The Papers
Browse the PapersDocumentsJournalsAdministrative RecordsRevelations and TranslationsHistoriesLegal RecordsFinancial RecordsOther Contemporary Papers
Reference
PeoplePlacesEventsGlossaryLegal GlossaryFinancial GlossaryCalendar of DocumentsWorks CitedFeatured TopicsLesson PlansRelated Publications
Media
VideosPhotographsIllustrationsChartsMapsPodcasts
News
Current NewsArchiveNewsletterSubscribeJSP Conferences
About
About the ProjectJoseph Smith and His PapersFAQAwardsEndorsementsReviewsEditorial MethodNote on TranscriptionsNote on Images of People and PlacesReferencing the ProjectCiting This WebsiteProject TeamContact Us
Published Volumes
  1. Home > 
  2. The Papers > 

Introduction to the Trustee Records

Page

JS was an ambitious religious leader and community builder, and nowhere was that more evident than in his ideas for the Latter-day Saint settlement in the area of
Commerce

Located near middle of western boundary of state, bordering Mississippi River. European Americans settled area, 1820s. From bank of river, several feet above high-water mark, ground described as nearly level for six or seven blocks before gradually sloping...

More Info
, Illinois, which later became
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
. He had worked previously to plan and build communities for the Saints in
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 ...

More Info
and
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...

More Info
, but in Nauvoo he was able to more fully realize and develop his design for a Latter-day Saint community.
As part of JS’s plans, he worked to legally incorporate the church in
Illinois

Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...

More Info
. For that purpose, the Saints created a bill to present to the Illinois state senate to incorporate the church and allow it to own property as a corporation, with the
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...

View Glossary
functioning as the trustees.
1

Bill to Incorporate the Church, 14 Dec. 1840.


However, in December 1840 when the bill was introduced to the senate, Senator
Sidney Little

25 July 1807–July 1841. Lawyer, politician. Married Sarah P. Fisk, 7 Aug. 1831, in Hilham, Overton Co., Tennessee. Moved to Carthage, Hancock Co., Illinois, ca. 1834 or 1835. Elected to Illinois Senate, 1838. Introduced “Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo...

View Full Bio
replaced it with a proposal to appoint a notary public 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
. Surviving records do not indicate why the original bill was not considered.
2

Journal of the Senate . . . of the State of Illinois, 15 Dec. 1840, 81. Alternatively, the Illinois legislature may have rejected the bill because it was reluctant to give any religion or religious organization special status or exclusive privileges. (See Oman, “Established Agreeable to the Laws of our Country,” 216–217.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Journal of the Senate of the Twelfth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, At Their Second Session, Begun and Held in the City of Springfield, December 7, 1840. Springfield, IL: Wm. Walters, 1840.

Oman, Nathan B. “‘Established Agreeable to the Laws of Our Country’: Mormonism, Church Corporations, and the Long Legacy of America’s First Disestablishment.” Journal of Law and Religion 36, no. 2 (August 2021): 202–229.

The Illinois legislature may have considered a bill to incorporate the church unnecessary because of a state statute passed in 1835, titled “An Act concerning Religious Societies,” which simplified and standardized the process of incorporation for religious organizations. It required any religious organization seeking incorporation to file a certification of the election or appointment of trustees with their county recorder, after which the organization would be granted a default set of powers and responsibilities.
3

An Act concerning Religious Societies [6 Feb. 1835], Laws of the State of Illinois (1834–1835), pp. 147–149. The preamble to the act clarified that it was created because “petitions are frequently presented to the legislature of the State to incorporate religious societies,” and “if said acts of incorporation were granted, it would lead to an endless system of partial legislation.”


Comprehensive Works Cited

Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835. Vandalia, IL: J. Y. Sawyer, 1835.

