Show OF JOSEPH SMITH SMITE MARCH 1838 FAR fait WEST march 1838 to the presidency of the church of jesus christ of latter day daiy saints iii in kirtland dear dad arid well beloved brethren through the grace and mercy of our jud aud after a ion laug 0 and tedious journey of two months and one ona day JL I and my family arrived safe in the city ot of par far west having having D been met at huntsville I 1 miles from the place by my brethren with teams and money to forward us lis on our journey when within 8 miles of the city of far west we were met by an escort of brethren from the city viz thomas ab B marsh john corrill elias higbee and several others of the faithful of the veat who received ived us with open arras arms and warm hearts and welcomed us to elie bosom of their society on our arrival in the city we were greeted on every hand by by the saints who bid us welcome to the land of their inheritance i dear brethren you may be assured that so 80 friendly a meeting and reception paid us well for our oar long ions seven years of servitude persecution and affliction in ia the midst f our enemies in the land of kirtland yea verily our hearts heans were full fall and we feel grateful to almighty gott god for his kindness unto us the particulars it ar s of 0 our ur journey brethren cannot well be written but we trust that the same bod who has protected us will protect you jou also and will sooner or later b grant grant us the privilege of seeing beino each other face to face anit ana of rehearsing in 0 al all I 1 our sufferings s we have heard oi of the 0 a destruction of the printing office which we presume to believe must mast have been occasioned by the parrish party or more properly the aristocrats or Anar chies the saints here have provi provided aided a room for us and daily necessaries which are brought in from all parts of the country to make us comfortable so that I 1 have nothing to do but to attend to my spiritual concerns or the spiritual affairs of the church the difficulties of the church had been adjusted before my arrival here by a judicious high council with thomas B marsh and david W patten who acted as presidents pro tem tempore ore of the church of zion being 0 appointed by the voice of the council church william Yi lliam W phelps an dJohn whitmer having been out cut off from the cli church david whitmer re 1 ma ining ining a as yet the saints at this time are in uni union on and peace yand and love prevails throughout 0 in a word heaven smiles upon the saints in Oal caldwell dwell various and many have been the falsehoods written from thence to this place but have availed not nothing bino Z we have no uneasiness about the power of yur dur enemies in this place todo to do us harm brother broiher samuel H I 1 smith and family arrived here soon after we did in good health brothers brigham young daniel S miles and levi richards arrived here when we did they were with as on the last of our journey which ended endea much to our satisfaction they also are well they have provided places for their families and are now about to break the ground for seed having been under the hands of wicked and vexatious law suits for seven years past my business was so der deranged angea that I 1 was notable not able to leave it in so good a situation as I 1 had bad anticipated but if there are any wrongs wrongs a they shall all be noticed so far as the lord gives me ability and power to do so say to all the brethren that I 1 have not for forgotten forgoston 0 gotton them but remember them in my prayers say to mother beaman that I 1 remember her also brother daniel cartler Cart fer bro strong and family bro granger and family I 1 finally 1 cannot enumerate them all for want of room will just name brother knight tile the bishop ac my best respects to them all and I 1 commend them and the church ot of sod god in kirt land jand to our heavenly father and the word of his his grace which is able to make you wise unto salvation salvi tion I 1 would just say to brother marks that I 1 saw in a vision while on the road that whereas he was closely pursued by an in innumerable concourse of enemies and as E they h ey pressed upon him hard as if they were about to devour him and had seemingly obtained some degree of advantage over him but about this time a chariot of fire came and near the place even the angel of the lord put forth his hand unto bro marks and said unto him thou art my son come here and immediately he was wap caught up in in the chariot and rode away triumphantly oat af pf of their midst and again the lord said I 1 will raise thee up for a blessing unto many people now the particulars of this is whole matter cannot be written at this time but the vision was evident evidently lv given to md that I 1 might know thattie hand of the lord would be on his ie behalf balf I 1 transmit to you yon the motto of odthe the charch of jesus jem christ of latter day saints saint g we left president rigdon 30 miles this side of paris illinois in consequence of the sickness of bro geo W robinsons wife on yesterday bro robinson arrived here who iu i formed for medus us that his father in law S risdon rigdon was at huntsville detained on account of the ill health of his wife they will probably be liere here soon choice seeds of all kinds of fruit also cho choice ice