Today in Mormon History - Jun 01

[TodayInMormonHistory]

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

-- 225 years ago today - 1801. June 1 --

(Brigham Young) : Born in Whitingham, Vermont, Brigham Young was cousin to Apostles Franklin D. Richards and Willard Richards. He was son-in-law of Albert Rockwood (First Council of Seventy), and brother-in-law to Lorenzo Snow, Amasa Lyman, Heber C. Kimball, and Church architect Truman Angell. He was Heber C. Kimball's uncle by marriage.

Soon after [his] birth, his family moved to Sherburne, New York. "When I was young," Brigham recalled, "I was kept within very strict bounds and was not allowed to walk more than half-an-hour on Sunday for exercise. … I had not a chance to dance when I was young, and never heard the enchanting tones of the violin until I was eleven years of age; and then I thought I was on the highway to hell, if I suffered myself to linger and listen to it." (1)
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-- 190 years ago today - Jun 1, 1836 --
[Brigham Young]
"... this day Brother Barkir and I cold on a methides priest by the name of Poore we bore testmoney of the book of Mormon he and a young man that was their Uterly rejected our testmony wee then shook of the dust of our feet as atestamony aganst them and when wee cam to Pure watter we whashed our feet and bore witness unto the Father ..." (2)
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Patriarchal Blessing of Amoranda Murdock given by Joseph Smith, Sr. ... Thy seed shall be great before God. and some of them shall be filled with the Spirit at the age of twelve years and prophecy of all things. ... Thou shalt be an inhabitant of Zion, and have an inheritance there with thy husband. Thou shalt truly be his help-meet and participate with him in all the joys and sorrows incident to frail mortality, and when thou shall have passed through this chequered scene be wafted home to glory. These blessings I seal upon thee & I seal the[e] up to eternal life even so amen. (3)
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-- 185 years ago today - Jun 1, 1841 --

Hyrum and William Law leave on a mission to the East. From Pittsburgh, they report that [First Presidency Counselor] John C. Bennett has abandoned his wife and child. Bennett takes poison in an apparent suicide attempt dramatizing his remorse but recovers and is allowed to retain his positions. (4)
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-- 175 years ago today - Jun 1, 1851 --
[Brigham Young]
There is a great excitement in the world about slavery, and the abolitionists are very fearful that we shall have the Negro or Indian as slaves here. We have a few that were prisoners that we have bought to save their lives. But what will the abolitionists do? If you owe them a dollar, they will jog you up. Neither will they liberate the slave by buying them and setting them free. The master of slaves will be damned if they abuse their slaves. Yet the seed of Ham will be servants until God takes the curse off from them. But they are not all the slaves that there is in the world. The whole world are slaves to sin and wickedness and passion. I have two Blacks, and they are as free as I am. Shall we lay a foundation for Negro slavery? No! God forbid! And I forbid. (5)
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-- 160 years ago today - Jun 1, 1866 --

Apostle Wilford Woodruff, as the officially appointed "Church Historian" recorded the following in his "Historian's Private Journal" "Joseph Smith & Louisa Beaman were sealed May 1841 by Joseph B. Noble- (6)
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-- 150 years ago today - Jun 1, 1876 --
[Brigham Young]
"Brother Franklin Woolley, one of your townsmen here, one that had a great deal to do with the Indians and was killed by them, if he had listened to my counsel and obeyed he would not have been dead now. But, no! He knew best. He knew just as well as I did what would be best for himself. Well, I wish the people would hearken to me. It is now about thirty-two years since the Prophet Joseph was martyred and I have led this people ever since, and I would like some one to mention if they can one circumstance where any one was ever injured when they followed my counsel, or where there was ever one accident in anything that I had charge of. If I could only have had direct charge of that hand-cart company, do you suppose any one would have lost their lives or been injured in the least? Why, no! Certainly not! The people seem to realize that I led them aright and that I am correct in my teachings. They say they know I am a prophet and teach them correct principles, But I only wish they
realized it enough to obey me. If they would I would promise them health, wealth and lives eternal." (5)
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-- 145 years ago today - Jun 1, 1881 --

[David Whitmer interview] ... "The translation was by Smith and THE MANNER AS FOLLOWS: "He had two small stones of a chocolate color, nearly egg shaped and perfectly smooth, but not transparent, called interpreters, which were given him with the plates. He did not use the plates in the translation, but would hold the interpreters to his eyes and cover his face with a hat, excluding all light, and before his eyes would appear what seemed to be parchment, on which would appear the characters of the plates in a line at the top, and immediately below would appear the translation in English, which Smith would read to his scribe, who wrote it down exactly as it fell from his lips. The scribe would then read the sentence written, and if any mistake had been made the characters would remain visible to Smith until corrected, when they faded from sight to be replaced by another line. The translation at my father's occupied about one month, that is from June 1 to July 1, 1829." ...