Having failed to gain incorporation through the bill they had drafted, the Saints turned to the 1835 law. To comply with the statute, a special conference was held on 30 January 1841 during which JS was elected as “sole trustee in-trust” for the church. Notice of JS’s election was filed with the
Hancock County

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
, Illinois, recorder three days later.
4

Appointment as Trustee, 2 Feb. 1841.


While JS and other Latter-day Saints used the title “trustee-in-trust,” this was not a recognized legal position or title outside of Latter-day Saint usage. Legally, JS was simply a trustee. It appears the Saints may have taken their title from the nineteenth-century legal phrase “trustee in trust, for,” which was boilerplate legal language in records related to trustees. With use 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
and later in Utah, the name became commonplace among Latter-day Saints; it became a title for the designated church trustee or trustees.
5

See Oman, “‘Established Agreeable to the Laws of our Country,’” 218; Arrington, “The Settlement of the Brigham Young Estate,” 1.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Oman, Nathan B. “‘Established Agreeable to the Laws of Our Country’: Mormonism, Church Corporations, and the Long Legacy of America’s First Disestablishment.” Journal of Law and Religion 36, no. 2 (August 2021): 202–229.

Arrington, Leonard J. “The Settlement of the Brigham Young Estate, 1877–1879,” Pacific Historical Review 21, no. 1 (February 1952): 1–20.

As trustee, JS was responsible for the church’s finances, including property purchased by or for the church or donated to the church, as well as tithing and donations for the
temple

Located in portion of Nauvoo known as the bluff. JS revelation dated Jan. 1841 commanded Saints to build temple and hotel (Nauvoo House). Cornerstone laid, 6 Apr. 1841. Saints volunteered labor, money, and other resources for temple construction. Construction...

More Info
.
JS’s vision for the city 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
far exceeded what was standard for other church congregations and ministers of the time in
Illinois

Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...

More Info
and was greater than what the 1835 statute accounted for. The prescribed powers and responsibilities included in the 1835 law and its amendments were designed for the needs of an average Protestant congregation and thus allowed religious organizations to hold five acres for a meetinghouse and forty acres for outdoor camp-meeting grounds.
6

An Act to Amend “An Act in relation to Religious Societies” [2 Mar. 1839], Laws of the State of Illinois (1838–1839), p. 267, secs. 1–2.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Eleventh General Assembly at Their Session Began and Held at Vandalia, on the Third of December, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Eight. Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1839.

This model did not fit well with JS’s plans for development, with church leaders functioning as those holding the properties and assets of the church.
When the Saints began to settle in
Illinois

Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...

More Info
and
Iowa Territory

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803. First permanent white settlements established, ca. 1833. Organized as territory, 1838, containing all of present-day Iowa, much of present-day Minnesota, and parts of North and South Dakota. Population in...

More Info
in 1839, JS, the
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...

View Glossary
, and several agents purchased and then privately held land for the church. These properties were purchased by the church to provide homes for the Saints. After becoming trustee, JS sought to consolidate this land, ensuring the property was transferred to him as “trustee-in-trust.” It is not clear if JS knew the limitations of Illinois laws, which restricted the amount of land a trustee could hold to forty-five acres, but these and other land acquisitions led to JS holding thousands of acres as church trustee in excess of what was allowed in the statutes. It appears that JS initially gave away considerable property 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
to impoverished Saints without expectation of repayment; however, over time he became more dependent on land sales to meet his financial obligations for the land that had been purchased and for which he was responsible as trustee.
7

Trustees Land Book A, [44].


The sale, purchase, and receipt of property generated a considerable number of financial records. Each purchase, sale, or donation involved the creation of promissory notes, deeds, bonds, or other legal instruments. By early 1843, donations of land to JS as trustee were common enough that JS’s scribes began using printed form deeds, containing set language noting that the property had been conveyed to JS as trustee for the sum of one dollar and the “love and good will” the sellers had toward the church.
8

See Historical Introduction to Deed from Orson and Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, 10 Feb. 1843.


