[Joseph Smith] Kirtland, Ohio. Joseph Smith and other brethren drew up the articles of agreement for the Kirtland Safety Society Bank, a financial institution of the Church. (1)
-- 2 Nov. 1836
[Lucy Mack Smith] The articles are drawn up for the Kirtland Safety Society. About this time Joseph Jr. and Martin Harris go to New York, visiting Calvin Stoddard's father, Silas, at Palmyra. Joseph reports a vision of apostasy at Kirtland. (2)
-- 1836 November 25
[Wilford Woodruff] Arrives in Kirtland, Ohio (3)
-- 19 December 1836
[Patriarchal Blessings] Kirtland, Ohio, Patriarchal Blessing to Dominicus Carter given by Joseph Smith Sr. stated "Thou shall have power to translate thyself and call down fire from heaven as did Elijah of old" (4)
-- December 22, 1836
[Joseph Smith] Kirtland, Ohio. Joseph Smith held a conference of the Church in the Kirtland Temple. (1)
-- 22 Dec. 1836
[Lucy Mack Smith] The gathering to Kirtland is stopped because of the Saints poverty. (2)
-- 1836 December 23 - December 27
To ease tensions among Clay and Jackson County residents and provide a county for Mormon settlers, Caldwell County is created by legislation, passing the House on the 23rd and the Senate on the 27th. Daviess County is also created, although disputations about its purpose arise later. Missouri natives feel that the Mormons agreed not to settle it, although no such agreement existed or was acknowledged by the Mormons. (5)
-- 1836 December 29
[Joseph Smith] Missouri legislature approved bill creating Caldwell County for Mormon settlement, Jefferson City, Missouri. (6)
-- 29 Dec. 1836
[Lucy Mack Smith] Missouri's governor Lilburn Boggs signs a compromise bill creating Caldwell County exclusively for Mormons. (2)
-- Winter 1836-37
[Lucy Mack Smith] Joseph Sr. conducts weekly public prayer meetings each Thursday evening in the temple. (2)
-- 1836
[Membership] Church Membership at end of year: 13,293
New Converts : 4,458
Percent Change from previous year: 50.46% (7)
-- During ca. Dec. 1836
[Lucy Mack Smith] Joseph Jr. warns that a spirit of apostasy is affecting a third of the Saints. David Whitmer and Wilford Woodruff also warn the Saints to humble themselves. (2)
-- During 1836
[Deseret] William Craig, Philip Thompson, and Previtt Sinclair built a fort at Brown's Hole and after news of the fall of the Alamo and the death of Davy Crockett reached the mountains, the owners renamed it Fort Davy Crockett. However, the mountain men usually referred to the place as "Fort Misery" because of the deplorable conditions. (8)
Footnotes:
1 - BYU Studies Journal, volume 46, no. 4: A Chronology of the Life of Joseph Smith
2 - Lucy's Book: A Critical Edition of Lucy Mack Smith's Family Memoir, Edited by Lavina Fielding Anderson, 2001, Signature Books
3 - Wilford Woodruff's Journals 1833-1898: Typescript Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books, Midvale, Utah. Chronology
4 - http://www.xmission.com/~research/about/patb2.htm
5 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century_(Mormonism)
6 - Joseph Smith Papers: Chronology for the Years 1832-1839
7 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_membership_history
8 - http://historytogo.utah.gov/timeline/trapperstradersandexplorers.html
Clair Barrus
