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Note, 8 March 1832

Source Note

Note, [
Hiram Township

Area settled by immigrants from Pennsylvania and New England, ca. 1802. Located in northeastern Ohio about twenty-five miles southeast of Kirtland. Population in 1830 about 500. Population in 1840 about 1,100. JS lived in township at home of John and Alice...

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, OH], 8 Mar. 1832, in Revelation Book 2, pp. 10–11; 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...

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; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation Book 2.

Historical Introduction

This note dated 8 March 1832 was recorded in Revelation Book 2 and was composed in the style of a journal entry. It provides a glimpse into JS’s activities between 16 February and 8 March 1832, some eight months before JS began his first journal. In addition to mentioning a brief trip 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...

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, Ohio, and the dictation of two revelations, the entry records the selection and
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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of
Jesse Gause

Ca. 1784–ca. Sept. 1836. Schoolteacher. Born at East Marlborough, Chester Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Gause (Goss) and Mary Beverly. Joined Society of Friends (Quakers), 1806. Moved to Fayette Co., Pennsylvania, 1808; to Chester Co., 1811; and to Wilmington...

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and
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...

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as “councillers of the ministry of the
presidency of th[e] high Pristhood

Both the office of the president of the high priesthood and the body comprising the president and his counselors; the presiding body of the church. In November 1831, a revelation directed the appointment of a president of the high priesthood. The individual...

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.” A November 1831 revelation stipulated that “one be appointed of the
high Priest hood

The authority and power held by certain officers in the church. The Book of Mormon referred to the high priesthood as God’s “holy order, which was after the order of his Son,” and indicated that Melchizedek, a biblical figure, was a high priest “after this...

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to preside over the
Priest hood

Power or authority of God. The priesthood was conferred through the laying on of hands upon adult male members of the church in good standing; no specialized training was required. Priesthood officers held responsibility for administering the sacrament of...

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& he shall be called President of the high Priest hood of the Church.” That revelation did not provide for the calling of standing counselors to the president, but it did authorize the president to call twelve high priests as temporary counselors when convening a court of the high priesthood.
1

Revelation, 11 Nov. 1831–B [D&C 107:65, 78–79].


A precedent for the appointment of standing counselors may have been the designation of
Isaac Morley

11 Mar. 1786–24 June 1865. Farmer, cooper, merchant, postmaster. Born at Montague, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Thomas Morley and Editha (Edith) Marsh. Family affiliated with Presbyterian church. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, before 1812. Married...

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and
John Corrill

17 Sept. 1794–26 Sept. 1842. Surveyor, politician, author. Born at Worcester Co., Massachusetts. Married Margaret Lyndiff, ca. 1830. Lived at Harpersfield, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, 1830. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 10 Jan. 1831,...

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as counselors to
Bishop

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. JS appointed Edward Partridge as the first bishop in February 1831. Following this appointment, Partridge functioned as the local leader of the church in Missouri. Later revelations described a bishop’s duties as receiving...

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Edward Partridge

27 Aug. 1793–27 May 1840. Hatter. Born at Pittsfield, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of William Partridge and Jemima Bidwell. Moved to Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio. Married Lydia Clisbee, 22 Aug. 1819, at Painesville. Initially a Universal Restorationist...

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in June 1831 and the selection of
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...

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and
Reynolds Cahoon

30 Apr. 1790–29 Apr. 1861. Farmer, tanner, builder. Born at Cambridge, Washington Co., New York. Son of William Cahoon Jr. and Mehitable Hodges. Married Thirza Stiles, 11 Dec. 1810. Moved to northeastern Ohio, 1811. Located at Harpersfield, Ashtabula Co.,...

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as counselors to Bishop
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...

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in February 1832.
2

Minutes, ca. 3–4 June 1831; Cahoon, Diary, 10 Feb. 1832.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Cahoon, Reynolds. Diaries, 1831–1832. CHL. MS 1115.

Whatever the case, JS ordained Gause and Rigdon as standing counselors to the presidency of the high priesthood on 8 March 1832, six weeks after his ordination as president of the high priesthood.
3

Minutes, 26–27 Apr. 1832; “History of Orson Pratt,” 11, Historian’s Office, Histories of the Twelve, ca. 1858–1880, CHL; Cahoon, Diary, Jan. 1832.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Historian’s Office. Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861. CHL. CR 100 93.

Cahoon, Reynolds. Diaries, 1831–1832. CHL. MS 1115.

Apparently, the significance of these ordinations warranted making note of them in a book that was intended mainly for recording revelations.
4

The book contains no similar entries from JS, who did not begin an actual journal until November 1832. JS may have used the book for the note simply because it was accessible when he wanted to make a permanent record of the event. (See JS, Journal, 27 Nov. 1832.)


This document, dated 8 March 1832, provides a retrospective account of events that occurred between 16 February and 8 March, the day of the ordinations. The document’s first-person narrative voice indicates that either JS wrote the note himself and
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...

