was at meeting. AM gave some directions. & while Almon Babbitt [2] preached I took my part as Mayor outside of the assembly. to keep order & set pattern for the under officers.—after preaching gave some instruction about order in the congregation—men among women & women among men. horses in the assembly Men & boys on the stand &c.
Willard Richards Diary
Babbitt. & Blodget [3] preached and Joseph kept order.
—17 September 1843 (1)
[1] See History of the Church, 6:34. Not in Teachings. The original source for the entry in History of the Church is the Joseph Smith Diary, by Willard Richards. The brief notation in Willard Richard's personal diary is here published for the first time.
[2] Almon W. Babbitt (1812-56). An active and talented man, Babbitt was baptized in 1833 and given numerous important assignments in the Church. His incorrigible nature, however, often placed him in disfavor with Church leaders.
[3] Reverend Blodgett was a Unitarian minister from Massachusetts.