Letter to Isaac Galland, 11 September 1839

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Letter to Isaac Galland, 11 September 1839
Source Note

JS, Letter,
Commerce
Located near middle of western boundary of state, bordering Mississippi River. European Americans settled area, 1820s. From bank of river, several feet above high-water mark, ground described as nearly level for six or seven blocks before gradually sloping...
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, Hancock Co., IL, to
Isaac Galland
15 May 1791–27 Sept. 1858. Merchant, postmaster, land speculator, doctor. Born at Somerset Co., Pennsylvania. Son of Matthew Galland and Hannah Fenno. Married first Nancy Harris, 22 Mar. 1811, in Madison Co., Ohio. Married second Margaret Knight, by 1816....
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,
Kirtland Township
Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...
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, Geauga Co., OH, 11 Sept. 1839. Featured version copied [between 11 Sept. and 3 Nov. 1839] in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 71–73; handwriting of
James Mulholland
1804–3 Nov. 1839. Born in Ireland. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Married Sarah Scott, 8 Feb. 1838/1839, at Far West, Caldwell Co., Missouri. Engaged in clerical work for JS, 1838, at Far West. Ordained a seventy, 28 Dec. 1838....
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; JS Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS Letterbook 2.

Historical Introduction
On 11 September 1839, JS wrote to
Isaac Galland
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in response to a letter Galland had written from Chillicothe, Ohio, on 24 July 1839.
1
Letter from Isaac Galland, 24 July 1839.
In late April, Galland had sold church leaders his home in
Commerce
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, Illinois, as well as extensive acreage in the
Half-Breed Tract
Tract consisted of 119,000 acres located in southeastern Iowa between Des Moines and Mississippi rivers. In 1824, U.S. Congress set aside tract for offspring of American Indian mothers and white fathers. Subsequent act passed, 1834, relinquishing Congress...
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in
Iowa Territory
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803. First permanent white settlements established, ca. 1833. Organized as territory, 1838, containing all of present-day Iowa, much of present-day Minnesota, and parts of North and South Dakota. Population in...
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.
2
Hancock Co., IL, Deed Records, 1817–1917, vol. 12-G, p. 247, 30 Apr. 1839, microfilm 954,195, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Cook, “Isaac Galland,” 270–276.
Comprehensive Works Cited
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
Cook, Lyndon W. “Isaac Galland—Mormon Benefactor.” BYU Studies 19 (Spring 1979): 261–284.
Galland was
baptized
An ordinance in which an individual is immersed in water for the remission of sins. The Book of Mormon explained that those with necessary authority were to baptize individuals who had repented of their sins. Baptized individuals also received the gift of...
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by JS in Commerce and
ordained
The conferral of power and authority; to appoint, decree, or set apart. Church members, primarily adults, were ordained to ecclesiastical offices and other responsibilities by the laying on of hands by those with the proper authority. Ordinations to priesthood...
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to the office of
elder
A male leader in the church generally; an ecclesiastical and priesthood office or one holding that office; a proselytizing missionary. The Book of Mormon explained that elders ordained priests and teachers and administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto...
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on 3 July 1839, and he departed for
Ohio
French explored and claimed area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut...
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the next day.
3
JS, Journal, 3 July 1839; Cook, “Isaac Galland,” 276; Isaac Galland, Chillicothe, OH, to Samuel Swasey, North Haverhill, NH, 22 July 1839, CCLA.
Galland, Isaac. Letter, Chillicothe, OH, to Samuel Swasey, North Haverhill, NH, 22 July 1839. CCLA.
Having sold their home in
Illinois
Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...
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, Galland and his family were temporarily living in Chillicothe.
4
Isaac Galland, Chillicothe, OH, to Samuel Swasey, North Haverhill, NH, 22 July 1839, CCLA.

