Posted by:
baura
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Date: February 11, 2015 09:58AM
Feb 11, 1836 - Joseph Smith writes in his journal (through a scribe) "attended the School and read Hebrew with the morning Class - spent the afternoon in reading, and exhibiting the Egy[p]tian records to those who called to see me and heavens blessings have attended me."
Feb 11, 1843 - Recently elected Nauvoo mayor Joseph Smith "made his Inaugural Address in which he urged the necessity of the city council acting upon the principle of liberality and of relieving the city from all unnecessary expences and burthens [burdens]. Not to attempt to improve the city but enact such laws as will promote peace and good order and the people will improve the city. Capitalist[s] will come in from all quarters and Mills, factories, and machinery of all kind and buildings will arise on every hand [and] this will become a great city. [Joseph] prophecied that if the council would be liberal in their proceedings they would become rich."
Feb 11, 1845 -The Nauvoo city council "Passed an ordinance authorizing and licensing Brigham Young to run a ferry across the Mississippi at Nauvoo in place of Joseph Smith, martyred."
Feb 11, 1856 - Wilford Woodruff writes, "President Brigham Young has had his mind deeply exercised upon the getting up of the Deserett Alphabet & carrying it into the practical use. He has laboured hard from the beginning upon this subject & we are now making Books under his direction to be published in this Alphabet."
Feb 11, 1857 - Heber C. Kimball preaches: "In the spirit world there is an increase of males and females, there are millions of them, if I am faithful all the time, and continue right along with brother Brigham, we will go to brother Joseph and say, 'Here we are brother Joseph; we are here ourselves are we not, with none of the property we possessed in our probationary state, not even the rings on our fingers?' He will say to us, 'Come along, my boys, we will give you a good suit of clothes. Where are your wives?' 'They are back yonder; they would not follow us.' 'Never mind,' says Joseph, 'here are thousands, have all you want.'"
Feb 11, 1861 - The day after appointing a High Council in Ogden Apostles John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff go to South Weber where "The Bishop was in apostacy & was leading away others. They got a New Prophet to slide out of the Church upon." The "New Prophet" was Joseph Morris. Bishop Richard Cook in South Weber was asked "his feelings if he believed in Joseph Morris as a prophet . . . and to tell us what his feelings were in relation to the Presidency of the Church. . . . He then said, yes I do Believe in Joseph Morris as a Prophet whom God has raised up to lead this Church & kingdom agreeable to the Revelation in the Doctrins & Covenants which says I will raise up unto you a Prophet like unto Mosses &c. I do not Believe that Brigham Young is a prophet or has ever had any revelation or inspiration . . . " Taylor and Woodruff call for Morris himself. Morris speaks "about half an hour. He said Brigham Young was not a prophet & Joseph Smith did not hold the Keys of the Priesthood & was ordained of man while He Joseph Morris was ordained of the Father, . . ." Woodruff takes "Names of the persons who profess to believe in Joseph Morris as the prophet of God raised up to lead the Church. There was 16 names given. . . . John Taylor then moved that those sixteen named persons be Cut off from the Church . . ." Woodruff "seconded the motion & they were Cut off from the Church without a disscenting voice." Morris founds his church on April 6, 1861 and builds a following of over a thousand former Mormons. On June 15, 1862 a territorial posse attacked the Morrisite compound. Morris, his first counselor John Banks and two women were killed. The remaining Morrisites were pacified after facing the posse's cannon.
Feb 11, 1869 - Wilford Woodruff writes, "The Committee of the Regency spent the evening with President Young writing Hebrew in the deseret Alphabet on the black board for exercise. I spent the evening at home teaching my Family the Deseret Alphabet."
Feb 11, 1872 - Orson Pratt preaches on the Book of Mormon "After landing on the western coast of South America, they divided into two colonies, one colony called Lamanites, the other called Nephites. . . . Being so severely persecuted by the Lamanites, the Nephites were commanded of the Lord to depart from their midst, . . . . the Nephites formed a colony not far from the head waters of the river Amazon, and they dwelt there some four centuries, increasing and spreading forth in the land. The Lamanites, in the South and in the middle portions of South America, also spread forth and multiplied, and became a very strong and powerful nation. . . . . under the guidance of prophets and revelators, [they] came still further northward, emigrating from the head waters of what we now term the river Amazon, upon the western coast, or not far from the western coast, until they came on the waters of the river which we call the Magdalena. On this river, not a great distance from the mouth thereof, in what is now termed the United States of Columbia, they built their great capital city."
