Today in Mormon History - May 14

[TodayInMormonHistory]

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

-- 190 years ago today - May 14, 1836 --

Patriarchal Blessing of Joseph Cooper given by Joseph Smith, Sr. ... And thou shalt have power over unclean spirits and shall do many great miracles, Mountains shall remove at thy word, prisons shall not hold thee, thou shalt translate thyself from planet to planet and preach to the spirits in prison and bring many of them to God. ... (1)
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Patriarchal Blessing of Sarah Mackley given by Joseph Smith, Sr. ... when he is gone to fill his mission thou shalt have faith to rebuke diseases in thy family ... and seal thee up to eternal life in the name of Jesus, even so, Amen (2)
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-- 180 years ago today - May 14, 1846 --
[Wilford Woodruff]
... Some of my friends at times are tryed with the Celestial Law [plural marriage]. ... (3)
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-- 170 years ago today - May 14, 1856 --

Lucy Mack Smith dies, having spent the last three years of her life in Emma-s care. (4)
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-- 165 years ago today - May 14, 1861 --

President Young signed a letter G.Q. Cannon instructing him to ... destroy works containing false doctrine [in England.] (5)
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-- 135 years ago today - May 14, 1891 --

John W. Taylor reported about the defense fund and said it brought in about $6,500.00 per month from the whole Church. [The defense fund was used to help with legal costs regarding polygamy prosecution] (6)
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Concerning a young man who has been endowed and "sealed to his wife without having been ordained to any Priesthood," the First Presidency decides to have him ordained as an elder, but not to require him to be re-endowed or re-sealed. (7)
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-- 135 years ago today - Thursday, May 14, 1891 --
[John Henry Smith]
... Presidents Woodruff, G. Q. Cannon and I talked over the political situation and it was thought best to go ahead and organize the Republican party. President Woodruff said he was a Republican and I said I was. (8)
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-- 130 years ago today - May 14, 1896; Thursday --

Pres[iden]t W[ilford]. Woodruff requested the brethren to stop enforcing the Declaration [permission from church leaders to enter into politcal office] among the people[;] Let the vote to adopt the same be taken in all the Wards & let the people vote or not as they feel inclined. (9)
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-- 65 years ago today - May 14,1961 --

Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith announces to stake conference in Honolulu: "We will never get a man into space. This earth is man's sphere and it was never intended that he should get away from it." Smith, the Twelve's president and next in succession as LDS President, adds: "The moon is a superior planet to the earth and it was never intended that man should go there. You can write it down in your books that this will never happen." In May 1962, he privately instructs that this view be taught to "the boys and girls in the Seminary System." On 20 Jul 1969 U.S. Astronauts are first men to walk on moon. Six months later Joseph Fielding Smith becomes church president. (10)
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-- 50 years ago today - May 14, 1976 --

Washington Post article: "Mormon Income Is $3 Million Per Day." (11)
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1 - Patriarchal Blessing Book 1:104, 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
2 - Patriarchal Blessings
3 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
4 - Emma Smith, Woman of Faith, http://emmasmithmormon.com
5 - 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
6 - Notes from the Miscellaneous Record Book, 1886-1906: Selected diary notes from the journal books of Marriner Wood Merrill, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
7 - The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]
8 - Jean Bickmore White (editor), Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1990, http://bit.ly/johnhenrysmith
9 - Franklin D. Richards, Diary
10 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, Appendix 5, Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1848-1996, http://amzn.to/extensions-power
11 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com