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Agreement with Oliver Granger, 29 April 1840

Source Note

Oliver Granger

7 Feb. 1794–23/25 Aug. 1841. Sheriff, church agent. Born at Phelps, Ontario Co., New York. Son of Pierce Granger and Clarissa Trumble. Married Lydia Dibble, 8 Sept. 1813, at Phelps. Member of Methodist church and licensed exhorter. Sheriff of Ontario Co. ...

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, Agreement, with JS,
Hancock Co.

Formed from Pike Co., 1825. Described in 1837 as predominantly prairie and “deficient in timber.” Early settlers came mainly from mid-Atlantic and southern states. Population in 1835 about 3,200; in 1840 about 9,900; and in 1844 at least 15,000. Carthage ...

More Info
, IL, 29 Apr. 1840; handwriting of
Robert B. Thompson

1 Oct. 1811–27 Aug. 1841. Clerk, editor. Born in Great Driffield, Yorkshire, England. Methodist. Immigrated to Upper Canada, 1834. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Parley P. Pratt, May 1836, in Upper Canada. Ordained an elder by...

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; signatures of
Oliver Granger

7 Feb. 1794–23/25 Aug. 1841. Sheriff, church agent. Born at Phelps, Ontario Co., New York. Son of Pierce Granger and Clarissa Trumble. Married Lydia Dibble, 8 Sept. 1813, at Phelps. Member of Methodist church and licensed exhorter. Sheriff of Ontario Co. ...

View Full Bio
and JS; two pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes dockets, seals, and redaction.
One leaf, measuring 11¾ × 7½ inches (30 × 19 cm). The right edge has the square cut of manufactured paper, whereas the left, top, and bottom edges are all uneven, suggesting they were cut by hand. The leaf was folded in half twice for filing. The weathering on the back of the document suggests that the agreement was kept folded for some time. The leaf has undergone conservation and is encased in a Mylar sleeve. At some point, perhaps in the mid-twentieth century, an unknown person wrote “29 APRIL 1840” in graphite along the right side of the recto, presumably for vertical filing as practiced in the Church Historian’s Office.
Robert B. Thompson

1 Oct. 1811–27 Aug. 1841. Clerk, editor. Born in Great Driffield, Yorkshire, England. Methodist. Immigrated to Upper Canada, 1834. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Parley P. Pratt, May 1836, in Upper Canada. Ordained an elder by...

View Full Bio
’s docket on the document indicates that the agreement was in church possession shortly after its creation. The later redaction suggests institutional custody beginning in the mid-twentieth century. Between 1974 and 1984, the agreement was included in the JS Collection (Supplement).
1

See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection (Supplement), 1833–1844, in the CHL catalog.


The document’s docket, redaction, and cataloging indicate it has remained in continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection (Supplement), 1833–1844, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On 29 April 1840, JS signed an agreement with
Oliver Granger

7 Feb. 1794–23/25 Aug. 1841. Sheriff, church agent. Born at Phelps, Ontario Co., New York. Son of Pierce Granger and Clarissa Trumble. Married Lydia Dibble, 8 Sept. 1813, at Phelps. Member of Methodist church and licensed exhorter. Sheriff of Ontario Co. ...

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transferring to Granger all of the debts and obligations that
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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members JS,
Sidney Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

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, and
Hyrum Smith

9 Feb. 1800–27 June 1844. Farmer, cooper. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Randolph, Orange Co., 1802; back to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co...

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had contracted on 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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’s behalf. Some of these obligations stemmed from transactions related to the
Kirtland Safety Society

A financial institution formed to raise money and provide credit in Kirtland, Ohio. On 2 November 1836, JS, Sidney Rigdon, and others officially organized the Kirtland Safety Society as a community bank by ratifying its constitution. Sidney Rigdon served ...

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, a banking establishment operated by church leaders in
Kirtland

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...

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, Ohio, in 1836 and 1837; others resulted from buying goods to stock Kirtland stores.
1

For an explanation of the debts JS and the church owed in Kirtland, see Madsen, “Tabulating the Impact of Litigation on the Kirtland Economy,” 227–246.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Madsen, Gordon A. “Tabulating the Impact of Litigation on the Kirtland Economy.” In Sustaining the Law: Joseph Smith’s Legal Encounters, edited by Gordon A. Madsen, Jeffrey N. Walker, and John W. Welch, 227–246. Provo, UT: BYU Studies, 2014.

Earlier in April 1840, the
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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high council

A governing body of twelve high priests. The first high council was organized in Kirtland, Ohio, on 17 February 1834 “for the purpose of settling important difficulties which might arise in the church, which could not be settled by the church, or the bishop...

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had discussed Granger’s upcoming trip to the eastern
United States

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

More Info
to “settle some buisness transactions for the church.”
2

Minutes, 12 Apr. 1840.


Granger had previously acted as an
agent

A specific church office and, more generally, someone “entrusted with the business of another.” Agents in the church assisted other ecclesiastical officers, especially the bishop in his oversight of the church’s temporal affairs. A May 1831 revelation instructed...

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for the church and for JS, most notably in selling property and settling outstanding debts in
Ohio

French explored and claimed area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut...

