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Revelation, 2 December 1841

Source Note

Revelation, [
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Hancock Co., IL], 2 Dec. 1841. Featured version copied [ca. 25 Jan. 1842] in JS, Journal, 25 Jan. 1842, in Book of the Law of the Lord, p. 66; handwriting of
Willard Richards

24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...

View Full Bio
; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124].

Historical Introduction

On 2 December 1841 JS dictated a revelation stating that
Ebenezer

25 May 1816–11 Mar. 1891. Printer, editor, publisher. Born at Floyd (near Rome), Oneida Co., New York. Son of Nathan Robinson and Mary Brown. Moved to Utica, Oneida Co., ca. 1831, and learned printing trade at Utica Observer. Moved to Ravenna, Portage Co....

View Full Bio
and
Angelina Works Robinson

22 Aug. 1814–8 Apr. 1880. Schoolteacher. Born at Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York. Daughter of Asa Works and Abigail Marks. Sister of Brigham Young’s first wife, Miriam Works Young. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835, at Kirtland...

View Full Bio
should provide shelter and care for
Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde

28 June 1815–24 Mar. 1886. Born in Pomfret, Windsor Co., Vermont. Daughter of John Johnson and Alice (Elsa) Jacobs. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Apr. 1832, in Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, 1833...

View Full Bio
and her children in
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Illinois, while her husband,
apostle

Members 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 Glossary
Orson Hyde

8 Jan. 1805–28 Nov. 1878. Laborer, clerk, storekeeper, teacher, editor, businessman, lawyer, judge. Born at Oxford, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Nathan Hyde and Sally Thorpe. Moved to Derby, New Haven Co., 1812. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, ...

View Full Bio
, served a protracted mission abroad. The revelation also contained instruction for Marinda Hyde that may have related to the practice of plural marriage.
In conjunction with the Quorum of the Twelve’s second mission to
England

Island nation consisting of southern portion of Great Britain and surrounding smaller islands. Bounded on north by Scotland and on west by Wales. Became province of Roman Empire, first century. Ruled by Romans, through 447. Ruled by Picts, Scots, and Saxons...

More Info
, which ran from 1840 to 1841,
Orson Hyde

8 Jan. 1805–28 Nov. 1878. Laborer, clerk, storekeeper, teacher, editor, businessman, lawyer, judge. Born at Oxford, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Nathan Hyde and Sally Thorpe. Moved to Derby, New Haven Co., 1812. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, ...

View Full Bio
was appointed to fulfill a mission to the Jews in
New York

Dutch 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 Info
, Europe, Constantinople, and the Holy Land with
John E. Page

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 Bio
.
1

Minutes and Discourses, 6–8 Apr. 1840. Though Hyde and Page left Nauvoo together in mid-April 1840, they parted before Hyde sailed for England. (Orson Hyde and John E. Page, Quincy, IL, 28 Apr. 1840, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, June 1840, 1:116–117; Letter from Orson Hyde, 15 June 1841.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

During Orson’s extended absence
Marinda Hyde

28 June 1815–24 Mar. 1886. Born in Pomfret, Windsor Co., Vermont. Daughter of John Johnson and Alice (Elsa) Jacobs. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Apr. 1832, in Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, 1833...

View Full Bio
and the Hyde children, like the families of the other apostles, faced bouts with infectious disease and acute material hardships, including inadequate shelter, clothing, and food.
2

See Allen et al., Men with a Mission, chap. 11. Death records suggest that many of the early residents of Nauvoo suffered from mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria (also known as “ague”), and disorders brought on by malnutrition and poor hygiene, such as canker (also known as “noma”). (Heiner et al., “Medical Terms Used by Saints in Nauvoo,” 151–162; Ivie and Heiner, “Deaths in Early Nauvoo,” 163–173.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Allen, James B., Ronald K. Esplin, and David J. Whittaker. Men with a Mission, 1837–1841: The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the British Isles. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1992.

Heiner, Douglas C., Evan L. Ivie, and Teresa Lovell Whitehead. “Medical Terms Used by Saints in Nauvoo and Winter Quarters, 1839–48.” Religious Educator 10, no. 3 (2009): 150–162.

