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Minutes, 19 September 1835

Source Note

Minutes, , Geauga Co., OH, 19 Sept. 1835. Featured version copied [not before 25 Feb. 1836] in Minute Book 1, pp. 113–118; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 1.

Historical Introduction

On 19 September 1835, JS levied charges against before the , Ohio, . In the months previous, Carter and had made a fund-raising trip to the eastern to solicit donations for the construction of the . They, along with , were members of the committee responsible for overseeing the construction of the house, and securing funds was a primary responsibility. During that trip, some trouble arose in at least one branch regarding donations. Although the April edition of the Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate had publicized Carter and Smith’s trip and its purpose, the , New York, was unprepared to provide funds upon Carter’s arrival. In a letter to his brother Oliver, , the branch’s presiding , explained that the congregation was unwilling or unable to contribute because, aside from the April notice in the Messenger and Advocate, neither “the , the , nor any others, clothed with authority” had given significant instruction on the subject of fund raising for the House of the Lord. Cowdery wrote that the unheeded requests for funds resulted in great embarrassment for Carter. The Twelve Apostles, who had met with the Freedom branch prior to Carter’s arrival, later filed countercomplaints against Cowdery for his statements, explaining that they had fulfilled their responsibility of informing the branch of the need for donations.
Upon his return to , ’s frustration with the trip and the lack of donations apparently led him to give a sermon in late August or early September, wherein he chastised church members for not supporting the committee to build the . Some found fault with the sermon. Presidents , , and corrected him in private, but Carter proved defiant and made further remarks which were considered even more egregious. The Kirtland high council thus met on 19 September to consider JS’s charges against Carter for his remarks. The primary concerns were his alleged proclamations that the committee to build the House of the Lord was above counsel, that any who failed to support the committee would be cursed by God, and that Saints who failed to pray for the committee would be held accountable for any of its subsequent failures. Besides concerns about the content of his remarks, his authoritative tone of censure was also deemed inappropriate. After various testimonies from Carter and members of the high council, JS ruled that Carter had erred in judgment and should confess before the church the following day. Carter agreed to that decision.
As clerk of the high council, took the minutes of the meeting. Sometime in 1836, copied the minutes into Minute Book 1.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    The committee to build the House of the Lord was established in May 1833 and was later “appointed to take the oversight of the building of the House of the Lord.” In addition to collecting funds for temple construction, by summer 1835, the committee was also operating a store to supply clothing and other goods to the workers building the House of the Lord. (Minutes, 4 May 1833; Minutes, 6 June 1833; “Cahoon, Carter & Co.,” Northern Times [Kirtland, OH], 9 Oct. 1835, [4].)

    Northern Times. Kirtland, OH. 1835–[1836?].

  2. [2]

    Editorial, LDS Messenger and Advocate, Apr. 1835, 1:107–108.

    Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

  3. [3]

    A 25 November 1834 revelation had appointed Cowdery to this position. (Revelation, 25 Nov. 1834 [D&C 106].)

  4. [4]

    Letter to Quorum of the Twelve, 4 Aug. 1835. Prior to Carter and Smith’s fund-raising trip, the newly called Twelve Apostles, Bishop Edward Partridge, and Isaac Morley had travelled in the region. Cowdery did not deny that the Twelve had held a conference in Freedom on 22 and 23 May 1835 or that Partridge and Morley preached to the Freedom branch on 21 June 1835; his complaint was that they had failed to emphasize fund raising for the House of the Lord. (Record of the Twelve, 22–23 May 1835; Editorial, LDS Messenger and Advocate, July 1835, 1:153; Partridge, Diary, 21 June 1835.)

    Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

    Partridge, Edward. Diaries, 1818 and 1835–1836. Edward Partridge, Papers, 1818–1839. CHL. MS 892, box 1, fds. 1–2.

  5. [5]

    Letter to Quorum of the Twelve, 4 Aug. 1835.

  6. [6]

    Minutes, 26 Sept. 1835; JS, Journal, 16 Jan. 1836. In response to the Twelve’s complaints, Cowdery offered a public apology, stating that the apostles had indeed delivered the message concerning donations. (Cowdery, Diary, 5 Mar. 1836; “Notice,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Feb. 1836, 2:263.)

    Cowdery, Oliver. Diary, Jan.–Mar. 1836. CHL. MS 3429. Also available as Leonard J. Arrington, “Oliver Cowdery’s Kirtland, Ohio, ‘Sketch Book,’” BYU Studies 12 (Summer 1972): 410–426.

    Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

  7. [7]

    Carter returned at the latest by 17 August 1835, when he attended a general assembly of the church in Kirtland. (Minutes, 17 Aug. 1835.)

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Minutes, 19 September 1835 Minute Book 1 History, 1838–1856, volume B-1 [1 September 1834–2 November 1838] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 114

proceeded to speak pretty largely & explain his design in teaching as he did, saying he believed that God directed him by his spirit. & afterwards being rebuked by the , , & , he called upon the Lord & received again a Witness of the Spirit that he was right & the Presidents were wrong. taught in his concluding remarks, that God had shown him by laying his hand upon him in Judgement & delivering him therefrom, that he was thus rebuked by Heaven for his iniquity, and that he was made an example to the whole . and God would curse them if they did not hold up the Committee: for he was made an example in this thing. arose and said, that he attended the meeting in which Spoke, and was certain and is certain that he did not have the spirit of wisdom to direct, and after he sat down and had occupied some half an hour, filled with the spirit, he arose again and said, that if any man spoke against the Committe, God would curse him, and set the Committee away up from the common brethren, and said that God would take care of the Committee & God had the brethren had nothing to do with them, for their station was appointed them of God and not of man, therefore, God will curse any man or woman in the church, who shall speak evil of the Com. That he told at the time in private that he did wrong, and in Co. with other of the Presidents advised him, after he should fill a certain mission to the West East, that he should make a confession to the Church, in order to satisfy many of the brethren, who were agrieved with him. [p. 114]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 114

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, 19 September 1835
ID #
6720
Total Pages
6
Print Volume Location
JSP, D4:422–427
Handwriting on This Page
  • Warren A. Cowdery

Footnotes

  1. [2]

    At the earlier meeting.

  2. [3]

    In suggesting that the church’s potential cursing for not supporting the committee was linked to his own “iniquity,” Carter may have been indicating that his dedication to the committee’s duties had waned and that he was being punished accordingly.

  3. [4]

    Jared Carter.

  4. [5]

    Sidney Rigdon.

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