| Show copyright secured LIFE IFE OF JOSEPH SMITH to 1834 I 1 continued to preside 6 kirtland and in forwarding thi fhe building 0 of so of the lord I 1 acted as foreman in le stone quarry and when other duties we woul gt it labored with my own hands sept ad conference conference wrote cherry erry by orson hyde clerk to correct a r at I 1 he had been cutoff cut off from the ch church re 3 ad adv he brethren not to rind find fault 0 one with ii an th I 1 ter having returned home fr from such h an arduous s journey and their offerings accepted of the lord also encouraging him and others to move west wesl on the ath older elder edmund bosley said that if he be could obtain the management of his property in one year he would put it in for the printing of the word of the lord MINUTES MINUTE S of a conference of elders at at new portage ohio I 1 sept esth 1834 after prayer president jo 1 seph smith jr and oliver cowdery united d in I 1 anointing with oil and laying hands upon a sick sister who said gaid she was healed but requested us to pray that her faith fail n not I 1 be saying a Y if she did not doubt she should not be e afflicted f any more president jose joseph sm smith i th t then ei n made remarks upon the subject 0 of false alse spirits iri r 1 1 JP elder ambrose palmer presented iced a c case ase which had previously occasioned occasion ei some om biffi difficulty 1 in the church which was that bro carpenter had been tried for a fault awault bea before ore the church and the church gave him a certain time to reflect whether he would acknowledge or not bro I 1 gordon at the time spoke in tongues and declared that bro carpenter shou should lif not have any lenity elder palmer wished instruction on this point whether they had proceeded right or not as bro carpenter was dissatisfied ac president joseph smith then gave an explanation of the gift of tongues that it was particularly 1 instituted for the preaching of the gospel I 1 to other nations and language languages e but it was I 1 not given forthe government of the church he further said if aro b ro gordon introduced the gift I 1 ft 0 of f tongues as a testimony against bro carpenter ia epenter rp enter it was contrary to the rules and regulations ions of the church because in all our decisions we wa must j judge edge from actual testimony elder gordon said the testimony was had and the decision given before the gift of tongues was manifested president smith advised that we speak in our own language in all such stich matters and then the adversary cannot lead our minds astray elder palmer stated that when he was presiding in a conference several of the brethren spoke out of order and elder J B bosworth refused to submit to order according to his big request and he wished instructions on this point whether he or some one else should preside over this branch of the church and also whether such conduct could be ap probated in conferences bro gordon made some remarks on the same subject president smith said relative to the first question that bro gordons tongues in the end did operate as testimony as by his remarks in tongues the former decision was set aside and his taken that it was his decision dision that bro gordons manifestation was im incorrect correct and from a suspicious heart he approved the first decision but discarded the second bro joseph keeler acknowledged that in the former decision he had acted hastily himself in urging bye bro carpenter to make acknowledgment know without having time to reflect and asked fo forgiveness r g ivaness wherein he had erred bro gordon said id he discovered that he was in an err orand was satisfied with the council and was willing to ask forgiveness of the brethren and of theford the lord decision was then given on the second question that elder bosworth was out of his place in opposing elder palmer when he presided in the council the two decisions were confirmed by unanimous vote of the conference A motion was then made and passed by unanimous vote that a letter be written to bro J B bosworth informing him of the last decision that he has acted out of place in in opposing elder palmer in a former council when requested to take his seat that the business might proceed according to order and that such letter be signed ly by the clerk of this conference the case of elder milton stow was then presented when it was proved that he had delivered prophecies at two different times that were not true at one time in saying that zion was redeemed and at another in saying saving that bro carpenter was out cut off forever and also in saying that sister carpenter was dead when it was decided by vote t th that t bro milton stow be and by the decision i of tb this is c conference ference is suspended from the privileges of this church of latter day saints and from acting in the authority of an elder in said church of latter day saints till he appear before the bishops council in kirtland and make proper satisfaction conference closed by prayer oliver cowdery clerk of conference the following letter was written according ac cordin to the instructions of the conference as recorded in the foregoing minutes to joseph B bosworth a high priest in the church of latter day saints new portage ohio sept 8 1834 dear B brother other by bv a decision of this conference I 1 am