The Organization of the Seventies—Blessing of the Faithful Elders and Saints.
The Calling of Seventies.
On the 28th of February, the Church in council assembled, commenced selecting certain individuals to be Seventies, 1 from the number of those who went up to Zion with me in the camp; and the following are the names of those who were ordained and blessed at that time, to begin the organization of the first quorum of Seventies, according to the visions 2 and revelations which I have received. The Seventies are to constitute traveling quorums, to go into all the earth, whithersoever the Twelve Apostles shall call them. 3
Names of the Presidents and Members of the First Quorum of Seventies, Ordained Under the Hand of the Prophet Joseph Smith, with his two Counselors, Sidney Rigdon and Oliver Cowdery. 4
Presidents.
Hazen Aldrich, Leonard Rich, Joseph Young, Zebedee Coltrin, Levi W. Hancock, Lyman Sherman, Sylvester Smith.
Members.
Elias Hutchings, Harpin Riggs, Cyrus Smalling, Edson Barney. Levi Gifford, Joseph B. Noble, Stephen Winchester, Henry Benner, Roger Orton, David Evans, Peter Buchannan, Nathan B. Baldwin, John D. Parker, Burr Riggs, David Elliot, Lewis Robbins, Samuel Brown, Alexander Whitesides, Salmon Warner, George W. Brooks, Jacob Chapman, Michael Griffith, Charles Kelly, Royal Barney, Edmund Fisher, Libbeus T. Coons, Warren Parrish, Willard Snow, Joseph Hancock, Jesse D. Harmon, Alden Burdick, Heman T. Hyde, Hiram Winters, Lorenzo D. Barnes. Hiram Blackman, Hiram Stratton, William D. Pratt, Moses Martin, Zera S. Cole, Lyman Smith, Jesse Huntsman, Harvey Stanley, Solomon Angel, Almon W. Babbitt, Henry Herriman, William F. Cahoon, Israel Barlow, Darwin Richardson, Wilkins Jenkins Salisbury, Milo Andrus, Nelson Higgins, True Glidden, Harry Brown, Henry Shibley, Jezeniah B. Smith, Harrison Burgess, Lorenzo Booth, Jedediah M. Grant, Alexander Badlam, Daniel Stephens, Zerubbabel Snow, Amasa M. Lyman, George A. Smith.
The Prophet’s Remarks on the Sacrament.
The council adjourned to the day following, March 1st, when, after attending the funeral of Seth Johnson, several who had recently been baptized, were confirmed, and the sacrament was administered to the Church. Previous to the administration, I spoke of the propriety of this institution in the Church, and urged the importance of doing it with acceptance before the Lord, and asked, How long do you suppose a man may partake of this ordinance unworthily, and the Lord not withdraw His Spirit from him? How long will he thus trifle with sacred things, and the Lord not give him over to the buffetings of Satan until the day of redemption! The Church should know if they are unworthy from time to time to partake, lest the servants of God be forbidden to administer it. Therefore our hearts ought to be humble, and we to repent of our sins, and put away evil from among us.
More Ordinations.
After sacrament the council continued the ordination and blessing of those previously called; also John Murdock and S. W. Denton were ordained and blessed; Benjamin Winchester, Hyrum Smith, and Frederick G.Williams were blessed; and Joseph Young and Sylvester Smith were ordained presidents of Seventies.
The Blessing of those who assisted in Building the House of the Lord at Kirtland.
March 7.—This day a meeting of the Church of Latter-day Saints was called for the purpose of blessing, in the name of the Lord, those who have heretofore assisted in building, by their labor and other means, the House of the Lord in this place.
The morning was occupied by President Joseph Smith, Jun., in teaching the Church the propriety and necessity of purifying itself. In the afternoon, the names of those who had assisted to build the house were taken, and further instructions received from President Smith. He said that those who had distinguished themselves thus far by consecrating to the upbuilding of the House of the Lord, as well as laboring thereon, were to be remembered; that those who build it should own it, and have the control of it.
