[1] In 1834, largely as a result of his brother Oliver's influence,[citation needed] Warren Cowdery became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
After Cowdery moved to Kirtland in February 1836, he had an apology to the Twelve published in the church periodical Messenger and Advocate, stating that he "most deeply regrets" his comments which were made mistakenly but "innocently".
[4] On February 1, 1837, Oliver sold his printing press to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, and Cowdery was officially made the editor of Messenger and Advocate.
[5] In 1838, Cowdery was elected justice of the peace of Kirtland, and the majority of Latter Day Saints loyal to Smith began to relocate to Missouri.
In the August 1838 edition of Elders' Journal, the new official church publication, an unattributed article severely criticized Cowdery, Warren Parrish, and other dissenters who had left the church in Kirtland; Cowdery was attacked in the following terms: This poor pitiful beggar came to Kirtland a few years since with a large family, nearly naked and destitute.
We knew the man's incompetency all the time and his ignorance and inability to fill any place in the literary world with credit to himself or to his employers.
It is a fact of public notoriety that as soon as he found himself and family in possession of decent apparel, he began to use all his influence to our injury, both in his savings and doings.
[6] Cowdery was involved with Warren Parrish in the formation of a rival Latter Day Saint sect in Kirtland, which they named the "Church of Christ".