[High Council Minutes]
Council met according to adjt at Prest Marks house. W. Marks & A Cowles presiding all the Counc[i]llors present.
On motion of President Marks Resolved that a committee of three be appointed to draft a piece to be published in the "Times & Seasons" stating that Br George J. Adams has been brought before the High Council and that he had been honorably accquited and Hosea Stout, Samuel Bent and H. G. Sherwood be that committee.
The committee then withdrew a short time and made the following report which was accepted.
"To whom it may concern
This is to certify that Elder George J. Adams has been honorably acquited by the High Council in Nauvoo, from all charges heretofore prefered against him from any and all sources; and is hereby recommended as a faithful laborer in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and a servant of the Lord that is entitled to the gratitude, confidence, liberality and clemency of the Saints and honorably men in all the world."
Adjd till next Thursday the 14th at 2 o'clock P.M.
Hosea Stout Clerk (1)
-- Sep 8, 1843
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 8th I left the Saints at westfield & took the Rail Cares. Rode to Boston in the second class. Fare was $2.30. Arived at Boston at 7 oclock. Distance to Boston 120 miles.
On my arival to the City I found Elder G. A Smith & another Br waiting for me at the railroad. We carried our trunks to a Brothers & went to meeting at Boylston Hall Cornor of Boylston & Washington streets. Here I had the privileg of meeting again with some of the Twelve viz H C Kimball J. E Page, O Pratt & G. A. Smith. Elder J E Page Addressed the meeting.
I spent the night with Elder Kimball. He read me a letter from his wife which was interesting. May the Lord Bless Joseph. Give him a victory over his enemies & support him in evry trial & prepare the saints for that which is to come I pray.
[ 9 ] Conference
of
the quorum of the Twelve Apostles met [in] the Boston church at Boylston Hall on the 9th Day of Sept 1843. There were present of the quorum of the Twelve Brigham Young Heber C. Kimball, P. P. Pratt O Pratt [ ] J. E. Page, W. Woodruff & G A Smith.
Conference opened by prayer By Elder G A Smith. President Young Called for Business.
Elder E P Magin represented the Boston Branch
Containing members 182
do Peterboro " " 88
strong in faith of gathering.
Elder B. F. Gruid Represented the Lowel Branch consisting of members 48
Elder Snow Represented the Salem Branch of 75 or 80 12 or 15 to start west next Tuesday & another company to start the 1st of October which will take about half of the Church.
Elder Lewis Represented the Church in New Bebford containing members 100. Many of them not active. Not more than one third of them come to meeting. Have not had a Preacher lately. If a good one was to come good might be done.
E P Magin represented the Church in Gilsom N.H. containing 42. Among the No are two Cousins of President Joseph Smith one the postmaster of the Place.
Elder Bryant Represented the Georgetown Branch containing members 30. But not much of the spirit of gathering. Elder E Snow remarked he did not wonder they had not the spirit of gathering when their Presiding Elder Nathaniel Holmes & his Son Elder Milton Holmes has setteled down with the Church manifesting No disposition to gather themselves. It was no wonder the Church had not the spirit of it.
Elder Jesse Haven Represented the Church in North Bridge members 41. They were scattered in several towns. Large majority have the spirit of gathering. One cut off 1 died 1 set asid. The majority in full faith.
E P Magin Represented New Salem Branch from 45 to 50
" And wendall 40
And Leveratt generally in good standing 35
Elders Rogers informs that several families was to start from Leveratt next wednesday. He represents the Westfield Branch members 39
Cabitsville 10
Northbridge Branch 37
Farmington Ct 12
Scattering 13
Elder P. P. Pratt arose and remarked that Some tell us that they have taught the gathering according to the scriptures, but to teach the gathering from the scriptures alone is not sufficient. For By this they would be left in doubt. They would not know whether to gather to Jerrusalem to Africa or America.
It is right to teach the gathering according to the Scriptures but we are not left to this alone. We know & all the Saints aught to know that God has pointed out a place & time of gathering and has raised up a Prophet to bring it about of which we are witnesses. We have not got to go along round about. The time & place is pointed out the foundations of the city & Temple laid and a people already gatherd & we know [we] have to go & to reject the revelations of God that have pointed out these things to us ownly brings Condemnations & if this is not the Case then our faith is vain & our works & hopes are vain also. We have already got the opinions of men enough concerning the coming of Jesus Christ. But we need the voice of a Prophet in such a Case & we have it & I am willing to risk my all upon it. And if the Elders understand the principal of gathering and teach it correctly the people would have the correct spirit of gathering.
