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Minutes, 20 June 1840

Source Note

Nauvoo high council, Minutes,
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, 20 June 1840. Featured version copied [between 14 Feb. 1842 and 1 Jan. 1843] in Nauvoo High Council Minutes, fair copy, pp. 60–63; handwriting of
Hosea Stout

18 Sept. 1810–2 Mar. 1889. Farmer, teacher, carpenter, sawmill operator, lawyer. Born near Pleasant Hill, Mercer Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Stout and Anna Smith. Moved to Union Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, 1819; to Wilmington, Clinton Co., fall 1824; to...

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; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minutes, 27 Oct. 1839.

Historical Introduction

On 20 June 1840, 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
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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met to consider a petition from JS requesting that the council relieve him from the responsibility of handling some of 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
’s temporal affairs, especially those related to land sales in Nauvoo, Illinois.
1

See Historical Introduction to Memorial to Nauvoo High Council, 18 June 1840.


Although the high council met in JS’s office, it does not appear that JS attended; scribe
Robert B. Thompson

1 Oct. 1811–27 Aug. 1841. Clerk, editor. Born in Great Driffield, Yorkshire, England. Methodist. Immigrated to Upper Canada, 1834. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Parley P. Pratt, May 1836, in Upper Canada. Ordained an elder by...

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presented the petition, apparently acting under JS’s direction. The high council considered JS’s request and appointed
Henry G. Sherwood

20 Apr. 1785–24 Nov. 1867. Surveyor. Born at Kingsbury, Washington Co., New York. Son of Newcomb Sherwood and a woman whose maiden name was Tolman (first name unidentified). Married first Jane J. McManagal (McMangle) of Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland, ca. 1824...

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to act as clerk of Nauvoo land sales. The high council then addressed two other matters relating to land in Nauvoo. They disciplined
Ebenezer Black

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, who had apparently committed fraud while purchasing a Nauvoo lot in January 1840. The council also appointed a committee to investigate the acquisition of nearly sixty acres of land in the Nauvoo area purchased on behalf of the church by
George W. Robinson

14 May 1814–10 Feb. 1878. Clerk, postmaster, merchant, clothier, banker. Born at Pawlet, Rutland Co., Vermont. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, by 1836. Clerk and recorder for Kirtland high...

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from
Isaac Galland

15 May 1791–27 Sept. 1858. Merchant, postmaster, land speculator, doctor. Born at Somerset Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Matthew Galland and Hannah Fenno. Married first Nancy Harris, 22 Mar. 1811, in Madison Co., Ohio. Married second Margaret Knight, by 1816....

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in spring 1839. What exactly Black did and why the high council wanted to investigate the Galland purchase are unclear, but the subject matter of the meeting indicates that the continued development of Nauvoo raised pressing issues for the high council.
Hosea Stout

18 Sept. 1810–2 Mar. 1889. Farmer, teacher, carpenter, sawmill operator, lawyer. Born near Pleasant Hill, Mercer Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Stout and Anna Smith. Moved to Union Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, 1819; to Wilmington, Clinton Co., fall 1824; to...

View Full Bio
served as clerk pro tempore of the meeting and kept its minutes. At some point after 14 February 1842 and likely before the end of that year, Stout recorded the minutes into 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
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...

View Glossary
record book.
2

Stout indicated that he had recorded minutes of earlier meetings on 14 February 1842. (Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 19 Apr. 1840, 56.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See Historical Introduction to Memorial to Nauvoo High Council, 18 June 1840.

  2. [2]

    Stout indicated that he had recorded minutes of earlier meetings on 14 February 1842. (Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 19 Apr. 1840, 56.)

    Nauvoo High Council Minutes, 1839–1845. CHL. LR 3102 22.

Page 60

June 20th 1840. The
High Council

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
of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter 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
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....

More Info
Illinois met in council at the office [of] Joseph Smith jr.—
1. A memmorial was presented to the council, by
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...

View Glossary
R[obert] B. Thompson

1 Oct. 1811–27 Aug. 1841. Clerk, editor. Born in Great Driffield, Yorkshire, England. Methodist. Immigrated to Upper Canada, 1834. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Parley P. Pratt, May 1836, in Upper Canada. Ordained an elder by...

View Full Bio
, from
President

The highest presiding body of the church. An 11 November 1831 revelation stated that the president of the high priesthood was to preside over the church. JS was ordained as president of the high priesthood on 25 January 1832. In March 1832, JS appointed two...

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Joseph Smith jr
1

Thompson acted as the scribe for the memorial. For a full annotated treatment of the memorial, see Memorial to Nauvoo High Council, 18 June 1840.


praying that the Council would relieve him from the temporalities of the Church [p. 60]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 60

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, 20 June 1840
ID #
9503
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D7:298–301
Handwriting on This Page
  • Hosea Stout

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Thompson acted as the scribe for the memorial. For a full annotated treatment of the memorial, see Memorial to Nauvoo High Council, 18 June 1840.

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