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27467
Journal, 1835–1836
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Thursday 22d at home attending to my domestick concerns
Friday 23d at home attended
the
prayer
meeting29
JS and other church leaders prayed for the redemption of Zion and for relief from church debts. The prayer offered this day was recorded following the entry of 27 November 1835.
Saturday 24th Mr. Goodrich and his lady called called to see the
antient Records also called at Doct. F[rederick] G. Williams to see the
mummies, Brs. Hawks & Carpenter from Michigan visited us & taried over Sunday and attended
meeting—
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...
View Full BioOrganized as territory, 1805, with Detroit as capital. De facto state government organized within territory, 1836, although not formally recognized as state by federal government until 1837. Lansing became new state capital, 1847. Population in 1810 about...
More InfoSunday 25th attended meeting President [Sidney] Rigdon
preached in the fore noon, Elder Lyman Johnson in the after noon, after which Elder S. Bronson [Seymour Brunson] joined Br. Wm Perry & Sister Eliza Brown in
matrimony,30
and I blessed them with long life and prosperity in
the name of Jesus Christ, at evening I attended prayer meeting opened it and exorted, the brethren &
Sister about one hour, the Lord pourd out his spirit and some glorious things, were spoken in the gift of
toungs, and interpeted concer ning the redemption of Zion
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...
View Full Bio24 Oct. 1811–20 Dec. 1859. Merchant, lawyer, hotelier. Born at Pomfret, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of John Johnson and Alice (Elsa) Jacobs. Moved to Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio, Mar. 1818. Baptized into LDS church by Sidney Rigdon, Feb. 1831. Ordained an elder...
View Full Bio1 Dec. 1798–10 Aug. 1840. Farmer. Born at Plattsburg, Clinton Co., New York. Son of Reuben Brunson and Sally Clark. Served in War of 1812. Married Harriet Gould of Hector, Tompkins Co., New York, ca. 1823. Baptized into LDS church by Solomon Hancock, Jan....
View Full Bio26 Jan. 1812–9 May 1893. Farmer, carpenter. Born at Madison, Madison Co., New York. Son of Asahel Perry and Polly Chadwick. Lived at Middlebury, Genesee Co., New York, beginning 1815. Baptized into LDS church, 1835. Ordained an elder, 7 Mar. 1835, in Kirtland...
View Full Bio5 Oct. 1808–18 Sept. 1885. Born at Sherburne, Chenango Co., New York. Daughter of George Brown and Sally Burniss. Received patriarchal blessing, 12 Mar. 1835, at Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio. Married William C. Perry, 25 Oct. 1835, at Kirtland. Lived among ...
View Full BioBrunson—who had obtained a license in Jackson County, Ohio,
to solemnize weddings—may have been the only licensed Latter-day Saint at this time. (Bradshaw, “Joseph Smith’s Performance of Marriages in Ohio,” 40.)
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Bradshaw, M. Scott. “Joseph Smith’s Performance of Marriages in Ohio.” BYU Studies 39, no. 4 (2000): 23–69.
In JS’s earliest revelations “the cause of Zion” was used to broadly describe the work JS was called to do. However, the term Zion was soon used more specifically to describe a community of believers who live in harmony and equality. The Book of Mormon explained...
View GlossaryMonday 26th went to Chardon to attend the county Court in company with Brs Hyrum Samuel &
Carloss [Don Carlos] Smith, Br. Samuel was called in question before
this Court for not doing military duty,31
and was fined because we had not our conference minuets with us for testimony to prove that
F[rederick] G. Williams was clerk of the conference,— this
testimony we should have carried with us had it not been for the neglect of our Council, or Lawyer,32
who did not put us in possession of this information this we
feel was a want of fidelity to his client, and we concider it a base insult <practised> upon us on the account of our faith, that the ungodly might have unlawful power over us and
trample us under their unhallowed feet; <&> in consequence of this
neglect a fine was imposed on Br Samuel [p. 9]
Located eight miles south of Lake Erie and immediately east of Kirtland Township. Settled by 1812. Included village of Chardon. Population of township in 1820 about 430; in 1830 about 880; and in 1840 about 1,100. Two of JS’s sisters resided in township. ...
More Info9 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; to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co., by...
View Full Bio13 Mar. 1808–30 July 1844. Farmer, logger, scribe, builder, tavern operator. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, by Mar. 1810; to Lebanon, Grafton Co., New Hampshire, 1811...
View Full Bio25 Mar. 1816–7 Aug. 1841. Farmer, printer, editor. Born at Norwich, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Palmyra, Ontario Co., New York, 1816–Jan. 1817. Moved to Manchester, Ontario Co., 1825. Baptized into LDS church by David...
View Full Bio13 Mar. 1808–30 July 1844. Farmer, logger, scribe, builder, tavern operator. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, by Mar. 1810; to Lebanon, Grafton Co., New Hampshire, 1811...
View Full BioAs in other states, in Ohio the state militia act required
free, white, adult male citizens to serve in the state militia. Fines were levied for failure to attend
training. However, the law exempted mail carriers, sailors at sea, and, as in most states, clergymen.
