Show LIFE OF JOSEPH SIVIl SMITH Irn 1 A general assembly of the church of latter day saints WAS held at kirtland on the of august 1835 to bake into consideration the labors of the committee appointed by a general Assem assembly of the church on the of september assembly bli 1834 for the adipose purpose of arranging the items of the doctrine of jeans christ for the government of the church the names of the committee were joseph smith jr sidney idney rigdon oliver Cowder yand frederick G williams who having finished said book according to the instructions given thew doom deem it nep necessary es to call a general Assem assembly bli of the church to see whether the th bool be approved or not I 1 by the authorities of ho church that it may mayia 1 if approved become bacome a 1 law aa a rale of faith and pra practice otice to the church wherefore where lore oliver cowdery d and 8 sidney idney rigdon members of the first pay presidency eid eucy pre ii deats dents joseph smith jun dunand ju nand and frederick G U williams vii being absent on a visit to the saints in michigan M an appointed thomis thomas burdiek bardick warren P parrian Parr iab h and dy sylvester ivester smith clerks and proceeded to organise org anise the whole assembly as follows the they organized the high digh council of t the he charlat charch at kirtland and crests W W phelps and nd john whitmer organized the high council of the church in missouri bish bishop r newel ewel K whiley organized his hia counsellors coun of the church in kirtland aud and acting bishop john co rill organized the counsello s of the charch in missouri Xii presidents rich levi W hancock hanbock Hanu ock sylvester smith sinith and lyman sherman organized the council of t the e seventy rider older john gould acting president organized the traveling elders ira amoes vm ev acting president I 1 organized the ahe priests erastus babbit Bib bit acting pre president aident organized the tew tethers te tubers hers william buri geas gess acting president organized the deacons and they also as ae the assembly waa large appointed P n ted thomas gates john young william ao 70 cowdery d r andrew it af aidrich dieh job L lewis and I 1 oliver li j iglay higley Assi assistant presidents of the day I 1 to assist in preserving reserving order in in the whole as se sensibly aea ably sibly E elder iter levi W hancock being appoint i j ed chorister a hymn wis was then sung and the services of the day opened by the prayer of i president 0 cowdery and the solemnities of eternity rested upon apon the au audience Meace another hymn was then sung after transacting some business for the church such as ordaining morris phelps to the high priesthood warren parrish to the first seventy sherman gilbert an I 1 older elder and blessing james fo foster eta dean gould bould benjamin gifford elisha H groves aud and joseph har hartshorn the adjourned for one hour J afternoon A hymn was sung song when P ires 1 j dent artese and rebuked some of the an aa f K I 1 iq their seats beats at the time lu t dery arose and in tr 1 Cova covenants naWa of the chu cafardi rea 0 rh smuts m in behalf of the comm committee wee bat ed bv president ri rigdon woo w ex explained plain tos I 1 ner by which t they intended I 1 to t ampf f the assembly for or against gailit said I 1 ing to sai said ar nt W W phelps 00 borl r record that t the book presented to the assembly p mw I 1 was true president john Whit whitmer meir aay 4 and testified that it we wa elder true tru alder JOM t taking the lead of the high council in u kirtlan Kirt lao bore record that the revelations revelation a in id said bloofe were true and that the lectures were br arranged and compiled and weri were doctrine whereupon the high council of kirt land accepted and acknowledged eherd 14 as the doctrine and covon coven ats of their jtb by bl a an q i vote ote elder levi Ja tai taking the load lead of the high council of toe the oh i I 1 I 1 1 I missouri bore tes testimony that hat tu revelations in said book were true and aid oil eil of missouri accepted sad and aein acknowledged 0 wl d ed them thein as s the doctrine and covenants of their r faith aith by an aa unanimous vote I 1 president W W phelps then read the hewri wr rt it ten testimony of the twe twelve ive as follows 11 I 1 the testimony tea of the witnesses to the Bo boak of the lords loras commandments which he ha give to 0 o his church charch through joseph smith jun iun who was appointed by b y the voice of the church fot for this purpose we therefore feet feel willing cobeo testimony to all the world of mankind to every creature upon the face of till alt the earth and aad upsel the islands of the sea that the lord hs bis borne record to foursouls our souls throng through lithe the holy shed forth upon us ui that thos these e command menia mena were given by inspiration of god and are profitable for all men and axe are verily trae true we give ave this testimony nv unto the world the lord being our helper an and d it is through the grace of kod god the father and his hia son jesus jeans christ that we site are permitted to have this privilege of bearing this testimony unto the world in the th aft 4 tu the lord hord always that the