Several curious tidbits that happened on this day in Mormon History
... Most of the Crops [in the Salmon River Mission] had been destroyed by the grass hoppers but thought they had raised about 200 bushels of wheat 50 of which would be Cut & the remainder would be draged in for seed.
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
The Willie handcart company leaves Florence (Winter Quarters), Nebraska, for the Salt Lake Valley.
In conformity with the foregoing item of law, 7 in the Summer and Fall of the year 1841, the brethern entered into measures to build a baptismal font in the cellar floor near the east end of the temple. President Joseph approved and accepted a draft for the font, made by Brother William Weeks; and on the 18th day of August of that year, Elder Weeks began to labor on the construction of the font with his own hands. He labored six days and then committed the work to carpenters.
[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]
First Presidency statement that church's restriction on negroid peoples receiving priesthood "is not a matter of the declaration of policy but of direct commandment from the Lord."
[Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, Appendix 5, Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1848-1996, http://amzn.to/extensions-power]
Apostle Orson Hyde, Albert Carrington and others arrived in G.S.L. City from Kanesville, Ia., accompanied by Perry E. Brocchus, one of the newly appointed judges for Utah; they brought with them a brass cannon.
[Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
[Wilford Woodruff]
It was Announced this morning that Porter Rockwell had arived in Camp And brought the Mail from Nauvoo. ... The same Paper informed us that the mob spirit was still alive in Hancock Co that they were still mobing, whiping, And killing each other in that County. The Saints were leaving as fast as possible And the new citizens had taken the matter in hand And the war was now between them And the mob.
I was in council with the Twelve & High Council. Porter Rockwell was with us. He was kept in jail as long as they Could & when brought to Court no man appeared against him so He was discharged & came to the Camp.
[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
LDS Church News reports that a married couple has been "teaching folk, square and some ballroom dances" to Indians in primarily Christian Goa, while "serving as Church representatives to teach recreation in India." LDS missionary work in India is limited by laws forbidding foreigners to overtly proselytize. Since the conversion and baptism in 1965 of S. Paul Thiruthuvadoss, who sought out LDS leaders to teach him, proselytizing on the Indian subcontinent is conducted by native converts.
[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]
A First Presidency letter that "after the expiration of one year from the date of death, temple ordinances may be performed for all deceased persons, except those of known Negro blood, without the consideration of worthiness or any other qualification." Until the 1970s the LDS Genealogical Department flags the records of "those of known Negro blood" to avoid the performance of proxy endowment and sealing ceremonies for them. In 1974 church authorities quietly agree to end this practice, after being informed of a potential NAACP lawsuit and Congressional investigation of this racially discriminatory use of such federal records as the U.S. census.
[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]
CHURCH NEWS reports that Finland has given its "Silver Cross" to LDS mission president Henry A/ Matis for allowing one of his missionaries to coach Finnish National Basketball team for international competition.
LDS Church News reports that a married couple has been "teaching folk, square and some ballroom dances" to Indians in primarily Christian Goa, while "serving as Church representatives to teach recreation in India." LDS missionary work in India is limited by laws forbidding foreigners to overtly proselytize. Since the conversion and baptism in 1965 of S. Paul Thiruthuvadoss, who sought out LDS leaders to teach him, proselytizing on the Indian subcontinent is conducted by native converts.
[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]
A First Presidency letter that "after the expiration of one year from the date of death, temple ordinances may be performed for all deceased persons, except those of known Negro blood, without the consideration of worthiness or any other qualification." Until the 1970s the LDS Genealogical Department flags the records of "those of known Negro blood" to avoid the performance of proxy endowment and sealing ceremonies for them. In 1974 church authorities quietly agree to end this practice, after being informed of a potential NAACP lawsuit and Congressional investigation of this racially discriminatory use of such federal records as the U.S. census.
[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]
CHURCH NEWS reports that Finland has given its "Silver Cross" to LDS mission president Henry A/ Matis for allowing one of his missionaries to coach Finnish National Basketball team for international competition.
Wilford Woodruff continued to warn church members of the approaching "hour." At an 1881 conference in Manti he promised "that thousands of the children of the latter day saints would not die but would live to see the Saviour come."
