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Minutes and Discourses, 6–8 April 1844, as Reported by William Clayton

Source Note

General conference of the church, Minutes, and JS, Discourses, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, 6–8 Apr. 1844. Version inscribed in William Clayton, Minutes, Nauvoo, Hancock Col, IL, 6–8 Apr. 1844; handwriting of
William Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

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; thirty-eight pages; Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, CHL. Includes dockets, use marks, and notation.
Nineteen loose leaves measuring 12⅜ × 7⅝ × ⅛ inches (31 × 19 × 0.3 cm). Each page is ruled with either thirty-four or thirty-five blue lines. Some leaves are embossed in the top left corner or bottom right corner of the recto with the inscription “D & J. AMES”, the insignia of a Springfield, Massachusetts, paper mill firm established by brothers David and John Ames in 1828.
1

Whiting, “Paper-Making in New England,” 309; Gravell et al., American Watermarks, 235.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Whiting, William. “Paper-Making in New England.” In The New England States: Their Constitutional, Judicial, Educational, Commercial, Professional and Industrial History, edited by William T. Davis, vol. 1, pp. 303–333. Boston: D. H. Hurd, 1897.

At some point, the leaves were unevenly cut by hand. After
William Clayton

17 July 1814–4 Dec. 1879. Bookkeeper, clerk. Born at Charnock Moss, Penwortham, Lancashire, England. Son of Thomas Clayton and Ann Critchley. Married Ruth Moon, 9 Oct. 1836, at Penwortham. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Heber...

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inscribed the minutes, the document was folded for filing. There are holes from staples (now removed) at various places on the top and bottom of each leaf.
The minutes were docketed by Robert L. Campbell, who served as a clerk in the Church Historian’s Office (now CHL) from 1854 to 1874.
2

Historian’s Office, Journal, 20 Nov. 1854 and 11 Apr. 1874.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

They were also docketed by Jonathan Grimshaw, who served as a clerk in the Church Historian’s Office from 1853 to 1856.
3

Historian’s Office, Journal, 7 June 1853; Wilford Woodruff, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to George A. Smith, 30 Aug. 1856, in Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, p. 364.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

Historian’s Office. Letterpress Copybooks, 1854–1879, 1885–1886. CHL. CR 100 38.

In the mid-twentieth century, the document was included in a miscellaneous minutes collection that was a vestige of a genre-based filing method used by the Church Historian’s Office in the first half of the twentieth century. This document genre collection contained many documents that subsequently formed the basis for the General Church Minutes collection that was cataloged in 1994.
4

See the full bibliographic entry for Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, 1839–1877, in the CHL catalog.


The document’s early dockets and its inclusion within the General Church Minutes collection suggest continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Whiting, “Paper-Making in New England,” 309; Gravell et al., American Watermarks, 235.

    Whiting, William. “Paper-Making in New England.” In The New England States: Their Constitutional, Judicial, Educational, Commercial, Professional and Industrial History, edited by William T. Davis, vol. 1, pp. 303–333. Boston: D. H. Hurd, 1897.

  2. [2]

    Historian’s Office, Journal, 20 Nov. 1854 and 11 Apr. 1874.

    Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

  3. [3]

    Historian’s Office, Journal, 7 June 1853; Wilford Woodruff, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to George A. Smith, 30 Aug. 1856, in Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, p. 364.

    Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

    Historian’s Office. Letterpress Copybooks, 1854–1879, 1885–1886. CHL. CR 100 38.

  4. [4]

    See the full bibliographic entry for Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, 1839–1877, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

See Historical Introduction to Minutes and Discourses, 6–8 Apr. 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock; see also Historical Introductions to Discourse, 6 Apr. 1844; Discourse, 7 Apr. 1844; and Discourse, 8 Apr. 1844.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. Minutes and Discourses, 6–8 April 1844, as Reported by Thomas Bullock Minutes and Discourses, 6–8 April 1844, as Reported by William Clayton Minutes and Discourses, 6–7 April 1844, as Published in Times and Seasons History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844] “History of Joseph Smith” “History of Joseph Smith” “History of Joseph Smith”

Page [31]

 
Monday April 8— 1844
9¾ A. M.
Prest.

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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J. Smith took his seat on the
stand

Term usually refers to speaker’s stand located in one of three groves where JS and others often spoke. JS also preached at temple stand, temporary structure built at various times on east, west, and south walls of unfinished Nauvoo temple. See also “Grove...

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and requested choir to sing an Hymn.
His lungs having failed he would call upon
Er

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...

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[Brigham] Young

1 June 1801–29 Aug. 1877. Carpenter, painter, glazier, colonizer. Born at Whitingham, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of John Young and Abigail (Nabby) Howe. Brought up in Methodist household; later joined Methodist church. Moved to Sherburne, Chenango Co., New...

