Letter to the Church and Edward Partridge, 20 March 1839
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Source Note
JS, , , , and , Letter, , Clay Co., MO, to the church and , , Adams Co., IL, 20 Mar. 1839; handwriting of and , with insertions by JS; signatures of JS, , , , and ; seventeen pages; Revelations Collection, CHL. Includes redaction and docket.Four bifolia and one leaf measuring 9¾ × 7¾ inches (25 × 20 cm), each with twenty-eight printed lines (now mostly faded). The letter was trifolded for mailing, and the final leaf may have once had a conjugal leaf bearing an address, as do most of JS’s letters written in the . The recto of the first bifolium’s first leaf was paginated with “1” twice—in the top right corner and the top left corner. One of the numbers appears to be original, and the other is apparently redactive. JS’s clerk docketed the letter sometime in the 1840s. At some point, the bifolia were fastened together with two staples, which have since been removed. The document has undergone conservation.The Times and Seasons published an edited version of the letter in July 1840. Church clerk copied the letter into JS’s manuscript history in 1845. The letter was included in inventories for the Church Historian’s Office circa 1904, and the letter was cataloged in the Revelations Collection in 1983, indicating the letter has remained in continuous institutional custody since its reception.
Footnotes
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1
See “Copy of a Letter, Written by J. Smith Jr. and Others, While in Prison,” Times and Seasons, May 1840, 1:99–104.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
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2
See JS History, vol. C-1, 900–906; and Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 441.
Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.
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3
See “Index to Papers. in the Historians Office,” ca. 1904, p. 3; “Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, p. 1, Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; and the full bibliographic entry for the Revelations Collection in the CHL catalog.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
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1
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Historical Introduction
In the , Missouri, on 20 March 1839, JS dictated a letter addressed to ; members in , Illinois; and the Saints “scattered abroad.” The letter was the second general epistle JS directed to the church while in the jail, with the first missive composed on 16 December 1838. As the main body of Latter-day Saints was relocating from to and , JS apparently envisioned writing a series of general epistles in March 1839 to offer guidance and instruction in the wake of the catastrophic changes of the previous year. The immediate catalyst for the 20 March letter was the arrival of Latter-day Saint the previous evening. Rogers brought the prisoners a packet that contained letters from their families and friends, a letter from Illinois land speculator , and “the documents and papers sent by the authorities at Quincy.”Stylistically, the 20 March letter is reminiscent of the apostle Paul’s epistles in the New Testament. Paul frequently named his companions in opening greetings and utilized the first-person plural voice even though he was the primary author of the letters. In a similar fashion, the 20 March 1839 letter opens with greetings from JS “in company with his fellow prisoners”; the body of the letter consistently employs the first-person plural—“we,” “our,” and “us”—with the exception of one portion presented in the voice of Deity; and all the prisoners signed the letter. JS was the principal author, although conversations with the other prisoners may have contributed to the letter’s ideas and themes. It is unknown who acted as scribe for the dictation draft, which is apparently not extant. The version featured here, which contains errors usually associated with copying, was inscribed by and . After McRae finished copying the last portion of the letter, JS and the other men signed the copy. At some point, JS made minor corrections and additions.Following the opening greeting, the epistle contains an extended meditation on the Latter-day Saints’ recent sufferings and the prisoners’ frustrations in . This part of the missive includes a prayer in which JS pleads with God to deliver the Saints from their oppressors. The subject of the letter appears to shift with the acknowledgment of receiving letters from , , and , but this narrative actually continues the meditation on the meaning of persecution, revealing that reading the letters dissolved feelings of bitterness and opened JS’s heart to receive inspiration. Then, the voice of the letter transitions from that of the prisoners to that of the Lord providing an answer to the letter’s earlier prayer, explaining the deeper significance of the Saints’ persecutions and pronouncing judgments against the church’s enemies.The second part of the letter addresses challenges the church faced in moving forward, such as deciding where the Saints should settle. JS declined to either approve or reject ’s offer to sell land to the church; instead, JS said that church leaders in should make that decision in future conferences and should forward minutes of the proceedings to JS for approval. The letter also advises the Quincy church leaders to eschew “an aspiring spirit” that had previously prevailed over “milder councils,” causing much suffering and death among the Saints. Additionally, the epistle contains counsel on how to seek revelation and guidance; this counsel is followed by strong affirmation that persecution would not hinder the work of God. Like other missives JS composed in the , this letter incorporates multiple biblical allusions. Near the close, the letter signals that another general epistle was forthcoming.Although the letter’s greeting is directed to the church in general and to in particular, JS sent the missive to his wife because he wanted her “to have the first reading of it.” In a letter he wrote to her the following day, he informed her, “I have sent an Epistle to the church,” suggesting the epistle had already left the . The letter was probably carried from the jail by a church member, perhaps , who noted was visiting the jail on 20 March and was “going to start back this after noon” to , Missouri. Ripley told the prisoners that he could send their letters to “a mediately by some of the brethren.” It remains unclear who transported the missive from to Illinois or when it arrived in . On 10 April 1839, and Ripley wrote separate letters to JS and the other prisoners; both messages contain possible allusions to the general epistle, suggesting church members had received and read the epistle by that date. On 11 April, wrote to her husband, Hyrum Smith, stating she had read the epistle and that it was “food to the hungrey.” The 20 March epistle circulated widely among the Latter-day Saints in the months after its arrival in Illinois, as indicated by the extant copies in the handwriting of Partridge and . In addition, the Times and Seasons published an edited version in 1840, extending the letter’s circulation to the Saints “scattered abroad.”