Justice of the Peace John C. Dowen originally issued writs against both Samuel Smith and JS for
“non-attendance at training” but then excused JS because of his ecclesiastical office. A court of inquiry
held 25 September 1833, George Metcalf, Paymaster of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Regiment,
9th Division, Ohio Militia v. Samuel H. Smith, fined
Samuel Smith $1.75 for failing to attend company and regimental musters in 1833. In this appeal to the
county court of common pleas, where Samuel was fined an additional $20 for not bringing the necessary
documentation, Samuel argued that he met the legal requirements of an acting minister. (Act for Organizing and Disciplining the Militia [22 Feb. 1831], Statutes of Ohio, vol. 3, pp. 1983–2005; John C. Dowen, Statement, 2 Jan. 1885, 2, Manuscripts about Mormons at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, Chicago Historical Society; Geauga Co., OH, Court of Common Pleas, Court Records, 1807–1904, vol. S, p. 95–101, 20 Oct. 1835, microfilm 20,279, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)
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The Statutes of Ohio and of the Northwestern Territory, Adopted or Enacted from 1788 to 1833 Inclusive: Together with the Ordinance of 1787; the Constitutions of Ohio and of the United States, and Various Public Instruments and Acts of Congress: Illustrated by a Preliminary Sketch of the History of Ohio; Numerous References and Notes, and Copious Indexes. 3 vols. Edited by Salmon P. Chase. Cincinnati: Corey and Fairbank, 1833–1835.
Manuscripts about Mormons at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, ca. 1832–1954. Microfilm. Chicago Historical Society.
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
A meeting where ecclesiastical officers and other church members could conduct church business. The “Articles and Covenants” of the church directed the elders to hold conferences to perform “Church business.” The first of these conferences was held on 9 June...
View Glossary28 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...
View Full BioBenjamin Bissell. (Geauga Co., OH, Court of Common Pleas, Court Records, 1807–1904, vol. S, p. 97, microfilm 20 Oct. 1835, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)
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U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
13 Mar. 1808–30 July 1844. Farmer, logger, scribe, builder, tavern operator. Born at Tunbridge, Orange Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, by Mar. 1810; to Lebanon, Grafton Co., New Hampshire, 1811...
View Full BioJS viewed himself as divinely commissioned to gather God’s people in the last days and
prepare them for Jesus Christ’s second coming and millennial reign. By 1835, the House of the Lord, a temple
in Kirtland, Ohio, became the centerpiece of this commission and hence of this journal. The Latter-day
Saints were commanded in revelations dated as early as December 1832 to establish “a house of God” and were
chastised in June 1833 for not having begun the endeavor.1
Construction began 6 June 1833
after JS and colleagues saw in vision the completed structure.2
As writing in this journal began, construction was nearing completion. The newly
established Quorum of the Twelve and Quorum of the Seventy were returning from preaching assignments and
joining with church officers from Ohio and Missouri as well as with traveling elders. All converged on
Kirtland to prepare with increasing intensity for the “solemn assembly” to be held in the House of the Lord,
where they were to be “endowed with power from on high.”3
Thus
empowered, they could better fulfill key elements of their mission: preaching God’s message for the last
time throughout the world prior to the imminent Second Coming; gathering converts to Missouri, where they
would find safety in Zion from the destruction that was to overtake the wicked; and ministering to the
Saints. After a hiatus of more than nine months, JS renewed his journal keeping during this period of
organization, purification, and preparation.
JS revelation of Jan. 1831 directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” JS Revelation of Dec. 1832 directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS Revelation of 1 June 1833 chastened Saints...
More InfoLocated ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...
More InfoRevelation, 27 and 28 Dec.
1832 and 3 Jan. 1833, in Doctrine and Covenants 7:36, 1835 ed. [D&C 88:119]; Revelation, 1 June 1833, in Doctrine and Covenants 95:1, 1835 ed.
[D&C 95:2–3].
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Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835. Also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
Angell, Autobiography, 14–15.
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Angell, Truman O. Autobiography, 1884. CHL. Also available in Archie Leon Brown and Charlene L. Hathaway, 141 Years of Mormon Heritage: Rawsons, Browns, Angells—Pioneers (Oakland, CA: By the authors, 1973), 119–135.
French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Partitioned from Northwest Territory and admitted as state, 1803. Bordered by Lake Erie on ...
More InfoArea 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. Mormon missionaries...
More InfoRevelation, 22 June 1834, in Doctrine and Covenants 102:3, 1844 ed. [D&C 105:11].
For an account of the solemn assembly, see the journal entry for 30 March 1836.
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The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith. 2nd ed. Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1844. Selections also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
The longest of any of JS’s journals published herein, this volume records his activities in
and around Kirtland during the half year from late September 1835 to early April 1836. It is the last
journal that contains JS’s own handwriting: seven entries—four manuscript pages. Entries were sometimes made
one or more days after the fact, but an entry was made for every day from the journal’s beginning to its
end, providing a continuity lacking in JS’s previous journal and reflecting a time of relative stability for
the church in Kirtland. JS is not embattled, defending his people and projects against enemies; rather, he
is gathering and preparing his people for what they expect to be a pivotal experience. Blessings, rebukes,
and counsel recorded here manifest the hopes and expectations of JS and others in church leadership.
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...
