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Minutes, 11 August 1834

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Minutes, 11 August 1834

Source Note

Minutes, , Geauga Co., OH, 11 Aug. 1834. Featured version copied [not before 25 Feb. 1836] in Minute Book 1, pp. 52–54; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 1.

Historical Introduction

Between 11 and 29 August 1834, a series of councils of and convened in response to accusations made by , a member of the , Ohio, , that JS had engaged in “criminal conduct” while leading the to and from . While on the journey, Smith and JS had clashed several times. These encounters mainly involved JS chastising Smith for various actions, including insulting , threatening to kill JS’s dog if it bit him, and refusing to provide with bread when Pratt was in need. noted that such reprimands produced “refractory feelings” in Sylvester Smith. According to the 11 August 1834 minutes featured here, after returning to Kirtland from Missouri around 26 July, Smith accused JS of misusing “monies and other properties” of the camp, “proph[e]sying lies in the name of the Lord,” and “abusing” Smith’s “character.” On Saturday, 9 August, Smith made such accusations in public, but he was likely telling others about them before that time, perhaps even before his return to Kirtland. He later wrote to that by 11 August reports “censuring the conduct, of bro. J. S. jr.” were circulating to the churches “abroad”—meaning congregations outside of Kirtland. Although JS had previously been accused of improprieties by both church members and nonmembers, this appears to be one of the few times that a member of one of the church’s governing bodies had made such accusations, which is perhaps one reason why church leaders took them so seriously.
The 11 August meeting began as a gathering of high priests and elders, but after both JS and related their perspectives on the difficulties, participants convened into a formal council, with Bishop presiding. Although a November 1831 revelation had mandated that a “common court of the church,” consisting of the and “twelve counsellors of the ,” be called when the was in transgression, it is doubtful that this council served that purpose since JS does not appear to have been on trial. Sylvester Smith himself later stated that this was a “general council” trying to determine how to resolve the differences between Smith and JS. The minutes indicate that council participants overwhelmingly believed that Sylvester Smith was in the wrong, and they spent the majority of the meeting trying to determine how he could rectify the trouble caused by his accusations. The council eventually determined that Smith should publish a “proper confession” of his mistakes, which he at first agreed to but then later balked at. After another council was held, his confession finally appeared in the October 1834 issue of the Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate.
This 11 August council also deliberated on how else to counteract the negative reports about JS that stemmed from ’s charges. The council finally appointed a committee to craft either an article or resolutions stating that the council was satisfied that JS had not committed any improprieties. The committee produced such resolutions and presented them to another council on 23 August 1834. They were subsequently published in the August 1834 issue of The Evening and the Morning Star.
served as clerk of the council and kept the minutes. later copied the minutes into Minute Book 1.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Revised Minutes, 18–19 Feb. 1834 [D&C 102:3]. Sylvester Smith was not related to JS.

  2. [2]

    For accounts of these events, see Hancock, Autobiography, 138; George A. Smith, Autobiography, 29; and Minutes, 28–29 Aug. 1834.

    Hancock, Levi Ward. Autobiography, 1803–1836. New Mormon Studies CD-ROM: A Comprehensive Resource Library, 2009. CHL.

    Smith, George A. Autobiography, ca. 1860–1882. George Albert Smith, Papers, 1834–1877. CHL. MS 1322, box 1, fd. 2.

  3. [3]

    George A. Smith, Autobiography, 35.

    Smith, George A. Autobiography, ca. 1860–1882. George Albert Smith, Papers, 1834–1877. CHL. MS 1322, box 1, fd. 2.

  4. [4]

    Kimball, “Journal and Record,” 19.

    Kimball, Heber C. “The Journal and Record of Heber Chase Kimball an Apostle of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” ca. 1842–1858. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 1.

  5. [5]

    Sylvester Smith to Oliver Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, 28 Oct. 1834, in LDS Messenger and Advocate, Oct. 1834, 1:11. Besides the minutes and records of the councils dealing with these accusations, there are no other extant sources detailing Smith’s specific charges against JS.

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

  6. [6]

    John Corrill, a counselor to Bishop Edward Partridge, had accused JS in summer 1832 of abuses of power, for which Corrill was reprimanded by a council of high priests. (Godfrey, “Joseph Smith and Leadership in the Church of Christ,” 25–28. For examples of past accusations by a disaffected church member and by an outsider, see Ezra Booth, “Mormonism—No. VII,” Ohio Star [Ravenna], 24 Nov. 1831, [1]; and “Interview with the Mormon Prophet,” Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate, 5 Apr. 1834, 5:107.)

    Faulring, Scott H. “Early Marriages Performed by the Latter-day Saint Elders in Jackson County, Missouri, 1832–1834.” Mormon Historical Studies 2 (Fall 2001): 197–210.Godfrey, Matthew C. “‘Seeking after Monarchal Power and Authority’: Joseph Smith and Leadership in the Church of Christ, 1831–1832.” Mormon Historical Studies 13 (Spring/Fall 2012): 15–37.

    Ohio Star. Ravenna. 1830–1854.

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

  7. [7]

    Revelation, 11 Nov. 1831–B [D&C 107:82].

  8. [8]

    Sylvester Smith to Oliver Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, 28 Oct. 1834, in LDS Messenger and Advocate, Oct. 1834, 1:10.

