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Letter to the Church, 7 September 1842 [D&C 128]

Source Note

JS, Letter, [
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], to “the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” 7 Sept. 1842; handwriting of
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
; signature of JS; nine pages; Revelations Collection, CHL. Includes address, docket, and archival marking.
Two bifolia and a single leaf, likely torn from another bifolium, all measuring 9¾ × 7¾ inches (25 × 20 cm). Embossed in the upper left corners of the first and fifth pages is an oval surrounding text: “J[.] AMES”.
1

The embossment may be that of D. & J. Ames, a paper mill. (Whiting, “Paper-Making in New England,” 309; Gravell et al., American Watermarks, 235.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Whiting, William. “Paper-Making in New England.” In The New England States: Their Constitutional, Judicial, Educational, Commercial, Professional and Industrial History, edited by William T. Davis, vol. 1, pp. 303–333. Boston: D. H. Hurd, 1897.

Gravell, Thomas L., George Miller, and Elizabeth Walsh. American Watermarks: 1690–1835. 2nd ed. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2002.

The letter was trifolded twice in letter style and sealed. There are remnants of a red wafer seal and red wax on the final leaf. The letter was refolded for filing. The pages were numbered 1–9, likely at a later date. The leaves of both bifolia appear to have been detached and then reattached through conservation work. The last leaf is torn along the right side of the recto.
The document was docketed by
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...

View Full Bio
, who served as JS’s scribe from 1843 to 1844 and as clerk to the church historian and recorder from 1845 to 1865.
2

Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 456, 458; Woodruff, Journal, 22 Jan. 1865.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.

Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

By 1983 the letter was included in the Revelations Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL).
3

Best, “Register of the Revelations Collection,” 20.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Best, Christy. “Register of the Revelations Collection in the Church Archives, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” July 1983. CHL.

The letter’s docket and inclusion in the Revelations Collection suggest continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    The embossment may be that of D. & J. Ames, a paper mill. (Whiting, “Paper-Making in New England,” 309; Gravell et al., American Watermarks, 235.)

    Whiting, William. “Paper-Making in New England.” In The New England States: Their Constitutional, Judicial, Educational, Commercial, Professional and Industrial History, edited by William T. Davis, vol. 1, pp. 303–333. Boston: D. H. Hurd, 1897.

    Gravell, Thomas L., George Miller, and Elizabeth Walsh. American Watermarks: 1690–1835. 2nd ed. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2002.

  2. [2]

    Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 456, 458; Woodruff, Journal, 22 Jan. 1865.

    Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  3. [3]

    Best, “Register of the Revelations Collection,” 20.

    Best, Christy. “Register of the Revelations Collection in the Church Archives, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” July 1983. CHL.

Historical Introduction

On 7 September 1842, JS dictated a letter addressed to the
church

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

View Glossary
giving further instructions on performing and recording
baptisms

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

View Glossary
for the dead. He wrote from the home of
Edward Hunter

22 June 1793–16 Oct. 1883. Farmer, currier, surveyor, merchant. Born at Newtown Township, Delaware Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Edward Hunter and Hannah Maris. Volunteer cavalryman in Delaware Co. militia, 1822–1829. Served as Delaware Co. commissioner. Moved...

View Full Bio
, where he was hiding from men sent to arrest him on charges of complicity in the attempted murder of former
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
governor
Lilburn W. Boggs

14 Dec. 1796–14 Mar. 1860. Bookkeeper, bank cashier, merchant, Indian agent and trader, lawyer, doctor, postmaster, politician. Born at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of John M. Boggs and Martha Oliver. Served in War of 1812. Moved to St. Louis, ca...

