[1] Joseph said July 16th All Blessings that were ordained for man by the Council of Heaven were on conditions of obedience to the Law there of. [2] No man can obtain an eternal Blessing unless the contract or covenant be made in view of Eternity All contracts in view of this Life only terminate with this Life. [3] Case of the woman & 7 husbands Luke 20-29 &c Those who keep no eternal Law in this life or make no eternal contract are single & alone in the eternal world (Luke 20-35) and are only made Angels to minister to those who shall be heirs of Salvation never becoming Sons of God having never kept the Law of God ie eternal Law [4] The earthly is the image of the Heavenly [5] shows that is by the multiplication of Lives [6] that the eternal worlds are created and occupied that which is born of the flesh is flesh that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. [7]

William Clayton Diary

P.M. went to the Grove and heard Pres. J. preach on the law of the priesthood. [8] He stated that Hyrum held the office of prophet to the church by birth-right & he was going to have a reformation and the saints must regard Hyrum for he has authority. [9] He showed that a man must enter into an everlasting covenant with his wife in this world or he will have no claim on her in the next. [10] He said that he could not reveal the fulness of these things untill the Temple is completed &c. [11]

Levi Richards Diary

P.M. spoke of contracts & covenants made from life end with life. [12] the necessity of the Temple that the Servants of God may be sealed in their foreheads. [13]—the 4 Angels not permitted to destroy the earth till it was done [14]—weather warm & dry—

Letter of Willard Richards to Brigham Young

Said he would not prophecy any more.—Hyrum should be the prophet—(did not tell them he was going to be a priest now, nor a King by and by) [15]—told the elders not to prophecy when they went out preaching—

Joseph Smith Diary, by Willard Richards

Proposing Hyrum as a prophet—that he might be (a priest) [16]—so the hearers tell the story.

—16 July 1843 (2)

Notes

[1] See History of the Church, 5:510. Not in Teachings. The original source for the History of the Church account is an amalgamation of the William Clayton Diary, the Joseph Smith Diary, by Willard Richards, and the letter from Willard Richards to Brigham Young, postmarked 19 July 1843. The reports by Franklin D. Richards, and Levi Richards are here published for the first time.

[2] D&C 130:20-21.

[3] Confirmation of D&C 132:7, 15-18.

[4] Confirmation of D&C 132:6, 16-17.

[5] 1 Corinthians 15:46-48.

[6] Confirmation of D&C 132:19, 22, 30-32.

[7] John 3:6. See 2 April 1843 (2), note 8. At this point in his record, Franklin D. Richards added his conclusions regarding the Prophet’s teachings that day: “From the above I deduce that we may make an eternal covenant with our wives and in the resurrection claim that which is our own and enjoy blessings & glories peculiar to those in that condition even the multiplication of spirits in the eternal world.” His deduction is a confirmation of D&C 132:19-22.

[8] Undoubtedly the "Law of the Priesthood" referred to is D&C 132:6-7. See 21 May 1843, note 30.

[9] If the Prophet was not serious about this proposal (see 23 July 1843 discourse), there was nevertheless scriptural precedent for what he had in mind that was consistent not only with the revelations he had received on the temple ordinances, but also with the revelations regarding the organization of the Kingdom of God (see Hyrum L. Andrus, Doctrines of the Kingdom—Foundations of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ vol. 3 [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1973], pp. 555-60). See note 15, this discourse.

[10] Confirmation of D&C 132:6-7, 15-19.

[11] The "fulness of these things," which could not be revealed "until the Temple is completed," was the relationship of the temple endowment and the temple ordinance of marriage for time and eternity. The Prophet revealed the temple endowment to only nine men (in May 1842). It was another year, however, before his wife, Emma, and his brother Hyrum assented to the implications of the ordinances of eternal marriage. They did so on 23 and 26 May 1843, respectively. Then, on successive days (28 and 29 May 1843), Emma was sealed to Joseph, and Hyrum and his wife, Mary Fielding, were sealed for time and eternity (Joseph Smith Diary, under dates given, Church Archives).

[12] Again, confirmation of D&C 132:7, 15-18.

[13] Revelation 7:3; 9:4; 14:1; 22:4; D&C 77:9-11, 14. See 13 August 1843 (1), note 7.

[14] Revelation 7:2-3. See 13 August 1843 (1), note 7.

[15] Apparently sometime between 29 August 1842 (see note 11 that discourse) and the date of this discourse (16 July 1843), the Prophet discussed with Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, Willard Richards, and others of the Twelve Apostles his full concept of temple ordinances and the plan of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ. However, it was not until 28 September 1843 he was “anointed and ordained to the highest and holiest order of the priesthood” and by common consent “chosen president” of the council to which he was administering the endowment (Joseph Smith Diary, Church Archives). Moreover, it was still not until a month after the 11 March 1844 organization of the Kingdom of God before Joseph was chosen prophet, priest and king over the Council of Fifty. (See D. Michael Quinn, “The Council of Fifty and Its Members, 1844–1945." Brigham Young University Studies 20 [Winter 1980]: 164-66, 185-86; Andrew F. Ehat, "'It Seems Like Heaven Began on Earth': Joseph Smith and the Constitution of the Kingdom of God." Brigham Young University Studies 20 [Spring 1980]: 254-57, 263, 267, 268; and, Hyrum L. Andrus, Doctrines of the Kingdom—Foundations of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ vol. 3 [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft 1973], pp. 550-60).

[16] See note 15, this discourse.