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Letter from Oliver Olney, 31 October 1842

Source Note

, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to JS, [, Hancock Co., IL], 31 Oct. 1842; handwriting of ; two pages; Oliver H. Olney, Papers, Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
Single leaf, measuring 12⅛ × 7¼ inches (31 × 18 cm). The pages are ruled with thirty-three printed lines. The upper right corner of the recto was folded down, apparently after the first leaf had been inscribed.
The featured version is either a draft or a copy of the letter that was retained by . Upon Olney’s death in 1845, the letter may have been passed down among his descendants along with his other papers. In 1949 Olney’s papers were acquired by Eberstadt & Sons Auction House. Sometime in the next three years, the document was purchased by William Robertson Coe. By 1952 Coe had donated the letter to Yale University as part of the William Robertson Coe Collection.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Walker, Dale Morgan on Early Mormonism, 175–176.

    Walker, John Phillip, ed. Dale Morgan on Early Mormonism: Correspondence and a New History. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1986.

  2. [2]

    Withington, Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Collection of Western Americana, 200.

    Withington, Mary C., comp. A Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Collection of Western Americana Founded by William Robertson Coe, Yale University Library. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1952.

Historical Introduction

On 31 October 1842, wrote a letter in , Illinois, to JS to convey his feelings regarding JS and the . Olney had been a member of the church since at least 1836, when he was designated president of the in , Ohio. During March 1842, brought charges against Olney before the Nauvoo accusing him of “improper conduct” and “setting himself up as a prophet & revelator in the Church.” In personal writings from this period, Olney recounted visions and visitations from individuals he considered to be divine messengers, including a council of twelve men he called the “Antient of Days.” Despite Olney’s denial of guilt, the high council unanimously sustained the charges and determined “that the hand of fellowship be withdrawn from him.” The succeeding issue of the Times and Seasons explained that Olney was disfellowshipped because he professed to have revelations and “would not have his writings tested by the word of God.”
After being disfellowshipped, remained in and was determined to correct the errors that he saw in the Latter-day Saint community, such as dishonesty and a lack of care for the poor, and to build a new kingdom of God. In a 1 July letter to church leadership, Olney vowed to “publish against” JS and the church. Writing on JS’s behalf, invited Olney to meet with JS and the Nauvoo high council on 17 July 1842. JS was unable to attend the meeting, but Olney recorded that he met with the rest of the the , and the high council. Olney left the meeting convinced that the leaders were “determined in their ways.”
After the 17 July meeting, decided to leave , but he remained in the city for several weeks, recording his observations of events in the city, including attempts by lawmen to arrest and extradite JS. He remained in Nauvoo until August, when he traveled intermittently throughout Illinois, always returning to Nauvoo to observe community events. On 7 October, the Sangamo Journal published a mid-September letter from Olney affirming the veracity of 's letters and denouncing the Latter-day Saints.
On 31 October, the day he wrote this letter to JS, noted that he was in “to meet in Council With the Antient of Days,” at which time he seems to have planned to establish his own church. Four days later, he convert as a and leader within his new sect. Olney, therefore, seems to have written this letter in connection with his efforts to establish his own church. In the letter, which addressed JS as church president, Olney defended his actions of the previous months and his refusal to follow the Latter-day Saint leadership. He accused the leaders of having abused him and vowed to defend himself through the press, making vague threats to publish articles regarding the lascivious behavior of church members.
It is unclear whether JS actually received a copy of this letter from . The featured version is apparently either a draft or a copy that was retained by Olney. It is possible that Olney wrote and retained copies of letters that were never actually forwarded to JS. If, however, Olney did send copies of these letters to JS, they are likely now not extant. If Olney did send the letter, JS presumably received it on or shortly after 31 October 1842. There is no known reply.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Minutes, 15 Jan. 1836.

  2. [2]

    John C. Bennett, Charges Preferred against Oliver Olney, 11 Mar. 1842, Nauvoo Stake High Council Papers, CHL; Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 17 Mar. 1842, 40.

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Papers, 1839–1844. CHL.

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, ca. 1839–ca. 1843. Fair copy. In Oliver Cowdery, Diary, Jan.–Mar. 1836. CHL.

  3. [3]

    Letter from Oliver Olney, 15 or 16 July 1842; see also Oliver Olney, Note, Nauvoo, IL, 9 June 1842; Oliver Olney, Notebook, June–July 1842, entry for 19 June 1842, Oliver H. Olney, Papers, microfilm, CHL.

    Olney, Oliver. Papers, 1842–1843. Microfilm. CHL. Original at Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

  4. [4]

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 17 Mar. 1842, 40.

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, ca. 1839–ca. 1843. Fair copy. In Oliver Cowdery, Diary, Jan.–Mar. 1836. CHL.

  5. [5]

    “Try the Spirits,” Times and Seasons, 1 Apr. 1842, 3:748.

  6. [6]

    See Oliver Olney, Notebook, Apr.–Aug. 1842, Jan. 1843, entry for 6 Apr. 1842; Oliver Olney, Notebook, June–July 1842, entries for 9–11 June 1842, Oliver H. Olney, Papers, microfilm, CHL.

    Olney, Oliver. Papers, 1842–1843. Microfilm. CHL. Original at Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

  7. [7]

    Oliver Olney, Nauvoo, IL, to “the Authorities of the Church of Latter Day Saints,” 1 July 1842, Oliver H. Olney, Papers, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

  8. [8]

    Letter to Oliver Olney, 15 July 1842.

  9. [9]

    JS, Journal, 17 July 1842; Oliver Olney, Notebook, Apr.–Aug. 1842, Jan. 1843, entry for 20 July 1842, Oliver H. Olney, Papers, microfilm, CHL.