View Full Bio
.
1

On 3 September 1842, Adams County, Illinois, constable James Pitman, Missouri state agent Edward Ford, and Adams County undersheriff Thomas King came to Nauvoo, Illinois, to arrest JS and extradite him to Missouri. Learning of the effort, JS hid in the home of Newel K. Whitney and from there went to Hunter’s house, where he remained in hiding until the evening of 10 September. (JS, Journal, 3 and 10 Sept. 1842; Eliza R. Snow, Journal, 4 Sept. 1842; Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842; “Part 1: 1 September–31 October 1842.”)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Snow, Eliza R. Journal, 1842–1844. CHL. MS 1439.

This letter expanded on JS’s 1 September 1842 letter to the church, which included some instructions on recording baptisms for the dead and promised to give additional instructions in the future.
2

Letter to “All the Saints in Nauvoo,” 1 Sept. 1842 [D&C 127].


Since the founding of the church, record keeping had served as an important theme in both the revelations and teachings of JS and had influenced the day-to-day operations of the church.
3

Early revelations referred frequently to records and record keeping. The Book of Mormon frequently described keeping “a record,” and an early revelation described the book as “the record of a fallen people.” The language of record keeping subsequently became integral to the organization of the church, with a revelation instructing, “Behold there Shall a Record be kept among you.” Additional revelations further instructed the Saints to keep “a general church reccord of all things that transpire in Zion.” In February 1835, JS highlighted the importance of record keeping by encouraging the newly organized Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to ensure that “one or more be appointed to keep a record of [their] proceedings,” noting that problems had arisen because accurate records had not been kept in earlier days. In accordance with these instructions, early members produced a variety of records, including revelation books, minute books, diaries, and letterbooks. (Title Page of Book of Mormon, ca. Early June 1829; Book of Mormon, 1840 ed., 7, 317, 318, 451, 517, 572 [1 Nephi 1:1–3; Alma 37:1–2, 8–9; 3 Nephi 5:9–11; Mormon 8:1]; Testimony of Three Witnesses, Late June 1829; Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:9, 82]; Revelation, 6 Apr. 1830 [D&C 21:1]; Letter to William W. Phelps, 27 Nov. 1832 [D&C 85:1]; Minutes and Discourses, 27 Feb. 1835.)


With the instructions in both this and the 1 September letter, however, JS outlined a more detail-oriented approach to record keeping than had previously been practiced among the Latter-day Saints. JS’s discussion of record keeping in this 7 September letter was a vital step toward the procedural systematization of baptisms for the dead and the attendant records of those
ordinances

A religious rite. JS taught that ordinances were covenants between man and God, in which believers could affirm faith, gain spiritual knowledge, and seek blessings. Some ordinances were considered requisite for salvation. The manner in which ordinances were...

View Glossary
, as record keeping had been limited prior to September 1842 and often varied from
branch

An ecclesiastical organization of church members in a particular locale. A branch was generally smaller than a stake or a conference. Branches were also referred to as churches, as in “the Church of Shalersville.” In general, a branch was led by a presiding...

View Glossary
to branch.
4

For example, the record book of the church branch in Quincy, Illinois, includes records of thirteen baptisms for the dead between 9 November 1840 and 27 February 1841. In addition to recording the names of those who were baptized, the names of the deceased, and the relationship between the person baptized and the deceased, the book noted the exact dates of the baptisms. However, the earliest records are generally less detailed than the Quincy record book, often including only the year rather than a specific date. An inserted page in book B of the Nauvoo proxy baptism records includes some additional details, but a notation on the reverse side of the page indicates that the page had been found among the Nauvoo high council papers, suggesting that it was added to the book later and was not created at the same time as the other records contained in that book. (Quincy, IL, Branch, Record Book, 9 Nov. 1840 and 17 Nov. 1840–27 Feb. 1841, 20, 22; Nauvoo Temple, Record of Baptisms for the Dead, bk. A; bk. B, 2–3.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Quincy, IL, Branch, Record Book / “Record of the Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints in Quincy, (Ill),” 1840–1846. CHL. LR 5361 21, fd. 1.

Nauvoo Temple. Record of Baptisms for the Dead, 1841, 1843–1845. CHL.

