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Recommendation for Heber C. Kimball, between 2 and 13 June 1837
Source Note
Source Note
JS, , and , Recommendation, for , , Geauga Co., OH, [between 2 and 13 June 1837]; handwriting of ; signatures of JS, , and ; one page; CHL. Includes docket.
Bifolium measuring 12½ × 8 inches (32 × 20 cm) when folded. The document has the square cut of manufactured paper and is ruled with thirty-nine blue-green lines, now faded. Pages 2 and 3 are blank. The recommendation was folded in two patterns. The first pattern is a double trifold in letter style; the document was then docketed by and sealed with an adhesive wafer, which is now missing. In the second pattern, the recommendation in its folded state was folded in half. Sun exposure darkened the recto, and there is marked tearing at the folds.
Theresa R. Werner gave this recommendation to the Deseret Museum in 1912. When the Deseret Museum closed its doors in July 1918, the holdings of the museum were dispersed among several repositories, including the LDS Church Museum (now Church History Museum) in Salt Lake City, Utah. The recommendation was subsequently transferred to the Church Historian’s Office.
Footnotes
- [1]
Deseret Museum Catalog, 1891–1917, 331; “Deseret Museum’s Riches Augmented,” Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Nov. 1912, 16.
Deseret Museum Catalog, 1891–1917. In Deseret Museum Records, 1875–1918. CHL.
Salt Lake Daily Tribune. Salt Lake City. 1871–.
- [2]
Eubanks, “The Deseret Museum,” 374–375.
Eubanks, Lila Carpenter. “The Deseret Museum,” Utah Historical Quarterly 50, no. 4 (Fall 1982): 361–376.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
In June 1837, JS and the of the set apart the first contingent of missionaries assigned to preach in , signaling the church’s first foray into Europe. of the was chosen to lead a group of men that eventually included fellow apostle , , and four Canadian converts with English heritage. Sometime between 2 and 13 June 1837, Kimball was issued the following recommendation, labeled by a scribe as “letter of commendation,” which appointed him to preach in that nation.
Though the church’s earliest missionary efforts focused on the and , JS envisioned missionaries preaching well beyond the borders of these countries. On 3 November 1831, JS dictated a revelation that commanded the church to “send forth the . . . unto the nations which are afar off unto the ilands of the sea send forth unto foreign lands.” After the Twelve Apostles were selected in February 1835, JS directed members to “travel and preach among the Gentiles” and instructed them that they held “the of this ministry, to unlock the door of the kingdom of heaven unto all nations, and to preach the Gospel to every creature.” In January 1836, recorded JS’s account of a vision in which he “saw the 12, apostles of the Lamb, who are now upon the earth . . . in foreign lands.”
JS and other church leaders came to see as the first logical extension of missionary efforts overseas, in part because of the conversion of English immigrants in . While in the on 8 February 1836, apostle reported seeing “a vision of the Twelve & Seven in council together in old England & prophecied that a great work would be done by them in the old countries & God was already beginning to work in the hearts of the p[e]ople.” In his autobiography, recalled that in 1836, gave him a blessing in which he prophesied that Pratt would preach in , Canada, and there find “a people prepared for the fulness of the gospel.” Kimball’s blessing predicted that many would join the church because of Pratt’s efforts, and “from the things growing out of this mission, shall the fulness of the gospel spread into England, and cause a great work to be done in that land.” Shortly after the dedication of the House of the Lord in late March 1836, Pratt set off for Toronto. From April to September 1836, he preached in Upper Canada and many people, among whom were several recent immigrants from England, including , , and and and Leonora Taylor.
By 1837, there appears to have been an expectation among some members of the Twelve that a mission to was imminent. had asserted that the church “shall soon take our several journeys to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Islands of the sea.” In late March or early April 1837, Pratt returned to visit recently baptized church members in . According to ’s account, “Word came from the Church in , by Elder Parley P. Pratt, that the way was opened for them to go to other nations and it was determined that some should go to England as soon as possible.” In his autobiography, Pratt recalled that at this time, “Several of the Canadian Elders felt a desire to go on a mission to their friends in that country.” Upon hearing that Pratt had left Kirtland for Canada and “intended to leave there soon for England,” and , the two senior members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, hastily wrote to Pratt on 10 May 1837. Marsh and Patten implored him to delay his journey until the quorum could meet together to address the difficulties among them and to coordinate a mission to England. Pratt returned to Kirtland in mid-May, but he did not participate in the first mission to England.