Ivie, Evan L., and Douglas C. Heiner. “Deaths in Early Nauvoo, 1839–46, and Winter Quarters, 1846–48.” Religious Educator 10, no. 3 (2009): 163–173.

Hyde and her two daughters were likely living in temporary accommodations or with friends when this revelation was recorded.
3

The Hyde family’s exact place of residence at the time of this revelation is unknown. Orson, a pregnant Marinda, and their two-year-old daughter, Laura, briefly lived with Emma Smith during fall 1839; their daughter Emily was born in Commerce, Illinois, on 13 December 1839. In February 1840 the family was living with a Mrs. McFall but apparently planned to move to the “Bosier place” shortly thereafter. (“History of Orson Hyde,” 16, Historian’s Office, Histories of the Twelve, ca. 1856–1858, 1861, CHL; Letter from Emma Smith, 6 Dec. 1839; Joseph Smith Hyde, “Orson Hyde Genealogy,” Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, Apr. 1913, 60; Vilate Murray Kimball and Orson Hyde, Commerce, IL, to Heber C. Kimball, 2 Feb. 1840, photocopy, Heber C. and Vilate Murray Kimball, Letters, CHL; see also Orson Hyde, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, 1 Feb. 1843, 4:91; and Richards, Journal, 10 June 1843.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Historian’s Office. Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861. CHL. CR 100 93.

Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine. Salt Lake City. 1910–1940.

Kimball, Vilate Murray. Letters, 1840. Photocopy. CHL.

Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

A 29 January 1842 entry in the Book of the Law of the Lord, which documented a tithing donation Hyde made, seems to confirm the family’s poverty. The notation states that Hyde “presented her offering for the
Temple

Located in portion of Nauvoo known as the bluff. JS revelation dated Jan. 1841 commanded Saints to build temple and hotel (Nauvoo House). Cornerstone laid, 6 Apr. 1841. Saints volunteered labor, money, and other resources for temple construction. Construction...

More Info
. a Table cloth value $5.00. which was accept[e]d and returned to her again, for her benefit. she having to support herself. & two little. children by her industry while her husband is absent.”
4

Book of the Law of the Lord, 71.


Ebenezer

25 May 1816–11 Mar. 1891. Printer, editor, publisher. Born at Floyd (near Rome), Oneida Co., New York. Son of Nathan Robinson and Mary Brown. Moved to Utica, Oneida Co., ca. 1831, and learned printing trade at Utica Observer. Moved to Ravenna, Portage Co....

View Full Bio
and
Angelina Robinson

22 Aug. 1814–8 Apr. 1880. Schoolteacher. Born at Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York. Daughter of Asa Works and Abigail Marks. Sister of Brigham Young’s first wife, Miriam Works Young. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835, at Kirtland...

View Full Bio
were living in better conditions. Ebenezer was the proprietor and editor of the Times and Seasons, a semimonthly
church

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

View Glossary
periodical. Though it was not likely a highly lucrative endeavor, the business was doing well enough by spring 1841 that he constructed an “extensive building” on the northwest corner of Water and Bain streets in
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
to house a printing press, stereotype foundry, and bookbindery, as well as to serve as the couple’s home.
5

Masthead, Times and Seasons, 15 Dec. 1841, 3:638; [Ebenezer Robinson], Editorial, Times and Seasons, 1 Dec. 1841, 3:615; Bray, “Times and Seasons,” 72–73; Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return, July 1890, 302; Sept. 1890, 324.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

Bray, Robert T. “Times and Seasons: An Archaeological Perspective on Early Latter Day Saints Printing.” Historical Archaeology 13 (1979): 53–119.

The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.

Though the text of the revelation is dated 2 December 1841, JS and members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles discussed the Hydes’ situation two days earlier. In a 30 November 1841 journal entry,
Wilford Woodruff

1 Mar. 1807–2 Sept. 1898. Farmer, miller. Born at Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of Aphek Woodruff and Beulah Thompson. Moved to Richland, Oswego Co., New York, 1832. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Zera Pulsipher,...