The enhanced record-keeping efforts that JS suggested resembled those that contemporaneous state and county recorders were making to maintain official copies of deeds and other records. JS explained, however, that the Saints needed to maintain an accurate record of these ordinances because the record would subsequently be written in heaven and become a book that the Saints would offer to God.
In the letter, JS also tied baptisms for the dead to his
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
-era teachings regarding
priesthood

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

View Glossary
and
dispensations

A gift of divine knowledge, power, and authority from God to humankind; often associated with a prophet and his time period. A revelation published in 1835 identified JS and Oliver Cowdery as the recipients of keys to administer a final dispensation of the...

View Glossary
of the gospel.
5

Nineteenth-century Christians frequently referred to dispensations, such as the Mosaic dispensation, defining them as periods of divine involvement with humanity. During the previous years in Nauvoo, JS had addressed the topics of priesthood and gospel dispensations on several occasions. Like other nineteenth-century Christians, he taught that there had been gospel dispensations prior to Christ, although JS held that people during these dispensations were aware of and taught about Christ. JS’s comments on these earlier dispensations also emphasized that Adam, Noah, and others “held the Keys” of the priesthood “from genration to Generation.” Teaching that the church and its priesthood were linked to those earlier prophets, JS urged the Latter-day Saints to “seek for the Glory of Abraham. Noah. Adam.” (“Dispensation,” in Buck, Theological Dictionary, 127–128; Discourse, between ca. 26 June and ca. 4 Aug. 1839–A, underlining in original; see also Instruction on Priesthood, ca. 5 Oct. 1840; and Minutes and Discourse, 1–5 Oct. 1841.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Buck, Charles. A Theological Dictionary, Containing Definitions of All Religious Terms: A Comprehensive View of Every Article in the System of Divinity. . . . Philadelphia: W. W. Woodward, 1818.

He explained that through the ordinance, the Saints could forge a generational chain between parents and children, just as there would be a “welding together” of the various
keys

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

View Glossary
and dispensations from Adam down to JS in the “dispensation of the fulness of times.” Building on this teaching, JS used the letter to recount briefly that he had been visited by ancient prophets who provided him with the necessary keys.
At JS’s request, this letter was “read to the saints at the
Grove

Before partial completion of Nauvoo temple, all large meetings were held outdoors in groves located near east and west sides of temple site. Had portable stands for speakers. JS referred to area as “temple stand” due to its location on brow of hill.

More Info
near 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
” on 11 September 1842.
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
reported in JS’s journal that the letter “made a deep and solemn impression on the minds of the saints,” who “manifested their intentions to obey the instructions to the letter.”
6

JS, Journal, 11 Sept. 1842.


Soon thereafter, general church recorder
James Sloan

28 Oct. 1792–24 Oct. 1886. City recorder, notary public, attorney, judge, farmer. Born in Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone, Ireland. Son of Alexander Sloan and Anne. Married Mary Magill. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ordained an elder, ...

View Full Bio
began keeping a new record for baptisms for the dead. The first entry in the book was for proxy baptisms performed on the evening of 11 September 1842, with the entries for that date reflecting the new instructions contained in this letter.
7

Nauvoo Temple, Record of Baptisms for the Dead, bk. C, 1. Loose slips of paper inserted throughout the book indicate that the general church record was compiled from loose records that were subsequently given to the general church recorder.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Nauvoo Temple. Record of Baptisms for the Dead, 1841, 1843–1845. CHL.

The featured version of the letter is a loose copy in
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
’s handwriting. It is the earliest known extant manuscript copy and may be the original dictated letter. The letter was copied into JS’s journal by
Eliza R. Snow

21 Jan. 1804–5 Dec. 1887. Poet, teacher, seamstress, milliner. Born in Becket, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Daughter of Oliver Snow and Rosetta Leonora Pettibone. Moved to Mantua, Trumbull Co., Ohio, ca. 1806. Member of Baptist church. Baptized into Church...

