Footnotes
JS, Journal, 16 and 23 Aug. 1842. JS returned to his home the evening of 23 August, although he did not make a public appearance until 29 August. (JS, Journal, 29 Aug. 1842.)
Historical Introduction to Journal, Dec. 1841–Dec. 1842.
Letter to William W. Phelps, 27 Nov. 1832 [D&C 85:1–2].
Letter to William W. Phelps, 27 Nov. 1832 [D&C 85:5, 7, 11].
JS appears to have extended blessings to individuals who were absent on prior occasions. (See Blessing to David Whitmer, 22 Sept. 1835; Blessings to Joseph Smith Sr. and Others, Sept. and Oct. 1835.)
See Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling, 421–423, 477–478. Within days of dictating these reflections, JS spoke to the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo regarding baptism for the dead, instructing the members that “all persons baptiz’d for the dead must have a Recorder present. . . . It will be necessary in the grand Council.” In early September, he wrote to the Saints on the same topic, noting that a recorder must be present so that “it may be recorded in heaven.” (Minutes and Discourse, 31 Aug. 1842; JS, Journal, 4 Sept. 1842 [D&C 127:6–7].)
Bushman, Richard Lyman. Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. With the assistance of Jed Woodworth. New York: Knopf, 2005.
Clayton was with JS between 15 and 16 August and presumably did not have the very large Book of the Law of the Lord with him. He probably returned to Nauvoo on 16 or 17 August and likely copied the 16 August reflections in the Book of the Law of the Lord soon after returning and no later than 20 August, as suggested by the content of these and surrounding entries and changes in the ink color. (See Book of the Law of the Lord, 135, 164–167.)
See Titus 2:6; and Book of Mormon, 1840 ed., 505 [Mormon 1:15].
See Proverbs 4:26–27.
See Isaiah 28:5; 62:3.
See Psalm 112:6; and Minutes and Prayer of Dedication, 27 Mar. 1836 [D&C 109:71].
Derby had been with JS while he was in hiding since 11 August. On 16 August, the same day he blessed Derby, JS sent a letter to Emma in which he noted, “I have been kept from melancholy and dumps, by the kind-heartedness of brother Derby, and his interesting chit-chat from time to time.” (JS, Journal, 11, 14, and 16 Aug. 1842; Letter to Emma Smith, 16 Aug. 1842.)
See Psalms 37:9; 123:2; Isaiah 8:17; 40:31; and Book of Mormon, 1840 ed., 93 [2 Nephi 18:17].
Insertion in the handwriting of Willard Richards. Because tithing donation records were recorded on pages 136 to 163, scribe William Clayton skipped from page 135 to 164 to continue inscribing the 16 August 1842 entry in JS’s journal.