Today In Mormon History

85 years ago today - Feb 28, 1928

[President Heber J. Grant Diary] Franklin S. Richards called and we discussed the proposition of starting legal proceedings against Fred Smith for the disturbing of the bodies of the Prophet and Patriarch, Joseph and Hyrum Smith. He felt there could be no damages secured and the only thing would be to prosecute these people criminally, and he had grave doubts that we could ever get a jury that would make a decision in our favor.

[Source: Diary of Heber J. Grant, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

160 years ago today - Feb 28, 1853

Millard Fillmore writes Utah's congressional delegate John M. Bernhisel (a member of Council of Fifty), "my thanks for the beautiful copy of the 'Book of Mormon.'" Fillmore is apparently first U.S. president to accept copy of BOOK OF MORMON but may not have even opened it. He appoints Brigham Young as Utah's first governor who gratefully names Fillmore, Utah, as territorial capital from 1851 to 1858.

[Source: Advent Adam website (defunct) - based on http://amzn.to/originsofpower]

170 years ago today - Feb 28, 1843

Orson Hyde affidavit of 15 & 16 September 1869, "And in the month of February or March (1843) I was married to Miss Martha R. Browitt [also spelled "Browett"] by Joseph Smith," witnessed by Marinda N. Hyde. Joseph Smith performed polygamous marriage for him and Mary Ann Price in April 1843, witnessed by Marinda N. Hyde. Compare with Joseph SmithÂ's journal 28 February 1843, "To Elder Hydes to dinner at 4 o'clock P.M." and also "The following list of marriages is written on one of the last leaves of this journal," beginning: "Apr 42 Marinda Johnson [Hyde] to Joseph Smith 1843Â" and Â"July 20 [1843] M.P. to O Hyde.Â" Thomas Bullock's entry in Joseph Smith's journal affirmed that there were two ceremonies, first in April 1842 and second at an unspecified date in 1843. The first was without her husband's knowledge, but the second was with his permission. Her 1869 affidavit provided better dating for the 1843 ceremony, which was thirteen months after she actually became Joseph Smith's wife. [Joseph Fielding Smith Blood Atonement and the Origin of Plural Marriage, 89; An American Prophet's Record, 313, 396]

[Source: "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)]

170 years ago today - Feb 28, 1843

[Joseph Smith Diary] ... To Elder Hydes to dinner at 4 o'clock P.M. [blank]

Notice in Chicago Express that Wm /Hiram/ Redding had seen sign of the son of man. Wrote Editor of Times and Seasons for no. 8 vol. 4 that Reding had not seen the sign of the son of man and he would not come in [18]43 &c. ...

[Source: Faulring, Scott (ed.), An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith: Joseph Smith Diary, 1842-43, http://amzn.to/jsdiaries]

170 years ago today - Feb 28, 1843

Jacob Scott writes, "Nearly All the Church have been Baptized again, for the Remission of their Sins, since they joined the Church, I have also by the hands of Br. Joseph (as he himself has been,) & I would advise Jan and you Mary, to attend to it as soon as you can have the opportunity of an Elder or Priest of the Church to administer it."

[Source: Quinn, D. Michael, "The Practice of Rebaptism at Nauvoo," BYU Studies (1978), 18:2:226]

85 years ago today - Feb 28, 1928

160 years ago today - Feb 28, 1853

170 years ago today - Feb 28, 1843

70 years ago today - Feb 27, 1943

[President Heber J. Grant Diary] I think it was an inspiration not to choose John Smith's great grandson to be the patriarch. For ten years there has been a vacancy in the office of Presiding Patriarch, and yet at one time a majority of the Quorum of the Twelve felt that I ought to choose one of John Smith's great grandsons. It has been a very humiliating thing to me to have the majority of the brethren wanting me to choose a man who felt he was entitled to it, but I have seen all of them lately and they all say they are prefectly (sic) willing to sustain Joseph F. Smith for the position. I was very glad that I stood out for ten years seeing that President Smith himself felt that he was entitled to have one of his line as the Presiding Patriarch.

