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Letter from Halsey Cook, 20 March 1843

Source Note

Halsey Cook

26 Mar. 1824–8 Mar. 1872. Manufacturer. Born at Red Hook, Dutchess Co., New York. Son of Palmer Cook and Mary (Polly) Halsey. Appointed to selection committee for second New York Assembly district of Dutchess Co., 1860. Died in Red Hook.

View Full Bio
, Letter,
Tivoli

Village on east side of Hudson River about 50 miles south of Albany. Population in 1840 about 300. Halsey Cook wrote to JS from village requesting copy of Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants and description of Nauvoo, Illinois, and its inhabitants, 20...

More Info
, Dutchess Co., NY, to JS,
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Hancock Co., IL, 20 Mar. 1843; handwriting and signature presumably of
Halsey Cook

26 Mar. 1824–8 Mar. 1872. Manufacturer. Born at Red Hook, Dutchess Co., New York. Son of Palmer Cook and Mary (Polly) Halsey. Appointed to selection committee for second New York Assembly district of Dutchess Co., 1860. Died in Red Hook.

View Full Bio
; two pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, postal notation, postal stamp, and dockets.
Bifolium measuring 10 × 8 inches (25 × 20 cm). Each page is ruled with twenty-seven horizontal blue lines. The letter was written in blue ink on the first leaf and addressed on the verso of the second leaf. The recto of the second leaf is blank. The letter was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, sealed with a red adhesive wafer, and postmarked. When the letter was opened, a hole was torn in the second leaf; some of the torn paper, including text, remains affixed to the wafer.
Willard Richards

24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...

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, who served as JS’s scribe from December 1841 until JS’s death in June 1844 and served as church historian from December 1842 until his own death in March 1854, docketed the letter.
1

JS, Journal, 13 Dec. 1841 and 21 Dec. 1842; Orson Spencer, “Death of Our Beloved Brother Willard Richards,” Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 16 Mar. 1854, [2].


Comprehensive Works Cited

Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.

Thomas Bullock

23 Dec. 1816–10 Feb. 1885. Farmer, excise officer, secretary, clerk. Born in Leek, Staffordshire, England. Son of Thomas Bullock and Mary Hall. Married Henrietta Rushton, 25 June 1838. Moved to Ardee, Co. Louth, Ireland, Nov. 1839; to Isle of Anglesey, Aug...

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, who served as JS’s scribe from 1843 to 1844 and as clerk to the church historian and recorder from 1845 to 1865, inscribed another docket.
2

Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 456, 458; Woodruff, Journal, 22 Jan. 1865.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.

Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

The document was listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) circa 1904.
3

“Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [2], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.


Comprehensive Works Cited

Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL).
4

See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection, 1827–1844, in the CHL catalog.


The document’s early dockets, its listing in a circa 1904 inventory, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 13 Dec. 1841 and 21 Dec. 1842; Orson Spencer, “Death of Our Beloved Brother Willard Richards,” Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 16 Mar. 1854, [2].

    Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.

  2. [2]

    Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 456, 458; Woodruff, Journal, 22 Jan. 1865.

    Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  3. [3]

    “Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [2], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

  4. [4]

    See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection, 1827–1844, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On 20 March 1843,
Halsey Cook

26 Mar. 1824–8 Mar. 1872. Manufacturer. Born at Red Hook, Dutchess Co., New York. Son of Palmer Cook and Mary (Polly) Halsey. Appointed to selection committee for second New York Assembly district of Dutchess Co., 1860. Died in Red Hook.

View Full Bio
wrote a letter from
Tivoli

Village on east side of Hudson River about 50 miles south of Albany. Population in 1840 about 300. Halsey Cook wrote to JS from village requesting copy of Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants and description of Nauvoo, Illinois, and its inhabitants, 20...

More Info
, New York, to JS in
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Illinois, inquiring about the
church

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

View Glossary
and the city of Nauvoo and requesting “a printed copy of your Revelation.” Cook was likely Jeremiah Halsey Cooke, who was born in Red Hook, New York, in 1824; little else is known about him. He apparently read about JS in newspapers, but he may have also encountered missionaries or other members of the church, since he was familiar with the church periodical Times and Seasons. Cook’s inquiries about Nauvoo were not unique; at least two other letters inquiring about the city and the church were written to JS in March 1843.
1

Letter from John McKee, 7 Mar. 1843; Letter from Garret Bias, 7 Mar. 1843.


