Mormon History, Sep 28, 1843

-- Sep 28, 1843
Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph Smith was chosen to be president over a quorum of elders that met above the Red Brick Store. (1)

[Joseph Smith Diary] Thursday, September 28th 1843 10 A.M. in the street going toward printing office. 11 1/2 A.M. Council over the store. Hyrum, Newell, Geo[rge] M[iller]., Wa<she>d. and An<oi>nt<e>d and J[ohn or Joseph] S[mith], J[ohn] T[aylor], A[masa] L[yman], L[yman] W[ight], J[ohn] M. B[ernhisel] an[oin]t[ed].

At 7 [o'clock in the] eve[ning] met at the Mansion's upper room front with W[illiam] L[aw] [and] W[illiam M[ark]. Beurach Ale [Joseph Smith] was by common consent and unanimous voice chosen President of the quorum [of the anointed] and anointed [second anointing] and ord[ained] to the highest and holiest order of the priesthood [as a king and priest] (and companion [as a queen and priestess]) [Present:] Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Geo[rge] Miller, N[ewel] K. Whitney, Willard Richards, [Uncle] John Smith, John Taylor, Amasa Lyman, Lucien Woodworth, J[ohn] M. Bernhisel, W[illia]m Law, W[illia]m Marks. President [Joseph Smith] led in prayer that his days might be prolonged, have dominion over his enemies, all the households be blessed and all the church and world. (2)

[Lucy Mack Smith] Emma receives her second anointing, thus becoming part of the elite "Quorum of the Anointed," consisting of couples in Joseph's inner circle. (3)

[Polygamy] The endowed quorum meets. Five new members receive temple ordinances: John Smith, John Taylor, Amasa M. Lyman, Lucien Woodworth, and John M Bernhisel. Joseph and Emma Smith complete their temple ordinances, the fullness of the priesthood. They are the first couple to do so. Emma Smith must have received her endowments directly from Joseph prior to this meeting. (4)

-- Sep 29, 1843
[Brigham Young] --29-- I left Boston for New York. Brother Woodruff and I stayed at Brother L. R. Foster's on the 30th. (5)

-- Sept 29th 1843
[High Council Minutes]

Council met according to adjt at the house of President W. Marks. No buisness. Adjd till Saturday the 14th of Oct. at 2 o'clock P.M.

H. Stout Clerk (6)

-- Sep 30, 1843
[Joseph Smith Diary] Saturday, September 30th 1843 [several lines left blank] Rained this forenoon, wind east. [several lines left blank] P.M. wind west, very strong and cold. (2)

-- Sep 30, 1843 (Saturday)
Reuben Hedlock and other missionaries from Nauvoo arrived at Liverpool, England. (7)

-- During 1843 Sept.
[Joseph Smith] Clarissa Merrifield dies from what is officially described as "ague [chills] and fever," but a Nauvoo diary reveals that while she was being rebaptized for health she inadvertently drowned. (8)

-- About Sep 1843
Orrin Porter Rockwell released for lack of evidence to indite. (9)

-- During Sep 1843
[Polygamy] Joseph Smith marries Melissa Lott (Age 19): By June of 1842, the Lott family, including daughter Melissa, were living and working on the Joseph Smith farm just a few miles southeast of Nauvoo. Melissa’s father, Cornelius, managed the farm for the Prophet Joseph. This same year, eighteen-year-old Melissa moved to Nauvoo and lived in the Joseph Smith home, most likely helping with the children and household chores. Joseph III, was one of the Smith children Melissa would have cared for. He remembers Melissa was, “a tall, fine-looking woman with dark complexion, dark hair and eyes. She was a good singer, quite celebrated in a local way. I have heard her sing at parties and receptions in private home [and] on the stage where theatrical performances were given...”

In June of 1843 Melissa was back at home living on the farm with her parents. Near the end of the month, Eliza R. Snow, Elvira Holmes, Elizabeth Durfee and Elizabeth Whitney visited the Lott farm. Eliza, Elvira and Elizabeth D. had married Joseph Smith a year earlier. Elizabeth W. was the mother of another one of Joseph’s wives, Sarah Ann Whitney. As a “Mother in Israel”, Elizabeth Durfee previously had an influential role in preparing the Partridge sisters to accept a plural marriage proposal from Joseph. Perhaps these women now helped prepare Melissa in the same way.

By Fall of that year, Melissa had agreed to wed Joseph and they were married on September 20, 1843. Melissa’s parents stood witness at the ceremony. Melissa later recalled the wedding vows, “You both mutually agree to be each other’s companion, husband and wife, observing the legal rights belonging to this condition, that is, keeping yourselves wholly for each other, and from all others during your lives." Joseph’s wife, Sarah Ann Whitney, remembered similar vows, with an exception for Joseph who, of course, had many other wives: "...reserving only those rights which have been given to my servant Joseph by revelation."

On the same day that Melissa married Joseph, her parents, Cornelius and Permelia, were sealed together for eternity. As with the parents Sarah Ann Whitney, and Helen Mar Kimball, perhaps this was a reward for giving their daughter to Joseph in marriage.

Melissa described the contrasting elements to her and Joseph’s relationship, “I did not go to church with Joseph Smith, was never seen on the streets or in public places with him as his wife during his lifetime”. However, Melissa said they did share intimate moments, and that she was Joseph’s wife, “in very deed”. The following winter, Melissa returned to the Smith home to live. She continued to help with the Smith children. Joseph III, Fredrick and Alexander, attended the same school as Melissa, and she would escort them to school and back. In the Summer of 1844 Melissa was widowed when Joseph was killed in Carthage. (10)

Footnotes:
1 - Joseph Smith Resource Center: Daily Events in the Life of Joseph Smith, http://josephsmith.net/josephsmith/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=e581001cfb340010VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRDlocale=0
2 - Faulring, Scott (ed.), An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith: Joseph Smith Diary, 1843-44, http://amzn.to/jsdiaries
3 - Anderson, Lavina Fielding, Editor, Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, 2001, Signature Books, http://bit.ly/lucys-book
4 - Hales, Brian C., Joseph Smith's Polygamy: History and Theology, 2 vols., Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2011 (www.JosephSmithsPolygamy.com)
5 - Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1801-1844, ed. Elden Jay Watson (Salt Lake City: Smith Secretarial Service, 1968).
6 - Minutes of the High Council of the Church of Jesus Christ of Nauvoo Illinois: Nauvoo Hancock County Illinois, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
7 - Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology
8 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 7: Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power
9 - Tidd, N. R., "Mormon Chronology"
10 - Remembering the Wives of Joseph Smith, http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/

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