| Prior to conference,
Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery, and Zebedee Coltrin bless
each other §.
Sidney and Oliver to prepare the church covenants §. |
| Sidney preaches on the dispensation
of the fullness of time §. Joseph refers to "the
revelation of the priesthood of Aaron" and "the revelation of
the high priesthood" §.
Book of Mormon, gathering of Saints essential before cataclysms. A brother
is excommunicated for improprieties with women, but may appeal to the bishop's
council in Kirtland §. Joseph blesses some
children §. Sidney speaks on delivering Zion
(detailed), and on the endowment and missionary work (not detailed) §.
Oliver and others speak. Joseph prophecies the destruction of the church
if Zion is not redeemed §. |
| Minutes from Joseph's diary § and
the Kirtland high council minute book § are presented.
The minutes in Times and Seasons
6, no. 19 (Dec. 15, 1845): 1059, 1060–1061 omit certain details,
summarize others, and change person from first to third. |
| Background |
| To conference in New Portage |
|
Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery, and
Zebedee Coltrin leave Kirtland on April
18, 1834 "for New Portage,
to attend a conference." They
dine with F. G. Williams' father, William Williams in Newburgh, Cuyahoga County, then continue
their journey.
|
|
Papers,
2: 30–32 (Oliver's handwriting) // TS 6, no. 19 (Dec. 15, 1845): 1058–1059.
Newburgh is becoming part of Cleveland.
Copley is just west of central Akron, 5 miles north of Norton. From north to south, the sequence
is Copley, Norton, New Portage.
All are in metropolitan Akron. |
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[After dark they are]
hailed by a man who desired to ride. We were checked by the Spirit and refused:
he professed to be sick; but in a few minutes was joined by two others who
followed us, cursing and swearing, but we were successful in escaping their
hands and stayed at a tavern where we were treated with civility. |
|
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The next day they dine with Joseph
Bosworth, in Copley, and continue on to Jonathan Taylor's in Norton, "where
we were received with kindness." |
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Stop in Norton
Pray |
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We soon retired to the wilderness,
where we united in prayer and suplication for the blessings of the Lord
to be given unto his church: We called upon
the Father in the name of Jesus to go with the breth[r]en who were [77]
going up to the land of Zion, to give brother Joseph strength, and wisdom,
and understanding
sufficient to lead the people of the Lord, and to gather back, and establish
the saints upon the land of their inheritances, and organize them according
to the will of heaven that they be no more cast down forever. We
then united in the laying on of hands: |
|
Selected collections
1:20, Diaries, 76–81.
Times and Seasons puts this in first
person:
that I might have. |
| Joseph:
stand before the Lord, return in peace |
|
Joseph is first, the others conferring
upon him
"all the blessings necessary to qualify him to do <stand> before
the Lord, in his high calling; and [78] he return again in peace and
triumph, to enjoy
the
society
of his breth[r]en." |
|
TS puts
this in first person: qualify me to; also and be returned;
and (inconsistently) my brethren. |
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Then Oliver: |
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| Oliver:
wisdom, church covenants, printing |
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the blessings of wisdom and understanding
sufficient for his station; that he be qualified to assist Elder Rigdon
in arranging the church covenants, which are soon to be published; and
to have intelligence in all things to do the work of printing. |
|
In
September a committee is appointed to prepare what becomes known as the
Doctrine and Covenants. Minutes
of September 24, 1834
The
"Lectures on Faith" were the "Doctrine" part of early editions of the Doctrine
and Covenants. The revelations were the "Covenants." or "Covenants and
Commandments." |
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Then Sidney: |
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| Sidney:
wisdom to preside in Joseph's absence, church covenants, old age, crown |
|
[79] the blessings of wisdom and
knowledge to preside over the church in the absence of brother Joseph,
and to have the spirit to assist Elder Cowdery
in conducting the Star, and to arrange the Church covenants, and the blessing
of old age and peace, till Zion is built up & Kirtland established, till
all
his enemies are under his feet, and a crown of eternal life at th <in
the> kingdom of God with us. |
|
Sidney
is 41. |
