Discourse, 16 May 1841, as Published in Times and Seasons

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Discourse, 16 May 1841, as Published in Times and Seasons
Source Note

JS, Discourse, [
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], 16 May 1841. Featured version published in Times and Seasons, 1 June 1841, vol. 2, no. 15, 429–430. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.

Historical Introduction
On 16 May 1841 in
Nauvoo
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, Illinois, JS spoke to “a large concourse of the
saints
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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assembled on the meeting ground” on a Sunday morning with weather that “promised a beautiful day.” He began speaking at ten o’clock in the morning and spoke for “more than two hours.”
1
Report, Times and Seasons, 1 June 1841, 2:429, 430.
Comprehensive Works Cited
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
In his sermon, JS explained that the devil did not have compulsory power over embodied beings, thereby refuting the idea that Satan could compel people to sin. JS also spoke on the “first principles of the gospel,” especially the
laying on of hands
A practice in which individuals place their hands upon a person to bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost, ordain to an office or calling, or confer other power, authority, or blessings, often as part of an ordinance. The Book of Mormon explained that ecclesiastical...
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for the
gift of the Holy Ghost
A right or privilege bestowed through the confirmation ordinance. Individuals were confirmed members of the church and received the gift of the Holy Ghost through the laying on of hands. The Book of Mormon explained that remission of sins requires not only...
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. He then addressed the doctrine of election, explaining that the promises of the Old Testament continue and that the elect “shall be the ‘Saviors on mount Zion.’”

Multiple accounts of the discourse exist. One of the featured accounts of the sermon suggests that JS selected these topics after “observing that many of the saints who had come from different States and Nations, had only a very superficial knowledge of these principles.” Before joining the Latter-day Saint faith, some of the newly arrived British converts were members of the Church of England, which affirmed the doctrine of predestination, or unconditional election.
2
Thorp, “Religious Backgrounds of Mormon Converts in Britain,” 60. The seventeenth article of the Church of England asserted that “predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby, before the foundations of the world were laid, he hath constantly decreed by his counsel, secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honour.” (Wilson, XXXIX Articles of the Church of England, 119–125.)
Thorp, Malcom R. “The Religious Backgrounds of Mormon Converts in Britain, 1837–52.” Journal of Mormon History 4 (1977): 51–66.
Wilson, William. The XXXIX of the Church of England, Illustrated by Extracts from the Liturgy, Nowell’s Catechism, Jewell’s Apology, the Homilies, Bullinger’s Decades, &c. New, enlarged ed. Oxford: J. Abrams, 1840.
Much of JS’s recorded sermon, however, refuted the Anglican understanding of this doctrine by focusing on election through obedience to the gospel.

The 16 May 1841 discourse was widely distributed. The published account of the discourse in the 1 June 1841 issue of the Times and Seasons was printed, distributed, and mailed to subscribers sometime in early June. The New York Herald republished the discourse alongside JS’s January 1841 revelation and several other Latter-day Saint proclamations. The editor of the Herald caustically opined: “Joe has some of the energetic characteristics of Mahomet, the Arabian prophet, or Moses, the Jewish prophet. His ‘Revelation’ is his code of thought—his ‘Sermon,’ his practice at his home—his ‘Proclamation’ is carrying Mormons to the West—and his ‘General Orders’ show that he is determined not to be put down by the Gentiles.”
3
“Highly Important from the Far West,” New York Herald, 29 June 1841, [2].
New York Herald. New York City. 1835–1924.
The Herald also lambasted JS for combining his religion with military and civil power, thus reinforcing a growing fear among many Americans that JS held too much power in
Nauvoo
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.
4
“Highly Important from the Far West,” New York Herald, 29 June 1841, [2]; see also, “The Mormons,” Warsaw (IL) Signal, 19 May 1841, [2].
Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

No complete manuscript of the sermon as it was delivered exists. The scribe or scribes who recorded the discourse are unknown. The version published in the Times and Seasons concluded by informing its readers that “this is but a very imperfect sketch” of the lengthy discourse. An additional partial transcript of the text in unidentified handwriting also exists. The handwritten account of the discourse was apparently created by someone in attendance at the meeting and includes details not found in the published version. The handwritten version was copied into a larger collection of JS's teachings, some of which are not dated, making it difficult to determine when this version was copied into the larger source.
Footnotes
[1]
Report, Times and Seasons, 1 June 1841, 2:429, 430.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
[2]
Thorp, “Religious Backgrounds of Mormon Converts in Britain,” 60. The seventeenth article of the Church of England asserted that “predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby, before the foundations of the world were laid, he hath constantly decreed by his counsel, secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honour.” (Wilson, XXXIX Articles of the Church of England, 119–125.)
Thorp, Malcom R. “The Religious Backgrounds of Mormon Converts in Britain, 1837–52.” Journal of Mormon History 4 (1977): 51–66.
Wilson, William. The XXXIX of the Church of England, Illustrated by Extracts from the Liturgy, Nowell’s Catechism, Jewell’s Apology, the Homilies, Bullinger’s Decades, &c. New, enlarged ed. Oxford: J. Abrams, 1840.
[3]
“Highly Important from the Far West,” New York Herald, 29 June 1841, [2].
[4]
“Highly Important from the Far West,” New York Herald, 29 June 1841, [2]; see also, “The Mormons,” Warsaw (IL) Signal, 19 May 1841, [2].
Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Discourse, 16 May 1841, as Published in Times and Seasons
*Discourse, 16 May 1841, as Reported by Unidentified Scribe History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith” Discourse, 16 May 1841, as Reported by William Clayton
Page 429
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He commenced his observations by remarking that the kindness of our Heavenly Father, called for our heartfelt gratitude. He then observed that satan was generally blamed for the evils which we did, but if he was the cause of all our wickedness, men could not be condemned. The devil cannot compel mankind to evil, all was voluntary.—
1
Two months earlier at a Nauvoo lyceum meeting, JS similarly taught that “satan cannot seduce us By his enticements unless we in our h[e]arts Consent & yeald— our organization such that we can Resist the Devil If we were Not organized so we would Not be free agents.” (Discourse, ca. 16 Mar. 1841.)
Those who resist the spirit of God, are liable to be led into temptation, and then the association of heaven is withdrawn from those who refuse to be made partakers of such great glory—God would not exert any compulsory means and the Devil could not; and such ideas as were entertained by many were absurd. The creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but Christ subjected the same in hope—we are all subject to vanity while we travel through the crooked paths, and difficulties which surround us. Where is the man that is free from vanity? None ever were [p. 429]
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Editorial Title
Discourse, 16 May 1841, as Published in Times and Seasons
ID #
650
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D8:148–153
Handwriting on This Page
Printed text
Footnotes
[1]
Two months earlier at a Nauvoo lyceum meeting, JS similarly taught that “satan cannot seduce us By his enticements unless we in our h[e]arts Consent & yeald— our organization such that we can Resist the Devil If we were Not organized so we would Not be free agents.” (Discourse, ca. 16 Mar. 1841.)