Mormon History, Apr 30, 1844

-- Apr 30, 1844
[Joseph Smith Diary] Tuesday, April 30th 1844 At home. Counselling the brethren about many things. Much company &c. Complaint was commenced (v.s.) W[illia]m and Wilson Law in the [court martial proceedings in the] Masonic Lodge &c. [several lines left blank]

The Osprey Steamer touched at N[auvoo] H[ouse] Landing eve. (1)

-- During 1844 Apr
Laws excom-municated

William Law, his wife, and his brother were excommunicated, mostly because they disagreed over polygamy and Joseph Smiths increasing power. ( Dayne, More Wives Than One, p 33 ) (2)

-- During 1844 Apr-May
[Prophecy] Son David - Smith prophesies that his unborn child will be called David, and will be "church president and king over Israel". The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, D. Michael Quinn, p. 644 -- Critics claim this prophecy was not fulfilled. (3)

-- During 1844 Apr-May.
Joseph Smith tells Young and others that his unborn son will bear the name David and will be church president and king over Israel on earth. (4)

-- During 1844 Spring
Reportedly Joseph Smith proposed plural marriage to Cordelia C. Morley and was rejected. (5)

-- During 1844. Spring
(Sidney Rigdon) : Joseph Smith again extended a forgiving hand, admitting Rigdon to the Council of Fifty and to the endowment ceremonies of the Holy Order. He also selected him as his vice-presidential running mate, but this choice was apparently made only after other options had failed. (6)

(Sidney Rigdon) Just before leaving for Pittsburgh, Rigdon allegedly prophesied the death of Joseph Smith and the destruction of Nauvoo. "Poor Rigdon," the Prophet reportedly said, "I am glad he is gone to Pittsburgh, out of the way; were he to preside, he would lead the Church to destruction in less than five years." (6)

-- During Apr. 1844
Orson Hyde: Council of Fifty's ambassador to Washington, D.C. Apr. 1844 (7)

William E Mclellin: Vision "of great things" Apr. 1844 (7)

-- During April 1844
Amasa Mason Lyman: Returned to Alquina, Indiana, April 1844. (8)

Josiah Butterfield: Appointed to preach in Maine April 1844. (8)

Orson Pratt: Left on mission to Washington, D C April 1844. (8)

Robert D Foster: Fined for gambling in Nauvoo April 1844. (8)

William Law: In April 1844 organized and presided over short-lived church. (8)

Zebedee Coltrin: Appointed to travel to Michigan to campaign for Joseph Smith as President of United States April 1844. (8)

-- During Spring 1844
Joseph Smith identifies Joseph Smith III as his successor [per James Whitehead and Emma Smith]. (9)

Not satisfied with only 22 wives, Joseph Smith makes overtures to Jane Law, wife of William Law. Jane refuses, an argument ensues, and the Laws are excommunicated. William Law, determined to expose polygamy and polyandry to the world, buys a printing press and publishes the first and only edition of the “Nauvoo Expositor”. Faced with losing everything, Joseph Smith leads a raid on and illegally destroys the free press, setting off a series of events that would culminate in his death and that of his brother, Hyrum, in a gunfight on June 27, 1944. (10)

Footnotes:
1 - Faulring, Scott (ed.), An American Prophet's Record: The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith: Joseph Smith Diary, 1844, http://amzn.to/jsdiaries
2 - Tungate, Mel, Mormon Polygamy, http://www.tungate.com/polygamy.htm
3 - Wikipedia, Prophesies of Joseph Smith, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophecies_of_Joseph_Smith,_Jr.
4 - 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
5 - Hales, Brian C., Joseph Smith's Polygamy: History and Theology, 2 vols., Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2011 (www.JosephSmithsPolygamy.com)
6 - Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
7 - 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, http://amzn.to/origins-power
8 - 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, http://amzn.to/RevelationsofJosephSmith
9 - Tidd, N. R., "Mormon Chronology"
10 - Standing for Something More: The Excommunication of Lyndon Lamborn: Appendix D, Modern True History Timeline of the LDS Church, by Lindon Lamborn, http://www.amazon.com/Standing-Something-More-Excommunication-ebook/dp/B004R1PYEK

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