Footnotes
Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:2–3] .
According to Ezra Booth, the arriving elders “expected to find a large Church, which Smith said, was revealed to him in a vision, Oliver had raised up there.” Instead, they found a congregation consisting of only “three or four females.” For Booth, who left the church in fall 1831, this disappointment was difficult to overcome. Apparently, seven people had actually been baptized in Jackson County by this time, including Joshua Lewis and other members of his family. (Ezra Booth, “Mormonism—No. V,” Ohio Star [Ravenna], 10 Nov. 1831, [3]; Knight, Reminiscences, 9; Whitmer, Journal, Dec. 1831, [1].)
Ohio Star. Ravenna. 1830–1854.
Knight, Joseph, Sr. Reminiscences, no date. CHL. MS 3470.
Whitmer, Peter, Jr. Journal, Dec. 1831. CHL. MS 5873.
Revelation, 4 Feb. 1831 [D&C 41:10]; Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:6, 15]; Revelation, 8 June 1831 [D&C 53:4].
Minute Book 2, 10 Mar. 1832; Ezra Booth, “Mormonism—No. VII,” Ohio Star (Ravenna), 24 Nov. 1831, [1]. In March 1832, Partridge admitted in a conference in Missouri that he had a disagreement with JS sometime prior to “a Conference held on this land at which our brs. Edward & Sidney were present face to face”—most likely the 4 August 1831 conference. “If Br. Joseph has not forgiven him he hopes he will,” the minutes of this meeting state, “as he is & has always been sorry.” (Minute Book 2, 10 Mar. 1832.)
Ohio Star. Ravenna. 1830–1854.
The heading that precedes this revelation in Revelation Book 1 records that this revelation was “given to the elders who were assembeled on the land of Zion.”
Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:16] .
Booth, who had become disaffected from the church, quoted a portion of the revelation pertaining to Partridge word for word in a 20 September 1831 letter to Partridge, which indicates that Booth possessed a copy. (Ezra Booth, “Mormonism—No. VII,” Ohio Star [Ravenna], 24 Nov. 1831, [1].)
Ohio Star. Ravenna. 1830–1854.
Howe, Mormonism Unvailed, 221.
Howe, Eber D. Mormonism Unvailed: Or, A Faithful Account of That Singular Imposition and Delusion, from Its Rise to the Present Time. With Sketches of the Characters of Its Propagators, and a Full Detail of the Manner in Which the Famous Golden Bible Was Brought before the World. To Which Are Added, Inquiries into the Probability That the Historical Part of the Said Bible Was Written by One Solomon Spalding, More Than Twenty Years Ago, and by Him Intended to Have Been Published as a Romance. Painesville, OH: By the author, 1834.
When he began his journey to Missouri, Partridge apparently did not anticipate that he would be asked to stay there. In a letter to his wife, Partridge wrote, “When I left Painesville I told people I was coming back & bid none a farewell but for a short time.” (Edward Partridge, Independence, MO, to Lydia Clisbee Partridge, 5–7 Aug. 1831, Edward Partridge, Letters, 1831–1835, CHL.)
Partridge, Edward. Letters, 1831–1835. CHL. MS 23154.
A February 1831 revelation commanded church members to donate their surplus goods “unto my store house.” The 20 July 1831 revelation instructed Sidney Gilbert to “establish a store” in Independence, from which he would provision church members who gathered there. (Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:34, 55]; see also Revelation, 20 May 1831 [D&C 51:13]; and Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:8].)
The Howe copy omits “the same.”
Matthew 24:45 uses the phrase “wise servant,” and Matthew 25:26 uses “slothful servant.” Both passages were within the section that JS completed in his Bible revision before leaving Ohio for Missouri. On 5 August, Partridge wrote to his wife, Lydia, that he and the other men who were to settle in Missouri were “left to our own agreement how we will manage about getting our families here.” (Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 65; Edward Partridge, Independence, MO, to Lydia Clisbee Partridge, 5–7 Aug. 1831, Edward Partridge, Letters, 1831–1835, CHL.)
Faulring, Scott H., Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds. Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004.
Partridge, Edward. Letters, 1831–1835. CHL. MS 23154.
JS’s revision of the book of Genesis, completed in early 1831, included God’s instruction to Adam that men are “agents unto themselves.” (Old Testament Revision 1, p. 14 [Moses 6:56]; Faulring et al., Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible, 63–64.)
Faulring, Scott H., Kent P. Jackson, and Robert J. Matthews, eds. Joseph Smith’s New Translation of the Bible: Original Manuscripts. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2004.
See Matthew 10:42.
The Howe copy has “ordained” instead of “promised.”
Harris’s son claimed in 1875 that Harris gave $1,200 to Partridge for land purchases in Missouri, but no extant contemporary sources corroborate that claim. Indeed, it is unclear what resources Harris had available in August 1831. He had earlier mortgaged his farm to help pay for the publication of the Book of Mormon, which apparently left him with no property to consecrate. However, according to a January 1830 agreement, Harris would have “equal privilege” to sell copies of the Book of Mormon until he was reimbursed for the $3,000 value of his farm. What money he gained from that is unclear, but Harris later recollected that he eventually received from JS “all that I advanced, and more too.” (Obituary for Martin Harris, Ogden Junction [Utah Territory], 16 July 1875, [2]; Martin Harris to Egbert B. Grandin, Indenture, Wayne Co., NY, 25 Aug. 1829, Wayne Co., NY, Mortgage Records, vol. 3, pp. 325–326, microfilm 479,556, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Agreement with Martin Harris, 16 Jan. 1830; David B. Dille, “Additional Testimony of Martin Harris,” LDS Millennial Star, 20 Aug. 1859, 21:545–546.)
Ogden Junction. Ogden, Utah Territory. 1870–1881.Ohio Atlas and Lorain County Gazette. Elyria, OH. 1832–1833.
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
According to the 9 February 1831 revelation of the “Laws of the Church of Christ,” any consecrated “properties” remaining after one received back a stewardship for his or her needs would be used “for the purpose of purchaseing Land & building up of the New Jerusalem.” The revelation referred only to “properties” and did not specify a separate instruction for “moneys.” (Revelation, 9 Feb. 1831 [D&C 42:32–35].)
On 8 August 1831, Partridge paid $50 to purchase lot 76 in Independence from James Gray for the printing office. Lot 59 and the old courthouse were purchased for $371 on 20 February 1832 for the storehouse. (Jackson Co., MO, Deed Records, 1827–1909, vol. A, pp. 114–115, 8 Aug. 1831; vol. B, pp. 32–33, 20 Feb. 1832, microfilm 1,017,978, U. S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
The Howe copy omits “shall be given him.”
See Book of Mormon, 1830 ed., 109 [2 Nephi 26:29].
The 20 July 1831 revelation instructed Phelps to “be planted in this place & be established as a Printer unto the Church.” (Revelation, 20 July 1831 [D&C 57:11].)