| Joseph writes W. W. Phelps in Independence. Sends
warm greetings. Imagines he is frustrated by difficulties encountered in
getting inheritances settled for immigrants. Answers Phelps' questions (D&C
85). If Joseph is right, those who aren't careful will fail to attain their
desires while the obedient will be exalted over earthly kingdoms. Prayer
that Joseph and William will some day experience the wisdom of eternity
and be delivered from the limitations of an imperfet language. |
| The letter is a copy of the original. It is the first letter in Joseph's letterbook,
beginning in the hand of Frederick G. Williams, but ending in Joseph's handwriting. |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Letter first |
|
Letterbook-1, 1–4. |
|
|
Kirtland Nov 27th 1832 |
|
|
Warm
greetings
Desire to communicate |
|
Brother Wm Phelps I say brother because I feel so from the
heart and altho it is not long since I wrote a letter unto you yet I feel
as tho you would excuse me for writing this as I have many things which
I wish to communicate some things which I will mention in this letter which
are laying <great> with weight upon my mind |
|
|
Family
well
Regards
|
|
I inform you that I am well and family God grant that you
may enjoy the same and yours and all the brethren and sisters who remember
to enquire afte[r] the commandments of the Lord and the weffare of Zion
in order to keep the commandments of God and such a being as me |
|
|
| Imagine W. W. is
thinking |
|
and while I dictate this letter I fancy to myself that you are saying
or thinking something simmiler to these words |
|
|
God, why inheritance problems?
They came obediently
|
|
my God great and mighty art thou therefore shew unto thy servant what
shall becom of all these who are assaying to come up unto Zion in order
to keep the commandments of God and yet recive not ther inhertance by consecration
by order or deed from the bishop the man that God has appointed in a legal
way agreeable to the law given to organize and regulate the church and all
the affairs of the same; |
|
|
Confidence
in William
Feelings of my heart
|
|
Bro Wm In the love of God having the most implicit confidence
in you as a man of God having obtained this confidence by a vision of heaven
therefore I will proceed to unfold to you some of the feelings of my heart
and procede to answer the question[s] |
|
|
| Duties of clerk/recorder |
|
firstly, it is
the duty of the lord['s] clerk whom he has appointed to keep a hystory and a
general church receord of all things that transpire in Zion and of all those
who consecrate properties and receive inheritances legally from the bishop |
|
Beginning of the section that became D&C 85. |
| |
|
and also there manner of life and the faith and
works and also of all the apostates who apostatize
after receiving their inhertances legally from the
bishop and also there manner of life and the faith and works and also of
all the apostate who apostatize after receiving the[i]r inhertances |
|
|
| Record works, also apostates |
|
[2] … secondly it is conterary to the will and commandment of God that those who receive
not the[ir] inheritance by consecration agreeable to his law which he has
given that he may tithe his people to prepare them against the day of vengence
and burning should have there names enrolled with the people of God, |
|
|
| Cross off those who don't consecrate |
|
neithe[r] is the geneology to be kept or to be had
where it may be found on any of the reccords or hystory of the church |
|
|
Don't track their genealogy
Expunge their names |
|
there names shall not be found neithe[r] the names
of their fathers or the names of the children writen in the book of the
Law of God saith [3] the Lord of Hosts |
|
|
| Still small voice makes bones rattle |
|
yea thus saith the Still Small voice which whispereth
through and pierceth all things and often times it maketh my bones to quake
while it maketh manifest saying |
|
|
One mighty and strong
To set inheritances and genealogies in order |
|
and it shall come to pass that I
the Lord God will send one mighty and Strong holding the sceptre of power
in his hand clothed with light for a covering whose mouth Shall ut utter
words Eternal words while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth to Set
in order the house of God and to arange by lot the inheritance of the Saints
whose names are found and the names of their fathers and of their Children
enroled in the Book of the Law of God |
|
|
| [Edward Partridge] tries to steady the ark |
|
while that man who was called of God and appointed
that puteth forth his hand to Steady the ark of God shall fall by the Shaft
of death like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning |
|
|
| Consecrate or
be counted with unbelievers |
|
and all they who are not found writen in the
book of remmemberence Shall find none inheritence in that day but they shall
be cut assunder and their portion shall be appointed them among unbelievers
where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth |
|
|
| |
|
these things I say not of myself therefore as
the Lord speaketh he will also fulfill |
|
|
| Even priesthood holders |
|
and they who are of the high Priesthood
whose names are not found writen in the book of the Law or that are found
to have appostitized or to have been cut off out of the Church as well as
the lesser Priesthood or the members in that day Shall not find an inheritence
among the Saints of the most high |
|
|
| |
|
therefore it shall be done unto
them as unto the children of the Priest as you will find recorded in the
Second chapter and Sixty first and second verses of Ezra … |
|
|
If
I am right, men should be careful or fall
|
|
[3] … now Broth- William if what I say have Said is
true how careful then had men aught to be what they do in the last days
lest they are cut assunder short of their expectations and they that think
[they] Stand should fall because they keep not the Lords commandments |
|
Joseph begins writing on
page 3. |
Obedient rejoice
Be exalted over kingdoms of the earth |
|
whilst you who do the will of the Lord and keep his commandments have
need to rejoice with unspeakable Joy for such shall be exalted very high
and shall be lifted up in tri [4] triumph above all the kingdoms of this
world |
|
|
| Must drop subject |
|
but I must drop this subject at the beginning |
|
|
| When will William and Joseph together behold
eternity |
|
Oh Lord when will the time come when Brothe William thy Servent and myself
sha behold the day that we may stand together and gase upon Eternal wisdom
engraven upon the hevens while the magesty of our God holdeth up the dark
curtain <until> we may read the round of Eternity to the fullness
and satisfaction of our immortal Souls |
|
|
| Deliver us from imperfect
language |
|
Oh Lord God deliver us in thy due time from the little narrow
prison almost as it were total darkness of paper pen and ink and a crooked
broken scattered and imperfect language |
|
|
| EMS subscribers |
|
I would inform you that I have obtained subscribers for the
Star … |
|
|
|
|
William W Phelps / Joseph Smith Jr.
|
|
|
|
|
W. W. Phelps
Joseph Smith to W. W. Phelps, July 31, 1832
|