Footnotes
Kimball, “History,” 55.
Kimball, Heber C. “History of Heber Chase Kimball by His Own Dictation,” ca. 1842–1856. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 2.
At least some of the difficulty between these men and the church revolved around the collapse of the economy in Kirtland, Ohio. During the meeting, Boynton attributed his opposition to “the failure of the bank.” Although Sidney Rigdon rejected Boynton’s explanation, Rigdon likewise thought the root of the conflict was related to economic concerns; he condemned Johnson and Boynton for operating a mercantile firm while neglecting their ecclesiastical responsibilities. (Minutes, 3 Sept. 1837.)
Minute Book 1, 10 Sept. 1837; Letter to Oliver Cowdery et al., ca. 17 June 1838.
Oliver Cowdery, Far West, MO, to Warren Cowdery and Lyman Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, [10] Mar. 1838, in Cowdery, Letterbook, 92.
Cowdery, Oliver. Letterbook, 1833–1838. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
Oliver Cowdery, Far West, MO, to Warren Cowdery and Lyman Cowdery, [Kirtland, OH], 4 Feb. 1838, in Cowdery, Letterbook, 85.
Cowdery, Oliver. Letterbook, 1833–1838. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
See, for example, Oliver Cowdery, Far West, MO, to Warren Cowdery and Lyman Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, 24 Feb. 1838, in Cowdery, Letterbook, 87; and Stephen Burnett, Orange Township, OH, to Lyman Johnson, 15 Apr. 1838, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 64–66.
Cowdery, Oliver. Letterbook, 1833–1838. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
JS Letterbook 2 / Smith, Joseph. “Copies of Letters, &c. &c.,” 1839–1843. Joseph Smith Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155, box 2, fd. 2.
In January 1838, the Zion presidency was charged with, among other things, failing to adhere to the revealed dietary code known as the Word of Wisdom. According to the report of the committee assigned to discuss the charges with the presidency, Phelps denied breaking the Word of Wisdom, while Cowdery and the Whitmers admitted to drinking tea or coffee, as “they did not consider them to come under the head of hot drinks.” In February, Hinkle criticized David Whitmer for “persisting in the use of tea, coffee, and tobacco.” Decades later, Whitmer identified the Word of Wisdom as one of the principal causes of dispute between himself and other church leaders in Far West. (Minute Book 2, 26 Jan. 1838; Letter from Thomas B. Marsh, 15 Feb. 1838; Gurley, “Questions Asked of David Whitmer,” 1.)
Gurley, Zenos. “Questions Asked of David Whitmer at His Home in Richmond Ray County Mo,” 14–21 Jan. 1885. CHL. MS 4633.
The last church meeting Whitmer was recorded as attending was on 6 December 1837. Similar charges were made against Cowdery and Johnson. (Minute Book 2, 6–7 Dec. 1837; see also Minutes, 12 Apr. 1838.)
In June 1838, a letter directing David Whitmer, Cowdery, and other dissenters to leave Far West also accused the men of having “kept up continual correspondance with your gang of Marauders in Kirtland.” No correspondence from Whitmer to Kirtland has been located; however, during this period Cowdery and Johnson appear to have maintained regular correspondence with Kirtland dissenters, which suggests that Whitmer may have as well. An August 1837 letter from John Whitmer in Missouri to David Whitmer and Cowdery in Kirtland implies that correspondence was encouraged, if not already occurring: “Communicate to us any thing that you in your wisdom may think expedient.” John Whitmer assured his brother and Cowdery that because Phelps was the postmaster of Far West, “a letter can be addressed to him on any subject and no one know it.” (Letter to Oliver Cowdery et al., ca. 17 June 1838; John Whitmer, Far West, MO, to Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer, Kirtland Mills, OH, 29 Aug. 1837, Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT; see also Oliver Cowdery, Far West, MO, to Warren Cowdery and Lyman Cowdery, [Kirtland, OH], 4 Feb. 1838, in Cowdery, Letterbook, 87; Oliver Cowdery, Far West, MO, to Warren Cowdery and Lyman Cowdery, Kirtland, OH, 24 Feb. 1838, in Cowdery, Letterbook, 87; Stephen Burnett, Orange Township, OH, to Lyman Johnson, 15 Apr. 1838, in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 64–66; and Oliver Cowdery, Far West, MO, to Warren Cowdery and Lyman Cowdery, Kirtland Mills, OH, 2 June 1838, Lyman Cowdery, Papers, CHL.)
Whitmer, John. Letter, Far West, MO, to Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer, Kirtland Mills, OH, 29 Aug. 1837. Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Cowdery, Oliver. Letterbook, 1833–1838. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.
JS Letterbook 2 / Smith, Joseph. “Copies of Letters, &c. &c.,” 1839–1843. Joseph Smith Collection, 1827–1846. CHL. MS 155, box 2, fd. 2.
Cowdery, Lyman. Papers, 1834–1858. CHL. MS 3467.
On 10 March 1838, the Whitmer brothers and Phelps wrote a letter to Marsh, complaining about the treatment they received from Marsh and the high council and signing the letter as presidents of the church in Zion. A similar charge was made against Cowdery, who attested to the three men’s complaints and signed the letter as the clerk of the high council. (Minute Book 2, 10 Mar. 1838; Minutes, 12 Apr. 1838.)
During the February 1838 proceedings in which Whitmer was removed from the Zion presidency, Murdock addressed criticism that the high council’s treatment of the presidency aberrated from the rules of the church. According to Murdock, the council’s actions were “perfectly legal, according to the instructions of President Joseph Smith jr.” (Letter from Thomas B. Marsh, 15 Feb. 1838.)