March 11th

Mar 11, 1842 - At Joseph Smith's house Brigham Young attends "the High Council, at the trial of Francis Gladden Bishop, who had set himself up as a Prophet and Revelator to the Church. After his revelations were read, which were a bundle of nonsense and folly, they were committed to the flames, and he was cut off from the Church and delivered over to the buffetings of Satan." Joseph Smith says "nothing would excuse him in the sight of God & angels in commit[t]ing the unpardonable sin only because he was a FOOL & had not sens[e] sufficient for the Holy Ghost to enlighten him."

Mar 11, 1843 - Willard Richards writes in the official journal history, "Joseph [Smith] said he had tea with his breakfast. His wife asked him if [it] was good. He said if it was a little stronger he should like it better, when Mother Granger remarked, 'It is so strong and good I should think it would answer Both for drink and food.'"

Mar 11, 1844 - The secret, theocratic Council of Fifty is organized. Joseph Smith is president, William Clayton is clerk and Willard Richards is "historian of the Council." The Council continues to function until the death of President Brigham Young in 1877; then it is revived in the 1880's to combat the polygamy prosecutions. In time, it again ceases to function.

Mar 11, 1845 - The Council of Fifty decides it is "best for those who are hunted with writs to go on Missions."

Mar 11, 1848 - Benjamin Covey is excommunicated for having sexual intercourse with two girls "less than Twelve years of age" who are his foster daughters. He is rebaptized and serves as bishop of Salt Lake City Twelfth Ward from 22 February 1849 until 1856.

Mar 11, 1853 - Church Historian's Office records death of Ike Hatch and notes that "Bill Hickman" ambushes him in "Big Field." Hickman later writes that LDS president expresses satisfaction for his killing a man whom "Brigham wanted me to watch."

Mar 11, 1854 - Willard Richards dies in Salt Lake City at age Wilford Woodruff writes, "He is the first man that has died a natural death in this Church & kingdom from the First Presidency or Twelve Apostles. All that have died before have been mart[y]red. Richards was with Joseph and Hyrum Smith at Carthage Jail when Joseph and Hyrum were assassinated. He was the only one of four Mormons in the jail that were not wounded or killed.

Mar 11, 1856 - Apostle Wilford Woodruff writes, "Then the subject was brought up concerning Adam being made of the dust of the Earth and Elder Orson Pratt pursued a Course of Stubbornness & unbelief in what President Young said that will destroy him if he do[e]s not repent & turn from his evil way. For when any man crosses the track of a leader in Israel & tries to lead the prophet He is no longer led by him but is in danger of falling." Pratt did not accept Young's Adam-God doctrine. Decades later Pratt's views become accepted doctrine of the LDS church and Young's doctrine, of which he declared "God revealed to me," is officially labeled as "false."

Mar 11, 1875 - Brigham Young sentenced to a fine of $25 and one day imprisonment for "contempt of court" in his divorce proceedings brought by plural wife Ann Eliza Young. The divorce suit is later thrown out, after the intervention by the United States Attorney General, on the ground that Ann Eliza could not have been Brigham Young's legal wife. Brigham argued that the marriage had no legal validity but was only an ecclesiastical affair.

Mar 11, 1877 - Seventy-year-old Wilford Woodruff consumates his polygamous marriage to Brigham Young's twenty-five-year-old recently-divorced daughter Eudora Lovina. They were married the previous day.

Mar 11, 1881 - Apostle and St. George Temple president Wilford Woodruff finds that he cannot find records for many second anointing that have been performed in the St. George Temple.

Mar 11, 1886 - LDS political newspaper SALT LAKE HERALD reports another Mormon's assault on reporter for anti-Mormon SALT LAKE TRIBUNE with the headline: "THRASHING A REPORTER. Don Carlos Young Remodels the Phiz [sic] of C. T. Harte to Suit His Fancy." Mormon judge fines Young $17.50 for this assault and battery.

