Events in the life of Reynolds Cahoon

1811 Reynolds moves to the Ohio Western Reserve and begins farming.

Fights in the War of 1812.

1825 locates near Kirtland, Ohio.

October 11, 1830 Baptized by Parley P. Pratt.   

October 1830 Ordained an Elder, soon after baptism by Sidney Rigdon.  

June 3, 1831 ordained to the High Priesthood by Joseph Smith.Minutes of June 3, 1831

June 6, 1831 called to travel to Jackson County with Samuel H. Smith, preaching as they go. In August they are told not to part company until they reach their homes. D&C 52:30, 61:35

August 4, 1831 arrives in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri.Reynolds Cahoon diary

August, 9, 1831 leaves Independence, travels 100 miles east on the Missouri River and meets Hyrum Smith, John Murdock, Harvey Whitlock, and David Whitmer at Chariton. They turn south to Fayette, Howard County, where Joseph, Sidney, and Oliver take the stage. Reynolds and his companions travel on foot, arriving in Kirtland on September 28, 1831.Reynolds Cahoon diary

October 11, 1831 appointed to set branches in order and raise funds for Joseph and Sidney so they can complete their work on the Bible.Minutes of October 11, 1831

November 1, 1831 attends a conference in Hiram where he is told he is "not at liberty to go to the land of Zion yet." D&C 31 is read, to the effect that he should go on his mission and not worry about his family.Minutes of November 11, 1831

November [9], 1831 leaves Kirtland on fund-raising tour.Reynolds Cahoon diary

February 10, 1832 made a counselor to Bishop Newel K. Whitney, Kirtland.

May 4 or 6, 1833 at a conference of high priests, moderator Jared Carter proposes construction of a "school house for the purpose of accommodating the Elders who should come into receive their education for the ministry according to a revelation given on that subject March 8,1833." Reynolds, Jared, and Hyrum are appointed "to take the oversight of the building of the House of the Lord." They are instructed to "proceed immediately to commence building the House or obtaining materials, stone Brick Lumber &c." This becomes the "House of the Lord," or Kirtland Temple. D&C 94

June 5, 1833 digs the trench for the walls of the House of the Lord with Hyrum Smith.HC, 1:353.

June 6, 1833 Kirtland conference of high priests instructs the building oversight committee (Reynolds, Jared Carter, and Hyrum Smith) " to commence building the house; or to obtain materials, stone, brick, lumber, etc., for the same." HC 1:353–354.

June 28, 1838 made first counselor to President John Smith of the new Adam-ondi-Ahman Stake.Elders Journal vol. 1 no. 4 (August 1838), 61.

August 23, 1834 serves as moderator at the conference that approves the article to be published clearing Joseph of misbehavior during Zion's Camp.Minutes of August 23, 1834

November 1, 1835 Reproved for his "iniquities." Revelation of November 1, 1835

October 23, 1837 appointed to committee with Luke S. Johnson and John Gould "to visit John Johnson, Jun., and see if he would desist from selling spirituous liquors to those who were in the habit of getting intoxicated, and report to the authorities of the Church those members who might drink spirits at his house.“John Johnson Jr. was a member of the mob that tarred Joseph and Sidney. HC 2:520.

June 7, 1838 arrives in Missouri.HC 3:7.

Adam-Ondi-Ahman stake presidency June 28, 1838 appointed first counselor to President John Smith at organization of the Adam-Ondi-Ahman stake, Lyman Wight second counselor.Elders Journal vol. 1 no. 4 (August 1838), 60–61; HC 3:38.

July 4, 1838 Marshal of the Day in Far West.Order of the Day, July 4, 1838

October 6, 1840 appointed to committee with Alpheus Cutler and Elias Higbe to oversee construction of a "House of the Lord" in Nauvoo. (The following September, Alpheus goes to Wisconsin for timber.) HC, 4:341; William Clayton, An Intimate Chronicle, 537–538; Times and Seasons, vol. 1 no. 12 (December 1840), 186.

December 28, 1841 Joseph baptizes Sidney, Reynolds, and others are baptized for the dead.HC, 4:352.

December 9, 1842 goes with Hyrum, Willard Richards, William Clayton, Henry G. Sherwood, Peter Haws, Heber C. Kimball, and Alpheus Cutler to Springfield to testify that Joseph was in Illinois when Governor Boggs was shot and therefore cannot be a fugitive from Missouri.HC 5:200–201.

October 12, 1843 receives endowment in the Nauvoo Temple.

November 12, 1843 receives second anointings.