Footnotes
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2
Near the conclusion of this 20 March letter, JS and his fellow prisoners wrote, “We shall continue to offer further reflections in our next epistle.” A short time later, the men wrote another general epistle, stating: “We continue to offer further reflections to Bishop Partridge and to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints.” The prisoners concluded this letter with a note that “we shall continue our reflections in our next.” However, the prisoners apparently did not write another letter prior to their departure from the Clay County jail on 6 April 1839. (Letter to Edward Partridge and the Church, ca. 22 Mar. 1839; Hyrum Smith, Diary, 6 Apr. 1839.)
Smith, Hyrum. Diary, Mar.–Apr. 1839, Oct. 1840. CHL. MS 2945.
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3
Hyrum Smith, Liberty, MO, to Mary Fielding Smith, Quincy, IL, 19 Mar. 1839, Mary Fielding Smith, Collection, CHL.
Smith, Mary Fielding. Collection, ca. 1832–1848. CHL. MS 2779.
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4
It is unknown which “documents and papers” the leaders in Quincy sent, but in JS’s March 1839 general epistles, he indicated awareness of discussions documented in two sets of minutes, one dated 9 March 1839 and the other undated, which Rogers may have delivered to the jail. (See Rogers, Statement, [1], CHL; see also Letter to Edward Partridge and the Church, ca. 22 Mar. 1839; Minutes, 9 Mar. 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 49; Far West Committee, Minutes, 17 Mar. 1839; and Minutes, no date, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 48.)
Rogers, David W. Statement, [not before 1846]. CHL.
Far West Committee. Minutes, Jan.–Apr. 1839. CHL. MS 2564.
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5
See, for example, 1 Corinthians 1:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; and Doty, Letters in Primitive Christianity, chap. 2; see also Letter to the Church in Caldwell Co., MO, 16 Dec. 1838; and Letter to Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young, 16 Jan. 1839.
Doty, William G. Letters in Primitive Christianity. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1973.
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7
For example, Hyrum Smith wrote about a major theme in the general epistle—persecution and its significance—in March 1839 letters to his wife, Mary Fielding Smith. The brothers may have discussed the subject in the jail. On the evening of 20 March, Lyman Wight noted in his journal that while JS was “writing an epistle to the church,” Wight and Caleb Baldwin were writing letters to their families, which suggests the two men had minimal or no involvement in preparing the epistle, at least at that time. (Hyrum Smith, [Liberty, MO], to Mary Fielding Smith, Quincy, IL, [ca. Mar. 1839], Hyrum Smith Collection, CHL; Hyrum Smith, Liberty, MO, to Mary Fielding Smith, Quincy, IL, 16 Mar. 1839; Hyrum Smith, Liberty, MO, to Mary Fielding Smith, [Quincy, IL], 20 Mar. 1839, Mary Fielding Smith, Collection, CHL; Lyman Wight, Journal, in History of the Reorganized Church, 2:323.)
Smith, Hyrum. Collection, ca. 1839–1911. CHL.
Smith, Mary Fielding. Collection, ca. 1832–1848. CHL. MS 2779.
The History of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 8 vols. Independence, MO: Herald Publishing House, 1896–1976.
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8
The first draft was apparently discarded after it was copied, as was common practice.
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9
See Letter to the Church in Caldwell Co., MO, 16 Dec. 1838; and Letter to Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young, 16 Jan. 1839.