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And finally, Zebedee: |
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| Zebedee:
wisdom to preach, long life, see Zion and Kirtland established, crown |
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the blessing of wisdom to preach
the gospel, even till it spreads to the islands of the seas, and to be
spared to see three score years and ten, and see Zion built up and Kirtland
established forever, and even at last to receive a crown of life. |
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Zebedee lived to age 82. |
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Our hearts rejoiced and we were
[81] comforted with the Holy Spirit. Amen. |
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Joseph's
diary entries |
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Sidney's
April 20 discourse
Dispensation of fullness of times |
¶ |
[Sunday, April 20, 1834] Elder
Rigdon entertained a large congregation of saints with an interesting discourse
upon the "Dispensation of the fulness of times, &c. |
|
Selected collections
1:20, Diaries, 81. |
| |
¶ |
[Monday, April 21,
1834] Attended Conference
and had a glorious time, some few volunteered to go to Zion, and others
donated $66.37, for the benefit of
the scattered
breth[r]en in Zion. |
|
Not recorded in the high
council minutes. |
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¶ |
Returned to Kirtland on the 22d
and found all well. |
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Minute book minutes |
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| Clerk |
|
Oliver Cowdery |
|
Kirtland council,
43–47. |
| Present |
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Seven high priests, thirteen elders. |
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| Date |
¶ |
Norton Medina Co. Ohio April 21,
1834. |
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| Location |
¶ |
This day a conference of the elders
of the church of christ assembled at the dwelling house of bro. Carpenters
at 10 o'clock A.M. |
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| Open |
¶ |
Opened by singing,
"How firm a foundation, &c." |
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| Joseph
reads Joel 2, prays |
|
Bro. Joseph Smith Jun.
read the 2nd chapter of the prophecy of Joel & took the lead in prayer;
after which, he commenced addressing the congregation, as follows. |
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Joel 2 |
Joseph's
discourse
Peculiar people |
|
Joseph notes it is "very
difficult for us to communicate to the churches all that God has revealed
to us, in consequence of tradition; for we
are differently Situated from any other peoples that ever existed upon
this Earth."
[44] Former revelations "cannot be suited to our condition." |
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churches:
branches is not in common usage yet.
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| Remnant
to gather |
|
In the last days, God will call a remnant to be saved from destruction.
Part of the remnant will be from Jerusalem and part from Zion. Desolation
will " soon cover the earth," and God wants a "place
of deliverance in his remnant, and in Zion, &c."
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Joel
2
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History:
Book of Mormon, revelation of priesthoods, organization of church
|
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He then gave a relation of obtaining and translating
the Book of Mormon, the revelation of the priesthood of Aaron, the organization
of the Church in the year 1830, the revelation of the high priesthood,
and the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out upon the Church, &c.
|
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Early
reference to revelation of priesthood
Priesthood |
Book
of Mormon, revelations, Zion essential
Gathering a requirement of redemption |
|
Take away the book of Mormon, and the revelations, and where is our religion?
We have none; for without a Zion and a place of deliverance, we must fall,
because the time is near when the sun will be darkened, the moon turn
to blood, the stars fall from heaven and the earth reel to and fro; then
if this is the case, if we are not sanctified and gathered to the places
where God has appointed, … we must fall, we cannot stand, we cannot
be saved; for God will gather out his saints from the gentiles and then
comes desolation or destruction and none can escape except the pure in
heart who are gathered, &c.
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| Sidney:
must gather |
|
[Sidney:] …
those who desire a part in this era which the angels desired to look into,"
must gather with the Saints. Otherwise they must wail at the [45] Lord's
coming.
