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Letter to John Smith, 2 July 1833

Source Note

JS and , Letter, , Geauga Co., OH, to John Smith, , IN, 2 July 1833. Retained copy, [ca. 2 July 1833], in JS Letterbook 1, pp. 50–51; handwriting of JS and ; JS Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS Letterbook 1.

Historical Introduction

John Smith and his son (no relation to JS) were into the in 1831 and immediately became active missionaries. John preached with Eden, , JS, and many others in various counties in , including , , Perry, , and Stark. Among the many John baptized were ; Elizabeth Boosinger Smith, wife of Eden Smith; and Elizabeth’s father, . On 19 November 1831, John his son Eden and Micah Welton to the office of . Eden later received two formal calls to proselytize: in a revelation dated 25 January 1832, he was called to serve with Welton, and in a March 1832 revelation, he was called to serve with .
On 29 June 1832, John Smith sold his farm in Northampton, Ohio, and planned to move to . In mid-July he visited his son in Chippewa, Ohio, where John attended meetings of the local church . While in Chippewa, John was apparently accused of committing an offense for which he was required by a local church disciplinary council to confess, which he refused to do. In late August 1832, John and Eden Smith left Chippewa for , Ohio. On their journey, they visited church members at Shalersville Township, Ohio, where John became embroiled in a conflict that may have been related to his earlier alleged offense in Chippewa. At a disciplinary hearing held in Kirtland prior to John Smith’s departure, and his counselors relieved John of his authority. However, John did not leave his priesthood with the authorities in Kirtland as required, and by 15 December 1832, he moved to Vermillion County, Indiana, where he and Eden both officiated as holders of the priesthood. In , Vermillion County, John served in positions of authority in early 1833, occasionally acting as the president of a or council meeting. On 8 June 1833, John wrote a letter to JS. On 2 July, JS responded with this letter of disapprobation, which indicates that before John left Kirtland he was, in fact, charged with a “misdemeanor” and deprived of his authority in the church. The later informed the branch in Eugene that “you are required not to receive his [John Smith’s] teachings but to treat him as a transgressor until he repents” to the satisfaction of the church at Eugene and at Kirtland.
A council of elders of the branch held a conference on 13 July 1833 to discuss John Smith’s case. After the president of the council read aloud an earlier letter from concerning John and and their transgressions, “Br John Smith arose and aleged him br Newel of forgery and worse than the Roman Judge.” John’s harsh words against Bishop Whitney could have been a reaction not only to the content of the letter that was read, but also to John’s experience at the held earlier in . The church in Eugene then investigated John’s case and “raised thare hands against him,” voting to cut him off from the congregation. The letter featured here referred to John’s offenses and Eden’s complicity in those offenses. In the letter, JS and also reiterated that they considered John a “private member” of the church with no priesthood authority. The letter also suggested that John would be brought back into full fellowship if he expressed proper humility and repentance and that unless he did so he would be subject to additional church discipline. It is not known if he ever reconciled with the church.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    John and Eden Smith began serving missions as early as December 1831. John was baptized on 16 May 1831. He was ordained an elder on 17 May 1831 in Northampton, Ohio, by Lyman Wight. Eden was ordained a priest on 11 September 1831 and then ordained an elder on 19 November 1831. (John Smith, Diary, 16–17 May 1831; 11 Sept. 1831; 19 Nov. 1831; see also Eden Smith, Journal, 10 Feb. 1832.)

    Smith, John (ca. 1775–after 1833). Diary, 1831–1832. CHL. MS 5349.

    Smith, Eden. Journal, Sept. 1831–Aug. 1832. CHL. MS 1940.

  2. [2]

    John Smith, Diary, 23 June 1831; 9 Aug. 1831; 13 Sept. 1831.

    Smith, John (ca. 1775–after 1833). Diary, 1831–1832. CHL. MS 5349.

  3. [3]

    John Smith, Diary, 17 Nov. 1831.

