25 years ago today - Jan 13, 1994
Emanuel Tov, Hebrew University professor and editor-in-chief of the Dead Sea Scrolls publication projects, invites BYU Professor Donald W. Parry to join the international team of editors working on publication of the scrolls. Later, BYU Professors David R. Seely, Dana M. Pike, and Andrew C. Skinner are added to the team.
35 years ago today - Jan 13, 1984-Friday
[Leonard Arrington]
... All of my experiences with him [Mark E. Peterson], however, were not positive.
Item. When I published in the first issue of BYU Studies [Winter 1959] my study "An Economic Interpretation of the Word of Wisdom," he saw to the suspension of that publication for a full year, and he always held it against me that I wrote the piece.
Item. The talk which he gave in 1963, "Race Problems as They Affect the Church," opposing granting the priesthood to the blacks, a talk widely circulated, apparently with his approval, was one of the most bigoted and narrow-minded talks ever given by a "disciple of Christ." [[Petersen, "Race Problems-As They Affect the Church, at the Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level," Aug. 27, 1954, Church History Library, Salt Lake City.]]
Item. That he should have received and encouraged the submission of the reports of Tom Truitt about the writings and speeches of our historians, and that he should have circulated these among the Twelve without once talking to any of us to check on their accuracy or intention, was unfair, a manifestation of suspicious attitudes, and partook of retribution.
Item. His calling the meeting with me to defend our action in writing Story of the Latter-day Saints, without prior notice so as to prevent us from preparing a defense, and with charges that were unfair and incorrect, shows his receptivity to rumormongers, the suspicious, the anti-intellectuals, and represents an attempt to embarrass us before the First Presidency.
Item. Elder Petersen is the authority who sicced Tom Truitt and Roy Doxey on the historians last spring by calling their stake presidents and bishops to determine if they were loyal and active members of the church.
I have had a real concern that he might become President of the Twelve or, eventually, President of the Church. Now, at least, [with his recent death] that will not happen. The Lord has preserved us from that kind of leadership.
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
... All of my experiences with him [Mark E. Peterson], however, were not positive.
Item. When I published in the first issue of BYU Studies [Winter 1959] my study "An Economic Interpretation of the Word of Wisdom," he saw to the suspension of that publication for a full year, and he always held it against me that I wrote the piece.
Item. The talk which he gave in 1963, "Race Problems as They Affect the Church," opposing granting the priesthood to the blacks, a talk widely circulated, apparently with his approval, was one of the most bigoted and narrow-minded talks ever given by a "disciple of Christ." [[Petersen, "Race Problems-As They Affect the Church, at the Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level," Aug. 27, 1954, Church History Library, Salt Lake City.]]
Item. That he should have received and encouraged the submission of the reports of Tom Truitt about the writings and speeches of our historians, and that he should have circulated these among the Twelve without once talking to any of us to check on their accuracy or intention, was unfair, a manifestation of suspicious attitudes, and partook of retribution.
Item. His calling the meeting with me to defend our action in writing Story of the Latter-day Saints, without prior notice so as to prevent us from preparing a defense, and with charges that were unfair and incorrect, shows his receptivity to rumormongers, the suspicious, the anti-intellectuals, and represents an attempt to embarrass us before the First Presidency.
Item. Elder Petersen is the authority who sicced Tom Truitt and Roy Doxey on the historians last spring by calling their stake presidents and bishops to determine if they were loyal and active members of the church.
I have had a real concern that he might become President of the Twelve or, eventually, President of the Church. Now, at least, [with his recent death] that will not happen. The Lord has preserved us from that kind of leadership.
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
45 years ago today - Jan 13, 1974
Three missionaries in Pennsylvania are killed in a head-on collision after a car repeatedly bumps the rear of their car and finally forces them into the path of an oncoming car.
