BYU Studies Quarterly Volume 8 Issue 3 Article 5 7-1-1968 Reuben Miller, Recorder of Oliver Cowdery's Reaffirmations Richard Lloyd Anderson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq Recommended Citation Anderson, Richard Lloyd (1968) "Reuben Miller, Recorder of Oliver Cowdery's Reaffirmations," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 8 : Iss. 3 , Article 5. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol8/iss3/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in BYU Studies Quarterly by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Anderson: Reuben Miller, Recorder of Oliver Cowdery's Reaffirmations reuben miller recorder of oliver cowderysCowderys affirmationsreaffirmationsRe RICHARD LLOYD ANDERSON one of the spectacular events of latter day saint history unfolded as oliver cowdery walked into a conference session in progress at council bluffs in 1848 and was personally es- corted to the stand by his friend orson hyde that his remarks on that occasion were a striking vindication of mormon claims is shown in all recollections of the event george A smith wrote within ten days his testimony produced quite a sensa- tion among the gentlemen present who did not belong to the church and it was gratefully received by the saints 1 no one in the latter group seems to have been more impressed than reu- ben miller who at the same meeting had made his own public reconciliation with the church at least no one else is known to have recorded the cowdery remarks in such detail the reality of the return of the former second elder does not rest alone on the reuben miller account since a score of solid historical references disprove an anonymous confession describing the astounding feat of impersonating cowdery be- fore hundreds of his former intimates but while the return itself is abundantly attested no historical source but the miller account adequately reveals oliver cowdery s public testimony upon his return to the church the miller reported speech recounts the irony of cowdery s humble return contrasted with the presiding and initiating power that he once held he reiterated orson hyde s observa- tions that any successful career in the church must be based on loyalty to the true priesthood leaders there is a considerable amount of historical information about cowdery while he was out of the church that portrays the foundercofounderco of mormonism in just this light as one who took a good deal of personal pride in his spiritual experiences in founding the restored church dr anderson is professor of history and ligionreligionle at brigham young university letter of george A smith to orson pratt from council bluffs october 31 1848 cited in millennial star vol 11 jan 1 1849 p 14 277 Published by BYU ScholarsArchive, 1968 1 BYU Studies Quarterly, Vol. 8, Iss. 3 [1968], Art. 5 278 BRIGHAM YOUNG university STUDIES and as one who was considerably pained by his separation from its people the main interest of his returning speech however is doctrinal he discounted the spaulding story as totally in- consistent with his own experience as secretary to joseph smith during the production of the book of mormon he publicly reaffirmed the chief facts within his knowledge of the found- ing of the church I1 wrote with my own pen the entire book of mormon save a few pages as it fell frcmframthe lips of the prophet I1 beheld with my eyes and handled with my hands the gold plates from which it was translated I1 also beheld the inter- prpreterseters I1 was present with joseph when an holy angel from god came down from heaven and conferred or restored the aaronic priesthood and said at the same time that it should remain upon the earth while the earth stands I1 was also present with joseph when the melchisedekmelchisedecMelchisedek priesthood was conferred by the holy angels2 of god which we then confirmed on each other by the will and command- ment of god 3 an occasional anti mormon writer has denied the accuracy of this discourse on the ground that it was not printed until a decade after the event but it appears in miller s journal a con- temporaneous document in printing this journal account later miller insisted that he made notes at the time and consequently had a verbatim report 4 whether that is believed obviously depends upon whether one trusts miller and in investigating that question what emerges is not only his individualistic in- tegtegrityrity but his experience as a reporter and his unusual interest in both the visions ofoe the restoration and in cowdery as a per- son prominence IN UTAH coincidence brought cowdery and miller together in the kanesvilleKanesganesvilleville conference session of october 21 1848 in the fol- lowing year cowdery was stricken with his last illness in this term plural in the original reuben miller journal was made singular in the initial deseret news printing of the incident later changes adding the plural form have been wrongly interpreted as tampering with the text reuben miller journal LDS church historian s office As noted the text differs in some minor wording from the initial publication during the life of reuben miller deseret news april 13 1859 p 48 all quotations made from original documents in this article are exact with the exception cfef punctuation and spelling corrections deseret evening nellsnews april 13 1859 p 48 https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol8/iss3/5 2 Anderson: Reuben Miller, Recorder of Oliver Cowdery's Reaffirmations REUBEN MILLER 279 richmond missouri while miller had migrated to salt lake valley and was beginning his one third century s prominence there as a farmer businessman civic leader and pioneer bishop in his second year of residence in the valley he was appointed bishop of the mill creek ward and held this position until his death in 1882 15 the year after he became bishop he entered county government as a selectman the equivalent of today s commissioner this post he also held until his death john taylor then president of the church spoke at his funeral paying tribute to him as a highmindedhighminded honorable man an- other speaker at miller s funeral was the perceptive and candid elias smith who as probate judge had been chairman of county government for the entire time of miller s tenure something of miller s personal character emerges in smith s estimalestamalestimatee what impressed him was miller s wide practical ex- periperienceence coupled with the best of judgment to say nothing of his uprightness and honesty which he possessed to an eminent degree 6 biographical sketches of miller verify his prominence and effectiveness as a pioneer and community leader in utah and describe other facets of his life such as his successful farming and business operations 7 and his large and able family 8 the church newspaper editorialized on these qualities at his death he was an active and capable man with a strong indi- vidualityvi and both as bishop and selectman was an able public servant whose services and experience were of great value to the community 9 no doubt his contributions to utah merit further study but it is the story of reuben miller s religious convictions and con- flicts in the pre utah period that shows why he would be an andrew jensen encyclopedic history of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints salt lake city 1941 p 504504 eDedeseretseretseres evening news july 26 1882 see frank esshom pioneers and prominent men of utah salt lake city 19j319 15 part 2 p 1040 he was known to be a hard worker and a keen busi- ness man and succeeded in accumulating considerable worldly goods andrew jenson latter day saint biographical encyclopedia salt lake city 1920 vol 3 appp 16667166 67 gives details ofhisochisof his wives and children in 1918 total descendants were 360 the national historical record company s biographical record of salt lake city and vicinity chicago 1902 publishes biographies of miller and five sons who were active in business and community affairs deseret evening news july 26 1882 one instance is miller s service as a delegate to the convention for forming a state constitution january 20 1862 orson F whitney history of utah salt lake city 1893 vol 2 p 39 Published by BYU ScholarsArchive, 1968 3 BYU Studies Quarterly, Vol. 8, Iss. 3 [1968], Art. 5 280 BRIGHAM YOUNG university STUDIES accurate reporter of cowdery s recollections of the supernatural events of the founding of mormonism MILLERS conversion As a young man miller migrated from his pennsylvania birthplace to illinois where he became first a millwright then a substantial farmer in ottawa lasallelasaliela sallesailecounty there as an undoubtedly respected member of the community 10 he became a mormon convert 1843 while in his early forties that he was early given important church positions demonstrated his ability and reliability the year following his baptism he was selected as bishop in the formal organization of the latter day saints in his area A machine duplication exists of a miller letter dated july 29 1845 which describes what must be typical activities of the period of this early bishopric he reports to william clayton that he is about to leave la salle county for chicago to facilitate transportation of several wagon loads of goods particularly glass to nauvoo and that he will use three yoke of oxen taken in tithing miller s own summary of his early performance in the church was made in 1846