The Newell K. Whitney Collection

The writing of history, always difficult, is made even more formidable in certain eras of Mormonism due to the lack of documentation. A review of the material published during the last two years on the New York period demonstrates some of the problems of solving various historic dilemma due to lack of adequate source material. This same lack of documentation is critical to the study of the Ohio period. Such problems as the mass-apostasy in Kirtland, and yet the seeming contradiction of the relatively little apostasy of Zion’s Camp, which has been usually portrayed as rather a debacle; the position of the Kirtland Safety Society and affiliated banks in the total picture of Ohio settlement; the shift in consecration during the period; and the seemingly unnatural violence of the anti-Mormon activities on the Western Reserve, where innovative religion was not that uncommon, are a few of many events for which documentation is less than adequate. It is because of this lack of source material that the acquisition of the Newell K. Whitney collection by the BYU library is so very important. The Whitney collection is an aggregation of several hundred manuscripts and some rather important early imprints, kept together by the family of Newell K. Whitney, who as Presiding Bishop was given the responsibility of trying to settle some of the financial accounts, first in Kirtland, and later in Nauvoo. The collection is important both for its scope and for individual items.

Newel K. Whitney was born at Marlborough, Vermont, February 5, 1795. By 1814 he was a settler at Plattsburg, New York, and by 1817 had settled at Kirtland where he joined with Algernon Sidney Gilbert in a merchandising enterprise later called Gilbert and Whitney. Early in 1831 he joined the Mormon Church, and soon was appointed as a bishop in the Church. From then until 1848 he was vitally involved in the financial affairs of the Church.

A patriarchal blessing by Joseph Smith Sr. on the head of Newel K. Whitney.
[Graphic omitted. See source document.]

A unique copy of a Kirtland broadside—a letter of instructions from the Presiding Bishopric to the saints abroad—1837
[Graphic omitted. See source document.]

The most important and exciting group of documents in the collection are early copies of eighteen revelations included in the Book of Commandments as well as two that were never published. These revelations are in the handwriting of such scribes as Oliver Cowdery, Frederick G. Williams, Newell K. Whitney, Sidney Rigdon, Orson Hyde, and John Whitmer.

The importance of these copies is attested to in the collection by a letter to Newell K. Whitney by Oliver Cowdery as follows:

Bishop Whitney:

Will you have the kindness to send us, by the bearer, the original copy of the Revelation given to 12 elders Feb. 1831 called “The Law of the Church”? We are preparing the old Star for re-printing, and have no copy from which to correct, and know of no other beside yours.

Your Ob’t Serv’t. Oliver Cowdery. Kirtland, Feb. 4, 1835.

[Graphic omitted. See source document.]

The implication is that Cowdery had copies of the other revelations, but the whereabouts of these copies remains a mystery, so that the Newell K. Whitney copies, though possibly differing slightly from the official copies used to print the Book of Commandments, remain the earliest copies owned by the Church.

Historically as important are the records which give glimpses into the problems of the financial structure of Kirtland. Kirtland—that is, the Mormon Kirtland—was being built in much the same manner later used in Nauvoo, except that land transactions, the early base for both Kirtland and Nauvoo (so interesting that Robert Flanders in his Kingdom by the Mississippi became so involved in the transactions that he lost sight of the accomplishment and spirit of Nauvoo) was not the whole base in Kirtland. The Kirtland Safety Society formed in 1836 was also very important. The manipulation that the leaders had to perform in order to try to build a kingdom virtually out of nothing was here further complicated by duplicity and the national bank failures of 1837. Documents of this period, and also correspondence between Newell and his brother, Samuel F., who remained in Kirtland, help one understand the modus operandi of the financial structure of Kirtland, as well as the attempt of the Church leaders to extricate themselves from legal problems arising from its failure after leaving Kirtland.

[Graphic omitted. See source document.]

Some of the individual documents are fascinating. One cemetery plot seems to show members of the Church speculating on funeral plots. Quite possibly one of the most important historical documents is one of the indictments brought by William Parrish and the Johnson brothers against the leaders of the Church in May of 1838. The one in question reads:

To the Bishop & his council in Kirtland, the Stake of Zion.

We prefer the following charges against Pres. Joseph Smith, Jr. viz. for lying and misrepresentation. Also for extortion—And for speaking disrespectfully against his brethren behind their backs.

Lyman E. Johnson. Orson Pratt. Kirtland, May 29th 1837.

[Graphic omitted. See source document.]

Later in the century after the death of Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde became president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the two people next in succession to Brigham Young were Orson Hyde and Orson Pratt, both of whom Brigham distrusted. Therefore at the General Conference of October 1875, the Quorum was reshuffled so that these men were dropped in seniority. The reason given for this was that these two men had lost seniority due to the fact that they had been dropped from the Quorum during the Missouri and Nauvoo period. While the Orson Hyde difficulty, i.e. his testimony against Joseph Smith in the Missouri trial, was certainly enough to arouse Brigham Young’s distrust, the problem of Orson Pratt in Nauvoo in 1842 is more complex. Brigham Young held that his excommunication from the Church in August 20, 1842, was questionable under the circumstances. (History of the Church, vol. 5, pp. 254–256.) It may well be that his memory went back farther, and that this incident was the real reason for Orson Pratt’s loss of seniority along with Orson Hyde’s.

The acquisition of this fine collection as late as 1969 raises hopes that there are other documents in undisclosed closets, bank vaults, and attics, that will help us piece together the history of the Church during its early periods.

[Graphic omitted. See source document.]