| The United Firm (1832–1834) was a private partnership of church leaders established to
generate income for
them as well as benefit of the church. It is sometimes confused with the
United Order of the Brigham Young era, which was a communitarian economic
system intended to accomplish the same general ends but operated differently. |
| The United Firm had its roots in the appointment of certain
church leaders as stewards of "the revelations, and commandments"
on November 12, 1831. During its lifetime
included the Gilbert, Whitney & Company
in Zion, and Newel K. Whitney & Company in Kirtland, W. W. Phelps & Co.,
and F. G. Williams & Co. |
| In 1834 the United Firm was divided into the
United Firms of Kirtland and Zion, and most Kirtland members were given title
to land and homes in Kirtland. |
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November 12, 1831
Stewards |
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| Members |
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Joseph Smith, Martin
Harris, Oliver Cowdery, John
Whitmer, Sidney Rigdon,
and W. W. Phelps. |
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BCR, 124 // D&C 70 |
| Stewards of revelations |
3 |
I the Lord have appointed them & ordained them to be stewards over the revelations & commandments which I have given unto them & which I shall hereafter give unto them … |
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| Manage revelations and profits |
5 |
… & this is their business in the church of God to
manage them & the concerns thereof yea the profits thereof |
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| Don't tell church or world |
6 |
wherefore a commandment I give unto them that they shall
not give these things unto the church neither unto the world, |
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| Excess profits to Lord's storehouse |
7 |
nevertheless inasmuch as they receive more
than is [needful] for their necessities & their wants it shall be given
into my storehouse |
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| Profits for Zion |
8 |
& the benefits shall be consecrated unto the inhabitants of Zion & unto their generations inasmuch as they become heirs according to the
laws of the kingdom … |
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| Copensate spiritual leaders |
12 |
he that is appointed to administer spiritual
things the same is worthy of his hire even as they who are appointed
in a stewardship to administer in temporal things |
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| More (than temporal administrators?) |
13 |
yea even more abundantly which abundance
is multiplied unto them through the manifestations of the spirit |
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| Equal in temporal things |
14 |
nevertheless in your temporal
things you shall be equal in all things & this not grudgeingly otherwise the abundance
of the manifestations of the spirit shall be withheld |
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December 4, 1831
Bishops to Support
Literary Stewards |
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| Bishops support Literary Firm stewards |
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and again let my servants who are
appointed as stewards of over the literary concerns of my church have
claim for assistance upon the Bishop or Bishops in all things that the revelations may be published & go
forth unto the ends of the Earth that they also may attain funds
which Shall benefit the church in all things {5} & be accounted as wise Stewards |
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¶ D&C 72:20–22 |
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| March 1, 1832 |
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Organize as Equals |
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| Literary and mercantile firms |
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for
verily I say unto you the time has come and is now at hand and behold
& lo it must needs be that there be an organization of the
Literary and Merchantile establishments of my church both in this place
and in th[e] land of Zion
…that
you may be equal in the bonds of heavenly things yea and earthly things
also for the obtaining of heavenly thing[s] … organize yourselves by an everlasting covenant that cannot be broken & he who breaketh
it shall lose his office & standing in the church and shall be delivered
over unto the buffitings of satan untill th[e] day of redemption |
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¶ D&C
78: 3, 5, 11–12 |
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| Firm organized in Independence |
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April 26, 1832 at the conference of high priests and elders in Independence,
Jackson County,
Joseph is acknowledged as President of the High Priesthood, Joseph
receives D&C 82, establishing a "firm"
among Joseph Smith, Sidney
Rigdon, Oliver
Cowdery, A. Sidney Gilbert, Edward
Partridge, N.
K. Whitney, John Whitmer, W.
W. Phelps, and Martin Harris. Partners
are to be: |
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¶ D&C
82 |
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bound together by a bond and covenant that cannot
be broken by transgression except judgment shall immediately follow, in
your several stewardships, to manage the affairs of the poor, and all things
pertaining to the bishopric both in the land of Zion and in the land of
Shinehah [Kirtland] … This order I have appointed to be an everlasting
order unto you and unto your successors, inasmuch as you sin not: and the
soul that sins against this covenant, and hardeneth his heart against it,
shall be dealt with according to the laws of my church, and shall be delivered
over to the buffitings of satan until the day of redemption. … make
unto yourselves friends with the mammon of unrighteousness, and they will
not destroy you. |
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| April 27, 1832 |
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Firm Companies |
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| Kirtland, Independence branches |
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April 27, 1832 in a continuation of the conference, branches
of the firm are to be known as Gilbert, Whitney & Company in Zion,
and Newel K. Whitney & Company in
Kirtland. |
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¶ Minutes of April 26–27,
1832 |
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| April 30, 1832 |
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United Firm in Zion |
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April 1832 Literary meeting
Select revelations, make verbal corrections |
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April 30, 1832 Literary Firm authorizes Oliver
Cowdery, W.