View Full Bio
on or around 11 September. Differences between the Clayton version and the version copied in JS’s journal are noted. Although both versions date the letter 6 September, JS’s journal entry for 7 September notes that he “wrote—or rather dictated a long Epistle to the Saints which he ordered to be read next Sabbath.”
8

JS, Journal, 7 and 11 Sept. 1842.


The letter may have been misdated in the loose copy, with the error copied into the journal, or Clayton may have mistakenly attributed the letter to 6 September while making entries in JS’s journal.
9

While it is possible that Clayton inadvertently misdated the letter in JS’s journal, his description of 6 September 1842 in JS’s journal seems to indicate otherwise. Describing the events of that day, Clayton noted, “The evening was spent cheerfully but nothing of special importance transpired.” (JS, Journal, 6 Sept. 1842.)


The letter was subsequently published in the 1 October 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons.
10

“Letter from Joseph Smith,” Times and Seasons, 1 Oct. 1842, 3:934–936.


At some point between September 1842 and July 1843,
James Sloan

28 Oct. 1792–24 Oct. 1886. City recorder, notary public, attorney, judge, farmer. Born in Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone, Ireland. Son of Alexander Sloan and Anne. Married Mary Magill. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ordained an elder, ...

View Full Bio
inscribed onto a single leaf excerpts from the letter pertaining to how the records were to be kept.
11

“Extracts from J. Smith’s Letter of Septr. 6th 1842,” Revelations Collection, CHL.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.

Water damage and other markings on the page suggest he may have kept this document with the baptisms for the dead records that he made pursuant to the instructions in the letter. The letter was later included in the 1844 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.
12

JS, Nauvoo, IL, to “the Church of Jesus Chr[i]st of Latter Day Saints,” [7] Sept. 1842, in Doctrine and Covenants 106, 1844 ed. [D&C 128].


Footnotes

  1. [1]

    On 3 September 1842, Adams County, Illinois, constable James Pitman, Missouri state agent Edward Ford, and Adams County undersheriff Thomas King came to Nauvoo, Illinois, to arrest JS and extradite him to Missouri. Learning of the effort, JS hid in the home of Newel K. Whitney and from there went to Hunter’s house, where he remained in hiding until the evening of 10 September. (JS, Journal, 3 and 10 Sept. 1842; Eliza R. Snow, Journal, 4 Sept. 1842; Thomas Reynolds, Requisition, 22 July 1842; “Part 1: 1 September–31 October 1842.”)

    Snow, Eliza R. Journal, 1842–1844. CHL. MS 1439.

  2. [2]

    Letter to “All the Saints in Nauvoo,” 1 Sept. 1842 [D&C 127].

  3. [3]

    Early revelations referred frequently to records and record keeping. The Book of Mormon frequently described keeping “a record,” and an early revelation described the book as “the record of a fallen people.” The language of record keeping subsequently became integral to the organization of the church, with a revelation instructing, “Behold there Shall a Record be kept among you.” Additional revelations further instructed the Saints to keep “a general church reccord of all things that transpire in Zion.” In February 1835, JS highlighted the importance of record keeping by encouraging the newly organized Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to ensure that “one or more be appointed to keep a record of [their] proceedings,” noting that problems had arisen because accurate records had not been kept in earlier days. In accordance with these instructions, early members produced a variety of records, including revelation books, minute books, diaries, and letterbooks. (Title Page of Book of Mormon, ca. Early June 1829; Book of Mormon, 1840 ed., 7, 317, 318, 451, 517, 572 [1 Nephi 1:1–3; Alma 37:1–2, 8–9; 3 Nephi 5:9–11; Mormon 8:1]; Testimony of Three Witnesses, Late June 1829; Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:9, 82]; Revelation, 6 Apr. 1830 [D&C 21:1]; Letter to William W. Phelps, 27 Nov. 1832 [D&C 85:1]; Minutes and Discourses, 27 Feb. 1835.)

