Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 1 March 1835

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Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 1 March 1835
Source Note

Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, [
Kirtland Township
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...
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, Geauga Co., OH], 1 Mar. 1835. Featured version copied [not before 25 Feb. 1836] in Minute Book 1, pp. 172–186; handwriting of
Warren Cowdery
17 Oct. 1788–23 Feb. 1851. Physician, druggist, farmer, editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Married Patience Simonds, 22 Sept. 1814, in Pawlet, Rutland Co. Moved to Freedom, Cattaraugus Co., New York, 1816...
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; CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for Minute Book 1.

Historical Introduction
On the morning of 1 March 1835, church members convened a meeting in
Kirtland
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...
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, Ohio, apparently as a continuation of a meeting that had adjourned on 28 February. Several men appointed to the office of
Seventy
A priesthood office with the responsibility to travel and preach and assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, similar to the seventy in the New Testament. In February and March 1835, the first members of the Seventy were selected and ordained. All of those...
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were given
ordination
The conferral of power and authority; to appoint, decree, or set apart. Church members, primarily adults, were ordained to ecclesiastical offices and other responsibilities by the laying on of hands by those with the proper authority. Ordinations to priesthood...
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blessings in that 28 February meeting.
1
For more information about these meetings and the Seventy in general, see Historical Introduction to Minutes and Blessings, 28 Feb.–1 Mar. 1835.
The blessings continued in this 1 March 1835 meeting, and at least thirty-three individuals, including some not designated as seventies, were blessed.
2
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.
All those receiving ordinations and blessings in this meeting had participated in the
Camp of Israel
A group of approximately 205 men and about 20 women and children led by JS to Missouri, May–July 1834, to redeem Zion by helping the Saints who had been driven from Jackson County, Missouri, regain their lands; later referred to as “Zion’s Camp.” A 24 February...
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expedition.
3
Bradley, Zion’s Camp 1834, 269–275; Account with the Church of Christ, ca. 11–29 Aug. 1834.
Comprehensive Works Cited
Bradley, James L. Zion’s Camp 1834: Prelude to the Civil War. Logan, UT: By the author, 1990.
According to later reminiscences, many of these blessings were performed by members of the church presidency, including JS, his
father
12 July 1771–14 Sept. 1840. Cooper, farmer, teacher, merchant. Born at Topsfield, Essex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Asael Smith and Mary Duty. Nominal member of Congregationalist church at Topsfield. Married to Lucy Mack by Seth Austin, 24 Jan. 1796, at Tunbridge...
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,
Sidney Rigdon
19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...
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, and
Oliver Cowdery
3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...
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.
4
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.
The minutes indicate that several individuals who had recently been
baptized
An ordinance in which an individual is immersed in water for the remission of sins. The Book of Mormon explained that those with necessary authority were to baptize individuals who had repented of their sins. Baptized individuals also received the gift of...
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were also confirmed members of the church at the meeting, and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper was administered. JS also gave instructions on the necessity of worthiness when partaking of the sacrament.

It is unclear who originally recorded the ordination blessings or the minutes of the meeting.
Warren Cowdery
17 Oct. 1788–23 Feb. 1851. Physician, druggist, farmer, editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Married Patience Simonds, 22 Sept. 1814, in Pawlet, Rutland Co. Moved to Freedom, Cattaraugus Co., New York, 1816...
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later copied them into Minute Book 1.
Footnotes
[1]
For more information about these meetings and the Seventy in general, see Historical Introduction to Minutes and Blessings, 28 Feb.–1 Mar. 1835.
[2]
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.
[3]
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.
[4]
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.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 1 March 1835 Minute Book 1 History, 1838–1856, volume B-1 [1 September 1834–2 November 1838] “History of Joseph Smith”
Page 182
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ister to you and you receive great good wisdom from the Lord, and do great good in his name. When you are old you shall return to your native land. And you and your posterity are blessed and shall be to the latest generation, because you will run when the Lord calls & go when he sends. even so Amen.

Wm. F. Cahoon
7 Nov. 1813–6 Apr. 1893. Shoemaker, carpenter, joiner. Born at Harpersfield, Ashtabula Co., Ohio. Son of Reynolds Cahoon and Thirza Stiles. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Parley P. Pratt, 16 Oct. 1830, at Kirtland, Geauga Co....
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45
William Cahoon later wrote that his ordination occurred on 28 February 1835, not 1 March. (Cahoon, Autobiography, 44.)
Cahoon, William F. Autobiography, 1878. Microfilm. CHL. MS 8433.

We set you apart to be one of the
70
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. You are young and we pray the Lord to guard you against the follies of youth. That you may be humble and conquer all your evil propensities incident to youth.
46
Cahoon, who was twenty-one at this time, had been accused in October 1831 of “offering abuse” to one of Newel K. and Elizabeth Smith Whitney’s children. (Minutes, 21 Oct. 1831.)
But if you do not forsake all evil when you go forth among the nations, you shall never return, It is with you death or victory. You shall go to many nations and kingdoms, but you must begin from this very hour to reform. If you do you shall do great good and bring [to] pass much righteousness,
47
See Revelation, 1 Aug. 1831 [D&C 58:27].
because you have desired it. You shall become a polished shaft,
48
See Isaiah 49:2; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 54 [1 Nephi 21:2].
and rejoice amidst many converts & return with much joy to your native land. We seal blessings upon you upon condition of your faithfulness— Amen.

Harpen [Harpin] Riggs
12 Apr. 1809–2 Nov. 1865. Farmer, cooper. Born in Oxford, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Gideon Riggs and Susan Pitcher. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, by 1820. Served as election clerk, 8 Sept. 1830, in Kirtland. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ...
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We renew upon you your commission, and also set you apart to be one of the
70
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. You shall be a witness not only to other nations but also to this. You shall yet declare that you have seen the Heavens opened <& and that the Lord Jesus lives> because you have seen him:
49
In a charge given to those called as apostles, Oliver Cowdery counseled them to “never cease striving until you have seen God, face to face. . . . We require as much to qualify us as did those who have gone before us.” (Minutes and Blessings, 21 Feb. 1835.)
And you shall be ministred unto by holy Angels. You shall speak to them in their own language,
50
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 120 [2 Nephi 32:2–3].
and you shall have great wisdom to teach and to set in order the things of Jesus. And you shall see good days and many of them. A multitudes of blessings are in the Heavens for you. Finally you shall return to your native land with much rejoicing Amen. [p. 182]
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Page 182
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 1 March 1835
ID #
6818
Total Pages
15
Print Volume Location
JSP, D4:264–279
Handwriting on This Page
Warren A. Cowdery
Footnotes
[45]
William Cahoon later wrote that his ordination occurred on 28 February 1835, not 1 March. (Cahoon, Autobiography, 44.)
Cahoon, William F. Autobiography, 1878. Microfilm. CHL. MS 8433.
[46]
Cahoon, who was twenty-one at this time, had been accused in October 1831 of “offering abuse” to one of Newel K. and Elizabeth Smith Whitney’s children. (Minutes, 21 Oct. 1831.)
[47]
See Revelation, 1 Aug. 1831 [D&C 58:27].
[48]
See Isaiah 49:2; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 54 [1 Nephi 21:2].
[49]
In a charge given to those called as apostles, Oliver Cowdery counseled them to “never cease striving until you have seen God, face to face. . . . We require as much to qualify us as did those who have gone before us.” (Minutes and Blessings, 21 Feb. 1835.)
[50]
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 120 [2 Nephi 32:2–3].