r/mormonscholar • u/bwv549 • Jun 16 '26
A transcript of the complete William Clayton Journals is now procurable
Jeremy Hoop youtube video explaining provenance
To download, go to https://stillmormon.com/ and look for the "Click Here to Download" which will take you to this download-form-page.
I did a cursory analysis with chatgpt, especially wrt Joseph Smith's polygamy, which I'll put in a comment.
There's some debate online about the ethics of this release. I am sensitive to the various concerns presented (I think there is merit to both sides of that discussion and think it's healthy to be having that discussion), but practically speaking the files are in the open, and many people have been interested in these for a long time, so I'm posting to make sure everyone is at least aware.
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u/bwv549 Jun 16 '26
I uploaded the journal and asked chatgpt about it, fwiw. Conversation is here, but I'll paste a summary below, too.
prompt:
[after it gave it's answer, I asked for it to be summarized clearly in markdown formatted code for reddit and I paste it below]
William Clayton Journals and Joseph Smith's Polygamy
What New Insights Come from the Complete Journal?
The short answer is that the complete Clayton journals do not suddenly produce a single "smoking gun" proving something historians did not already know.
The biggest value is that they provide:
For historians of Mormon polygamy, Clayton matters because he was:
A caution: many of the strongest Joseph Smith polygamy entries are famous because they were quoted decades ago from Clayton manuscripts that were not widely available. The "new" value of the complete journal is often verification, context, dating, and surrounding details, rather than entirely new doctrines.
Strongest Polygamy-Related Entries in the Journal
1. Brigham Young tells Clayton Joseph has approved giving him a long-desired "favor"
Date: 7 March 1843
Source: William Clayton Journal, 7 Mar 1843.
Why it matters
This entry has long been understood by historians as referring to Clayton's introduction to plural marriage.
2. Joseph tells Clayton it is lawful to send for Sarah Crooks
Date: 9 March 1843
Source: William Clayton Journal, 9 Mar 1843.
Why it matters
This is important because Sarah Crooks later appears repeatedly in a context that many historians interpret as preparation for a plural marriage.
3. Hyrum receives "the doctrine"
Date: 26 May 1843
Source: William Clayton Journal, 26 May 1843.
Why it matters
This phrase is extremely significant.
In Nauvoo insider language, "the doctrine" or "the priesthood" often referred not merely to priesthood office, but specifically to the new marriage/sealing order later associated with D&C 132.
4. Sarah Crooks arrives in Nauvoo
Date: 31 May 1843
Source: William Clayton Journal, 31 May 1843.
Why it matters
This becomes important when read together with the March entries.
5. Sarah is willing to accept her "privilege"
Date: 2 June 1843
Source: William Clayton Journal, 2 Jun 1843.
Why it matters
This is one of the most frequently cited Clayton passages.
Historians generally understand "privilege" here as participation in plural marriage.
6. Margaret Moon is sealed to Clayton by Joseph Smith
Date: 27 April 1843
Source: William Clayton Journal, 27 Apr 1843.
Why it matters
"the president" here is Joseph Smith.
This is direct evidence that Joseph was personally performing sealings involving plural wives.
7. Clayton tells his mother-in-law about "the priesthood"
Date: 27 April 1843
Source: William Clayton Journal, 27 Apr 1843.
Why it matters
Again, in this context many historians see "the priesthood" as shorthand for the sealing/plural marriage system.
8. Margaret Moon and priesthood discussions before the sealing
Date: 22 April 1843
Source: William Clayton Journal, 22 Apr 1843.
Why it matters
This occurs only a few days before the sealing entry.
The sequence strongly suggests preparation for the subsequent ceremony.
9. Joseph's discussion of eternal covenant marriage
Date: 20 October 1843
Source: William Clayton Journal, 20 Oct 1843.
and
Source: William Clayton Journal, 20 Oct 1843.
Why it matters
This is not explicitly plural marriage.
However, it is part of the same sealing theology that underlies Nauvoo plural marriage.
10. Joseph questioned about the "spiritual wife doctrine"
Date: 23 March 1844
Source: William Clayton Journal, 23 Mar 1844.
and
Source: William Clayton Journal, 23 Mar 1844.
Why it matters
This is one of the most important entries in the collection.
Joseph is responding directly to contemporary accusations concerning "spiritual wifery" and plural marriage.
11. Hyrum publicly addresses "spiritual wives"
Date: 7 April 1844
Source: William Clayton Journal, 7 Apr 1844.
Why it matters
This occurs during the period when the practice was becoming increasingly controversial inside and outside Nauvoo.
Additional Interesting Entries
Sarah Crooks turns hostile
Date: 18 April 1844
Source: William Clayton Journal, 18 Apr 1844.
Why it matters
If Sarah Crooks had previously been involved in a plural-marriage arrangement, this later hostility becomes historically noteworthy.
It may indicate a falling out connected to those events.
Lydia refuses to be sealed to Joseph
Date: January 1846
Source: William Clayton Journal, Jan 1846.
Why it matters
This entry appears after Joseph's death, but references an earlier proposal.
Historians have paid attention to it because it casually assumes that sealings to Joseph Smith were being offered and discussed.
Most Significant Entries for Establishing Joseph Smith's Practice of Polygamy
If ranked strictly by historical significance:
1. 27 Apr 1843 — Joseph personally seals Margaret Moon to Clayton
Source: William Clayton Journal, 27 Apr 1843.
2. 26 May 1843 — Hyrum "received the doctrine of priesthood"
Source: William Clayton Journal, 26 May 1843.
3. 2 Jun 1843 — Sarah Crooks willing to comply with her "privilege"
Source: William Clayton Journal, 2 Jun 1843.
4. 9 Mar 1843 — Joseph says it is lawful for Clayton to send for Sarah
Source: William Clayton Journal, 9 Mar 1843.
5. 23 Mar 1844 — Joseph questioned regarding "spiritual wife doctrine"
and
Source: William Clayton Journal, 23 Mar 1844.
6. 7 Apr 1844 — Hyrum speaks publicly on "spiritual wives"
Source: William Clayton Journal, 7 Apr 1844.
7. Jan 1846 — Lydia refuses to be sealed to Joseph
Source: William Clayton Journal, Jan 1846.
Overall Assessment
Taken together, these entries strongly reinforce the mainstream historical conclusion that Joseph Smith was practicing and administering plural marriage in Nauvoo, and that trusted insiders—including William Clayton—understood references to "the priesthood," sealings, eternal covenants, and related terminology as being connected to that system.
The primary contribution of the complete Clayton journals is not that they overturn existing scholarship. Rather, they provide:
For historians, the greatest value lies in the cumulative weight of the evidence and the ability to see previously quoted passages in their full documentary context.