See John 11:25.

On 6 April 1841, the church had celebrated its eleventh anniversary by laying the cornerstones of the Nauvoo temple. (Benediction, 6 Apr. 1841; “Celebration of the Aniversary of the Church,” Times and Seasons, 15 Apr. 1841, 2:376.)

Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

On 7 April 1841, at the general conference of the church, John C. Bennett read a JS revelation “concerning the Saints in the Territory of Iowa.” (Minutes, 7–11 Apr. 1841; Clayton, Diary, 8 Apr. 1841; Revelation, caa Early Mar. 1841 [D&C 125].)

Clayton, William. Diary, Vol. 1, 1840–1842. BYU.

Probably David Kilbourne, who represented the New York Land Company purchasing and selling land in the Half-Breed Tract in Lee County, Iowa Territory.

Probably Isaac Galland.

A reference to the west side of the Mississippi River.

The land titles in the Half-Breed Tract were in dispute. The History of Lee County, Iowa reported that “there was a deal of sharp practice” taking place, with individuals “selling land to which they had no rightful title” and claiming “land in which they had no ownership.” Also, “there were no authorized surveys, and no boundary lines to claims, and, as a natural result, numerous conflicts and quarrels ensued.” (History of Lee County, Iowa, 164–166; Cook, “Isaac Galland”, 264–265.)

The History of Lee County, Iowa, Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, &c., a Biographical Directory of Citizens. . . . Chicago: Western Historical Co., 1879.

Cook, Lyndon W. “Isaac Galland—Mormon Benefactor.” BYU Studies 19 (Spring 1979): 261–284.

A warranty deed is used to convey or sell the title of land from one party to another when there is no lien or prior claim to the land. (“Warranty,” in Bouvier, Law Dictionary, 2:486–487.)

Bouvier, John. A Law Dictionary, Adapted to the Constitution and Laws of the United States of America, and of the Several States of the American Union; With References to the Civil and Other Systems of Foreign Law. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Deacon and Peterson, 1854.

Alexander Campbell left his association with Regular Baptists to promote, with several other Christian reformers, the restoration of primitive Christianity through an appeal to New Testament teachings and practices. Campbell’s followers and supporters came to be known as Disciples of Christ or, less formally, as Campbellites. In January 1832, Campbell’s movement merged with a similar movement led by Barton Stone, whose followers—many of whom were former Presbyterians—referred to themselves simply as Christians. (See Hayden, Early History of the Disciples in the Western Reserve, chap. 1; McAllister and Tucker, Journey in Faith, 26–28; and Foster et al., Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement, 713–716.)

Hayden, Amos Sutton. Early History of the Disciples in the Western Reserve, Ohio; with Biographical Sketches of the Principal Agents in Their Religious Movement. Cincinnati: Chase and Hall, 1875.

McAllister, Lester G., and William E. Tucker. Journey in Faith: A History of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). St. Louis: Bethany Press, 1975.

Foster, Douglas A., Anthony L. Dunnavant, Paul M. Blowers, and D. Newell Williams, eds. The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2004.

JS’s dog was a mastiff named Major and sometimes referred to as Old Major. (Baugh, “Joseph Smith’s Dog, Old Major,” 56–57, 65.)

Baugh, Alexander L. “Joseph Smith’s Dog, Old Major.” BYU Studies 56, no. 4 (2017): 53–67.

Possibly the Mr. Bissell mentioned later in this account.

Likely a reference to the British Latter-day Saints who had been immigrating to Nauvoo. (“Joseph Smith Documents from February through November 1841.”.)

Probably Missouri.