| Mary teaches school. Satan is stirring up trouble in Kirtland §. Pray in the House of the Lord §. Filled with love of God §. To teach Dort children §. "Mob" captures Joseph and Sidney on their return from Canada and take them to Painesville for trial, but they manage to escape to Kirtland §. The wife of "a great opposer of our Church" (Wycom Clark) is killed in a carriage accident in fulfillment of prophecy §. "I fear for Kirtland" §. |
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| This letter may be the only account of Joseph and Sidney's August adventure fleeing from authorities/mob in the woods between Painesville and Kirtland. Susa Young Gates published the letter, with numerous errors, in the Relief Society Magazine 3, no. 3 (Mar. 1916): 123–140. Her changes are indicated in the column to the right of the text. Most notable is her substituting Brigham Young for Sidney Rigdon. |
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Kirtland [September 1,] 1837.
Mrs. Mercy R. Thompson
Care Wm. Lawes Churchville. |
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My dear Sister
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I have this day received
a very short note from you and am glad to learn by Brother [Almon W.] Babbitt that
you are well and comfortably situated. He tells me he is expecting soon
to return to Canada so that it is unnecessary for me to say much as he
can inform you of the state of things here verbaly better than I can by
writing. But still I can hardly refrain from sending a few lines. |
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Mercy had married Robert Thompson, also of Toronto. After Joseph married them in Kirtland, they returned to Upper
Canada as missionaries and were staying with old friends, William and Jane Law, who were also 1836 converts. |
| Teaching
school |
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I am now in a school which I took for one
month. The time expires tomorrow when I expect again to be at liberty or
without imployment, but I feel my mind pretty much at rest on that subject.
I have called upon the Lord for direction and trust He will open my way. |
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| Many
trials |
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I hope you will not fail to remember me at the
throan of grace. I have no doubt but you have many trials but I am inclined
to think you have not quite so much to endure as I have. |
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| Trust
the Lord |
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Be this as it may, the Lord knows what our sutiations [situations]
are and he will support us and give us grace and strength for the day
if we continue to put out trust in him and devote ourselves unreservedly
to his service. |
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intentions: sutiations in Susa's version. |
| Satan
rages in Kirtland |
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I do thank my heavenly Father for the comfort
and peace of mind I now enjoy in the midst of all the confusion and perplexity,
and rageing of the devil against the work of God in this place. For altho
there is a great number of faithful precious souls, yea the Salt of the
Earth is here, yet it may be truely called a place where Satan has his seat
he is frequently stering up some of the People to strife & conttention
and dissatisfaction with things they do not understand. |
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| Rebellion |
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I often have of late been led to look back
on the circumstances of Korah and his company when they roase up against Moses
and Aaron. If you turn to and read 16th Chap of Numbers you will there find the feelings
and conduct of many of the People and even the Elders of Israel in these
days exactly described whether the Lord will come out in a similar
way or not I cannot tell. I sometimes think it may be so but I pray God
to have mercy upon us all and preserve us from the power of the great enemy
who knows he has but a short time to work in. |
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[Korah] rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? [Num. 16:1–3] |
Parrish
creating trouble
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We have had a terible stir with Wn Parrish
the particulars of which I cannot here give you at length. We are not yet
able to tell where it will end. |
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Warren Parrish
The Kirtland high council met in May to try Warren and others for conduct "injurious to the Church of God in which they are
high officers,"" but failed on procedural grounds. Meeting of May 29, 1837 |
| Mary anxious |
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I have been made to tremble and quake before
the Lord and to call upon him with all my heart almost day and night as
many others have done of late. |
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| Prayers in the House of the Lord |
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I believe the voice of prayer has sounded
in the House of the Lord some days from morning till night and it has
been by these means that we have hitherto prevaild and it is by this means
only that I for one expect to prevaile. |
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| Suffering perfects |
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I feel more & more convinced that it is through
suffering that we are to be made perfect and I have already found it [to]
have the effect of driveing me nearer to the Lord and so suffering has become
a great blessing to me. |
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| God
is gracious |
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I have sometimes of late been so filled with
the love of God and felt such a sense of his favour as has made me rejoice
abundantly indeed my Heavenly Father has been very gracious unto me both
temperally and spiritualy. |
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a sense: essence in Susa's version |
| Work
for Dort family |
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Since I commenced this Letter a kind Sister
has proposed my going to stay for a while with her to take charge of 2
or 3 children who have been in my School they propose giving something
besides my board & I think this will suit me better than a publick School
if it is but little. I expect to go there in a day or too and hope to be
quite comfortable as I know the family to be on the Lords side. The Mother
is a Cousin of Brother Josephs and took care of him when a child. Their
name is Dort. |
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David Dort married Mary Mack, Lucy Mack Smith's sister, on June 2, 1813. They were baptized when Lucy, Hyrum, Almira Mack (daughter of Lucy's deceased brother, Stephen Mack), Lyman Wight, and other missionaries visited them in Detroit in the early summer of 1831. |
Isabella
Walton and sister Snider
Joseph and Sidney |
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I felt much pleased to see Sisters Walton and
Snider who arrived here on Saturday about noon haveing left Brothers Joseph
S[mith] and Rigdon about 20 miles from Fareport to evade the Mobbers. |
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Rigdon: Brigham in Susa's version
Sidney Rigdon |
| Failed
to return from Fairport |
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They were to come home in Dr Avards
carriage and expected to arrive about 10 O clock at night but to their
great disappointment they were prevented in a most geavous manner. |
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Seized
by mob and taken to Painsville
Escaped |