E. P. Magin arose & said he made the remark that he had taught the gathering according to the scriptures, But he considered all modern Revelations scripture as well as those given anciently. [ ] P. P. Pratt Sayed they agreed their was no disagreement &c.
Elder B. Young arose & Said he wished to make a few general remarks concerning the subject of our faith. We hear the Elders represent the feelings of the Brethren Concerning the gathering. The spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is a gathering spirit & its tendency is to gather the virtuous & good the honest & meek of the earth, & in fine the saints of God. The time has come when the Lord is determin to full-fill his purpose.
Had we lived in the days of Jesus Christ we would say we would receive his work. But Judge ye if the people are better now than then. They are not. When the full set time was come the Lord came in the flesh to do his work whether the people were prepared or not. And now the full set time is come for the Lord God Almighty to set his hand to redeem Israel.
We are not bound to make the people believe but to preach the gospel & then our garments are Clear. The Lord does not require evry soul to leave his home as soon as he believes but he requirs him to harken to council & follow that course that the lord points out. The spirit of the Lord & this work is on the elert, and those that keep up with the work must be on the alert also.
When the Lord says gather yourselves together why do you ask the Lord what for? Is it not the principle of the Saints to mingle together to promote the great cause in which we are engaged? Say you cannot the Lord save us as well whare we are as to gather together? Yes if the Lord sayes so but if he commands us to come out & gather together He will not save us by staying at home.
Have you not received the gospel? Yes. Then do you believe the gospel what we say? Have you not received the Holy Ghost By receiving the gospel which we have Brought unto you? Yes & thousands have & it stands as a testimony that God has got a Prophet on the earth. You might have been baptized seventy times seven in any way except the way God had ordained and pointed out & you would not have received the Holy Ghost. This also is a testimony to you.
Are ye ingaged in the great work with us? Ye will say yes. Can ye do any good? Yes ye can. The sectarian world Send the Bible to the nations of the earth, the people put in sixpence fifty cts or a dollar into the box, & send Bibles through the world.
Then cannot we do sumthing? Yes the Lord requires us to build a house unto his name that the ordinances & blessings of his kingdom may be revealed & that the Elders may be endowed & go forth & gather together the Blood of Ephraim the people of God from the ends of the earth. Can you get an endowment in Boston? No & ownly in that place that God has pointed out.
Now query Could Moses have got the law had he staid in the midst of the Children of Israel? Had he not gone to the mountains? The Lord says go & do so & so. Stand before Phario, pull off your shoes for the ground is Holy &c. Moses obeyed & obtained blessings, but if he had not obeyed he would not have obtained the blessing.
But why query about it? Has the Lord spoken? Yes. Then this is enough. I do not care whether the people gather or not if they dont want to. I do not wish to save the people against their will. I wish you to have your Choice either to gather with the righteous or stay with the wicked. I would like to have all people bow down to the Lord Jesus Christ but it is one of the decrees of the Lord that all persons shall act upon their agency, which was the case even with the angels that fell from heaven.
Now will you help us to build the Nauvoo House & Temple? If so you will be blessed. If not we will build it alone. And if you dont harken you will not have the spirit of the Lord for the spirit of the Lord is on the moove.
The Apostles tried to gather the people together in their day. Christ said he would gather the Jews oft as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings but they would not. God and Angels dont care whether men hear or forbear. They will carry on their work for the full set time is come and we Care about it. We must build a house & get an endowment & preach the gospel, warn the people, gather the Saints, build up Zion & finish our work & be prepared for the coming of Christ.
Now we want to send missionaries to the Islands. Can you do sumthing for them? & that is not all we want you to do. We want you to give us sum thing to build a temple. We want what you have to spare. But are you afraid that you will not have Enough for youself when you get there? But how easy it is for the Lord to take it away from you By fire & otherwise. E P Magin had an /Ivory/ Cane. I asked him for it but he din give it to me. But he soon lost it & it did neither of us any good. But the Lord can give & take away. Jacob with his faith obtained all the best cattle that his Father in law had.
