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Minutes, 12 April 1838

Source Note

Zion high council and bishopric, Minutes, , Caldwell Co., MO, 12 Apr. 1838. Featured version copied [between 1 Oct. 1842 and 14 Sept. 1843] in Minute Book 2, pp. 118–126; handwriting of ; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 2.

Historical Introduction

On 12 April 1838, JS testified in the trial of in , Missouri. The rift between church leaders who were loyal to JS and those who were not had been widening for several months, beginning in , Ohio, in 1837 and extending into later that year. The 12 April trial as well as another trial on 13 April represented the culmination of ecclesiastical efforts to cull dissent and division within the church. At the 12 April trial, JS testified that prior to Cowdery’s dissension, he had been JS’s “bosom friend.” In 1829, Cowdery had served as JS’s principal scribe for the Book of Mormon translation, and since that time the two men had jointly experienced visions, witnessed angelic visitations, and served as the church’s first teachers and leading . Further, in 1834 JS designated Cowdery as first assistant in the church . Despite these experiences, by 1837 Cowdery began to express displeasure with JS’s leadership of the church. As Cowdery noted in a letter included in the 12 April minutes, a central issue for him and others who opposed JS was the extent that the church and its leaders were involved in the “temporal interests” of its members. As another factor contributing to Cowdery’s dissent, by summer 1837 he was deeply in debt, likely in part because he previously purchased wholesale goods for a mercantile firm he operated with JS and . In addition, as noted in his trial, Cowdery had insinuated since 1837 that JS was guilty of adultery. Nevertheless, in a 3 September 1837 conference of the church in Kirtland, Cowdery was accepted as one of the “assistant Councilors” in the First Presidency. The next day, JS wrote to church leaders in Missouri, warning them that although Cowdery had been “chosen as one of the Presidents or councilors” in the First Presidency, he had “been in transgression” and that if he did not “humble himself & magnify his calling . . . the church will soon be under the necessaty of raising their hands against him.” In October 1837, Cowdery moved to Missouri, where he evidently devoted much of his time to improving his dire financial situation. He sold personal property in , Missouri, and to bolster his emerging clerical and legal practice, he encouraged lawsuits against church members. Both of these activities were included in the ’s charges against Cowdery in the 12 April trial.
The sale of land by , , and was the impetus for some of the earlier charges against the members of the . John Whitmer and Phelps, who had served as counselors to Zion president , were removed from office in early February. Cowdery showed implicit support for the deposed Zion presidency by attesting a letter the former presidency members wrote to , protesting the trial of Phelps and John Whitmer. On 7 April, submitted nine charges against Cowdery, most relating to accusations of misconduct and disloyalty to JS and the church. Two days later, church leaders wrote letters to Cowdery, , and —an and frequent associate of the dissenters in and —informing them of their trials before the high council. Cowdery received his letter the day it was written. On 12 April, instead of attending his trial in person, Cowdery sent a letter to that underscored Cowdery’s opposition to the actions of the church and asked that he be allowed to withdraw his membership.
’s trial was held at ’s office in . The trial proceeded according to official instructions for trying “a ” before a “common council of the church,” which consisted of a bishop, acting as a “common judge,” and twelve . In this case, Partridge conducted the case with the assistance of his counselors in the and the twelve members of the high council. The letter in which Cowdery requested to withdraw from the church was read to the bishopric and high council, and the court proceeded to investigate the charges. Most of the testimony centered on Cowdery’s emerging legal practice, his accusations that JS had committed adultery, and his alleged connection to counterfeiters in . JS testified twice during the trial. As a result of the testimony JS and others offered, Partridge and his counselors decided to excommunicate Cowdery; the high council concurred. Minutes of the council meeting were taken by clerk . They were later copied into Minute Book 2 by .

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See “Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon;” Revelation, ca. Aug. 1835 [D&C 27:8, 12]; JS History, vol. A-1, 37–38; Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:1–3]; and JS, Journal, 3 Apr. 1836; see also Harper, “Oliver Cowdery as Second Witness,” 73–89.

