To the Bishops of Wards-- A letter to the Bishops of the Church setting them straight on their lack of authority over Relief Society wheat and its disposition. The authority over the wheat rested with the Relief Societies who had collected it.
[Source: Clark, James R., Messages of the First Presidency (6 volumes)]
170 years ago today - Jul 9, 1843
[Joseph Smith] Sunday. Joseph speaks in the grove on the subject of love and toleration.
[Source: Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]
[Source: Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]
170 years ago today - Jul 9, 1843
[Brigham Young] --9-- Left St. Louis at half-past 9 a.m., for Cincinnati, on the steamer Lancet, and had conversation with various gentlemen who were inquiring after "Mormonism," one of whom, a professor in a Southern university, said, "I have heard and read much of your people, and of Joseph Smith, but I have no confidence in newspaper stories, and, if it would be agreeable, I would like to ask a few questions." I told him I would answer any questions he might propose, so far as I was able.
He then asked me if Joseph Smith had more wives than one. I told him I would admit he had. In order to explain the principle, I asked the gentleman if he believed the Bible, and was a believer in the resurrection. He said he was a believer in the Old and New Testament and in the resurrection.
I then asked him if he believed parents and children, husbands and wives would recognize each other in the resurrection. He said he did.
Also, if parents and children would have the same filial feeling towards each other which they have here; and he said he believed they would, and that their affections would be more acute than they were in this life.
I then said, "We see in this life, that amongst Christians, ministers and all classes of men, a man will marry a wife, and have children by her; she dies, and he marries another, and then another, until men have had as many as six wives, and each of them bear children. This is considered all right by the Christian world, inasmuch as a man has but one at a time. Now, in the resurrection this man and all his wives and children are raised from the dead; what will be done with those women and children, and who will they belong to? and if the man is to have but one, which one in the lot shall he have?"
The professor replied, he never thought of the question in this light before, and said he did not believe those women and children would belong to any but those they belonged to in this life.
"Very well," said I, "you consider that to be a pure, holy place in the presence of God, angels, and celestial beings; would the Lord permit a thing to exist in his presence in heaven which is evil? And if it is right for a man to have several wives and children in heaven at the same time, is it not an inconsistent doctrine that a man should have several wives, and children by those wives at the same time, here in this life, as was the case with Abraham and many of the old Prophets? Or is it any more sinful to have several wives at a time than at different times ?"
He answered, "I cannot see that it would be any more inconsistent to have more wives in this life than in the next, or to have five wives at one time than at five different times. I feel to acknowledge it is a correct principle and a Bible doctrine, and I cannot see anything inconsistent in it."
After conversing with him upon the organization of the Church, the gospel, and order of the priesthood, he remarked that such an organization possessed within itself all the elements of permanent success and prosperity, and the system of such a government could not be overthrown.
[Source: Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1801-1844, ed. Elden Jay Watson (Salt Lake City: Smith Secretarial Service, 1968).]
He then asked me if Joseph Smith had more wives than one. I told him I would admit he had. In order to explain the principle, I asked the gentleman if he believed the Bible, and was a believer in the resurrection. He said he was a believer in the Old and New Testament and in the resurrection.
I then asked him if he believed parents and children, husbands and wives would recognize each other in the resurrection. He said he did.
Also, if parents and children would have the same filial feeling towards each other which they have here; and he said he believed they would, and that their affections would be more acute than they were in this life.
I then said, "We see in this life, that amongst Christians, ministers and all classes of men, a man will marry a wife, and have children by her; she dies, and he marries another, and then another, until men have had as many as six wives, and each of them bear children. This is considered all right by the Christian world, inasmuch as a man has but one at a time. Now, in the resurrection this man and all his wives and children are raised from the dead; what will be done with those women and children, and who will they belong to? and if the man is to have but one, which one in the lot shall he have?"
The professor replied, he never thought of the question in this light before, and said he did not believe those women and children would belong to any but those they belonged to in this life.
"Very well," said I, "you consider that to be a pure, holy place in the presence of God, angels, and celestial beings; would the Lord permit a thing to exist in his presence in heaven which is evil? And if it is right for a man to have several wives and children in heaven at the same time, is it not an inconsistent doctrine that a man should have several wives, and children by those wives at the same time, here in this life, as was the case with Abraham and many of the old Prophets? Or is it any more sinful to have several wives at a time than at different times ?"
He answered, "I cannot see that it would be any more inconsistent to have more wives in this life than in the next, or to have five wives at one time than at five different times. I feel to acknowledge it is a correct principle and a Bible doctrine, and I cannot see anything inconsistent in it."
