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Minutes, 27–28 December 1832

Source Note

Minutes,
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...

More Info
, OH, 27–28 Dec. 1832. Featured version copied [ca. 28 Dec. 1832] in Minute Book 1, pp. 3–4; handwriting of
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...

View Full Bio
; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 1.

Historical Introduction

Throughout December 1832, several missionaries who had spent time preaching in the eastern
United States

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

More Info
returned to
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...

More Info
, Ohio, some at the specific request of JS and others for unspecified reasons. For example, in the fall of 1832, JS instructed
Samuel Smith

13 Mar. 1808–30 July 1844. Farmer, logger, scribe, builder, tavern operator. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, by Mar. 1810; to Lebanon, Grafton Co., New Hampshire, 1811...

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and
Orson Hyde

8 Jan. 1805–28 Nov. 1878. Laborer, clerk, storekeeper, teacher, editor, businessman, lawyer, judge. Born at Oxford, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Nathan Hyde and Sally Thorpe. Moved to Derby, New Haven Co., 1812. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, ...

View Full Bio
, who were laboring in New England, to “come immediately” to Kirtland.
1

Samuel Smith, Diary, 4 Dec. 1832; “Extracts of Letters from the Elders Abroad,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Feb. 1833. [5]. According to Samuel Smith’s journal, JS left the message for Hyde and Smith while traveling in New England in October and November 1832. Upon his return to Kirtland, JS sent a letter to members in Boston, Massachusetts, requesting again that Hyde and Smith return. (Samuel Smith, Diary, Oct.–Nov. and 4 Dec. 1832.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Smith, Samuel. Diary, Feb. 1832–May 1833. CHL. MS 4213.

The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

JS might have wanted these missionaries to return so that they could be more fully instructed in their duties. On 27 December 1832, JS met with Samuel Smith, Hyde, and other
high priests

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. Christ and many ancient prophets, including Abraham, were described as being high priests. The Book of Mormon used the term high priest to denote one appointed to lead the church. However, the Book of Mormon also discussed...

View Glossary
in the new “translating room,” located in the recently renovated second story of
Newel K. Whitney

3/5 Feb. 1795–23 Sept. 1850. Trader, merchant. Born at Marlborough, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of Samuel Whitney and Susanna Kimball. Moved to Fairfield, Herkimer Co., New York, 1803. Merchant at Plattsburg, Clinton Co., New York, 1814. Mercantile clerk for...

View Full Bio
’s
white store

In Apr. 1826, Whitney purchased quarter-acre lot on northeast corner of Chardon and Chillicothe roads and built two-story, 1500-square-foot, white store. Mercantile store also functioned as Kirtland Mills post office. Whitney met JS at store, 4 Feb. 1831....

More Info
, where JS was living.
2

Levi Hancock, Statement, no date, CHL; see also Staker, Hearken, O Ye People, 251.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Hancock, Levi. Statement, no date. CHL. MS 3958.

Staker, Mark L. Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith’s Ohio Revelations. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2009.

According to the minutes, the purpose of the
conference

A meeting where ecclesiastical officers and other church members could conduct church business. The “Articles and Covenants” of the church directed the elders to hold conferences to perform “Church business.” The first of these conferences was held on 9 June...

View Glossary
was to seek revelation on the duties of the
elders

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
and to gain instruction on how to build
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 ...

View Glossary
. Following prayer by the attendees, JS began dictating a lengthy revelation but was unable to finish in that session. The conference reconvened on 28 December for JS to complete the dictation begun on the previous day. As clerk of the conference,
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...

View Full Bio
kept the minutes, which he later recorded in Minute Book 1.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Samuel Smith, Diary, 4 Dec. 1832; “Extracts of Letters from the Elders Abroad,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Feb. 1833. [5]. According to Samuel Smith’s journal, JS left the message for Hyde and Smith while traveling in New England in October and November 1832. Upon his return to Kirtland, JS sent a letter to members in Boston, Massachusetts, requesting again that Hyde and Smith return. (Samuel Smith, Diary, Oct.–Nov. and 4 Dec. 1832.)

    Smith, Samuel. Diary, Feb. 1832–May 1833. CHL. MS 4213.

    The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

  2. [2]

    Levi Hancock, Statement, no date, CHL; see also Staker, Hearken, O Ye People, 251.