W. Phelps, and John Whitmer to review
the manuscripts for the Book of Commandments and "select for printing
such as shall be deemed by them proper, as dictated by the Spirit & make
all necessary verbal corrections." William
is also to "correct" hymns selected by Emma. |
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Minutes of
April 30, 1832 (Literary Firm) |
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| April 30, 1832 |
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United Firm in Zion |
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| April 1832 United
meeting |
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Present: |
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Minutes of April 30, 1832 (United
Firm) |
| Members |
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Joseph Smith jr., President of
Conference & also of the Highpriesthood
Oliver Cowdery, Clerk of Conference,
and printer to the Church
Edward Partridge Bishop
Newel K. Whitney Bishop of Kirtland
Sidney Gilbert Agent in Zion
Sidney Rigdon, Counsillor of President.
John Whitmer, Lord's Clerk.
W. W. Phelps, printer to the Church
Jesse Gause Counsillor to the President
(denied the faith). |
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Original: Gauss |
Agents
Borrow $15,000
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Sidney Gilbert and Newel K. Whitney are appointed
agents; N. K. Whitney & Co. is authorized to borrow $15,000 for five
years or longer at 6% annually or semi-annually. |
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| April 30, 1832 |
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Literary Firm in Zion |
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| April 1832 Literary
meeting |
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On the same day, the Literary Firm
meets in Zion: |
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Minutes
of April 30, 1832 (Literary Firm) |
| Present |
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Joseph Smith Jr., "Prisident."
Sidney Rigdon
John Whitmer
Oliver Cowdery
William W. Phelps
"Jesse Gause, one of the President's councillors." |
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Original: Gauss |
| Print 3,000 Book
of Commandments |
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Decide to print 3,000 copies of
the Book of Commandments. W. W. Phelps, Oliver Cowdery, and
John Whitmer are free to print an almanac. |
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Original print run was to be
10,000. ¶ Minutes of November 1–2,
1831 |
| Restrict access
to manuscripts |
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[A]ll Revelations be limited to
the parties concerned until printed. |
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| Select and edit
the revelations |
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William,
Oliver, and John to review the Book of Commandments and "select for
printing such as shall be deemed by them proper, as dictated by the Spirit & make
all necessary verbal corrections." |
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At first, Joseph
resisted the idea of anyone editing the revelations. ¶ All
in Favor? |
| Edit Emma's hymns |
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W. W. Phelps to correct hymns
selected by Emma for publication. |
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Emma to select hymns, July 1830 (¶ D&C
25:11). |
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July 31, 1832
Revelations Coming Soon (But Not Bible) |
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| Will send revelations for editing but not Bible translation |
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Joseph writes W. W. Phelps that he has not
sent the revelations for editing yet but will soon. He admonishes William
"not to alter the sense of any of them for he that adds or diminishes to
the propecies must come under the condemnation written therein." As for
his translation of the Bible, "they will not go from under my hand
during my natural life for correction, revisal or printing" even though
"we have finished
the translation of the New testament great and {marvilous} glorious things
are revealed" and is "making "rapid strides" on the
Old Testament." |
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¶ Joseph
to W. W. Phelps, July 31, 1832 |
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| January 9, 1833 |
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Frederick G. Williams, Scribe |
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"[M]embers of the
united firm of N. K. Whitney &c" hire
Frederick G. Williams as assistant scribe for $300/year. |
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Minutes
of January 9, 1833 |
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| January 11, 1833 |
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Pray for Deliverance from Debt |
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| Pray for protection, financial relief, wisdom |
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Joseph, Frederick, Newel, John Johnson, Oliver, and Orson Hyde pray that the Lord will protect the lives of firm members; that the bishop will be able to pay the debts; that the printing press will be protected "from the hands of evil men;" that they will have the means to print "the scriptures;" and that the Lord will "give those who were appointed to conduct the press, wisdom sufficient that the cause may not be hindered, but that men's eyes may thereby opened to see the truth." |
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Diary-1, 44–47 // PWJS, 34–35. |
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| March 15, 1833 |
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Frederick G. Williams |
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| Frederick G. Williams joins |
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"[T]he united
order" is instructed to receive Frederick
G. Williams into "the United firm in full partnership agreeable to the
specification of the bond" and he is to be "a lively member." |
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KRB, 55 // D&C 92 |
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| June 4, 1833 |
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French Farm,
John Johnson |
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| John Johnson joins
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A council of high priests cannot
agree on who should manage the French farm. It is revealed to Joseph that N.