    Smith, John (ca. 1775–after 1833). Diary, 1831–1832. CHL. MS 5349.

  4. [4]

    Revelation, 25 Jan. 1832–B [D&C 75:36]; Revelation, 7 Mar. 1832 [D&C 80]. Because of illness, Eden Smith did not immediately leave for his mission with Stephen Burnett, who began proselytizing in company with John Smith, Eden’s father, on 22 March 1832 in Chippewa, Ohio. In his journal, Eden recorded that on 25 April 1832, he attended a conference at Burnett’s home. In entries for the 26th, 27th, and 28th, Eden wrote that he traveled with others, possibly including Burnett, to Shalersville, Ohio, and then to Northampton, Ohio, before returning to Chippewa. Eden Smith served with Burnett from 15 through 19 August 1832. Before that, Eden traveled and preached with Micah Welton from 10 through 19 December 1831. (John Smith, Diary, 22 Mar. 1832; Eden Smith, Journal, 10–19 Dec. 1831; 25–28 Apr. 1832; 15–19 Aug. 1832.)

    Smith, John (ca. 1775–after 1833). Diary, 1831–1832. CHL. MS 5349.

    Smith, Eden. Journal, Sept. 1831–Aug. 1832. CHL. MS 1940.

  5. [5]

    John Smith, Diary, 29 June 1832.

    Smith, John (ca. 1775–after 1833). Diary, 1831–1832. CHL. MS 5349.

  6. [6]

    John Smith noted that he went to “Chipway and attended meetings with the Church” on 18 July 1832. John’s journal ends in August 1832 with him leaving to go to Kirtland. Eden Smith lived in Chippewa before moving to Vermillion County, Indiana, later in 1832. (John Smith, Diary, 18 July and 22 Aug. 1832; Eden Smith, Journal, 17 Apr. 1832; Vermillion Branch, Conference Minutes, 3 Nov. 1832.)

    Smith, John (ca. 1775–after 1833). Diary, 1831–1832. CHL. MS 5349.

    Smith, Eden. Journal, Sept. 1831–Aug. 1832. CHL. MS 1940.

    Vermillion Branch. Conference Minutes, Nov. 1832–July 1833. CHL. LR 5552 21.

  7. [7]

    As Newel K. Whitney stated in a postscript to a letter dated 2 July 1833, John Smith’s “authority as an officer in the church was taken from him before he left and he ought to have given up his License but he went away without doing so.” (Letter to Church Leaders in Eugene, IN, 2 July 1833; for more information on licenses, see Historical Introduction to License for Frederick G. Williams, 20 Mar. 1833.)

  8. [8]

    See, for example, Vermillion Branch, Conference Minutes, 1 Jan. 1833; 20 and 23 Feb. 1833.

    Vermillion Branch. Conference Minutes, Nov. 1832–July 1833. CHL. LR 5552 21.

  9. [9]

    Eugene branch records indicate that a president of a meeting was not appointed by church leaders in Kirtland but by the members of the local branch. For example, a report of the branch conference held on 3 November 1832 reads: “A Conferece of Elders of the Church of Christ held at Br Levi Jones Vermillion County State of Indiana Eugene Township Conferance opend by prayr by Solomon Wixom perceded to Cho[o]se a president Eden Smith and Solomon Wixom Clerk.” John acted as an active priesthood holder in the early months of 1833. At one point, he was listed as a high priest in conference minutes, but at other times he was listed as an elder. (Vermillion Branch, Conference Minutes, 3 Nov. 1832; for instances when the conference chose either John or Eden Smith to act as president or moderator of a meeting, see Vermillion Branch, Conference Minutes, 1 Jan. 1833; 20 and 23 Feb. 1833.)

    Vermillion Branch. Conference Minutes, Nov. 1832–July 1833. CHL. LR 5552 21.

  10. [10]

    This letter has not been located.

