By Jerald and Sandra Tanner

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We have recently printed one of Heber C. Kimball’s journals by the photomechanical method. Davis Bitton, formerly Assistant LDS Church Historian, described this journal as follows:

5. “The Journal of Heber C. Kimball.” Restricted volume. Entries from 21 November 1845 to 7 January 1846. Much of this volume concerned with temple ceremonies, including names of those who received ordinances in the Nauvoo Temple.

In this journal Heber C. Kimball, a well-known Mormon Apostle, gave some very important information concerning the “Oath of Vengeance” — an oath which used to be taken as part of the temple ritual. Although some members of the Mormon Church denied the existence of such an oath, just after the turn of the century the “Committee on Privileges and Elections of the United States Senate” investigated the matter and concluded:

In the protest signed and verified by the oath of Mr. Leilich it is claimed that Mr. Smoot has taken an oath as an apostle of the Mormon Church which is of such a nature as to render him incompetent to hold the office of Senator. From the testimony taken it appears that Mr. Smoot has taken an obligation which is prescribed by the Mormon Church and administered to those who go through a ceremony known as “taking the endowments.” It was testified by a number of witnesses who were examined during the investigation that one part of this obligation is expressed in substantially these words:

You and each of you do covenant and promise that you will pray and never cease to pray Almighty God to avenge the blood of the prophets upon this nation, and that you will teach the same to your children and to your children’s children unto the third and fourth generation. . . .

The fact that an oath of vengeance is part of the endowment ceremonies and the nature and character of such oath was judicially determined in the third judicial court of Utah in the year 1889 in the matter of the application of John Moore and others to become citizens of the United States. . . .

The obligation hereinbefore set forth is an oath of disloyalty to the Government which the rules of the Mormon Church require, or at least encourage, every member of that organization to take.

It is in harmony with the views and conduct of the leaders of the Mormon people in former days, when they openly defied the Government of the United States, and is also in harmony with the conduct of those who give the law to the Mormon Church today in their defiant disregard of the laws against polygamy and polygamous cohabitation. It may be that many of those who take this obligation do so without realizing its teasonable import; but the fact that the first presidency and twelve apostles retain an obligation of that nature in the ceremonies of the church shows that at heart they are hostile to this nation and disloyal to its Government. (The Reed Smoot Case, vol. 4, pages 495-497)

[Bold in quotations is added for emphasis and does not appear in originals.]

Joseph Smith’s brother William publicly charged that the “Oath of Vengeance” was administered in Nauvoo. Heber C. Kimball’s journal confirms this accusation. On December 21, 1845, we find this report of remarks made in the temple:

Elder Kimball . . . said the Twelve would have to leave shortly, for a charge of treason would be brought against them far swearing us to avenge the blood of the anointed ones, and some one would reveal it, and we shall have to part some day between sundown and dark—. . . I have covenanted, and never will rest nor my posterity after me until those men who killed Joseph & Hyrum have been wiped out of the earth. (Heber C. Kimball’s Journal, December 21, 1845)

Below is a photograph of the portion of Heber C. Kimball’s Journal where he tells of the “Oath of Vengeance.”

As we have mentioned before, some Mormon apologists have maintained that there was no “Oath of Vengeance” in the temple ceremony. The journal of Heber C. Kimball, however, completely destroys their argument. The “Daily Journal of Abraham H. Cannon” also makes it very plain that there was such an oath. Under the date of December 6, 1889, the Apostle Cannon recorded the following in his dairy:

About 4:30 p.m. this meeting adjourned and was followed by a meeting of Presidents Woodruff, Cannon and Smith and Bros. Lyman and Grant. . . . In speaking of the recent examination before Judge Anderson Father said that he understood when he had his endowments in Nauvoo that he took an oath against the murderers of the Prophet Joseph as well as other prophets, and if he had ever met any of those who had taken a hand in that massacre he would undoubtedly have attempted to avenge the blood of the martyrs. The Prophet charged Stephen Markham to avenge his blood should he be slain: . . . (“Daily Journal of Abraham H. Cannon,” December 6, 1889, page 205)

The Apostle Cannon went on to relate that Joseph F. Smith, who later became the sixth President of the Mormon Church, was about to murder a man with his pocket knife if he even expressed approval of Joseph Smith’s death:

. . . Bro. Joseph F. Smith was traveling some years ago near Carthage when he met a man who said he had just arrived five minutes too late to see the Smiths killed. Instantly a dark cloud seemed to overshadow Bro. Smith and he asked how this man looked upon the deed. Bro. S. was oppressed by a most horrible feeling as he waited for a reply. After a brief pause the man answered, “Just as I have always looked upon it—that it was a d—d cold-blooded murder.” The cloud immediately lifted from Bro. Smith and he found that he had his open pocket knife grasped in his hand in his pocket, and he believes that had this man given his approval to that murder of the prophets he would have immediately struck him to the heart. (Ibid., pages 205-206)

In Mormonism—Shadow or Reality? page 475, we gave additional information on the “Oath of Vengeance” and speculated as to when it was actually removed from the temple ceremony. Recently we obtained a photograph of a letter written by George F. Richards to the President of the St. George Temple which shows that all vestiges of the oath had been removed by 1927:

We have the Temple ordinances written into the books for the Presidents of Temples and are preparing the Part books and will get them to you in the near future, or at conference time.

At request of President Grant we have already adopted some of the changes decided upon, and it will be in order for you to do the same.

In sealing for the dead wether one or both be dead, omit the kissing. Omit from the prayer in the circles all reference to avenging the blood of the Prophets.

Omit from the ordinance and lecture all reference to retribution. This last change can be made with a day’s notice to those taking the parts that contain such reference.

This letter is written with the approval of the Presidency. (Letter from George F. Richards to the President of the St. George Temple, dated February 15, 1927)

The Reed Smoot Case, the diaries of Heber C. Kimball and Abraham H. Cannon and the letter of George F. Richards prove beyond all doubt that the Church had an “Oath of Vengeance” which finally had to be removed from the temple ceremony.

Those who are interested in collecting rare Mormon documents may be interested in obtaining our new publication, Heber C. Kimball’s Journal, November 21, 1845 to January 7, 1846. This book does not contain a transcript but does have photographs of this 370-page document. While this journal is marked as “Very Confidential” and has been “Restricted” by Church leaders, it is composed mostly of lists of names of people who participated in the temple rituals. It does tell of dances, meetings and other activities held in the Nauvoo Temple but is certainly not as sensational as many of the other journals written by early Mormons.

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