Additionally, those who purchased land often did not have the necessary funds to pay the full amount owed for the land and instead arranged payment plans allowing them to pay in installments over several months or years.
To help create these records and track scheduled payments, JS relied on several scribes and clerks. Even before JS’s appointment as trustee, clerks and agents like
James Mulholland

1804–3 Nov. 1839. Born in Ireland. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Married Sarah Scott, 8 Feb. 1838/1839, at Far West, Caldwell Co., Missouri. Engaged in clerical work for JS, 1838, at Far West. Ordained a seventy, 28 Dec. 1838....

View Full Bio
,
Henry G. Sherwood

20 Apr. 1785–24 Nov. 1867. Surveyor. Born at Kingsbury, Washington Co., New York. Son of Newcomb Sherwood and a woman whose maiden name was Tolman (first name unidentified). Married first Jane J. McManagal (McMangle) of Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland, ca. 1824...

View Full Bio
, and
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
tracked sales, payments, and land transfers for JS in what became Trustee Land Book A. In February 1842, JS hired
William Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

View Full Bio
, an experienced clerk and professional bookkeeper who had emigrated from
England

Island nation consisting of southern portion of Great Britain and surrounding smaller islands. Bounded on north by Scotland and on west by Wales. Became province of Roman Empire, first century. Ruled by Romans, through 447. Ruled by Picts, Scots, and Saxons...

More Info
in fall 1840.
9

Clayton, Diary, 10 Feb. 1842; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 18.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Clayton, William. Diary, Vol. 1, 1840–1842. BYU.

Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

Clayton had considerable impact on the professionalization of the trustee office, and JS left management of the office to Clayton. He often served as an agent for JS as trustee, purchasing and selling land for the church on JS’s behalf.
10

See for example, Bond from Chauncey Robison, 22 Oct. 1842.


Shortly after he was hired, Clayton apparently determined to create a new record book, Trustee Land Book B, which replaced Trustee Land Book A as the record of JS’s land transactions as trustee-in-trust for the church.
Besides managing church lands, JS’s other principal responsibility as trustee was to supervise the collection and distribution of tithing donations for the building of the
Nauvoo temple

Located in portion of Nauvoo known as the bluff. JS revelation dated Jan. 1841 commanded Saints to build temple and hotel (Nauvoo House). Cornerstone laid, 6 Apr. 1841. Saints volunteered labor, money, and other resources for temple construction. Construction...

More Info
. As trustee, JS was ultimately responsible for all donations intended to help build the temple, but from January to December 1841 these donations were handled by the
Nauvoo temple committee

A committee assigned to raise funds and direct the building of the Nauvoo temple; also called the building committee or temple building committee. On 3 October 1840, Alpheus Cutler, Reynolds Cahoon, and Elias Higbee were appointed as a committee responsible...

View Glossary
with minimal oversight by JS. There were evidently problems with the committee’s record keeping, and JS decided to assume responsibility for recording and distributing donations on 11 December 1841.
11

According to Clayton, Nauvoo temple committee member Elias Higbee apparently gave individuals receipts for donated goods but did not keep a general tithing record. On 11 December, JS instructed Brigham Young to tell the temple committee to no longer accept donated goods for the temple but to instead direct donors to present their goods to the trustee to be recorded. (See Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 14; and JS, Journal, 11 Dec. 1841.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

This shift corresponded with
Willard Richards

24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...

View Full Bio
’s appointment as temple recorder on 13 December and the first entries recording donations in the Book of the Law of the Lord.
12

JS, Journal, 13 Dec. 1841.


William Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

View Full Bio
joined Richards in the recorder’s office in February 1842.
13

Clayton, Diary, 10 Feb. 1842; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 18.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Clayton, William. Diary, Vol. 1, 1840–1842. BYU.

Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

In June 1842, when Richards planned to leave
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
for a time, he transferred the record-keeping duties for the office to Clayton.
14

JS, Journal, 29 June 1842.


