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Minutes and Discourse, circa 7 July 1834
Source Note
Source Note
Minutes and Discourse, , MO, ca. 7 July 1834. Featured version copied [between ca. 6 Apr. and 19 June 1838] in Minute Book 2, pp. 43–45; handwriting of and ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 2.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
At a 3 July 1834 meeting of , those present organized a standing in , designating three men as presidents of that council and twelve men as counselors. The organization of the council was completed at a meeting held a few days later, at which time JS the selected individuals to their positions. During the meeting, the council also deliberated on some items of business. The date of this meeting is not entirely clear. According to the minutes of the 3 July meeting, the council was to meet on Monday, 8 July. However, 8 July was actually a Tuesday. The existing minutes of the meeting provide a date of 7 July, which is corroborated by a letter written on 30 July 1834 that includes this phrase: “the high council of the organized by the will of God on the 7th of July 1834.” A later JS history also gives the date as 7 July. But and , both of whom attended the meeting, dated it as 8 July. Although it is likely that the meeting was held on 7 July, it is also possible that it occurred the following day.
The circa 7 July meeting of the council, which was held at ’s house, followed in large part the same format as a 19 February 1834 meeting of the , Ohio, high council, at which the “form, and constitution of the high Council” were approved. At that gathering, sixty-two church members voted unanimously to accept the constitution, after which JS instructed the Kirtland high council and then “laid his hands upon the twelve counsellors and commanded a blessing to rest upon them.” and also blessed their sons who were members of the council, and then the council considered its first case. Similarly, in the circa 7 July meeting, after JS addressed the council, those present voted to accept those who were appointed to their positions. According to the minutes, JS then ordained the council members, after which blessed his sons , , and , and blessed his son . Afterward, the council decided that and David Whitmer—two of the newly appointed presidents of the council—should go to Kirtland, a decision that indicated the high council was to deal with administrative matters, as well as serve as an appellate court and disciplinary body.
—the third president of the Missouri high council—had been designated by a 23 June 1834 council to go to , a decision that the high council reaffirmed. Such travels would deprive Missouri church members of their new leaders for a time, but JS explained in an August 1834 letter that he considered it urgent that the “first Elders” of the church obtain an of power in Kirtland and that they “lift up a warning voice and . . . proclaim the everlasting gospel” as they traveled to Ohio. As mandated in a 22 June 1834 revelation, the endowment of power needed to happen before could be redeemed, and JS apparently hoped that by preaching with “every convincing proof and facculty with this generation,” the “first Elders” could help “awaken the sympathy of the people” to the plight of the Missouri Saints who had been driven from their homes in .
Later accounts of the circa 7 July meeting indicate that JS may have also appointed as his successor in leading the church—something that is not mentioned in the minutes. At a 15 March 1838 meeting in , Missouri, JS gave participants “a history of the ordination of David Whitmer, which took place in July 1834, to be a leader, or a prophet to this Church, which (ordination) was on conditions that he (J. Smith jr) did not live to God himself.” , writing over thirty-five years later in an effort to prove Whitmer’s legitimacy as a prophet, provided more detail. According to McLellin, at the circa 7 July council, JS said that “the time has come when I must appoint my successor in office,” and “DAVID WHITMER IS THE MAN.” McLellin stated that Whitmer was then ordained “to be Prophet, Seer, Revelator, Translator, and President of the Church.” But the circa 7 July minutes themselves refer to Whitmer only as “the President of the Church in Zion” and the “President, head and leader in Zion (in the absence of br. Joseph Smith jr.).” As such, Whitmer assumed a role that , in Zion, had been fulfilling. Regardless of whether Whitmer was appointed to be JS’s successor, the minutes indicate that JS believed the organization of the council with its presidents fulfilled a divine mandate; he later stated that the work he did in Missouri “established this church on a permanent foundation.” “If I had been taken away,” he continued, “it would have been enough.”
served as clerk of the council and took its minutes, though his original inscription has not been located. In 1838, and copied the minutes into Minute Book 2.
Footnotes
- [1]
- [2]
Nathan West to the “High Council of the Church of Christ,” 30 July 1834, in Minute Book 2, 31 July–1 Aug. 1834.
- [3]
JS History, vol. A-1, 512.
JS History / Smith, Joseph, et al. History, 1838–1856. Vols. A-1–F-1 (original), A-2–E-2 (fair copy). Historian’s Office, History of the Church, 1839–ca. 1882. CHL. CR 100 102, boxes 1–7. The history for the period after 5 Aug. 1838 was composed after the death of Joseph Smith.
- [4]
In a daybook Whitmer was keeping, he recorded that on 8 July he “attended to the organization of high council.” On 7 July, Whitmer’s entry merely states, “At home.” McLellin, writing many years later, referenced the meeting as occurring on 8 July at least five different times. (Whitmer, Daybook, 7 and 8 July 1834; William E. McLellin, Independence, MO, to Davis H. Bays, Lafayette, KS, 23 Nov. 1869, in True Latter Day Saints’ Herald, 15 May 1870, 290–291; William E. McLellin, Independence, MO, to Joseph Smith III, [Plano, IL], July 1872, typescript, Letters and Documents Copied from Originals in the Office of the Church Historian, Reorganized Church, CHL; McLellin, “Some of My Thoughts in 1878,” 1; McLellin, “Some of the Reasons Why I Am Not a Mormon,” 38; Traughber, “Some Statements by Dr. W. E. McLellan,” 3.)