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

  9. [9]

    Minutes, 23 Aug. 1834; Minutes, 28–29 Aug. 1834; Sylvester Smith to Oliver Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, 28 Oct. 1834, in LDS Messenger and Advocate, Oct. 1834, 1:10–11.

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

  10. [10]

    Minutes, 23 Aug. 1834.

  11. [11]

    “Conference Minutes,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Aug. 1834, 182.

    The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Minutes, 11 August 1834
Minute Book 1 History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834] “History of Joseph Smith” “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 52

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August 11th 1834
This day a number of and of the assembled in the new in this place, for the purpose of investigating a matter of difficulty growing out of certain reports or statements made by brother ; one of the of this Church, accusing brother Joseph Smith Junr. with criminal conduct during his journey to and from this Spring & Summer. After coming to order, brother Joseph commenced and spake to a considerable length upon the circumstances of their journey to and from , and very minutely laid open the causes out of which those jealousies of s and others had grown. He made a satisfactory statement concerning his rebukes and chastisements upon & others, and also concerning the distribution of monies and other properties, calling on brethren present who accompanied him to attest to the same. All of which, was satisfactory to the brethren present as appeared by their own remarks afterward. After brother Joseph had closed his lengthy remarks, brother made some observations relative to the subject of their difficulties, and begun to make a partial confession for his previous conduct, asking forgiveness for accusing brother Joseph publicly on the Saturday previous, of proph[e]sying lies in the name of the Lord, and for abusing (as he had said) his (’s) character, before the brethern while journeying to the West. Brother made some remarks by way of reproff upon the conduct of , [spoke], and others, followed by the , after which by motion of brother the assembly arranged itself into a council, brother presiding, and proceeded to discuss how this [p. 52]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, 11 August 1834
ID #
6710
Total Pages
3
Print Volume Location
JSP, D4:97–101
Handwriting on This Page
  • Warren A. Cowdery

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    The “new school-house” was a two-story building with an attic on a lot west of where the House of the Lord was being constructed. The church’s printing office was on the second floor, while school was held on the lower level. A later JS history suggests that the building may not have been completed by August 1834. (“Portion of Kirtland Township, Ohio, 12 January 1838”; Cowdery, Diary, 24 Jan. 1836; 7 Feb. 1836; 5 Mar. 1836; JS History, vol. B-1, 558.)

    Cowdery, Oliver. Diary, Jan.–Mar. 1836. CHL. MS 3429. Also available as Leonard J. Arrington, “Oliver Cowdery’s Kirtland, Ohio, ‘Sketch Book,’” BYU Studies 12 (Summer 1972): 410–426.

    JS History / Smith, Joseph, et al. History, 1838–1856. Vols. A-1–F-1 (original), A-2–E-2 (fair copy). Historian’s Office, History of the Church, 1839–ca. 1882. CHL. CR 100 102, boxes 1–7. The history for the period after 5 Aug. 1838 was composed after the death of Joseph Smith.

  2. [2]

    Sylvester Smith was appointed a member of the Kirtland high council when it was organized in February 1834. (Revised Minutes, 18–19 Feb. 1834 [D&C 102:3].)

  3. [3]

    Cyrus Smalling may have been another who had “jealousies” toward JS. According to George A. Smith, on the way back from Missouri, Smalling “became offended with some of the brethren at the table, on which Joseph reproved him and showed the brethren the necessity of each one controlling himself and preserving peace with each other.” (George A. Smith, Autobiography, 53–54.)

    Smith, George A. Autobiography, ca. 1860–1882. George Albert Smith, Papers, 1834–1877. CHL. MS 1322, box 1, fd. 2.

  4. [4]

    Before the Camp of Israel left New Portage, Ohio, for Missouri, participants put “all the money [they] had” into a general fund, out of which expenses were paid. Frederick G. Williams was appointed treasurer of the camp and kept the record of contributions and disbursements from this fund. Because Sylvester Smith charged JS of improprieties in “the distribution of monies and other properties,” Orson Hyde put together two accounts based on Williams’s records: one showing JS’s personal expenses and contributions while on the expedition and one showing the general expenses and contributions of the Camp of Israel. (McBride, Reminiscence, 2; Kimball, “Journal and Record,” 8; Minutes, 28–29 Aug. 1834; Account with the Camp of Israel, ca. 11–29 Aug. 1834; Account with the Church of Christ, ca. 11–29 Aug. 1834.)

    McBride, Reuben, Sr. Reminiscence, no date. CHL. MS 8197.

    Kimball, Heber C. “The Journal and Record of Heber Chase Kimball an Apostle of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” ca. 1842–1858. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 1.

  5. [5]

    Bracketed correction based on a later JS history containing a copy of these minutes, which clarifies that Rigdon was reproving only Sylvester Smith and not Greene and others: “Elder Rigdon made some remarks, by way of reproof upon the conduct of Sylvester Smith. Elder John P. Green[e] spoke, others also, followed by the clerk.” (JS History, vol. A-1, 531–532.)

    JS History / Smith, Joseph, et al. History, 1838–1856. Vols. A-1–F-1 (original), A-2–E-2 (fair copy). Historian’s Office, History of the Church, 1839–ca. 1882. CHL. CR 100 102, boxes 1–7. The history for the period after 5 Aug. 1838 was composed after the death of Joseph Smith.

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