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Letter from S. J. Wild, circa 30 April 1843

Source Note

S. J. Wild, Letter, , Adams Co., IL, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, [ca. 30] Apr. 1843; handwriting and signature presumably of S. J. Wild; three pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, postal notations, postal stamps, redactions, and docket.
Bifolium measuring 12½ × 7¾ inches (32 × 20 cm). Embossed in the upper left corner of the bifolium is an illegible circular insignia of a paper manufacturer. The document was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, sealed with a red adhesive wafer, and postmarked. The right edge of the recto of the second leaf was torn when the letter was opened, removing some of the page containing text. The letter was later refolded, used for miscellaneous notes by and , and refolded again for filing.
The document was docketed by , who served as JS’s scribe from 1843 to 1844 and as clerk to the church historian and recorder from 1845 to 1865; Bullock’s docket includes the date “April 30. 1843”. The document was listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) circa 1904. By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early docket, its listing in a circa 1904 inventory, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection suggest continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    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.

  2. [2]

    “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.

  3. [3]

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

Historical Introduction

In April 1843, S. J. Wild wrote a letter from , Illinois, to JS in , Illinois, asking for his opinion on ritual cleansing, or baptism, for purification of both body and spirit. Wild was interested in reviving the biblical practice and apparently believed that “the durability of republicanism,” or the American system of governance, was dependent upon the physical and spiritual renewal achieved through repetitive baptism and prayer. Wild wrote to JS asking if he had received “any revelation on the subject” or if he would “consult the Oracles of God on it.”
Wild regarded JS as a “great Reformer” who established “many excellent moral precepts,” though Wild’s reference to the as “your society” and other contextual clues suggest that he was not a member of the church. In his letter to JS, Wild questioned whether observing religious washing practices dictated by Levitical law would help maintain health and cleanliness, especially for people living in the marshy, wet areas near the that were subject to disease. Wild understood correctly that JS had instituted symbolic washing rituals based on biblical precedent. In 1833, JS washed the feet of the present at a meeting of the and proclaimed them “clean from the blood of this generation.” Three years later, in 1836, he introduced to the church and other men a new ritual in which they washed and perfumed their bodies and anointed each other with pure oil. The completion and dedication of the in , Ohio, provided an appropriate space for these . On occasion, some early Latter-day Saint missionaries promised potential converts that would heal their ailments. Baptism for health was commonly practiced after JS dedicated a font in the basement of the unfinished in November 1841. Latter-day Saints performed proxy baptisms for the dead as well as baptisms for healing in that font.
The precise date of Wild’s letter is uncertain since Wild only noted the date as April 1843. It was postmarked in on 4 May 1843. Quincy was approximately fifty miles from , likely requiring about two days for mail to travel. docketed the letter with the date 30 April 1843, the last day of April, which may indicate it arrived in Nauvoo in early May. There is no known response from JS.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Minutes, 22–23 Jan. 1833.

  2. [2]

    JS, Journal, 21 Jan. 1836; see also Historical Introduction to Visions, 21 Jan. 1836 [D&C 137].

  3. [3]

    At the dedication of the Kirtland temple, participants sang “The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning” by William W. Phelps. The fourth verse specifically pointed to ritual washings: “We’ll wash, and be wash’d, and with oil be anointed / Withal not omitting the washing of feet: / For he that receiveth his penny appointed, / Must surely be clean at the harvest of wheat.” (Minutes and Prayer of Dedication, 27 Mar. 1836; Hymn 90, Collection of Sacred Hymns [1835], 121, emphasis in original.)

  4. [4]

    See Stapley and Wright, “History of Baptism for Health,” 72–73.

    Stapley, Jonathan A., and Kristine Wright. “‘They Shall Be Made Whole’: A History of Baptism for Health.” Journal of Mormon History 34, no. 4 (Fall 2008): 69–112.

