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Letter from Brigham Young, 7 May 1840

 
whether we shall proceed to publish it immediately or not  or whether we shall do according to our feelings. If I should  act according to my feelings I should hand the Book of Mor mon to this people as quick as I could. The people ar[e]  very different in this country to what the Americans are; they say  it cannot be possible that men should leave their homes and  come so far, unless they were truly the servants of the Lord; they  do not seem to understand argument, simple testimony  is enough for them, they beg and plead for the book of  mormon and were it not for the priests of the  the people would follow after the servants of the Lord and  enquire what they should do to be saved: The priests feel  just as they did in the days of the Saviour. If they let “this sect alone  all men will believe on them and the Romans will come and  take away our place and Nation. I wish you would tell me  how cousin Lemuel gets along with his business and all the boys  on the half breed tract— and the whole breed. I think a great  deal about our friends, families and possessions. I look for  the time when the Lord will speak so that the hearts of the  rebellious will be pierced, you will remember the words of the  Saviour to his disciples, he says to you is given to know the mysteries  of the Kingdom of heaven, but to them that are without all things  in parables. The brethren here are very anxous to emigrate  to that country

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

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, some want to come this fall, where shall  they go. Their customs are different to ours and it would  be more pleasant for them to settle by themselves.
Almost without exception it is the poor that receive  the gospel: I think there will be some over this fall, my  counsel to such as intend to come is, that they go to the  western states where you can live among the farmers and  wait for orders from the Authorities of the Church

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

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, and all will  be well. You must excuse my bad writing, I have only catched at ideas. I want  to know about the Brethren’s coming over this fall I think some of us will come  we shall send our papers to you and to a number of the rest of the brethren
I wish you would have the goodness to give me a pretey general know ledge of the Church for I feel for them and pray for them continually
We need help very much in this Country, one American [can] do more  here than a number of the Elders

An administrative and ecclesiastical office not associated with age. The Book of Mormon explained that elders ordained priests and teachers and administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto the church.” The articles and covenants of the church directed...

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 who are raized up here by  the preaching of the Gospel, we have sent for some to come. I wish you  would encourage them to come as quick as they can [p. 152]

Facts

Editorial Title
Letter from Brigham Young, 7 May 1840
ID #
541