    Harper, Steven C. “Oliver Cowdery as Second Witness of Priesthood Restoration.” In Days Never to Be Forgotten: Oliver Cowdery, edited by Alexander Baugh, 73–89. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2009.

  2. [2]

    Account of Meetings, Revelation, and Blessing, 5–6 Dec. 1834.

  3. [3]

    See Historical Introduction to Letter from Thomas B. Marsh, 15 Feb. 1838.

  4. [4]

    See, for example, John Whitmer, Far West, MO, to Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer, Kirtland Mills, OH, 29 Aug. 1837, Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT; and Statement of Account from Perkins & Osborn, ca. 29 Oct. 1838.

    Whitmer, John. Letter, Far West, MO, to Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer, Kirtland Mills, OH, 29 Aug. 1837. Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

  5. [5]

    Letter to John Corrill and the Church in Missouri, 4 Sept. 1837.

  6. [6]

    Whitmer, Daybook, 20 Oct. 1837.

    Whitmer, John. Daybook, 1832–1878. CHL. MS 1159.

  7. [7]

    Letter from Thomas B. Marsh, 15 Feb. 1838; Minute Book 2, 10 Mar. 1838.

  8. [8]

    David Whitmer et al., Far West, MO, to Thomas B. Marsh, Far West, MO, 10 Mar. 1838, in Minute Book 2, 10 Mar. 1838.

  9. [9]

    Synopsis of Oliver Cowdery Trial, 12 Apr. 1838.

  10. [10]

    Instruction on Priesthood, between ca. 1 Mar. and ca. 4 May 1835 [D&C 107:74, 82–84].

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Minutes, 12 April 1838 Minute Book 2

Page 125

testifies that in January 1837 offered to sell out his share in the at Ohio, which they Joseph Smith jr & bought and gave their notes, after which say in the spring following he wished to get a press & some of the type which they granted him on conditions that he should give up the notes above refered to, he <​then​> went into the office and took whatever he pleased & so completely strip[p]ed the office, as he () was informed by , that there was scarcely enough left to print the “Elders Journal,” whereas, before there was a sufficient quantity to print a weekly and monthly paper, the book of Covenants, Hymn Book, Book of Mormon &c. but the notes he did not give up
<​testifies​> that told him that there was a certain man in the who could compound metal and make dies, that he could make money so that it could not be detected and if it was the case it was no harm to take that money and pass it. The man’s name was Davis. Also three men came to him to take out a writ to take some persons who had passed some Bogus (counterfeit) money viz: , and . Also that it was reported that was engaged in the Bogus money buisness. Also he did not disapprove of the principle of Davis’ making the dies and money.
Joseph Smith jr testifies that Mr Sapham a man who did not belong to the church came to him and told him that <​a​> warrant was about to be isued against for being engaged in making a purchase of Bogus money & dies to make the counterfeit money with. after which himself and went to see him, [p. 125]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, 12 April 1838
ID #
17705
Total Pages
9
Print Volume Location
JSP, D6:83–94
Handwriting on This Page
  • Hosea Stout

Footnotes

  1. [23]

    Cowdery procured the initial press for the Kirtland printing office in 1833 and was heavily involved with the office until 1837. (Crawley, Descriptive Bibliography, 1:33–34, 47–49, 51–52.)

    Crawley, Peter. A Descriptive Bibliography of the Mormon Church. 3 vols. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1997–2012.

  2. [24]

    The Kirtland printing office published the weekly Northern Times, the monthly Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate, the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, the 1835 Collection of Sacred Hymns, and the 1837 edition of the Book of Mormon.

  3. [25]

    In January 1838, Williams chaired a meeting attended by Cowdery, Phelps, David Whitmer, and others who opposed the actions of the Zion high council. Two months after the April trial, Cowdery claimed that Williams was preparing to leave the state with other dissenters. Given his apparent sympathy toward Cowdery and other dissenters, it is unclear why Williams chose to testify against Cowdery on this occasion. (Oliver Cowdery, Far West, MO, to Warren Cowdery and Lyman Cowdery, [Kirtland, OH], 4 Feb. 1838, in Cowdery, Letterbook, 85; Oliver Cowdery, Far West, MO, to Warren Cowdery and Lyman Cowdery, Kirtland Mills, OH, 2 June 1838, Lyman Cowdery, Papers, CHL.)