- 10
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11
Hyrum Smith, Liberty, MO, to Mary Fielding Smith, [Quincy, IL], 20 Mar. 1839, Mary Fielding Smith, Collection, CHL. Wight reported that Ripley returned to the jail on 22 March 1839 and took the prisoners’ “package of letters for Quincy.” It is unclear whether Ripley went to Far West on 20 March and then returned to Liberty two days later or whether he remained in Liberty during that period. (Lyman Wight, Journal, in History of the Reorganized Church, 2:323.)
Smith, Mary Fielding. Collection, ca. 1832–1848. CHL. MS 2779.
The History of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 8 vols. Independence, MO: Herald Publishing House, 1896–1976.
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12
See Letter from Sidney Rigdon, 10 Apr. 1839; and Letter from Alanson Ripley, 10 Apr. 1839.
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13
Mary Fielding Smith, [Quincy, IL], to Hyrum Smith, 11 Apr. 1839, Mary Fielding Smith, Collection, CHL; JS, Liberty, MO, to the Church and Edward Partridge, Quincy, IL, 20–25 Mar. 1839, copy, CHL; JS et al., Liberty, MO, to the Church and Edward Partridge, Quincy, IL, 20 Mar. 1839, copy, Albert Perry Rockwood, Mormon Letters and Sermons, 1838–1839, Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT; “Copy of a Letter, Written by J. Smith Jr. and Others, While in Prison,” Times and Seasons, May 1840, 1:99–104. Portions of the 20 March 1839 letter were canonized in the 1876 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. (Doctrine and Covenants 121, 1876 ed. [D&C 121].)
Smith, Mary Fielding. Collection, ca. 1832–1848. CHL. MS 2779.
Smith, Joseph. Letter, Liberty, MO, to the Church and Edward Partridge, Quincy, IL, 20–25 Mar. 1839. Copy. CHL.
Rockwood, Albert Perry. Mormon Letters and Sermons, 1838–1839. Western Americana Collection. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
The Doctrine and Covenants, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Containing the Revelations Given to Joseph Smith, Jun., the Prophet, for the Building Up of the Kingdom of God in the Last Days. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Office, 1876.
Document Transcript
Footnotes
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Alexander McRae handwriting begins.
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1
See James 1:1.
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2
See Philemon 1:1, 9; and Ephesians 3:1.
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3
See Colossians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 566, 585 [Ether 12:41; Moroni 9:26].
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4
See 2 Peter 1:2.
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5
See 2 Peter 1:5–8.
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6
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 250 [Alma 10:17].
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7
See Romans 8:35, 39.
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8
See Colossians 2:2.
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Insertion in the handwriting of JS.
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Insertion in the handwriting of JS.
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9
See Genesis 4:10–11. For more information on Latter-day Saint casualties during the 1838 conflict, see Introduction to Part 3: 4 Nov. 1838–16 Apr. 1839.
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10
David Lewis, a survivor of the Hawn’s Mill massacre on 30 October 1838, later stated that vigilante Jacob Rogers used “an oald peace of a sythe blade” and “hacked down and hacked into peaces” Latter-day Saint Thomas McBride. (David Lewis, Affidavit, ca. 1839, pp. [40c]–[40d], in Sidney Rigdon, JS, et al., Petition Draft [“To the Publick”]; see also Joseph Young and Jane Bicknell Young, Affidavit, ca. 1839, p. [38d], in Sidney Rigdon, JS, et al., Petition Draft [“To the Publick”].)
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11
“Violated” was a nineteenth-century euphemism for sexual assault or rape. Several individuals reported that anti-Mormon vigilantes harassed and raped Latter-day Saint women during the 1838 conflict. (Block, Rape and Sexual Power in Early America, 111–112; see, for example, American Slavery as It Is, 191–192; Murdock, Journal, 29 Oct. 1838, 103–104; Hyrum Smith, Testimony, Nauvoo, IL, 1 July 1843, pp. 13, 24, Nauvoo, IL, Records, CHL.)
Block, Sharon. Rape and Sexual Power in Early America. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006.
American Slavery as It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses. New York: American Anti- Slavery Society, 1839.
Murdock, John. Journal, ca. 1830–1859. John Murdock, Journal and Autobiography, ca. 1830–1867. CHL. MS 1194, fd. 2.
Nauvoo, IL. Records, 1841–1845. CHL. MS 16800.
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12
See Matthew 19:29.
