June 17th

June 17, 1825 - The REPUBLICAN ADVOCATE of Batavia, New York publishes an article titled "GOLD:" "Gold is beaten into leaves upon a smooth block of marble. . . These pieces are then fitted into books. . . It was anciently the custom to beat gold into thin plates..."

June 17, 1829 - Joseph and Hyrum Smith's uncle, Jesse Smith, writes to Hyrum: "You say you have God for a witness--to prove the truth of what you write miserable creature, not to say perjured villan, how dare you thus trifle, in taking the name of God in vain, nay far worse than vain. . . but to such as make lead books, and declare to the world that they are of the most fine gold, calling on the great & dreadful name of the most High to witness the truth of their assertions, He says 'depart from me ye that work iniquity' and again 'these shall go away into everlasting punishment, they shall be cast into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels' these are the angels that tell where to find gold books.--Your Grandfather is sorely disappointed[.] he would not have listened a moment to your foolery, had he been forty years younger, he would have discov[er]ed bare faced falsehood in every line of your statement, nor would he as it is, but they say there must be one fool in the play, your good, pious & Methodistical uncle Asahel induced his father to give credit to your tale of nonsense, your abominable wickedness. . . . You state your Father cannot write by reason of a nervous affection this is a poor excuse, worse than none, he can dictate to others and they can write, he can If he knows not what to write, he can get your Brother's spectacles he would then be as able to write dictate a letter, as Joe is to decypher hieroglyphics, . . ."

June 17, 1836 - Patriarch Joseph Smith Senior gives blessings to Amos B. Fuller: "Thy years shall be many for thou shalt stand on the Earth and proclaim the Gospel to the Nations of the Gentiles, and the seed of Abraham, as long as the earth shall stand." And to Betsy Smith: " Thy children and thy children's children shall be saved and reign with thee in the kingdom of father and thou shall see the fourth generation and thou shall not see death but shall be grave thou must see tribulation but thou shalt have power to prevail over all thy enemies and shall see thy the Holy One of Israel while yet in the flesh"

June 17, 1838 - First Counselor Sidney Rigdon preaches his "Salt Sermon" as a warning against dissenters at Far West. Quoting the fifth chapter of Matthew ("Ye are the salt of the earth. If the salt has lost its savor, it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men." Matt 5:13) he explains when men embrace the gospel and afterward lose their faith, it is the duty of the Saints to trample them under their feet and calls on the people to rise en masse and rid the country of such a nuisance. Rigdon explains, "when a county, or body of people have individuals among them with whom they do not wish to associate and a public expression is taken against their remaining among them and such individuals do not remove, it is the principle of republicanism itself that gives that community a right to expel them forcibly and no law will prevent it."

June 17, 1842 - Heber C. Kimball writes to Parley P. Pratt: "We have organized a Lodge here of Masons since we obtained a Charter. That was in March. Since that thare was near two hundred been made masons. Br. Joseph and Sidny [Ridgon] was the first that was Received into the Lodg. All of the twelve apostles have become members Except Orson Pratt. He hangs back. He will wake up soon, thare is a similarity of preas Hood [priesthood] in Masonry. Bro. Joseph Ses Masonry was taken from preasthood but has become degenerated. But menny things are perfect."

June 17, 1844 - Joseph Smith and fifteen others are "arrested by Con[stable] Joel S. Miles on writ of D[aniel] H. Wells, J[ustice] [of the] P[eace] issued on complaint of Mr. G. Ware for riot on 10th inst[ant] in destroying Nauvoo Expositor. Were tried at Justice Wells 2 P.M. and discharged." Daniel H. Wells is later a member of the LDS First Presidency. On this same day a committee of citizens at nearby Carthage requested Governor Ford to mobilize a sufficient force of state militia to execute legal process in Nauvoo. Joseph Smith orders the Nauvoo Legion to parade at 10:00 AM the next day. Hyrum Smith writes to the Twelve (who are campaigning for Joseph Smith's U.S. Presidential candidacy) "requesting them to come home without delay."
In the NAUVOO NEIGHBOR for this date Joseph Smith blames "all the sorrow he ever had in his family" upon "the influence of Wm Law." In the same issue Hyrum Smith accuses William Law adulterous behavior.

June 17, 1877 - Brigham Young preaches: "When Joseph got the plates, the angel instructed him to carry them back to the hill Cumorah, which he did. Oliver [Cowdery] says that when Joseph and Oliver went there, the hill opened, and they walked into a cave, in which there was a large and spacious room. He says he did not think, at the time, whether they had the light of the sun or artificial light; but that it was just as light as day. They laid the plates on a table; it was a large table that stood in the room. Under this table there was a pile of plates as much as two feet high, and there were altogether in this room more plates than probably many wagon loads; they were piled up in the corners and along the walls. The first time they went there the sword of Laban hung upon the wall; but when they went again it had been taken down and laid upon the table across the gold plates; it was unsheathed, and on it was written these words: 'This sword will never be sheathed again until the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ.'"

June 17, 1882 - Nineteen-year-old Future apostle James E. Talmage writes in his journal: ". . . I have many times contemplated my probable destiny and mission in life without obtaining a satisfactory conclusion; but I have for some time past felt an intense desire to become familiar with the walks of Science for the Sciences have to be redeemed from their present position of infidelity & skepticism. The idea has been a favorite one for my meditations of late, and has formed the theme of my public speaking. I conclude that this great mission has to be performed by the Priesthood of God, and to lay a single stone in such work is perhaps my mission in life . . ."

June 17, 1892 - President Wilford Woodruff writes in his journal: "I was so far gone this morning I had no Controll over myself. I lost my memory & some thought I would die. I was vary sick. I was Administered to By G Q. Cannon & others though [I] did not remember any thing about it. Was quite sick through the day & night."

June 17, 1896 - With approval from President Wilford Woodruff, Second Counselor Joseph F. Smith seals Lillian Hamlin by proxy to the deceased David H. Cannon. During the ceremony, in the Salt Lake Temple, Smith marries her to the proxy Apostle Abraham H. Cannon as a plural wife for time. The next day, the Smiths and Cannons leave Salt Lake City for California. Later Joseph F. Smith is accused of having performed the post-manifesto marriage off the coast of California which he (truthfully) denies.

June 17, 1901 - A contingent headed by Apostle John Henry Smith and future apostle Anthony W. Ivins meets in Mexico City with Mexican President Porfirio Diaz. Ivins clasps his hand and says, in Spanish, "Mr. President I greatly appreciate this opportunity of grasping the hand of the Chief Magistrate of the Government which gave an asylum and protection to my people when they were in trouble."

June 17, 1933 - First Presidency issues its most comprehensive and legalistic statement against post-Manifesto plural marriage and specifically denies legitimacy of claims that John Taylor had 1886 revelation on plural marriage. This statement causes final break between church and its Fundamentalists, who soon become true schismatics.

June 17, 1978 - CHURCH NEWS headline "Interracial Marriage Discouraged" in same issue which announces authorization of priesthood for those of black African descent. Sources at headquarters indicate that Apostle Mark E Petersen requires this emphasis.

June 17, 1989 - CHURCH NEWS feature article, "Los Angeles" Hispanics, Other Minorities Strengthen Inner-City Wards."

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