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Journal, December 1842–June 1844; Book 4, 1 March–22 June 1844

1 March 1844 • Friday Page 1 2 March 1844 • Saturday Page 2 3 March 1844 • Sunday Page 3 4 March 1844 • Monday Page 4 5 March 1844 • Tuesday Page 7 6 March 1844 • Wednesday Page 8 7 March 1844 • Thursday Page 9 8 March 1844 • Friday Page 26 9 March 1844 • Saturday Page 28 10 March 1844 • Sunday Page 30 11 March 1844 • Monday Page 34 12 March 1844 • Tuesday Page 35 13 March 1844 • Wednesday Page 36 14 March 1844 • Thursday Page 37 15 March 1844 • Friday Page 38 16 March 1844 • Saturday Page 39 17 March 1844 • Sunday Page 40 18 March 1844 • Monday Page 41 19 March 1844 • Tuesday Page 42 20 March 1844 • Wednesday Page 44 21 March 1844 • Thursday Page 45 22 March 1844 • Friday Page 46 23 March 1844 • Saturday Page 47 24 March 1844 • Sunday Page 48 25 March 1844 • Monday Page 49 26 March 1844 • Tuesday Page 50 27 March 1844 • Wednesday Page 51 28 March 1844 • Thursday Page 52 29 March 1844 • Friday Page 53 30 March 1844 • Saturday Page 54 31 March 1844 • Sunday Page 55 1 April 1844 • Monday Page 56 2 April 1844 • Tuesday Page 57 3 April 1844 • Wednesday Page 58 4 April 1844 • Thursday Page 59 5 April 1844 • Friday Page 60 6 April 1844 • Saturday Page 61 7 April 1844 • Sunday Page 65 8 April 1844 • Monday Page 73 9 April 1844 • Tuesday Page 77 10 April 1844 • Wednesday Page 80 11 April 1844 • Thursday Page 81 12 April 1844 • Friday Page 82 13 April 1844 • Saturday Page 83 14 April 1844 • Sunday Page 87 15 April 1844 • Monday Page 88 16 April 1844 • Tuesday Page 89 17 April 1844 • Wednesday Page 90 18 April 1844 • Thursday Page 91 20 April 1844 • Saturday Page 93 21 April 1844 • Sunday Page 94 22 April 1844 • Monday Page 95 23 April 1844 • Tuesday Page 96 24 April 1844 • Wednesday Page 97 25 April 1844 • Thursday Page 98 26 April 1844 • Friday Page 99 27 April 1844 • Saturday Page 101 28 April 1844 • Sunday Page 102 29 April 1844 • Monday Page 104 30 April 1844 • Tuesday Page 105 1 May 1844 • Wednesday Page 106 18 May 1844 • Saturday Page 123 2 May 1844 • Thursday Page 107 3 May 1844 • Friday Page 108 4 May 1844 • Saturday Page 109 5 May 1844 • Sunday Page 110 6 May 1844 • Monday Page 111 7 May 1844 • Tuesday Page 112 8 May 1844 • Wednesday Page 113 9 May 1844 • Thursday Page 114 10 May 1844 • Friday Page 115 11 May 1844 • Saturday Page 116 12 May 1844 • Sunday Page 117 13 May 1844 • Monday Page 118 14 May 1844 • Tuesday Page 119 15 May 1844 • Wednesday Page 120 16 May 1844 • Thursday Page 121 17 May 1844 • Friday Page 122 19 May 1844 • Sunday Page 124 20 May 1844 • Monday Page 125 21 May 1844 • Tuesday Page 126 22 May 1844 • Wednesday Page 127 23 May 1844 • Thursday Page 128 24 May 1844 • Friday Page 131 25 May 1844 • Saturday Page 132 26 May 1844 • Sunday Page 133 27 May 1844 • Monday Page 134 28 May 1844 • Tuesday Page 138 29 May 1844 • Wednesday Page 139 30 May 1844 • Thursday Page 140 31 May 1844 • Friday Page 141 1 June 1844 • Saturday Page 142 2 June 1844 • Sunday Page 143 3 June 1844 • Monday Page 144 4 June 1844 • Tuesday Page 145 5 June 1844 • Wednesday Page 146 6 June 1844 • Thursday Page 147 7 June 1844 • Friday Page 148 8 June 1844 • Saturday Page 149 9 June 1844 • Sunday Page 150 10 June 1844 • Monday Page 151 11 June 1844 • Tuesday Page 152 12 June 1844 • Wednesday Page 154 13 June 1844 • Thursday Page 155 14 June 1844 • Friday Page 156 15 June 1844 • Saturday Page 157 16 June 1844 • Sunday Page 158 17 June 1844 • Monday Page 160 18 June 1844 • Tuesday Page 162 19 June 1844 • Wednesday Page 164 20 June 1844 • Thursday Page 166 21 June 1844 • Friday Page 167 22 June 1844 • Saturday Page 169

Source Note

JS, “President Joseph Smith’s Journal,” Journal, 4 vols., Dec. 1842–June 1844; handwriting and signatures of
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...