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13
See Matthew 18:7.
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14
See Psalms 18:11; 27:5.
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15
See Exodus 20:11.
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16
See Revelation, 16–17 Dec. 1833 [D&C 101:89].
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17
See Psalm 102:2.
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18
See Psalm 89:16.
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19
See 2 Timothy 3:1.
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20
See Genesis 1:3.
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21
See Joel 2:31; Revelation 6:12; and Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29:14].
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22
See Daniel 7:13; Matthew 24:30; and Mark 14:62.
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23
See Psalms 2:4; 59:8.
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24
See Proverbs 1:26.
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25
On 22 January 1839, JS and his fellow prisoners appeared before Justice Joel Turnham of the Clay County court on a writ of habeas corpus. On 30 January, after reviewing the evidence, Turnham released Rigdon on bail but remanded the remaining prisoners to jail. (See Introduction to Part 3: 4 Nov. 1838–16 Apr. 1839; Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.)
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26
On 23 March 1839, Hyrum Smith noted that “the Lawyers came in to see us today for the first time for many weeks they appear to be more friendly than usual.” (Hyrum Smith, Liberty, MO, to Mary Fielding Smith, Quincy, IL, 23 Mar. 1839, Mary Fielding Smith, Collection, CHL.)
Smith, Mary Fielding. Collection, ca. 1832–1848. CHL. MS 2779.
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27
Hyrum Smith wrote on 16 March 1839 that “the people here seem to be friendly. . . . the Spirit of the people seems to be in our favour.” (Hyrum Smith, Liberty, MO, to Mary Fielding Smith, Quincy, IL, 16 Mar. 1839, Mary Fielding Smith, Collection, CHL.)
Smith, Mary Fielding. Collection, ca. 1832–1848. CHL. MS 2779.
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28
For more information on the March 1839 escape attempt, see Introduction to Part 3: 4 Nov. 1838–16 Apr. 1839.
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29
Samuel Hadley was the Clay County sheriff and jailer, while Samuel Tillery was the deputy jailer. (See Introduction to Part 3: 4 Nov. 1838–16 Apr. 1839.)
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30
The cost of repairing the breach may have been included in the $480 that Clay County later charged Daviess County for interning the Mormon prisoners since Daviess County lacked a jail. (History of Daviess County, Missouri, 205, 247, 249.)
The History of Daviess County, Missouri. An Encyclopedia of Useful Information, and a Compendium of Actual Facts. . . . Kansas City, MO: Birdsall and Dean, 1882.
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31
For more information on the expulsion order that Missouri governor Lilburn W. Boggs issued on 27 October 1838, see Introduction to Part 3: 4 Nov. 1838–16 Apr. 1839.
The History of Daviess County, Missouri. An Encyclopedia of Useful Information, and a Compendium of Actual Facts. . . . Kansas City, MO: Birdsall and Dean, 1882.
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32
The prisoners’ frustration with the Missouri legislature stemmed from its decision to table the Latter-day Saints’ 10 December 1838 petition for relief, as well as from its failure to appoint a committee of state representatives and senators to investigate the causes of the recent conflict. The bill to create the committee was tabled in the House of Representatives on 4 February 1839 because of opposition from representatives of counties that contained significant numbers of anti-Mormon vigilantes. Atchison, the Clay County representative who introduced the original legislation, did not speak against the motion to table the bill, believing the motion would pass regardless of his opposition. His subsequent failure to revive the bill was criticized in the press as being “a complete surrender of the position he has maintained during the whole session on this subject.” Although Atchison told the press that his actions had been misconstrued, the prisoners apparently based their assessment on negative newspaper reports or suspected he had an ulterior motive. (Edward Partridge et al., Petition, Far West, MO, to the Missouri State Legislature, 10 Dec. 1838, copy, Edward Partridge, Papers, CHL; Journal, of the House of Representatives, of the State of Missouri, 19 Dec. 1838 and 4 Feb. 1839, 128, 367; “Letter from the Editor,” Daily Missouri Republican [St. Louis], 8 Feb. 1839, [2]; David R. Atchison, Jefferson City, MO, 10 Feb. 1839, Letter to the Editor, Daily Missouri Republican, 20 Feb. 1839, [2]; Gentry and Compton, Fire and Sword, 457–462, 485–496.)
Edward Partridge, Papers, 1818–1839. CHL. MS 892.