More InfoWhile JS, Oliver Cowdery, and Frederick G. Williams penned entries for the first two weeks of
the journal, most of the remainder of the journal was kept by Warren Parrish, often mentioned in the journal
as “my scribe.” Parrish was hired as scribe for JS on 29 October 1835. His duties included keeping JS’s
journal and minutes of church meetings and copying certain materials into JS’s 1834–1836 history, which
Oliver Cowdery had begun the prior year. Parrish’s first recorded journal entry is for 8 October 1835,
suggesting that journal keeping was three weeks behind when he started. Parrish inscribed entries covering
the next six weeks. The journal was in Parrish’s possession during at least part of the time he was
inscribing it, and the practice may have been for the assigned scribe to retain possession during his
tenure. JS recorded four reflective entries for December 19–22 and indicated in the last of those entries
that Parrish was ill. JS then passed the journal to Williams, whose entries covered four days ending 26
December 1835. Parrish resumed scribal duties for four weeks’ entries, but then his ill health forced him to
relinquish journal keeping to Sylvester Smith, who recorded the next two weeks’ entries. On 7 February 1836,
Parrish then resumed his work, recording entries for the next eight weeks, with occasional help from an
unidentified scribe who copied or kept minutes of church meetings. In early April, Parrish was preparing to
leave Kirtland to proselytize, like many others who had sought empowerment in Kirtland for that
purpose.4
Apparently
Parrish’s scribal responsibilities for the journal and for JS’s 1834–1836 history were delegated at this
time to Warren Cowdery, older brother of Oliver Cowdery. Cowdery used the first two months of material from
the journal, 22 September to 18 November 1835, as the basis for a new section of the 1834–1836 history and
also wrote the final two entries in the journal. Parrish’s mission departure was delayed until May.5
It was apparently during this delay that Parrish retrieved the
history and the journal from Cowdery and added a final two months of material from the journal, 18 November
1835 through 18 January 1836, to the history—probably before leaving for his missionary assignment. Parrish
made no additional entries to the journal before returning it to JS. Thus the journal ended with Cowdery’s
entries.
3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...
View Full Bio28 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...
View Full Bio10 Jan. 1803–3 Jan. 1877. Clergyman, gardener. Born in New York. Son of John Parrish and Ruth Farr. Married first Elizabeth (Betsey) Patten of Westmoreland Co., New Hampshire, ca. 1822. Lived at Alexandria, Jefferson Co., New York, 1830. Purchased land at...
View Full Bio25 Mar. 1806–22 Feb. 1880. Farmer, carpenter, lawyer, realtor. Born at Tyringham, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Chileab Smith and Nancy Marshall. Moved to Amherst, Lorain Co., Ohio, ca. 1815. Married Elizabeth Frank, 27 Dec. 1827, likely in Chautauque...
View Full BioLocated ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...
More InfoWoodruff, Journal, 19 Apr. 1836.
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Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. Also available as Wilford Woodruff’s Journals, 1833–1898, edited by Scott G. Kenney, 9 vols. (Midvale, UT: Signature Books, 1983–1985).
17 Oct. 1788–23 Feb. 1851. Physician, druggist, farmer, editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Married Patience Simonds, 22 Sept. 1814, in Pawlet, Rutland Co. Moved to Freedom, Cattaraugus Co., New York, 1816...
View Full BioWoodruff, Journal, 27 May 1836.
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Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. Also available as Wilford Woodruff’s Journals, 1833–1898, edited by Scott G. Kenney, 9 vols. (Midvale, UT: Signature Books, 1983–1985).
Much of the material in the journal seems to have been dictated by JS to the scribe or
recorded as JS spoke to various gatherings. For example, the entry for 21 January 1836 is apparently a
dictation because it reports a vision seen only by JS. JS may have had the scribe read back his dictations
to him in order to make corrections, as he had sometimes done six years earlier in dictating his translation
of the Book of Mormon. In the 21 January entry, the scribe writes, “I am mistaken,” and a paragraph in the
entry corrects a statement made earlier in the entry. A few days later, Parrish wrote to JS that he could
not continue to keep the journal for a time. He explained, “Writing has a particular tendency to injure my
lungs while I am under the influence of such a cough”—a possible indication that his scribal duties required
reading aloud.6
10 Jan. 1803–3 Jan. 1877. Clergyman, gardener. Born in New York. Son of John Parrish and Ruth Farr. Married first Elizabeth (Betsey) Patten of Westmoreland Co., New Hampshire, ca. 1822. Lived at Alexandria, Jefferson Co., New York, 1830. Purchased land at...
View Full BioJS, Journal, 25 Jan. 1836.
The journal reveals aspects not only of the inner spiritual life and the religious fellowship
that JS shared with church members and leaders but also of his relations with adherents of other religious
persuasions. Various entries describe his interactions with Presbyterians, Methodists, a Baptist, a
Universalist, and a Unitarian. The journal records a visit JS received from two followers of the British
religious reformer Edward Irving as well as a visit from JS’s contemporary Robert Matthews—better known as
the Prophet Matthias. During his visit with Matthews, JS shared the foundational religious experiences of
his youth, including rare accounts of his visit from the angel Moroni and of his first vision of Deity.
