Footnotes
See Historical Introduction to Revised Minutes, 18–19 Feb. 1834 [D&C 102].
See Letter, 30 Oct. 1833; Letter from William W. Phelps, 6–7 Nov. 1833; Letter from William W. Phelps, 14 Nov. 1833; Letter from John Corrill, 17 Nov. 1833; Letter from Edward Partridge, between 14 and 19 Nov. 1833; Letter from William W. Phelps, 15 Dec. 1833; Letter to Edward Partridge, 5 Dec. 1833; and Letter to Edward Partridge et al., 10 Dec. 1833.
Revelation, 16–17 Dec. 1833 [D&C 101:17, 55–57].
William E. McLellin, who was likely present at this conference, later remembered the conference being held on 1 January 1834. (Larson and Passey, William E. McLellin Papers, 418.)
Larson, Stan, and Samuel J. Passey, eds. The William E. McLellin Papers, 1854–1880. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2007.
Pratt, Autobiography, 114.
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
Revised Minutes, 18–19 Feb. 1834 [D&C 102:2].
Revelation, 24 Feb. 1834 [D&C 103:21–22, 30, 37–40].
A later history of JS indicates the council was held after the revelation was dictated and does not provide any other contextual information. (JS History, vol. A-1, 437–441, addenda, 3nD.)
JS, Journal, 26–28 Feb. 1834; Pratt, Autobiography, 116–122; Minutes, 17 Mar. 1834; Backman, Profile, appendix E; Woodruff, Journal, 1 May 1834; Account with the Church of Christ, ca. 11–29 Aug. 1834.
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
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.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
According to Lyman Wight’s journal, he and Pratt departed Missouri on 12 January 1834 and arrived in Kirtland on 22 February. (Wight, Journal, in History of the Reorganized Church, 1:401–402.)
The History of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 8 vols. Independence, MO: Herald Publishing House, 1896–1976.
Revised minutes of the meeting on 17 February 1834, which organized the high council, explained that the president of the church was “also the president of the council,” in accordance with “the dignity of his office.” (Revised Minutes, 18–19 Feb. 1834 [D&C 102:9–10].)
The high council was required to have at least seven of the twelve regularly appointed counselors in attendance to act. Those seven had “power to appoint other high priests whom they may consider worthy and capable to act in the place of absent counsellors.” (Revised Minutes, 18–19 Feb. 1834 [D&C 102:6–7].)
The number of counselors appointed to speak depended on the difficulty of the issue. If the issue was not deemed difficult, only two were appointed to speak. For a case that was considered difficult, four were appointed, “and if more difficult, six”—the maximum number that could be appointed. (Revised Minutes, 18–19 Feb. 1834 [D&C 102:14].)
The 16–17 December 1833 revelation referred to two means by which the redemption of Zion would occur: raising a force of young and middle-aged men to reclaim the land and having branches of the church raise money to purchase land in Missouri, on which church members could then gather. (Revelation, 16–17 Dec. 1833 [D&C 101:55–56, 67–74].)
According to one report, residents of Clay County, to which the majority of church members had fled, were “as kind and accommodating” to the refugees “as could reasonably be expected.” (Parley P. Pratt et al., “‘The Mormons’ So Called,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Extra, Feb. 1834, [2].)
The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.
See Isaiah 35:10; 51:11.