  4. [4]

    For example, the record book of the church branch in Quincy, Illinois, includes records of thirteen baptisms for the dead between 9 November 1840 and 27 February 1841. In addition to recording the names of those who were baptized, the names of the deceased, and the relationship between the person baptized and the deceased, the book noted the exact dates of the baptisms. However, the earliest records are generally less detailed than the Quincy record book, often including only the year rather than a specific date. An inserted page in book B of the Nauvoo proxy baptism records includes some additional details, but a notation on the reverse side of the page indicates that the page had been found among the Nauvoo high council papers, suggesting that it was added to the book later and was not created at the same time as the other records contained in that book. (Quincy, IL, Branch, Record Book, 9 Nov. 1840 and 17 Nov. 1840–27 Feb. 1841, 20, 22; Nauvoo Temple, Record of Baptisms for the Dead, bk. A; bk. B, 2–3.)

    Quincy, IL, Branch, Record Book / “Record of the Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints in Quincy, (Ill),” 1840–1846. CHL. LR 5361 21, fd. 1.

    Nauvoo Temple. Record of Baptisms for the Dead, 1841, 1843–1845. CHL.

  5. [5]

    Nineteenth-century Christians frequently referred to dispensations, such as the Mosaic dispensation, defining them as periods of divine involvement with humanity. During the previous years in Nauvoo, JS had addressed the topics of priesthood and gospel dispensations on several occasions. Like other nineteenth-century Christians, he taught that there had been gospel dispensations prior to Christ, although JS held that people during these dispensations were aware of and taught about Christ. JS’s comments on these earlier dispensations also emphasized that Adam, Noah, and others “held the Keys” of the priesthood “from genration to Generation.” Teaching that the church and its priesthood were linked to those earlier prophets, JS urged the Latter-day Saints to “seek for the Glory of Abraham. Noah. Adam.” (“Dispensation,” in Buck, Theological Dictionary, 127–128; Discourse, between ca. 26 June and ca. 4 Aug. 1839–A, underlining in original; see also Instruction on Priesthood, ca. 5 Oct. 1840; and Minutes and Discourse, 1–5 Oct. 1841.)

    Buck, Charles. A Theological Dictionary, Containing Definitions of All Religious Terms: A Comprehensive View of Every Article in the System of Divinity. . . . Philadelphia: W. W. Woodward, 1818.

  6. [6]

    JS, Journal, 11 Sept. 1842.

  7. [7]

    Nauvoo Temple, Record of Baptisms for the Dead, bk. C, 1. Loose slips of paper inserted throughout the book indicate that the general church record was compiled from loose records that were subsequently given to the general church recorder.

    Nauvoo Temple. Record of Baptisms for the Dead, 1841, 1843–1845. CHL.

  8. [8]

    JS, Journal, 7 and 11 Sept. 1842.

  9. [9]

    While it is possible that Clayton inadvertently misdated the letter in JS’s journal, his description of 6 September 1842 in JS’s journal seems to indicate otherwise. Describing the events of that day, Clayton noted, “The evening was spent cheerfully but nothing of special importance transpired.” (JS, Journal, 6 Sept. 1842.)

  10. [10]

    “Letter from Joseph Smith,” Times and Seasons, 1 Oct. 1842, 3:934–936.

  11. [11]

    “Extracts from J. Smith’s Letter of Septr. 6th 1842,” Revelations Collection, CHL.

    Revelations Collection, 1831–ca. 1844, 1847, 1861, ca. 1876. CHL. MS 4583.

  12. [12]

    JS, Nauvoo, IL, to “the Church of Jesus Chr[i]st of Latter Day Saints,” [7] Sept. 1842, in Doctrine and Covenants 106, 1844 ed. [D&C 128].

