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Articles and Covenants, circa April 1830, as Recorded in Hyde and Smith, Notebook [D&C 20]

Source Note

“Articles and Covenants,” [
Fayette Township

Located in northern part of county between Seneca and Cayuga lakes. Area settled, by 1790. Officially organized as Washington Township, 14 Mar. 1800. Name changed to Fayette, 6 Apr. 1808. Population in 1830 about 3,200. Population in 1840 about 3,700. Significant...

More Info
, Seneca Co., NY, ca. Apr. 1830, though parts may have been received as early as ca. summer 1829]. Version copied [between ca. Oct. 1831 and 1 Feb. 1832] in Hyde and Smith, Notebook, [3]–[11]; handwriting of
Orson Hyde

8 Jan. 1805–28 Nov. 1878. Laborer, clerk, storekeeper, teacher, editor, businessman, lawyer, judge. Born at Oxford, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Nathan Hyde and Sally Thorpe. Moved to Derby, New Haven Co., 1812. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, ...

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; Revelations Collection, CHL.

Historical Introduction

See Historical Introduction to Articles and Covenants, circa April 1830 [D&C 20].
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Articles and Covenants, circa April 1830 [D&C 20]

Page [3]

The rise of the
church of Christ

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

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in these last days being 1830 years since the comeing of our Lord & savior Jesus Christ in the flesh, it being regular[l]y organised & established agreeable to the laws of our
country

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

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by the will &
commandments

Generally, a divine mandate that church members were expected to obey; more specifically, a text dictated by JS in the first-person voice of Deity that served to communicate knowledge and instruction to JS and his followers. Occasionally, other inspired texts...

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of God in the fourth month and on the 6th day of the month which is called April which commandments were given to Joseph the Sere, who was called of God &
ordained

The conferral of power and authority; to appoint, decree, or set apart. Church members, primarily adults, were ordained to ecclesiastical offices and other responsibilities by the laying on of hands by those with the proper authority. Ordinations to priesthood...

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an
Apostle

A title indicating one sent forth to preach; later designated as a specific ecclesiastical and priesthood office. By 1830, JS and Oliver Cowdery were designated as apostles. The “Articles and Covenants” of the church explained that an “apostle is an elder...

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of Jesus Christ an
Elder

A male leader in the church generally; an ecclesiastical and priesthood office or one holding that office; a proselytizing missionary. The Book of Mormon explained that elders ordained priests and teachers and administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto...

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of the Church & also to
Oliver [Cowdery]

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

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who was also called of God an apostle of Jesus Christ an Elder of the Church & ordained under under his hand, and this according to the grace of ou[r] Lord & saviour Jesus Christ to whom be all glory both now and forever Amen
For after that it truly was manifested unto this first Elder that he had recd. a remission of his sins, he was entangled agai[n] in the vanities of the world, but after truly repenting God ministered unto him by an holy
angel

Being who acts as a minister and messenger between heaven and earth. JS taught that angels were individuals who “belonged to this earth”; those who had already lived on earth were often resurrected beings. In addition to giving instruction, direction, and...

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whose countenance was as lightning & whose garments were pure & white above all whiteness and gave unto him commandments which inspired him from on high and gave unto him power by the means which was before prepared that he should
translate

To produce a text from one written in another language; in JS’s usage, most often through divine means. JS considered the ability to translate to be a gift of the spirit, like the gift of interpreting tongues. He recounted that he translated “reformed Egyptian...

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a Book which Book contained a record of a fallen people and also the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the
Gentiles

Those who were not members of the House of Israel. More specifically, members of the church identified gentiles as those whose lineage was not of the Jews or Lamanites (understood to be the American Indians in JS’s day). Certain prophecies indicated that ...

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and also to the Jews proveing unto them tha[t] the
holy scriptures

The sacred, written word of God containing the “mind & will of the Lord” and “matters of divine revelation.” Members of the church considered the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and JS’s revelations to be scripture. Revelations in 1830 and 1831 directed JS to ...

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are true & also that God doth inspire men & call them to his holy [work] in these last days as well as in days of old that he might be the same God forever—
Amen [p. [3]]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Articles and Covenants, circa April 1830, as Recorded in Hyde and Smith, Notebook [D&C 20]
ID #
2982
Total Pages
9
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Orson Hyde

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