| The church in Missouri
assembles at Far West to elect Joseph Smith as president of the whole
church, and Sidney as a counselor. Joseph nominates Frederick G. Williams as
counselor; Lyman Wight and Thomas B. Marsh object. Frederick is rejected and Hyrum takes his place §. Thomas B. Marsh and others oppose David Whitmer as "first
President of this branch of the Church;" he is sustained by "almost a unanimous vote" §. Joseph nominates John Whitmer as assistant to David Whitmer; Thomas B. Marsh opposes; John and W. W. Phelps confess; John is sustained §, as is W. W. Phelps §. The following are also sustained: the high council; the Twelve (including the Johnsons and John F. Boynton who had been
rejected by the Kirtland conference); Bishop Edward Partridge and his counselors; Isaac Morley, patriarch; John Corrill, keeper of
the Lord's storehouse, and the Presidents of the Seventies §. |
|
| Date |
|
November 7, 1837 |
|
FWR,
121–124. |
| Location |
|
Far West, Caldwell County, Missouri. |
|
|
| Description |
|
… a general assembly
of the Church of Latter Day Saints … |
|
|
| Moderator |
|
Thomas B. Marsh (h) |
|
|
| Clerk |
|
Oliver Cowdery |
|
|
| Opening |
|
Singing, prayer by the
moderator. |
|
|
| Church
reorganization |
|
Sidney
Rigdon: purpose
is to report "the recent re-organization of the Church in Kirtland." |
|
Minutes
of September 3, 1837 |
| Joseph
the first president of the whole church |
|
Thomas B. Marsh reads
the minutes of the Kirtland meeting, then nominates Joseph "the first
President of the whole Church, to preside over the same." |
|
|
| Vote |
|
All (males and females)
are asked to vote. Vote is unanimous in the affirmative. |
|
|
| Joseph
accepts |
|
Joseph accepts the appointment
and asks for the prayers of the church in his behalf. |
|
|
| Joseph's
counselors |
|
He then nominates Sidney
to be a counselor—"unanimously chosen"—then Frederick
G. Williams. |
|
|
| Objections
to Frederick |
|
Lyman Wight objects to Frederick on the basis of a letter he wrote to Far West. Thomas
B. Marsh and Elder James Emmett also
object. |
|
|
| Support
for Frederick |
|
Edward
Partridge seconds Frederick's nomination and says he saw "nothing
so criminal" in Frederick's letter. David
Whitmer speaks on Frederick's behalf. |
|
|
| Against |
|
Thomas B. Marsh speaks
again, followed by Elder Thomas Grover, who objects to Frederick. |
|
|
| Frederick
rejected, Hyrum accepted |
|
Sidney nominates Hyrum
to take Frederick's place, then calls for a vote on Frederick. Fredrick
is "rejected," and Sidney calls for a vote on Hyrum, "which
was carried unanimously." |
|
|
|
|
David Whitmer and Sidney
make some remarks. |
|
|
| David
Whitmer debated |
|
David is nominated as
"the first President of this branch of the Church, and was objected
to by Elder Marsh." Bishop Partridge and King Follet say they will
vote for David. Caleb Baldwin and Seymour
Brunson oppose him, Elisha H.
Groves favors him. |
|
|
|
|
David satisfies William
E. McLellin's objections. |
|
objections: not specified |
| David
accepted |
|
Joseph calls "for
an expression, which was carried by almost a unanimous vote." |
|
|
| John
Whitmer debated |
|
Joseph nominates John
Whitmer to be an assistant president. Thomas B. Marsh speaks in opposition
and reads a list of charges against him. |
|
|
| W.
W. Phelps and John confess |
|
W.
W. Phelps and John
speak "a few words by way of confession." They are followed by
Isaac Morley. |
|
|
| John
accepted |
|
The vote carries unanimously. |
|
|
| Second
session |
|
After an hour's adjournment,
the congregation sings a hymn, and moderator Thomas B. Marsh offers a prayer. |
|
|
| W.W.
Phelps accepted |
|
Joseph nominates W.
W. Phelps as "an assistant
President, for this Church." William comments on the charges made earlier
"by way of confession" and is unanimously elected. |
|
|
| High
council chosen |
|
John
Murdock, Solomon Hancock, Elias Higbee, Calvin
Beebe, George Morey, Thomas Grover, and Simeon Carter are "unanimously
chosen" to be high counselors, but John Anderson objects to Lyman Wight,
so the two of them step aside and speak privately. |
|
Lyman's
vote is not reported. |
Newel
Knight
George Hinkle
Levi Jackman, Elisha Groves |
|
Newel
Knight is chosen unanimously, but James Emmet objects to George M. Hinkle
"because he was to noisy." King Follet objects to him "because
of his military office," and James Durfee objects to him "because
he was a merchant." George makes a few remarks and is chosen unanimously.
Levi Jackman and Elisha H. Groves are also chosen unanimously. |
|
|
| Twelve
chosen |
|
The
Twelve are unanimously chosen: Thomas B. Marsh,
David W. Patten (h), Brigham Young, Heber
C. Kimball, Orson Hyde,
William E. McLellin, Parley
P. Pratt (h), William Smith, Luke
S. Johnson, Orson
Pratt, John F. Boynton (h), and Lyman
E. Johnson. |
|
John
F. Boynton and the Johnsons had been rejected in Kirtland. Minutes
of September 3, 1837 |
| Bishopric |
|
Edward
Partridge unanimously chosen as bishop. He nominates Isaac
Morley and Titus Billings for his counselors, and they are approved. |
|
|
| Isaac
Morley patriarch |
|
Isaac
Morley is unanimously appointed patriarch "of this Branch of the
Church." |
|
|
| Lord's
storehouse |
|
John
Corrill to be "Keeper of the Lord's Storehouse." |
|
¶
Minutes of May 22, 1837 |
| Ordain
Isaac |
|
Joseph, Sidney, and Hyrum
ordain Isaac Morley patriarch. |
|
|
| Boycott
stores that are not Word of Wisdom compliant |
|
Sidney
makes a few remarks, after which the congregation unanimously votes not
to support stores or ships that sell "spirituous liquors, Tea, Coffee
or Tobacco." |
|
Word of Wisdom |
| Seventies |
|
Presidents of the Seventies
and those recently appointed to that office are "unanimously received." |
|
|
| Dedicate
the land, inheritances |
|
The Congregation then
united with Pres't. Rigdon who, in the closing prayer, called upon the Lord
to dedicate this land for the gathering of the Saints, and their inheritances. |
|
|
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|
Minutes of November 10, 1837
Minutes of November 6, 1837
Far West Minutes
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