Minutes of September 28, 1835

Mormon History: 1830 to 1839

Minutes of September 28, 1835

Francis Gladden Bishop is charged with teaching false doctrine. A traveling high council in Kirtland debates whether it has jurisdiction and finally decides it does. Gladden confesses, repents, and is reordained. Joseph and Sidney sit on the council but do not preside. In the spring, Elder Gibson Smith of Norfolk, Connecticut had written to Kirtland complaining of Gladden's conduct. The Messenger and Advocate announced that Gladden had been "suspended as a preacher of the gospel" until a traveling high council could hear the case. A traveling council convened in Bradford, Massachusetts, but no one appeared to present evidence, so Gladden was acquitted. Later, at a council in Bradford on August 7, "it was proved that he had erred in spirit and in doctrine, and was considerably inclined to enthusiasm, and much lifted up," so the council took his license. History of the Church 2:241. Lorenzo D. Lewis/Lloyd is excommunicated for "illicit intercourse" with his fiancé.
		Messenger and Advocate Account	Abbreviations: MA = Messenger and Advocate
		Extracts of Conference Minutes	MA 1, no. 12 (Sept. 1835): 186. "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. … And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. ⁷And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. … And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly." Rev. 11:3, 5—9, 11—13.
	¶	Council met in Kirtland, Sept. 28: and took into consideration the case of Elder G. Bishop, who had previously been suspended by the travelling council, for interpreting some passages of Scripture in an improper manner; and also for persisting in said erroneous opinions, &c. He made a humble confession and asked the forgiveness of the councils and the church; and promised to do better for the future. He was forgiven, restored and received in fellowship.*
	¶	*The points on which Elder Bishop was suspended, were not points on the gospel, as we know of; but of some other mysterious passages: for instance one respecting the two witnesses: Rev. chap. XI. He stated that J. Smith, jr. and O. Cowdery were the two persons alluded to, &c. which is incorrect.
	¶	Also, Elder P. H. Young, who had been disfellowshipped by the High Council, for alleged improper conduct, personally appeared before said council; and the charge not being sustained, he was honorably acquitted, and restored to his former standing and fellowship.
		Kirtland High Council Minutes Account
Date		September 28, 1835	Kirtland council
Location		Kirtland, Ohio.
Description		Charges preferred against Lorenzo L. Lewis …	Joseph's journal, which has a very brief summary of the case, refers to the accused as Lorenzo L. Lloyd.
Presiding		Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, John Whitmer
Clerk		Warren Parrish
Counselors		Sidney Rigdon John Smith Thomas B. Marsh (h) Samuel H. Smith Roger Orton Newel Knight Joseph Smith Jr. Joseph Smith Sr. John Johnson Jared Carter Levi Jackman Orson Pratt (h1)	Interesting assortment of counselors: two members of the First Presidency, two of the Twelve, the Patriarch to the Church, four of the Kirtland high council, a high priest and an elder visiting from Zion. and one elder from Kirtland.
Order of the day approved		Oliver rises and presents the "order of the day" and solemnly charges the counselors regarding their duty, "which remarks and instructions were received by the councellors, which they signified by the uplifted hand."
Counselors chosen		Six counselors are chosen to "investigate" (speak on) the cases (three for accused, three for the church).
Twelve charge Gladden Bishop with false doctrine		Gladden Bishop is charged with "advancing heretical doctrines which were derogatory to the character of the Church of the Latter Day Saints."	Gladden (1809–1878) was (or had been) president of the Westfield, New York branch. Minutes of September 24, 1833 "From satisfactory evidence received from Connecticut concerning the conduct of elder Gladden Bishop, we say that he is suspended as a preacher of the gospel until such times as an investigation can be had before the travelling elders from Kirtland at some one of the conferences noticed in the preceding Number of the Advocate. We are not fond of having the church of the Latter Day Saints represented by men whose conduct and teaching will not stand the test of the most rigid investigation." Orson Hyde and William E. McLellin the editor, MA 1, no. 7 (Apr. 1835): 103.
Jurisdictional debate		"Much altercation followed," about whether the council has jurisdiction. Resolved in the affirmative.
William presents testimony		William Smith testifies he overheard Gladden say,
Two witnesses in the prophecies		concerning the two witnesses spoken of in the Prophecies. That he [Gladden] observed to a brother with whom he was talking, he might be one of them & he might be one himself.
