DR. J. C. BENNETT JOINS THE CHURCH—NAUVOO CITY CHARTERED—NAUVOO UNIVERSITY AND LEGION ORGANIZED—JOSEPH SMITH COMMISSIONED AS LIEUTENANT-GENERAL OF THE STATE MILITIA—TEMPLE SITE—DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE—AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE.
With the establishment of Nauvoo as a city Dr. John C. Bennett came into prominent association with the Church. He was a quarter-master general of the state of Illinois, and a man of extensive acquirements and many ambitions. At the time of the Prophet's imprisonment in Missouri he had offered his services to secure Joseph's release, by force, if necessary, but the tender was not accepted. His expressed sympathy was no doubt sincere. He saw the sufferings of the people and was drawn toward them. He saw the grandeur of the Prophet's character and was attracted by it. When the people moved into Illinois, he made a closer examination of their faith, and accepted it. No doubt he was still sincere at this time; and if he had been willing to heed the Prophet's warning and to be humble and pure, he might have been a blessing to the Church for many years, and might have lived and died a happy man, with a full assurance of eternal salvation.
On Sunday, the 24th day of January, 1841, Hyrum Smith received the office of patriarch to the Church, to succeed his deceased father; he was also by revelation sustained as a prophet and revelator to the Church. The vacancy in the quorum of the First Presidency, thus occasioned, was filled by the selection of William Law to be second counselor to Joseph.
On the 30th day of January a special conference was held at Nauvoo at which Joseph was elected sole trustee-in-trust for the Church, to hold the office during his life, his successor to be of the First Presidency of the Church. This action was taken in pursuance of the provisions of an act of the Illinois Legislature concerning religious societies.
The charter of the city of Nauvoo was devised by Joseph, as he says "on principles so broad that any honest man might dwell secure under its protective influence without distinction of sect or party." It was comprehensive, and in some respects unusual, but its provisions were purely republican and the end designed by its framer was insured. It was signed by Thomas Carlin, governor, and was certified by Stephen A. Douglas, secretary of state.
On the 1st day of February, 1841, the charter for the city of Nauvoo took effect. On the same day an election was held for mayor and members of the city council. John C. Bennett was elected mayor; with William Marks, Samuel H. Smith, Daniel H. Wells and Newel K. Whitney for aldermen; and Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Charles C. Rich, John T. Barnett, Wilson Law, Don Carlos Smith, John P. Greene and Vinson Knight for councilors.
The twenty-fourth section of the charter of the city of Nauvoo was as follows:
The city council may establish and organize an institution of learning within the limits of the city, for the teachings of the arts, sciences and learned professions, to be called the "University of the City of Nauvoo," which institution shall be under the control and management of a Board of Trustees, consisting of a Chancellor, Registrar and twenty-three Regents, which Board shall thereafter be a body corporate and politic, with perpetual successors by the name of the "Chancellor and Regents of the University of the City of Nauvoo," and shall have full power to pass, ordain, establish and execute all such laws and ordinances as they may consider necessary for the welfare and prosperity of said University, its officers and students; provided that the said laws and ordinances shall not be repugnant to the constitution of the United States, or of this state; and provided, also, that the Trustees shall at all times be appointed by the city council, and shall have all the powers and privileges for the advancement of the cause of education which appertain to the Trustees of any other college or university of this state.
In pursuance of this provision, at the first meeting of the city council Joseph Smith presented an ordinance organizing the university and appointed a board of trustees. The purpose of this institution of learning was to give the Saints and all others who loved learning an opportunity to gain a knowledge of the arts and sciences; for Joseph was ever desirous to bring his brethren and friends into close acquaintance with all that was best in the experience of the world. One of the trustees of the university was Daniel H. Wells, who also had been elected an alderman of the city. He was not then a member of the Church, but he was a young man of such manifest fairness and integrity that the Prophet was glad of his assistance.
The twenty-fifth section of the city charter was as follows:
The city council may organize the inhabitants of said city, subject to military duty, into a body of independent military men, to be called the "Nauvoo Legion," the court martial of which shall be composed of the commissioned officers of said legion, and constitute the law-making department, with full powers and authority to make, ordain, establish and execute all such laws and ordinances as may be considered necessary for the benefit, government and regulation of said Legion; provided said court martial shall pass no law or act, repugnant to, or inconsistent with, the constitution of the United States, or of this state; and provided also that the officers of the Legion shall be commissioned by the governor of the state. The said Legion shall perform the same amount of military duty as is now or may be hereafter required of the regular militia of the state, and shall be at the disposal of the mayor in executing the laws and ordinances of the city corporation, and the laws of the state, and at the disposal of the governor for the public defense, and the execution of the laws of the state or of the United States, and shall be entitled to their proportion of the public arms; and provided also, that said Legion shall be exempt from all other military duty.