View Full Bio
noted, “I spent some time with Joseph & the Twelve Joseph says
Sister Hyde

28 June 1815–24 Mar. 1886. Born in Pomfret, Windsor Co., Vermont. Daughter of John Johnson and Alice (Elsa) Jacobs. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Apr. 1832, in Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, 1833...

View Full Bio
must live with Br
E. Robinson

25 May 1816–11 Mar. 1891. Printer, editor, publisher. Born at Floyd (near Rome), Oneida Co., New York. Son of Nathan Robinson and Mary Brown. Moved to Utica, Oneida Co., ca. 1831, and learned printing trade at Utica Observer. Moved to Ravenna, Portage Co....

View Full Bio
& if they receive them kindly and patiently it shall prove a great blessing with them.”
6

Woodruff, Journal, 30 Nov. 1841.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

Whether or not JS received portions of the revelation before 2 December, the earliest extant copy, featured here, bears that date.
After JS dictated the revelation, he apparently delivered a copy to the Robinsons, and
Woodruff

1 Mar. 1807–2 Sept. 1898. Farmer, miller. Born at Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of Aphek Woodruff and Beulah Thompson. Moved to Richland, Oswego Co., New York, 1832. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Zera Pulsipher,...

View Full Bio
delivered a copy to
Marinda Hyde

28 June 1815–24 Mar. 1886. Born in Pomfret, Windsor Co., Vermont. Daughter of John Johnson and Alice (Elsa) Jacobs. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Apr. 1832, in Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, 1833...

View Full Bio
.
7

Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, Statement, ca. 1880, CHL; Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return, Sept. 1890, 324.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Hyde, Marinda Nancy Johnson. Statement, [ca. 1880]. CHL. MS 23157.

The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.

Reminiscent accounts written by
Ebenezer Robinson

25 May 1816–11 Mar. 1891. Printer, editor, publisher. Born at Floyd (near Rome), Oneida Co., New York. Son of Nathan Robinson and Mary Brown. Moved to Utica, Oneida Co., ca. 1831, and learned printing trade at Utica Observer. Moved to Ravenna, Portage Co....

View Full Bio
and Hyde indicate that the Robinsons complied with the revelation’s instructions for them. In an 1890 account, Robinson recalled that he and his wife “readily and ungrudgingly” obeyed the revelation by immediately moving Hyde and her two daughters into their home.
8

Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return, Sept. 1890, 324.


Comprehensive Works Cited

The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.

Similarly, Hyde recalled that the Robinsons “received me and mine and gave us shelter until another place was provided.”
9

Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, Statement, ca. 1880, CHL. Hyde and her children remained in the home even after Ebenezer Robinson sold it and the printing establishment to the church on 4 February 1842. After Orson Hyde returned from England in January 1842, he traveled to the eastern United States to preach and to raise funds to build a house for his family. That house was not completed until June 1843. (Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return, Oct. 1890, 346–347; Orson Hyde, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, 1 Feb. 1843, 4:91; Richards, Journal, 10 June 1843.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Hyde, Marinda Nancy Johnson. Statement, [ca. 1880]. CHL. MS 23157.

The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.

Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

Hyde apparently also complied with the instruction directed at her, specifically that she “hearken to the counsel of my servant Joseph in all things whatsoever he shall teach unto her.” In a reminiscent account written four decades later, Hyde explained that the revelation was delivered to her shortly after JS taught her “the doctrine of celestial marriage.” She added, “I followed the council of the prophet Joseph as above instructed and cherish in my heart the hope of realising the fulfilment of the promises and blessing, herein contained.”
10

Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, Statement, ca. 1880, CHL. Hyde’s statement was created sometime between the time Orson Hyde died, on 28 November 1878, and the time she died, on 24 March 1886. The statement was signed during a period when the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was making a concerted effort to deny JS’s involvement in plural marriage; in response, more than a dozen women, encouraged by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah, signed formal affidavits stating that they had married JS in Nauvoo. (See, for example, the affidavits in Joseph F. Smith, Affidavits about Celestial Marriage, CHL.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Hyde, Marinda Nancy Johnson. Statement, [ca. 1880]. CHL. MS 23157.

