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Petition from James B. Nicholson and Others, 22 April 1842

Source Note

and others, Petition, , Philadelphia Co., PA, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, 22 Apr. 1842; unidentified handwriting, possibly of Charles Snyder; signatures of petitioners; three pages; JS Collection (Supplement), CHL. Includes address, endorsements, dockets, and notations.
Bifolium measuring 12⅜ × 8 inches (31 × 20 cm). Each leaf is ruled horizontally with thirty-six faded lines. The document was inscribed on the first three pages. The petition was folded twice horizontally and addressed.
The petition was endorsed by JS and , who served as JS’s scribe from December 1841 until JS’s death in June 1844 and served as church historian from December 1842 until his own death in March 1854. It also includes a docket in the handwriting of , who served as JS’s scribe from 1843 to 1844 and as clerk to the church historian and recorder from 1845 to 1865. Notations were inscribed by Andrew Jenson, who began working in the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) in 1882 and served as assistant church historian from 1897 to 1941. Sometime between 1973 and 1984, the document was added to the JS Collection (Supplement) at the Church Historical Department (now CHL).
The document’s early endorsement, dockets, and notations, as well as its inclusion in the JS Collection (Supplement), indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 13 Dec. 1841 and 21 Dec. 1842; Orson Spencer, “Death of Our Beloved Brother Willard Richards,” Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 16 Mar. 1854, [2].

    Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.

  2. [2]

    Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 456, 458; Woodruff, Journal, 22 Jan. 1865.

    Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  3. [3]

    Jenson, Autobiography, 131, 133, 135, 141, 192, 389; Jenson, Journal, 9 Feb. 1891 and 19 Oct. 1897; Bitton and Arrington, Mormons and Their Historians, 44–52.

    Jenson, Andrew. Autobiography of Andrew Jenson: Assistant Historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. . . . Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1938.

    Jenson, Andrew. Journals, 1864–1941. Andrew Jenson, Autobiography and Journals, 1864–1941. CHL.

    Bitton, David, and Leonard J. Arrington. Mormons and Their Historians. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1988.

  4. [4]

    See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection (Supplement), 1833–1844, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On 22 April 1842 and 112 other individuals living near petitioned JS to allow them to establish a separate congregation in an area north of the city. The petition was precipitated by a division between congregants supporting the ’s , , and those favoring , who was in in fall 1841. JS organized the Philadelphia branch in 1839. In 1840 the branch selected Winchester, who was instrumental in converting many members in the region, as its presiding elder and began renting space in a building located on Third Street in the Northern Liberties district. In April 1841 presided over a meeting in which Winchester was selected and to “preside over the spiritual affairs” of the branch, with Edson Whipple and William Wharton as counselors; concurrently, was chosen and ordained to “take charge of the financial affairs” as , with Jesse Price and Nicholson as counselors.
The branch’s membership grew steadily over ensuing months, but internal strife—often attributed to ’s personality and leadership style—eventually led to a division among branch members. Sometime before mid-March 1841 Winchester and traveling got into a dispute that reportedly became “the cause of much sorrow to the saints.” That summer, the sent Winchester to , Massachusetts, on a proselytizing mission. During his absence apostle arrived in . In early September, Page wrote a letter to JS in which he observed that Winchester had “not been as wise in all things as he might have been” and had lost the confidence of branch members. Page recommended that leaders appoint a new branch president. In mid-October Winchester traveled to , Illinois, where he was reportedly reproved for “getting out of his place & doing wrong.” Page apparently exerted considerable influence among some local church members during Winchester’s absences, and by late 1841 the Philadelphia branch divided into two separate camps—one favoring Page and the other favoring Winchester. Though Page left the city by late December 1841 and Winchester did not return from Nauvoo until mid-January, the schism between Philadelphia church members persisted. By January 1842 branch members supporting Winchester reportedly leased a room on the third floor of the assembly building located on the southwest corner of Tenth and Chestnut streets in Philadelphia in order to hold separate worship services. The two congregations—located approximately a mile from one another—advertised independent worship services in Philadelphia’s Public Ledger from January through March.
From 6 to 15 April 1842, church leaders from , , and Delaware assembled in for a regional . During the meeting read a petition that several members of the branch submitted requesting that those assembled “enter into an investigation of those difficulties which have for a long time troubled us,” including rumors that apparently damaged ’s influence in the branch. Winchester later preferred charges against and , and he accused and others of joining in a conspiracy to “tramel him down, destroy his influence, and remove him from the station which he held as presiding Elder.” Though the conference reportedly determined that Winchester had “acted in the discharge of his duty” and exonerated him, notations below the official meeting minutes suggest that some participants disputed the proceedings and continued to question Winchester’s leadership and conduct. During the final session the conference adopted a motion to move the headquarters of the branch’s presiding authorities to the Chestnut Street location and to place “all other places for preaching” in Philadelphia under their control. Sometime shortly after this resolution was passed, Winchester apparently dissolved the Third Street congregation, which was led by William Wharton.
In response to these actions, some members of the branch appealed to JS, as of the church, to authorize them to organize a separate congregation in the northern part of the city, with Wharton as their leader. This 22 April petition, which may be in the handwriting of Charles Snyder, has two parts: The first part contains the preliminary request and is signed by seventy-two men and women from the former Third Street congregation. The second part is an addendum, likely written after 22 April, signed by thirty-eight individuals—possibly other Latter-day Saints in the area or others in the northern part of the city who were sympathetic to the church—who added their signatures to those of the Third Street congregation members. The petition was likely carried to by a Latter-day Saint courier, possibly John R. or Isaac R. Robbins.
The petition arrived in by 14 May 1842. Though it was addressed to him, JS referred the matter to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and on 14 May the apostles “disapproved” of the proceedings of the conference and granted the request to organize a separate congregation. The two congregations met in separate locations until October 1842, when —presiding over a special conference of Philadelphia Saints—recommended that “all the former organizations be annulled, and that the Church reorganize and begin anew.”

