Minutes and Discourse, 6 March 1840, Page 88
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Minutes and Discourse, 6 March 1840

Source Note

Iowa high council, Minutes, and JS, Discourse, , Lee Co., Iowa Territory, 6 Mar. 1840. Featured version copied [between ca. 12 July 1840 and ca. Aug. 1841] in Iowa Stake Record, fair copy, pp. 88–90; handwriting of ; CHL.
The Iowa Stake Record is a large, commercially produced record book, measuring 12 × 7⅞ × 1 inches (30 × 20 × 3 cm). The book consists of ten gatherings, each gathering containing approximately twelve leaves. The paper, which is ruled with light blue lines that are now faded, measures 12 × 7½ inches (30 × 19 cm). The book has hard covers, the outside of which are adorned in shell marbled paper with a brown body and veins of blue and red. The spine is bound in brown leather and is titled “Baptism for the Dea[d] B Lee Coun[ty] Iowa Records”. Inside both the front and back covers, the book contains four blank pages of dark brown paper, as opposed to the lighter and now yellowed pages used for the volume record.
The volume begins with a title page that reads “Church Record” and a brief index. The book is then divided into two sections. Both sections are paginated, although a different scribe paginated the second section. The first section contains the minutes of the in and , Iowa Territory. These minutes are written in black and blue ink, with the majority of the entries written in blue. A substantial gap in the recording of minutes occurs between pages 18 and 85. In that gap, pages 19–47 include a list of members in the Iowa branch; pages 48–85 are blank except for the page numbers. Following the last recorded minutes on page 104, the book includes a second title page, which reads “Record of the Names of those who are baptised for their Dead—1841—And also the Names of their Dead”. Clerks then recorded baptisms for the dead performed in 1841.
A number of scribes recorded minutes in the volume. and inscribed the most entries, but and Johnston F. Lane likewise made entries. Gee likely began the volume sometime around 12 July 1840, the day he was appointed clerk of the branch. After the initial inclusion of the minutes detailing the establishment of the branch on 5 October 1839, Gee recorded the minutes for 12 July 1840. Following the 12 July 1840 minutes, clerks then filled in the minutes between October 1839 and July 1840, apparently drawing upon loose minutes kept by Elias Smith that are no longer extant. Because the volume was also used to record the 1841 baptisms for the dead, it is likely that clerks finished recording the Iowa branch minutes around August 1841.
A notation on page 1 states that the volume was “returned to the office of General Church Recorder at ” on 21 February 1844. The notation also indicates that the volume was in the possession of for a time before it was loaned to an unnamed individual and subsequently returned to Richards’s custody. had access to the book on 28 January 1845 and made a notation regarding some of the previously recorded 1841 baptisms for the dead. The volume is listed as “Iowa Church Record” in the inventory of church records made in Nauvoo in 1846 prior to the Saints’ migration to the Salt Lake Valley. Subsequent inventories list the item under a variety of names, including “Lee Co Iowa [records and journal],” “Lee Co Ioway. Records,” and “[Baptisms for the Dead record]–Lee Co. Iowa records.” These inventories demonstrate that the Church Historian’s Office maintained the volume continuously through 1878. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, the volume was transferred to the custody of the Salt Lake Temple because of its records relating to baptisms for the dead. It remained housed in the Salt Lake Temple Vault until October 2012, when the First Presidency transferred the volume to the custody of the Church History Library.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    “Schedule of Church Records. Nauvoo 1846,” [1], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

  2. [2]

    “Inventory. Historian’s Office. 4th April 1855,” [1]; “Historian’s Office Catalogue Book March 1858,” [13]; “Contents of the Historian and Recorder’s Office. G. S. L. City July 1858,” 8; “Index of Records and Journals in Historian’s Office 1878,” [7], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

  3. [3]

    See the full bibliographic entry for Nauvoo Temple, Baptisms for the Dead, 1840–1845, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On 6 March 1840, JS met with the in , Iowa Territory, to discuss several items of business, including the high council’s desire to have the in Iowa Territory live the law of so that their poor would be cared for. Under this law, members donated money, goods, and land to the church and received back an “,” or property, based on their circumstances, needs, and wants. Whatever donated property remained would be used to benefit the poor. The high council voted to implement the law in Montrose at a meeting held on 6 December 1839. At that meeting, requested that the council appoint an to obtain “funds to relieve him from debts” he had contracted to support the poor. —who was a counselor to , the presiding officer over the church in Iowa—then declared that God had directed that the law of consecration be the method to help the impoverished and that the church should implement that law rather than any other system. After Wight spoke, the high council resolved “that they would come up to the law of consecration and observe to keep it.”
A little over a week later, member as well as , who had been appointed “to receive donations for the poor” in November 1839, informed that it was “not expedient to go into the law of consecration under Existing circumstances.” Indeed, Hyrum told John it was “folly” to try to live the law of consecration “untill is redeemed”—meaning until the Saints had regained their lands in . On 4 January 1840, John Smith notified the high council of these statements, but the high council refused to rescind its resolution. According to John Smith, Hyrum Smith and Granger then began to “operate against all” of the proceedings of the high council, including, evidently, their efforts to implement the law of consecration in Iowa. JS was in when these discussions occurred and did not return to , Illinois, until late February 1840. At this 6 March meeting, he shared his belief that God did not require church members to live the law of consecration at that time and that the Saints should focus on obtaining redress from the federal government for the wrongs committed against them in Missouri.
In addition to discussing consecration, the high council considered a difficulty between three of its members, deliberated on land matters in that had previously been presented to the council, and passed resolutions pertaining to the church’s efforts to gain redress from the federal government. As clerk of the meeting, kept the minutes, which he entered into the official record of the Iowa high council sometime between July 1840 and August 1841.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:30–36].

