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Letter to John M. Bernhisel, 13 April 1841

Source Note

JS, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to , , New York Co., NY, 13 Apr. 1841; handwriting of ; two pages; JS Collection, CHL. Includes address, postal notations, endorsement, and docket.
Bifolium measuring 12¾ × 7¾ inches (32 × 20 cm). Embossed in the upper left corner of the first page are a decorative star and “D. & J. Ames, Springfield”, the insignia of a Springfield, Massachussetts, paper mill firm. The pages are ruled with thirty-five horizontal lines in blue ink. The letter was written on the recto and verso of the first leaf, and then the document was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer. The last page has a 1-inch (3-cm) tear on the edge to the left of the wafer.
Presumably the letter was acquired by the church sometime after ’s arrival in , Illinois, in 1843 and has remained in continuous institutional custody. By 1973 it had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL).

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Whiting, “Paper Making in New England,” 309; Gravell et al., American Watermarks, 235.

    Whiting, William. “Paper-Making in New England.” In The New England States: Their Constitutional, Judicial, Educational, Commercial, Professional and Industrial History, edited by William T. Davis, vol. 1, pp. 303–333. Boston: D. H. Hurd, 1897.

    Gravell, Thomas L., George Miller, and Elizabeth Walsh. American Watermarks: 1690–1835. 2nd ed. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2002.

  2. [2]

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

Historical Introduction

On 13 April 1841 in , Illinois, JS dictated a letter to in in response to a letter from Bernhisel dated 6 March 1841; Bernhisel’s letter is apparently no longer extant. In his letter, Bernhisel, who was a practicing doctor of medicine in New York and a recent convert to the , had evidently requested JS’s help in obtaining property in Nauvoo.
’s request generated a series of at least nine letters between himself and JS over the course of the next year. Seven of the extant letters deal with property matters and Bernhisel’s relocation. Their correspondence confirms that Bernhisel wanted to relocate and join the members of the church living in and that he hoped to secure property before his relocation. Bernhisel received the letter featured here on 10 May and responded to it on 12 July 1841.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    “The Late Hon. John M. Bernhisel,” Deseret News (Salt Lake City), 26 Oct. 1881, 616; New York City Branch History, [18]; “Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 2 Aug. 1841, 2:499.

    Deseret News. Salt Lake City. 1850–.

    New York City Branch History, no date. In High Priests Quorum Record, 1844–1845. CHL.

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

  2. [2]

    In addition to the letter featured here, see Letter from John M. Bernhisel, 12 July 1841; Letter to John M. Bernhisel, 3 Aug. 1841; Letter from John M. Bernhisel, 18 Aug. 1841; Letter from John M. Bernhisel, 8 Sept. 1841; and Letter to John M. Bernhisel, 16 Nov. 1841. The property arrangements made through their correspondence were finally executed in early 1842. (JS, Nauvoo, IL, to John Bernhisel, New York City, NY, 4 Jan. 1842, in JS Letterbook 2, p. 221.)

  3. [3]

    See Letter from John M. Bernhisel, 12 July 1841.

Page [2]

had a glorious time indeed; the particulars you will see in the Times and Seasons which will be out in a few days.
The health of the people is good, and we are expecting great blessings and enjoyments, and are anxously looking for, and expecting our eastern friends to come and share in the toils and blessings
With sentiments of respect I am yours &c in the gospel
Joseph Smith
 M.D.
P.S. If you should send any means on, you can send it by or who I expect are somewhere in your neighborhood or with any of the when they come, or a draught on by mail.
J. S.
The Brethren in wrote to me sometime ago on the subject of for the dead please to inform them I well attend to it as soon as I possibly can.
J. S. [p. [2]]
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Source Note

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Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to John M. Bernhisel, 13 April 1841
ID #
637
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D8:118–122
Handwriting on This Page
  • Robert B. Thompson

Footnotes

  1. [5]

    The general conference was held 7–11 April. (See Minutes, 7–11 Apr. 1841.)

  2. [6]

    Samuel Bent and George W. Harris, who were members of the Nauvoo high council, had been sent as agents for the church to the “branches of the church in the east.” (Recommendation for Samuel Bent and George W. Harris, between ca. 17 and ca. 28 July 1840; Minutes, 17 July 1840; Letter from Samuel Bent and George W. Harris, 23 Sept. 1840.)

  3. [7]

    JS introduced the doctrine of baptism for the dead during a funeral for church member Seymour Brunson in August 1840. He later expanded on the doctrine at a church conference in October 1840. By December 1840, JS realized the doctrine “may have raised some inquiries” and wrote some additional instruction to the twelve apostles. (Minutes and Discourse, 3–5 Oct. 1840; Letter to Quorum of the Twelve, 15 Dec. 1840.)

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