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Letter to the Church, 7 September 1842 [D&C 128]
Journal, December 1841–December 1842 Times and Seasons, 1 October 1842 Doctrine and Covenants, 1844 History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 1

Journeying
1

JS was in hiding at this time. “Journeying” was likely written to conceal his whereabouts from those seeking his arrest and extradition. (See JS, Journal, 3 Sept. 1842.)


Sepr. 6th. [7th] 1842
To the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

View Glossary
Sendeth Greeting— As I stated to you in my letter
2

Letter to “All the Saints in Nauvoo,” 1 Sept. 1842 [D&C 127].


before I left my place
3

JS left his home on 3 September 1842. (JS, Journal, 3 Sept. 1842.)


that I would write to you from time to time and give you information in relation to many subjects.
4

In his 1 September 1842 letter to the Saints, JS stated, “I will say to all the saints that I desired with exceeding great desire to have addressed them from the stand on the subject of Baptism for the dead on the following sabbath but inasmuch as it is out of my power to do so I will write the word of the Lord from time to time on that subject and send it you by mail as well as many other things.” (Letter to “All the Saints in Nauvoo,” 1 Sept. 1842 [D&C 127:10].)


I now resume the subject of the
Baptism

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

View Glossary
for the dead as that subject seems to occupy my mind and press itself upon my feelings the strongest since I have been pursued by my enemies. I wrote a few words of Revelation to you, concerning a Recorder. a I have received <​had​> a few additional feelings <​views​> in relation to this matter which I now Certify. i.e It was declared in my former letter that there should be a Recorder who should be eye-witness, and also to hear with his ears, that he might, make a Record of a truth before the Lord.
5

JS’s 1 September letter instructed the Saints, “Verily thus saith the Lord unto you concerning your dead when any of you are baptised for your dead let there be a recorder, and let him be eyewitness of your baptisms; let him hear with his ears that he may testify of a truth, saith the Lord; that in all your recordings it may be recorded in Heaven. . . . And again let all the Records be had in order, that they may be put in the archives of my Holy Temple to be held in remembrance from generation to generation saith the Lord of Hosts.” (Letter to “All the Saints in Nauvoo,” 1 Sept. 1842 [D&C 127:6–7, 9].)


Now in relation to this matter, it would be very difficult for one Recorder to be present at all times and to do all the business.
6

On 2 October 1841, the Saints sustained James Sloan to fill the role of “general church Clerk,” which included some duties that subsequently fell within the purview of the general church recorder. Later that year, on 13 December 1841, JS appointed Willard Richards as “Recorder for the Temple,” with the specific responsibility of recording tithing and other contributions to the temple construction. In order to keep pace with the increased business, Clayton was appointed to assist with the recorder’s office on 14 February 1842. Then, on the evening of 3 September 1842, JS appointed Clayton to be the temple recorder “on account of E[lde]r Richards having more work than he could attend to.” In May 1842, Sloan was signing documents as “General Church Clerk, & Recorder,” a position in which he continued to function at the time this letter was written. (Minutes and Discourse, 1–5 Oct. 1841; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 16, 18, 30–31; Richards, Journal, 13 Dec. 1841; Letter to James Sloan, 17 May 1842.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, ca. 1845. CHL. MS 3365.

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

To obviate this difficulty there can be a Recorder appointed in each ward of the
City

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
7

In addition to its municipal wards created for tax and election purposes, Nauvoo maintained ecclesiastical wards. In August 1842, the Nauvoo high council resolved that Nauvoo’s three ecclesiastical wards would be reorganized into ten wards, with a bishop appointed over each ward. Additionally, three “districts,” each with a bishop, were designated immediately outside the city. (Minutes and Discourses, 5–7 Oct. 1839; Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840; Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Feb. 1841, 9–10; Minutes, 1 Mar. 1841; Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20–21 Aug. 1842, 7–8.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, ca. 1839–ca. 1843. Fair copy. In Oliver Cowdery, Diary, Jan.–Mar. 1836. CHL.