Who blesses you and all the people? God. But do the people acknowledge the hand of God in all these things? No, they turn away from him & do not acknowledge him or realize from whom their Blessings flow.
Let me tell you a secret. When the Lord shakes the earth And the Hills fall down & vallies are exhalted then for Brass the Lord will bring gold for Iron silver for stones Iron &c. Then you will have no use for gold, for money & gods as you now have. But the Lord will think as much of it then as now.
Let us have some of your gold to take to Nauvoo to make a temple & Nauvoo House so that when the Kings Princes & Nobles of the earth call at Nauvoo to enquire after the wisdom of Zion that they may have a place to entertain them, & that the weary travel-lor may be refreshed.
Is their wisdom in Zion? We think so & the world begin to think so. Let the world come forward & translate the plates that have of late come forth if they have wisdom to do it. The Lord intends to take away the gods of the gods of the gentiles. The Lord pulleth down & buildeth up at his own pleasure. Dont be afraid of a dollar A hundred or a thousand dollars. I would not. I have made a sacrafice a good many times. The Lord has promised A hundred fold & I have taken this course to get rich, to give all I had & God has given many blessings in Consequence. If I have been to bold in asking, then be to bold in giving. Give your all and God will repay as much again. Adjurned untill half past 2 oclok.
Met according to adjournment. Meeting opened by singing & Prayer By Elder P P Pratt to who arose and said I have a few remarks to make concerning the subject spoken of in the fornoon By Elder B Young who said we wanted all your gold silver & precious things &c. We not ownly want your all as pertains to gold silver &c but we want you, your wives & Children, & all you have.
I dont know that I can give you a better pattern of what we want than the case of Joseph in Egypt. An Israelite will get all he can. They are vary great to go ahead. The Egyptains believed in dreams & by this peculiar gift Joseph entered into a great scheme off speculation. He used the gift of dreams to become great in the eyes of the Egyptians & had great political influence. Came out on the kings horse in great splendor, & lade up corn in great abundance during the seven years Plenty & in time of famine got all the gold, silver, cattle property & their own persons. This speculation was from A Josephite and it was like an Israelite. It was like Noah, Lot, Christ, &c & it is a fair sample of our speculation.
God is the origin of Power the sovreign, & he has a right to reign, & their will be good times & goverment when the world will acknowledge the God of heaven their lawgiver & If I could live under his goverment I should be thankful. Then our prayer would be answered may thy kingdom come &c. Untill that time we must pray for it.
This Joseph in Egypt the Speculator what a great & good man he was. I love him. I admire his Course, & I Believe a little of his Blood is in my veins. But had Joseph been like the religious world at the present day he would not have rode the kings horse & wore his robe & had nothing to do with gold & silver, & do no good, save no corn, build no store houses, do none of these things for fear of speculation. But He done differently.
And their is a prophesy about the modern Prophet Joseph, being raised & supported by the power of God to do a work on the earth. And he has been raised up & the Lord has been with him & evry [weapon] formed against him has been broaken. He has had rising of thirty law suits to pass through & yet he has overcome & no accusation has been susstained against him. But he will lay a plan to speculate as large as Ancient Joseph did.
What Elder Young said is good, and even now we want you to take that course that will save you. Build up a city & Temples & enjoy them & do as the Lord tells you & harken to Council[s?]. We have a prophet to tell us what to do, and we should get as much wisdom as the world. If the world want a rail road built all they have to do is to open Books. The people subscribe stock & a rail road is soon built & an income is brought. And the Saints ought to be as well united as the world & do the things that God has required, that a great nation may be saved from all Nations.
The old gentleman that rules the nations has ruled long enough and if I was an Infidel I would like to have the Lord raise up a Joseph or Daniel or sumbody to raise up a change for the good of the world. And thank Heaven he has begun to raise them up to do the great work of God & it will Continue untill the saying goes forth that the Lord has built up Zion.
I read that Gold, silver, power thrones & dominions will be connected with the great work of God in the last days. Then let us wake up and enlarge our hearts & prepare for the great & glorious work. Does the Saints here in Boston know that they are Identifyed with laying the foundation of a great & mighty work that is to enclude all the great and glorious work that is to be fulfilled in the last dispensation & fulness of times? And I Prophecy in the name of the Lord that whether Boston Saints or who may stand for it or rise against it that almost numberless milions will selebrate that day when the foundation of this work was laid.