Mar 11, 1898 - Apostle John Henry Smith writes in his journal that his traveling companion, Apostle John W. Taylor, performed a polygamous marriage of Anson B. Call to Dora Pratt, his third wife, at Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico.

Mar 11, 1905 - Apostle John Henry Smith describes his visit to Paso de Mina, Mexico: "I slept very nicely. Pigs, Dogs. Cats. Trinkies and chickens occupied my room with me and James Mack, Ben Cluff, and John A. McAllister. Their was five beds in the house, a table and a bath Tub. Senor Torraco has a wife and two children. He is nearly pure Spanish, the wife pure Indian. One of the children is white, the other dark like an Indian. We had rice, Fried Eggs, tortillas, Beans, Plantin, Coffee, and Chocolate for our meals, all nicely cooked. The Table linen and dishes were clean and food nicely served."

Mar 11, 1910 - Apostle John Henry Smith writes in his diary, "George had a nervious night." His son, George Albert Smith, later becomes president of the Church but is plagued with mental problems throughout his life.

Mar 11, 1912 - Thomas A. Clawson writes in his diary: "Our Bishops Meeting was held at 9 P.M. and the matter of bro. Ridge having Negrow bleed in him came up and bro Pennock was invited to tell us what he knew. He said that his wife's sister who had married bro Ridge in England had told her that, he bro Ridge, said that his great grandmother on his Mothers side was a negress. Of course this news came as a great blow and surprise to her and going to the Temple she had ask Prest Anthon H. Lund if they would ever be able to go to the Temple and he answered 'I am afraid not.' She then ask him if she should leave her husband and he replied 'I cannot advise you upon that subject.'"

Mar 11, 1915 - First Presidency letter informs Apostle Francis M. Lyman that Joseph F. Smith recommends "disfellowship or excommunication" for plural wives in polygamous marriages performed by John W. Woolley before his recent excommunication

Mar 11, 1950 - Cathy Rowland is born. She is the first Mormon to be Playboy magazine’s “Playmate of the Month” August 1971.

Mar 11, 1956 - David O. McKay dedicates temple at Los Angeles, California.

Mar 11, 1967 - BYU's president writes: "Frankly, if they [general authorities] concerned themselves 1/100th as much with teachers as they do with the basketball coach, I would feel much better." Stan Watts is NCAA Basketball Coach of the Year (1957, 1972) and inducted into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and into Helms Hall of Fame (1972). Lavell Edwards is NCAA Football Coach of the Year (1984). Behond BYU, Dick Motta is National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year (1971), and Tom Chmabers is NBA's All-Star MVP in 1987.

Mar 11, 1969 - David Ben-Gurion, Israel's former prime minister, tells Apostle Ezra Taft Benson: "There are no people in the world who understand Jews like Mormons." Benson replies: "Mr. Ben-Gurion, there are no people in this world who understand the WORLD like the Mormons."

Mar 11, 1970 - BYU's DAILY UNIVERSE quotes basketball coach Stan Watts's comment on those who protest at BYU basketball games against the Church's denying the priesthood to those of black African descent: "These people aren't after us. They're after America.".

Mar 11, 1987 - Keith B. McMullin, director of LDS Welfare Services, testifies before Subcommittee on Public Assistance of Ways and Means Committee, U.S. House of Representatives. Subcommittee is investigating ways to improve federal assistance programs. He becomes general authority in 1995.

Mar 11, 1989 - SALT LAKE TRIBUNE reports that several Mormon men have telephoned death threats to Edwin B. Firmage for publicly advocating ordination of LDS women to priesthood office. Two days earlier TRIBUNE reported those remarks by Firmage, University of Utah law professor, former bishop, and grandson of former First Presidency counselor Hugh B. Brown. However, there are no church sanctions against Firmage.

Mar 11, 1992 - Counselor Gordon B. Hinckley presents copy of five-volume ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MORMONISM to Vatican Library.

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