Letter from Parley P. Pratt, 23 May 1837

Pres’t J Smith Jr Deare Brother  as it is dificult to obtain a personal  interview with you at all times By rea son of the multitude of Buisiness in  which you are engaged you will Excuse  my saying In writing what I would  otherwise say By word of mouth.

Haveing Long Pondered the Path in  which we as a people have been led in  regard to our temporal management, I  have at Length Become fully convinced  that the whole scene of Speculation in  which we have Been Engaged is of the  Devel; I allude to the covetous Extor tionary Speculating Spirit which has  reigned in this place for the Last season;  which Has given rise to Lying deceive ing and takeing the advantage of ones  Nabour and In Short to Every Eavle  work:

And Being as fully convinced that  you and President [Sidney] Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

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; Both By  presept and Example have Been the  principle means In Leading this people  astray in these particulars and haveing  myself Been Led astray and Caught in  the same snare By your Example and  By false Prophesying and preaching  from your mouths; yea haveing done  many things Rong and plunged my self and family and others well nigh  in to distruction, I have awoke to an  awful sense of my situation and now  resolve to retrace my steps, and to get  out of the snare and make restitution  as far as I can And now Dear Brother  If you are still determined to persue  this wicked course untill your self and  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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shall sink down to hell; I  Beseach you at least to have mercy on  me and my family and others who are  Bound with me for those certain 3  lots which you sold to me at the Extor tionary price of $2;000 which never  cost you $1:00; for if It stands against  me it will rewin [ruin] Myself and a helpless  family as well as those Bound with me  for yesterday Pres’t Rigdon

19 Feb. 1793–14 July 1876. Tanner, farmer, minister. Born at St. Clair, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Son of William Rigdon and Nancy Gallaher. Joined United Baptists, ca. 1818. Preached at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, and vicinity, 1819–1821. Married Phebe...

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came  to me and Informed me that you had  drawn the money from the Bank on the  obligation you hold against me and  that you had Left it to the mercy of the  Bank and could not help what ever  course they might take to collect it:  notwithstanding the most sacred prom ise on your part that I should not Be  ingured [injured] By giveing these writings; I  offered him the 3 lots for the writ ings But he wanted my house and  home also; now deare Brother will you  take those Lots and give me up the writ ings and pay me the seventy-five dollars  which I paid you on the same or will you  taake the advantage of your Nabour Be cause he is in your Power if you will  receive this admonition from one who  Loves your Soul and repent of your Ex tortion and covetiousness in this thing,  and make restitution you have my fel lowship and Esteem as far as it respects  our dealings Between ourselves; But if  not I Shall Be under the painful neces sity of prefering charges against you,  for Extortion, covetousness, and takeing  advantage of your Brother By an undue  religious influence for it is this kind of  influence which Led us to make such  kind of trades, in this society, such as  saying it was the will of God that Lands  Should Bear such a price and many  other Prophesyings Preachings and  Statements of a like nature.

P. S. Do not suppose for a mo ment that I Lack any Confidence in the  Book of Mormons or Doctrine and  Covenants Nay It is my firm belief in  those Records that hinders my Belief  In the course we have Been Led of  Late. [p. 4]