February 5

1840 – The Prophet Joseph Smith preaches in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  His talk is partially recorded by a member of Congress, Mathew S. Davis.   He writes that the Prophet taught that children were not capable of sinning and did not need baptism until the age of eight.  He taught the plan of salvation and the Book of Mormon.  Mr. Davis wrote, “I have changed my opinion of the Mormons.  They are an injured and much-abused people’ (History of the Church, 4:79).

1844 – As the mayor of Nauvoo, Joseph Smith met in the regular session of the Municipal Court serving as Chief Justice.  The assessors of the city presented their tax-lists and “the court remitted the taxes of the widows and of the poor who were unable to pay’ (History of the Church, 6:196). In the afternoon, the Prophet Joseph meets with William Weeks, architect of the Nauvoo Temple.  In discussing the windows, the Prophet asked for round windows on the sides of the Temple.  Brother Weeks said that round windows were against the known rules of architecture and that they needed to be semicircular.  The Prophet replied, “I wish you to carry out my designs.  I have seen in vision the splendid appearance of that building illuminated, and will have it built according to the pattern shown me’ (History of the Church, 6:197).  The Prophet also worked on revising his statement entitled “Views of the Powers and Policy of the Government of the United States‘ that was to be his political pamphlet of his candidacy for the presidency of the United States.

1977 – The First Presidency announces that the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will direct ecclesiastical matters and that the Presiding Bishopric will oversee temporal programs of the Church.

1994 – The Church announces the launching of a television series that will make LDS programs available in 85 percent of the English-speaking homes across Canada during 1994 over the VISION/TV network.

2011 – Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve spoke at Chapman University Law School on protecting religious liberty and the U.S. Constitution.