If You Could Spend a Day in the Vault . . .
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If You Could Spend a Day in the Vault . . .
Just Me and I have been collectively fantasizing on a recent thread about how much we would really like to have access to the locked up materials in the various Church vaults. The Church's usual excuse for keeping this material hidden is that it contains private information such as records of discilplinary councils. We know, however, from the Mark Hoffman story that the vault contains far more than that. I personally think this policy does the Church more harm than good, but having said that I don't know what is in there. That policy, however, is not the topic of this thread.
Instead, what I'd like to ask is: If you had free access to the Church vaults for one day, what would you try to read first? For me, I would start with William Clayton's letters and journals.
Instead, what I'd like to ask is: If you had free access to the Church vaults for one day, what would you try to read first? For me, I would start with William Clayton's letters and journals.
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Re: If You Could Spend a Day in the Vault . . .
The gold plates...
“We look to not only the spiritual but also the temporal, and we believe that a person who is impoverished temporally cannot blossom spiritually.”
Keith McMullin - Counsellor in Presiding Bishopric
"One, two, three...let's go shopping!"
Thomas S Monson - Prophet, Seer, Revelator
Keith McMullin - Counsellor in Presiding Bishopric
"One, two, three...let's go shopping!"
Thomas S Monson - Prophet, Seer, Revelator
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Re: If You Could Spend a Day in the Vault . . .
The Nauvoo Council of Fifty minutes, followed by the Oliver Cowdery history (if it really exists).
"The Church is authoritarian, tribal, provincial, and founded on a loosely biblical racist frontier sex cult."--Juggler Vain
"The LDS church is the Amway of religions. Even with all the soap they sell, they still manage to come away smelling dirty."--Some Schmo
"The LDS church is the Amway of religions. Even with all the soap they sell, they still manage to come away smelling dirty."--Some Schmo
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Re: If You Could Spend a Day in the Vault . . .
While it isn't reading, I'd swap the seer stone with an ordinary stone to see if anyone would notice. If they did then it would be proof of something.
"Any over-ritualized religion since the dawn of time can make its priests say yes, we know, it is rotten, and hard luck, but just do as we say, keep at the ritual, stick it out, give us your money and you'll end up with the angels in heaven for evermore."
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Re: If You Could Spend a Day in the Vault . . .
Equality wrote:followed by the Oliver Cowdery history (if it really exists).
I forgot about that. It would be interesting to see if there is any proof that Oliver Cowdery met with Sydney Rigdon before or during the time he was acting as a scribe, but I tend to doubt it mainly because I think B.H. Roberts would have mentioned it (although it is possible that even he never had full access).
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Re: If You Could Spend a Day in the Vault . . .
If it was kind of like "Supermarket Sweep" in the vault, then (assuming these things are there) I would go for the Council of Fifty minutes first. Then I would want to see ledgers/documents related to Brigham Young's management of church finances. Then I would want to see records of sealings performed after the first Manifesto. And then probably Clayton's writings.
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Re: If You Could Spend a Day in the Vault . . .
Equality wrote:The Nauvoo Council of Fifty minutes, followed by the Oliver Cowdery history (if it really exists).
This!! (Especially the council minutes.)
Cicero wrote: For me, I would start with William Clayton's letters and journals.
You can order extracts from William Clayton's journal during the Nauvoo era here (it was leaked and the Tanners were unsuccessfully sued trying to keep them from publishing it):
http://www.utlm.org/booklist/titles/cla ... _ub038.htm
And here's a history of how this journal was leaked:
http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no47.htm (scroll down to "RESTRICTED CHURCH DOCUMENT LEAKS OUT")
http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no48.htm
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Re: If You Could Spend a Day in the Vault . . .
Oh, I forgot one. The McLellin Papers. I heard they have two sets of those. 

"The Church is authoritarian, tribal, provincial, and founded on a loosely biblical racist frontier sex cult."--Juggler Vain
"The LDS church is the Amway of religions. Even with all the soap they sell, they still manage to come away smelling dirty."--Some Schmo
"The LDS church is the Amway of religions. Even with all the soap they sell, they still manage to come away smelling dirty."--Some Schmo
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Re: If You Could Spend a Day in the Vault . . .
The actual revelations given about the Priesthood ban and polygamy.
“We look to not only the spiritual but also the temporal, and we believe that a person who is impoverished temporally cannot blossom spiritually.”
Keith McMullin - Counsellor in Presiding Bishopric
"One, two, three...let's go shopping!"
Thomas S Monson - Prophet, Seer, Revelator
Keith McMullin - Counsellor in Presiding Bishopric
"One, two, three...let's go shopping!"
Thomas S Monson - Prophet, Seer, Revelator
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Re: If You Could Spend a Day in the Vault . . .
Madison54 wrote:Equality wrote:The Nauvoo Council of Fifty minutes, followed by the Oliver Cowdery history (if it really exists).
This!! (Especially the council minutes.)Cicero wrote: For me, I would start with William Clayton's letters and journals.
You can order extracts from William Clayton's journal during the Nauvoo era here (it was leaked and the Tanners were unsuccessfully sued trying to keep them from publishing it):
http://www.utlm.org/booklist/titles/cla ... _ub038.htm
And here's a history of how this journal was leaked:
http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no47.htm (scroll down to "RESTRICTED CHURCH DOCUMENT LEAKS OUT")
http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no48.htm
Thanks Madison. I don't think Ehat and Cook were given access to the full set.