The 140th-year-old Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square, closed since January 2005 for extensive renovation and remodeling, was rededicated by President Hinckley. During the renovation, the pillars were strengthened and fortified to meet seismic code, and the roof was strengthened with the addition of steel trusses. Seating capacity in the building was reduced about 1,000 to 3,456.
[Source: 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]
35 years ago today - Mar 31, 1982
The announcement of the temple to be constructed in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Delays in obtaining government permits postpone the groundbreaking ceremony until 1996.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
85 years ago today - Mar 31, 1932
... President Grant then asked that each one of the brethren present to set forth his feelings in regard to the question of whether Eldred Smith, the oldest son of the Patriarch Hyrum G. Smith, should succeed his father as the Presiding Patriarch, or if it would be preferable to select one of the sons of President Joseph F. Smith. All of those present, with the exception of three, felt that the revelation on the subject, as contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 107, does not intend to limit the 'literal descendant of the chosen seed' from whom the Patriarch should be selected, to the descendants of the Patriarch John Smith, grandfather of Hyrum G. Smith; they felt that he might be selected from any of the branches of the lineage of Hyrum Smith, and preferred the family of President Joseph F. Smith. They were of the opinion that the one chosen for this position should be eminently qualified and fitted for the duties and responsibilities of that high office. President Clawson and Elders George Albert Smith and Joseph Fielding Smith were firm in their belief that Eldred Smith is entitled to the position by reason of his lineage, being the oldest son of Patriarch Hyrum G. Smith, who is a descendant of the oldest son of Hyrum Smith; that he has not forfeited that right because of unworthiness; that while he is young and inexperienced, if ordained to that office the Lord would magnify him and qualify him for the work. They felt that he should be given an opportunity to serve in this capacity, even if necessary to postpone filling the vacancy for a few years, in order that he might better qualify himself for the work. President Grant said he was not clear in his mind on the matter, which is the reason he appointed a committee to give the question consideration. ...
[Source: Minutes, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
[Source: Minutes, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
120 years ago today - Mar 31, 1897 • Wednesday
[According to Brigham Young] endowments are necessary to make the children heirs in the covenant, and that if the parents have not been endowed, though they have been sealed, the children would have to be adopted. Of course, if this is the law, there is no benefit in having the Apostles seal the people as they have been doing of late in some instances, because the chief object in having the sealing performed is to have the children born in the covenant.
[Source: The Journal of George Q. Cannon, 1855–1875, Church Historian's Press, 2016, https://churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon]
[Source: The Journal of George Q. Cannon, 1855–1875, Church Historian's Press, 2016, https://churchhistorianspress.org/george-q-cannon]
120 years ago today - Mar 31, 1897
The Twelve Apostles discuss the health of President Wilford Woodruff. They learn that "his heart does not beat regular every sixth beat seems to be omitted shewing weakness in the muscles of the heart."
135 years ago today - Mar 31,1882
John Taylor closes Church Historian's Office to the public.
[Source: 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]
[Source: 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]
140 years ago today - Mar 31, 1877
[John Nuttall]
at President B[righam] Youngs in the evening several of the 12 present the telegraph news of the last 3 days was read. showing the spirit of the Press. urging upon the nation the distruction of the Latter day Saints taking on an excuse the confession of John D. Lee in the complicity of Pres[iden]t Young & other leaders in the M[ountain] M[eadows] Massacre'afterwards talked on the necessity of organizing more stakes of Zion'there being but 14 now organized'7 more were proposed spent an agreeable ev[en]ing.
[Source: L. John Nuttall, Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
at President B[righam] Youngs in the evening several of the 12 present the telegraph news of the last 3 days was read. showing the spirit of the Press. urging upon the nation the distruction of the Latter day Saints taking on an excuse the confession of John D. Lee in the complicity of Pres[iden]t Young & other leaders in the M[ountain] M[eadows] Massacre'afterwards talked on the necessity of organizing more stakes of Zion'there being but 14 now organized'7 more were proposed spent an agreeable ev[en]ing.
[Source: L. John Nuttall, Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
175 years ago today - Mar 31, 1842
[Relief Society Minutes]
Prest. J. Smith arose— spoke of the organization of the Society— said he was deeply interested that it might be built up to the Most High in an acceptable manner— that its rules must be observed— that none should be received into the Society but those who were worthy— propos'd that the Society go into a close examination of every candidate— that they were going too fast— that the Society should grow up by degrees [a Masonic phrase]— should commence with a few individuals— thus have a select Society of the virtuous and those who will walk circumspectly— commended them for their zeal but said sometimes their zeal was not according to knowledge— One principal object of the Institution, was to purge out iniquity— said they must be extremely careful in all their examinations or the consequences would be serious... that the Society should move according to the ancient Priesthood, hence there should be a select Society separate from all the evils of the world, choice, virtuou[s] and holy— Said he was going to make of this Society a kingdom of priests an in Enoch's day— as in Pauls day— that it is the privilege of each member to live long and enjoy health— ...
Mother [Lucy Mack] Smith rose and said she was glad the time had come that iniquity could be detected and reproach thrown off from the heads of the church [IE rumors of polygamy]— We come into the church to be sav'd— that we may live in peace and sit down in the kingdom of heaven— ...
[Source: 1.2.3 March 31, 1842, Minutes of the Proceedings of the Third Meeting of the Society, as quoted in Matthew J. Grow, Jill Derr, Carol Madsen, and Kate Holbrook, editors, The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women's History, The Church Historian's Press, 2016, https://churchhistorianspress.org/the-first-fifty-years-of-relief-society/]
Prest. J. Smith arose— spoke of the organization of the Society— said he was deeply interested that it might be built up to the Most High in an acceptable manner— that its rules must be observed— that none should be received into the Society but those who were worthy— propos'd that the Society go into a close examination of every candidate— that they were going too fast— that the Society should grow up by degrees [a Masonic phrase]— should commence with a few individuals— thus have a select Society of the virtuous and those who will walk circumspectly— commended them for their zeal but said sometimes their zeal was not according to knowledge— One principal object of the Institution, was to purge out iniquity— said they must be extremely careful in all their examinations or the consequences would be serious... that the Society should move according to the ancient Priesthood, hence there should be a select Society separate from all the evils of the world, choice, virtuou[s] and holy— Said he was going to make of this Society a kingdom of priests an in Enoch's day— as in Pauls day— that it is the privilege of each member to live long and enjoy health— ...
Mother [Lucy Mack] Smith rose and said she was glad the time had come that iniquity could be detected and reproach thrown off from the heads of the church [IE rumors of polygamy]— We come into the church to be sav'd— that we may live in peace and sit down in the kingdom of heaven— ...
[Source: 1.2.3 March 31, 1842, Minutes of the Proceedings of the Third Meeting of the Society, as quoted in Matthew J. Grow, Jill Derr, Carol Madsen, and Kate Holbrook, editors, The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women's History, The Church Historian's Press, 2016, https://churchhistorianspress.org/the-first-fifty-years-of-relief-society/]
85 years ago today - Mar 30, 1932
[Heber J. Grant]
David O. McKay called the first thing this morning and we had a still further talk with him regarding the appointment of a patriarch. I told him that personally I would like to see my son-in-law made the patriarch but I would very much prefer his brother Calvin; that unless the brethren agreed with me I certainly did not want them to vote in favor of Willard just because he happens to be my son-in-law. I think it will be a great shock to Willard if we appoint him, and that he would prefer to have a business career instead of an official position in the Church.
[Source: The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]
David O. McKay called the first thing this morning and we had a still further talk with him regarding the appointment of a patriarch. I told him that personally I would like to see my son-in-law made the patriarch but I would very much prefer his brother Calvin; that unless the brethren agreed with me I certainly did not want them to vote in favor of Willard just because he happens to be my son-in-law. I think it will be a great shock to Willard if we appoint him, and that he would prefer to have a business career instead of an official position in the Church.
[Source: The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]
100 years ago today - Mar 30, 1917
Young John Talmage, six-year-old son of Apostle James Talmage goes downtown to buy a gift for a family member. While his governess is looking into a store window, he runs into a nearby National Guard office, where he declares himself ready for duty. The amused recruiters put him through the drill of attention and saluting. However, the boy is devastated when he is told he is too young, and John decides not to tell anyone of the humiliating experience. That afternoon the family receives a call from Lieutenant Albert Meyers who relates the incident and asked permission to report the story in the next day's newspaper. It runs in the Mar, 31 edition of the SALT LAKE TRIBUNE.
110 years ago today - Saturday, Mar 30, 1907
[John Henry Smith]
... The Church has in Actual Values about Ten Millions of dollars in Land, buildings, and other projects.
[Source: 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]
... The Church has in Actual Values about Ten Millions of dollars in Land, buildings, and other projects.
[Source: 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]
130 years ago today - Mch. 30 1887
[Interview of William Law (former counsellor to Joseph Smith, editor: Nauvoo Expositor)]
"You speak, in your book, of Joseph Smith having sent Rockwell to kill Governor Boggs. Let me tell you, that Joe Smith, told me the fact himself. The words were substantially like this, "I sent Rockwell to kill Boggs, but he missed him, it was a failure; he wounded him instead of sending him to Hell."
... "What position had Rockwell in Joseph's house?"
"Rockwell was the lackey of the house. He used to comb and shave Joseph, blackened his boots and drove his carriage. He would have done anything Joe wanted him to do. I never saw a horse or carriage belonging to Rockwell which you say he got from Joseph for the attempt to kill Boggs."
...Secret orders went out that nobody could buy property without the permission of Joseph Smith, Hyrum or the authorities, as they called them, so our property was practically worthless. ... [Wilson Law] wrestled with Joe in Nauvoo and threw him on his back."
... "They tried to get rid of me in different ways. One was by poisoning. I was already out of the church when Hyrum called one day and invited me for the next day to a reconciliation dinner as he called it, to his house. He said Joseph would come, too. He invited me and my wife. He was very urgent about the matter, but I declined the invitation. Now I must tell you that I, in those dangerous days, did not neglect to look out somewhat for the safety of my person and that I kept a detective or two among those who were in the confidence of the Smiths. That very same evening of the day on which Hyrum had been to my house inviting me, my detective told me that they had conceived the plan to poison me at the reconciliation dinner. Their object was a double one. My going to the dinner would have shown to the people that I was reconciled and my death would have freed them of an enemy. You may imagine that I didn't regret having declined that amiable invitation."
"Have you had any knowledge of cases of poisoning in Nauvoo, ordered by the authorities?"
"I know that several men, six or seven, died under very suspicious circumstances. Among them were two secretaries of the prophet, Mulholland and Blaskel Thompson. I saw Mulholland die and the symptoms looked very suspicious to me. Dr. Foster, who was a very good physician, believed firmly that those six or seven men had been poisoned, and told me so repeatedly."
"What may have been the reason for poisoning the secretaries?"
(With a smile) "They knew too much, probably."
"What do you know about the Danites?"
"Nothing of my personal knowledge. They existed, but their workings were kept very secret. I never belonged to the initiated. Smith tried very hard to get them to kill me. One day my detective told me, that two Danites had gone to Joseph and told him that they wanted to put me out of the way. Joseph said: "Don't--he (Law) is too influential; his death would bring the country down upon us; wait." ...
"Did Emma, the elect lady, come to your house and complain about Joseph?"
"No. She never came to my house for that purpose. But I met her sometimes on the street and then she used to complain, especially because of the girls whom Joseph kept in the house, devoting his attention to them. You have overrated her, she was dishonest."
"Do you mean to say that she was so outside of the influence Joseph had over her?"
"Yes, that is exactly what I mean. Let me tell you a case, that will be full proof to you. Soon after my arrive in Nauvoo the two L[awrence] girls came to the holy city, two very young girls, 15 to 17 years of age. They had been converted in Canada, were orphans and worth about $8000 in English gold. Joseph got to be appointed their Guardian, probably with the help of Dr. Bennett. He naturally put the gold in his pocket and had the Girls sealed to him. He asked me to go on his bond as a guardian, as Sidney Rigdon had done. "It is only a formality," he said. Foolishly enough, and not yet suspecting anything, I put my name on the paper. Emma complained about Joseph's living with the L[awrence] girls, but not very violently. It is my conviction that she was his full accomplice, that she was not a bit better than he. When I saw how things went I should have taken steps to be released of that bond, but I never thought of it. After Joseph's death, A. W. Babbitt became guardian of the two girls. He asked Emma for a settlement about the $8000. Emma said she had nothing to do with her husband's debts. Now Babbitt asked for the books and she gave them to him. Babbitt found that Joseph had counted an expense of about $3000 for board and clothing of the girls. ...
"You have known the parents of the prophet, old Lucy and old Joe, the Abraham of this new dispensation?"
"Oh, yes, I knew them. Old Lucy was in her dotage at that time; she seemed a harmless old woman. Old Joe sold blessings, so much a head, always in the same style--that my sons should be emperors and my daughters mothers of queens, and that everybody should have as many children as there was sands on the shore. Old Joe was an old tramp."
... "What do you remember about Emma's relations to the revelation on celestial marriage?"
"Well, I told you that she used to complain to me about Joseph's escapades whenever she met me on the street. She spoke repeatedly about that pretended revelation. She said once: "The revelation says I must submit or be destroyed. Well, I guess I have to submit." On another day she said: "Joe and I have settled our troubles on the basis of equal rights." * * * Emma was a full accomplice of Joseph's crimes. She was a large, coarse woman, as deep a woman as there was, always full of schemes and smooth as oil. They were worthy of each other, she was not a particle better than he."...
"Did you ever see the celebrated peepstone?"
"No. I never saw it and I never saw Joseph giving a revelation. But Hyrum told me once that Joseph, in his younger years, used to hunt for hidden treasures with a peepstone."
"Was Joseph a habitual drunkard?"
"I don't believe he was. I only saw him drunk once. I found Joseph and Hyrum at a place where they kept quantities of wine. I remember that Joseph drank heavily, and that I talked to Hyrum begging him to take his brother away, but that was the only time I saw the prophet drunk."
"Have you ever heard of the old woman that was drowned in the interest of the church?"
"I have heard of a woman being put aside. They said she had been brought over the river and buried on an island near the shore or on the other shore, near the water. But at that time I did not believe a word of rumors of this kind, and did not investigate them."
"Did you ever hear of abortion being practiced in Nauvoo?"
"Yes. There was some talk about Joseph getting no issue from all the women he had intercourse with. Dr. Foster spoke to me about the fact. But I don't remember what was told about abortion. If I heard things of the kind, I didn't believe in them at that time. Joseph was very free in his talk about his women. He told me one day of a certain girl and remarked, that she had given him more pleasure than any girl he had ever enjoyed. I told him it was horrible to talk like this." ...
"What do you know about the revelation on polygamy?"