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 23 Dec. 1839, 2.

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  2. [2]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 16 Nov. 1840, 8. The district bordered the northern edge of Philadelphia. The Latter-day Saint branch previously met in a building located several blocks west, on the northeast corner of Seventh and Callowhill streets. (Philadelphia, 1840 [Philadelphia: H. S. Tanner, 1840]; Smith, “History of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Branch,” 363–364.)

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

    Philadelphia, 1840. Philadelphia: H. S. Tanner, [1840]. Digital image at David Rumsey Map Collection, accessed 15 Jan. 2019, http://www.davidrumsey.com.

    Smith, Walter W. “The History of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Branch.” Journal of History 11, no. 3 (July 1918): 358–373.

  3. [3]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 6 Apr. 1841, 16–17.

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  4. [4]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 5 Apr. 1841, 12–16; 15 Mar. 1841, 11.

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  5. [5]

    Minutes, 16 Aug. 1841.

  6. [6]

    Letter from John E. Page, 1 Sept. 1841. In a letter to church leaders, Winchester countered that Page was guilty of willful negligence in fulfilling his call to proselytize to the Jews in Palestine. (Letter from Benjamin Winchester, 18 Sept. 1841; Minutes and Discourse, 6–8 Apr. 1840; Notice, Times and Seasons, 15 Jan. 1841, 2:287.)

  7. [7]

    Woodruff, Journal, 31 Oct. 1841; JS History, vol. C-1 Addenda, 19. On 12 January 1842 the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles announced that Winchester was suspended from his duties until he made satisfaction for disobedience to the First Presidency. (“Notice,” Times and Seasons, 16 May 1842, 3:798.)

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  8. [8]

    Local and regional newspapers highlighted the branch’s division. (See, for example, “Mormonism,” North American and Daily Advertiser [Philadelphia], 29 Dec. 1841, [2]; and “Progress of Mormonism,” Hartford [CT] Daily Courant, 4 Jan. 1842, [2].)

    North American and Daily Advertiser. Philadelphia. 1839–1845.

    Hartford Daily Courant. Hartford, CT. 1840–1887.

  9. [9]

    Letter from George Gee, 30 Dec. 1841; Letter from Levick Sturges et al., 30 Jan. 1842; Benjamin Winchester, Nauvoo, IL, to Erastus Snow, 12 Nov. 1841, in Times and Seasons, 15 Nov. 1841, 3:605; Benjamin Winchester, “Primitive Mormonism,” Salt Lake Tribune, 22 Sept. 1889, [2].

