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Discourse, 29 July 1838

Source Note

JS, Discourse, , Daviess Co., MO, 29 July 1838. Featured version published [ca. May 1840] in William Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, p. 27.
William Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the “Book of Covenants,” &c., &c., Pekin, OH: By the author, [between 12 April and 4 May] 1840; forty-eight pages. The copy used for transcription is held at BYU.
Printed pamphlet containing twenty-five leaves. The text block measures 8¼ × 5⅜ × ⅛ inches (21 × 14 × 0.3 cm). The leaves were bound in a single sheet of purple paper that was pasted to the spine. The bulk of the pamphlet consists of the typescript of a journal kept in 1838. The printed journal evidently contains several editorial changes from the nonextant original manuscript; these changes tend to be easily identified because they are explicitly marked as editorial insertions or because of changes in verb tense. Notwithstanding these changes, Swartzell’s journal appears to be an accurate, contemporaneous record of events in during summer 1838. Swartzell apparently finished preparing his journal for publication on 12 April 1840 in Pekin, Carroll County, Ohio. Shortly thereafter, Swartzell or a representative took the manuscript to , Pennsylvania, to copyright the manuscript and to contract with the printing office of Alexander Ingram. On 4 May 1840, Ingram printed an advertisement for the pamphlet in the Daily Pittsburgh Gazette, noting that the pamphlet was “just published, and for sale” at his 78 Market Street office. Though the pamphlet was printed in Pittsburgh by Ingram, its copyright page states that it was published by the author.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See, for example, Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, 6, 11, 13–14, 19–20, 24–25.

    Swartzell, William. Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, Together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the ‘Book of Covenants,’ &c., &c. Pekin, OH: By the author, 1840.

  2. [2]

    Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, iv.

    Swartzell, William. Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, Together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the ‘Book of Covenants,’ &c., &c. Pekin, OH: By the author, 1840.

  3. [3]

    Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, [i], [ii]; Notice, Daily Pittsburgh Gazette, 4 May 1840, [2].

    Swartzell, William. Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, Together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the ‘Book of Covenants,’ &c., &c. Pekin, OH: By the author, 1840.

    Daily Pittsburgh Gazette. Pittsburgh. 1833–1841.

Historical Introduction

On 29 July 1838, JS preached at a Sunday worship service held at , Missouri, regarding the spiritual manifestations and persecution he had experienced and his willingness to submit to the will of God. According to , JS and left for Adam-ondi-Ahman on 28 July to “transact some important buisness” and assist in the settlement of recent immigrants from . At least part of this business may have been the formal integration of the at Adam-ondi-Ahman into the broader Danite organization, which was headquartered at Far West. According to , a who was living in Adam-ondi-Ahman and keeping a journal at the time, the Danites at Adam-ondi-Ahman met on 28 July and were placed under the command of a brigadier general and other officers. JS and Rigdon presumably attended this meeting and may have addressed the men prior to their reorganization.
wrote that the next day, and JS addressed the Saints during the worship service held at ’s unfinished home at the foot of Tower Hill in . Rigdon spoke first, taking Ephesians 4:4–13 as his text and expounding on the theme of “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” He criticized other Christian denominations for their lack of “those gifts which Jesus Christ gave to men when he ascended on high.”
JS spoke next, taking 1 Thessalonians 5:15–23 as his text, particularly the instruction to “despise not prophesyings.” Much of JS’s address, as captured by , focused on JS’s experiences—possibly drawing on the themes and events he had recently narrated in a new personal and church history. JS, , and had begun work on the history in late April 1838, following the excommunication of , the previous church historian. The draft of this history focused on JS’s earliest visions, including his first vision of Deity and the persecution he faced after reporting the experience. Though Swartzell’s account of JS’s 29 July sermon lacks detail, the material he recorded matches elements of JS’s written history.
apparently recorded JS’s discourse in his journal on or within a few days of the worship service. Part of his account is a summary, but he also captured, or attempted to capture, some of JS’s words. Within a month of this meeting, Swartzell renounced the church and returned to his former home in Pekin, Ohio. In spring 1840, Swartzell prepared his journal, which is no longer extant, for publication as part of an anti-Mormon exposé explaining his history with the church and warning about “one of the most extraordinary bands of fanatics that ever was known in the annals of human delusion.” While Swartzell added retrospective material to his journal before publication, it is fairly easy to distinguish these editorial comments and explanations from the rather ordinary entries of the original journal. As a whole, Swartzell’s historical account of events in matches well with contemporaneous sources. No evidence suggests that his account of JS’s 29 July discourse was manufactured or embellished. In fact, on other occasions Swartzell reported that JS had preached but that Swartzell did “not recollect” JS’s words.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 28 July 1838.

