On this day in Mormon History
http://TodayInMormonHistory.com/
-- 190 years ago today - 1835 24 Sept. --
The Kirtland high council "by revelation" appoints Joseph Smith as "head" of the "war department" of the "Lord's Host," in imitation of the national Secretary of War. The latter phrase would appear three years later in the "Danite" constitution's description of the unnamed Smith's military role. (1)
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-- 190 years ago today - Sep 24, 1835 --
[Joseph Smith]
This day the High Council met at my house to take into consid[e]ration the redeem[p]tion of Zion. It was the voice of the spirit of the Lord that we petition to the Governer [of Missouri]. That is those who have been driven out /should/ to do so to be set back on their Lands next spring. We [should] go next season to live or dy [die] to this end so the dy is cast in Jackson County.
We truly had a good time and Covena[n]ted to strug[g]le for this thing u[n]till death shall desolve [dissolve] this union. And if one falls that the rest be not discouraged but pe[r]sue this object untill it is ac[c]omplished. Which may God grant u[n]to us in the name of Christ our Lord. (2)
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[Wilford Woodruff]
Spent the day in Perusing the Book from Br Cowdery [Doctrine and Covenants] & found it to be A precious treasure A legacy from heaven. (3)
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-- 180 years ago today - 1845 24 Sept. --
Brigham Young signs a pledge to lead the Mormons out of Nauvoo in the spring for an anticipated re-settlement in Oregon or on Vancouver Island. On 1 Oct. the anti-Mormon leaders agree to these terms of peace. (1)
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-- 165 years ago today - Sep 24, 1860 (Monday) --
The second handcart company of the season, under Capt. Oscar O. Stoddard, arrived in G.S.L. City, having left Florence July 6th, with 126 persons and 22 handcarts. These were the last immigrants who crossed the plains with handcarts. (4)
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-- 160 years ago today - Sep 24, 1865 --
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff]
Presidet Young spoke 40. He spoke his Feelings in great plainness Concerning O. Pratt & his publications. He said Orson Pratt would go to Hell. Joseph Smith said he would when Orson said that he would believe his wife Sarah before he would Joseph Smith. He will go to Hell as Joseph Said. He would Sell this people for gold. What would I give for Such an Apostle? Not much and yet we hold him in Fellowship in the Church. ... (3)
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-- 155 years ago today - Sep 24, 1870 --
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff]
Attended the school of the prophets. A lecture on faith was read & short speeches maid from Many. I spoke a short time. While speaking G. A. Smith Came in & followed me & gave an Account of a raid made upon the City of Provo by some 25 Drunken U.S. soldiers. They broke in the doors & windows of several Houses & tried to burn the Meeting House took several Citizens prisioners & mistreated them. (3)
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-- 135 years ago today - Sep 24, 1890 --
Manifesto is issued as a press release
Wilford Woodruff met with councilor Joseph F. Smith and three members of the Council of the Twelve, presenting papers containing what Woodruff felt were the solution to the churchs current problems. Wilford Woodruff drew upon the previously discarded documents concerning polygamy, both generated within the outside the church, and delivered a 510 word document. George Reynolds, Charles Penrose and John Winder were instructed to take the document and arrange it for publication, to be submitted to us after they had prepared it. When it was read later that day, President Cannon suggested several emendations, which were adopted. Only three apostles were present Franklin D. Richards, Moses Thatcher, and Marriner W. Merrill. After a few small additional changes, George Reynolds sent the telegram for publishing in the eastern national newspapers. Apostle Lorenzo Snow was aware of the Manifesto, but was out of town. He was Wilford Woodruffs son in law. He had previously
told the leadership that he was in favor of a Manifesto-like declaration. None of the other eight apostles knew of the press release since they were away from Salt Lake City at the time. The final document contained 356 words. (Quinn, LDS, p 44 & 45). (5)
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[George Q. Cannon]
[Regarding the Manifesto] The word "permission" which was changed in the committee's document, I felt ought to be changed, because if it were not it would make the parties whose marriages this referred to unhappy, as it would throw a doubt on the legality of their marriage. This whole matter has been at President Woodruff's own instance. He has felt strongly impelled to do what he has, and he has spoken with great plainness to the brethren in regard to the necessity of something of this kind being done. He has stated that the Lord has made it plain to him that this was his duty, and he felt perfectly clear in his mind that it was the right thing.