"... When I came to Joseph and showed him the paper, he said: 'Yes, that is a genuine revelation.' I said to the prophet: 'But in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants there is a revelation just the contrary of this.' 'Oh,' said Joseph, 'that was given when the church was in its infancy, then it was all right to feed the people on milk, but now it is necessary to give them strong meat' We talked a long time about it, finally our discussion became very hot and we gave it up..."
"You returned the revelation to Hyrum?"
"Yes, I did. I was astonished to see in your book that the revelation was such a long document. I remember DISTINCTLY that the original given me by Hyrum was MUCH SHORTER. It covered not more than two or three pages of foolscap. The contents are substantially the same, but there was not that theological introduction. The thing consisted simply in the command of doing it, and that command was restricted to the High Priesthood and to virgins and widows. But as to Joseph, himself, the Lord's chosen servant, it was restricted to virgins only, to clean vessels, from which to procure a pure seed to the Lord."
"In what manner would Joseph succeed to keep you and others from knowing what was going on behind the curtain?"
"Marks, Yves, I and some others had, for a long time, no idea of the depravity that was going on. This was simply the result of a very smart system adopted by the prophet and his intimate friends like Brigham Young, Kimball and others. They first tried a man to see whether they could make a criminal tool out of him. When they felt that he would not be the stuff to make a criminal of, they kept him outside the inner circle and used him to show him up as an example of their religion, as a good, virtuous, universally respected brother."/...
"Did you ever hear Joseph speak of his money?"
"Oh yes, he used to boast of his riches. He expressed the opinion, that it was all important that he should be rich. I heard him say myself, 'it would be better that every man in the church should lose his last cent, than that I should fall and go down.'"
... THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE!W.WYL.
[Source: "The Law Interview: Dr. Wyl and Wm. Law.," The Daily Trubine (Salt Lake Tribune): Sunday Mormon, July 31, 1887]
"You speak, in your book, of Joseph Smith having sent Rockwell to kill Governor Boggs. Let me tell you, that Joe Smith, told me the fact himself. The words were substantially like this, "I sent Rockwell to kill Boggs, but he missed him, it was a failure; he wounded him instead of sending him to Hell."
... "What position had Rockwell in Joseph's house?"
"Rockwell was the lackey of the house. He used to comb and shave Joseph, blackened his boots and drove his carriage. He would have done anything Joe wanted him to do. I never saw a horse or carriage belonging to Rockwell which you say he got from Joseph for the attempt to kill Boggs."
...Secret orders went out that nobody could buy property without the permission of Joseph Smith, Hyrum or the authorities, as they called them, so our property was practically worthless. ... [Wilson Law] wrestled with Joe in Nauvoo and threw him on his back."
... "They tried to get rid of me in different ways. One was by poisoning. I was already out of the church when Hyrum called one day and invited me for the next day to a reconciliation dinner as he called it, to his house. He said Joseph would come, too. He invited me and my wife. He was very urgent about the matter, but I declined the invitation. Now I must tell you that I, in those dangerous days, did not neglect to look out somewhat for the safety of my person and that I kept a detective or two among those who were in the confidence of the Smiths. That very same evening of the day on which Hyrum had been to my house inviting me, my detective told me that they had conceived the plan to poison me at the reconciliation dinner. Their object was a double one. My going to the dinner would have shown to the people that I was reconciled and my death would have freed them of an enemy. You may imagine that I didn't regret having declined that amiable invitation."
"Have you had any knowledge of cases of poisoning in Nauvoo, ordered by the authorities?"
"I know that several men, six or seven, died under very suspicious circumstances. Among them were two secretaries of the prophet, Mulholland and Blaskel Thompson. I saw Mulholland die and the symptoms looked very suspicious to me. Dr. Foster, who was a very good physician, believed firmly that those six or seven men had been poisoned, and told me so repeatedly."
"What may have been the reason for poisoning the secretaries?"
(With a smile) "They knew too much, probably."
"What do you know about the Danites?"
"Nothing of my personal knowledge. They existed, but their workings were kept very secret. I never belonged to the initiated. Smith tried very hard to get them to kill me. One day my detective told me, that two Danites had gone to Joseph and told him that they wanted to put me out of the way. Joseph said: "Don't--he (Law) is too influential; his death would bring the country down upon us; wait." ...
"Did Emma, the elect lady, come to your house and complain about Joseph?"
"No. She never came to my house for that purpose. But I met her sometimes on the street and then she used to complain, especially because of the girls whom Joseph kept in the house, devoting his attention to them. You have overrated her, she was dishonest."
"Do you mean to say that she was so outside of the influence Joseph had over her?"
"Yes, that is exactly what I mean. Let me tell you a case, that will be full proof to you. Soon after my arrive in Nauvoo the two L[awrence] girls came to the holy city, two very young girls, 15 to 17 years of age. They had been converted in Canada, were orphans and worth about $8000 in English gold. Joseph got to be appointed their Guardian, probably with the help of Dr. Bennett. He naturally put the gold in his pocket and had the Girls sealed to him. He asked me to go on his bond as a guardian, as Sidney Rigdon had done. "It is only a formality," he said. Foolishly enough, and not yet suspecting anything, I put my name on the paper. Emma complained about Joseph's living with the L[awrence] girls, but not very violently. It is my conviction that she was his full accomplice, that she was not a bit better than he. When I saw how things went I should have taken steps to be released of that bond, but I never thought of it. After Joseph's death, A. W. Babbitt became guardian of the two girls. He asked Emma for a settlement about the $8000. Emma said she had nothing to do with her husband's debts. Now Babbitt asked for the books and she gave them to him. Babbitt found that Joseph had counted an expense of about $3000 for board and clothing of the girls. ...
"You have known the parents of the prophet, old Lucy and old Joe, the Abraham of this new dispensation?"
"Oh, yes, I knew them. Old Lucy was in her dotage at that time; she seemed a harmless old woman. Old Joe sold blessings, so much a head, always in the same style--that my sons should be emperors and my daughters mothers of queens, and that everybody should have as many children as there was sands on the shore. Old Joe was an old tramp."
... "What do you remember about Emma's relations to the revelation on celestial marriage?"
"Well, I told you that she used to complain to me about Joseph's escapades whenever she met me on the street. She spoke repeatedly about that pretended revelation. She said once: "The revelation says I must submit or be destroyed. Well, I guess I have to submit." On another day she said: "Joe and I have settled our troubles on the basis of equal rights." * * * Emma was a full accomplice of Joseph's crimes. She was a large, coarse woman, as deep a woman as there was, always full of schemes and smooth as oil. They were worthy of each other, she was not a particle better than he."...
"Did you ever see the celebrated peepstone?"
"No. I never saw it and I never saw Joseph giving a revelation. But Hyrum told me once that Joseph, in his younger years, used to hunt for hidden treasures with a peepstone."
"Was Joseph a habitual drunkard?"
"I don't believe he was. I only saw him drunk once. I found Joseph and Hyrum at a place where they kept quantities of wine. I remember that Joseph drank heavily, and that I talked to Hyrum begging him to take his brother away, but that was the only time I saw the prophet drunk."
"Have you ever heard of the old woman that was drowned in the interest of the church?"
"I have heard of a woman being put aside. They said she had been brought over the river and buried on an island near the shore or on the other shore, near the water. But at that time I did not believe a word of rumors of this kind, and did not investigate them."
"Did you ever hear of abortion being practiced in Nauvoo?"
"Yes. There was some talk about Joseph getting no issue from all the women he had intercourse with. Dr. Foster spoke to me about the fact. But I don't remember what was told about abortion. If I heard things of the kind, I didn't believe in them at that time. Joseph was very free in his talk about his women. He told me one day of a certain girl and remarked, that she had given him more pleasure than any girl he had ever enjoyed. I told him it was horrible to talk like this." ...
"What do you know about the revelation on polygamy?"
"... When I came to Joseph and showed him the paper, he said: 'Yes, that is a genuine revelation.' I said to the prophet: 'But in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants there is a revelation just the contrary of this.' 'Oh,' said Joseph, 'that was given when the church was in its infancy, then it was all right to feed the people on milk, but now it is necessary to give them strong meat' We talked a long time about it, finally our discussion became very hot and we gave it up..."
"You returned the revelation to Hyrum?"
"Yes, I did. I was astonished to see in your book that the revelation was such a long document. I remember DISTINCTLY that the original given me by Hyrum was MUCH SHORTER. It covered not more than two or three pages of foolscap. The contents are substantially the same, but there was not that theological introduction. The thing consisted simply in the command of doing it, and that command was restricted to the High Priesthood and to virgins and widows. But as to Joseph, himself, the Lord's chosen servant, it was restricted to virgins only, to clean vessels, from which to procure a pure seed to the Lord."
"In what manner would Joseph succeed to keep you and others from knowing what was going on behind the curtain?"
"Marks, Yves, I and some others had, for a long time, no idea of the depravity that was going on. This was simply the result of a very smart system adopted by the prophet and his intimate friends like Brigham Young, Kimball and others. They first tried a man to see whether they could make a criminal tool out of him. When they felt that he would not be the stuff to make a criminal of, they kept him outside the inner circle and used him to show him up as an example of their religion, as a good, virtuous, universally respected brother."/...
"Did you ever hear Joseph speak of his money?"
"Oh yes, he used to boast of his riches. He expressed the opinion, that it was all important that he should be rich. I heard him say myself, 'it would be better that every man in the church should lose his last cent, than that I should fall and go down.'"
... THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE!W.WYL.
[Source: "The Law Interview: Dr. Wyl and Wm. Law.," The Daily Trubine (Salt Lake Tribune): Sunday Mormon, July 31, 1887]
140 years ago today - Mar 30, 1877
Brigham Young instructs apostles to re-organize all the stakes of the Great Basin.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
140 years ago today - Mar 30, 1877
This is the first day I ever went [to] the [Temp?]le to get Endowments for the Dead. I got Endowments to day for the Prophets Robert Mason. We gave Endowments to 150. There was 52 Elders ordained. W Woodruff ordained 2. I was ordained a High Priest & Patriarch for the Prophet Mason. ...
I sealed 14 dead Persons to President Young. E Snow sealed [ ] Couple. (W Woodruff gave Seconed Anointing to Wilford Woodruff jr for his Grand Father Ezra Carter & Anointed Phebe W. Woodruff for her Mother Sarah Fabyan Carter.) <I anointed Sarah Campbell Smith.> Phebe WW got Endowments for Mary Fabyan & for Mr Samuel Woodruff. Wilford Woodruff jr. got Endowments for Asahel Woodruff.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
I sealed 14 dead Persons to President Young. E Snow sealed [ ] Couple. (W Woodruff gave Seconed Anointing to Wilford Woodruff jr for his Grand Father Ezra Carter & Anointed Phebe W. Woodruff for her Mother Sarah Fabyan Carter.) <I anointed Sarah Campbell Smith.> Phebe WW got Endowments for Mary Fabyan & for Mr Samuel Woodruff. Wilford Woodruff jr. got Endowments for Asahel Woodruff.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
155 years ago today - Mar 30, 1862
Brigham Young teaches that "God would Judge the world but How would He Judge the world? He would not sit in Judgment upon Each individual case, but the Lord would preside over all his Prophets and Apostles of ev[e]ry generation . . Those who received their testimony and abided by their Council would have no sins to pay for after death, but the wicked would be Judged after death. . . . Joseph Smith will preside over this dispensation and Judge but He has chosen 12 Apostles 70ties & we have High Priest, High Council, and Bishops to Judge the people. Joseph will not judge Each individual neither shall I. Neither do I want to spend my time in listening to the sins & nonsens[e] of the People."
160 years ago today - Mar 30, 1857
Judge W.W. Drummond wrote a letter of resignation in which he charged that the Mormons accepted no law but the priesthood; that there was an oath bound organization to resist the laws of the land; that some Mormon men were called to assassinate those who questioned the authority of the Church; That the Gunnison party was murdered by Indians under the orders and advice of the Mormons; that his predecessor, Leonidas Shaver, had been poisoned by the Mormons; that the Babbitt party was not killed by Indians, but rather several Mormons on orders from Brigham Young; and, the Church had ordered destruction of the Supreme Court papers. He recommended that President Buchanan replace Brigham Young with a non-Mormon governor escorted to Utah by a military force. (complete text: New York Times, May 14, 1857)
[Source: Hale, Van, Mormon Miscellaneous, Utah War Chronology, http://www.mormonmiscellaneous.com/utahwar/id2.html]
[Source: Hale, Van, Mormon Miscellaneous, Utah War Chronology, http://www.mormonmiscellaneous.com/utahwar/id2.html]
175 years ago today - March/May 1842
Times and Seasons (Nauvoo) prints the available text of what would become the Book of Abraham, facsimiles included, published by Joseph Smith, in Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph Smith publishes Articles of Faith in response to an editor's request.
[Source: Sherry Baker: Mormon Media History Timeline: 1827-2007, http://byustudies.byu.edu/showTitle.aspx?title=7984]
[Source: Sherry Baker: Mormon Media History Timeline: 1827-2007, http://byustudies.byu.edu/showTitle.aspx?title=7984]
175 years ago today - Mar 30, 1842
Smith used Masonic terminology in his instructions that the Nauvoo Relief Society "should grow up by degrees," and that there should be "a close examination of every candidate" . He said he was going to "make of this society a kingdom of priests," and also encouraged the women to become "sufficiently skill'd in Masonry as to keep a secret," and that they should be "good masons" . Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Period I: History of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and…Period II: From the Manuscript History of Brigham Young and Other Original Documents, ed. B. H. Roberts, 7 vols. [Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1902-32; 2d ed. rev. -Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1978]. changed "this society" to "the Church of Jesus Christ."
[Source: Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Signature Books, 1994, Appendex: Meetings and Initiations of the Anointed Quorum, 1842-45, http://amzn.to/origins-power]
[Source: Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Signature Books, 1994, Appendex: Meetings and Initiations of the Anointed Quorum, 1842-45, http://amzn.to/origins-power]
85 years ago today - 85 years ago - Mar 29, 1932
[Heber J. Grant]
George F. Richards, David O. McKay and James E. Talmage called and made a report that they thought it would be a serious matter to have Eldred Smith made the Presiding Patriarch. They gave a detailed account of what they had discovered regarding the Young Men's activities, and while they thought he was g good young man they were a unit that it would be a mistake to have him made the Presided Patriarch at least until after he has had years of training and development. We discussed the propriety of changing and having one of Joseph F. Smith's sons made the patriarch. The names of Calvin and Willard R. Smith were suggested. My own impression is that it is almost providential to have a faithful, diligent outstanding Latter-day Saint grandson of Hyrum Smith made the patriarch instead of having a great great-grandson of Hyrum Smith through the line of John Smith. We discussed the matter until nearly seven o'clock.
