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License for John P. Greene, 25 February 1834

Source Note

License,
Kirtland Township

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...

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, Geauga Co., OH, for
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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, 25 Feb. 1834; printed form with additions in handwriting of
Oliver Cowdery

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

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; signatures of JS,
Sidney Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

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, and
Cowdery

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

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; one page; JS Collection, CHL. Includes archival marking.
Single leaf measuring 6⅜ × 6½ inches (16 × 17 cm). The left and right edges have been unevenly cut. This document has been folded, and at some point a piece of white, watermarked paper, measuring 3⅝ × 6¼ inches (9 × 16 cm), was glued to the back of the license to reinforce the paper where it was folded. On the verso, a notation in graphite in unidentified handwriting reads: “Signed by Joseph Smith, |
Sidney Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

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, and
Oliver Cowdery

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

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”.
1

In the same collection, there is a 25 June 1835 license for Evan M. Greene with a similar notation in the same handwriting. (License for Evan M. Greene, 29 June 1835, JS Collection, CHL.)


In the upper right corner of the recto a graphite notation retraced in ink reads “No. 1”.
2

Similar archival notations appear on two other licenses in the JS Collection. (See License for Evan M. Greene, 29 June 1835; and License for John P. Greene, 30 Mar. 1836, JS Collection, CHL.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155.

This license is from a collection of other licenses that were donated to the Church History Library at an unknown time as part of the papers of
Evan M. Greene

22 Dec. 1814–2 May 1882. Schoolteacher, farmer, postmaster, politician, justice of the peace, judge. Born at Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York. Son of John P. Greene and Rhoda Young. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1831/1832. Served...

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, son of
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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. This
license

A document certifying an individual’s office in the church and authorizing him “to perform the duty of his calling.” The “Articles and Covenants” of the church implied that only elders could issue licenses; individuals ordained by a priest to an office in...

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, along with other licenses of John P. Greene, was eventually separated from the Evan M. Greene papers and placed in the JS Collection.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    In the same collection, there is a 25 June 1835 license for Evan M. Greene with a similar notation in the same handwriting. (License for Evan M. Greene, 29 June 1835, JS Collection, CHL.)

  2. [2]

    Similar archival notations appear on two other licenses in the JS Collection. (See License for Evan M. Greene, 29 June 1835; and License for John P. Greene, 30 Mar. 1836, JS Collection, CHL.)

    Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155.

Historical Introduction

This
license

A document certifying an individual’s office in the church and authorizing him “to perform the duty of his calling.” The “Articles and Covenants” of the church implied that only elders could issue licenses; individuals ordained by a priest to an office in...

View Glossary
was issued to
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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five days after the
high council

A governing body of twelve high priests. The first high council was organized in Kirtland, Ohio, on 17 February 1834 “for the purpose of settling important difficulties which might arise in the church, which could not be settled by the church, or the bishop...

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in
Kirtland

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...

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, Ohio, appointed him to visit
Strongsville

Area settled, 1816. Surveyed 1816–1817. Organized 25 Feb. 1818. Population in 1830 about 600. Kirtland high council sent Sidney Rigdon and John P. Greene to visit township, 20 Feb. 1834. Fifteen-member branch of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...

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, Ohio, with
Sidney Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

View Full Bio
and one day after JS dictated a revelation regarding the redemption of
Zion

A specific location in Missouri; also a literal or figurative gathering of believers in Jesus Christ, characterized by adherence to ideals of harmony, equality, and purity. In JS’s earliest revelations “the cause of Zion” was used to broadly describe the ...

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. The 24 February 1834 revelation appointed various men to serve missions to gather men and resources for the
Camp of Israel

A group of approximately 205 men and about 20 women and children led by JS to Missouri, May–July 1834, to redeem Zion by helping the Saints who had been driven from Jackson County, Missouri, regain their lands; later referred to as “Zion’s Camp.” A 24 February...

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expedition.
1

Minutes, 20 Feb. 1834; Revelation, 24 Feb. 1834 [D&C 103].


Though Greene was not specifically identified in the revelation, an 1857 history by his son indicates that after receiving his
elder

A male leader in the church generally; an ecclesiastical and priesthood office or one holding that office; a proselytizing missionary. The Book of Mormon explained that elders ordained priests and teachers and administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto...

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’s license, Greene “took a mission . . . to the western part of
N. Y.

Located in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...

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and into
Canada

In late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Canada referred to British colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Divided into Upper Canada and Lower Canada, 1791; reunited 10 Feb. 1841. Boundaries corresponded roughly to present-day Ontario (Upper...

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to gather men and means” for the
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
expedition.
2

Greene, “Biographical Sketch of the Life and Travels of John Portenus Greene,” 2.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Greene, Evan Melbourne. “A Biographical Sketch of the Life and Travels of John Portenus Greene,” 1857. CHL. MS 15390.

This account suggests that Greene was granted the license in preparation for his recruiting mission rather than for his trip to Strongsville. If Greene completed his mission to Strongsville,
3

No known evidence indicates whether Rigdon and Greene traveled to Strongsville at this time.


he must have done so before departing for New York and perhaps even before receiving the license.
4

It is unclear from Greene’s biographical sketch if he left for New York and Canada immediately after receiving his license or if he had sufficient time to travel to nearby Strongsville first. His biographical sketch reads, “He received letters of commendation, from the hand of Jos Smith jr & S. Rigdon and took a mission again to the western part of N. Y. and into Canada to gather men and means for the redemption of Zion.” (Greene, “Biographical Sketch of the Life and Travels of John Portenus Greene,” 2.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Greene, Evan Melbourne. “A Biographical Sketch of the Life and Travels of John Portenus Greene,” 1857. CHL. MS 15390.

No minutes from the 25 February 1834 meeting in which the license was issued, and which might clarify for what mission Greene received this license, have been located. Those who filled out Greene’s license used the same printed form that was used for the license issued to
Frederick G. Williams

28 Oct. 1787–10 Oct. 1842. Ship’s pilot, teacher, physician, justice of the peace. Born at Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of William Wheeler Williams and Ruth Granger. Moved to Newburg, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, 1799. Practiced Thomsonian botanical system...

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. Greene’s license, like Williams’s, is one of the earliest printed licenses known to have been issued in the
Church of Christ

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...

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.
5

See Historical Introduction to License for Frederick G. Williams, 25 Feb. 1834.


Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Minutes, 20 Feb. 1834; Revelation, 24 Feb. 1834 [D&C 103].

  2. [2]

    Greene, “Biographical Sketch of the Life and Travels of John Portenus Greene,” 2.

    Greene, Evan Melbourne. “A Biographical Sketch of the Life and Travels of John Portenus Greene,” 1857. CHL. MS 15390.

  3. [3]

    No known evidence indicates whether Rigdon and Greene traveled to Strongsville at this time.

  4. [4]

    It is unclear from Greene’s biographical sketch if he left for New York and Canada immediately after receiving his license or if he had sufficient time to travel to nearby Strongsville first. His biographical sketch reads, “He received letters of commendation, from the hand of Jos Smith jr & S. Rigdon and took a mission again to the western part of N. Y. and into Canada to gather men and means for the redemption of Zion.” (Greene, “Biographical Sketch of the Life and Travels of John Portenus Greene,” 2.)

    Greene, Evan Melbourne. “A Biographical Sketch of the Life and Travels of John Portenus Greene,” 1857. CHL. MS 15390.

  5. [5]

    See Historical Introduction to License for Frederick G. Williams, 25 Feb. 1834.

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
License for John P. Greene, 25 February 1834
ID #
2164
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D3:466–467
Handwriting on This Page

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