TODAY IN CHURCH HISTORY: 04 October

[Hemidakota]

1831 - The Prophet Joseph Smith received Doctrine and Covenants 65. He designates this revelation as a prayer. The Lord confirms that "the keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth" and will roll forward "until it has filled the whole earth," so "that the kingdom of heaven may come." (History of the Church, 1:218)

1835 - The Prophet Joseph Smith traveled with John Corrill to Perry, Ohio, to hold a meeting. Along the way "we discovered two deer playing in the field, which diverted our minds by giving an impetus to our thoughts upon the subject of the creation of God." When they arrived in Perry they were disappointed to learn a meeting would not be held due to a "mis-arrangement." They did, however, enjoy the evening with Brother Corrill's relatives, "which allayed much prejudice." (History of the Church, 2:287)

1838 - The Kirtland Camp arrived at their final destination with much excitement and pitched their tents in the public square of Adam-ondi-Ahman, Missouri. Elsewhere, the Saints in DeWitt were being fired upon by the mob outside the settlement and were forced to take up arms in self-defense. General Lucas of the Missouri Militia wrote a letter to Governor Boggs informing him of the situation, calling the Saints "base and degraded beings." He offers his troops to help remedy the situation.

1840 - A committee, consisting of the Prophet Joseph Smith, John C. Bennett, and Robert B. Thompson, was formed to draft a bill to the state legislature for the incorporation of the City of Nauvoo.

1845 - The leading brethren of the Church met in General Council at the Seventies' Hall in Nauvoo, Illinois. Among the business discussed, it was resolved to cease the publication of both the Nauvoo Neighbor and Times and Seasons to save paper and to issue circulars when needed. Also, a proposal was presented on what provisions each family would need to travel to the west in the spring.

1855 - The ship Julia Ann, with twenty-eight members of the Church emigrating from Australia on board, wrecks on a coral reef near the Scilly Islands. Five Latter-day Saints die, but all others are rescued and eventually complete their journey to San Francisco, California.

1856 - The first stake in Nevada is organized at Carson Valley.

1879 - The first edition of The Contributor, the official publication of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, is issued. The Contributor continues until 1896.

1953 - General conference is televised live from Salt Lake City, Utah, to locations outside the Intermountain West for the first time.

1986 - The Church announces the discontinuation of stake seventies quorums, reassigning seventies to elders quorums or ordaining them high priests.

1997 - President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the Church would construct small temples in remote areas of small LDS populations. The first to be constructed would be in Monticello, Utah, Anchorage, Alaska, and the LDS Colonies of Northern Mexico.

1999 - The First Presidency issues a letter reaffirming the Monday nights are to be reserved for family home evening.