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...
More Info
, 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 178
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You shall have heavenly visions and the ministry of Angels shall be your lot. You shall have great faith to perform your work. You shall go to Islands that are not troubled with Priests, and convert and depopulate them, and bring them to
Zion
A specific location in Missouri; also a literal or figurative gathering of believers in Jesus Christ, characterized by adherence to ideals of harmony, equality, and purity. In JS’s earliest revelations “the cause of Zion” was used to broadly describe the ...
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and join your brethren with great rejoicing. amen.

Solomon Angel[l]
21 Apr. 1806–20 Sept. 1881. Carpenter, joiner. Born in Florence, Oneida Co., New York. Son of James W. Angell and Phoebe Morton. Moved to North Providence, Providence Co., Rhode Island. Married Eunice C. Young, 13 Apr. 1828, in North Providence. Moved to ...
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.

We
ordain
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you to be one of the
70
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and an
Elder
A male leader in the church generally; an ecclesiastical and priesthood office or one holding that office; a proselytizing missionary. The Book of Mormon explained that elders ordained priests and teachers and administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto...
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in the
church of the Latter Day Saints
The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...
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. Your tongue shall be loosed and you shall have much knowledge & wisdom to teach all the revelations which you have received through others. You shall, if you diligently seek after wisdom, not be a whit behind your Brethren in this ministry.
31
See 2 Corinthians 11:5; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 437 [Helaman 11:19].
You shall have power to fill your days with usefulness and have favor in the eyes of God, and men and not be persecuted as some of your brethren. These blessings are for you and your offspring, and finally you shall return and rejoice (if faithful) with your Brethren & family upon this land. Amen

John D. Parker
22 Nov. 1799–26 Feb. 1891. Farmer, wainwright. Born in Saratoga, Saratoga Co., New York. Son of Abel Parker and Mary Davies. Served in War of 1812 as teamster in General John E. Wool’s company, 1813–1814. Married Harriet Sherwood. Moved to Galway, Saratoga...
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We
ordain
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you to be one of the
70
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You shall be a messenger to both civilized and uncivilized and you shall be sent and you shall proclaim the gospel to both poor & rich; you shall proclaim from kingdom to kingdom and from land to land and you shall have all the powers necessary to fill this ministry with dignity, with honor and much usefulness, and in the end you shall return to your own land and enjoy the rest of the saints. Amen.

Daniel Stevens [Stephens]
32
Daniel Stephens was baptized in June 1832 in New York and was ordained an elder the following month. He spent a considerable amount of time after his baptism preaching in New York and Pennsylvania before accompanying the Camp of Israel expedition to Missouri. (Daniel Stephens, Report, 16 Feb. 1835, Missionary Reports, 1831–1900, CHL.)
Missionary Reports, 1831–1900. CHL. MS 6104.

Tho[u] hast had many
patriarchal blessings
An ecclesiastical and priesthood office with the authority to give inspired blessings, similar to the practice of Old Testament patriarchs. JS occasionally referred to patriarchs as “evangelical ministers” or “evangelists.” Joseph Smith Sr. was ordained as...
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pronounced upon thee and we confirm them all upon thee,
33
Joseph Smith Sr. began giving patriarchal blessings after he was ordained a patriarch in December 1834. Oliver Cowdery started recording blessings into a patriarchal blessing book in September 1835, but there is no record of a blessing to Stephens in that book. Cowdery noted that “there were many blessings given previous” to that time, but he did not have a record of all of them, “as many retain their blessings in their own hands, not yet having handed them in to be recorded.” (Patriarchal Blessings, 1:9, 16.)
Patriarchal Blessings, 1833–. CHL. CR 500 2.
No man can fill this mission [p. 178]
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Source Note
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Page 178
Document Information
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
[31]
See 2 Corinthians 11:5; and Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 437 [Helaman 11:19].
[32]
Daniel Stephens was baptized in June 1832 in New York and was ordained an elder the following month. He spent a considerable amount of time after his baptism preaching in New York and Pennsylvania before accompanying the Camp of Israel expedition to Missouri. (Daniel Stephens, Report, 16 Feb. 1835, Missionary Reports, 1831–1900, CHL.)
Missionary Reports, 1831–1900. CHL. MS 6104.
[33]
Joseph Smith Sr. began giving patriarchal blessings after he was ordained a patriarch in December 1834. Oliver Cowdery started recording blessings into a patriarchal blessing book in September 1835, but there is no record of a blessing to Stephens in that book. Cowdery noted that “there were many blessings given previous” to that time, but he did not have a record of all of them, “as many retain their blessings in their own hands, not yet having handed them in to be recorded.” (Patriarchal Blessings, 1:9, 16.)
Patriarchal Blessings, 1833–. CHL. CR 500 2.