The Papers
Reference
About
Letter from Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark, 3 October 1843
Source Note
Source Note
and , Letter, , Lancashire, England, to (including JS) and , , Hancock Co., IL, 3 Oct. 1843; handwriting of ; signatures of and ; three pages; Brigham Young Office Files, CHL. Includes address, wafer seal, postal stamps, postal notations, dockets, and notation.
Bifolium measuring 9¼ × 7⅜ inches (23 × 19 cm). The letter was inscribed on the recto and verso of the first leaf and on the recto of the second leaf. It was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, sealed with a red adhesive wafer, and postmarked. The recto and verso of the second leaf contain wafer residue, which obscures some text. A tear on the second leaf likely occurred when the letter was opened. It was later refolded for filing.
The letter was docketed by , who 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. Jonathan Grimshaw, who served as a clerk in the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) from 1853 to 1856, docketed it a second time. The document was listed in a Church Historian’s Office inventory circa 1904. By 1994 the document had been cataloged in the Brigham Young Office Files at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early dockets, its listing in a circa 1904 inventory, and its inclusion in the Brigham Young Office Files indicate continuous institutional custody.
Footnotes
- [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]
Historian’s Office, Journal, 7 June 1853; Wilford Woodruff, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to George A. Smith, 30 Aug. 1856, in Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, p. 364.
Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.
Historian’s Office. Letterpress Copybooks, 1854–1879, 1885–1886. CHL. CR 100 38.
- [3]
“Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [3], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.
Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.
- [4]
See the full bibliographic entry for Brigham Young Office Files, 1832–1878, in the CHL catalog.
Historical Introduction
Historical Introduction
On 3 October 1843 in , and , counselors in the British mission presidency, wrote to the and the in , Illinois, to inform them about the ’s publishing endeavors in the British Isles. In May 1843, Ward and Clark were appointed counselors to in the presidency after years of church service in Great Britain. Ward, a British convert from Burnley, moved to Liverpool in spring 1842 to assist apostle and president of the British mission in the church’s publishing department, later becoming coeditor with Pratt of the church newspaper Millennial Star. Clark, an American, proselytized in alongside members of the Quorum of the Twelve from 1839 to 1841 and in mid-1842 was appointed to return to that country to replace as manager of the church’s immigration program for British converts and to “collect means for building the .” Clark departed Nauvoo in June and arrived in Liverpool in September. In the October 1842 issue of the Millennial Star, Pratt announced that he was returning to the and that Ward would serve as the acting president of the church in Europe with and Clark as his counselors. In the same issue, Pratt named Ward sole editor of the Millennial Star.
Anticipating that would return to in fall 1842, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles determined in November that “the Millenial Star & all other publications in . . . be suspended until further instruction from the Quorum.” The apostles informed church leaders in England of their decision in a January 1843 letter that arrived in in February. In March, and replied, acknowledging the Twelve’s directive to cease all publications and informing them that some items, including another edition of the hymnbook and the March and April issues of the Millennial Star, had already gone to the printers by the time they received the order to stop publication. Ward and Clark also expressed concern that was “acting contrary to counsel given him by you, in being again engaged in the Emigration business” instead of returning to Nauvoo as he was instructed to do in mid-1842. Ward discontinued production of the Millennial Star for a few months while awaiting additional instructions from Nauvoo.
In a May 1843 meeting, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles voted that immediately return to or face being cut off from the church. In the same meeting, the Twelve selected to preside over the church in the British Isles with and as his counselors. Quorum members were familiar with Hedlock from serving with him during a mission to from 1840 to 1841. Hedlock departed Nauvoo sometime within the next few months and arrived in England on 30 September 1843.
Three days after and other missionaries landed in , wrote the featured letter on behalf of himself and . In the letter, Ward and Clark informed the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that Hedlock had arrived in the city, explained their actions after receiving the quorum’s directive to cease all publications, suggested publishing material from the Times and Seasons for the benefit of members of the church in , and conveyed their thoughts on . At the conclusion of the letter, Clark added his signature to Ward’s. They mailed the letter to , who was JS’s private secretary and the clerk for the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The letter was postmarked in Liverpool and conveyed to via steamship. Though dockets indicate that it was eventually received in , there is no known response.
Footnotes
- [1]
“Notice,” Millennial Star, Feb. 1842, 2:155; Nameplate, Millennial Star, June 1842, 3:17; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 11 May 1843.
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.
- [2]
Hiram Clark, “Extract from Elder Hiram Clark’s Journal, and Address to the Saints in the British Islands,” Millennial Star, Feb. 1844, 4:145–147; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 14 June 1842; Parley P. Pratt and Thomas Ward, “Tithings for the Temple,” Millennial Star, Oct. 1842, 3:112.
