Monday, December 31, 2012

Newtown Shootings

"The Bath School disaster is the name given to three bombings in Bath Township, Michigan, on May 18, 1927, which killed 38 elementary school children, two teachers, four other adults and the bomber himself; at least 58 people were injured. Most of the victims were children in the second to sixth grades (7–14 years of age) attending the Bath Consolidated School. Their deaths constitute the deadliest mass murder in a school in U.S. history." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster

God was "allowed" in schools at the time.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Lorenzo Snow Timeline

Lorenzo Snow Timeline

Objects in Bold were key events/descriptions left out of the manual by the Correlation Committee. [this article is still in progress]
April 3, 1814 - Born in Mantua, Ohio
1832 - Hears Prophet Joseph Smith preach in Hiriam, Ohio
1835 - Leaves home to study at Oberlin College in Oberlin Ohio. Meets Elder David W. Patten of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on the way
1836 - Leaves Oberlin COllege and moves to Kirtland, Ohio to study Hebrew.
June 1836 - Baptized and confirmed.
1836 -Ordained an Elder
December 1836 - Receives patriarchal blessing from Joseph Smith Sr.
1837 - Preaches Gospel in Ohio
Oct. 1838 - May 1840 - Serves another mission in Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky and Illinois while working as a school teacher.
May 1840 - Leaves Nauvoo, Illinois to serve mission in England, Under direction of Quorum of the Twelve. Presides over Church in London, England and surrounding area. Publishes a pamphlet titled The only way to be saved
Oct 10, 1842 - Lorenzo Snow delivers two ornamentally bound copies of the BOOK OF MORMON to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert through Sir Henry Wheatly. Queen Victoria probably never read, and may never have handled this presentation copy, but it has since resided in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. D. Michael Quinn's Extensions of Power
Arrives in Nauvoo, IL with 250 converts
1843-1844 Teaches School in Lima, Illinois
1844 Supervises a campaign in Ohio to Elect Joseph SMith as President of the Untied States.
Oct 1844 - Married to Charlotte Squiers, two children 1845- Appointed by Brigham Young to travel to Ohio and collect donations for the construction of the Nauvoo Temple
1845 Married Mary Adaline Goddard, 3 children
April 21, 1845 Married Sarah Ann Prichard (5 children)
Jan 17, 1846 Married Harriet Amelia Squires (5 children)
Feb 1846-Leaves Nauvoo with family members after receiving endowment
1846-48 Lives with family in Mount Pisgah in Iowa. In spring 1848 leads group to Salt Lake City
1848 Married Eleanor Houtz (8 children)
Feb 12, 1849 Ordained an Apostle in Salt Lake City
1849 Gathers donations for the PEF
1849 to 1852 Serves mission to England where he supervises the publication of the BOM in Italian , Switzerland, and Halta. The Voice of Joseph
Feb 18, 1852 Renames Italian Mountain "Monte Vandalino" to "Mount Brigham". - D. Michael Quinn Origins of Power
1852 - Elected to Utah State Legislature
Oct 9 1853 - Marries Caroline Horton, 3 children
1853 - Called by President Brigham Young to preside over Box Elder County. Names the city "Brigham City"
1857 Marries Mary Elizabeth Houtz (7 children)
Apr 4, 1859 Marries Phoebe Amelia Woodruff (5 children)
March 1864 - May 1864 -With a group led by Ezra T. Benson of the quorum of the Twelve, serves short mission in Hawaiian Islands
June 12, 1871 Marries Sarah Minnie Ephramina Jensen (5 children)
October 1872 -1873 Group lead by George Albert Smith tours Europe and the middle east including the Holy Land at the request of Brigham Young.
1882 The united States Congress passes the Edmuds Act, making plural marriage a felony.
August 1885-October 1885 Serves mission among American Indians in Northwest and Wyoming
March 12, 1886 to Feb 8, 1887 Imprisoned for plural Marriage
March 3, 1887 Edmunds Tucker act, outlawing polygamy and having lands/wealth held by polygamists able to be claimed by the federal Government.
May 21-23, 1888 Dedicatory prayer on Manti temple
April 7, 1889 Sustained as President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Oct. 3 1891 - Apostle Heber J. Grant writes in his journal: "Lorenzo Snow Testified of the great work that the brethren would do and that they would live to see the Saviour come to the earth. Said the Son of God would visit the brethren and converse with them before in he came to the earth in Glory." -Diary of Heber J. Grant
Oct 19-20, 1891 - First Presidency and Lorenzo Snow, Twelve's president, and Apostle Anthon H. Lund testify in court that Manifesto prohibits new plural marriages anywhere in world and prohibits cohabitation with wives married before the Manifesto and that the church will excommunicate violators. Although testimony is pulished in various editions of DESERET NEWS, all polygamous general authorities violate this by continuing to cohabit with their plural wives after 1891. In 1904 President Joseph F. Smith testifies under oath that he is in violation of both the "law of the land" as well as the "law of the church" in continuing to cohabit with plural wives.** - D. Michael Quinn Extensions of Power
Apr 1, 1892 The Twelve Apostles meet and discuss whether or not the Manifesto forbids "unlawful cohabitation" with plural wives taken before the Manifesto. They decide that it shouldn't even though President Wilford Woodruff and Lorenzo Snow had testified under oath that it does. They vote to send a telegram to the U.S. President asking for amnesty for polygamists.
Apr 2, 1892 - "Lorenzo Snow had nothing to say about the bretheren cohabiting with their [plural] wives" after Apostle John Henry said that they should continue to do so. -- Minutes of meetings of the Twelve, Quoted in Extensions of Power
Oct 11, 1892 - "This morning attended very interesting council W[ilford] W[oodruff], G[eorge] Q C[annon], J[oseph] F S[mith], M[oses] T[hatcher], B H Roberts, F[rancis] M Lyman, Pres[iden]t [Lorenzo] Snow concerning the movements of brethren in politics Pres[iden]t G[eorge] Q Cannon narrated experience in his absence with National Central Committeemen &c. At 10 A.M. met with the Presidency in the office, when Bro[ther] Moses Thatcher and brother [B. H.] Roberts came to find out what they should do in politics. They are to continue but very mildly. Apostles [Lorenzo] Snow, [Franklin D.] Richards, [John Henry] Smith and [Heber J.] Grant were also present. It was a very pleasant meeting and the brethren had a good spirit" - Franklin D. Richards, Diary; Francis M. Lyman, Diary
Dec 16, 1892 - Gives discourse on school system in the church to James Talmage on train ride. States "You are called to fulfill a mission of rare and great importance in the Church, and the Lord will assist you" and that James Talmage will never fall from faith - James E. Talmage, Diary
May 19, 1893- September 1898 - First President of the Salt Lake Temple
September 2- Becomes senior apostle and presiding leader of the church upon death of Wilford Woodruff. Receives a divine manifestation in the Salt Lake Temple Hallway, in which the Lord instructs him to move forward with the reorganization of the first presidency. His granddaughter is present and indicates that the reason The Lord meets him in the Hallway is that there is no longer a presiding high priest on the Earth, the saints having rejected polygamy in favor of the world.
Sept 13, 1898 - Sustained by the Quorum of the Twelve as president of the Church
October 9, 1898 - Sustained as President during General Conference
Oct 10, 1898 - Set apart as President
May 1899 - Travesl to St. George, Utah, where he receives a revelation to preach the law of tithing to the Saints. Begins sharing this message in St. George and leads an effort to share it throughout the Church.
Jan 1, 1901 Publishes *greeting to the world" to welcome the 20th Century
Oct 10, 1901 Dies in Salt Lake City at age 87 Lorenzo Snow's dath. First time church president dies before being able to set apart or function with new counselors publicly sustained at general conference, Joseph F. Smith as first and Rudger Clawson as second counselor



I've heard that some of his marriages were to girls as young as 14 and 15 when he was in his 50s and 60s. Also, I don't see that he denied polygamy while in England...while he had 6-7 wives at the time.

Pratt Bennet Joseph Timeline

orson_pratt_sarah_pratt_bennett_and_joseph Timeline

April 26, 1831 - Orson Pratt Ordained an Elder by Joseph Smith Jr.'s own hand |
April 1831 - Mission to Colesville, New York, several other missions to New York, Ohio, Missouri, and the Eastern States|
Feb 2, 1832 Ordained a High Priest by Sidney Rigdon and as a High Priest he continued his missions, preaching in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.|
April 26, 1835- Ordained a member of the Quorum of the 12](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church))|
1839 - 1841- Orson Pratt served mission to British Isles. Produced tract "An Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions".14 articles of faith included|
  • Orson Pratt served mission to British Isles. Produced tract "An Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions".14 articles of faith included
October 27, 1841 - Prescindia's twenty-year-old sister Zina was living in the Joseph Smith home when Elder Henry B. Jacobs married her in March 1841. Joseph: "the Lord had made it known to him that [Zina] was to be his Celestial wife." *Source: "History of Henry Bailey Jacobs." By Ora J. Cannon, page 5-7. also see "Recollections of Zina D. Young" by Mary Brown Firmage) *
11 December 1841 - Prescindia D. Huntington, a faithful Mormon and married woman in Nauvoo, was also a polyandrous wife of Joseph Smith. Prescindia married Norman Buell in 1827 2 sons prior to joining in 1836. --(Mormon Polygamy: A History" by Richard S. Van Wagoner, page 44 and Fawn Brodie "No Man Knows My History" pages 301-302, 437-39)
During the summer of 1841 - shortly after Heber's return from England, he was introduced to the doctrine of plural marriage directly through a startling test... Joseph demanded for himself what to Heber was the unthinkable, his [wife] Vilate. Totally crushed spiritually and emotionally, Heber touched neither food nor water for three days and three nights Heber took Vilate to Joseph. The Prophet wept at this act of faith, devotion, and obedience. Joseph had never intended to take Vilate. It was all a test."- Biography of Heber C. Kimball, "Heber C. Kimball, Mormon Patriarch and Pioneer."
Early 1842 - Sarah M. Kimball, a prominent Nauvoo and Salt Lake City Relief Society leader was also approached by the Prophet in early 1842 despite her solid 1840 marriage to Hiram Kimball --"LDS Biographical Encyclopedia" By Elder Andrew Jensen, 6:232, 1887 (This is Helen Mar Kimball's Mother)
February 1842 - Mary Elizabeth Rollins, already married to non-Mormon Adam Lightner since 11 August 1835, was one of the first women to accept a polyandrous proposal from Joseph Smith. "He was commanded to take me for a wife," --(Lightner, Mary E. Statement. 8 Feb. 1902; Lightner to Emmeline B. Wells, 21 Nov. 1880; Lightner to John R. Young, 25 Jan. 1892. George A. Smith Papers. Special Collections. University of Utah)
April 1842 - Marinda Nancy Johnson, sister of Apostles Luke and Lyman Johnson, married Orson Hyde in 1834. A year before Hyde returned from Jerusalem in 1843, Marinda was sealed to Joseph Smith in April of 1842. -(Andrew Jenson, Church Chronology, August 6, 1844, Nauvoo Sealing Records)
May 11, 1842 - Church leaders announce that John C. Bennett will be disfellowshipped. Orson Pratt refuses to sign the announcement. Pratt's wife Sarah had accused Joseph Smith of trying to seduce her. Joseph had accused John C. Bennett of being the one involved with Sarah Pratt.
Jun 17, 1842 - Heber C. Kimball writes to Parley P. Pratt: "We have organized a Lodge here of Masons since we obtained a Charter. That was in Mar. Since that thare was near two hundred been made masons. Br. Joseph and Sidny [Ridgon] was the first that was Received into the Lodg. All of the twelve apostles have become members Except Orson Pratt. He hangs back. --Letter from Heber C. Kimball to Parley P. Pratt, 17 June 1842http://scottwoodward.org/masonry.html (I can't help but wonder if his wife was selected to be taken because he was not a mason/did not join in on the secret activities of The Order)
Jul 14, 1842 - In a public speech Joseph Smith calls Orson Pratt's wife Sarah "A whore from her mother's breast."-- the Sangamo Journal, (July 29, 1842.)
Sarah had accused Smith of proposing plural marriage to her while her husband Orson was away on a mission
Orson Pratt writes a 'suicide' note: "I am a ruined man! My future prospects are blasted! The testimony upon both sides seems to be equal: The one in direct contradiction to the other . . .
Jul 15, 1842 - Thousands of Nauvoo Mormons search for Orson Pratt after discovering a suicide note
On this same day: The ST. LOUIS BULLETIN publishes Martha Brotherton's account of her invitation to enter into polygamy in Nauvoo with Brigham Young. --St. Louis Bulletin, July 15, 1842, p. 2
Jul 15, 1842 - Joseph Smith Journal- "It was reported early in the morning that Elder Orson Pratt was missing. I caused the Temple hands and the principle men of the city to make a search for him. After which a meeting was called at the Grove, and I gave the public a general outline of John C. Bennett's conduct." --LDS History of the Church 5: 60–61
Jul 17, 1842 - Brigham Young writes to Parley P. Pratt concerning his brother Orson Pratt--Apostle Jebediah M. Grant, Sunday Tabernacle Discourse, March 23, 1856, Journal History quoting the letter.
Jul 17, 1842 - THE WASP EXTRA, a Nauvoo newspaper, accuses John C. Bennett of "adultery, fornication, embryo infanticide and buggery, . . ."
Jul 21, 1842 - Wilford Woodruff writes: "There was a Counsel of the Twelve held for four days with Elder Orson Pratt to labour with him to get him to recall his sayings against Joseph & The Twelve" -- this is cited even on the mormon wiki page, but the journal entry published online only discusses Bennett reprinted in CONFLICT IN THE QUORUM: ORSON PRATT, BRIGHAM YOUNG, JOSEPH SMITH
Jul 29, 1842 - Scandal printed in SANGAMO JOURNAL: "We do not know what course will be pursued by Mr. [Orson] Pratt. If he sinks under the denunciations and schemes of Joe Smith- if he fails to defend the reputation of himself and of the woman he has vowed to protect before high heaven..." full text transcribed: http://www.mombu.com/religion/mormon/t-orson-pratt-defection-1842-prophet-speech-heaven-holy-life-6363945.html)
August 1, 1842 - Times and Seasons 3 : 868–878 publishes affidavits that Sarah Pratt is lying and had an affair with Bennett
August 20, 1842 - Orson Pratt Excommunicated for insubordination, Sarah Pratt for Adultary this removed Pratt (And Hyde, both Orsons) from their seniority status.--Bergera, Gary James (1992). "Seniority in the Twelve: The 1875 Realignment of Orson Pratt". Journal of Mormon History 18 (1): 19–58.
October 1, 1842 - Times and Seasons 3 :939–940 Publishes affidavits that Sarah Pratt lied and had an affair with Bennett.
Orson soon returned to the church and denounced Bennett. "Bro. Orson Pratt is in the church and always has been & has the confidence of Joseph Smith and all good men who know him....As to Bennett or his book [The History of the Saints, 1842] I consider it a little stooping to mention it."
January 20, 1843 - Pratt reinstated to the Quorum of the 12
July, 27 1843 - "I according to Pres. Joseph Smith & council & others, I agreed to stand by Sarah Ann Whitney [sealed to Smith 27 July 1843] as though I was supposed to be her husband and a pretended marriage for the purpose of shielding them from the enemy and for the purpose of bringing out the purposes of God." (Elder Joseph Kingsbury, "History of Joseph Kingsbury Written by His Own Hand," page 5, Utah State Historical Society)
13 May 1844 - Entry in William Law's diary that Joseph proposed to his wife Jane (entry was crossed out later, no reason given) William Law, Cited in Lyndon Cook, William Law, Orem, Utah: Grandin Book Co., 1994, 53.
1886 - Sarah Pratt claimed in an interview that, while in Nauvoo, Illinois, Joseph Smith, Jr. was attracted to her and intended to make her "one of his spiritual wives" while Orson was in England on missionary service
19 February 1854 - Apostle Jedediah M. Grant, second counselor to Brigham Young and father of President Heber J. Grant, sermon addressing Joseph asking men for their wives posted here
Nov 1, 1890 - Prophet Wilford Woodruff, John Mills Whitaker Journal: "The Prophet went to the home of President Taylor, and said to him, 'Brother John, I WANT LEONORA.', "If GOD wants Leonora He can have her... I don't want your wife, I just wanted to know just where you stood."

