Minutes, , Cuyahoga Co., OH, 25–26 Oct. 1831. Featured version copied [between ca. 6 Apr. and 19 June 1838] in Minute Book 2, pp. 10–15; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 2.
Historical Introduction
On 25–26 October 1831, the church held a general in ’s house in , Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The participants included twelve men who had previously been to the , seventeen , four , three , four , and according to a later JS history, “a large congregation” of additional members of the church. The business of the conference included ordinations to various offices, preaching by some of the participants, and the sharing of testimonies of the Book of Mormon. JS himself declined during the meeting to give details of “the coming forth” of the Book of Mormon. The conference also provided new converts a chance to meet JS and other prominent elders. , for example, wrote in his journal that he “first saw brother Joseph the Seer, also brothers , & and a great many other Elders” at the conference. Many of those present publicly declared their commitment to the church and to God, which, according to McLellin, provided “much spiritual edification & comfort.” recounted that he “received much instruction and was highly edified and blessed of the Lord during the conference.”
This was the first general conference since members of the church had been ordained to the high priesthood in June 1831, and it provided an opportunity for JS and to offer instruction concerning the power of that priesthood. Minutes of the June 1831 meeting do not provide much information about what was said to those ordained to the high priesthood, making it difficult to assess how the ordination was understood at that time. But , who was present at the June conference, later recalled a conversation he had in January 1832 with , who ordained several individuals to the high priesthood at the June conference. Speaking about the priesthood, Hancock remarked that “neither of us understood what it was.” “I did not understand it,” wrote Hancock, “and he [Wight] could give me no light.”
Although no lengthy discussion on high priesthood is captured in the record, the 25–26 October minutes show that JS and provided some instruction to conference attendees. According to the minutes, JS and Rigdon viewed those elders holding the high priesthood as having powers that other elders did not have. The minutes suggest that willingness to relinquish all to God may have been a requirement to obtain the high priesthood and its power “to seal up the Saints unto eternal life.” Accordingly, some participants in the 25–26 October conference made or renewed a covenant to consecrate all to God. Nearly all who did so had been previously ordained to the high priesthood or were ordained at the conference.
The conference also considered business discussed in prior meetings. At an 11 October gathering, for example, had moved that six elders be appointed “to visit the several branches of this church setting them in order” and to raise money for JS and so they could devote themselves to the Bible revision. and had been assigned to these tasks, and this 25–26 October conference appointed four others to assist. The conference provided instructions on proselytizing as well, perhaps as a result of a declaration in a 1 October conference that the elders were “to go forth and warn the inhabitants of the earth of the things known in the Church of Christ in these last days.” Several elements of the conference—including ordinations, discussions of how the needs of missionaries’ families would be met, and instruction on the high priesthood and consecration—seemed to foreshadow an increase in missionary labor. The conference was followed by a public preaching meeting, as the concluding minutes indicate.
served as clerk of the conference and took the minutes. entered these minutes into Minute Book 2 in 1838.
JS History, vol. A-1, 156. Although the minutes list four priests in attendance, John Whitmer wrote that five priests were present. (Whitmer, History, 38.)
McLellin, Journal, 25–26 Oct. 1831; Whitmer, History, 38; “History of Luke Johnson,” 3, Historian’s Office, Histories of the Twelve, ca. 1858–1880, CHL. Luke Johnson’s history states that the eleven witnesses to the Book of Mormon, “with uplifted hands, bore their solemn testimony to the truth of that book; as did also the Prophet Joseph.” Although the conference clearly included testimonies of the Book of Mormon, and although many of the eleven witnesses who attested to the existence of the gold plates were present, the minutes of the conference do not reflect the particular event Johnson describes. Of the eleven, neither Christian Whitmer, who held the office of elder, nor Hiram Page, who held the office of teacher, was present at the commencement of the conference when the names of attending priesthood officers were recorded. There is no indication that Jacob Whitmer, another of the eleven witnesses, attended. (Minutes, ca. 3–4 June 1831; Minutes, 6 Sept. 1831.)
McLellin, William E. Journal, 18 July–20 Nov. 1831. William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1836, 1877–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 1. Also available as Jan Shipps and John W. Welch, eds., The Journals of William E. McLellin, 1831–1836 (Provo, UT: BYU Studies; Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1994).
Historian’s Office. Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861. CHL. CR 100 93.
McLellin, Journal, 25–26 Oct. 1831. Joel Johnson also recounted that he first saw JS at the conference. (Johnson, Autobiography, 2.)
McLellin, William E. Journal, 18 July–20 Nov. 1831. William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1836, 1877–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 1. Also available as Jan Shipps and John W. Welch, eds., The Journals of William E. McLellin, 1831–1836 (Provo, UT: BYU Studies; Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1994).
Johnson, Joel H. Autobiography, ca. 1882. Photocopy. CHL. MS 15025.
