[Nauvoo Neighbor]
Story: "Who Shall be our Next President" -- Editorial -- Describing the right person for President, speaking poorly of Martin Van Buren, and endorsing Joseph Smith
[http://boap.org/LDS/Nauvoo-Neighbor]
190 years ago today - Feb 14, 1829
Eliza R. Snow publishes a poem in the Ravenna, Ohio WESTERN COURIER containing the stanzas: "But lo! a shining Seraph comes!/Hark! 'tis the voice of sacred Truth;/He smiles, and on his visage blooms,/Eternal youth.
He speaks of things before untold,/ Reveals what men nor angels knew,/The secret pages now unfold/To human view." Eliza, a future plural wife of both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, has not yet heard of Mormonism (The Book of Mormon is over a year away from being published). Later, after accepting Mormonism, she changes the words "secret pages" to "long seal'd pages," to make more explicit the reference to the coming of the "Seraph," as the angel Moroni who brings the "long-sealed" plates of the Book of Mormon.
He speaks of things before untold,/ Reveals what men nor angels knew,/The secret pages now unfold/To human view." Eliza, a future plural wife of both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, has not yet heard of Mormonism (The Book of Mormon is over a year away from being published). Later, after accepting Mormonism, she changes the words "secret pages" to "long seal'd pages," to make more explicit the reference to the coming of the "Seraph," as the angel Moroni who brings the "long-sealed" plates of the Book of Mormon.
45 years ago today - Feb 13, 1974-Wednesday
[Leonard Arrington]
Lester Bush came in yesterday and reported to us on the reception he had from his article on the Negro doctrine published in Dialogue. He discussed at some length his current interest in the Book of Mormon and in medical history. He has had no official criticism as the result of his article in Dialogue and very little complaint from any source. He has had many congratulatory letters.
He has heard that some person from Church headquarters, perhaps Brother [Boyd K.] Packer, did discuss him with his mission presidents and regional representative, and they both favorably reported on him and his work and attitude, and thus that investigation was dropped. He has been compiling a Book of Mormon in which quotations are indented as in most scholarly works. This helps to separate the narrative from the long documents included from previous writers....
February 20, 1974-Wednesday 24
When Lester Bush was in here the other day, he said he had a particular personal friend among the General Authorities, whom he did not identify. He did say that this was a rather conservative brother. He had chatted with him before he talked with us. He said that he had heard of absolutely no reaction to the article which Lester had published in Dialogue magazine on the Mormons and the Negro.
He said this friend had told him that things seemed to have been moving in the direction of liberalizing the Negro doctrine. This had come up in two or three respects. One involved racial intermarriages and one involved temple activities. At any rate, this friend said that some of the more conservative brethren had somewhat resisted some of the liberalizing decisions which President Lee had made. Whether or not the friend had agreed with this was not made clear by Brother Bush. In any case, some of these people had said that they thought President Lee was mistaken in some of these liberalizing decisions and others thought he was headed in the right direction. Some regarded President Lee's sudden death as an interference of God to prevent further liberalizing from taking place.
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
Lester Bush came in yesterday and reported to us on the reception he had from his article on the Negro doctrine published in Dialogue. He discussed at some length his current interest in the Book of Mormon and in medical history. He has had no official criticism as the result of his article in Dialogue and very little complaint from any source. He has had many congratulatory letters.
He has heard that some person from Church headquarters, perhaps Brother [Boyd K.] Packer, did discuss him with his mission presidents and regional representative, and they both favorably reported on him and his work and attitude, and thus that investigation was dropped. He has been compiling a Book of Mormon in which quotations are indented as in most scholarly works. This helps to separate the narrative from the long documents included from previous writers....
February 20, 1974-Wednesday 24
When Lester Bush was in here the other day, he said he had a particular personal friend among the General Authorities, whom he did not identify. He did say that this was a rather conservative brother. He had chatted with him before he talked with us. He said that he had heard of absolutely no reaction to the article which Lester had published in Dialogue magazine on the Mormons and the Negro.
He said this friend had told him that things seemed to have been moving in the direction of liberalizing the Negro doctrine. This had come up in two or three respects. One involved racial intermarriages and one involved temple activities. At any rate, this friend said that some of the more conservative brethren had somewhat resisted some of the liberalizing decisions which President Lee had made. Whether or not the friend had agreed with this was not made clear by Brother Bush. In any case, some of these people had said that they thought President Lee was mistaken in some of these liberalizing decisions and others thought he was headed in the right direction. Some regarded President Lee's sudden death as an interference of God to prevent further liberalizing from taking place.
