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Letter from Eliza Lowry Nicholson, 23 April 1843

Source Note

, Letter, , Philadelphia Co., PA, to JS and Nauvoo high council, , Hancock Co., IL, 23 Apr. 1843; handwriting and signature of ; three pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address and docket.
Bifolium measuring 12–12¼ × 7¾–7⅞ inches (30–31 × 20 cm). Both leaves of the bifolium were cut irregularly at the bottom after the letter was inscribed. The letter was trifolded twice in letter style for mailing, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer. A hole was torn in the second leaf when the letter was opened, which caused the loss of some text. The letter was later refolded for filing.
, who served as scribe to JS from 1842 to 1844 and as temple recorder from 1842 to 1846, docketed the document. By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early docket and its later inclusion in the JS Collection suggest continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 29 June 1842; “Clayton, William,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:718; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 18, 30–31.

    Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.

    Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, ca. 1845. CHL. MS 3365.

  2. [2]

    See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection, 1827–1844, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On 23 April 1843, member wrote a letter from to JS and the in , Illinois, to complain about the conduct of . In 1839, Winchester preached in the Philadelphia area and forty-five individuals, leading to the formation of a there in December of that year. Winchester was appointed over the branch in April 1841. However, later that year he clashed with when Page visited Philadelphia, and a rift in the branch developed in early 1842. A faction led by Winchester began meeting at a location separate from the rest of the branch. The rift deepened in April 1842 when a of the Philadelphia branch met to consider a petition regarding difficulties between Winchester and other branch members. The conference cleared Winchester of all charges against him, including an accusation that he was “trying to injure the reputation of sister [Eliza] Nicholson,” who was the mother of , a counselor to , of the Philadelphia branch. The conference also “exonerated” Eliza Nicholson “from the blame imputed to her in consequence of many existing reports concerning her,” although two days later it withdrew fellowship from her for unstated reasons.
Toward the end of April 1842, prepared a petition to church leaders in asking them to authorize him and other members to continue to meet as a branch separate from and his supporters. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles granted this request, and Nicholson and others met separately until October 1842, when members and visited the branch and counseled members to “reorganize and begin anew” under the leadership of , who was appointed presiding elder at a September 1842 meeting. However, in February 1843, Hess wrote a letter to Hyrum Smith and JS stating that Winchester was continuing to cause problems. Winchester had told Hess and , a prominent missionary in the church, that they needed to excommunicate members of the branch who had not followed his breakoff group, even though Hyrum Smith had told church members in Philadelphia “that all former difficulties should never be brought up” again. was one of those members who had not aligned with Winchester. After Hess and Adams met with her, however, they declared that “she had a good spirit and was willing to do all that was required.”
Two months later, on 21 and 22 April, the branch’s officers held a council in which stated that “remarks made by derogatory to his mothers character had this day reached his ears. and he wished to present the evidence thereof.” Several individuals then testified that Winchester had at various times stated that “was a bad Character.” Because Winchester had also reportedly disparaged the character of branch member , Adams declared that “he had heard more backbiting and bickering from Elder Winchester than from all the other Members of the Church in Philadelphia put together.” The minutes of the meeting do not clearly state what the outcome of the discussion was, but after the council concluded, Eliza Nicholson wrote the 23 April letter featured here to JS.
In the letter, explained the difficulties she and others in the branch had experienced with and his supporters, and she complained especially of Winchester’s recent defamation of her character. She asked that JS take action against Winchester so that his influence in Philadelphia would be destroyed. In addition, Nicholson commented on ’s proselytizing success in the area.
, who had been summoned to return to , apparently brought ’s letter with him. JS received the letter on 22 May. Nicholson’s letter, together with the one from and another from , was considered in a 27 May 1843 meeting of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, during which —who was also present—was told to “give up his licince, and move to Nauvoo with his family as soon as he can.”

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Orson Pratt to Sarah Marinda Bates Pratt, 6 Jan. 1840, in Times and Seasons, Feb. 1840, 1:61; Benjamin Winchester, Philadelphia, PA, 10 Feb. 1840, Letter to the Editor, Times and Seasons, May 1840, 1:104; Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 2.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Philadelphia Branch, Record Book, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  2. [2]

    Winchester was ordained to “preside over the spiritual affairs” of the Philadelphia branch, with Edson Whipple and William Wharton as counselors. (Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 6 Apr. 1841, 16–17.)

    Philadelphia Branch, Record Book, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  3. [3]

    Letter from John E. Page, 1 Sept. 1841; Letter from Benjamin Winchester, 18 Sept. 1841; “Progress of Mormonism,” Hartford (CT) Daily Courant, 4 Jan. 1842, [2].

    Hartford Daily Courant. Hartford, CT. 1840–1887.

  4. [4]

    Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 6, 12, and 14 Apr. 1842, 24–29. During the same April 1841 meeting in which Benjamin Winchester was ordained as presiding elder of the Philadelphia branch, Syfritt was chosen and ordained to “take charge of the financial affairs” of the branch as bishop, with Jesse Price and Nicholson as counselors. (Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 6 Apr. 1841, 17.)

    Philadelphia Branch, Record Book, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  5. [5]

    Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 12 and 14 Apr. 1842, 28, 30.

    Philadelphia Branch, Record Book, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  6. [6]

    Petition from James B. Nicholson and Others, 22 Apr. 1842.

  7. [7]

    Notice, 14 May 1842, in Times and Seasons, 16 May 1842, 3:798; Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 14 Sept. 1842, 31; 15 and 31 Oct. 1842, 32–34.

    Philadelphia Branch, Record Book, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  8. [8]

    Letter from Peter Hess, 16 Feb. 1843.

  9. [9]

    Philadelphia, PA, Council Minutes, 21–22 Apr. 1843, General Ecclesiastical Court Trials, CHL.

