Letter to Edward Partridge, 2 May 1833

I commence answering your letter &  sincere request to me, by begging for your pardon for not having  addressed you, more particutarly in letters which I have written to  Zion, for I have always felt, as though a letter written to any one  in authority in Zion, would be the property of all, & it mattered but  little to whom it was directed. But I am satisfied that this is an  error, for instruction that is given pointedly, and expressly to us,  designating our names as individuals, seems to have double power  and influence over our minds, I am thankful to the Lord for  the testimony of his spirit, which he has given me, concerning your honesty,  and sincerity before him, and the Lord loveth you, and also Zion, for  he chasteneth whom he loveth, and scourgeth every son & daughter whom he  receiveth, and he, will not suffer you to be confounded, and of this thing you  may rest assured, notwithstanding, all the threatning of the enemy, and your  perils among false brethren, For verily I say unto you, that this is my  prayer, and I verily believe the prayer of all the saints in Kirtland

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and 1,000 others; in 1838 about 2,000 Saints and 1,200 others; in 1839 about 100 Saints and 1,500 others. Mormon missionaries visited township...

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, recorded  in heaven, in these words, Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ thy son, pre serve brother Edward

27 Aug. 1793–27 May 1840. Hatter. Born at Pittsfield, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of William Partridge and Jemima Bidwell. Moved to Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio. Married Lydia Clisbee, 22 Aug. 1819, at Painesville. Initially a Universal Restorationist...

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, the bishop

An ecclesiastical and priesthood office. JS appointed Edward Partridge as the first bishop in February 1831. Following this appointment, he functioned as the local leader of the church in Missouri. Later revelations described a bishop’s duties as receiving...

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of thy 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 give him wisdom, knowledge  & power, & the holy ghost, that he may impart to thy saints in Zion. their  inheritance

Generally referred to land promised by or received from God for the church and its members. A January 1831 revelation promised church members a land of inheritance. In March and May 1831, JS dictated revelations commanding members “to purchase lands for an...

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, & to every man his portion of meat in due season, and  now, this is our confidence & record on high, therefore fear not little flock, for it  has been your fathers good will to give you the kingdom, and now I will  proceed to tell you my views, concerning consecration

The dedicating of money, lands, goods, or one’s own life for sacred purposes. Both the New Testament and Book of Mormon referred to some groups having “all things common” economically; the Book of Mormon also referred to individuals who consecrated or dedicated...

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, property, and giving  inheritances &c. The law of the Lord

Principles given to the church and its members in February 1831 revelations. In January 1831, a revelation promised the saints in New York that the law would be given after they gathered in Ohio. Once in Ohio, on 9 and 23 February 1831, JS dictated two revelations...

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, binds you to receive, whatsoever property  is consecrated, by deed, The consecrated property, is considered the residue  kept. for the Lords store house

Both a literal and a figurative repository for goods and land donated to the church. The Book of Malachi directed the House of Israel to bring “all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house.” In JS’s revision of the Old Testament...

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, and it is given for this consideration, for  to purchase inheritaces for the poor, this, any man has a right to do,  agreeable to all laws of our country, to donate, give or consecrate all that  he feels disposed to give, and it is your duty, to see that whatsoever is  given, is given legally, therefore, it must be given for the consideration  of the poor saints, and in this way no man can take any advantage  of you in law, Again, concerning inheritances, you are bound by  the law of the Lord, to give a deed, secureing to him who receives inherit ances, his inheritance, for an everlasting inheritance, or in other words, to be his  individual property, his private stewardship

One who managed property and goods under the law of consecration; also someone given a specific ecclesiastical responsibility. According to the “Laws of the Church of Christ,” members of the church were to make donations to the bishop, who would record the...

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, and if he is found a transgressor  & should be cut off, out of the church, his inheritance is his still and he is dilivered  over to the buffetings of satan, till the day of redemption, But the property which  he consecrated to the poor, for their benefit, & inheritance, & stewardship, he cannot  obtain again by the law of the Lord, Thus you see the propriety of this law, that  rich men cannot have power to disinherit the poor by obtaining again that  which they have consecrated, which is the residue, signified in the law, that  you will find in the second paragraph of the extract from the law, in the second  number, and now b[r]other Edward

27 Aug. 1793–27 May 1840. Hatter. Born at Pittsfield, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of William Partridge and Jemima Bidwell. Moved to Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio. Married Lydia Clisbee, 22 Aug. 1819, at Painesville. Initially a Universal Restorationist...

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, be assured that we all feel thankful, that  the brethren in Zion are beginning to humble themselves, & trying to keep the comman dments

Generally, a divine mandate that church members were expected to obey; more specifically, a text dictated by JS in the first-person voice of deity that served to communicate knowledge and instruction to JS and his followers. Occasionally, other inspired texts...

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of the Lord, which is our prayer to God, you may all be able to do, and  now, may the grace of God be with all, amen.

The above is a true copy of a letter, directed &  sent, & subscribed agreeable thereto [p. [1]]