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Discourse, 16 July 1843, as Reported by William Clayton

Source Note

JS, Discourse, [, Hancock Co., IL, 16 July 1843]. Featured version copied [ca. 16 July 1843] in William Clayton, Journal, 25 Apr. 1843–24 Sept. 1844, pp. [65]–[66]; handwriting of ; William Clayton, Journals, 1842–1846, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to “Hands in the Stone Shop,” 21 Dec. 1842.

Historical Introduction

During the afternoon of 16 July 1843 in , Illinois, JS preached a discourse about eternal marriage in the near the unfinished . The previous May, JS had privately taught that “except a man and his wife enter into an and be married for eternity while in this probation by the power and authority of the they will cease to increase when they die (i e) they will not have any children in the resurrection.” Stated positively, JS taught that “those who are married by the power & authority of the in this life & continue without committing the sin against the Holy Ghost will continue to increase & have children in the .” On 12 July 1843, JS dictated a lengthy revelation that detailed the law of eternal marriage, including the principle of plural marriage. The sensitivity of the latter practice meant the revelation would be known among only a small number of members.
JS’s 16 July 1843 discourse was the first occasion on which he publicly taught the concept of eternal marriage, promising that he would teach the Latter-day Saints more about eternal unions when the was completed. JS also announced in the discourse that the Saints should recognize as a prophet. JS’s scribe , who was not present for JS’s discourse but who heard reports of it soon after, related to fellow on 18 July that JS “said he would not p[r]ophecy any more” but that “Hyrum should be the prophet.” The announcement was likely based in part on an 1841 revelation that confirmed Hyrum Smith’s appointment as church and also designated him as a “prophet and a seer and a revelator” authorized to “act in concert” with JS. Some church members were confused by JS’s 16 July comments regarding his brother, fearing that JS intended to resign as prophet. A week later, on 23 July, JS publicly reassured the Saints that he would remain the prophet.
and recorded accounts of JS’s 16 July 1843 discourse in their journals. Both accounts are featured here. The polished nature of each version suggests that the men reconstructed JS’s words after the fact, likely based on notes but possibly from memory.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Instruction, 16 May 1843.

  2. [2]

    Revelation, 12 July 1843 [D&C 132].

  3. [3]

    In a 21 May 1843 discourse, JS mentioned eternal covenants but did not connect the subject with marriage. (See Discourse, 21 May 1843.)

  4. [4]

    Willard Richards, Nauvoo, IL, to Brigham Young, New York City, NY, 18–19 July 1843, Brigham Young Office Files, CHL. Richards also recorded that JS instructed “the elders not to prophecy when they went out preaching.”

    Brigham Young Office Files, 1832–1878. CHL. CR 1234 1.

  5. [5]

    Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:91–95]. On 27 May 1843, during a meeting of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, JS stated that “the patriarchal office is the highest office in the church.” (Minutes and Discourse, 27 May 1843.)

  6. [6]

    See Discourse, 23 July 1843.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Discourse, 16 July 1843, as Reported by William Clayton *Discourse, 16 July 1843, as Reported by Franklin D. Richards History Draft [1 March–31 December 1843] History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page [66]

on her in the next. He said that he could not reveal the fulness of these things untill the is completed &c. [p. [66]]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page [66]

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Discourse, 16 July 1843, as Reported by William Clayton
ID #
1121
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D12:487
Handwriting on This Page
  • William Clayton

Footnotes

  1. [3]

    A 12 July 1843 revelation including instruction on eternal marriage stated, “If a man marry him a wife, in the world, and he marry her not by me, nor by my word; and he covenant with her, So long as he is in the world, and She with him, their covenant and marriage is not of force when they are dead, and when they are out of the world therefore they are not bound by any law when they are out of the world.” (Revelation, 12 July 1843 [D&C 132:15].)

  2. [4]

    In early 1841, JS dictated a revelation that commanded the building of the Nauvoo temple, explaining that “there is not place found on the earth; that he [God] may come and restore again that which was lost unto you, or which he hath taken away, even the fulness of the Priesthood.” According to Levi Richards’s brief account of the featured discourse, JS further stated that the temple would be necessary so “the Servant[s] of God may be sealed in their foreheads” and that “the 4 Angels” would not be “permitted to destroy the earth till it [the temple] was done,” allusions to the book of Revelation. (Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:28]; Levi Richards, Journal, 16 July 1843; Revelation 7:1–8; 14:1.)

    Richards, Levi. Journals, 1840–1853. Levi Richards, Papers, 1837–1867. CHL. MS 1284, box 1.

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