Temple Timeline

Temple Timeline

Sections in this post:
Ancient temples - A
Masonic Timeline- M
Garment related- G
Endowment Related- E
Sealings and polygamy related- S
Miscellaneous dates- D
Notes with no date- N
These will be mixed together with the indicators included:
Circa 1250 BC (A) - Assuming biblical account is correct: Moses receives instruction for building tabernacle
Circa 1000 BC (M) - Hiraim Abif is born according to masonic lore
968 BC (A) - Soloman's Temple Constructed
715 BC (M/A) - Numa Pompilius (the second King of Rome) organizes Roman workers into various Collegia. He attaches one to each legion of the Army so that Roman arms and arts go hand in hand into the outlying parts of the Empire. The stone workers, or masons, are the most numerous because of their use in defense works, and so become the most powerful. Each Collegia has at least three members. They use their tools as symbols and look after the widows and orphans of members. Masons tie to this parallelism for early roots originally
715-657 BC (A) - Hezekiah reforms Temple, Many scholars believe Old Testiment prior to this is re-organized by Committee to fit his needs, whatever the Templar might have recovered would have been Hezekiah's altered temple rites
586 BC (A) - Nebuchadnezzar destroys Soloman's Temple)
515 BC (A) -Zerubbabel's reconstruction of Temple complete
175-164 BC (A) - Antiochus Epiphanes profanes the Temple, dedicated to Zues
168-165 BC (A) - Maccabean Revolt and Temple rededication. Feast of Dedication (hanukkah) created
19 BC (A) - Zerubbabel's Temple dismantled and replaced by Harod's Temple
(N) - Masons claim Jesus was an Essenes, group similar to Sadducee and Pharisees. Worked with Stone/Carpentry; could not marry
70 - Herod's Temple destroyed by Romans (This is the one the Templars found the remains of, rebuilt twice; and revised several times including once to Zues
926 (M) - Prince Edwin, calls and presides over a meeting of Masons at York
1104 (T/M) - Count Hugh of Champagne visits Jerusalem
1114 (T/M) - Count Hugh of Champagne returns to Jeruslalem and is accompanied by his vassal Hughes de Payen who remains in Jerusalem with eight other knights
1119 (T/M) - On Christmas day, Hugh Of Payen and eight knights take a vow before the Patriarch in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre of poverty and chastity and obedience and become the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Jesus Christ. The Knights Templar are conceived.
1138 (T/M) - Pope Innocent II grants Templar new power, they are subject only to the pope
1149 - A group of organized operative stonemasons in Germany are in existence. They are called the Steinmetzen, and some claim they are claimed to be the precursors of Freemasonry today
1183 (D) - Ricahrd III goes on Crucade, Leaving Prince John in charge at home. (Robin Hood stories pre-date this, but who cares, right?)
Friday 13th, 1307 (M/T) - Templars all across France are arrested in the early hours in one decisive swoop (original order 66)
24th Oct, 1307 (M/T) - Jacques DeMolay confesses to accusations under Torture as part of an Inquisition
March 19th, 1314 (M/T)- Jacques DeMolay and Geoffrey de Charney are burned alive at the stake on a small island in the River Seine called Ile des Javiaux.
1357 (M/T)-First recorded exhibition of the Shroud of Turin (now believed to be that of Jacques de Maloy, but originally attributed to Christ, Christ first gains a beard in paintings and stained glass windows after this date)
1376 (M) - Freemason and Mason Company of London is in existence as a craft guild. First use of the word "Freemason" recorded on August 9th, stricken through and replaced with "mason" (however these are probably not connected to actual Freemasonry according to historians)
1390 (M) - The Regius Poem, or Manuscript, (also known as the Halliwell Manuscript) is written or copied from older manuscripts. It is written in Middle English, and is said to be based on the Instructions for a Parish Priest or Urbanitas, a book of instruction on deportment and hygiene. This is the origination for the "Masonic Ceremony" as known. Of note, no mention of Hiriam Abiff, but instead focuses on Euclid and Egypt
1425 (M) - The Cooke Manuscript is written. It is the second oldest of the extant ancient manuscripts of Freemasonry
1463 (M) - The Worshipful Company of Masons of the City of London erects its first Meeting Hall.
1471 (M) - First mention of a Master Mason: Robert Stowell is appointed Master of Masons at Westminster Abbey
1583 (M) - The Grand Lodge No 1 Manuscript is written. Now in the possession of the United Grand Lodge of England, this is the third oldest of the existing Manuscripts relating to Freemasonry and could be said to be the one the modern rite is based off of
1598 - Scottish Right, by William Schaw, master of the Works, created. This is the version Joseph Smith would have learned
1604 - Fellow Craft Degree of Freemasonry introduced by Francis Bacon
November 5th 1605 (D) - Guy Fawkes
1610 (D) -Galileo makes public his view of the Solar System
1650 (M) - The Harleian Manuscript is written, including the Mason will have to answer to God at judgement day should he not keep these signs and words secret, this is before penalties are added
1656 (M) - John Aubrey begins writing A Natural History of Wiltshire in which he states that "the Fraternity of Free-Masons are known to one another by certain signs and watch words, and other significant words", and also described them as "adopted masons" and "accepted masons". His History is not published until 1847.
1696 (M) - First recorded mention of the five points of fellowship in the Edinburgh Register. The concept that this is ancient, when it didn't exist in masonry (no indication prior) until 1696, is laughable
1717 (M) - Grand Lodge formed A Short History of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by Louis C. King (privately published, 1983).
1725 (M) - First mention of a "Master Mason in conjunction with a degree". Third Degree masons clearly mentioned in 1726. Source: "Philo-Musicæ et Architecture Societas Apollini [A Review]," Ars Quatuor Coronatorm 16 (1903), pp. 112-28. It makes reference to a Charles Cotton and a Papillon Ball who were made Master Masons on May 12, 1725. Anderson's Constitutions makes reference to "Master Masons" existing at the formation of the Premiere Grand Lodge in 1717. Sloane Ms 3329 (ca. 1700) and Trinity College Dublin Ms (1711) both make reference to elements of the Master's degree. From this, we can conclude that the Master's degree existed in some form before 1725.
July 30, 1733 (M) - First Masonic Lodge in America (Boston) formed
1733 (M) - Benjamin Franklin reprinted Anderson's Book of Constitutions. This was the first Masonic book published in America.
July 30th, 1733 (M) -First Masonic Temple in America erected in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
April 28th, 1738 (M) - In Eminenti written by Pope Clement XII This is the first official edict of the Roman Catholic Church against the Craft
1739 (M) - A committee meets in London to discuss proposed changes for Freemasonry. This committee eventually developed into the Ancient Grand Lodge
March 1751 (M) - Joseph Torrubia, A roman Catholic priest who spies on the masons, provides a list of 97 lodges and their members
May 18, 1751 (M) - Pope Benedict XIV issues Providas against the craft, Inquisition arrests and punishes members
July 2nd, 1751 (M) - King Ferdinand VI suppresses the order in Spain
July 17th, 1751 (M) - Schism "Grand Lodge of England" is formed known as the "moderns"
1752 (M) - George Washington is made a freemason in Fredericksburg
1754 (M)- First use of the term "Sublime Degree of a Master Mason"
1773 (M) - "Strict Union" between Grand Lodge of Scotland and the Grand Lodge of England, American rite has already diverged significantly from the European version
1775 (M) - William Hutchinson publishes Spirit of Freemasonry - the first book on Masonic philosophy expressing the view that the Craft is a Christian association
7/4/1776 (D/M) - American Independence. Declaration was signed by 13 freemasons
10/13/1792 (M) - Cornerstone of the White House laid on the anniversary of the death of Jaques de Molay. Six freemasons in attendence
1813 - Moderns and Antients become reconciled and form "The United Grand Lodge of Antient, Free and Accepted Masons of England
May 7, 1818 - Joseph Smith Sr. becomes a freemason (ontario Lodge No. 23 of Canandaigua, New York) source: Rough Stone Rolling
1822 (D) - Rosetta Stone translated in Paris allowing Egyptian to be understood
1824 (M) - King Ferdinand VII of Spain decrees on 1st August the death of all Freemasons without trial.
Sept 22, 1826 (M) - Lucinda Morgan, William Morgan's wife, says he had a scribe. Oliver Cowdery likely candidate Source: Samuel D. Greene's 1870 book, The Broken Seal..., pp. 89-90
1827 - William Morgan's anti-Masonry Book published
1828 (M) - Formal organization if the Anti-Masonic political party in February at New York
1830 (D) - Book of Mormon Published, "Church of Christ" established
August 3, 1831 - Independence temple lot dedicated
May 18th, 1834 (S) - Joseph Smith, writes "...your husband until death" in letter to Emma (no concept of eternal marriage)
July 1835 - Purchase of Book of Abraham Papyri
27 March 1836 - Kirtland Temple Open - Joseph Smith dedicating
1835-1836 - Kirtland temple marriages open to non-members Source : The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, 1835-1836
26 April 1838 - Far West Temple announced
October 1838 - Adam-ondi-Ahman Temple
1838 - Lucinda Pendleton Morgan, wife of William Morgan; writer of the expose on free masonry marries Joseph Smith (evidence is scarce, two sources, Sarah Pratt, and Jenson claimed it as well) source: No Man Knows my History, Fawn Brodie
4 November 1838 (S) -"If I do not meet you again in this life may God grant that we may somehow meet in heaven." Letter to Emma from Carthage Jail
1839 - James Halliwell discovers the Regius Manuscript in the British Museum indicating that Masonry was of an ancient order
1840 - Biography of Lucy Mack Smith written, mentioning "Faculty of Abrac" a Masonic Mystery source: Refiner's Fire, Cambridge University Press, 1994, pp. 157-158).
19 January 1841 - Baptism for the Dead introduced, not conducted in temple originally
October 15,1841 - The Grand Master of Illinois issued a dispensation to a lodge in Nauvoo, Illinois
1841 -William Morgan is baptized for the dead, by request of his wife
March 15,1842 - Navuoo Lodge granted Joseph installed as grand chaplain source: Evidences and Reconciliations, 1 volume, pp. 357-358).
March 15,1842 - "In the evening I received the first degree in Free Masonry in the Nauvoo Lodge, assembled in my general business office." The record for the next day reads, "I was with the Masonic Lodge and rose to the sublime degree" (page 552). History of the Church Volume 4, page 552
March 17, 1842 Relief Society Organized in the Masonic Lodge. included in the actual vocabulary of Joseph Smith's counsel and instructions to the sisters were such words as: ancient orders, examinations, degrees, candidates, secrets, lodges, rules, signs, tokens, order of the priesthood, and keys; all indicating that the Society's orientation possessed Masonic overtones.
May 4, 1842 (E) - Endowment administered for first time on upper floor of the Nauvoo Store (Washing, anointing, clothing in garment, instruction in signs, tokens, keywords of holy priesthood
A short time later, Joseph called seven of his leading men together and instructed
them "in the principles and order of the Priesthood, attending to washings, anointings, endowments and the communication of keys " which Joseph said instituted the ancient order of things for the first time in these last days." History of the Church, 5:1–2; spelling
1842 (E) - Ebinezer Robinson recalls seeing John Taylor, wearing a turban and having a drawn sword in the upper room of red brick store
August 1842 (M) - Nauvoo Masonic Lodge's charter suspended
9 February 1843 - Parley P. Pratt returns home from a mission, angry he has missed the endowment, D&C 129 given History of the Church, 5:267
1843 Eternal Marriage (Sealings) first performed
October 1843 (M) - Charters of the Nauvoo lodges arrested for irregularities in October
20 January 1844 - Heber C. Kimball and wife Vilate recorded by Brigham Young to receive second anointing Manuscript History of Brigham Young, p. 158, Wilford Woodruff diary for same date
June 27, 1844 Joseph Smith Jr. Dies, his last cry is "Will no man help the widow's son" with his hands raised in a masonic sign. Star of Jupiter around his neck. The "mob" is the Warsaw militia containing freemasons
1844-1845 Local Masonic lodges reject "Joseph's Lodge" primarily for teaching masonry to women
1845 - Brigham Young gives the endowment as a ritual drama, with a creation room, garden room, Telestial, terrestial room and celestial room. This is the first time it is recorded as being a drama.
Jan 22, 1846 - Lucinda Morgan (Harris) is sealed by her own request, to Joseph Smith Jr. for eternity. Her Husband George W. Harris stood as Proxy. The next day she is sealed to her husband for time.
1-3 May 1846 Nauvoo Temple Dedicated by Orson Hyde