"When did you see the plates?"

"It was in the latter part of June, 1829. Joseph, Oliver Cowdery and myself were together, and the angel showed them to us. We not only saw the plates of the book of Mormon, but he also showed us the brass plates of the book of Ether and many others. They were shown to us in this way. Joseph and Oliver and I were

SITTING ON A LOG when we were overshadowed by a light more glorious than that of the sun. In the midst of this light but a few feet from us appeared a table upon which were many golden plates, also the sword of Laban and the directors. I saw them as plain as I see you now, and distinctly heard the voice of the Lord declaiming that the records of the plates of the Book of Mormon were translated by the gift and the power of God."

"Who else saw the plates at this time?"

"No one. Martin Harris, the other witness, saw them the same day and the eight witnesses, Christian Whitmer, Hiram Page, Jacob Whitmer, Joseph Smith, sr., Peter Whitmer, jr., Hyram Smith, Jno. [John] Whitmer and Samuel H. Smith saw them next day."

"Did you see the angel?"

"Yes; he stood before us. Our testimony as recorded in the Book of Mormon is absolutely true, just as it is written there."

"Can you describe the plates?"

"They appeared to be of gold, about six by nine inches in size, about as thick as parchment, a great many in number and bound together like the leaves of a book by massive rings passing through the back edges. The engraving upon them was very plain and of very curious appearance. Smith made facsimiles of some of the plates, and sent them by Martin Harris to Profs. Anson [Charles Anthon] and [Samuel L.] Mitchell, of New York city, for examination. They pronounced the characters reformed Egyptian, but were unable to read them." ...

In 1819, while the Smiths were digging a well near Palmyra, on the farm of Mr. Clark Chase, a stone of peculiar shape was unearthed. It resembled in form a child's foot, and was white, glossy, and opaque in appearance. Joe kept the stone and by its aid he claimed to see wonderful things. In a short time his reputation grew and with the stone to his eyes he claimed to be able to reveal "both things existing and things to come." This stone came to be known as the famous Peek stone and is truly called the "Acorn of the Mormon oak." ... (7)
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-- 135 years ago today - Jun 1, 1891 --
[Wilford Woodruff]
June 1 I went to the office. Attended several Meeting. The Brigham Young University was Organized with G Q. Cannon Chairman & Willard Young was Appointed President of Young University. I am suffering with a severe Cold. (8)
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1 - Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
2 - Brigham Young Journal, 1832 Apr. 9-1836, Sept. 9, typescript
3 - Patriarchal Blessing Book 1:68, quoted in Early Patriarchal Blessings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Joseph Smith Sr. (Author), H. Michael Marquardt (Editor), http://amzn.to/rCBHVe
4 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, Editor, Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, 2001, Signature Books, http://bit.ly/lucys-book
5 - Wilford Woodruff’s Journal. 9 Vols. Scott G. Kenney, ed. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1983-85. 4:28-32, quoted in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses
6 - Wilford Woodruff, "Historian's Private Journal" (one volume, 1858-78), entries after 1 July 1866, LDS Church History Library, quoted in "Evidence For The Sexual Side of Joseph Smith's Polygamy," Comments by D. Michael Quinn on Session #2A "Reconsidering Joseph Smith's Marital Practices," Mormon History Association's Annual Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 29 June 2012 (unabbreviated version, revised during July)
7 - "Mormonism. Authentic Account of the Origin of This Sect from One of the Patriarchs. Discovery of the Plates, and the Translation of the Book of Mormon--Polygamy an Excres[c]ence," Kansas City Daily Journal, 5 June 1881. Reprinted in Deseret Evening News 14 (11 June 1881); Saints' Herald 28 (1 July 1881): 197-99; Millennial Star 43 (4 July 1881): 421-23, 437-39; and Kingston (Missouri) Times, 27 December 1887., as cited in Dan Vogel, Early Mormon Documents: David Whitmer Interview With Kansas City Journal
8 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies