John Henry Smith writes in his journal, "All of the Presidency and Bro. M[oses] Thatcher joined us [in the Temple] and we broke bread together and drank wine." (1)
-- Apr 5, 1894
[Apostle Marriner W. Merrill Diary] Thursday. I attended our Quorum meeting at 10 a. m. The First Presidency met with us. Partook of the sacrament, bread and wine, at 1 p. m. when the Presidency withdrew. Then the decision of Apostle B. Young, which he made some months ago in relation to myself and others, with which myself and family were not satisfied, was discussed by President Snow, B. Young, myself, F. M. Lyman, H. J. Grant, J. H. Smith, George Teasdale, and the trend of the discussion was that the said decision was right and my family was wrong in sending their protest to the First Presidency. (2)
-- Apr 8, 1894
Wilford Woodruff tells General Conference of a revelation he had: "When I have the vision of the night opened continually before my eyes, and can see the mighty judgments that are about to be poured out upon this world, . . . We have fourteen million people on this earth, and over them all there hangs a cloud of darkness almost entirely upon their shoulders. Can you tell me where the people are who will be shielded and protected from these great calamities and judgments which are even now at our doors? I'll tell you. The priesthood of God who honor their priesthood, and who are worthy of their blessings are the only ones who shall have this safety and protection. . . .God has held the angels of destruction for many years, lest they should reap down the wheat with the tares. But I want to tell you now, that those angels have left the portals of heaven, and they stand over this people and this nation now, and are hovering over the earth waiting to pour out the judgments. And fr
om this very day they shall be poured out." Afterwards, as Wilford Woodruff writes in his diary, "I drank some Hot Lemonade with a little brandy in it. Went to bed and soon to sleep." (3)
-- Jul 16, 1894
Apostle John Henry Smith meets with Apostle Moses Thatcher and remarks that "Bro. Moses Thatcher been very poorly. He had up to ten p.m. last night not taken any Morphine for over one hundred and twenty hours." Thatcher, chronically ill, is trying to overcome morphine addiction. Apostle Marriner W. Merrill performs the ceremony in the Logan Temple which marries his daughter Hattie L. Merrill as a plural wife to John William. Barnett. The authorization for this is signed by First Presidency Counselor George Q. Cannon on behalf of Church President Wilford Woodruff. (3)
-- Aug 12, 1894
[Apostle Marriner W. Merrill Diary] Sunday. Afton, State of Wyoming. I attended Conference here yesterday at 10 and 12 o'clock. I occupied the time in the afternoon after the Bishops' reports and spoke 65 minutes on the subjects in brief of fast offerings, tithing, planting of trees and shrubbery, and dealing justly in land matters toward each other. After the afternoon meeting Apostle Lyman put the High Council, Bishops, and Counselors under a rigid examination in regard to their private habits and the keeping of the Word of Wisdom. Notes from Journal Book No. 3 (2)
Footnotes:
1 - Advent Adam website (defunct) - based on http://amzn.to/originsofpower
2 - Notes from the Miscellaneous Record Book, 1886-1906: Selected diary notes from the journal books of Marriner Wood Merrill, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
3 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
LDS History Chronology: the Word of Wisdom
Mormon Timeline: the Word of Wisdom
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