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after church members migrated to
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

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in 1838.
3

See, for example, Horace Kingsbury, Letter of Recommendation for Oliver Granger, 26 Oct. 1838, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 40; and Authorization for Oliver Granger, 13 May 1839.


This April 1840 agreement would allow Granger to continue to conduct business for JS and his counselors in the First Presidency while Granger visited
New York

Located in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...

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and Ohio.
Both
Granger

7 Feb. 1794–23/25 Aug. 1841. Sheriff, church agent. Born at Phelps, Ontario Co., New York. Son of Pierce Granger and Clarissa Trumble. Married Lydia Dibble, 8 Sept. 1813, at Phelps. Member of Methodist church and licensed exhorter. Sheriff of Ontario Co. ...

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and JS signed the agreement. At least two copies of the document were made at the time it was created: the one featured here (apparently retained by JS) and another copy kept by Granger (also containing original signatures).
4

JS and Oliver Granger, Articles of Agreement, 29 Apr. 1840, Hiram Kimball, Collection, CHL.


Except for minor differences in punctuation and wording, the two texts are identical.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    For an explanation of the debts JS and the church owed in Kirtland, see Madsen, “Tabulating the Impact of Litigation on the Kirtland Economy,” 227–246.

    Madsen, Gordon A. “Tabulating the Impact of Litigation on the Kirtland Economy.” In Sustaining the Law: Joseph Smith’s Legal Encounters, edited by Gordon A. Madsen, Jeffrey N. Walker, and John W. Welch, 227–246. Provo, UT: BYU Studies, 2014.

  2. [2]

    Minutes, 12 Apr. 1840.

  3. [3]

    See, for example, Horace Kingsbury, Letter of Recommendation for Oliver Granger, 26 Oct. 1838, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 40; and Authorization for Oliver Granger, 13 May 1839.

  4. [4]

    JS and Oliver Granger, Articles of Agreement, 29 Apr. 1840, Hiram Kimball, Collection, CHL.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Agreement with Oliver Granger, 29 April 1840 Agreement with Oliver Granger, 29 April 1840, Copy

Page [2]

hereby covenants to and agrees with the said
Oliver Granger

7 Feb. 1794–23/25 Aug. 1841. Sheriff, church agent. Born at Phelps, Ontario Co., New York. Son of Pierce Granger and Clarissa Trumble. Married Lydia Dibble, 8 Sept. 1813, at Phelps. Member of Methodist church and licensed exhorter. Sheriff of Ontario Co. ...

View Full Bio
to give one half of said property which the said
Oliver Granger

7 Feb. 1794–23/25 Aug. 1841. Sheriff, church agent. Born at Phelps, Ontario Co., New York. Son of Pierce Granger and Clarissa Trumble. Married Lydia Dibble, 8 Sept. 1813, at Phelps. Member of Methodist church and licensed exhorter. Sheriff of Ontario Co. ...

View Full Bio
shall or may redeem— to him the said
Oliver Granger

7 Feb. 1794–23/25 Aug. 1841. Sheriff, church agent. Born at Phelps, Ontario Co., New York. Son of Pierce Granger and Clarissa Trumble. Married Lydia Dibble, 8 Sept. 1813, at Phelps. Member of Methodist church and licensed exhorter. Sheriff of Ontario Co. ...

View Full Bio
his heirs or assigns
Witness our hands and Seals this twenty ninth day of April A. D. 1840

Signatures of Oliver Granger and JS.


Oliver Granger

7 Feb. 1794–23/25 Aug. 1841. Sheriff, church agent. Born at Phelps, Ontario Co., New York. Son of Pierce Granger and Clarissa Trumble. Married Lydia Dibble, 8 Sept. 1813, at Phelps. Member of Methodist church and licensed exhorter. Sheriff of Ontario Co. ...

View Full Bio
LS
4

TEXT: Both instances of “LS” (locus sigilli, Latin for “location of the seal”) are inscribed within hand-drawn representations of seals.


Joseph Smith Jr LS
Acknowlidged in presence of
Robt [Robert] B Thompson

1 Oct. 1811–27 Aug. 1841. Clerk, editor. Born in Great Driffield, Yorkshire, England. Methodist. Immigrated to Upper Canada, 1834. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Parley P. Pratt, May 1836, in Upper Canada. Ordained an elder by...

View Full Bio
<​Articles of Agreement between
Oliver Granger

7 Feb. 1794–23/25 Aug. 1841. Sheriff, church agent. Born at Phelps, Ontario Co., New York. Son of Pierce Granger and Clarissa Trumble. Married Lydia Dibble, 8 Sept. 1813, at Phelps. Member of Methodist church and licensed exhorter. Sheriff of Ontario Co. ...

View Full Bio
and Joseph Smith Jr​>

Docket in the handwriting of Robert B. Thompson.


[p. [2]]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page [2]

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Agreement with Oliver Granger, 29 April 1840
ID #
1982
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D7:269–271
Handwriting on This Page
  • Robert B. Thompson
  • Oliver Granger
  • Joseph Smith Jr.

Footnotes

  1. new scribe logo

    Signatures of Oliver Granger and JS.

  2. [4]

    TEXT: Both instances of “LS” (locus sigilli, Latin for “location of the seal”) are inscribed within hand-drawn representations of seals.

  3. new scribe logo

    Docket in the handwriting of Robert B. Thompson.

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