  5. [5]

    In a January 1842 letter from Joseph Fielding to Parley P. Pratt, Fielding compared the Nauvoo temple to Solomon’s temple and described how Latter-day Saints had already made use of the new font: “Many have been baptized therein for their deceased relatives, and also for the healing of their own afflicted bodies.” Even some outside the faith knew of the dual purposes of this font—one visitor to Nauvoo in 1842 came to see the temple construction site and learned that at this font “baptisms for the dead are to be celebrated, as well as baptisms for the healing of diseases.” (Joseph Fielding, Nauvoo, IL, to Parley P. Pratt, Jan. 1842, in Millennial Star, Aug. 1842, 3:78; Caswall, City of the Mormons, 16; see also “Part 4: 1 October–30 November 1841.”)

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

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

  6. [6]

    Thomas Bullock did not arrive in Nauvoo until 31 May 1843 and began doing scribal work for JS and the Nauvoo City Council in summer 1843. (Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 456, 458.)

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

Page [3]

any time warm Water & soap may be applied to the body with benefit— & he said Men were not ready at this time to receive the doctrine of Purification of the flesh— I have often seen you & your family to Whom I desire my respects if they remember me. I was born in 1791 & came to the in 1818 I have been in the Western Country upwards of 20 years & Imagine that I know something of the <​wants of—​> this country & have by the means above stated sought for wisdom & knowledge & think that by them I have been renewed in Mind & Body & feel a great desire for the Welfare of this My adopted country & that holiness may prevail & as much has been reveale[d] to the people through your means if you [will] be so kind as to Write to me on the subject your opinion I shall be exceedingly obliged to you and very soon as I am anxious about it have you had any revelation on the subject or can you consult the Oracles of God on it— dont lay this on one side & forget it—
I remain
Yours Respectfully
S. J. Wild
P. S.
I have understood that in Judea the people were very subject to very troublesome cutaneous disorders which made frequent ablutions necessary— It appears to me to be so on the from very sudden alterations in the weather from marsh Miasm or from fogs or damp air. The pores of the skin are closed causing in Eruptions on the skin— colds & Fevers &c now would not washing the Body open the Pores & restore the insensible Perspiration— if so is it not more peculiarly necessary on the that Gods ancient Law to his church should be impossed on the people, or Come as Word of Wisdom— [p. [3]]
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Source Note

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from S. J. Wild, circa 30 April 1843
ID #
1024
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D12:258–263
Handwriting on This Page
  • S.J. Wild

Footnotes

  1. [12]

    TEXT: “reveale[page torn]”. The “d” is visible on the torn piece of paper attached to the adhesive wafer, which remains adhered to the first page of the letter.

  2. [13]

    TEXT: Page torn. The word “will” is visible on the torn piece of paper attached to the adhesive wafer, which remains adhered to the first page of the letter.

  3. [14]

    Wild saw a parallel between diseases commonly believed to be caused by miasmic, or foul-smelling, air deemed “noxious to health” near the Mississippi River and biblical-era skin diseases such as the one that afflicted Naaman as detailed in 2 Kings 5. Wild may have wondered how to replicate ritual washing as prescribed in Leviticus 13 and 14 for his contemporaries who also encountered disease. (“Miasm,” in American Dictionary [1828].)

    An American Dictionary of the English Language: Intended to Exhibit, I. the Origin, Affinities and Primary Signification of English Words, as far as They Have Been Ascertained. . . . Edited by Noah Webster. New York: S. Converse, 1828.

  4. [15]

    While Wild’s reference to a “Word of Wisdom” may have originated from 1 Corinthians 12:8, he may also have been alluding to the 1833 revelation providing Latter-day Saints with a dietary code. The revelation stated that it was given as a “word of wisdom” and “not by commandment or Constraint.” Wild may have seen the “word of wisdom” revelation as less of an imposition than Mosaic law. (Revelation, 27 Feb. 1833 [D&C 89:1–2].)

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