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; 1,045 pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes shorthand and illustrations; also includes redactions, use marks, and archival stickers.
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...

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kept “President Joseph Smith’s Journal” in four small memorandum books. The paper in book 1 is blue, while the paper in books 2–4 is white. In the first two books, the paper was printed with seventeen blue lines and extra space for page headers, whereas the paper for book 3 was printed with nineteen blue lines and no header space. The first eight gatherings of paper for book 4 were printed with sixteen blue lines and header space, while the last nine gatherings were printed with nineteen blue lines and no header space. The four volumes have 147, 160, 142, and 190 free leaves, respectively, and were sewn with all-along sewing. The leaves in books 1–3 were trimmed to measure 6 × 3¾ inches (15 × 10 cm), while the paper in book 4 measures 6¼ × 3¾ inches (16 × 10 cm). Books 2–4 have matching red-speckled stain on the page edges. All four books were bound with a tight-back case binding and have brown leather over pasteboards. Books 1–3 measure 6¼ × 4 × ¾ inches (16 × 10 × 2 cm); book 4 measures 6⅜ × 4 × ¾ inches (16 × 10 × 2 cm). The outside covers of book 1 feature an embossed pattern around the borders. The cover of book 4 is red and features a gold pattern around the borders on the front and the back.
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...

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inscribed most of the journal entries in these memorandum books with a quill pen in ink that is now brown, although he also used blue ink for several entries. The volumes also include inscriptions written in graphite, some of which are contemporaneous and some that are later redactions. Richards paginated the first 114 of the 285 inscribed pages in book 1—discounting the title page that precedes the pagination—and the first 20 of the 309 inscribed pages in book 2. There is no pagination in books 3–4. In book 2, pages 11, 17, and 20–21 feature illustrations of celestial observations.
The
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...

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memorandum books include later inscriptions that are not transcribed in this edition. At the end of book 2,
Thomas Bullock

23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...

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added a list 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....

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-era plural marriages. A few revisions, additions, or notes are penciled in throughout the volumes. There are also several use marks throughout the volumes—probably made when the journal entries were later revised for inclusion in the “History of Joseph Smith” published in Mormon newspapers in the mid-nineteenth century.
1

This serialized history drew on the journals herein beginning with the 4 July 1855 issue of the Deseret News and with the 3 January 1857 issue of the LDS Millennial Star.


The spines of the volumes are now labeled with blue-colored paper stickers that probably date from the early Utah period.
2

The labels on the spines of the four volumes read respectively as follows: “Joseph Smith’s Journal—1842–3 by Willard Richards” (book 1); “Joseph Smith’s Journal by W. Richards 1843” (book 2); “Joseph Smith’s Journal by W. Richards 1843–4” (book 3); and “W. Richards’ Journal 1844 Vol. 4” (book 4). Richards kept JS’s journal in the front of book 4, and after JS’s death Richards kept his own journal in the back of the volume.


Each of the four volumes also bears the mark of a square sticker removed from the upper right-hand corner of the outside front cover. Finally, a “Historian’s Office Archives” self-adhesive paper sticker appears in the front inside cover or on the first flyleaf of each book.
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...

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identified himself as the scribe for the journal on the title pages of books 1 and 4. Because Richards kept the journals for JS and kept his own journal in the back of book 4 after JS’s death, the books may have been among “Drs [Richards’s] private books & Papers” listed in the 1846 inventory of church records made 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.
3

“Schedule of Church Records, Nauvoo 1846,” [1], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

The volumes are listed in inventories made in Salt Lake City, Utah, by the Church Historian’s Office in 1855, 1858, and 1878, as well as in the 1973 register of the JS Collection.
4

“Inventory. Historian’s Office. 4th April 1855,” [1]; “Contents of the Historian and Recorder’s Office G. S. L. City July 1858,” 2; “Index of Records and Journals in the Historian’s Office 1878,” [11]–[12], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; Johnson, Register of the Joseph Smith Collection, 7.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

Johnson, Jeffery O. Register of the Joseph Smith Collection in the Church Archives, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1973.