[Source: The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]
George F. Richards, David O. McKay and James E. Talmage called and made a report that they thought it would be a serious matter to have Eldred Smith made the Presiding Patriarch. They gave a detailed account of what they had discovered regarding the Young Men's activities, and while they thought he was g good young man they were a unit that it would be a mistake to have him made the Presided Patriarch at least until after he has had years of training and development. We discussed the propriety of changing and having one of Joseph F. Smith's sons made the patriarch. The names of Calvin and Willard R. Smith were suggested. My own impression is that it is almost providential to have a faithful, diligent outstanding Latter-day Saint grandson of Hyrum Smith made the patriarch instead of having a great great-grandson of Hyrum Smith through the line of John Smith. We discussed the matter until nearly seven o'clock.
[Source: The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]
95 years ago today - 95 years ago - Late March 1922
Missionary Ezra Taft Benson reported that the "Town [was] in uproar about Mormons. All of vast assembly voted to have us put out of town."
[Source: Gary James Bergera, "Ezra Taft Benson's 1921-23 Mission to England", Journal of Mormon History 35:4 (Fall 2009)]
[Source: Gary James Bergera, "Ezra Taft Benson's 1921-23 Mission to England", Journal of Mormon History 35:4 (Fall 2009)]
110 years ago today - 110 years ago - Mar 29, 1907
[First Presidency]
You should now take pains to fix the right name firmly in your mind, and having done so the memory of it should be sacredly kept locked up in your own heart. The name under which, you say, you acted by mistake served the purpose for which it was used merely as a password and inasmuch as your intent was honest and sincere the Lord will accept of what you have done as though no mistake had been made.
[Source: Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund to Joseph G. Allred, Mar. 29, 1907, in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship]
You should now take pains to fix the right name firmly in your mind, and having done so the memory of it should be sacredly kept locked up in your own heart. The name under which, you say, you acted by mistake served the purpose for which it was used merely as a password and inasmuch as your intent was honest and sincere the Lord will accept of what you have done as though no mistake had been made.
[Source: Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund to Joseph G. Allred, Mar. 29, 1907, in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship]
125 years ago today - 125 years ago - Mar 29, 1892
[Wilford Woodruff]
29 Plesant this morning. I gave several Permits to go on to the Temple Tower. I went to the Temple & Examined the Bronze Angel for the Top Stone of the Temple 13 feet high & about 1,500 lbs in weight. I examind the Elevator to go to the top which looked safe. [The capstone is laid on Apr 6, exactly one year before the dedication.]
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
29 Plesant this morning. I gave several Permits to go on to the Temple Tower. I went to the Temple & Examined the Bronze Angel for the Top Stone of the Temple 13 feet high & about 1,500 lbs in weight. I examind the Elevator to go to the top which looked safe. [The capstone is laid on Apr 6, exactly one year before the dedication.]
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
125 years ago today - 125 years ago - Tuesday, March 29th, 1892
[Abraham H. Cannon]
I asked Jos. F. Smith why it was that Ham's son Canaan was cursed instead of Ham for exposing his Father's person. He said that the Prophet Joseph is credited with saying that the sin of Ham consisted in trying to castrate his father, Noah, and kill his brothers, Shem and Japeth, so that he might become the head of the nations of the earth. Ham had married a daughter of Cain, and by him the curse was carried through the flood. The seed of this union is the Egyptians, who are not black, but after Ham's curse, his seed was entirely black. Hence the difference between the races who now inhabit Africa.
. . . We continued our meeting. Pres. Snow said he felt that when any question came up among us on which the majority were clear, should there be one who did not see as the others, that one should be willing to yield his views to those of the majority, and leave the responsibility of the course pursued with them. John W. Taylor spoke in relation to the Manifesto: "I do not know that that thing was right, though I voted to sustain it, and will assist to maintain it; but among my father's papers I found a revelation given him of the Lord, and which is now in my possession, in which the Lord told him that the principle of plural marriage would never be overcome. Pres. Taylor desired to have it suspended, but the Lord would not permit it to be done. At the close of John W.'s remarks our meeting adjourned till tomorrow at 10 o'clock. I closed with prayer.
[Source: Abraham H. Cannon Journal Excerpts, http://www.amazon.com/Apostles-Record-Journals-Abraham-1889-1896/dp/B000MFD1K4]
I asked Jos. F. Smith why it was that Ham's son Canaan was cursed instead of Ham for exposing his Father's person. He said that the Prophet Joseph is credited with saying that the sin of Ham consisted in trying to castrate his father, Noah, and kill his brothers, Shem and Japeth, so that he might become the head of the nations of the earth. Ham had married a daughter of Cain, and by him the curse was carried through the flood. The seed of this union is the Egyptians, who are not black, but after Ham's curse, his seed was entirely black. Hence the difference between the races who now inhabit Africa.
. . . We continued our meeting. Pres. Snow said he felt that when any question came up among us on which the majority were clear, should there be one who did not see as the others, that one should be willing to yield his views to those of the majority, and leave the responsibility of the course pursued with them. John W. Taylor spoke in relation to the Manifesto: "I do not know that that thing was right, though I voted to sustain it, and will assist to maintain it; but among my father's papers I found a revelation given him of the Lord, and which is now in my possession, in which the Lord told him that the principle of plural marriage would never be overcome. Pres. Taylor desired to have it suspended, but the Lord would not permit it to be done. At the close of John W.'s remarks our meeting adjourned till tomorrow at 10 o'clock. I closed with prayer.
[Source: Abraham H. Cannon Journal Excerpts, http://www.amazon.com/Apostles-Record-Journals-Abraham-1889-1896/dp/B000MFD1K4]
130 years ago today - 130 years ago - Tuesday, Mar 29, 1887
[John Henry Smith]
In the evening I met Prest. Wilford Woodruff and we had an excelent visit. He read me a letter that he written to H. J. Grant in regard to the succession to the Presidency. His views are that we succeed in a regular order.
[Source: 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]
In the evening I met Prest. Wilford Woodruff and we had an excelent visit. He read me a letter that he written to H. J. Grant in regard to the succession to the Presidency. His views are that we succeed in a regular order.
[Source: 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]
155 years ago today - 155 years ago - Mar 29, 1862
[Heber C. Kimball Revelation]
It was told me the time was near when I Heber should be lifted up in the Eyes of Israel and Daniel H. Wells should see sorrow Even as he had caused sorrow to come on his servent HCK becaus he sat on me and oppressed me when he had power to do me good. Even so Amen. HCK. [Kimball and Wells were both counselors to Brigham Young]
[Source: "H. C. Kimball Memorandum" book, On the Potters Wheel: The Diaries of Heber C. Kimball, Stanley B. Kimball, editor, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
It was told me the time was near when I Heber should be lifted up in the Eyes of Israel and Daniel H. Wells should see sorrow Even as he had caused sorrow to come on his servent HCK becaus he sat on me and oppressed me when he had power to do me good. Even so Amen. HCK. [Kimball and Wells were both counselors to Brigham Young]
[Source: "H. C. Kimball Memorandum" book, On the Potters Wheel: The Diaries of Heber C. Kimball, Stanley B. Kimball, editor, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
160 years ago today - 160 years ago - Mar 29, 1857
Brigham Young preaches: "I can tell the people that once in my life I felt a want of confidence in brother Joseph Smith, soon after I became acquainted with him. It was not concerning religious matters-it was not about his revelations-but it was in relation to his financiering-to his managing the temporal affairs which he undertook. A feeling came ever me that Joseph was not right in his financial management, though I presume the feeling did not last sixty seconds, and perhaps not thirty. But that feeling came on me once and once only, from the time I first knew him to the day of his death. It gave me sorrow of heart, and I clearly saw and understood, by the spirit of revelation manifested to me, that if I was to harbor a thought in my heart that Joseph could be wrong in anything, I would begin to lose confidence in him, and that feeling would grow from step to step, and from one degree to another, until at last. I would have the same lack of confidence in his being the mouthpiece for the Almighty, and I would be left, as brother Hooper observed, upon the brink of the precipice, ready to plunge into what we may call the gulf of infidelity, ready to believe neither in God nor His servants, and to say that there is no God, or, if there is, we do not know anything about Him; . . ."
180 years ago today - 180 years ago - Mar 29, 1837
Joseph Smith Jr ... prophesied that unless the church acts in perfect greater union than they had for the winter past it Should be Scourged until they Should feel it four fold to that of the dispersion of Zion.
[Source: Kirtland Elder's Quorum Record, http://ogdenkraut.com/?page_id=414]
[Source: Kirtland Elder's Quorum Record, http://ogdenkraut.com/?page_id=414]
185 years ago today - 185 years ago - Mar 29, 1832
The infant Joseph Murdock, caught in the attack on his surrogate father, Joseph Smith, dies, apparently from exposure during the mobbing.
[Source: Mark Lyman Staker, Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio Revelations: A Selective Chronology of Significant Events in Ohio's LDS History]
[Source: Mark Lyman Staker, Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio Revelations: A Selective Chronology of Significant Events in Ohio's LDS History]
95 years ago today - Mar 15, 1922
B. H. Roberts writes a letter to President Heber J. Grant and the Twelve Apostles: "You will perhaps remember that during the hearing on 'Problems of the Book of Mormon' reported to your Council Jan, 1922, I stated in my remarks that there were other problems which I thought should be considered in addition to those submitted in my report. Brother Richard R. Lyman asked if they would help solve the problems already presented, or if they would increase our difficulties. My answer was that they would very greatly increase our difficulties, on which he replied, 'Then I do not know why we should consider them.' . . . It is not necessary for me to suggest that maintenance of the truth of the Book of Mormon is absolutely essential to the integrity of the whole Mormon movement, for it is inconceivable that the Book of Mormon should be untrue in its origin or character and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints be a true Church." However he does not send the letter.
105 years ago today - Mar 15, 1912
[First Presidency letter]
... a revelation given to the Church, to be binding, must be given to and accepted by the Church in conference assembled. And of course it should be written and published, so that the whole Church may know of it and have access to it, a thing which in this instance was never done. Our understanding is that this revelation [i.e., the Word of Wisdom] stands today in the same light as it did when it was first given, and must so remain until the Lord shall see fit to supplement it in any way deemed fit and proper by Him... In this sense the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom is a commandment. But it should be borne in mind that the revelation was not given by commandment or constraint. ...
[Source: First Presidency, Letter to J. Z. Stewart, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
... a revelation given to the Church, to be binding, must be given to and accepted by the Church in conference assembled. And of course it should be written and published, so that the whole Church may know of it and have access to it, a thing which in this instance was never done. Our understanding is that this revelation [i.e., the Word of Wisdom] stands today in the same light as it did when it was first given, and must so remain until the Lord shall see fit to supplement it in any way deemed fit and proper by Him... In this sense the revelation known as the Word of Wisdom is a commandment. But it should be borne in mind that the revelation was not given by commandment or constraint. ...
[Source: First Presidency, Letter to J. Z. Stewart, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
125 years ago today - Mar 15, 1892 (Tuesday)
The taking of depositions of "Mormons" regarding the ownership of the Temple lot at Independence, Mo., was commenced ... It was part of a suit "brought by the Reorganized church, commonly called Josephites, against the Church of Christ, commonly called Hedrickites, to obtain possession and title to a piece of land in Independence, Jackson Co., Mo., known as the Temple Lot."
[Source: Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
[Source: Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
130 years ago today - Mar 15, 1887
[Wilford Woodruff]
I dreamed again last night of Attending another General Conference. President Taylor was present but seemed in poor health. He seemed to think he should soon pass away. There was an immense body of the saints gathered together. I dream almost Evry night of these great Meetings. I do not now understand what those Dreams Mean. ... Presidet Taylor Died July 25/87.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
I dreamed again last night of Attending another General Conference. President Taylor was present but seemed in poor health. He seemed to think he should soon pass away. There was an immense body of the saints gathered together. I dream almost Evry night of these great Meetings. I do not now understand what those Dreams Mean. ... Presidet Taylor Died July 25/87.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
140 years ago today - Mar 15, 1877
[Wilford Woodruff]
We gave Endowments to 222 persons the most we ever gave in one day in that Temple. President Brigham Young spent the day in the Temple. I washed and Anointed him, and gave him his Endowments for [ ] Peirce. I gave Presidet Brigham Young his seconed Anointing for and in Behalf of Moses Whitesides Also Sister Amelia Young her 2d Anointing for her Mother.
E Snow sealed 41 Couple & W Woodruff 26 Couple. I gave President Brigham Young his second Anointing for Br Morris Whiteside And Amelia Young her 2d Anointing for her Mother.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
We gave Endowments to 222 persons the most we ever gave in one day in that Temple. President Brigham Young spent the day in the Temple. I washed and Anointed him, and gave him his Endowments for [ ] Peirce. I gave Presidet Brigham Young his seconed Anointing for and in Behalf of Moses Whitesides Also Sister Amelia Young her 2d Anointing for her Mother.
E Snow sealed 41 Couple & W Woodruff 26 Couple. I gave President Brigham Young his second Anointing for Br Morris Whiteside And Amelia Young her 2d Anointing for her Mother.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
140 years ago today - Mar 15, 1877
Romania Bunnell Pratt is the first Mormon woman to obtain an M.D. degree (from Women's Medical College in Philadelphia). On 1 Nov. she opens a school of obstetrics in Salt Lake City where she trains Mormon midwives and nurses for twenty-two years.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]
160 years ago today - Mar 15, 1857
[Wilford Woodruff]
I attended the prayer Circle. President Young said he had the following dream: I thought we had a great crop of wheat. The whole Earth was filled with it all around. The Heads were vary long & there was so much of it that people did not seem to care any thing about it. Did not try to save it. I had to Continually urge the people to save the wheat. They said they had more than they wanted for this year. I told them to go to & save all the wheat they had then next year they could work on the Temple."
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
I attended the prayer Circle. President Young said he had the following dream: I thought we had a great crop of wheat. The whole Earth was filled with it all around. The Heads were vary long & there was so much of it that people did not seem to care any thing about it. Did not try to save it. I had to Continually urge the people to save the wheat. They said they had more than they wanted for this year. I told them to go to & save all the wheat they had then next year they could work on the Temple."
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
160 years ago today - Mar 15, 1857
First counselor Heber C. Kimball testifies of healing people with his special handkerchief, cane and cloak.