[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
120 years ago today - Jan 13, 1899
[James E. Talmage]
One of the questions referred to the First Presidency by the Committee was as to the advisability of reprinting the lecture entitled "The Holy Ghost" ... I have incorporated it in the prospective book [Articles of Faith] in practically an unaltered form. President Snow took the article under advisement today. In conversation Pres. Geo. Q. Cannon supported the view of the distinct personality of the Holy Ghost and stated that he had actually heard the voice of the third member of the Godhead, actually talking to him.
[Chronology of the Life and Work of James E. Talmage, J. Trevor Antley, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MJsHY83JZL_n6CjWq11y1trT_CVXMMXAx2uYOWAwn0c/edit#heading=h.2zfdaoa]
One of the questions referred to the First Presidency by the Committee was as to the advisability of reprinting the lecture entitled "The Holy Ghost" ... I have incorporated it in the prospective book [Articles of Faith] in practically an unaltered form. President Snow took the article under advisement today. In conversation Pres. Geo. Q. Cannon supported the view of the distinct personality of the Holy Ghost and stated that he had actually heard the voice of the third member of the Godhead, actually talking to him.
[Chronology of the Life and Work of James E. Talmage, J. Trevor Antley, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MJsHY83JZL_n6CjWq11y1trT_CVXMMXAx2uYOWAwn0c/edit#heading=h.2zfdaoa]
120 years ago today - Jan 13, 1899
The First Presidency decides that James E. Talmage's book, Articles of Faith, will "be published by the Church" due to the review of its contents by the First Presidency and committee which included three apostles. Its discussion of Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial Kingdoms (420-421) states that "advancement from grade to grade within any kingdom, and from kingdom to kingdom, will be provided for." The eleventh edition deletes the latter phrase in 1919, and the twelfth edition in 1924 says: "as to possible progress from one kingdom to another the scriptures make no positive affirmation."
[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
40 years ago today - Jan 12, 1979-Friday
[Leonard Arrington]
Charles Graves from [LDS] Public Communications came in to say that he understood that the [Jerald and Sandra] Tanners now have available for sale a reproduction of Joseph Smith's diary covering the years 1832-34. This is the diary which Dean Jessee has been preparing for publication for some time. ... We understand that an article is coming out in Utah Holiday which describes the Tanner publication, which will then result in a big sale of it. Once again, it is unfortunate that Dean Jessee has not been able to complete our volume for publication. We planned this as early as 1972 and hoped for sure to have it out by 1974; but for a variety of reasons it has been postponed and postponed and now we are reaping the consequences of that postponement.
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
Charles Graves from [LDS] Public Communications came in to say that he understood that the [Jerald and Sandra] Tanners now have available for sale a reproduction of Joseph Smith's diary covering the years 1832-34. This is the diary which Dean Jessee has been preparing for publication for some time. ... We understand that an article is coming out in Utah Holiday which describes the Tanner publication, which will then result in a big sale of it. Once again, it is unfortunate that Dean Jessee has not been able to complete our volume for publication. We planned this as early as 1972 and hoped for sure to have it out by 1974; but for a variety of reasons it has been postponed and postponed and now we are reaping the consequences of that postponement.
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
100 years ago today - Jan 12, 1919
[David O. McKay]
At 11:15 A.M., I called on Thos. J. Steed 2742 Adams Ave., relative to his having entered into an alleged plural marriage.
Several important things he admitted; viz.,
(1) That he has entered into such a marriage.
(2) That the one performing ceremony claimed authority to do so.
(3) That it was hinted to him that there is a 'union' or 'secret organization' attempting to perpetuate such marriages; but he says 'To hell with such a union'.
(4) That perhaps the best way to learn more about this would be to attend the funerals of men and women how have recently entered into alleged plural marriages.
[David O. McKay 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]
At 11:15 A.M., I called on Thos. J. Steed 2742 Adams Ave., relative to his having entered into an alleged plural marriage.
Several important things he admitted; viz.,
(1) That he has entered into such a marriage.
(2) That the one performing ceremony claimed authority to do so.