breed of cattle would he be in much demand and best blood of horses garden seeds of every description and hay bay seeds of all sorts are much needed in this place very respectfully I 1 myself your servant in christ our lord and savior JOSEPH SMITH junior 1 president of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints the work continued to prosper in england and elders richards and russell having previously been called to preston to prepare for america a general conference was held in the temperance hall cock pit preston on sun day april ast 1st for the purpose of setting in order the churches brother joseph fielding I 1 was chosen president over the whole church in in eng england gland and willard richards richard and william clayton were chosen his counselors and were ordained to the presidency and high priesthood this was the first notice elder richards had bad given him that he should continue in eno england land at this conference eight elders were or ordained among whom was thomas webster and several priests teachers and deacons about abou t forty 0 r y were ere confirmed confirm pd who had previously been b baptized ati d about sixty children were blessed and twenty baRti baptized zed that dy day conference co continued without intermission from ra ta 9 a m to 5 p m about 50 official members m abers met in council in the evening president I 1 rigdon arrived at far west with his family wednesday april ath having had a tedious journey and his family having suffered many afflictions far west april ath 1838 agreeably to a reso resolution ution passed by the high co council acil of zion march 3rd ard 1838 the saints in missouri assembled in this place to celebrate the anniversary niver sary of the church of jesus christ of latter day dav saints and to transact church business joseph jos eph Smith junior and sidney rigdon presiding the meeting was opened by singing pray by david W patten after which Pret president ident joseph smith junior read the order of the day as follows doors will be opened at 9 a I 1 in and the meeting will com commence menee by singing and prayer A sexton will then be appointed I 1 for a door keeper and other services in in the house of the lord two historians will then be appointed to write and keep the church history hi 3 I 1 also a meral general G recorder to keep the records of the whole church and to be the clerk of the first presidency and a clerk will be appointed for the high council and to keep the church records orthis of this stake three presidents I 1 will be appointed to preside over this I 1 church of zion after which an address will be delivered by the presidency then a intermission ariter of one ane hour when the meeting will again convene and open by singing and prayer the sacrament will then be administered and the blessing of infants tits attended to the meeting then proceeded to business george morey was appointed sexton and dimick huntington huntingdon assistant john corill and elias higbee dist historians georze georee W robinson general church recorder and berk clerk to the first presidency eben ebenezer C zer R robinson obin 8 on church clerk and recorder for far west and clerk of the high I 1 council thomas B marsh president pro tempore of the church in zion and brigham young and david W patten his assistant presidents after one hours adjournment meeting abrain again 11 opened by david W patten the bread and wine were administered and ninety five infants were blessed I 1 JOSEPH SMITH junior president E ROBINSON clerk Aane agreeable able to a resolution of the high council coonc 11 march 3rd ard 1838 1638 the general e authorities of the church met to hold t the ge first quarterly conference of thu tho of litter day saints at far west vest on cheth of april 1838 1938 presidents joseph smith junior sidney rigdon 11 T B marsh D W pitten patten and B young took the stand after which the several quorums qu the high council the high priests the seventies the elders the bishop the priests teachers rea chers and deacons were ve organized reorganized by their presidents president joseph smith junior made some soma remar kb also gave some instruction st tiow respecting Z the order ot of the day after singing prayer by B young and singing ing again president smith then addressed tite the e congregation I 1 at considerable length followed by president rigdon adjourned 20 minutes opened as usual by D W patten who also made some remarks respecting the twelve apostles he spoke of T B marsh brigham young g heber 0 kimball orson hyde parley P P pratt and orson pratt as being men of god whom he could recommend wl with t h cheer falness ful ness and confide confidence he spoke somewhat doubtful of william smith from something he had heard respecting his laich faith in in the work he also spoke poke of Willi wilham arn E mcclellin Mc Lellin luke johnson lyman johnson and john F boynton as being men whom he could not recommend to the Oon conference ference president Pies ident john murdock represented the i high council the report was favorable favo the seats of ef E lisha H groves calvin babee and lyman wight were vacant in in consequence of their having moved to so far away they could not attend the council thom thomis is B mar sh nominated jarad gaiter carter to fill the seat of elisha H groves G rov