After conversing with him upon the organization of the Church, the gospel, and order of the priesthood, he remarked that such an organization possessed within itself all the elements of permanent success and prosperity, and the system of such a government could not be overthrown.
[Source: Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1801-1844, ed. Elden Jay Watson (Salt Lake City: Smith Secretarial Service, 1968).]
70 years ago today - Jul 8, 1943
Brother George Albert Smith: As the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I lay my hands upon your head, and I bless you and set you apart to be the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and I bestow upon you this blessing and pray that the Spirit of the living God may be and abide with you during your administration as the President of the Twelve Apostles. I bless you for your devotion. No more devoted and splendid worker has ever been among the leaders of the Church than yourself, excepting of course, the Prophet Joseph Smith. I bless you for blessing me upon two occasions when I was nigh unto death, and I was immediately touched with healing power and restored to my wonted strength. I bless you for your many travels. I bless you for the many comforting sermons you have preached to those who have lost their loved ones. You have been particularly willing to go and come and to preach. I bless you that your life has been spared, and I pray that you may have better strength of body in the future of your life, notwithstanding your age, than you have had for years past. You have been doing more work than your body was capable of doing. You have overdone in preaching and working for other people, and I bless you that you may have wisdom to take care of yourself and to prolong your life. I do not forget that you went to St. George for nearly if not quite a year, and I feel that Brother Joseph F. Smith and some of the others of the Quorum lacked the faith that you would return to health. I thank the Lord that I felt that you would return, and you did. I feel that you will magnify this office. I bless you with every gift, grace, and power necessary to be in a very deed one of the strong Presidents of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I bless you with vigor of body and of mind, and with all the blessings that you need to continue your labor, but do so with wisdom and not overdo yourself. I bestow these blessings upon you in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and by the power and authority that I hold as the Prophet of God in the last days, and I do it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. I attended the meeting of the Apostles and their assistants at 8:30 and at ten o’clock met with the First Presidency and Apostles in the Presidents’ Office where President Heber J. Grant set apart Elder George Albert Smith as President of the Council of the Twelve Apostles. He also presented the name of a brother [i.e., Spencer W. Kimball] to fill one of the two vacancies in the Council which was unanimously approved, although we are not at liberty at this time to mention his name. He is from one of the southern stakes. The name of some one to fill the other vacancy was not mentioned.
[Source: “Blessing by President Heber J. Grant upon the Head of Elder George Albert Smith, Setting Him Apart as President of the Council of the Twelve Apostlesâ€; Joseph Fielding Smith, Diary]
[Source: “Blessing by President Heber J. Grant upon the Head of Elder George Albert Smith, Setting Him Apart as President of the Council of the Twelve Apostlesâ€; Joseph Fielding Smith, Diary]
80 years ago today - Jul 8, 1933
[President Heber J. Grant Diary] President W.J. Henderson of the Panguitch Stake and a member of the legislature, called and expressed the hope we would not repeal the Eighteenth Amendment. I told him I had that same hope but acknowledged that my faith was not very strong that my hope would be realized. There seems to be a wave of sentiment in favor of repeal.
[Source: Diary of Heber J. Grant, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
[Source: Diary of Heber J. Grant, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
150 years ago today - Jul 8, 1863
President Brigham Young; Remarks were delivered on the Public Square, Great Salt Lake City; July 8, 1863.
We believe in God the Father and in Jesus Christ our elder brother. We believe that God is a person of tabernacle, possessing in an infinitely higher degree all the perfections and qualifications of his mortal children. We believe that he made Adam after his own image and likeness, as Moses testifies; and in this belief we differ from the professedly Christian world, who declare that "His center is everywhere, but his circumference is nowhere." Their God has no body nor parts; our God possesses a body and parts, and was heard by Adam and Eve "Walking in the garden in the cool of the day."
[Source: J. D. 10:230-231]
We believe in God the Father and in Jesus Christ our elder brother. We believe that God is a person of tabernacle, possessing in an infinitely higher degree all the perfections and qualifications of his mortal children. We believe that he made Adam after his own image and likeness, as Moses testifies; and in this belief we differ from the professedly Christian world, who declare that "His center is everywhere, but his circumference is nowhere." Their God has no body nor parts; our God possesses a body and parts, and was heard by Adam and Eve "Walking in the garden in the cool of the day."
[Source: J. D. 10:230-231]
175 years ago today - Jul 8, 1838
[D and C] Doctrine and Covenants 118: Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Far West, Missouri, July 8, 1838, in response to the supplication: -"Show us thy will, O Lord, concerning the Twelve.-" HC 3: 46-47.