(3) That it was hinted to him that there is a 'union' or 'secret organization' attempting to perpetuate such marriages; but he says 'To hell with such a union'.
(4) That perhaps the best way to learn more about this would be to attend the funerals of men and women how have recently entered into alleged plural marriages.
[David O. McKay 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]
110 years ago today - Jan 12, 1909
[George Albert Smith]
"Was present in Temple when Father baptized F.M. Lyman for his father [previously excommunicated apostle Amasa M. Lyman] and Pres Jos F. Smith restored his rights etc in the Priesthood."
[Journals of George Albert Smith]
"Was present in Temple when Father baptized F.M. Lyman for his father [previously excommunicated apostle Amasa M. Lyman] and Pres Jos F. Smith restored his rights etc in the Priesthood."
[Journals of George Albert Smith]
120 years ago today - Thursday, Jan 12, 1899
[Rudger Clawson]
At this point the tables were spread and the brethren partook of the sacrament. After the bread and wine were blessed by Pres. Snow, [they] ate and drank freely until satisfied. It was indeed a time of refreshing and one long to be remembered. Benediction by Pres. Geo. Q. Cannon.
[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]
At this point the tables were spread and the brethren partook of the sacrament. After the bread and wine were blessed by Pres. Snow, [they] ate and drank freely until satisfied. It was indeed a time of refreshing and one long to be remembered. Benediction by Pres. Geo. Q. Cannon.
[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]
125 years ago today - Jan 12, 1894
[James E. Talmage]
A meeting of the Theological Class Committee, and the Presidency, to consider the subject of the sacrament. After the acceptance of a paragraph written by me on the duties of the priesthood in seeing that the Sacrament is not administered to any but Church members, and to none who are unworthy, I asked concerning the custom of administering the sacrament in our Tabernacle, where all classes assemble, where indeed it is known that many outsiders partake and others show by strong demonstration their scorn for the ordinance, where in short no supervision that is effective can be exercised. In answer I found that the First Presidency and the Twelve were united in desiring the administration of the sacrament removed from the Tabernacle to the Ward houses, where the local authorities could properly guard the sacredness of the ordinance. I understand instructions to this effect will soon be issued.
[James E. Talmage, Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
A meeting of the Theological Class Committee, and the Presidency, to consider the subject of the sacrament. After the acceptance of a paragraph written by me on the duties of the priesthood in seeing that the Sacrament is not administered to any but Church members, and to none who are unworthy, I asked concerning the custom of administering the sacrament in our Tabernacle, where all classes assemble, where indeed it is known that many outsiders partake and others show by strong demonstration their scorn for the ordinance, where in short no supervision that is effective can be exercised. In answer I found that the First Presidency and the Twelve were united in desiring the administration of the sacrament removed from the Tabernacle to the Ward houses, where the local authorities could properly guard the sacredness of the ordinance. I understand instructions to this effect will soon be issued.
[James E. Talmage, Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
135 years ago today - Jan 12, 1884
[J.D.T. McAllister Diary]
Certain Women not to be sealed to Joseph Smith
read a letter from Prest. Taylor approving our action in the E.G. Defriez matter. also that sister Maria Iverson Moss could be Sealed to some good man. Such cases should not be Sealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
[Diary Excerpts of J.D.T. McAllister, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
Certain Women not to be sealed to Joseph Smith
read a letter from Prest. Taylor approving our action in the E.G. Defriez matter. also that sister Maria Iverson Moss could be Sealed to some good man. Such cases should not be Sealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
[Diary Excerpts of J.D.T. McAllister, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
150 years ago today - Jan 12, 1869
Deseret News editorial against universal male suffrage for the United States: "Education and intelligence should precede the suffrage, otherwise the latter would be like a razor in the hands of a child - more likely to prove destructive than otherwise." Since Utah is not a state, it is unable to cast its vote against the 15th amendment (Mar. 1870).
