Without Disclosing My True Identity
enemies, he (under the direction of the authorities of the Church) took such steps
as has secured to the Church the present locations, viz., the town plot of Nauvoo
and lands in the Iowa territory:—That in order to secure said locations, your
Memorialist had to become responsible for the payment of the same, and had to
use considerable exertion in order to commence a settlement, and a place of
gathering for the Saints; and knowing from the genius of the constitution of the
Church, and for the well-being of the Saints, that it was necessary that the
constituted authorities of the Church might assemble together to act or to
legislate for the good of the whole society and that the Saints might enjoy those
privileges which they could not enjoy by being scattered so widely apart—your
Memorialist was induced to exert himself to the utmost in order to bring about
objects so necessary and so desirable to the Saints at large:—Under the then
existing circumstances, your Memorialist had necessarily to engage in the
temporalities of the Church, which he has had to attend to until the present time:
—That your Memorialist feels it a duty which he owes to God, as well as to the
Church, to give his attention more particularly to those things connected with
the spiritual welfare of the Saints, (which have now become a great people,) so
that they may be built up in their most holy faith, and go on to perfection:—That
the Church have erected an office where he can attend to the affairs of the
Church without distraction, he thinks, and verily believes, that the time has now
come, when he should devote himself exclusively to those things which relate to
the spiritualities of the Church, and commence the work of translating the
Egyptian records, the Bible, and wait upon the Lord for such revelations as may
be suited to the conditions and circumstances of the Church. And in order that
he may be enabled to attend to those things, he prays your honorable body will
relieve him from the anxiety and trouble necessarily attendant on business
transactions, by appointing some one [sic] to take charge of the city plot, and
attend to the business transactions which have heretofore rested upon your
Memorialist: That should your Honors deem it proper to do so, your
Memorialist would respectfully suggest that he would have no means of
support whatever, and therefore would request that some one [sic] might be
appointed to see that all his necessary wants may be provided for, as well as
sufficient means or appropriations for a clerk or clerks, which he may require to
aid him in his important work.^101Joseph wanted nothing more to do with perpetuating any part of “the great and
abominable church of the devil”^102 and the desires thereof. He did not want to be troubled
with the city of Nauvoo or “the business transactions” that would secure the Saints’ “gold
and silver.”^103 By a unanimous vote in June of 1840, the High Council granted Joseph’s
request, relieving him from any of the affairs of the city of Nauvoo...and then they turned
right around and:
voted him in as a member of the City Council
made him one of the regents for the Nauvoo University
appointed him to lead the Nauvoo Legion
eventually elected him as Mayor of Nauvoo, and
persuaded him to run for President of the United States.