The council is concerned with issues of religious liberty, minority rights, and finding a new home for the Latter-day Saints-all topics one would expect to arise from this historical moment. The scholar familiar with the actors of early Mormonism will likely not find surprises in this volume. There are no dramatic switches or historical deviations. Upon first reading, the minutes appear typical of what the familiar scholar would expect from each personality. This volume’s greatest contribution to the study of Mormonism is the settling of this speculation. In their concealment, rumor and speculation abounded as to the content of the minutes of this all but-at the time-unknown forgotten memory. These records, which found their way into the historical department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, remained in suppression as if still following the charge of their long-pasted prophet. Clayton, to the historian’s benefit, chose to bury rather than burn, and concealed the records in his garden. Before Smith’s murder he tasked Clayton with “burn the minutes in consequence of treachery and plots of designing men.” In his last few days Smith reiterated this point, giving Clayton this time the option of either “burn the records … or put them in some safe hands … or else bury them” (xxxiii). The minutes were originally recorded by one William Clayton. The history surrounding the minutes of this council is, perhaps, more interesting than their actual content. In short, the Council of Fifty saw itself as the earthly theocratic government, anointed by deity, and given stewardship over His chosen people. To this point, the volume points to Smith himself who clarified, “the literal kingdom of God, and the church of God are two distinct things” as “the laws of the kingdom are not designed to affect our salvation hereafter” (xxiii). This “literal kingdom” was separate-somewhat-from the church, or perhaps more accurately, it seems to have viewed itself that way. This council was administered with “the purpose of laying the foundation for a theocracy in preparation for the millennial reign of Jesus Christ” (xx). This volume discloses the minutes from the long-mysterious Council of Fifty over which Joseph Smith Jr., Mormonism’s founder, presided. This volume of The Joseph Smith Papers is far from sensational and that is what makes it such an important contribution.
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