Feb 11, 1888 - Frank J. Cannon takes the manuscript for his book "History of Joseph Smith the Prophet" to his father First Presidency Counselor George Q. Cannon. The elder Cannon approves it with a few alterations and gives permission "to get the manuscript into type." The book is later published under George Q. Cannon's name. Frank later becomes a U.S. Senator, an apostate and an anti-Mormon publisher.
Feb 11, 1897 - John M. Whitaker, secretary to the First Quorum of Seventy writes: "Brother Richards talked with me and told me that when Joseph Smith was about to receive the plates there was a certain man who had been following him and was determined to be there with him when he got the plates and would not leave him, and finally when the time arrived for him to get the plates, Jos Smith told this man, "If I see you once between now and tomorrow night, I will whip the stumps of trees with your body." It is said that the man became so scared that he disappeared for some time and never bothered the Prophet any more."
Feb 11, 1901 - Apostle Rudger Clawson records in his dairy: "Bp. Thomas, informed that a peculiar and somewhat serious condition prevailed in the ward, and he wanted counsel regarding it. He said that one of the sisters had been speaking in tongues at their fast meetings, and he feared that it was not done by the Spirit of the Lord. A very unpleasant and unsatisfactory feeling prevailed in the meeting whenever she spoke or sang in tongues. As further evidence that the tongue was not from the Lord one of the sisters in the congregation immediately upon hearing the tongue was visibly affected and went into spasms. The bishop took occasion to point out to the saints the evil resulting from the exercise of this strange tongue, and warned them against it. This greatly angered a young man, who was related to the sister who had spoken in tongues, and who had just returned from a mission to the world, and he arose in the meeting and cursed the bishop in the name of the Lord."
Feb 11, 1911 - NEW YORK TIMES gives its first theater review of actress Hazel Dawn. With her debut on London stage in 1910, she is first nationally recognized star of twentieth century who publicly acknowledges Mormonism (e.g. Who's Who entry).
Feb 11, 1953 - First Presidency purchases $5,000 in bonds of State of Israel.
Feb 11, 1980 - PEOPLE magazine article "Sonia Johnson's Excommunication by the Mormons Cut 'Big String' that Held Her Marriage Together."
Feb 11, 1983 - SEVENTH EAST PRESS, unofficial BYU student newspaper, is banned from distribution on campus due to its interview with LDS philosopher Sterling M. McMurrin in which he expressed disbelief about the First Vision and ancient origins for the Book of Mormon.. It ceases publication two months later. BYU's action is widely criticized in media and by president of national journalism society.
Feb 11, 1985 - In a vote taken by residents of Carriage Cove Apartments in Provo, Utah, 221 tenants said "yes" to MTV. Only 167 voted "no," 188 didn't vote, and 4 said they didn't care. Four bishops had banded together to stop MTV availability in various off-campus BYU-approved housing complexes. Before the vote Bishop Leo Wiedner (also Carriage Cove's part-owner and manager), confident that BYU students will vote MTV down, says, "I think I pretty well know how it's going to turn out." At nearby Raintree Apartments a non-secret poll is taken at the bishop's request by manager Hyde Taylor. 27% return the polling letter with 13% against MTV and 14% in favor. Taylor concludes this is insufficient to restore MTV. The story is picked up by the national media and Weidner and Raintree Apartment bishop Jack Christensen appear on "Take Two" TV program from Salt Lake City to defend their actions. Christianson is the author of MUSIC: APPLES OR ONIONS?, a book that defends the LDS church position that hard or "acid" rock music is harmful. Part of the research for this book involved listening to such rock groups as "Black Sabbath," and, he claims, such listening adversely affected him. "I was not as happy as I used to be," he recalls. "I was ornery and disagreeable." However, he adds, "Just because people don't have the same high standards I'm trying to uphold, I don't think less of them."
Feb 11, 1987 - Interviews with forger/murderer Mark Hofmann begin at the Utah State Prison. Pursuant to a plea agreement Hofmann agrees to give details about his forgeries and two bomb murders. Before questioning begins Hoffman is given a NEW YORK TIMES story in which document expert Charles Hamilton proclaims Hofmann the "World's Greatest Forger" for having duped him and others. Hofmann scans the article then asks, "Don't you think he's just saying that, trying not to look so stupid?"
Feb 11, 1996 - In official editorial against allowing Utah's high schools to have clubs for gay and lesbian students, DESERET NEWS comments: "It is still appalling that more than half the identified hate crimes in Utah are aimed at homosexuals." Editorial concludes by affirming attitude on which such hate crimes are based: "homosexual activities and practices are an abomination, not just some 'alternative lifestyle' no better or worse than others." Within days Salt Lake City's school board prohibits all extracurricular clubs as only way to stop students from forming homosexually oriented clubs and still comply with federal laws against discrimination in public schools. These events are reported by major national newspapers and network television news programs.