1788–ca. 1841. Carpenter, joiner, merchant, minister. Born at Cambridge, Washington Co., New York. Raised in Anti-Burgher Secession Church. Married Margaret Wright, 1813, at New York City. Adopted beliefs of Methodism and then Judaism. Moved to Albany, ca...
View Full BioThe journal also records several other revelations and visions. Of particular theological
significance is the aforementioned 21 January 1836 vision of the “celestial kingdom” of heaven, with its
revelation that “all who have died with[out] a knowledge of this
gospel, who would have received it, if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial
kingdom of God.”7 This foreshadows the
Latter-day Saint doctrine of redeeming the dead through vicarious ordinances.
JS, Journal, 21 Jan. 1836.
A number of entries in this journal relate to JS’s revelatory translation of Egyptian
writings. In July 1835, JS and associates had purchased from a Michael Chandler four Egyptian mummies and
some papyri unearthed at Thebes. Chandler had exhibited the artifacts in Cleveland and other locations and
had heard of JS’s claims as a translator. This journal provides glimpses of JS’s early efforts in
transcribing and translating material from the papyri and recounts that JS exhibited the papyri to
associates and visitors. Journal entries refer to them as the “records of antiquity,” the “Egyptian
manuscripts,” the “Egyptian records,” the “sacred record,” the “ancient records,” the “records of Abraham,”
or simply “the records.” JS’s efforts led to publication in 1842 of a work that he introduced as “purporting
to be the writings of Abraham.”8
Cuyahoga Co. seat of justice, 1833. Situated on south shore of Lake Erie, just east of mouth of Cuyahoga River. First settled, 1797. Incorporated as village, 1815; incorporated as city, 1836. Became center of business and trade at opening of Ohio and Erie...
More Info“The Book of Abraham,” Times and Seasons,1 Mar. 1842, 3:703–706; 15 Mar. 1842, 3:719–722; 16 May 1842, 3:783–784 [Abraham 1–5].
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Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
The events of this journal, as in JS’s 1832–1834 journal, unfold in the shadow of the dual
priorities of redeeming Zion and preparing the House of the Lord. A revelation that JS announced in June
1834, prior to the close of the Mormons’ armed expedition to Missouri, laid out the course of action the
Latter-day Saints were to pursue regarding their future in that state. The “redemption of Zion” in Missouri
would not take place until church officers had been further instructed in their duties and empowered in the
House of the Lord in Kirtland.9
JS revelation of Jan. 1831 directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” JS Revelation of Dec. 1832 directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS Revelation of 1 June 1833 chastened Saints...
More InfoArea 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. Mormon missionaries...
More InfoLocated ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...
More InfoRevelation, 22 June 1834, in Doctrine and Covenants 102, 1844 ed. [D&C 105].
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The Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith. 2nd ed. Nauvoo, IL: John Taylor, 1844. Selections also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
In the third entry in this journal, JS himself recorded further plans and preparations for
Missouri. As the time for the promised endowment neared, so did the anticipated return to Jackson County.
The dispossessed Missouri Saints were again to petition Governor Daniel Dunklin for support in reoccupying
their Jackson County lands. JS and other church officers expressed determination to reenter Jackson County
in spring 1836, at the risk of their lives if necessary. JS reported the beginning of efforts that same day
to enlist a large volunteer army for this purpose10—optimistic plans, fed
perhaps by growth in church membership in the two years since their small “Camp of Israel” expedition had
failed to accomplish the same goal. Less than two weeks later, he advised members of the Quorum of the
Twelve to anticipate moving their families to Missouri.11
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. Mormon missionaries...
More InfoSettled at Fort Osage, 1808. County created, 16 Feb. 1825; organized 1826. Named after U.S. President Andrew Jackson. Featured fertile lands along Missouri River and was Santa Fe Trail departure point, which attracted immigrants to area. Area of county reduced...
More Info14 Jan. 1790–25 July 1844. Farmer, tavern owner, businessman, investor, lawyer, politician. Born near Greenville, Greenville District, South Carolina. Son of Joseph Dunklin Jr. and Sarah Margaret Sullivan. Moved to what became Caldwell Co., Kentucky, 1806...
View Full BioJS, Journal, 24 Sept. 1835.
JS, Journal, 5 Oct. 1835.
Latter-day Saints corresponded with Dunklin, asking for his assistance and even suggesting
that United States president Andrew Jackson be asked to rectify the Saints’ 1833 eviction from their Jackson
County property by vigilantes. In January 1836, Dunklin effectively foreclosed the possibility of aid from
either the state or the federal government in the near future. He ruled out any request for federal
intervention on constitutional grounds and again advised the Saints to pursue restoration of their property
through the established legal system.12
14 Jan. 1790–25 July 1844. Farmer, tavern owner, businessman, investor, lawyer, politician. Born near Greenville, Greenville District, South Carolina. Son of Joseph Dunklin Jr. and Sarah Margaret Sullivan. Moved to what became Caldwell Co., Kentucky, 1806...
View Full BioNorth American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...
More InfoSettled at Fort Osage, 1808. County created, 16 Feb. 1825; organized 1826. Named after U.S. President Andrew Jackson. Featured fertile lands along Missouri River and was Santa Fe Trail departure point, which attracted immigrants to area. Area of county reduced...
