| Two senior apostles
and most of the high council reject David and John Whitmer, W. W. Phelps
as presidents of the church in Zion and arrange for neighborhood meetings
on the case. |
| Date |
|
January 26, 1838 |
|
FWR,
135–136. |
| Location |
|
Far West, Missouri |
|
|
| Description |
|
"Agreeable to adjournment,"
the apostles, high counselors, and others named below meet at the house
of John Anderson. |
|
Minutes of January 20, 1838 |
| Moderator |
|
John
Murdock being the
most aged in Council presided |
|
| Clerk |
|
and Samuel Bent was
chosen clerk of the meeting. |
|
|
| Apostles
present |
|
Thomas B. Marsh (h)
David W. Patten (h) |
|
|
| High
counselors present |
|
John
Murdock
Simeon Carter
Elias Higbee
George M. Hinkle
Thomas Grover
Levi Jackman
George Morey
Lyman Wight (h) (swh) |
|
|
| Others
present |
|
Samuel Bent
Others |
|
|
| Committee
report |
|
Committee
reports that the presidents "declared they had not broken [any] revelation
or Law of God" by selling their lands in Jackson County |
|
Committee:
George M. Hinkle, Thomas Grover, and George Morey. Minutes
of January 20, 1838 |
| Phelps
rejects ecclesiastical control in temporal affairs |
|
and further if they were deprived of that privilege
they would sell their possessions in Far-West and move out of the place
and W. W. Phelps said he would move out
of the accursed place and further they declared they would not be controlled
by an[y] ecclesiastical power or revelation whatever in their temporal
concerns.
|
|
On
June 11, 1837 the council had opened trade to free competition among brethren.
Minutes of June 11, 1837 |
| Oliver,
David, John use tea and coffee |
|
And respecting the word of wisdom, W. W. Phelps Said
he had not broken it but had kept it. O Cowdery said he had drank tea
three times a day this winter on account of his ill health. David
and John Whitmer said they did use tea
and coffee but they did not consider them to come under the head of hot
drinks.
|
|
In
Kirtland, non-compliance with the Word of Wisdom
(D&C 89, February 27, 1833) was grounds
for removal from office. ¶ Minutes of January
26, 1834
In Far West, compliance was to be based on a literal reading of the
revelation. ¶ Minutes of May 1837 |
| Council
rejects presidents |
|
Council resolves that
"under existing circumstances we no longer receive them as Presidents"
|
| Branches
to meet on the case |
|
and that counselors John Murdock, Simeon Carter, Elias Higbee, Levi
Jackman, George M. Hinkle, George Morey, and Lyman Wight present "the
case"
to the church "at different meetings held for that purpose."
|
|
|
However, "as it
was inconsistent for Elias Higbee and Levi Jackman to leave home it was
afterward voted that Thomas B. Marsh should take the place of E. Higbee
and Thomas Grover that of L. Jackman." |
|
Original: Thos. Grover |
| |
|
Elias Higbee and George
M. Hinkle are assigned to "notify the various neighborhoods of meeting
times and places." |
|
|
| Written
notification |
|
Thomas B. Marsh is to
give the presidents written notice "of the proceedings of the meeting."
|
|
|
| Close |
|
Adjourn to February
3, 1838. |
|
|
|
|
Minutes of February 5–9,
1838
Minutes of January 20, 1838
Far West Minutes
|