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Letter from Reuben Hedlock, 16–17 October 1843

Source Note

, Letter, , Lancashire, England, to , the (including JS), and , , Hancock Co., IL, 16–17 Oct. 1843; handwriting and signature of ; eight pages; Brigham Young Office Files, CHL. Includes address, notation, and docket.
Two bifolia folded together to make a gathering of four leaves measuring 9¾ × 7¾ inches (25 × 20 cm). The letter was inscribed on all eight pages. It was trifolded twice in letter style and addressed. The letter was later refolded and docketed for filing.
The notation “ Nov 5[th]. 1843 & Conserning Pasengers” was added in unidentified handwriting either in or after the document was received in . The letter was docketed by Jonathan Grimshaw, who served as a clerk in the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) from 1853 to 1856. By 1994 the document had been included in the Brigham Young Office Files at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early docket and inclusion in the Brigham Young Office Files by 1994 suggest continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Historian’s Office, Journal, 7 June 1853; Wilford Woodruff, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, to George A. Smith, 30 Aug. 1856, in Historian’s Office, Letterpress Copybooks, vol. 1, p. 364.

    Historian’s Office. Journal, 1844–1997. CHL. CR 100 1.

    Historian’s Office. Letterpress Copybooks, 1854–1879, 1885–1886. CHL. CR 100 38.

  2. [2]

    See the full bibliographic entry for Brigham Young Office Files, 1832–1878, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

On 16 and 17 October 1843, , the of the British mission, wrote a second letter from the mission office in to the and the in , Illinois, reporting on the state of the in the British Isles. During the early 1840s, the church had grown immensely in the region due to the proselytizing efforts of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other missionaries. The message preached by these missionaries was especially attractive to members of the working class, many of whom labored in the burgeoning industrial centers of Lancashire and Staffordshire. Missionaries organized scores of new Latter-day Saint congregations throughout , Scotland, and Wales, which generated both enthusiasm and antagonism toward the church.
In 1841 and 1842, the return of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and other prominent missionaries to the —as well as the emigration of some British leaders to —resulted in a leadership vacuum in local , doctrinal disagreements, and apostasy in some congregations. At the same time, negative depictions of the church circulated in the British media, especially because of the writings of , an English-born Episcopalian minister and professor of divinity at Kemper College in . In April 1842, Caswall visited Nauvoo with the intent to expose JS as a fraud. According to his account, Caswall showed JS an ancient Greek psalter and asked him to explain the text inscribed on it. Caswall later claimed that JS told him the book was a “dictionary of Egyptian Hieroglyphics . . . like the letters that was engraved on the golden plates.” Caswall apparently denounced JS as a fraud in front of a group of church members and later publicized his account of their conversation in The City of the Mormons; or, Three Days at Nauvoo, in 1842, an exposé published in in 1842. Sometime before April 1843, he published another critical depiction of the Latter-day Saints in the book The Prophet of the Nineteenth Century. In October 1843, the Times and Seasons published an account refuting Caswall’s characterization of the 1842 encounter, insisting that JS “declined having any thing to do with it” after a nervous Caswall asked for a translation of the psalter. The writings of Caswall and other individuals hostile to the church in Great Britain remained a source of consternation to missionaries and church leaders in fall 1843.
The lack of strong leadership and the proliferation of literature antagonistic to the church throughout Great Britain convinced and other local leaders that they needed to disseminate accurate news, correct doctrine, and general instruction through official church publications. In November 1842, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles directed church leaders in to cease publishing the -based newspaper Millennial Star following ’s departure until they received further instruction. British leaders received the directive in February 1843, but in early October 1843, Hedlock and his counselors, and , appealed to church leaders in to allow them to continue publishing the Millennial Star or to send them copies of the newspaper Times and Seasons to ensure “a means of communication with, and instruction of the English churches.” In his letter written on 16 and 17 October, featured here, Hedlock appealed again to church leaders to allow him to resume publishing the Millennial Star or to reprint the Times and Seasons.
wrote his letter to the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in his office in . He apparently began writing late in the evening on 16 October and wrote until two o’clock in the morning on 17 October. Later that morning, he resumed and completed the letter. In addition to describing the state of individual branches in Great Britain, Hedlock acknowledged leadership problems, doctrinal disagreements, and the propagation of antagonistic literature in Great Britain. He specifically mentioned ’s influence and included a lengthy quotation from his writings. Hedlock also communicated information related to Latter-day Saint migration from to . At the end of the letter, Hedlock wrote a paragraph directed specifically to apostles and regarding British sales of the newspapers Times and Seasons and Nauvoo Neighbor and a paragraph directed specifically to JS related to an unspecified business arrangement between the two men. Lastly, he included a postscript indicating that he would send personal items for , , and others on subsequent ships bound for the . Hedlock also mentioned that he would include the most recent Millennial Star issues, which are no longer with the letter. The letter contains no postal marks or seals and was likely conveyed to Nauvoo by a courier who traversed the Atlantic aboard the steamship Britannia.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Hedlock sent a letter to church leaders on 4 October, shortly after he arrived in Liverpool; this second communication provided a more comprehensive overview of the challenges facing the church in the British Isles. (Letter from Reuben Hedlock, 4 Oct. 1843.)

