| Conference considers
Sidney Rigdon's written charges against Bishop Edward Partridge and writes
Kirtland that Edward has confessed and asked forgiveness for some, others
are unjust. Time to put it behind them. |
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| Date |
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March 10, 1832 |
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FWR,
40–42. |
| Location |
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Zion |
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| Description |
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… a special Conference
in Zion … |
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| Moderator |
|
John Whitmer |
|
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| Clerk |
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Oliver Cowdery |
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| Present |
|
John
Whitmer
Edward Partridge
John Corrill
Isaac Morley
William W. Phelps
Sidney Gilbert
Selah J. Griffin |
|
|
| Resolve
to write Sidney |
|
Resolved. That this conference write to our br. Sidney Rigdon. Wrote as follows. |
|
The Bishop and the
Lord |
Confessions
made at previous conference
No longer an issue
|
|
First as to the charges preferred against our br. Edward Partridge in a letter addressed to brs. John Corrill & Isaac Morley dated Hiram, Nov. 14, 1831. We learn by conversing with br. Edward and those personally conversant with the circumstances that the said charges are partially correct But as the most of them transpired previous to a Conference held on this land at which our brs. Edward and Sidney were present face to face when
confessions were made by several brethren and by br. Edward in particular,
to our joy and thanksgiving to our God we can truly say his spirit was there also, we cannot consider them justifiable. |
|
The matter was also addressed
at the ¶ Minutes of April 26–27, 1832. |
| Transfer expenses for Joseph, Oliver, and Sidney paid |
|
Secondly, As three of the charges are prefered after said Conference one of them is respecting the handing
over money to brs Joseph Oliver & Sidney for their expense to Ohio, to
which br. Edward says he had no disposition to defraud or deceive his brethren in that case& if any damage has accrued to the Church, or the feelings of any of his brethren been aggrieved in consequence of the same he now asks their forgiveness as well as the forgiveness of the Lord. |
|
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| Unjust
accusations |
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The other two are not
considered by this Conference just accusations; |
|
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| Edward
sorry for insulting Joseph |
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but in relation to the fifth charge which reads: "His
having insulted the Lord's prophet in particular and assumed authority
over him in open violation of the Laws of God." Br. Edward says that in relation to the same although the circumstances occurred previous to said conference if Br. Joseph has not forgiven
him he hopes he will, as he is & has always been sorry. |
|
|
| Take
Sidney to task |
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Resolved that whereas the duty of a disciple of Christ is to promote
peace union, harmony, and brotherly love and not at any time imprudently
prefer charges and demand confession and settlement of the same in the
absence of a br. after having had a privilege of doing the same face
to face, and more expecially after sitting in Conference
in the name of the Lord and communing together at sacrament, we do therefore,
after deliberately weighing the subject before us, earnestly entreat
our br. Sidney for the good of the cause in which we labor and for which
we suffer persecutions, to candidly reflect upon the subject of the aforementioned
letter and ask himself whether he was not actuated by his own hasty
feelings rather than the Spirit of Christ when indicting the same. |
|
|
| Put
it to rest |
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After having conversed with br. Edward freely upon the subject we can say with assurance that he is willing to make
every confession which br. Sidney as a disciple of Christ could require & forever bury the matter. And we do advise that
such may be the resolution and thereby the wound in the Church be healed
& they walk together as brothers filling the important stations in the Kingdom of God in honor to themselves & the advancement of our Redeemer's Cause: Amen. |
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| Close |
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Prayer by Isaac Morley. |
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Minutes of April 26–27, 1832
Oliver Cowdery to Joseph Smith, January 28, 1832
Jackson County Minutes
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