es john P green that of calvin bebee and geor george a ye IV harris that of lyman wight which nominations were severally and un unanimously nani sanctioned george W harris hams was ordained ord lined hio high h priest on motion conference adjourned to the ath 9 a m sunday april esth 9 a in conference convened coave aed opened as usual prayer by brigham young bouno C president J smith junior junio made a few remarks respecting th the kirtland Ki rlland bank who was followed by bab B young who gave a short history of his travels to massachusetts and new york president charles 0 rich represented his quorum of high priests and read their names the principle part were in in good standing presidents daniel S miles and levi hancock re presented the seventies the quorum of elders was represented by their president harvey green numbering in in good st standing andino 0 president joseph smith made a few re remarks m arks on the word of wisdom giang div ng the reason of its coming forth saying it should be observed ad adjourned burned for one horn hoar U conference conference convened ao to ad adjournment ourn and opened as usual i after which BI ishop bishop partridge pai andge represented his council and the lesser priesthood and wide mide a report of receipts and expenditure of church chuich funds which had passed through his hands bands it was then motioned seconded and carried that the first presidency be appointed to sign the licenses of the official members of the church conference adjourned until the first friday in in july next nest JOSEPH SMITH junior president E ROBINSON clerk from the to the ath presidents kimball and H hyde y de visited the churches a short distance from preston and on the ath attended meeting ii in the cock cockpit pit after preaching by elder richards they boro bore their farewell testimony to the truth off the work after they had closed and elder russell was speaking the enemy I 1 severed the gas pipes which lighted the house and overwhelmed the assembly in darkness in an instant the damage was soon repaired and the design of breaking up the meeting frustrated the following letter was sent to john whitmer in in consequence of his wi tholdie 9 the records of the church in the city of far west when called for by the clerk aa mr J whitmer sir we were desirous of honoring you by giving publicity to your notes on the history of the church of latter day saints after making such corrections as we thought a would be necessary knowing your incompetency as a historian Historia ri and that writings tinos 1 00 coming ming from your pen could not be put to press without our correcting anem or else the church 0 o must suffer reproach indeed sir we never supposed you capable of writing a bistor history y but were willing to let it come out oat under your name notwithstanding it would really not be yours but ours oars we are still willing to honor you if you can be made to know your own interest ip terest and arid give up your notes so that they can he be corrected and made fit for the press but if not we have till all the latex materials bals i for another which we shall commence this week to write your humble servants JOSEPH SMITH junior SIDNEY RIGDON I 1 presidents of the whole church of latter day saints attest E ROBINSON clerk tuesday 12 noon elders kimball and hyde left preston on coach for liverpool wednesday alth elder seymour bronson preferred thi the following charges against oliver cowdery to the high council at par far west to the bishop I 1 and council of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints I 1 prefer the following charges against oliver cowdery lor perse persecuting cating the brethren by urging a on vexatious law suits against them and thus distressing the innocent 2nd and for seeking to destroy the character of president joseph smith junior by falsely insinuation g that he was guilty of adal adultery iery ac 3rd ard fo for r treating the church with contempt by not attending meeting eth for virtually denying the faith by declaring ad that he would not be gove governed r tied by any ecclesiastical anthory au thory nor revelation re whatever in n his temporal affairs I 1 ath for selling his lands in jackson county contrary to the revelations ath for writing and sending an insulting letter to president thomas B marsh while on the high council attending to the duties of his office as aa president of the council and by insulting the high council with the contents of said retter letter ath for leaving his calling in which god had appointed him by revelation for the sake of filthy lucre and turning to the practice of law ath for disgracing m the church by being connected in th tho boo bogus 0 a s business as comm common 0 a report says says ath for di dishonestly y r retaining eta ining notes after aate r they have been paid and d finally for leaving or to forsaking the CAUSO cause of god and returning to the beggarly elements of the world and neglecting his high and holy calling ac according draing 0 to his bis profession the bishop and high council assembled at the bi bishops shops office april irth 1838 after the organization of the council the above charges of the I 1 alth ith dinst were read also a letter from 0 cowdery as will be found recorded in the church record of the city of far book A the 2nd |