children of men may be 1 cited there thereby bv I 1 I 1 eibler er leonard rich bore record of the truth of the book and the council of the seven seventy ty ac cepter and acknowledge 5 it as aa the doctrine and covenants of their faith by bv st unanimous vote bishop newel K whitney bore record of the truth of the book and with his counsellors coun accepted 1 and acknowledged it as the doctrine and I 1 I 1 covenants coven ints of their faith bv a un minious vote acting bishop john corrill corr ill bore record of the truth of the book and with his counsellors coun so accepted and it as the doctrine find and coxe covenants nants of their faith by bv a vote acting president john could gave his testimony in favor of the book and with the traveling elders eiders adeep accepted ted and acknowledged it as th the e doctrine and covenants of their faith by a unanimous vote ira ames president dint of the priests gave his hii testimony in favor avor of bf the book and with the priests accepted and acknowledged it as the doctrine arid and covenants of their faith by a unanimous vote erastus babbit Bal bit acting president of the teachers gave his testimony in in favor of the book and alev accepted and acknowledged it as the doctrine and ave covenants of the their i r faith by a unanimous vote william burgess acting president pre aident of the deacons bore record of the truth of df the book and they accepted and an acknowledged ow ledged it as the doctrine doctrin e and covenants of their faith by a unanimous vote the venerable assistant president fc thomas gates then bore record of the truth of the book and with his five silver headed assistants and the congregation accepted and abd acknowledged it as the doctrine and their faith by a un unanimous artimous vote the several authorities and the general assembly by it a unanimous vote accepted of the i labors of the committee Preg president ident 0 cowdery then read the following 0 article on governments and laws I 1 in general or 31 which was accepted and adopted and ordered I 1 to be printed in said book I 1 I 1 by a unanimous vote I 1 I 1 of bolc r talai 1 6 lu governments ein ern ments and laws in general ge peral may not be mis misinterpreted nor misunderstood we have proper to present at the clo close ae of this volume our ur opinion concerning 11 the same we believe that were instituted of god for the benefit of man and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them either in making laws or administering them for ohp grood geoff and safety safely of society W we believe that no government ean can exist in peace except pt such laws are and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free e exercise of conscience and the right and control af property and the pro protection t action of life we believe that all governments necessarily require civil offic officer ets and magistrates to enforce the she same and that such daill as will administer the saw law in equity and aad justice fustice should be sought torf fori and upheld by the voice boico of ae mhd people if a republic or 0 r the will of the sovereign we believe that religion is ia instituted of god and that men are amenable to him and him only for the ebere se of it unless their religious opinion prompts them to infringe upon the rights and liber liberties Cies of others but we do not believe that h human uman law hu has a right tao bo interfere w prescribing rules of worship to bind the eon con sciences 1 of men nor dictate forms for public or private hivitte devotion that the civil magista magistrate i ate should restrain crime but never control conscience should punish guilt but never sap suppress press the freedom of the soul I 1 we believe bli that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in anich them bey v reside while prote protected ewd in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments ern ments and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected and should be punished accordingly and that all have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure ure the public interest at the same time 1 however biad holding ing sacred the freedom of f eon conscience science I 1 we believe that every man should be honor ad a i in his hie station rotors ond and as aa cueli being placed for the protection of the inno cent and abid the punishment of tho the guilty and that to the laws all men owe respect and deference as without them peace we and harmony would be supplanted by anarchy and terror human laws b beng ng instituted for alie tle express purpose of regulating our interests tuf a individuals and nations between man and man and divine laws given of heaven prescribing rules roles on spiritual con COB berns for faith and worship both to be answered by man to his maker we believe that rulers states sk tes and governments have a right and are bound to t enact laws for the protection of all citizens in the free exercise of their religious belief but we do not believe tut that they have a right in justice to deprive ci tiBia of this privilege or proscribe them in their opinions so 80 long as a regard and reverence is chewn to the laws add aad such religious opinions do not justify set tion or conspiracy