Minutes, , Geauga Co., OH, 18 Mar. 1833. Featured version copied [between 4 June and ca. 6 June 1833] in Minute Book 1, pp. 16–17; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 1.
Historical Introduction
At an 18 March 1833 meeting of the in , Ohio, JS and as . An 8 March revelation declared to JS that Rigdon and Williams were “accounted as equal with thee in holding the keys of this Last Kingdom” but did not expressly JS to ordain Rigdon and Williams as presidents of the high priesthood. At this meeting, Rigdon requested that he and Williams be ordained and JS then performed the ordinations.
Two other events at this meeting are especially noteworthy. First, although this meeting was held on a Monday, bread and wine were distributed as the of the Lord’s Supper. This practice was generally reserved for Sunday worship services but apparently occurred fairly regularly at meetings of the School of the Prophets. At the end of a previous of high priests, held on 23 January 1833, for example, “they partook of the Lords supper which was blessed by the president in the name of the Lord[.] all eat and drank and were filled.” A year later, in April 1834, the sacrament was again administered at a conference of and , also held on a Monday. According to , a high priest who participated in the foundational meetings of the School of the Prophets, the sacrament was regularly administered at school meetings and JS determined both the manner and the frequency of its administration.
An event much more profound than the administration of the sacrament is also recorded in the minutes; they relay an account of “a heavenly vision of the saviour and concourses of angels” that was witnessed by the participants in the meeting. This event is likely the same one described fifty years later to the school of the prophets in Salt Lake City:
At one of these meetings after the organization of the school, on the 23d of January, 1833, when we were all togather, Joseph having givan instructions, and while engaged in silent prayer, kneeling, with our hands uplifted each one praying in silence, no one whispered above his breath, a personage walked through the room from east to west, and Joseph asked if we saw him. I saw him and suppose the others did, and Joseph answered that is Jesus, the Son of God, our elder brother. Afterwards Joseph told us to resume our former position in prayer; which we did. Another person came through; He was surrounded as with a flame of fire. He () experianced a sensation that it might destroy the tabernacle as it was of consuming fire of great brightness. The Prophet Joseph said this was the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I saw Him.
While other entries in the minute book outline other shared spiritual experiences, such as speaking in tongues, only this entry relates a collective vision of Jesus Christ.
Coltrin’s later account suggests that this 18 March conference was one such meeting of the School of the Prophets. Coltrin explained that “the Sacrament was also administered at times when Joseph appointed, after the ancient order; that is, warm bread to break easy was provided, and broken into pieces as large as my fist, and each person had a glass of wine and sat and ate the bread and drank the wine; and Joseph said that was the way that Jesus and his deciples partook of the bread and wine; and this was the order of the church anciently, and until the church went into darkness. Every time we were called togather to attend to any business, we came togather in the morning about sunrise, fasting and partook of the Sacrament each time.” On another occasion Coltrin again reminisced about the meetings of the School of the Prophets and spoke specifically of the administration of the sacrament: “The brethren always went fasting; they went in the morning, remained until about four oclock in the afternoon, when each had a glass of wine and a piece of bread, after the ancient pattern.” (School of the Prophets Salt Lake City Minutes, 3 and 11 Oct. 1883.)
School of the Prophets Salt Lake City Minutes, Apr.–Dec. 1883. CHL.
thus, and again verely I say unto thy <my> brethren and their sins are forgiven them also and they are accounted equal in holding the of this <last> Kingdom. and again I give unto you a that you continue in this ministry and and when you have finished the translating of the prophets you shall from thenceforth preside over the affairs of the and the from time to time as shall be manifest by the comfo[r]ter receive revelation to unfold the mysteries of the Kingdom and set in order the church. Accordingly Bro Joseph proceded to and them by the to be equal with him in holding the Keys of the Kingdom and also to the . After which several exertations were given to faithfulness and obedience to the commandments of God and much useful instruction given for the benefit of the saints with a promise that the pure in heart that were present should see a heavenly vision, and after remaining for a short time in secret prayer the promise was verified to many present having the eyes of their understanding<s> opened so as to behold many things afte[r] which the by Bro Joseph after which many of the brethren saw a heavenly vision of the saviour and concourses of angels and many othe[r] thing[s] of which each one has a reccord of what they saw &c——
The three earliest complete manuscript versions of this revelation include the word “as” here. (Revelation, 8 Mar. 1833; Revelation Book 1, p. 168; Revelation Book 2, p. 52 [D&C 90:6].)
Several intervening lines of the revelation were not included in these minutes. The words “and again” were inserted by Frederick G. Williams and are not found in any of the complete manuscript versions of the revelation. (See Revelation, 8 Mar. 1833 [D&C 90:7–12].)
The earliest complete manuscripts of this revelation include the word “and” here. (Revelation, 8 Mar. 1833; Revelation Book 1, p. 169; Revelation Book 2, p. 53 [D&C 90:14].)
Instead of “church,” the earliest complete manuscripts of this revelation have “churches.” (Revelation, 8 Mar. 1833; Revelation Book 1, p. 169; Revelation Book 2, p. 53 [D&C 90:15].)
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 6, 325 [1 Nephi 1:8; Alma 36:22]. Zebedee Coltrin later stated that the appearance of Jesus Christ occurred two to three weeks after the School of the Prophets opened. He also described the effect that the vision had on one participant: “After the Father had passed through, Joseph told us to again take our positions in prayer. We did so, and in a very short time he drew our attention and said to us that Bro. Reynolds Cahoon was about to leave us—and told us to look at him. He (Bro. Cahoon) was on his knees, and his arms were extended, his hands and wrists, head, face and neck down to his shoulders were as a piece of amber—clear and transparent, his blood having apparently left his veins. Upon the attention of the brethren being thus called to Bro. Cahoon, the change seemed to pass away and Joseph said that in a few minutes more Bro. Cahoon would have left us; but he came to himself again.” (School of the Prophets Salt Lake City Minutes, 3 Oct. 1883.)
School of the Prophets Salt Lake City Minutes, Apr.–Dec. 1883. CHL.
Zebedee Coltrin offered a detailed account of this vision of God and Jesus Christ in the minutes of a later meeting in Salt Lake City: “When asked about the kind of clothing the Father had on, Bro. Coltrin said: I did not discover His clothing, for He was surrounded as with a flame of fire, which was so brilliant that I could not discover any thing else but His person. I saw His hands, His legs, his feet, his eyes, nose, mouth, head and body in the shape and form of a perfect man. He sat in a chair as a man would sit in a chair, but His appearance was so grand and overwhelming that it seemed I should melt down in His presence, and the sensation was so powerful that it thrilled through my whole system and I felt it in the marrow of my bones. The Prophet Joseph said: Brethren now you are prepared to be the Apostles of Jesus Christ, for you have seen both the Father and the Son, and know that They exist, and that They are two separate Personages.” (School of the Prophets Salt Lake City Minutes, 3 Oct. 1883.)
School of the Prophets Salt Lake City Minutes, Apr.–Dec. 1883. CHL.