160 years ago today - Mar 15, 1857
Brigham Young preaches: " Joseph [Smith] is not resurrected; and if you will visit the graves you will find the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum yet in their resting place. Do not be mistaken about that; they will be resurrected in due time." Heber C. Kimball preaches: "How much would you give for even a cane that Father Abraham had used? or a coat or ring that the Saviour had worn? The rough oak boxes in which the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum were brought from Carthage, were made into canes and other articles. I have a cane made from the plank of one of those boxes, so as brother Brigham and a great many others, and we prize them highly, and esteem them a great blessing. I want to carefully preserve my cane, and when I am done with it here, I shall hand it down to my heir, with instructions to him to do the same. And the day will come when there will be multitudes who will be healed and blessed through the instrumentality of those canes, and the devil cannot overcome those who have them, in consequence of their faith and confidence in the virtues connected with them."
175 years ago today - Mar 15, 1842
The Church's official newspaper Times and Seasons formally apologized for a sexual joke that had appeared within a wedding announcement the month before. Blaming "the boys" who had previously been compositor and typesetter, this apology insisted that Joseph Smith (the newspaper's editor) had never written "a single indecent or unbecoming word or sentence" in his life. Referring to the bride and groom, the newspaper's offending word-play had stated: "... and they find a peaceful abode in the `narrow house,' may the many outs and ins they have made, leave to the world an abundant posterity to celebrate their glorious example" (emphasis in original).
[Source: "MARRIED--In this city on the 6th inst. by the Rev. Erastus H. Derby, Mr. Gilbert H. Rolfe, to Miss Eliza Jane Bates," Times and Seasons 3 (15 February 1842): 701, with the following statement on page 702: "The Times and Seasons, IS EDITED BY Joseph Smith" (emphasis in original). This announcement was immediately followed by another "MARRIED"-notice, signed "Ed.", 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)]
[Source: "MARRIED--In this city on the 6th inst. by the Rev. Erastus H. Derby, Mr. Gilbert H. Rolfe, to Miss Eliza Jane Bates," Times and Seasons 3 (15 February 1842): 701, with the following statement on page 702: "The Times and Seasons, IS EDITED BY Joseph Smith" (emphasis in original). This announcement was immediately followed by another "MARRIED"-notice, signed "Ed.", 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)]
175 years ago today - Mar 15, 1842
Joseph's 1838-39 version of the First Vision was published for the first time. Two personages appeared. One pointed to the other and said, "This is my beloved Son, hear him."
[Source: Times and Seasons, Vol. 3, no. 10, p. 748; A Documented History of Joseph Smith's First Vision, http://beggarsbread.org/2013/04/01/a-documented-history-of-joseph-smiths-first-vision/]
[Source: Times and Seasons, Vol. 3, no. 10, p. 748; A Documented History of Joseph Smith's First Vision, http://beggarsbread.org/2013/04/01/a-documented-history-of-joseph-smiths-first-vision/]
175 years ago today - Mar 15, 1842
Joseph publicly announces that he is editor of the Times and Seasons and will be responsible for all material published in the paper from this day forward. The second half of the book of Abraham (2:19—5:21, and facsimile No. 2) is published in the March 15 Times and Seasons (which, like the previous issue, may have come out a few days late).
The Masonic Lodge of Nauvoo has now grown to 33 members, and more than 50 others have made application to become Masons. The meeting on Feb. 17, 1842, decided upon this date as the formal installation date of all new Masons in Nauvoo. Abraham Jonas, "Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State of Illinois," comes to Nauvoo with several other prominent Masons from throughout the state. The Nauvoo Lodge of Free Masons is officially installed. Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon are installed as [Entered] Apprentice Masons. Jonas gives special permission to confer the three degrees of Ancient York Masonry on Joseph and Sidney "asspeedily as the nature of the case will admit."
[Source: David E. and Della S. Miller, Nauvoo: The City of Joseph 101-3.; Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]
The Masonic Lodge of Nauvoo has now grown to 33 members, and more than 50 others have made application to become Masons. The meeting on Feb. 17, 1842, decided upon this date as the formal installation date of all new Masons in Nauvoo. Abraham Jonas, "Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State of Illinois," comes to Nauvoo with several other prominent Masons from throughout the state. The Nauvoo Lodge of Free Masons is officially installed. Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon are installed as [Entered] Apprentice Masons. Jonas gives special permission to confer the three degrees of Ancient York Masonry on Joseph and Sidney "asspeedily as the nature of the case will admit."
[Source: David E. and Della S. Miller, Nauvoo: The City of Joseph 101-3.; Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]
185 years ago today - Mar 15, 1832
Joseph Smith receives a revelation (D&C 81) confirming Jesse Gause's role as a counselor to Joseph Smith "unto whom I have given the keys of the Kingdom." Joseph retains his sole role in the presidency of the Church while Jesse Gause and Sidney Rigdon are both made counselors to the president but not part of a "presidency."
[Source: Mark Lyman Staker, Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio Revelations: A Selective Chronology of Significant Events in Ohio's LDS History]
[Source: Mark Lyman Staker, Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio Revelations: A Selective Chronology of Significant Events in Ohio's LDS History]
25 years ago today - 25 years ago - Mar 14, 1992.
All twenty members of BYU's sociology faculty sign a three-page letter to BYU president Rex Lee on 14 March affirming their support of the church and of BYU but protesting the ecclesiastical interrogations of some members about participating in scholarly symposia. Since a temple recommend is required as a condition of employment at BYU, ecclesiastical action can affect academic standing and job security. An unspecified number of "individual faculty members, department chairs, and groups wrote memos supporting the rights outlined in the sociology department memo," according to a follow-up article in Sunstone. Four days later the Daily Universe publishes an unsigned editorial by the Daily Universe Editorial Board," claiming that Sunstone is not an academic forum. According to Sunstone, the editorial is "ghost-written in part by a professor." Edward Kimball and Eugene England jointly write a letter to the editor defending Sunstone as both academic and professional. David Knowlton, whose remarks at B. H. Roberts Society (not Sunstone) were quoted anonymously in the editorial, also writes a letter of good-humored protest at the editorial's position. The next month the Universe publishes an article quoting three faculty members from religious education agreeing with the anti-symposium statement.
[Source: Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1]
[Source: Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1]
50 years ago today - 50 years ago - Mar 14, 1967
BYU President "Wilkinson Admits 'Spy Ring' Existence at 'Y,'" Provo Daily Herald
[Source: D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992)]
[Source: D. Michael Quinn, "Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992)]
65 years ago today - 65 years ago - Mar 14, 1952
A First Presidency letter states that the minimum age for male missionaries is twenty and for female missionaries is twenty-three.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
75 years ago today - 75 years ago - Mar 14, 1942
The First Presidency orders bullet-proof glass for windows of its office to protect against an air attack by the Japanese.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
85 years ago today - 85 years ago - Mar 14, 1932
B. H. Roberts writes to Elizabeth Skolfield, his former secretary in the Eastern States Mission: "I am forwarding you with this mail an introductory chapter to a work of mine which is in typewritten form under the title "Book of Mormon Study." It makes 435 pages of typewritten matter. It is from research work I did before going to take charge of the Eastern States Mission. I had written it for presentation to the Twelve and the Presidency, not for publication, but I suspended the submission of it until I returned home, but I have not yet succeeded in making the presentation of it, although a letter of submission was made previous to leaving the E.S.M. I have made one feeble effort to get it before them since returning home, but they are not in a studious mood."
110 years ago today - 110 years ago - Mar 14, 1907
First Presidency letter: "it is not customary for woman to be anointed to men, to whom they may have been sealed after death, but with whom they had not lived in their lifetime as husband and wife in the marriage relation. . . . the second anointing consists of positive blessings bestowed only upon people who are known, and who can be recommended, for their long and steadfast faithfulness in the Church. And indeed, so particular have the Presidencies been at administering second anointings, that they drew the line between faithful members of the Church who died without gathering with the Church, and faithful members who gathered with the body of the Church and remained faithful afterwards, leaving the faithful people who have died in a scattered condition to be dealt with by the authority on the other side of the veil. But the main thought intended to be conveyed by us in this particular case is that the parties receiving the blessings must not only be known for their fidelity and faithfulness, but they must be, or have been, husband and wife as well, or one flesh, to use the scriptural expression. Your brethren, Joseph F. Smith John R. Winder Anthon H. Lund
130 years ago today - 130 years ago - Mar 14, 1887
Wife of Seventy's president Abraham H. Cannon goes to "Madam Mizpah," fortune-teller. He opposes this.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
135 years ago today - Mar 14, 1882
[Wilford Woodruff]
This Bill [Edmunds] is entirely a Breach of the Constitution of the United States. Condemns Men before trial or Conviction by a Court or Jury, take away the rights of a trial by a Jury of their Peers. Makes an Expose-facto law, and a Bill of the Attainder, and takes away the rights of Franchise of Latter Day Saints for their Religin and are Deprived of Sitting on Juries for their opinions sake.
But if the Nation Can Stand it we Can. We have been looking for this for the Nation to take a Stand against the Saints And the Church and Kingdom of God on the Earth. The Nation is taking a Stand against God, against Christ against the Church the Kingdom & Zion of God on the Earth. They are ripening in iniquity and turning the last keys that will seal their Condemnation that lingers not and preparing themselves for Destruction.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
This Bill [Edmunds] is entirely a Breach of the Constitution of the United States. Condemns Men before trial or Conviction by a Court or Jury, take away the rights of a trial by a Jury of their Peers. Makes an Expose-facto law, and a Bill of the Attainder, and takes away the rights of Franchise of Latter Day Saints for their Religin and are Deprived of Sitting on Juries for their opinions sake.
But if the Nation Can Stand it we Can. We have been looking for this for the Nation to take a Stand against the Saints And the Church and Kingdom of God on the Earth. The Nation is taking a Stand against God, against Christ against the Church the Kingdom & Zion of God on the Earth. They are ripening in iniquity and turning the last keys that will seal their Condemnation that lingers not and preparing themselves for Destruction.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
135 years ago today - Tuesday, Mar 14, 1882
[John Henry Smith]
Washington, D.C.
... The yeas for the [Edmunds] bill were 199. All the republicans, Independents and Greenbackers and some few democrats voted for the bill. 42 democrats voted no.
There are 51 who did not vote at all. The democrats who voted yea were opposed to the bill but their constituents had petitioned them to act and they could not in their judgement vote against the bill without ruining their chances for reelection.
The Republicans were filled with venom and were bent upon the acomplishment of their purpose. Haskell acted like a fiend, and I felt while he was talking down in front of the speakers desk, I should have been pleased to have been turned loose with him and fought in words or in a manly fight. God our father must judge these men for their evel design and doubt not he will do so in his own due time. I did not get excited or worried but felt I would like to fight it out with Mr. Haskell and the Republicans single and alone.
The work is done and all polygamists are disfranchised and turned out of office. Now we must wait and see whether persecution and all kinds of trickery is to follow this bill. Father thy will be done.
[Source: 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]
Washington, D.C.
... The yeas for the [Edmunds] bill were 199. All the republicans, Independents and Greenbackers and some few democrats voted for the bill. 42 democrats voted no.
There are 51 who did not vote at all. The democrats who voted yea were opposed to the bill but their constituents had petitioned them to act and they could not in their judgement vote against the bill without ruining their chances for reelection.
The Republicans were filled with venom and were bent upon the acomplishment of their purpose. Haskell acted like a fiend, and I felt while he was talking down in front of the speakers desk, I should have been pleased to have been turned loose with him and fought in words or in a manly fight. God our father must judge these men for their evel design and doubt not he will do so in his own due time. I did not get excited or worried but felt I would like to fight it out with Mr. Haskell and the Republicans single and alone.
The work is done and all polygamists are disfranchised and turned out of office. Now we must wait and see whether persecution and all kinds of trickery is to follow this bill. Father thy will be done.
[Source: 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]
140 years ago today - Mar 14, 1877
[Wilford Woodruff]
I washed And Anointed Presidet Brigham Young for and in behalf of John Sanderson Twiss to get Endowments for his [him] the first time that Presidet Young has Ever got Endowments for any person on Earth. I also gave Presidet Young his Second Anointing for John Sanderson Twiss.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
I washed And Anointed Presidet Brigham Young for and in behalf of John Sanderson Twiss to get Endowments for his [him] the first time that Presidet Young has Ever got Endowments for any person on Earth. I also gave Presidet Young his Second Anointing for John Sanderson Twiss.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
165 years ago today - Mar 14, 1852
Brigham Young rolled out revelation upon revelation in regard to the creation of the world. Adam came to the Earth when he assisted to form it, he then partook of the fruits of the Earth and became Earthy, and they which are after shall receive our resurrected bodies and shall all have the privilege of going as Adam's to form an Earth and do likewise. -- Salt Lake City
[Source: Historians Office Journal, Archives, Church History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah., in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
[Source: Historians Office Journal, Archives, Church History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah., in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
170 years ago today - Sunday, Mar 14, 1847.
[Brigham Young]
I feel all the time like Moses. I would to God that all these, my brethren, were prophets, seers, and revelators. Then live to them and glorify our Father in Heaven. Have you seen anything but a quiet, meek spirit while I've been here. I am just what God has made me and I pray that I may be an instrument in gathering up Zion.
[Source: Apostle Willard Richards Journal]
I feel all the time like Moses. I would to God that all these, my brethren, were prophets, seers, and revelators. Then live to them and glorify our Father in Heaven. Have you seen anything but a quiet, meek spirit while I've been here. I am just what God has made me and I pray that I may be an instrument in gathering up Zion.
[Source: Apostle Willard Richards Journal]
170 years ago today - Mar 14, 1847
Eliza R. Snow writes in her journal: "with Mother Chase & [Patty] Sessions. Father [Heber C.] Kimb[all] called in and gave us much beautiful instruction, after which we had some glorious communications of the spirit of God both by way of prophecy and the gift of tongues, and our hearts were made to rejoice and praise the name of God."
170 years ago today - Mar 14, 1847
[Brigham Young]
I instructed the brethren to cease dancing and commence prayer meetings and administer the sacrament.
[Source: The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
I instructed the brethren to cease dancing and commence prayer meetings and administer the sacrament.
[Source: The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
170 years ago today - Mar 14, 1847
[Wilford Woodruff]
In the evening I met in council with the Twelve & High Council. President Young Preached loud to the High Council after giving a decision upon the head of Bishop John Murdock. He prayed that God would let him live to see the day when the High Council would pass a righteous decision & have light & understand things.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
In the evening I met in council with the Twelve & High Council. President Young Preached loud to the High Council after giving a decision upon the head of Bishop John Murdock. He prayed that God would let him live to see the day when the High Council would pass a righteous decision & have light & understand things.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
185 years ago today - Mar 14, 1832 (Saturday)
Brigham Young was baptized by Eleazer Miller at Mendon, Monroe Co., N. Y.
[Source: Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
[Source: Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
35 years ago today - Mar 13, 1982
LOS ANGELES TIMES article: "Faith Makes Mormons Mark for Con Artists."
