Footnotes
For more information about these meetings and the Seventy in general, see Historical Introduction to Minutes and Blessings, 28 Feb.–1 Mar. 1835.
Although not all blessings explicitly state that an individual was ordained a seventy, it appears that the only men not made seventies at this time were John Murdock, Solomon Denton, Benjamin Winchester, Hyrum Smith, and Frederick G. Williams.
Bradley, Zion’s Camp 1834, 269–275; Account with the Church of Christ, ca. 11–29 Aug. 1834.
Bradley, James L. Zion’s Camp 1834: Prelude to the Civil War. Logan, UT: By the author, 1990.
For examples, see Hutchings, Journal, 15 Feb. 1835; Burgess, Autobiography, 4; and “Biographies of the Seventies of the Second Quorum,” 22.
Hutchings, Elias. Journal, Dec. 1834–Sept. 1836. CHL. MS 1445.
Burgess, Harrison. Autobiography, ca. 1883. Photocopy. CHL. MS 893. Also available as “Sketch of a Well-Spent Life,” in Labors in the Vineyard, Faith-Promoting Series 12 (Salt Lake City: Juvenile Instructor Office, 1884), 65–74.
“Biographies of the Seventies of the Second Quorum,” 1845–1855. In Seventies Quorum Records, 1844–1975. CHL. CR 499.
A later JS history stated that “the Church in council” met on 28 February 1835 to select “certain individuals from the number of those who went up to Zion” as members of the Seventy. (JS History, vol. B-1, 577.)
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.
According to the “Articles and Covenants” of the church, new members were confirmed “by the laying on of the hands, & the giving of the Holy Ghost.” (Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830, in Revelation Book 1, p. 55 [D&C 20:41].)
The church’s Articles and Covenants instructed the church to “meet together oft to partake of bread & wine, in Rememberance of the Lord Jesus.” The sacrament was administered at early church conferences, and an August 1831 revelation directed church members to offer their sacraments on God’s “holy day.” (Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830, in Revelation Book 1, p. 57 [D&C 20:75]; Revelation, 7 Aug. 1831 [D&C 59:9].)
The Book of Mormon relates that when Christ visited the Nephites after his resurrection, he told the twelve disciples he had selected that they should “not suffer any one, knowingly, to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye shall minister it.” (Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 492 [3 Nephi 18:28–29].)
Barlow’s blessing is not recorded here, but he presumably received one like the others.
According to a later source, Levi Hancock was absent when JS designated the Seventy; he received his ordination at a later time. Hancock’s own reminiscences place him in Kirtland in February 1835, but they do not mention his ordination. The record of his blessing, however, is different from the others in that it does not address Hancock directly but in the third person. (Young, History of the Organization of the Seventies, 4; Hancock, Autobiography, 149–150.)
Young, Joseph, Sr. History of the Organization of the Seventies: Names of First and Second Quorums. Items in Relation to the First Presidency of the Seventies. Also, a Brief Glance at Enoch and His City. Embellished with a Likeness of Joseph Smith, the Prophet, and a View of the Kirtland Temple. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Steam Printing Establishment, 1878.
Hancock, Mosiah Lyman. "Autobiography of Levi Ward Hancock," ca. 1896. CHL. MS 570.