In his 24 July letter,
Galland
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informed JS that he had informally proselytized during the journey to
Ohio
French explored and claimed area, 1669. British took possession following French and Indian War, 1763. Ceded to U.S., 1783. First permanent white settlement established, 1788. Northeastern portion maintained as part of Connecticut, 1786, and called Connecticut...
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. He devoted most of the letter to recounting conversations with fellow boat passenger and former
United States
North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...
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senator Arnold Naudain, to whom Galland sold a copy of the Book of Mormon, and with Chillicothe resident Dr. Benjamin Owen Carpenter, with whom Galland debated repeatedly about theology.
5
Letter from Isaac Galland, 24 July 1839; Bennett, History of Ross County, Ohio, 204.
Bennett, Henry Holcomb, ed. The County of Ross: A History of Ross County, Ohio, from the Earliest Days, with Special Chapters on the Bench and Bar, Medical Profession, Educational Department, Industry and Agriculture, and Biographical Sketches. Madison, WI: Selwyn A. Brant, 1902.
JS responded to Galland’s detailed report of his philosophical conversations with Carpenter by noting the simplicity of the gospel and warning of the fate of those who, like Galland’s interlocutors, were prideful in their interpretation of gospel principles. JS also described the growth of the
church
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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and of the
Commerce
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area in the two months since Galland’s departure. JS sent his response to
Kirtland
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rather than to Chillicothe because Galland had concluded his letter by saying he expected the following week to “set out for
Akron
Post town located about thirty-five miles southeast of Cleveland. Laid out, by 1825. Population in 1830 about 350; in 1836 about 1,600; and in 1840 about 1,700. Located at intersection of Ohio Canal and Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal. First branch of Church ...
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and Kirtland” and would later return to Chillicothe.
6

JS’s scribe
James Mulholland
1804–3 Nov. 1839. Born in Ireland. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Married Sarah Scott, 8 Feb. 1838/1839, at Far West, Caldwell Co., Missouri. Engaged in clerical work for JS, 1838, at Far West. Ordained a seventy, 28 Dec. 1838....
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copied the letter into JS Letterbook 2 sometime between 11 September 1839 and Mulholland’s death less than two months later on 3 November.
7
“Obituary,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:32.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
If
Galland
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sent a response, no such letter has been located.
Footnotes
[1]
[2]
Hancock Co., IL, Deed Records, 1817–1917, vol. 12-G, p. 247, 30 Apr. 1839, microfilm 954,195, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Cook, “Isaac Galland,” 270–276.
U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.
[3]
JS, Journal, 3 July 1839; Cook, “Isaac Galland,” 276; Isaac Galland, Chillicothe, OH, to Samuel Swasey, North Haverhill, NH, 22 July 1839, CCLA.
[4]
Isaac Galland, Chillicothe, OH, to Samuel Swasey, North Haverhill, NH, 22 July 1839, CCLA.
[5]
Letter from Isaac Galland, 24 July 1839; Bennett, History of Ross County, Ohio, 204.
Bennett, Henry Holcomb, ed. The County of Ross: A History of Ross County, Ohio, from the Earliest Days, with Special Chapters on the Bench and Bar, Medical Profession, Educational Department, Industry and Agriculture, and Biographical Sketches. Madison, WI: Selwyn A. Brant, 1902.
[6]
[7]
“Obituary,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:32.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Letter to Isaac Galland, 11 September 1839 Letterbook 2 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”
Page 73
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wanting.
17
See Daniel 5:27.
——

With all possible good wishes and prayers for the temporal and eternal salvation of yourself and <your> family—as well as of all the honest in heart over the face of the earth— we remain Sir with sincerity— Your friends and brethren.——

Joseph Smith Jr

Isaac Galland
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Esqr

Kirtland
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Geauga Co—— Ohio [p. 73]
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Source Note
Document Transcript
Page 73
Document Information
Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to Isaac Galland, 11 September 1839
ID #
482
Total Pages
3
Print Volume Location
JSP, D7:8–12
Handwriting on This Page
James Mulholland
Footnotes
[17]
See Daniel 5:27.