| Tradition holds that although Oliver
Cowdery and David Whitmer were
charged with "searching
out the
Twelve" in June 1829 (¶ D&C
18:37), they didn't get around to the task until February 1835 and
that earlier usages of apostle denote messenger,
not an office. However, this may be an after-the-fact interpretation.
Though the evidence is scanty, there may be some reason to believe that
twelve apostles were chosen around the time that the church was organized
in 1830. Below are texts that should be taken into consideration. |
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| June 1–14, 1829 |
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Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer |
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| Oliver and David |
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And now Oliver, I speak unto you, and also unto David, by
the way of commandment: For behold I command all men every where to repent,
and I speak unto you, even as unto Paul mine apostle, for you are called
even with that same calling with which he was called. |
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¶ D&C 18:9. |
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| April 19, 1830 |
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Hyrum Smith |
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| Hyrum |
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Mr. Editor—
Please advice Hyrum Smith, and some of his ill-bred associates, not to be
so impertinent, when decent folks denounce the imposition of the "GOLD
BIBLE." The anathemas of such ignorant wretches, although not feared,
are not quite so well relished by some people— Apostles should keep cool. |
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Palmyra Reflector,
Apr. 19, 1830. Source |
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| June 1, 1830 |
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Oliver Cowdery |
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| Oliver |
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The apostle to the NEPHITES (Cowdery) has started for
the EAST, on board a boat with a load of "Gold bibles," under
a command, (as he says) to declare the truth (according to JO SMITH,) "in
all the principal cities in the Union." |
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Palmyra Reflector. Source |
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| [June 9], 1830 |
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Apostle an elder |
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Oliver
Apostle is an elder
Duties of apostles |
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… for behold I command all men every where to repent & I speak
unto you [Oliver] even as unto Paul mine apostle for ye are called even
with that same calling with which he was called. … |
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¶ Articles
and Covenants |
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An apostle is an elder, and it is his calling to baptize and to ordain
other elders, priests, teachers and deacons, and to administer the flesh
and blood of Christ according to the scriptures, and to teach, expound, and exhort, and
to baptize and watch over the church, and to confirm the church
by the laying on of hands and the giving of the Holy Ghost, and to take
the lead of all meetings, &c. |
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¶ Articles
and Covenants |
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| June [1–14], 1829 |
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Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer |
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| Oliver and David |
10 |
And now Oliver, I speak unto you, and also unto David, by
the way of commandment: |
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¶ BC 15:10–11 // D&C 18:9. |
| 11 |
For behold I command all men everywhere to repent, and I speak unto you,
even as unto Paul mine apostle, for you are called even with that same
calling with which he was called, |
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| September 1830 |
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Oliver Cowdery |
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About the first of September, A.D. 1830, I was baptized by the hand of
an Apostle named Oliver Cowdery. |
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¶ Parley
P. Pratt (h) |
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| 1830 |
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Sidney Rigdon, Campbellite apostle |
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… rumors had come from Ohio [to Pomfret, New York] of the spread
of what was called "Campbellism," a new sect, of which Sidney
Rigdon was
then the Chief Apostle … |
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B. F. Johnson life, 5. |
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| June 22, 1830 |
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[Martin Harris] apostle |
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| Martin Harris the
Gold Bible apostle |
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It has been reported that one if the "Gold Bible" witnesses
has been in the habit of whipping and otherwise mal-treating his wife for
the sole purpose of making her a proselyte to the faith according to JO
SMITH. |
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Palmyra Reflector,
June 22, 1830. Source |
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We have been informed that a "Gold Bible" apostle
lately undertook to anathematise an infidel!!! |
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| November 25, 1830 |
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Twelve apostles sent |
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[Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery] have therefore sent out twelve Apostles
to promulgate its doctrines, several of whom are in this vicinity expounding
its mysteries … |
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its: the Book of Mormon
Cleaveland Herald, Nov. 25, 1830. Source. |
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| December 2, 1830 |
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Orson Pratt ordained apostle |
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| Orson Pratt |
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[Joseph and John Whitmer to Colesville members]: … the Lord hath
called, chosen, ordained, sanctified and sent unto you another Servant
and apostle separated unto his gospel through Jesus Christ …[20] … even
our beloved brother Orson Pratt (h1), the bearer of these lines … |
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Copy of letter in Newel Knight journal [1846]
in Early documents 1:20–21. |
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| April 19, 1831 |
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Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery ordained apostles |
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| Articles and Covenants reference |
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Painesville Telegraph publishes a letter from Martin Harris that
includes the earliest published version of the Articles and Covenants of
the Church of Christ. Joseph and Oliver are each "called of God and
ordained an apostle of Jesus Christ, an elder of the church." |
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PT, April 19, 1831 Source
¶ Articles and Covenants |
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| May 24, 1831 |
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Heman Basset declares it a hoax |
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| Pretended commission from clouds |
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Backing out.—One of the Mormon apostles, named Basset, a copy of
whose commission we published some weeks since, which he pretended he obtained
from the clouds, with the seal of God, has recently abandoned the Bible
speculation, and declares it all to be a miserable hoax. |
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Is "it" Mormonism or the commission?
PT, May 24, 1831. Source
¶ Levi Hancock, ¶ Oliver
Cowdery and the Aerial Commissions of 1831 |
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| September 22, 1831 |
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Jared Carter |
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Jared "received the authority of an apostle" prior to departing
on mission. |
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Jared Carter diary, 35. |
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| October 26, 1831 |
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Go from Zion |
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Twelve are to be "ordained & sent forth from the Land of Zion." |
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¶ Minutes
of Oct. 25–26, 1831 |
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| November 24, 1831 |
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Ziba Peterson and Oliver Cowdery |
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| Ziba Peterson deprived of apostleship |
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… a secret respecting Oliver, which placed his conduct on a parallel
with Ziba's; for which Ziba [Peterson]
was deprived of his Elder and Apostleship: "Let that which was bestowed
upon Ziba be taken from him, and let him stand as a member in the church,
and let him labor with his own hands with the brethren." And thus
by commandment, poor Ziba, one of the twelve Apostles, is thrust down;
while Oliver the scribe, also an Apostle, who had been guilty of similar
conduct, is set on high, to prepare work for the press; and no commandment
touches him, only to exalt him higher. |
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¶ Ezra
Booth Letters (7)
Quinn points out that at the first conference of
the church, Ziba was "one of the church's twelve officers (limited to seven
elders, three priests, and two teachers) at the time." Without citing a source,
he also reports that "the
elders at this conference received written licenses which designated them
as 'apostles.'" Origins, 569. |
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| September 22 and 23, 1832 |
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God's high priests, Lord's friends |
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| Apostles are God's high priests, friends |
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… as I said unto mine apostles, even so I say unto you, for you
are mine apostles, even God's high priests; ye are they whom my Father
hath given me; ye are my friends; |
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D&C 84:63 |
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| December 28, 1835 |
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Seventy |
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on this day the council of the seventy meet to render
an account of their travels and ministry, since they were ordained to that
apostleship |
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SHOWREF=js3536], 91. |
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Twelve Apostles
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