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
120 years ago today - Feb 13, 1899
Heber J. Grant, upset with First Counselor George Q. Cannon Sunday sermon on charity the day before (which Grant "could not help feeling that it was a plea for his son to be forgiven & made a US Senator.") writes: I explained to Prest Snow that I felt very deeply wounded at the sermon which Pres Cannon had preached Sunday in view of the Attack of his son in his speech last Thursday evening. I told him I felt I could not feel well to be obligated to him for the present made me a little over a month ago.[Cannon gave Grant a gift of $1500 on Jan 6] The President agree with me that I would feel better if refunded the amount. I wrote a note to Bro. Cannon and enclosed my check for $1500. . . .I told Prest Snow of my intention to return the 1500 to Bro. Cannon and said he could not blame me for the desire to do so. I am glad he felt this way." George Q. Cannon's son Frank had given a speech "Senatorial Candidates and Pharisees" in which, according to Grant, "He made a vile attack on Apostle John H[enr]y Smith, the Church, Mr. McCune and myself. He had more to say about me than any one else."
160 years ago today - Feb 13, 1859
[Wilford Woodruff]
I spent an hour with President Young in the afternoon. He spoke upon the subject of the Book published by Mother Smith Called Joseph Smith the Prophet. He said he wished us to take up that work & revise it & Correct it that it belonged to the Historians to attend to it that there was many fals statements made in it and he wished them to be left out and all other statements which we did not know to be true, and give the reason why they are left out. ... That Book makes out William Smith according to Mother Smith's statement to be full of the Holy Ghost & the power of God while at the same time I herd him say in the presence of Heber C. Kimball while Joseph Smith was a prisioner in the hands of his enemies and I said that God would deliver him. William Smith said Dam him Joseph Smith ought to have been hung up by the neck years ago and Dam him he will get it now any how.
President Brigham Young said Wm. Smith is the most wicked man I ever saw in my life. ...
[Copies of the original book are gathered and burned, and a new modified edition is published]
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
I spent an hour with President Young in the afternoon. He spoke upon the subject of the Book published by Mother Smith Called Joseph Smith the Prophet. He said he wished us to take up that work & revise it & Correct it that it belonged to the Historians to attend to it that there was many fals statements made in it and he wished them to be left out and all other statements which we did not know to be true, and give the reason why they are left out. ... That Book makes out William Smith according to Mother Smith's statement to be full of the Holy Ghost & the power of God while at the same time I herd him say in the presence of Heber C. Kimball while Joseph Smith was a prisioner in the hands of his enemies and I said that God would deliver him. William Smith said Dam him Joseph Smith ought to have been hung up by the neck years ago and Dam him he will get it now any how.
President Brigham Young said Wm. Smith is the most wicked man I ever saw in my life. ...
[Copies of the original book are gathered and burned, and a new modified edition is published]
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
170 years ago today - Feb 13, 1849 (Afternoon)
[Brigham Young]
Conversation on mesmerism until Lorenzo Snow presented the case of the African Race for a chance of redemption and unlock the door to them. President Young explained it very lucidly that the curse remains on them because Cain cut off the wives? [or perhaps "lives"] of Abel to hedge up his way and take the lead but the Lord has given them blackness, so as to give the children of Abel an opportunity to keep his place with his descendants in the eternal words. -- Salt Lake City
[Thomas Bullock Minutes, LJA; Thomas Bullock—LDS Church Reporter, 1844-56.C, Archives, Church History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah.; GCM, Archives, Church History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah..; Leonard J. Arrington Papers, Special Collections, Merrill-Cazier Library, Utah State University, Logan.. (A reference reading LJA 12-55-5, 10, means LJA Series 12, Box 55, Folder 5, page 10.) 9-12-6, 77-78; General Church Minutes. Selected Collections from the Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints DVD 1 (2002); The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
Conversation on mesmerism until Lorenzo Snow presented the case of the African Race for a chance of redemption and unlock the door to them. President Young explained it very lucidly that the curse remains on them because Cain cut off the wives? [or perhaps "lives"] of Abel to hedge up his way and take the lead but the Lord has given them blackness, so as to give the children of Abel an opportunity to keep his place with his descendants in the eternal words. -- Salt Lake City
[Thomas Bullock Minutes, LJA; Thomas Bullock—LDS Church Reporter, 1844-56.C, Archives, Church History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah.; GCM, Archives, Church History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah..; Leonard J. Arrington Papers, Special Collections, Merrill-Cazier Library, Utah State University, Logan.. (A reference reading LJA 12-55-5, 10, means LJA Series 12, Box 55, Folder 5, page 10.) 9-12-6, 77-78; General Church Minutes. Selected Collections from the Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints DVD 1 (2002); The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
175 years ago today - Feb 13, 1844
Joseph Smith writes, in a letter declining a requested visit to nearby Quincy, Illinois: "Moreover, wisdom and prudence seem to forbid my coming, on account of the bitter feeling which manifests itself in various places between this and Quincy,-not that I have any apprehensions for my personal safety; for the same kind hand which hath hitherto been my shield and support would save me from the power of my wicked persecutors; . . ." He is assassinated in Carthage four months later.