Smith, Joseph F. Affidavits about Celestial Marriage, 1869–1915. CHL. MS 3423.

In 1869 Hyde recalled that she was “married or sealed” to JS in May 1843.
11

Joseph F. Smith, Affidavits about Celestial Marriage, 1:15.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Smith, Joseph F. Affidavits about Celestial Marriage, 1869–1915. CHL. MS 3423.

According to a list of marriages and sealings that scribe
Thomas Bullock

23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...

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later added to JS’s journal, Hyde married JS as a plural wife in April 1842.
12

List, in JS, Journal, Dec. 1842–June 1844, bk. 2, p. [310]. JS had married several plural wives by late 1841. The list Bullock made documents eight marriages or sealings of church members in 1842 and 1843; some of the ceremonies were plural marriages, while others involved sealing for eternity individuals who were already married to each other. Bullock inscribed the list sometime after becoming one of JS’s scribes in October or November 1843. (Compton, In Sacred Loneliness, 4.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Compton, Todd. In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2001.

Textual notations on copies of the revelation suggest that two of JS’s scribes,
Willard Richards

24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...

View Full Bio
and Bullock, viewed the revelation as primarily addressed to Hyde.
13

Richards wrote the name “N. M. Hyde” immediately following the date in the featured copy of the revelation. Richards and Bullock may have relied on this copy when compiling JS’s 1838–1856 history. In that history the revelation is prefaced by the statement “I received the following Revelation to Nancy Marinda Hyde.” (JS History, vol. C-1, 1258.)


The original manuscript of the revelation is not extant, but several copies exist. The featured text, which is the earliest extant copy, was copied into the Book of the Law of the Lord by
Richards

24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...

View Full Bio
, likely on or around 25 January 1842.
14

The Book of the Law of the Lord contains JS’s journal, revelation texts, and records of financial donations to the church. The entries are not always in chronological order, and some dates have multiple entries, casting doubt on the precise date this copy of the revelation was inscribed. During the first few months after being appointed JS’s scribe, Richards left pages blank and then later filled those spaces with texts from earlier months. It is possible that Richards either copied the revelation into the book on 25 January, as dated, or copied it after 25 February 1842 (the latest entry date preceding the 25 January entry). Sometime between 24 February and 3 May 1845, Bullock copied the featured version from the Book of the Law of the Lord (with a few changes to punctuation) into JS’s 1838–1856 history. (JS History, vol. C-1, 1258.)


Another handwritten copy was included in a statement
Hyde

28 June 1815–24 Mar. 1886. Born in Pomfret, Windsor Co., Vermont. Daughter of John Johnson and Alice (Elsa) Jacobs. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Apr. 1832, in Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, 1833...

View Full Bio
signed around 1880.
15

Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, Statement, ca. 1880, CHL.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Hyde, Marinda Nancy Johnson. Statement, [ca. 1880]. CHL. MS 23157.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Minutes and Discourses, 6–8 Apr. 1840. Though Hyde and Page left Nauvoo together in mid-April 1840, they parted before Hyde sailed for England. (Orson Hyde and John E. Page, Quincy, IL, 28 Apr. 1840, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, June 1840, 1:116–117; Letter from Orson Hyde, 15 June 1841.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  2. [2]

    See Allen et al., Men with a Mission, chap. 11. Death records suggest that many of the early residents of Nauvoo suffered from mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria (also known as “ague”), and disorders brought on by malnutrition and poor hygiene, such as canker (also known as “noma”). (Heiner et al., “Medical Terms Used by Saints in Nauvoo,” 151–162; Ivie and Heiner, “Deaths in Early Nauvoo,” 163–173.)

    Allen, James B., Ronald K. Esplin, and David J. Whittaker. Men with a Mission, 1837–1841: The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the British Isles. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1992.

    Heiner, Douglas C., Evan L. Ivie, and Teresa Lovell Whitehead. “Medical Terms Used by Saints in Nauvoo and Winter Quarters, 1839–48.” Religious Educator 10, no. 3 (2009): 150–162.

