 |
| Clay county high council
is organized at Lyman Wight's house. (Zion's Camp
is
also
disbanded nearby on this day.) David Whitmer is ordained president, W.
W. Phelps and John Whitmer, counselors §. Elsewhere
Joseph says David was ordained as his possible successor in this meeting.
Joseph's work is now complete §. |
| Date |
|
July 7, 1834 |
|
FWR,
71–73. |
| Location |
|
Clay county, Lyman Wight
house |
|
|
| Description |
|
Agreeable to adjournment
the council of High Priests assembled … |
|
|
| [Presiding] |
|
[Joseph Smith] |
|
|
| Clerk |
|
Frederick
G. Williams |
|
|
| Present |
|
15 high priests, 8
elders, 4 priests, 8 teachers, 3 deacons, and "a number of Members." |
|
Members attend high council meetings. |
| Open |
|
Sing "age after
age has rowled away, &c."
Prayer by Joseph Smith Jr. |
|
|
| Speakers |
|
Joseph counsels those
present relative to their calling, reads to them from the February 17,
1834
minutes of the organization of the Kirtland high council. |
|
The
revised Minutes
of Feb. 17, 1834 were known as "the Constitution."
It is now D&C
102. |
| Joseph:
work complete |
|
He also informed them if he should now be
taken away that he had accomplished the great work which the Lord had
laid before him, and that which he had desired of the Lord, and that he
now had done his duty in organizing the High Council through which Council
the will of [72] the Lord might be known on all important occasions in
the building up of Zion, and establishing truth in the earth.
|
|
At
the meeting of Joseph and the
Twelve in November, Joseph announces that inasmuch as he was still alive,
he would introduce the ordinance of washing of feet for members in the
house of the Lord. Minutes of
Nov. 12, 1835 |
| |
¶ |
A vote was then taken
whether the brethren that were appointed on the 3rd of July should stand
according to appointment. The vote was clear in their behalf. |
|
Either at this meeting
or on the 3rd, Joseph chastized David and others for unfaithfulness. Minutes of
July 3, 1834
Joseph apparently refers this ordination in 1838 when
he "gave a history of the ordination of David Whitmer "to be
a leader, or a prophet to this Church, which (ordination) was on the
conditions that he (J. Smith jr) did not live to God himself." ¶
Minutes of Mar. 15, 1838
Presidents of the Church
|
| Three
presidents—and Joseph's successor? |
|
Joseph
ordains "the three Presidents, David Whitmer
as President and William W. Phelps & John
Whitmer assistants and their twelve Counsillors."
The twelve counselors cast lots to see who speaks first. The order is: |
|
| Counselors |
|
Simeon Carter
Parley P. Pratt (h)
William E. McLellin (h)
Calvin Beebe
Levi Jackman
Solomon Hancock
Christian Whitmer
Newel Knight
Orson Pratt
Lyman Wight (h) (swh)
Thomas B. Marsh (h)
John Murdock |
|
| Whitmer
blessings |
|
Peter Whitmer Sr. blesses
his sons, David, John, and Christian, and Newel Knight. |
|
|
| |
|
After the council of
high priests is organized, Bishop Partridge
tells the council |
|
|
| Edward
Partridge hopes to act righteously |
|
that a greater responsibility devolved upon him that before as
he had not the privilege of counselling with any of the high council
save one of the Presidents and his own Counsillors, and desired to have
the prayers of all the Church that he might be able to act in his station
in righteousness.
|
|
| W.
W. Phelps taking over press in Kirtland |
|
Joseph presents W. W.
Phelps' case before the council: William is to take over the printing press
in Kirtland; should he take his family to Kirtland? |
|
|
| Family
to remain |
|
Simeon Carter and William
E. McLellin speak on behalf of "the plaintiff," Parley P. Pratt
and Calvin Bebee "in behalf of the Church." President decides
he should go and his family remain. |
|
|
| David
to Kirtland |
|
Proposed by W. W. Phelps that br. David Whitmer the President
of the Church in Zion > should go to Kirtland as being
one of the three witnesses and assist in promoting the cause of Christ.
|
|
Presidents of the Church |
| Also
John Whitmer, William E. McLellin |
|
Levi Jackman speak in
behalf of the plaintiff, Solomon Hancock and Newel Knight for the church.
Decision that he go to the East and assist in the gathering. He may decide
about taking his family. John Whitmer and William E. McLellin (h)
also to go east. All to go "as soon as convenient." |
|
|
| President
David Whitmer and counselors |
|
[All in attendance]
covenanted with uplifted hands to heaven that they would uphold David
Whitmer as President, head and leader in Zion & John
Whitmer & W. W. Phelps as assistant
Presidents and Counsillors also covenanted to uphold him and one another
at the throne of grace. |
|
See Redaction below. |
| Close |
|
Prayer by David Whitmer
President. |
|
|
| Redaction |
| |
Far West Record |
History of the
Church |
|
There
is no entry for this meeting in , 520–525.
HC
2:125–126 follows TS 6, no. 1 (Feb. 1,
1846): 1110 except TS has you rather
than they "would uphold."
Blue: dropped
Red: added
The redaction:
1) Deemphasizes
David's role as "President of the Church in Zion" (as he is elsewhere
referred to <).
2) Reinforces Joseph's primacy.
3) Suggests assistant presidents functioned as counselors
to David Whitmer (which they did), but not as members of the high council.
Presidents of the Church |
| ¶ |
After all this was done
the afore mentioned |
The |
|
| |
High Priests, Elders,
Priests, Teachers, Deacons and members present, then covenanted with uplifted
hands to heaven that they would uphold David Whitmer as President, head
and leader in Zion & John Whitmer & W. W. Phelps as assistant
Presidents and Counsillors also
covenanted to uphold him and one another at the throne of grace. |
High Priests, Elders,
Priests, Teachers, Deacons and members present, then covenanted with hands
uplifted to heaven, that they would uphold Br. David Whitmer, as president
in Zion, in my absence, and John Whitmer and
W. W. Phelps as assistant presidents or councillors,
and myself as first president of the church, and
one another by faith and prayer. |
|
| |
|
|
Minutes of July 12, 1834
Minutes of July 3, 1834
Clay County Minutes
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