Jan 11th 1846 - Heber and Vilate Kimball receive Second Annointing
Jan 11th 1846 - Brigham Young receives Second anointing from Heber C. Kimball
April 9,1850 - Lucinda Morgan (Harris) is living separately from her husband George.
1852 - Polygamy formally announced
1853 - Orson Pratt pubishes "27 Rules of Celestial Marriage" clearly outlining that a celestial marriage must be polygamous
5 May 1855 - Endowment House dedicated by Heber C. Kimball
1858 (D) - Rosetta stone translated into english
1860 - Lucinda Morgan dies, a member of the Catholic Sisters of Charity
1872 (M) - the Grand Lodge of Utah was formed as an openly anti-Mormon organization. Masons are not permitted to have leadership positions in church.
6-8 April 1877 St. George Utah dedicated by Daniel H. Wells
1877 (E) - First recorded endowments for the dead are performed. Brigham Young produces the first written text of the endowment for use in the St. George Temple)
1877 - First recorded introduction at the veil available here
1881 - William Bryant, an old neighbor of Oliver Cowdery in western NY, recalled, "He (Cowdery), was strong against the Masons; he helped to write Morgan's [Anti-mason] book, [Lyman?] Cowdery was a strong Mason, so they all said; that is all the religion he had. interview published in the Saints' Herald of June 1, 1881
1882 (S) - Edmunds Act outlaws polygamy
17-19 May 1884 - Logan Utah Temple dedicated by John Taylor
21-23 May 1888 - Manti Temple dedicated by Lorenzo Snow
8 December 1890 (G) -"Sister Zina D. H. Young submitted a knitted garment something like our garments which is made in the East and asked if such may be marked & have a collar put on it and used as out Temple garment. It was decided by the First Presidency that such garments should not be used in lieu of the pattern given." - L. John Nuttall Journal, Vol 3, p. 227; 8 December 1890
1890 (S) - Term "Celestial Marriage" now referss to more than Polygamy. Prior to this, one could be sealed in the temple and not have a celestial marriage
April, 1890 (G) -The Nauvoo Garment was decribed by Ebenezer Robinson in "The Return Vol II", his periodical after being editor for The Times and Seasons.
6-24 April 1893 -Salt Lake Temple dedicated by Wilford Woodruff
1893 - Church leaders order minor alterations to the language and procedures of the endowment, trying to ensure greater consistency in how the endowment is administered in different temples Source: David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994).
1898 (G) - "Each individual should be provided with the endowment clothing they need. The garments must be clean and white, and of the approved pattern; they must not be altered or mutilated, and are to be worn as intended, down to the wrist and ankles, and around the neck. These requirements are imperative; admission to the Temple will be refused to those who do not comply therewith." - President Joseph F. Smith, "Instructions Concerning Temple Ordinance Work," President of the Salt Lake Temple 1898-1911
1904-1906 The endowment is scrutinized during congressional hearings in the Reed Smoot trials. Focus on the "Oath of Vengence". David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994).
Aug, 09 1906 (G) "The Lord has given unto us garments of the holy priesthood, and you know what that means. And yet there are those of us who mutilate them, in order that we may follow the foolish, vain and indecent practices of the world." "In order that such people may imitate the fashions, they will not hesitate to mutilate that which should be held by them the most sacred of all things in the world, next to their own virtue, next to their own purity of life. They should hold these things that God has given unto them sacred, unchanged and unaltered from the very pattern in which God gave them. Let us have the moral courage to stand against the opinions of fashion, and especially where fashion compels us to break a covenant and so commit a grievous sin." President Joseph F. Smith, "Fashion and the Violation of Covenants and Duty," Improvement Era 9, August 1906, 812-815.
1906 (G) - "The following is to be regarded as an established and imperative rule. The garments worn by those who receive endowments must be white and of the approved pattern; they must not be altered or mutilated, and are to be worn as intended, down to the wrist and ankles and around the neck. Admission to the temple will be refused to those who do not comply to these requirements." "The Saints should know that the pattern of endowment garments was revealed from Heaven and that the blessings promised in connection with wearing them will not be realized if any unauthorized change is made in their form or in the manner of wearing them." Messages of the First Presidency 5:110; President Joseph F. Smith; 28 June 1906.
1916 (G) -"The garments worn by those who receive endowments must be white and of the approved pattern. They must not be altered and mutilated and are to be worn as intended, down to the wrist and ankle, and around the neck. Admission to the temple will be refused those who do not comply with these requirements. The Saints should know that the pattern of endowment garments was revealed from heaven, and the blessings promised in connection with wearing them will not be realized if any unauthorized change is made in their form or in the manner of wearing them." President of the Church, Joseph F. Smith, Improvement Era 9:812, 28 June 1916
1919-1927 A committee appointed by Heber J. Grant produces a revised endowment to be used in all temples. Changes include:
Eliminating the oath of vengeance.
Omitting graphic descriptions from the penalties.
Reducing the number of times the robes of the priesthood are changed from one shoulder to the other.
Discontinuing temple choirs (who had formerly performed the hymn chosen by Lucifer's preacher), in favor of congregational singing.
1 Oct, 1922 (G) - George B. Richards's questions raised after a conversation with Sister Maria Dougall in October 1922. At that time he learned that Joseph Smith had not designed the garments and temple clothing.
1923 (G) - Committee formed to research origins of Garment under First Presidency direction
April 5,1923 (G) - In fact, a group of sisters led by Emma Smith and including Bathsheba Smith had fashioned both the garments and the temple clothing, and presented them to Joseph Smith for his approval. The collar on the garments had been put on because the sisters could think of no other way to finish it at the top, and they added ties because they had no buttons. The original cap in the temple clothing had looked something like a crown, but Joseph Smith had them redesign it to look more like a baker's cap.
17-May-23 (G) - The Church approves a shorter garment for optional use outside the temple (extending to the elbows and knees rather than the wrists and ankles). However, the longer garment remains mandatory for use in the temple
"Letter from Heber J. Grant (First Presidency letter) After careful and prayerful consideration it was unanimously decided that the following modifications may be permitted, and a garment of the following style be worn by those Church members who wish to adopt it, namely: (1) Sleeve to elbow. (2) Leg just below knee. (3) Buttons instead of strings. (4) Collar eliminated. (5) Crotch closed.
It may be observed that no fixed pattern of Temple garment has ever been given, and that the present style of garment differs very materially from that in use in the early history of the Church, at which time a garment without collar and with buttons was frequently used."
When Willard Richards was solicited [by Smith] to do the same, he declined, and it seems little less than marvelous that he was preserved without so much as a bullet piercing his garments."" Heber J. Grant journal sheets, 7 June 1907, LDS Archives.
1936 (E) - A codified explanation of the symbolism of the marks on the veil is added to the endowment. source: David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994).
1945 (E) - The endowment is administered in Spanish in the Mesa, Arizona temple, the first time the ceremony is administered in a language other than English. David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994).
1950 (E) -The first filmed versions of the endowment are made, for use in the Swiss and New Zealand temples (with different casts for different languages). David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994).
11–15 September 1955 Bern Switzerland Temple Dedicated by David O McKay
1960s Film becomes the standard medium for presenting the endowment. Filmed endowments take on a theatrical quality (with costumes, scenery, music, etc.) and are dubbed from English into other As the filmed endowment makes congregational singing awkward, the preacher's hymn is discontinued.languages. David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994).
"Letter: To PRESIDENTS of TEMPLES Dear Brethren: This will advise you that approval has been granted for limited modification in the design of the garment used in the temple to allow for better fit and greater wearing comfort.
The approved modified design for women has a button front rather than string ties, a brassiere top patterned after the brassiere top of garments used for day-time wear, a helanca stretch insert in the back at the waist, and widened overlapping back panels with a helanca stretch piece at the top of each panel and a button to assure panels remaining closed. All other features of the garment, including the collar, long legs, and long sleeves, remain the same as heretofore.
The approved modified design of the garment for men has a button front, closed crotch, helanca stretch insert piece in the back at the waist, widened overlapping back panels with a helanca stretch piece at the top of each panel and a button to assure panels remaining closed. All other features of the men's garment also, including the collar, long legs and long sleeves, remain the same as heretofore.
OFFICE OF THE FIRST PRESIDENCY Salt Lake City 11, Utah June 10, 1965"
1966 - Visitor Center built in Salt Lake City
1967 -Book of Abraham papyri found at Metropolitan Museum of Art
1970s (E) - Revisions are made to the portion of the ceremony involving Lucifer's preacher: Lucifer no longer specifies the amount of the preacher's salary, and a reference to Satan's having black skin is omitted. David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994).
1975 (G) - The long, pre-1923 garment becomes optional in the temple and is eventually discontinued. David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994).
1978 - The lifting of the priesthood ban on blacks by President Spencer W. Kimball makes the endowment available to all Latter-day Saints, regardless of race. David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994).
December 15, 1979 (G) - Two piece garment introduced The most dramatic recent change was the two-piece garment in 1979. In a letter to Church leaders dated December 15, 1979, the First Presidency announced the introduction in February 1979 of two-piece temple garments. The new style garments were offered in addition to and priced about the same as the regular one-piece variety. No explanation for or description of the new garments was given.
1984 The Grand Lodge of Utah and church leadership under President Spencer W. Kimball mutually agreed to drop their antagonistic positions against each another
1986 (M) - It appears that some lodges still use penalties and do not by this point. For a list of lodges using penalties today: http://bessel.org/penalty.htm
1990 Following surveys of Church members' feelings about the endowment, major revisions are made: - Dialogue, Vol. 20, No. 4, p.56
All penalties, the five points of fellowship, and syllables purported to having meaning in the Adamic language are omitted.
The part of the preacher is eliminated, as well as a reference to Lucifer's "popes and priests"
Women no longer covenant to obey the law of their husbands.
Language which faults Eve for initiating the Fall is dropped.
Many references to Adam are replaced with references to Adam and Eve.
The lecture at the veil is discontinued.
Orders from Elohim are repeated fewer times for brevity's sake.
Prior to 1993 (M/E) - Five Points of Fellowship Removed from the Endowment
1999 (G) - Military Garment issued (Green camo)
2005 - Procedures for the initiatory are revised such that initiates clothes themselves in the garment before entering the washing room, thus eliminating the final vestiges of ritual nudity (which had been curtailed by introduction of the shield, probably during the 1920s). Water and oil are applied to the head only, not to multiple parts of the body.
2005 (G) - Silkscreend garments introduced, including silkscreening markings on inside of other clothing for military and police
2007 - Desert tan cycling style of lycra undershort worn during unit physical training exercises. Now avaialble in "White" for female.
2008 Possibly out of consideration for the elderly and disabled, initiates are no longer instructed to stand while making covenants. David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness: A History of Mormon Temple Worship (San Francisco: Smith Research Associates, 1994).

