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DaguerrotypebelievedtobethatofOliverCowdery,dateunknown,ca.1846.PhotographcourtesyoftheLibraryofCongress,PrintsandPhotographsDivision,WashingtonDC,and

PatrickA.Bishop.BishopdiscoveredthedaguerrotypeinFebruary2006.

Alexander L. Baugh: The Oliver Cowdery Symposium 125

Oliver Cowdery: Restoration Witness, Second Elder

Symposium

Alexander L. Baugh

OnNovember10,2006,aspecialsymposiumonthelifeandcontributionsofOliverCowderywasheldattheBYUConferenceCenter.Thesymposium,titled “Oliver Cowdery: Restoration Witness, Second Elder,” commemorated the two hundredth anniversary of Cowdery’s birth. The Mormon HistoricSitesFoundationandBYU’sReligiousStudiesCentersponsoredtheevent.AlexanderL.Baugh,associateprofessorofChurchhistoryanddoctrineandamemberoftheMormonHistoricSitesFoundationchairedtheactivities.Ap-proximately five hundred people attended sessions that were held throughout theafternoon.

OliverCowderywasbornonOctober3,1806,toWilliamCowderyandRebecca Fuller in Wells, Rutland County, Vermont. Fortunately, the exactlocationofhisbirthplace isknown,and thefoundationof thehomeisstillclearlyvisible.TheChurchplacedabeautifulcommemorativemarkeratthesite.OlivermarriedElizabethAnnWhitmer,youngestdaughterofPeterSr.andMary(orMariam)MussellmanWhtimer,onDecember18,1832,inKawTownship,JacksonCounty,Missouri.Oliverhadanine-yearassociationJo-sephSmithfromApril1829untilJune1838.Oliver’snameisconnectedwithmanytitles–BookofMormonscribe,BookofMormonwitness,priesthoodrestorationwitness,Churchhistorian,missionary, assistantpresidentof theChurch,author,editor,banker,andlawyer.Truly,hewasanindividualofre-markableaccomplishmentinalifespanningonlyforty-threeyears.

alExandER l. Baugh(alex_baugh@byu.edu)isanAssociateProfessorofChurchHistoryandDoctrine,BrighamYoungUniversity.HereceivedhisBSfromUtahStateUniversity,andhisMAandPhDdegrees fromBrighamYoungUniversity.He is amemberof theMormonHistoricSitesFoundationboardandeditorofMormon Historical Studies.

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ElderMarlinK.Jensen,amemberofthePresidencyoftheSeventyandChurchHistorianandRecorder,preparedastatementtobereadattheconfer-ence.Heexpressedhisgratitude forOliverCowdery’scontributions to theearlyChurch:“PossessingthesameNewEnglandheritageasJosephSmithandbeingjustayearyounger,OliverwaschosentostandatJoseph’ssidedur-ingmanyofthemiraculouseventsoftheRestoration.Withbothvoiceandpenheeloquentlyandcourageouslywitnessedtotherealityofthoseevents.HissupportofJosephandassistancewiththeleadershipoftherestoredChurchin its first decade helped lay a foundation of doctrine and practice that blesses Latter-daySaintstothepresentday.OliverCowderydeservestoberemem-bered and appreciated.”

Thekeynote addresswasdeliveredbyProfessorRichardL.Bushman,Gouverneur Morris Professor of History, Emeritus, at Columbia, Universi-ty, andauthorof theaward-winningbiography,Joseph Smith Rough Stone

Richard L. Bushman, Gouverneur Morris Professor of History, Emeritus, at Columbia,University,wasthekeynotespeakerfortheOliverCowderySymposium.Thesymposiumwassponsoredby theMormonHistoricSitesFoundationandBYU’sReligiousStudies

Center.PhotographbyR.ScottLloyd.

