Today in Mormon History - Jul 25

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On this day in Mormon History
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-- 185 years ago today - Jul 25, 1837 --

Brigham Young, Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, David W. Patten, Sidney Rigdon and Thomas B. Marsh head out on missions. Going through Painsville, Joseph Smith is arrested several times for various debts; Anson Call bails him out [per Brigham Young]. (1)
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-- 175 years ago today - Jul 25, 1847 --

William Clayton writes: "At ten o'clock a meeting was held in the camp and the brethren addressed successively by Elder G[eorge] A. Smith, H[eber] C. Kimball and E[zra] T. Benson mostly expressing their feeling of gratification for the prospects of this country, each being highly satisfied with the soil &c. Elder Kimball referred especially to the manifold blessings we have been favored with during the journey. Not a man, woman, or child has died on the journey, nor even an horse, mule, ox, cow or chicken has died during the whole journey." This last part is slightly incorrect. One of Brigham Young's horses was accidentally shot during the journey.
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[Hosea Stout]
Heard letters read from Hyde containg covenants which he desired to have the people [of] Garden Grove enter into before they could be restored to fellowship. The Council objected to them as unreasonable.

Those covenants required them to swear under the most bitter curses and imprecations & Damnation to themselves to all eternity that they had not stolen or knew any one who had nor would not since they left the Mississippi river & that they would inform on all who they knew who had or did &c[.] Let this suffice that it was totally vetoed by the Council (2)
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[Wilford Woodruff, 2nd day in the Salt Lake Valley]
July 25 Sunday This is the first Sunday that the Latter Day Saints ever spent in the great /salt Lake valley bason. We Washed Shaved & Cleaned up & met in the Circle of the encampment. ... Evry man that spoke upon the subject said they were Joyfully disappointed that the whole appearance was Altogether better throughout the valley than they had Anticipated or even dreamed of.

At the Close of the meeting President Young though feble Addressed [us] for A few moments And Informed the brethren + they must not work on Sunday that they would loose five times as much as they would gain by it, & they must not hunt or fish on that day. And there should not any man dwell among us who would not observe these rules. They might go & dwell whare they pleased but should not dwell with us.

He said that no man should buy any land that come Here. That He had no land to sell neither should He buy any but evry man should [have?] his land measured of to him for City & farming purposes what He could till. He might till it as he pleased but He should be industrious & take care of it. He also warned the Saints against keeping any thing that did not belong to them. That if they followed this course it would leek out & they would Stink in the nostrils of Jehovah Angels & the Saints & though they might live with the Saints & die with them they would be damned at last & go to Hell for they were thieves & nothing but burning through Hell would Clens them... (3)
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-- 160 years ago today - Jul 25, 1862 (Friday) --

Donald McNichols, a member of Captain Lot Smith's expedition, was drowned in Lewis Fork, about ten miles below the Three Tetons, Oregon (now Idaho), while pursuing a band of thieving Indians. (4)
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-- 135 years ago today - Jul 25, 1887 --

President John Taylor died while in "exile" at Kaysville, Utah, at age 78. The Quorum of Twelve Apostles assumed leadership of the Church until 1889. (5)
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-- 135 years ago today - Jul 25, 1887 • Monday --
[George Q. Cannon]
... [Reflecting on the presidency of John Taylor] I have thought that age had an effect upon his mind. I look back now and see some things which gave me very serious reflections that I now attribute to the effect of age upon his mind and memory. ... It would have been an exceeding great pleasure to have seen him live and retain the full possession of his powers, both physical and mental; but it would not have been a pleasure to me to have seen him live with impaired mental faculties. I had known him in his vigorous manhood, when he stood among men as a great leader, to whom everyone looked and listened with attention and respect; and to to see him fail in these powers and become an object of pity, I knew would not be desirable to him and I could not take any pleasure in seeing him live in such a condition. ... (6)
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-- 135 years ago today - Jul 25, 1887 --
[Heber J. Grant]
I arrived in Saint George the evening of the 14th and about 830 I called at the place where Prest. Wilford Woodruff was stopping. ... We had a long talk regarding the sickness of Prest John Taylor and the changes that would of necessity take place in case of his death. He told me of a number of dreams that he had had since the middle of April that had impressed him with the idea that Prest Taylor was not going to live long.