These archival records and the physical evidence of archival stickers indicate continuous institutional custody and authenticity.
Note: The journal
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...

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kept for JS is divided into four physical books. The transcript and annotation here are for book 4, covering 1 March through 22 June 1844. The transcript and annotation for the other three books are also available on this website; book 1 covers 21 December 1842 through 10 March 1843, book 2 covers 10 March through 14 July 1843, and book 3 covers 15 July 1843 through 29 February 1844.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    This serialized history drew on the journals herein beginning with the 4 July 1855 issue of the Deseret News and with the 3 January 1857 issue of the LDS Millennial Star.

  2. [2]

    The labels on the spines of the four volumes read respectively as follows: “Joseph Smith’s Journal—1842–3 by Willard Richards” (book 1); “Joseph Smith’s Journal by W. Richards 1843” (book 2); “Joseph Smith’s Journal by W. Richards 1843–4” (book 3); and “W. Richards’ Journal 1844 Vol. 4” (book 4). Richards kept JS’s journal in the front of book 4, and after JS’s death Richards kept his own journal in the back of the volume.

  3. [3]

    “Schedule of Church Records, Nauvoo 1846,” [1], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

  4. [4]

    “Inventory. Historian’s Office. 4th April 1855,” [1]; “Contents of the Historian and Recorder’s Office G. S. L. City July 1858,” 2; “Index of Records and Journals in the Historian’s Office 1878,” [11]–[12], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; Johnson, Register of the Joseph Smith Collection, 7.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

    Johnson, Jeffery O. Register of the Joseph Smith Collection in the Church Archives, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1973.

Historical Introduction

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...

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took over the responsibility of keeping JS’s journal from
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...

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on 21 December 1842, the same day JS “made a particular request” that Richards “act as his private se[c]retary & historian.”
1

JS, Journal, 21 Dec. 1842.


This was the second time Richards kept JS’s journal; he had also kept it between 13 December 1841 and 29 June 1842 before leaving for
Richmond

Post village located along Housatonic River about 160 miles west of Boston. Settled 1760; incorporated 1765. Population in 1850 about 900. Jennetta Richards Richards corresponded with JS from village regarding his friendship with her husband, Willard Richards...

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, Massachusetts, to bring his family 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
, Illinois. During Richards’s absence, Clayton kept JS’s journal, inscribing entries, as Richards had done, in the large Book of the Law of the Lord, which also contained records of donations for 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
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...

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. Clayton continued keeping the journal—JS’s first Nauvoo journal—even after Richards returned to Nauvoo on 30 October 1842, probably because, as temple recorder, Clayton was the custodian of the Book of the Law of the Lord.
2

Historical Introduction to JS, Journal, Dec. 1841–Dec. 1842.


When Richards resumed keeping JS’s journal on 21 December 1842, he began using a much smaller memorandum book. This second Nauvoo journal was kept by Richards through 22 June 1844 and eventually comprised four such memorandum books.
Several pieces of evidence indicate that these four memorandum books were considered volumes of the same journal rather than separate journals themselves. For example, whereas JS’s journals kept during the 1830s were recorded in bound books or notebooks labeled with different titles—such as “Sketch Book” or “The Scriptory Book”
3

Source Note to JS, Journal, 1835–1836; Source Note to JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838.


—the first and last of
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...

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’s memorandum books bear virtually identical titles, with the fourth explicitly identified as “vol 4”. Similarly, that books 2 and 3 lack titles suggests that each was simply a continuation of the previous book. This suggestion is made even stronger in book 2, in which the first entry commences at 4:00 p.m. on 10 March,
4

JS, Journal, 10 Mar. 1843.


with the events of the earlier part of the day recorded at the end of book 1. All four memorandum books are virtually the same size, and the bindings on the first three are similar.
As with nearly all the entries in JS’s previous
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 ...

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and
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
journals, JS neither wrote nor dictated the text of the entries in the memorandum books; they are based on
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 observations. For example, the entry for 22 September 1843 records only that Richards “saw Joseph pass in a waggon with Hiram.”
5

JS, Journal, 22 Sept. 1843.


Despite the secondhand nature of the entries, however, Richards, a close associate and frequent companion of JS, was able to capture in detail JS’s words and actions on many occasions.
The shift of
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...

