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Account of Meeting, 15 July 1842

Source Note

Account of Meeting, , Hancock Co., IL, 15 July 1842. Featured version copied [between ca. 16 and ca. 22 July 1842] in JS, Journal, Dec. 1841–Dec. 1842, in Book of the Law of the Lord, pp. 127–128; handwriting of . For more complete source information, see the source note for Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124].

Historical Introduction

On 15 July 1842, JS participated in a meeting held in , Illinois, that addressed ’s relationship with , wife of , and rumors that and of , Iowa Territory, intended to raise a mob against the Latter-day Saints in Nauvoo. After Orson Pratt returned from a mission to in the summer of 1841, he heard troubling allegations about Sarah. One rumor, which Bennett publicly asserted in the 15 July 1842 issue of the Sangamo Journal, was that while Orson was in England, JS had proposed marriage to Sarah. A second rumor circulating among Nauvoo members told a different story, claiming that Sarah had engaged in an affair with Bennett while her husband was in England. It is unclear when Orson learned about these allegations, but by mid-July, he was disconsolate. On 14 July, he wrote a letter declaring that he was “a ruined man!” If JS had proposed marriage to Sarah, Orson wrote, he had “been deceived for 12 years past—my hopes are blasted & gone as it were in a moment.” If the charges about Sarah and Bennett were true, “then my family are ruined forever.” Orson concluded, “My sorrows are greater than I can bear! Where I am henceforth it matters not.” The next morning, he disappeared from Nauvoo. Fearing from the language of the letter and Orson’s disappearance that he was suicidal, JS sent men to look for the apostle, but they did not find him before the meeting commenced.
According to the account in JS’s journal, the public meeting of 15 July 1842 was held in “the .” An newspaper reported that JS spoke “in front of the .” In the morning session of the meeting, JS spoke about ’s misconduct, as well as the alleged relationship Bennett had with . The afternoon session dealt with charges that brothers and were raising a mob against the Saints. The Kilbournes had been vocal critics of JS and the church, writing letters to the editors of newspapers in and Illinois accusing the Saints of theft and JS of land fraud. In May 1842, David also wrote a letter to governor communicating his strong suspicion that JS was behind the attempted assassination of ex-governor . JS may not have been aware of this letter, but on 24 June 1842, he wrote Illinois governor that he feared Bennett was in a conspiracy with the Kilbournes to kidnap him and extradite him to Missouri. Edward Kilbourne was present at the 15 July meeting and answered questions JS asked about such a conspiracy.
recorded an account of the meeting in the journal he was keeping for JS in the Book of the Law of the Lord. At the conclusion of the entry, Clayton mentioned that returned the evening of 15 July, suggesting that the entry was not recorded at least until that night or the following day. It may have not been recorded until 22 July, when Clayton apparently inscribed additional journal entries.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    John C. Bennett, Carthage, IL, 2 July 1842, Letter to the Editor, Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 15 July 1842, [2]. Although Sarah Pratt did not deny the allegation at the time, Joseph Smith III said that he visited Sarah late in her life and she denied that JS ever proposed anything inappropriate to her. Another source stated that Sarah still insisted in the late nineteenth century that JS had proposed to her. (Mary Audentia Smith Anderson, “The Memoirs of President Joseph Smith,” Saints’ Herald, 22 Jan. 1935, 109; Von Wymetal, Joseph Smith the Prophet, 60–63.)

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

    Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.

    Von Wymetal, Wilhelm [W. Wyl, pseud.]. Joseph Smith the Prophet: His Family and His Friends; A Study Based on Facts and Documents. Salt Lake City: Tribune Printing and Publishing, 1886.

  2. [2]

    See, for example, “Testimony of Mrs. Goddard,” in Affidavits and Certificates [Nauvoo, IL: 1842], copy at CHL.

    Affidavits and Certificates, Disproving the Statements and Affidavits Contained in John C. Bennett’s Letters. Nauvoo Aug. 31, 1842. [Nauvoo, IL: 1842]. Copy at CHL.

  3. [3]

    Since Bennett’s letter was not published until the 15 July issue of the Sangamo Journal, it is likely that Orson Pratt had not seen it by 15 July, suggesting that Sarah may have been the one who informed him of JS’s alleged proposal.

  4. [4]

    Orson Pratt, Letter, [Nauvoo, IL], 14 July 1842, CHL; see also Brigham Young, Nauvoo, IL, to Parley P. Pratt, Liverpool, England, 17 July 1842, CHL.

    Pratt, Orson. Letter, [Nauvoo, IL], 14 July 1842. CHL. MS 16976.

    Young, Brigham. Letter, Nauvoo, IL, to Parley P. Pratt, Liverpool, England, 17 July 1842. CHL. MS 14291.

  5. [5]

    JS, Journal, 15 July 1842. The Warsaw Signal reported that Pratt’s disappearance was sudden and that JS sent “about 500 persons” to look for him. (News Item, Warsaw [IL] Signal, 16 July 1842, [2].)

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

  6. [6]

    “From Nauvoo,” Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 22 July 1842, [3].

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

  7. [7]

    David Kilbourne and Edward Kilbourne, “Latter-Day-ism, No. 1,” Hawk-Eye and Iowa Patriot (Burlington), 30 Sept. 1841, [1]; David Kilbourne and Edward Kilbourne, “Latter-Day-ism, No. 2,” Hawk-Eye and Iowa Patriot, 7 Oct. 1841, [2]; David Kilbourne and Edward Kilbourne, “Latter-Day-ism, No. 3,” Hawk-Eye and Iowa Patriot, 14 Oct. 1841, [3]; David Kilbourne and Edward Kilbourne, “Latter-Day-ism,” Warsaw (IL) Signal, 6 Oct. 1841, [2]–[3].

    Hawk-Eye and Iowa Patriot. Burlington, IA. 1839–1851.

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

  8. [8]

    David Kilbourne, Montrose, Iowa Territory, to Thomas Reynolds, Jefferson City, MO, 14 May 1842, Records of Governor Thomas Reynolds, 1840–1844, MSA.

    Records of Governor Thomas Reynolds, 1840–1844. MSA.

  9. [9]

    Letter to Thomas Carlin, 24 June 1842.

  10. [10]

    JS, Journal, 15 July 1842. The entries for 15–19 July may have been inscribed at the same time.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Account of Meeting, 15 July 1842
Journal, December 1841–December 1842 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 127

After considerable search had been made but to no effect a meeting was called at the where Joseph stated before the public a general outline of s conduct and especially with regard to Met again in the P.M. when & spake on the same subject after which Joseph arose and said that he would state to those present some things which he had heard respecting & being conspiring with in endeavoring to bring [p. 127]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 127

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Account of Meeting, 15 July 1842
ID #
882
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D10:268–273
Handwriting on This Page
  • William Clayton

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    The Sangamo Journal reported that JS, who “appeared to be much excited,” gave a speech on 14 July “in front of the temple” on “Bennett—the Sangamo Journal—Mrs. Pratt—and other matters.” The Journal may have been referring to this 15 July meeting and misreported the date. The Journal also reported that JS insulted Sarah Pratt in his speech. (“From Nauvoo,” Sangamo Journal [Springfield, IL], 22 July 1842, [3]; “Orson Pratt,” Sangamo Journal, 29 July 1842, [2].)

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

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