directed t to inform you that a previous difficulty has been presented to this body which arose in a former council between yourself and elder ambrose palmer informing us that in a council where older elder palmer presided according to the office of his appointment as aa president d en t 0 of f this branch of the church of the latter day saints you when requested by him im to be seated refused to submit to his decision mad and spoke disrespectfully of our brother while acting in his calling callina which has occasioned a wound in this conference it is the decision of this conference that you come before the chu rely as you arp are not present to do it at t this hi is conference and make the proper ci confession fessio r reared in the law of the lord why I 1 say disrespectfully is because when you were requested to be seated and desist speaking you said you had as much right to speak as he elder palmer had OLIVER COWDERY clerk of conference extracts from the minutes of the high council of zion assembled in clay J county sept f 1 10 91 1834 the following were chosen to fill the place of absent members members zebedee coltrin for P P pratt hazen aldrich for solomon hancock elias higbee for newel knight isaac higbee for wm win E T mcclellin Mc Lellin peter dustin for orson pratt elisha H groves was ordained to the high priesthood i A letter was read from president joseph smith to W W phelps dated of august also a petition written by W W phelps to the governor of the state of missouri was read and accepted calvin beebe and levi jackman were nominated as first elders to go forth to kirtland preaching by the way and if approved by the revelator Bev elator should be accounted worthy and numbered as such decided by the president and sanctioned by the council that the first elders go forth as soon as they can get ready and preach by the way to kirtland vo ted that those elders that came up in the camp apply for a dismissal from lyman wight and a recommend to bishop Par partridge triage to go forth to preach the gospel thomas B marsh secretary pro tern tem MINUTES of the high council kirtland S t b w 24 1 1834 1 41 je 6 oleph h smith ir presiding assisted by siddon to W and frederick Q d williams aoun oun sel ers jared carter and martin harris were absent after prayer the president made some remarks when the case of sylvester smith was called up to enquire whether under I 1 existing existing circumstances he can fill the office of high 0 ps ellor it was decided that four co ell sp speak k on the case viz samuel H smith smith a orean orson johnson luke johnson and ancl 0 Orson so Hyde the counsellors coun severally spoke i in nth th course followed by bro sylvester af tr ter e w h the assistant presidents spoke when t 0 es gave a decision that bro sylves to 6 and aid no longer a high counsellor but that 11 e tain stain the office of high priest and continue t lift ift t up his voice in the name of jesus in aching the gospel ps el to which the council asted and bro sy sylvester vester gave his assent with I 1 thankfulness it kf the president nominated hyrum smith to flu fill the office vacated by sylvester which was seconded by bi the clerk the counsellors coun voted for the nomination as also the conference present the president led in prayer and then he ordained hyrum to the office of high counsellor pronouncing blessings upon lim him in the name of the lord after which joseph smith sen blessed his son hyrum in the name of the lord confirming the same blessing 6 elders ijohn P green and brigham young 1 were ere then appointed to fill the vacancies occasioned by the absence of councillors jared 0 carter or t er and d martin harris au J the council then proceeded to a appoint a corn a cittee to arrange the items of the doctrine of jesus christ for the government of the church of latter day saints which church was organized gani zed and commenced its rise on the ath of april 1830 these items are to betoken betaken be taken from the bible book of mormon and the revelations which have been given to the church up to this date or shall be until such arrangements are made counsellor samueli samuel smith nomina nominated president joseph Smi smith tb oliver cowdery sidney rigdon and frederick gwilliams to compose said committee which was seconded by counsellor hyrum smith the counsellors coun then gave their vote in the affirmative which was also agreed to by the whole conference the council then decided that said committee after arranging and publishing said book of covenants have the avails of the same the council then decided that a notice be published to the churches and conferences abroad that high priests be ordained hereafter in the high council at kirtland and receive license signed by the clerk of the council the council decided that bishop whitney be privileged to make such arrangements with his store as he shall deem most advisable considering his present embarrassed circumstances closed by prayer oliver cowdery and orson hyde I 1 clerks great exertions were made maae to expedite dite the e work of the lords house and notwithstanding it was commenced as it were with nothing as to means yet the way opened as we proceeded and the saints rejoiced october the former part of october was spent in arranging matters respecting the lords house and twe the