    Ivie, Evan L., and Douglas C. Heiner. “Deaths in Early Nauvoo, 1839–46, and Winter Quarters, 1846–48.” Religious Educator 10, no. 3 (2009): 163–173.

  3. [3]

    The Hyde family’s exact place of residence at the time of this revelation is unknown. Orson, a pregnant Marinda, and their two-year-old daughter, Laura, briefly lived with Emma Smith during fall 1839; their daughter Emily was born in Commerce, Illinois, on 13 December 1839. In February 1840 the family was living with a Mrs. McFall but apparently planned to move to the “Bosier place” shortly thereafter. (“History of Orson Hyde,” 16, Historian’s Office, Histories of the Twelve, ca. 1856–1858, 1861, CHL; Letter from Emma Smith, 6 Dec. 1839; Joseph Smith Hyde, “Orson Hyde Genealogy,” Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, Apr. 1913, 60; Vilate Murray Kimball and Orson Hyde, Commerce, IL, to Heber C. Kimball, 2 Feb. 1840, photocopy, Heber C. and Vilate Murray Kimball, Letters, CHL; see also Orson Hyde, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, 1 Feb. 1843, 4:91; and Richards, Journal, 10 June 1843.)

    Historian’s Office. Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861. CHL. CR 100 93.

    Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine. Salt Lake City. 1910–1940.

    Kimball, Vilate Murray. Letters, 1840. Photocopy. CHL.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

  4. [4]

    Book of the Law of the Lord, 71.

  5. [5]

    Masthead, Times and Seasons, 15 Dec. 1841, 3:638; [Ebenezer Robinson], Editorial, Times and Seasons, 1 Dec. 1841, 3:615; Bray, “Times and Seasons,” 72–73; Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return, July 1890, 302; Sept. 1890, 324.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Bray, Robert T. “Times and Seasons: An Archaeological Perspective on Early Latter Day Saints Printing.” Historical Archaeology 13 (1979): 53–119.

    The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.

  6. [6]

    Woodruff, Journal, 30 Nov. 1841.

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  7. [7]

    Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, Statement, ca. 1880, CHL; Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return, Sept. 1890, 324.

    Hyde, Marinda Nancy Johnson. Statement, [ca. 1880]. CHL. MS 23157.

    The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.

  8. [8]

    Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return, Sept. 1890, 324.

    The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.

  9. [9]

    Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, Statement, ca. 1880, CHL. Hyde and her children remained in the home even after Ebenezer Robinson sold it and the printing establishment to the church on 4 February 1842. After Orson Hyde returned from England in January 1842, he traveled to the eastern United States to preach and to raise funds to build a house for his family. That house was not completed until June 1843. (Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return, Oct. 1890, 346–347; Orson Hyde, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, 1 Feb. 1843, 4:91; Richards, Journal, 10 June 1843.)

    Hyde, Marinda Nancy Johnson. Statement, [ca. 1880]. CHL. MS 23157.

    The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

  10. [10]

    Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, Statement, ca. 1880, CHL. Hyde’s statement was created sometime between the time Orson Hyde died, on 28 November 1878, and the time she died, on 24 March 1886. The statement was signed during a period when the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was making a concerted effort to deny JS’s involvement in plural marriage; in response, more than a dozen women, encouraged by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah, signed formal affidavits stating that they had married JS in Nauvoo. (See, for example, the affidavits in Joseph F. Smith, Affidavits about Celestial Marriage, CHL.)

    Hyde, Marinda Nancy Johnson. Statement, [ca. 1880]. CHL. MS 23157.

    Smith, Joseph F. Affidavits about Celestial Marriage, 1869–1915. CHL. MS 3423.

  11. [11]

    Joseph F. Smith, Affidavits about Celestial Marriage, 1:15.

    Smith, Joseph F. Affidavits about Celestial Marriage, 1869–1915. CHL. MS 3423.

