1.2.9

See images of the original document at josephsmithpapers.org.

May 19, 1842 • Thursday

Minutes of the Proceedings

of the

Eighth Meeting of the Society.

Lodge Room, May 19^th.

Meeting open’d with prayer by Councillor [Elizabeth Ann] Whitney

Singing by the choir—

The following names were then receiv’d, to wit.

Caroline Angell	Sybil Jacobs
Eleanor Daviss	Eliza Wilber
Pamela [Permelia] Dayton	Ruth Tyler
Anna Buck	Betsey Motley
Charity Butler	Caroline Ha[r]mon
Hannah Huntsman	Ann Abbott
Irena E. Lincoln	Martha B[o]yington
Elizabeth Dana	Rebecca More
Catharine C. Brush	Elizabeth Romney
Martha A. Hovey	Sally Ann Chamberl[a]in
Abiah Porter	Julia Fish
Delia DeVol	Jane Bolentine [Ballantyne]
Mary Abbot	Lucy Groves
Lovina Johnson	Polly Sweat
Mary Littlefield	Sarah Roberts
Lettice Bent	Ruth Tyler

Councillor Whitney then rose and said, she was burthened in mind in thinking of existing evils in the church— was desirous that this Society become more obedient to the gospel in keeping all the commandments— exhorted them to humility and watchfulness— said the more she had heard and seen of corrupt members, the more she was stimulated to faithfulness— that the gifts and blessings of the gospel were ours, if found faithful and pure before God &c.

Mrs. Pres^t. said this day was an evil day— that [p. [47]] there is as much evil in this as in any other place—¹ said she would that this Society were pure before God— that she was afraid that under existing circumstances, the sisters were not careful enough to expose iniquity— the time had been when charity had covered a multitude of sins—² but now it is necessary that sin should be expos’d— that heinous sins were among us— that much of this iniquity was practiced by some in authority, pretending to be sanction’d by Prest. Smith.³

Mrs. Pres^t. continued by exhorting all who had err’d to repent and forsake their sins— said that satan’s forces were against this church— that every saint should be at the post

Councillor [Sarah] Cleveland said the same stratagems were now employ’d, as anciently in Balaam’s time, when he was required to curse Israel and could not—⁴ yet they were drawn into sin thro’ the propensities of their natures— so with this people the gentiles cannot curse them— but can draw them into iniquity.

Motion’d, seconded and carried that Lucy Ann Munjar be suspended for a time—

The following donations were then receiv’d— to wit

	$
Mary Snider	..	94
Sally [Polly] Angell	2,	18
Lydia Anderson	.	25
Elizabeth Allred		50
Abigail Leonard		25
Eliza Green[e]		62
Mrs. [Melissa] Bird		25
Nancy Winchester		50
Olive Hurr		50
Kuhamah [Ruhamah] Derby	1,	00
Anna Wight	5,	00
[blank]		25

[p. [48]]

Sis. [Cynthia] Baggs was represented as in want of shoes

A Scotch family destitute of food.

Nehemiah Harmon’s family represented destitute of clothing, sheets, pillow cases &c

Sister Anderson gives to br. Whitlock an order on Prest. Joseph Smith’s Store.

..

25—

The meeting adjourn’d at 6 o’clock—

[p. [49]]

Notes

1. One example of the concern for public morality occurred five days before this Relief Society meeting, on May 14, 1842, when at a meeting of the Nauvoo City Council, Joseph Smith “advocated strongly the necessity of some active measures being taken to suppress. houses & acts of infamy in the city.” At that meeting, a city ordinance was passed that stated, “All brothels or houses of ill fame, erected or being in the City of Nauvoo, be and the same hereby are henceforth prohibited and by law declared public nuisances.” (Joseph Smith, Journal, May 14, 1842, in JSP, J2:56; “An Ordinance concerning Brothels and Disorderly Characters,” Wasp, May 14, 1842, [3].)

2. See 1 Peter 4:8.

3. This comment reflected the furor in Nauvoo regarding several men who had seduced or attempted to seduce women by claiming that Joseph Smith had authorized them to engage in extramarital affairs. On April 10, 1842, Joseph Smith “Preached in the grove after Elder W^m Law. had spoken. a[nd] pronounced a curse upon all Adulterers & fornicators & unvirtuous persons. & those who had made use of his name to carry on their iniquitous designs.” Smith likely referred to John C. Bennett and Chauncey L. Higbee, among others. On May 11 Smith and other leaders withdrew “the hand of fellowship” from Bennett. Two weeks later, at the Nauvoo Masonic Lodge on May 26, Bennett “confessed the charges preferred again[s]t him concerning. females in Nauvoo.” At the lodge meeting, Smith and others “established beyond the possibility of contradiction” that Bennett had “seduced certain females whose characters previously was unsullied.” On May 24 and 25, 1842, three witnesses testified before the Nauvoo high council that each had been seduced in Nauvoo by Higbee, who taught them that it was “right to have free intercourse with women if it was kept secret” and that “Joseph Smith therised [authorized] him to practice these things.” That week, four women (Margaret J. Nyman, Matilda J. Nyman, Sarah Miller, and Catherine Warren), three of whom were presumably the three aforementioned witnesses, signed affidavits that Higbee had seduced them “most clandestinely, with wicked lies … by using the name of Joseph Smith.” (Joseph Smith, Journal, Apr. 10 and May 26, 1842, in JSP, J2:50, 63; Joseph Smith et al., “Notice,” May 11, 1842, Joseph Smith Collection, CHL; Lodge to Abraham Jonas, June 21, 1842, Letters Pertaining to Freemasonry in Nauvoo, 1842, CHL; Nauvoo High Council Minutes, May [21], 24, and 25, 1842; “Chauncey L. Higbee,” Nauvoo Neighbor, May 29, 1844, [3].)

4. Numbers 22–24.