K. Whitney should take charge, and that John
Johnson should be admitted to the United
Firm "that
he may assist in bringing forth my word unto the children of men: therefore
ye shall ordain him unto this blessing: and he shall seek diligently
to take away incumbrances that are upon the house named among you, that
he may dwell therein." "Accordingly
he was ordained unto the High Priesthood and admitted." |
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Minutes
of June 4, 1833
TS 6:785 does not mention the firm: "And Zombre
[John Johnson] was ordained by the conference to the high priesthood, and
admitted according to the revelation."
¶ D&C 96 |
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| June 25, 1833 |
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More Revelations Coming |
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Don't bind Book of Commandments
Get Books
of Mormon for firm
John Johnson moved to Kirtland
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Sidney, in behalf of the presidency, writes W. W. Phelps
and others in Zion: No need to bind the Book of Commandments. Get Books
of Mormon from Brother Burket for the Literary Firm, and have A. S. Gilbert
pay Chapin. Will send recent revelations. John Johnson, now member of
the firm by revelation, has moved to Kirtland. |
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TS 6, no. 2 (Feb. 4, 1845), 785 // HC 1:362–364. |
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| September 11, 1833 |
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Publishing Arrangements |
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W. W. Phelps & Co. to publish Messenger
and Advocate
F. G. Williams & Co. to continue Evening and Morning Star in
Kirtland
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Joseph Smith, Frederick
G. Williams, Sidney Rigdon and N.
K.Whitney, acting on behalf of the United Firm in Kirtland, meet
with Oliver
Cowdery, "delegate to represent the residu[e] of the
said firm residing in Independence Jackson County Missouri," agree
to establish a press in Kirtland "under the firm of FG.W & Co" to
publish "The
Latter day Saints messenger and advocate." The Evening and Morning
Star, published in Independence by "W W. Phelps & Co." until
the press was destroyed, will now be published in Kirtland by "F.G.
Williams & Co"
under Oliver's direction "untill it
is transfered to it former Location." |
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Minutes of September 11, 1833 (Kirtland) |
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| January 31, 1834 |
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Pray for Subscribers |
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it is my prayer to the Lord that three thousand subscriber[s] may be added to the Star in the term of three yea[rs] |
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Diary-1, 53 // PWJS, 35. |
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| April 7, 1834 |
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Pray for Relief |
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| Pray for debt relief |
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Joseph, Frederick
G. Williams, Oliver Cowdery, N.
K. Whitney, and Heber C. Kimball pray
for the Lord to furnish means to save the United Firm from debt and that
Joseph will prevail against Hurlbut. Joseph, Frederick, and Oliver write
Orson Hyde in New York pleading for him to raise some money. |
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Diary-1, 71 // PWJS, 42–43. |
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| April 23, 1834 |
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Break-Up |
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Covenant breakers
Firm dissolved |
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Those
who have broken the covenants of the United Firm are cursed; the United
Firms of Kirtland and Zion are to be separated. Stewardships are assigned
to Joseph, Sidney
Rigdon, Martin
Harris, John Johnson, Frederick
G. Williams, Oliver Cowdery,
and N. K. Whitney. |
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D&C 104 Sources
¶ Common Consent
Covenant breakers are not identified. Only Sidney Gilbert does not receive a
stewardship in this revelation. |
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| April 28, 1834 |
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Extra Set-Aside for Kirtland |
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| Kirtland gets (extra?) $3,000 |
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Set aside $3,000 "for the right
and claim of the Firm in Kirtland for inheritances in due time." Then
the Kirtland and Zion branches of the firm are independent of one another. |
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Revelation of April 28, 1834
HC 2:49. |
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| September 16, 1835 |
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Literary Agents |
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| Presidency appoints
Literary Firm agents |
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Church presidency appoints David
Whitmer and Samuel H. Smith as a committee
and general agents for the Literary Firm. |
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Minutes of September 16, 1835 |
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