[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]
155 years ago today - Jan 12, 1864
Having been publicly accused of using improper language, First Counselor Heber C. Kimball writes in his memorandum book: "I was told by the Lord that I should not be removed from my place as first counselor to President Young, and those who had oppressed me when it was in their power to do me good, shall be removed from their places. That [second counselor] Daniel H. Wells, [future apostle] Albert Carrington, [future apostle and son of Brigham] Jos. A. Young and others were among that number."
155 years ago today - Jan 12, 1864
[Wilford Woodruff]
At Eleven oclok I Called at the prision & was with the prisioner untill a few moments before his Execution. His Mother Brothe[rs?] wife & 5 children visited him last night also this morning. He had gotton a woman with Child who was not his wife. He requested his Brothers to take care of this woman & if they were permitted to take more than one wife to take her to wife. He had a vary hard time to part with his wife Children & Friends. He felt to Confess all of his [crimes] and ask the forgiveness of God & all men for all his Crimes. He had worn his garments up to within an hour before his death. I advised him to take it off which He did. He Converse with me untill abut 12 oclok. He asked me to pray with him that he might have strength to go to his Execution & pay the penalty of his Crimes. I prayed with him according to his request & then bid him good by as did others who were with him.
He then walked to his place of Execution. There was a large number out side the wall & some one hundred in the Court House pl[aced?] at the windows to witness the Execution. Jason Luce sat in a Chair with his feet maniceled. He addressed the people a few moments Renounced Wm. A. Hickman as his betrayer bid the People good by. Sherif Burton drew the Black Cap over his face & at a given signal 5 Balls was shot through or near his heart & his spirit left his body without a groan or hardly a movemet of his body. His Corps was taken to the gate & Exhibited to the Croud. It was then taken to his Brothers House & laid out.
[Luce had killed a man by slitting his throat with a Bowie knife on Dec. 7, 1863. The execution occurred 36 days after the crime was committed.]
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
At Eleven oclok I Called at the prision & was with the prisioner untill a few moments before his Execution. His Mother Brothe[rs?] wife & 5 children visited him last night also this morning. He had gotton a woman with Child who was not his wife. He requested his Brothers to take care of this woman & if they were permitted to take more than one wife to take her to wife. He had a vary hard time to part with his wife Children & Friends. He felt to Confess all of his [crimes] and ask the forgiveness of God & all men for all his Crimes. He had worn his garments up to within an hour before his death. I advised him to take it off which He did. He Converse with me untill abut 12 oclok. He asked me to pray with him that he might have strength to go to his Execution & pay the penalty of his Crimes. I prayed with him according to his request & then bid him good by as did others who were with him.
He then walked to his place of Execution. There was a large number out side the wall & some one hundred in the Court House pl[aced?] at the windows to witness the Execution. Jason Luce sat in a Chair with his feet maniceled. He addressed the people a few moments Renounced Wm. A. Hickman as his betrayer bid the People good by. Sherif Burton drew the Black Cap over his face & at a given signal 5 Balls was shot through or near his heart & his spirit left his body without a groan or hardly a movemet of his body. His Corps was taken to the gate & Exhibited to the Croud. It was then taken to his Brothers House & laid out.
[Luce had killed a man by slitting his throat with a Bowie knife on Dec. 7, 1863. The execution occurred 36 days after the crime was committed.]
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
15 years ago today - Jan 11, 2004
First LDS temple dedicated in black Africa (Accra, Ghana).
[Sherry Baker: Mormon Media History Timeline: 1827-2007, http://byustudies.byu.edu/showTitle.aspx?title=7984]
[Sherry Baker: Mormon Media History Timeline: 1827-2007, http://byustudies.byu.edu/showTitle.aspx?title=7984]
40 years ago today - Jan 11, 1979-Thursday
[Leonard Arrington]
Jim Allen was in this morning and said he had had a conversation with Ellis Rasmussen yesterday. Ellis and the group in the [BYU] College of Religion have been working on the new set of scriptures that is being prepared. It is well along. He reported to Jim two or three interesting things.
