In December 1830, thirty-seven-year-old Edward
Partridge accompanies Sidney Rigdon to see Joseph in New York. Within days
Edward is called to preach the gospel, and in six weeks he is called to
be the first bishop of the church. Like Nathaniel of old, there is no guile
in Edward. Nevertheless, he is rebuked for interfering with missionary work,
for disbelief and blindness of heart, and unspecified sins. But when, at
age forty-six, the good bishop passes away, the Lord receives him unto himself.
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December
[11–15], 1830
Blessed, called to preach |
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… I say unto you, my servant Edward,
that you are blessed, and your sins are forgiven you, and you are called
to preach my gospel as with the voice of a trump;
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¶
D&C 36 |
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February
4, 1831
Bishop, full time
Guileless |
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I have called my servant Edward Partridge;
and I give a commandment, that he should be appointed by the voice of the
church, and ordained a bishop unto the church, to leave his merchandise
and to spend all his time in the labors of the church; … because his
heart is pure before me, for he is like unto Nathanael of old, in whom there
is no guile.
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¶
D&C 41
¶ Ezra Booth Letters (7) |
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February
9, 1831
Can be replaced |
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And again, I say unto you, that my servant Edward Partridge
shall stand in the office whereunto I have appointed him. And it shall
come to pass, that if he transgress another shall be appointed in his
stead. Even so. Amen. |
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¶
D&C 42:10 |
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May
1831
Interferes with missionaries |
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… and let them labor in the vineyard;
and let no man hinder them doing that which I have appointed unto them—
Wherefore, in this thing my servant Edward Partridge is not justified; nevertheless
let him repent and he shall be forgiven. |
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¶ D&C
50:38–39 |
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| [Late July] 1831 |
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When Joseph's prophesy of a large church built up by Oliver Cowdery in Jackson County failed, Partridge urged the seer “not to tell us any more, that you know these [things] by the spirit when you do not.” |
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¶ Ezra Booth Letters (7) |
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August
1, 1831
Unbelief and blindness of heart |
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… I have …selected
my servant Edward Partridge, and have appointed unto him his mission in
this land. But if he repent not of his sins, which are unbelief and blindness
of heart, let him take heed lest he fall. Behold his mission is given unto
him, and it shall not be given again. |
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¶
D&C 58:14–16 |
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September
11, 1831
Fault finding with Ezra Booth, Isaac Morley
Soul in danger |
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Behold, I, the Lord,
was angry with him who was my servant Ezra Booth, and also my servant Isaac
Morley, for they kept not the law, neither the commandment; They sought
evil in their hearts, and I, the Lord, withheld my Spirit. They condemned
for evil that thing in which there was no evil; nevertheless I have forgiven
my servant Isaac Morley. And also my servant Edward Partridge, behold, he
hath sinned, and Satan seeketh to destroy his soul; but when these things
are made known unto them, and they repent of the evil, they shall be forgiven.
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¶
D&C 64
On November 13, 1905, the First Presidency (Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder,
Anthon H. Lund), issued a statement on this controversial passage and stating
that Edward Partridge was "undoubtedly" the object of the warning.
First Presidency messages
Messages of the First Presidency, compiled by James R. Clark. 6 vols (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft Publishers, 1965-1970).
, 4:107–120. |
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January 24, 1832
Criticized by Sidney Rigdon |
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At a conference in Zion, Bishop
Partridge presents letters from Sidney
Rigdon to
him dated September 10, 1831, and to John
Corrill and Isaac Morley dated November
14, 1831, that make "certain charges … detrimental to [his]
character and standing as a Bishop." |
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¶ Oliver
Cowdery to Joseph Smith, January 28, 1832
Minutes of March 10, 1832 and Joseph
to W. W. Phelps, July 31, 1832. |
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March 10, 1832
Council defends Edward |
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A special conference in Zion responds to Sidney's complaint by reminding him that he and Edward met "face
to face" at an earlier conference in Missouri "when confessions
were made by several brethren and by br. Edward in particular, to our joy
and thanksgiving." This should have satisfied the charges that "are
partially correct." |
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¶ Minutes
of March 10, 1832 |
| Travel expense misunderstanding |
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Three charges relate to subsequent events. One pertains
to the reimbursement of travel expenses for Joseph, Oliver, and Sidney.
"Edward says he had no disposition to defraud or deceive … &
if any damage has accrued to the church, or the feelings of any of his
brethren been aggrieved … he now asks their forgiveness as well as
the forgiveness of the Lord." The other two "are not considered
by this Conference just accusations." |
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| Insulted Joseph, presumed authority |
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Sidney's fifth charge is, "'His
having insulted the Lord's prophet in particular and assumed authority
over him in open violation of the Laws of God.'" Edward says this
occurred "previous
to said conference. If Br. Joseph has not forgiven him he hopes he will,
as he is and has always been sorry." |
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| July 31 , 1832 |
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… tell Bro Edward it is very dangerous for men who have
received the light he has received to be a seeking a <after> sign,
for there shall no sign be given for a sign except as it was in the days
of Lot. … |
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Joseph to W. W. Phelps |
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and it shall come to pass that I
the Lord God will send one mighty and Strong holding the sceptre of power
in his hand clothed with light for a covering whose mouth Shall ut utter
words Eternal words while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth to Set
in order the house of God and to arange by lot the inheritance of the Saints
whose names are found and the names of their fathers and of their Children
enroled in the Book of the Law of God while that man who was called of God and appointed
that puteth forth his hand to Steady the ark of God shall fall by the Shaft
of death like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning |
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¶ D&C 85:8–9 |
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| January 11, 1833 |
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Responding to
a letter from W. W. Phelps, Joseph writes
the brethren in Zion, warning they will reap the judgments of God
if they do not repent. |
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| January 13, 1833 |
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Orson and Hyrum Smith write the bishopric of Zion (Edward Partridge, Isaac Morley, and John Corrill) objecting
to their "accusing Brother Joseph in rather an indirect way of seeking after monarchial power and authority." |
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Minutes
of January 13–14, 1833 |
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| March 8, 1833 |
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I am not well pleased with many things, and I am not well pleased with
my servant William E. McLe[l]lin,
neither with my servant sidney Gilbert,
and the Bishop also and others have many things to repent of |
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¶
D&C 90:35 |
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January 1, 1838
Blessing |
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Thus saith the Lord: My servant Edward Partridge and his house shall
be numbered with that blessed and Abraham their father; and his name shall
be held in sacred remembrance. |
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Revelation of January 1, 1838 |
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January 19, 1841
Gone to heaven |
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That when [Lyman Wight] shall finish his work I may receive
him unto myself, even as I did my servant David Patten (h),
who is with me at this time, and also my servant Edward
Partridge, and also my aged servant Joseph Smith, Sen. |
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D&C
124:19
Edward died in Nauvoo, May 27, 1840, at the age of 46. |
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Edward Partridge
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