printing office for it had previously been published that the evening and morning star would be discontinued and a new paper entitled the latter day saints messenger and advocate issued in its place having accomplished all that could be done at present on the of the mouth month 1 I in company with my brother hyrum smith and elders david whitmer F G williams williamb oliver cowdery and roger orton left kirtland for the purpose of visiting some saints in the state of michigan where after a tolerably pleasant I 1 bourney we arrived at pontiac on the white on our way up the lake on board the steamer monroe elder cowdery had a short discourse with a man calling his name elmer he said he was personally acquainted with joe smith had heard him preach his lies and now since ho he was dead he was glad he had heard joe smith preach in bainbridge chenango Ohe Che co new york five years since he knew it to be him that he was a dark complexioned man ac he appeared to exult the most in that joe was dead and made his observations in my presence I 1 concluded he had learned it from the popular priests of the day who through fear that their craft will be injured if their systems are co compared with the truth truths seek eek to ridicule those that teach it and thus am I 1 suffering under the tongue of slander foi fo christs sake unceasingly god have mercy on such if they will quit their lying I 1 need not state my complexion com to those that have seen me and those who have read my history thus h far ar will recollect that five years ago I 1 was not a preacher as elmer represented neither was I 1 ever in bainbridge after preaching and teaching the saints as long as our time would allow we returned to kirtland greatly refreshed from our journey and much pleased with our friends in that section of the lords vineyard it now being the last of the month and the elders beginning to come in it was necessary to make preparations for the school for the elders wherein they might be more perfectly instructed in the great things of god during the coming winter A building for a printing office was nearly finished and the lower story of this building was set apart for that purpose the school when it was completed so the lord opened the way according to our faith and works and blessed be his name no month ever found me more busily engaged than november but as my life consisted of activity and unyielding exertions I 1 made this my rule when the lord commands do it among other matters the following letter was wag sent to george james brownhelm brownheim Brown helm ohio by order of the high council kirtland november 10 1834 DEAR DEA R there having been serious complaints presented to us against you we sincerely request you to come to kirtland immediately I 1 as it will be necessary that a prop proper er notice be taken of the same we do not write the above with a view to accuse ourselves but you know the great responsibility resting upon us and the propriety propriety of noticing charges especially when they t ey are pre fereR ered against men in important and interesting stations in the church of the saints we have truly written the above with feelings of deep interest for your own welfare and standing tr in the church and we do hope you will not fail to come down immediately as the representations made to us will require immediate notice it is necessary for us to inform you that until you appear and make the satisfaction requisite you are suspended from acting in the authority of the office to which you have been previously ordained with feelings of respect we subscribe ourselves your brethren in the new covenant joseph smith jr sidney rigdon oliver cowdery clerk of the high coun ll 11 I 1 continued my labors daily preparing prepare mg for the school ac and received afi the following revelation given november 25 1834 1 it is my my will that my servant warren A cowdery should be appointed and ordained a presiding high priest over my church in the land of freedom and the regions round about and should preach my everlasting gospel and lift up his voice and warn the people not only in his own place but in the adjoining countries F ies and devote his whole time in this high and holy calling which I 1 now give unto him seeking diligently the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness and all things necessary shall be added thereunto for the laborer is worthy of his hire 2 and again verily I 1 say unto you the coming of the lord nigh and it over the world as a thief inthe fifthe night therefore gird up your loins that you may be the children of the light and that day shall not overtake you as a thief 3 and again verily I 1 say unto you there was joy in heaven when my servant warren bowed to my scythe sceptre scy tre and separated himself from the crafts 0 of men therefore blessed is my servant warren for I 1 will have mercy on him and notwithstanding the vanity of his heart I 1 will lift him up inasmuch a as he will humble himself before me and I 1 w will ill 9 give ive him I 1 grace and assurance wherewith he may stand i an and d if b he e continues to be a faithful witness 1 and a light unto the church I 1 have prepared a crown for him in the mansions of my father even so amon amen the same day hon J T V thompson mi missouri state senator wrote elder phelps at liberty |
