Several curious tidbits that happened on this day in Mormon History
Meeting of the Twelve discusses the previous "controversy" between President Joseph F. Smith and his second counselor Charles W. Penrose over whether it is necessary to confer the priesthood before ordaining to an office. This does not become churchwide policy again for almost six years.
[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]
John D. Lee sentenced to death for Mountain Meadows Massacre. Judge Jacob Boreman gives Lee the choice between hanging, firing squad or being beheaded. By choosing firing squad over beheading Lee seems to indicate he feels no need of blood atonement. At the sentencing Judge Boreman says LDS authorities had "inaugurated and decided upon the wholesale slaughter of the emigrants" and had been "a persistent and determined opposition to an investigation of the massacre." OGDEN JUNCTION newspaper calls Boreman's remarks "disgraceful" and an attack on prosecutor Sumner Howard. Howard had made a secret deal with the LDS leaders to prosecute only Lee in exchange for LDS cooperation. John D. Lee is the only person ever tried in connection with Mountain Meadows Massacre.
[Brigham Young]
--10-- Met with the Twelve for the purpose of holding a council, but spent most of the day in visiting the sick.
[Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1801-1844, ed. Elden Jay Watson (Salt Lake City: Smith Secretarial Service, 1968).]
[Brigham Young]
Some remarks were made last Sunday night relative to the family of Joseph Smith. President Young said, I have no fears with regard to the children of Joseph. God will take care of them and all will be right. -- Salt Lake City [Wilford Woodruff?s Journal. 9 Vols. Scott G. Kenney, ed. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1983-85. 4:470]
[The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
An advance company of the Mormon Battalion arrives in Santa Fe and presents itself for inspection to Col. Alexander W. Doniphan. Previously, Doniphan had commanded a Missouri state militia detachment that arrested Joseph Smith; on that occasion, Doniphan defied orders from his superiors to execute Smith.
The Mormon marchers are honored by Doniphan with a 100-gun salute.
[Mormon Battalion Timeline, Herald Extra, March 25, 2010]
The camp of the poor was organized and started for the West. Flocks of quails visited the camp and were easily caught. This was a providential supply of food for the suffering exiles.
[Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
[Leonard Arrington]
The one talk that marred the tone of the conference for me was Elder Packer's talk ["Reverence Invites Revelation"] asserting that studying doctrine without the spirit is dangerous. Intellectual study of Mormon doctrine without the spiritual component is wrong, he said, thus indirectly criticizing symposiums and study groups which, he said, concentrate on doctrine and ordinances and measure them by the intellect alone. This statement is false, in my experience, since no symposium, especially Sunstone Symposium, studies by the intellect alone to the exclusion of personal testimony and "the spirit." My talks alone are proof of that.
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
[1st Presidency Changes]
Brigham Young John Willard Young Daniel H. Wells Joseph F. Smith (Counselor) George Q. Cannon (Assistant Counselor) Brigham Young, Jr. (Assistant Counselor) Lorenzo Snow (Assistant Counselor) Albert Carrington (Assistant Counselor) John Willard Young called as First Counselor
[Wikipedia, First Presidency (LDS Church), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Presidency_(LDS_Church)#Chronology_of_the_First_Presidency]
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff]
8th I am quite undecided which way to turn or whare to settle myself. The temporal business of the Church is laid upon the hands of the Twelve. It has been thought best by some of our quorum for me to go to warsaw with Elder Richards.
Sister Kimball deliverd to us all the things which I had sent to Phebe from England by Elder Turley which were left in her hands. I Paid R Cahoon $5 dollars for Dwight Webster for the house of the Lord.
On looking over all my accounts & expenses from New York to Nauvoo & I found that all the expenses Aug in New York to the 8th oct. in Nauvoo amounted in all to $238.21 cts.
I met in conference with the Twelve & among other business they voted that I should locate myself in Nauvoo. I looked over my accounts with Sister Nelson & she is indetted to me $1 dollar.
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
[Second Coming]
"I have just been handed a note that says that a U.S. missile attack is under way. I need not remind you that we live in perilous times. …Now, I do not wish to be an alarmist. I do not wish to be a prophet of doom. I am optimistic. I do not believe the time is here when an all-consuming calamity will overtake us. …Are these perilous times? They are."
[the-times-in-which-we-live Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, General Conference, October 7, 200, as quoted in The Last Days and December 1890 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ, y George D. Speer Sr., privately circulated]
"When Pres. McKay dies Ezra Taft won't last a year," a bishop from Logan, Utah said. "Pres. Smith or Elder Lee will not hesitate to put him in his place if he continues his political preaching." "If this happens," the bishop predicted, "it may turn out that Benson will refuse to give up his Americanism campaign and will be dropped or resign from the Quorum."