50 years ago today - Mar 13, 1967
Stephen Hays Russell, the student-leader of [the BYU spy-ring], signed a 1967 statement which made no reference whatever to the John Birch Society or to Ezra Taft Benson, even though the Birch connection appears in other sources.
Russell's 1967 statement acknowledged on page 3 that "if I 'got caught' at this, official university reactions would be that I was acting on my own," and on page 9 that Ernest Wilkinson expected Russell to be the "scapegoat". Although he implicated Wilkinson and two of Wilkinson's assistants already named by fellow-spy Hankin, all of Russell's other statements about BYU espionage were obviously intended to shield others beyond the BYU administrators who were involved.
[Source: Stephen Hays Russell statement, 13 Mar. 1967, typescript, signed at the bottom of each page by Stephen Hays Russell, folder 9, Hillam Papers, and box 34, Buerger Papers. From D. Michael Quinn, Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992), also in Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3.]
Russell's 1967 statement acknowledged on page 3 that "if I 'got caught' at this, official university reactions would be that I was acting on my own," and on page 9 that Ernest Wilkinson expected Russell to be the "scapegoat". Although he implicated Wilkinson and two of Wilkinson's assistants already named by fellow-spy Hankin, all of Russell's other statements about BYU espionage were obviously intended to shield others beyond the BYU administrators who were involved.
[Source: Stephen Hays Russell statement, 13 Mar. 1967, typescript, signed at the bottom of each page by Stephen Hays Russell, folder 9, Hillam Papers, and box 34, Buerger Papers. From D. Michael Quinn, Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992), also in Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3.]
80 years ago today - Mar 13, 1937
The Deseret News Church Section article "Introducing The Home Evening," is an indication of the inability of headquarters for two decades to persuade LDS members to adopt this practice.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
115 years ago today - Thursday, Mar 13, 1902
Pres. Jos. F. Smith made some remarks upon the authority invested in the apostles. He said he had known of instances where some of the brethren of the quorum, under a sudden inspiration, would ordain a man a patriarch or perhaps a bishop. He did not feel that this method of procedure was exactly right, as it infringed upon the principle of common consent ...
The matter of calling some missionaries to labor in the mining camps of Juab Stake was referred to the Twelve with power to act ...
[Source: Stan Larson (editor), A Ministry of Meetings: The Apostolic diaries of Rudger Clawson, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1993, http://bit.ly/rudgerclawson]
The matter of calling some missionaries to labor in the mining camps of Juab Stake was referred to the Twelve with power to act ...
[Source: Stan Larson (editor), A Ministry of Meetings: The Apostolic diaries of Rudger Clawson, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1993, http://bit.ly/rudgerclawson]
130 years ago today - Mar 13, 1887
[Wilford Woodruff]
<I wrote a revelation [-] given> to <me in the> wilderness And I see its fulfillment is upon us & the Nation. [Angled brackets indicate text written in code.]
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
<I wrote a revelation [-] given> to <me in the> wilderness And I see its fulfillment is upon us & the Nation. [Angled brackets indicate text written in code.]
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
135 years ago today - Monday, Mar 13, 1882
[John Henry Smith]
Washington, D.C.
I presented the memorial of the Utah legislature to Congress to Speaker Keifer who presented them to the House. Mr. Haskell of Kansas called for Senate file 353 or more properly known as the Edmunds bill. ...
[After discussion] The Speaker made a most dastardly ruling, both cowardly and Wicked. It was a strictly party vote, the democrats standing by law and order and the Republicans by misrule and misgovernment. It was a manly fight on the part of the democrats in the face of popular clamor. The democrats have resolved not to let the bill pass in its present form. What amendments they will secure is hard to tell, for the Republicans are bent on its going through just as it is. Today has been one of the most exciting of my life. The liberties of my people hanging on a thread and I powerless to do anything only sit and look on and ask the Lord to strengthen our friends and make them equal to the task.
[Source: 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]
Washington, D.C.
I presented the memorial of the Utah legislature to Congress to Speaker Keifer who presented them to the House. Mr. Haskell of Kansas called for Senate file 353 or more properly known as the Edmunds bill. ...
[After discussion] The Speaker made a most dastardly ruling, both cowardly and Wicked. It was a strictly party vote, the democrats standing by law and order and the Republicans by misrule and misgovernment. It was a manly fight on the part of the democrats in the face of popular clamor. The democrats have resolved not to let the bill pass in its present form. What amendments they will secure is hard to tell, for the Republicans are bent on its going through just as it is. Today has been one of the most exciting of my life. The liberties of my people hanging on a thread and I powerless to do anything only sit and look on and ask the Lord to strengthen our friends and make them equal to the task.
[Source: 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]
140 years ago today - Mar 13, 1877
Charles L. Walker writes, "Today I took Abigail and Sarah into the Temple and we received great and glorious blessings and powers which few of the children of Adam ever attained to." He and his two wives received their second anointing.
155 years ago today - Mar 13, 1862
... Brother Dodge had arived from Calafornia & said that Col Tarlton had a ridgment of 1,200 soldiers at San Bernadeno on there way to Utah. He was put under guard for several days because he belonged in Southern Utah. He accuses the mormons of puling down the mountain meadow monument. Said he would learn the mormons to let dead men alone.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
160 years ago today - 1857. March 13
Birth of B. H. Roberts, Brigham Henry Roberts, named after Brigham Young, was born in Warrington, England. His mother emigrated to Centerville, Utah, after separating from her husband, leaving five-year-old Henry in England in the care of friends. Four years later, he emigrated to Utah with his sister Polly. As an adult, Roberts summed up his youth: "My childhood was a nightmare; my boyhood was a tragedy."
[Source: Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
[Source: Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
170 years ago today - Mar 13, 1847
While keeping close watch on a dissenter by Young's instructions, policeman and former Danite Hosea Stout writes that the appropriate outcome would be to "cut him off--behind the ears--according to the law of God in such cases."
[Source: 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]
[Source: 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]
155 years ago today - Mar 12, 1862
[Heber C. Kimball Revelation]
March the 12, 1862
That I Heber should live 25 years if I desired it and should become a mighty man of God in the house of Israel and His power should increase on me more and more.
[Source: "H. C. Kimball Memorandum" book, On the Potters Wheel: The Diaries of Heber C. Kimball, Stanley B. Kimball, editor, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
March the 12, 1862
That I Heber should live 25 years if I desired it and should become a mighty man of God in the house of Israel and His power should increase on me more and more.
[Source: "H. C. Kimball Memorandum" book, On the Potters Wheel: The Diaries of Heber C. Kimball, Stanley B. Kimball, editor, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
25 years ago today - Mar 11, 1992
Counselor Gordon B. Hinckley presents a copy of the five-volumen Encyclopedia of Mormonism to the Vatican Library.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
50 years ago today - Mar 11, 1967
BYU's president writes: "Frankly, if they [general authorities] concerned themselves 1/100th as much with teachers as they do with the basketball coach, I would feel much better." Stan Watts is the NCAA Basketball Coach of the Year (1957, 1972) and inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and into Helms Hall of Fame (1972). Lavell Edwards is the NCAA Football Coach of the Year (1984). Beyond BYU, Dick Motta is the National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year (1971), and Tom Chambers is the NBA's All-Star MVP in 1987.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
105 years ago today - Mar 11, 1912
[Thomas A. Clawson]
"Our Bishops (Sic) Meeting was held at 9 P.M. and the matter of bro. Ridge having Negrow (Sic) bleed in him came up and bro Pennock was invited to tell us what he knew. He said that his wife's sister who had married bro Ridge in England had told her that, he bro Ridge, said that his great grandmother on his Mothers (Sic) side was a negress. Of course this news came as a great blow and surprise to her and going to the Temple she had ask (Sic) Prest Anthon H. Lund if they would ever be able to go to the Temple and he answered "I am afraid not." She then ask (Sic) him if she should leave her husband and he replied "I cannot advise you upon that subject."
[Source: Diary Excerpts of Thomas A. Clawson, Signature Books Library, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
"Our Bishops (Sic) Meeting was held at 9 P.M. and the matter of bro. Ridge having Negrow (Sic) bleed in him came up and bro Pennock was invited to tell us what he knew. He said that his wife's sister who had married bro Ridge in England had told her that, he bro Ridge, said that his great grandmother on his Mothers (Sic) side was a negress. Of course this news came as a great blow and surprise to her and going to the Temple she had ask (Sic) Prest Anthon H. Lund if they would ever be able to go to the Temple and he answered "I am afraid not." She then ask (Sic) him if she should leave her husband and he replied "I cannot advise you upon that subject."
[Source: Diary Excerpts of Thomas A. Clawson, Signature Books Library, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
120 years ago today - Mar 11, 1897; Thursday
Meeting of the First Presidency and Apostles at the Temple at 11 A.M. ..
The subject of the removal of the Catawba Indians was considered. It was decided that Brother Lyman communicate with Elder A[nthony]. W. Ivins to learn what inducements could be offered for the removal of the Indians to Mexico, as it was decided that the climate would be suitable, and they would be free there from race prejudices.
Pres[ident]. L[orenzo]. Snow introduced the subject of the Word of Wisdom, expressing the opinion that it was violated as much or more in the improper use of meat as in other things, and thought the time was near at hand when the Latter Day Saints should be taught to refrain from meat eating and the shedding of animal blood. ...
[Source: First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve minutes]
The subject of the removal of the Catawba Indians was considered. It was decided that Brother Lyman communicate with Elder A[nthony]. W. Ivins to learn what inducements could be offered for the removal of the Indians to Mexico, as it was decided that the climate would be suitable, and they would be free there from race prejudices.
Pres[ident]. L[orenzo]. Snow introduced the subject of the Word of Wisdom, expressing the opinion that it was violated as much or more in the improper use of meat as in other things, and thought the time was near at hand when the Latter Day Saints should be taught to refrain from meat eating and the shedding of animal blood. ...
[Source: First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve minutes]
175 years ago today - Mar 11, 1842
[Brigham Young]
Attended the high council, at the trial of Francis Gladden Bishop, who had set himself up as a prophet and revelator to the Church. After his revelations were read, which were a bundle of nonsense and folly, they were committed to the flames, and he was cut off from the Church, and delivered over to the buffetings of Satan.
[Source: Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1801-1844, ed. Elden Jay Watson (Salt Lake City: Smith Secretarial Service, 1968).]
Attended the high council, at the trial of Francis Gladden Bishop, who had set himself up as a prophet and revelator to the Church. After his revelations were read, which were a bundle of nonsense and folly, they were committed to the flames, and he was cut off from the Church, and delivered over to the buffetings of Satan.
[Source: Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1801-1844, ed. Elden Jay Watson (Salt Lake City: Smith Secretarial Service, 1968).]
85 years ago today - Mar 10, 1932
[George F. Richards]
Five of the members of the First Council of Seventy, by appointment, came into our [temple] meeting at 12:00 o'clock Pres [B. H.] Roberts occupied 1 hr 50 min trying to magnify the Seventy above the H[igh]. Priest &c. He said a High Priest holds the Melchizedek Priesthood but the Seventy is more; he is an apostle [as per Brigham Young] &c.
[Source: George F. Richards 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]
Five of the members of the First Council of Seventy, by appointment, came into our [temple] meeting at 12:00 o'clock Pres [B. H.] Roberts occupied 1 hr 50 min trying to magnify the Seventy above the H[igh]. Priest &c. He said a High Priest holds the Melchizedek Priesthood but the Seventy is more; he is an apostle [as per Brigham Young] &c.
[Source: George F. Richards 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]
115 years ago today - Mar 10, 1902
Apostle John Henry Smith leaves for Washington D.C. to lobby against a constitutional amendment banning polygamy. He had been set apart for this by President Joseph F. Smith.
140 years ago today - Mar 10, 1877
[Wilford Woodruff]
Presidet Young was with us to day in the Temple of the Lord And I feel thankful for it. The Blessing of God Rested upon the people. <President Young gave his daughter Eudora to me in marriage and sealed us together at the altar in the temple of the Lord this day and I thank the Lord for it.>
[Angeled brackets indicate text written in code. Woodruff was 77, and Eudora Lovina (divorced) 25. They consummate their marriage the next day. Eudora later divorces Woodruff and elopes to Seattle with Judge Albert Hagan, breaking up his marriage.]
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
Presidet Young was with us to day in the Temple of the Lord And I feel thankful for it. The Blessing of God Rested upon the people. <President Young gave his daughter Eudora to me in marriage and sealed us together at the altar in the temple of the Lord this day and I thank the Lord for it.>
[Angeled brackets indicate text written in code. Woodruff was 77, and Eudora Lovina (divorced) 25. They consummate their marriage the next day. Eudora later divorces Woodruff and elopes to Seattle with Judge Albert Hagan, breaking up his marriage.]
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
155 years ago today - Mar 10, 1862
[Heber C. Kimball]
The Lord told me the time was near when I Heber would be esteemed by His Servant Brigham more than any man that lives in the flesh.
[Source: "H. C. Kimball Memorandum" book, On the Potters Wheel: The Diaries of Heber C. Kimball, Stanley B. Kimball, editor, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
The Lord told me the time was near when I Heber would be esteemed by His Servant Brigham more than any man that lives in the flesh.
[Source: "H. C. Kimball Memorandum" book, On the Potters Wheel: The Diaries of Heber C. Kimball, Stanley B. Kimball, editor, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
170 years ago today - Wednesday, Mar 10, 1847.
President Young stated he had seen Father Neff, who said he would do just as President Young told him. He wanted salvation, and B. Y. [Young] told him what the Lord required.
Dr. [Richards] read the "Hedge Hog Doggrel," written by W. W. Phelps. A conversation took place about putting the cannon in good order and fixing the cannon ready for action. President Young wants the whole company organized into a military capacity ... B.Y. [Young], we want a host of tobacco that will want to be given to the Indians, also a little calico, and hire the Indians to kill buffalo.
[Source: Apostle Willard Richards Journal]
Dr. [Richards] read the "Hedge Hog Doggrel," written by W. W. Phelps. A conversation took place about putting the cannon in good order and fixing the cannon ready for action. President Young wants the whole company organized into a military capacity ... B.Y. [Young], we want a host of tobacco that will want to be given to the Indians, also a little calico, and hire the Indians to kill buffalo.
[Source: Apostle Willard Richards Journal]
190 years ago today - Mar 10, 1827
Joseph Smith receives a receipt for credit of $4.00 on the account of Abraham Fish, who is known to have financed some of Smith's treasure expeditions.