  2. [2]

    Ripley was appointed as the bishop in Iowa Territory in October 1839. (Minutes and Discourses, 5–7 Oct. 1839.)

  3. [3]

    Iowa Stake Record, 6 Dec. 1839, 9–10.

    Iowa Stake, Record. / Iowa Stake. “Church Record,” 1840–1841. CHL. LR 7817 21.

  4. [4]

    Recommendation for Oliver Granger, 1 Nov. 1839.

  5. [5]

    John Smith, Journal, 1836–1840, 14 Dec. 1839, [48].

    Smith, John (1781-1854). Journal, 1833–1841. John Smith, Papers, 1833-1854. CHL. MS 1326, box 1.

  6. [6]

    John Smith, Journal, 1836–1840, 15 Dec. 1839, [49].

    Smith, John (1781-1854). Journal, 1833–1841. John Smith, Papers, 1833-1854. CHL. MS 1326, box 1.

  7. [7]

    Iowa Stake Record, 4 Jan. 1840, 15–16; John Smith, Journal, 1836–1840, 7 Jan. 1840, [54]–[55].

    Iowa Stake, Record. / Iowa Stake. “Church Record,” 1840–1841. CHL. LR 7817 21.

    Smith, John (1781-1854). Journal, 1833–1841. John Smith, Papers, 1833-1854. CHL. MS 1326, box 1.

  8. [8]

    John Smith, Journal, 1836–1840, 29 Feb. 1840, [58].

    Smith, John (1781-1854). Journal, 1833–1841. John Smith, Papers, 1833-1854. CHL. MS 1326, box 1.

  9. [9]

    John Smith, Journal, 1836–1840, 6 Mar. 1840, [60].

    Smith, John (1781-1854). Journal, 1833–1841. John Smith, Papers, 1833-1854. CHL. MS 1326, box 1.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Minutes and Discourse, 6 March 1840
History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 88

March 6th, 1840.
The met at ’s at persuent to adjournment.
Present, & . In organizing the Council the matter between , & was enquired into by in order to ascertain if the affair was settled, so that they could act together in union in the council. The inquiry produced an unpleasant scene, & the Councillors by vote rejected , & from the Council till the affair was Settled, & the council was organized by appointing Elders , & in their places pro. tem. & & in place of Richard Howard & , absent.
The Council was opened by si[n]ging & prayer.
The minutes of the last council were read.
was present, liquise [likewise] Pr. Joseph Smith & .
made explanation of the things the council requested of him:
With regard to the first item he said, that he had been advised & counseled not to not to comply with his own proposition: & that in the other his intention in making the [p. 88]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes and Discourse, 6 March 1840
ID #
8982
Total Pages
3
Print Volume Location
JSP, D7:211–216
Handwriting on This Page
  • Elias Smith

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    According to the 1840 United States Census, Fordham resided in Township 66 North, Range 5 West, in the Half-Breed Tract in Iowa Territory. (1840 U.S. Census, Township 66, Lee Co., Iowa Territory, 199.)

    Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.

  2. [2]

    John Smith, who presided over the high council and church in Iowa Territory.

  3. [3]

    At the 21 February 1840 meeting of the Iowa high council, Snow and Fordham “expressed some dissatisfaction with Elder J. Patten for some of his teaching at a meeting on the preceding Sabath in Montrose.” The high council then voted to table the matter until this 6 March meeting. (Iowa Stake Record, 21 Feb. 1840, 87.)

    Iowa Stake, Record. / Iowa Stake. “Church Record,” 1840–1841. CHL. LR 7817 21.

  4. [4]

    Noble was appointed to the Seventy in 1835. Carter had previously served on high councils in Clay County and Far West, Missouri. Avery was appointed to preside over the elders quorum in Lee County, Iowa Territory, in January 1840. Although Carter had been ordained a high priest in 1831, it is unclear if Avery or Noble were high priests, the usual priesthood office for high counselors. (Minutes and Blessings, 28 Feb.–1 Mar. 1835; Obituary for Simeon Carter, Deseret News [Salt Lake City], 17 Feb. 1869, [1]; Minutes, 3 July 1834; Minute Book 2, 11 June 1837; “Notice,” Times and Seasons, July 1840, 1:143–144; JS History, vol. C-1, 1008; Minutes, ca. 3–4 June 1831.)

    Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  5. [5]

    Baldwin, who was ordained a high priest in June 1831, was the presiding elder of a branch at the Big Blue River, Kaw Township, in Jackson County, Missouri, in 1832. Newberry was ordained an elder in April 1839 but was not ordained a high priest until July 1840. Howard and Smith were designated members of the Iowa high council by the October 1839 general conference of the church. (Minutes, ca. 3–4 June 1831; W. W. Blair, “Personal Reminiscence,” Saints’ Herald, 1 June 1879, 165; JS History, vol. C-1, 918; Iowa Stake Record, 18 July 1840, 91; Minutes and Discourses, 5–7 Oct. 1839.)

    Saints’ Herald. Independence, MO. 1860–.

    Iowa Stake, Record. / Iowa Stake. “Church Record,” 1840–1841. CHL. LR 7817 21.

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