Wednesday 4 In council in the Presidents & General offices with Judge [James] Adams. Hyram [Hyrum] Smith Newel K. Whitney. William Marks, Wm Law. George Miller. Brigham Young. Heber C. Kimball & Willard Richards. [illegible] & giving certain instructions concerning the priesthood. [illegible] &c on the Aronic Priesthood to the first [illegible] continueing through the day.

177 These instructions constituted a substantial change to the “endowment” as understood and practiced earlier by members of the church in Kirtland, Ohio. Richards, who participated in the events of 4 May 1842, made the brief summary of JS’s daylong temple instruction in this journal entry and also prepared the following description of the new endowment, which later became part of the JS multivolume manuscript history: JS instructed those present “in the principles and order of the priesthood, attending to washings & anointings, endowments, and the communications of keys, pertaining to the Aronic Priesthood, and so on to the highe[s]t order of the Melchisedec Pristhood, setting forth the order pertaining to the Ancient of days & all those plans & principles by which any one is enabled to secure the fulness of those blessings which has been prepared for the chu[r]ch of the first-born, and come up, and abide in the prese[n]ce of Eloheim in the eternal worlds. In this council was institutd the Ancient order of things for the fir[s]t time in these last days.” According to Richards, JS’s instructions “were of things spiritul, and to be received only by the spiritual minded: and there was nothing made known to these men but what will be made known to all saints, of the last days, so soon as they are prepared to recive, and a proper place is prepared to communicate them, even to the weakest of the saints; therefore let the saints be diligent in building the Temple and all houses which they have been or shall hereafter be commanded of God to build, and wait their time with patience, in all meekness faith, & perseverance unto the end, knowing assuredly that all these things refer[re]d to in this council are always governd by the principles of Revelation.” (Historian’s Office, JS History, draft notes, 4 May 1842; see also JS History, vol. C-1, 1328–1329.)