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Letter to Edward Partridge and Others, 14 January 1833

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Letter to Edward Partridge and Others, 14 January 1833

Source Note

and , on behalf of “a of 12 ” (including JS), Letter, , Kirtland Township, OH, to “the his councel and the inhabitents of ,” [, MO], 14 Jan. 1833. Retained copy, [ca. 14 Jan. 1833] in JS Letterbook 1, pp. 20–25; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS Letterbook 1.

Historical Introduction

A “ of ,” including JS, met in , Ohio, on 13 January 1833, in part to assign and to write a letter to the leaders of the church in . Hyde and Smith composed the letter on 14 January, after which the conference reconvened so that participants could review and approve what they had written. The letter described Kirtland leaders’ objections to the tone and content of several letters from Missouri leaders. It also reaffirmed the conference’s desire to see church members living in repent, thereby forestalling calamities that awaited the disobedient.
This was the latest letter in a series of correspondence between and church leaders. JS and others had been attempting for some time to curb what they perceived as a spirit of rebellion in Missouri. Such perceptions arose from JS’s interactions with Missouri leaders during a trip to , Missouri, in the spring of 1832, as well as from several letters, none of which are extant, sent to JS between June 1832 and January 1833 from Missouri leaders such as , , and . In answer to these communications, JS sent letters to Phelps on 31 July 1832, 27 November 1832, and 11 January 1833, calling the Missouri leaders to repentance. Because and ’s letter addressing the discord came at the behest of this conference of twelve high priests, it may have served as an even stronger chastisement than JS’s letters. According to a later JS history, the transmission of Hyde and Smith’s letter, JS’s 11 January 1833 letter to Phelps, and a revelation of 27–28 December 1832, which JS described as “the Lords message of peace to us,” caused the Missouri leaders to evince a spirit of repentance. On 26 February 1833, a special council of high priests convened in Missouri and resolved that a committee “write an epistle to our brethren in Kirtland,” apparently in response to the letters from Hyde and Smith and JS. At that February conference, the high priests in attendance “all kneeled before the Lord & asked him to effect a perfect harmony between us & our brethren in Kirtland which was the desire of our hearts.” Such actions, according to the later JS history, were “satisfactory to the presidency and church at Kirtland.”
The original letter is no longer extant. copied the letter into JS’s letterbook, probably soon after its creation.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See Minutes, 13–14 Jan. 1833; and Letter to Emma Smith, 6 June 1832.

  2. [2]

    See Letter to William W. Phelps, 31 July 1832; Letter to William W. Phelps, 27 Nov. 1832; and Letter to William W. Phelps, 11 Jan. 1833. It is probable that JS sent additional letters, but only these three are known.

  3. [3]

    JS History, vol. A-1, 282; Letter to William W. Phelps, 11 Jan. 1833. The 27–28 December 1832 revelation was labeled an “Olieve leaf,” the olive leaf being a traditional symbol of peace. Even before receiving these communications, Edward Partridge had apparently called solemn assemblies among the different congregations of Saints in Missouri, exhorting them all to repentance. (Pettigrew, Journal, 15.)

    Pettegrew, David. Journal, 1840–1857. Pettigrew Collection, 1836–1883, 1926–1930. CHL. MS 22278, box 1, fd. 1.

  4. [4]

    Minute Book 2, 26 Feb. 1833.

  5. [5]

    JS History, vol. A-1, 282.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Letter to Edward Partridge and Others, 14 January 1833 Letterbook 1 History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834] “History of Joseph Smith”
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Page 25

N. B. we stated that knew that William was in last fall, when he was in , we wrote this upon the strength of hearsay, but Wm being left at strengthened our suppositions that such was the fact, we stated farther respecting this matter or this itim than the testamony will warrant us— with this exception the sanctions this letter [p. 25]
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Source Note

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Page 25

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to Edward Partridge and Others, 14 January 1833
ID #
6832
Total Pages
6
Print Volume Location
JSP, D2:371–378
Handwriting on This Page
  • Frederick G. Williams

Footnotes

  1. [30]

    Although the minutes of the meeting do not record it, the conference apparently sanctioned everything in the letter except the specific assertions about Sidney Gilbert knowing his brother William was in Cleveland. (See Minutes, 13–14 Jan. 1833.)

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