Church History
Doctrine and Covenants Historical Resources: James Covel


Doctrine and Covenants Historical Resources: James Covel, Doctrine and Covenants Historical Resources (2021)

James Covel, Doctrine and Covenants Historical Resources (2021)

James Covel

(ca. 1770–1850)

James Covel was likely born in Massachusetts. During the 1790s, he served as a Methodist itinerant preacher in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. He married Sarah Gould in 1795. After living in Massachusetts, Maine, and other areas of New York state, he moved to New York City sometime before July 1822. By 1830, he was living in Canadice Township, New York, and that same year he was elected president of the Rochester Conference of Methodist Society. In January 1831, Joseph Smith received a revelation that commanded Covel to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Doctrine and Covenants 39:10). However, Covel decided against baptism (Doctrine and Covenants 40).

References in the Doctrine and Covenants

Doctrine and Covenants 3940