Discourse, 10 April 1842, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff

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Discourse, 10 April 1842, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff
Source Note

JS, Discourse, [
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....
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, Hancock Co., IL, 10 Apr. 1842]. Featured version copied [ca. 10 Apr. 1842] in Wilford Woodruff, Journal, vol. 4, 1 Jan. 1841–31 Dec. 1842, pp. [146]–[147]; handwriting of
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,...
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; Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Discourse, 7 Nov. 1841, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff.

Historical Introduction
On the morning of Sunday, 10 April 1842, JS delivered a discourse on wickedness and righteousness.
Wilford Woodruff
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wrote in his journal that it was “a plesant morning” and that “a large Congregation of Saints met at the
grove
Before partial completion of Nauvoo temple, all large meetings were held outdoors in groves located near east and west sides of temple site. Had portable stands for speakers. JS referred to area as “temple stand” due to its location on brow of hill.
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” 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....
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, Illinois. After
William Law
8 Sept. 1809–12/19 Jan. 1892. Merchant, millwright, physician. Born in Co. Tyrone, Ireland. Son of Richard Law and Ann Hunter. Immigrated to U.S. and settled in Springfield Township, Mercer Co., Pennsylvania, by 1820. Moved to Delaware Township, Mercer Co...
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“addressed the assembly for about 1. hour,” JS encouraged the Saints to draw near to God; condemned immorality, dishonesty, and theft; and—according to JS’s journal—“pronounced a curse upon all Adulterers & fornicators & unvirtuous persons. & those who had made use of his name to carry on their iniquitous designs.”
1
Woodruff, Journal, 10 Apr. 1842; JS, Journal, 10 Apr. 1842.
Comprehensive Works Cited
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
JS was particularly concerned with rumors that
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...
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leaders justified immoral behavior.
2
The following month, on 24 May, JS swore out an affidavit against Chauncey L. Higbee for slander and defamation of character by “using their [JS and Emma Smith’s] names, the more readily to accomplish his purpose in seducing certain females.” Higbee was tried the same day before the high council in Nauvoo in what was the first of several similar cases. (JS, Affidavit, 24 May 1842, in Price and Price, Joseph Smith Fought Polygamy, 146; Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 24 May 1842, 2.)
Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, ca. 1839–ca. 1843. Fair copy. In Oliver Cowdery, Diary, Jan.–Mar. 1836. CHL.
JS also preached on the necessity of gaining knowledge for salvation.

Woodruff
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attempted to capture the content of JS’s discourse in his journal, presumably based on notes he made during the discourse and his memory. Woodruff presented some of the content in JS’s words, enclosing them in quotation marks or even writing them in first person. Yet Woodruff acknowledged that this report was incomplete, noting at the end that “many other remarks of interest were made by the speaker.” Woodruff ended his account of the gathering by reflecting, “I truly felt in my own heart that it was a profitable meeting.”
3
Woodruff, Journal, 10 Apr. 1842.
Woodruff presumably wrote this entry in the evening on 10 April or shortly thereafter. No other accounts of the discourse, except the note in JS’s journal, have been located.
Footnotes
[1]
Woodruff, Journal, 10 Apr. 1842; JS, Journal, 10 Apr. 1842.
[2]
The following month, on 24 May, JS swore out an affidavit against Chauncey L. Higbee for slander and defamation of character by “using their [JS and Emma Smith’s] names, the more readily to accomplish his purpose in seducing certain females.” Higbee was tried the same day before the high council in Nauvoo in what was the first of several similar cases. (JS, Affidavit, 24 May 1842, in Price and Price, Joseph Smith Fought Polygamy, 146; Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 24 May 1842, 2.)
Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, ca. 1839–ca. 1843. Fair copy. In Oliver Cowdery, Diary, Jan.–Mar. 1836. CHL.
[3]
Woodruff, Journal, 10 Apr. 1842.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Discourse, 10 April 1842, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 Addenda “History of Joseph Smith”
Page [147]
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on the earth.
8
Similar themes appeared in an editorial titled “Try the Spirits” in the 1 April 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons. (See “Try the Spirits,” Times and Seasons, 1 Apr. 1842, 3:743–748.)
hence it needs Revelation to assist us & give us knowledge of the things of God. What is the reason that the Priest[s] of the day do not get Revelation They ask ownly to consume it upon their lust
9
See James 4:3.
their hearts are corrupt & they cloke their iniquity by saying that their is no more Revelations But if any revelations are given of God they are universally opposed by the priest & christendon at large for it reveals their wickedmess & abominations [p. [147]]
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Source Note
Document Transcript
Page [147]
Document Information
Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Discourse, 10 April 1842, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff
ID #
812
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D9:350–352
Handwriting on This Page
Wilford Woodruff
Footnotes
[8]
Similar themes appeared in an editorial titled “Try the Spirits” in the 1 April 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons. (See “Try the Spirits,” Times and Seasons, 1 Apr. 1842, 3:743–748.)
[9]
See James 4:3.