More InfoDaniel Dunklin, Jefferson City, MO, to William W. Phelps et al., Kirtland, OH, 22 Jan. 1836, in JS History, vol. B-1, addenda, 3nH.
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JS History / Smith, Joseph, et al. History, 1838–1856. Vols. A-1–F-1 (original), A-2–E-2 (fair copy). CHL. The history for the period after 5 Aug. 1838 was composed after the death of Joseph Smith.
Soon after receiving Dunklin’s letter, the Latter-day Saints modified their short-term plans
for Missouri. By March 1836, they had apparently dropped the idea of assembling a large army, at least for
the present. Church leaders moved their focus for the near future away from Jackson County and instead
commissioned agents to find a new location in Missouri and to purchase lands there on which to settle.13
The church’s presidency intended to move to Missouri to direct the
relocation.14
14 Jan. 1790–25 July 1844. Farmer, tavern owner, businessman, investor, lawyer, politician. Born near Greenville, Greenville District, South Carolina. Son of Joseph Dunklin Jr. and Sarah Margaret Sullivan. Moved to what became Caldwell Co., Kentucky, 1806...
View Full BioArea 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. Mormon missionaries...
More InfoSettled at Fort Osage, 1808. County created, 16 Feb. 1825; organized 1826. Named after U.S. President Andrew Jackson. Featured fertile lands along Missouri River and was Santa Fe Trail departure point, which attracted immigrants to area. Area of county reduced...
More InfoWhitmer, History, 83.
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Whitmer, History / Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment,” ca. 1838–1847. CCLA.
JS, Journal, 13 Mar. 1836.
During the time covered in the journal, the immediate attention of Latter-day Saints was
focused on northeastern Ohio. Prerequisite to their major relocation in Missouri, church leaders from
Missouri and elsewhere gathered to Kirtland, the site of the temple that bore the name “the House of the
Lord,” wherein the much-anticipated endowment and solemn assembly were to empower church officers in their
ministry. Building the temple in Kirtland—which JS often referred to as the “chapel” or simply “the
house”—had been a focal point since summer 1833, when a letter from JS, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G.
Williams reported that there were only one hundred fifty Saints in Kirtland.15
In autumn 1834, JS
himself helped quarry stone for the building.16
By late 1835, the nine hundred
Mormons in Kirtland, plus the two hundred living nearby, included skilled individuals recruited specifically
for the building project, freeing JS to pursue spiritual, educational, and administrative matters. A temple
committee composed of JS’s brother Hyrum, Reynolds Cahoon, and Jared Carter oversaw construction of the
House of the Lord. The construction workers were compensated in part through goods available at the
“committee store.”
French explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Partitioned from Northwest Territory and admitted as state, 1803. Bordered by Lake Erie on ...
More InfoArea 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. Mormon missionaries...
More InfoLocated ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...
More InfoJS revelation of Jan. 1831 directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” JS Revelation of Dec. 1832 directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS Revelation of 1 June 1833 chastened Saints...
More Info19 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...
View Full Bio28 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...
View Full BioSidney Rigdon et al., Kirtland, OH, to Edward Partridge et al., Independence, MO, 25 June 1833, JS Collection, CHL.
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Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL.
JS History, vol. B-1, 553; Heber C. Kimball, in Journal of Discourses, 6 Apr. 1863, 10:165.
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JS History / Smith, Joseph, et al. History, 1838–1856. Vols. A-1–F-1 (original), A-2–E-2 (fair copy). CHL. The history for the period after 5 Aug. 1838 was composed after the death of Joseph Smith.
Journal of Discourses. 26 vols. Liverpool: F. D. Richards, 1855–1886.
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; to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co., by...
View Full Bio30 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.,...
View Full Bio14 June 1801–6 July 1849. Born at Killingworth, Middlesex Co., Connecticut. Son of Gideon Carter and Johanna Sims. Moved to Benson, Rutland Co., Vermont, by 1810. Married Lydia Ames, 20 Sept. 1823, at Benson. Moved to Chenango, Broome Co., New York, by Jan...
View Full BioEstablished by temple building committee to support those working on Kirtland temple.
More InfoPreparation for the promised endowment required much more than completion of the temple. JS’s
vision for a church prepared for its expansive mission included an extensive and well-organized priesthood
hierarchy. After adding three assistants to the church’s presidency in December 1834,17
JS further
expanded his cadre of leaders. Drawn almost exclusively from the ranks of the 1834 expedition to Missouri,
the Quorum of the Twelve and the Quorum of the Seventy, organized in February 1835, were assigned primarily
to minister outside Ohio and Missouri, the two centers of the church. JS gave the new officers short-term
assignments to preach in the East and seek financial support for Zion in Missouri and the temple in
Ohio.18
Beginning in January 1836, JS worked to have every
office and organization mentioned in the revelations fully staffed—to “set the different quorems in
order.”19 With the entire array
of priesthood leadership from both Ohio and Missouri in Kirtland to prepare for empowerment, many of the
regular Kirtland council meetings included the Missouri leadership, especially Missouri president David
Whitmer and his counselors William W. Phelps and John Whitmer. These three also often joined with the
church’s presidency in Kirtland—JS, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, Frederick G. Williams, Hyrum Smith, and
Joseph Smith Sr.—in a council of presidents that conducted much of the church business.
