Joseph Smith Papers: Journals, Vol 2: 1841-1843

[David T]

This volume was released this week. My copy came in the mail this morning. Can't wait to dig into it.

I did read the introduction, and thought it was fascinating to recognize that this was perhaps the very first Church-published resource to directly acknowledge and discuss (even if only briefly) the polyandrous nature of some of Joseph's plural marriages, acknowledging Richard Bushman's understanding of the likelyhood of those being designed to spiritually unite the associated families dynastically. The subject of conjugal relations within Nauvoo polygamous relationships was broached, with the acknowledgement that it almost certainly occurred, althewhile noting that at the very least, there has so far not been any success in proving that Joseph had - at the very least - any offspring from any of his plural marriages.

Due to the documentary nature of the volume itself, such things are not delved into in depth (I wouldn't expect them to in this venue) .But for a Church-published and Church-sponsored project and Church-promoted project, I find this to be a pretty HUGE leap forward.

Kudos to everyone involved. For, well, everything about this project. It's absolutely fascinating, and wonderful to have all these documents not only easily available, but presented in such an attractively bound edition.

Edited November 17, 2011 by nackhadlow

[Calm]

What were the prior sources for this info?

[mapman]

I had a chance to flip through a copy in the BYU Bookstore. I noticed that there were a few astronomical drawings in one of journals. I thought that was pretty interesting, but didn't get a chance to see why they were paying attention to astronomy.

[David T]

What were the prior sources for this info?

I'm not sure I understand the question. Do you mean original documentary sources for our knowledge of JS polyandry/polygamy? The best currently published scholastic presentations of that material? Prior "official" references?

Or the sources of the Journals, Volume 2 text? That I can give you:

• Journal, December 1841-December 1842 ("The Book of the Law of the Lord")
  
• Journal, December 1842-June 1844 (Book 1, and Book 2a)
  
• Appendix I: Missouri Extradition Attempt, 1842-1843, Selected Documents
  
• Appentix II: William Clayton, Journal Excerpt. 1-4 April 1843
  

[David T]

I had a chance to flip through a copy in the BYU Bookstore. I noticed that there were a few astronomical drawings in one of journals. I thought that was pretty interesting, but didn't get a chance to see why they were paying attention to astronomy.

Here's the notes for those drawings (there are 2):

Observations in the night sky, initial diagram. On 14 March 1843, Joseph Smith and others observed an atmospheric anomaly they interpreted as a sign of the times. the initial diagram inscribed on page 11 of book 2 - shown here - was replaced by a second diagram inscribed on page 17. the inset, here rotated ninety degrees, is a representation of the "man in the moon." Handwriting of Willard Richards. JS, Journal, Dec. 1842-June 1844, bk. 2, p. 11, JS Collection, Church History Library, Salt Lake City,

Observation in the night sky, corrected diagram. On March 1843, Joseph Smith and others observed an atmospheric phenomenon they interpreted as a sign of the times. the initial diagram inscribed on page 11 of book 2 was replaced by a second diagram - shown here - inscribed on page 17. Handwriting of Willard Richards. JS, Journal, Dec 1842-June 1844, bk. 2, p. 17, JS Collection, Church History Library, Salt Lake City.

[Cobalt-70]

...The subject of conjugal relations within Nauvoo polygamous relationships was broached, with the acknowledgement that it almost certainly occurred, althewhile noting that at the very least, there has so far not been any success in proving that Joseph had - at the very least - any offspring from any of his plural marriages.

Though it would not be fair to suggest that this is a newly legitimate position within LDS orthodoxy. Back in the 1800s when there was a rivalry between the LDS and RLDS churches about whether Joseph Smith instituted polygamy, a few RLDS members suggested that Smith's polygamy might have been merely a sexless, "dynastic" arrangement, whereas the LDS were saying that no, these were real marriages in every sense of the term.

Edited November 19, 2011 by Cobalt-70

[Calm]

You stated:

[T]his was perhaps the very first Church-published resource to directly acknowledge and discuss (even if only briefly) the polyandrous nature of some of Joseph's plural marriages.....

I was curious as to what sources people doing research in this area used prior to this recent publication...the nonChurch published ones. Doesn't have to be specific, just the type...I'm thinking it's likely includes at least unpublished personal journals?

I am curious because much (most?) historical research in LDS topics rely heavily on church published materials...or so it seems to me, not in each case, but generally speaking for a topic. Just curious about the sources one would most likely rely on when church sources aren't available, though of course this would vary depending on the topic.

Your comment has simply got me thinking about what areas of interest aren't touched upon in church materials, yet intimately relate to the church and how limited these might be in range as well as speculating on how likely 'first time appearance in church published material' is likely to happen again...just thinking out loud really about the potential of this project.

Edited November 19, 2011 by calmoriah

[LeSellers]

Back in the 1800s when there was a rivalry between the LDS and RLDS churches about whether Joseph Smith instituted polygamy, a few RLDS members suggested that Smith's polygamy might have been merely a sexless, "dynastic" arrangement, whereas the LDS were saying that no, these were real marriages in every sense of the term.

The RLDS position would have been that if there were any such marriages, they were all dynastic. We Saints points out that there were both kinds: dynastic and "real".

Lehi

[mapman]

Here's the notes for those drawings (there are 2):

Thanks, that's interesting.

[David T]

Your comment has simply got me thinking about what areas of interest aren't touched upon in church materials, yet intimately relate to the church and how limited these might be in range as well as speculating on how likely 'first time appearance in church published material' is likely to happen again...just thinking out loud really about the potential of this project.

I think Revelations & Translations: Volume 2 was the first time a Church publication acknowledged and supported the scholastic near-consensus that the Lectures on Faith were most likely written by Sidney Rigdon, and not Joseph Smith.

[David T]

There's a great example in here, in a section explicitly dictated by Joseph to William Clayton, of how the personal names/titles of the members of the Godhead were not set in stone at this point (noting that this is after the initial presentation of the Endowment had been given in the Red Brick Store), with "Jehovah", "God", and Elohim (as a classifier, and not necessarily a name, IE, "Jehovah the Eloheem") all being equally specifically used to refer to the Father, distinct from Jesus Christ, the Son:

"O, thou who seeth, and knoweth the hearts of all men; thou eternal, omnipotent, omnicient, and omnipresent Jehovah, God; thou Eloheem, that sitteth, as sayeth the psalmist, enthroned in heaven; look down upon thy servant Joseph, as this time; and let faith on the name of thy Son Jesus Christ, to a greater degree than thy servant ever yet has enjoyed, be conferred upon him;[...]O Lord, God, my heavenly Father[...]

23 August 1842, Journal, December 1841-December 1842 ("The Book of the Law of the Lord") -- as cited in JSP:J2, pp 117-118.

Little tidbits like this are fascinating for tracing the development of usage of stuff like this. This is awesome. Usage of the name 'Jehovah' in this way is specifically fascinating in regards to determining earliest interpretations of the Endowment Drama.

Edited November 20, 2011 by nackhadlow