[Source: Marquardt & Walters 1994, pp. xxix, 64, 67; Wikipedia: Chronology of Mormonism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Mormonism]
[Source: Marquardt & Walters 1994, pp. xxix, 64, 67; Wikipedia: Chronology of Mormonism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Mormonism]
30 years ago today - Mar 9, 1987
TIME magazine reports that Arizona Governor Evan Mecham's education advisor is a retired, conservative dairy farmer, who encouraged the State Education Committee to favor a bill requiring that creationism be taught alongside evolution in public schools. He is widely quoted for saying that teachers have "no business correcting students whose parents teach them the earth is flat"
40 years ago today - Mar 09, 1977
President Marion G. Romney lays the cornerstone of the Sao Paulo Temple. President Spencer W. Kimball presides at the ceremony, along with Elder James E. Faust, who prophesies that the construction of the temples signifies the commencement of the era of the Church in Latin America.
105 years ago today - Mar 9, 1912
[Joseph F. Smith]
I regard Charles Darwin as one of the most able and devoted students of Nature the world has known, and as an investigator whose labors have been of incalculable good to mankind. I do not accept, however, his hypotheses as facts, nor the many vagaries and unproved theories that less able men have tried to aid to his teachings; indeed, as judged by what has passed current under the name of 'Darwinism', I do not believe that Darwin himself is a good Darwinian. ... I believe that the teachings of Charles Darwin in their general outline remain today as a contribution to science; that is to say, I believe that they facts and truths enunciated by Darwin are substantial and valuable additions to our scientific knowledge. ... I believe that the facts and truths taught by Darwin are accepted today by the leading thinkers of the world, but that many of the surmises are unproved theories associated in the popular mind with Darwin's name are, and of right ought to be, rejected by the leading thinkers of the world.
[Source: Joseph F. Smith, Letter to Elmer Kneale, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
I regard Charles Darwin as one of the most able and devoted students of Nature the world has known, and as an investigator whose labors have been of incalculable good to mankind. I do not accept, however, his hypotheses as facts, nor the many vagaries and unproved theories that less able men have tried to aid to his teachings; indeed, as judged by what has passed current under the name of 'Darwinism', I do not believe that Darwin himself is a good Darwinian. ... I believe that the teachings of Charles Darwin in their general outline remain today as a contribution to science; that is to say, I believe that they facts and truths enunciated by Darwin are substantial and valuable additions to our scientific knowledge. ... I believe that the facts and truths taught by Darwin are accepted today by the leading thinkers of the world, but that many of the surmises are unproved theories associated in the popular mind with Darwin's name are, and of right ought to be, rejected by the leading thinkers of the world.
[Source: Joseph F. Smith, Letter to Elmer Kneale, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
105 years ago today - Mar 9, 1912
Since the door of plural marriage has been closed to members of the Church by congressional law, declared constitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States, the opportunities afforded our sisters, and especially widows sealed to their deceased husbands, to marry, have become greatly [r]educed, and the consequences are that some of our sisters are being persuaded to form matrimonial alliances with non-members of the Church, a thing with very much regret. But inasmuch as the condition of things exists and cannot be modified or changed, we feel that such unions should not affect the fellowship of persons like the sister referred to in yours of the 6th inst.
[Source: First Presidency, Letter to Earl S. Greenwood, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
[Source: First Presidency, Letter to Earl S. Greenwood, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
115 years ago today - Mar 9, 1902
The first plural marriage that Anthony W. Ivins performs for the Juarez Stake residents by the authority of President Joseph F. Smith.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
120 years ago today - Mar 9, 1897
The First Presidency granted an application made by the local Salvation Army, for the use of the Tabernacle, on Friday, April 2nd, when prominent Army officers were expected. The house, lighted and heated, was granted to them free of charge, with permission to take up a retiring collection at the door.
[Source: Journal History, 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]
[Source: Journal History, 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]
130 years ago today - Mar 9, 1887
[Franklin D. Richards]
[To protect assets from the Edmunds Act] Pres[iden]t. G[eorge]. Q. Cannon & F[ranklin]. S. Richards discussed on the methods to be adopted to effect properly the transfer of authority of Trustee to President and of Property from Trustee to Stake Corporations, and of receiving & paying 'Tything' to that of 'donations,' much instruction, given many questions asked & answered. That all corporations may understand and act uniformly.
[Source: Franklin D. Richards 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]
[To protect assets from the Edmunds Act] Pres[iden]t. G[eorge]. Q. Cannon & F[ranklin]. S. Richards discussed on the methods to be adopted to effect properly the transfer of authority of Trustee to President and of Property from Trustee to Stake Corporations, and of receiving & paying 'Tything' to that of 'donations,' much instruction, given many questions asked & answered. That all corporations may understand and act uniformly.
[Source: Franklin D. Richards 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]
135 years ago today - Mar 9, 1882
Petitions signed by 51,380 Utahns are presented to the speaker of the U.S. House of representatives which is considering the Edmunds Act. The Edmunds Act would disenfranchise all polygamists in Utah..
140 years ago today - Mar 9, 1877
[Brigham Young]
In reply to your questions: as you and your wife received your Endowments before being sealed as husband and wife there is no need of the children being sealed to you. As to the [issue of your wife's] New Name[,] when you and your wife get to the Temple and to the proper place[,] you can get it from your wife, but not till then.
[Source: Brigham Young to Abraham Washburn, Mar. 9, 1877, in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship]
In reply to your questions: as you and your wife received your Endowments before being sealed as husband and wife there is no need of the children being sealed to you. As to the [issue of your wife's] New Name[,] when you and your wife get to the Temple and to the proper place[,] you can get it from your wife, but not till then.
[Source: Brigham Young to Abraham Washburn, Mar. 9, 1877, in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship]
155 years ago today - Mar 9, 1862
Brigham Young preaches: "We were told this morning, that some brethren prayed but did not believe they would receive an answer. I do not find fault with them for this, but I say, pray on until you can make yourselves believe that your prayers will be fully answered according to that which is best for you to receive. Self-argument is the most effectual argument that can be used. Let each person argue himself into the belief that God will grant to him his request in righteousness. Some people are naturally of a doubtful mind, and have to contend continually against unbelief."
170 years ago today - Mar 9, 1847
[Wilford Woodruff]
While in council Br McCray & Lumero Arived from Nauvoo. Br McCray had been in prision & many of the Brethren were imprisioned & others Hung untill they were nearly dead. This was done by the mob.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
While in council Br McCray & Lumero Arived from Nauvoo. Br McCray had been in prision & many of the Brethren were imprisioned & others Hung untill they were nearly dead. This was done by the mob.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
175 years ago today - 1842: 9 March
[Patriarchal Blessing]
Heber C. Kimball given by Hyrum Smith
... -as an Apostle you shall stand in the presence of God to judge the people, and as a prophet you shall attain to the honour of the Three and prophecy and the power of God shall attend your labours, and crown you with honour and great success and bring salvation to millions; ... for thus are you called and chosen and sealed, for the hand of God is with you to prosper you and to save you and your house even to the uttermost and your Father's shouse for they shall bow at the shrine of Jehovah when you shall lift your voice and stretch out your Arm in their midst that remain,
[Source: Journals of Heber C. Kimball, Msd 627, LDS Archives, in Selected LDS Patriarchal Blessings, New Mormon Studies CD ROM, Signature Book, 2009, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
Heber C. Kimball given by Hyrum Smith
... -as an Apostle you shall stand in the presence of God to judge the people, and as a prophet you shall attain to the honour of the Three and prophecy and the power of God shall attend your labours, and crown you with honour and great success and bring salvation to millions; ... for thus are you called and chosen and sealed, for the hand of God is with you to prosper you and to save you and your house even to the uttermost and your Father's shouse for they shall bow at the shrine of Jehovah when you shall lift your voice and stretch out your Arm in their midst that remain,
[Source: Journals of Heber C. Kimball, Msd 627, LDS Archives, in Selected LDS Patriarchal Blessings, New Mormon Studies CD ROM, Signature Book, 2009, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
175 years ago today - Mar 9, 1842
Joseph Smith marries Patty Bartlett Sessions, the legal wife of, David Sessions, as his 9th plural wife. Her daughter Sylvia Porter Sessions Lyon, who had married Smith one month before, was present at Session's wedding to Smith. At Hyrum Smith's office in Nauvoo Lysander M. Davis is "found guilty of slandering the character of Joseph Smith & was bound over to keep the peace under $100 bond."
115 years ago today - Mar 8, 1902
[First Presidency to Stake President Joseph Morrell]
... The measures recently introduced into the Congress of the United States so amending the Constitution as to make polygamy a crime are the results of the combined actions of the sectarian ministers of the nation, done for the purpose of bringing reproach upon the name of our State and odium upon us as a community; and through systematic efforts on their part numerous petitions are now being gotten up and sent to their Congressmen urging the enactment into law of these measures.
Deeming it proper that we should take some step to prevent if possible so unjust and uncalled for a proceeding, we have caused to be drafted the enclosed document in the form of a petition to Congress; and believing that the fair-minded, non-Mormon element of the State would willingly sign it, we would like you to present the same to those of Logan for their signature, or enlist the sympathy and services of some influential non-Mormon friend to do it. We suggest that all who sign it give their occupation, business or profession.
Your Brethren, JOSEPH F. SMITH, JOHN R. WINDER, ANTHON H. LUND, First Presidency.
[Source: 1902-March 8-Original letter Church Historian's Library, in Clark, James R., Messages of the First Presidency (6 volumes)]
... The measures recently introduced into the Congress of the United States so amending the Constitution as to make polygamy a crime are the results of the combined actions of the sectarian ministers of the nation, done for the purpose of bringing reproach upon the name of our State and odium upon us as a community; and through systematic efforts on their part numerous petitions are now being gotten up and sent to their Congressmen urging the enactment into law of these measures.
Deeming it proper that we should take some step to prevent if possible so unjust and uncalled for a proceeding, we have caused to be drafted the enclosed document in the form of a petition to Congress; and believing that the fair-minded, non-Mormon element of the State would willingly sign it, we would like you to present the same to those of Logan for their signature, or enlist the sympathy and services of some influential non-Mormon friend to do it. We suggest that all who sign it give their occupation, business or profession.
Your Brethren, JOSEPH F. SMITH, JOHN R. WINDER, ANTHON H. LUND, First Presidency.
[Source: 1902-March 8-Original letter Church Historian's Library, in Clark, James R., Messages of the First Presidency (6 volumes)]
125 years ago today - Mar 8, 1892
[Wilford Woodruff]
Ella Beatie who married young Bynon Came into the office with my Daughter Blanch & said Bynon met her in the street & threatened to kill her. I got Council about it. He said He would go to my house & kill her there. I sent Her to Clari[a/e?]s.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
Ella Beatie who married young Bynon Came into the office with my Daughter Blanch & said Bynon met her in the street & threatened to kill her. I got Council about it. He said He would go to my house & kill her there. I sent Her to Clari[a/e?]s.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
130 years ago today - Mar 8, 1887
[Heber J. Grant]
In the evening, March 8th, President Cannon, Apostles Richards, Young, Lyman, Grant and Taylor met with a few members of the Legislature at the residence of President Joseph F Smith in the 17th Ward. The appropriation bill was the question under discussion. We felt that it was necessary to pass the bill be concurrent resolution. The meeting was a long one, and the matter was discussed very freely and frankly on all sides. It was anything but an easy matter to get the members of the Legislature to view this matter as we did.
[Source: The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]
In the evening, March 8th, President Cannon, Apostles Richards, Young, Lyman, Grant and Taylor met with a few members of the Legislature at the residence of President Joseph F Smith in the 17th Ward. The appropriation bill was the question under discussion. We felt that it was necessary to pass the bill be concurrent resolution. The meeting was a long one, and the matter was discussed very freely and frankly on all sides. It was anything but an easy matter to get the members of the Legislature to view this matter as we did.
[Source: The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]
135 years ago today - Wednesday, Mar 8, 1882
[John Henry Smith]
Washington, D.C.
Senator Edmunds has the face of a Monkey and looks to me as if he would take the cats paw to put in the fire. I am not fully satisfied with the appearance of the Senate. They do not fill my anticipations as to fine looks, and while that body are much more dignified than the House the men themselves are no better looking. Members of the House are not up to my expectations. Today the Edmunds bill came up in the house and pending consideration of the same the House adjourned untill 12 tomorrow.
[Source: 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]
Washington, D.C.
Senator Edmunds has the face of a Monkey and looks to me as if he would take the cats paw to put in the fire. I am not fully satisfied with the appearance of the Senate. They do not fill my anticipations as to fine looks, and while that body are much more dignified than the House the men themselves are no better looking. Members of the House are not up to my expectations. Today the Edmunds bill came up in the house and pending consideration of the same the House adjourned untill 12 tomorrow.
[Source: 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]
155 years ago today - Mar 8, 1862
Salt Lake Theatre opens and during sixty years hosts such performers as Maude Adams, Lillian Russell, P.T. Barnum, the Barrymores, Eddie Foy, and Al Jolson.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
160 years ago today - Mar 8, 1857
With all the knowledge and wisdom that are combined in the person of brother Orson Pratt, still he does not yet know enough to keep his foot out of it, but drowns himself in his own philosophy, every time that he undertakes to treat upon principles that he does not understand. When he was about to leave here for his present mission, he made a solemn promise that he would not meddle with principles which he did not fully understand, but would confine himself to the first principles of the doctrine of salvation, such as were preached by brother Joseph Smith and the Apostles. But the first that we see in his writings, he is dabbling with things that he does not understand; his vain philosophy is no criterion or guide for the Saints in doctrine....
If you look at things spiritually, and then naturally, and see how they appear together, you will understand that when you have the privilege of commencing the work that Adam commenced on this earth, you will have all your children come and report to you of their sayings and acts; and you will hold every son and daughter of yours responsible when you get the privilege of being an Adam on earth.
[Source: President Brigham Young, delivered in Great Salt Lake; March 8, 1857, J. D. 4:266-267,271 in Quotations Dealing with the Relationship of Our First Earthly Parents to Our Heavenly Parents (1830-1978)]
If you look at things spiritually, and then naturally, and see how they appear together, you will understand that when you have the privilege of commencing the work that Adam commenced on this earth, you will have all your children come and report to you of their sayings and acts; and you will hold every son and daughter of yours responsible when you get the privilege of being an Adam on earth.
[Source: President Brigham Young, delivered in Great Salt Lake; March 8, 1857, J. D. 4:266-267,271 in Quotations Dealing with the Relationship of Our First Earthly Parents to Our Heavenly Parents (1830-1978)]
160 years ago today - Mar 8, 1857
[Wilford Woodruff]
President Young [said] ... If we past our inspection before Joseph we probably should Peter & Jesus. ... If all this people did not go to a celestial kingdom it would be their own fault. But will all have the same exaltation & glory in the Celestial Kingdom? By no means. There will be but few that go there that will be crowned kings & Priests & Gods. There will be many millions in the Celestial kingdom that will not be exhalted to those hier blessings. This People are a good people & they are advanceing faster than any other people that ever lived. It would not be 120 years insted of 365 before this people would with the portion of Earth which they occupy be separated from the wicked. ...