[Source: Diary of Heber J. Grant, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

180 years ago today - Feb 27, 1833

Sang by the gift of Tongues & Translated

age after age has rolled away, according to the sad fate of man, countless millions for ever gone at length the period of time has come that oft was seen by a prophetic eye and writ[t]en too by all holy men Inspired of the Lord

a time which was seen by Enoch of Old at a time when he stood upon the mount which was called the Mountain of God as he gazed upon nature and the corruption of man and mourned their sad fate and wept and cried with a loud voice and heaved forth his sighs Omnipotence Omnipotence O may I see thee - and with his finger he touched his eyes and he saw heaven he gazed on eternity and sang an Angelic song and mingled his voice with the heavenly throng Hosan[n]a Hosan[n]a the sound of the trump around the throne of God echoed and echoed again and rang and reechoed until eternity was filled with hi[s] voice

he saw yea he saw and he glorified God the salvation of his people his City caught up through the gospel of Christ

he saw the beginning the ending of man he saw the time when Adam his fath[er] was made and he saw that he was in eternity before a grain of dust in the ballance was weighed

he saw that he emenated and came down from God he saw what had passed and then was and is present and to come

therefore he saw the Last days the Ang[e]l that came down to John and the Angel that is now flying having the everlasting gospel to commit unto men - which in my soul I have received and from death and bondage from the Devil I[']m freed and am free in the gospel of Christ and I[']m waiting and with patience I[']ll wait on the Lord Hosan[n]a loud sound the trump come eternity to ring hosan[n]a forever I[']m waiting the coming of Christ a mansion on high a celestial abode a seat on the right hand of God

Angels are coming the Holy Ghost is falling upon the saints and will continue to fall the saviour is coming yea the Bridegroom prepar[e] ye prepare yea the cry has gone forth go wait on the Lord the Angels in glory will soon be descending to join you in singing the praises of God the trump Loud shall sound the dark vail soon shall rend heaven shall shake the earth shall tremble and all nature shall feel the power of God, gase ye saints gase ye upon him, gase upon Jesus hosan[n]a loud sound the trump his church is caught up

hosan[n]a praise him ye saints they stand at his feet behold they are weeping they strike hands with Enoch of Old they inherit a city as it is writ[t]en the City of God. Loud sound the trump, they receive a celestial crown hozan[n]a the heaven of heavens, and the heavens are filled with the praises of God Amen

[Source: Kirtland Revelations Book, 48-49, handwriting of Frederick G. Williams]

180 years ago today - Feb 27, 1833

... Bro. Coltrin: When the Word of Wisdom was first presented by the Prophet Joseph (as he came out of the translating room) and was read to the School, there were twenty out of the twenty-one who used tobacco and they all immediately threw their tobacco and pipes into the fire.

Original: Fredrick, Newell

[Source: Kenny, Scott, Saints Without Halos, Mormon History 1830-1844, Word of Wisdom, http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/n/wow.phtml]

180 years ago today - 1833 27 Feb.

The "Word of Wisdom" discourages use of tobacco, wine, and "strong drink" but encourages the use of "mild drinks" made from barley (beer).

[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]

180 years ago today - Feb 27, 1833

Joseph receives D&C 89. According to Brigham Young the School of the Prophets was meeting in Joseph's kitchen, a small room in the house attached to the store owned by Bishop Whitney. As the brethren would gather after breakfast, they would immediately light their pipes, filling the room with smoke, or they would begin to chew tobacco, spitting it on the floor. After the complaints of his wife, Joseph prayed about the problem and received the above revelation.