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They had got within 4 miles of home after
a very fatueging journey, much pleased with their visit to Canada & greatly
antissipateing the pleasure of seeing their homes and familys when they
were surrounded with a Mob and taken back to Painsvill[e] and secured as
was supposed in a Tavern where they intended to hold a mock trial but
to the disappointment of the wretches the Housekeeper was a Member
of the Church who assisted our beloved Brethren in making their escape,
but as Br J S says not by a Basket let down through
a Window but by the Kitchin Door. No doubt the hand of the Lord was in
it or it could not have been effected. |
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| Dark,
wet night |
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The day had been extremely wet and the night
was unusually dark and you may try if you can [to] conceive what the situation
was. They hardly knew which way to stere as it had by that time got to be
about ten O clock. |
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stere: start |
| Swamp |
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The first step they took was to find
the Woods as quick as possible where they thought they should be safe
but in order [to reach] thereto they had to lie down in a swamp or by an old log
just w[h]ere they happened to be |
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| Joseph
and Brigham pledge to each other |
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so determinately were they pursued by their mad
enemys in every direction sometimes so closely that Br
J was obliged to entreat Bro Rigdon after his exertion in running while lying by a log to breath
more softly if he meant to escape. When they would run or walk they took
each other by the hand and covenanted to live and die together. |
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Rigdon: Brigham
after his exertion in running while lying by a log omitted |
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Owing to the darkness of the night their persuers
had to carry lighted torches which was one means of the escape of our beloved
sufferers as they could see them in every direction while they were climing
over fences or travling through bush or cane fields untill about 12 O clock |
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| Return
fatigued |
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when after traveling as they suppose in this manner
5 or 6 miles they found the road which led homeward and saw no more
of their persuers. After traveling on foot along muddy sliperry roads till
near 3 in the morning they arrived safe at home about f[a]inting with
fatuage [fatigue]. |
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| Joseph
spoke in the Temple on Sunday |
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He Br J told us that
he decread in his heart when first taken that he would see home before Sun rise
and thank God it was so and notwithstanding all he had to endure he appeared
in the House of the Lord throughout the Sabath in excelent spirits spoak
in a very powerful manner and blessed the Congregation in the name of the
Lord and I do assure you the Saints felt the blessing and left the House
rejoiceing abundently returning their blessing upon him. |
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decread: knew |
| Sidney
Rigdon injured |
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Brother Rigdon through his great weariness
and a small hurt received from a fall did not attend the House but is
now well. |
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Rigdon retained |
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I suppose all these things will only add another
gem to their Crown. |
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I did not think of takeing up so much room relating
these circumstances but I have been as brief as possible. |
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| Detractor's
wife killed in accident |
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I must now give you an account of
[a very] affecting event which took place in Kirtland Sunday before last.
You will of course remember a Mr. [Wycom] Clark a Miller who has been a great
opposer of our Church as he and his Wife with some of their Children and
other Friends were returning from the Prespeteran Meeting House in a
very nice carrage about one minuit after they passed the House of the
Lord their Horses took fright and started off the side of the hill, overthrew the Carrage and
hurt Mr C and one child considerably but Mrs. C so seriously as to prove fatal. She was burryd on the Wednessday
following. She has left 6 weeping Children and a mourning Husband indeed
on the day preceeding the accedent she was heard to speak very unfavourabley
of our Church but is now gone to prove whether it is the Church of Christ
or not. I greatly desire that the visitation may be sanctified to the Family. |
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Prespeteran: Presbyterian Methodist
overthrew the Carrage omitted
Mr C and one child considerably but omitted |
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had spurned Joseph's warning of God's retribution |
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I believe it is not quite a year since Bro J S told Mr. C that the curse of God would be upon him for
his conduct towards him and the Church. You may remember that our People
wished to purchese his place but he would not sell it on any reasonable
terms and therefore kept it and has been a trouble in the place but has
prospered in buisness so much as to say he never prospered better and told
a person some time ago that he was ready for another of Joseph Smiths Curses.
I feel inclind to think he will never be heard to utter such words again. |
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| Warning
to all who oppose the Prophet |
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May the Lord forgive and save him and
all others who raise their hand against the Lords anointed for I see more
clearly than ever that this is no trifling sin in the sight of God. No
it is as great as it was in any age of the world. I sincerely wish that
all the members of the Church had a proper sense of their duty and privilege
in this respect. |
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members: preachers |
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I expect to hear from you soon and also from
England. I hope I shall not be disappo[int]ed. |
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Better
remain in Canada
Unemployment |
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Tell [me] if you and Brother Thom[p]son have any idea
of coming to Kirtland this fall if the Field of labour remains open there
and unless a change should take place in the state of affairs here for the
better I should not advise it however much I might [like] to see you here are course [scores?] of Men are out of employ even in the summer and how it will
be in the winter I cannot tell but I fear for Kirtland. O that we as
a people may be faithful for this is our only hope and all we have to
depend on |
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Thom[p]son: Thomas |
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Give my kind love to Brother Thompson
and all other Friends particularly
Brother & Sis Law. I thank them for their kindness to you. I thank
Brother Thompson for his last kind letter and I should be pleased with [a]nother.
I remain your very affectinate Sister |
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Law: Laws |
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M. F. |
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1837
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