TODAY IN CHURCH HISTORY: 17 August

[Hemidakota]

1829 - Joseph Smith and Martin Harris secure a contract with E. B. Grandin to print five thousand copies of the Book of Mormon at a cost of $3,000.

1835 - Oliver Cowdery presents the Book of Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of the Latter-day Saints to the Church in a general assembly at Kirtland, Ohio, along with "The Testimony of the Twelve Apostles to the Truth of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants" and a document entitled "Of Governments and Laws in General" that is latter added to the Doctrine and Covenants as Section 134. (History of the Church, 2:243-250)

1840 - Joseph Smith met with the high council in his office to discuss John Batten's charges against Elijah Fordham. After the testimony he addressed the Council showing there was "in reality no cause of difference" and concluded that the two "had better be reconciled without an action, or vote of the Council, and henceforth live as brethren, and never more mention their former difficulties." They settled accordingly and no action was taken by the High Council. (History of the Church, 4:180)

1842 - While still in hiding, the Prophet Joseph took a walk out into the woods for exercise with Brother Derby when they were accidently discovered by a young man. They talked to the young man about matters in Nauvoo and requested that he not tell anyone were they were. He agreed and "promised faithfully he would not." That night Emma came to see him and informed him that rumors were circulating as to where he was hiding. He, Emma, and Brother Derby, left Brother Edward Sayer's home where he had been in hiding and went to Brother Carlos Granger's home in the north-east part of Nauvoo for safe hiding. (History of the Church, 5:114-118)

1942 - Lucy Gates Bowen, a grand-daughter of Brigham Young, christens the SS Brigham Young, a U.S. Liberty ship used during World War II. It was converted into a cargo ship and renamed the Murzim in 1943 and was used in the South Pacific to transport supplies and later as an ammo ship. After the war she was decommissioned and entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay. She was scrapped in 1973. (Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships," (1969) Vol. 4, p.459)

1997 - The first stake in Ivory Coast, the Abidjan Ivory Coast Stake, is organized.

2007 - Elder Dallin H Oaks of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles and Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Seventy, and their wives, begin a 10-day tour of India, Pakistan and Thailand.