Whitmer, John. Daybook, 1832–1878. CHL. MS 1159.
Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.
McLellin, William E. Letter, Independence, MO, to Joseph Smith III, [Plano, IL], July 1872. Letters and Documents Copied from Originals in the Office of the Church Historian, Reorganized Church, no date. Typescript. CHL. MS 9090. Original at CCLA.
McLellin, William E. “Some of My Thoughts in 1878, Why I Am Not an L. D. Saint of Any Click or Party,” 1878. William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1836, 1877–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 9. Also available in Stan Larson and Samuel J. Passey, eds., The William E. McLellin Papers, 1854–1880 (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2007).
McLellin, William E. “Some of the Reasons Why I Am Not a Mormon,” ca. 1880. John L. Traughber, Papers, 1854–1910. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Traughber, John L. “Some Statements by Dr. W. E. McLellan,” 1884. John L. Traughber, Papers, 1854–1910. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
- [5]
Wight’s house was located on property owned by non-Mormon Michael Arthur in Clay County, Missouri. (Woodruff, Journal, 1 July 1834.)
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
- [6]
- [7]
The same procedures used for disciplinary matters were also followed in cases of more routine business. For more information on the high council’s role as both a judicial and administrative body, see Historical Introduction to Minutes, 3 July 1834. (Woodruff, Journal, 1–3 July 1834.)
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
- [8]
- [9]
- [10]
Revelation, 22 June 1834 [D&C 105:9–11]; Letter to Lyman Wight et al., 16 Aug. 1834.
- [11]
Minute Book 2, 15 Mar. 1838.
- [12]
William E. McLellin, Independence, MO, to Davis H. Bays, Lafayette, KS, 24 May 1870, in Ture Latter Day Saints’ Herald, 15 Sept. 1870, 555, emphasis in original.
Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.
- [13]
On 11 September 1833, a council in Missouri acknowledged Partridge as “head of the Church of Zion at present.” (Revelation, 4 Feb. 1831 [D&C 41:9]; Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:7]; Minute Book 2, 11 Sept. 1833.)
- [14]
JS, Journal, 12 Nov. 1835.
Revelation speaking on the subject— He also informed them if he should now be taken away that he had accomplished the great work which the Lord had laid before him, and that which he had desired of the Lord, and that he now had done his duty in organizing the , through which Council the will of the Lord might be known on all importent occasions in the building up of , and establishing truth in the earth.
A vote was then taken whether the brethren that were appointed on the 3rd of July should stand according to appoinment. The vote was clear in their behalf.
Br. Joseph Smith jr. then proceeded and the three . as President and & assistants and their twelve Counsellors.
The twelve Counsellors then proceeded to cast lots to know who should speak first, and the order in which they should speak which is as follows:
| No. 1 | No. 2. | ||
| " 3. | " 4. | ||
| " 5 | " 6. | ||
| " 7. | " 8 | ||
| " 9. | " 10 | ||
| " 11 | " 12 |
After which came forward and blessed three of his sons in the name of the Lord Viz: , & . And also blessed his son in the name of the Lord.
After the council of High Priests were organized the , came forward and stated to the Council that a greater responsibility devolved upon him than before as he had not the privilege of counselling with any of the high council save one of the Presidents and his own Counsellors, and desired to have the prayers of all the Church that he might be able to act in his station in righteousness.
After which br. Joseph Smith jr. laid the case of before the council to have their descision whether he should take his family to and when it shall be wisdom for him to go. As it has been deemed necessary for him to go and assist in the printing establishment. [p. 44]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
Levi Richards handwriting ends; Ebenezer Robinson begins.
- [4]
- [5]
The process of drawing lots to determine who would speak first was prescribed in the constitution of the Kirtland high council. (Revised Minutes, 18–19 Feb. 1834 [D&C 102:12].)
- [6]
A later JS history clarifies Partridge’s statement: “Bishop Partridge stated to the council that a greater responsibility rested upon him than before their organization as it was not his privilege to counsel with any of them except the president, and his own counselors.” The high council served as an appellate court for business that “could not be settled by the Bishop and his council,” which may be why Partridge believed that he could not consult with those serving as counselors, even though he had likely counseled with many of them on matters of church business before. Partridge’s counselors were Isaac Morley and John Corrill. (JS History, vol. A-1, 511, 513; Revised Minutes, 18–19 Feb. 1834 [D&C 102:2]; Minutes, ca. 3–4 June 1831.)
JS History / Smith, Joseph, et al. History, 1838–1856. Vols. A-1–F-1 (original), A-2–E-2 (fair copy). Historian’s Office, History of the Church, 1839–ca. 1882. CHL. CR 100 102, boxes 1–7. The history for the period after 5 Aug. 1838 was composed after the death of Joseph Smith.
- [7]
At a 23 June 1834 council in Missouri, Phelps was told to “help carry on the printing establishment in Kirtland till Zion is reedeamed.” (Minutes, 23 June 1834.)