| John Whitmer's history of the Church (written, 1835–1837) and the Far West Record (inscribed, 1838–1839) each list those ordained to the High Priesthood by Joseph Smith and Lyman Wight on June [4], 1831. Both apparently used the same source, now unknown. Comparing the two lists, it would appear that both relied on John's minutes which are no longer known. This portion of the history was written between 1835 and 1837; the Far West Record minutes were inscribed between 1838 and 1839. Other than what appear to be scribal errors, the lists are consistent except for one name, Harvey Whitlock, in the history. andd the differences can easily be ascribed to copying errors. sequence of names is nearly identical, so we can assume John used wrote the history from his original minutes (or at least the copy that was later used in the Far West Record). |
| Six names in the Far West Record are missing from the history. Since they are sequential (John Corrill through Jacob Scott), their omission can be ascribed to a scribal error. |
In the minutes, Sidney Rigdon is last in the list of Lyman Wight ordinations; in the history, he is second in Joseph's. However in the history, John writes that Lyman, Sidney, John Murdock, Harvey Whitlock, and Hyrum Smith "were ordained by Lyman Wight except
S Joseph Smith Jr except Sidney Rigdon." There being no evidence of Sidney was ordained elsewhere, it stands to reason that the minutes are correct and he was ordained by Lyman Wight. |
|
|
|
|
Far West Record |
|
John Whitmer History |
|
|
|
Joseph |
|
Lyman Wight
John Murdock
Reynolds Cahoon
Harvey Whitlock
Hyrum Smith |
|
Lyman Wight
Sidney Rigdon
John Murdock
Reynolds Cahoon
Harvey Whitlock
Hyrum Smith |
|
Spellings have been standardized. |
|
|
Lyman |
|
Parley P. Pratt
Thomas B. Marsh
Isaac Morley
Edward Partridge
JosephWakefield
Ezra Thayer
Martin Harris
Ezra Booth
|
|
Parley P. Pratt
Thomas B. Marsh
Isaac Morley
Edward Partridge
JosephWakefield
Ezra Thayer
Martin Harris
Ezra Booth |
|
|
|
|
|
John Corrill
Samuel H. Smith
Solomon Hancock
Simeon Carter
Wheeler Baldwin
Jacob Scott |
|
|
|
Levi Hancock also names Jacob Scott as being ordained by Lyman. ¶ Lyman's Vision and the Man of Sin |
|
|
|
|
|
Harvey Whitlock
Joseph Wakefield |
|
Whitlock is also named by Levi Hancock, Zebeded Coltrin, and Philo Dibble.
This second occurrence of Wakefield is no doubt a scribal error. |
|
|
|
Joseph Smith Sr.
John Whitmer
Joseph Smith Jr.
Sidney Rigdon |
|
Joseph Smith Sr.
Joseph Smith Jr.
John Whitmer
[Sidney Rigdon] |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Minutes of June [4], 1831
Lyman's Vision and the Man of Sin
Home
|