[Larson and Larson, Diary of Charles L. Walker, 2:563-64, 14 Aug. 1881., http://signaturebookslibrary.org/?p=5708, as quoted in The Last Days and December 1890 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ, y George D. Speer Sr., privately circulated]
Wyman's Saint Louis Museum advertises in the SAINT LOUIS MISSOURI DEMOCRAT that "two mummies from the Catacombs of Egypt" are on display. These mummies formerly belonged to the LDS church. They stay in St. Louis for fifteen years before being moved to Chicago. Papyri found with the mummies are also displayed at the museum. Leipzig Egyptologist Gustavus Seyffarth was able to read the name of the person for whom Facsimile No. 3 was made. A contemporary account reports: ". . . according to Prof. Seyffarth, the papyrus roll is not a record, but an invocation to the Deity Osirus, in which occurs the name of the person, (Horus,) and a picture of the attendant spirits, introducing the dead to the Judge, Osirus." When the original of facsimile No. 1 resurfaces in 1967 the hieroglyphs in the margins give "Horus" as the person for whom the scroll was written.
William Morgan, a disaffected Freemason from Batavia, New York, registers a copyright for an exposé of Masonic rituals. (See December 1826 entry, regarding publication.)
[Wikipedia: Chronology of Mormonism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_Mormonism]
... The small pox has been brought into Great Salt Lake county by a company which lately came in from the States ... And in case any of the inhabitants should be seized by a disease, which has been so scandalously kept secret, all parties concerned are required to use every precaution to prevent its spreading beyond such persons. Among the precautionary measures, let every locality of the disease be amply guarded by plain and abundant notices conspicuously posted at every approach thereto; and let there be no communication with the diseased, except by those who are not liable to the contagion. BRIGHAM YOUNG, HEBER C. KIMBALL, JEDEDIAH M. GRANT.
[1856-August 13-DN 6:181, in Clark, James R., Messages of the First Presidency (6 volumes)]
About this time the mobbers in Hancock County, Ill., concluded to drive the few remaining "Mormon" families from Nauvoo.
[Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
[William H. Smart]
After dinner Apostle [Matthias F.] Cowley desired that we take a ride up to Bro[ther]. Shanks and get some flowers. On the way he said he wanted to have a private talk with me. He said although Plural marriage had to be suspended on account of our enemies yet it is an eternal principle and he gave me to infer that in the due time of the Lord it will be again practiced. He said that the people should be taught that it is right, yet in wisdom. He said I should teach it to my wife and with prayerful hearts we should seek to be ready to embrace it when or if opportunity is afforded. He said such men as me'full of faith and integrity proven'should have this blessing. I told him my wife and I are converted to this principle and that upon recommending to the temple or ordaining to the priesthood and setting apart to offices I had often asked this question as to their belief. He heartily commended me for this.
[William H. Smart, Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
Brigham Young preaches: "Why does not our government make a law to say how many children a man shall have? They might as well do so as to make a law to say how many wives a man shall have."
[Brigham Young]
... Do we wish to destroy people? We do not, not even those ignorant, bloodthirsty Lamanites. Did we ever destroy? No; it is not our doctrine; but our doctrine is to build up and save life instead of destroying it. Is it necessary on any occasion, and under any circumstances whatever? Yes, let a man meet me with a design to kill me, and I am going to get the first blow if I can. I have not come to die for the sins of the world as our Savior, Jesus Christ, did. It was necessary for him to be killed; but it is not necessary for me. ... The man who was referred to this morning has given testimony against us, respecting matters here, which is utterly false. After making such infamous statements, that man could not live here twenty-four hours, if it were not that we are Latter-day Saints who live here. By letting him alone, however, he will kill himself. There is also a man down the street who tried to exhibit the endowments to a party who was here. You will see what becomes of that man. Do not touch him. He has forfeited every right and title to eternal life; but let him alone, and you will see by and by what will become of him. His heart will ache, and so will the heart of every apostate that fights against Zion; they will destroy themselves. It is a mistaken idea that God destroys people, or that the Saints wish to destroy them. ...
[Journal of Discourses. Liverpool, England, 1853-86. 11:257-263, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]