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Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 2 July 1839, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff

Source Note

JS, Discourse, , Hancock Co., IL, [between ca. 26 June and ca. 2 July 1839]. Featured version copied [between 2 July and 8 Aug. 1839], in Wilford Woodruff, “Book of Revelations,” pp. [26]–[35]; handwriting of , CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Discourse, 27 June 1839, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff–A.

Historical Introduction

In summer 1839, likely in late June or early July, JS gave a discourse at , Illinois, regarding various principles of the gospel, including faith, , and the doctrine of election. This discourse was one of several JS addressed to members of the and the Quorums of the as they were preparing to proselytize in Europe.
JS began by addressing the principles of faith, repentance, baptism, and the . Next, he discussed the gift of speaking in tongues, the resurrection, and eternal judgment. JS then explicated Peter’s instruction on making one’s “calling and election sure.” JS connected this doctrine with Paul’s discussion of the power of the “holy Spirit of promise” and Jesus’s teaching about “another Comforter,” explaining that the “first Comforter” is the Holy Ghost, received after baptism, whereas the “other Comforter” is Jesus Christ, received after one’s calling and election is made sure. A revelation JS dictated in 1832 identified the other Comforter as the “holy spirit of promise” and connected this Comforter with the promise of salvation and eternal life. However, the revelation did not indicate the other Comforter was Jesus Christ; JS clarified the doctrine in this 1839 discourse. As a final topic, JS discussed the office of , which he equated with the New Testament role of evangelist.
Apostle took notes during the discourse and copied them into his “Book of Revelations,” a notebook he began keeping in 1839 to record JS revelations and discourses. Woodruff brought his notebook on his mission to , where fellow missionary copied the discourse notes into his “Pocket Companion.” In 1845 copied the discourse into the addenda of JS’s multivolume manuscript history.
JS may have given the discourse as early as 26 June, during meetings the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles held from 25 to 27 June. JS was absent from the first day of meetings but returned the following day. ’s journal describes the 26 June meeting as including “interesting remarks” on Ephesians chapter 1 and John chapter 14, particularly on “the other Comforter”—topics addressed in the discourse featured here. It is also possible that the council discussed these topics without JS on 26 June and that he was asked to expand on the subject on 27 June or in meetings with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the next few days. JS presided at the meeting held on 27 June and gave at least one discourse that day. That was the date assigned the discourse when he copied it into the manuscript history. However, in Woodruff’s notebook this discourse is preceded by accounts of JS discourses from 27 June and 2 July. According to JS’s journal, 2 July is the last date that JS met with the apostles before their scheduled departure for Europe in early July. Nevertheless, since the apostles did not begin departing until August, it is possible that JS delivered the discourse later in July or early in August, before Woodruff left for his mission on 8 August.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See 2 Peter 1:10; Ephesians 1:13; and John 14:16.

  2. [2]

    Many Christian theologians in the late 1700s and early 1800s agreed that the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, represented the Comforter mentioned in John 14:16, 26. (See, for example, “Christianity,” and “Holy Ghost,” in Buck, Theological Dictionary, 69, 170; Gill, Complete Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity, 1:238; Henry, Exposition of the Old and New Testament, 4:864–865; and Hawker, Sermons on the Divinity, 139.)

    Buck, Charles. A Theological Dictionary, Containing Definitions of All Religious Terms; a Comprehensive View of Every Article in the System of Divinity. . . . New American ed., edited by George Bush. Philadelphia: James Kay Jr., 1830.

    Gill, John. A Complete Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity; or, A System of Evangelical Truths, Deduced from the Sacred Scriptures. 3 vols. London: W. Winterbotham, 1796.

    Henry, Matthew. An Exposition of the Old and New Testament . . . with Practical Remarks and Observations. Edited by George Burder and Joseph Hughes. Vol. 5. Philadelphia: Ed. Barrington and Geo. D. Haswell, [1828].Henry, Matthew. An Exposition of the Old and New Testament. Vol. 1 of An Exposition of All the Books of the Old and New Testament. London: J. Clark, 1725.

    Hawker, Robert. Sermons on the Divinity and Operations of the Holy Ghost. Holborn, England: S. Hazard, 1794.

  3. [3]

    Revelation, 27–28 Dec. 1832 [D&C 88:1–5].

  4. [4]

    See Richards, “Pocket Companion,” 15–22.

    Richards, Willard. “Willard Richards Pocket Companion Written in England,” ca. 1838–1840. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, box 2, fd. 6.

  5. [5]

    Woodruff’s 26 June journal entry states that JS was not present when the council began; he may have arrived later during the meeting. It appears that 26 or 27 June was the first time JS met with the apostles and seventies to give them instruction in preparation for their mission. (Woodruff, Journal, 26 June 1839; JS, Journal, 26 June 1839.)

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

  6. [6]

    Woodruff, Journal, 26 June 1839.

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

  7. [7]

    Woodruff, Journal, 27 July 1839; Discourse, 27 June 1839.

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

  8. [8]

    JS History, vol. C-1, addenda, 8–9; Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 441.

    Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.

  9. [9]

    JS, Journal, 2 July 1839. The apostles gave farewell addresses on 7 July, intending to leave soon after, but were delayed when the majority fell ill. (JS, Journal, 7 July 1839.)

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 2 July 1839, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 2 July 1839, as Reported by Willard Richards History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page [35]

spirit of God will come to pass & thus by learning the Spirit of God & understanding it you may grow into the principle of Revelation untill you become perfe[c]ted in Christ Jesus.
An Evangelist
Is a even the oldest man of the Blood of Joseph or of the seed of Abram whare ever the is established in the Earth there should be a Patriarch for the benefit of the posterity of the Saints, as it was with Jacob in given his patriarchal bles[s]ing unto his Sons &c. [p. [35]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Discourse, between circa 26 June and circa 2 July 1839, as Reported by Wilford Woodruff
ID #
9114
Total Pages
10
Print Volume Location
JSP, D6:521–526
Handwriting on This Page
  • Wilford Woodruff

Footnotes

  1. [32]

    See Colossians 1:28.

  2. [33]

    See Ephesians 4:11–13; and 2 Timothy 4:5. In 1835, JS taught that the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was to appoint “evangelical ministers” for large branches of the church. (Instruction on Priesthood, between ca. 1 Mar. and ca. 4 May 1835 [D&C 107:39].)

  3. [34]

    Joseph Smith Sr. was ordained the church patriarch on 6 December 1834 and continued in that position until his death in 1840. (Historical Introduction to Blessing from Joseph Smith Sr., 9 Dec. 1834.)

  4. [35]

    See Genesis chap. 49.

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