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Letter from John Cleminson, between 1 and 15 May 1842

Source Note

, Letter, , Lee Co., Iowa Territory, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, between 1 and 15 May 1842; handwriting of ; four pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, endorsement, notation, and docket.
Bifolium measuring 9¾ × 7¾ inches (25 × 20 cm). The verso of the first leaf and the recto of the second leaf are ruled with twenty-nine blue lines. The left edge of the first leaf and the bottom edges of both leaves have the square cut of manufactured paper. The right edge of the second leaf and the top edges of both leaves are unevenly cut. The letter was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer. The recto and verso of the second leaf, which was used as the wrapper for the letter, bear residue from the wafer; opening the letter tore a hole in the second leaf at the wafer site.
An endorsement from states that JS answered the letter. Richards served as JS’s scribe from December 1841 until JS’s death in June 1844 and served as church historian from December 1842 until his own death in March 1854. A docket was added by , who served as a clerk in the Church Historian’s Office from 1853 to 1859. The document was listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office circa 1904. By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The endorsement, docket, and Joseph Smith Collection cataloging indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 13 Dec. 1841 and 21 Dec. 1842; Orson Spencer, “Death of Our Beloved Brother Willard Richards,” Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 16 Mar. 1854, [2].

    Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.

  2. [2]

    “Obituary of Leo Hawkins,” Millennial Star, 30 July 1859, 21:496–497.

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  3. [3]

    “Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [2], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

  4. [4]

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

Historical Introduction

Sometime between 1 and 15 May 1842, wrote a letter to JS defending himself against charges he believed were unjust and asking forgiveness for past actions. Cleminson, whose into the had apparently occurred by 1837, served as a clerk for the Circuit Court in before the Saints were expelled from the state in 1838 and 1839. During the Missouri conflict of 1838, Cleminson grew increasingly uncomfortable with some of the actions of church members, including those of the Danite society. In November 1838, at a hearing before Judge in , Missouri, Cleminson testified that Latter-day Saints stole goods from other residents in , that JS had intimidated Cleminson so that Cleminson would not issue a writ against him, and that the Danites were formed to support JS and the “in all their designs right or rong.” Several days later, Cleminson signed a statement alleging that the state militia at , Missouri, had been “respectful” and “obliging” of the Latter-day Saints, views that most church members did not share.
JS declared in a December 1838 letter to the Saints in that church members had “waded through an ocean of tribulation, and mean abuse” because of the actions of “ill bred and ignorant” men such as , “whose eyes are full of adultery and [who] cannot cease from sin.” These men, JS continued, were “so very ignorant that they cannot appear respectable in any decent and civilized society.”
By the time wrote this letter, he and his family had moved to , Iowa Territory, and Cleminson desired to live once again in fellowship with the Saints. The letter states that Cleminson had sent an earlier letter to JS, which is apparently not extant, and had also spoken with him in person. Cleminson dated the letter “May 1842”; he could have written it anytime between 1 and 15 May, the day JS replied.
Although the missive is addressed only to JS and described as “confidential,” may have written the letter believing it would be shared with JS’s counselors in the , who he acknowledged may have been harmed by his actions. Cleminson added a postscript in which he asked to subscribe to the church newspaper, the Times and Seasons, and stated that the two-dollar cost of the subscription was also sent “by the bearer” of the letter. added a notation to the letter upon reception affirming that Cleminson had sent two dollars in silver—likely two silver dollar coins.
apparently sent the letter from across the to , Illinois, by a courier. As noted above, he wrote that he was sending subscription money “by the bearer.” No postage markings are on the letter, further affirming that it was hand delivered. ’s notations on the letter indicate that it was answered on 15 May, but that response is apparently not extant. By 1846, Cleminson had been ordained a in the church, indicating his request for reconciliation had been granted at some point.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Reed Peck, Quincy, IL, to “Dear Friends,” 18 Sept. 1839, p. 84, The Huntington Library, San Marino, CA. For more information on the Danites, see Introduction to Part 2: 8 July–29 Oct. 1838.

    Peck, Reed. Letter, Quincy, IL, to “Dear Friends,” 18 Sept. 1839. Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.

