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Letter from Parley P. Pratt, 4 December 1841

Source Note

, Letter, , Lancashire, England, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, 4 Dec. 1841; handwriting of ; four pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, dockets, and notation.
Bifolium measuring 8⅞ × 7¼ inches (23 × 18 cm). All four pages are inscribed, although space was left in the middle of the fourth page for addressing. The bifolium was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with two small red adhesive wafers. The second leaf was torn when the letter was opened, and the recto of the first leaf and verso of the second leaf contain wafer residue. The document was later refolded for filing.
The document was docketed by , who served as scribe to JS from 1842 to 1844 and as recorder from 1842 to 1846. Another docket was inscribed by , who served as a clerk in the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) from 1853 to 1859. The notation “copied by A.J.” was apparently added by a clerk or secretary for Andrew Jenson, who served as assistant church historian from 1897 to 1941. The document was listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office circa 1904. By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early dockets and notation as well as its inclusion in the circa 1904 inventory and in the JS Collection by 1973 indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 29 June 1842; “Clayton, William,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:718; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 18, 30–31.

    Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.

    Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, ca. 1845. CHL. MS 3365.

  2. [2]

    “Obituary of Leo Hawkins,” Millennial Star, 30 July 1859, 21:496–497.

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  3. [3]

    Bitton and Arrington, Mormons and Their Historians, 48–55.

    Bitton, David, and Leonard J. Arrington. Mormons and Their Historians. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1988.

  4. [4]

    “Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [1], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

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

  5. [5]

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

Historical Introduction

On 4 December 1841 wrote JS from , England, seeking counsel and updating JS on the progress and struggles of the in . Pratt had been in England fulfilling a mission with other members of the intermittently since 6 April 1840. By summer 1841 his fellow apostles had departed England, with heading for the Netherlands and , , , , , , and sailing to the . Parley Pratt remained in England to supervise the mission work and other aspects of the church there, including its publishing efforts.
also assisted with the emigration of British Saints to the . In a letter to the apostles dated 15 December 1840, JS encouraged wealthy converts to come to , Illinois, ahead of the poor Saints so that the wealthy could establish businesses and factories to employ the poor who would follow. The apostles promoted this plan in a proclamation they issued in April 1841, warning that wealthy converts should not “expend all their means in helping others to emigrate, and thus all arrive in a new country empty handed.” By December 1841 Pratt had decided that JS’s plan was not feasible because of ’s widespread poverty and the generally destitute condition of the church’s members there. In his 4 December 1841 letter, featured here, Pratt informed JS that the Saints in England could not follow his plan but that, in alignment with the apostles’ proclamation, he could increase the flow of emigration “by humbling the rich and exalting the poor”—that is, by pooling the limited funds of the Saints in England.
Funding the British Saints’ emigration was not the only financial issue facing the church. A 15 January 1841 proclamation and a 19 January 1841 revelation urged the faithful to contribute financially and through other means to the construction of a in . The July 1841 issue of the church periodical Times and Seasons suggested that “if the saints abroad, with their wealth,” would contribute as much as the impoverished Saints in Nauvoo did, a year would not pass before the temple was completed. In response, on 24 October 1841 wrote a letter assuring JS of the British Saints’ desire to support the temple. Pratt explained that he had arranged for approximately $60 donated by church members to be sent to the , and he pledged with , a church member in , to send $1,000 over the course of the year. In the 4 December letter, Pratt referred to the British Saints’ continued poverty but assured JS that he and Fielding would continue to send money when able. Pratt also asked six questions—on topics such as emigration, missionary work outside of England, and the redemption of —and requested that JS answer them swiftly.
The lack of postal markings suggests that this letter was hand delivered rather than mailed. JS apparently received the letter in . JS responded to on 12 June 1842 but did not answer Pratt’s questions.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Letter from Heber C. Kimball, 9 July 1840. With his mission in England extended and having learned that his family was ill, in mid-1840 Pratt sailed to New York and escorted his wife, children, and sister-in-law across the Atlantic to be with him during the remainder of his mission. (Pratt, Autobiography, 342–343; Woodruff, Journal, 7 July 1840.)

    Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.

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

  2. [2]

    Woodruff, Journal, 20 Apr. 1841; Letter from Orson Hyde, 17 July 1841.

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

  3. [3]

    “An Epistle of the Twelve,” Millennial Star, Apr. 1841, 1:311.

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  4. [4]

    Proclamation, 15 Jan. 1841; Revelation, 19 Jan. 1841 [D&C 124:26–27].

  5. [5]

    “The Temple of the Lord,” Times and Seasons, 1 July 1841, 2:455.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  6. [6]

    Letter from Parley P. Pratt, 24 Oct. 1841.

  7. [7]

    Hyrum Smith and JS, Nauvoo, IL, to Parley P. Pratt, Liverpool, England, 12 June 1842, CHL.

Page [3]

The is generally in union, and increasing in Confidence, and in Numbers; but it makes but slow progress because of the lying spirit Which every where prevails, and the and false doctrines Which are like a flood around us. Discussions, Contentions, Lectures, Sermons, play Cards, tracts, Books, Papers pamphlets. etc, etc, are flooding the in Great numbe[r]s, all containing Little else than Lies and foolishness of the grossest kind against the cause of truth. There is now a monthly periodical of a large size Bublished jointly against us, and the Socialests, and Chartists.
in short, it is wearysome to notice the multitude of Evle [evil] and Lying publications, much more to answer, or Reply to them: We therefore pass them in silence With few ecceptions, and the Lord answers them in his own time, and in his own way, [hole in paper] Bringing them to Naught and by doing his own work.
The wickedness and folly of the priests and their followers is incredible; it is beyond every thing, language cannot tell it. And I feel as though it must come to an end soon, very soon, and the servants of God be Delivered, and this yoak broken off from their necks; I am really impatient I cannot bear with them much longer, the spirit which is in me cries; come out in Judgement spedily O, God, and cause their Wickedness and falsehood to cease, and let the cause of truth triumph and thy Saints Rejoice. Why, should thy servants be wasted a way and their lives cease from the earth or their time gone, till Old age come upon them While the wicked still bear Rule, and the cause of truth is in Reproach. How long O, Lord— How Long!
Dear Br, Do enquire of the Lord how long we must must see the [p. [3]]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Parley P. Pratt, 4 December 1841
ID #
719
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D9:9–15
Handwriting on This Page
  • Parley P. Pratt

Footnotes

  1. [14]

    Pratt was referring to the Anti-Socialist Gazette, and Christian Advocate. (See Advertisement, Bristol Times and Bath Advocate, 30 Oct. 1841, [3].)

    Bristol Times and Bath Advocate. Bristol, England. 1839–1882.

  2. [15]

    The Saints did not attempt to respond to each of the church’s critics; however, as editor of the Millennial Star, Pratt had responded to representative publications. There is a noticeable absence of responses to critical publications after July 1841. (See, for example, “Reply to the Athenaeum,” Millennial Star, May 1841, 2:1–5; “Reply to the Preston Chronicle,” Millennial Star, July 1841, 2:42–43; and “Reply to Mr. J. B. Rollo’s ‘Mormonism Exposed,’” Millennial Star, July 1841, 2:43–48.)

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  3. [16]

    See Isaiah 10:27.

  4. [17]

    See Proverbs 29:2.

  5. [18]

    See Revelation 6:10.

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