Today in Mormon History - Oct 02

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On this day in Mormon History
http://TodayInMormonHistory.com/

-- 180 years ago today - Oct 2, 1841 --

The original handwritten manuscript of the Book of Mormon is placed in the southeast cornerstone of the Nauvoo House. Construction of the Nauvoo House begins on this date, but most of the effort is put into the temple, and the Nauvoo House is never completed above the first floor. (1)
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"Elder Warren Foote writes in his journal: "The semi-annual conference commenced today. After meeting was dismissed a deposit was made in the southeast corner of the Nauvoo house. A square hole had been chisseled in the large corner stone like a box. An invitation was given for any who wished to put in any little memento they desired to. I was standing very near the corner stone, when Joseph Smith came up with the manuscript of the Book of Mormon, and said he wanted to put that in there, as he had had trouble enough with it. It appeared to be written on fools' cap paper, and was about three inches in thickness. There was also deposited a Book of D&C, five cents, ten cents, twenty-five cents, fifty cents, and one dollar pieces of American coin, besides other articles. A close-fitting stone cover was laid in cement, and the wall built over it. I was standing within three feet of the Prophet when he handed in the manuscript, and saw it very plainly. He intimated in his remarks, that in after generations the walls might be thrown down, and these things discovered, from which the people could learn the doctrines and principles and faith of the Latter-day Saints."
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-- 180 years ago today - Oct 2, 1841 (Saturday) --

An important general conference was commenced in the Grove at Nauvoo. It was continued till the 4th. Joseph Smith declared, as the will of the Lord, that the Church should not hold another general conference until the Saints could meet in the Temple. James Sloan was elected Church clerk, instead of Robert B. Thompson deceased. (2)
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-- 165 years ago today - Oct 2, 1856 --
[Wilford Woodruff]
Oct 2d 1856 I met with Presidents B. Young H. C. Kimball & J. M. Grant at the House of the Lord [endowment house] at 6 oclok P.M. for the purpose of Dedicating the Baptismal Font which has of Late been built on the east side of the House of the Lord. ...

We went to the Font & knelt down around it & dedicated it unto God. ...

After the Font was dedicated President Brigham Young went down into the water in the Font & Baptized Presidents Heber C. Kimball & J. M. Grant & he laid his hands upon them & confirmed them members in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints & blessed them in the name of the Lord. ...

President Young said unto Heber C. Kimball Brother Heber Chase In the name of Jesus Christ I lay my hands upon your head and I Confirm you to be a member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints & I seal upon you the gift of the Holy Ghost & Eternal life and I ordain & seal upon your head to be a prophet, Seer & Revelator in the church & kingdom of God & over the house of Israel and I seal upon you all the keys of the Kingdom of God on the Earth that was ever sealed upon the head of any man & I seal these blessings upon you in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Heber C. Kimball then said to Jedediah M. Grant Brother Jedediah In the name of Jesus Christ we lay our hands upon your head & we confirm you to be a member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints & we seal upon you all the keys of the Holy Priesthood even to be Prophet seer & Revelator in the Church & kingdom of God & evry blessing which has ever been sealed upon you & we seal upon you the gift of the Holy Ghost & we seal you up unto Eternal Life in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. ...

President Brigham Young then Baptized me & all the Presidency laid hands upon me ...

President B. Young then baptized Bishop Edward Hunter & Confirmed him. ...

President Young then baptized the following persons: Joseph Young D. H. Wells A. Carrington L. W. Hardy J. C. Little & Gilbert Clements & was mouth in confirming them all except D. H. Wells. H.C. Kimball spoke upon his head. This made 10 persons which President Young Baptized & confirmed.

