| Ratification of the
constitution of the high council. Joseph Smith worked all day yesterday
on the minutes of February 17, 1834 and submits them to the council. He
asks that they consider them carefully and prayerfully. One minor correction
is made. He blesses his two assistant presidents ¶. Joseph Smith Sr.
blesses sons Joseph and William. John Johnson blesses son Luke. Council
members raise their hands "in token of the
everlasting covenant" and Joseph
pronounces the council "organized according to the ancient order." |
| Date |
|
February 19, 1834 |
|
Kirtland council, 36–37. |
| Location |
|
Kirtland, Ohio. |
|
|
| Description |
|
The council assembled
pursuant to adjournment. |
|
|
| Presiding |
|
[Joseph Smith] |
|
|
| Clerk |
|
Orson Hyde (h)
and Oliver Cowdery |
|
|
| Open
with scripture and prayer |
|
[Joseph] opened
the council by reading the 3rd Chap of Joel's prophecy, and prayer. |
|
Two months later,
Joseph reads Joel 2 to a conference. Minutes
of April 21, 1834 |
| Joseph
reads corrected minutes |
|
He then rises and tells the council
that yesterday he worked the entire day "with all the strength and
wisdom" the Lord has given him to make the necessary corrections
in the last council minutes. |
|
Minutes
of February 17, 1834 |
| |
|
He asks for the council's attention
so that: |
|
|
Spirit
necessary to judge corrections
All equally interested in minutes |
|
they
might rightly judge upon the truth and propriety of these minutes, as
all were equally interested in them … [and urges] the necessity of
prayer, that the spirit might be given, that the things of the spirit
might be judged thereby; because the carnal mind cannot discern the things
of God &c. |
|
term:
carnal mind
"carnal-minded, a. Worldly-minded.
"carnal-mindedness, n. Grossness of mind." |
| |
|
He reads the minutes and makes
some comments, and the council decides to hear it again. |
|
|
| Second
reading (despite Sidney) |
|
[Sidney reads]
the minutes or constitution of the high council > the
second time, remarking at the time, that it could not be justly urged to
be read at this time, as the hour was passed which was appointed for the
council to assemble. |
|
term:
constitution |
Correction
Third
reading |
|
An impropriety by some was discovered in the commcement of the minutes, as it says, a council of high priests, and afterwards says, that elders, priests and private members acted in said council. Said objections were corrected, and the minutes read the third time by Oliver Cowd[e]ry |
|
¶ Minutes
of February 17, 1834
A
common "error." |
| |
|
The correction is made and Oliver
reads the minutes the third time. |
|
|
| Accepted
as a constitution for the high council |
|
It is asked "whether
the present council acknowledge the same, and receive them for a form
or constitution of the high council < of the Church
of Christ hereafter." |
|
term:
constitution |
| Joseph
may make further corrections |
|
The council unanimously accepts
the document "with the provision, that, if the president should
hereafter discover any lack in the same he should be privileged to fill
it up." |
|
|
| Voters |
|
Those voting were
26 high priests, 18 elders, 3 priests, 1 teacher, and 14 "private members,"
totalling 62. |
|
|
| Joseph blesses
assistant presidents |
|
Joseph
lays his [37] hands on the heads of "the two assistant presidents" and
blesses them "that they might have wisdom to magnify their office,
and power over all the power of the adversary." |
|
assistant presidents:
Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams. ¶ Ohio
Offices |
| Blesses counselors |
|
Then he blesses "the twelve
counsellors and commanded a blessing to rest upon them that they might
have wisdom and power to counsel in righteousness," and prays "that
they might be delivered from those evils to which they were most exposed,
and that their lives might be prolonged on the earth." |
|
|
Joseph
Sr. blesses Joseph with blessing of progenitors, keys until second coming
Samuel with blessing of progenitors, remain a priest |
|
Joseph Sr. blesses
the Prophet with "the blessings of thy progenitors … that thou
mayest hold the keys of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven until the
coming of the Lord." Then he blesses Samuel H. with "the blessing
of thy progenitors
… that thou mayest remain a priest of the most high God and like Samuel
of old, hear his voice saying, Samuel, Samuel, Amen." |
|
"And the LORD came,
and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel." 1 Samuel 3:10. |
| John
Johnson blesses Luke |
|
John
Johnson blesses his son, Luke,
"according to the blessings of his forefathers, that he may be strengthened
in his ministry according to his holy calling." |
|
|
| Joseph's
charge |
|
Joseph charges his assistant presidents
and the twelve counselors to "do their duty in righteousness and
in the fear of God." |
|
|
| Raise
hands in token of everlasting covenant |
|
Those present raise their hands
"in token of the everlasting covenant, and the Lord blessed us with
his spirit." |
|
|
| Council
now organized as anciently |
|
Joseph announces that the council
is now "organized according to the ancient order, and also according
to the mind of the Lord." |
|
|
| Ezra Thayer's complaint |
|
Ezra Thayer submits
a charge against elder
Curtis Hodges Sr.: |
|
|
| Curtis Hodges mumbles loudly in church, claiming
it is inspired |
|
First, for an error in spirit; second, for
an error in the manner of his address, which consisted in loud speaking,
and a want of clearness in articulation, which was calculated to do injury
to the cause of God; and also, for contending that that was a good and
proper spirit that actuated him thus to speak—all of which I consider
unbecoming in an Elder in this Church, and request a hearing before the
High Council. |
|
|
| Hodges pleads not guilty. |
|
Elder Hodges pleads not guilty. |
|
|
| |
|
Father Lions' testimony supports the charge. |
|
|
| |
|
[Brother Story: elder Hodges]
talked so loud at a prayer meeting that the neighbors came out to see if
some one was hurt. At another meeting, he said that Elder Thayer rebuked
him for his error, but he did not receive the rebuke; that he raised his
voice so high, that he could not articulate so as to be understood; and
that his teaching brought a damper upon the meeting, and was not edifying. |
|
|
| |
|
[Erastus Babbitt: elder Hodges] was guilty
of hollowing so loud that in a measure he lost his voice, and uttered but
little else distinctly than "Glory to heaven's King." His testimony against
Brother Hodges was pointed. … |
|
|
| |
|
Truman Wait testified much to the same effect. |
|
|
| |
|
Oliver Cowdery speaks for the accuser, Joseph
Coe for the accused. Thayer and Hodges both speak for themselves,
then Joseph rises, presents the case "still more plainly, and gives
his decision, "which was, that the charges in the declaration had been
sustained by good witnesses; also, that Elder Hodges ought to have confessed
when rebuked by Elder Thayer; also, if he had the Spirit of the Lord at
the meetings, where he hollowed, he must have abused it, and grieved it
away. |
|
|
| |
|
The council concurs and elder Hodges acknowledges
his error, saying "he had learned
more during this trial than he had since he came into the Church; confessed
freely his error, and said he would attend to the overcoming of that
evil, the Lord being his helper." |
|
|
| |
|
The Council forgives him,
and adjourns to the evening of the 20th. |
|
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| |
|
Minutes of February 20, 1834
Minutes of February 17, 1834
Ohio Minutes
|