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Minutes, 3 September 1837

Source Note

Minutes, , Geauga Co., OH, 3 Sept. 1837. Featured version copied [ca. mid-Sept. 1837] in Minute Book 1, pp. 234–238; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 1.

Historical Introduction

JS presided over a conference on 3 September 1837, later referred to as a “re-organization of the ” in , Ohio, at which several men were removed and replaced as church leaders, including eight members of the and one of the presidents of the of the . In addition, the conference objected to and disfellowshipped three members of the and added as an assistant counselor in the church . This reorganization was undertaken to address the continuing opposition by some church leaders, including the three disfellowshipped members of the Twelve, and to reassert JS’s authority as president of the church.
Dissent among church members that had intensified in May seemed to be diminishing by July. , leader of the Twelve Apostles, had helped reconcile most of the Twelve who had become disaffected. JS, , Marsh, and others had left in late July to meet with the Saints in , and they returned in late August. , writing in late August or early September, told her sister that the Saints in “have had a terrible stir with ” and that they were “not yet able to tell where it will end.” Yet even the rebellious Parrish had reconciled with JS. noted that Parrish was restored to fellowship before the 3 September meeting, and she remarked, “I never saw him so humble as he is now.” Kimball wrote further that the general climate of dissension was improving: “There has ben serious difficulties in the church here of late, Satan has led many of our brethren captive at his will. but thanks be to God the most of them are now striveing to humble them selves.” Despite the reconciliations that had occurred, though, a few prominent church members had still not resolved their differences with JS.
The 3 September 1837 was held in the . It lasted most of the day, beginning at nine o’clock in the morning, adjourning for an hour at one in the afternoon, and then reconvening at two o’clock. JS and presented the various church leaders, including themselves, for a vote and requested that the assembled church members decide whether each individual should retain his position in the church. JS was the first to be presented to the congregation and he was unanimously accepted, thereby reaffirming his authority and leadership as church president. Of the men removed from their positions in the several quorums, some had moved away and one, , had been excommunicated. The three men removed from the Kirtland high council—, , and —appear to have lost their positions because they were involved with dissenters.
The congregation, including other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, objected to apostles , , and remaining in the quorum; however, the men were not officially removed from their positions or replaced at this meeting. According to , who was present, the “case was then poot over until another time.” A few days later, visited Kimball—whose husband, apostle , was proselytizing in —and told her about a private meeting at which he and JS met with Lyman Johnson, John F. Boynton, and possibly other dissenters. Marsh informed Vilate Kimball that “they had all become reconciled to each other” and that Lyman Johnson and Boynton “would come forward next Sunday and make their confession to the church.” Luke Johnson had not yet returned to from , but Marsh said “he thought there would be no difficulty with him when he come to find the rest all united.” Kimball added, “I feel to rejoice this day for the prospect before us. I came from meeting last Sabbath with a heavy heart; I cannot bare a thought that one of the twelve should lose their standing. many thought they would. but thanks be to God I know he will hear and answer prayer.” Luke Johnson returned during the week, and the following Sunday, 10 September, all three men publicly offered “confession to the Church” and were accepted back into full fellowship. The congregation then unanimously voted in favor of their retaining their positions in the Quorum of the Twelve.
took the minutes for the conference and recorded them into Minute Book 1, the text featured here. He also copied them into a 4 September letter addressed to and other church leaders in . Significant differences between the two sets of minutes are noted below.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Minutes, 7 Nov. 1837.

  2. [2]

    For a more detailed account of dissent and disaffection in spring and summer 1837, see Introduction to Part 6: 20 Apr.–14 Sept. 1837; and Historical Introduction to Revelation, 23 July 1837 [D&C 112].

  3. [3]

    Mary Fielding, Kirtland, OH, to Mercy Fielding Thompson, Upper Canada, [ca. Aug.–Sept. 1837], Mary Fielding Smith, Collection, CHL.

    Smith, Mary Fielding. Collection, ca. 1832–1848. CHL. MS 2779.

  4. [4]

    Vilate Murray Kimball, Kirtland, OH, to Heber C. Kimball, Preston, England, ca. 10 Sept. 1837, Heber C. Kimball, Collection, CHL.

    Kimball, Heber C. Collection, 1837–1898. CHL. MS 12476.