Advertisement that Joseph would be sold at auction, man die		That he intended to prophecy the night that an advertisement was put up by an enemy saying that the Mormon Prophet and others were to be sold at auction in public. That he should not be surprised if the man that put up the advertisement should die at the time of the sale.
Brigham and John Boynton corroborate		Brigham Young and John F. Boynton (h) corroborate William's testimony.
Gladden thinks women fall in love with him		Thomas B. Marsh: often heard Gladden speak of women falling in love with him, "that he observed frequently when passing people that they felt his spirit. That he was indolent, so much so, that his presence was oppresive and his absence desirable."
One of the two witnesses Women fall in love Says council was harsh		L. Johnson: in a previous trial Gladden said hat he might be one of the two witnesses "spoken of in the Prophets, that he ought not to travel and preach on account of the women so often falling in love with him. That he was not humble when reproved but justified himself and preferred a charge against the counsel for treating his so harsh as they had."	Is L. Johnson Luke or Lyman?
Admitted previous council right		William Smith: after taking a stand against the council, Gladden finally acknowledged "that they had dealt with him in righteousness."
		Thomas B. Marsh concurs.
Can magnify calling		Brigham Young testifies that "he yielded after being overcome and that he is capable of magnifying his calling if he would."
Lazy		John P. Greene corroborates previous testimony and adds "that he was so indolent, that he would not help himself to a drink of water. That he proposed to establish the Authority of the Book of Mormon and did not. That is not from the Bible."	Original: Green
		Adjourn for an hour.
Pleadings		Reconvene. "Pleading commenced and the cause ably defended on both sides, & concluded and submitted the cause to the court for a decision."
Gladden confesses, pleads for forgiveness, submits		Gladden rises and makes "an humble confession for his transgression," asks forgiveness from the council and the church, promises to "learn wisdom from the revelations that God has given," and submits to the decision of the court, "being perfectly satisfied with the whole course of the trial."
Decision: restore Gladden		The presidency gives "much good instruction" and declare that the traveling council of twelve handled the case correctly. Gladden's confession is to be published in the Messenger and Advocate and he is to be "received in full fellowship and receive his ordination and license again as before."	Diary-2 reports that Gladden was "reproved, repented, and was reordained. Papers 2:44.
One ordained an elder		After an hour's adjournment, G. Bishop is ordained an elder.
Lorenzo Lewis charged with adultery		Reynolds Cahoon charges Lorenzo L. Lewis with adultery "according to general report amongst the Brethren."
Illicit intercourse		Lorenzo pleads not guilty. The charge is changed to "illicit intercourse with a female."
Pleads not guilty		The Defendant confesses that he has disgraced the girl, himself & the church but plead not guilty to the charge of illicit intercourse.
Thomas B. Marsh testimony		Thomas B. Marsh: when he was called upon to ordain Lorenzo "to an official station in the church, … his feelings revolted at the idea," despite Brother Potter's declaration that "had the testimony of the Spirit of the Lord that he should be ordained."	Thomas is the only member of the Twelve who is also a member of the high council. Other apostles—Brigham, David W. Patten, William Smith, and William McLellin give testimony.
William E. McLellin		Elder McLellin (h): When Lorenzo said he was engaged, I told him to marry her [right away], but he procrastinated—didn't tell him that he was having "intercourse with her."	Referred to in text only as Elder McLelin.
David W. Patten:		D. W. Patten: He have married her soon "if he had not been called off."
William Smith		William Smith: Lorenzo "wanted to return home from Fredona and not go out on a mission on account of his engagement to marry, but they, the counsellors insisted on his going on a mission."
William E. McLellin		Elder McLellin: Soon after his departure, Lorenzo wrote his intended wife and family that he would not be returning "some time."
Lorenzo: take my name off or whatever the Lord says		After pleadings, Lorenzo declines to give evidence, but when called upon again, declares "that he had done wickedly & had made all the reparation he could in his confession in the early part of this litigation and requested his name to be taken off from the Church records, or dispose of him according to the mind of the Spirit and submitted to the decision of the court."
Cut off with option to repent		The presidency decides, and the council concurs, to cut off Brother Lewis "but if he repent and humble himself to the satisfaction of the church, he shall be received into it again, and receive his license."	Original: Brother Loyd L. Lewis. Joseph's journal has very brief summary of the case, refers to the accused as Lorenzo L. Lloyd.
		Minutes of September 29, 1835 Minutes of September 26, 1835 Ohio Minutes