March 13th

Mar 13, 1808 - Samuel Harrison Smith, brother of Joseph Smith born at Tunbridge, Vermont; he dies in 1844--some suspect poisoning.

Mar 13, 1810 - Ephraim Smith, brother of Joseph Smith born at Royalton, Vermont; he lives only 11 days.

Mar 13, 1811 - William Smith, brother of Joseph Smith born at Royalton, Vermont; he is the only male in the Smith family to live beyond 1844. He dies November 13, 1893.

Mar 13, 1836 - Brigham Young writes: "I attended the solemn assembly, and with my brethren of the Twelve, received my washings and anointings, and was privileged to listen to the teachings and administrations of the Prophet of God. We also attended to the washing of feet, which ordinance was administered to me by the Prophet Joseph."

Mar 13, 1843 - Joseph Smith's Journal: "Throwed the bully of Ramus wrestling."

Mar 13, 1844 - The Council of Fifty appoints Amos Fielding as theocratic ambassador to England. Ambassadorial appointments to Republic of Texas, the United Stated, France, and Russia soon follow.

Mar 13, 1847 - While keeping close watch on a dissenter by Brigham Young's instructions, policemen and former Danite Hosea Stout writes that the appropriate outcome would be to "cut him off--behind the ears--according to the law of God in such cases."

Mar 13, 1849 - Apostle George A. Smith writes sixteen-year-old Joseph Smith III, asking him to come to Utah, with or without his mother.

Mar 13, 1853 - Brigham Young seals Wilford Woodruff to his long-time wife Phebe. Young also seals forty-six-year-old Woodruff to two new plural wives: fifteen-year-old Emma Smith and nineteen-year-old Sarah Brown.

Mar 13, 1859 - Two members of the Twelve, Charles C. Rich and Wilford Woodruff assist a team of doctors in removing a gall stone. "Cloriform at 7 minutes before 3 oclock. We first Consecrated a bottle of oil & administered it to him by laying on of hands. We gave him an ounce of Cloriform & some 3 oz of Either [ether]. We were 45 minutes giving him the Cloriform. . . . They run a tube up the penus into the bladder, then Cut into the body by the side of the tube in the bladder. He was 10 minutes cutting to the Stone & 14 minutes taking it away making 24 minutes in the operation. The stone was of a dark sand stone Couler, vary rough surface."

Mar 13, 1860 - Brigham Young says, "if a man has not the means to pay tithing and would if he could, I can fellowship him just as well as if he did; but if he has the means and will not pay; and [h]as no disposition to pay; not believing the revelation upon that subject, I would cut him off from the Church; and let him go to California or where he pleases."

Mar 13, 1862 - George A. Smith receives a letter from "Bishop Lunt" saying that "Col Tarlton had a ridgment of 1,200 soldiers . . . He accuses the mormons of pulling down the mountain meadow monument. Said he would learn the mormons to let dead men alone." The monument at Mountain Meadows had been torn down 10 months previously by order of Brigham Young.

Mar 13, 1877 - Charles L. Walker writes, "Today I took Abigail and Sarah into the Temple and we received great and glorious blessings and powers which few of the children of Adam ever attained to." He and his two wives received their second anointing.

Mar 13, 1889 - At the First Presidency residence, Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon, Joseph F. Smith, Franklin D. Richards, John Henry Smith, Moses Thatcher, and Heber J. Grant met to reprimand John W. Taylor for making public remarks that polygamy was not a dead issue and would not be abandoned. Confronted by Wilford Woodruff, Taylor insists that anyone who claimed that polygamy was not mandatory misunderstood the principle. Taylor makes a number of other accusations, but under pressure from colleagues he eventually agrees to make things right. In light of recent federal legislation the church was trying to eliminate public acknowledgment of new plural marriages.
President Wilford Woodruff and counselor George Q. Cannon visits the Utah Territorial Penitentiary, "There were over 100 of the Saints there including a Dozon Bishops. They all looked Clean & Comfortable for a Prision."

