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Discourse, 21 February 1843, as Reported by Willard Richards

Source Note

JS, Discourse, [, Hancock Co., IL, 21 Feb. 1843]. Featured version copied [ca. 21 Feb. 1843] in JS, Journal, bk. 1, 21 Dec. 1842–10 Mar. 1843, pp. [202]–[215]; handwriting of ; JS Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS, journal, 1842–1844.

Historical Introduction

On 21 February 1843, JS delivered a one-hour discourse at the construction site in , Illinois, regarding the urgency of completing the temple and the , both of which the Latter-day Saints were building in accordance with a January 1841 revelation. According to , thousands had gathered at the temple site in the morning for the purpose “of Advancing the cause of the Nauvoo House & other mattrs.” , a trustee of the , addressed the gathering, followed by , whom JS had appointed to be the architect of the Nauvoo House. During his comments, Woodworth stated that there was “not that public spirit here as in other cities.” To support his claims, he referenced the laborers on the Nauvoo House who were constantly asking for their pay and for food. Hoping to deescalate the complaints, he asked the laborers to continue working on the house and to be patient as they waited to receive compensation for their labor. He then stated that, like the workers, he had eaten “dry Johncake & cold water” and had shared whatever he had with the workers. For those who continued to complain, Woodworth hoped that they would “get their pay & run away.” Emphasizing the importance of the temple and Nauvoo House building projects, he told the community that if the two buildings were not finished, “you must run—away,” suggesting that those who did not contribute to the buildings ought to vacate the city.
When JS arose to speak, he endorsed what had said and then offered his own remarks on the subject. He reiterated the importance of the , explaining that he considered it just as sacred as the . The 19 January 1841 revelation commanding the construction of the temple made clear that the house, like the temple, “shall be holy.” On 2 October 1841, JS further demonstrated the importance of the Nauvoo House when he deposited the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon, along with several other sacred writings, in the building’s cornerstone.
During the discourse, JS expressed displeasure with those who withheld resources from the construction of the in order to aggrandize themselves at the expense of others, singling out in his criticism. JS and Foster had disputed over various matters during the preceding months, and Foster had publicly supported someone other than JS for mayor. At his inauguration, JS accused Foster of having taken “an active part in electioneering for the written opposition ticket. & obstructing the passage to the polls.” In his 21 February discourse, JS voiced irritation that Foster had recently signed a petition to replace as ’s postmaster with , who was not a member. Shortly before JS ended his discourse, Foster interjected by refuting some of JS’s criticisms, and JS apparently accepted most of his refutations.
briefly mentioned the discourse in his diary, stating that JS’s remarks “were plain & pointed.” created a much more detailed account of the discourse, which he recorded in JS’s journal. In preparing JS’s history, Richards later inscribed a copy of the sermon in his rough draft notes. This later version provided additional information that helped to explain some of the enigmatic statements in the journal. Richards’s original version in JS’s journal is featured here.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Woodruff, Journal, 21 Feb. 1843; Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:22–23, 31].

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

  2. [2]

    Woodruff, Journal, 21 Feb. 1843.

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

  3. [3]

    Woodruff, Journal, 21 Feb. 1843; An Act to Incorporate the Nauvoo House Association [23 Feb. 1841], Laws of the State of Illinois [1840–1841], p. 131, sec. 2; Council of Fifty, “Record,” 22 Mar. 1845.

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

    Laws of the State of Illinois, Passed by the Ninth General Assembly, at Their First Session, Commencing December 1, 1834, and Ending February 13, 1835. Vandalia, IL: J. Y. Sawyer, 1835.

  4. [4]

    JS, Journal, 21 Feb. 1843.

  5. [5]

    JS, Journal, 1 Feb. 1843; see also Council of Fifty, “Record,” 22 Mar. 1845. Temple laborers had also expressed concern about receiving compensation. (Letter to “Hands in the Stone Shop,” 21 Dec. 1842.)

  6. [6]

    JS, Journal, 21 Feb. 1843.

  7. [7]

    Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:24].

  8. [8]

    Memorandum, 2 Oct. 1841; JS, Journal, 29 Dec. 1841.

  9. [9]

    JS, Journal, 11 Feb. 1843.

