July 16th

July 16, 1825 - The REPUBLICAN ADVOCATE in Batavia, New York publishes the text of a speech in defense of Freemasonry: "He [Enoch] also caused a triangular plate of gold to be made, each side was a cubit long, . . .-- he then engraved upon it the INEFFABLE CHARACTERS," Joseph Smith later uses the name "Enoch" to refer to himself.

July 16, 1833 - An "Extra" edition of the Church's EVENING AND MORNING STAR states: "Having learned with extreme regret, that an article entitled, 'Free People of Color,' in the last number of the Star, has been misunderstood, we feel in duty bound to state, in this Extra, that our intention was not only to stop free people of color from emigrating to this state, but to prevent them from being admitted as members of the Church. . . . To be short, we are opposed to having free people of color admitted into the state; and we say, that none will be admitted into the Church; . . ." This "Extra," is printed in the form of a handbill and circulated as promptly as possible.

July 16, 1843 - Joseph Smith creates confusion by declaring that he "would not prophesy any more, and proposed Hyrum to hold the office of prophet to the Church, as it was his birthright" as Presiding Patriarch. Stake president and former Nauvoo resident Abraham O. Smoot would tell the Provo School of the Prophets in 1868 that HyrumSmith "used to say [about] prophecy if you hit once in 10 times that is alright."
In the same sermon Joseph Smith also "showed that a man must enter into an everlasting covenant with his wife in this world or he will have no claim on her in the next. He said that he could not reveal the fulness of these things untill the Temple is completed &c." The temple was not completed until after Joseph's death.

July 16, 1844 - Brigham Young at Peterboro, Massachusetts, learns of the martyrdom: "The first thing which I thought of was, whether Joseph had taken the keys of the kingdom with him from the earth. . . . My head felt so distressed [I] thought it would crack." Then Young struck his hand on his knee. "The keys of the kingdom are right here with the Church,"

July 16, 1845 - William Clayton writes that his fifth wife Diantha Farr "seemed to be in the world of spirits on a visit, and about the first she conversed with was Brother Joseph and the conversation seemed to be on the subject of the massacre. . . . When she parted with her friends she always bid them 'good bye' but when she parted with Joseph she said, 'I am not in the habit of kissing men but I want to kiss you' which she appeared to do and then said 'farewell.'"

July 16, 1854 - First counselor Heber C. Kimball recommends decapitation for adulterers and preaches from the pulpit concerning "unclean" women: "we wipe them out of existence."

July 16, 1857 - Part of the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas receives orders to march to Utah territory, assist in removing Brigham Young from office as territorial governor, and to replace him with Alfred Cumming. The ensuing conflict is known as the "Utah War."
Thomas B. Marsh, one of the original 12 Apostles, is rebaptized in Salt Lake City and accepted back into the Church after his apostasy "over milk strippings" two decades ago.

July 16, 1864 - Brigham Young writes to Daniel H. Wells who is in Liverpool: "A few days ago Bishop Sharp rented the store opposite the South Gate of the Temple Block to Capt. Stover, for the use of the Commissary Department, and on Sunday the 10th inst., while I was in Provo, a skeleton company of cavalry occupied it as Provost Guard. This move being entirely contrary to the purpose for which the building was rented and altogether uncalled for, caused a little excitement, which, however, allayed soon after my return." Young returned to Salt Lake City accompanied by a guard of over 1000 Mormons. Three days later Army leaders wired instructions to General Connor in Salt Lake City to remove the provost guard citing "much dissatisfaction [that] may result" due to its presence.

July 16, 1870 - Non-Mormons organized the Liberal party, which markedly divided Utah citizens for more than twenty years. "Godbeites" joined with the Gentiles for political purposes, with members of both groups calling for all who opposed "despotism and tyranny in Utah" and who favored separation of church and state to join in a founding convention held in the Gentile stronghold of Corrine.

July 16, 1884 - Death by self-inflicted morphine overdose of Lavina Triplett Careless, famous Utah singer and wife of Professor George Careless, director of Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

July 16, 1894 - First post-Manifesto plural marriage performed in the United States by (verified) written authorization of First Presidency. Marriage occurs in Logan temple.

July 16, 1894 - Apostle John Henry Smith meets with Apostle Moses Thatcher and remarks that "Bro. Moses Thatcher been very poorly. He had up to ten p.m. last night not taken any Morphine for over one hundred and twenty hours." Thatcher, chronically ill, is trying to overcome morphine addiction.
Apostle Marriner W. Merrill performs the ceremony in the Logan Temple which marries his daughter Hattie L. Merrill as a plural wife to John William. Barnett. The authorization for this is signed by First Presidency Counselor George Q. Cannon on behalf of Church President Wilford Woodruff.

July 16, 1903 - President Joseph F. Smith and First Counselor John R. Winder refuse to allow Approved Pattern labels to be used on Z.C.M.I. knitted garments. Garments made by The Salt Lake Knitting Company, of which Joseph F. Smith is president, contain a label saying, "Approved by the Presidency. No knitted garment approved which does not bear this label."
Apostle Rudger Clawson records that at the weekly meeting of the First Presidency and Apostles, "There was a little informal talk regarding socialism and the United Order. It was remarked by one of the brethren that the claim is made by many socialists that the acceptance of the doctrines of socialism would lead to the introduction of the United Order. It was asserted by one of the brethren that the socialists have many sympathizers among our people."

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