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’s office from temple recorder and scribe to JS’s “private se[c]retary & historian,” as well as the transfer of the journal out of the Book of the Law of the Lord, may have influenced what events Richards recorded in the memorandum books. At least some of the material Richards, as JS’s private secretary, included in this journal—such as the detailed record of a medical malpractice suit over which JS presided—probably would have received much less emphasis had Richards, in the capacity of temple recorder and scribe, been keeping JS’s journal in the book that also contained records of donations for the temple. Similarly, although the ledger-size Book of the Law of the Lord likely remained in the recorder’s office and most journal entries were probably made there, each of the memorandum books was small enough that Richards could easily carry it with him, allowing him to record many of JS’s activities closer to the actual event—both temporally and spatially—than was possible earlier.
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...

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’s new title of historian was significant as well. On 1 December 1842, he began working on the “History of Joseph Smith” that was being serially published in the Times and Seasons, and by August 1843 he was drawing on JS’s earlier journals for that history.
6

JS, Journal, 1 Dec. 1842 and 20 Jan. 1843; see also “History of Joseph Smith,” Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 3:726–728.


Richards therefore likely expected that the contemporaneous journal entries he was keeping for JS would eventually be used as the basis for JS’s history.
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...

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employed various techniques in keeping the journal. For a few entries, he made lightly penciled notes and returned later with a quill pen to expand the entry. In other entries, the morning or afternoon portion of an entry was written in one ink and the evening portion of the entry in a different ink that matches that of the following entry. These changes in writing media and in other aspects of the inscribed text indicate that many entries—or parts of entries—were made on the very day of the events they described. The textual evidence in other entries indicates that they were written several days after the date they bear. Still other entries are a hybrid. Richards’s notes of sermons and legal proceedings, for example, bear evidence of both contemporaneous inscription and later revision. In some instances, Richards left blank spaces and even blank lines, apparently intending to add details later. Hurried note taking often resulted in missing words, informal abbreviations, inconsistent spelling, and poorly formed characters. Richards revisited some difficult passages to mend or rewrite characters, revise spelling and punctuation, and add interlineations. Some of the blanks were filled while others were left standing. Richards’s notes include both immediate emendations, such as wipe-erasures made while his ink was still wet, as well as later revisions, such as knife-erasures of words written in ink that had dried. The various ways in which Richards wrote and revised entries resulted in the journal’s uneven texture but also contribute to its wealth of immediately recorded information and clarifying additions.
Over time,
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...

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settled somewhat into a pattern of generally recording the events of one day on one page—some pages largely empty and others filled with cramped writing—with weather reported at the bottom of the page. He made an entry for almost every day during the last year and a half of JS’s life. The journal ended when JS left
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
on 22 June 1844, five days before he was killed at the jailhouse at
Carthage

Located eighteen miles southeast of Nauvoo. Settled 1831. Designated Hancock Co. seat, Mar. 1833. Incorporated as town, 27 Feb. 1837. Population in 1839 about 300. Population in 1844 about 400. Site of acute opposition to Latter-day Saints, early 1840s. Site...

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, Illinois. Richards accompanied JS to Carthage and, during the final days of JS’s life, kept extensive notes of JS’s activities in his personal journal.
7

See Appendix 3.


Note: The journal
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...

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kept for JS is divided into four physical books. The transcript and annotation here are for book 4, covering 1 March through 22 June 1844. The transcript and annotation for the other three books are also available on this website; book 1 covers 21 December 1842 through 10 March 1843, book 2 covers 10 March through 14 July 1843, and book 3 covers 15 July 1843 through 29 February 1844.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 21 Dec. 1842.

  2. [2]

    Historical Introduction to JS, Journal, Dec. 1841–Dec. 1842.

  3. [3]

    Source Note to JS, Journal, 1835–1836; Source Note to JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838.

  4. [4]

    JS, Journal, 10 Mar. 1843.

  5. [5]

    JS, Journal, 22 Sept. 1843.

  6. [6]

    JS, Journal, 1 Dec. 1842 and 20 Jan. 1843; see also “History of Joseph Smith,” Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 3:726–728.