30 years ago today - Feb 12 1989
The Church announces that worthy, unendowed members whose spouses are not members or the Church or are not worthy to enter the temple may receive their individual endowments.
[The Woodland Institute 'On This Day Historical Database,' http://www.woodlandinstitute.com]
[The Woodland Institute 'On This Day Historical Database,' http://www.woodlandinstitute.com]
40 years ago today - Feb 12, 1979-Monday
[Leonard Arrington]
Jan [Tyler] said that when she was 17, President Kimball, then an apostle, dedicated their chapel in Walla Walla. She was asked to transcribe the tape of his talk. While she was transcribing it, she had gotten through one tape and was about halfway through the second when suddenly she heard a voice come in, as if a spirit voice, and say, "This man will someday become president of the Church and under his presidency the blacks will be given the priesthood." She was startled, realizing that it was not President Kimball's voice. She went back and played the tape again, and did not hear the "spirit voice." She did write down the experience, however, for future reference. Later on in the day she began to wonder whether she had the experience or not-whether it was just a case of bad hearing. So she played the tape once more and heard the same voice interject with the same statement. Then to make sure, she replayed it again and did not hear the voice. So she heard the voice twice, and of course if anyone else played the tape they would not hear the voice. ...
This morning Clyde A. Miller and his two sons Mark and Karl came to talk about a history of John W. Taylor, the apostle, son of President John Taylor. They said they have in their possession all the papers of John W. Taylor, hundreds of letters, diaries, and other documents. They will give these to the Church Archives when they finish doing the history. ... He asserted in the strongest terms that the family do not want to have anything in the book that will embarrass the Church in any way. The two sons strongly supported that position. ... They told me many stories about John W. Taylor and his spiritual experiences. He made many prophecies, all of which, they believe, have come true. He also saw and visited with the Savior. There are others in this same vein.
The family are not pleased with The Family Kingdom by Sam Taylor. They know that Sam Taylor invented some of the things in that book to make it more readable, and he has admitted that explicitly to them. There was no conflict between the wives of John W., they said, and when Sam Taylor sent in the draft of Family Kingdom to the publisher, they said "You have got to have some conflict that will provide interest to the reader," and so he invented some experiences that brought out the conflict between the wives. John W. has 36 children, some 19 of whom are still alive. Basically most of them are loyal in the Church. ...
They told me stories indicating that Joseph F. Smith was very sorry that he had excommunicated John W., [for promoting post-manifesto plural marriage] also that John W., while out of harmony with the Quorum [of Twelve Apostles], never lost his testimony of the gospel, and felt firm in the Church. They indicated he was one of the great speakers or orators in the Church, and that he counseled the family to "follow the Brethren" in every way. They indicated that he was a close friend from missionary days of Matthias Cowley [a fellow apostle who was also discplined] and they remained close friends to the end of John W.'s life.
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
Jan [Tyler] said that when she was 17, President Kimball, then an apostle, dedicated their chapel in Walla Walla. She was asked to transcribe the tape of his talk. While she was transcribing it, she had gotten through one tape and was about halfway through the second when suddenly she heard a voice come in, as if a spirit voice, and say, "This man will someday become president of the Church and under his presidency the blacks will be given the priesthood." She was startled, realizing that it was not President Kimball's voice. She went back and played the tape again, and did not hear the "spirit voice." She did write down the experience, however, for future reference. Later on in the day she began to wonder whether she had the experience or not-whether it was just a case of bad hearing. So she played the tape once more and heard the same voice interject with the same statement. Then to make sure, she replayed it again and did not hear the voice. So she heard the voice twice, and of course if anyone else played the tape they would not hear the voice. ...
