License for Peter Haws, 18 December 1841

Source Note

JS, License, for
Peter Haws
17 Feb. 1796–1862. Farmer, miller, businessman. Born in Leeds Co., Johnstown District (later in Ontario), Upper Canada. Son of Edward Haws and Polly. Married Charlotte Harrington. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Moved to Kirtland...
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,
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, 18 Dec. 1841; printed form with manuscript additions in the handwriting of
James Sloan
28 Oct. 1792–24 Oct. 1886. City recorder, notary public, attorney, judge, farmer. Born in Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone, Ireland. Son of Alexander Sloan and Anne. Married Mary Magill. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ordained an elder, ...
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; two pages; JS Materials, CCLA. Includes notations.

Single leaf measuring 3⅜ × 7½ inches (9 × 19 cm). The document was folded once horizontally and once vertically. On an unknown date, the license came into the custody of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community of Christ).
Historical Introduction
On 18 December 1841 JS’s clerk
James Sloan
28 Oct. 1792–24 Oct. 1886. City recorder, notary public, attorney, judge, farmer. Born in Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone, Ireland. Son of Alexander Sloan and Anne. Married Mary Magill. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ordained an elder, ...
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filled out a preaching
license
A document certifying an individual’s office in the church and authorizing him “to perform the duty of his calling.” The “Articles and Covenants” of the church implied that only elders could issue licenses; individuals ordained by a priest to an office in...
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for
high priest
An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. Christ and many ancient prophets, including Abraham, were described as being high priests. The Book of Mormon used the term high priest to denote one appointed to lead the church. However, the Book of Mormon also discussed...
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Peter Haws
17 Feb. 1796–1862. Farmer, miller, businessman. Born in Leeds Co., Johnstown District (later in Ontario), Upper Canada. Son of Edward Haws and Polly. Married Charlotte Harrington. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Moved to Kirtland...
View Full Bio
and signed it on behalf of JS. The license certified that Haws was a member of the
church
The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...
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, that he had been
ordained
The conferral of power and authority; to appoint, decree, or set apart. Church members, primarily adults, were ordained to ecclesiastical offices and other responsibilities by the laying on of hands by those with the proper authority. Ordinations to priesthood...
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a high priest, and that he was authorized to preach the gospel. JS authorized hundreds of such licenses every year after church leaders adopted an April 1838 resolution requiring every license to be signed by at least one member of the
First Presidency
The highest presiding body of the church. An 11 November 1831 revelation stated that the president of the high priesthood was to preside over the church. JS was ordained as president of the high priesthood on 25 January 1832. In March 1832, JS appointed two...
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.
1
Resolution, ca. 8 Apr. 1838; see also Cannon, “Licensing in the Early Church,” 96–105.
Comprehensive Works Cited
Cannon, Donald Q. “Licensing in the Early Church.” BYU Studies 22, no. 1 (Winter 1982): 96–105.
Haws’s license is featured here as an example of this type of document issued during this period.
2
Over one hundred licenses were recorded between December 1841 and April 1842. (General Church Recorder, License Record Book, 88–93. For a full list of known licenses authorized by JS, see the Calendar of Documents.)

Haws
17 Feb. 1796–1862. Farmer, miller, businessman. Born in Leeds Co., Johnstown District (later in Ontario), Upper Canada. Son of Edward Haws and Polly. Married Charlotte Harrington. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Moved to Kirtland...
View Full Bio
was ordained a high priest on 3 October 1841.
3
“Names of Members of the High Priests Quorum,” in Nauvoo High Priests Quorum, Record, CHL.
Comprehensive Works Cited
Nauvoo High Priests Quorum. Record, 1840–1891. CHL. CR 1000 2.
Haws’s license may have been issued in December because he was relocating to the church’s lumbering and milling operations in
Wisconsin Territory
Area settled by French, before 1700. Became part of U.S. by Treaty of Paris, 1783. Territory officially formed, 1836, with Belmont established as capital. Capital moved to present-day Burlington, Iowa, 1837. Territory initially included all or part of present...
More Info
.
4
See Rowley, “Mormon Experience in the Wisconsin Pineries,” 121–127.
Comprehensive Works Cited
Rowley, Dennis. “The Mormon Experience in the Wisconsin Pineries, 1841–1845.” BYU Studies 32, nos. 1 and 2 (1992): 119–148.
The license was later recorded in a record book of licenses.
5
General Church Recorder, License Record Book, 88.

Footnotes
1. 1
  Resolution, ca. 8 Apr. 1838; see also Cannon, “Licensing in the Early Church,” 96–105.
  Comprehensive Works Cited
  Cannon, Donald Q. “Licensing in the Early Church.” BYU Studies 22, no. 1 (Winter 1982): 96–105.
2. 2
  Over one hundred licenses were recorded between December 1841 and April 1842. (General Church Recorder, License Record Book, 88–93. For a full list of known licenses authorized by JS, see the Calendar of Documents.)
3. 3
  “Names of Members of the High Priests Quorum,” in Nauvoo High Priests Quorum, Record, CHL.
  Comprehensive Works Cited
  Nauvoo High Priests Quorum. Record, 1840–1891. CHL. CR 1000 2.
4. 4
  See Rowley, “Mormon Experience in the Wisconsin Pineries,” 121–127.
  Comprehensive Works Cited
  Rowley, Dennis. “The Mormon Experience in the Wisconsin Pineries, 1841–1845.” BYU Studies 32, nos. 1 and 2 (1992): 119–148.
5. 5
  General Church Recorder, License Record Book, 88.

Document Transcript

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

This certifies that —— has been recieved into the , organized on the sixth of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty, and has been a — according to the rules and regulations of said church; and is duly authorised to preach the gospel, agreeably to the authority of that office.

Given by the direction of a general of the authorities of said church, assembled in Ill, on the sixth of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty.

Joseph Smith .

C[l]erk. [p. [1]]

Given 18th. Decr. 1841.

Entd Page 88 Book A. [p. [2]]

Footnotes

1
It is unclear why this conference was referenced in Haws’s license, since it is very unlikely that his license was issued by the direction of a council on 6 April 1840. One possibility is that this license was printed the previous year and filled out without the form being updated. (See Minutes and Discourse, 6–8 Apr. 1840; and License for Hosea Stout, 20 Apr. 1840.)
Printed form ends; James Sloan handwriting begins.
2
General Church Recorder, License Record Book, 88.

License for Peter Haws, 18 December 1841

Document Transcript

Footnotes

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