sp iracy 1 I 1 we believe that the commission of crime should be punished according to the noure of the of fence that murder treason robbery bi 3 ry theft and the breach off of the general peace in all respects should her ber punished according to their criminality ana ane their tendency to evil eil among the laws of that government i in it whit which h thoy offense offence eue is committed como HUed and aad for fop the pumie and d tranquility all men should step se e in brin gi a 9 ders against ast od lawsto laws to punishment ke we to do not believe just to minate ati tg civil vern ment whereby one religious society ts is terea atad and another ift its the its wear rs J i 1 ti I 1 we believe that all ait religious societies have avea a right to deal with their members for disorderly conduct according to the rules and regulations of such a societies oc feries provided that sas such dealing be for and good standing but bat we do not ot believe thai any religious soc society v iby h has authority horl ty mien 6 on the th right of property or eife I 1 f e to ake froni 4 them this worlds goods or put them in in jeopardy either life or limb neither to inflict 11 any physical punishment upon them they can only omy excommunicate them from their society 31 and withdraw from their fellowship shi to we believe that 1 l men should appeal to the ei civil v il law for redress of all wrongs and grievances where personal abuse is indicted or the right of property or character infringed where such law exists as will protect the same but we believe that all men are justified in defending aherns ilves aves their friends and property and the government from the unlawful al assaults and encroachment encroachments encroach ments of all persons in times of exigencies i ij where immediate appeal cannot be ma made to the laars and d relief afforded I 1 we believe it just to preach the go gospel 1 to the na tiona of the earth and v ft to save from the 16 corruption corrupt ioa of the world i but we do not believe it right to interfere with bond servants neither preach the gospel to to hor baptize them thein contrary to the will vill and wish of their masters nor to meddle with or int in atene tence e them in the least to cause them to be ais dissatisfied satisfied wits with their situa situations dons in life thereby jeopardizing the lives of men such interference ter we believe to be unlawful and un an just aad dangerous to the peace of every government allowing human beings being to be held in servitude A hymn was then sung president S rigdon returned thanks after which the assembly was blessed by the presidency with uplifted hands and dismie dismissed sed OLIVER COWDERY SIDNEY I 1 presidents thomas BURDICK BORDICK WARREN PARRISH PARRIS 11 SMITH SHIM I 1 I 1 clerks I 1 on the a charge was preferred before a coundit of the presidency against elder almon W babbit for not keeping the word of wisdom for stating the book of mormon was not essential to our salvation and that we have no BO arii articles eles of faith except the bible elder J B smith testified that elder babbit had assumed tiie the prerogative of dictating to him in his preaching hi also for not keeping 0 the word of wisdom elder babbit said h he e had taken the liberty to break the word of wisdom from the sample mample of president joseph smith jun and oth others aft but acknowledged that it was w wrong ro that lae he had taught the book of mormon aud comm as he ae had thought to be wisdom m and for the good of the cause that he had acot at intended to dictate elder J B smith but ehly hav to advise with him the council reproved elder babbit and in actuated him aim to observe the word of wisdom and commandments in all things also that it is advisable no 0 for any elder to take his wife with him on an a cission misti ion to preach W A D i cd J 1 seven of the twelve met io in conference at saco mainer maine august the church in that place numbered 57 the dover branch of new I hampshire 8 the council gave instructions anthe on the redemption of zion the building of the temple in kirtland and the printing of the wold word of god to the nations fec ae ac and some were added to the church during their stay the church in saco contributed 70 76 or 80 dollars to ass bat the twelve to return home which the twelve recorded as a memento in their behalf according to covenant sunday aday august I 1 arrived at kirtland from froin my mission to michigan on the the high council of kirtland ordained jonathan stevens an elder and instructed ted him and his sons uzziel and lyman and hi ha so son n in law john E page elders to isit situate nate their families and go foeth forth and preach the gospel iso also that joseph H 1 l P p its and J W Tip pits go to missouri this fa fall t to 0 pur purchase ehase Is land 4 f owr the church in essex new york according to previous appointment by the voice of said church august the traveling high council assembled in conference at farmington Farnung ton maine and resolved that this be called the maine Con conference frence the church in Farmin farmington eton numbered bared 32 in sitter B 22 in akery 25 37 in errol new hampshire 20 all in good standing I 1 preached on the duty of wives |