McLellin, William E. Journal, 18 July–20 Nov. 1831. William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1836, 1877–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 1. Also available as Jan Shipps and John W. Welch, eds., The Journals of William E. McLellin, 1831–1836 (Provo, UT: BYU Studies; Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1994).
The minutes include parenthetical redactions that were probably added after the creation of the original document. (See the source note for Minute Book 2.)
Adjournment moved for by the moderator until evening.
The begged the privilege of laying before the in the evening the necessity of sending certain to visit the and obtain means for the support of br. Joseph Smith jr. & those appointed to assist him in writing & copying the fulness of the Scriptures, as was concluded upon in a conference held in , Oct. 11. 1831. Conference adjourned, Prayer by br. .
ClerkofConference.
Conference commenced according to adjournment opened by singing, prayer by br. , singing again.
Brs. , & were appointed & , agreeably to a motion of the , to visit the churches agreeably to the Conference of Oct. 11. 1831.
Br. said it was the privilege of those Elders present to be ordained to the , telling them that if they then should doubt God would withdraw his Spirit from them.
The following Elders were then called seated & ordained by the , Viz: , , , , , , , , several brethren were then called by the who were desirous to preach the gospel.
Br Joseph Smith Jr, was appointed to examine these brethren, presenting themselves for ordination, after prayer said that he had a testimony that each had one tallent and if after being ordained they should hide it God would take it from them; exhorted them to pray continually in meekness. Said that those who had been previously ordained would be ordained Elders, & the others would be ordained Priests; the then by appointment ordained br and brs , , William Scobey, , , Albert Jackman, Stephen Strong, Calves Willson, , Eleazer Willis Priests.
Conference adjourned until 8 o’clock A.M. on 26th.
Ck. of Con.
Conference Convened according to adjournment opened by singing “go on ye pilgrims,” prayer by br. [p. 14]
As clerk of the conference, Cowdery apparently issued letters of recommendation to those appointed to travel to the different churches. According to Harris’s letter, those so appointed were “to go two by two to visit the churches, set them in order, explain the mysteries of the Kingdom unto them, and also obtain whatever they should feel free to give for the support of the families of Bro. Joseph and his scribes, while they are employed in translating, writing and copying the fulness of the Sacred Scriptures.” (Letter of Recommendation for Emer Harris, in Historical Department, Journal History of the Church, 26 Oct. 1831.)
Historical Department. Journal History of the Church, 1896–. CHL. CR 100 137.
These fifteen individuals are listed in the same order here as in the elders’ roster at the beginning of the minutes. Only two men from that roster, Joel Johnson and Sylvester Parker, are not listed as having been ordained to the high priesthood on this occasion. Since the minutes say that “it was the privilege of those Elders present to be ordained to the High Priesthood,” Johnson and Parker may not have been in attendance at the evening’s reconvening of the conference. The minutes also explain, however, that several were “indifferen[t]” to being ordained, raising the possibility that Johnson and Parker may have declined to be ordained. McLellin recorded in his journal his thoughts about being “ordained to the High-Priesthood of the Holy order of God”: “Though I felt unworthy, I was ordained and took upon me the high responsibility of that office.” (McLellin, Journal, 25–26 Oct. 1831.)
McLellin, William E. Journal, 18 July–20 Nov. 1831. William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1836, 1877–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 1. Also available as Jan Shipps and John W. Welch, eds., The Journals of William E. McLellin, 1831–1836 (Provo, UT: BYU Studies; Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1994).
Nearly four decades later, McLellin recounted that JS “asked if we were willing to take upon us the office? I arose and said that I was willing to do anything that was the will of God, but I did not understand the duties of the office, and asked an explanation. Br. Joseph said we were to take upon us the office, and it would explain its duties.” (William E. McLellin, Independence, MO, to D. H. Bays, Lafayette, KS, 24 May 1870, Saints’ Herald, 15 Sept. 1870, 553.)
McLellin wrote in his journal that “a number of others present were ordained to the lesser Priest-Hood,” using “lesser Priest-Hood” to refer to the office of priest. (McLellin, Journal, 25–26 Oct. 1831.)
McLellin, William E. Journal, 18 July–20 Nov. 1831. William E. McLellin, Papers, 1831–1836, 1877–1878. CHL. MS 13538, box 1, fd. 1. Also available as Jan Shipps and John W. Welch, eds., The Journals of William E. McLellin, 1831–1836 (Provo, UT: BYU Studies; Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1994).
This hymn, also known as “A Crumb for the Pilgrims,” was written by Benjamin Cleaveland (1733–1811), a Baptist deacon. (Hicks, Mormonism and Music, 11; “Reviews of Recent Theological Literature,” 164.)
Hicks, Michael. Mormonism and Music: A History. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1989.
Morris, Larry E. “The Conversion of Oliver Cowdery.” In Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 16, no. 1 (2007): 4–17.“Reviews of Recent Theological Literature.” Presbyterian Review 10, no. 37 (Jan. 1889): 125–176.