Palmyra Timeline

Palmyra Timeline

[Note: this began as trying to find out what happened to the Chase family after Joseph left. They built an estate, which was passed down. I couldn't find specifics on Sally Chase, other than she married and had children via family history. Otherwise, they seem to be in obscurity, I've included links to a post about their ancestry file on the grandfather/grandmother's time for those interested.]
1679 Luman Walter's family arrives in Salem, Mass--From The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844 page 151-152
July 12, 1735 Elizabeth Dufee born (Sally Chase's Grandma)
Jan 29, 1737 Benjamin Chase born (Sally's Grandfather)
approx 1800 Lumen Walter's family arrives in Vermont
1818 Luman Walter escapes from jail in Hillsborough county, New Hampshire. Convicted of "imposing himself upon the credulity of people" (Fraud) --From The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844 page 151-152
August 1818 Lumen Walter arrives in Ontario County --From The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844 page 151-152
September 1819 Joseph Smith finds his first seer stone (Whitish opaque) by borrowing Sally Chase's Green glass. He describes it in mystical, even Masonic, terms. Looking in Sally Chase’s glass, he "saw the stone a hundred and fifty miles away buried under a tree." -- From The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844 page 151-152
The vision probably occured in 1819, but he actually found the seerstone in 1822 according to FAIR
1820 Joseph Smith Sr. and older sons being operation with group of "money diggers". Alvin is reportedly the leader
Jack Belcher purchases a stone from someone in Salina, New York in Gibson, Susquehanna County)
1822 Luman Walter serves as a seer for a treasure dig on the property of Abner Cole in Palmyra, Wayne County New York. Joseph Smith Sr, Alvin Smith and Joseph Smith Jr. participate in this dig. Luman digs three times on the Hill Cumorah, and suggests that Joseph might find the treasure there. originally sourced from D. Michael Quinn's "Magic and the Early World View"
Joseph Smith finds his favorite seer stone (Brown, egg shaped) by digging a well at the Chase residence. -- From The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844 page 151-152
"Until the Book of Mormon thrust young Smith into prominence, Palmyra's most notable seer was Sally Chase, who used a greenish-colored stone. William Stafford also had a seer stone, and Joshua Stafford had a 'peepstone which looked like white marble and had a hole through the center.'" -- D. Michael Quinn, "Magic and the Early World View"
Richard Bushman adds Chauncy Hart, and an unnamed man in Susquehanna County, both of whom had stones with which they found lost objects.
Martin Harris recounted that Joseph could find lost objects with the second, white stone about this time
1823 Joseph Smith spends time with a itinerant magician and diviner visiting Palmyra who has magic stones and claims to be able to find water and treasure. Some residents hire the magician at $3.00 per day. Joseph Smith later gets stones of his own and used them to locate lost tools, thereby gaining a reputation as a seer. --Joseph Smith by C. Clark Julius (No citations provided)
Sept 21, 1823 Moroni Visit Willard Chase Testimony: Joseph Smith Senior tells Willard Chase (a neighbor and friend to the Smiths) that a spirit appeared to Joseph Smith on 21 Sep, 1823 and told him of gold plates to be retrieved on 22 Sep, and instructed him to dress in black clothes, ride a black horse with a switch tale, and demand book in a certain name and, after getting it, take it away without laying it down. Joseph complied and found the box, opened the cover, removed the plates, but laid them down to put the cover back on the box and the plates disappeared and returned to the box. Smith tried to re-take the plates but he saw something like a toad, which soon assumed the appearance of a man and struck him on the side of his head. It struck him again when he tried to take the plates again. The spirit told Smith he could not have them, as he had not obeyed the orders and was instructed to return in one year with his oldest brother (Alvin)
Sept 22, 1824 Joseph Smith (18) tells of second attempt to get plates, but without Alvin (died). Smith told to return in one year with another that would be known to him as the right person. Smith decided the person was Samuel T. Lawrence (another treasure seeker and a seer). Lawrence told Smith to use his seer stone to look into the box and he asks Smith if he sees anything else in the box. Smith says no. Lawrence asks him to look again and asks Smith if he sees a large pair of specks with the plates; Smith says he sees the specks. Lawrence says the plates should not be seen by anyone for about two years. Joseph Smith changes his mind about Samuel Lawrence being the right man to bring.
1825 Joseph Smith is given a green stone by Jack Belcher in Sesquehanna Valley --From The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844 page 151-152
Joseph Smith later (in or after 1825) tells a story about retrieving the plates to Joseph Knight says he looked into his glass (seer stone) and saw that the right person to bring was Emma Hale. Joseph Smith later tells Henry Harris that he had a revelation from God that the plates were hid in a certain hill and he looked in his stone and saw them, but an angel said he couldn't get them until he was married.
-- Statements by Joseph Knight and Henry Harris
Sally Chase's Brother, Durfee Chase, expelled from the Palmyra Royal Arch chapter for "Unmasonic Conduct"--From The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844 page 151-152
1826 Joseph is tried and found guilty of glass looking and is fined
Fall 1826 Joseph Jr. and Samuel Lawrence go to Pennsylvania where Joseph proposes to Emma Hale and is rebuffed by Isaac Hale. --Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, Edited by Lavina Fielding Anderson, 2001, Signature Books
Sept 22, 1827 Joseph Smith tells Henry Harris that he used the seer stone upon instructions from an angel to find the plates per Henry Harris affidavit in E. Howe's mormonism unveiled.
Wed, Sep 26, 1827 Joseph Smith Sr. sent to spy on Samuel Lawrence's house until dark. Joseph recovers plates with Emma at midnight, 10-12 money diggers are clubbed with willard Chase and he sends for his own conjurer (Samuel Lawrence) to determine where the plates are hidden.. Conjurors – including Sally Chase with her green glass and another diviner brought in from sixty miles away (Samuel Lawrence according to Lucy Mack Smith) – tried to locate the plates by the stone. To elude Chase and Lawrence, Joseph moved the plates from the hearth to the cooper's shop in the yard where Joseph Sr. carried on his trade. He buried the box under a floorboard and hid the plates themselves in a pile of flox in the shop loft. That night Willard Chase and his sister Sally Chase with her green glass came with their friends to search. They rummaged around outside but did not come in. Lucy learned later that Sally Chase told the men the plates were in the coopering shop. The next morning, the Smiths found the floor torn up and the box smashed. To their relief, the plates were safely buried in the flax. (Rough Stone Rolling)
Fall 1827Smith approaches Willard Chase, a carpenter, and asks him to make him a strong chest to hold the golden plates. In lieu of payment, Smith offers to give Chase a share in the profits generated by the plates.
Oct 2, 1827 Emma Smith rides to Macedon and tells Joseph about the money-diggers plan. Joseph looks in to his seer stone and says the plates are safe. Joseph and Emma return to Smith's. Joseph walks to hill and retrieves plates from his hiding place, while carrying them back through the woods (off regular path) is attacked by a man who sprang up and hit him with a gun, knocking him down, Joseph leveled him and ran home, knocking several more down as he ran. Dislocated his thumb which was reset by Joseph Smith, Sr. Joseph relays the story to Joseph Knight and Josiah Stowell then goes to Willard Chase's house and tells him the story [per Joseph Smith per Lucy Mack Smith]. Smith tells Willard Chase that it was two men that attacked him and that if not for the stone that he got from Chase's well, he would not have obtained the book [per Willard Chase]. Smith tells Martin Harris that he was attacked by what appeared to be a man who wanted the plates and struck him with a club [per Martin Harris interview]
October 28, 1827 Plates and breastplate are buried under the hearth
Nov 4,1827 Plates are removed to cooper's shop loft
November/December 1827 Plates hidden in barrel of beans
1828 Joseph Smith tells Emma's cousins Hiel and Joseph Lewis in about 1828 that while trying to get the Plates, he was knocked down three times and a man appeared, like a Spaniard, with a long beard and his throat cut from ear to ear with blood flowing down; Smith opened the box, saw the plates but before trying to take anything, look in the box to see if there was any other treasure then tried to take the plates but received a shock. Then an angel appeared and told him he couldn't have them because he didn't obey the commandment of the lord. -- Oliver Cowdery Letters
Summer 1828 Lorenzo Saunders reports seeing Samuel Lawrence taking dinner with Sidney Rigdon and Lawrence's house
1830 "Walters the Magician" parody in The Reflector, referring to Lumen Walters contributing the the formation of the Book of Mormon
April 6, 1830 Church of Christ founded in Machnester or Feyette, NY Founding members: Oliver Cowdery, Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Peter Whitmer Jr., Samuel Harrison Smith, David Whitmer
After June 1830 Joseph Smith tried in South Bainbridge and Broom county for disorderly conduct, acquitted --Newel Knight Biography
Aug 1830 Hiram Page acquires a seer stone of his own and starts receiving revelations (contrary to Joseph Smith's). The Whitmers, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer believe Page's revelations. [Church History Vol I] & [Newel Knight autobiography] & [Mormon Controversies site]
Sept 1830 Joseph Smith receives a revelation denouncing Hiram Page's seer stone. Page relents and renounces the stone. [Church History Vol I]
4 November 1830 "he asked Joseph [Smith, Jr.] whether he could not ascertain what his[Orson Pratt] mission was and Joseph answered that he would see. & asked Pratt and John Whitmer to go up stairs with him. and arriving there Joseph produced a small stone called a seer stone. and putting it into a hat soon commenced speaking." --Orson Pratt's recollection at David Whitmer home
Jan 1831 Joseph Smith moves to Ohio, Lumen Walters stays behind.
1833 W.W. Phelps, speculated that the ancient Nephite interpreters mentioned in the Book of Mormon and by Joseph Smith might be the Urim and Thummim of the Old Testament. This is the first mention of the Urim and Thummim on record.
11 Dec. 1833 Willard Chase Affidavit published in E. Howe's book
1834 E. Howe's book published containing qutes like this: "I first became acquainted with Joseph Smith, Jr. in November, 1825. He was at that time in the employ of a set of men who were called "money diggers;" and his occupation was that of seeing, or pretending to see by means of a stone placed in his hat, and his hat closed over his face. In this way he pretended to discover minerals and hidden treasure. His appearance at this time, was that of a careless young man -- not very well educated, and very saucy and insolent to his father. " - Isaac Hale, Emma's Father
Affidavit from Issac hale that Joseph had given up "Glass Looking", also Joseph Smith answers Isaac Hale question (as to who will be the first to see the plates) that a child will be the first to see them. Isaac Hale demands to see the plates if Joseph is to stay at his house, Joseph Smith refused and hid the plates in the wood.
** 7 Oct 1835** Joseph Smith uses white stone to give Newel K. Whitney a Patriarchal blessing
1842 Jack Belcher stone claimed to be acquired from Joseph Smith or the Nauvoo Mansion House near the time of Joseph's death by Philo DIBBLE
1881 Mason Chase (son of Willard) claimed the stone was his and that Lucy Mack Smith got the stone from Mason's mother. [Abel Chase (Mason's brother) 1881 interview]
1859 Martin Harris tells about money digging in Tiffany's Monthly magazine: " Samuel Lawrence told me that while they were digging, a large man who appeared to be eight or nine feet high, came and sat on the ridge of the barn, and motioned to them that they must leave.... These things were real to them, I believe, because they were told to me in confidence, and told by different ones, and their stories agreed, and they seemed to be in earnest"
1860 Lumen Walters dies in Ontario County
1870 "Martin Harris (speaking to a group of Saints at Clarkston, Utah in the 1870's): I will tell you a wonderful thing that happened after Joseph had found the plates. Three of us took some tools to go to the hill and hunt for some more boxes, or gold or something, and indeed we found a stone box. ...but behold by some unseen power, it slipped back into the hill" (Testimony of Mrs. Comfort Godfrey Flinders, Utah Pioneer Biographies, vol. 10, p. 65, Genealogical Society of Utah, as cited in an unpublished manuscript by LaMar Petersen)
17 May 1888 Egg-shaped stone used for Manti Temple dedication: "The statement has been made that the Urim and Thummim was on the altar in the Manti Temple when that building was dedicated. The Urim and Thummim so spoken of, however, was the seer stone which was in the possession of the Prophet Joseph Smith in early days. This seer stone is now in the possession of the church." (Doctrines of Salvation,Vol. 3, p. 225)
1954 Egg Shaped stone reported in the Joseph F. Smith vault (later placed inside the first presidency vault) (SOURCES: Roberts 1930, 6:231n; J. F. Smith 1954a, 3:225; McConkie 1966, 818; Joseph Anderson 1971).
1955 Apostle Alvin R. Dryer discovers Jacob Whitmer's seerstone in possession of Whitmer's granddaughter
1982 In about 1982, a descendent of Brigham Young, Mary Brown Firmage was told by the First Presidency's secretary that there were 3 seer stones in First Presidency's vault. She was allowed to see one when she visited that office. She reported: "The stone was not chocolate brown but rather the color of brown sugar. It was 3-4 inches long, 2 inches wide, and had a hump in the middle which made it perhaps 2 inches thick at the thickest point. It was fiat on the bottom and had three black, concentric circles on the top 1/2 inch. Below the circles were many small black circles. The stone was not transparent." --Mary Brown Firmage interview with Richard S. Van Wagoner, 11 Aug 1986. Van Wagoner papers, Marriott Library
Feb 1984 Steven F. Christensen buys the Whitmer Seerstone -- Mark Hoffman wiki
Oct, 15, 1984 Steven F. Christensen is killed by Mark Hoffman, and the Whitmer Seerstone remains in private hands
1993 Belcher Seerstone sells for $75,000
Additional Notes
Hiel Lewis (Emma's cousin) stated that Joseph used the peep stone found while digging a well for the Chase family in 1822[B.H. Roberts CHC (Salt lake City: Deseret news Press, 1930), vol. 1, 120.] was used to translate the golden plates and "directed his enchantments and dog sacrifices; and it was all by the same spirit." [Hiel Lewis, "Review of Mormonism: Rejoinder to Elder Cadwell." Amboy Journal, June 4, 1879, Quoted in Quinn, 172.
Alva Hale, Emma Smith's brother said, "Joe Smith never handled one shovel of earth in those diggings [treasure hunts]. All that Smith did was to peep with stone and hat, and give directions where and how to dig, and when and where the enchantment moved the treasure. That Smith said if he should work with his hands at digging there, he would lose the power to see with the stone. (Alva Hale, Quoted in Joseph Lewis, "Review of Mormonism," Amboy Journal, June 11, 1879, cited in David Persuitte, Joseph Smith and the Origins of the Book of Mormon (Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2000), 38
Lucy Mack Smith wrote that Josiah Stowel came all the way from Pennsylvania to see her son "on account of having heard that he possessed certain keys by which he could discern things invisible to the natural eye."
In more recent years, Grant Palmer [three-time director of LDS Institutes of Religion in California and Utah] was "shown by Earl Olson" the three "seer stones in First Presidency Vault." The first was "milk chocolate [in color], like a baseball [in shape, with] no stripes." Different from the descriptions of the founding prophet's dark-colored Book of Mormon seer stone, this first stone's origin and chain-of-ownership are unknown (at least outside the LDS Presidency's office). The second was "shiny or polished stone, [with] stripes, dark brown [-] size between egg and handball." ...The only description Palmer gave for the third was that it was a "small stone." The brown and white stones are the only seer stones Joseph Smith definitely used, yet he acquired others as Church T. Young told the apostles in 1855 that Smith had five seer stones...
Young's statement makes it clear that Smith did not regard his seer stones simply as relics of his youth. Rather, as church president Smith continued to discover new seer stones (Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, p. 245 - 246). Salt Lake City Messenger Issue No. 105