    Olney, Oliver. Papers, 1842–1843. Microfilm. CHL. Original at Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

  10. [10]

    Oliver Olney, Nauvoo, IL, to “the Authoritys of the Church of Latter day Saints,” 22 July 1842, Oliver H. Olney, Papers, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT; see also Oliver Olney, Notebook, July–Sept. 1842, entries for 11, 13, and 19 Aug. 1842, Oliver H. Olney, Papers, microfilm, CHL.

    Olney, Oliver. Papers, 1842–1843. Microfilm. CHL. Original at Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

  11. [11]

    See Oliver Olney, Notebook, July–Sept. 1842, entries for 19–20 and 27 Aug. 1842; 4 Sept. 1842, Oliver H. Olney, Papers, microfilm, CHL.

    Olney, Oliver. Papers, 1842–1843. Microfilm. CHL. Original at Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

  12. [12]

    “A Communication from Another Seceding Mormon,” Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 7 Oct. 1842, [1].

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

  13. [13]

    Oliver Olney, Notebook, June–Nov. 1842, entry for 31 Oct. 1842, Oliver H. Olney, Papers, microfilm, CHL.

    Olney, Oliver. Papers, 1842–1843. Microfilm. CHL. Original at Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

  14. [14]

    Oliver Olney, Notes, June–Nov. 1842, entry for 4 Nov. 1842, Oliver H. Olney, Papers, microfilm, CHL.

    Olney, Oliver. Papers, 1842–1843. Microfilm. CHL. Original at Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

  15. [15]

    See Letter from Oliver Olney, 15 or 16 July 1842.

Page [2]

That I am all But many move in accordance As is directed by the wisdom and Council of God I look at my self and the Connection that I formerly had with the I claim no standing with them Alth[ough] my mind is the same as was when I moved with them in accordance I have my reasons for doing as I have don[e] As I feel that I have ben shamfully abused by many I will say I have herd but a little from you But hardly a word from you has set schores [scores] a barking That I have suffered from the yelping of a dirty mess of pettish pups That I do not feel in duty bound to bear But I have bourne it untill I will not do it much longer I will defend myself in a manly way Threw the medium of the press as from your hand in that way I have sufferd by being published to the fore quarters of the Earth
I am not Ignorant of things that have transpired look back at the daims such as Laciveousness for All—and many doings That is abominable The Heathen would blush at it That is now supposed to be savored up But the most of it is pend to be published That will speak of doings that has ben To many in the dark [8 lines blank] [p. [2]]
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Source Note

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Oliver Olney, 31 October 1842
ID #
3083
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D11:191–194
Handwriting on This Page
  • Oliver Olney

Footnotes

  1. [4]

    JS was not present at either of the meetings in which Oliver Olney’s case was considered. William Clayton sent at least one letter to Olney on JS’s behalf. (See Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, 17 Mar. 1842, 40; JS, Journal, 17 July 1842; and Letter to Oliver Olney, 15 July 1842.)

    Nauvoo Stake High Council Minutes, ca. 1839–ca. 1843. Fair copy. In Oliver Cowdery, Diary, Jan.–Mar. 1836. CHL.

  2. [5]

    In an editorial published in the church newspaper in April 1842, JS briefly mentioned Oliver Olney, listing him with Isaac Russell, Gladden Bishop, and others who “had written revelations” and had tried to take over leadership of the church. (“Try the Spirits,” Times and Seasons, 1 Apr. 1842, 3:747.)

  3. [6]

    TEXT: Possibly “pukes”. Oliver Olney used this dog analogy on other occasions. In July 1842, he stated that he knew of “dogs that often does bark. They are barking or scowling Or making a fus.” In January 1843, he applied it specifically to the Latter-day Saints. He wrote that the Bible only mentioned polygamy as being “amongst those of a degraded set Like a set that is around me Of Greedy barking dogs That often bite And mangle the wounded That is on all sides.” (Oliver Olney, Notebook, May–July 1842, entry for 7 July 1842; Oliver Olney, Notebook, Apr.–Aug. 1842, Jan. 1843, entry for 1 Jan. 1843, Oliver H. Olney, Papers, microfilm, CHL.)

    Olney, Oliver. Papers, 1842–1843. Microfilm. CHL. Original at Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

  4. [7]

    At this time, Oliver Olney was writing a manuscript that he published as The Absurdities of Mormonism Portrayed in March 1843. (Oliver Olney, Notebook, Apr.–Aug. 1842, Jan. 1843, entries for 20 July and 17 Aug. 1842, Oliver H. Olney, Papers, microfilm, CHL; Olney, Absurdities of Mormonism Portrayed, title page.)

    Olney, Oliver. Papers, 1842–1843. Microfilm. CHL. Original at Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

    Olney, Oliver H. The Absurdities of Mormonism Portrayed. Hancock Co., IL: By the author, 1843.

  5. [8]

    In his writings, Oliver Olney consistently denounced the practice of polygamy by JS and other Latter-day Saints. On 4 August 1842, he wrote of the community, “I hear of their works being many such as Lacieveousness Fornication and Adultery Poligemy or Certin ones haveing a plurality of wifes.” He recorded a similar statement on 1 September 1842. (Oliver Olney, Notebook, July–Sept. 1842, entries for 4 Aug. and 1 Sept. 1842, Oliver H. Olney, Papers, microfilm, CHL.)

    Olney, Oliver. Papers, 1842–1843. Microfilm. CHL. Original at Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, New Haven, CT.

  6. [9]

    TEXT: Possibly “covered”.

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