1-3, The Lord will provide for the families of the Twelve; 4-6, Vacancies in the Twelve are filled.
[Source: Doctrine and Covenants, http://amzn.to/DoctrineandCovenants]
1-3, The Lord will provide for the families of the Twelve; 4-6, Vacancies in the Twelve are filled.
[Source: Doctrine and Covenants, http://amzn.to/DoctrineandCovenants]
200 years ago today - Jul 8, 1813
[Joseph Smith] Smith's sister Katherine is born in Lebanon, New Hampshire. .
[Source: Wikipedia, Joseph Smith Chronology, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Joseph_Smith,_Jr.]
[Source: Wikipedia, Joseph Smith Chronology, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Joseph_Smith,_Jr.]
5 years ago today - 7/7/2008
[Same-Sex Marriage] Meridian Magazine publishes a letter from ProtectMarriage's Grassroots Director Gary Lawrence titled, "Wonder What the War in Heaven Was Like? Watch California This Fall" In part, it reads, "In short, if the arguments used in the war in heaven were persuasive enough to draw billions of God's spirit children away from Him, why should we not expect them to be used on the present battlefield? The same minions cast out from the Father's presence still remember what worked up there."
Lawrence, is the father of a gay son. His son later resigns from the church.
[Source: Mormons for Marriage: A Prop 8 Timeline, http://mormonsformarriage.com/?page_id=68]
Lawrence, is the father of a gay son. His son later resigns from the church.
[Source: Mormons for Marriage: A Prop 8 Timeline, http://mormonsformarriage.com/?page_id=68]
25 years ago today - Jul 07, 1988
Vance Law is named to the National League's all-star baseball team after a very successful year in the majors.
[Source: The Woodland Institute 'On This Day Historical Database,' http://www.woodlandinstitute.com]
[Source: The Woodland Institute 'On This Day Historical Database,' http://www.woodlandinstitute.com]
120 years ago today - Jul 7, 1893
[Francis M. Lyman] This A.M. a cablegram from Pres[ident] George Q. Cannon in England said he was unsuccessful in getting money and would return home. This word is very discouraging. Money matters are very tight, banks add mercantile institutions are going broke on every hand.
[Source: Excerpts of Apostle Francis M. Lyman Diaries, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
[Source: Excerpts of Apostle Francis M. Lyman Diaries, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
150 years ago today - Jul 7, 1863
[Minutes, Quorum of Twelve] I [Wilford Woodruff] walked through the [Salt Lake] Temple Block with President Young.
He gave his views of the Temple in Jackson County M[iss]o[uri] According to his view at present it will be composed of 12 Twelve Temples ['] a tower upon Each than a main high Tower in the center & in the centre of the Square would be a place for the people to meet & a dore through the wall of Each Temple so that those at work in the Temple could go through the door of any one of the Temples & meet with the congregation ['] He spoke of having gardens gardens on the top of the Towers with fruit & flowers growing thereon.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff, Historian s Private Journal]
He gave his views of the Temple in Jackson County M[iss]o[uri] According to his view at present it will be composed of 12 Twelve Temples ['] a tower upon Each than a main high Tower in the center & in the centre of the Square would be a place for the people to meet & a dore through the wall of Each Temple so that those at work in the Temple could go through the door of any one of the Temples & meet with the congregation ['] He spoke of having gardens gardens on the top of the Towers with fruit & flowers growing thereon.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff, Historian s Private Journal]
170 years ago today - Jul 7, 1843 - Friday
[Relief Society] Second Meeting of Society.
... convened in the room under the Hall, the Hall being occupied by the Masonic Fra ternity.
...Mrs [Elizabeth Davis] Durfee presented the case of [Orrin] Porter Rockwell
- express'd much feeling of sympathy awakened in her heart by recent recitals of his sufferings- recommended the sisters to unite like the ancient saints in faith & pray'r for his deliverance.
Mrs. Sessions mentioned the case of a man whose name she did not know who had been fo[r] some length of time begging- had heard he had plenty of money. She described his dress.- Mrs. Pratt said she knew him- that his appearance bespoke deep poverty.
Mrs. Sessions spoke of some articles of clothing, to wit. 2 pr. pantaloons and 1 shirt, which she designed either to donate to the Society or to the Temple, as Society shall think proper. ....
[Source: Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperDetails/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book]
... convened in the room under the Hall, the Hall being occupied by the Masonic Fra ternity.