I expressed my opinion of the way Prest Cannon had treated our quorum in plain terms and said that I had much more confidence in Prest Joseph F. Smith than in Prest. Cannon and that I never expected to see the day after the death of Prest Taylor that Joseph F. Smith would not be a greater man among the latter day saints than George Q. Cannon. Prest Woodruff seemed to share my opinion that Prest Cannon had not treated our quorum with as much respect and consideration as he should have done, and also seemed to fully endorse my good opinion of Prest. Smith. Prest Woodruff favored bringing Prests Cannon and Smith back into our quorum in case of the death of Prest Taylor. Prest. Woodruff said he would be willing to have Joseph F. Smith made the Prest of the Church provided the quorum of the Apostles should wish it but as near as I could judge he had no idea that such a thing would be done. Prest. Woodruff expressed himself as having no desire to become the President of the Church, and I am convinced that he is perfectly sincere in what he said. I know that some of the members of our quorum are of the opinion that in the case of the reorganization of the First Presidency after the death of Prest. Taylor and before the death of Prest. Woodruff that Bro Woodruff must be made the President. I have no such feeling. I feel that Prest. Joseph F. Smith will succeed Prest Taylor is the First Presidency is reorganized. ...

Prest. Woodruff felt that John Taylor had been the right man and in the right place but at the same time he could not endorse in his feelings Prest Taylor's mining schemes; felt that Church funds should not go into mines. Felt that Bro Joseph F Smith should come home. Did not endorse the manner in which A. M. Cannon had run things in the Salt Lake Stake. ...

Felt that the Gardo House was a great mistake and wanted it closed after the President's death. Felt that, as he know little or nothing regarding the way Church funds had been handles, that an Auditing Committee should be appointed to fully investigate matters. ... Stated that many years ago he had dreamed that he was present at the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple, also dreamed the same thing in April last when dreaming of Prest Taylor's sickness, I never enjoyed anything more than I have my visit with Prest Woodruff. ...

Going from Silver Reef to Saint George and while in Saint George I had a number of talks with my Cousin Anthony W. Ivins regarding the movement which was being made to try and get Utah into the Union. He felt very much opposed to the sections in our Constitution proposing to punish polygamy and thought we were compromise on God-given principles for the sake of liberty. There is nothing under heaven that I know of that I am not willing to do sooner than compromise or relinquish any of the principles of the gospel. To agree to punish one's self instead of allowing our enemies to do it is not to relinquish or compromise anything in my opinion, and in as much as I have an assurance in my heart that I will not offend my Heavenly Father by supporting a constitution that punishes men for keeping His laws I am in favor of the Constitution which has been adopted and shall do all in my power to get the people to adopt it.... (7)
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[Wilford Woodruff]
July 25 1887 {President John Taylor DIED 5 Minutes to 8 oclok P.M. July 25, 1887 Aged 78 Years 8 Months, & 24 days}

Thus another President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has Passed away. President John Taylor is twice a Marter. At the Death of the Prophet Joseph & Hyrum Smith in Carthage Jail. He was shot with four Balls & Mingled his Blood with the Martered Prophet. This was in 1844. Now in 1887 Now He is Driven into Exile By the United States officers for his religion untill through his Confinement and suffering He lays down his life and suffers Death. "Leave Judgment with me for it is mine. and I will repay" Saith the Lord God sec 82, verse 23 D.C.

President John Taylor Died to day at 5 Minuts to 8 oclk which Lays the responsibility of the Care of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints upon my shoulders as Presidet of the Church or Presidet of the Twelve Apostles which is the presiding authority of the Church in the Absens of the first Presidency. This places me in a vary Peculiar situation, A Position I have never looked for during my life. ... Bishop Edward Hunter in several instances said I should outlive President Taylor and be president of the Church. I clashed him on those occasions and asked him not to Prophesy to me upon that subjet. He said Nevertheless it was true. It Certainly has Come to Pass And I Can ownly say Marvelous are thy ways O Lord God Almighty, For thou has Certainly Chosen the weak thing of this world to perform thy work on the Earth. May thy servant Wilford be prepared for whatever awaits him on Earth and have power to perform whatever is required at his hands by the God of Heaven. I ask this Blessing of my Heavenly Father in the Name of Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God. (3)
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-- 110 years ago today - Jul 25, 1912; Thursday --

... Brother Perry A. Bingham, and before introducing Brother Bingham, Dr. Hall was told that he was the father of nineteen children, eighteen of whom were living, and all good citizens with families, which information delighted him. And referring to Brother Bingham, Dr. Hall told the congregation that Brother Bingham's crowning glory was that he was the father of nineteen children. Dr. Hall also remarked that no other people afforded such a field for the study of eugenics as the Mormons, as they had drawn from and were composed of nearly all the civilized races, and besides, were maintaining a high standard of virtue. (8)
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1 - Mormon Chronology, N. R. Tidd, http://www.exmormon.org/mhistory.html
2 - Diaries of Hosea Stout
3 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
4 - Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology
5 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html
6 - The Journal of George Q. Cannon, Church Historian's Press, https://churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon
7 - The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015
8 - First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve minutes