1. The two revelations accepted in conference a couple of years ago-the one by Joseph Smith and the other by Joseph F. Smith-are being placed in the new edition of the Doctrine & Covenants as new sections.
2. The letter of the First Presidency on the priesthood revelation of June 9, 1978, will be in the new edition of the D&C as Official Declaration No. 2.
3. Bruce McConkie is writing new introductions or editorial notes to each of the sections. The publication is still some months away [October 1981].
Brother [G. Homer] Durham ... said Brother [Boyd K.] Packer is worried about our frank acknowledgment of the different versions of the accounts of the First Vision [in new book _The_Mormon_Experience_].
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
Jim Allen was in this morning and said he had had a conversation with Ellis Rasmussen yesterday. Ellis and the group in the [BYU] College of Religion have been working on the new set of scriptures that is being prepared. It is well along. He reported to Jim two or three interesting things.
1. The two revelations accepted in conference a couple of years ago-the one by Joseph Smith and the other by Joseph F. Smith-are being placed in the new edition of the Doctrine & Covenants as new sections.
2. The letter of the First Presidency on the priesthood revelation of June 9, 1978, will be in the new edition of the D&C as Official Declaration No. 2.
3. Bruce McConkie is writing new introductions or editorial notes to each of the sections. The publication is still some months away [October 1981].
Brother [G. Homer] Durham ... said Brother [Boyd K.] Packer is worried about our frank acknowledgment of the different versions of the accounts of the First Vision [in new book _The_Mormon_Experience_].
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
120 years ago today - Jan 11, 1899; Wednesday
Abraham Owen Woodruff ... Referred to the fact that he had no children. He loved children and so did his wife and did not know why he was not blessed of the Lord with children.
Expressed great delight with the promise of the Lord through Pres[iden]t [Franklin D.] Richards to Bro[ther] [Heber J.] Grant yesterday that he shall live to have sons. ...
One of the brethren of this Quorum had said unless a man had seen the face of the Savior was not worthy of being a special witness of Jesus Christ. Bore strong testimony of his knowledge of God, Jesus Christ & that Joseph Smith was a Prophet although he had not seen the face of the Savior, He had seen the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Franklin D. Richards told Bro[ther] Woodruff to have no uneasiness but to be willing to wait the due time of the Lord to have fulfilled All of the promises made to you. They are sure to come. Things are going to take a turn and brother Grant will have things turn around and he will have things easier than he ever had them. He shall maintain his good name and have great influence financially. Feel the same regarding Bro[ther] Jno [John] W Taylor. Brother Woodruff will be blessed abundantly.
We must become separated for the world. I feel full of prophesy [sic] & great things are to happen among the people. Times will come that all those who are not willing to labor for God and His Kingdom will find it so warm here that they will want to dispose of their property and go elsewhere to live....
Some day we may find it necessary to build temples in New Zealand & other places. ... Said if we were faithful that sooner or later we will see the face of the Savior.
John W. Taylor said Bro[ther] Woodruff had had very great promises made to him and they will come true and they must come through his wife. Spoke of many of the Prophets of God being born of women who for a time were barren. Believed God was preparing Bro[ther] Woodruff's wife to perform her part in bearing Bro[ther] W[oodruff]. a son.
[Heber J. Grant, Diary]
Expressed great delight with the promise of the Lord through Pres[iden]t [Franklin D.] Richards to Bro[ther] [Heber J.] Grant yesterday that he shall live to have sons. ...
One of the brethren of this Quorum had said unless a man had seen the face of the Savior was not worthy of being a special witness of Jesus Christ. Bore strong testimony of his knowledge of God, Jesus Christ & that Joseph Smith was a Prophet although he had not seen the face of the Savior, He had seen the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Franklin D. Richards told Bro[ther] Woodruff to have no uneasiness but to be willing to wait the due time of the Lord to have fulfilled All of the promises made to you. They are sure to come. Things are going to take a turn and brother Grant will have things turn around and he will have things easier than he ever had them. He shall maintain his good name and have great influence financially. Feel the same regarding Bro[ther] Jno [John] W Taylor. Brother Woodruff will be blessed abundantly.