  12. [12]

    List, in JS, Journal, Dec. 1842–June 1844, bk. 2, p. [310]. JS had married several plural wives by late 1841. The list Bullock made documents eight marriages or sealings of church members in 1842 and 1843; some of the ceremonies were plural marriages, while others involved sealing for eternity individuals who were already married to each other. Bullock inscribed the list sometime after becoming one of JS’s scribes in October or November 1843. (Compton, In Sacred Loneliness, 4.)

    Compton, Todd. In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2001.

  13. [13]

    Richards wrote the name “N. M. Hyde” immediately following the date in the featured copy of the revelation. Richards and Bullock may have relied on this copy when compiling JS’s 1838–1856 history. In that history the revelation is prefaced by the statement “I received the following Revelation to Nancy Marinda Hyde.” (JS History, vol. C-1, 1258.)

  14. [14]

    The Book of the Law of the Lord contains JS’s journal, revelation texts, and records of financial donations to the church. The entries are not always in chronological order, and some dates have multiple entries, casting doubt on the precise date this copy of the revelation was inscribed. During the first few months after being appointed JS’s scribe, Richards left pages blank and then later filled those spaces with texts from earlier months. It is possible that Richards either copied the revelation into the book on 25 January, as dated, or copied it after 25 February 1842 (the latest entry date preceding the 25 January entry). Sometime between 24 February and 3 May 1845, Bullock copied the featured version from the Book of the Law of the Lord (with a few changes to punctuation) into JS’s 1838–1856 history. (JS History, vol. C-1, 1258.)

  15. [15]

    Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, Statement, ca. 1880, CHL.

    Hyde, Marinda Nancy Johnson. Statement, [ca. 1880]. CHL. MS 23157.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Revelation, 2 December 1841
Journal, December 1841–December 1842 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 66

A. Revelation Given Dcr. 2d. 1842 1841.
N. M. Hyde [Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde]

28 June 1815–24 Mar. 1886. Born in Pomfret, Windsor Co., Vermont. Daughter of John Johnson and Alice (Elsa) Jacobs. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Apr. 1832, in Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, 1833...

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1

Although Hyde’s name was recorded in her father’s family Bible as “Marinda Nancy Johnson,” her name often appears in contemporary documents as “Nancy Marinda Hyde.” (John Johnson Family Bible; see also, for example, Book of the Law of the Lord, 71.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

John Johnson Family Bible. Private possession. A photocopy of the genealogical information found in this Bible is available in John Johnson Family Bible Pages, ca. 1830, CHL.

Verily thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph. that in as much as you have called upon me to know my will concerning my handmaid
Nancy

28 June 1815–24 Mar. 1886. Born in Pomfret, Windsor Co., Vermont. Daughter of John Johnson and Alice (Elsa) Jacobs. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Apr. 1832, in Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, 1833...

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Marinda Hyde

28 June 1815–24 Mar. 1886. Born in Pomfret, Windsor Co., Vermont. Daughter of John Johnson and Alice (Elsa) Jacobs. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Apr. 1832, in Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, 1833...

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Behold it is my will that she should have a better place prepared for her than that in which she now lives, in order that her life may be spared unto her; Therefore go and say unto my servant
Ebenezer Robinson

25 May 1816–11 Mar. 1891. Printer, editor, publisher. Born at Floyd (near Rome), Oneida Co., New York. Son of Nathan Robinson and Mary Brown. Moved to Utica, Oneida Co., ca. 1831, and learned printing trade at Utica Observer. Moved to Ravenna, Portage Co....

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. & To my handmaid his
wife

22 Aug. 1814–8 Apr. 1880. Schoolteacher. Born at Aurelius, Cayuga Co., New York. Daughter of Asa Works and Abigail Marks. Sister of Brigham Young’s first wife, Miriam Works Young. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835, at Kirtland...

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,
2

JS officiated in the marriage of Ebenezer Robinson and Angelina Works in Kirtland, Ohio, on 13 December 1835. (JS, Journal, 13 Dec. 1835.)


