October General Conference 1845

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Many important matters were covered during the Oct. 1845 General Conference of the Church. Much was centered around the removal of the Saints from Nauvoo, but what was the most important matter of business?

a.                  Dedicating the Nauvoo Temple

b.                  Sustaining Brigham Young as the President of the Church

c.                   Sustaining Sidney Rigdon as the President of the Church

d.                  The stopping of Baptisms for the dead in the Mississippi River

Yesterday’s answer:

(B)   Jedediah M. Grant

From the life of Hannah Tapfield King:   Not all of King’s feelings toward Church leaders were as positive as those for [Brigham] Young and [Heber C.] Kimball, however: she wrote thinly veiled criticism of Young’s other counselor, Salt Lake City Mayor Jedediah M. Grant. Grant, a straight-speaking, often openly judgmental man, provided the main momentum of the Mormon “Reformation” in 1856-1857. King wrote:

“Br Grant has done some strong preaching lately . . . After the conference—“The reformation” was instituted—principally by Br Grant thinking the people had become adulterous—Thieve, &c&c—it fairly raged—every Bishop had the ‘cue’ given to him—and he rose up and lashed the people as with a Cato nine tails, the people shrunk—shivered—wept, groaned like whipt children—they were told to Get up in meeting and confess their Sins—they did so till it was sickening—and brought disease! . . . in the midst of it Br. Grant was seized with a fearful sickness [.] [An] evil spirit seemed to be let loose upon him and had the Mastery—the Priesthood seemed powerless when they administered to him—he raved—had Visions, &c&c and at last ‘passed to that bourn from whence no traveler Returns’ . . .  I do believe many in those times were frightened into praying & confessing sins they never committed—it was a fearful time for all—whether it did Good—or was instituted by the spirt of God is not for me to judge I leave an open Verdict even in my heart of hearts—Only I know it was a fearful Ordeal—and Fear is a slavish passion & Is not begotten by the Spirit of God!—“

Leonard Reed, “As a Bird Sing” Hannah Tapfield King, Poetess and Pioneer, BYU Studies, Vol. 51, Number 3, 2012, 109.