We must become separated for the world. I feel full of prophesy [sic] & great things are to happen among the people. Times will come that all those who are not willing to labor for God and His Kingdom will find it so warm here that they will want to dispose of their property and go elsewhere to live....
Some day we may find it necessary to build temples in New Zealand & other places. ... Said if we were faithful that sooner or later we will see the face of the Savior.
John W. Taylor said Bro[ther] Woodruff had had very great promises made to him and they will come true and they must come through his wife. Spoke of many of the Prophets of God being born of women who for a time were barren. Believed God was preparing Bro[ther] Woodruff's wife to perform her part in bearing Bro[ther] W[oodruff]. a son.
[Heber J. Grant, Diary]
120 years ago today - Wednesday, Jan 11, 1899
[Rudger Clawson]
Pres. Richards explained the nature of the Holy Ghost. Said the Holy Ghost presides over all righteous spirits, and that when the Holy Ghost is conferred upon a man, in his opinion, it is a righteous spirit, or in other words, a Holy Ghost under the direction of the Holy Ghost.
[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]
Pres. Richards explained the nature of the Holy Ghost. Said the Holy Ghost presides over all righteous spirits, and that when the Holy Ghost is conferred upon a man, in his opinion, it is a righteous spirit, or in other words, a Holy Ghost under the direction of the Holy Ghost.
[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]
125 years ago today - Jan 11, 1894
[Heber J. Grant]
[Regarding the return of church property by court which had been confiscated over legal issues related to plural marriage:] I feel to thank the Lord with all my heart that He has moved on Congress to restore this property as getting it will take a great load off the minds of Prests Woodruff, Cannon and Smith. There has been a wonderful change in public opinion in favor of our people and I feel that we should thank the Lord for this change.
[The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]
[Regarding the return of church property by court which had been confiscated over legal issues related to plural marriage:] I feel to thank the Lord with all my heart that He has moved on Congress to restore this property as getting it will take a great load off the minds of Prests Woodruff, Cannon and Smith. There has been a wonderful change in public opinion in favor of our people and I feel that we should thank the Lord for this change.
[The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]
155 years ago today - Jan 11, 1864
[Wilford Woodruff]
... I Called at the Court House and had another interview with Jason Luce who is sentenced to die tomorrow. He still feels sure that He will not die. He thinks that he has the testimony of the spirit of the Lord that He will live & not die. He said that he was innocent of many things that the people thought he was guilty off. He said that he had never killed any person or had any hand in the death of any person except Rhodes & Bunting & said that he Could not fell that he was guilty of murder in the death of Either of them. He had killed them in self defence. He said Wm. Hickman had advised him to do many things that made his flesh Crawl but he had not followed Hickmans advise in these things. He told the Jailors (which I did not Hear) that Hickman once asked him to go & knock an old man in the Head for no other purpose ownly to obtain an old mare that was not worth more than $30. And He feels that Wm. Hickman has betrayed him and done him much injury & he looks upon Hickman as a vary bad man. He said he would like to see me tomorrow. He thought to day was the time appointed for his Execution untill I told him it was tomorrow. ...
I Called upon Governor Reed & asked him if he would Commute Jason Luce sentence to the Penetentiary for life as Hickman had held out this promise to Lute. Soon Hickman & Wilford Luce Came in for their answer & Mr Reed told them He Could do nothing in the premises that He Considered that He would be Commiting Crime to Change the sentence of Luce unless he had better ground than any thing He had seen.