...
COPY OF ORIGINAL[Manifesto before modifications]
It is reported by the press of the nation that the Utah Commission in their recent report to Congress state that the Mormons are still carrying on the plural marriages in our temples or otherwise; and that ....., marriages have been attended to during the past month; and the press throughout the land is stirred up bitterly against us, and are making many false accusations against us for political effect, to take away our rights as citizens. We wish here to state to the government and people of the nation that these charges are false, and also to say that as soon as the Edmund-Tucker law was passed President John Taylor gave orders for all plural marriages to cease, that no plural marriages should be performed in our temples, and further, that he took steps to not only obey the law himself, but to have the people, and we have endeavored to carry out the same principle since his death. There has never been any plural marriages in our temples since the passage of that law, by
our consent or to our knowledge. And inasmuch as the nation has passed a law forbidding plural marriages we feel to obey that law, and leave the event in the hands of God. We have not been teaching neither are we now teaching the principle to the Church or the world since the passage of that law, and wherever any member of the Church has taught it he has been reproved for the same.
Therefore we make this public declaration that we are neither teaching nor practicing the doctrine of polygamy. And while we have been accused of preaching it in our public sermons there is no sentence which we have uttered since the enactment of that law that can rightly be construed as teaching that doctrine. Our teachings to the members of the Church have been to obey the law. And in one instance where a man testified that he had married a plural wife in the endowment house, this marriage was not with our permission or knowledge, neither could we ever learn who performed the ceremony; but in consequence of this testimony we had the endowment house taken down.
As to man's religious belief, that is something with which we have nothing to do; we can deal only with their acts—a doctrine held by the highest court of the nation. Our religious faith is based 553 upon the Bible. We believe fully in all the principles taught by Jesus Christ and the apostles, and we teach no gospel or religion but that taught by them. And we now publicly declare that our advice to the Latter-day Saints is to obey the law of the land, leaving the nation responsible for their acts in this respect.
We are misrepresented by the press and those who are opposed to us. It is reported that the Utah Commission has reported that there have been some 80 cases of plural marriages in the last month. There is no truth in these charges. (6)
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[Marriner W. Merrill]
I went to Salt Lake and met in council with President Woodruff, George Q. Cannon, Joseph F. Smith, F. D. Richards, and Moses Thatcher, where President Woodruff had an article read he had prepared for the press of the country declaring to the world that we did not celebrate plural marriages now in the Church and that he counseled the members of the Church not to break the law in relation to plural marriage. The article was approved by all the brethren present, including myself, which seems the only way to retain the possession of our Temples and continue the ordinance work for the living and dead, which was considered more important than continuing the practice of plural marriages for the present. (7)
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[President Wilford Woodruff]
24 I signed 25 Recommends. I receivd 19 letter. I signed 23 School Certificits. I met with 3 of the Twelve & my Councillors upon an important Subject. (3)
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-- 125 years ago today - Sep 24, 1900 --
The Presidency were at the office. Elder Charles O. Card of Alberta [Canada] Stake was at the office in the morning. Brother Charles W. Penrose called and brought a large roll of manuscript written by John W. Rigdon and purporting to be the life of his father, Sidney Rigdon, and which is supposed to contain evidence that the Prophet Joseph Smith introduced plural marriage, it also contained what was known as Sidney Rigdon's 'Salt' sermon and testimony showing that Sidney Rigdon knew nothing of the Book of Mormon until it was presented to him by Parley P. Pratt and others. He desires the Church to purchase this manuscript of him for $500. It was proposed to refer the manuscript to a committee to report on its merits. An order for $16,916. was issued for general charity account for the six months ending December 31. (8)
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1 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 7: Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power
2 - Faulring, Scott (ed.), An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith: Joseph Smith Diary, 1835-36, http://amzn.to/jsdiaries
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 - Tungate, Mel, Mormon Polygamy, http://www.tungate.com/polygamy.htm
6 - George Q. Cannon diary as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010
7 - Notes from the Miscellaneous Record Book, 1886-1906: Selected diary notes from the journal books of Marriner Wood Merrill, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
8 - Journal History, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015
via todayinmormonhistory-email https://ift.tt/E7winqk
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