Kirtland Timeline

Reddit - Kirtland timeline

Feb 22, 1816 Ohio legislature passes a law that any entity that engages in banking activities is a bank, and must therefore have a charter
1816 Total money supply in U.S. $67.3 million, mostly due to creation of Second Bank of the United States
1818 Total Money Supply in U.S. $94.7 million, 41% increase since 1816
1819 [Due to the second bank trying to contract the money supply, a panic is created, resulting in business bankruptcies, defaults, and liquidation of unsound investments](Rothbard, Murray N. A History of Money and Banking in the United States: The Colonial Era to World War II. Auburn, Alabama: The Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2002. 89-90. Google Book Search. 25 Apr 2010)
1820 As early as 1820, the assets of U.S. commercial banks equaled about 50 percent of U.S. aggregate output, a figure that the commercial banking sectors of most of the world's nations had not achieved by 1990.
1828 Andrew Jackson elected president: Murry N. Rothbard said: "Out of the bitter experiences of the panic of 1819 emerged the beginnings of the Jacksonian movement, dedicated to hard money, the eradication of fractional reserve banking in general, and of the Bank of the United States in particular . . . all [his followers] were converted to hard money and 100-percent reserve banking by the experience of the panic of 1819 . . . Far from being the ignorant bumpkins that most historians have depicted, the Jacksonians were steeped in the knowledge of sound economics, particularly of the Ricardian Currency School." "A History of Money" page 91.
May 26,1830 Inidan Removal Act, relocation the Indians east of the Mississippi River.
1830 Kirtland population 1,000, U.S. Population has increased 33% since 1820's
1830 Number of Banks in all of U.S.:382, 54 created in previous 10 years Second Bank embarks on policy of expanding money supply, which continues until 1837. January 1830 to January 1832 from a total of $29 million to $42.1 million notes and deposit increase
December 1830 Sidney arrives in New York from Ohio, a few days later Saints commanded to Gather in Kirtland, Ohio
On route to Kirtland Joseph Preaches the end of the World, Sidney from the bible to gain converts -- The Book of John Whitmer, typescript, [Provo: BYU Archives and Manuscripts], chap. 1 Parley Pratt, Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Jr., and Ziba Peterson had been remarkably successful in “northeastern Ohio… The missionaries baptized approximately 130 converts, organized the new members into small ‘branches,’ and appointed leaders over each group. Approximately thirty-five of these members lived in Kirtland, Ohio.” --Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1-4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 604.
Jan 2, 1831 [Joseph Smith receives revelation about going to Ohio in front of members questioning the move, some people were reluctant to leave farms and comfortable circumstances for the uncertainties of the Western Reserve in Ohio. There was the prospect that many would lose money and some might even be unable to sell their property. “Newel Knight said that this entailed the sacrifice of their property. Newel sold 60 acres, Freeborn DeMille 61 acres, Aaron Culver 100 acres, and Father Knight 140 acres, with ‘two Dwelling Houses, a good barn, and a fine orchard.’ Led by Newel, sixty-two Knight kin moved to Ohio as part of the first gathering.”] William G. Hartley, “The Knight Family: Ever Faithful to the Prophet,” Ensign, Jan. 1989, 46 Lord says land is: a land of promise, a land flowing with milk and honey, upon which there shall be no curse when the Lord cometh;
19 And I will give it unto you for the land of your inheritance, if you seek it with all your hearts. And this shall be my covenant with you, ye shall have it for the land of your inheritance, and for the inheritance of your children forever, while the earth shall stand, let every man esteem his brother as himself.I will give unto you my law; and there you shall be endowed with power from on high. go ye out from among the wicked. Save yourselves.(https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/38?lang=eng)
Jan 6, 1831 Joseph Smith accused of using the sacrament to administer a visionary substance -- Jan 6, 1831 edition of the Palmyra Reflector
Feb 9, 1831 Law of Consecration given. The land dedicated to Joseph becomes the physical asset the KSS is dependent upon. In this way the KSS is similar to the City Creek Mall, just as the City Creek Mall never used Tithing funds, but was paid for by using interest on those funds for a for-profit venture, so too, the KSS was set up based on consecrated land holdings never intended to be sold, in order to turn a personal profit. When FAIR says that Joseph had land holdings to cover the debts of the KSS, they mean the consecrated lands of the church. His personal holdings were not sufficient.
March 19, 1831 First bank robbery in United States History at City Bank of New York
Spring 1831 Ohio membership hits 300, 200 travel from New York --Jill Mulvay Derr, Janath Russell Cannon, and Maureen Ursenbach Beecher, Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1992], 13.
August 1831 Dispute during journey on way to Ohio, Joseph accused of seeking too much power. "monarchial powers" mentioned in regards to United Order
May, 1831 Revelation given to sell 144 acre farm and buy up land in Kirtland: What shall the brethren do with the moneys? Ye shall go forth and seek diligently among the brethren and obtain lands and save the money that it may be consecrated to purchase lands in the west for an everlasting inheritance. Even so, Amen. --Kirtland Revelation Book, pp. 91-92, Joseph Smith Collection, Church Historians Office)” (Fred C. Collier, Unpublished Revelations of the Prophets and Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1:56-57
June 6th 1831 Second Conference of the church with 2,000 in attendance in Kirtland, Ohio
Jan 10, 1832 Commandment to build temple in Kirtland
1832 Price per Acre in Kirtland: $7 Central Council created, controlling the United Order. Headed in Kirtland- Joseph Smith, Newel K. Whitney, Sidney Rigdon, Oliver Cowdery, and Martin Harris were members of this board. Election centers around rechartering the Second National Bank.
April 26th 1832 Prophet and Sidney in Independence, Missouri to calm complaints of Missouri Saints
May 26, 1832 Oliver Cowdery tried for proposing marriage to second woman in 1830 in Ohio. Oliver had married the first in 1832. He confessed and the issue was dropped
July 1832 "Andrew Jackson vetoes the re-charter of the Second Bank. Reasons cited include: ""Monopoly privileges “at the expense of the public.”
Dangers to American liberties since the bank “has so little to bind it to our country.” In fact, “more than a fourth part of the stock is held by foreigners and the residue is held by a few hundred of our own citizens, chiefly of the richest class.” “Artificial distinctions” that were granted to the “rich and powerful” at the expense of “the humble members of society the farmers, mechanics, and laborers who have neither the time nor the means of securing like favors to themselves.”" --“President Jackson’s Veto Message Regarding the Bank of the United States; July 10, 1832”. The Avalon Project – Yale Law School. 15 May 2011.
Fall, 1832 Edward Partridge leases land back to members of United Order, This arrangement provided that if participants left the church their land would return to the church, and thus apostates would have little ability to seriously harm the church by leaving it.
Nov, 7 1832 Joseph Smith writes letter scolding Edward for use of leases. Becomes D&C 51. Apostate who leaves can retain property. Edward Partidge said to be struck dead if he is not successful
December 1832 Andrew Jackson re-elected president by wide margin

1833-1834
1833 Ohio Canal reaches Cleveland pushing economic prosperity in Kirtland (which lies on the Eerie Canal), wheat and flour sold tenfold
1833-1837 [Total money supply rose from $150 million at the beginning of 1833 to $276 million four years later, an astonishing rise of 84 percent, or 21 percent per annum.](Rothbard, Murray N. The Mystery of Banking. Auburn, Alabama: The Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2009. 210)
Feb 27, 1833 Word of Wisdom received
June 1, 1833 Endowment first mentioned in conjunction with Kirtland Temple
July 23, 1833 Cornerstone of temple laid
Sept 1833 Secretary of the Treasury Roger B. Taney removed $10 million from the Second Bank and placed this money in state banks: "The transfer of the Government funds to the State banks created great agitation in political and financial circles. The State banks, under this favorable turn of Government patronage, quickly assumed a thriving condition and began to expand their loans and circulation." This made having a state bank, or local bank a lot more profitable and appetizing for those needing money -- Clews, Henry. “Old Time Panics”. Twenty-Eight Years in Wall Street. New York: Irving Publishing Co., 1888., 176
Nov 1, 1833 Saints driven from Jackson County Missouri, funding for temple cut off, missionaries sent out to raise funds for temple building
March 28, 1834 Andrew Jackson censured by Senate for defunding the Second Bank of the United States
April 21, 1834 Oliver Cowdery writes that Sidney Rigdon defined the endowment: ""Elder Rigdon gave an account of the endowment of the ancient apostles (on the day of Pentecost) and laid before the conference the promise to the Elders in the last days which they were to realize after the House of the Lord was built."
May 6, 1834 [Oliver Cowdery: Within that house, God shall pour out his Spirit in great majesty and glory and encircle his people with fire more gloriously and marvelously than at Pentecost.”](Letter of Oliver Cowdery to John F. Boynton at Saca, Maine, written May 6, 1834) Note: How did they know what would happen before it did?
1834 Walls of temple were 4 ft high, attempts to damage temple by "mobs": “were not permitted to take off our clothes, and were obliged to lay with our fire locks in our arms.” -- “Elder Kimball’s Journal,” Times and Seasons, 15 Jan. 1845, p. 771; or History of the Church, 2:2.
Feb 1834 Andrew Jackson's "Too big to fail" speech: "I too have been a close observer of the doings of the Bank of the United States. I have had men watching you for a long time, and am convinced that you have used the funds of the bank to speculate in the breadstuffs of the country. When you won, you divided the profits amongst you, and when you lost, you charged it to the Bank. You tell me that if I take the deposits from the Bank and annul its charter I shall ruin ten thousand families. That may be true, gentlemen, but that is your sin! Should I let you go on, you will ruin fifty thousand families, and that would be my sin! You are a den of vipers and thieves. I have determined to rout you out and, by the Eternal, (bringing his fist down on the table) I will rout you out."
April 1834 The house of Representatives voted to not recharter the bank and confirmed federal deposits should remain in state banks
May 1, 1834 Zion's Camp
August 1, 1834 Prophet returns to Kirtland from Zion's Camp
(About this time) Truman O. Angell relates Carpenter Rolph's conversation with Joseph Smith, in which Smith states that he and his counselors saw the temple in vision, "to a minutia"
Fall of 1834 Church is in dire financial straits. Members sell farms, land, and contribute heavily to continue work on temple

1835
Prior to 1835 Edward Partridge deeds Titus billings his land back to him. The document is not dated. This is the sum total documentation the argument that the United Order was not communism is based on
Jan 30, 1835 Assasination attempt by Richard Lawrence on Andrew Jackson
Feb 1835 First member of Quorum of 12 apostles appointed and ordained in Kirtland Schoolhouse where Joseph held the "School of the Elders". The twelve were chosen by the three witnesses as promised in 1829
June 2, 1835 P.T. Barnum starts his first circus tour of the United States
June 28, 1835 Warren Parrish leaves for Kirtland after ordaing Wilford Woodruff an elder. Baptized 40 persons. He is key to the Kirtland Safety Society's history
August 17, 1835 Warren Parrish ordained to the first quorum of the Seventy
October 29, 1835 Warren Parrish begins working for Joseph Smith as his scribe $15/month -- Joseph Smith's Diary
November 12, 1835 Joseph Smith promises 12, that if they see are faithful, they will see face of God at the endowment (again, he knows what will happen on dedication before it happens, and if anyone does NOT, they will lose their permission. Similar to the "Emperor has no Clothes" fable). The New York Harold publishes that Sidney Rigdon was indicted for solemnizing marriages without a license and tried at the Court of Common Please. Rejected because there was no record of the Campbelites dismissing him. --New York Herald, Thursday Nov 12, 1835
Nov 15, 1835 November 14, 1835] . . . thus saith the the Lord unto my Servant Joseph concerning my servant Warren, behold[36] his sins are forgiven him because of his desires to do the work of righteousness therefore in as much as he will continue to hearken unto my voice he shall be blessed with wisdom and with a sound mind even above his fellows. behold it shall come to pass in his day that he shall <see> great things shew forth themselves unto my people, he shall see much of my ancient records, and shall know of hiden things, and shall be endowed with a knowledge of hiden languages, and if he desires and Shall seek it at my hand, he shall be privileged with writing much of my word, as a scribe unto me for the benefit of my people, therefore this shall be his calling until I shall order it otherwise in my wisdom and it shall be said of him in a time to come, behold Warren the Lords Scribe, for the Lords Seer whom he hath appointed in Israel -- Joseph Smith Diary
December 3, 1835 Warren Parrish marries Martha H Raymond
December 30, 1835 [Joseph] spent the day in reading hebrew at the council room, with his scribe, in whose company he delighted, & who had sufficiently recovered his health. to attend to his usual avocation.

