April 29th

Apr 29, 1842 - Joseph Smith defines as "a conspiracy against the peace of my household" three separate conflicts that converge today. First, the Sidney Rigdon family is outraged to learn of his polygamous proposal to his first counselor's daughter Nancy. Second, the charges and counter-charges involved in that crisis lead to the discovery that Joseph's special counselor John C. Bennett had been claiming the prophet's authorization for seducing several women. In his own defense Bennett apparently told others about his knowledge of Joseph's recent polygamous marriages and unsuccessful proposals. These interrelated scandals threw Joseph's wife Emma into a fury, as one woman after another began disclosing Nauvoo's sexual underground. This controversy caused Joseph to delay his plans to give the "grand key words of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood" to his wife and other women, "as well as to the Elders"

Apr 29, 1843 - Joseph C. Kingsbury participates in a "pretend marriage" to seventeen-year-old Sarah Ann Whitney order to help Joseph Smith disguise his secret marriage to her. Kingsbury writes in his autobiography, "I according to Pres. Joseph Smith & Council & others agreed to stand by Sarah Ann Whitney as though I was supposed to be her husband and [participated in] a pretended marriage for the purpose of . . . Bringing about the purposes of God in these last days . . ."

Apr 29, 1846 - A public meeting in Iowa approves Brigham Young's proposal to sell the Nauvoo temple to Roman catholic priests.

Apr 29, 1849 - First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve make following decisions concerning sex in marriage "not to unite with woman in view of impregnation till 7 days after the cessation of the menstrual discharge in order for the most healthy procreation. Also that after childbrith if delivered a son she should continue 40 days in her purification [without sexual intercourse with her husband]. If daughter she [the new mother] should be 70 days separated as unclean for a man. As to sexual connexion during pregnancy, do just as they please about that - suit themselves." This is the earliest known LDS discussion of what is appropriate in sexual relations of married couples. These rules are based on Book of Leviticus, rather than on current medical writings.
At the same meeting Brigham Young "gave it as his opinion that the Earth did not now dwell in the sphere in which it did when it was created but that it was banished from its more glorious state or orbit of revolution for mans sake. also that he did not think the tides were by the influence of the Moon, but as the beating of a mans heart the Earth being a living body."

Apr 29, 1867 - President Brigham Young and the Twelve meet "to take into Consideration the Case of Elder Amasa Lyman who had been preaching Heresy doing away with the Blood of Christ & trifling with the ordinances. We herd the Testimony against him and herd his own remarks. We finally voted to silence him from Preaching."

Apr 29, 1877 - NEW YORK TIMES reports election of Walter Pearce as first Mormon mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, since 1946.

Apr 29, 1898 - The church's salary committee meets and decides to cut President Wilford Woodruff's salary by 40 percent.

Apr 29, 1916 - In a letter to Walter P. Monson, president of the church's Eastern States Mission in New York, Joseph F. Smith's First Presidency orders that Gisbert L. Bossard not be rebaptized, explaining: "[T]he treachery and greed which prompted this desecration of the House of the Lord is entirely another thing, something which cannot be so easily disposed of." Five years previously Bossard had secretly entered the Salt Lake Temple and taken photographs. He had tried to sell the photographs to the Church but later sold them to gentiles. Bossard had admitted regret and sought re-entrance into the church. He was unsuccessful in regaining his membership during his lifetime. He was rebaptized by proxy in 1985, over ten years after his death.

Apr 29, 1947 - The Ontario, California DAILY REPORT sports section reports: "General Manager Russ Decker [of the Class-C baseball team Ontario Orioles] announced the release of pitchers Frank Umonyi and Paul Dunn yesterday."

Apr 29, 1960 - At funeral, first counselor J. Reuben Clark criticizes quartet for leaving out verse concerning Mother in Heaven during their singing of "O My Father."

Apr 29, 1966 - BYU president Ernest L. Wilkinson makes first reference in his diary to receiving the first "voluntary report from certain students" about "certain liberals on the campus." This is from the student "spy ring" Wilkinson has authorized and which becomes national scandal within ten months. Among "liberal" professors targeted is economist Richard B. Wirthlin who resigns from BYU in protest, serves as political strategist for conservative U.S. president Ronald Reagan (1980-88), and becomes general authority in 1996.

Apr 29, 1978 - First Presidency letter endorses "Morality in Media Inc., with headquarters in New York City. The Church is represented on its board of directors, which includes men and woman of many faiths and from many walks of life."

Apr 29, 1979 - Mark Hofmann writes to his mother, "During our Easter feast you gave it as your opinion that certain materials in the Church archives should not be made public because there exists [sic] certain faith-demoting facts that should not be known. While you may take comfort in knowing that this has been the traditional attitude of the leadership of the Church; you have expressed anxiety because I do not share this belief. . . . My conviction is that the truth is the most important thing." By this time Hofmann has already tried his hand at forgery.

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