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to read 1 Cor 15 ch—
Er
B. Young

1 June 1801–29 Aug. 1877. Carpenter, painter, glazier, colonizer. Born at Whitingham, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of John Young and Abigail (Nabby) Howe. Brought up in Methodist household; later joined Methodist church. Moved to Sherburne, Chenango Co., New...

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said to cont the sub of prest S discours yesterday shall com[mence] by read 18 Cor.— from an old Bible—
W[illiam] W. Phelps

17 Feb. 1792–7 Mar. 1872. Writer, teacher, printer, newspaper editor, publisher, postmaster, lawyer. Born at Hanover, Morris Co., New Jersey. Son of Enon Phelps and Mehitabel Goldsmith. Moved to Homer, Cortland Co., New York, 1800. Married Sally Waterman,...

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read—
Prayer by Er
B. Young

1 June 1801–29 Aug. 1877. Carpenter, painter, glazier, colonizer. Born at Whitingham, Windham Co., Vermont. Son of John Young and Abigail (Nabby) Howe. Brought up in Methodist household; later joined Methodist church. Moved to Sherburne, Chenango Co., New...

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— choir sung an Hymn
Prest. J. said mpos. [impossible] to continue the subject as to rais the dead Lungs is gone— time to do things must wait— give it up and leave the time to those who can make you hear— will do it some other time— make a proc[lamation] to the E[lde]rs— wanted you to stay in order I might make this proc. You know the L[or]d has lead the
churc[h]

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...

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from [illegible]: Has another rev[elation] in rel[ation] to Economy in the church Shall not be able as largely as some other time will give 1st prin[ciple]— has ben great discussion in rel to
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 ...

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— prophets— make a proc that will cover a broader gd— the whole Americ[a] is then Zion itself— from North to South— that is the Zion where the Mountain of the Ld shd be— when Ers take up b◊ will see it— dec— this morning are calculating soon as
Temple

Located in portion of Nauvoo known as the bluff. JS revelation dated Jan. 1841 commanded Saints to build temple and hotel (Nauvoo House). Cornerstone laid, 6 Apr. 1841. Saints volunteered labor, money, and other resources for temple construction. Construction...

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finishd—
washing

A ritual ablution of bodies symbolizing a purification from sin. As early as 1830, the Book of Mormon and JS revelations characterized baptism by immersion as a washing away of sins. On 23 January 1833, JS led the members of the School of the Prophets in ...

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&
anointing

To apply ceremonial oil to the head or body, often in conjunction with priesthood ordinances and the blessing of the sick. The practice of blessing the sick included anointing with oil and laying hands on the sick person. Ritual washings and anointings were...

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&c— when those last & more impt
ordinance

A religious rite. JS taught that ordinances were covenants between man and God, in which believers could affirm faith, gain spiritual knowledge, and seek blessings. Some ordinances were considered requisite for salvation. The manner in which ordinances were...

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can be done— must be in a house— proc— made during time of laying found[ation]— where men may rec[eive]
endow[men]t

Bestowal of spiritual blessings, power, or knowledge. Beginning in 1831, multiple revelations promised an endowment of “power from on high” in association with the command to gather. Some believed this promise was fulfilled when individuals were first ordained...

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to make K[ings] & P[ries]ts— unto the most H G. [High God] having nothin to do wi[t]h temporal things but K of G. G has provided for a house to be built where we can get a House this the central place & where we can be
baptised

An ordinance in which an individual is immersed in water for the remission of sins. The Book of Mormon explained that those with necessary authority were to baptize individuals who had repented of their sins. Baptized individuals also received the gift of...

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for dead— it is nec[essary], when we want to save our dead we go through all the ordinances same as for ourself from bap[tism] to
ordination

The conferral of power and authority; to appoint, decree, or set apart. Church members, primarily adults, were ordained to ecclesiastical offices and other responsibilities by the laying on of hands by those with the proper authority. Ordinations to priesthood...

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& end[owment]t. From henceforth I have recd— inst from Ld that Ers shall build churches where ever they raise
branches

An ecclesiastical organization of church members in a particular locale. A branch was generally smaller than a stake or a conference. Branches were also referred to as churches, as in “the Church of Shalersville.” In general, a branch was led by a presiding...

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through the States then build
stakes

Ecclesiastical organization of church members in a particular locale. Stakes were typically large local organizations of church members; stake leaders could include a presidency, a high council, and a bishopric. Some revelations referred to stakes “to” or...

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— in the g[rea]t cities
Boston

Capital city of Massachusetts, located on eastern seaboard at mouth of Charles River. Founded by Puritans, 1630. Received city charter, 1822. Population in 1820 about 43,000; in 1830 about 61,000; and in 1840 about 93,000. JS’s ancestor Robert Smith emigrated...

More Info
&c there shall be stakes— reserved the pro. to the last. All this to be read, that this work shall commence after the washing anontg [anointing] & endwment here [p. [31]]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes and Discourses, 6–8 April 1844, as Reported by William Clayton
ID #
13269
Total Pages
38
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • William Clayton

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