Sidney Rigdon's Plea to the Saints: Transcription of Thomas Bullock's Shorthand Notes from the August 8, 1844, Morning Meeting

Authors

Robin S. Jensen
LaJean P. Carruth

Abstract

At meetings held in Nauvoo, Illinois, on August 8, 1844, Sidney Rigdon and Brigham Young each asserted their claims to succeed Joseph Smith as leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Thomas Bullock, the clerk for the Church Historian's Office, recorded notes of the morning meeting, including speeches by Rigdon and Young, in Taylor shorthand. Until recently, Bullock's notes have not been deciphered and transcribed. This article presents the transcription of this source and an introduction to establish the context of the meeting.

Bullock's notes are fragmentary but are the only known source to have been taken during the meeting. Rigdon's sermon was an attempt to balance support of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and place himself as one to hold influence over the Church.

Recommended Citation

Jensen, Robin S. and Carruth, LaJean P. (2014) "Sidney Rigdon's Plea to the Saints: Transcription of Thomas Bullock's Shorthand Notes from the August 8, 1844, Morning Meeting," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 53: Iss. 2, Article 12.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol53/iss2/12