    General Ecclesiastical Court Trials 1832–1963. CHL.

  10. [10]

    JS, Journal, 22 May 1843; JS History, vol. D-1, 1557.

  11. [11]

    Minutes and Discourse, 27 May 1843; see also Letter from Peter Hess, 16 Feb. 1843; and Letter from Sybella McMinn Armstrong, 1 May 1843.

Page [1]

April 23, 1843
President Smith and
At length I submit my Name to your <​care​> beleiveing you to be honerable Men and I feel assured this is the therefore being a member of the same I have made a covenant to stand firm and hold on through thick and thin th[r]ough hot and cold and am Willing to bear all for Christ[’s] sake but not for the Devil—— therefore in honesty I shal endeaver to commit some of my grievencies to you that your wisdom may destroy his power, and <​not​> permit him to have influence over all the and eventually Crush the Church and leave the virtuous and good to bear the disgrace.— in, writing I shal endeaver to turn my back on Friend and Foe and dedicate myself to <​the​> will and Power of the Almighty God that my pen may be directed by truth and inteligence and convey the light and substance on this occasion to you that my weak mind: alone is incapable of (I do not wish you to think I am troubling you with a affairs that have been Canciled, those things I am about to relate never reached my ears until 21st of this month— but I will not write at present any thing respecting the general difficulties thare will be several, to relate them: I know but little about them, and wish I knew less of or that <​I​> had never seen him— in my opinion he is under the influense of the evil one for nothing but his power would cause him to conduct himself as he does,— and his immediate Friends that Constantly surround him; what <​shal​> I say of them— to say the least I do not think them any <​a​>, Benefit to and any person I will tel their Names and refer you to the traveli[n]g that is now in our on their way to , respecting their Cond[u]ct Mr Leeman [Henry Lehman] is one; and Elder will recalle him he lived in fifth below Vine Insulted and was Cut off for Unrightious Conduct <​has now returned​> Isacc W Statham [Isaac Stathem] is another and A young Man by the Name of [Nicholas B.] Helverson who now has withdrawn from the Branch— these Men stood by and opposed own our , in the Council Meeting of the 21[st]. and 22 of the Month—— it now time to talk about Myself. My last Wound was this and I shure [assure] <​you,​> it came very severe as I now know no bounds to the lies and Slander has dealt abroad respecting me and my Charactor, I now do not [p. [1]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Eliza Lowry Nicholson, 23 April 1843
ID #
1053
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D12:228–234
Handwriting on This Page
  • Eliza Lowry Nicholson

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    According to Peter Hess, Benjamin Winchester had created “stumbling blocks and impediments in the way which hinders those from entering who otherwise would and weakens the faith of many of the saints.” (Letter from Peter Hess, 16 Feb. 1843.)

  2. [2]

    In October 1842, Hyrum Smith told the Philadelphia branch that they should forget “all former dificulties,” and the branch later voted that “all former difficulties be burried never more to have a ressurection.” (Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 15 Oct. and 21 Dec. 1842, 32, 35–36.)

    Philadelphia Branch, Record Book, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  3. [3]

    On 1 May 1843, the Philadelphia branch listed twelve men as traveling elders: William Wharton, Jacob Syfritt, James B. Nicholson, J. H. Newton, Albert Lutz, Henry Lehman, William Moore, Jacob Hoffheins, John Strong, Joseph Landis, Daniel Davis, and Samuel Reeve. However, Eliza Lowry Nicholson may have been referring to individuals who had left from Nauvoo to preach in the eastern United States and who were now returning to Nauvoo. (Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 1 May 1843, 42.)

    Philadelphia Branch, Record Book, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  4. [4]

    Philadelphia Branch Membership Record, 24–25.

    Philadelphia Branch Membership Record. Verso of Philadelphia, PA, Minutes and Records, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  5. [5]

    In February 1843, Peter Hess informed JS that Stathem had “for some time been Keeping a Kind of tave[r]n and oyster house in this city for prostitutes and their associates to resort.” Hess also accused Stathem and his wife of prostituting “a young girl from the country” who had joined the church and then come to Philadelphia to live with them. At a 14 February 1843 council in Philadelphia, Stathem’s wife was charged with “Defamation of character” and “Profane language” by “Sister Miller,” who was evidently the young lady who had been prostituted. The council “exonerated” Stathem’s wife “from all charges.” On 22 April, a council of official members of the Philadelphia branch considered a charge by Hess that Stathem had kept “a house of assignation” but postponed a full consideration of the accusation until a later date. On 24 April, the Philadelphia branch disfellowshipped Stathem and his wife for “keeping a house of ill-fame.” (Letter from Peter Hess, 16 Feb. 1843; Philadelphia, PA, Council Minutes, 21–22 Apr. 1843, General Ecclesiastical Court Trials, CHL; Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 14 Feb. and 24 Apr. 1843, 38–39.)

    General Ecclesiastical Court Trials 1832–1963. CHL.

    Philadelphia Branch, Record Book, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  6. [6]

    The same day that Nicholson wrote this letter, the Philadelphia branch “sanctioned” the “former withdrawal of N. B. Helverson from this Branch” and declared him “no longer a member of the church.” (Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 23 Apr. 1843, 39.)

    Philadelphia Branch, Record Book, 1840–1854. CCLA.

  7. [7]

    At this council of official members of the Philadelphia branch, Winchester “set forth the difficulties that existed between Elder Hess and himself and proclaimed his evidences upon the subject.” After some discussion, the council resolved “that the matter be dropt.” (Philadelphia, PA, Council Minutes, 21–22 Apr. 1843, General Ecclesiastical Court Trials, CHL.)

    General Ecclesiastical Court Trials 1832–1963. CHL.

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