This morning Clyde A. Miller and his two sons Mark and Karl came to talk about a history of John W. Taylor, the apostle, son of President John Taylor. They said they have in their possession all the papers of John W. Taylor, hundreds of letters, diaries, and other documents. They will give these to the Church Archives when they finish doing the history. ... He asserted in the strongest terms that the family do not want to have anything in the book that will embarrass the Church in any way. The two sons strongly supported that position. ... They told me many stories about John W. Taylor and his spiritual experiences. He made many prophecies, all of which, they believe, have come true. He also saw and visited with the Savior. There are others in this same vein.
The family are not pleased with The Family Kingdom by Sam Taylor. They know that Sam Taylor invented some of the things in that book to make it more readable, and he has admitted that explicitly to them. There was no conflict between the wives of John W., they said, and when Sam Taylor sent in the draft of Family Kingdom to the publisher, they said "You have got to have some conflict that will provide interest to the reader," and so he invented some experiences that brought out the conflict between the wives. John W. has 36 children, some 19 of whom are still alive. Basically most of them are loyal in the Church. ...
They told me stories indicating that Joseph F. Smith was very sorry that he had excommunicated John W., [for promoting post-manifesto plural marriage] also that John W., while out of harmony with the Quorum [of Twelve Apostles], never lost his testimony of the gospel, and felt firm in the Church. They indicated he was one of the great speakers or orators in the Church, and that he counseled the family to "follow the Brethren" in every way. They indicated that he was a close friend from missionary days of Matthias Cowley [a fellow apostle who was also discplined] and they remained close friends to the end of John W.'s life.
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
40 years ago today - Feb 12 1979
BYU student John David Neumann, working as an "undercover homosexual" for college credit, meets a 24-year-old Provo man in the BYU Wilkinson Center. Neumann rides with him toward Heber, and tells him about homosexuals at BYU. BYU student newspaper, THE DAILY UNIVERSE reports, "He said it was possible to pick them up in the Wilkinson Center and at the Richards P.E. Building".. Neumann claims that when the Provo man made sexual advances, he "grabbed him by the wrist" and signaled BYU Security officers, who cite the Provo man for reckless driving. Two days later a warrant is issued, and the man is later apprehended and charged in Fourth District Court with forcible sexual abuse.
[http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html (cached, based on http://amzn.to/extensions-power)]
[http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html (cached, based on http://amzn.to/extensions-power)]
45 years ago today - Feb 12, 1974-Tuesday
[Leonard Arrington]
A brother Collier, who came in to see me today, said that he read in Heber J. Grant's diary an entry in which he says he turned over the Council of Fifty minutes to Joseph Anderson and put him under a covenant never to give them to anybody to use. I do not know what disposition Joseph Anderson has made of these, but I would guess that they would be in the vault of the First Presidency.
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
A brother Collier, who came in to see me today, said that he read in Heber J. Grant's diary an entry in which he says he turned over the Council of Fifty minutes to Joseph Anderson and put him under a covenant never to give them to anybody to use. I do not know what disposition Joseph Anderson has made of these, but I would guess that they would be in the vault of the First Presidency.
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
50 years ago today - Feb 12, 1969
[David O. McKay] I asked what conclusion the brethren had reached regarding the matter. President Tanner said the same conclusion that was arrived at about two years ago, that Elder Benson should discontinue this kind of thing [political extremism], and particularly in stake conferences, and should limit himself to talking about the gospel and its applications. President Tanner said that he thought I made as clear a statement on the subject as he had heard made in the meeting of the Council of the First Presidency and the Twelve at that time. I said that there is no reason why we should not continue that understanding.
[David O. McKay diary as referenced in Gregory A. Prince and Wm. Robert Write, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press (2005)]
[David O. McKay diary as referenced in Gregory A. Prince and Wm. Robert Write, David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press (2005)]
55 years ago today - Feb 12 1964
First Presidency letter that all prospective missionaries "found guilty of fornication, of sex perversion, of heavy petting, or of comparable transgressions should not be recommended until the case has been discussed with the bishop and stake president and the visiting [General] Authority."
[http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html (cached, based on http://amzn.to/extensions-power)]
[http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html (cached, based on http://amzn.to/extensions-power)]
120 years ago today - Feb 12 1899
[Apostle Heber J. Grant Diary] [Sunday Tabernacle] Pres[ident] Geo[rge] Q. Cannon followed with an address on charity. In my heart of hearts I could not help feeling that it was a plea for his son to be forgiven & made a US Senator. If I am in error then I have done Bro[ther] Cannon a great injustice and if I am right then I am sad indeed to think one of the First Presidency could do a thing of that kind.
