Footnotes
This serialized history drew on the journals herein beginning with the 4 July 1855 issue of the Deseret News and with the 3 January 1857 issue of the LDS Millennial Star.
The labels on the spines of the four volumes read respectively as follows: “Joseph Smith’s Journal—1842–3 by Willard Richards” (book 1); “Joseph Smith’s Journal by W. Richards 1843” (book 2); “Joseph Smith’s Journal by W. Richards 1843–4” (book 3); and “W. Richards’ Journal 1844 Vol. 4” (book 4). Richards kept JS’s journal in the front of book 4, and after JS’s death Richards kept his own journal in the back of the volume.
“Schedule of Church Records, Nauvoo 1846,” [1], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
“Inventory. Historian’s Office. 4th April 1855,” [1]; “Contents of the Historian and Recorder’s Office G. S. L. City July 1858,” 2; “Index of Records and Journals in the Historian’s Office 1878,” [11]–[12], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL; Johnson, Register of the Joseph Smith Collection, 7.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
Johnson, Jeffery O. Register of the Joseph Smith Collection in the Church Archives, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1973.
Footnotes
Historical Introduction to JS, Journal, Dec. 1841–Dec. 1842.
Source Note to JS, Journal, 1835–1836; Source Note to JS, Journal, Mar.–Sept. 1838.
See Appendix 3.
At the conference, Rigdon spoke “on the subject of his situation and circumstances among the saints,” after which JS invited “an expression of any charges or complaints which the Conference had to make” against Rigdon. Several complaints were aired about Rigdon’s management of the Nauvoo post office and his suspected correspondence “of a treacherous character” with John C. Bennett, former Illinois governor Thomas Carlin, and certain parties in Missouri. Other complaints concerned Rigdon’s “leaguing with dishonest persons in endeavoring to defraud the innocent.” JS stated that he had not received any “material benefit” from Rigdon’s service as a counselor in the First Presidency since they had left Missouri in 1839 and that Rigdon had kept documents from Justin Butterfield that “were designed for the benefit of himself, (President Smith,) but was not handed over for some three or four weeks, greatly to his disadvantage.” JS also stated he had heard that Rigdon and others had directed authorities from Missouri and Illinois to Dixon, Illinois, to arrest JS in June 1843. JS concluded by stating, “In consequence of those, and other circumstances, and his [Rigdon’s] unprofitableness to him as a counsellor, he did not wish to retain him in that station, unless those difficulties could be removed; but desired his salvation, and expressed a willingness that he should retain a place among the saints.” Rigdon then spoke, explaining that he had laid aside Butterfield’s documents, not realizing their importance, when he was sick. He further denied any purposeful wrongdoing on the other charges. Because of inclement weather, the conference adjourned until the following day before it could make a final determination on Rigdon’s case. (“Minutes of a Special Conference,” Times and Seasons, 15 Sept. 1843, 4:329–330.)
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.