  7. [7]

    See Appendix 3.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Discourse, 7 March 1844–B, as Reported by Willard Richards *Discourse, 7 March 1844–B, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff *Discourse, 7 March 1844–A, as Reported by Willard Richards *Discourse, 7 March 1844–A, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff *Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock *Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by William Clayton *Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Willard Richards *Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff *Discourse, 7 April 1844, as Published in Times and Seasons

Page [91]

18 April 1844 • Thursday
Thursday 18[th] 1844 9 A M Council till 12.— noon
211

Joseph W. Coolidge and David S. Hollister were admitted as the fiftieth and fifty-first members of the Council of Fifty in this meeting, after which JS said that the council was full. According to William Clayton, however, before JS declared the council full, he also added Lyman Wight (who was at the church’s lumber operation in Wisconsin Territory), bringing the total number of men in the council to fifty-two. At this meeting, William W. Phelps read JS’s response to Francis Blair (which had been published in the Nauvoo Neighbor the previous day) and Richards read an incomplete draft of the constitution that he, John Taylor, Phelps, and Parley P. Pratt had been appointed to write. The constitution noted that God was the only legitimate lawgiver and that he appointed one man, a prophet, to whom he would reveal his laws. The prophet, in turn, had power to appoint “Judges and officers” who could be accepted or refused by the people. Following the reading, John Taylor expressed to the council that writing the constitution was difficult for the committee and opined that it would be written correctly only if God revealed its content to them. The council granted the committee more time to write. (Council of Fifty, “Record,” 18 Apr. 1844; Clayton, Journal, 18 Apr. 1844.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

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

at dinner made mention of the report that
[Robert D.] Foster

14 Mar. 1811–1 Feb. 1878. Justice of the peace, physician, land speculator. Born in Braunston, Northamptonshire, England. Son of John Foster and Jane Knibb. Married Sarah Phinney, 18 July 1837, at Medina Co., Ohio. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of ...

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[Chauncey L.] Higbee

7 Sept. 1821–7 Dec. 1884. Lawyer, banker, politician, judge. Born in Tate Township, Clermont Co., Ohio. Son of Elias Higbee and Sarah Elizabeth Ward. Lived in Fulton, Hamilton Co., Ohio, 1830. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1832...

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&c were paying some one’s board at my table to catch something— against me.— so that if true they might have some thi[n]g to carry back.
2 P.M. to 5½ in council.—
212

In this afternoon meeting of the Council of Fifty, council members discussed the differences between the “Kingdom of God” and the church. The discussion ended with JS saying that the two were separate: the church was a “spiritual matter and a spiritual kingdom,” and the Kingdom of God was an entity to protect the Saints’ religious rights. JS closed his remarks by saying that the only problem with the Constitution of the United States was that it needed to be altered “so as to make it imperative on the officers to enforce the protection of all men in their rights.” The council adjourned to 25 April. (Council of Fifty, “Record,” 18 Apr. 1844.)


6. [p.m.]
B[righam] 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...

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.
W[illard] 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...

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,
J[ohn] Taylor

1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodist church and was local preacher. Migrated ...

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,
G[eorge] A. Smith

26 June 1817–1 Sept. 1875. Born at Potsdam, St. Lawrence Co., New York. Son of John Smith and Clarissa Lyman. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Joseph H. Wakefield, 10 Sept. 1832, at Potsdam. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio,...

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.
H[eber] C. Kimball

14 June 1801–22 June 1868. Blacksmith, potter. Born at Sheldon, Franklin Co., Vermont. Son of Solomon Farnham Kimball and Anna Spaulding. Married Vilate Murray, 22 Nov. 1822, at Mendon, Monroe Co., New York. Member of Baptist church at Mendon, 1831. Baptized...

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.
W[ilford] Woodruff

1 Mar. 1807–2 Sept. 1898. Farmer, miller. Born at Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of Aphek Woodruff and Beulah Thompson. Moved to Richland, Oswego Co., New York, 1832. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Zera Pulsipher,...

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— of the 12—
A[lpheus] Cutler

29 Feb. 1784–10 June 1864. Stonemason. Born in Plainfield, Cheshire Co., New Hampshire. Son of Knight Cutler and Elizabeth Boyd. Married Lois Lathrop, 17 Nov. 1808, in Lebanon, Grafton Co., New Hampshire. Moved to Upper Lisle, Broome Co., New York, ca. 1808...

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,
S[amuel] Bent

19 July 1778–16 Aug. 1846. Born in Barre, Worcester Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joel Bent and Mary Mason. Married first Mary Kilburn, 3 Mar. 1805, in Wendell, Franklin Co., Massachusetts. Colonel in Massachusetts militia. Lived in Braintree, Norfolk Co., Massachusetts...