So when I arived at the prision in the Evening I told Jason Luce there was no chance for him to live & I wished him to prepare to die. He then spent more than an hour giving us an account of what He had done & what he knew. He said in the Case of Drown & Arnold that Hickman was responsible for their death. He killed them with the help of one or two others. He said Wm. A Hickman robed Carpenter's store took the goods in his waggon & carried them to Huntingtons & from Huntingtons to his house over Jordon & then told Furguson if he would kill Carpenter He would Clear him that He Should not lie in Jail one day. Furguson killed Carpenter & was Hung for it & Hickman made him believe that he would be liberated up to the last minute. Luce said that Hickman Murdered [ ] for no other purpose ownly to obtain his gold watch & money & thinks he has the watch yet.
He said that Hickman was at the head of a Band of thieves. They have stolen as high as 100 Head of Cattle at a time from Camp Floyd & gone out onto the prairie & divided them & taken them to different parts of the Territory. Lute also said that Hickman had many men around him that Had to be fed & that men under him would go onto the range & drive up a Beef & kill & Eat it & sell the Hides or make them into Larretts or throw them away as the Case might be without any regard to whom might be the owners. Luce said that Hickman had been his ruin and the ruin of others and in all these things He had Carried his point by declairing that President Brigham Young had given him Council to do all these things (which is a Cursed lie). Luce made many other remarks which was reported by G. D. Watt.
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
... I Called at the Court House and had another interview with Jason Luce who is sentenced to die tomorrow. He still feels sure that He will not die. He thinks that he has the testimony of the spirit of the Lord that He will live & not die. He said that he was innocent of many things that the people thought he was guilty off. He said that he had never killed any person or had any hand in the death of any person except Rhodes & Bunting & said that he Could not fell that he was guilty of murder in the death of Either of them. He had killed them in self defence. He said Wm. Hickman had advised him to do many things that made his flesh Crawl but he had not followed Hickmans advise in these things. He told the Jailors (which I did not Hear) that Hickman once asked him to go & knock an old man in the Head for no other purpose ownly to obtain an old mare that was not worth more than $30. And He feels that Wm. Hickman has betrayed him and done him much injury & he looks upon Hickman as a vary bad man. He said he would like to see me tomorrow. He thought to day was the time appointed for his Execution untill I told him it was tomorrow. ...
I Called upon Governor Reed & asked him if he would Commute Jason Luce sentence to the Penetentiary for life as Hickman had held out this promise to Lute. Soon Hickman & Wilford Luce Came in for their answer & Mr Reed told them He Could do nothing in the premises that He Considered that He would be Commiting Crime to Change the sentence of Luce unless he had better ground than any thing He had seen.
So when I arived at the prision in the Evening I told Jason Luce there was no chance for him to live & I wished him to prepare to die. He then spent more than an hour giving us an account of what He had done & what he knew. He said in the Case of Drown & Arnold that Hickman was responsible for their death. He killed them with the help of one or two others. He said Wm. A Hickman robed Carpenter's store took the goods in his waggon & carried them to Huntingtons & from Huntingtons to his house over Jordon & then told Furguson if he would kill Carpenter He would Clear him that He Should not lie in Jail one day. Furguson killed Carpenter & was Hung for it & Hickman made him believe that he would be liberated up to the last minute. Luce said that Hickman Murdered [ ] for no other purpose ownly to obtain his gold watch & money & thinks he has the watch yet.
He said that Hickman was at the head of a Band of thieves. They have stolen as high as 100 Head of Cattle at a time from Camp Floyd & gone out onto the prairie & divided them & taken them to different parts of the Territory. Lute also said that Hickman had many men around him that Had to be fed & that men under him would go onto the range & drive up a Beef & kill & Eat it & sell the Hides or make them into Larretts or throw them away as the Case might be without any regard to whom might be the owners. Luce said that Hickman had been his ruin and the ruin of others and in all these things He had Carried his point by declairing that President Brigham Young had given him Council to do all these things (which is a Cursed lie). Luce made many other remarks which was reported by G. D. Watt.
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
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