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.
- [3]
Hiram Clark, “Extract from Elder Hiram Clark’s Journal, and Address to the Saints in the British Islands,” Millennial Star, Feb. 1844, 4:147–148.
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
- [4]
Snow served as a counselor only until he departed England with a group of British emigrants aboard the steamship Swanton on 17 January 1843. (“Emigration,” Millennial Star, May 1843, 4:14–15; see also Letter from Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark, 1 Mar. 1843.)
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
- [5]
Parley P. Pratt, “Farewell Address to Our Readers and Patrons,” Millennial Star, Oct. 1842, 3:110.
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
- [6]
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 21 Nov. 1842.
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.
- [7]
The 3 January 1843 letter from the Quorum of the Twelve, in which they instructed leaders in England to cease all publications, is not extant, but Ward and Clark’s 1 March reply acknowledged “the propriety of the measure you have taken, inasmuch as the Editorial department is one that might be much abused, and might in a measure be the means of injuring greatly if not separating from the Church, all the Branches in the British Isles.” The featured text suggests that church leaders preferred that all publications originate in Nauvoo, where JS could vet them prior to their distribution. (Letter from Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark, 1 Mar. 1843.)
- [8]
Letter from Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark, 1 Mar. 1843; see also Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 14 June 1842; and Woodruff, Journal, 14 June 1842.
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
- [9]
It appears that Ward resumed publication of the Millennial Star in July, when he printed the “May” and “June” 1843 issues of the paper. (“Editorial,” Millennial Star, May 1843, 4:13.)
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
- [10]
Historical Introduction to Letter from Reuben Hedlock, 4 Oct. 1843.
- [11]
JS, Journal, 21 Dec. 1842; Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 7 Nov. 1843.
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.
pound weight, the circulation of the Times and Seasons would be rendered impracticable, so as to benefit the generally. Beloved Brethren in making these suggestions we earnestly desire not to be thought as dictating, but merely suggesting what in sincerity before the Lord, we according to the knowledge we have believe to be for the good of the glorious cause with which we stand connected.
We sincerely feel for our beloved Brother , to whom was communicated your vote respecting <him> yesterday, we have a Ship in hand to sail on the 14th of this month, with which he will come out, to answer to anything that may be preferred against him. If we were to remark upon his character, we should say that to strangers his manners were very repulsive, but the more any one knows of him, the more they will love him. His principle failing we should [s]ay is a constitutional dilatoriness, and [illegible] want of punctuality, but that when he understands his duty, he will perform it, though it destroy him. This much we feel to say in his behalf, and earnestly pray that he may arise <and clear himself> from anything that at present obscures his character.
The condition of the churches in is much better than it has been, and the work is prospering generally, the number of members at the General in June last was about 8000 since which time, there has been in every direction a considerable increase, and with the labours of the brethren just arrived we anticipate an accelerated progress to the work.—
I <> long for the time, and shall rejoice when I can fulfil the vote of the Council respecting myself, and sincerely pray my heavenly Father to remove every obstacle and to may make my way plain before me— Waiting your orders, we remain faithfully yours in the bonds of Christ
. [p. [3]]
Source Note
Source Note
Document Transcript
Document Information
Document Information
Footnotes
Footnotes
- [8]
In the 1840s, periodicals and pamphlets mailed from the United States to Great Britain cost two cents postage with another charge upon arrival in Great Britain. Six pence was the minimum charge for periodicals weighing more than two ounces. (Collamer, “Postal Treaty between Great Britain and the United States,” 334.)
Collamer, Jacob. “Postal Treaty between Great Britain and the United States.” Hunt’s Merchants’ Magazine and Commercial Review 21, no. 3 (Sept. 1849): 331–334.
- [9]
The sailing ship Champion departed Liverpool on 21 October 1843 with Fielding and other British emigrants aboard, arriving in New Orleans on 6 December 1843. (Andrew Jenson, “Church Emigration,” Contributor, Oct. 1891, 441, 448; Orson Hyde, “Letter from Orson Hyde,” Millennial Star, Mar. 1844, 4:175.)
Contributor. Salt Lake City. 1879–1896.
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
- [10]
TEXT: “[Page damaged]ay”. Missing letter supplied from context.
- [11]
TEXT: Adhesive wafer residue obscures a character—perhaps the letter a—here.
- [12]
In October 1842, Parley P. Pratt estimated that Latter-day Saints in Europe numbered “near ten thousands, besides thousands who have emigrated to a distant land.” (Parley P. Pratt, “Farewell Address to Our Readers and Patrons,” Millennial Star, Oct. 1842, 3:109.)
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
Original signatures of Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark.