Blessing to Daniel Stephens, 1 March 1835

Daniel Stephens was baptized in June 1832 in New York and was ordained an elder the following month. He spent a considerable amount of time after his baptism preaching in New York and Pennsylvania before accompanying the Camp of Israel expedition to Missouri. (Daniel Stephens, Report, 16 Feb. 1835, Missionary Reports, 1831–1900, CHL.)  

Missionary Reports, 1831–1900. CHL. MS 6104.

Joseph Smith Sr. began giving patriarchal blessings after he was ordained a patriarch in December 1834. Oliver Cowdery started recording blessings into a patriarchal blessing book in September 1835, but there is no record of a blessing to Stephens in that book. Cowdery noted that “there were many blessings given previous” to that time, but he did not have a record of all of them, “as many retain their blessings in their own hands, not yet having handed them in to be recorded.” (Patriarchal Blessings, 1:9, 16.)  

Patriarchal Blessings, 1833–. CHL. CR 500 2.