  10. [10]

    In November 1842, JS and others expressed discontent with Rigdon as the postmaster, believing he may have cooperated with John C. Bennett to steal money and letters from the post office. (Letter to George W. Robinson, 6 Nov. 1842; Letter to Horace Hotchkiss, 26 Nov. 1842; Letter to Richard M. Young, 9 Feb. 1843. For the petition in favor of Rollosson, see JS, Journal, 13 Feb. 1843; for the petition in favor of JS, see JS, Journal, 8 Nov. 1842.)

  11. [11]

    Foster acknowledged that some of JS’s accusations against him were true. At the same time, he noted his contributions to the Nauvoo House and the Nauvoo Relief Society as well as to the construction of JS’s own house. Foster suggested that his business dealings allowed him to contribute to the public good in Nauvoo. He also acknowledged signing the petition requesting that William Rollosson be made the postmaster but said that he had done so without knowing about the earlier efforts to make JS the postmaster. As indicated by his subsequent remarks at the end of the sermon, JS apparently felt satisfied with Foster’s reply. (Woodruff, Journal, 21 Feb. 1843; JS, Journal, 21 Feb. 1843.)

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

  12. [12]

    Woodruff, Journal, 21 Feb. 1843.

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

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Discourse, 21 February 1843, as Reported by Willard Richards Journal, December 1842–June 1844; Book 1, 21 December 1842–10 March 1843 Discourse, 21 February 1843, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff History Draft [1 January–3 March 1843] History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page [203]

for that the pagans and the pagan prophetts to feel more our prosperity is curious. I am almost converted to his doctrine, “he has prophecied if these buildings go down it will curse the place.” I verily know it is true. Let us build the templ. there may be some speculatins about . say some— some say because we live on the hill we must build up this part on the hill. does that coat fit you ? pretty well! put it on then. this is the way people swell like the ox or toad.
They’l come down under the hill among little folks brother Joseph how I love you— and get up opposition. & sing names to strangers & scoundrels &c [p. [203]]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page [203]

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Discourse, 21 February 1843, as Reported by Willard Richards
ID #
995
Total Pages
14
Print Volume Location
JSP, D11:460–468
Handwriting on This Page
  • Willard Richards

Footnotes

  1. [3]

    Wilford Woodruff wrote in his journal that JS said, “The Pagan Prophet had prophesied one thing that was true viz that if we did not build the temple & Nauvoo house it would proove the ruin of the place that if we did not build those buildings we might as well leave the place.” (Woodruff, Journal, 21 Feb. 1843.)

  2. [4]

    An 1841 revelation warned the Saints that if they did not build the Nauvoo temple in an acceptable timeframe, they would be “rejected as a church.” (Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:32].)

  3. [5]

    Robert D. Foster, Hiram Kimball, Daniel H. Wells, and other investors were promoting building projects on the hill near the temple, thereby drawing labor and resources away from the Nauvoo House project. During a meeting of the Nauvoo City Council, JS stated, “The mechanic should not oppress the farmer. the upper part of the town has no right to rival us— here on the bank of the river was where we fir[s]t pitched our tents where the sickness & deaths occured.” (Flanders, Nauvoo, 185–189; JS, Journal, 11 Feb. 1843.)

    Flanders, Robert Bruce. Nauvoo: Kingdom on the Mississippi. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1965.

  4. [6]

    In preparing this sermon for JS’s history, Willard Richards rendered this statement, “This is the way people swell like the toad in the fable.” This sentence refers to one of Aesop’s fables, “The Frog and The Ox”—also called “The Proud Frog”—in which an envious frog attempts to puff herself up in order to become as big as an ox but ultimately bursts. (Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, 21 Feb. 1843, 21; Croxall, Fables of Aesop, 20–21.)

    Croxall, Samuel. Fables of Aesop and Others: Translated into English with Instructive Applications, and a Cut before Each Fable. New ed. London: A. Millar, W. Law, and R. Cater, 1792.

  5. [7]

    TEXT: Possibly “singn”.

  6. [8]

    In preparing this sermon for JS’s 1838–1856 history, Willard Richards rendered this statement, “They’l come down under the hill among little folks, and say brother Joseph, how I love you; can I do any thing for you; and then go away secretly and get up opposition, and sing out our names, to strangers & scoundrels, with an evil influence.” (Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, 21 Feb. 1843, 21.)

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