  5. [5]

    In a reminiscent account of the conference Brigham Young described his efforts to encourage faithful church members to come early and fill the House of the Lord before the meeting. (Historian’s Office, Brigham Young History Drafts, 15.)

    Historian’s Office. Brigham Young History Drafts, 1856–1858. CHL. CR 100 475, box 1, fd. 5.

  6. [6]

    V. Kimball to H. Kimball, ca. 10 Sept. 1837; see also Minute Book 1, 10 Sept. 1837.

    Kimball, Heber C. Collection, 1837–1898. CHL. MS 12476.

  7. [7]

    Minute Book 1, 10 Sept. 1837; V. Kimball to H. Kimball, ca. 10 Sept. 1837.

    Kimball, Heber C. Collection, 1837–1898. CHL. MS 12476.

  8. [8]

    Letter to John Corrill and the Church in Missouri, 4 Sept. 1837.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Minutes, 3 September 1837 Minute Book 1 Journal, March–September 1838 History, 1838–1856, volume B-1 [1 September 1834–2 November 1838] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 237

, , , & , were objected to, allso , but his case was put over till he should be present, & were voted to stand in their office previously confered upon them. was dropped from the in consequence of his being absent and his situation such that he could not attend to the duties of the office. , , , , , , , & , were chosen to fill the place of those objected to, and the seats in the council which were vacated by reason of having moved to the west having been chosen one of the of the , & being excluded from the Church, all having belonged to the high council, The Pres. then called upon the church to know if the new Presidents of the should stand in their calling. Voted that , , , , , , should retain their office, , was objected to and on learning that one of the former presidents of the Seventies was not an , he was chosen in the place of . The Pres then arose & made some remarks concerning the former presidents of the Seventies, their calling the authority of the &.c.
Voted that the old or former presidents [p. 237]
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Page 237

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, 3 September 1837
ID #
6744
Total Pages
5
Print Volume Location
JSP, D5:420–425
Handwriting on This Page
  • George W. Robinson

Footnotes

  1. [11]

    According to Vilate Kimball, Martin Harris was so angered by the congregation’s decision to remove him from his position as a member of the Kirtland high council that he left the meeting. (V. Kimball to H. Kimball, ca. 10 Sept. 1837.)

    Kimball, Heber C. Collection, 1837–1898. CHL. MS 12476.

  2. [12]

    John Johnson, Joseph Coe, and Martin Harris were likely among the dissenters in summer 1837. Coe and Harris were identified by John Smith as leaders of the dissenters and were excommunicated by the Kirtland high council in December 1837. Joseph Kingsbury was not identified in extant sources as a dissenter, but he may have been disaffected at this time. (John Smith and Clarissa Lyman Smith, Kirtland, OH, to George A. Smith, Shinnston, VA, 1 Jan. 1838, George Albert Smith, Papers, CHL.)

    Smith, George Albert. Papers, 1834–1877. CHL. MS 1322.

  3. [13]

    Samuel James was proselytizing in Virginia in August 1837. (“Minutes of a Conference,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Sept. 1837, 3:574–575.)

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

  4. [14]

    Thomas Grover and his family had moved to Far West, Missouri. (Minute Book 2, 1 Aug. 1837.)

  5. [15]

    The removal of Thomas Grover, John Smith, and Orson Johnson from the Kirtland high council is not included in the 4 September copy of the minutes, where only the individuals replacing them are named. (Letter to John Corrill and the Church in Missouri, 4 Sept. 1837.)

  6. [16]

    For more on earlier reorganizations of the presidents of the Quorum of the Seventy, see Historical Introduction to Discourse, 6 Apr. 1837.

  7. [17]

    In April 1837, when the presidents of the Quorum of the Seventy were reorganized, Levi Hancock, one of the presidents, was absent from Kirtland. In that meeting, John Gould and others were appointed to become presidents of the Seventy in place of earlier presidents who had been ordained high priests. However, Hancock had not been ordained a high priest like the other men removed as presidents and should have retained his position. It is not clear from the extant records whether the objection to Gould was raised because the position he held was rightly Hancock’s or because the congregation felt he should be removed for other reasons. (See Historical Introduction to Discourse, 6 Apr. 1837.)

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