JS revelation of Jan. 1831 directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” JS Revelation of Dec. 1832 directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS Revelation of 1 June 1833 chastened Saints...
More InfoEntries for 5 and 6 Dec. 1834, in JS History, 1834–1836, 17–20.
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JS History, 1834–1836 / Smith, Joseph, et al. History, 1834–1836. In Joseph Smith et al., History, 1838–1856, vol. A-1, back of book (earliest numbering), 9–20, 46–187. CHL.
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. Mormon missionaries...
More InfoFrench explored area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Partitioned from Northwest Territory and admitted as state, 1803. Bordered by Lake Erie on ...
More InfoJS, Kirtland, OH, to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 4 Aug. 1835, in JS Letterbook 1, pp. 90–93.
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JS Letterbook 1 / Smith, Joseph. “Letter Book A,” 1832–1835. Joseph Smith Collection. CHL.
JS, Journal, 30 Jan. 1836.
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...
More Info7 Jan. 1805–25 Jan. 1888. Farmer, livery keeper. Born near Harrisburg, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Raised Presbyterian. Moved to Ontario Co., New York, shortly after birth. Attended German Reformed Church. Arranged...
View Full Bio17 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,...
View Full Bio27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...
View Full Bio3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...
View Full Bio19 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...
View Full Bio28 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...
View Full Bio9 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; to Tunbridge, before May 1803; to Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont, 1804; to Sharon, Windsor Co., by...
View Full Bio12 July 1771–14 Sept. 1840. Cooper, farmer, teacher, merchant. Born at Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Asael Smith and Mary Duty. Nominal member of Congregationalist church at Topsfield. Married to Lucy Mack by Seth Austin, 24 Jan. 1796, at Tunbridge...
View Full BioPreparation of church officials for carrying out their responsibilities required ministerial
training. This was accomplished in the Elders School, which was a revival of the earlier School of the
Prophets. In early January 1836, an additional school was opened offering two months’ intensive study of
biblical Hebrew under the tutelage of scholar Joshua Seixas. This instruction ran concurrently with the
Elders School and involved many of the same students. JS himself participated as an enthusiastic student of
Hebrew.
4 June 1802–1874. Hebraist, textbook writer, teacher. Probably born at New York City. Son of Gershom Mendez Seixas and Hannah Manuel. Married Henrietta Raphael of Richmond, Henrico Co., Virginia. Taught Hebrew at New York and Charlestown, Massachusetts. His...
View Full BioJS insisted that in addition to being fully staffed and properly organized and trained, the
church leadership must have unity and harmony.20
A prerequisite to the endowment was a sanctification
process that in turn required collegiality and love. JS faced significant challenges from within the
hierarchy and his own family as he sought to establish this unity. During the apostles’ 1835 mission, JS and
other leaders in Kirtland chastised the Quorum of the Twelve by letter for offensive statements two of them
had made about Sidney Rigdon. The Twelve also had reportedly failed to emphasize donations for temple
construction while seeking funds for Missouri lands and other church needs. JS concluded later that the
latter concern, based on a complaint by an observer in New York, was unwarranted. After the Twelve returned
to Kirtland there were feelings to reconcile, apologies to make, and clarifications required concerning the
role of the Twelve. The flurry of accusations and confessions in council meetings recorded in this journal
were meant to heal breaches and promote harmony by airing and then resolving all disagreements.
See Revelation, 27 and 28 Dec. 1832 and 3 Jan. 1833, in
Doctrine and Covenants 7, 1835 ed. [D&C 88]; and
Instruction on priesthood, ca. Apr. 1835, in Doctrine and Covenants 3:11–12, 1835 ed. [D&C 107:27–33].
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Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835. Also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...
More Info19 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...
View Full BioJS revelation of Jan. 1831 directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” JS Revelation of Dec. 1832 directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS Revelation of 1 June 1833 chastened Saints...
More InfoArea 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. Mormon missionaries...
More InfoDutch founded New Netherland colony, 1625. Incorporated under British control and renamed New York, 1664. Harbor contributed to economic and population growth of city; became largest city in American colonies. British troops defeated Continental Army under...
More InfoTo JS’s great dismay, his confrontations with his volatile younger brother William, an
apostle in the church, contrasted starkly with JS’s ideals. The two strong-willed Smiths clashed in fall
1835. Harmony was not restored until Joseph Smith Sr. convened a family New Year’s gathering to bring about
reconciliation. Passages in this diary about their interaction offer revealing insights into the
personalities and temperaments of JS and William.
13 Mar. 1811–13 Nov. 1893. Farmer, newspaper editor. Born at Royalton, Windsor Co., Vermont. Son of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack. Moved to Lebanon, Grafton Co., New Hampshire, 1811; to Norwich, Windsor Co., 1813; and to Palmyra, Ontario Co., New York, 1816...
View Full Bio12 July 1771–14 Sept. 1840. Cooper, farmer, teacher, merchant. Born at Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Asael Smith and Mary Duty. Nominal member of Congregationalist church at Topsfield. Married to Lucy Mack by Seth Austin, 24 Jan. 1796, at Tunbridge...