1836
1836 Kirtland Population hits 3,000
Jan 1, 1836 "Joseph exclaimed at "Jubilee Year!" "The day is nearing to obtain the endowment and the solemn assembly."" --After 100 Years by Nancy B Williams P 92 Zion’s Press 1951
Jan 6, 1836 Black Rock Advocate, paper in New York, questions solvency of Bank of Monroe
Jan 21, 1836 Father Smith receives room in temple for Patriarch blessings. Blesses many of the saints with super powers. Instigates "Washing of the Feet"
Jan 28, 1836 "Visions by regular members were in large number ""Elder Roger Orton saw a mighty angel riding upon a horse of fire, with flaming sword in hand. ""Sylvester Smith saw a pillar of fire rest down on the heads of the quorum. President William Smith, one of the Twelve, saw the heavens opened, and the Lord protecting the Lords anointed. President Zebedee Coltrin, one of the seven presidents of the seventy, saw the Savior extended before him, as upon the cross, and a little after, crowned with glory upon his head above the brightness of the sun. “Zebedee Coltrin related a vision in the temple in Kirtland after the School of the Prophets was organized. He said while sitting in council, a personage passed through the room dressed in usual clothing. Joseph said that was the Savior. John Murdock: ""During the winter of 1833 we had a number of prayer meetings in the Prophet's chamber. In one of those meetings the Prophet told us, if we could humble ourselves before God, and exercise strong faith, we should see the face of the Lord. And about midday, the visions of my mind were opened, and the eyes of my understanding were enlightened, and I saw the form of a man, most lovely.""" -- The Journal of Wilford Woodruff, October 11, 1883 and others easily found
Feb 1836 Brigham Young directs the interior of the Kirtland Temple being completed, total cost for temple, between $40-60,000 or 800-1.2m in today's currency, Average farmer earns less than $400 a year
Feb 22, 1836 Warren Parrish assists in translation of Egyptial Scrolls (BOA) Helps put together the Grammar, with W. W. Phelps. FAIR still blames him for the grammar, and not Joseph for the translation issues. --History of the church 2:298
Feb 23, 1836 Battle of the Alamo begins
Feb 24, 1836 Colt pistol receives patent
27 March 1836 Kirtland Temple dedication, Warren Parrish is scribe of the dedication
1836 after temple dedication Smith writes, "“there are many causes of embarrassment, of a pecuniary nature now pressing upon the heads of the Church”
Quorums of priesthod taught washing of feet in Solumn Assembly. George A. Smith began to prophesy and all heard a mighty rushing wind, prophesy, tongues, glorious visions and I beheld temple filled with angels. The people of the neighborhood came running together, seeing a bright pillar of fire, and hearing an unusual sound) meeting closed at 11 PM
Wine is always administered as part of the sacrament before meetings, including school of the elders, temple meetings etc.
May, 31, 1836 Warren Parrish ordains Wilford Woodruff to the high priesthood (note, Elder was an office in the aaronic priesthood at this time)
About this time Lucy Mack Smith: "At the time a certain young woman, who was living at David Whitmer's uttered a prophecy, which she said was given her by looking through a black stone that she had found. This prophecy gave some altogether a new idea of things. She said the reason why one third of the church would turn away from Joseph was because that he was in transgression himself; that he would fall from his office on account of the same; that David Whitmer or Martin Harris would fill Joseph's place. The girl soon became an object of great attention among those who were disaffected Dr. Williams became her scribe and wrote her revelations for her. Jared Carter soon imbibed the same spirit, and I was informed that he said in one of their meetings that he had power to raise Joseph Smith to the highest heavens, or sink him down to the lowest hell. . They still held their secret meetings at David Whitmer's and when the young woman who was their instructress was through giving what revelation she intended for the evening, she would jump out of her chair and dance over the floor, boasting of her power, until she was perfectly exhausted. Her proselytes would also, in the most vehement manner proclaim their purity and holiness, and the mighty power which they were going to have. They made a standing appointment for meetings to be held every Thursday in the Holy Temple the House of the Lord." --Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith, pp 242-243
June 19, 1836 Warren Parish is convicted on trial for promising the gift of the holy ghost while on a mission. He is not allowed to speak or produce witnesses. --Wilford Woodruf Journal 1:83
July 11, 1836 The Specie Act issued By Andrew Jackson, leading to the panic of 1837. Silver drastically increases coming in from Mexico, and silver exports to Orient fall
August 1836 Oliver Cowdery investigates the production of bank notes, so consideration of a bank underway by this date.
August 18, 1836 Monroe Times beings defending the reputation of the bank of Monroe stating the stability.
Sept 10, 1836 Robert T. Bicknell Esq. writes that the notes of Bank of Monroe are no longer recevied by banks in Philidelphia" -- September 14, 1836 New York Herald
Sept 13, 1836 The Bank of Monroe said to be "Cut up tomorrow" in the New York Herald --New York Herald, Tuesday, Sept 13, 1836
Sept 14, 1836 Bank of Monroe holdings: 2,000 shres, 1,600 are held by Christmas, Livingston, Prime and Coster of New york and the residue 400 shares by citizens of Michigan. $50,000 have been saved. Less than $100,000 of notes are in circulation. Depisits in the bank ranged from 30k to 80k. The Specie and available funds belonging to th instution are much more than sufficient to meet liabilites. George B. Harlston, the cashier said to be honest man
Oct, 18 1836 Sidney Rigdon pays $12 for 2,000 shares of stock, with 1,000 shares added and $818 in paymengs bade by 16 November. Joseph Smith, Edmund Bosley and John Johnson together each held 3,000 shares of stock. Ten others held 2,000, and sixteen, 1,000 shares. 30 people holding 48,000 of the 69,636 shares outstanding
Nov 2 1836 The Kirtland Safety Society Bank’s constitution is drafted. Sidney Rigdon made president; Joseph Smith made cashier.
1837
1 January 1837 Orson Hyde returns from Columbus, Ohio with news that it will be difficult to obtain a bank charter from the legislature. The legislature was now dominated by the hard money wing of the Democratic party, the "Jacksonian Democrats". Due to their influence, the legislature refused all applications for bank charters but one during 1836 and 1837 in part because of endemic nationwide problems with land speculation, wildcat banking and counterfeiting. Oliver Cowdery arrives with printing plates for bank notes; Orson Hyde reports that the state legislature will not grant them a charter. Their inability to receive a charter leads them to form a joint-stock company, the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Company (KSS).
2 January 1837 KSS opens for business. Anti" and "ing" were engraved before and after "Bank" --in smaller typeface-- on the printing plates Cowdery had previously purchased in Philadelphia. . Sidney Rigdon served as the KSSABC' chairman and president, Warren Parrish as signatory, secretary and teller; Joseph Smith was cashier. Its organizers launched, instead, a gigantic company capitalized at four million dollars, when the entire capitalization of all the banks in the state of Ohio was only nine and one third million. Warren Parrish is secretary at the meeting. He is the banks' first teller and maintains the ledger book 2/3rs subscribers vote to annul the Nov 2 Constitution and adopt the linked agreement in its place
6 January 1837 Notes from the KSS begin circulating, first given to Brother Bump) in exchange for other notes from other banks. Wilford Woodruff records: "I also herd [sic] President Joseph Smith, jr., declare in the presence of F. Williams, D. Whitmer, S. Smith, W. Parrish, and others in the Deposit office that HE HAD RECEIVED THAT MORNING THE WORD OF THE LORD UPON THE SUBJECT OF THE KIRTLAND SAFETY SOCIETY. He was alone in a room by himself and he had not only [heard] the voice of the Spirit upon the Subject but even an AUDIBLE VOICE. He did not tell us at that time what the Lord said upon the subject but remarked that if we would give heed to the commandments the Lord had given this morning all would be well." --"Wilford Woodruff's Journal," January 6, 1837, as quoted in Conflict at Kirtland, page 296)
Jan 17, 1837 Wilford Woodruff records that David Whitmer was warning that people were prosperous like the Nephits and warns them to humble themselves and a scourge was coming, especially the heads of the church
Jan 19, 1837 It is said they have a large amount of specie on hand and have the means of obtaining much more, if necessary. If these facts be so, its circulation in some shape would be beneficial to community, and sensibly relieve the pressure in the market so much complained of. --Painesville Republican, vol. 1, no. 10, Thursday, January 19, 1837
about this time The law of 1816, defining a bank is called into question
23 January 1837 The KSS announces it can redeem notes with land, but was unable to redeem its notes in specie (gold). I believe this is what is commonly referred to as the "Run" on the bank by exmormons, although no one ever lists the actual date of the run. The ledger book indicates that there is specie on hand to deal with the current issue on this date.
Jan 31, 1837 Sidney and Joseph Preach in the temple about the importance of a charter for the KSS
About this time Brigham Young marks some notes from the bank and is surprised to find them circulating, leading him to believe that something was fishy at the bank. He either didn't understand fractional reserve banking OR was a hard-money democrat of Andrew Jackson's persuasion, and expected the KSS to be run on such principles
1 February 1837 KSS notes circulating at only 12.5 cents per dollar face value, they originally sold at 26 1/2 cents per face value, about a 50% reduction
10 February 1837 A second attempt is made to get a bank charter; some non-Mormons are part of this application, including Joseph Smith’s lawyer and Samuel Medary, a future governor of two states. Orson Hyde succeeds in getting two legislative Sponsors, and the request was added as an amendment to another bill. The bill is defeated. Grandison Newell, a professed antagonist to the LDS church in general and its president in particular, instigated several lawsuits against the Mormons in Ohio. Newell was close to three legislators who had taken the LDS charter requests under consideration and used his influence to dissuade them.
Feb 10, 1837 Oliver Cowdery, Joseph Smith Jr. And Hyrum Smith attend meeting at Bank of Monroe, to buy out the bank. Possibly buying it with KSS notes (not supported by the ledger, these would have been off the books notes created if so.)
Feb 15, 1837 Bank of Monroe questioned in cleveland weekly gazette
Feb 19, 1837 Joseph Silences his critics -- meeting notes in Kirtland
Feb, 1837 Samuel D. Rounds, acting on Newell's behalf, files a complaint against Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon for illegally purchasing the Monroe, Michigan bank. State law provided that only corporations could own banks. The matter was scheduled for the fall session of the court. Samuel D. Rounds, at the behest of Newell, swares a writ against Smith and Rigdon for illegal banking and issuing unauthorized bank paper. Eventually Rounds voluntarily dropped all of the cases in his suit except those against Smith and Rigdon. KSS continued issuing notes through June, but eventually failed due to insolvency, as most of the KSS reserves were tied up in land rather than silver as some erroneously believed.
March 13, 1837 Bank of Monroe closes its doors for the last time
March 23, 1837 Bank of Monroe does not redeem notes when presented but requires 60 days
March 25, 1837 In a letter from Steven Burnett to Lyman E. Johnson (April 15,1838) Parrish is mentioned as ones who agreed that Joseph Smith was deceiving people
March 29, 1837 Kirtland high council trial for Warren Parrish, David Whitmer, Frederick Williams, Lyman Johnson and Parley P. Pratt. Warren objects that the the complaint is "not in accordance with the copy of which they received of the charge preferred against them."
March 1837 Hearing on illegal paper held, trial postponed until autumn
March-April Joseph Smith increases his financial investment in the KSS, in an attempt to save it
April 6, 1837 The leadership of the seventies are put into the quorum of the traveling high priesthod. Significant change of leadership. Joseph addresses the importance of sending money ahead to Zion to purchase an inheritance
April 1837 Joseph Smith twice warns the Saints that the KSS will fail if the members do not accept the notes as payment for goods and services. Importance of KSS mentioned Joseph goes into hiding without seeing Emma before he leaves --Mormon Enigma, pp. 62
May 1837 All banks in Ohio suspend specie payment as a banking panic spreads west from New York. Known as the Panic of 1837. This was based on the assumption by former president, Andrew Jackson, that the government was selling land for state bank notes of questionable value. The Panic was followed by a seven-year depression, with the failure of banks and then-record-high unemployment levels. The Second Bank of the United States had just ended. The KSS is in severe difficulty by this point, and the effect on the KSS is not small, but was not the central cause of failure. The Bank of england, in retribution for Andrew Jackson's policies, throws out all U.S. paper in one day, creating the panic. of the 850 banks 343 closed entirely, 62 failed partially and the system of state banks never fully recovered
Newell charges Joseph with a conspiracy to have S. Wilbur Denton and a Marvel C. Davis murder him. In a letter to the editor of the Painesville Telegraph he alleged,
May 28, 1837 Spirit of Mutiny, Joseph and Sidney address congregation persuasively
May 29, 1837 High Council unable to convict Frederick G. Williams, David Whitmer, Parley P. Pratt, Lyman E. Johnson, and Warren Parrish.
June 3, 1837 Preliminary Hearing held in Painsville methodist church. Justice Flint presiding regarding attempted murder charge from May 1837 charges. Denton testifies that in "April or May 1835," while he was living in the Smith home, Davis approached him about killing Newell for the prophet. After he borrowed a pistol from Sidney Rigdon, Joseph told Denton, know where you are going and what your business is" and then encourages him that it is a "good work. then spoke of Newell, said he had injured the society, and that it was better for one man to suffer than to have a whole community disturbed; that it was the will of Heaven that Newell should be put out of the way." Orson Hyde testifies that when rumors circulated that Newell might sue the foundering Kirtland Safety Society, Joseph "seemed much excited and declared that Newell should be put out of the way, or where the crows could not find him; he said destroying Newell would be justifiable in the sight of God, that it was the will of God, &c." Luke Johnson also heard him say "if Newell or any other man should head a mob against him, they ought to be put out of the way and it would be our duty to do so." Like his fellow apostle, however, Luke described Joseph as "a tender-hearted, humane man." Teller Warren Parrish testifies that Newell's name had been mentioned several times at the bank. Sidney heard Denton and Davis planning to murder Newell in 1835, but he had no reason to believe Joseph was involved, adding that Davis had "never been strictly subservient to the rules of the society." Cahoon supports Rigdon's testimony. Judge Flint binds Joseph over for trial. Bail is set at $500, which is promptly paid.
June 4, 1837 June 4, as Joseph, Sidney, and Hyrum are setting apart Heber C. Kimball for his mission to England, Orson Hyde enters the room. pon listening to what was passing, his heart melted within him, (for he had begun to drink of the cup filled with the overflowings of speculation), he acknowledged all his faults, asked forgiveness, and offered to accompany President Kimball on his mission to England. His offer was accepted, and he was set apart for that purpose.
June
Joseph Smith Jr. Transfers all of his holdings over to Oliver Granger and J. Carter. Warren Parrish and Frederick G. Williams assume management of the KSS until the instution closes its doors
Smith seeks warrant accusing Parrish of embezzling $25,000 from KSS, warrant is denied
8 June 1837 [Joseph Smith resigns from KSS, as he is convinced the bank is not viable], Frederick G Williams and Warren Parrish left in charge(http://en.fairmormon.org/Kirtland_Safety_Society) Up until this point, Smith family holds about 1/6th the stock of the KSS. At this point Joseph tranfers his entire holdings to O. Granger and J. Carter as did nine other stockholders. Others would do the same in the next few days
Joseph Smith: "Some time previous to this I resigned my office in the “Kirtland Safety Society,” disposed of my interest therein, and withdrew from the institution; being fully aware, after so long an experiment, that no institution of the kind, established upon just and righteous principles for a blessing not only to the Church but the whole nation, would be suffered to continue its operations in such an age of darkness, speculation and wickedness. Almost all banks throughout the country, one after the other, have suspended specie payment, and gold and silver have risen in value in direct ratio with the depreciation of paper currency. The great pressure of the money market is felt in England as well as America, and bread stuffs are everywhere high." --Roberts, Brigham H., ed. History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1965. 2:497.
June 9, 1837 Trial is held for Joseph Smith Jr. on attempted murder, Justice Humphrey of the Court of Common Pleas presiding: result: the entire acquittal of Joseph Smith, Jr. of the charges alleged against him. This is said to be the thirteenth prosecution which has been instituted against Joseph Smith, Jr. for the prejudice against him, he has never in a single instance been convicted, on a final trial.
June 15,1837 A very reasonable mob, tries to find Joseph at home. Finding he is not there, they leave and wait for him patiently
June 20, 1837 20,000 shares or about 1/5 are tranferred to O. Granger and Jared Carter
June 1837 LDS newspaper Messenger and Advocate reports that Kirtland land prices have increased 800% during the past year alone.
June 1837-1839 "Thirteen suits were brought against him between June 1837 and April 1839, to collect sums totaling nearly $25,000. The damages asked amounted to almost $35,000. He was arrested seven times in four months, and his followers managed heroically to raise the $38,428 required for bail. Of the thirteen suits only six were settled out of court-about $12,000 out of the $25,000. In the other seven the creditors either were awarded damages or won them by default. "Joseph had many additional debts that never resulted in court action. Some years later he compiled a list of still outstanding Kirtland loans, which amounted to more than $33,000. If one adds to these the two great loans of $30,000 and $60,000 borrowed in New York and Buffalo in 1836, it would seem that the Mormon leaders owed to non-Mormon individuals and firms well over $150,000." (No Man Knows My History, pp. 199-202)-- No Man Knows my History
July 1837 John Boynton withdraw's his wife account in the KSS, worth about half what she paid -- Kirtland Ledger Book
July 28, 1837 Smith, Rigdon and Thomas B. Marsh headed to Upper Canada on church business and returned in late August
July 1837 Extant note for $100 with Warren Parrish's signature.
2 July, 1837 Final entry in the KSS ledger
August 1837 Joseph Smith denounces the new leadership of the KSS, since Parrish, at least, was continuing to issue new scrip even though the bank was failing. Joseph Smith: "I am disposed to say a word relative to the bills of the Kirtland Safety Society Bank. I hereby warn them to beware of speculators, renegades and gamblers, who are duping the unsuspecting and the unwary, by palming upon them, those bills, which are of no worth, here. I discountenance and disapprove of any and all such practices. I know them to be detrimental to the best interests of society, as well as to the principles of religion." --Messenger and Advocate, August 1837 issue
September 1837 Oliver Cowdery, now an assistant president in the First Presidency, has transgressed and should be excommunicated if he doesn't repent. There is hope for David Whitmer and Leonard Rich. Beware dissenters. Do not accept any changes not authorized by the First Presidency or their representatives (Thomas B. Marsh and David W. Patten)
Sept 3, 1837 Joseph Smith: "had always said that unless the institution was conducted on righteous principles it would not stand” B.H. Roberts 1930
Sept 25, 1837 Frederick Wiliams resigns as Justice of the Peace in Kirtland
27 September 1837 Joseph and Sidney Rigdon go to visit Missouri; in their absence, the Kirtland Church is rent by strife and apostasy
October 1837 Joseph and Sidney found guilty at trial of illegal banking and issuing unauthorized bank paper currency (a civil, not criminal offense). They are fined $1,000 each, and appeal. under 1853 court case, it is apparent that the 1816 law stands, and their appeal would have failed. (see 1853 entry for citation)
November 1837 Final failure of the KSS. Joseph is left with debts of $100,000; he has goods and land, but these are unable to be converted into ready cash Warren Parrish begins talking openly about how Joseph ran the bank
Eliza R. Snow recounts in a book much later of Warren Parrish taking over the Kirtland temple via pistol and Bowie knife. No other account of this very remarkable event seems to be written. Thomas B. Marsh letter mentions attempt to take over the churchk, but lack of knifes/pistols mentioned
In Joseph's absence, Warren Parrish, three apostles, and a member of the high council tried to seize control of the church. When Joseph returns from Canada, they publicly renounce the church. William Parrish is a deist.
Dec 10, 1837 Joseph and Sidney return to Kirtland
Decemeber 1837[Assistant President John Smith:] I called the [Kirtland] High Council together last week and laid before them the case of disserter <dissenters;> 28 persons where upon after mautre <mature> discussion proceeded to cut them off from the Church: the leaders were Cyrus Smalling, Joseph Coe, Martin Harris Luke S. Johnson John F. Boynton and W. W. Parrish. We have cut off between 40 and 50 from the Church since you left <[-]> thus you will see the Church has taken a mighty pruning and we think she will rise in the greatness of her <strength,> and I rejoice for the Lord is good and He will cut his work short in righteousness. … I will rejoice for the Lord will purify His Church.
22 December 1837 Brigham Young flees Kirtland for Missouri, convinced that his life is in danger from apostates because of his staunch defense of Joseph Smith
June1838**
Jan 6, 1838 Samuel Morse demonstrates the telegraph machine
12 January 1838 FAIR ENTRY: Joseph Smith, having returned to Kirtland, leaves with Sidney Rigdon to escape the risk of prison and mob action. WIKI ENTRY: faced with a warrant for his arrest on a charge of illegal banking, Smith fled with Rigdon to Clay County, Missouri just ahead of an armed group out to capture and hold Smith for trial. According to Smith, they left "to escape mob violence, which was about to burst upon us under the color of legal process to cover the hellish designs of our enemies."
Jan 15,1838 Schoolhouse seized and sold at Auction to pay fine from Grandison Newell trial
Jan 16, 1838 Schoolhouse burned down, LDS member Benjamin F. Johnson later recounted that his brother-in-law Lyman Sherman had burned building in order to prevent enemies of church from gaining access to printing press.
Feb 5 1838 Warren Parrish publishes synopse of banking methods in Painsville republican, published Feb, 15,1838 Parrish claims that Martin Harris had never seen the plates, except in vision. This claim is backed up in Book of Covenants, page 170" The newspaper declaration is signed by Luke Johnson, John Boynton (apostles) and Sylvester Smith, Leonard Rich (Presidencies of the Seventy)
Feb 22, 1838 Warren Parrish publishes ""I have listened to him [i.e. Smith] with feelings of no ordinary kind, when he declared that the AUDIBLE VOICE OF GOD, INSTRUCTED HIM TO ESTABLISH A BANKING-ANTI BANKING INSTITUTION, who like Aaron's rod SHALL SWALLOW UP ALL OTHER BANKS (the Bank of Monroe excepted,) and grow and flourish and spread from the rivers to the ends of the earth, and survive when all others should be laid in ruins." --Painesville Republican, February 22, 1838, as quoted in Conflict at Kirtland, page 297 The Apologists try to discredit Parrish, because if he is an honest man, this statement is enough to condemn Joseph as making a false prophesy, and then the actions of the apostates actually make sense. They saw him as a fallen prophet, because he actually failed on a prophesy. Remember that a lot of Joseph's credibility came from finding pins in haystacks (like with Martin Harris), and the idea that a prophet could be right about some things, and wrong about others was a new thought. Until this time, the only false prophesy they knew about from Joseph was trying to sell the copyright to the book of Mormon, and Joseph declared that to be either of Man, or of the Devil. This becomes David Whitmer's watch cry is that the Kirtland Safety Society, the book of Abraham, etc. were "Of man or of the Devil, but not of God".
Feb 22, 1838 Methodist meeting house burns down in Kirtland, accusations of arson backed up by the bucket at the local well having been cut off prior to the fire. Attempted arson of Kirtland Temple
April 12, 1838 Oliver Cowdery's trial in Far West, Frederick testifies Oliver told him [Marvel C.] Davis could make counterfeit currency dies. Three men came to him (Williams) for a writ to arrest John Boynton (h), Warren Parrish, and Burton H. Phelps for passing bogus bank notes. Note that the bank notes are no different from When Joseph was passing them.
April 15, 1838 In a letter to Lyman E. Johnson, Stephen Burnett excoriates Joseph and Sidney for deceiving Church members, "filching" their money, and squandering funds. Martin Harris said the Book of Mormon witnesses saw the plates "only in vision or imagination," but later recanted. Stephen renounced Mormonism in the "Stone Chapel" (House of the Lord). Kirtland property is worthless. Joseph blamed Lyman for the Safety Society failure. Martin Harris, others reject Joseph but still believe the Book of Mormon.
Sometime in 1838 The Church of Christ established by David Whitmer and Warren Parrish. Warren claims the Kirtland temple as property in repayment of the KSS failure. This one would fail, and William E. McLellin would start again in 1847. David Whitmer would start a third in 1870. The Church of Christ, Temple Lot, that exists today is based on the same principles as these previous versions, but was started at a later date.
June, 1838 Sidney Rigdon writes a scathing letter to the newspaper attacking Oliver Cowdery as a Justice of the peace". Revelation to Oliver Granger given, for cleaning up Kirtland mess, Smith was named in seventeen lawsuits with claims totalling $30,206.44 over debts incurred in the failure of the KSS. Four of these suits were settled; three were voluntarily discontinued by the plaintiffs; and ten resulted in judgments against Joseph Smith and others. Of these ten judgments, three were satisfied in full, three were satisfied in part, and only four were wholly unsatisfied." -- Brodie, No Man Knows my History. The LDS church also raised and put up $38,000 in bail money for Smith at the Geauga County Court which was to be held to satisfy any judgment that might be rendered against Smith. Frederick G. Williams and W. W. Phelps have lost their standing, but may be ordained elders and serve missions abroad -- Saints without Halo's entry on Frederick G. Williams
August 16, 1838 Announcement that the kirtland temple to be leased by Mr. Slater to be used as a Temple of Science, when the man backs out of the lease Oliver Cowdery fills it, being opposed to Joseph Smith at this point
August 18, 1838 Attack published on exmormons
Oct 18, 1838 Gallatin is burned by "Captain Fearnot" (David W. Patton) and the Church takes exmormon's stuff, that are driven off. -- wiki page for Thomas B. Marsh
Oct 19, 1838 Thomas B. Marsh and Orson Hyde leave the church -- wiki page for Thomas B. Marsh
Oct 24, 1838 Thomas B. Marsh and Orson Hyde affidavit stating that the Mormons burned the store in Gallatin and drove exmormons out of houses. A serious lack of Milk Strippings mentioned. Both are excommunicated on the 26th
Oct 25, 1838 Battle of Crooked River, start of Mormon War
Oct 27, 1838 Lilburn Boggs issues expulsion order (called Extermination, but exterminate in 1830's meant to remove from the premises) 2,500 state militia called up to put down the threat
December 1838-April 1839 Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail.
1839-forward
1839 Price per Acre in Kirtland $17.50 Jackson, Mississippi first law allowing women to own property passes.
Mar 17, 1839 Frederick G. WIlliams excommunicated in absentia with George M. Hinkle, Sampson Avard, W. W. Phelps, Thomas B. Marsh (h), John Corrill, and others. It appears they were charged with leaving the church "in the time of our perils, persecutions and dangers, and were acting against the interests of the Church."
1842 Tarriff of 1842 established which helps the country recover from the panic of 1837
1844 Heber C. Kimball meets Warren Parrish while on a mission, Parrish is a baptist minister. Heber claims that Warren Parrish admitting embezzling $20,000 from the bank; when the bank only had $21,000 in specie. FAIR still banks on this claim despite it being years after the fact, and sourced from a single account, without written back up
1846 United States Treasury System created by the James K. Polk Administration. This leads to far greater stability with banks until 1873.
1853 Kearny vs. Buttles decides that the 1816 Ohio law stands, which would have convicted Joseph and Sidney under appeal
1859 Grandison Newell gets the Ohio State legislature to give him the Kirtland temple and governments winnings from lawsuit against Joseph
1862 Legal Tender Act of 1862 creates "Greenbacks" mandating paper money be issued and accepted in lieu of Gold and Silver coins.
Feb, 25 1863 National Currency established as part fo the National Banking Act. This unifies the local currencies and paper bills into one, federally offered currency
June 3, 1864 National Banking Act, 1864 provides for federal chartered banks
Nov 15, 1864 George A Smith accuses Warren Parrish, from the pulpit of the Ogden Tabernacle of taking $100,000 out of the vault, and buying up everything, and putting the money back before Joseph was aware. Given that $100,000 KSS would only be worth $1,250 of goods at the time Warren could have done it (or $2,650 at the best of times) this claim is dubious, and odds that someone else would have noticed and mentioned it are high.
1873 Quasi-banks operated as banks (sometimes in conjunction with other business activities) although they had no formal bank charter. These corporate institutions were not uncommon in Ohio at the time as banking regulations were limited.Whigs went so far as to encourage businesses to operate as quasi-banks. Even after the national bank failure in 1837, there was no widespread opposition to quasi-banks in Ohio until 1873.
1878 Edward Partridge funeral- D&C 85 confirmed to be about him
1878[Jesse Moss "became fully satisfied the wine was medicated” and one night attempted to steal a bottle but was caught. Immediately after his attempt was discovered, Moss made a public statement about how with drugged wine “angels could be manufactured & strange wonders made to appear in the night”] --letter from J. J. Moss to James T. Cobb, Dec. 17, 1878
Although Jesse Moss's memory is years after the fact, so too is George A. Smith's memory. Perhaps FAIR should accept them both as credible, or reject them both, as both have very little contemporary evidence.
1880 In the 1880's, the Reorganized Church became interested in restoring it as nearly as possible to its [The Kirtland Temple] original simplicity and beauty."
Sometime later Half of The Quorum of Twelve Apostles accused Smith of improprieties in the banking scandal, and LDS Apostle Heber C. Kimball later said that the bank's failure was so shattering that afterwards "there were not twenty persons on earth that would declare that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God." Apostates included: Lyman Johnson, John F. Boyington [Boynton], William E. McLellin, Hazen Aldrich, Sylvester Smith, Joseph Coe, Orson Johnson, W. A. Cowdery, M. F. Cowdery.
1886 Eye Witness recounts: “Lining the shelves of the [Kirtland Safety Society] bank vault… were many boxes, each marked $1,000. Actually these boxes were filled with ‘sand, lead, old iron, stone, and combustibles’ but each had a top layer of bright fifty-cent silver coins. Anyone suspicious of the bank’s stability was allowed to lift and count the boxes. ‘The effect of those boxes was like magic;’ said C.G. Webb. ‘They created general confidence in the solidity of the bank and that beautiful paper money went like hot cakes. For about a month, it was the best money in the country.” -- W. Wyl, Mormon Portraits, 1886, p. 36
This recollection is also most likely a fabrication. There is no evidence of it. The KSS did have 21,000 in specie, according to the ledger, and it did put out $21,000 in specie. Any fraud of this level should have been easily detectable and noticeable in the ledger books, whether committed by Warren Parrish or Joseph Smith Jr.
1888 McWhitney complained that the wine consumed was actually "mixed liquor” and that “the Mormon leaders intended to get the audience under [its] influence” so that visions experienced were believed to be of “the Lord's doings.” --Demming, Naked Truths (April, 1888), pp. 2-3. As found in Lamar Petersen, Hearts Made Glad, Salt Lake City Utah 1975, p. 135)
A second witness that the wine was spiked in the Kirtland era, also 50 years after the fact.
1957 Robert Kat Fielding, historian publishes a book on Kirtland: "the members, to be sure, pledged themselves to redeem the notes and bound themselves individually by their agreement under the penal sum of one hundred thousand dollars. But there was no transfer of property deeds, no power of attorney, no legal pains and penalties. To a banker, the articles fairly shouted: 'this is a wildcat, beware!'" --Fielding, Robert Kent. The Growth of the Mormon Church in Kirtland, Ohio. Ph.D. Diss., Indiana University, 1957. OCLC 6043664
FAIR Rebuttal: Wildcat banks were banks, where the main office was out in the forest (Where the wild cats are). Everyone knew where Joseph's office was, so this was not a wildcat bank.
Rebuttal featured here and here and here.
Actual definition of a wildcat bank, as per Wikipedia: "unusual practices of banks chartered under state law during the periods of non-federally regulated state banking between 1816 and 1863 in the United States, also known as the Free Banking Era". The KSS was clearly an unusual state bank, that was no regulated during the free banking era.
"According to some sources, the term came from a bank in Michigan that issued private paper currency with the image of a wildcat. After the bank failed, poorly backed bank notes became known as wildcat currency, and the banks that issued them as wildcat banks.[1] However, according to others, wildcat meant a rash speculator as early as 1812, and by 1838 had been extended to any risky business venture."
In that the KSS issued private paper currency that was poorly backed (in that the KSS's assets were not-liquid) and that it was a risky business venture... it still fits the definition of "Wildcat". In fact, it fits every definition of "Wildcat Bank" in the wiki article, but not the made up definition by FAIR, that is not cited and I cannot find any source for on Google at all.
Closing notes and thoughts
Published in the 20th century " "It was natural that blame for the entire situation should be charged against the Prophet. They had gathered to Kirtland at his command; the idea of purchasing housing lots in the great subdivision scheme had his full support; he had inferred that the bank would not only succeed, but would one day be the most powerful institution of its kind....the Church populace was genuinely disillusioned when the bank failed. It was difficult for them to comprehend that a man who claimed to have divine revelation in religious matters could fail so miserably in economic affairs.... No amount of shifting of blame could obscure the fact that a prophet had failed in a grand project.... As the Sheriff appeared ever more regularly with summons and as the fortunes and anticipations of one after another of the leaders faced the humiliating prospect of publicly acknowledged incompetence and bankruptcy, the discipline and sense of responsibility, which are the heart of all organizations, broke completely and plunged Mormondom into ecclesiastical anarchy." -- "The Growth of the Mormon Church in Kirtland, Ohio," typed copy, pp. 233, 234, 237 & 238, as it appears in Mormonism - Shadow or Reality? pp. 533
"During the summer of 1837, Joseph spent much of his time away from Kirtland to avoid these lawsuits.... Apostles Luke S. Johnson, Lyman E. Johnson, and John F. Boynton were rejected and disfellowshipped.. "The blame of the bank failure fell heavily on Joseph. He had issued a formal invitation to his followers to take stock in the venture and the institution had been organized outside the law. Heber C. Kimball later was to comment that at this moment, 'there were not twenty persons on earth that would declare that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.' Six of the apostles came out in open rebellion....Joseph first established the bank by revelation and then had to later admit that because of poor management and other internal and external conditions the project was a failure." ("Joseph Smith As An Administrator," M.A. thesis, Brigham Young University, May 1969, pp. 80, 81, 82, 85, 86 and 88, as it appears in Mormonism - Shadow or Reality? pp. 533)
1830's banking norms
FAIR often lists what typical banks were like in a rebuttal that "Joseph's Bank" or the KSS was not that unusual. Here is a non-biased source that lists what a typical bank was like in the 1830's
"Investment in real estate was minimal, usually simply to provide the bank with an office in which to conduct business. Commercial banks used specie, i.e. gold and silver (usually minted into coins but sometimes in the form of bars or bullion), and their claims on other banks (notes and/or deposits) to pay their creditors (liability holders). They also owned public securities like government bonds and corporate equities. Sometimes they owned a small sum of mortgages, long-term loans collateralized by real property. Most bank assets, however, were discount loans collateralized by commercial paper, i.e. bills of exchange and promissory notes "discounted" at the bank by borrowers."
"In order to reduce the risk of default due to information asymmetry, lenders must create information about borrowers. Early banks created information by screening discount applicants to reduce adverse selection and by monitoring loan recipients and requiring collateral to reduce moral hazard. Screening procedures included probing the applicant's credit history and current financial condition. Monitoring procedures included the evaluation of the flow of funds through the borrower's checking account and the negotiation of restrictive covenants specifying the uses to which a particular loan would be put. Banks could also require borrowers to post collateral, i.e. property they could seize in case of default. Real estate, slaves, co-signers, and financial securities were common forms of collateral."
" lending decisions of early banks were politically-motivated and skewed in favor of rich merchants."
"Early banks were extremely profitable and therefore aroused considerable envy. Critics claimed that bank dividends greater than six percent were prima facie evidence that banks routinely made discounts at illegally high rates. In fact, banks earned more than they charged on discounts because they lent out more, often substantially more, than their capital base."
"Early banks also caused considerable political controversy when they attempted to gain a charter, a special act of legislation that granted corporate privileges such as limited stockholder liability, the ability to sue in courts of law in the name of the bank, etc. "
"Because early banks were lucrative, politicians and opposing interest groups fought each other bitterly over charters. Rival commercial factions sought to establish the first bank in emerging commercial centers while rival political parties struggled to gain credit for establishing new banking facilities. Politicians soon discovered that they could extract overt bonuses, taxes, and even illegal bribes from bank charter applicants."
I leave it to the reader to consider if the "Average bank" presented by FAIR matches this definition.

