| High council prepares
a list of nine items regarding the behavior of Presidents W. W. Phelps and
John Whitmer to be investigated by the bishop and his counselors, and apostles Thomas B. Marsh and David W. Patten. The
high council feels the two have exceed their authority in picking out the
site of Far West, laying out the city, assigning a site for the house of
the Lord and appointing a building committee, profiting from the sale of
land to members, and ignoring the bishopric. John Murdock presides by virtue of being the oldest. |
|
| Date |
|
April 3, 1837 |
FWR,
107–108. |
| Location |
|
Far West, Missouri. |
"For the first time in the County of Caldwell A meeting of the High Council was called in Farewest & as I was the oldest in the Council it fell on me to preside & we organized by appointing Br Elias Higbee Clerk there was but Seven councilors presant for the rest had not moved in to the Co." Murdock journal, 90. |
| Description |
|
… a meeting of
the High Council … |
| Moderator |
|
John
Murdock |
| Clerk |
|
Elias Higbee |
| Questions
for William and John regarding their right to: |
|
Resolved, That, the Council request that President W.
W. Phelps and John Whitmer to give
explanation of the following items
|
"The first business we proceded to was to examine ourselvs to See what our Standing was & how we were agreed among our selvs [91] And then agreed that we did not understand the presidents W.W. Phelps & John Whitmer acting as they had indipendent of the High Council & Bishopric. Then resolved that we make a request of the Presidents that they give us an explination of certain items as follows." Murdock journal, 90. |
| Designate
city and temple location |
|
1st By what authority was this place pointed out for a city and house
of the Lord, and by whom.
|
Murdock's list of charges is nearly identical to the Far West Record. |
| Appoint
building committee |
|
2nd By what authority was a committee appointed and ordained
to superintend the building of the house of the Lord.
|
Minutes
of November 15, 1836 |
| Ordain
Jacob Whitmer |
|
3rd By what authority was Jacob Whitmer ordained to the High Priesthood.
|
|
| Lay
out the city, build a house of God |
|
4th Have two Presidents authority to lay out a City, and build a house
of God, independently of the Counsel of the High Council and Bishop and
his Council.
|
The
previous July, William and John were authorized to find land with Bishop
Partridge and his counselors. ¶ Minutes of
July 25, 1836 |
| Disfellowship
a high counselor |
|
5th By what authority was one of the High Counsellors disfellowshiped
in the name of the H. Council without their knowledge.
|
|
| Submith
a change to the [First] Presidency against high counselor |
|
6th Have any individual or individuals a right to prefer a charge to
the Presidency in Kirtland against any High Counsellor, without the knowledge
of the Council or individual.
|
|
| Deprive
high council and bishop of favored inheritances |
|
7th Should not the High Council and Bishop of Zion who are are appointed
to do business for Zion, receive their inheritance in the core of the
City in preference to one who is not particularly called to labor for
Zion, or an unbeliever.
|
|
| Withhold
information from the council |
|
8th Shall any intelligence relative to the building up of Zion be withheld
from the council of Zion.
|
|
| Profit
from land sales |
|
9th Are the two Presidents entitled to the profits arising
from the sale of lands on which the City is to be built in this place,
independent of the authorities who have been appointed to labor with them
for Zion and have suffered like tribulation with them.
|
|
| Schedule
investigation |
|
The Council then agreed
to invite prests. W. W. Phelps and John
Whitmer, also the Bishop
E. Partridge and his counsellors. Also, the two Aapostles, viz. T. B. Marsh (h)
and D. W. Patten (h) to meet with
them on the 5th inst. that the above named Presidents might explain the foregoing questions, and that the subject might be investigated. The Council then adjourned to the 5th at 10 O'clock. |
"We then appointed a committee to Present the above Qustions to President Phelps & Whitmer & invite them to our meeting the next day & we also invited Bishop E. Partridge & his council. Morley & John corril also T.B. Marsh & D Patten two of the Apostels and adjourn<e>d til next morning" Murdock journal, 90. |
|
|
Minutes of April 5–6,
1837
Minutes of February 19, 1837
Far West Minutes
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|