Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson County, Missouri, 25 June 1833
Source Note
JS, , , and , Letter, , Geauga Co., OH, to and Others, , Jackson Co., MO, 25 June 1833; sent copy; handwriting of and ; signatures of JS, , , , and ; three pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, postal markings, and docket.
Bifolium measuring 11 × 9 inches (28 × 22 cm) when folded. The letter was trifolded in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer. The letter included two enclosures: a “draft of the City of Zion with explanations” and a “draft of the house to be built immediately in for the .” After being delivered, the letter was refolded for filing, and added a filing notation: “Letter from J. S. S. R. F. G. | W. & M. H | June 1833”. The letter has undergone conservation.
This letter, along with other papers belonging to , was in possession of the Partridge family until at least the mid-1880s, sometime after which it came into the possession of the Church Historian’s Office.
See Whitney, “Aaronic Priesthood,” 5–6; Partridge, Genealogical Record, 1; and the full bibliographic entry for the Edward Partridge Papers in the CHL catalog.
Whitney, Orson F. “The Aaronic Priesthood.” Contributor, Apr. 1885, 241–250.
Partridge, Edward, Jr. Genealogical Record. 1878. CHL. MS 1271.
Historical Introduction
In the first six months of 1833, communication characterized by accusations and chastisement between church leaders in and those in transitioned to messages, such as the letter featured here, that aimed at conciliation and developing a spirit of “perfect harmony.” Correspondence from Missouri, including responses to JS’s letters of 21 April 1833 and 2 May 1833, in part prompted this letter, which addressed inquiries on diverse topics, including , the Book of Commandments, new in , Missouri, and the ’s operations and membership. This letter also included warnings against teaching false doctrine and responded to a question as to whether JS had yet obtained any of the lost books of the Bible.
The letter was part of a package, with two other documents enclosed with it: “a draft of the City of Zion with explanations, and a draft of the house to be built immediately in for the as well as all purposes of Religion and instruction.” This letter gave directions concerning these two other documents. The “house to be built immediately in Zion,” for instance, was to be similar to the that church leaders had begun constructing in , Ohio. It was one of the twenty-four houses of the Lord, or temples, planned to be built in , according to the explanations given in the two documents that accompanied this letter. This letter also advised church leaders that should they “not understand the explanations,” they should send any questions or concerns to leaders in Kirtland so that they “may have a propper understanding” of the city plat and the architectural plan of the House of the Lord. The drafting and sending of the documents in this package represent a significant moment in the articulation of the church presidency’s vision for the growing church in .
This letter and the two enclosed documents were postmarked in on 26 June 1833. By the time church leaders in received the package on 29 July 1833, violent confrontations with antagonistic county residents had already occurred. and immediately replied to this letter to inform the Kirtland leaders of the growing unrest. Such events prevented church leaders from following many of the directions given in this letter.
Though in the handwriting of and , the letter is written primarily in the first-person voice of , who was writing on behalf of the . The letter also contains a postscript from JS.
Brethren we have received your last containing a number of questions which you desire us to answer, this we do the more readily as we desire with all our hearts, the prosperity of and the peace of her inhabitents for we have as great an intrest in the welfare of Zion as you can have— First as respects getting the book of Commandments bound we think it is not necessary[.] they will be sold as well without binding and there is no book binder to be had as we know off, nor is there materials to be had for binding without keeping the books too long from circulation——
With regard to the books of Mormon which are in the hand of brothe[r] Burket we say to you get them from brothe[r] Burkeet give him receipt for them in the name of the littery Let pay bro Chapin his mony——
