| Lyman Wight and Parley
P. Pratt report the state of the church in Zion, "the substance of
which, as, an inquiry when, how and by what means Zion was to be redeemed
from our enemies." They are comfortable in Clay county but want to
return to Jackson. Joseph announces he will go to help redeem Zion and calls
for volunteers. Thirty or forty respond. Joseph is elected "Commander
in Chief of the Armies of Israel." |
| Date |
|
February 24, 1834 |
|
Kirtland
council , 41–42. |
| Location |
|
Kirtland, Joseph's house |
|
|
| Description |
|
This evening a council of High Priests
assembled … |
|
|
| Presiding |
|
Joseph Smith Jr. |
|
|
| Clerk |
|
Oliver Cowdery |
|
|
| Open |
|
Joseph opens with prayer |
|
|
| Substitute
counselors |
|
Hyrum is chosen to act for John
Smith (absent), John Green substitutes for Joseph Coe (absent). |
|
|
| Counselors
to speak |
|
Six counselors are appointed to
speak (not named). |
|
|
| Lyman
and Parley: When return to Jackson? |
|
Lyman Wight (h)
(swh) and Parley P. Pratt report
the state of the church in Zion, "the substance of which, as, an inquiry
when, how and by what means Zion was to be redeemed from our enemies." |
|
|
| Clay
county citizens hire Mormons |
|
[The Saints] had found so much favour
in the eyes of the people that they could obtain food and rainment of them
[mostly the people of Clay county] for their labour insomuch that they were
comfortable. |
|
|
| Want
to return |
|
But being driven from Zion "pained
their very souls." They want to "return with songs of everlasting
joy as said Isaiah, the Prophet." |
|
|
| Only
McLellin sold out |
|
None have sold their lands "into
the hands of our enemies" in Jackson but William E. McLellin (h)
, who sold one thirty-acre and would have sold another seven if a brother
had not intervened and bought it himself. |
|
|
| Joseph
will go to redeem Zion |
|
Joseph rises and
declares he will go to Zion to assist in redeeming it—and calls on
the council to "sanction his going," which passes unanimously. |
|
What
does the council's approval mean? |
| Volunteers |
|
Then he asks who else will go, and
thirty or forty of those present volunteer. |
|
|
| Go
by land |
|
After a brief
discussion of whether to go by land or water, it is decided to go by land. |
|
Travel
by water is discouraged, if not prohibited, in D&C
61 (August [11 or 12], 1831). Also see ¶
Ezra Booth Letters (7). |
| Commander
in Chief |
|
Joseph is unanimously elected "Commander
in Chief of the Armies of Israel" and leader of volunteers who go to
redeem Zion. |
|
| Close |
|
Council then adjourned by prayer
and thanksgiving. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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