December 7, 1843 with W. W. Phelps and Hosea Stout drafts "resolutions expressive of the sentiments of the people of the city of Nauvoo relative to the repeated unlawful demands by the State of Missouri for the body of General Joseph Smith, as well as the common, cruel practice of kidnapping citizens of Illinois, and forcing them across the Mississippi river, and then incarcerating them in the dungeons or prisons of Missouri." Document is approved and sent to the governor.HC 6:101.

March 11, 1844 Ordained to the Council of Fifty.

March 11, 1844 Appointed to committee to find "the best policy for this people to adopt to obtain their rights from the nation and insure protection for themselves and children; and to secure a resting place in the mountains, or some uninhabited region." HC 6:261.

June 22, 1844 Saturday morning, Joseph receives a letter from Governor Ford in Carthage, directing him to surrender to the constable on charges arising from the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor. Joseph responds at noon, insisting the governor does not have all the facts and asserting the matter has already been handled by the Nauvoo court. Further, "We dare not come, though your Excellency promises protection. Yet, at the same time, you have expressed fears that you could not control the mob, in which case we are left to the mercy of the merciless. Sir, we dare not come, for our lives would be in danger, and we are guilty of no crime." HC 6:521, 540.

Reynolds Cahoon and Alpheus Cutler stand guard at the Mansion House that night. About 9:00 p.m. Hyrum exits the Mansion and greets Reynolds: "A company of men are seeking to kill my brother Joseph, and the Lord has warned him to flee to the Rocky Mountains to save his life. Good-by, Brother Cahoon, we shall see you again." In a few minutes Joseph comes out with his family, tears streaming down his face. He follows Hyrum without speaking.HC 6:547–550.

Waiting for a skiff to take them across the river, between 9 and10 p.m., Joseph, Hyrum, and Willard Richards instruct W. W. Phelps to take their families to Cincinnati by the second steamboat that arrives in Nauvoo. At midnight the three get Orrin "Porter" Rockwell to row them across the river, starting at 2:00 a.m.

 June 23 The fugitives reach Iowa at daybreak and find refuge at the home of William Jordan. Porter Rockwell returns to Nauvoo. At 9 a.m., Reynolds Cahoon and John Bernhisel arrive and Reynolds delivers "some explanations respecting Governor Ford's letter." In the next paragraph, Smith says, "Early in the morning a posse arrived in Nauvoo to arrest Joseph." Unable to find the Prophet, they leave one behind who says that the governor will send troops to the city until Joseph is found. It is probably this news/rumor that prompts Reynolds' early morning trip across the river. Reynolds returns to Nauvoo in time to get Emma's 1:00 letter to Joseph requesting that he "come back and give himself up." He and Orrin Porter Rockwell cross the river again to deliver the message. Upon their arrival, they find Joseph, Hyrum, and Willard in a room by themselves, having flour and other provisions on the floor ready for packing.

Reynolds Cahoon informed Joseph what the troops intended to do, and urged upon him to give himself up, inasmuch as the Governor had pledged his faith and the faith of the state to protect him while he underwent a legal and fair trial. Reynolds Cahoon, Lorenzo D. Wasson and Hiram Kimball accused Joseph of cowardice for wishing to leave the people, adding that their property would be destroyed, and they, left without house or home. Like the fable, when the wolves came the shepherd ran from the flock, and left the sheep to be devoured. To which Joseph replied, "If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself."

Joseph then turned to Hyrum, who was talking with Cahoon, and said, "Brother Hyrum, you are the oldest, what shall we do?" Hyrum said, "Let us go back and give ourselves up, and see the thing out. "After studying a few moments, Joseph said, "If [550] you go back I will go with you, but we shall be butchered." Hyrum said, "No, no; let us go back and put our trust in God, and we shall not be harmed. The Lord is in it. If we live or have to die, we will be reconciled to our fate.“ After a short pause, Joseph told Cahoon to request Captain Daniel C. Davis to have his Boat ready at half-past five to cross them over the river.

 Early in the evening of June 26, Joseph sends Reynolds back to Nauvoo to retrieve documents for the trial.HC 6:599.

June 22–27, 1844. Acts as messenger for Joseph and Emma shortly before the martyrdom. Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum  

August 25, 1844. Testifies at a Sunday meeting after the Twelve return to Nauvoo that Joseph said to the Twelve, "upon you must rest the responsibility of bearing off the kingdom of God in all the world, therefore round up your shoulders and bear it." W. W. Phelps testifies to the same effect. HC 7:264.

January 24, 1845. Patriarchal blessing by John Smith.  

October 25, 1845. Appointed a captain of 100 for the pending exodus from Nauvoo. In all, 25 captains were appointed.HC 7:481.