[Quoted in Buchanan diary, 7 Oct. 1966. From D. Michael Quinn, Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992), also in Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3.]
Apostle Hyrum M. Smith, son of President Joseph F. Smith publicly attacked Catholicism claiming that it “is a great liability in any nation. It wields a power for evil... [Catholicism] does not promote civilization, it binds them in the thralldom of superstition.” Salt Lake Catholic Bishop Joseph F. Glass, responded, writing to Joseph F. Smith on Oct. 7, 1916 asking if “the sentiments expressed by Hyrum M. Smith represent the feelings of the Latter-Day Saints toward the Catholic Church?” Joseph F. Smith gave the letter to his son and Hyrum M. Smith who wrote a letter to Joseph S. Glass on October 11, 1916 in response:
“It would have been more consistent, in my judgment, had you submitted your questions to me rather than to the President of the Church, since I alone am responsible for the remarks to which you make reference."
[General Conference, October 1916]
President Young then said I wish to Fullfill the promise which I made 2 weeks ago. I then told the people or the females that I would release them at Conference. I will do so on certain conditions & that is that you will appear forthwith at my office & give good & sufficient reasons & then marry men that will not have but one wife.
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
Pres. Brigham Young stated that the Semi-annual Conference was now open, and that the first business was to forthwith start assistance to those now on the plains [Willie & Martin companies]. Called upon those who were willing to go, or send teams, to come to the stand and report; saying that if there were not enough teams; teamsters etc., volunteered, he would close the conference, and, with Br. Kimball, start back to help those companies. [Pres. Kimball remarked, It is moved and seconded that Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and Jedediah M. Grant go back to help the P.E. Fund Emigrants. Unanimously negative] Pres. B. Young spoke upon the necessity of a reformation among the Saints. -- SLC Bowery
[The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
[Brigham Young]
The word of wisdom was given in kirtland 20 years ago for the benefit of all Saints. When we live 20 or 50 years longer we shall see that we do not understand much of the word of wisdom.... We are forbidden to use meat in hot weather. Hot drinks & tobaco is not good for man. You should not eat to overload your stomach. Their is a greater lack in my system of wisdom of tempering my food & Exercise than in Eating meat or tobaco... So with tea Coffee & sugar. You must raise & make it or go without it. .
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
[Brigham Young]
The Pres[ident] remarked he liked a woman to live with her husband as long as she could bear with him and if her life became too burdensome then leave and get a divorce. He observed with the exceptions of a little scripture upon the subject of divorces, he was not aware the Lord had given any special revelations upon the Subject of divorces. -- Salt Lake City
[Brigham Young Office Journals, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
[Wilford Woodruff]
At the Close of the meeting we repaired to the prayer Circle had prayers then we went unto the Font & President Brigham Young went down into the Font of water & baptized men women & children of his own family about 75 in number. Then President Heber C. Kimball went down into the water & baptized about 75 mostly of his family. Some were of my Family & others of the Twelve. Then Lorenzo Young went into the water & baptized about 25 persons making 175 persons all of which were confirmed under the Hands of H. C. Kimball J. M. Grant W. Woodruff Joseph Young J. Vancott & D. H. Wells Confirmed a few of the Last.
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
President Brigham Young organizes the effort to rescue the Martin and Willie handcart companies, both of which are still east of South Pass in Wyoming.
[J. Reuben Clark]
Called Ivor Sharp and told him he had talked with Pres. Smith and told him that it cost KSL over $500 last time for running over and (he was sure that did not cover the over-head and operating expenses) and Pres. Smith said he did not see there was anything to do except cut it off the air on the hour. Bro. Sharp said he would cut it off unless someone was speaking that he thought should be left on, such as the First Presidency Sunday afternoon.
[The Diaries of J. Reuben Clark, 1933-1961, Abridged, Digital Edition, Salt Lake City, Utah 2015]
[John Henry Smith]
We agreed to let the question of Prohibition alone for a while and try Local Option.
We were instructed to do no radical thing during Conference. All were to preach the Gospel.
[Jean Bickmore White (editor), Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1990, http://bit.ly/johnhenrysmith]
President Wilford Woodruff preaches in general conference: "The God of heaven knows what it will cost them for shedding the blood of the Prophet of God and his brother, and the Apostles and brethren who laid down their lives for the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ. It costs something to shed righteous blood. And the Gentiles have not got eighteen hundred years before them in which to pay the debt. The words of the Lord have got to be fulfilled upon them in the day and generation in which these holy men have been slain."