History draft; handwriting of , John L. Smith, Jonathan Grimshaw, Robert L. Campbell, , , and ; 101 numbered pages plus several inserted pages; CHL. This manuscript covers the period from 1 March 1843 to 31 December 1843.
<May 20> Received of a certificate of deposite in the Fulton Bank, value $500, & gave a receipt payable in lands or money ten days from date
Called at Court room in case of & adjourned the case of .
Corrected & sent to press <the Times & Seasons> the following Sir Through (T&S. <Vol 4> 194) Smith
representing himself as being out of employment, <& destitute of funds, > & being much pleased with the place, <he desired I would employ him & relieve him in his necessities,> I <accordingly> took him into my employ I ac took compassion on him & appointed <employed> him <as a Clerk,> to sell lands so as to give him a chance in the world
<Sunday 21> at 10½ a m I arrived at the which & had to press my way through the crowd in the alleys <aisles> to get to the , when I remarked that there were some people who thought it a terrible thing that any body should exercise a little power; I thought it a pity that any body should give occasion to have that power exercised; & requested the people to keep out of the alleys, for if they did not I might some time run up & down & then might hit some of them, & called on two Constables to keep the alleys clear
After singing & prayer I read 1st.ch of 2nd. Epistle of Peter & preached thereon, a <the following> synopsis of which was written by
I do not know When I shall have the privilege of speaking in a house large enough to convene the people, I find my. lungs are failing with continual preaching in the open air to large assemblies
I have not an i I do not think there have been many good men on the Earth since the days of Adam, but there was one good man & his name was Jesus, many persons think a Prophet must be a great deal better that any body else— suppose I would condescend, yes I will call it condescend, to be a great deal better than any of you, I would be raised up to the highest heaven, and who should I have to accompany me?
I love that man better who swears a stream as long as my arm, yet deals justice to his neighbors & mercifully deals his substance to the poor, than the long smooth faced hypocrite.
I dont want you to think I am very righteous, for I am not.
God judges men according to the use they make of the light which he gives them.
We have a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto you do well to take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place. We were eyewitnesses of his majesty & heard the voice of his excellent glory & what could be more sure? when he was transfigured on the Mount what could be more sure to them?
Divines have been qurreling for ages about the meaning of this.
I am like a rough stone rolling down a mountain, & the only polishing I get, is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else.
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There are three grand secrets lying in this chapter, which no man can dig out, unless by the light of revelation, & which unlocks the whole chapter, as the things that are written are only hints of things which existed in the Prophets mind, which are not written, concerning eternal glory.
I am going up to take up this subject by virtue of the knowledge of God in me, which I have received from heaven, the opinions of men so far as I am concerned are to me, as the crackling of the thorns under the pot, or the whistling of the wind— I break the ground, I lead the way — [p. 33]