[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 26th I recieved three Letters one from Mr Robinson about his Son in Nauvoo, one from Br Deardon, one from Br Jones. I wrote 5 Letters one to Mr Robinson one to Mr Deardon, one to Br Dwight Webster one To Elder John Taylor & one to Elder Wm. Clayton. The Ship cleared the dock to day that had 35 of the Saints our passengers on board. It was quite a busy day in some respets. I perused a long letter to day from Elder Elijah Malin jr. to Br Davis which was interesting. 4 m. (1)
[Newspaper] - Letter: "Great Western Move" - William P. Richards to Bishop George Miller -- William P. Richards -- Suggests that the Saints should buy and move onto a large tract of land in the west to avoid persecution. More correspondence posted on Page 1, Column 4.
- Ordinances: "An Act for the Relief of the People Called Mormons--" -- The United States Congress -- Act granting the saints 24 square miles in Wisconsin, and petitioning the saints to move there.
- Announcement: "Nauvoo Going Ahead" - Nauvoo Manufacturing Association -- Editorial -- Describes the formation and goals of the Nauvoo Manufacturing Association, and presents one of their business cards.
- Announcement: Bill for Divorce -- David E. Head -- Describes the Divorce of John Greenhow from Sarah Greenhow.
- Announcement: Bill for Divorce -- David E. Head -- Describes the Divorce of Cyrus Boley from Martha Boley. (2)
-- Feb 26, 1845, Wednesday
[William Clayton Writings] While returning from a visit to some outlying Mormon settlements, the new church leader [Brigham Young] preached about the problems of the Saints. ``The nation has severed us from them in every respect,'' he told his listeners, ``and made us a distinct nation just as much as the Lamanites, and it is my prayer that we may soon find a place where we can have a home and live in peace according to the Law of God.'' (3)
-- Feb 27, 1845
[Anointed Quorum] Thursday prayer circle meeting of "the brethren" who prayed for John Smith's recovery from sickness . (4)
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 27th I wrote a letter to Dan Jones in wales & spent most of the day at the office. In the evening I Payed Mr Mitten for the rent of febuary £1.5.8 The Council met this evening of the Liverpool Church & Elders McGoffee & [ ] gave their resignation & wished to be cut off from the church. Their request was granted them with Joy. (1)
[Brigham Young Journal] thursday 27th 1845 this morning went down to the river Bank where the grate dam is to be built to dedacate the ground, I cauld upon Br J. E. Page to make the prayer dedacation Prayer then went to Br W. Richards was in councel till about 3 o. c. p.m. we aupointed Br A. Lymon to goe to visit James Emets company to try to reclame them Br D. Spencer goes with him. in the evening went to Father John Smiths to pray for him we drest and prayed and had a good meeting and he was blest (5)
At a meeting of apostles with several Council of Fifty members, W. W. Phelps says, "B. Young has found out that we are in Eternity, the Millenium has now commenced." In the "evening some person or persons took Washington Peck and bedaubed him all over with privy dirt. . . . This is one of those mean traitors who lurks about continually in our midst communicating with our enemies & seeking to have the twelve destroyed. He is marked as a mean conspirator." Apostle John Taylor, in the NAUVOO NEIGHBOR, soon writes "But one person [Washington Peck] has been introduced to 'Queen Peggy's privy cabinet.' and so every man minds his own business." William Marks hurriedly leaves Nauvoo to avoid similar treatment. (6)
Council's Letter to James Emmett-- Reference was made by B. H. Roberts (DHC 7:xxv) to problems created for the Quorum of the Twelve by James Emmett and by Lyman Wight-would-be church leaders. This letter addressed to James Emmett & Company is a call to repentance and asserts once again that only through the authority of The Twelve Apostles can the members receive "the keys of knowledge and power." For additional background see CHC 2:293; 3:458; DHC 7:385, 495-498.
THE COUNCIL'S LETTER Written to James Emmett and Company. Nauvoo, February 27, 1845. To James Emmett & Company, Dear Brethren: We, the Twelve and some other of the authorities of the church, being in council assembled, send unto you this epistle by the hand of our beloved, trustworthy and faithful brother Amasa M. Lyman, whom we have counseled to visit you, and give you instruction for your good and salvation.
Though our counsel has been lightly esteemed and disregarded by Brother Emmett, yet we verily believe there are those among you who have been honestly and sincerely deceived by his vain pretenses and misrepresentations. We labored long and faithfully to persuade Brother Emmett to hearken to the counsel of his friends to whom were committed the power, authority and keys for the salvation of Zion and the redemption of her children together with the keys of endowment for the lifting up and exaltation of the heirs of promise-the remnant of Joseph-but our counsels, our persuasions, our entreaties, and all our labors with him were in vain. He still persisted in his course and has led you forth from our midst and separated you from the body and like a branch severed from a tree you must and will perish together with your posterity and your progenitors unless you are engrafted again thereon before you wither and die; and because we know your unfortunate condition, and because we fee
l for your safety as a kind father feels for his tender offspring we therefore stretch out our arms to you and would feign welcome you to the bosom of our counsels and rescue you from the vortex of ruin and destruction into which you will inevitably and irrecoverably plunge yourselves by continuing to hearken to the counsels of one who will not regard the advice and counsel of the proper authorities of the kingdom of God.
Do you wish, dear brethren, to see the house of our God built up, adorned, and prepared according to the commandment and pattern given? Do you wish to enter into its sacred courts and receive your washings and anointings, and the keys of knowledge and power? Do you desire the eternal seal of the priesthood placed upon your head by which your progenitors for ages past and your posterity for endless generations to come shall be secured to you in a covenant that is everlasting? Do you desire to take part with the servants of God in teaching, civilizing, saving and exalting the Lamanites? And, in fine, do you desire to stand forth with the servants of God and in the majesty and strength and greatness of the everlasting priesthood rescue the earth from violence, oppression and wickedness and seal all things unto the end of all things that the saints alone may have dominion.
All of you are ready to answer yes, and respond with a hearty affirmative. But remember that there is but one way by which you can realize or partake of these things; it is by hearkening to our counsel in all things; and for this reason we send unto you Brother Amasa [M. Lyman], who will counsel you in all things according to the mind and will of God, according to the circumstances in which you are placed.
If Brother Emmett will receive our advice and continue so to do, it shall yet be well with him, but if not we say in the name of the Lord that it shall be ill with him and all that follow him. {1845-February 27-DHC 7:377-378} (7)
Footnotes:
1 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
2 - http://boap.org/LDS/Nauvoo-Neighbor
3 - Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries
4 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Signature Books, 1994, Appendex: Meetings and Initiations of the Anointed Quorum, 1842-45, http://amzn.to/origins-power
5 - Brigham Young Journal (1801-1877) Journal #2 July, 1837- Mar. 1845
6 - Advent Adam website (defunct) - based on http://amzn.to/originsofpower
7 - Clark, James R., Messages of the First Presidency (6 volumes)
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