Show I 1 copyright secured Sec urail HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH y k 11 AUGUST 1842 aug 19 c ft tuesday 16 wrote as follows 71 7 nauvoo august 16 1842 1841 cydear My dear emma I 1 embrace this tui ity to express to you some of my feelings this morning first of all I 1 take the liberty to tender you my sincere thanks for the two interesting and aud con cou consoling olang visits that you have made me during my almost exiled situation cannot exe express ress tess tile the gratitude of my heart for the warm and true hearted friendship you have manifested iu ill these thess things toward me tile the time lime lias has passed awley away since you left me ine very agreeably thus far my mind being perfectly reconciled to my fate let it be what it may I 1 have been kept from froin milan melancholy choly and und dumps by the kind klud heartedness of brother derby and his interesting chitchat chit chat from tinie time to time which has called my mind from the thee more strong contemplation of things thing s and suh sub subjects j acts that would have preyed more earnestly ears u upon poti my feelings last night brother hyrum miller law and others ca came inie to see us they seemed much agitated and expressed some fear fears a in ill consequence of some and some flying reports which winch they had heard ill iu relation to our safety but alter aher relating what it was a as I 1 was able to comprehend the whole matter to my entire satisfaction and did not feel at all alarmed or uneasy they think however that the militia awill will be callebout calle dout to search the city and if this should be tile the case I 1 would bo be much safer for the time being at a little littie dis distance talice off until governor carlin could get weary and be made ashamed of his corrupt and ed proceedings I 1 had supposed however that if there w were wre re any serious operations taken by the 06 governor that judge ralston or brother if ollister hollister would have notified us and cannot believe that any thing very serious is is to be apprehended until we obtain information from a source that can call be relied upon I 1 have consulted whether it is best for you to go to quincy and see the ilie governor but on oil the whole he lie is a fool and the impressions that are suggested to my mind are that it will be of no use and the more we notice him and flatter him tile the more eager he will be for our destruction you may write to 0 o film whatever you see proper but to go and see sec him I 1 do not give my consent at present brother miller again suggested to me the propriety of my accompanying him to t the pine woods wood s and then lie he return and you and the tha 1 children my mind will eternally revolt at every suggestion of that hat kind more especially since the dream and vision that was manifested to me oli oil the last night my safety id is with you if you want to have it so any thing more or teas lean man nan this cometh of evil my aly feelings and couns counsel I 1 I 1 think ought to be abided if lf 1 go to aitho the lla lle iia pil pine h e co country mitry you shall go along with into me and tile the children aud and if you and the children go jnet ith me I 1 dont go I 1 do not wish to exile myself for the tile sake saka of my own life I 1 would rather fight it out it is for your sakes therefore that I 1 would do such a thing I 1 vill will go with you then in th the same carriage ca ri ge and on horseback from tune time to time as occa occasion sion siou may require for I 1 am not willing to trust you ill in the hands of iose those lose who catinat cannot feel the tho same bame interest for or you that tha 1 t I 1 feel feet to be subject to the caprice temptations or notions ot of anybody whatever and I 1 auit say I 1 am prepossessed somewhat with the notion of going to the pine country aily ally any how holy for I 1 am am tired of the mean low and unhallowed vulgarity f ity its of some portions of the society in which we live and atad I 1 think if I 1 could have a respite of about six months with my family it would be a savor of elfe life unto life with my house nevertheless if it were possible I 1 would like to live here her e in in peace and wind up my business but it it it should be ascertained to a dead certainty that there ia is no other ocher remedy then we will round up our shoulders and cheerfully endure it and aud thi thit will bo be the tha plan let my horse saddle saddle bags and valise to put some shirts and clot ciot clothing himy bluy lei iti be sent to me let brothers derby and iii lii sillier ill take a horse and put it into my bugy buggy with a trunk containing my heavier clothes cloth cioth ts shoes oboes boots ac and let brother taylor accompany us to his fathers and there we will lii ill tarry taking every wery precaution to keep out of the hands hanas of tile the ememrt until you yoa can arrive with ith OR til children let brother bring vou you ou let lorin and brother clayton chayton come along and bring all the writings aud and papers books and histories for we shall bhail want a scribe in order that we may pour upon the tile world the truth like the lava from mount ve bavius then let all the goods roods household furniture it clothes and tore store goods that can be procured be tie put on the tha hoi boat bottand