“A License Liberty Power & Authority,” License, , Seneca Co., NY, for , 9 June 1830; handwriting of ; signatures of JS and ; one page; JS Collection, CHL.
Single leaf measuring 10¼ × 7¾ inches (26 × 20 cm). The verso has a notation in the handwriting of Joseph F. Smith, who became president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1901: “Rec’d from Cousin | Elias A. Smith | Oct. 8. 1902 | J. F. Smith”. It is unknown when the document was transferred from Joseph F. Smith’s custody to the custody of the Church Historian’s Office.
Historical Introduction
The following document is a “signifying & proveing” that , one of the six founding members of the church and one of the Eight Witnesses who saw and handled the , was a of the . He was ordained at the church’s first and was among those who received ministerial licenses at this gathering. The duties of a priest, which had been outlined previously, were “to preach, teach, expound, and exhort, and , and administer the , and visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret, and also to attend to all family duties, to ordain priests, , and , and to take the lead in meetings; but none of these offices is he to do when there is an present, but in all cases is to assist the elder, &c.” The church’s foundational document, “Articles and Covenants,” gave priests more authority than teachers and deacons but less than elders.