Heber C Kimball then baptized President Brigham Young & confirmed him & said (J. M. Grant also laid on hands) Brother Brigham Young we lay our hands upon your head & confirm you to be a member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints & we seal upon your head the Holy Priesthood with all the keys powers & blessings appertaining thereunto even to be a prophet seer & revelator in the church & kingdom of God & over the House of Israel & we seal upon your head all the blessings which were sealed upon you by the Prophet Joseph & we say unto you that you shall have power over your Enemies & you shall not be slain by them but you shall live to see them overthrown & to see the saints come off victorious over there enemies & I seal these blessing upon you in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.... (3)
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-- 150 years ago today - Oct 2-3, 1871 --

Brigham Young and his counselor Daniel H. Wells are arrested for polygamous cohabitation and subsequently for murder, but charges are dismissed. He was guarded in his own house for some time afterwards.
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-- 120 years ago today - Wednesday, Oct 2, 1901 --

Apostle Taylor moved that we recommend to the Presidency that a mission be established in South America. Carried by unanimous vote. As to planting a colony that matter would be determined by events following the establishment of a mission, which was of the first importance.

Some discussion was indulged in with reference to the necessity of providing some means, by the building of a temple or otherwise, for giving the blessings of the house of the Lord—at least in part—to the saints who live in the far distant Sandwich Islands [Hawaii], Mexico, and other places from which our people do not emigrate to Zion. (4)
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-- 110 years ago today - Oct 2, 1911 --

The first anti-Mormon film, 'Victim of the Mormons' ("Mormonens Offer"), opens in Copenhagen, Denmark. The film goes into international distribution and is publicly condemned by Apostle David O. McKay at the next general conference. It is the target of the first censorship effort led by Utah governor (William Spry, LDS). (5)
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-- 55 years ago today - Oct 2, 1966 --

Ezra Taft Benson used October 1966 general conference to begin an extraordinary response to his hierarchy critics at the previous conference. "There are some who apparently feel that the fight for freedom is separate from the Gospel. They express it in several ways, but it generally boils down to this: Just live the gospel; there's no need to get involved in trying to save freedom and the Constitution or stop communism." Then in an obvious reference to himself and other general authorities, Benson said: "Should we counsel people, `Just live your religion--there's no need to get involved in the fight for freedom?' No we should not, because our stand for freedom is a most basic part of our religion . . . " He added: "We will be given a chance to choose between conflicting counsel given by some," and he observed: "All men are entitled to inspiration, but only one man is the Lord's mouthpiece. Some lesser men have in the past, and will in the future, use their offices unrighteously. Some will, ignorantly or otherwise, use it to promote false counsel; some will use it to lead the unwary astray; some will use it to persuade us that all is well in Zion; some will use it to cover and excuse their ignorance." (6)
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-- 45 years ago today - Oct 2, 1976 --
At general conference President Spencer W. Kimball says: "We warn you against the dissemination of doctrines which are not according to the scriptures and which are alleged to have been taught by some of the General Authorities of past generations. Such, for instance, is the Adam-God theory. We denounce that theory and hope that everyone will be cautioned against this and other kinds of false doctrine." Brigham Young never called his Adam-God teaching "theory" but referred to it as "doctrine which God revealed to me-" The discrepancy between past prophets and current prophets is used by Mormon fundamentalists to gain converts from among LDS membership. This is alluded to by Apostle Bruce R. McConkie who three years later says of Brigham Young's Adam-God doctrine: "The devil keeps this heresy alive as a means of obtaining converts to cultism."
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-- 45 years ago today - Fall 1976. --

Paul Toscano learns that he is blacklisted from publication in the Ensign. Pursuing inquiries through his bishop and stake president, he is informed by Mission Representative Hershel Pederson, a personal acquaintance, that Elder Mark E. Petersen thinks Toscano is part of a secret organization to restore the "Council of Fifty" and the First Quorum of Seventy. Eventually the stake president tells him the matter is resolved. (7)
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1 - Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
2 - Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology
3 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
4 - Stan Larson (editor), A Ministry of Meetings: The Apostolic diaries of Rudger Clawson, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1993, http://bit.ly/rudgerclawson
5 - The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]
6 - Ezra Taft Benson reading copy of his general conference talk, 2 Oct. 1966, photocopy in "Hugh B. Brown's File on the John Birch Society." From D. Michael Quinn, Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992), also in Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3.
7 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1