  2. [2]

    There were approximately eight thousand members in Great Britain by October 1843; this figure does not include the thousands of British Saints who had already migrated to Nauvoo. (Letter from Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark, 3 Oct. 1843; “General Conference,” Millennial Star, July 1843, 4:36.)

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

  3. [3]

    Morris, “Emergence and Development of the Church . . . in Staffordshire, 1839–1870,” chaps. 3–5; Allen and Thorp, “Mission of the Twelve to England, 1840–41,” 499–500, 503–521.

    Morris, David Michael. “The Emergence and Development of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Staffordshire, 1839–1870.” PhD diss., University of Chichester, 2010.

    Allen, James B., and Malcom R. Thorp. “The Mission of the Twelve to England, 1840–41: Mormon Apostles and the Working Classes.” BYU Studies 15, no. 4 (Summer 1975): 499–526.

  4. [4]

    “General Conference,” Millennial Star, July 1843, 4:33–36; see also Allen and Thorp, “Mission of the Twelve to England, 1840–41,” 522–523.

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

    Allen, James B., and Malcom R. Thorp. “The Mission of the Twelve to England, 1840–41: Mormon Apostles and the Working Classes.” BYU Studies 15, no. 4 (Summer 1975): 499–526.

  5. [5]

    Woodruff, Journal, 20 Apr. and 19 May 1841; Hiram Clark, “Extract from Elder Hiram Clark’s Journal, and Address to the Saints in the British Islands,” Millennial Star, Feb. 1844, 4:145–148; Letter from Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark, 1 Mar. 1843; “From P. P. Pratt,” Millennial Star, Apr. 1843, 3:206; Letter from Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark, 3 Oct. 1843.

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

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

  6. [6]

    Kemper College, Catalogue of the Officers and Students, 9.

    Catalogue of the Officers and Students of Kemper College, for the Year 1842–43. St. Louis: Ustick & Davies, 1843.

  7. [7]

    Caswall, City of the Mormons, 5, 35–37, 43–45, italics in original; “Caswall’s Prophet of the Nineteenth Century,” Millennial Star, Apr. 1843, 3:195–199.

    Caswall, Henry. The City of the Mormons; or, Three Days at Nauvoo, in 1842. London: J. G. F. and J. Rivington, 1842.

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

  8. [8]

    “Reward of Merit,” Times and Seasons, 15 Oct. 1843, 4:364–365. Speaking of Caswall’s 1842 visit to Nauvoo, John Taylor later recalled, “I saw Mr. Caswell in the printing office at Nauvoo; he had with him an old manuscript, and professed to be anxious to know what it was. I looked at it, and told him that I believed it was a Greek manuscript. In his book, he states that it was a Greek Psalter; but that none of the Mormons told him what it was. Herein is a falsehood, for I told him.” (Taylor, Three Nights’ Public Discussion, 5.)

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

    Taylor, John. Three Nights’ Public Discussion between the Revds. C. W. Cleeve, James Robertson, and Philip Cater, and Elder John Taylor, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. . . . Liverpool: [By the author], 1850.

  9. [9]

    Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Minutes, 21 Nov. 1842; Letter from Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark, 1 Mar. 1843; Letter from Reuben Hedlock, 4 Oct. 1843; Letter from Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark, 3 Oct. 1843. Though Ward halted the newspaper’s operations for two months, he resumed publishing the paper in July 1843. (Letter from Reuben Hedlock, 4 Oct. 1843; “Editorial,” Millennial Star, May 1843, 4:13.)

    Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Minutes, 1840–1844. CHL.

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

  10. [10]

    The Britannia was a steamship built in 1840 by the Cunard Line, a steamship company that transported passengers and mail across the Atlantic Ocean between Liverpool and Boston. (“Duties on Imports by British Steamers at Boston and New York,” 377; Gibbs, Passenger Liners of the Western Ocean, 48; Smith, Coal, Steam and Ships, 102.)

    "Duties on Imports by British Steamers at Boston and New York." Hunt's Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review 25, no. 3 (Sept. 1851): 377–379.

    Gibbs, C. R. Vernon. Passenger Liners of the Western Ocean: A Record of the North Atlantic Steam and Motor Passenger Vessels from 1838 to the Present Day. London: Staples Press, 1952.

    Smith, Crosbie. Coal, Steam and Ships: Engineering, Enterprise and Empire on the Nineteenth-Century Seas. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018.