Let them open their doors and take her and her children into their house. and take care of them faithfully and kindly until my Servant
Orson Hyde

8 Jan. 1805–28 Nov. 1878. Laborer, clerk, storekeeper, teacher, editor, businessman, lawyer, judge. Born at Oxford, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Nathan Hyde and Sally Thorpe. Moved to Derby, New Haven Co., 1812. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, ...

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returns from his mission
3

In mid-July 1841 Orson Hyde wrote a letter to JS and others in which he entreated his “friends in America” to remember his wife and children since “the distance is so great between him and them, that his arm is not long enough to administer to their wants. . . . Lord, bless my wife and children, and the hand that ministers good to them.” When JS dictated the featured revelation, Hyde was traveling from Alexandria, Egypt, to Trieste, Austrian Empire, after having dedicated the Holy Land in late October 1841 for the return of the Jews. (Letter from Orson Hyde, 17 July 1841; “Letter from Elder O. Hyde,” Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842, 3:776–777; Hyde, Voice from Jerusalem, 28–32.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Hyde, Orson. A Voice from Jerusalem, or a Sketch of the Travels and Ministry of Elder Orson Hyde, Missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, to Germany, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. Liverpool: P. P. Pratt, 1842.

or until some other provision can be made for her
4

In her circa 1880 copy of the revelation, Marinda Hyde originally wrote “their” instead of “her.” The t and i were later deleted, presumably by Hyde. (Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, Statement, ca. 1880, CHL.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Hyde, Marinda Nancy Johnson. Statement, [ca. 1880]. CHL. MS 23157.

welfare & safety: Let them do these things and spare not. and I the Lord will bless them & heal them. if they do it not grudgingly saith the Lord God. and she shall be a blessing unto them,— and let my handmaid
Nancy Marinda Hyde

28 June 1815–24 Mar. 1886. Born in Pomfret, Windsor Co., Vermont. Daughter of John Johnson and Alice (Elsa) Jacobs. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Apr. 1832, in Hiram, Portage Co., Ohio. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, 1833...

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hearken to the counsel of my servant Joseph in all things whatsoever he shall teach unto her, and it shall be a blessing upon her and upon her children after her. unto her Justification saith the Lord. [6 lines blank] [p. 66]
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Page 66

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Revelation, 2 December 1841
ID #
718
Total Pages
1
Print Volume Location
JSP, D9:5–9
Handwriting on This Page
  • Willard Richards

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Although Hyde’s name was recorded in her father’s family Bible as “Marinda Nancy Johnson,” her name often appears in contemporary documents as “Nancy Marinda Hyde.” (John Johnson Family Bible; see also, for example, Book of the Law of the Lord, 71.)

    John Johnson Family Bible. Private possession. A photocopy of the genealogical information found in this Bible is available in John Johnson Family Bible Pages, ca. 1830, CHL.

  2. [2]

    JS officiated in the marriage of Ebenezer Robinson and Angelina Works in Kirtland, Ohio, on 13 December 1835. (JS, Journal, 13 Dec. 1835.)

  3. [3]

    In mid-July 1841 Orson Hyde wrote a letter to JS and others in which he entreated his “friends in America” to remember his wife and children since “the distance is so great between him and them, that his arm is not long enough to administer to their wants. . . . Lord, bless my wife and children, and the hand that ministers good to them.” When JS dictated the featured revelation, Hyde was traveling from Alexandria, Egypt, to Trieste, Austrian Empire, after having dedicated the Holy Land in late October 1841 for the return of the Jews. (Letter from Orson Hyde, 17 July 1841; “Letter from Elder O. Hyde,” Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842, 3:776–777; Hyde, Voice from Jerusalem, 28–32.)

    Hyde, Orson. A Voice from Jerusalem, or a Sketch of the Travels and Ministry of Elder Orson Hyde, Missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, to Germany, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. Liverpool: P. P. Pratt, 1842.

  4. [4]

    In her circa 1880 copy of the revelation, Marinda Hyde originally wrote “their” instead of “her.” The t and i were later deleted, presumably by Hyde. (Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde, Statement, ca. 1880, CHL.)

    Hyde, Marinda Nancy Johnson. Statement, [ca. 1880]. CHL. MS 23157.

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