who is well qualified for taking accurate minutes
8

Extant records do not indicate the extent to which individual wards appointed recorders who documented baptisms for the dead. A few records, however, indicate that some of the wards and stakes adhered to this instruction. On 12 July 1841, for example, the Iowa stake high council appointed John Patten as “Recorder of Baptisms for the Dead in Iowa.” Additionally, in 1844 Joseph B. Noble functioned as a clerk and John P. Herr as a recorder for unspecified wards in Nauvoo. (Iowa Stake, Record, 12 July 1841, 100; see also the loose papers inside the front cover and between pp. 130–131 and 134–135 in Nauvoo Temple, Record of Baptisms for the Dead, bk. D.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Iowa Stake, Record. / Iowa Stake. “Church Record,” 1840–1841. CHL. LR 7817 21.

Nauvoo Temple. Record of Baptisms for the Dead, 1841, 1843–1845. CHL.

and let him be very particular and precise in making his Record, in taking the whole proceeding certifying in his Record that he saw with his eyes, and heard with his ears, giving the date, and names &c,
9

Although the Quincy branch record included the exact dates of baptisms for the dead, the first record book to consistently record the dates of the ordinances was book C of the Nauvoo proxy baptism records, which begins with entries dated 11 September 1842. (Quincy, IL, Branch, Record Book, 9 Nov. 1840 and 17 Nov. 1840–27 Feb. 1841, 20, 22; Nauvoo Temple, Record of Baptisms for the Dead, bk. C, 1.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Quincy, IL, Branch, Record Book / “Record of the Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints in Quincy, (Ill),” 1840–1846. CHL. LR 5361 21, fd. 1.

Nauvoo Temple. Record of Baptisms for the Dead, 1841, 1843–1845. CHL.

and the history of the whole transaction, nameing also some three individuals that are present if there be any present who can at any time when called upon certify to the same that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
10

See Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; and Revelation, Apr. 1829–A [D&C 6:28]. Extant records indicate that Latter-day Saints began keeping a record of the names of those witnessing baptisms for the dead beginning with entries dated 11 September 1842. (Nauvoo Temple, Record of Baptisms for the Dead, bk. C, 1.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Nauvoo Temple. Record of Baptisms for the Dead, 1841, 1843–1845. CHL.

Then let there be a general Recorder to whom these other records can be handed being attended with certificates over their own signatures [p. 1]
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Page 1

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to the Church, 7 September 1842 [D&C 128]
ID #
2762
Total Pages
10
Print Volume Location
JSP, D11:56–69
Handwriting on This Page
  • William Clayton

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS was in hiding at this time. “Journeying” was likely written to conceal his whereabouts from those seeking his arrest and extradition. (See JS, Journal, 3 Sept. 1842.)

  2. [2]

    Letter to “All the Saints in Nauvoo,” 1 Sept. 1842 [D&C 127].

  3. [3]

    JS left his home on 3 September 1842. (JS, Journal, 3 Sept. 1842.)

  4. [4]

    In his 1 September 1842 letter to the Saints, JS stated, “I will say to all the saints that I desired with exceeding great desire to have addressed them from the stand on the subject of Baptism for the dead on the following sabbath but inasmuch as it is out of my power to do so I will write the word of the Lord from time to time on that subject and send it you by mail as well as many other things.” (Letter to “All the Saints in Nauvoo,” 1 Sept. 1842 [D&C 127:10].)

  5. [5]

    JS’s 1 September letter instructed the Saints, “Verily thus saith the Lord unto you concerning your dead when any of you are baptised for your dead let there be a recorder, and let him be eyewitness of your baptisms; let him hear with his ears that he may testify of a truth, saith the Lord; that in all your recordings it may be recorded in Heaven. . . . And again let all the Records be had in order, that they may be put in the archives of my Holy Temple to be held in remembrance from generation to generation saith the Lord of Hosts.” (Letter to “All the Saints in Nauvoo,” 1 Sept. 1842 [D&C 127:6–7, 9].)

