Appendix 2: Council of Fifty, Minutes, 27 February 1845
Source Note
Council of Fifty, Minutes, , IL, 27 Feb. 1845; handwriting of ; six pages; Historian’s Office, General Church Minutes, 1839–1877, CHL. Includes redactions. Three loose leaves, measuring 5⅞ × 8 inches (15 × 20 cm); 7¼ × 7¾ inches (18 × 20 cm); and 6½ × 8 inches (17 × 20 cm), respectively. Bullock’s docket on page 6 reads: “Feb 27. 1845 | Meeting of the Twelve & others | in the Recorder’s office”.
Historical Introduction
On 27 February 1845 the council convened to discuss the group of Mormons that had followed west from and into . A member of Emmett’s company, Moses Smith, had recently returned to Nauvoo bearing information about the company, and recorded that “the Twelve & others, mostly of the Council repaird to my office” with him. Since council clerk was ill, , a church clerk who was not a member of the council, recorded the minutes featured here. Because these minutes were kept separately, they were never copied into the Council of Fifty record books kept by Clayton, nor does it appear that Clayton used these minutes when providing a summary of the meeting in the record books. For the historical context in which these minutes were recorded, see the entry for 27 February 1845 in the main body of this volume.
Richards, Journal, 27 Feb. 1845. In his journal Heber C. Kimball erroneously dated this meeting to 28 February but recorded, “Held a council at Elder Richards on the case of Emit and Smith.” (Kimball, Journal, 28 Feb. 1845.)
Kimball, Heber C. Journals, 1837–1848. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL.
Page 2
no man was ever spoken to plainer than was— I advised a man to fetch his wife & property— Suffycools wife was decoyed away & went part of the way, but came back, if there are men who want to abide by council, I say save them— If a man wont abide council here, he wont abide a 1000 miles if any man wont support our — I wont help that man any how— my Spirit is aroused when I see men decoying others away— recollect s pledge— he has broke it— he has decoyed man— when the proper time comes, let such men go as are councilled to go— at a time when we needed all the help we could get— he went away— & “unless that man comes back & humbles himself we will not fellowship them” if you have done wrong, you can but be right & be saved & your posterity & if you dont do it you will all be d—d together— if he has a mind to be d—d he can— it makes no difference to us— we will make our calling & our election sure— we will set men at it, in whom we can confide, let me have men who have faith & humility— & I will risk all—
I wod. rather see Br Smith with us than away from us— I am not suspicious of my Brethren— I look with suspicion upon strangers— the course has taken has been in direct violation of the Council of Pres. [Joseph] Smith— he was “not to take a man from this ”, after all, it came to our ears that he had got about 50 men— we went in pursuit— was called to acc[oun]t. & was rebuked by Pres. Smith— he sd. dont take the Indians from Augusta— he had no authority to even take his family— in violation to every covenant made to the Prophet, & that was the reason why he was dropt [p. 2]
Likely Elizabeth Suffycool, wife of Samuel Suffycool. (Record of Seventies, bk. B, 4 Feb. 1846.)
Record of Seventies / First Council of the Seventy. “General Record of the Seventies Book B. Commencing Nauvoo 1844,” 1844–1848. Bk. B. In First Council of the Seventy, Records, 1837–1885. CHL. CR 3 51, box 2, fd. 1.
Likely Augusta, Iowa Territory, where at least fifty members of the church lived by 1841. (“Minutes of a Conference,” Times and Seasons, 15 Sept. 1841, 2:547–548.)
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.