Today in Mormon History - May 19

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On this day in Mormon History http://TodayInMormonHistory.com/ -- 180 years ago today - May 19, 1845 -- The trial of five men accused of the murder of Joseph Smith begins in Carthage, Illinois. Judge Richard M. Young begins by empanelling a 23-man Grand Jury which contains nine Mormons including the foreman Daniel Spencer. He then empanels two "petit juries" of 24 men each. The first contains ten Mormons and the second eleven. Upon defense motion the juries are discharged and new juries chosen from men present at the trial. Since Mormon leaders instructed them to keep away from the trial there are only four Mormons among the 96 potential jurors and no Mormons on the final twelve-man jury. (1) ---------------------- -- 175 years ago today - May 19, 1850 -- [Brigham Young] President Young explained the law of property tithing. He said, suppose a man owes a hundred thousand dollars when he comes into the church. He pays 10,000 which is his property tithing in full. Then suppose that a man takes his family and effects to come on to the church and trades and exchanges on the way and clears 20,000 dollars besides paying his expenses. He then owes 2,000 dollars tithing which is all the property tithing due etc. -- Salt Lake City (2) ---------------------- -- 165 years ago today - May 19, 1860 -- Brigham Young remarks "while talking over the untimely deaths of Brewer & Johnson, [two men found shot to death two days previously in Salt Lake City] that he was much gratified that the time had come when mormons could not be insulted mobbed and destroyed as they once were." Wilford Woodruff referred to Brewer and Johnson as "both Desperate wicked men." (1) ---------------------- -- 135 years ago today - May 19, 1890 -- U.S. Supreme Court upholds the Edmunds-Tucker Act and confiscation of LDS properties ruling that the LDS church had engaged in illegal activities; committee of U.S. Senate recommends disfranchisement bill. (1) ---------------------- [Wilford Woodruff] The Supreme Court of the United States Decided to day Against the Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saints. They Decided to Escheat all the Church Property Real & Personal. This is turning the Last that will seal the Condemnation of this Nation. (3) ---------------------- -- 125 years ago today - May 19, 1900; Saturday -- .... Mr. John W. Rigdon, son of the late Sidney Rigdon, called and met President Snow this morning in the Beehive House, and afterwards met Presidents Cannon and Smith in the office. The President reported that he had a very pleasant conversation with Mr. Rigdon who talked freely to him. During the conversation Mr. Rigdon admitted that he once had doubts concerning the authenticity of the Book of Mormon; but after talking with his father on his deathbed those doubts were removed partially, and his investigations and reflections since then had tended fully to confirm in his mind the truthfulness of his father's dying testimony. He, in talking with his father during his last hours said, "Father, you are now an old man, and I want you to tell me if you still believe the Book of Mormon to be what it represents to be, and if Joseph Smith always maintained that it was true and a genuine record?" His father answered in the most solemn manner that it was a true and genuine record, and that Joseph Smith always maintained its genuineness, and that he translated it by the gift and power of God from the gold plates shown to him by the angel. Mr. Rigdon said that for the last six years he had believed the Book of Mormon to be what it represents to be, but he said he was sorry to say his wife and children not only disbelieve it, but regard the Mormons as enemies, that they spoke very harshly of them, and they would sometimes talk against his own father, but which however, they had ceased to do in his presence. He said his father died an unhappy man, but in hopes and assurance of a glorious resurrection. (4) ---------------------- -- 110 years ago today - May 19, 1915 -- President Charles W. Penrose of the First Presidency dedicates the cornerstone of the new Church Office Building (later known as the Church Administration Building) at 45 East South Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. ---------------------- -- 60 years ago today - May 19, 1965 -- By authorization of First Presidency, ex-apostle John W. Taylor is baptized into LDS church. On May 21 Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith performs proxy ordinance of restoring all priesthood blessings to the deceased apostle. (1) ---------------------- 1 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com 2 - Brigham Young Office Journals, 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 3 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies 4 - First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve minutes via todayinmormonhistory-email https://ift.tt/VzAdc9B Manage Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email service.