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Discourse, circa 9 February 1841

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. 9 Feb. 1841]; in William P. McIntire, Notebook, pp. [10]–[11]; 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

In a meeting of 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....

More Info
lyceum, most likely held on 9 February 1841, JS discussed the fall of Adam and the redemption of humankind.
1

For more on the Nauvoo lyceum, see Historical Introduction to Discourse, ca. 2 Feb. 1841.


As early as 1829, JS began to teach an understanding of the Fall that sharply contrasted with Calvinist and other traditional, contemporary Christian viewpoints. For example, in contrast to John Calvin’s insistence that “Adam’s sin . . . kindled the dreadful flame of divine wrath against the whole human race,”
2

Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1:260.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Calvin, John. The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Translated by John Allen. 3 vols. Philadelphia: Philip N. Nicklin, 1816.

the Book of Mormon, which JS translated in 1829, averred that God’s purposes were fulfilled rather than thwarted by the Fall. In it, the prophet Lehi declared, “Adam fell, that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.”
3

Book of Mormon, 1840 ed., 65 [2 Nephi 2:25].


In 1830, when JS began his revision of the Bible, his revelatory expansion of the account of the Creation and the Fall in the book of Genesis portrayed Adam as rejoicing over the results of the Fall: “Blessed be the name of God for my transgression for in this life I shall have joy & again in my flesh I shall see God.” Eve was similarly pleased: “Were it not for our transgression we should never had seed & should never had known good & evil & the joy of our redemption & the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obediant.”
4

Old Testament Revision 1, p. 8 [Moses 5:10–11]; see also Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29].


JS’s teachings during this lyceum meeting expanded upon this understanding that the fall of Adam was part of the plan of God.
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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wrote an account of this JS discourse in his personal notebook. It is the only known source recording JS’s teaching that day. Although McIntire did not provide a date for the meeting, lyceum meetings appear to have been held every Tuesday, and because the text of this discourse is found in the sixth entry of McIntire’s notebook, JS most likely delivered it at the lyceum meeting of 9 February, the sixth Tuesday of 1841.
5

For more information on dating in McIntire’s notebook, see Historical Introduction to Discourse, ca. 2 Feb. 1841.


Footnotes

  1. [1]

    For more on the Nauvoo lyceum, see Historical Introduction to Discourse, ca. 2 Feb. 1841.

  2. [2]

    Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1:260.

    Calvin, John. The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Translated by John Allen. 3 vols. Philadelphia: Philip N. Nicklin, 1816.

  3. [3]

    Book of Mormon, 1840 ed., 65 [2 Nephi 2:25].

  4. [4]

    Old Testament Revision 1, p. 8 [Moses 5:10–11]; see also Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29].

  5. [5]

    For more information on dating in McIntire’s notebook, see Historical Introduction to Discourse, ca. 2 Feb. 1841.

Page [10]

Joseph said in answer to
<​Mr.​> [Hosea] stout

18 Sept. 1810–2 Mar. 1889. Farmer, teacher, carpenter, sawmill operator, lawyer. Born near Pleasant Hill, Mercer Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Stout and Anna Smith. Moved to Union Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, 1819; to Wilmington, Clinton Co., fall 1824; to...

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1

McIntire’s notebook does not mention what Stout said that elicited this response from JS. During this meeting, other speakers presented a variety of unrelated topics. (See McIntire, Notebook, [9]–[10].)


Comprehensive Works Cited

McIntire, William Patterson. Notebook, 1840–1845. CHL. MS 1014.

[p. [10]]
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Source Note

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Discourse, circa 9 February 1841
ID #
606
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D8:29–30
Handwriting on This Page
  • William McIntire

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    McIntire’s notebook does not mention what Stout said that elicited this response from JS. During this meeting, other speakers presented a variety of unrelated topics. (See McIntire, Notebook, [9]–[10].)

    McIntire, William Patterson. Notebook, 1840–1845. CHL. MS 1014.

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