President Young asked Wm. W. Phelps by what authority he had proclaimed in Public that He (Brigham Young) was the man that the Lord said he would raise up like unto Moses. Phelps said Joseph was gone & you are left to lead the People. B.Y. That is no Argument at all. I may die & others be left. That does not prove that I or they would be the one refered to. If I thought I was the man I would not tel of it. But I think I am the great man that none of the prophets eve[r?] thought of or spoke of.
Orson Hyde said there was a man in Provo professed to have a visit from a Departed spirit. He comes to him dressed in his temple Robs & the man he Comes to has not had his endowments and I want to know what you think of it. I thought the whole of it smelt Strongly of Brimstone.
President Young said now if the people in Provo Can be made to believe that that is a true visit about the third time he Comes He will say that this Church is not led by the man that ought to lead it but the man that has thes visits will tell you that he is to lead the Church. Now I will tell you how you may know it is fals. A spirit will not Come to a man in the flesh without he appears in his glory & men Cannot endure his glory. A resurrected body may Come & hide his glory. But that visitation is false. It is not true.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
President Young [said] ... If we past our inspection before Joseph we probably should Peter & Jesus. ... If all this people did not go to a celestial kingdom it would be their own fault. But will all have the same exaltation & glory in the Celestial Kingdom? By no means. There will be but few that go there that will be crowned kings & Priests & Gods. There will be many millions in the Celestial kingdom that will not be exhalted to those hier blessings. This People are a good people & they are advanceing faster than any other people that ever lived. It would not be 120 years insted of 365 before this people would with the portion of Earth which they occupy be separated from the wicked. ...
President Young asked Wm. W. Phelps by what authority he had proclaimed in Public that He (Brigham Young) was the man that the Lord said he would raise up like unto Moses. Phelps said Joseph was gone & you are left to lead the People. B.Y. That is no Argument at all. I may die & others be left. That does not prove that I or they would be the one refered to. If I thought I was the man I would not tel of it. But I think I am the great man that none of the prophets eve[r?] thought of or spoke of.
Orson Hyde said there was a man in Provo professed to have a visit from a Departed spirit. He comes to him dressed in his temple Robs & the man he Comes to has not had his endowments and I want to know what you think of it. I thought the whole of it smelt Strongly of Brimstone.
President Young said now if the people in Provo Can be made to believe that that is a true visit about the third time he Comes He will say that this Church is not led by the man that ought to lead it but the man that has thes visits will tell you that he is to lead the Church. Now I will tell you how you may know it is fals. A spirit will not Come to a man in the flesh without he appears in his glory & men Cannot endure his glory. A resurrected body may Come & hide his glory. But that visitation is false. It is not true.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
175 years ago today - Mar 8, 1842
[Joel K. Nobel]
... Jo. Smith Senior Lived in Vermont connected with a band of counterfeiters --ran--came to Mohowk river [in New York] --aloped (Seduced a marr[i]ed woman) to Can[ady?] [Canada] came to Palmyra in [this] State[.] I firmly believe proof <<affidavit>> my <<may be>> had to identify--<<Like father Like son>> Jo. Smith (Mormon) came here when about 17-18 Y[ears]. of age in the capacity of Glass Looker or fortune=teler[.] ...
Jo. engaged the attention of a few indiv[iduals] Given to the marvelous[.] Dug for money[,] Salt[,] Iron Oar[,] Golden Oar[,] Silver Oar[,] and almost any thing[,] every thing until Civil authority brought up Jo. standing (as the Boys say) under the Vagrant act[.] Jo. was condemned[.] whisper came to Jo.[,] off off--took Leg Bail (or gave [leg bail])[.] all things Straight[.] Jo. was not seen in our town for of 2 Years or more (except in Dark corners)[.] his haunt was Palmyra and Harmony (Penn.) Bainbridge (in the Dark) making a triangle--here for 2 Y[ears]. and more[.] Jo.<<s>> mind Kept Same tract (only more hellish)[.] Stimilated by 2 individuals (above) and perhaps by Supposing himself to be considered not <<the>> Author of a Bible-- -- -- After 2 Years from the time of Jo.<<s>> first trial he appeared in our place bold as a Lion again[.] Jo. was arrested [and] exami=nation had[.] Jo. plead in bar Statue of Limitations[.] Jo was no Sooner Set on terifirma than arrested again brought before me in an adjoining County only 6 miles Distant[.] trial protracted 23 hours[.] the prosecuti[on] was Cond[ucted] by a Gent[leman] well Skil[l]ed in [the] Science of Law[.] proof manifested by I think 43 Witnesses[.] Proof Jo. a Vagrant idler[,] Lazy (not Drunkard) but now and then Drunk[,] Liar[,] Deceiver[,] Jo. a nuicance to Good Society[.] Jo. was asked by witness if he could see or tel more than others[.] Jo. said he could not and says any thing for a living[.] I now and then Get a shilling[.] The [commission?] You See made Jo. any thing but a Good man--Yours for to Day-- An acedote anecdote--Jo. and others were Diging for a Chest of money in night[.] could not obtain it it[.] they Procured one thing and an other together with [a] black Bitch the Bitch was offered a Sacr wh <<sacrifice>>[,] [blo]od Sprinkled[,] prayer made at the time (no money obtained)[.] the above Sworn to on Trial --Sir a Small Volume at least might might be fil[l]ed Similar to the above[.] ...
--Sir Jo condem[ned] in a Just[ice] trials Bar S[outh]. of [Quinntown?] [-] at Jo cost one Reprimand P.S. Sir I Give you no advice--but were I to write on Mo[rmo]ns I would begin at Least where Jo. began to Dig for money[.] I would follow J[o]. ...
Again P.S. anicdote (hellish) a Mormon Swore <<in open court>> Jo. Smith Cast a Devil out of him (M[ormo]n and said how D[evi]l looked[.] Said Devil was a body of Light and Gave a Relation of [the] whole Prosess --now the man was a P[ai]d man (or some may <<say>> deceived) Jo. present and Silent--(Silence Gives Consent)--follow the argum[en]t[.] ...
[Source: Joel K. Noble to Jonathan B. Turner, 8 March 1842, Jonathan Baldwin Turner Papers, Illinois State Historical Library, Springfield, Illinois., as cited in Dan Vogel, Early Mormon Documents: Joel K. Noble To Jonathan B. Turner]
... Jo. Smith Senior Lived in Vermont connected with a band of counterfeiters --ran--came to Mohowk river [in New York] --aloped (Seduced a marr[i]ed woman) to Can[ady?] [Canada] came to Palmyra in [this] State[.] I firmly believe proof <<affidavit>> my <<may be>> had to identify--<<Like father Like son>> Jo. Smith (Mormon) came here when about 17-18 Y[ears]. of age in the capacity of Glass Looker or fortune=teler[.] ...
Jo. engaged the attention of a few indiv[iduals] Given to the marvelous[.] Dug for money[,] Salt[,] Iron Oar[,] Golden Oar[,] Silver Oar[,] and almost any thing[,] every thing until Civil authority brought up Jo. standing (as the Boys say) under the Vagrant act[.] Jo. was condemned[.] whisper came to Jo.[,] off off--took Leg Bail (or gave [leg bail])[.] all things Straight[.] Jo. was not seen in our town for of 2 Years or more (except in Dark corners)[.] his haunt was Palmyra and Harmony (Penn.) Bainbridge (in the Dark) making a triangle--here for 2 Y[ears]. and more[.] Jo.<<s>> mind Kept Same tract (only more hellish)[.] Stimilated by 2 individuals (above) and perhaps by Supposing himself to be considered not <<the>> Author of a Bible-- -- -- After 2 Years from the time of Jo.<<s>> first trial he appeared in our place bold as a Lion again[.] Jo. was arrested [and] exami=nation had[.] Jo. plead in bar Statue of Limitations[.] Jo was no Sooner Set on terifirma than arrested again brought before me in an adjoining County only 6 miles Distant[.] trial protracted 23 hours[.] the prosecuti[on] was Cond[ucted] by a Gent[leman] well Skil[l]ed in [the] Science of Law[.] proof manifested by I think 43 Witnesses[.] Proof Jo. a Vagrant idler[,] Lazy (not Drunkard) but now and then Drunk[,] Liar[,] Deceiver[,] Jo. a nuicance to Good Society[.] Jo. was asked by witness if he could see or tel more than others[.] Jo. said he could not and says any thing for a living[.] I now and then Get a shilling[.] The [commission?] You See made Jo. any thing but a Good man--Yours for to Day-- An acedote anecdote--Jo. and others were Diging for a Chest of money in night[.] could not obtain it it[.] they Procured one thing and an other together with [a] black Bitch the Bitch was offered a Sacr wh <<sacrifice>>[,] [blo]od Sprinkled[,] prayer made at the time (no money obtained)[.] the above Sworn to on Trial --Sir a Small Volume at least might might be fil[l]ed Similar to the above[.] ...
--Sir Jo condem[ned] in a Just[ice] trials Bar S[outh]. of [Quinntown?] [-] at Jo cost one Reprimand P.S. Sir I Give you no advice--but were I to write on Mo[rmo]ns I would begin at Least where Jo. began to Dig for money[.] I would follow J[o]. ...
Again P.S. anicdote (hellish) a Mormon Swore <<in open court>> Jo. Smith Cast a Devil out of him (M[ormo]n and said how D[evi]l looked[.] Said Devil was a body of Light and Gave a Relation of [the] whole Prosess --now the man was a P[ai]d man (or some may <<say>> deceived) Jo. present and Silent--(Silence Gives Consent)--follow the argum[en]t[.] ...
[Source: Joel K. Noble to Jonathan B. Turner, 8 March 1842, Jonathan Baldwin Turner Papers, Illinois State Historical Library, Springfield, Illinois., as cited in Dan Vogel, Early Mormon Documents: Joel K. Noble To Jonathan B. Turner]
185 years ago today - Mar 8, 1832
Jesse Gause and Sidney Rigdon ordained to the first, First Presidency. D&C 81 revealed and recorded in the Kirtland Book of Revelations. Smith may have chosen Jesse Gause, a recent convert, for such a high position due to Gause's experience with the Shaker communal society. Rigdon also had experience living communally.
[Source: Exploring Mormonism: The Law of Consecration Timeline, http://www.exploringmormonism.com/the-law-of-consecration-timeline/]
[Source: Exploring Mormonism: The Law of Consecration Timeline, http://www.exploringmormonism.com/the-law-of-consecration-timeline/]
25 years ago today - Mar 7, 1992.
Lynne Kanavel Whitesides, Margaret Merrill Toscano, and Martha Dickey Esplin present "A Three-Part Invention: Finding Our Bodies, Hearts, and Voices: A Response to Gordon B. Hinckley," at Sunstone West in Burbank, California, and at the Mormon Women's Forum meeting on 4 April 1992 in Salt Lake City. "In last fall's General Women's Meeting," they say, "President Hinckley warned women against praying to our Mother in Heaven. We will speak of patriarchy's attempt to silence the prayers and voices of women. Our supreme act of rebellion will be to speak with our own voices." All three women subsequently are called into meetings with their stake presidents and bishops. The meetings are usually cordial ones ("He was gracious and kind. It was a meeting filled with love," says one.) At least two cases involve more than one interview.
One of the women, who had not attended church since December, had earlier expressed feelings of alienation to her home teacher and had thought that the visit was a pastoral one until her bishop says he has been instructed to hold the interview by Loren C. Dunn, area president. Involuntarily, she laughs and then says, "You'll have to excuse me. I thought you called me in because you cared about me." The tone of the meeting thereafter becomes warm and supportive, she reports.
In another case, the bishop wants the woman to put her doctrinal beliefs in writing so that he, with a letter of "endorsement," can make it part of her file. When she refuses on the grounds that her beliefs have evolved over time and no doubt will again, he drafts such a letter and asks her to review and sign it. Again she refuses.
[Source: Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1]
One of the women, who had not attended church since December, had earlier expressed feelings of alienation to her home teacher and had thought that the visit was a pastoral one until her bishop says he has been instructed to hold the interview by Loren C. Dunn, area president. Involuntarily, she laughs and then says, "You'll have to excuse me. I thought you called me in because you cared about me." The tone of the meeting thereafter becomes warm and supportive, she reports.
In another case, the bishop wants the woman to put her doctrinal beliefs in writing so that he, with a letter of "endorsement," can make it part of her file. When she refuses on the grounds that her beliefs have evolved over time and no doubt will again, he drafts such a letter and asks her to review and sign it. Again she refuses.
[Source: Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1]
85 years ago today - Mar 7, 1932
[Heber J. Grant]
Gordon T. Hyde called and delivered to me the watch of his grandfather, John Taylor, which shows where a bullet struck it at the time of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, in Carthage Jail. He claims the watch really belonged to his mother and that his brother Alonzo had no right to claim it.
[Source: The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]
Gordon T. Hyde called and delivered to me the watch of his grandfather, John Taylor, which shows where a bullet struck it at the time of the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, in Carthage Jail. He claims the watch really belonged to his mother and that his brother Alonzo had no right to claim it.
[Source: The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]
105 years ago today - Mar 7, 1912
Concerning the situation in which a recent convert to the Church, also a Mason, was informed by his lodge that he must either leave the Church or give up masonry, "In company with bro Antone Ivins I called on Chief B.F. Grant as he was a 32d degree Mason to enquire if this Loge (Sic) was acting wholly withing their power in causing their members to withdraw because of their religion. He said that they had kicked out all Mormons from this Lodge except himself and that he was paying his dues and retaining his membership because Prest. Woodruff had counselled him to do so. The reason why he had not been kicked out with the rest was because [he was] too big a Mason and had too many big Mason friends in the East who would make a bitter fight for him which might result in their being reversed in their course and having to reinstate those expelled."
[Source: Diary Excerpts of Thomas A. Clawson, Signature Books Library, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
[Source: Diary Excerpts of Thomas A. Clawson, Signature Books Library, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
130 years ago today - Mar 7, 1887 (Monday)
The first election in Utah under the new Edmunds-Tucker law was held in Brigham City, Box Elder Co. Much to the disappointment of the anti-Mormons, the brethren subscribed to the test oath, polled their votes and carried the election.
[Source: Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
[Source: Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
165 years ago today - Mar 7, 1852
Utah law allows whites to "purchase" Native Americans from Indian or Mexican slave-owners in order to prevent these captives from being killed. Purchaser must "immediateìy go" before county selectmen or probate judge who will "bind out the same, by indenture for the term of not exceeding twenty years." Mormons are prohibited from owning Indian slaves, but can own African-American slaves.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
170 years ago today - Mar 7, 1847
[Wilford Woodruff]
I then went home & carried the Bishop 30 lbs flour half bushel meal 4 lbs shugar 2 lb coffee & others took him some things.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
I then went home & carried the Bishop 30 lbs flour half bushel meal 4 lbs shugar 2 lb coffee & others took him some things.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
175 years ago today - Mar 7, 1842
Joseph writes to John C. Bennett about slavery, stating that "it makes my blood boil within me to reflect upon the injustice, cruelty, and oppression of the rulers of the people."
