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Letter to William W. Phelps and Others, 18 August 1833

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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, August 18, 1833.

Brother William [W. Phelps]

17 Feb. 1792–7 Mar. 1872. Writer, teacher, printer, newspaper editor, publisher, postmaster, lawyer. Born at Hanover, Morris Co., New Jersey. Son of Enon Phelps and Mehitabel Goldsmith. Moved to Homer, Cortland Co., New York, 1800. Married Sally Waterman,...

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, John [Whitmer]

27 Aug. 1802–11 July 1878. Farmer, stock raiser, newspaper editor. Born in Pennsylvania. Son of Peter Whitmer Sr. and Mary Musselman. Member of German Reformed Church, Fayette, Seneca Co., New York. Baptized by Oliver Cowdery, June 1829, most likely in Seneca...

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, Edward [Partridge]

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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, Isaac [Morley]

11 Mar. 1786–24 June 1865. Farmer, cooper, merchant, postmaster. Born at Montague, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts. Son of Thomas Morley and Editha (Edith) Marsh. Family affiliated with Presbyterian church. Moved to Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio, before 1812. Married...

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, John [Corrill]

17 Sept. 1794–26 Sept. 1842. Surveyor, politician, author. Born at Worcester Co., Massachusetts. Married Margaret Lyndiff, ca. 1830. Lived at Harpersfield, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, 1830. Baptized into LDS church, 10 Jan. 1831, at Kirtland, Geauga Co., Ohio. Ordained...

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and Sidney [Gilbert]

28 Dec. 1789–29 June 1834. Merchant. Born at New Haven, New Haven Co., Connecticut. Son of Eli Gilbert and Lydia Hemingway. Moved to Huntington, Fairfield Co., Connecticut; to Monroe, Monroe Co., Michigan, by Sept. 1818; to Painesville, Geauga Co., Ohio; ...

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O thou disposer of all Events, thou dispencer of all good! in the name of Jesus Christ I ask thee to inspire my heart indiht [indite] my thaughts guide my peen [pen] to note some kind word to these my Brotheren in Zion that like the rays of the sun upon the Earth wormeth [warmeth] the face thereof so let this word I write worm [warm] the hearts of my Brotheren or as the gentle rain decen[d]eth upon the earth or the dews upon the mountains refresheth the face of nature and Causeth her to smile so give unto thy servent Joseph have a word that shall refresh the hearts and revi[v]e the spir[i]ts yea souls of those afflicted ones who have been called to leave their homes and go to a strange land not knowing what should befall them behold this is like Abraham a strikeing <evidence> of their acceptance before the <Lord> in this thing but this is not all <they are> but called to contend with the beast of the wilderness for a long time whos[e] Jaws <are> were open to devour them thus did Abraham and also Paul at Ephesus b[e]hold thou art like him <them> and again the affliction of my Brotheren reminds me of Abraham offering up Isaac his only son but my Brothren have have been called to give up even more than this their wives and their children yea and their own life also O Lord what more dost thou require at their hands before thou wilt come and save them may I not say thou wilt yea I will <say> Lord thou wilt save them out of the hands of their enemies thou hast tried them in the fu[r]nace of affliction a furnace of thime own choseing and couldst thou have tried them more then thou hast O Lord then let this suffice and from henceforth <let> this <be> reco[r]ded <be> in heaven for thine angels to look upon and for a testimony against all those ungodly men who have commited those ungodly deeds [for]ever and <yea> let thine anger <is> be enki ndled against them and <let> them <and they shall> be consumed before thy face and be far removed from Zion O <they will go> let them go down to <the> pit and give pl[a]ce for thy saints for thy spirit will not always strive with man therefore I fear for all these things yet O Lord glorify thyself thy will be done and not mine but I must conclude my pray[er] my heart being full of real desire for all such are not [so] reprobate that they cannot be saved——

Dear Brotheren in fellowship and <love> towards you and with a broken heart and a contrite spirit I take the pen to address you but I know not what to say to you and the thaught <that> this <of> letter will be so long coming to you my heart faints within me I feel to exclaim O Lord let the desire of my heart be felt and realized this moment <upon you[r] hearts> and teach you all things thy servent would communicate to would you my Brotheren since the intel igence of the Calamity of Zion has reched the ears of the wicked there is no saifty [safety] for us here but evevery man has to wa[t]ch their houses every night to keep off the mobers satan has Come down in great wrath upon all the Chirch

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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of God and th[ere] is no saifty only in the arn of Jehovah none else can deliver and he will not deliver unless we do prove ourselves faithful to him in the severeest trouble for he that will have his robes washed in the blood of the Lamb must come up throught great tribulation even the greatest of all affliction but know this when men thus deal with you and speak all maner of evil of you falsly for the sake of Christ that he is your friend and I verily know that he will spedily deliver Zion for I have his immutible covenant that this shall be the case but god is pleased to keep it hid from mine eyes the means how exactly the thing will be done the chirch in Kirtland

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concluded with one accord to die with you or redeem you and never at any time have I felt as I now feel that pure love and for you my Brotheren the wormth and Zeal for you[r] saf[e]ty that we can scarcely hold our spirits but wisdom I trust will keep us from madness and desperation and the power of the Go[s]pel will enable us to stand and [p. [1]]

On 9 August 1833, JS received Oliver Cowdery

3 Oct. 1806–3 Mar. 1850. Clerk, teacher, justice of the peace, lawyer, newspaper editor. Born at Wells, Rutland Co., Vermont. Son of William Cowdery and Rebecca Fuller. Raised Congregationalist. Moved to western New York and clerked at a store, ca. 1825–1828...

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’s personal report of the difficulties endured by church members in Jackson County

Settled at Fort Osage, 1808. County created, 16 Feb. 1825; organized 1826. Named after U.S. President Andrew Jackson. Featured fertile lands along Missouri River and was Santa Fe Trail departure point, which attracted immigrants to area. Area of county reduced...

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, Missouri. Nine days later, JS composed this lengthy letter offering comfort and counsel to those members in Zion. Noting that Kirtland

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, Ohio, members were also exposed to abuse, he encouraged members in Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Mormon missionaries...

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not to abandon their objective to build up Zion but to rely on the Lord to sustain them.

JS wrote this letter from Kirtland

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, Ohio, to William W. Phelps

, and Sidney Gilbert

at Independence

Located twelve miles from western Missouri border. Permanently settled, platted, and designated county seat, 1827. Hub for steamboat travel on Missouri River. Point of departure for Santa Fe Trail. Population in 1831 about 300. Mormon population by summer...

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, Missouri. Partridge retained the letter.

Facts

Editorial Title: Letter to William W. Phelps and Others, 18 August 1833
ID #: 179