  11. [11]

    Letter to Church Leaders in Eugene, IN, 2 July 1833; see also Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:80, 83].

  12. [12]

    Vermillion Branch, Conference Minutes, 13 July 1833.

    Vermillion Branch. Conference Minutes, Nov. 1832–July 1833. CHL. LR 5552 21.

  13. [13]

    See Peterson, “Journal of John Smith,” 5.

    Peterson, Earl T. “Journal of John Smith, 16 May 1831 to 22 August 1832.” Unpublished paper. Lakewood, CO, 1978. Copy at CHL.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Letter to John Smith, 2 July 1833
Letterbook 1 History, 1838–1856, volume A-1 [23 December 1805–30 August 1834] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 50

2d July 1833—
Brother John Smith— (2d)
We <​have​> just received your letter of the 8th of June, which seems to have been wrttin [written] in a Spirit of Justifycation on your part; You well recollect that previous to your leaveing this place you was tryd before the which found you guilty of misdemeanor— and desided that you should no longer retain your authaurety in the . all of which we approove as Sanction. you name you nam[e] something in your letter that took place at in Shalersville on the 27th, and 28th, of August which we perfectly Agree recollect and had you have [p. 50]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 50

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to John Smith, 2 July 1833
ID #
170
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D3:168–172
Handwriting on This Page
  • Joseph Smith Jr.

Footnotes

  1. new scribe logo

    JS handwriting begins.

  2. [1]

    Perhaps this indication of “2d” served to differentiate this John Smith from JS’s uncle John Smith.

  3. [2]

    Extant evidence does not provide explicit reasons for why a hearing before the bishop’s court was held. It is not clear when the hearing occurred, though it likely took place after August 1832, when John Smith’s journal ends, and before 15 December 1832, when his name first appears in Vermillion County branch records. It seems that Smith had done something that required disciplinary action and that he later spoke harshly against church leaders and other members of the church. A February 1831 revelation explained that if one offended another and the offending party did not confess and demonstrate humility and repentance, the offender would face chastisement and “be rebuked openly that he may be ashamed.” (John Smith, Diary, 22 Aug. 1832; Vermillion Branch, Conference Minutes, 15 Dec. 1832; Revelation, 23 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:91].)

    Smith, John (ca. 1775–after 1833). Diary, 1831–1832. CHL. MS 5349.

    Vermillion Branch. Conference Minutes, Nov. 1832–July 1833. CHL. LR 5552 21.

  4. [3]

    John Smith had been ordained an elder, but it is not clear if he had been ordained to the office of high priest by this time. He is listed as a high priest in the minutes of a 25–26 October 1831 conference held in Orange, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and in the minutes of a 23 February 1833 conference held in Vermillion County, Ohio. In all other minutes, both before and after these dates, he is listed as an elder. That the presidency sanctioned the proceedings of the bishop’s court clearly indicates that John Smith’s priesthood authority had been removed. (See Minutes, 25–26 Oct. 1831; Vermillion Branch, Conference Minutes, 23 Feb. 1833; for more information on priesthood authority in the church and on the power of the presidency of the high priesthood to take away a person’s priesthood authority, see Articles and Covenants, ca. Apr. 1830 [D&C 20:63–64, 80–83]; and Minutes, 2 May 1833.)

    Vermillion Branch. Conference Minutes, Nov. 1832–July 1833. CHL. LR 5552 21.

  5. [4]

    For information on presidents, or the presidency, of the high priesthood, see the Historical Introduction to Revelation, 8 Mar. 1833 [D&C 90].

  6. [5]

    Shalersville Township, Portage County, Ohio. Shalersville was located north of Ravenna, Ohio, and was about twenty-seven miles southeast of Kirtland. (Berrett, Sacred Places, 3:56–57.)

    Berrett, LaMar C., ed. Sacred Places: A Comprehensive Guide to Early LDS Historical Sites. 6 vols. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1999–2007.

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