G A Smith Arose and said that he was pleased with the many remarks that had been made this day. You can see a similarity between the two Josephs & the Laws that were given, says one who believes that God who dwells in heaven will speak about building a house &c in this day of religion & science. But the day was when the salvation or damnation of a whole world hung upon a small circumstance even in the days of Noah the building of an ark. Had the Editors of this day lived then I think they would have said and written more against it than they have against Joseph Smiths Revelations.
You talk about God condesending to speak of small things in the last days but no more so than it was in the days of Moses. For we read in the bible how God commanded the Children of Israel when they found a birds nest to take the young to themselves but to let the dam go free. What for? Why that their days might be long in the land which the Lord their God giveth them. So come to the point it was a great thing at last. Yet connecting this with the word of the Lord Concerning eating Beetles & gras-hoppers was as small business for the Lord to talk about as it was for the Lord to command the Saints to Build a tavern. This Boarding house when done will do much good for the spreading of the work to all nations, But what good could arise from eating Beetles & grasshopers I cannot say.
All the prophesies have aimed at the gathering of the people & saving of them in the last days. But my advise is if you cannot take hold of the work & go through the whole course to stop & go no further. We do not want to deceive you. Our traditions have been to be vary religious weare long faces, never tell a story or laugh &c. This was the case with the long faced Christians in Mo & they were the first to strike a dagger to our hearts.
If I wear a strange hat it is not because of my religion for whare the religion of a man is in his hat or coat it is not vary extensive any whare els. And whenever I have seen Elders trying to preach sumthing large to get a name the mysteries &c I have believed that such have got yet much to learn. As many are desireous of hearing mysteries I will rehears a short sermon or misteriy.
Elder Kimball has been of long standing in the Church. Preached much done much good brought many souls into the kingdom & had great influence &c. Elder Amasa Lyman & myself went into a place to preach whare the Elders had preached all the mysteries. They wanted us to preached mysteries. We told them we were not qualified to preach miysteries but if they would send for Elder Kimball he could preache the mysteries. So they sent abut 40 miles for Elder Kimball & brought him down as they were so anxious to hear the mysteries & when he came, he had a large congregation assembled & he arose before them & remarked that he had understood they had sent for him to come & preach the mysteries to them. I am fully competent to do it & am happy of having the privilege And I want the attention of all, & when evry mind was streached eager for the mysteries, He says the first miystery I shall present before you is this, Elder Amasa Lyman wants a Pair of Pantaloons, & it is a great mystery th
at an Elder in this church should want a pair of Briches, & esspecially that the people should know that they want it & the remainder of his miysteries were like unto [it] & the consequence of this serman was that Elder Lyman got a pair of Pantaloons & Elder Kimball a Barrel of flour for his family.
Elder B. Young arose & said I will make an apology for my remarks in the fore part of the day. Some may think I spoke vary plain. But the Apology I have to make is I will turn Thompsonian doctor & give the Composition without sweetning. This work is all. It is my all. If this work does not live God knows I dont want to live, And I want you to understand it, that he that gathereth not with us scattereth. And they that have tasted the Bitter Cup feel it.
Wake up ye Elders that have sought to build yourselves up & not the kingdom of God. Wake up ye that have daubbed with untempered morter. Harken & hear me for I say unto you that if you do not help us build the Temple & Nauvoo House you shall not inherit the land of Zion. If you do not help build up Zion & the cause of God you shall not partake of their Blessings.
Many elders seek to Build themselves up & not the work of God. But when any one does this no matter who he may be he will not prosper even if it was one of the Twelve. Those of the Twelve & others of the Elders that have apostitized I have known their hearts their breathings & known their moov-ments. They thought I did not know much But I knew all about them, & when I see men preaching to build themselves up & not Zion I know what it will end in.
But say you I am young. I dont Care if you are young. Do you know what you are about? If so Preach & labour for the building up of the City of Zion. Concentrate your means & influence there & not scatter abroad. Be faithful or you will not be Chosen for the day of Chusing is at the door.
Why be afraid of a sacrafice? I have given my all many times & am willing to do it again. I would be glad to hear the Lord say through his servant Joseph, let my servant Brigham give again all that he has. I would obey in a moment if it took the last coat of from my Back.