View Full BioAfter resolving differences among church leaders, the officers were ready to receive the
rituals associated with the temple and the anticipated endowment. This was a new development. The previous
fall JS had told members of the Quorum of the Twelve that they were soon to attend the organization of a
school of the prophets that would involve a solemn assembly and the ordinance of foot washing—patterned
after Jesus’s ministration to his disciples after the Last Supper and mandated in the same revelation that
first called for a temple to be built.21
This would have repeated the procedures followed at the
organization of the initial School of the Prophets in 1833. Instead, JS organized the Elders School on 3
November 1835 without a solemn assembly, and the foot-washing ordinance was performed during a solemn
assembly in the House of the Lord at the conclusion of a set of newly instituted ordinances. Before the Lord
could “endow his servants,” recorded John Whitmer, “we must perform all the ordinances that are instituted
in his house.”22
To this end, washing,
anointing, and blessing the presidents of quorums began 21 and 22 January 1836. In the coming weeks, these
rituals were administered in hierarchal order to each church officer in the House of the Lord. The
ordinances were accompanied by exclamations of “hosanna” in unison. Visions and other spiritual
manifestations were noted by numerous participants.
JS revelation of Jan. 1831 directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” JS Revelation of Dec. 1832 directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS Revelation of 1 June 1833 chastened Saints...
More InfoJS, Journal, 5 Oct. 1835; Revelation, 27 and 28 Dec.
1832 and 3 Jan. 1833, in Doctrine and Covenants 7:45–46, 1835 ed. [D&C 88:138–141].
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Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter Day Saints: Carefully Selected from the Revelations of God. Compiled by Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams. Kirtland, OH: F. G. Williams, 1835. Also available in Robin Scott Jensen, Richard E. Turley Jr., Riley M. Lorimer, eds., Revelations and Translations, Volume 2: Published Revelations. Vol. 2 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Dean C. Jessee, Ronald K. Esplin, and Richard Lyman Bushman (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2011).
27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...
View Full BioWhitmer, History, 83.
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Whitmer, History / Whitmer, John. “The Book of John Whitmer Kept by Commandment,” ca. 1838–1847. CCLA.
On 27 March 1836, before a general audience of church members, JS dedicated the newly
completed House of the Lord. His dedicatory prayer and the accompanying hymns and sermons expressed the
vision he and his associates shared for the unfolding of God’s plan for the earth and the role they were to
play as God’s authorized representatives. Not only their worldview and proximate goals but also their
perceived challenges and obstacles were delineated in the journal’s report.
JS revelation of Jan. 1831 directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” JS Revelation of Dec. 1832 directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS Revelation of 1 June 1833 chastened Saints...
More InfoTwo days after the dedication of the House of the Lord, JS and the presidency sought
revelation about the proposed move to Missouri. They emerged from an all-night session in the House of the
Lord to announce that the key to redeeming Zion lay in proselytizing and gathering converts to
Missouri.23 As for the
presidency, their immediate concern was raising funds to purchase Missouri land.24 Apparently their planned move was postponed until after such purchases
could be made.
JS revelation of Jan. 1831 directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” JS Revelation of Dec. 1832 directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS Revelation of 1 June 1833 chastened Saints...
More InfoArea 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. Mormon missionaries...
More InfoJS, Journal, 29 and 30 Mar. 1836.
JS, Journal, 2 Apr. 1836.
Now that the temple was dedicated to the Lord, the long-awaited solemn assembly was finally
held. On 30 March 1836, three days after the dedication, about three hundred priesthood officers met in the
House of the Lord and received a ritual washing of feet, an ordinance of purification before receiving the
endowment of power. JS announced the celebration of a jubilee for the church. While preparing the sacrament
of the Lord’s Supper to initiate a Passover feast, he instructed the officers that “the time that we were
required to tarry in Kirtland to be endued would be fulfilled in a few days.” Soon afterward, according to
several accounts, many who were gathered in the solemn assembly experienced a powerful spiritual outpouring.
They remained in the House of the Lord through the night, prophesying, speaking in tongues, and seeing
visions. Many felt that the promise of an endowment of spiritual power had been fulfilled, and elders began
leaving Kirtland the following day to perform missions.
JS revelation of Jan. 1831 directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” JS Revelation of Dec. 1832 directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS Revelation of 1 June 1833 chastened Saints...
More InfoLocated ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...
More InfoFor those officers who remained, the jubilee and the Passover were a week of visiting,
feasting, prophesying, and pronouncing blessings on one another. During the Sunday worship service held 3
April 1836, the day for which the final entry in the journal was made, JS and Oliver Cowdery secluded
themselves behind drawn curtains at the podium of the House of the Lord. There, the journal indicates, they
experienced a vision of the resurrected Jesus Christ, who stated that he accepted the edifice as his house.
Afterward, according to this account, Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared and conferred priesthood keys
and authority for essential ministries over which they each had responsibility. The jubilee ended 6 April
1836, the first day of the church’s seventh year.
3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...
View Full BioJS revelation of Jan. 1831 directed Latter-day Saints to migrate to Ohio, where they would “be endowed with power from on high.” JS Revelation of Dec. 1832 directed Saints to “establish . . . an house of God.” JS Revelation of 1 June 1833 chastened Saints...
More InfoJS, “Sketch Book for the use of Joseph Smith, jr.,” Journal, Sept. 1835–Apr.