tand and let t twenty we rit lit or thirty writhe best beat men that we call can find be anton put on board lo 10 man ity itt it and let them meet us at prairie du chien and from rom thence wa will wili ill lil wend our wey way ilke like larks up the tho mississippi until the towering and rocks shall remind us of tile the places of oar our nativity nat icily and shall ithell look like safety and aud home and then thon we will bli defiance to the world to carlin carlia boggs bennett Ben uett nett and all their whorish wheres whores and clan that follow in thear wake missouri not excepted field and until the damnation ochell of hell bell rolls upon theal by tho the voice roice and dread thunders and trump of the eternal god I 1 ihen then in that day will we not shout in the victory and be crowned with eternal joys for the battles we have fought having kept the tile faith falth and overcome the world I 1 tell the children it is well with their thor father as yet and that lie he remains ill in fervent prayer to almighty gr gid d for the safety of amsell hros elt ell and for you and for them tell mother smith that it shall be well wi with I 1 ii her son oil orl whether in lit life or in death for thus sult suit saith ll 11 the lord god tell her that I 1 remember her lier all the while w hile hiie as well as lucy and all the rest hey they all must be of good cheer tell hyrum to be sure and not fail fall to carry out my my instructions but at tile the same time if the militia does not come and we should get any favorable information all ail may be well yet yours youra in haste your affectionate husband until death through gli lii all e eternity sern tern ity for evermore JOSEPH SMITH PS I 1 want you to write to lorenzo D wasson on and get him to make muke affidavit to all he knows I 1 about bennett and forward it I 1 also want you to ascertain from hyrum whether he will con jorni forni to what I 1 have requested and you must write me roe an ail answer per bearer giving me tile ail the news you have and what is tile the appearance of things this morning J S 1 I 1 I 1 also wrote general law as follows 1 head quarters nauvoo legion august angust 16 1842 5 major general law beloved brother and friend those few lew lines which I 1 received from you written on the were to me like apples i of gold ia in pictures of or silver I 1 rejoice with ex exi 1 great joy to be associated in lit the tile agh and i responsible stations which we hold whose mind and feelings and heart are so congenial with my own I 1 love that soul that is so nobly in that clay of yours may god goi go 1 almighty I 1 grant that it may be satiated with seeing a fulfill fulfil ment of ever every y virtuous and manly desire that you possess may we be able ahle to triumph gloriously over those who seek our destruction and overthrow which I 1 believe we shall the news you wrote me was mr more mere re favorable than that which wits was communicated by the brethren they seemed a little agitated for my bacety and tind advised me for the pine woods but I 1 succeeded admirably in ill calming all their fears but nevertheless as I 1 said in ill my former letter I 1 was illing milling to exile myself for lor months ard years if it would be for the welfare and safety barety of the people do not it be as for me to take a trip to the fine pine countries and remain until arrangements call can be made for my most perfect galety gaiety when I 1 returned these are there lore lo 10 conier conler with you on oil this subject as I 1 want to have u concert of action in every thing I 1 do if I 1 kumb that tI they lei lej would oppress me alone and let the rest of yoa dwell pece peaceably ably und and quietly I 1 think it would be the wisest pian plan to absent myself lo 10 ra a little season if by that means we could prevent the effusion of blood please write and lve give ive me our mind on that subject and all alil other information that has come to haud hand today today to day ald what are the signs of tile the times limes I 1 have hive no news meas for I 1 am where I 1 cannot get much muck ull till is s quiet and peaceable around I 1 therefore there foie wait walt with witti ernest earnest expectation for your advices advises ad vices I 1 am anxious to know your opinion on oil any course that I 1 may see proper to take for in fit the multitude of counsel there is safety safely I 1 add ii no 0 more but subscribe myself your faithful and most obedient servant friend and brother JOSEPH SMITH general odthe of the nauvo nauvoo legion of illinois militia the foregoing letters were delivered to brother derby who no proceeded immediately to the tile city I 1 brother derby has taken the greatest interest in my ydo woo ire lre and I 1 feel ferl to bless him blessed i in is brother ej elastus astus II 11 derby arid and he shall bo be bless 1 ed of the lord he possesses a sober mind aid a faithful heart the snares therefore that are subsequent to beeall befall other men raen who are treacherous ous oas I 1 and rotten hearted lie be arted shall not come nigh unto ills his doors but shall be far from the path ol 01 his feet ile he loveth wisdom and idl idi fc hallbe allbe found possessed other let there be a crown of glory and a diadem upon his us head let the light of eternal truth shine forth upon his understandings let his name