Elder Kimball sayes I get up of necessity to say a few words. I am quite unwell, But I feel the importance of this work. I have been a member of this Church 12 years. I came out of the Baptist Church & Joined this & I have passed through evry thing but death, & we have come here to call for help to build the Houses & I have spent $30 to get here & collected $15 dollars.
We were commanded to come of the Lord But it seems as though but few felt interested in it. Here I see three Brethren going to the far distant Islands. I could weep for them. They have but little money to help themselves. I feel interested in this great work. We have come out to Reep but do we have time to Reep new grain? No for it takes all our time to try to save [th.?] that is reap.
You think that Elder Young has put the flail on rather heavy. But it is nothing to be compaired with the Threshing you will get in Zion, & those that have the hardest heads have to be thrashed the hardest. But dont be troubled about the chaff. When it comes to the barns God will prepare a great wind Mill that will blow all the Chaff away.
I speak in Parables. I Compare the Saints to a good cow. When you milk her Clean she will always have an abundance of milk to give. But you milk her a little & she will soon dry up. So with the Saints. If they do but little in building up Zion they soon have but little to do with. This was the case in Cincinnati.
I had a dream concerning the Saints there. I thought I was in a field of wheat that was stacked up & we had got to draw it into the barn. Come to open the stack the bundle would all fall to peices & it was filled with clusters of Rats & mice, who had been eating up the grain. I thought these Rats & mice were the Elders & official members who had been in & lain on the Church, lived on the wheat eaten them up instead of building up New Churches. So that when the Twelve came along they could not get any thing for the Temple or Nauvoo House, or Hardly a place to stay. The rats had eat up the wheat so & we had to go to the world for a home to stay while we were their.
We are not Polished stones like Elder Babbit Elder Adams, Elder Blakesley & Elder Magin &c. But we are rough Stones out of the mountain, & when we roll through the forest & nock the bark of from the trees it does not hurt us even if we should get a Cornor nocked of occasionally. For the more they roll about & knock the cornors of the better we are. But if we were pollished & smooth when we get the cornors knocked of it would deface us.
This is the Case with Joseph Smith. He never professed to be a dressed smooth polished stone but was rough out of the mountain & has been rolling among the rocks & trees & has not hurt him at all. But he will be as smooth & polished in the end as any other stone, while many that were so vary poliched & smooth in the beginning get badly defaced and spoiled while theiy are rolling about.
P P Pratt said Some are going to Zion. The rest want to know what they shall do. Isaiah Said I will take one of a city & two of a family & bring them to Zion & I will feed them with Pastures after my own heart that will feed you with knowledge & understanding. And inasmuch as you harken to council you will know what the will of the Lord is concerning you in all things.
O Pratt arose & Said I do not know that I can say any thing to impress the subject upon your minds that has been spoken upon more fully than has been done. There are some things however I wish to mention; we have learned from what we hear this day about the blessings that will be given when the Temple is finished. I will speak of some of the Consequences that will follow if we do not obey.
The Lord has said he will reveal things that have been hid from the foundation of the world. No former age or generation of the world has had the same things revealed. But the Lord says if you build that house in that time you shall be blessed. If not you shall be rejected as a Church with your dead saith the Lord. So if that house is not built, then in vain is all our cares faith & works. Our meetings & hopes are veign. But if few do their duty they will get the Blessing, & we are determined to do our duty & set these principles before the Saints. We will turn this responsibility upon the heads of the Saints & clear our garments & then the Lord is able to endow all the faithful in some other place.
The Lord gave a revelation several years since & said gather together your wise men & send up your moneys & buy lands. If not you shall not have an inheritance but your enemies are upon you. We went through & told the Saints these things but did the Churches do as god commanded? No they did not & the Revelation was fulfilled & the Saints driven out. The Lord Says the Church shall give heed to the words of the Prophet as he is to hold the keys of the kingdom of God in this life & the world to Come. Then it is of much Consequence that you give heed to his word.
You can ask God if the work is true & he will give you a testimony. I doubt in my own mind if any man can stand what they will have to pass through unless they do get a witness for themselves, & I pray you to give heed to the words the Twelve have taught you & ask God to help you.
The Conference was adjourned untill 10 oclock tomorrow morning. (2)
Footnotes:
1 - Minutes of the High Council of the Church of Jesus Christ of Nauvoo Illinois: Nauvoo Hancock County Illinois
2 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://bit.ly/wwjournal
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