[Source: History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 4:544-45, 548, in Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]
[Source: History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 4:544-45, 548, in Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]
65 years ago today - Mar 6, 1952
[David O. McKay]
... From 9 to 9:50 a.m. * Attended the regular First Presidency's meeting. We considered a letter from Elder John A. Widtsoe regarding the work of translating the temple ceremonies into foreign languages.17 The Brethren felt that the Translating Committee, together with the Temple Committee, should meet with the First Presidency when consideration might be given to all questions where there is any doubt as to the adequacy of the translation. The Committee will meet with the Presidency on Monday, March 10, at 10:30 a.m.
[Source: David O. McKay diary, Mar. 6, 1952, in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship]
... From 9 to 9:50 a.m. * Attended the regular First Presidency's meeting. We considered a letter from Elder John A. Widtsoe regarding the work of translating the temple ceremonies into foreign languages.17 The Brethren felt that the Translating Committee, together with the Temple Committee, should meet with the First Presidency when consideration might be given to all questions where there is any doubt as to the adequacy of the translation. The Committee will meet with the Presidency on Monday, March 10, at 10:30 a.m.
[Source: David O. McKay diary, Mar. 6, 1952, in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship]
115 years ago today - Mar 6, 1902
[Apostle Abraham O. Woodruff]
Boarded the Great Northern for Great Falls [Montana]. Had trouble with an insolent 'Nigger' Conductor, told him what I thought of him and wished for a while that the 'Slave Days' might return.
[Source: Abraham Owen Woodruff, Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
Boarded the Great Northern for Great Falls [Montana]. Had trouble with an insolent 'Nigger' Conductor, told him what I thought of him and wished for a while that the 'Slave Days' might return.
[Source: Abraham Owen Woodruff, Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
115 years ago today - Thursday, Mar 6, 1902
In view of the fact that an arbitration had been appointed to settle the difficulties arising in the late President Snow's family (consisting of Apostles Merrill, Taylor, and Smoot), Pres. Smith enquired as to how matters stood. Apostle Taylor said that one session of 5 hours had been held and as a result they found a bitter feeling in the family towards Minnie and her children. Some members of the family claimed that she had taken things from the Beehive that she was not entitled to. It was also thought that the 300 shares of sugar stock in her possession and transferred to her should be divided among the heirs. It is also claimed that she has two pieces of land (20 acres in one and 9 acres in the other) more than the others have received. He further said that the arbitrators had not yet formulated their decision but would do so this afternoon. ...
[Source: Stan Larson (editor), A Ministry of Meetings: The Apostolic diaries of Rudger Clawson, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1993, http://bit.ly/rudgerclawson]
[Source: Stan Larson (editor), A Ministry of Meetings: The Apostolic diaries of Rudger Clawson, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1993, http://bit.ly/rudgerclawson]
120 years ago today - Mar 6, 1897
[George F. Gibbs]
... Pres[ident] [Wilford] Woodruff declines to give Seconds [second anointings] to any members of the Church excepting those who have gathered to Zion; he says he must draw the line somewhere, and this is where he draws it. He says too that all faithful saints who have died without having the privilege of gathering with the body of the Church will receive all the blessings they are entitled to hereafter.
[Source: George F. Gibbs to John D. T. McAllister, Mar. 6, 1897, in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship]
... Pres[ident] [Wilford] Woodruff declines to give Seconds [second anointings] to any members of the Church excepting those who have gathered to Zion; he says he must draw the line somewhere, and this is where he draws it. He says too that all faithful saints who have died without having the privilege of gathering with the body of the Church will receive all the blessings they are entitled to hereafter.
[Source: George F. Gibbs to John D. T. McAllister, Mar. 6, 1897, in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship]
125 years ago today - Mar 6, 1892
Stake president "condemns the practice that existed among the Saints to some extent of taking means to restrict the number of their children to only two or three."
140 years ago today - Mar 6, 1877
Brigham Young says, "When I die I want to be quietly laid away without any demonstration and then I want Every body to go about their business." Young dies six months later. His body lays in state at the Salt Lake Tabernacle and over 18,000 people pass by his casket. At his funeral a 220-voice choir sings.
145 years ago today - 1872. March 6
(W. W. Phelps) Phelps was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. His epitaph, a poem called "Eternalism," had been written by him for Brigham Young:
[Source: Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
[Source: Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
155 years ago today - Mar 6, 1862
Brigham Young and several of his wives attend the performance of a choir and band perform a dedicatory piece. The text of the new anthem (written by one of Young's wives) was titled "God Bless Brigham Young." The orchestra conductor, Charles John Thomas, composed the music in the style of a patriotic air and had dubbed it "The Saints' National Anthem." Like "The Star-Spangled Banner," which preceded it on the program, it drew wild applause (though Thomas observed that the fiercely patriotic Saints would have applauded the anthems "no matter how they had been played, or by whom")
155 years ago today - Mar 6, 1862
J. D. 9:243; Brigham Young; Dedication of the New Theatre in Great Salt Lake City; March 6, 1862 ... All this our fathers have done before us; I do not particularly mean father Adam, or his Father; I do not particularly mean Abraham, or Moses, the Prophets, of Apostles, but I mean our fathers who have been exalted for millions of years previous to Adam's time. They have all passed through the same ordeals we are now passing through, and have searched all things, even to the depths of hell.
[Source: J. D. 9:243; Brigham Young; Dedication of the New Theatre in Great Salt Lake City; March 6, 186, in Quotations Dealing with the Relationship of Our First Earthly Parents to Our Heavenly Parents (1830-1978)]
[Source: J. D. 9:243; Brigham Young; Dedication of the New Theatre in Great Salt Lake City; March 6, 186, in Quotations Dealing with the Relationship of Our First Earthly Parents to Our Heavenly Parents (1830-1978)]
160 years ago today - Mar 6, 1857
Brigham Young writes to the Provo Stake President: "We are informed, there is much preaching, and pressing, the necessity of mens having increase - "more wives," we do not wish this matter forced, but would prefer that water flow in its natural channels - running down hill, rather than attempting to force the currents upwards - We wish you to use your influence to stop this sort of preaching. You may have this read before the people. Preach Righteousness and let these matters alone, before the public."
170 years ago today - Mar 6, 1847
[Brigham Young]
I stated that I knew that Bro. Packer had lied to the meeting in the name of the Lord; and as to Bro. Packer's not wishing to reveal names because the guilty parties had been through the Temple I did not know of any law that required the brethren to hide the iniquity of others; and as to "Mystic ties" I pronounced all ties, that would cloak a man's iniquity because he is a brother, devilish ties. The Devil has got up this plan to destroy the people. Do the ties of the Masonic lodge oblige Bro. Packer to conceal the iniquity of a brother? No. There are no such ties.
[Source: Elden J. Watson, ed. Brigham Young Addresses, 1801-1877: A Chronological Compilation of Known Addresses of the Prophet Brigham Young, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Privately published, 1971)]
I stated that I knew that Bro. Packer had lied to the meeting in the name of the Lord; and as to Bro. Packer's not wishing to reveal names because the guilty parties had been through the Temple I did not know of any law that required the brethren to hide the iniquity of others; and as to "Mystic ties" I pronounced all ties, that would cloak a man's iniquity because he is a brother, devilish ties. The Devil has got up this plan to destroy the people. Do the ties of the Masonic lodge oblige Bro. Packer to conceal the iniquity of a brother? No. There are no such ties.
[Source: Elden J. Watson, ed. Brigham Young Addresses, 1801-1877: A Chronological Compilation of Known Addresses of the Prophet Brigham Young, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Privately published, 1971)]
35 years ago today - Mar 5, 1982
BYU zoologist Duane Jeffrey writes to BYU president Jeffrey Holland, "We really can't avoid the topic [of evolution] as it is central to our discipline. We sincerely hope and pray that the day may come when we can speak freely without fear of being misunderstood." The letter is also signed by both department chair Ferron N. Andersen and college dean Bruce N. Smith.
60 years ago today - Tue Mar 5, 1957
[David O. McKay]
President Wilkinson said that there are rumors that he is going to have some difficulty before the Legislature with regard to the Eminent Domain bill. He feels that he might need my help and, if necessary, would like me to write a letter to Senator Orval Hafen. ... I mentioned to him further that I had heard a report that the Church, and especially the President of the Church, are being accused of every ill that has come to the Legislature. I indicated to President Wilkinson that if he could get by without a letter from me it would be wiser. He said that if he found out during the day that B.Y.U. is in grave danger of losing out, he will deliver to me or to my secretary a draft of a letter which would be suitable for me to send to Senator Hafen of the Senate.
[Source: McKay, David O., Office Journal]
President Wilkinson said that there are rumors that he is going to have some difficulty before the Legislature with regard to the Eminent Domain bill. He feels that he might need my help and, if necessary, would like me to write a letter to Senator Orval Hafen. ... I mentioned to him further that I had heard a report that the Church, and especially the President of the Church, are being accused of every ill that has come to the Legislature. I indicated to President Wilkinson that if he could get by without a letter from me it would be wiser. He said that if he found out during the day that B.Y.U. is in grave danger of losing out, he will deliver to me or to my secretary a draft of a letter which would be suitable for me to send to Senator Hafen of the Senate.
[Source: McKay, David O., Office Journal]
160 years ago today - Mar 5, 1857
Brigham Young permits woman to select faithful elder to act as "proxy" to father children for her sexually impotent husband writing, "if I was imperfect and had a good wife I would call on some good br. to help me that we might have increase; . . .You may show this letter to your husband and Bishop and let this be the end of it. and keep it from every body else." Young performs polyandrous ceremony "for time," and the relationship lasts several years producing two sons, (1858, 1861). Mother's legal husband raises the boys with her, and later tells them he loves them as much as if they were his natural sons. Both boys grow up to become devoted Mormons and polygamists. This is last known case of authorized polyandry.
A Mormon man in Filmore, Utah writes to Brigham Young: "there were 56 single men besides all the married ones that were anxious to get more wives, and only four single women. Now, sir, would it not be a good policy for me to go on a mission to the states or England if you thought best. I know of some good women in the states of my own baptizing that might be got, besides many more."
A Mormon man in Filmore, Utah writes to Brigham Young: "there were 56 single men besides all the married ones that were anxious to get more wives, and only four single women. Now, sir, would it not be a good policy for me to go on a mission to the states or England if you thought best. I know of some good women in the states of my own baptizing that might be got, besides many more."
170 years ago today - Mar 5, 1847
[Wilford Woodruff]
Speaches were made by several of the Brethren concerning our location here our Journey westward. President Young said he should go as he was directed by the Lord &c &c. Requested the saints to be ready to start on the 15.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
Speaches were made by several of the Brethren concerning our location here our Journey westward. President Young said he should go as he was directed by the Lord &c &c. Requested the saints to be ready to start on the 15.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
185 years ago today - March 1832 (15 March)
Section 81: While the recipient of Section 81 has traditionally been believed to be Frederick G. Williams, the "Kirtland Revelation Book" discloses that the revelation was intended for Jesse Gause. The page index for the record book notes the following for Section 81: "Revelation to Jesse Gause March 15, 1832." The "Kirtland Revelation Book" further reveals that the words "my servant Jesse" have been altered to read "my servant Frederick G. Williams." Because Williams later replaced Gause as counselor in the Presidency, liberty has been taken to substitute the names.
[Source: Cook, Lyndon, Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, http://amzn.to/RevelationsofJosephSmith]
[Source: Cook, Lyndon, Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, http://amzn.to/RevelationsofJosephSmith]
120 years ago today - Mar 4, 1897
Apostle Heber J. Grant writes: "Prest. William McKinley is to take the oath of office today as the Prest. of the United States... I have for some unknown reason been very much depressed in my feelings today. I hope that all is well at home, and that I may not have some bad news at a future date to confirm me in some reason for my feelings." President McKinley is assassinated in 1901.
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
120 years ago today - Mar 4, 1897; Thursday
The subject of marriage and the condition of a large number of young women who were anxious to become honorable wives and mothers in Israel, and would be willing to enter into plural marriage, was considered. Also the conditions existing in consequence of the laws forbidding polygamy. The evils existing were conceded, but no definite remedy to meet them was considered to be available at present.
[Source: First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve minutes]
[Source: First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve minutes]
155 years ago today - Mar 4, 1862
Brigham Young's office journal records: "Br. Carrington read a letter to the President from Oliver Huntington's wife complaining of his partiality to his first wife The President observed she sho[ul]d be referred to his sermon on the subject which he delivered a short time ago on this subject."
165 years ago today - Mar 4, 1852
The Govorner [Brigham Young] gave an interesting Address in the evening which closed with a shout of Hosannah.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
175 years ago today - Mar 4, 1842
"In debate, George A. Smith said imprisonment was better than hanging. I replied, I was opposed to hanging, even if a man kill another, I will shoot him, or cut off his head, spill his blood on the ground, and let the smoke thereof ascend up to God; and if ever I have the privilege of making a law on that subject, I will have it so.
[Source: History of the Church, by Joseph Smith, vol. 5, p. 296, in Mormon Bookshelf: Blood Atonement, http://mormonbookshelf.com/wiki/Blood_Atonement]
[Source: History of the Church, by Joseph Smith, vol. 5, p. 296, in Mormon Bookshelf: Blood Atonement, http://mormonbookshelf.com/wiki/Blood_Atonement]
175 years ago today - Mar 4, 1842
Joseph Smith gave final approval for publication in the LDS Times and Seasons of the second "facsimile" woodcut from "the Book of Abraham in the original," Egyptian papyri he had received from a collector on 3 July 1835. [The facsimile, copied from an Egyptian funerary document, contains two pictorial images of erect human penises and becomes part of official LDS scripture in 1878.] Smith's published interpretation of this Egyptian hypocephalus included two references to the "grand key words of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood, as revealed to Adam in the Garden of Eden," as well as the statement: "Contains writing that cannot be revealed unto the world; but is to be had in the Holy Temple of God." Exactly two months later, Smith began revealing those "grand key words of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood" to nine men .
[Source: Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Signature Books, 1994, Appendex: Meetings and Initiations of the Anointed Quorum, 1842-45, http://amzn.to/origins-power]
[Source: Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Signature Books, 1994, Appendex: Meetings and Initiations of the Anointed Quorum, 1842-45, http://amzn.to/origins-power]
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