Sometime between 1 and 4 June 1837, JS approached in the and informed him that he had received a revelation that Kimball should “gow to to open the dore of procklamation to that nation and to he[e]d the same.” Kimball later wrote, “[I] believed the time would soon come when I should take leave of my own country and lift up my voice to other nations, yet, it never occurred to my mind, that I should be one of the first, commissioned to preach . . . on the shores of Europe.” According to his journal, Kimball then met JS, , and at a conference at Rigdon’s house, where the presidency “lade thare hand[s] on my head and set me a part for this mission and dedicated me to the Lord.” entered the room as Kimball was being set apart and expressed a strong desire to accompany his fellow apostle to England; both he and (who had recently come to from ) were then set apart. , who returned from a mission to the East on 11 June, was set apart the next day to accompany the others and also received a recommendation, which closely resembles the recommendation featured here.
, , , and left on 13 June 1837 and arrived in on 21 June. In New York City they met up with Canadian converts Isaac Russell, John Goodson, and . The group sailed from New York harbor on 1 July 1837 and arrived in , England, roughly nineteen days later.
Footnotes
- [1]
Revelation, 3 Nov. 1831 [D&C 133:8].
- [2]
Minutes and Discourses, 27 Feb. 1835. Following this admonition, the Twelve preached and conducted church conferences in New York, New England, and Upper Canada during summer 1835. When the apostles were ordained and blessed in February 1835, many of those blessings included direction for the apostles to preach to people in “all nations, kingdoms and tongues.” Heber C. Kimball’s blessing specifically stated that “many millions may be converted by his instrumentality.” (Esplin and Nielsen, “Record of the Twelve, 1835,” 4–52; Minutes, Discourse, and Blessings, 14–15 Feb. 1835.)
Esplin, Ronald K., and Sharon E. Nielsen. “The Record of the Twelve, 1835: The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles’ Call and 1835 Mission.” BYU Studies 51, no. 1 (2012): 4–52.
- [3]
Visions, 21 Jan. 1836 [D&C 137].
- [4]
JS, Journal, 6 Feb. 1836.
- [5]
Pratt, Autobiography, 141–142.
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
- [6]
Pratt, Autobiography, 164–165. Other Canadian converts included Isaac Russell, John Goodson, and John Snider, who, like Joseph Fielding, would later proselytize in England with Kimball. (Givens and Grow, Apostle Paul of Mormonism, 92; JS, Journal, 26 Mar. 1842, 23 Jan. 1843.)
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
Givens, Terryl L., and Matthew J. Grow. Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.
- [7]
Pratt, “An Epistle Written by an Elder of the Church,” 1, 6.
Pratt, Parley P. “An Epistle Written by an Elder of the Church,” ca. 1837. CHL.
- [8]
Fielding, Journal, CHL; Pratt, Autobiography, 183. Many Canadian converts had written enthusiastic letters to friends and relatives in England about their newfound faith. Joseph Fielding wrote several letters to his brother, Reverend James Fielding, who, in turn, read Joseph’s letters to his congregation. Though James Fielding did not convert to Mormonism, several members of his congregation were baptized shortly after Joseph Fielding and others arrived in July 1837. John Taylor also communicated with a clergyman friend in England prior to his leaving for England in 1839. (Fielding, Journal, 9, 16; Joseph Fielding, Preston, England, to Mary Fielding and Mercy Fielding, [Kirtland, OH], 2 Oct. 1836, Mary Fielding Smith, Collection, CHL; John Taylor, Toronto, Upper Canada, to “Rev. and Dear Sir,” [England], 3 May 1837, in LDS Messenger and Advocate, June 1837, 3:513–516.)
Fielding, Joseph. Journals, 1837–1859. CHL. MS 1567.
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
Smith, Mary Fielding. Collection, ca. 1832–1848. CHL. MS 2779.
Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.
- [9]
Thomas B. Marsh and David W. Patten, Far West, MO, to Parley P. Pratt, Toronto, Upper Canada, 10 May 1837, JS Letterbook 2, pp. 62–63. For more on the disaffection of some members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, see Introduction to Part 6: 20 Apr.–14 Sept. 1837.
- [10]
After returning from Canada, Pratt wrote an angry letter to JS in which he accused him of fostering a spirit of financial speculation and selling land at inflated prices. (Letter from Parley P. Pratt, 23 May 1837).
- [11]
Heber C. Kimball, 1837–1838 Journal, 3–4, CHL. Kimball’s journal dates this conversation to 4 June; in a reminiscent account published in 1858, Kimball wrote that the conversation occurred “about the first day of June.” (Kimball, “Synopsis of the History of Heber Chase Kimball,” Deseret News, 14 Apr. 1858, 33.)
Kimball, Heber C. Journals, 1837–1848. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL.
Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.
- [12]
Kimball, “Journal and Record of Heber Chase Kimball,” 87.
Kimball, Heber C. “The Journal and Record of Heber Chase Kimball an Apostle of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” ca. 1842–1858. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 1.
- [13]
Heber C. Kimball, 1837–1838 Journal, 3–4, CHL.
Kimball, Heber C. Journal, June 1837–Feb. 1838; Feb.–Mar. 1840; May 1846–Feb. 1847. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 3, fd. 2.
- [14]
Kimball, “Journal and Record of Heber Chase Kimball,” 88–89. According to Kimball’s journal, Isaac Russell, John Goodson, and John Snider were also set apart on this day, though they were not in Kirtland at the time. (Fielding, Journal, 9, 16; Heber C. Kimball, 1837–1838 Journal, 3–4, CHL.)
Kimball, Heber C. “The Journal and Record of Heber Chase Kimball an Apostle of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” ca. 1842–1858. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 1.
Fielding, Joseph. Journals, 1837–1859. CHL. MS 1567.
Kimball, Heber C. Journals, 1837–1848. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL.
- [15]
Richards, Journal, 11–12 June 1837; Willard Richards, Recommendation, ca. 11–13 June 1837, JS Collection, CHL; on Richards’s previous mission, see Historical Introduction to Power of Attorney to Oliver Granger, 27 Sept. 1837.
Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.
- [16]
Heber C. Kimball, 1837–1838 Journal, 7–11, CHL; Kimball, “Journal and Record of Heber Chase Kimball,” 87–94.
Kimball, Heber C. Journals, 1837–1848. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL.
Kimball, Heber C. “The Journal and Record of Heber Chase Kimball an Apostle of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,” ca. 1842–1858. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 1.
At a of the and of the held in , Geauga County, Ohio, on the Second day of June in the year of Our Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty Seven, Elder , the Bearer of this, was unanimously appointed, set apart and ordained to go on a mission to to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of that Nation as it is believed and practised by us.
From the long acquaintance which we have had with, this, our worthy Brother, his integrity and zeal in the cause of truth, we do most cheerfully and confidently reccommend him to all candid and upright people as a servant of God and a faithful minister of Jesus Christ.
We do furthermore beseech all people who have an opportunity of hearing, this, our brother declare the doctrine believed by us, to listen with attention to the words of his mouth.
| J Smith Jr) | Presideing Elders of the Church of Latter Day Saints | |
| ) | ||
| ) |
[p. [1]]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [1]
There is no other record of a formal meeting being held in Kirtland on 2 June 1837. This may refer to what Kimball later described as a “confrence at Elders Rigdons” where JS, Rigdon, and Hyrum Smith set Kimball apart for the mission. The journal indicates that the conference occurred on the same day JS informed Kimball of the mission to England. (Heber C. Kimball, 1837–1838 Journal, 3–4, CHL; Heber C. Kimball, “Synopsis of the History of Heber Chase Kimball,” Deseret News, 14 Apr. 1858, 33.)
Kimball, Heber C. Journals, 1837–1848. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL.
Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.
Signatures of JS, Sidney Rigdon, and Hyrum Smith.