Footnotes

1. [1]

   In June 1829, Oliver Cowdery copied passages from the Book of Mormon manuscript to produce a text titled “Articles of the Church of Christ,” which gave instructions on priesthood offices, baptism, the administration of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, and other matters. The next year in June 1830, the newly organized Church of Christ voted to accept as authoritative a document originating with JS that contained similar but more extensive instructions, titled “Articles and Covenants.” (“Articles of the Church of Christ,” June 1829; Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20]; Minutes, 9 June 1830.)

2. [2]

   JS History, vol. A-1, 27; Minutes, 9 June 1830.

3. [3]

   Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:37]; JS History, vol. A-1, 51. The requirement that Cowdery objected to was not found in the Book of Mormon, nor was it among the requirements listed in Cowdery’s earlier “Articles of the Church of Christ.” (See “Articles of the Church of Christ,” June 1829.)

4. [4]

   JS History, vol. A-1, 51.

5. [5]

   JS History, vol. A-1, 53–54. Newel Knight recalled that Page “had quite a roll of papers full of these revelations, and many in the church were led astray by them.” Ezra Booth, who wrote a series of antagonistic letters denouncing JS after leaving the church in the fall of 1831, explained his understanding of Page’s seer stone: “[He] found a smooth stone, upon which there appeared to be writing, which when transcribed upon paper, disappeared from the stone, and another impression appeared in its place. This when copied, vanished as the former had done, and so it continued alternately appearing and disappearing; in the meanwhile, he continued to write, until he had written over considerable paper. It bore most striking marks of a Mormonite revelation, and was received as an authentic document by most of the Mormonites, till Smith, by his superior sagacity, discovered it to be a Satanic fraud.” George A. Smith later stated that the stone was black and explained that on it Page saw “certain characters” that he copied down as revelations. Emer Harris also recalled that Page’s stone was black; he added that it was destroyed. (Knight, History, 146; “Letters from David and John C. Whitmer,” Saints’ Herald, 5 Feb. 1887, 90; Ezra Booth, “Mormonism—Nos. VIII–IX,” Ohio Star [Ravenna], 8 Dec. 1831, [1]; George A. Smith, in Journal of Discourses, 15 Nov. 1864, 11:2; Provo, UT, Central Stake, General Minutes, 6 Apr. 1856, vol. 10, p. 273.)

   Knight, Newel. History. Private possession. Copy in CHL. MS 19156.

   Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.

   Ohio Star. Ravenna. 1830–1854.

   Journal of Discourses. 26 vols. Liverpool: F. D. Richards, 1855–1886.

   Provo, UT, Central Stake. General Minutes, 1852–1977. CHL. LR 9629 11.

6. [6]

   JS History, vol. A-1, 54.

7. [7]

   Minutes, 26 Sept. 1830.

8. [8]

   Revelation, July 1830–A [D&C 24:12]; see also Revelation, June 1829–B [D&C 18:9], which compared Cowdery to the apostle Paul.

9. [9]

   Covenant of Oliver Cowdery and Others, 17 Oct. 1830.

10. [10]

    See Revelation, Sept. 1830–A [D&C 29:4–9]; Isaiah 52:8; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 500–501 [3 Nephi 21:20–24].

11. [11]

    Pratt, Autobiography, 49; see also Covenant of Oliver Cowdery and Others, 17 Oct. 1830.

    Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.