JS officially appointed Clayton as the new temple recorder in September 1842.
15

Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 30.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

On 1 October, JS instructed Clayton to transfer the temple recorder’s office from JS’s
Nauvoo store

Located in lower portion of Nauvoo (the flats) along bank of Mississippi River. Completed 1841. Opened for business, 5 Jan. 1842. Owned by JS, but managed mostly by others, after 1842. First floor housed JS’s general store and counting room, where tithing...

More Info
to the temple committee’s “committee house,” located near the temple.
16

JS, Journal, 1 Oct. 1842; Notice, 11 Oct. 1842; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 32–35.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

A month later, the temple committee completed a “small brick office” for the temple recorder’s office, and Clayton wrote that on 2 November, he “moved his Records, books, papers &c to the new office and commenced business forthwith.”
17

Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 35.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

As the temple recorders,
Willard Richards

24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...

View Full Bio
and
William Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

View Full Bio
were responsible for running the recorder’s office, which also functioned as the tithing office and managed the business of the trustee’s office. These men, and the clerks working under their direction, recorded tithing, donations, and other transactions involving the trustee. The records created for the temple recorder’s and trustee’s offices were somewhat complex. To understand these records, it is helpful to understand the recording process.
When money or goods came into the recorder’s office, they were first entered in a chronological record book known as a daybook. The earliest daybooks for tithing are apparently no longer extant; the first surviving record book is titled “Tithing Daybook B.”
18

The chronological entries begin in December 1842, but the daybook contains a few entries from earlier in 1842.


After information was entered in the daybook, those items related to tithing or temple donations were then entered in a book known as the Book of the Law of the Lord, which was intended to be a sacred book recording members’ contributions.
19

See Historical Introduction to the Book of the Law of the Lord.


Individuals were credited with tithing for working on the temple, paying debts owed by church leaders, or giving cash or goods.
20

Many of these tithing credits came in the form of receipts from members of the temple committee or other church leaders.


The next step was to distribute these goods. A majority were given to the
Nauvoo temple committee

A committee assigned to raise funds and direct the building of the Nauvoo temple; also called the building committee or temple building committee. On 3 October 1840, Alpheus Cutler, Reynolds Cahoon, and Elias Higbee were appointed as a committee responsible...

View Glossary
to support temple construction, and distribution of these goods to the temple committee was tracked in invoices created by
Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

View Full Bio
and other clerks. Some goods also served as payment for those working in the trustee’s office. The office often lacked funds to pay the daily wage earned by those working in the office, and therefore they were paid in goods or other exchanges as well as in cash.
21

On 1 October 1842, the wages of the trustee-in-trust, committee members, and recorder were set at two dollars per day. (Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 34.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

The distribution of donations was written in a separate book. Initially, clerks recorded distributed goods in a smaller book alongside other information including memorandums of donated goods and an index to goods in the Book of the Law of the Lord.
22

The full title written on the title page of this record book is “Index to The Book of the Law of the Lord And Accounts Current with The Temple Committee & Store, Nauvoo, December 1841.” The Joseph Smith Papers Project has simplified this title to “Trustee Account Book,” and it is available on the website.


Presumably realizing that more space would be needed, by October 1842 they began using a larger record book, known as Trustee-in-Trust, Ledger A.
For an example of the process from initial donation to distribution of goods, consider Latter-day Saint Prudence North living in Greene County, Illinois, who donated ten dollars in silver, a boy’s shirt, and flannel as tithing in January 1843. Her tithing was brought to
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
by
Merinus W. Loveland

View Full Bio

and
Edward R. Walker

View Full Bio

.
23

See Book of the Law of the Lord, Book A, 281.


It was recorded first in the tithing daybook and then in the Book of the Law of the Lord.
24

“Tithing Day Book B,” 22, Trustee-in-Trust, Tithing Daybooks, CHL; Book of the Law of the Lord, Book A, 281.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Tithing and Donation Record, 1844–1846. CHL.

Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

View Full Bio
evidently had a use or need for the flannel and took it as part of the payment he was owed for his work as temple recorder and clerk for the trustee.
25

Clerks and others working in the trustee’s office were paid one dollar a day. At some point this daily wage was increased to two dollars a day. (See Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 34.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

His selection of the flannel was recorded in both the tithing daybook and the accounts kept by the trustee office.
26

“Tithing Day Book B,” 23, Trustee-in-Trust, Tithing Daybooks, CHL; Trustee-in-Trust, Ledger A, p. 278. For a similar situation, in which JS was paid through donated silver teaspoons, see Letter from Erastus Snow, 22 June 1842.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Tithing and Donation Record, 1844–1846. CHL.

Trustee-in-Trust. Ledgers, 1841–1846. CHL.

After JS’s death it took time to appoint people to fill the many positions he held. As a result, JS remained the official church trustee, with
Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

View Full Bio
acting as a temporary trustee, in summer 1844.
27

Clayton, Journal, 7 July 1844.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

Many 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
debated who should be appointed trustee and church president in place of JS, with the general assumption that whoever was appointed would fulfill both roles. While
Emma Smith

10 July 1804–30 Apr. 1879. Scribe, editor, boardinghouse operator, clothier. Born at Willingborough Township (later in Harmony), Susquehanna Co., Pennsylvania. Daughter of Isaac Hale and Elizabeth Lewis. Member of Methodist church at Harmony (later in Oakland...

View Full Bio
and some others argued for the immediate appointment of Nauvoo stake president
William Marks

15 Nov. 1792–22 May 1872. Farmer, printer, publisher, postmaster. Born at Rutland, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of Cornell (Cornwall) Marks and Sarah Goodrich. Married first Rosannah R. Robinson, 2 May 1813. Lived at Portage, Allegany Co., New York, where he...

View Full Bio
as trustee,
Willard Richards

24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...

View Full Bio
and other church leaders advised waiting until a majority of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Members of a governing body in the church, with special administrative and proselytizing responsibilities. A June 1829 revelation commanded Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to call twelve disciples, similar to the twelve apostles in the New Testament and ...

View Glossary
returned to Nauvoo to discuss new appointments.
28

Clayton, Journal, 4, 6–8, 12, and 13–14 July 1844; Richards, Journal, 8 and 14 July 1844.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

On 9 August, after
Brigham Young

1 June 1801–29 Aug. 1877. Carpenter, painter, glazier, colonizer. Born at Whitingham, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of John Young and Abigail (Nabby) Howe. Brought up in Methodist household; later joined Methodist church. Moved to Sherburne, Chenango Co., New...

View Full Bio
and other apostles arrived in Nauvoo, church leaders decided to separate the responsibilities of church president and trustee and elected bishops
Newel K. Whitney

3/5 Feb. 1795–23 Sept. 1850. Trader, merchant. Born at Marlborough, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of Samuel Whitney and Susanna Kimball. Moved to Fairfield, Herkimer Co., New York, 1803. Merchant at Plattsburg, Clinton Co., New York, 1814. Mercantile clerk for...

View Full Bio
and
George Miller

25 Nov. 1794–after July 1856. Carpenter, mill operator, lumber dealer, steamboat owner. Born near Stanardsville, Orange Co., Virginia. Son of John Miller and Margaret Pfeiffer. Moved to Augusta Co., Virginia, 1798; to Madison Co., Kentucky, 1806; to Boone...

View Full Bio
as the new trustees of the church, and the two men signed a certificate and legally assumed the role on 12 August 1844.
29

Newel K. Whitney and George Miller, Appointment as Trustees, 12 Aug. 1844, Nauvoo Trustees Papers, 1844–1848, CHL; Richards, Journal, 9 Aug. 1844.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Nauvoo Trustees Papers, 1844–1848. CHL.

Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

Whitney and Miller served as trustees until January 1846, when
Almon Babbitt

Oct. 1812–Sept. 1856. Postmaster, editor, attorney. Born at Cheshire, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Ira Babbitt and Nancy Crosier. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ca. 1830. Located in Amherst, Lorain Co., Ohio, July 1831....

View Full Bio
,
Joseph L. Heywood

1 Aug. 1815–16 Oct. 1910. Merchant, postmaster, U.S. marshal, hatter, farmer, lawyer. Born in Grafton, Worcester Co., Massachusetts. Son of Benjamin Heywood and Hannah R. Leland. Moved to Illinois, spring 1838. Moved to Quincy, Adams Co., Illinois, fall 1839...

View Full Bio
,
John S. Fullmer

21 July 1807–8 Oct. 1883. Farmer, newsman, postmaster, teacher, merchant. Born at Huntington, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Fullmer and Susannah Zerfass. Moved to Nashville, Davidson Co., Tennessee, spring 1832. Married Mary Ann Price, 24 May 1837...

View Full Bio
were appointed in their stead.
30

George Miller and Newel K. Whitney, Certificate of Election, 24 Jan. 1846, Hancock Co., IL, Bonds and Mortgages, 1840–1904, vol. 2, p. 144, microfilm 954,776, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Young, Journal, 24 Jan. 1846.


Comprehensive Works Cited

U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

Young, Brigham. Journals, 1832–1877. Brigham Young Office Files, 1832–1878. CHL. CR 1234 1, boxes 71–73.

View entire transcript

|

Cite this page

Source Note

Document Transcript

Page

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Introduction to the Trustee Records
ID #
20437
Total Pages
1
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page

    Footnotes

    1. [1]

      Bill to Incorporate the Church, 14 Dec. 1840.

    2. [2]

      Journal of the Senate . . . of the State of Illinois, 15 Dec. 1840, 81. Alternatively, the Illinois legislature may have rejected the bill because it was reluctant to give any religion or religious organization special status or exclusive privileges. (See Oman, “Established Agreeable to the Laws of our Country,” 216–217.)

      Journal of the Senate of the Twelfth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, At Their Second Session, Begun and Held in the City of Springfield, December 7, 1840. Springfield, IL: Wm. Walters, 1840.

      Oman, Nathan B. “‘Established Agreeable to the Laws of Our Country’: Mormonism, Church Corporations, and the Long Legacy of America’s First Disestablishment.” Journal of Law and Religion 36, no. 2 (August 2021): 202–229.

    3. [3]

      An Act concerning Religious Societies [6 Feb. 1835], Laws of the State of Illinois (1834–1835), pp. 147–149. The preamble to the act clarified that it was created because “petitions are frequently presented to the legislature of the State to incorporate religious societies,” and “if said acts of incorporation were granted, it would lead to an endless system of partial legislation.”

      Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835. Vandalia, IL: J. Y. Sawyer, 1835.

    4. [4]

      Appointment as Trustee, 2 Feb. 1841.

    5. [5]

      See Oman, “‘Established Agreeable to the Laws of our Country,’” 218; Arrington, “The Settlement of the Brigham Young Estate,” 1.

      Oman, Nathan B. “‘Established Agreeable to the Laws of Our Country’: Mormonism, Church Corporations, and the Long Legacy of America’s First Disestablishment.” Journal of Law and Religion 36, no. 2 (August 2021): 202–229.

      Arrington, Leonard J. “The Settlement of the Brigham Young Estate, 1877–1879,” Pacific Historical Review 21, no. 1 (February 1952): 1–20.

    6. [6]

      An Act to Amend “An Act in relation to Religious Societies” [2 Mar. 1839], Laws of the State of Illinois (1838–1839), p. 267, secs. 1–2.

      Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Eleventh General Assembly at Their Session Began and Held at Vandalia, on the Third of December, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-Eight. Vandalia, IL: William Walters, 1839.

    7. [7]

      Trustees Land Book A, [44].