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.
G[eorge] W. Harris

1 Apr. 1780–1857. Jeweler. Born at Lanesboro, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of James Harris and Diana (Margaret) Burton. Married first Elizabeth, ca. 1800. Married second Margaret, who died in 1828. Moved to Batavia, Genesee Co., New York, by 1830. Married...

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,
A Johsonn [Aaron Johnson]

22 June 1806–10 May 1877. Farmer, gunmaker. Born in Haddam, Middlesex Co., Connecticut. Son of Didymus Johnson and Ruhamah Stephens. Joined Methodist church, early 1820s. Married Polly Zeruah Kelsey, 13 Sept. 1827, in New Haven, New Haven Co., Connecticut...

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,
W[illiam] 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...

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.
C[harles] C. Rich

21 Aug. 1809–17 Nov. 1883. Schoolteacher, farmer, cooper. Born in Campbell Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Rich and Nancy O’Neal. Moved to Posey Township, Dearborn Co., Indiana, ca. 1810. Moved to Tazewell Co., Illinois, 1829. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ...

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,
A[masa] Lyman

30 Mar. 1813–4 Feb. 1877. Boatman, gunsmith, farmer. Born at Lyman, Grafton Co., New Hampshire. Son of Roswell Lyman and Martha Mason. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Lyman E. Johnson, 27 Apr. 1832. Moved to Hiram, Portage Co....

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of the H[igh] Council.
W[illiam] W Phelps

17 Feb. 1792–7 Mar. 1872. Writer, teacher, printer, newspaper editor, publisher, postmaster, lawyer. Born at Hanover, Morris Co., New Jersey. Son of Enon Phelps and Mehitabel Goldsmith. Moved to Homer, Cortland Co., New York, 1800. Married Sally Waterman,...

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N. K. Whitny [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...

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.
Jno [John] Smith

16 July 1781–23 May 1854. Farmer. Born at Derryfield (later Manchester), Rockingham Co., New Hampshire. Son of Asael Smith and Mary Duty. Member of Congregational church. Appointed overseer of highways at Potsdam, St. Lawrence Co., New York, 1810. Married...

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.
J[ohn] M. Bernhisel

23 June 1799–28 Sept. 1881. Physician, politician. Born in Sandy Hill, Tyrone Township, Cumberland Co. (later in Perry Co.), Pennsylvania. Son of Samuel Bernhisel and Susannah Bower. Attended medical lectures at University of Pennsylvania, 1818, in Philadelphia...

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,
Jos[eph] Fielding

26 Mar. 1797–19 Dec. 1863. Farmer. Born at Honeydon, Bedfordshire, England. Son of John Fielding and Rachel Ibbotson. Immigrated to Upper Canada, 1832. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Parley P. Pratt, 21 May 1836, in Black Creek...

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.
G[eorge] J. Adams

7 Nov. 1810–11 May 1880. Tailor, actor, clergyman. Born in Oxford, Sussex Co., New Jersey. Lived in Boston during 1820s and 1830s. Became Methodist lay preacher. Married Caroline. Moved to New York City, before 1840. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of...

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.
E[rastus] Snow

9 Nov. 1818–27 May 1888. Farmer, teacher, merchant, publisher, manufacturer. Born at St. Johnsbury, Caledonia Co., Vermont. Son of Levi Snow and Lucina Streeter. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by William Snow, 3 Feb. 1833, at Charleston...

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.
R[eynolds] Cahoon

30 Apr. 1790–29 Apr. 1861. Farmer, tanner, builder. Born at Cambridge, Washington Co., New York. Son of William Cahoon Jr. and Mehitable Hodges. Married Thirza Stiles, 11 Dec. 1810. Moved to northeastern Ohio, 1811. Located at Harpersfield, Ashtabula Co.,...

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J[oseph] W. Coolidge

31 May 1814–13 Jan. 1871. Carpenter, miller, merchant. Born in Bangor, Hancock Co., Maine. Son of John Kittridge Coolidge and Rebecca Stone Wellington. Moved to Cincinnati, by 1817. Moved to area of Mackinaw, Tazewell Co., Illinois, 1834. Married Elizabeth...

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Jno [John] Scott

6 May 1811–16 Dec. 1876. Joiner, farmer, military officer. Born in Armagh, Co. Armagh, Ireland. Son of Jacob Scott and Sarah Warnock. Immigrated to York, Upper Canada, ca. May 1819. Moved to Trafalgar, Halton Co., Upper Canada (later in Oakville, Regional...

