Footnotes
JS History, vol. A-1, 44; see also pp. 37–44. The baptisms took place on Monday, 28 June. According to Sarah (Sally) Coburn Knight’s obituary, she was baptized the next day, 29 June. (Obituary for Sally Knight, LDS Messenger and Advocate, Oct. 1834, 1:12–13.)
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.
JS History, vol. A-1, 44–48. JS spent the night of 30 June in the custody of Constable Ebenezer Hatch preceding his court appearance on 1 July 1830 before Justice Joseph Chamberlin in South Bainbridge. After JS’s acquittal on 1 July, he was immediately arrested again and tried before Justice Joel K. Noble in Colesville, apparently on 2 July. After his discharge, JS and Emma probably spent the night at the home of Benjamin and Elizabeth Hale Wasson in Harpursville. (Ebenezer Hatch, Bill of Services, 4 July 1830, Chenango County Historical Society, Norwich, NY; Trial bill, 1 June 1830, People v. JS [J.P. Ct. 1830], Chenango County Courthouse, Norwich, NY; “Mormonism,” Morning Star, 16 Nov. 1832, 114; Knight, Reminiscences, 8; see also [Abram W. Benton], “Mormonites,” Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate, 9 Apr. 1831, 120; “Mormonism,” Boston Christian Herald, 19 Sept. 1832, [2]–[3]; Joel K. Noble to Jonathan B. Turner, Bainbridge, NY, 8 Mar. 1842, Illinois State Historical Society, Springfield; “Some of the Remarks of John S. Reed,” Times and Seasons, 1 June 1844, 5:549–552; and John S. Reed, Mexico, NY, to Brigham Young, 6 Dec. 1861, Brigham Young Office Files, CHL.)
Hatch, Ebenezer. Bill of Services, 4 July 1830. Chenango County Historical Society, Norwich, NY.
Trial bill, 1 June 1830. People of Chenango County, New York v. Joseph Smith (J.P. Ct. 1830). Chenango County Courthouse, Norwich, NY.
Morning Star. Limerick, ME. 1826–1904.
Knight, Joseph, Sr. Reminiscences, no date. CHL. MS 3470.
Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate. Utica, NY. 1830–1850.
Boston Christian Herald. Boston. 1829–1833.
Noble, Joel K. Letter to Jonathan B. Turner, Bainbridge, NY, 8 Mar. 1842. Illinois State Historical Society, Springfield.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Reed, John S. Letter, Mexico, NY, to Brigham Young, 6 Dec. 1861. Brigham Young Office Files, CHL. CR 1234 1, box 28, fd. 13.
Oliver Cowdery apparently left early enough in the month that before the end of July, he had made the roughly three-day journey to Fayette and sent JS a letter, and JS had sent a return letter to Cowdery, traveled to Fayette, and returned to Harmony. (JS History, vol. A-1, 50–51.)
Revelation, 6 Apr. 1830 [D&C 21:1]; Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:3].
The use of pronouns such as “ye” and “you” is ambiguous, making it impossible to distinguish between plural or singular commands.
Revelation, June 1829–B [D&C 18:9].
Revelation, 6 Apr. 1830 [D&C 21:10]. Though mockingly, the Palmyra Reflector referred to Cowdery in this vein, calling him “the apostle to the NEPHITES.” The 6 April revelation also designated Cowdery “the first Preacher of this Church unto the Church & before the world.” (News Item, Reflector [Palmyra, NY], 1 June 1830, 28, emphasis in original; Revelation, 6 Apr. 1830 [D&C 21:12].)
Reflector. Palmyra, NY. 1821–1831.
John Whitmer later inserted “July” here. As explained in the historical introduction, this revelation fits a July 1830 setting. In addition, this, the “25th. Commandment” in Revelation Book 1, was not likely dictated any later than early August, when the “28th. Commandment” was apparently dictated (the “26th” and “27th.” commandments bear no month designation). (See Revelation, ca. Aug. 1830 [D&C 27]; Revelation, July 1830–B [D&C 26]; and Revelation, July 1830–C [D&C 25].)
John Whitmer likely created this heading when he copied the text into Revelation Book 1.
The nature of any “transgressions” is unknown. JS’s “office” was described in a revelation three months earlier: “Thou shalt be called a seer & Translater & Prop[h]et an Apostle of Jesus Christ an Elder of the Church.” (Revelation, 6 Apr. 1830 [D&C 21:1].)
This late sowing of JS’s fields was necessary because JS did not return home from New York until mid-June and thereafter found himself making several trips from Harmony, Pennsylvania, to Colesville, New York. A revelation dictated shortly after this one also dealt with JS’s labor on his farm. (See JS History, vol. A-1, 42–49; and Revelation, July 1830–B. [D&C 26:1])
The demands of church leadership required much of JS’s time and energy. Other revelations contained similar instructions to provide for JS and his family. (See, for example, Revelation, 4 Feb. 1831 [D&C 41:7]; and Revelation, Feb. 1831–A [D&C 43:13].)
Word supplied based on a later redaction in the manuscript and on published versions of the revelation. (Book of Commandments 25:7; Doctrine and Covenants 9:3, 1835 ed. [D&C 24:5].)