-- Oct 4, 1829
Joseph Smith arrives at Harmony, PA. (1)
[Lucy Mack Smith] Joseph Jr. arrives back at Harmony, Pennsylvania, from Manchester. (2)
-- Nov 6, 1829
[Joseph Smith] Cowdery writes from Manchester that Harris will pick up the horse in two or three weeks. [MANCHESTER,] (3)
[Lucy Mack Smith] Oliver Cowdery at Manchester writes to Joseph Jr. at Harmony, reporting that he has copied the Book of Mormon manuscript up to Alma 36 and that the printing is continuing slowly. (2)
-- Dec 9, 1829
[Lucy Mack Smith] Abner Cole, using the name Obediah Dogberry, announces in his new weekly Palmyra Reflector (first issued on 2 September), that he will publish sections of the Book of Mormon. Extracts appear on 2, 11, 13, and 22 January 1830. (2)
-- Dec 28, 1829
[Joseph Smith] Cowdery writes to Joseph Jr. from Manchester: "it may look rather strange to you to find that I have so soon become a printer." (3)
[Lucy Mack Smith] A letter from Oliver Cowdery to Joseph Jr. says that Joseph Sr. is coming immediately to get Joseph Jr. to stop the pirating. (2)
-- 1829
[Membership] Church Membership at end of year: 6
New Converts : 6
Percent Change from previous year: - (4)
-- 1830
[Bennett, John Cook] Published articles in the Western Journal of the Medical and Physical Sciences 1830. (5)
[Black History] The Book of Mormon is published. The Book uses a dark-skin motif as a sign of sinfulness by the Lamanites, descendants of Israel through Menasseh whom are considered ancestors of contemporary Native American Indians, "The Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon [the Lamanites]", cf. 1 Ne. 5:21.
The dark skin is equated with a curse which was a result of rebellion, "And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them", cf. 2 Ne. 5:21.
The dark skin is explicitly presented as a "mark", a "curse... because of...transgression" and as a means of separating different cultures, "And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men. And their brethren sought to destroy them, therefore they were cursed; and the Lord God set a mark upon them, yea, upon Laman and Lemuel, and also the sons of Ishmael, and Ishmaelitish women. And this was done that their seed might be distinguished from the seed of their brethren, that thereby the Lord God might preserve his people, that they might not mix and believe in incorrect traditions which would prove their destruction", cf. Alma 3:6-8.
It also states that it was "against [Nephite civil] law" to hold slaves, cf. Alma 27:9 and Mosiah 2:13. (6)
[Gause, Jesse] Converted to United Society of Believers of Christs Second Appearing (Shakers) by 1830. (5)
Isaac Morley (a cooper and a Campbellite) joins Church. Morley also promoted the concept of community goods and had 50 - 60 people (called "Big Family") living on his farm, and more on a separate piece of property [per Josiah Jones (a non-converted Campbellite)]. (1)
Lyman Wight (a Campbellite and friend of Isaac Morley) baptized. (1)
Stephen Bradies writes, in a book, that he saw the Savior when he was 14. (1)
Footnotes:
1 - http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgv482t8_0d5hdn5cv
2 - Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, Edited by Lavina Fielding Anderson, 2001, Signature Books
3 - Inventing Mormonism:Tradition and the Historical Record, H. Michael Marquardt Wesley P. Walters. A Chronology of Mormon Origins, p.xxvi
4 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_membership_history
5 - Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelation of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, Seventy's Mission Bookstore, Provo UT, 1985
6 - http://www.mormonsocialscience.org/node/62
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Clair Barrus
Pirating?
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