Warren Parrish, evil evil man, or faithful accountant
Warren Parrish is a very interesting figure. He is accused of any number of misdeeds by the latter day saints, from taking over the temple with bowie-knives, to admitting embezzlement, to counterfeiting. And yet he kept an absolutely honest ledger book, for months after even Joseph had abandoned the KSS (from June 1838-Nov 1838). There is no indication of wrong doing.
How the apologists can say that the ledger book vindicates Joseph's honesty (Trumen G. Madsen tapes on Joseph Smith)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyjnXFuZKzg) and yet not also vindicate the man who kept the books long after Joseph ran off, is a mystery to me.
But if Warren Parrish is honest, then Joseph gave a failed prophesy and accused someone of crimes when he was an good, honest faithful man. And then that man apostatized, how strange.
I find it especially strange that the FAIR papers cite all the apostle quotes about Warren Parrish, with no investigation to their actual credibility, whereas they spend endless amounts of time investigating similar accusations against Joseph Smith by (sometimes the same) apostles. Perhaps it would be fair for them to investigate any claims made with no evidence, and not just the ones that they perceive as attacks, otherwise they might condemn honest people with justifiable complaints.
What caused the KSS failure
I have tried to find the date of the "bank run" caused by exmormons and conspiring persons on the KSS. To date, I've found no article, anti or FAIR/FARMS that actually gives the date. I'm going to assume it was the date that the KSS stopped handing out specie.
To me, it seems that the kirtland safety society was built during the end of a "Dot com bubble" style growth, caused by rapid inflation of the money supply caused by the forming of the Second National Bank. The collapse of the Bank of Monroe just before, and half the nations bank after, shows a very similar Boom-bust cycle as the mortgage housing and dot-com booms and busts of our own era.
That said, if Joseph Smith, Jr. was alive today, and started a church as part of a dot-com, I'm not sure that could be held against him. Unusual, sure, but he pulled unusual religions situations and ideas out constantly. Basing the bank on the lands donated to him by members as part of the Law of Consecration is questionable, but not terribly dis-similar from the Modern Church building a mall based on investment returns of Tithing money.
In other words, I don't think he was corrupt. He had a huge need for money, and a way to turn donated land into liquid capital. And with millions of dollars in state banks as part of a boom cycle, the incentives were there.
But as with any inflated currency, the bust comes, and it hit in may 1837. Perhaps the lawsuits of Grandison Newell tipped people to pull their money out a bit sooner than the full panic, but it's not terribly different than the first sued Dot-coms collapsing before the rest of the wave. I see a serious lack of conspiracy either on the part of Joseph Smith, Warren Parrish, or the evil exmormons in the case, but simply a boom-bust cycle. More on that from a faithful member here
Frivolous lawsuits and persecution-edit
Grandison Newell had many and frivolous lawsuits against Joseph during this time period, more or less because he had money and didn't like the new kid coming into town with power and influence. He reminds me of Mr. Burns from the Simpsons.
The persecution during this period is real, and it is unwarranted. The claims that Joseph was "always acquitted from any wrong doing" are based mostly on this periods lawsuits, sometimes wholly made up.
Grandison boasted at spending $1,000 on lawsuits just to annoy Joseph. However it seems the lawsuit against the KSS was based on an actual case, and his $1,000 fine against Joseph and Sidney each made up for it.
One could say that Mr. Newell's lawsuits changed the united order and consecration forever. It altered Joseph's perception of friends and loyalty and kept him on his toes. In what would start a long tradition of the church only changing when lawsuits were presented, he flexed his power and influence to try and silence the upstarts, not dissimilar from the current legal department of the lds church today in the ways they alter main street, and try to limit protesting and sharing of ideas that are different than their own faith.
Final Verdict-edited
Joseph Smith Jr. was trying, to help people, but didn't mind breaking the law to do it. There is no evidence of wrong doing, that I could find, of Warren Parrish, other than church leadership statements flung out with no substance.