    8. [8]

      See Historical Introduction to Deed from Orson and Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, 10 Feb. 1843.

    9. [9]

      Clayton, Diary, 10 Feb. 1842; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 18.

      Clayton, William. Diary, Vol. 1, 1840–1842. BYU.

      Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

    10. [10]

      See for example, Bond from Chauncey Robison, 22 Oct. 1842.

    11. [11]

      According to Clayton, Nauvoo temple committee member Elias Higbee apparently gave individuals receipts for donated goods but did not keep a general tithing record. On 11 December, JS instructed Brigham Young to tell the temple committee to no longer accept donated goods for the temple but to instead direct donors to present their goods to the trustee to be recorded. (See Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 14; and JS, Journal, 11 Dec. 1841.)

      Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

    12. [12]

      JS, Journal, 13 Dec. 1841.

    13. [13]

      Clayton, Diary, 10 Feb. 1842; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 18.

      Clayton, William. Diary, Vol. 1, 1840–1842. BYU.

      Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

    14. [14]

      JS, Journal, 29 June 1842.

    15. [15]

      Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 30.

      Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

    16. [16]

      JS, Journal, 1 Oct. 1842; Notice, 11 Oct. 1842; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 32–35.

      Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

    17. [17]

      Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 35.

      Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

    18. [18]

      The chronological entries begin in December 1842, but the daybook contains a few entries from earlier in 1842.

    19. [19]

      See Historical Introduction to the Book of the Law of the Lord.

    20. [20]

      Many of these tithing credits came in the form of receipts from members of the temple committee or other church leaders.

    21. [21]

      On 1 October 1842, the wages of the trustee-in-trust, committee members, and recorder were set at two dollars per day. (Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 34.)

      Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

    22. [22]

      The full title written on the title page of this record book is “Index to The Book of the Law of the Lord And Accounts Current with The Temple Committee & Store, Nauvoo, December 1841.” The Joseph Smith Papers Project has simplified this title to “Trustee Account Book,” and it is available on the website.

    23. [23]

      See Book of the Law of the Lord, Book A, 281.

    24. [24]

      “Tithing Day Book B,” 22, Trustee-in-Trust, Tithing Daybooks, CHL; Book of the Law of the Lord, Book A, 281.

      Tithing and Donation Record, 1844–1846. CHL.

    25. [25]

      Clerks and others working in the trustee’s office were paid one dollar a day. At some point this daily wage was increased to two dollars a day. (See Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 34.)

      Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, 1845. CHL

    26. [26]

      “Tithing Day Book B,” 23, Trustee-in-Trust, Tithing Daybooks, CHL; Trustee-in-Trust, Ledger A, p. 278. For a similar situation, in which JS was paid through donated silver teaspoons, see Letter from Erastus Snow, 22 June 1842.

      Tithing and Donation Record, 1844–1846. CHL.

      Trustee-in-Trust. Ledgers, 1841–1846. CHL.

    27. [27]

      Clayton, Journal, 7 July 1844.

      Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

    28. [28]

      Clayton, Journal, 4, 6–8, 12, and 13–14 July 1844; Richards, Journal, 8 and 14 July 1844.

      Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

      Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

    29. [29]

      Newel K. Whitney and George Miller, Appointment as Trustees, 12 Aug. 1844, Nauvoo Trustees Papers, 1844–1848, CHL; Richards, Journal, 9 Aug. 1844.

      Nauvoo Trustees Papers, 1844–1848. CHL.

      Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

    30. [30]

      George Miller and Newel K. Whitney, Certificate of Election, 24 Jan. 1846, Hancock Co., IL, Bonds and Mortgages, 1840–1904, vol. 2, p. 144, microfilm 954,776, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Young, Journal, 24 Jan. 1846.

      U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

      Young, Brigham. Journals, 1832–1877. Brigham Young Office Files, 1832–1878. CHL. CR 1234 1, boxes 71–73.

    © 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of UseUpdated 2021-04-13Privacy NoticeUpdated 2021-04-06