December 11, 1845. Reynolds and Thirza are endowed in Nauvoo temple attic, Brigham Young officiating. Others in group include Isaac Morley, Orson Spencer, Alpheus Cutler, William Clayton, Cornelius P. Lott, Mother Lucy Smith, and Mercy R. Thompson.HC 7:543–544.

1846–1847 Winter Quarters.  

June 1, 1848. At the Elkhorn river (the Mormon staging ground for crossing the Plains), Brigham is named General Superintendent of the Emigrating Companies and Isaac Morley president of the company with Reynolds Cahoon and Williiam W. Major as his counselors.HC 7:626.

September 23, 1848. Arrives in the Salt Lake valley.

Winter of 1848–1849. With Isaac Morley judges the predator hunt in the Salt Lake valley.  

Lost 'Book of Commandments' witnesses found

By Michael De GrooteMormon TimesTuesday, Oct. 27, 2009

Joseph Smith needed someone to step up and testify of his revelations. Eleven men had testified earlier of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. All 11 had seen the plates. Three had seen an angel and heard the voice of God.But in November of 1831 there was a new need for boldness. Who would put their names and reputations on the line? Who would stand up and let the world know that they knew that a collection of Joseph's revelations, the Book of Commandments, was true?

For 178 years the names of these testifiers were unknown. Their names were erased from memory. Now, with the publication of the latest volume of the Joseph Smith Papers: "Revelations and Translations: Manuscript Revelation Books," their names are made known to the world.

It began on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 1831 in Hiram, Ohio when Joseph called a special conference of elders. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was small then, about the size of a large ward. Ten elders, including Joseph, attended the conference to discuss the publication of Joseph Smith's revelations. They voted to print 10,000 copies and adjourned for the afternoon.

During the break, Joseph received a revelation, God's own preface to the Book of Commandments: "For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated" (Doctrine and Covenants 1:2).

When the conference reconvened, Joseph said that since the Lord had given the great blessing of so many revelations, the elders should decide what testimony they were willing to attach to the book. After several present arose and said they were willing to testify to the world, Joseph prepared a statement for the witnesses to sign. The contemporaneous minutes described it as a revelation.

The conference adjourned for the day. And then the trouble began.

The testimony and the five signatures were copied into the manuscript book for the Book of Commandments and brought to Missouri for printing. Thirteen other men signed their names to the testimony. A few probably signed it in Ohio, others in Missouri. Like the first edition of the Book of Mormon, the testimony was to be included at the end of the Book of Commandments, but a mob destroyed the press before it was completed.

One of those men who signed in Missouri was a relative of John Hancock.

"You've got John Hancock so conspicuously stamping his mark on the Declaration of Independence. And this is really a similar move," said Harper. "You put your name on this book as a testimony to the Book of the Lord's Commandments. You are also saying to the world, 'This is my witness. This is what I believe. This is my testimony.' And it's audacious, just like the Declaration of Independence was. It's bold."

Levi Hancock used a pencil when he wrote his name as a witness. Then, no doubt, realizing that the others had written their names in ink, he added a statement: "Never to be erased."

"It is just so lovely to look at. I am deeply moved by it," Harper said.

For 178 years, only part of the text of the testimony was available. Now, at last, all 18 of those that signed the statement can give that bold testimony to the world, never to be erased:

The testimony of the witnesses to the Book of the Lord's Commandments, which he gave to his church through Joseph Smith, Jr., who was appointed by the voice of the church for this purpose.

We, the undersigners, feel willing to bear testimony to all the world of mankind, to every creature upon the face of all the Earth and upon the islands of the sea, that God hath borne record to our souls, through the Holy Ghost shed forth upon us, that these commandments are given by inspiration of God and are profitable for all men and are verily true.

We give this testimony unto the world, the Lord being our helper;

• And it is through the grace of God, the Father, and his son, Jesus Christ, that we are permitted to have this privilege of bearing this testimony unto the world, in the which we rejoice exceedingly, praying the Lord always, that the children of men may be profited thereby. Amen.

Sidney RigdonOrson HydeWm. E. McLellinLuke JohnsonLyman JohnsonReynolds CahoonJohn CorrillParley PrattHarvey WhitlockLyman WightJohn MurdockCalvin BeebeZebedee ColtrinJoshua FairchildPeter DustinNewel KnightLevi Hancock; never to be erasedThomas B. Marsh

•

• Punctuation and spelling have been modernized. For an accurate transcription that preserves all the original changes and spelling, see Joseph Smith Papers: "Revelations and Translations: Manuscript Revelation Books," Pages 214-215. See also "History of the Church," Vol. 1:221-226.