The Papers
Browse the PapersDocumentsJournalsAdministrative RecordsRevelations and TranslationsHistoriesLegal RecordsFinancial RecordsOther Contemporary Papers
Reference
PeoplePlacesEventsGlossaryLegal GlossaryFinancial GlossaryCalendar of DocumentsWorks CitedFeatured TopicsLesson PlansRelated Publications
Media
VideosPhotographsIllustrationsChartsMapsPodcasts
News
Current NewsArchiveNewsletterSubscribeJSP Conferences
About
About the ProjectJoseph Smith and His PapersFAQAwardsEndorsementsReviewsEditorial MethodNote on TranscriptionsNote on Images of People and PlacesReferencing the ProjectCiting This WebsiteProject TeamContact Us
Published Volumes
  1. Home > 
  2. The Papers > 

Letter to the Church in Caldwell County, Missouri, 16 December 1838, Extract, Phebe Carter Woodruff Copy

Source Note

JS, Letter,
Liberty

Located in western Missouri, thirteen miles north of Independence. Settled 1820. Clay Co. seat, 1822. Incorporated as town, May 1829. Following expulsion from Jackson Co., 1833, many Latter-day Saints found refuge in Clay Co., with church leaders and other...

More Info
, Clay Co., MO, to the church in
Caldwell County

Located in northwest Missouri. Settled by whites, by 1831. Described as being “one-third timber and two-thirds prairie” in 1836. Created specifically for Latter-day Saints by Missouri state legislature, 29 Dec. 1836, in attempt to solve “Mormon problem.” ...

More Info
, MO, 16 Dec. 1838. Extract copied [between 16 Dec. 1838 and 27 May 1857]; handwriting of Phebe Carter Woodruff; docket in handwriting of
Wilford Woodruff

1 Mar. 1807–2 Sept. 1898. Farmer, miller. Born at Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of Aphek Woodruff and Beulah Thompson. Moved to Richland, Oswego Co., New York, 1832. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Zera Pulsipher,...

View Full Bio
; seven pages; JS Collection, CHL.

Historical Introduction

See Historical Introduction to Letter to the Church in Caldwell County, Missouri, 16 Dec. 1838.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Letter to the Church in Caldwell County, Missouri, 16 December 1838

Page [5]

satiate himself upon his prey and then sneak back into the brambles in order that he might conceal himself in his well tried skin with the wool on. We are well aware that there is a certain set of priests and satellites and mobbers that would fain make all the world belive that we are the dogs that barked at the howling of this wolf that made such havock among the sheep who when he retired he howled and bleated at such a desperate rate that if one could have been there he would have thought that all the wolves whether wrapped up in sheepskins or goat skins or in any other skins and in fine all the beasts of the forest were awfully alarmed and catching the scent of innocent blood they sallied forth with one tremendous howl and crying of all sort and such a howling and such a tremenduous havock never was known, such a piece of inhumanity and relentless cruelty and barbarity cannot be found in all the annals of history. These are the characters who would make the world believe that we had committed murder by makeing an attact upon this howling wolf while we were at home and in our beds and asleep and knew nothing of the transaction any more than we know now what is going on in China while we are within these walls. Therefore we say again unto you in these things they have represoted us falsely. Was it for committing adultery we are aware that foul slander has gone abroad for it has been reiterated in our ears, these are falsehoods also; Renegade mormon dissenters are abroad in the earth and spread various foul and libellous reports against us thinking thereby to gain the friendship of the world because they know that we are not of the world and the world hates us therefore they make a fool of these characters and by their lies do us all the injury they can and after that they hate them worse than they do us because they find them to be liars traitors all around and sycophants & such characters God hates. We cannot love them the world hates them and we sometimes think that satan ought to be ashamed of them. We have heard that it is reported by some that some of us should have said that we not only dedicated our property but our families also to the Lord and satan taking the advantage [p. [5]]
View entire transcript

|

Cite this page

Source Note

Document Transcript

Page [5]

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter to the Church in Caldwell County, Missouri, 16 December 1838, Extract, Phebe Carter Woodruff Copy
ID #
1607
Total Pages
8
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • Phebe Carter Woodruff

© 2024 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of UseUpdated 2021-04-13Privacy NoticeUpdated 2021-04-06