    Hancock, Levi. Statement, no date. CHL. MS 3958.

    Staker, Mark L. Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith’s Ohio Revelations. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2009.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Minutes, 27–28 December 1832
Minute Book 1

Page 3

A
conference

A meeting where ecclesiastical officers and other church members could conduct church business. The “Articles and Covenants” of the church directed the elders to hold conferences to perform “Church business.” The first of these conferences was held on 9 June...

View Glossary
of
High Priests

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. Christ and many ancient prophets, including Abraham, were described as being high priests. The Book of Mormon used the term high priest to denote one appointed to lead the church. However, the Book of Mormon also discussed...

View Glossary
assembled in the translating room 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...

More Info
Ohio on the 27th. day of Dec. AD 1832——
Present—
Joseph Smith [Sr.]

12 July 1771–14 Sept. 1840. Cooper, farmer, teacher, merchant. Born at Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Asael Smith and Mary Duty. Nominal member of Congregationalist church at Topsfield. Married to Lucy Mack by Seth Austin, 24 Jan. 1796, at Tunbridge...

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,2d—
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
—
Orson Hyde

8 Jan. 1805–28 Nov. 1878. Laborer, clerk, storekeeper, teacher, editor, businessman, lawyer, judge. Born at Oxford, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Nathan Hyde and Sally Thorpe. Moved to Derby, New Haven Co., 1812. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, ...

View Full Bio
— Joseph Smith Jr.—
Hyram [Hyrum] Smith

9 Feb. 1800–27 June 1844. Farmer, cooper. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Randolph, Orange Co., 1802; back to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co...

View Full Bio
—
Samuel H Smith

13 Mar. 1808–30 July 1844. Farmer, logger, scribe, builder, tavern operator. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, by Mar. 1810; to Lebanon, Grafton Co., New Hampshire, 1811...

View Full Bio
—
N K Whitny [Newel K. Whitney]

3/5 Feb. 1795–23 Sept. 1850. Trader, merchant. Born at Marlborough, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of Samuel Whitney and Susanna Kimball. Moved to Fairfield, Herkimer Co., New York, 1803. Merchant at Plattsburg, Clinton Co., New York, 1814. Mercantile clerk for...

View Full Bio
F[rederick] 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...

View Full Bio
—
Ezra Thayer

14 Oct. 1791–6 Sept. 1862. Farmer, gardener, builder. Born in New York. Married Elizabeth Frank. Lived at Bloomfield, Ontario Co., New York, 1820. Lived at Farmington, Ontario Co., 1830. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Parley ...

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— &
John Murdock

15 July 1792–23 Dec. 1871. Farmer. Born at Kortright, Delaware Co., New York. Son of John Murdock Sr. and Eleanor Riggs. Joined Lutheran Dutch Church, ca. 1817, then Presbyterian Seceder Church shortly after. Moved to Orange, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, ca. 1819....

View Full Bio
commenced by prayer, Then Bro Joseph arose and said, to receive revelation and the blessings of heaven it was necessary to have our minds in on god and exercise faith and become of one heart and of one mind
1

See Acts 4:32; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 61 [2 Nephi 1:21]. JS’s lengthy revision to the book of Genesis—published in the August 1832 The Evening and the Morning Star as the “Prophecy of Enoch”—stated that “the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and of one mind.” (“Extract from the Prophecy of Enoch,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Aug. 1832, [2].)


Comprehensive Works Cited

The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

therefore he recommended all present to prey seperately and vocally to the Lord for to reveel his will unto us concerning the upbuilding 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 ...

View Glossary
, & for the benifit of the sa[i]nts and for the duty and employment of the
Elders

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
— Accordingly we all bowed down before the Lord, after which each one arose and spoke [p. 3]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 3

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, 27–28 December 1832
ID #
6583
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D2:331–334
Handwriting on This Page
  • Frederick G. Williams

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See Acts 4:32; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 61 [2 Nephi 1:21]. JS’s lengthy revision to the book of Genesis—published in the August 1832 The Evening and the Morning Star as the “Prophecy of Enoch”—stated that “the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and of one mind.” (“Extract from the Prophecy of Enoch,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Aug. 1832, [2].)

    The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

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