Alexander L. Baugh: The Oliver Cowdery Symposium 127

Rolling (NewYork:AlfredA.Knopf,2005).Inhisremarks,titled,“Oliver’sJoseph,” Professor Bushman emphasized how Oliver Cowdery’s records of keyRestorationeventswereoftenmoredetailedthanthoseJosephdictatedorwrote,whichproducedamorevibrantandmorecompletehistoryoftheProphet’slife.PatrickA.Bishop’spresentationwasahighlightofthesym-posium.ThisFebruary,BishopdiscoveredadaguerreotypebelievedtobeofOliverCowderyintheLibraryofCongressArchivesinWashington,DC.Forthepasttenmonths,Bishophasbeenanalyzingandstudyingtheimagetode-termine its authenticity. He has concluded that there is “convincing evidence” that the image is indeed, “a heretofore unknown image of Oliver Cowdery.” Otherpresentersincludedthefollowing:

RichardL.Anderson FinancialAspectsofOliverCowdery’sCon-flict with the Church

SusanEastonBlack OliverCowderyintheDoctrineandCovenants

ScottH.Faulring OliverCowdery’sRichmond,Missouri,Expe-rience,1838,1849-50

StevenC.Harper OliverCowdery:SecondWitnessofPriest-hoodRestoration

RichardNeitzelHolzapfel, TheOliverCowdery–ThreeWitnesses

RobertF.Schwartz,and Monument,Richmond,MissouriStanleyJ.Thayne

LarryE.Morris OliverCowderyBeforeHisAssociationWithJosephSmith,1828-1829

RoyalSkousen OliverCowderyasBookofMormonScribe

MarkL.Staker OliverCowderyandtheKirtlandEconomy

GrantUnderwood OliverCowdery’sEarlyCorrespondencewiththeProphetJosephSmith

JeffreyN.Walker OliverCowdery,OhioAttorney

JohnW.Welch Editor,Defender,andJusticeofthePeaceinKirtland

KeithWilson OliverCowderyasAcademic

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ThepaperspresentedatthesymposiumwillbepublishedinabooknextyearbytheReligiousStudiesCenterandtheMormonHistoricSitesFounda-tion.

Inadditiontothesymposium,andspecialawardsdinnerwasheldinwhichtheMormonHistoricSitesFoundationhonoredKarlRicksAnderson,anex-pertontheKirtlandperiodoftheChurch,withtheJuniusWellsaward.TheawardisgivenannuallytoanindividualwhohasbeeninstrumentalinhelpingpreserveChurchhistorysites.RichardLloydAnderson,anemeritusprofessorof ancient scripture, was presented the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the foundationforhisresearchandscholarlyworkontheBookofMormonwit-nesses. Maurine C. Ward was presented with a “Meritorious Service Award” forherserviceasformereditorofMormon Historical Studies.

ArtistKenCorbettunveilshispaintingofOliverCowderyattheJuniusF.WellsAwarddinner.ThepaintingisbaseduponadaguerreotypeintheLibraryofCongressArchivesbelievedtobeofOliverCowdery.ThedaguerreotypewasdiscoveredbyPatrickA.Bishop.CorbettwascommissionedbytheMormonHistoricSitesFoundationtocreatethepainting.

PhotographbyDerekJ.Tangren.

Alexander L. Baugh: The Oliver Cowdery Symposium 129

AnattentiveaudiencelistenstothekeynoteaddressofRichardL.Bushman.Anestimated five hundred people attended the Oliver Cowdery symposium which

washeldintheBYUConferenceCenter.PhotographbyR.ScottLloyd.

Richard Lloyd Anderson (left) is presented with a “Lifetime Achievement” award forhisresearchandscholarlyworkontheBookofMormonwitnesses.RichardLambert(right),vice-chairmanoftheMormonHistoricSitesFoundationmadethe presentation. Richard’s wife, Carma de JongAnderson (center), is shown

displayingtheaward.PhotographbyR.ScottLloyd.

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Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve presented some brief remarksattheJuniusF.WellsAwarddinner.PhotographbyR.ScottLloyd.

KarlRicksAnderson (center) ispresented the JuniusF.WellsAwardbyKimR.Wilson(right),chairmanof theMormonHistoricSitesFoundation.Karl isjoinedbyhiswifeJoyce(left).TheawardisgivenannuallytoanindividualwhohasbeeninstrumentalinhelpingpreserveChurchhistorysites.Photographby

DerekJ.Tangren.

Alexander L. Baugh: The Oliver Cowdery Symposium 131

OvertwohundredinvitedguestsattendtheannualJuniusF.WellsdinnersponsoredbytheMormonHistoricSitesFoundation.PhotographbyR.ScottLloyd.