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copied it into the volume, or JS dictated it to Williams.
5

For information on the revelation book containing copies of originals, see Historical Introduction to Revelation Book 2.


If the note was originally written on loose paper, it may have been composed with the revelation book in mind, because it briefly recounts JS’s activities starting 16 February—the date of the first item recorded in the book. If Williams copied the note into the revelation book from a loose-leaf original, as he did with the revelations that surround it, he apparently did so sometime before JS left for
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

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on 1 April 1832.
6

The eight documents that follow this note in Revelation Book 2—also likely copied before 1 April—are revelations from December 1831 through March 1832, several of which are out of chronological order. At some point, Williams listed this document in the book’s index as “Ordination of Jesse Gause & his call to be councillor.” It is unclear why Rigdon was not also listed in the index entry. Perhaps when Williams compiled the index, he only looked at the text on p. 10 of the book, which says “Chose this day and ordained brother Jesse Gause”; Rigdon’s name is listed on the next page. (Historical Introduction to Revelation Book 2; Revelation Book 2, Index, [1].)


Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Revelation, 11 Nov. 1831–B [D&C 107:65, 78–79].

  2. [2]

    Minutes, ca. 3–4 June 1831; Cahoon, Diary, 10 Feb. 1832.

    Cahoon, Reynolds. Diaries, 1831–1832. CHL. MS 1115.

  3. [3]

    Minutes, 26–27 Apr. 1832; “History of Orson Pratt,” 11, Historian’s Office, Histories of the Twelve, ca. 1858–1880, CHL; Cahoon, Diary, Jan. 1832.

    Historian’s Office. Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861. CHL. CR 100 93.

    Cahoon, Reynolds. Diaries, 1831–1832. CHL. MS 1115.

  4. [4]

    The book contains no similar entries from JS, who did not begin an actual journal until November 1832. JS may have used the book for the note simply because it was accessible when he wanted to make a permanent record of the event. (See JS, Journal, 27 Nov. 1832.)

  5. [5]

    For information on the revelation book containing copies of originals, see Historical Introduction to Revelation Book 2.

  6. [6]

    The eight documents that follow this note in Revelation Book 2—also likely copied before 1 April—are revelations from December 1831 through March 1832, several of which are out of chronological order. At some point, Williams listed this document in the book’s index as “Ordination of Jesse Gause & his call to be councillor.” It is unclear why Rigdon was not also listed in the index entry. Perhaps when Williams compiled the index, he only looked at the text on p. 10 of the book, which says “Chose this day and ordained brother Jesse Gause”; Rigdon’s name is listed on the next page. (Historical Introduction to Revelation Book 2; Revelation Book 2, Index, [1].)

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Note, 8 March 1832 Revelation Book 2

Page 11

and
Broth[er] 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...

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to be my councillers of the ministry of the
presidency of <​th[e]​> high Pristhood

Both the office of the president of the high priesthood and the body comprising the president and his counselors; the presiding body of the church. In November 1831, a revelation directed the appointment of a president of the high priesthood. The individual...

View Glossary
and from the 16th. of February up to this date have been at home
1

The John and Alice (Elsa) Jacobs Johnson home in Hiram, Ohio, where JS and his family lived from September 1831 to September 1832. ([Emma Smith], List, ca. 1845, in Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–1845, Miscellany.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Smith, Lucy Mack. History, 1844–1845. 18 books. CHL. MS 2049. Also available at josephsmithpapers.org.

except a journey 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...

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on the 29 Feby and returned home one [on] the 4th of March[.] we received a revelation 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
2

Likely the revelation of 1 March 1832, which provided for the organization of a firm to manage the publishing and mercantile endeavors of the church. (Revelation, 1 Mar. 1832 [D&C 78].)


and one since I returned home
3

Likely the revelation of 7 March 1832, which assigned Stephen Burnett to embark on a proselytizing mission with Eden Smith. (Revelation, 7 Mar. 1832 [D&C 80].)


blessed be the name of the Lord—— [p. 11]
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Source Note

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Page 11

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Note, 8 March 1832
ID #
4073
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D2:201–204
Handwriting on This Page
  • Frederick G. Williams

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    The John and Alice (Elsa) Jacobs Johnson home in Hiram, Ohio, where JS and his family lived from September 1831 to September 1832. ([Emma Smith], List, ca. 1845, in Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–1845, Miscellany.)

    Smith, Lucy Mack. History, 1844–1845. 18 books. CHL. MS 2049. Also available at josephsmithpapers.org.

  2. [2]

    Likely the revelation of 1 March 1832, which provided for the organization of a firm to manage the publishing and mercantile endeavors of the church. (Revelation, 1 Mar. 1832 [D&C 78].)

  3. [3]

    Likely the revelation of 7 March 1832, which assigned Stephen Burnett to embark on a proselytizing mission with Eden Smith. (Revelation, 7 Mar. 1832 [D&C 80].)

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