April 6th 1837. This being more particular the day of the Solumn assembly, or a day that is looked upon annually with feeling of greater interest in Celebration of the 6th of April 1830 as upon that day the Church of Latter day Saints was first organized in this last dispensation & fulness of time Henceforth the solumn assembly of the Elders of Israel & all official members that can, will meet in the LORDS house annually to attend to the most Solumn ordinances of the house of GOD & receiving the visions & great things of heavens Therefore I shall be more particular in recording the tranactions of this day than others for it is sumthing similar to the Pentecost that St Paul speak of at Jerrusalem
¶ I repaired to the house of the Lord at 8 oclock A.M. & after spending an hour in the lower part of the house the presidency of the Church called the quorums of the Seventies into the upper part of the house that they might be by themselves for a while as there was some business to be attended to in these quorums before they could procede to the business of the day below In the first place six of the Presidents of the Seventies were to leave the Seventies & take a station in the quorum of the traveling high priesthood and six other Presidents chosen in their stead I shall not here give the particulars of this change of Councillers suffice it to say that all of the councillors first chosen excepting Joseph Young were high priest befor the organization of the seventies & they had a right to officiate in the lower offices of the Church & there was some difiference in authority and office of the quorums of high priesthood & seventies. The six new Presidents chosen out of the seventies to take the place of thos that were to leave were John Gould. Josiah Butterfield. Salmon Gee. Foster. John Gaylard
¶ After this matter was aranged theire was a glorious ordinance performed upon the heads of those who had been annointed (by the first presidency of the Church Joseph Smith jr Sidney Rigdon &c was this ordainance performed. it was as follows. while all of the anointed there lifted there hands towards heaven this first presidency of the Church confirmed & sealed upon our heads all the blessings of our ordination, anointing & patriarchal with a seal in the presence of God & the Lamb & holy angels that they should all be fulfilled upon our heads that not one jot or tittle should fail & the seal was confirmed upon our heads with a shout of all the anointed with uplifted hand to heaven HOSANNA. HOSANNA. HOSANNA. to GOD & the LAMB. Amen. & Amen. & Amen. Hosanna Hosanna. Hosanna. to God & the LAMB. Amen - Amen. & Amen. Hosanna, Hosanna. Hosanna. to GOD & the LAMB. Amen. Amen. & Amen. This was repeated as it is written & if ever a shout entered the cabinet of heaven that did & was repeated by angels on high & caused the power of God to rest upon us. ( O ye Priest of Baal. O, ye gentile religionest O. ye inhabitants of Babylon possessing the Mark of the beast What knowledge have ye of the ordinances or blessings or virtues of the house & Church of God) Great and marvelous are the blessings and power of the ordinances of the Lord & his gospel made manifest on these occasions After being in the upper room about two hours we again Joined the congregation of the Saints in the lower Court & the house came to order for the business of the day. the veils were closed & each apartment commenced the duties of the day the washing of the feet of the anointed was the first business that was performed. The twelve assisted our presidency in washing the feet Elder Heber Kimble one of the twelve apostles attended to the washing of my feet & prophesied upon my head & pronounced me clean from the Blood of this generation this as it was with JESUS when he washed his deciples feet. great were the blessings that rested upon us in this ordinance. After the washing of feet, the veils were rolled, which brought the congregation into one assembly, the stand of the Priesthood were still coverd with the veils the Presidency stood in the lower stand & president Joseph Smith jr arose and addressed the congregation for the term of three hours clothed with the power, spirit & image of GOD he unbosomd his mind & feelings in the house of his friends He presented many things of vast importance to the minds of the Elders of Israel. O that they might be written upon our hearts as with an iron pen to remain forever that we might. practice them in our lives That fountain of light, priciple & virtue that came, forth out of the heart & mouth of the Prophet JOSEPH whose soul like Enochs swelld wide as eternity2 I say such evidence presented in such forcile manner ought to drive into oblivion every particle of unbelief & dubiety from the mind of the hearers, for such language sentiment principle & spirit cannot flow from darkness. Joseph Smith jr is a prophet of God rised up for the deliverance of Israel as tru as my heart now burns within me while I am penning thes lines which is as true as truth itself. President Hiram Smith followed Joseph with many useful remards he also was clothed with much of the spirit of God. Joseph desired us to give heed to his words & teaching this once & be wise that Zion & her stakes might spedily be redeemed he instructed us to be sure & ask those that enter the Kingdom to send up their wise men to Kirtland with there money to counsel with the presidency & purchase an inheritance before they move their families or bring the poor to the places of gathering for to suffer. Also that we must keep in view the institution of the Kirtland Safety Society & if the Elders of Israel would be faithful & do what was in their power this once Kirtland should spedily be redeemed & become a strong hod not to be thrown down. Joseph presented us in some degree the plot of the City of Kirtland (which is the strong hold of the daughter of Zion) as it was given him by vision, it was great marvelous & glorious. the City extended to the east, west, north, & south, steam boats will come puffing into the city our goods will be conveyed upon railroads from Kirtland to many places & probably to Zion. houses of worship would be reared unto the most high beautiful streets was to be made for the Saints to walk in Kings of the earth would come to behold the glory thereof & many glorious things not now to be named would be bestowed upon the Saints, but all these thing are better imagined than spoken by the Children of Jacob
1. Joseph's remarks are buried in various comments by Woodruff. For the "Seventy" changes see 6Apr37
2. Woodruff twice mentions this pericope from the Joseph Smith "Enoch texts" (not to be published until 1851).