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Discourse, circa 21 March 1841, as Reported by William P. McIntire

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....

More Info
, Hancock Co., IL, ca. 21 Mar. 1841]. Featured version in William P. McIntire, Notebook, p. [17]; handwriting of
William P. McIntire

29 May 1813–5 Jan. 1882. Tailor. Born in Wheatfield, Indiana Co., Pennsylvania. Son of George McIntire and Sarah Davis. Married Anna Patterson, ca. 1833, in Pennsylvania. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Erastus Snow, 23 Nov. 1836...

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; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Account of Meeting and Discourse, 5 Jan. 1841, as Reported by William P. McIntire.

Historical Introduction

At a Sunday meeting, likely held on 21 March 1841 at the home of
bishop

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. JS appointed Edward Partridge as the first bishop in February 1831. Following this appointment, Partridge functioned as the local leader of the church in Missouri. Later revelations described a bishop’s duties as receiving...

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Vinson Knight

14 Mar. 1804–31 July 1842. Farmer, druggist, school warden. Born at Norwich, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Rudolphus Knight and Rispah (Rizpah) Lee. Married Martha McBride, July 1826. Moved to Perrysburg, Cattaraugus Co., New York, by 1830. Owned farm...

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in
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....

More Info
, Illinois, JS gave a discourse on portions of the biblical book of Malachi, focusing particularly on how the text related to the Levitical, or
Aaronic, priesthood

The lower, or lesser, of two divisions of the priesthood. Sometimes called the Levitical priesthood. It was named for Aaron, the brother of Moses, “because it was conferred upon Aaron and his seed” in antiquity. JS and other church leaders taught that the...

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. Two versions of this sermon are extant: one written contemporaneously by
William P. McIntire

29 May 1813–5 Jan. 1882. Tailor. Born in Wheatfield, Indiana Co., Pennsylvania. Son of George McIntire and Sarah Davis. Married Anna Patterson, ca. 1833, in Pennsylvania. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Erastus Snow, 23 Nov. 1836...

View Full Bio
and one written later by Martha Jane Knowlton Coray. Both versions are featured here.
JS had a long history of engaging with the book of Malachi. For example, in JS’s account of a heavenly visitation in 1823, an angel named Moroni quoted the third and fourth chapters of Malachi.
1

JS History, vol. A-1, 5.


Oliver Cowdery

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

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and JS also averred that another heavenly messenger, John the Baptist, appeared to them in 1829 and referenced Malachi when he conferred upon them authority to
baptize

An ordinance in which an individual is immersed in water for the remission of sins. The Book of Mormon explained that those with necessary authority were to baptize individuals who had repented of their sins. Baptized individuals also received the gift of...

View Glossary
, telling them, “Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah I confer this
priesthood

Power or authority of God. The priesthood was conferred through the laying on of hands upon adult male members of the church in good standing; no specialized training was required. Priesthood officers held responsibility for administering the sacrament of...

View Glossary
and this authority, which shall remain upon the earth, that the sons of Levi may yet offer an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.”
2

Oliver Cowdery, Norton, OH, to William W. Phelps, 7 Sept. 1834, in Messenger and Advocate, Oct. 1834, 1:16; JS History, vol. A-1, 17; see also Malachi 3:3.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

References to Malachi also appear in several early revelations dictated by JS, including an 1832 revelation that mentioned the “sons of Aaron” making “an aaceptable offering and sacrifice in the house of the Lord.”
3

Revelation, 22–23 Sept. 1832 [D&C 84:31]; see also Revelation, 9 Dec. 1830 [D&C 36:8]; Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:34]; Revelation, 8 Aug. 1831 [D&C 60:4]; Revelation, 3 Nov. 1831 [D&C 133:2]; and JS, Journal, 27 July 1838.


After JS delivered the sermon featured here, the text of Malachi appeared repeatedly in JS’s teachings.
4

In a September 1842 letter to the church, JS again quoted the verses from Malachi 3 that deal with the purification of the sons of Levi. In December 1842, JS explained that this purification of the sons of Levi was accomplished “by giving unto them inteligince— that we are not capable of meditating on & reciving all the inteligence which belongs to an immortal state. it is to[o] powerful for our faculties.” (JS, Journal, 11 Sept. and 28 Dec. 1842.)


JS’s discussion of priesthood in this discourse may have been related to the organization of the “Lesser Priesthood,” or Aaronic Priesthood, in
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....

More Info
, which occurred on the same day as the featured discourse and consisted of appointing
presidencies

An organized body of leaders over priesthood quorums and other ecclesiastical organizations. A November 1831 revelation first described the office of president over the high priesthood and the church as a whole. By 1832, JS and two counselors constituted ...

View Glossary
for the
priests

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. In the Book of Mormon, priests were described as those who baptized, administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto the church,” and taught “the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” A June 1829 revelation directed...

