830.)
Oliver Cowdery also served as the clerk for the conference held 26 September 1830. (Minutes, 26 Sept. 1830.)
This procedure of all conference attendees praying continued at the conference held in September 1830, but it is not clear whether at these conferences they prayed sequentially, were led in a vocal prayer in unison, or prayed in silence individually. An account of several earlier meetings of believers in April 1830, in which each of the brethren was apparently encouraged to individually “pray vocally during meeting,” suggests that this statement in the minutes likely referred to the practice of having each man pray aloud sequentially before dismissal of the conference. (Minutes, 26 Sept. 1830; JS History, vol. A-1, 40.)
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