Documents to Obtain or Review; and Quinn Items—Comments 1-27-2008
Theobald, John, Mormonism Dissected, or Knavery “on Two Sticks,” Exposed, Lancaster: Reuben Chambers, 1841. Check for PM references.
[I was able to examine both works at the BYU Special Collections. The pseudonymous 1841 Mormonism Dissected is likely not by John Theobald, and confines its attack to the Book of Mormon, not even hinting at polygamy or sexual immorality. However, Theobald authored the undated [ca. 1850-1852]Mormonism Harpooned, which does address these subjects. He largely quotes Bennett and the source that cites William Arrowsmith, though I'm not sure which was the original source for the latter material.I believe we've encountered all his information before, but I ordered copies just to be sure.]
Stevenson, “The Life of Edward Stevenson, Member of the First Council of Seventy, Friend of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Three Witnesses, page 19, unpublished master’s thesis, BYU, 1955. I’m looking for reasons that Joseph Smith went to PontiacMichigan in August 1835.
[I still need to check this source. However, I've checked Edward Stevenson's autobiography (CA, MS 1054), and sent you my notes from it.]
Oliver Cowdery letter to Warren Cowdery, 21 January 1838, Letterbook, Huntington Library, San Marino, California. I’m told that in the reference to “A dirty, nasty, filthy affair” the word “affair” is crossed out. Where would we find a copy of the actual letter?
[Located microfilm copy of letter at CA. There is an irregularity in the writing at this point in the manuscript. I viewed it under high magnification, and there is no word to replace "affair" on the manuscript; so if it had been crossed out, there would simply be a gap in the text at this point: "a dirty nasty ____." However, it appears that what has happened is not that Oliver crossed out the word "affair," but rather that he wrote this word over top of another word. It's not possible to tell what this other word is, at least not from the microfilm.]
Autobiography of Jared Carter, typescript, CA. Did he actually build a house for a plural wife in Kirtland as asserted by Benjamin F. Johnson in his 1903 letter?
[Not cataloged at CA; inquiring about. I did check the Autobiography and Journal of Ira Ames, Carter's brother-in-law (MS 6055)—there were several mentions of Carter, but none of his disaffection or of polygamy.]
Brigham Young letter to William Smith, August 10, 1845. BY Collection MsF 213 reel 30. Could you verify this citation and see if it contains anything else interesting?
[Still locating.]
Moyes, Anna R. and Lydia H. Rogerson, Life of Katherine Walker Written by her Daughters. I don’t know where this might be (USHD?). It isn’t in Bitton or Flake. SSI lists it. Page 139 discusses Lucy and three siblings (including Katherine) moving in with the Prophet when their mother died in 1842. I wondered why JS didn’t also propose to Catherine (she married a widower E.K. Fuller) in 1846 and was two years older than Lucy. This might be evidence that JS wasn’t after every woman that he had in close proximity.
[Copied—delivering today.]
Mrs. Mary Knowlton Pack to Mr. C. L. Wolfe, n.d. BYU Library
[Should already have in Gerber "Church Manuscripts" materials.]
Brigham Young Collection Minutes, Feb 27 1845:
"Phelps sd. 6 or 8 went over the boundaries of the U.S. to preach—Jos. went to prayer—he then commenced a revelation that Martin was to marry among the Lamanites…it was a long revelation."
Misc Minutes, B.Y. Collection:
Sept 2, 1850, Joseph E. Johnson "sd. he was familiar with the first frigging—that was done in his house with his mother in law—by Joseph."—appears to refer to Mary Heron (Snider)(b. Nov. 10 1804)
[I'm in the process of locating these items, with the help of Jay Burrup of the CHD.]
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John Murdock Diary, p. 66—May 29, 1835:
"to Rufus Harwood's wer [?] Angelica [New York?] conversed with Anderson a Methodist Priest he lied & scandelized Br Joseph the Prophet & said he sanctioned uphold & upheld Whoredom & He bore testimony against him."
[I've checked this diary at the CHO, and have not yet been able to find the indicated date and entry. Dates within the document appear to be jumbled, and I will check again to find the entry.]
Quinn variously places the Zina interview, in typescript form in the Zina D. H. Young Papers (apparently at the CHD); and in the Emmeline B. Wells Diary, Oct 1, 1898, at BYU). And he variously dates the interview as undated, 1898, and October 1898. He consistently states that it was performed by D. W. Wight.
[I copied the Emmeline Wells Diary entry—it appears to merely mention that Zina was visited by a son of Lyman Wight, helping to date the interview, but offering little other insight. I also checked the Zina D. H. Young Papers at the HBLL, and have provided notes, transcriptions, and photocopies of relevant material from it. One item that was not in it, however, was a transcript of this interview. I'll be checking her CA papers for this as well.]
Mary Lightner:
Quinn also mentions an affidavit by her dated March 23, 1877, but does not state location of document—Quinn polygamy chronology card file places it in the Susa Young Gates Collection, USHS.
[I've gone through part of this collection at the USHS. I did not find this affidavit, but did find a manuscript copy of Mary Lightner's autobiography, from which I've photocopied everything relevant to Joseph Smith polygamy.]
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Unpublished Family History of Job Welling Family, by Phebe Louisa Welling, Feb 9th , 1938:
"I heard my mother [Elvira Ann Cowles Holmes] testify that she was indeed the Prophet's (Joseph Smith) plural wife in life and lived with him as such during his lifetime."
[Quinn didn't offer a title or location for this work, but I was able to find it and have made photocopies of the relevant portions.]
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Brigham Young Collection Minutes, Feb 27 1845:
"Phelps sd. 6 or 8 went over the boundaries of the U.S. to preach—Jos. went to prayer—he then commenced a revelation that Martin was to marry among the Lamanites…it was a long revelation."
Misc Minutes, B.Y. Collection:
Sept 2, 1850, Joseph E. Johnson "sd. he was familiar with the first frigging—that was done in his house with his mother in law—by Joseph."—appears to refer to Mary Heron (Snider)(b. Nov. 10 1804)
[I'm in the process of locating these items, with the help of Jay Burrup of the CHD.]
______
John Murdock Diary, p. 66—May 29, 1835:
"to Rufus Harwood's wer [?] Angelica [New York?] conversed with Anderson a Methodist Priest he lied & scandelized Br Joseph the Prophet & said he sanctioned uphold & upheld Whoredom & He bore testimony against him."
[I've checked this diary at the CHO, and have not yet been able to find the indicated date and entry. Dates within the document appear to be jumbled, and I will check again to find the entry.]
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