History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 5 — John Shaqi
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 5Smith, Joseph, Jr.
History
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 5
Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
to him as early as 1831, that plural marriage was a correct principle.
Joseph declared to Lyman that God had revealed it to him, but that the
time had not come to teach or practice it in the Church, but that the
time would come.' To this statement Elder Pratt bore his testimony. He
cited several instances of Joseph having had wives sealed to him, one
at least as early as April 5th, 1841, which was some time prior to the
return of the Twelve from England. Referred to his own trial in regard
to this matter in Nauvoo, and said it was because he {XXXII} got his
information from a wicked source, from those disaffected, but as soon
as he learned the truth, he was satisfied.
(Signed) "Orson Pratt,
(Signed) "Joseph F. Smith"
(The above is taken from a signed report of Elders Orson Pratt and
Joseph F. Smith of the Council of the Twelve on the occasion of their
visit to the East in 1878, and is to be found in the _Millennial Star_,
Vol. 40, Nos. 49 and 50.)
Relative to committing the revelation to writing on the 12th of July,
1843, that can best be told by the man who wrote the revelation as the
Prophet Joseph dictated it to him, William Clayton; and the man who
copied it the day following, Joseph Kingsbury; and from which copy
the revelation was afterwards printed as it now stands in the current
edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. In a sworn statement before John
T. Caine, a notary public in Salt Lake City, on February 16th, 1874,
William Clayton said:
"On the 7th of October, 1842, in the presence of Bishop Newel K.
Whitney and his wife, Elizabeth Ann, President Joseph Smith appointed
me Temple Recorder, and also his private clerk, placing all records,
books papers, etc., in my care, and requiring me to take charge of and
preserve them, his closing words being, 'when I have any revelations to
write, you are the one to write them.' * * * On the morning of the 12th
of July, 1843; Joseph and Hyrum Smith came into the office in the upper
story of the brick store, on the bank of the Mississippi river. They
were talking on the subject of plural marriage. Hyrum said to Joseph,
'If you will write the revelation on celestial marriage, I will take
it and read it to Emma, and I believe I can convince her of its truth,
and you will hereafter have peace.' Joseph smiled and remarked, 'You do
not know Emma as well as I do.' Hyrum repeated his opinion, and further
remarked, 'The doctrine is so plain, I can convince any reasonable
man or woman of its truth, purity and heavenly origin,' or words to
that effect. Joseph then said, 'Well, I will write the revelation and
we will see.' He then requested me to get paper and prepare to write.
Hyrum very urgently requested Joseph to write the revelation by means
of the Urim and Thummim, but Joseph in reply, said he did not need to,
for he knew the revelation perfectly from beginning to end.
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