  2. [2]

    Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, 25–26.

    Swartzell, William. Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, Together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the ‘Book of Covenants,’ &c., &c. Pekin, OH: By the author, 1840.

  3. [3]

    Swartzell wrote that in two earlier Danite meetings held at Adam-ondi-Ahman, JS preached to the men. Swartzell also noted that on 28 July, the Danites at Adam-ondi-Ahman were organized “after considerable preaching, as usual”—suggesting that JS may also have addressed the Danites during this organizational meeting. John Smith, the president of the Adam-ondi-Ahman stake, noted in his journal that at least three Danite meetings had taken place by 4 August 1838, though he neglected to provide dates or additional details. (Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, 17–18, 20–21, 25–26; see also Thompson, “Chronology of Danite Meetings in Adam-ondi-Ahman,” 12; and John Smith, Journal, 4 Aug. 1838.)

    Swartzell, William. Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, Together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the ‘Book of Covenants,’ &c., &c. Pekin, OH: By the author, 1840.

    Thompson, John E. “A Chronology of Danite Meetings in Adam-ondi-Ahman, Missouri: July to September 1838.” Restoration 4, no. 1 (Jan. 1985): 11–14.

    Smith, John (1781-1854). Journal, 1833–1841. John Smith, Papers, 1833-1854. CHL. MS 1326, box 1, fd. 1.

  4. [4]

    Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, 26; Berrett, Sacred Places, 4:376, 399–402. John Smith likewise noted in his journal the following week that JS and Rigdon held a meeting in Adam-ondi-Ahman “last Sabbath.” (John Smith, Journal, 4 Aug. 1838.)

    Swartzell, William. Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, Together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the ‘Book of Covenants,’ &c., &c. Pekin, OH: By the author, 1840.

    Berrett, LaMar C., ed. Sacred Places: A Comprehensive Guide to Early LDS Historical Sites. 6 vols. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999–2007.

    Smith, John (1781-1854). Journal, 1833–1841. John Smith, Papers, 1833-1854. CHL. MS 1326, box 1, fd. 1.

  5. [5]

    Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, 26–27.

    Swartzell, William. Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, Together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the ‘Book of Covenants,’ &c., &c. Pekin, OH: By the author, 1840.

  6. [6]

    See Letter to John Whitmer, 9 Apr. 1838.

  7. [7]

    JS, Journal, 30 Apr.–4 May 1838; see also “Joseph Smith’s Historical Enterprise”; and Historical Introduction to History Drafts, 1838–ca. 1841.

  8. [8]

    Swartzell’s journal has daily entries. His account of JS’s 29 July 1838 discourse begins by stating that JS and Rigdon preached “to-day,” suggesting that Swartzell wrote the entry later that day. (Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, 26.)

    Swartzell, William. Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, Together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the ‘Book of Covenants,’ &c., &c. Pekin, OH: By the author, 1840.

  9. [9]

    Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, 35–37.

    Swartzell, William. Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, Together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the ‘Book of Covenants,’ &c., &c. Pekin, OH: By the author, 1840.

  10. [10]

    Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, [iii].

    Swartzell, William. Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, Together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the ‘Book of Covenants,’ &c., &c. Pekin, OH: By the author, 1840.

  11. [11]

    See, for example, Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, 11, 13–14, 21.

    Swartzell, William. Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, Together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the ‘Book of Covenants,’ &c., &c. Pekin, OH: By the author, 1840.

  12. [12]

    Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, 21.

    Swartzell, William. Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838, Together with an Appendix, Containing the Revelation concerning the Golden Bible, with Numerous Extracts from the ‘Book of Covenants,’ &c., &c. Pekin, OH: By the author, 1840.

Page 27

Brother Joseph Smith then preached, and took his text in 1 Tessalonians, 5:15 to 23d verse. He preached on prophecy, and said that the Spirit of God had appeared to him, with wonderful light and mystery—in such a manner that we would not believe him, were he to tell us what he had seen; and that he could not say what God did these things for. “But,” said he, “I cannot help it. I know that all the world is threatening my life; but I regard it not, for I am willing to die at any time when God calls for me. I have been beaten, abused, stoned, persecuted, and have had to escape by day and by night. I have been sued at law, and have always proved myself innocent. I have had twenty-one law-suits. I am of age; and care not how long I live. Not my will be done, but thine, O Lord!” [p. 27]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Discourse, 29 July 1838
ID #
10307
Total Pages
1
Print Volume Location
JSP, D6:209–212
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Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS seems to have been talking about his first vision of Deity. The history JS initiated in 1838 states that in 1820, the young JS prayed to know which church to join and in response “saw a pillar of light exactly over my head . . . which descended gradually untill it fell upon me. . . . When the light rested upon me I saw two personages [God and Jesus Christ] (whose brightness and glory defy all description) standing above me in the air.” (JS History, vol. A-1, 3.)