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Salt Lake Daily Tribune. Salt Lake City. 1871–.

  10. [10]

    “Progress of Mormonism,” Hartford (CT) Daily Courant, 4 Jan. 1842, [2]; Smith, “History of Philadelphia Branch,” 111.

    Hartford Daily Courant. Hartford, CT. 1840–1887.

    Smith, Walter W. “History of Philadelphia Branch.” Journal of History 12 (Jan. 1919): 111–118.

  11. [11]

    See, for example, “Notice—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” and “Mormonism,” Public Ledger (Philadelphia), 15 Jan. 1842, [2]; and “Mormon Preaching,” and “Religious Notice,” Public Ledger, 26 Mar. 1842, [2].

    Public Ledger. Philadelphia. 1836–1925.

  12. [12]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 6–10 Apr. 1842, 24–28. Winchester charged Nicholson with “threatening to spill his (Winchesters) blood” and accusing him of being a liar, and he charged Syfritt with spreading falsehoods and “opposing the order of the Church.” Winchester also accused Page of “being to[o] familiar with one of the sisters, and of teaching doctrine contrary to the order of the church.”

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  13. [13]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 6–15 Apr. 1842, 28–29.

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  14. [14]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 6–15 Apr. 1842, 30.

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  15. [15]

    A “Bro Robins” is mentioned in the letter. Church members John R. and Isaac R. Robbins, brothers who lived in Recklesstown, New Jersey, were apparently planning to go to Nauvoo during spring 1842. Records suggest that Isaac arrived in Nauvoo before 14 May 1842; John might have arrived as early as late June 1842. (Letter from William Appleby, ca. Mar. 1842; JS, Journal, 28 June 1842; Book of the Law of the Lord, 120, 147.)

  16. [16]

    Notice, 14 May 1842, in Times and Seasons, 16 May 1842, 3:798. In a separate but related notice, the Quorum of the Twelve ordered that Winchester be “silenced from preaching until he makes satisfaction for not obeying the instruction which he received from the Presidency, when at Nauvoo.” (“Notice,” Times and Seasons, 16 May 1842, 3:798.)

  17. [17]

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 15 Oct. 1842, 32–34. Following the conference, all church members in Philadelphia met at the Third Street location until a meeting space was secured at a building on Julianna Street in November 1842. (Smith, “History of Philadelphia Branch,” 114.)

    Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

    Smith, Walter W. “History of Philadelphia Branch.” Journal of History 12 (Jan. 1919): 111–118.

Page [2]

[illegible signature]
Mary West James. M. Kinney
Margarett. Turner Jane Syfritt
Wm T. Cole Hannah Sailor
Mrs Cole T. Vinduzerf
Caroline. gruen Wells Walton
Mary Matilda Caok Charles E West
Joseph Landis Susan H Conrad
Wim Lowry Samuel Baker
Peter Hofheinz. Elizabeth Baker
Sevirin Hofheinz. James Panson
Isaac Funcke Samuel P Claphanson
Ann Funck Caroline Linconbaley
George Anthony Sarah Burns
John Turner William Middleton
Ann Conrad Clary Wikel
Michael Katz Jacob Hofheinz.
Catherine Katz George Clark
eathn Yager Marey ann Hofheinz
Eliza Yager Christina Lang
Richard Bender Susanna Wilson
John Ewing John Schaull
Catherine Schaull [5 lines blank]
A number more Signers Could be obtained if time would admit but as Bro Robins must leave we must close.
An answer by the Bearer of this petition will be gratefully received by your. Pettitioners who will ever pray for your prosperity & that of the untill we all come in the unity of the faith &C &C even so Amen. [p. [2]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Petition from James B. Nicholson and Others, 22 April 1842
ID #
1915
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D9:393–400
Handwriting on This Page
  • Unidentified

Footnotes

  1. [5]

    This name, as well as the one below and that of Christina Lang, in the next column, are written in Kurrentschrift, an old German cursive.

  2. [6]

    Likely John R. Robbins or Isaac R. Robbins. (See Letter from William Appleby, ca. Mar. 1842.)

  3. [7]

    See Ephesians 4:13.

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