In pursuance of the provisions of the charter the Nauvoo Legion was organized on the 4th day of February, 1841. Subsequently citizens of Hancock County enrolled themselves in the legion, and at the election Joseph Smith was chosen as Lieutenant-General and John C. Bennett Major-General, with Wilson Law and Don Carlos Smith as Brigadier-Generals of the two cohorts of the Legion.
Speaking of the University and the Legion in a letter written at this time, the Prophet describes their purpose in these words:
The "Nauvoo Legion" embraces all our military power, and will enable us to perform our military duty by ourselves, and thus afford us the power and privilege of avoiding one of the most fruitful sources of strife, oppression and collision with the world. It will enable us to show our attachment to the state and nation, as a people, whenever the public service requires our aid, thus proving ourselves obedient to the paramount laws of the land, and ready at all times to sustain and execute them.
The "University of the City of Nauvoo" will enable us to teach our children wisdom, to instruct them in all knowledge and learning, in the arts, sciences and learned professions. We hope to make this institution one of the great lights of the world, and by and through it to diffuse that kind of knowledge which will be of practical utility, and for the public good, and also for private and individual happiness. The Regents of the University will take the general supervision of all matters appertaining to education, from common schools up to the highest branches of a most liberal collegiate course. They will establish a regular system of education, and hand over the pupil from teacher to professor, until the regular gradation is consummated and the education finished.
At a session of the city council held on the 8th day of February, 1841, Joseph reported a bill for an ordinance to prohibit the sale of liquor at retail, which was subsequently passed and put into effect under the title "An ordinance in relation to temperance." The purpose of this measure was to prevent dram drinking, and the event proved that it was wisely and safely drawn, for Nauvoo, under the strict enforcement of this provision, was able to get rid of the low and the depraved. In the discussion of the bill the Prophet spoke at some length on the use of liquors, showing that they operated as a poison upon the system and demonstrating that even in medicine other and harmless things might take their place.
The part taken by Joseph Smith indicates his willingness to join in any practical labor for the advancement of his fellow-men and for the welfare of his country. He consented to act as a member of the city council because he desired to assist in the promotion of a wholesome municipal government. His inspiration was not entirely among the clouds. It prompted him to those practical works without which no community can hope to achieve happiness and prosperity. He became a trustee of the University because no man of his time loved knowledge more than he, and he wished to assist the institution to present the wisdom of past and present times to the rising generation. He consented to act as Lieutenant-General of the Nauvoo Legion—not that he loved military powers or expected to go to war, but that he recognized the duty of every citizen to be prepared to give his arm to his country's service. His conduct in this respect is a reminder that, notwithstanding his divine appointment, he held himself amenable to every law and every regulation of his country.
On the 1st day of March Councilor Joseph Smith presented bills for ordinances providing for the freedom of all religious sects and denominations, and the freedom of all peaceable public meetings within the city of Nauvoo. The ordinances were passed in accordance with the provisions of his bills. His purpose was not to secure freedom for the Saints within the municipality; for this was made certain by their numerical preponderance and by the fact that nearly all the officials were of their number. But it was always Joseph's plan to encourage further discussion and consideration of religious matters, and he desired that no insult or injury should be offered by any of the people of Nauvoo to any minister, or to any other person who might desire to present views not in accordance with the opinions of the majority. He himself and his associates had suffered so much at the hands of a bigoted majority in the past that he determined to prevent any such offense against justice and against heaven, by the citizens of Nauvoo.
On the 10th day of March, Governor Thomas Carlin issued a commission to Joseph Smith as "Lieutenant-General, Nauvoo Legion, of the militia of the state of Illinois."
The spiritual welfare of the people was never neglected by him, and during this busy period he was still able to impart religious instruction from time to time as the needs of the people made such instruction necessary. A revelation was received on the 19th day of January, 1841, concerning the building of the Nauvoo temple and the order and authority of the Priesthood; also making p............