Journal, of the House of Representatives, of the State of Missouri, at the First Session of the Tenth General Assembly, Begun and Held at the City of Jefferson, on Monday, the Nineteenth Day of November, in the Year of Our Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Eight. Jefferson City, MO: Calvin Gunn, 1839.
Daily Missouri Republican. St. Louis. 1822–1869.
Gentry, Leland Homer, and Todd M. Compton. Fire and Sword: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri, 1836–39. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2011.
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33
Hyrum Smith kept notes on the Missouri habeas corpus statute in the back of his diary. (See Hyrum Smith, Diary, CHL; and An Act to Regulate Proceedings on Writs of Habeas Corpus [6 Mar. 1835], Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri [1835], pp. 297–298, art. 1.)
Smith, Hyrum. Diary, Mar.–Apr. 1839, Oct. 1840. CHL. MS 2945.
The Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri, Revised and Digested by the Eighth General Assembly, During the Years One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Four, and One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Five. Together with the Constitutions of Missouri and of the United States. 3rd ed. St. Louis: Chambers and Knapp, 1841.
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34
On 15 March 1839, the prisoners wrote petitions for writs of habeas corpus, with the intent to submit the petitions to the Missouri Supreme Court. JS’s petition, which was cosigned by several Latter-day Saints from Far West, stated that the “petitioners aver that they can disprove evry item of testimony that has any tendency of criminality against the prisoner for they know it themselvs and can bring many others also to prove the same.” This statement suggests that the prisoners intended to introduce new witnesses to prove JS’s innocence. (Petition to George Tompkins, between 9 and 15 Mar. 1839.)
- 35
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36
Letter from Don Carlos Smith and William Smith, 6 Mar. 1839.
- 37
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Correction in the handwriting of JS.
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38
See Isaiah 54:7.
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39
See Job chaps. 4–5, 8, 11, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 32–37.
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40
This section likely refers to Latter-day Saints who dissented from the church in 1838 and opposed JS. (See Letter to the Church in Caldwell Co., MO, 16 Dec. 1838.)
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41
See Daniel 2:21.
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42
See 2 Corinthians 4:4.
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43
See Job 5:13.
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44
See Job 8:14.
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45
See 1 Kings 16:11.
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46
See Psalm 41:9; and John 13:18.
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47
See John 8:34; and Romans 6:17.
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48
See Colossians 3:6; and Ephesians 2:2; 5:6.
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49
See Ezekiel 43:11; 44:5; and Isaiah 56:7.
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50
See Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; and Luke 17:2.
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51
See, for example, information on the prosecution witnesses at the November 1838 hearing. (Introduction to Part 3: 4 Nov. 1838–16 Apr. 1839.)
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52
See Matthew 3:7; 12:34; 23:33; and Luke 3:7.
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53
See Isaiah 66:18; and Revelation 3:8, 15.
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54
See Job 7:1.
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55
See Zechariah 13:9; and Malachi 3:3.
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56
See Romans 1:20; and Revelation, 16–17 Dec. 1833 [D&C 101:93].
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57
See Genesis 22:13.
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Insertion in the handwriting of JS.
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58
See Isaiah 62:1.
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59
This statement likely refers to church leaders’ ongoing deliberations regarding whether to purchase land and vacant buildings from Isaac Galland in Lee County, Iowa Territory, and at Commerce, Illinois, to provide shelter for the Latter-day Saints emigrating from Missouri. After JS learned about early negotiations in mid-February 1839, he wrote to church leaders in Quincy, expressing support for the purchase. On 5 March, Bishop Edward Partridge explained in a letter to JS that church leaders were hesitant to make the purchase. (Letter from Edward Partridge, 5 Mar. 1839.)
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60
See Proverbs 16:18.
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Alexander McRae handwriting ends; Caleb Baldwin begins.
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61
See 1 Samuel 16:7.
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62
Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines scanned as “critically sifted or examined.” (“Scanned,” in American Dictionary.)
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.
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63
See Romans 3:13.
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Correction in the handwriting of JS.
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64
See John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4; and 1 Peter 1:20.
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65
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 547 [Ether 4:15].
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Deletion and insertion in the handwriting of JS.
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66
See Matthew 18:3.
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67
See 1 Peter 2:1.
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68
See James 5:16.
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Caleb Baldwin handwriting ends; Alexander McRae begins.
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69
See 2 Corinthians 9:15.
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70
See 1 Corinthians 8:5.
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71
See Colossians 1:16.
