The Papers
Browse the PapersDocumentsJournalsAdministrative RecordsRevelations and TranslationsHistoriesLegal RecordsFinancial RecordsOther Contemporary Papers
Reference
PeoplePlacesEventsGlossaryLegal GlossaryFinancial GlossaryCalendar of DocumentsWorks CitedFeatured TopicsLesson PlansRelated Publications
Media
VideosPhotographsIllustrationsChartsMapsPodcasts
News
Current NewsArchiveNewsletterSubscribeJSP Conferences
About
About the ProjectJoseph Smith and His PapersFAQAwardsEndorsementsReviewsEditorial MethodNote on TranscriptionsNote on Images of People and PlacesReferencing the ProjectCiting This WebsiteProject TeamContact Us
Published Volumes
  1. Home > 
  2. The Papers > 

Minutes, 27 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, 27 June 1840. Featured version copied [between 14 Feb. 1842 and 1 Jan. 1843] in Nauvoo High Council Minutes, fair copy, pp. 63–64; 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...

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

Historical Introduction

On 27 June 1840,
Alanson Ripley

8 Jan. 1798–before 1860. Surveyor, lawyer. Born at New York. Son of Asa Ripley and Polly Deforest. Married Sarah Finkle. Resided in Massachusetts, 1827. Member of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ohio. Participated in Camp of Israel expedition...

View Full Bio
, acting on behalf of JS, informed 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
that JS had vetoed actions the council took in its 20 June 1840 meeting, which JS apparently did not attend. At that meeting, the high council considered a memorial from JS requesting that he be relieved from his duties relating to temporal affairs in Nauvoo, Illinois, especially those involving land sales. Pursuant to JS’s request, the high council 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...

View Full Bio
as a clerk for the sale of Nauvoo town lots and also directed Ripley to ensure that the temporal needs of JS and his counselors in the
First Presidency

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...

View Glossary
were met.
1

Minutes, 20 June 1840; see also Memorial to Nauvoo High Council, 18 June 1840.


Although the high council’s actions seem to meet the requests in JS’s memorial, JS objected to these decisions. Minutes of a subsequent meeting suggest JS may have believed that the high council members had not sufficiently considered the heavy financial responsibility he bore from purchasing land in the Nauvoo area on behalf 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
or that they had not addressed pressing questions, such as how much Sherwood should be compensated for his service.
2

When the high council reconsidered the memorial, one of the prominent subjects of discussion was JS’s land debts. The high council also discussed how much Sherwood should be paid. (Minutes, 3 July 1840.)


JS also may have wanted the high council to specify where funding would come from to support him, his family, and the other members of the First Presidency.
3

At its meeting to reconsider the memorial, the high council specified that bishops would raise the money to provide this support. (Minutes, 3 July 1840.)


Whatever the case, Ripley relayed JS’s veto, and the high council decided to rehear JS’s memorial on 3 July 1840.
4

See Minutes, 3 July 1840.


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
, serving as clerk pro tempore of the high council, took the minutes of the meeting. 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 record book sometime after 14 February 1842 and likely before the end of that year.
5

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]

    Minutes, 20 June 1840; see also Memorial to Nauvoo High Council, 18 June 1840.

  2. [2]

    When the high council reconsidered the memorial, one of the prominent subjects of discussion was JS’s land debts. The high council also discussed how much Sherwood should be paid. (Minutes, 3 July 1840.)

  3. [3]

    At its meeting to reconsider the memorial, the high council specified that bishops would raise the money to provide this support. (Minutes, 3 July 1840.)

  4. [4]

    See Minutes, 3 July 1840.

  5. [5]

    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.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Minutes, 27 June 1840 * History Draft [1 January–31 December 1840] History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 64

that he was authorized to inform them that President Joseph Smith jr had vetoed the proceedings of the Council in relation to the memmorial on the 20th of June—
3 On motion Resolved that it be laid over, for a rehearing, till Friday next (July 3) at 1 o’clock P. M. Adjourned—
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
Clerk pro tem [p. 64]
View entire transcript

|

Cite this page

Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 64

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, 27 June 1840
ID #
9505
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D7:301–302
Handwriting on This Page
  • Hosea Stout

© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of UseUpdated 2021-04-13Privacy NoticeUpdated 2021-04-06