1836; handwriting of Warren Parrish, an unidentified scribe, Sylvester Smith, Frederick G.
Williams, Warren Cowdery, JS, and Oliver Cowdery; 195 pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes
redactions and archival marking.
10 Jan. 1803–3 Jan. 1877. Clergyman, gardener. Born in New York. Son of John Parrish and Ruth Farr. Married first Elizabeth (Betsey) Patten of Westmoreland Co., New Hampshire, ca. 1822. Lived at Alexandria, Jefferson Co., New York, 1830. Purchased land at...
View Full Bio25 Mar. 1806–22 Feb. 1880. Farmer, carpenter, lawyer, realtor. Born at Tyringham, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Chileab Smith and Nancy Marshall. Moved to Amherst, Lorain Co., Ohio, ca. 1815. Married Elizabeth Frank, 27 Dec. 1827, likely in Chautauque...
View Full Bio28 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...
View Full Bio17 Oct. 1788–23 Feb. 1851. Physician, druggist, farmer, editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Married Patience Simonds, 22 Sept. 1814, in Pawlet, Rutland Co. Moved to Freedom, Cattaraugus Co., New York, 1816...
View Full Bio3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...
View Full BioThe text block consists of 114 leaves—including single flyleaves and pastedowns
in the front and back—measuring 12¼ x 8 inches (31 x 20 cm). The 110 interior leaves are ledger
paper with thirty-four lines in faint—and now faded—black ink that has turned brown. There are
nine gatherings of various sizes—each about a dozen leaves per gathering. The text block is sewn
all along over cloth tapes. The front and back covers of the journal are pasteboard. The ledger
has a tight-back case binding with a brown calfskin quarter-leather binding. The outside covers
are adorned in shell marbled paper, with dark green body and veins of light green. The bound
volume measures 12⅜ x 8¼ inches (31 x 21 cm) and is 13/16 inches (2 cm) thick. One cover of the
book is labeled “Repentence.” in black ink. The first page of ledger paper under that cover
contains eight lines of references to the book of Genesis under the heading “Scriptures relating
to Repentince”. The spine has “No 8” inscribed upside up when the book is standing upright for
this side. When the volume is turned upside down and flipped front to back, the other cover is
titled “Sabbath Day” with “No 9” written beneath in black ink. The first page of ledger paper
under that cover contains two lines of references to the book of Genesis under the heading
“Scriptures relating to the Sabbath day”. Thus the book was used to simultaneously house two
volumes of topical notes on biblical passages. This book was apparently part of a larger series
that included at least two other extant volumes—one bearing “Faith” and “10” on the cover, and
the other bearing “Second Comeing of Christ” and “No 3” on one cover and “Gift of the Holy
Ghost” on the other cover.1
In late 1835, JS and scribes began using the book
to record his journal for 1835–1836, which begins on the recto of the second leaf of ledger
paper. Warren Parrish added the title “Sketch Book” to the cover, beneath “Repentence.”.
“Grammar & Aphabet of the Egyptian Language,” Kirtland Egyptian Papers, ca. 1835–1836, CHL; Kirtland Elders Quorum, “Record”.
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Kirtland Egyptian Papers, ca. 1835–1836. CHL.
Kirtland Elders Quorum. “A Record of the First Quorurum of Elders Belonging to the Church of Christ: In Kirtland Geauga Co. Ohio,” 1836–1838, 1840–1841. CCLA.
10 Jan. 1803–3 Jan. 1877. Clergyman, gardener. Born in New York. Son of John Parrish and Ruth Farr. Married first Elizabeth (Betsey) Patten of Westmoreland Co., New Hampshire, ca. 1822. Lived at Alexandria, Jefferson Co., New York, 1830. Purchased land at...
View Full BioThe entire journal is inscribed in black ink that later turned brown. Pages 25,
51, 77, 103, 129, and 154 bear the marks of adhesive wafers that were probably used to attach
manuscripts until they were copied into the journal. The journal was used in Nauvoo, Illinois,
in 1843 as a major source in composing JS’s multivolume manuscript history of the church. At
this time, redactions were made in ink and in graphite pencil, and use marks were made in
graphite. Also, apparently in Nauvoo, the cover of the journal side of the book was marked with
a “D” and then with a larger, stylized “D”. At some point a white paper spine label was added
with “1835–6 <Kirtland> JOURNAL” hand printed or stenciled in
black ink that later turned brown. The insertion “Kirtland” is written in graphite. Also, in the
“Repentence” side of the volume, the rectos of the third through eighth leaves of ledger paper
are numbered on the upper right-hand corners as 195, 197, 199, 201, 203, and 205—all written in
graphite and apparently redactions. Except with regard to the title “Sketch Book”, none of the
authors of the inscriptions mentioned previously have been identified. This volume is listed in
Nauvoo and early Utah inventories of church records, indicating continuous custody.2
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, LDS church purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas. Served as church headquarters, 1839...
More InfoLocated ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...
More InfoHistorian’s Office, “Schedule of Church Records”; “Historian’s Office Catalogue,” [1], Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; Johnson, Register of the Joseph Smith Collection, 7.
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Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL.
Johnson, Jeffery O. Register of the Joseph Smith Collection in the Church Archives, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1973.