  2. [2]

    In accounts of his first vision of Deity, JS stated that God appeared to him in answer to his prayers for forgiveness of his sins and for guidance on which church to join. JS was told that his sins were forgiven and that he should not join any church; he also received “a promise that the fulness of the gospel should at some future time be made known” to him. In these accounts, JS did not disclose everything he saw and heard. For example, in the account written in the history he started in 1838, he added that “many other things did he [Jesus Christ] say unto me which I cannot write at this time.” (JS History, ca. Summer 1832, 3; JS History, vol. A-1, 3; JS, “Church History,” Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, 3:707.)

  3. [3]

    In the history JS began in 1838, he narrated his first vision of Deity using similar language: “Though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, Yet it was true. . . . I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it.” (JS History, vol. A-1, 4.)

  4. [4]

    JS was the victim of violence on a number of occasions during the 1820s and 1830s, including being beaten and tarred and feathered in Hiram Township, Ohio, in 1832. Threats of violence increased following the dissent that gripped the church in 1837. Mary Fielding reported that in fall 1837, JS and Rigdon escaped from a mob while traveling near Painesville, Ohio—presumably in the daytime. On 12 January 1838, JS dictated a revelation instructing the members of the First Presidency and their families to leave Kirtland, Ohio, because of their enemies there. JS and Rigdon fled Kirtland that night. (JS History, vol. A-1, 205–208; Mary Fielding, [Kirtland, OH], to Mercy F. Thompson, [Upper Canada], [between ca. Aug. and Sept. 1837], Mary Fielding Smith, Collection, CHL; Revelation, 12 Jan. 1838–C; JS History, vol. B-1, 780; Introduction to Part 1: 15 Feb.–28 June 1838.)

    Smith, Mary Fielding. Collection, ca. 1832–1848. CHL. MS 2779.

  5. [5]

    JS was never convicted in a criminal trial, with the possible exception of an 1826 trial in South Bainbridge, New York, in which he was charged with being a “disorderly person.” This charge was related to JS’s employment with Josiah Stowell in 1825, during which JS used a seer stone in an attempt to find buried treasure. Accounts of the trial are contradictory, variously stating or suggesting that JS was discharged, found guilty, acquitted, or allowed (and encouraged) to escape and leave the area. (See Trial Proceedings, Bainbridge, NY, 20 Mar. 1826, State of New York v. JS [J.P. Ct. 1826], in “The Original Prophet,” Fraser’s Magazine, Feb. 1873, 229–230; Oliver Cowdery, “Letter VIII,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Oct. 1835, 2:201; W. D. Purple, “Joseph Smith, the Originator of Mormonism,” Chenango Union [Norwich, NY], 2 May 1877, [3]; and [Abram W. Benton], “Mormonites,” Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate, 9 Apr. 1831, 120.)

    “The Original Prophet. By a Visitor to Salt Lake City.” Fraser’s Magazine 7, no. 28 (Feb. 1873): 225–235.

    Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

    Chenango Union. Norwich, NY. 1868–1890.

    Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate. Utica, NY. 1830–1850.

  6. [6]

    JS appears to have been the defendant in at least thirty legal cases prior to July 1838, six of which were criminal rather than civil cases. Other cases against JS may have been brought before local justices of the peace who were not required to keep records, who neglected to keep records, or whose records have been lost. (See, for example, John C. Dowen, Statement, 2 Jan. 1885, Collection of Manuscripts about Mormons, 1832–1954, Chicago History Museum; see also “Legal Chronology of Joseph Smith,” in Madsen et al., Sustaining the Law, 461–479.)

    Manuscripts about Mormons at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, ca. 1832–1954. Microfilm. Chicago Historical Society.

    Madsen, Gordon A., Jeffrey N. Walker, and John W. Welch, eds. Sustaining the Law: Joseph Smith’s Legal Encounters. Provo, UT: BYU Studies, 2014.

  7. [7]

    See Luke 22:42.

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