Footnotes
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.
Minutes, 11 Sept. 1833; Letter to Edward Partridge et al., 30 Mar. 1834; Oliver Cowdery, Kirtland Mills, OH, to Ambrose Palmer, New Portage, OH, 30 Oct. 1833, in Cowdery, Letterbook, 8; F. G. Williams & Co., Account Book, 1; Oliver Cowdery, “To the Patrons of the Evening and the Morning Star,” The Evening and the Morning Star, Dec. 1833, 113; Revelation, 23 Apr. 1834 [D&C 104:28–30].
Cowdery, Oliver. Letterbook, 1833–1838. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
F. G. Williams & Co. Account Book, 1833–1835. CHL. In Patience Cowdery, Diary, 1849–1851. CHL. MS 3493.
The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.
Minutes, 17 Aug. 1835. These minutes refer to this 24 September 1834 high council meeting as “a general assembly of the Church in Kirtland.”
Revelation, 23 Apr. 1834 [D&C 104:58].
See Historical Introduction to Minutes, ca. 3–4 June 1831; and Historical Introduction to Minutes, 25–26 Oct. 1831. The Kirtland high council may have been responding to unauthorized ordinations of high priests. In late July, for example, the Missouri high council found Samuel Brown’s ordination of Sylvester Hulet as a high priest to be unlawful because Brown had not obtained the proper authorization to ordain Hulet. (Minute Book 2, 31 July–1 Aug. 1834.)
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The portion of these minutes eventually published in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants starts at this point. The heading to the published version begins: “The Assembly being duly organized, and after transacting certain business of the church, proceeded . . .” (“General Assembly,” in Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 ed., 255.)
The 1835 published version includes the word “day” here. (“General Assembly,” in Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 ed., 255.)
This word is replaced by “Elder” in the 1835 published version. (“General Assembly,” in Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 ed., 255.)
The phrase “then nominated brethren” is replaced by “for the assembly, moved that presiding elders” in the 1835 published version. (“General Assembly,” in Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 ed., 255.)
JS, Sidney Rigdon, and Frederick G. Williams composed the presidency of the high priesthood and had been given stewardship over the entire church. They were also members of the Literary Firm, which had responsibility over the revelations and the printing of “sacred things.” Oliver Cowdery, also a member of the Literary Firm, served as a steward over printing operations in Kirtland. These four men were credited with compiling the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants and were listed on the title page of that publication as “Presiding Elders of said Church.” By the time of publication, Cowdery had been added to the presidency. (Revelation, 23 Apr. 1834 [D&C 104:28–30, 58, 63]; Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 ed., title page; Account of Meetings, Revelation, and Blessing, 5–6 Dec. 1834.)
The word “which” is replaced by “The nomination” in the 1835 published version. (“General Assembly,” in Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 ed., 255.)
This arrangement was similar to that made in November 1831 when six men were named “stewards over the revelations” and were instructed to share the profits from the publication and sale of the Book of Commandments. (Revelation, 12 Nov. 1831 [D&C 70:1–8]; Minutes, 12 Nov. 1831.)
The notice was published in the October 1834 issue of the Messenger and Advocate with the signatures of Oliver Cowdery and Orson Hyde as clerks of the council. It read: “Resolved, That a notice be published to the conferences and churches abroad, signed by the clerks of the Council, that it is hereby decided, for the general good of the church, as a body, that no individual ordained hereafter, to the High Priesthood, will be acknowledged in that office except they are ordained in this Council: and that those desiring that office, obtain proper recommends from their respective churches.” (“Extract from the Minutes of the High Council,” LDS Messenger and Advocate, Oct. 1834, 1:13, italics in original.)
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.
In fall 1834, Whitney owed over $2,000 to New York merchants for purchases made for the Kirtland storehouse in October 1833. In his role as bishop, and per an early June 1833 revelation, Whitney managed the French farm property, where the House of the Lord was being constructed, and was responsible for the outstanding payments on that mortgage. One scholar postulates that Whitney’s ashery, which was used to convert ashes into lye, may have been largely destroyed by fire in fall 1834, resulting in the loss of a major source of income for Whitney. (Frederick G. Williams, Kirtland, OH, to “Dear Brethren,” 10 Oct. 1833, in JS Letterbook 1, p. 58; “New York Account Book Sept. 1834,” [3]–[9], Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU; Minutes, 4 June 1833; Revelation, 4 June 1833 [D&C 96:2]; Geauga Co., OH, Deed Records, 1795–1921, vol. 17, pp. 38–39, 10 Apr. 1833; pp. 360–361, 17 June 1833, microfilm 20,237, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Staker, “Thou Art the Man,” 118; see also Minutes, 23 Mar. 1833–A; and Geauga Co., OH, Deed Records, 1795–1921, vol. 17, pp. 359–360, 10 Apr. 1833, microfilm 20,237, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)
JS Letterbook 1 / Smith, Joseph. “Letter Book A,” 1832–1835. Joseph Smith Collection. CHL. MS 155, box 2, fd. 1.
Whitney, Newel K. Papers, 1825–1906. BYU.
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
Staker, Mark L. “‘Thou Art the Man’: Newel K. Whitney in Ohio.” BYU Studies 42, no. 1 (2003): 75–138.
This list represents the new composition of the standing high council, with Hyrum Smith replacing Sylvester Smith as a standing member.