We have not found the book of Jasher nor any of the othe[r] lost books mentioned in the bible as yet nor wille we obtain obtain them at present— respecting the Apochraphy [Apocrypha] the Lord Said to us that there were many things in it which were true and ther were many things in it which were not true and to those who desired, it should be given by the spirit to know true from the false, we have received some revelations within a short time back which you will obtain in due time. As soon as we can get time, we will review the manuscripts of the Book of Mormon, after which they will be forwarded to you— We commend the plan highly of your choossing a teacher to instruct the that they may be able to silence gainsayers— Concerning we recommend the following, to let Bro be ordained second Bishop in . And let Bro be ordained third— Let choose as in their place, Bro and Bro , ordaining to the . Let choose for his counsellors Bro whom ordain to the High Priesthood and Bro — Let choose bro and Bro for his counsellors, let also be ordained to the high Priesthood— Bro of has been received as a member of the by and has just come to to live. As soon as we get a power of Agency signed agreeable to law for , we will forward it to him, and will immediately expect one from that part of the firm to Bro signed in the same manner. We would again say to to be sure to get a form according to law for secureing a gift, we have found by examineing the Law that a gift cannot be retained without this— The truth triumphs gloriously in the East, Multitudes are embraceing it. I who write this letter in behalf of the have had the privilege of seeing my aged Mother into the faith of the Gospel a few weeks since at the advanced age of seventy five, she now resides with me. We send by this mail a draft of the City of Zion with explanations, and a draft of the house to be built immediately in for the presidency as well as all purposes of Religion and instruction. , the of , is strengthening continually, when they [the?] enemies look at her, they wag their heads and march along. We anticipate the day when the enemies will have fled away and be far from us. You will remember that the power of agency must be signed by the wives as well as their husbands, and the wives must be examined separate & apart from the husband the same as signing a deed, and a specification to that effect inserted at the bottom by the Justice before whom said acknowledgement is made, otherwise the power will be of non[e] effect. of wants her paper discontinued because she has gone from the place, and she has turned from the faith. Send a paper to Joshua Baley Andover Vermont [p. [1]]
Possibly George Burket, or Bergat, who was among the church members driven from Jackson County a few months later. (See George Burket, Affidavit, Adams Co., IL, 13 May 1839, Mormon Redress Petitions, 1839–1845, CHL.)
Mormon Redress Petitions, 1839–1845. CHL. MS 2703.
“Bro Chapin” is possibly Adolphus Chapin, who in May 1835 was among those selected to receive “inheritances in Zion.” It is not known why or how much money Gilbert would have owed Chapin at this time. (Whitmer, History, 71–72.)
It is not clear to what extent early church members were interested in the book of Jasher, beyond what is offered in this letter. Two passages in the Old Testament refer to the book of Jasher, which was first translated into English by Moses Samuel, a Jewish scholar residing in Liverpool, England. In 1840, Samuel’s translation was published as Sefer ha-yashar, or, The Book of Jasher; Referred to in Joshua and Second Samuel in New York by Mordecai M. Noah & A. S. Gould. Mormons showed interest in the lost books of the Bible early in the church’s history. Of the latter part of 1830, JS’s history records, “Much conjecture and conversation frequently occurred among the saints, concerning the books mentioned and referred to, in various places in the old and new testaments, which were now no where to be found.” For more on Mormons’ views of lost and Apocryphal books of the Bible, see Historical Introduction to Revelation, 9 Mar. 1833 [D&C 91]. (Joshua 10:13; 2 Samuel 1:18; Wasserstein, “Moses Samuel,” 95; JS History, vol. A-1, 80; see also Brandt, “History, Content, and Latter-day Saint Use of the Book of Jasher,” 8, 14–15, 122–131.)
The presidency may have sent manuscripts of the Book of Mormon as part of their plan, expressed two months earlier, to print the Book of Mormon and the New Testament together. Alternatively, this portion of the letter could be related to William W. Phelps’s intent to publish the Book of Mormon serially in The Evening and the Morning Star so that “the world will have an opportunity to read for themselves.” (Letter to Church Leaders in Jackson Co., MO, 21 Apr. 1833; “The Book of Mormon,” The Evening and the Morning Star, June 1833, [2].)
The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.
This idea to hire an instructor may have stemmed from an injunction in a December 1832 revelation to “teach one another, the doctrines, of the kingdom,” which resulted in the creation of the School of the Prophets in Kirtland. This revelation may have also prompted the creation of a similar school in Missouri. At some point in summer 1833, church leaders in Missouri selected Parley P. Pratt to teach and lead a school, and on 2 August 1833, a revelation encouraged Pratt to continue to conduct that school. (Revelation, 27–28 Dec. 1832 [D&C 88:77]; Pratt, Autobiography, 99–100; Revelation, 2 Aug. 1833–A [D&C 97:3–6].)