  2. [2]

    John Cleminson, Testimony, Richmond, MO, Nov. 1838, State of Missouri v. JS et al. for Treason and Other Crimes (Mo. 5th Jud. Cir. 1838), in State of Missouri, “Evidence,” [51]–[52].

  3. [3]

    William W. Phelps et al., Statement, Richmond, MO, 23 Nov. 1838, copy, Mormon War Papers, MSA.

    Mormon War Papers, 1838–1841. MSA.

  4. [4]

    Letter to the Church in Caldwell Co., MO, 16 Dec. 1838. Several of the men JS referred to in the December 1838 letter were excommunicated in March 1839, but Cleminson was not among them. Extant records are not clear as to what, if any, disciplinary action church leaders took against Cleminson. (See “Extracts of the Minutes of Conferences,” Times and Seasons, Nov. 1839, 1:15.)

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

  5. [5]

    A March 1842 letter indicates that “Mr. Cleminson & family” were moving to Montrose at that time. In 1840, Cleminson was living in Rockport Township, Caldwell County, Missouri. On 2 April 1841, a public meeting was held in Caldwell County where those attending decided that all remaining church members and those who had dissented from the church needed to leave the county. Cleminson recorded an account of the meeting in a record book he was keeping. He and his family likely left Missouri fearing that this decision would be enforced just as the general expulsion of the Latter-day Saints from Missouri had been two years earlier. (Jacob Scott, Appanoose Township, IL, to Mary Scott Warnock, Springfield, IL, 24 Mar. 1842, CCLA; 1840 U.S. Census, Rockport, Caldwell Co., MO, 183; “Public Meeting Held in the County of Caldwell Missouri April 2d 1841,” in Cleminson, Record, CHL.)

    Hanson, Paul M. Papers. CCLA.

    Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.

    Cleminson, John. Record, ca. 1837–1858. CHL.

  6. [6]

    Temple Records Index Bureau, Nauvoo Temple Endowment Register, 254.

    Temple Records Index Bureau of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nauvoo Temple Endowment Register, 10 December 1845 to 8 February 1846. Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1974.

Page [2]

in getting up a malicious prosecution against Brother Joseph Or of swearing a lie: of having murderous intentions in my heart in giving testimony; in following after the for the loaves and fishes and some other accusations of minor importance, now to all those charges I plead not guilty. and I consider that I have been unjustly accused; but I have been guilty of appearing against Brother Joseph <​and others​> to give testimony. I have been guilty of saying hard things and of disbeleiving others. and wherein I have done you or others an injury in this thing I am sorry and ask their forgiveness <​& yours​>. I have suffered many things at the hands of both friend and foe my conduct and intentions have been grossly misrepresented to my prejudice. I have had many and heavy trials to endure but the Lord has been with me and helped me thus far, otherwise I should have fainted and fell away before this time. nothing but my attachment to the principles of truth and love of the pure doctrine of the gospel ever brought me to this country. If I had felt to turn to the world I should never have come here among the church. my object in coming was to spend the remaining part of my life among the saints let it be rough or smooth. long or short. I should like to have the fellowship <​and good will​> of the saints and all good men the friendship or good will of any other class of mankind I care nothing about I am desirous that a reconciliation should be brought about betwixt myself and those to whom I may have done any injury in any wise and that all our difficulties may be buried in oblivion. If however it would require on my part an acknowledgement that all the charges exhibited against me publickly were true, it would then be difficult to bring about a reconciliation, for I could never do myself [p. [2]]
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Source Note

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from John Cleminson, between 1 and 15 May 1842
ID #
821
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D10:53–58
Handwriting on This Page
  • John Cleminson

Footnotes

  1. [3]

    It is unclear who “old Johnson” is. The individual could have been John Johnson or his son Lyman Johnson. Lyman was one of the original Twelve Apostles, who had pursued lawsuits against JS in Missouri, although he was only thirty years old at this time. When JS allegedly told Cleminson not to issue a writ against him, it was purportedly in regard to one of Johnson’s lawsuits. (William W. Phelps, Testimony, Richmond, MO, Nov. 1838, State of Missouri v. JS et al. for Treason and Other Crimes [Mo. 5th Jud. Cir. 1838], in State of Missouri, “Evidence,” [87].)

  2. [4]

    See John 6:26–27.

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