Mar 13, 1890 - Apostle Heber J. Grant writes in his journal: "After we had had our Prayer Circle I asked the Presidency to give me their counsel and advice with reference to what action should be taken about Hyrum Grant or me marrying the widow of Geo[rge] Grant. I told them that I was better able to care for four wives from a financial standpoint than Hyrum was one. Told them that I had no desire to turn away from this matter in case there was a feeling that I should marry the widow. They were unanimously of the opinion that it would not be wise for me to take the step and suggested that I encourage Hyrum to do it."
Plural wife writes of her husband: "We are more like lovers than husband and wife for we are as far removed from each other [--] there is always the embarrassment of lovers and yet we have been married more than 37 years."

Mar 13, 1896 - B. H. Roberts writes a letter to church leaders: "My Dear Brethren: -- I submit to the authority of God in the brethren. While I can not for I the life of me think of anything in which I have not acted in all good conscience out of an honest heart, yet seeing they think I am in the wrong I will bow to them, and place myself in their hands as the servants of God. This day thirty nine years ago I first saw the light, and now after this struggle I feel lighter. I thank you for your goodness to me. Truly your brother, B.H. Roberts." He had been suspended for not agreeing to the "Political Manifesto" which requires all church leaders to get permission before seeking political office.

Mar 13, 1906 - The First Presidency and members of the Twelve "went through the annual reports. The Church has about Four Millions Worth of Property. The Interest on the stocks and bonds of the Church more than pays the Expenses of the Authoraties [sic] of the Church by about ten thousand dollars."

Mar 13, 1930 - Probable date for the creation of the Los Lunas Ten Commandment Stone. "Eva and Hobie 3-13-30" is carved on a rock nearby the notorious "Ten Commandment Stone.". The stone contains a Phonecian inscription of the Ten Commandments and has achieved some fame in the Mormon community as evidence of the historicity of the Book of Mormon. In 1953 Welby Ricks (President of the University Archaeological Society at BYU), Milton R. Hunter, Sidney B. Sperry, Hugh Nibley, and John L. Sorenson made a trip to New Mexico to investigate the inscription on the stone. Sorenson notes: "We were quite thrilled at first sight and fascinated by its contents." Sorenson "took some shots of surrounding petroglyphs and was surprised to find they were heavily patinated, whereas none of the carvings on the Phoenician stone were thus darkened. (Patination is the discoloration due to oxidation which develops on exposed surfaces of stone over very long periods of time.)" The "Eva and Hobie" stone shows similar lack of patination. Welby Ricks issues a report concluding: "I am fully convinced that the Ten Commandment stone found near Los Lunas, New Mexico is a fraud. Its age does not go back into ancient times. It is probably from thirty to fifty years old, perhaps even dating to as late as March 13, 1930."

Mar 13, 1937 - CHURCH SECTION article "Introducing The Home Evening." as indication of inability of headquarters for two decades to persuade LDS members to adopt this practice.

Mar 13, 1971 - Thomas S. Ferguson writes: "[Hugh] Nibley's Era articles on the Book of Abraham aren't worth a tinker--first, because he is not impartial, being the commissioned and paid defender of the faith. Second, because he could not, he dated not, he did not, face the true issue: 'Could Joseph Smith translate Egyptian?' I clipped every one of his articles, and have them in a single file--and I have reviewed them--looking in vain for that issue"

Mar 13, 1976 - LaMoin Merkley, LDS high priest, is inducted into Hall of Fame of National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for wrestling.

Mar 13, 1980 - The NON-MORMON NEWS, a BYU student paper for and by non-Mormons reports that when one student raised a question in class, his instructor told him to "go home and repent and put [his] thoughts in harmony with the teachings of the brethren."

Mar 13, 1982 - LOS ANGELES TIMES article: "Faith Makes Mormons Mark for Con Artists."

Mar 13, 1992 - Joseph Anderson dies at age 102, oldest surviving general authority in Mormon history. He had been emeritus member of First Quorum of the Seventy since 1978.

Mar 13, 1995 - LDS president answers questions at press conference, first time in 22 years.

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