Bennett, John Cook: Resigned office of mayor of Nauvoo 17 May 1842. (1)
John C Bennett: Resigned from LDS church 17 May 1842 (2)
John C. Bennett resigns as Mayor of Nauvoo. Joseph Smith writes to Church Recorder James Sloan, "You will be so good as to permit Bennett to withdraw his name from the Church record, if he desires to do so, and this with the best of feelings towards you and General Bennett" Two days later Joseph Smith is elected Mayor by the Nauvoo City Council. His first official act is to ask for the establishment of a "night watch etc." for "counteracting the designs of our enemies, . . . whereupon the council resolved that the mayor be authorized to establish a night watch, and control the same." At that time Joseph asks Bennett if he had anything against him. Bennett responds: "I know what I am about, and the heads of the Church know what they are about, I expect. I have no difficulty with the heads of the Church. I publicly avow that any one who has said that I have stated that General Smith has given me authority to hold illicit intercourse with women is a liar in the face of God" (3)
[Lucy Mack Smith] Joseph Smith replaces Bennett as mayor. He has been acting mayor since February. Hyrum Smith is elected vice-mayor. (4)
-- May 19, 1842
Joseph Smith becomes Nauvoo's mayor. His Nauvoo "Lifeguards" are headed by former Danite Albert P. Rockwood and include Danites Hosea Stout and Orrin Porter Rockwell. At the City Council meeting during the balloting for Mayor, Joseph Smith jots down and then "threw across the room" a revelation to Hiram Kimball which declares that "Verily thus saith the Lord-Hiram Kimball has been insinuating evil, and forming evil opinions against you, with others; and if he continue in them, he and they will be accursed, for I am the Lord thy God, and will stand by thee and bless thee. Amen." Joseph had recently proposed plural marriage to Hiram Kimball's wife Sarah M. Kimball and had been rebuffed by her. (3)
John C. Bennett resigns as mayor of Nauvoo; Joseph Smith elected as mayor by City Council. Bennett reportedly competed with Joseph Smith for wives, taking those that Smith was planning on. (5)
Footnotes:
1 - Cook, Lyndon W., The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, Seventy's Mission Bookstore, Provo UT, 1985
2 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 6, Biographical Sketches of General Officers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47
3 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
4 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, Editor, Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, 2001, Signature Books
5 - Tidd, N. R., "Mormon Chronology"
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