| Joseph and Oliver heal
a sick woman. Joseph explains the gift of tongues is for missionary work,
not for administrative hearings §. A brother is disfellowshipped
for refusing to come to order in a disciplinary court and criticizing the
branch president. |
| |
|
|
| Date |
|
September 8, 1834 |
|
Kirtland Council
Kirtland Council Minutes (December 1832-November 1837). Selected Collections, 1:19. Original, Church Archives, MS 3432.
,
49–51.
The substance of these minutes are copied into
MH-B
Manuscript History of the Church (Sept. 1, 1834-Nov. 2, 1838), pages 496-849 (book labeled B-1), written Aug. 30, 1834-Apr. 4, 1845 and Jan. 15, 1846-July 1, 1854. At the time of Joseph's death (1844), the history was complete to August 5, 1838. Selected Collections 1:1, Volume 2. Original, Church Archives, CR 100 102, Volume 2.
, 553–556,
with some changes. For example A. Palmer is identified as Ambrose Palmer
in the Manuscript History. |
| Location |
|
New Portage,
Summit County, Ohio. |
|
| Description |
|
…a council of the Elders of
the Church of the Latter-Day Saints held … |
|
| [Presiding] |
|
[Joseph Smith Jr.] |
|
| Clerk |
|
Oliver Cowdery |
|
|
| Open |
|
Joseph opens with prayer. |
|
|
| Bless
sick |
|
Joseph
and Oliver anoint a sick sister with oil and lay their hands on her. She
says she is healed and asks the brethren to pray that her faith will not
fail. |
|
|
| False
spirits |
|
Joseph makes "a few introductory
remarks" on "false spirits and other items." |
|
|
| Brother
shown leniency |
|
Brother A. Palmer presents
the case of a Brother Carpenter, who has been "tried … before
the church." He was given time to decide whether he would admit his
fault. |
|
|
| Gift
of tongues says that was wrong |
|
Brother Gordon at the time spake
in tongues and declared that brother Carpenter should not have any lenity. |
|
lenity: also in Manuscript History |
| Ask
Joseph |
|
Brother Carpenter is dissatisfied
with the leniency given and Brother Palmer requests instruction. |
|
|
| Gift
of tongues |
|
Joseph explains
that the gift of tongues: |
|
Speaking
in Tongues |
| For
preaching the gospel |
|
was particularly instituted for
the preaching of the Gospel to other nations and languages, but it was not
given for the government of the Church. |
|
|
| Not
used for making decisions |
|
[50] Also decisions must be made
on the basis of "actual testimony." |
|
|
|
|
Brother Gordon: the decision was
rendered "before the gift of tongues was manifest." |
|
|
| Use
our own language so devil cannot trick us |
|
Joseph: we should speak in our own
language in such instances so "the adversary cannot lead our minds
astray." |
|
|
| Branch
president: brethren speak out of order |
|
Brother Palmer: in a conference
where he presided, several brethren spoke out of order. J. B. Bosworth would
not respond to his request for order. Should Brother Palmer continue to
preside over the branch? Should conduct as Brother Bosworth's be allowed
in conferences? |
|
|
|
|
Brother Gordon comments on the subjects
under discussion at the time. |
|
|
| Joseph
corrects Brother Gordon |
|
[Joseph:] … brother Gordon's
tongues in the end, did operate as testimony, as, by his remarks in tongues,
the former decision was set aside, and his taken. … [and] his manifestation
was incorrect and from a suspicious heart. |
|
|
| Reverses
decision |
|
He approves the first decision and
"discarded the second." |
|
|
| Joseph
Keeler confesses |
|
Joseph Keeler admits that he had
"acted hastily" in urging Brother Carpenter "to make acknowledgment"
and asks forgiveness. |
|
|
| Brother
Gordon recants |
|
[51] Brother Gordon realizes he
was in error, is satisfied with the counsel, and is "willing to ask
forgiveness of the brethren and of the Lord." |
|
|
| Bosworth
out of order |
|
Decision: Brother Bosworth was out
of order when he failed to accept Brother Palmer's request for order. |
|
|
Conference
votes on decsions
Clerk to notify Bosworth |
|
The conference votes to approve
the decisions and votes to send a letter, signed by clerk Oliver Cowdery,
to Brother Bosworth, informing him that he acted out of place. |
|
|
| False
prophecies |
|
It is proven that Milton Stow has
delivered two untrue prophecies. In one he said that Zion was redeemed,
in the other, that Brother Carpenter was excommunicated forever and Sister
Carpenter was dead. |
|
|
| Disfellowship Milton Stow |
|
Vote: Milton
Stow is "suspended
from the privileges" of the church and "from acting in the authority
of an elder" until he makes satisfaction to the bishop's council
in Kirtland. |
|
|
| Close |
|
Prayer by Oliver Cowdery. |
|
|
| Letter
to Joseph Bosworth |
|
[A copy of the letter addressed
to Joseph B. Bosworth, "a High Priest in the Church of the Latter-Day
Saints" in New Portage follows several pages later, with the note that
it should have been appended to the September 8 minutes:] |
|
Kirtland Council
Kirtland Council Minutes (December 1832-November 1837). Selected Collections, 1:19. Original, Church Archives, MS 3432.
,
73–74. |
Refused
to be seated
Spoke disrespectfully of the branch president |
|
On behalf of the conference Oliver
writes Brother Bosworth that the difficulty between him and Ambrose Palmer
has been considered. As president of the branch, Brother Palmer asked him
to be seated, he refused and spoke disrespectfully of him, thereby wounding
the conference. |
|
|
| Therefore,
|
|
The conference has decided that
Brother Bosworth should: |
|
|
| Confess |
|
make the proper confession required
in the Law of the Lord. Why I say disrespectfully is because when you were
requested to be seated and desist speaking, you said that you had as much
right to speak as he (brother Palmer) had. |
|
|
|
|
Minutes of September 10, 1834
Minutes of August 29, 1834
Ohio Minutes
|