[Joseph Smith] At a meeting in Far West it is decided that the building of the house of the Lord will be postponed until the Lord reveals that it is his will to have it commence. At a general conference on Nov. 7, Frederick G. Williams is again objected to as second counselor and he is replaced by Hyrum Smith, who is accepted unanimously. When David Whitmer is about to be sustained, there is some debate; but after Joseph's remarks about him, he is unanimously accepted as stake president. John Whitmer, after confessing his errors, is sustained as first assistant president. W. W. Phelps confesses and is sustained as the second assistant president. The apostles and the bishopric are also sustained, and the congregations ban trading with liquor, tobacco, coffee, tea shops, etc. (1)
-- Nov 7, 1837
[Word of Wisdom] Boycott Purveyors
Far West general assembly votes to boycott stores that sell "spirituous liquors, Tea, Coffee or Tobacco." (2)
-- Dec 25, 1837 (Monday)
The first general conference by Latter-day Saints in England was held in the "Cock Pit," at Preston. The Church in England numbered already about one thousand members. At this conference the Word of Wisdom was first publicly taught in England. (3)
-- Dec 25, 1837
[Joseph Smith] In England the missionaries hire the "Cock Pit" for preaching. They meet there this Christmas day with 300 Saints for the first conference held in England. They teach the Word of Wisdom to the Saints, the first time that it is publicly taught in England. Joseph closes his record of this year with the comment, "Apostasy, persecution, confusion, and mobocracy strove hard to bear rule at Kirtland, and thus closed the year 1837." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (7 volumes) 2:529.) ___ (1)
-- 1838: 7 January
[Patriarchal Blessings] Perrigrine Sessions. (Given by Isaac Morley.)
"Brother Sessions, I lay my hands upon thy head in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and seal upon your head a Patriarchal Blessing, for thou art in the morning of life, and thy name is registered in the Lambs Book of Life and there are great blessings in store for thee and if it is the desire of thy heart and thou wilt truly employ thy mind to seek after wisdom and learning and intelligence thou shalt become a swift messenger on the earth.
Thy labors shall be crowned with much good and great blessings and gifts shall be given to thee; thy name shall be known upon the different continents of the earth and thy labours shall be crowned with great success in winning souls and bringing them to the light, and if thou wilt forsake all for Christ, thou shalt be crowned with a hundred fold even in this life.
If you wilt notice the Word of Wisdom thy days shall be prolonged upon the earth and if it is the desire of thy heart thou shalt become a hunter among the mountains of the West and thy steps betrodden upon the banks of the Pacific to seek and to hunt out the long dispersed people and thou shalt obtain that faith that was once delivered to the saints, neither bar nor gate shall be any barrier in thy way.
Thou shalt return to Zion bringing thy sheaves with thee, even the sons of Ephraim and the blessing of the earth shall become thine to give and thou shalt live to see the curse taken from the earth, when she shall yield in her strength, when the ploughman shall overtake the reaper and the storehouse of the Lord filled to its fullness and thy companion and thy children shall be blessed by thy side and when Christ shall make his second advent thy name shall be enrolled there and the honor and glory shall be ascribed by thee forever and and ever, Amen and Amen." (From typescript; origin unknown.) [Age, 23; Scribe, ?] (4)
Footnotes:
1 - Conklin, Christopher J., Joseph Smith Chronology
2 - Kenny, Scott, Saints Without Halos, Mormon History 1830-1844, Word of Wisdom, http://www.saintswithouthalos.com/n/wow.phtml
3 - Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology
4 - Selected LDS Patriarchal Blessings, New Mormon Studies CD ROM, Signature Book, 2009, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
LDS History Chronology: the Word of Wisdom
Mormon Timeline: the Word of Wisdom
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