  6. [6]

    On 2 October 1841, the Saints sustained James Sloan to fill the role of “general church Clerk,” which included some duties that subsequently fell within the purview of the general church recorder. Later that year, on 13 December 1841, JS appointed Willard Richards as “Recorder for the Temple,” with the specific responsibility of recording tithing and other contributions to the temple construction. In order to keep pace with the increased business, Clayton was appointed to assist with the recorder’s office on 14 February 1842. Then, on the evening of 3 September 1842, JS appointed Clayton to be the temple recorder “on account of E[lde]r Richards having more work than he could attend to.” In May 1842, Sloan was signing documents as “General Church Clerk, & Recorder,” a position in which he continued to function at the time this letter was written. (Minutes and Discourse, 1–5 Oct. 1841; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 16, 18, 30–31; Richards, Journal, 13 Dec. 1841; Letter to James Sloan, 17 May 1842.)

    Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, ca. 1845. CHL. MS 3365.

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

  7. [7]

    In addition to its municipal wards created for tax and election purposes, Nauvoo maintained ecclesiastical wards. In August 1842, the Nauvoo high council resolved that Nauvoo’s three ecclesiastical wards would be reorganized into ten wards, with a bishop appointed over each ward. Additionally, three “districts,” each with a bishop, were designated immediately outside the city. (Minutes and Discourses, 5–7 Oct. 1839; Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840; Nauvoo City Council Minute Book, 22 Feb. 1841, 9–10; Minutes, 1 Mar. 1841; Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 20–21 Aug. 1842, 7–8.)

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, ca. 1839–ca. 1843. Fair copy. In Oliver Cowdery, Diary, Jan.–Mar. 1836. CHL.

  8. [8]

    Extant records do not indicate the extent to which individual wards appointed recorders who documented baptisms for the dead. A few records, however, indicate that some of the wards and stakes adhered to this instruction. On 12 July 1841, for example, the Iowa stake high council appointed John Patten as “Recorder of Baptisms for the Dead in Iowa.” Additionally, in 1844 Joseph B. Noble functioned as a clerk and John P. Herr as a recorder for unspecified wards in Nauvoo. (Iowa Stake, Record, 12 July 1841, 100; see also the loose papers inside the front cover and between pp. 130–131 and 134–135 in Nauvoo Temple, Record of Baptisms for the Dead, bk. D.)

    Iowa Stake, Record. / Iowa Stake. “Church Record,” 1840–1841. CHL. LR 7817 21.

    Nauvoo Temple. Record of Baptisms for the Dead, 1841, 1843–1845. CHL.

  9. [9]

    Although the Quincy branch record included the exact dates of baptisms for the dead, the first record book to consistently record the dates of the ordinances was book C of the Nauvoo proxy baptism records, which begins with entries dated 11 September 1842. (Quincy, IL, Branch, Record Book, 9 Nov. 1840 and 17 Nov. 1840–27 Feb. 1841, 20, 22; Nauvoo Temple, Record of Baptisms for the Dead, bk. C, 1.)

    Quincy, IL, Branch, Record Book / “Record of the Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints in Quincy, (Ill),” 1840–1846. CHL. LR 5361 21, fd. 1.

    Nauvoo Temple. Record of Baptisms for the Dead, 1841, 1843–1845. CHL.

  10. [10]

    See Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; and Revelation, Apr. 1829–A [D&C 6:28]. Extant records indicate that Latter-day Saints began keeping a record of the names of those witnessing baptisms for the dead beginning with entries dated 11 September 1842. (Nauvoo Temple, Record of Baptisms for the Dead, bk. C, 1.)

    Nauvoo Temple. Record of Baptisms for the Dead, 1841, 1843–1845. CHL.

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