Discourse, 3 October 1841, as Reported by Willard Richards
Source Note
JS, Discourse, , Hancock Co., IL, 3 Oct. 1841; handwriting of ; five pages; Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, CHL.
Two bifolia, each measuring 7⅞ × 5¾ inches (20 × 15 cm). The discourse is written in very faint graphite, making significant portions of the text illegible.
The discourse is part of a larger collection of general church minutes created or collected by scribes affiliated with the Church Historian’s Office. It is uncertain exactly when this discourse was included in the general church minutes. However, worked on JS’s history as early as 1842. Likely around that time, he added his records of JS’s sermons and writings to a compilation of documents about JS and the church. The featured document has likely remained in institutional custody since its creation.
Historical Introduction
On the morning of 3 October 1841, at a session of a general in , Illinois, JS gave a discourse on the doctrine of for the dead, whereby church members were baptized vicariously for their deceased relatives. attended this meeting and wrote down fragmentary notes from JS’s sermon in an apparent attempt to capture the church ’s words as he spoke. The text featured here is one of two extant versions of JS’s 3 October 1841 discourse; the other is a printed, more polished version found in the 15 October 1841 issue of the Times and Seasons. The printed version, along with additional historical context and annotation, is found in Minutes and Discourse, 1–5 October 1841.
[illegible] days [illegible] attend to [illegible] just men Spirit of [3 words illegible] of angels— [illegible] the reaping [illegible] of angels— false spirits.— [illegible] of just men made perfect— Angels [illegible].— [2 words illegible] death [2 words illegible]—
[4 words illegible] prepare your [illegible].— Do [2 words illegible] a man has a perfect Right to be [illegible] by any man who is a kin to him [4 words illegible] if he can [illegible] to Adam [4 words illegible] 144 [illegible]— pray God send spirits & angels to inform them Pray God <for others> [illegible] of your hands [illegible] you.— Be . not without
[4 words illegible].— angels [4 words illegible] seek out [4 words illegible] general [p. 4]