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| Saints
reign with Christ in millennium |
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All creation will be
shocked at his "grand display of power, for the Ancient Saints will
reign with Christ for a Thousand years." |
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| Others
punished, do not live |
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Those who don't gather
will suffer the Lord's wrath for a thousand years. "The rest"
of the dead will not live again until the thousand years is over. |
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Sidney
prophesies
Inheritance only for gathered |
|
He said that he could
deliver a prophecy to the brethren and sisters, not that he stood
before them in the attitude of a prophet any farther then he was warranted
by
the written
revelations
of
God. |
|
Omitted
in Times and Seasons. |
| Gather only where directed |
|
He said it was in vain
for men in this generation to think of laying up and providing inheritances
for their children except they laid it up in the place where deliverance
was appointed by the voice of God; for those were to be the days of vengeance
... |
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| Jeremiah
redux |
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The future will be like
the time of Jeremiah. Before he died, the Jews were taken captive and others
took their land. |
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| Inheritances
must be where God says |
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If we want to prepare
inheritances for our children it must be where God has appointed as "places
of deliverance." |
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| Ancient
covenants |
|
He comments on the covenants
God made for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others. |
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| Themes |
|
Now
there are three "great items" he will speak about: "the deliverance
of Zion, the endowment of the elders with power from on high according to
former promises; and the spreading of the word of the Lord to the four winds." |
|
term:
endowment … with power from on high (used consistently by Sidney,
never simply endowment). |
| Deliverance
of Zion |
|
Importance resting on
the Saints in the last days. Revelation requires Saints to deliver those
who have been driven from their inheritances. [46] Either go or financially
support those who go with Zion's Camp. |
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| Oliver
urges contributions |
¶ |
Oliver reports the conditions
faced by those who have been driven from Jackson county and urges the
congregation to "open their hearts and contribute to their necessities." |
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| Other
speakers |
|
Ambrose Palmer and Salmon
Warner urge contributions. |
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¶ |
Joseph Bosworth declares he has
no property, but if needed to deliver Zion, he would "sell his own
clothes at auction if he could have left him as good a garment as the Saviour
had in the manger." "Two or three others" speak on the same
subject. |
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| Joseph:
destruction if Zion not delivered |
|
[Joseph]
then delivererd a short prophecy, that if Zion was not deliverd
the time was near when all of this Church, wherever they might be found,
would
be
persecuted and destroyed in like manner |
|
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Sidney
resumes
Ancient endowment |
¶ |
Sidney takes up "the
second item, viz:—The endowment of the Elders with power from on
high," rehearsing
the endowment of the ancient apostles. Presents the dimensions of the House
of the Lord
to be built in Kirtland (not specified in text), and reminds the brethren
of the promise made to the elders when it is built (not specified). |
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| Joseph
Bosworth's vision |
|
Joseph Bosworth: relates
[47]
"a few items of a vision" to support the revelations Sidney read
and his remarks on "the endowment of the elders with power from on
high." |
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| Joseph |
|
Joseph explains "the
revelation concerning the building of the house of the Lord" (not
specified). |
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| Sidney
and others |
|
Sidney speaks on the
spreading of the word of the Lord, followed by several other brethren
(not
specified). |
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| Improprieties
of Thomas Tripp |
¶ |
David
Evans is called to testify regarding the case of Thomas Tripp, who has been
"found in transgression." Brother Evans says Thomas was guilty
of "improprieties" with a sister when returning home from a meeting
"by taking her hand;" with another sister by "drawing her
breasts;" and by asking a wicked woman in the world" to testify
against a sister in good standing. |
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| Excommunicated |
|
The
conference votes that "Thomas Tripp be excluded from this church with
the privilege of an appeal to the Bishops council at Kirtland." |
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| Joseph
blesses children |
¶ |
Joseph
lays his hands on "certain children" and blesses them "in
the name of the Lord." |
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| Sidney
administers sacrament |
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Sidney administers the
sacrament. |
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¶ |
The number of high priests was — 7
[and 13 elders] |
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| Adjourn |
¶ |
Adjourn to the Monday
before the second Sunday of September |
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| Close |
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Conference sings "Now
my remnants of days," "&c." |
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Minutes of May 3, 1834
Minutes of April 4, 1834
Ohio Minutes
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