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Letter to Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young, 16 January 1839
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In obedience to your request in your letter we say to you as follows. It is not wisdom for you to go out of Caldwell with your Families yet for a little season untill we are out of Prison after which time you may act your pleasure. but though you take your Families out of the state yet it will be necessary 
for you to Return and leave as before designed on the 26 of April.— In as much as we are in prison and for a little season if need be the management of the affairs of the church devolves on you that is the twelve <the> gathering. the gathering of necessity stopt.— but the convertion of the world need not stop. but under wise management can go on more rapidly than ever. where churches are built let them continue where they are until a door is open to do other wise. and let every Elder ocupy his own ground. and when he builds a church let him preside over it. and let not others run in to trouble him. and thus let every man prove himself unto God that he is worthy. If we live we live, and if we die for the testimony of Jesus we die. but whether we live or die let the work of God go on. Let the churches in England continue there, till further orders. till a door cac [can] be opened for them. except they choose to come to America; and take their chance with the saints here. if they do that, let them come; and if they choose to come the[y] would do well to send wise men before them and buy out Kirtland, and the regions round about. or they may settle whare they can till things may alter— It will be necessary for you to get the twelve together ordain such as have not ben ordained, or at least such of them as you can get, and proceed to regulate the Elders as the Lord may give you wisdom— We nominate George A Smith and Lyman Sherman to take the place of Orson Hyde and Thomas B Marsh Brethren fear not. but be strong in the Lord and in the power of his [p. [1]]
for you to Return and leave as before designed on the 26 of April.— In as much as we are in prison and for a little season if need be the management of the affairs of the church devolves on you that is the twelve <the> gathering. the gathering of necessity stopt.— but the convertion of the world need not stop. but under wise management can go on more rapidly than ever. where churches are built let them continue where they are until a door is open to do other wise. and let every Elder ocupy his own ground. and when he builds a church let him preside over it. and let not others run in to trouble him. and thus let every man prove himself unto God that he is worthy. If we live we live, and if we die for the testimony of Jesus we die. but whether we live or die let the work of God go on. Let the churches in England continue there, till further orders. till a door cac [can] be opened for them. except they choose to come to America; and take their chance with the saints here. if they do that, let them come; and if they choose to come the[y] would do well to send wise men before them and buy out Kirtland, and the regions round about. or they may settle whare they can till things may alter— It will be necessary for you to get the twelve together ordain such as have not ben ordained, or at least such of them as you can get, and proceed to regulate the Elders as the Lord may give you wisdom— We nominate George A Smith and Lyman Sherman to take the place of Orson Hyde and Thomas B Marsh Brethren fear not. but be strong in the Lord and in the power of his [p. [1]]