-- 1835, February 28
First Council of the Seventy organized, Kirtland, OH. (1)
-- 1835, July 6
Mummies and papyrus purchased, and Joseph Smith commenced translation. (1)
-- Jan 6, 1836
Joshua Seixas, author of "Manual of Hebrew Grammar for the Use of Beginners" (1833, second edition 1834) and former Hebrew instructor of Lorenzo Snow, is "hired" for a term of seven weeks, to teach "forty scholars," beginning in about fifteen days. It is reported that he will "give us sufficient knowledge during this term to start us in reading and translating the language." He does not actually arrive in Kirtland until Jan 26. (2)
-- Jan 26, 1836
Joshua Seixas, former Hebrew teacher of Lorenzo Snow, begins instructing Joseph Smith and his colleagues of the "Hebrew School" in the Kirtland Temple, to enable them to translate biblical Hebrew texts. He gives two lectures per day, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. and from 2:00 to 3:00 PM five days per week. The class has about forty students but more are added as the class continues. By mid-February, Seixas is teaching four separate classes. Joseph Smith says, "His introduction pleased me much. I think he will be a help to the class in learning the Hebrew." (2)
-- June 1836
About two weeks after being baptized in 1835 [1836], he retired to a grove of trees some distance from him home. He reported that as he knelt in prayer, he heard a sound like the rustling of silk gowns, and the Spirit descended immediately upon him. He arose from that prayer with an unshakable testimony that would never falter through the course of a long eventful life. The gentlereader is referred to The Greater Things Web Site for an account of this amazing experience in Lorenzo's own words. (3)
Lorenzo Snow: Baptized June 1836 by John F. Boynton. Confirmed by Hyrum Smith. (4)
Endnotes:
1 - Ludlow, Daniel H. editor, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Macmillan Publishing, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 4, Appendix 2: A Chronology of Church History, http://amzn.to/eG0DIp
2 - Advent Adam website (defunct) - based on http://amzn.to/originsofpower
3 - G.A. Pages, http://gapages.com
4 - Cook, Lyndon W., The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, Seventy's Mission Bookstore, Provo UT, 1985, http://amzn.to/RevelationsofJosephSmith
LDS History Chronology: Lorenzo Snow
Mormon History Timeline: the life of Lorenzo Snow
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
