On 5 January 1841, JS spoke at the organization of a “school of instruction” at his in , Illinois. The school was probably a lyceum that met weekly at various locations throughout the city to discuss secular and sacred topics. Lyceums were popular organizations among nineteenth-century Americans, and a group of had formed one several years earlier in , Ohio. As ’s account of this meeting demonstrates, the lyceum format usually involved two or three presentations followed by debate among those in attendance. In his discourse at the meeting, JS focused on the principle that matter is eternal, arguing that the earth was created through a reorganization of preexisting elements. He also discussed the eternal nature of spirits, advancement toward salvation, and the spiritual progression of God and Jesus Christ.

Two early accounts of JS’s teachings on this occasion, recorded by and , are featured here. Though McIntire appears to have kept his record contemporaneously, he seems to have mistakenly dated the meeting as 8 January 1840, almost a year before he moved to . Clayton’s account appears to date the meeting correctly as 5 January 1841. Further evidence that the meeting occurred on Tuesday, 5 January, comes from McIntire’s notebook. This record includes accounts of the lyceum’s subsequent weekly meetings, suggesting that the next two meetings were held on 12 and 19 January 1841—both Tuesdays. Clayton’s original notes of this meeting are not extant, so it is unknown when he created his account. Apparently in 1880, L. John Nuttall filled the opening pages of a notebook with what he titled “Extracts from William Clayton’s Private Book.” The “extracts” were reports of various JS teachings, arranged both chronologically and topically, and included the account of this 5 January lyceum meeting, which was presented under the topic “Keys.”

While ’s and ’s accounts of JS’s discourse and comments during the meeting parallel each other in some respects, they diverge in significant ways. McIntire’s version, for instance, contains JS’s thoughts on phrenology, which are not found in Clayton’s. The account by Clayton, in turn, provides a physical description of the apostle Paul that was not included by McIntire. One of the topics discussed or questions asked—whether the was taken from the earth with Moses—was recorded only by Clayton. McIntire’s record more clearly illustrates the interactive debate format, with questions, answers, responses, and comments. By contrast, Clayton’s account reads more like a discourse because it includes only JS’s statements during the meeting. However, this lack of detail may be a reflection of Nuttall’s selection from Clayton’s record rather than an indication that Clayton’s original notes skipped over elements of the meeting.