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Letter to Isaac Galland, 11 September 1839

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Letter to Isaac Galland, 11 September 1839

Source Note

JS, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to , , Geauga Co., OH, 11 Sept. 1839. Featured version copied [between 11 Sept. and 3 Nov. 1839] in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 71–73; handwriting of ; JS Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS Letterbook 2.

Historical Introduction

On 11 September 1839, JS wrote to in response to a letter Galland had written from Chillicothe, Ohio, on 24 July 1839. In late April, Galland had sold church leaders his home in , Illinois, as well as extensive acreage in the in . Galland was by JS in Commerce and to the office of on 3 July 1839, and he departed for the next day. Having sold their home in , Galland and his family were temporarily living in Chillicothe.
In his 24 July letter, informed JS that he had informally proselytized during the journey to . He devoted most of the letter to recounting conversations with fellow boat passenger and former senator Arnold Naudain, to whom Galland sold a copy of the Book of Mormon, and with Chillicothe resident Dr. Benjamin Owen Carpenter, with whom Galland debated repeatedly about theology. JS responded to Galland’s detailed report of his philosophical conversations with Carpenter by noting the simplicity of the gospel and warning of the fate of those who, like Galland’s interlocutors, were prideful in their interpretation of gospel principles. JS also described the growth of the and of the area in the two months since Galland’s departure. JS sent his response to rather than to Chillicothe because Galland had concluded his letter by saying he expected the following week to “set out for and Kirtland” and would later return to Chillicothe.
JS’s scribe copied the letter into JS Letterbook 2 sometime between 11 September 1839 and Mulholland’s death less than two months later on 3 November. If sent a response, no such letter has been located.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Letter from Isaac Galland, 24 July 1839.

  2. [2]

    Hancock Co., IL, Deed Records, 1817–1917, vol. 12-G, p. 247, 30 Apr. 1839, microfilm 954,195, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL; Cook, “Isaac Galland,” 270–276.

    U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

    Cook, Lyndon W. “Isaac Galland—Mormon Benefactor.” BYU Studies 19 (Spring 1979): 261–284.

  3. [3]

    JS, Journal, 3 July 1839; Cook, “Isaac Galland,” 276; Isaac Galland, Chillicothe, OH, to Samuel Swasey, North Haverhill, NH, 22 July 1839, CCLA.

    Cook, Lyndon W. “Isaac Galland—Mormon Benefactor.” BYU Studies 19 (Spring 1979): 261–284.

    Galland, Isaac. Letter, Chillicothe, OH, to Samuel Swasey, North Haverhill, NH, 22 July 1839. CCLA.

  4. [4]

    Isaac Galland, Chillicothe, OH, to Samuel Swasey, North Haverhill, NH, 22 July 1839, CCLA.

    Galland, Isaac. Letter, Chillicothe, OH, to Samuel Swasey, North Haverhill, NH, 22 July 1839. CCLA.

  5. [5]

    Letter from Isaac Galland, 24 July 1839; Bennett, History of Ross County, Ohio, 204.

    Bennett, Henry Holcomb, ed. The County of Ross: A History of Ross County, Ohio, from the Earliest Days, with Special Chapters on the Bench and Bar, Medical Profession, Educational Department, Industry and Agriculture, and Biographical Sketches. Madison, WI: Selwyn A. Brant, 1902.

  6. [6]

    Letter from Isaac Galland, 24 July 1839.

  7. [7]

    “Obituary,” Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:32.

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

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Letter to Isaac Galland, 11 September 1839
Letterbook 2 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 71

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Ill, 11th Septr 1839
Dear
We have had the great pleasure of recieving your favour of 24th July, and learning thereby that you and your family had arrived at Chillicothe in safety and in health. We percieve that you have had rather a narrow escape from serious accident, and doubtless the hand of the Lord is to be acknowledged in the matter, although unpercieved by mortal eye.
Time and experience will teach us more and more, how easily falsehood gains credence with mankind in general, rather than the truth— but especially in taking into consideration the plan of salvation; the plain simple order of the gospel of Jesus Christ— never has been discerned nor acknowledged [p. 71]
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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to Isaac Galland, 11 September 1839
ID #
482
Total Pages
3
Print Volume Location
JSP, D7:8–12
Handwriting on This Page
  • James Mulholland

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Galland had informed JS that the nine-day journey from Cincinnati to Portsmouth, Ohio, was “rather pleasant” and with “no very remarkable incident,” aside from an episode in which the boat was almost capsized by a tornado before the vessel struck the shore along its length and righted itself. (Letter from Isaac Galland, 24 July 1839.)

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