TODAY IN CHURCH HISTORY: 12 June

[Hemidakota]

1831 - John Whitmer, called as Church historian, begins to write a history of the Church he calls the Book of John Whitmer.

1834 - After several days of camping, resting, and preparing, Zion's Camp left the Salt River,
Missouri, area continuing on their journey and traveling about fourteen miles towards Jackson
County.

1844 - In the early afternoon, David Bettisworth, an constable of Hancock County, arrested the Prophet Joseph Smith on a writ issued out of Carthage, Illinois, on a complaint by Francis M. Higbee concerning the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor. Several other men involved from Nauvoo were also listed in the writ. The writ stated that the men could appear "before me or some other justice of the peace" and so the Prophet demanded to be taken to the closest justice in Nauvoo, not the one in Carthage that had issued the arrest order. Mr. Bettisworth was upset and demanded that he go to Carthage. Joseph "felt so indignant at this abuse in depriving me of the privilege of the statute of Illinois in going before 'some other justice,' that I determined to take out a writ of habeas corpus" (History of the Church, 6:454). The Municipal Court of Nauvoo issued the writ of habeas corpus and the Prophet was released and ordered to appear the next day before the Court in Nauvoo.

1847 - The advance party of pioneers reached the North Platte River crossing about four hours ahead of a wagon party of Missourians heading west. The built a raft and made some good money by ferrying the Missourians across the river.

1872 - The First Presidency issues a general circular letter asking the Saints in Utah to provide funds to facilitate the gathering of the Saints from abroad.

1932 - During MIA June Conference, a plaque marking the base and meridian of Salt Lake City was unveiled on the east wall of the Salt Lake Temple. Today it is on the south-east corner of the wall. President Anthony W. Ivins of the First Presidency spoke at the ceremony, which was conducted by the superintendent of the YMMIA, George Albert Smith. The plaque was unveiled by Lathilla Pratt Kimball, the oldest living daughter of Orson Pratt who made the original survey of "Great Salt Lake City" beginning at Temple Square in 1847.

1983 - The first stake in Fuji is organized at Suva.

2002 - At the request for help from the president of Chile, the Church sends a planeload of relief supplies in the wake of the worst flooding in Chile in 100 years.