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72
This language is reminiscent of JS’s 1835 translation of Egyptian papyri, in which “the system of astronomy was unfolded” and “the formation of the planetary System” was explained. The 1835 “Grammar & A[l]phabet of the Egyptian Language” contains references to “the moon, the earth and the sun in their annual revolutions” and God setting “bounds” on the ocean and the lights of heavens during the Creation. (JS, Journal, 1 Oct. and 16 Dec. 1835; “Grammar and A[l]phabet of the Egyptian Language,” pp. 25, 27, 30, Kirtland Egyptian Papers, ca. 1835–1836, CHL.)
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73
See Ephesians 1:10.
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74
Psalm 82 and other Bible passages reference a divine council comprising a head God and a group of heavenly beings. JS’s revelations and teachings in the 1830s expanded upon the biblical concept of Satan’s fall from heaven, which implies a premortal heavenly council. It was not until the 1840s, however, that JS fully explained what he called the “council in heaven” and the “plurality of Gods.” (Revelation 12:7; Isaiah 14:12; Old Testament Revision 1, p. 6 [Moses 4:1–4]; Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29:36–39]; Thomas Bullock, JS Sermon Notes, 16 June 1844, JS Collection, CHL; see also Mullen, Divine Council, 226–244; and Brown, In Heaven as It Is on Earth, 271–272.)
Mullen, E. Theodore. The Divine Council in Canaanite and Early Hebrew Literature. Harvard Semitic Monographs, no. 24. Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1980.
Brown, Samuel M. In Heaven as It Is on Earth: Joseph Smith and the Early Mormon Conquest of Death. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.
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75
See Psalm 95:11; and Hebrews 4:1.
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Insertion in the handwriting of JS.
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76
See 2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 84:9; and Proverbs 30:5.
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77
See 2 Thessalonians 1:4.
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78
JS may have stricken this line before sending the letter, since he subsequently wrote a separate missive informing Emma Smith that she should “have the first reading” of the letter. It is also possible that Emma or someone else struck this line after Emma read the letter. (Letter to Emma Smith, 21 Mar. 1839.)
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79
Released on bail, Rigdon left the Clay County jail on 5 February 1839. His family, presumably including his son-in-law George W. Robinson, left Far West for Illinois soon thereafter, arriving in Quincy on 16 February. (Hyrum Smith, Diary, 15 Mar. 1839; History of the Reorganized Church, 2:316; Editorial, Quincy [IL] Whig, 23 Feb. 1839, [1]; Rigdon, “Life Story of Sidney Rigdon,” 153–158.)
Smith, Hyrum. Diary, Mar.–Apr. 1839, Oct. 1840. CHL. MS 2945.
The History of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 8 vols. Independence, MO: Herald Publishing House, 1896–1976.
Quincy Whig. Quincy, IL. 1838–1856.
Rigdon, John Wickliff. “Life Story of Sidney Rigdon,” no date. CHL. MS 3451.
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80
In Aesop’s fable of the bear and the two travelers, two men agree to support each other during their travels. When a bear approaches them in the forest, one of the men climbs a tree, leaving his companion to play dead on the ground. The bear sniffs the man on the ground and then leaves him alone. The other man climbs down the tree and asks his friend what the bear told him. The friend replies that the bear advised him to “not ever make a Journey with Friends of this Kind.” (Clarke, Fabulae Aesopi Selectae, 48.)
Clarke, H. Fabulae Aesopi Selectae; or, Select Fables of Aesop; with an English Translation, More Literal Than Any Yet Extant, Designed for the Readier Instruction of Beginners in the Latin Tongue. Boston: Samuel Hall, 1787.
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81
Cahoon and John Smith were in the presidency of the stake at Adam-ondi-Ahman, Missouri. Cahoon left Far West for Quincy on 4 February 1839. Smith left soon after and arrived in Illinois on 28 February 1839. (Minutes, 28 June 1838; Cahoon, Autobiography, 47; John Smith, Journal, 24 Oct. 1838–3 June 1839.)
Cahoon, William F. Autobiography, 1878. Microfilm. CHL. MS 8433.
Smith, John (1781-1854). Journal, 1833–1841. John Smith, Papers, 1833-1854. CHL. MS 1326, box 1, fd. 1.
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82
See Mark 8:35; and 1 Corinthians 9:23.
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83
See Romans 5:2; Colossians 1:27; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 130, 286 [Jacob 4:11; Alma 22:14].
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Alexander McRae handwriting ends; individual signatories begin.
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Docket in handwriting of William Clayton.