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,
J[ohn] D. Lee

6 Sept. 1812–23 Mar. 1877. Farmer, courier, riverboat ferryman, policeman, merchant, colonizer. Born in Kaskaskia, Randolph Co., Illinois Territory. Son of Ralph Lee and Elizabeth Doyle. Served in Black Hawk War, 1831. Married Agatha Ann Woolsey, 23 July ...

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.
L[evi] W. Hancock

7 Apr. 1803–10 June 1882. Born at Springfield, Hampden Co., Massachusetts. Son of Thomas Hancock III and Amy Ward. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 16 Nov. 1830, at Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio. Married Clarissa Reed, 20 Mar. 1831....

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S[amuel] Williams
Jos[eph] Young

7 Apr. 1797–16 July 1881. Farmer, painter, glazier. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Young and Abigail (Nabby) Howe. Moved to Auburn, Cayuga Co., New York, before 1830. Joined Methodist church, before Apr. 1832. Baptized into Church...

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.
J. P. Green [John P. Greene]

3 Sept. 1793–10 Sept. 1844. Farmer, shoemaker, printer, publisher. Born at Herkimer, Herkimer Co., New York. Son of John Coddington Greene and Anna Chapman. Married first Rhoda Young, 11 Feb. 1813. Moved to Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York, 1814; to Brownsville...

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—
J[ohn] D. Parker

22 Nov. 1799–26 Feb. 1891. Farmer, wainwright. Born in Saratoga, Saratoga Co., New York. Son of Abel Parker and Mary Davies. Served in War of 1812 as teamster in General John E. Wool’s company, 1813–1814. Married Harriet Sherwood. Moved to Galway, Saratoga...

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,
A[lexander] Mc Rae

7 Sept. 1807–20 June 1891. Tailor, sheriff, prison warden. Born in Anson Co., North Carolina. Son of John B. McRae and Mary. Moved to South Carolina; to Iredell Co., North Carolina; and back to South Carolina. Enlisted in U.S. Army, Mar. 1829, and served ...

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,
Geo Watt

16 Jan. 1815–24 Oct. 1881. Stenographer, reporter, merchant, clerk, farmer. Born in Manchester, Lancashire, England. Son of James Watt and Mary Ann Wood. Moved to Scotland, before 1829; returned to England, 1829. Married Mary Gregson, 13 June 1835, in Preston...

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,
W Claytn [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...

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held council & unanimous cut of[f] unanimously.
R. D. Foster

14 Mar. 1811–1 Feb. 1878. Justice of the peace, physician, land speculator. Born in Braunston, Northamptonshire, England. Son of John Foster and Jane Knibb. Married Sarah Phinney, 18 July 1837, at Medina Co., Ohio. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of ...

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.
Wilson Law

26 Feb. 1806–15 Oct. 1876. Merchant, millwright, land speculator, farmer. Born in Ireland. Son of Richard Law and Ann Hunter. Immigrated to U.S. and settled in Springfield Township, Mercer Co., Pennsylvania, by 1820. Moved to Delaware Township, Mercer Co....

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.
Wm Law

8 Sept. 1809–12/19 Jan. 1892. Merchant, millwright, physician. Born in Co. Tyrone, Ireland. Son of Richard Law and Ann Hunter. Immigrated to U.S. and settled in Springfield Township, Mercer Co., Pennsylvania, by 1820. Moved to Delaware Township, Mercer Co...

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.
Jane [Silverthorn] Law

2 Apr. 1815–8 Sept. 1882. Born in York, Upper Canada. Daughter of Thomas Silverthorn and Mary Anderson. Married William Law, 11 June 1833, in York. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1836. Briefly resided in Mercer Co., Pennsylvania...

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. & Howard Smith. of scott Co— Ill. from the chu[r]ch for unchristianlike conduct.—
213