View Glossary
,
teachers

Generally, one who instructs, but also an ecclesiastical and priesthood office. The Book of Mormon explained that teachers were to be ordained “to preach repentance and remission of sins through Jesus Christ, by the endurance of faith on his name to the end...

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, and
deacons

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. The “Articles and Covenants” directed deacons to assist teachers in their duties. Deacons were also to “warn, expound, exhort, and teach and invite all to come unto Christ.” Although deacons did not have the authority...

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quorums

An organized group of individuals holding the same office in the Melchizedek priesthood or the Aaronic priesthood. According to the 1835 “Instruction on Priesthood,” the presidency of the church constituted a quorum. The Twelve Apostles also formed a quorum...

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.
5

Organization of Lesser Priesthood, ca. 1845, Historian’s Office, JS History Documents, 1839–1860, CHL; see also Revelation, 22–23 Sept. 1832 [D&C 84:29–30]; and Instruction on Priesthood, between ca. 1 Mar. and ca. 4 May 1835 [D&C 107:5, 10].


Comprehensive Works Cited

Historian’s Office. Joseph Smith History Documents, 1839–1860. CHL. CR 100 396.

That the meeting where JS gave this discourse was held at the residence of Nauvoo bishop
Vinson Knight

14 Mar. 1804–31 July 1842. Farmer, druggist, school warden. Born at Norwich, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Rudolphus Knight and Rispah (Rizpah) Lee. Married Martha McBride, July 1826. Moved to Perrysburg, Cattaraugus Co., New York, by 1830. Owned farm...

View Full Bio
, a leader over the Aaronic Priesthood, further supports a possible connection between the sermon and the organizing of the “Lesser Priesthood” quorums. JS’s discourse may have been tailored to accompany this organizing of the quorums, or the organization may have been an immediate result of JS’s instruction.
Although neither version of the discourse featured here is dated, the discourse was likely delivered on 21 March 1841. Aside from the fact that the organization of the Aaronic Priesthood quorums occurred on 21 March, the two versions provide internal clues supporting that date.
William P. McIntire

29 May 1813–5 Jan. 1882. Tailor. Born in Wheatfield, Indiana Co., Pennsylvania. Son of George McIntire and Sarah Davis. Married Anna Patterson, ca. 1833, in Pennsylvania. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Erastus Snow, 23 Nov. 1836...

View Full Bio
, for instance, inscribed his notes of the sermon in a personal notebook in which he had previously taken notes on presentations and remarks made by JS and others in the weekly Tuesday meetings of
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....

More Info
’s lyceum. McIntire recorded that the sermon featured here was delivered at a “Sabath Meeting,” and with this entry McIntire appears to have transitioned from taking notes on only the Tuesday lyceum meetings to also recording notes on JS’s discourses in Sunday worship meetings. The entry for this first Sunday sermon appears immediately following an entry that most likely describes a lyceum meeting held on 16 March; assuming the Sabbath meeting where JS delivered this discourse occurred on the Sunday immediately following, it would have been held on 21 March.
6

This dating assumes that the first weekly lyceum meeting was held on Tuesday, 5 January 1841. For more on the dating issues in McIntire’s notebook, see Historical Introduction to Discourse, ca. 2 Feb. 1841.


Martha Jane Knowlton Coray also recorded the sermon in a personal notebook. Her account is a longer, more detailed version of the sermon than
McIntire

29 May 1813–5 Jan. 1882. Tailor. Born in Wheatfield, Indiana Co., Pennsylvania. Son of George McIntire and Sarah Davis. Married Anna Patterson, ca. 1833, in Pennsylvania. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Erastus Snow, 23 Nov. 1836...

View Full Bio
’s, but she recorded it much later. While McIntire apparently made his notes at the time of the sermon, Coray did not make her record until more than a decade later, though she most likely drew information from an earlier document. It is unknown whether Coray was present at the discourse and used her own contemporaneous notes to reconstruct her account of the sermon or whether her account was derived from the notes of one or more others in attendance. She apparently wrote this account in her notebook sometime between October 1843 and December 1854. Coray copied several other JS discourses into her notebook, the sources for which are also unknown. She introduced the first of these teachings by writing, “A few Item from a discourse delivered by Joseph Smith.”
7

Coray, Notebook, [9].


Comprehensive Works Cited

Coray, Martha Jane Knowlton. Notebook, ca. 1850. CHL. MS 1998.

Coray’s account featured here states that the sermon was given in the latter part of winter 1841, which is roughly congruent with the 21 March dating. While there are general similarities between the McIntire and Coray accounts, some material is exclusive to each, and Coray’s account contains many more details.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS History, vol. A-1, 5.

  2. [2]

    Oliver Cowdery, Norton, OH, to William W. Phelps, 7 Sept. 1834, in Messenger and Advocate, Oct. 1834, 1:16; JS History, vol. A-1, 17; see also Malachi 3:3.

    Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

  3. [3]

    Revelation, 22–23 Sept. 1832 [D&C 84:31]; see also Revelation, 9 Dec. 1830 [D&C 36:8]; Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:34]; Revelation, 8 Aug. 1831 [D&C 60:4]; Revelation, 3 Nov. 1831 [D&C 133:2]; and JS, Journal, 27 July 1838.

  4. [4]

    In a September 1842 letter to the church, JS again quoted the verses from Malachi 3 that deal with the purification of the sons of Levi. In December 1842, JS explained that this purification of the sons of Levi was accomplished “by giving unto them inteligince— that we are not capable of meditating on & reciving all the inteligence which belongs to an immortal state. it is to[o] powerful for our faculties.” (JS, Journal, 11 Sept. and 28 Dec. 1842.)

  5. [5]

    Organization of Lesser Priesthood, ca. 1845, Historian’s Office, JS History Documents, 1839–1860, CHL; see also Revelation, 22–23 Sept. 1832 [D&C 84:29–30]; and Instruction on Priesthood, between ca. 1 Mar. and ca. 4 May 1835 [D&C 107:5, 10].

    Historian’s Office. Joseph Smith History Documents, 1839–1860. CHL. CR 100 396.

  6. [6]

    This dating assumes that the first weekly lyceum meeting was held on Tuesday, 5 January 1841. For more on the dating issues in McIntire’s notebook, see Historical Introduction to Discourse, ca. 2 Feb. 1841.

  7. [7]

    Coray, Notebook, [9].

    Coray, Martha Jane Knowlton. Notebook, ca. 1850. CHL. MS 1998.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Discourse, circa 21 March 1841, as Reported by William P. McIntire
*Discourse, circa 21 March 1841, as Reported by Martha Jane Knowlton Coray

Page [17]

Sabath Meeting— Joseph Read the 2 & 3d. Chapters of Malichi & stated that there was a
priestHood

Power or authority of God. The priesthood was conferred through the laying on of hands upon adult male members of the church in good standing; no specialized training was required. Priesthood officers held responsibility for administering the sacrament of...

View Glossary
Confered upon all the sons of Levi throughout the Jeneration of the Jews & he also said they beCome heirs to that pristHood By Linage or Decent [descent] & held the
Keys

Authority or knowledge of God given to humankind. In the earliest records, the term keys primarily referred to JS’s authority to unlock the “mysteries of the kingdom.” Early revelations declared that both JS and Oliver Cowdery held the keys to bring forth...

View Glossary
of the first principles of the Gospel—
1

In an 1835 letter, JS taught that the first principles of the gospel were repentance, baptism, and laying on of hands for the Holy Ghost. However, in the church those ordained to the Levitical priesthood were not authorized to lay on hands. (Letter to the Elders of the Church, 2 Oct. 1835.)


for this— he quoted concerning Jesus coming to John to be
Baptized

An ordinance in which an individual is immersed in water for the remission of sins. The Book of Mormon explained that those with necessary authority were to baptize individuals who had repented of their sins. Baptized individuals also received the gift of...

View Glossary
of John that he (Jesus) might Enter into the Kingdom as John held the Keys suffer it to be so now &c
2

See Matthew 3:15.


he also Brought up Zacharias pleading with the Lord in the temple that he might have seed so that the preistHood might be presurved
3

The account of the miraculous birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias and Elizabeth is found in Luke 1. An earlier JS revelation also references the promise made to Zacharias. (See Luke 1:5–25; and Revelation, ca. Aug. 1835 [D&C 27:7].)


he also prophesyed that all those that made Light of the Revelations that was Given and him & his words— would are [ere] Long Cry & Lement (when the servent of God would be imprizened) say O!! that we had harkened to the words of God & the Revelattions Given But all opertunity is Cut of[f] from them
4

See Book of Mormon, 1840 ed., 432 [Helaman 13:32–33].


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Source Note

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Discourse, circa 21 March 1841, as Reported by William P. McIntire
ID #
621
Total Pages
1
Print Volume Location
JSP, D8:79–85
Handwriting on This Page
  • William McIntire

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    In an 1835 letter, JS taught that the first principles of the gospel were repentance, baptism, and laying on of hands for the Holy Ghost. However, in the church those ordained to the Levitical priesthood were not authorized to lay on hands. (Letter to the Elders of the Church, 2 Oct. 1835.)

  2. [2]

    See Matthew 3:15.

  3. [3]

    The account of the miraculous birth of John the Baptist to Zacharias and Elizabeth is found in Luke 1. An earlier JS revelation also references the promise made to Zacharias. (See Luke 1:5–25; and Revelation, ca. Aug. 1835 [D&C 27:7].)

  4. [4]

    See Book of Mormon, 1840 ed., 432 [Helaman 13:32–33].

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