    Cowdery, Oliver. Letterbook, 1833–1838. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.

    Cowdery, Lyman. Papers, 1834–1858. CHL. MS 3467.

  4. [26]

    Probably Marvel Davis, who had operated a gunsmith shop in Kirtland. Davis had been excommunicated in January 1838 along with Warren Parrish and several other church members for “rising up in rebellion against the church.” (Johnson, “A Life Review,” 19; William Rockafellow, Affidavit, Russell, OH, 19 Mar. 1885, in Naked Truths about Mormonism [Oakland, CA], Apr. 1888, 2; Quorums of the Seventy, “Book of Records,” 7 Jan. 1838, 39.)

    Johnson, Benjamin Franklin. “A Life Review,” after 1893. Benjamin Franklin Johnson, Papers, 1852–1911. CHL. MS 1289 box 1, fd. 1.

    Naked Truths about Mormonism: Also a Journal for Important, Newly Apprehended Truths, and Miscellany. Oakland, CA. Jan. and Apr. 1888.

    Record of Seventies / First Council of the Seventy. “Book of Records,” 1837–1843. Bk. A. In First Council of the Seventy, Records, 1837–1885. CHL. CR 3 51, box 1, fd. 1.

  5. [27]

    The three men likely approached Williams because he was a justice of the peace in Kirtland from June 1836 to September 1837. (Kirtland Township Trustees’ Minutes and Poll Book, 143, 155.)

    Kirtland Township Trustees’ Minutes and Poll Book, 1817–1838. Lake County Historical Society, Painesville, OH.

  6. [28]

    Boynton and Parrish were prominent Kirtland dissenters.a Phelps, a constable in Geauga County, Ohio, had worked closely with Cowdery during Cowdery’s term as justice of the peace.b Williams’s testimony is ambiguous regarding whether Boynton, Parrish, and Phelps made the complaint or were accused of counterfeiting, but a later editorial in the church newspaper alleged that Parrish traveled to Tinker’s Creek, Ohio, to buy a box of counterfeit coins and discovered upon his return that the box contained only sand and stones. The editorial also claimed that “Parrish stole the paper out of the institution, and went to buying bogus or counterfeit coin with it” and “was aided by his former associates.”c

    (aSee, for example, “Mormonism,” Waldo Patriot [Belfast, ME], 4 May 1838, [1]. bSee, for example, Cowdery, Docket Book, 2–5. cEditorial, Elders’ Journal, Aug. 1838, 58; see also Letter from Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde, between 22 and 28 May 1838.)

    Waldo Patriot. Belfast, ME. 1837–1838.

    Cowdery, Oliver. Docket Book, June–Sept. 1837. Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.

  7. [29]

    Possibly Jonathan Lapham, a lawyer and justice of the peace in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, who had taken an active role in anti-Mormon activities in the region. (See Howe, Mormonism Unvailed, 252; and “Hon. Jas. A. Brigg’s Statement,” Naked Truths about Mormonism [Oakland, CA], Jan. 1888, 4.)

    Howe, Eber D. Mormonism Unvailed: Or, A Faithful Account of That Singular Imposition and Delusion, from Its Rise to the Present Time. With Sketches of the Characters of Its Propagators, and a Full Detail of the Manner in Which the Famous Golden Bible Was Brought before the World. To Which Are Added, Inquiries into the Probability That the Historical Part of the Said Bible Was Written by One Solomon Spalding, More Than Twenty Years Ago, and by Him Intended to Have Been Published as a Romance. Painesville, OH: By the author, 1834.

    Naked Truths about Mormonism: Also a Journal for Important, Newly Apprehended Truths, and Miscellany. Oakland, CA. Jan. and Apr. 1888.

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