[Diary of Heber J. Grant, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
[Diary of Heber J. Grant, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
135 years ago today - Feb 12 1884
First day of the debate between Church of Christ (Disciples) minister Clark Braden and RLDS leader, E. L. Kelley. During Braden's nineteenth speech, he presented a list of accusations of sexual misconduct directed at Joseph Smith. Several had never been raised before.
[Hales, Brian C., Joseph Smith's Polygamy: History and Theology, 3 vols., Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2013 (www.JosephSmithsPolygamy.com)]
[Hales, Brian C., Joseph Smith's Polygamy: History and Theology, 3 vols., Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2013 (www.JosephSmithsPolygamy.com)]
185 years ago today - Feb 12 1834
Joseph Smith gives instruction to the council: -"In ancient days, Councils were conducted with strict propriety, that no one was allowed to whisper, be weary, leave the room, or get uneasy, in the least, until the voice of the Lord, by revelation, or the voice of the Council by the Spirit was obtained, which has not been observed in this Church to the present. It was understood in ancient days, that if one man could stay in Council, another could; and if the President could spend his time, the members could also; but in our Councils, generally, one will be uneasy, another asleep; one praying, another not; one's mind on the business of the Council, and another thinking on something else, etc."
[http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html (cached, based on http://amzn.to/extensions-power)]
[http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html (cached, based on http://amzn.to/extensions-power)]
105 years ago today - Feb 11 1914
[Salt Lake Stake] President [Nephi L.] Morris made the following statement: -- President Joseph F. Smith, in the presence of the stake presidency,
announced that the recent actions of the council of apostles with respect to certain polygamous marriages, were in perfect accord with the views of the first presidency. A few days later, President Francis M. Lyman instructed the stake presidency in person that [former apostle] Brother Matthias F. Cowley was not to be permitted to officiate in any of the functions of the priesthood, and that he was to be denied membership in the high priests' quorum and in the local high priests' class. President Lyman said that Brother Cowley stood stripped of all authority, and was only as a member of the church and nothing more, barely having the privilege of the sacrament.
[Salt Lake High Council Minutes]
announced that the recent actions of the council of apostles with respect to certain polygamous marriages, were in perfect accord with the views of the first presidency. A few days later, President Francis M. Lyman instructed the stake presidency in person that [former apostle] Brother Matthias F. Cowley was not to be permitted to officiate in any of the functions of the priesthood, and that he was to be denied membership in the high priests' quorum and in the local high priests' class. President Lyman said that Brother Cowley stood stripped of all authority, and was only as a member of the church and nothing more, barely having the privilege of the sacrament.
[Salt Lake High Council Minutes]
175 years ago today - Feb 11 1844
The ship Swanton sailed from Liverpool with 81 Saints, bound for Nauvoo, where they arrived April 18th.
[Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
[Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
25 years ago today - Feb 10 1994
Counselor Gordon B. Hinckley withdraws church's financial support from Salt Lake City's Pioneer Memorial Theater (PMT) because of "increasing profanity and vulgarity in its productions." Subsequent explanations in DESERET NEWS cite profanity in production of "Conversations with my Father" several months ago. Timing of Hinckley's announcement is unfortunate-day after PMT's premier of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," which presents its "star-crossed lovers" as black-white interracial couple.
[http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html (cached, based on http://amzn.to/extensions-power)]
[http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html (cached, based on http://amzn.to/extensions-power)]
120 years ago today - Feb 10 1899
...Presiding Bishop [William B.] Preston ... presented the usual charity report, amounting to some $40,000.00, which is one-third less than the charity report of two years ago.
"Senator Frank J. Cannon spoke to a crowded house at the Theatre last night. ... He had been openly charged by the Woman's Republican Club with immoral conduct, and asked by resolution to resign his office. The Senator took this means of acknowledging his shortcomings and attacking those whom he termed his enemies, among them Elders John Henry Smith and Heber J. Grant. The scene was a sad spectacle to behold, and the anti-Mormon element appeared to be greatly entertained by the Senator's harangue."
[First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve minutes]
"Senator Frank J. Cannon spoke to a crowded house at the Theatre last night. ... He had been openly charged by the Woman's Republican Club with immoral conduct, and asked by resolution to resign his office. The Senator took this means of acknowledging his shortcomings and attacking those whom he termed his enemies, among them Elders John Henry Smith and Heber J. Grant. The scene was a sad spectacle to behold, and the anti-Mormon element appeared to be greatly entertained by the Senator's harangue."
[First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve minutes]
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