be hid had bid in lit everlasting remembrance let the blessings of jehovah be crowned upon his bis posterity after him for lie he rendered me ina consolation in the lonely places of my retreat how flow good lood and glorious it hits lits seemed unto me to ld and pure and holy fri friends erds who are faith feith faithful ful fui just and true and w whose hose hearts fail fall not and whose knees are confirmed and do not falter whilo wilile les bes mey ley wait upon the L lord ord in administering to my necessities in the day when the wrath of mine enemies was I 1 poured out upon me i I 1 in the name came of the lord I 1 feel in mv my heart to bless them and to say in tim the name of jesus jeus christ of nazareth that these are the ones that shall inherit eternal life I 1 say it by virtue virtus of the holy priesthood aud alid by the ministering of holy angels and by the gift and power of the holy noly ghost liow how were my feelings when A hen I 1 met that faithful and aud friendly band on the night of tile the eleventh on thursday Thim dax day on the tile island at the mouth of the tle dough slough between and I 1 nauvoo With what hat bat unspeakable delight and what 1 transports of joy swelled my bosom when I 1 took by tile the hand on that night my m y beloved emma she that was my wife wire even th the e w wife ife of my iny youth and the choice of my heart diany many were the re te vibrations of my mind when I 1 contemplated for fir a moment the many scenes we had been called to pass the fi fatigues and the toils tile sorrows and sufferings and the joys and consolations from time lime to time which had strewed our paths and cro crowned wred our board oil what a commingling com mingling of thought filled forthe for the moment again he ii here even in ill the tha seventh trouble undaunted daun dann ted firm and unwavering unchangeable 1 affectionate afat emma there was brother hyrum who next took me by the hand hard a natural brother thought I 1 to myself brother hyrum what a faithful heart you have got oil oh may the eternal Jeh jehovah ovals crown eternal blessings upon your head as a reward for the cire care you have had for my soul 0 how many are the sorrows we have shared together and again we find ourselves shackled with the tile unrelenting hand of oppression hyrum thy name nume shall be written in the book of the tile law of the lord for those who wiio come after thee to look upon that they may pattern after thy works said I 1 to myself here is bother b other newel K whitney also how many scenes of sorrow have strewed our paths together arld and yet we meet once more to share a abdiu I 1 thou art a faithful friend iu fa whom the acted sons sous of men can call confide with mith tile the most perfect safety let the blessings of the eternal also be crowned upon his elieud how flow warm that heart how anxious that soul for the welfare of one who wiio has been cast out and fluted hated of almost all men brother whitney thou not how strong those ties bire are that bind my soul and heart to thee my heart was overjoyed us I 1 took the faithful band by hand that stood upon pon the he shore one by one william law william clayton CI ayton din Dif dimick flick 13 huntington george georga miller mider were there the tile above names constituted the little group I 1 do not think to mention the particulars of the history of that sacred night which shall for ever be remembered by me but the names of tile tha faithful are what I 1 wish to record in ill this place puce these I 1 llave have met iu ill prosperity and they were my my friends I 1 now how meet them in ill adversity and arid they are still my wanner warmer friends these love the god that I 1 serve they love the truths chati that I 1 dilge they loe those virtuous and those ho holy y al doctrines lles ties that I 1 cherish in my bosom with tile hie warmest feelings of my heart and with that zeal which h eh cannot I 1 love friendship and truth 1 love virtue and law I 1 love the god of abraham of isaac a and iid aid of jacob and they are my br brethren ethrell and ald aid I 1 shall live and because I 1 live they shall live also these are not the iha only ones who have administered to my necessity whom the lord will bless there is brother john D parker and brother armasa ammasa lyman and brother wilson law lav and brother henry G sherwood my heart feels to reciprocate tile tiie unwearied kindnesses kind nesses been bestowed upon me by these men 7 they hev hey are men of noble stature slature sa ture oi 01 noble nohle handstand hand sand of noble deeds possessing noble boble and daring and gamt hearts antl anil souls there is brother joseph B nobles also I 1 would call up in remembrance belore the lord there is brother sanel 11 II smith a natural brother he lie is even as hyrum there is brother arthur milikin also who married my youngest estl estt aster lucy ha he I 1 is a faithful an honest and an upright mail man white while I 1 call up ill remembrance before the lord these men I 1 would be doing injustice to those who rowed me in lit the skiff up the river that night after I 1 parted with will the lovely group who brought me to this my safe are eird aird lonely and private retreat brother jonathan Jonat han hah dunham and the other whose name 1 do not know blai alai many y were the thoughts |