Oliver Cowdery preaches publicly for the first time as an official representative of the newly formed church. In Seneca Lake he baptizes Hiram Page, Catherine Whitmer Page, Christian Whitmer, Anne Schott Whitmer (Christian's wife), Jacob Whitmer, Elizabeth Ann Schott Whitmer (Jacob's wife), and Mary Page. (1)
-- April 11, 1830
[Joseph Smith] Fayette, New York. Joseph Smith attended the first public sermon given after the organization of the Church, preached by Oliver Cowdery in the Peter Whitmer Sr. home. (2)
[Joseph Smith] The first Sunday meeting of the Church is held. (3)
-- April 13, 1830
[Joseph Smith] Manchester, New York. Joseph Smith received Doctrine & Covenants 22, a revelation directing converts who had been previously baptized in other churches to be rebaptized as members of the Church. (2)
-- April 14, 1830
[Joseph Smith] Manchester, New York. Joseph Smith received Doctrine & Covenants 23, a revelation to Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Samuel H. Smith, Joseph Smith Sr., and Joseph Knight Sr. calling them to preach the gospel and strengthen the Church. (2)
-- about April 25, 1830
[Joseph Smith] Colesville, New York. Joseph Smith performed the first miracle after the organization of the Church by casting a devil out of Newel Knight. (2)
-- 1830 April-June
Samuel Smith went on early missions in Western New York. (4)
-- 1830, June
"Visions of Moses" received by Joseph Smith as part of Bible translation (now chapter 1 of the Book of Moses, Pearl of Great Price). [See Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible.] (5)
-- 1830 June
Book of Moses, chapter 1, revealed to Joseph Smith in Harmony, Pennsylvania. (4)
-- June 1830 - April 1831
Translation of Genesis 1:1 - Genesis 24:41 (6)
-- 1830 June 1
The Church held its first Conference, in Fayette, Seneca County, New York. In October the first missionaries to the Lamanites were appointed. (7)
-- 1830 9 June
First conference held at Whitmer Farm; Articles and Covenants accepted (D&C 20; 22). (4)
-- 1830 June 9
A church conference is held. ^[1] Membership is 27. The current church elders are Joseph Smith, Jr., Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer, David Whitmer, John Whitmer and Ziba Peterson. Joseph Smith, Sr., Hyrum Smith, and Martin Harris are ordained priests, and Hiram Page and Christian Whitmer are ordained teachers. (1)
-- 9 June 1830
[Lucy Mack Smith] The first church conference is held at the Whitmer home in Fayette with about thirty present; eleven are baptized, including three of Joseph's siblings and Jerusha Barden Smith. Joseph Sr., Hyrum, and Samuel Smith are ordained. (8)
-- June 9, 1830
[Revelations] (Date: various.) Doctrine and Covenants 20. [Location: New York and Kirtland, Ohio. ].
Church organized April 6, 1830 by God's command. Joseph and Oliver called of God, ordained apostles and first and second elders of the church. Joseph became entangled in sin, repented and was visited by angel who gave him power to translate Book of Mormon. We, the elders, heard and bear witness to the words of the Lord. God is all power, understanding, through transgression man becomes devilish. The Only Begotten. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are one. Justification and sanctification. Qualifications for baptism. Duties of apostle/elder , priest , teacher. Ordination according to gifts of candidate , licenses. Years of accountability. Procedures and prayers for baptism and sacrament. Conferences, membership rolls.
This section has the most complicated history of all sections in the Doctrine and Covenants. In the second half of 1829, Oliver Cowdery writes out a revelation, known as "the articles of the Church of Christ," which provides directions for running the church. It draws on wording from D&C 17, June 14-30, and D&C 18, June 1-14, 1830. The first conference of the church, on June 9, 1830, ratifies the Articles and Covenants of the Church of Christ, presumably prepared by Joseph Smith. In the spring of 1831, Martin Harris sends a copy of this document to Painesville Telegraph editor and publisher, E. B. Howe, who publishes it under the headline, "The Mormon Creed. " The church publishes it in the Evening and Morning Star in 1832 and then again in 1834 due to certain "errors" in the previous release. It is published as Book of Commandments 24. Most changes were made for the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants. Robert J. Woodford's dissertation, "The Historical Development of the Doctrine a
nd.
Covenants" (BYU, 1974), meticulously documents all variants in the many manuscript and print versions.
Painesville Telegraph headline: The Mormon Creed.
Painesville Telegraph introduction: (The following document was obtained from the hand of Martin Harris, one of the original proprietors of the "Gold Bible" speculation. We publish it as a one of the curiosities of the day. What use, or whether any, is made of it in this vicinity, we know not. It was probably prepared for the latitude of New York, where creeds & con[fessionals] were not quite so unpopular as in Ohio. We believe, therefore, it has been cautiously kept from the eyes of most of the followers of St. Jo. in this vicinity. In this business the commandments and revelations of Heaven, are very easily made to yield to circumstances -Ed. Tel. ). (9)
-- 27-28 June 1830
[Lucy Mack Smith] Joseph Jr. visits the Knights at Colesville. A mob gathers and prevents baptisms. Early on the 28th, they baptize thirteen, including Emma. (8)
-- June 28, 1830
[Joseph Smith] Colesville, New York. Joseph Smith was arrested on a charge of being a disorderly person and taken to South Bainbridge, Chenago County, for trial. (2)
-- June 30, 1830
[Joseph Smith] Fayette, New York. Joseph Smiths brother Samuel departed on one of the first missions for the Church into Ontario, Monroe, and Livingston Counties in New York. (2)
-- 30 June 1830
[Lucy Mack Smith] Samuel goes on another mission to Livonia, New York, where Alva Beman and Joseph Noble live. (8)
-- ca. 30 June 1830
[Lucy Mack Smith] Joseph Jr. is arrested at Colesville after performing some Knight family baptisms and taken before the Chenango County justice for disorderly conduct on 1 July. He is defended by James Davidson and John Reid and acquitted at midnight, immediately rearrested by a constable from Broome County, taken fifteen miles to another trial, and again acquitted. (8)
-- 1830 June 30
[Lucy Mack Smith] Samuel Harrison Smith leaves as first official missionary of the Church. (10)
Footnotes:
1 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century_(Mormonism)
2 - BYU Studies Journal, volume 46, no. 4: A Chronology of the Life of Joseph Smith
3 - http://www.prophetjosephsmith.org/joseph_smith_timeline
4 - http://www.lds.net/forums/scripture-study-forum/12108-church-chronology-1800-2000-part-1-a.html#post214550
5 - Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 4, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History
6 - http://www.xmission.com/~research/central/resscri1.htm
7 - Richards - Little, Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, Church Chronology, Ch.66, p.306
8 - Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, Edited by Lavina Fielding Anderson, 2001, Signature Books
9 - http://saintswithouthalos.com/s/_dc.phtml
10 - History of Joseph Smith by His Mother: Revised and Enhanced by Scot Facer Proctor Maurine Jensen Proctor
Clair Barrus