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
For the prior two years, Isaac Morley and John Corrill had served as BishopEdward Partridge’s two official assistants, or counselors, in Jackson County. In December 1832, Morley and Corrill were assigned to “set in order the different Branches of the Church of Christ in the land of Zion.” The influx of church members arriving in Missouri may have prompted Partridge or other Missouri leaders to ask JS and the presidency how they were to govern the increasing population. According to Parley P. Pratt, in summer 1833, “immigration had poured into the County of Jackson in great numbers; and the Church in that county now numbered upwards of one thousand souls.” Corrill later wrote that instructions on how church members should prepare to resettle in Zion were disregarded in the rush to gather: “The rich were afraid to send up their money to purchase lands, and the poor crowded up in numbers, without having any places provided, contrary to the advice of the bishop and others.” Anticipating church members’ continued immigration to Missouri, church leaders stated in the postscript of the letter featured here that “when Zion is once properly regulated there will be a Bishop to each square,” referring to the squares on the plat map and in the explanation of the city of Zion plat, which accompanied this letter. (Minutes, ca. 3–4 June 1831; Minute Book 2, 3 Dec. 1832; Pratt, Autobiography, 99; Corrill, Brief History,19; Plat of the City of Zion, ca. Early June–25 June 1833.)
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
A “power of Agency,” or power of attorney, established a consensual relationship wherein one party granted another party authority to act on its behalf to deal with a third entity. A power of agency may have facilitated and created flexibility in making economic and land transactions between the two branches of the United Firm. (See De Pillis, “Development of Mormon Communitarianism,” 221.)
De Pillis, Mario S. “The Development of Mormon Communitarianism, 1826–1846.” PhD diss., Yale University, 1960.
Gideon Carter wrote to Missouri church leaders, stating, “The work is prospering in all the regions round about, especially east, much addition is made to several churches, and new ones are springing up. Brother Jared has been to Michigan and raised up three small ones.” Sylvester Smith likewise wrote: “It is about six weeks since I left Kirtland to take a mission to the east; since which time I have visited twelve churches, and passed three others, in coming to this place: all of which are nearly in the course from Kirtland to Chenango, New York: so grows, and so spreads the mighty work of the Lord. Some of said churches are composed of nearly one hundred members; and, in nearly all of them, the work is still going on. With some few exceptions, union prevails among them.” (“Progress of the Church of Christ,” The Evening and the Morning Star, July 1833, 108.)
The Evening and the Morning Star. Independence, MO, June 1832–July 1833; Kirtland, OH, Dec. 1833–Sept. 1834.
Nancy Gallaher Rigdon was actually seventy-four years old at this time. A former longstanding resident of the Pittsburgh area, she was born in 1759. A later history of Luke Johnson states that Johnson, while on a proselytizing mission with Sidney Rigdon, baptized Rigdon’s mother; Johnson stated, “We journeyed to Pittsburgh to the place where Sidney was born & raised, here we preached the Gospel to his relatives & I baptized his mother & his oldest brother & several others & organized a branch.” (“History of Luke Johnson,” [2], Historian’s Office, Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861, CHL.)
Historian’s Office. Histories of the Twelve, 1856–1858, 1861. CHL. CR 100 93.
It was standard legal practice at the time for both the husband and the wife to sign a deed transaction. For example, when JS and Emma Smith bought property from her parents, Isaac and Elizabeth Hale, both Isaac and Elizabeth signed the transaction in the presence of a local justice of the peace. Written on the bottom of the deed is testimony that Elizabeth Hale, “being of proper age & being examined Apart from her Said husband,” signed the deed “of her own free will & not from any fear” of her husband. (Deed from Isaac Hale and Elizabeth Hale, 25 Aug. 1830.)
Possibly Clarissa Nye Bachelor Blaisdell. (See Vital Records of Salisbury, Massachusetts, 20, 266; 1840 U.S. Census, Salisbury, Essex Co., MA, 297; Hyde, Journal, 30 July 1832; and Samuel Smith, Diary, 30 July 1832.)
Vital Records of Salisbury, Massachusetts, to the End of the Year 1849. Topsfield, MA: Topsfield Historical Society, 1915.
Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.
Hyde, William. Journal, ca. 1868–1873. CHL. MS 1549.
Smith, Samuel. Diary, Feb. 1832–May 1833. CHL. MS 4213.
Probably Joshua Bailey, father of Mary Bailey, who later married JS’s brother Samuel Smith. (See Geauga Co., OH, Probate Court, Marriage Records, 1806–1920, vol. C, p. 60, 13 Aug. 1834, microfilm 873,461, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)