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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 53

difficulty should be disposed of. Brother thought that for , to make a public confession in the Star would be the way to heal the wound. followed with nearly the same remarks Brother , thought it ought to be quashed here, and go no farther. followed with the same from brother I[saac] Bishop. Brother said that it was his opinion, that ought to make a more public confession, and send by letter to those who are in the same transgression, with himself and inform them of this decision, and then if necessary make it public in the Star. Brother thought that the confession ought to be as liberal as the accusation, or that it ought to be written and published Brother , said that if would view this thing in its proper light, he would be willing to make a public confession and send forth; and he advised him to do this for the salvation of the abroad. Brother Isaac Story, said that it was his opinion the plaster ought to be as large as the wound, that a proper statement ought to be published abroad. The then proposed that this council send a certificate or resolution, informing the churches abroad, that the conduct of brother Joseph, has been investigated, and that he has acted in a proper manner and in every respect has conducted himself to the satisfaction of the church in , and also let make a proper confession following the same minutes. Brother , , , R[oswell] Evans. and , made remarks to the same effect. Brother , made a few remarks upon the attitude in which, he, now stands before the world, in endeavoring to preach the gospel. [p. 53]
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Source Note

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Page 53

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. [6]

    The church periodical The Evening and the Morning Star.

  2. [7]

    Likely Isaac Gates Bishop, although it could also have been his son, Isaac Hyde Bishop. (Backman, Profile, 6–7.)

    Backman, Milton V., Jr., comp. A Profile of Latter-day Saints of Kirtland, Ohio, and Members of Zion’s Camp, 1830–1839: Vital Statistics and Sources. 2nd ed. Provo, UT: Department of Church History and Doctrine and Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1983.

  3. [8]

    The copy of these minutes in a later JS history identifies this individual as Amasa Lyman. However, Amasa Lyman was in Missouri in early August 1834. The individual referenced here was more likely Asa Lyman, who signed a statement published in The Evening and the Morning Star declaring that JS was not guilty of any wrongdoing on the Missouri expedition. (JS History, vol. A-1, 532; Minute Book 2, 6–7 Aug. 1834; “Conference Minutes,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Aug. 1834, 182.)

    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.

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

  4. [9]

    Bracketed clarifications based on a later JS history. Evans signed a statement published in The Evening and the Morning Star asserting that JS was not guilty of any wrongdoing on the Missouri expedition. (JS History, vol. A-1, 532; “Conference Minutes,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Aug. 1834, 182.)

    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.

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

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