| The Bishop and the Lord |
| In December 1830, thirty-seven-year-old Edward Partridge accompanies Sidney Rigdon to see Joseph in New York. Within days Edward is called to preach the gospel, and in six weeks he is called to be the first bishop of the church. Like Nathaniel of old, there is no guile in Edward. Nevertheless, he is rebuked for interfering with missionary work, for disbelief and blindness of heart, and unspecified sins. But when, at age forty-six, the good bishop passes away, the Lord receives him unto himself. | ||||
| December
[11–15], 1830 Blessed, called to preach |
… I say unto you, my servant Edward,
that you are blessed, and your sins are forgiven you, and you are called
to preach my gospel as with the voice of a trump; |
¶
D&C 36 December [11–15], 1830 |
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| February
4, 1831 Bishop, full time Guileless |
I have called my servant Edward Partridge;
and I give a commandment, that he should be appointed by the voice of the
church, and ordained a bishop unto the church, to leave his merchandise
and to spend all his time in the labors of the church; … because his
heart is pure before me, for he is like unto Nathanael of old, in whom there
is no guile. |
¶
D&C 41 February 4, 1831 |
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| February
9, 1831 Can be replaced |
And again, I say unto you, that my servant Edward Partridge shall stand in the office whereunto I have appointed him. And it shall come to pass, that if he transgress another shall be appointed in his stead. Even so. Amen. |
¶
D&C 42 February 9, 1831 |
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| May
1831 Interferes with missionaries |
… and let them labor in the vineyard; and let no man hinder them doing that which I have appointed unto them— Wherefore, in this thing my servant Edward Partridge is not justified; nevertheless let him repent and he shall be forgiven. | D&C
50:38–39 May 9, 1831 |
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| August
1, 1831 Unbelief and blindness of heart |
… I have …selected my servant Edward Partridge, and have appointed unto him his mission in this land. But if he repent not of his sins, which are unbelief and blindness of heart, let him take heed lest he fall. Behold his mission is given unto him, and it shall not be given again. | ¶
D&C 58 August 1, 1831 |
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| September
11, 1831 Fault finding with Ezra Booth, Isaac Morley Soul in danger |
Behold, I, the
Lord, was angry with him who was my servant Ezra Booth, and also my servant
Isaac Morley, for they kept not the law, neither the commandment; They sought
evil in their hearts, and I, the Lord, withheld my Spirit. They condemned
for evil that thing in which there was no evil; nevertheless I have forgiven
my servant Isaac Morley. And also my servant Edward Partridge, behold, he
hath sinned, and Satan seeketh to destroy his soul; but when these things
are made known unto them, and they repent of the evil, they shall be forgiven. |
¶
D&C 64 September 11, 1831 |
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| November 27, 1832
One mighty and strong To set Zion in order |
I the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong … to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints … While that man, who was called of God and appointed, that putteth forth his hand to steady the ark of God, shall fall by the shaft of death, like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning. | ¶
D&C 85 November 27, 1832 On November 13, 1905, the First Presidency (Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, Anthon H. Lund), issued a statement on this controversial passage and stating that Edward Partridge was "undoubtedly" the object of the warning. Messages, 4:107–120. |
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| Gone
to heaven January 19, 1841 |
That when [Lyman Wight] shall finish his work I may receive him unto myself, even as I did my servant David Patten, who is with me at this time, and also my servant Edward Partridge, and also my aged servant Joseph Smith, Sen. | D&C
124:19 Edward died in Nauvoo, May 27, 1840, at the age of 46. |
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