Cook

26 Mar. 1824–8 Mar. 1872. Manufacturer. Born at Red Hook, Dutchess Co., New York. Son of Palmer Cook and Mary (Polly) Halsey. Appointed to selection committee for second New York Assembly district of Dutchess Co., 1860. Died in Red Hook.

View Full Bio
mailed the letter to JS from
Tivoli

Village on east side of Hudson River about 50 miles south of Albany. Population in 1840 about 300. Halsey Cook wrote to JS from village requesting copy of Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants and description of Nauvoo, Illinois, and its inhabitants, 20...

More Info
on 21 March. There is no known response from JS, but he apparently received the letter—probably sometime in early to mid-April—since his secretary
Willard Richards

24 June 1804–11 Mar. 1854. Teacher, lecturer, doctor, clerk, printer, editor, postmaster. Born at Hopkinton, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts. Son of Joseph Richards and Rhoda Howe. Moved to Richmond, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, 1813; to Chatham, Columbia Co...

View Full Bio
docketed it.
2

Mail generally traveled between New York and Nauvoo in two or three weeks. (See Letter from John M. Bernhisel, 12 July 1841; and Historical Introduction to Letter from James Arlington Bennet, 1 Sept. 1842.)


Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Letter from John McKee, 7 Mar. 1843; Letter from Garret Bias, 7 Mar. 1843.

  2. [2]

    Mail generally traveled between New York and Nauvoo in two or three weeks. (See Letter from John M. Bernhisel, 12 July 1841; and Historical Introduction to Letter from James Arlington Bennet, 1 Sept. 1842.)

Page [2]

and unchristian spirit, to the end that all may Know and Know rightly
Should the Revelation be to[o] volumineous for the mail you will please inform me if it may be had in this
State

Located in northeast region of U.S. Area settled by Dutch traders, 1620s; later governed by Britain, 1664–1776. Admitted to U.S. as state, 1788. Population in 1810 about 1,000,000; in 1820 about 1,400,000; in 1830 about 1,900,000; and in 1840 about 2,400,...

More Info
and whare
4

Since 1840, missionaries had requested new printings of the Doctrine and Covenants and other church publications so that they would be more widely available. Although work was done on stereotyping a new edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, a new edition was not published until 1844. (See Letter from Orson Hyde and John E. Page, 1 May 1840; Letter from Brigham Young, 7 May 1840; Woodruff, Journal, 1–4 Feb. 1843; and Historical Introduction to Doctrine and Covenants, 1844.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

You would gratify me much, by sending me occasionly a number of the Times and seasons
5

The Times and Seasons was the church’s newspaper, published twice a month in Nauvoo. (Crawley, Descriptive Bibliography, 1:91–96.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Crawley, Peter. A Descriptive Bibliography of the Mormon Church. 3 vols. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1997–2012.

Adress me
Tivoli

Village on east side of Hudson River about 50 miles south of Albany. Population in 1840 about 300. Halsey Cook wrote to JS from village requesting copy of Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants and description of Nauvoo, Illinois, and its inhabitants, 20...

More Info
, Duthes [Dutchess]— Co. N, Y,
Very respectfully
You obt sevrnt
Halsey Cook

26 Mar. 1824–8 Mar. 1872. Manufacturer. Born at Red Hook, Dutchess Co., New York. Son of Palmer Cook and Mary (Polly) Halsey. Appointed to selection committee for second New York Assembly district of Dutchess Co., 1860. Died in Red Hook.

View Full Bio
To the Rev. Joseph Smith [p. [2]]
View entire transcript

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Source Note

Document Transcript

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Halsey Cook, 20 March 1843
ID #
1017
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D12:81–83
Handwriting on This Page
  • Halsey Cook

Footnotes

  1. [4]

    Since 1840, missionaries had requested new printings of the Doctrine and Covenants and other church publications so that they would be more widely available. Although work was done on stereotyping a new edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, a new edition was not published until 1844. (See Letter from Orson Hyde and John E. Page, 1 May 1840; Letter from Brigham Young, 7 May 1840; Woodruff, Journal, 1–4 Feb. 1843; and Historical Introduction to Doctrine and Covenants, 1844.)

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  2. [5]

    The Times and Seasons was the church’s newspaper, published twice a month in Nauvoo. (Crawley, Descriptive Bibliography, 1:91–96.)

    Crawley, Peter. A Descriptive Bibliography of the Mormon Church. 3 vols. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1997–2012.

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