After further remarks, those who performed the labor on the building voted unanimously that they would continue to labor thereon, till the house should be completed.
President Sidney Rigdon was appointed to lay on hands and bestow blessings in the name of the Lord.
The Presidents were blessed; and Reynolds Cahoon, Hyrum Smith, and Jared Carter, the building committee, though the last two were not present, yet their rights in the house were preserved.
The following are the names of those who were blessed in consequence of their labor on the house of the Lord in Kirtland, and those who consecrated to its upbuilding:
Sidney Rigdon, Maleum C. Davis, Joseph Smith, Jun., Jaman Aldrich, F. G. Williams, John Young, Sen., Joseph Smith, Sen., Ezra Strong, Oliver Cowdery, Joel McWithy, Newel K. Whitney, Matthew Foy, Reynolds Cahoon, James Randall, Hyrum Smith, John P. Greene, Jared Carter, Aaron E. Lyon, Jacob Bump, Thomas Burdick, Artemus Millet, Truman Wait, Alpheus Cutler, Edmund Bosley, Asa Lyman, William Bosley, Josiah Butterfield, William Perry, Noah Packard, Don Carlos Smith, James Putnam, Shadrach Roundy,
Isaac Hill, Joel Johnson, Edmund Durfee, Sen., Oliver Higley, Edmund Durfee, Jun., Evan M. Greene, Gideon Ormsby, Levi Osgood, Albert Miner, Alpheus Harmon, Ira Ames, Joseph C. Kingsbury, Salmon Gee, Ira Bond, Peter Shirts, Z. H. Brewster, Isaac Hubbard, Samuel Thomson, Horace Burgess, John Ormsby, Dexter Stillman, Luman Carter, Amos P. Herrick, John Smith, Mayhew Hillman, Samuel H. Smith, William Carter, Thomas Fisher, William Burgess, Starry Fisk, Giles Cook, Amos R. Orton, Almon Sherman, Gad Yale, Warren Smith, John Johnson, Moses Bailey, John Tanner, Sebe Ives, Henry G. Sherwood, Andrew H. Aldrich, Sidney Tanner, Ebenezar Jennings, Joseph Tippits, Oliver Granger, Robert Quigley, Orson Johnson, Erastus Babbitt, James Lake, Samuel Canfield, William Redfield, Phineas H. Young, Cyrus Lake, Samuel Rolfe, Harvey Smith, Calvin W. Stoddard, Issac Cleveland, Josiah Fuller, William Barker, Erastus Rudd, Samuel S. Brannan, Isaac G. Bishop, John Wheeler, Roswell Murray, Henry Baker, Benjamin Wells, William Fisk, Nehemiah Harman, Henry Wilcox, Oliver Wetherby, George Gee, Thomas Hancock, Lorenzo D. Young, Josuah Grant, David Clough, William Draper, James Durfee, Ransom Van Leuven, Joseph Coe, Tunis Rappellee, Thomas Gates, John Reed, Loren Babbitt, Samuel Wilcox, Blake Baldwin, Benjamin Johnson, Joseph B. Bosworth.
The blessings and ordinations of particular individuals of the foregoing were as follows:—Reynolds Cahoon, Jacob Bump, and Artemus Millet, were blessed with the blessings of heaven and a right in the house of the Lord in Kirtland, agreeable to the labor they had performed thereon, and the means they had contributed.