Page 6

and on the increase that it will afford a hanson [handsome] proffit there are other Books say the voic of warning is much caled for and cannot Be had there is a demand for the Hymbook and also thee Evidenss and Proof of the Book of mormon if you would think it wisdom to R[e]print those works it will afford an incom that will Do you good and that Cannot be Realized any other way and Be a Blessing to Community and I can forward you the avails thereoff as fast as sold, Plese write on the Receipt of this and Let me know how to act in this mater, the are much troubled for fear the star is to Be stoped for when a false tale comes before the Publick the saints say when we get the star we shall know the truth of it I have concluded to Let one number <​more​> of the Star Be printed in order to Lay before the saints some things Relative to Emigration and if I do not hear from you by that time I Shall have it Stoped for I am Detrmnd to abide your Council in spite of men or Devils thinking that you was not aware of the Present state of things in this Land I have troubled you to Read a Lenkthy Letter Saying before you as far as I can at present the tru state of thing and when I Return from my Journey throug the churches you ma[y] expect a full Detail of the circumstances and situation of the church in this Land so I will close this subget [subject] by Biding you good night and Retir to rest as I am now in the office alone and it <​is​> now two o clock in the morning and I am wery from much fateauge in assisting the Breatheren in geting on Bord of the ship to day yesterday I expect the ship to sail to Day and I want my Leter to go by the hand of .
tusday morning oct 17 1843 I Resume my pen again by saying Good morning Breatheren are you all well this morning as I am I wish you to say to all and Epeslaly to that I did on my arival hear write to all those that were sent for to come to by your Council friends have not answered the my Leters to them and many others also have not some have writen that they will come in the spring some have alredy come and will Be among the number that have gone to in this ship I have not mentioned names in this Place but I think the husbands of those Sisters will know them when they arive if they have [p. 6]
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Page 6

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Reuben Hedlock, 16–17 October 1843
ID #
3414
Total Pages
8
Print Volume Location
JSP, D13:198–211
Handwriting on This Page
  • Reuben Hedlock

Footnotes

  1. [33]

    Parley P. Pratt, A Voice of Warning, and Instruction to All People; or, An Introduction to the Faith and Doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints (Manchester, England: W. Shackleton and Son, 1841).

    Pratt, Parley P. A Voice of Warning and Instruction to All People, Containing a Declaration of the Faith and Doctrine of the Church of the Latter Day Saints, Commonly Called Mormons. New York: W. Sanford, 1837.

  2. [34]

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Europe, selected by Brigham Young, Parley P. Pratt, and John Taylor, 3rd ed. (Liverpool, England: Amos Fielding and Hyrum Clark, 1843). The church’s first hymnbook printed in England was published in Manchester in 1840. A second edition was also published in Manchester but went out of print by August 1842. A third edition was printed in Liverpool and was available for purchase beginning in April 1843. (A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Europe, selected by Brigham Young, Parley P. Pratt, and John Taylor [Manchester, England: W. R. Thomas, 1840]; A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Europe, selected by Brigham Young, Parley P. Pratt, and John Taylor, 2nd ed. [Manchester, England: P. P. Pratt, 1841]; “Minutes of the General Conference,” Millennial Star, July 1840, 1:69; “Notices,” Millennial Star, Aug. 1842, 3:80; “Notices,” Millennial Star, Apr. 1843, 3:208.)

    A Collection of Sacred Hymns, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in Europe. Manchester, England: W. R. Thomas, 1840.

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

  3. [35]

    Charles Thompson, Evidences in Proof of the Book of Mormon . . . (Batavia, NY: D. D. Waite, 1841).

    Thompson, Charles. Evidences in Proof of the Book of Mormon, Being a Divinely Inspired Record, Written by the Forefathers of the Natives Whom We Call Indians, (Who Are a Remnant of the Tribe of Joseph,) and Hid Up in the Earth, but Come Forth in Fulfilment of Prophesy for the Gathering of Israel and the Re-establishing of the Kingdom of God upon the Earth. Batavia, NY: D. D. Waite, 1841.

  4. [36]

    For more information on the request to stop publishing the Millennial Star, see Letter from Thomas Ward and Hiram Clark, 3 Oct. 1843.

  5. [37]

    Benbow, a wealthy farmer and former member of the United Brethren, was baptized by Wilford Woodruff in Herefordshire, England, in March 1840. Benbow helped finance the first printing of the Book of Mormon and the church’s first hymnbook in England and later emigrated to Nauvoo in fall 1840. (Woodruff, Journal, 6 Mar. and 20 May 1840; Smith, “United Brethren,” 822; Clayton, Diary, 8–9 Sept. 1840; 16 Oct. 1840; 24 Nov. 1840.)

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

    Smith, Job. “The United Brethren.” Improvement Era 13, no. 9 (July 1910): 818–823.

    Clayton, William. Diary, Jan.–Nov. 1846. CHL.

  6. [38]

    In May 1843, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles voted that Reuben Hedlock use funds held by church leaders in Liverpool to “pay the passage of those who were expected to be sent to America, by Elder John Benbow and his wife, for moneys they lent to commence printing the ‘Millennial Star,’ ‘Hymn Book,’ &c. in England: to send the worthy poor Saints to this country.” The “friends” to whom Hedlock refers were likely Benbow’s Herefordshire neighbors and fellow members of the United Brethren also baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1840. (“Extracts from the Record of the Twelve, for the Use and Benefit of Elder Reuben Hedlock, and through Him to the Parties Concerned,” ca. 28 June 1843, p. 3, Willard Richards, Journals and Papers, CHL; Smith, “United Brethren,” 818–823.)

    Richards, Willard. Journals and Papers, 1821–1854. CHL.

    Smith, Job. “The United Brethren.” Improvement Era 13, no. 9 (July 1910): 818–823.

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