JS wrote to William W. Phelps declining his offer to sell property in Missouri for Joseph Smith Sr. JS also wrote letters to Newel K. Whitney and others, urging them to move to Commerce. (William W. Phelps, Far West, MO, to John P. Greene, Quincy, IL, 23 Apr. 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 7; JS, Commerce, IL, to William W. Phelps, Far West, MO, 22 May 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 7; JS, Commerce, IL, to Newel K. Whitney, 24 May 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 13; JS, Commerce, IL, to G. W. Harris, Quincy, IL, 24 May 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 11–12; JS and Emma Smith, Commerce, IL, to “Judge Cleveland and Lady,” Quincy, IL, 24 May 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 12.)
JS Letterbook 2 / Smith, Joseph. “Copies of Letters, &c. &c.,” 1839–1843. Joseph Smith Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155, box 2, fd. 2.
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 GlossaryMembers of a governing body in the church, with special administrative and proselytizing responsibilities. A June 1829 revelation commanded Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to call twelve disciples, similar to the twelve apostles in the New Testament and ...
View Glossary13 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 BioWilliam Smith was suspended from the Quorum of the Twelve at the 4–6 May 1839 conference.a Wilford Woodruff, also a member of the quorum, recorded that the Twelve “spent the day in council with Joseph” at his home and that “Brother W m . Smith was restored to his quorum.”b The council also discussed Lyman Wight’s letters—recently published in the Quincy Whig—regarding depredations committed against the Latter-day Saints in Missouri.c (aGeneral Church Minutes, 4 May 1839.bWoodruff, Journal, 25 May 1839; see also Kimball, “History,” 104.cJS, Commerce, IL, to Lyman Wight, Quincy, IL, 27 May 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 13–14; “Difference of Opinion,” Quincy Whig, 25 May 1839, [1]; JS et al., Commerce, IL, to Robert B. Thompson, Quincy, IL, 25 May 1839, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 11.)
General Church Minutes, 4 May 1839
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
Kimball, Heber C. “History of Heber Chase Kimball by His Own Dictation,” ca. 1842–1856. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 2.
JS Letterbook 2 / Smith, Joseph. “Copies of Letters, &c. &c.,” 1839–1843. Joseph Smith Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155, box 2, fd. 2.
Quincy Whig. Quincy, IL. 1838–1856.
19 Sept. 1811–3 Oct. 1881. Farmer, writer, teacher, merchant, surveyor, editor, publisher. Born at Hartford, Washington Co., New York. Son of Jared Pratt and Charity Dickinson. Moved to New Lebanon, Columbia Co., New York, 1814; to Canaan, Columbia Co., fall...
View Full Bio1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodist church and was local preacher. Migrated ...
View Full BioWilford Woodruff’s journal clarifies that Pratt and Taylor preached in JS’s home. (Woodruff, Journal, 26 May 1839.)
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
Located on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...
More InfoThe highest presiding body of the church. An 11 November 1831 revelation stated that the president of the high priesthood was to preside over the church. JS was ordained as president of the high priesthood on 25 January 1832. In March 1832, JS appointed two...
View GlossaryAt Quincy, JS met with Latter-day Saints, instructed members of the Quorum of the Seventy, and prepared licenses for missionaries. On 4 June, JS dictated a lengthy list of Missouri losses. (Woodruff, Journal, following 17 June 1839; Richards, “Pocket Companion,” 63–73; Missionary certificates for Brigham Young, George A. Smith, and Wilford Woodruff, Quincy, IL, 3 June 1839, signed by Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, and JS, JS Collection, CHL; JS, “Bill of Damages against the State of Missouri on Account of the Sufferings and Losses Sustained Therein,” Quincy, IL, 4 June 1839, JS Collection, CHL; compare JS, “Extract, from the Private Journal of Joseph Smith Jr.,” Times and Seasons, Nov. 1839, 1:7.)
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
Richards, Willard. “Willard Richards Pocket Companion Written in England,” ca. 1838–1840. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, box 2, fd. 6.
Smith, Joseph. Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
10 July 1804–30 Apr. 1879. Scribe, editor, boardinghouse operator, clothier. Born at Willingborough Township (later in Harmony), Susquehanna Co., Pennsylvania. Daughter of Isaac Hale and Elizabeth Lewis. Member of Methodist church at Harmony (later in Oakland...
View Full Bio11 Jan. 1792–16 Mar. 1853. Born at Nelson Co., Virginia (later in Kentucky). Son of John Bozarth and Sarah Shaw. Lived at Grayson Co., Kentucky, 1810. Married Mildred (Millie) Hoard Willis at Litchfield, Grayson Co., 11 July 1816. Moved near present-day La...
View Full Bio25 Feb. 1799–14 Oct. 1867. Born at Trenton, Oneida Co., New York. Son of Ebenezer Page and Rachel Hill. Married first Betsey Thompson, 1831, in Huron Co., Ohio. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Emer Harris, 18 Aug. 1833, at Brownhelm...
View Full BioTEXT: “pre[hole burned in paper]ed”.
25 Feb. 1799–14 Oct. 1867. Born at Trenton, Oneida Co., New York. Son of Ebenezer Page and Rachel Hill. Married first Betsey Thompson, 1831, in Huron Co., Ohio. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Emer Harris, 18 Aug. 1833, at Brownhelm...
View Full BioAn ordinance in which an individual is immersed in water for the remission of sins. The Book of Mormon explained that those with necessary authority were to baptize individuals who had repented of their sins. Baptized individuals also received the gift of...
View GlossaryJS began work on a new history the year before. JS and Mulholland evidently resumed work on the history at this time. (See JS, Journal, 30 Apr. 1838; 1, 2, 3, and 4 May 1838; and Mulholland, Journal, 10–13 June 1839.)
Mulholland, James. Journal, Apr.–Oct. 1839. In Joseph Smith, Journal, Sept.–Oct. 1838. Joseph Smith Collection. CHL. MS 155, box 1, fd. 4.
11 Jun. 1839
JS resumed recording history with scribe James Mulholland, Commerce, Illinois, area.
James Mulholland’s handwriting appears in the surviving pages of a draft of the beginning of JS’s 1838–1856 history and in the first fifty-nine pages of the complete manuscript. Mulholland’s personal journal also records their work on the history. (JS History, 1839 [draft]; Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 441, 450, 464; JS History, vol. A-1, 1–59; Mulholland, Journal, 10–13 June 1839.)
JS History, 1838–ca. 1841 (draft) / Smith, Joseph. History, 1838–ca. 1841. Draft. CHL.
Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.
JS History / Smith, Joseph, et al. History, 1838–1856. Vols. A-1–F-1 (original), A-2–E-2 (fair copy). Historian’s Office, History of the Church, 1839–ca. 1882. CHL. CR 100 102, boxes 1–7. The history for the period after 5 Aug. 1838 was composed after the death of Joseph Smith.
Mulholland, James. Journal, Apr.–Oct. 1839. In Joseph Smith, Journal, Sept.–Oct. 1838. Joseph Smith Collection. CHL. MS 155, box 1, fd. 4.