Today in Mormon History - Oct 14

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On this day in Mormon History
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-- 145 years ago today - Oct 14, 1876 --

"It having been given out at Conference that the Endowment House would be closed after this week, for the past few days hundreds of persons have been going through the House, in fact, great numbers have to be refused, the authorities not having time or room for them." Closing the Endowment House in Salt Lake City is Brigham Young's way of guaranteeing the use of the distant St. George temple. (1)
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-- 140 years ago today - Oct 14, 1881 --

In regard to finding the plates, he [David Whitmer] was told by Smith that they were in a stone casket, and the place where it was deposited, in the hill Cumorah, was pointed out to him by a celestial personage, clad in a dazzling white robe, and he was informed by it that it was the history of the Nephites, a nation that had passed away, whose founders belonged to the days of the tower of Babel. The plates which Mr. Whitmer saw were in the shape of a tablet, fastened with three rings, about one-third of which appeared to be loose, in plates, the other solid, but with perceptible marks where the plates seemed to be sealed, and the guide that pointed it out to Smith very impressively reminded him that the loose plates alone were to be used; the sealed portion was

NOT TO BE TAMPERED WITH.

After the plates had been translated, which process required about six months, the same heavenly visitant appeared and reclaimed the gold tablets of the ancient people, informing Smith that he would replace them with other records of the lost tribes that had been brought with them during their wanderings from Asia, which would be forthcoming when the world was ready to receive them. At that time Mr. Whitmer saw the tablet, gazed with awe on the celestial messenger, heard him speak and say: "Blessed is the Lord and he that keeps His commandments;" and then, as he held the plates and turned them over with his hands, so that they could be plainly visible, a voice that seemed to fill all space, musical as the sighing of a wind through the forest, was heard, saying: "What you see is true: testify to the same." And Oliver Cowdrey and David Whitmer, standing there, felt, as the white garments of the angel faded from their vision and the heavenly voice still rang in their ears, that it was no delusion--that it was a fact; and they so recorded it....

The tablets or plates were translated by Smith, who used a small oval or kidney-shaped stone, called Urim and Thummim, that seemed endowed with the marvelous power of converting the characters on the plates, when used by Smith, into English, who would then dictate to Cowdrey what to write. Frequently one character would make two lines of manuscript, while others made but a word or two words. Mr. Whitmer emphatically asserts, as did Harris and Cowdrey, that while Smith was dictating the translation he had

NO MANUSCRIPT NOTES OR OTHER MEANS OF KNOWLEDGE save the seer-stone and the characters as shown on the plates, he being present and cognizant how it was done. (2)
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-- 135 years ago today - Thursday, Oct. 14th, 1886 --

The following are words spoken by Apostle Moses Thatcher at Lewiston, Cache Co., Utah, 1886. "It is my belief that every city, county, precinct and territorial office in this Territory will be in the hands of our enemies; that we shall be so burdened with taxes that it will be almost more than human nature can endure. That we shall cry to the Lord by night and by day for deliverance. That when our hearts are sufficiently subdued that our entire trust will be in the Lord, then shall. that man like unto Moses be raised up, and shall lead us out of bondage back to Jackson County in the state of Missouri. There will be no hesitation; everything will be decisive and prompt. The mountains shall tremble before him and if there be a tree or anything else in the way of their progress, it shall be plucked up by the power of God. Then is the time the scriptures will be fulfilled that says: 'One shall chase a thousand and two shall put ten thousand to flight."'

"It is my belief that the time of our deliverance will be within five years, the time indicated being February 14th, 1891. And that the man raised up will be no other than the Prophet Joseph Smith in his resurrected body. The power to lead Israel in the latter days as Moses led them anciently having been sealed upon his head by his father, Joseph Smith, the Patriarch of the Church at that time. If Father Smith had the power to bless, and that he had the power is most certain from the fact that he was ordained to this office and calling by his son, the Prophet, before the above blessing was pronounced upon the head of Joseph, no other man can perform this mission but the Prophet Joseph Smith. I do not say all the people of the nation will be destroyed within the time mentioned, but I do say, that in consequence of the wickedness and corruption of the officers of the nation, the government will pass into the hands of the Saints, and that within five years. There will not be a city in the Union that will not be in danger of disruption by the Knights of Labor, who are becoming a formidable power in the land. You people in quiet Lewiston need not be surprised if within the next four years the rails are torn up from Ogden to the Missouri River and to San Francisco and into Montana in the North, leaving us as isolated as we were when we first came to this Territory. There is a power to do this and a disposition to meaning the Knights of Labor." (A servant of God, holding the power and keys of the Holy Apostleship does not speak in this manner for mere pastime. There is more in these utterances than we are apt to attach to them, unless we are aided by the Spirit of God.) Salt Lake City, Aug. 3rd, 1886. (3)
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-- 120 years ago today - Oct 14, 1901; Monday --

Worked most of the day at the Office taking an inventory of the personal property of the late Pres[iden]t. Lorenzo Snow. We find about $10,000. in cash and bonds and about $5,000.00 in stocks. (4)
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-- 95 years ago today - Oct 14, 1926 --

[J. Golden Kimball speaking:] On Thursday /Oct 7/ morning was present at the council meeting at 11 A.M. As stated in the former minutes, the First Council for the Seventy by invitation from the Presidency of the Church met with the Presidents of the Church and the Council of the Twelve to discuss matters pertaining to the seventy organization which has been before the Presidency and the Twelve for the past four years. The First Council of the Seventy at their morning's meeting, decided that Elder B. H. Roberts be our spokesman and represent our views regarding the revelations found in the Doctrine and Covenants pertaining to the seventies organization, as the First Council felt that the proposition to give to the Presidents of Stakes the same control over the affairs of the seventies that they now have over the quorums of Elders and High Priests would be in violation of the revelations of the Lord, constituting the constitution upon which the seventies organization rest... (5)
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1 - The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]
2 - "The Last Man. Of the Men Who Attested to the Truth of the `Book of Mormon,' David Whitmer Only Is Left. In the Sunset of Life He Bases His Hopes of Heaven on the Records of the Lost Tribe. And Solemnly Reiterates All that He Has Ever Said Regarding Them," Chicago Times, 17 October 1881; reprinted in the Saints' Herald 28 (15 November 1881): 346-47., as cited in Dan Vogel, Early Mormon Documents: David Whitmer Interview With Chicago Times
3 - Abraham H. Cannon Journal Excerpts, http://www.amazon.com/Apostles-Record-Journals-Abraham-1889-1896/dp/B000MFD1K4
4 - Abraham Owen Woodruff, Diary
5 - Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015, Appendix 1: Minutes of the Seventies, 1837-1933, Excerpts