Robert D. Foster had been charged by JS with unchristian conduct five days earlier. At this meeting, evidence was presented that Foster had warned people not to purchase land from JS and that he had accused JS of murder, counterfeiting, and adultery.a In January 1844, JS accused the Laws of “injuring him” by telling falsehoods about him; about the same time, William Law was dropped from the First Presidency and the group that met to discuss and participate in temple-related ordinances. Additionally, both William and Wilson Law were reportedly involved in a conspiracy with Foster and others to kill JS and his family. Evidence indicates that the Laws felt animosity toward JS because they opposed plural marriage. JS also refused to seal William and Jane Silverthorn Law because William was an “adulterous person.” In addition, Jane accused JS of wanting her as a plural wife and attempting to seduce her. JS denied Jane’s accusation, reporting that she had suggested she be sealed to him after he had refused to seal her to her husband.b(aJS, Journal, 24 Mar. and 13 Apr. 1844; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 18 Apr. 1844.bJS, Journal, 8 Jan. and 24 Mar. 1844; Law, Record of Doings, 1 and 8 Jan. 1844, in Cook, William Law, 38, 46; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 18 Apr. 1844; Clayton, Journal, 12 June 1844; Neibaur, Journal, 24 May 1844; see also Council of Fifty, “Record,” 278–280.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.

Cook, Lyndon W. William Law: Biographical Essay, Nauvoo Diary, Correspondence, Interview. Orem, UT: Grandin Book, 1994.

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

Neibaur, Alexander. Journal, 1841–1862. CHL. MS 1674.

[p. [91]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Journal, December 1842–June 1844; Book 4, 1 March–22 June 1844
ID #
8118
Total Pages
172
Print Volume Location
JSP, J3:185–302
Handwriting on This Page
  • Willard Richards

Footnotes

  1. [211]

    Joseph W. Coolidge and David S. Hollister were admitted as the fiftieth and fifty-first members of the Council of Fifty in this meeting, after which JS said that the council was full. According to William Clayton, however, before JS declared the council full, he also added Lyman Wight (who was at the church’s lumber operation in Wisconsin Territory), bringing the total number of men in the council to fifty-two. At this meeting, William W. Phelps read JS’s response to Francis Blair (which had been published in the Nauvoo Neighbor the previous day) and Richards read an incomplete draft of the constitution that he, John Taylor, Phelps, and Parley P. Pratt had been appointed to write. The constitution noted that God was the only legitimate lawgiver and that he appointed one man, a prophet, to whom he would reveal his laws. The prophet, in turn, had power to appoint “Judges and officers” who could be accepted or refused by the people. Following the reading, John Taylor expressed to the council that writing the constitution was difficult for the committee and opined that it would be written correctly only if God revealed its content to them. The council granted the committee more time to write. (Council of Fifty, “Record,” 18 Apr. 1844; Clayton, Journal, 18 Apr. 1844.)

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

  2. [212]

    In this afternoon meeting of the Council of Fifty, council members discussed the differences between the “Kingdom of God” and the church. The discussion ended with JS saying that the two were separate: the church was a “spiritual matter and a spiritual kingdom,” and the Kingdom of God was an entity to protect the Saints’ religious rights. JS closed his remarks by saying that the only problem with the Constitution of the United States was that it needed to be altered “so as to make it imperative on the officers to enforce the protection of all men in their rights.” The council adjourned to 25 April. (Council of Fifty, “Record,” 18 Apr. 1844.)

  3. [213]

    Robert D. Foster had been charged by JS with unchristian conduct five days earlier. At this meeting, evidence was presented that Foster had warned people not to purchase land from JS and that he had accused JS of murder, counterfeiting, and adultery.a In January 1844, JS accused the Laws of “injuring him” by telling falsehoods about him; about the same time, William Law was dropped from the First Presidency and the group that met to discuss and participate in temple-related ordinances. Additionally, both William and Wilson Law were reportedly involved in a conspiracy with Foster and others to kill JS and his family. Evidence indicates that the Laws felt animosity toward JS because they opposed plural marriage. JS also refused to seal William and Jane Silverthorn Law because William was an “adulterous person.” In addition, Jane accused JS of wanting her as a plural wife and attempting to seduce her. JS denied Jane’s accusation, reporting that she had suggested she be sealed to him after he had refused to seal her to her husband.b

    (aJS, Journal, 24 Mar. and 13 Apr. 1844; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 18 Apr. 1844. bJS, Journal, 8 Jan. and 24 Mar. 1844; Law, Record of Doings, 1 and 8 Jan. 1844, in Cook, William Law, 38, 46; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 18 Apr. 1844; Clayton, Journal, 12 June 1844; Neibaur, Journal, 24 May 1844; see also Council of Fifty, “Record,” 278–280.)

    Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.

    Cook, Lyndon W. William Law: Biographical Essay, Nauvoo Diary, Correspondence, Interview. Orem, UT: Grandin Book, 1994.

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

    Neibaur, Alexander. Journal, 1841–1862. CHL. MS 1674.

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