[Source: Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]

15 years ago today - 2/26/1998

[Same-Sex Marriage] Andy Pugno writes letter to BYU Prof Lynn Wardle on State Senator Pete Knights letterhead asking Wardle to review the text for the proposed Prop 22 language. Specifically, Pugno asks if its better to use "one man and one woman" or "a man and a woman" and also asks, "Is there a better way to draft the text of this initiative, considering California's long history of recognizing any marriage legally contracted elsewhere (even if it would have been invalid if performed in this state)? The current proposed language is very short and to the point because, our voter research shows, voters are more supportive if the text is very brief and doesn't leave much to doubt." Church gives $500,000 to the Alaska Family Coalition, formed to ban gay marriage in Alaska. Total donations for the gay marriage ban that year were $600,000. With 10 million members worldwide, more than half of them outside of the United States, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has become much more than merely a Utah faith, Mormon officials countered on Sunday. "We have 24,000 members of the church based in Alaska. It's a matter that members of the church in Alaska and people who share their views about the importance of traditional marriage as an

[Source: Mormons for Marriage: A Prop 8 Timeline, http://mormonsformarriage.com/?page_id=68]

170 years ago today - Feb 26, 1843

Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph Smith stayed at home all day nursing his mother, who was -"sick with inflammation of the lungs.-",

[Source: BYU Studies Journal, volume 46, no. 4: A Chronology of the Life of Joseph Smith, http://byustudies.byu.edu]

180 years ago today - Feb 26, 1833

The May 1833 issue of the American Quarterly Temperance Magazine reports that "Simultaneous Temperance Meetings" by various temperance societies were held across the nation on or around February 26, 1833 (the day before the Word of Wisdom revelation).

[Source: Grunder, Rick, Mormon Parallels: A Bibliographic Source]

185 years ago today - about Tuesday, Feb 26, 1828

[Book of Mormon Translation] New York City, [after visiting Professor Charles Anthon regarding Book of Mormon reformed Egyptian characters, Martin] Harris departs New York City for Harmony.

[Source: Watson, Elden, Approximate Book of Mormon Translation Timeline, http://www.eldenwatson.net/BoM.htm]

5 years ago today - Feb 25, 2008

[Joseph Smith Papers project] The LDS Church announces establishment of The Church Historian's Press, which, as its first publishing project, will publish the Joseph Smith Papers. KUTV reports:

Church officials shopped the project to several university presses, including Oxford, Yale and the University of Virginia, but in the end decided to take charge of their own history, [LDS Church Historian Marlin] Jensen said.

The Mormon church already has ties to two other publishing imprints. The church-owned Brigham Young University Press and Deseret Book, a printing and retail outlet. Both publish work from Latter-day Saint historians and writers, but neither seemed like the right fit, Jensen said.

"They have established a reputation for certain types of publishing and though it's good, I think it's more diverse, probably, eclectic than we would want," he said. "We'll be much more limited and selective in what we do."

The project's website, josephsmithpapers.net, also debuts.

A page on the website states: "The Church Historian's Press will begin publishing the first volumes of The Joseph Smith Papers in 2008. Two to three volumes will be printed each year until the project's completion." Editorial methods are described here. A page on the volumes themselves states:

When completed, The Joseph Smith Papers will consist of more than thirty volumes in six series: Journals, Documents, Revelations and Translations, History, Legal and Business, and Administrative. Three volumes of Joseph Smith's journals cover the years 1832 through 1844. The Documents Series, in eleven volumes, spans 1828 to 1844. Four volumes-manuscript revelation books, other early revelation manuscripts including key Joseph Smith translation manuscripts, the Book of Mormon printer's manuscript, and published Joseph Smith-era scripture-make up the Revelations and Translations Series. Seven volumes of history encompass the period 1805 to 1844. The Legal and Business Series has three volumes that include records of cases occurring in New York/Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois. Administrative records will publish minute books and letterbooks.

FAQs are available here. Bios for the project members are available here.

News articles:

"Historian Press will document LDS Church past" (Deseret News)

[Source: Joseph Smith Papers Timeline: History of the Joseph Smith Papers Project, MormonWasp Blog (defunct)]