...Mrs [Elizabeth Davis] Durfee presented the case of [Orrin] Porter Rockwell
- express'd much feeling of sympathy awakened in her heart by recent recitals of his sufferings- recommended the sisters to unite like the ancient saints in faith & pray'r for his deliverance.
Mrs. Sessions mentioned the case of a man whose name she did not know who had been fo[r] some length of time begging- had heard he had plenty of money. She described his dress.- Mrs. Pratt said she knew him- that his appearance bespoke deep poverty.
Mrs. Sessions spoke of some articles of clothing, to wit. 2 pr. pantaloons and 1 shirt, which she designed either to donate to the Society or to the Temple, as Society shall think proper. ....
[Source: Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperDetails/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book]
170 years ago today - Jul 7, 1843
[Joseph Smith] Ford's agent in Nauvoo, Mr. Brayman, meets with the Saints to get affidavits about the recent arrest, escape, and rescue by a military force. While Governor Ford is trying to decide whether or not to use a militia to rearrest Joseph, a heated congressional campaign is occurring between the Whig, Cyrus Walker (to whom Joseph had promised his vote), and the Democrat Joseph Hoge. The two most influential Church leaders other than Joseph, Hyrum Smith and William Law, are in disagreement about the candidates. The Democrats try to convince the Mormons that Gov. Ford will send out the militia against Joseph if the Mormons vote for the Whigs.
[Source: Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]
[Source: Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]
70 years ago today - Jul 6, 1943
Serological tests before temple marriages in Utah-- Serological tests as required by civil law in Utah are required for all temple marriages in Utah. Similar instruction had already been issued by the First Presidency in letters of June 27, 1941, June 30, 1941, and August 17, 1942.
[Source: Clark, James R., Messages of the First Presidency (6 volumes)]
[Source: Clark, James R., Messages of the First Presidency (6 volumes)]
130 years ago today - Jul 6, 1883 (Friday)
A fatal powder magazine explosion occurred in Ogden Canyon.
[Source: Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
[Source: Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
175 years ago today - July 6-Oct 4, 1838
[Joseph Smith] The Kirtland Camp of Saints travels from Kirtland to Adam-ondi-Ahman, Mo. On March 6, 1838, a meeting of the seventies in the Kirtland Temple had decided to move the Saints from Kirtland to Missouri. On July 6, 1838, a wagon train, over a mile long with over 500 Saints, leaves Kirtland for Missouri. Because of great suffering and discouragement, by the time the group reaches Springfield, Ill., about halfway, only 260 are left. They reach Adam-ondi-Ahman on October 4, 1838.
[Source: Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]
[Source: Conkling, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology]
165 years ago today - Jul 5, 1848
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] During the evening A hard thunder Storm was Approaching us. My Mules were tied to A large oak tree on the opposite side of the street. I felt impressed to move my Mules away to another place. I did so. I also removed my Children out of the carriage & made them a bed in the house. I also moved my Carriage one rod down to the house in which Mrs Woodruff myself & one child slept. We had Just retired to bed when the storm reached us with great fury. In A moment the large oak tree came thundering to the ground with A mighty crash. Had I not have moved my Mules it probably would have killed them. Had I not have moved my Carriage it would have crushed it to atoms And killed us dead for the body of the tree fell whare my Carriage stood & Just missed Br Kingleys waggon. I Considerd it an interposition of Providence to save our lives.
[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]
1913, 100 years ago this year.
"Inwardly, I felt impelled to persuade him otherwise, and I was sure he had expected me to. I nevertheless controlled myself and made no response to his far-reaching decision. My silence at the moment was not an easy thing. Yet, I am aware now that the years of preceding struggle to live polygamy had all helped to steel me for whatever may come. I thought in those few moments before he departed: 'I'll be equal to whatever must come.'" Thus ended the thirty-year marriage. Annie was forced to find work as a practical nurse in Salt Lake City.
After thirty years as a plural wife, Annie Clark Tanner concluded the "companionship between husband and wife in polygamy could not be so close as in monogamy. There was more independence on both sides in polygamy …. It is needless to observe that monogamous marriages are by far the more successful. They give security and confidence, and these are the requirements for happiness."
[Source: Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
After thirty years as a plural wife, Annie Clark Tanner concluded the "companionship between husband and wife in polygamy could not be so close as in monogamy. There was more independence on both sides in polygamy …. It is needless to observe that monogamous marriages are by far the more successful. They give security and confidence, and these are the requirements for happiness."
[Source: Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
140 years ago today - Jul 5, 1873 (Saturday)
Zion's Savings' Bank and Trust Company was organized; Brigham Young, president.
[Source: Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
[Source: Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
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