Alpheus Cutler, Asa Lyman, Josiah Butterfield, Noah Packard, Jonas Putnam, and Isaac Hill received the same blessing. The blessing referred to was according to each man’s labor or donation, and in addition, Elder Packard was promised wisdom and ability to proclaim the Gospel. Edmund Durfee, Sen., Edmund Durfee, Jun., and Gideon Ormsby received the same blessing, and Edmund Durfee, Jun., was ordained an Elder. Albert Miner, Ira Ames, Salmon Gee, Peter Shirts, Isaac Hubbard, and Horace Burgess were blessed, and Peter Shirts and Horace Burgess were ordained Elders. Dexter Stillman, Amos F. Herrick, and Matthew Hillman were blessed. William Burgess, Jaman Aldrich, and John Young, Sen., were blessed. Giles Cook, Jun., and M. C. Davis were blessed and ordained Elders. Wm. Carter, who was blind, was promised a restoration of sight, if faithful. Ezra Strong, Joel McWithy, Matthew Foy, James Randall, and Aaron C. Lyon were blessed. John P. Greene was ordained a missionary to the Lamanites, after others have unlocked the door, with a promise of gathering many to Zion, and of returning with great joy at the end of his mission, to enjoy the blessings of his family. Thomas Burdick, Truman Wait and Edmund Bosley were blessed, and Elder Bosley was told that God had a work for him, viz. : to go and preach the Gospel to the sectarian priests of this age, to call after them and hunt them up, wherever he could hear of them, and preach the Gospel to them whether they will hear or forbear. William Bosley and William Berry were blessed and ordained Elders. Don Carlos Smith was blessed with a promise of wisdom to proclaim the Gospel, and also to write in wisdom. Shadrach Roundy, Joel Johnson, and Oliver Higbee were blessed.
Adjourned till tomorrow.
March 8th.—Met pursuant to adjournment. Evan M. Greene, Levi Osgood, Alpheus Harmon, Joseph C. Kingsbury, Ira Bond, Z. H. Brewster, Samuel Tompkins, John Ormsby, Luman Carter, John Smith, Samuel H. Smith, Thomas Fisher, Starry Fisk, Amos R. Orton and Almon Sherman were blessed. Amos R. Orton was ordained an Elder and a missionary to the Lamanites. Andrew H. Aldrich, Thomas Bailey, Sebe Ives, Ebenezer Jennings, Oliver Granger, Orson Johnson, Warren Smith, James Lake, and William Redfield were blessed, and William Redfield was ordained an Elder. Cyrus Lake, Harvey Smith, Isaac Cleveland, William Baker, Samuel S. Brannan, John Wheeler, Henry Baker, William Fisk, Henry Wilcox, George W. Gee, David Clough, and Lorenzo D. Young were blessed, and Elder Young was set apart as a missionary to the Lamanites. Jas. Durfee, Jos. Coe, Thos. Gates, Loren Babbitt, Blake Baldwin, and Jos. B. Baldwin were blessed. John Johnson, John Tanner and Gad Yale were blessed; and Gad Yale, being one who went to the relief of the brethren in Missouri, was blessed accordingly. Henry G. Sherwood, Sidney Tanner, Joseph H. Tippits, Robert Quigley, and Erastus Babbitt were blessed, and Samuel Canfield was blessed and ordained an Elder. Phineas H. Young, Samuel Rolfe, and Calvin H. Stoddard were blessed, and Elder Young was ordained a missionary to the Lamanites. Erastus Rudd, Josiah Fuller, Isaac H. Bishop, Roswell Murray, Benjamin Wells, Nehemiah Harman, Thomas Hancock, Oliver Wetherby, Joshua Grant, Jun., William Draper, Jun., Ransom Van Leuven, Tunis Rappellee, John Rudd, and Samuel Wilcox were blessed. Moses Martin, who went to Missouri. was set apart to be one of the Seventies, and blessed and warned as follows: “If thou art not purified, thou wilt not be able to execute thy commission. Thou wilt fall into the snares and into the hands of enemies who will take thy life; thou must begin to make a complete reformation in thyself.”
Oliver Cowdery,
Clerk.
The following belong to the Seventies, but the date of their ordinations is not definitely known: Milo Andrus, Joseph Winchester, Zerubbabel Snow, Heman T. Hyde, Henry Brown. Nelson Higgins, (Hezekiah Fisk was blessed, but was not one of the Seventies,) Henry Beaman, Jesse Huntsman, Royal Barney, Zebedee Coltrin, Henry Herriman, and Lorenzo D. Barnes. James L. Thompson was blessed, but not ordained.
