John Smith, Letter to Elias Smith, October 19, 1834

The following is a transcription of:

 

John Smith, Letter to Elias Smith, October 19, 1834, in Elias Smith correspondence, 1834-1839, CHL Call no.: MS 7062)

 

Kirtland Geauga Ohio October 19th 1834

 

Respected Nephew Jacob,

 

your epistle of Sept. 25 × 26 which gave us
much pleasure to hear that our relatives were all alive & in general enjoying
a good degree of health also that the Great author of all things has bestowed
His blessings upon you in that region that you get have abundance for the wants
of the people. The season here has been rather dry but crops of grain of all
my kind are very good potatoes in some localities are injured by the drought the
the first have frost did damage this fall was the 7 Sept but by it lost the
leaves of the forest were half grown the 17^th fruit trees were had fully blossomed
10<th> May
when all looked beautiful we had a frost that killed almost every green
thing that the frost laid hold on to well wither, so that for some days the air
smelt like a field where men are hanging of course we have no fruit
of note in this region but on the whole I do not think that this can be
the stone cause for the cold south west wind you speak of in your
letter notwithstanding we have abundant crops this year & I do not follow
that tomorrow will be as this day and much more abundant. Thus I have
noticed the first page of your letter in answer to the strength of it is worth
note as well as I can untill I come to where you say I called our country
the cold and barren north. I did once mention in noticing a certain
story which with foundation being to view Ezekiel's vision of the image
of jealousy, which seemed to come from the north I said the cold and barren
north because I thought that the story originated in some jealous heated
person and I called it barren because I thought much reason bore none
of the fruits of righteousness because now dear sir that I did not mean
your farm nor the country of St Lawrence for I have cultivated the
virgin in that region a number of years and had very good success—you
think more a man has the less that heigh he is for it but you think
that will answer the charge logic to me my I learned that lesson long since
for I recollect that one of old said how hardly shall they that
have riches enter into the Kingdom of God & I have observed too
that those that are the most ignorant the worst are the least concerned
about temporal things so I conclude that the ancient saying is true
you balance with some degree of learning to show that the people from
who live in countries where they are under the necessity of labouring every day
to get a living enjoy themselves much better and know much more than those who
live in more fertile & luxuriant countries this being the case for want it
not be desirable for a man who had a family of boys to choose the poorest if not
that he could find that he might that have have the most happy and
wise family perhaps on the earth this would be according to your mode
of reasoning you say that few if any have any sense. Then the people of the
who you say live in the cities of the north countries are more thankful for
inference? during war than the people of the north countries and
had they any more sense of their dependence than those who
inhabited Jerusalem the best country in the world or all the holy prophets
Jesus and the apostles dwelt at Jerusalem it was there that our Lord poured
out the gifts of the Holy spirit Spirit it was there that the most holy people lived
that ever inhabited the globe and the most wise too that we have any account
of also were and Greece produced the greatest philosophers and the wisest that
writer may mentioned in history and that in fertile countries and to best
the storys of last we will our own country the eastern and western
states have produced the greatest statesmen & the greatest warriors this you
will admit

 

No. 2

 

[No. 2]

You say you suppose that I think you are a great fellow for if you would only
change your present place of residence from one in Missouri or I do not think that
I must at once know that every man has a right to live where he pleases but you
mistake
thought I had been urging you to go to the west but I do not recollect any such
thing though you think you would like to see mount Zion in the wilderness
the north you mean that place spoken of by the proud king of Babylon or to unite
the meeting of the congregation in the sides of the north there. you do not believe
there is any such place or it would be as likely to be on one of the hills in old
England as anywhere. this may be the reason you are so well suited with your
present situation but I should think by the turn of your letter you would look
still farther north or it looks as if you are one of that sort of men that have
curious notions in your head but you say that the mormons call you a boy
as though I had some time transgressed the rule of good breeding by calling
you boys you old not rat ship means, if my age for what some
body else have done and I know that you have been taught by christian pa-
rents therefore you would honor the face of the old man Lev. 19:32.
I have been in a habit of calling my our
Brothers boys and no marvel if I should
call their sons boys you need not ask me to pardon you for calling the name of
mormons for that is the best you know. There is no guilt attached
to any one for doing the best they know in time nor Eternity when they
do as well as they know if they have not abused their privileges and not
received knowledge when it was presented to their view you say that the
things that you have seen and heard of late look like absurdities to you.
I suppose you mean the gospel which I have embraced of late so it is with
in Paul's days but we are told that their unbelief made maketh the truth of God
without effect but I tell you in the fear of God that these things are true
as the Lord lives and I would that you would search out these things
for yourself for I know that it is within your reach if you were willing
to humble yourself before the Lord as you must and every one man who
is rejecting the testimony of Jesus Christ or you cannot enter into
the Kingdom of God it is because I love you and seek your best good
that I tell you these things & beg of you not to accuse me of one of causeless
you may more but be calm and candid and act like a man of wisdom
you accuse me of not saying enlighten anything on this subject only by some
canting expression. I do not know what you mean by accusing me. This
I have never tried harder to convince with any man harder than I did with
yourself at my house at Potsdam but you know you refused to talk
at all on the subject. you spoke of men being saucy or impertinent. if I
have not meant to treat you saucy or impolite if I have I am sorry
for it I ask your pardon humbly and ask if I have treated them you thus.
You say if you had time you would write a dissertation you call it on
the absurdities of the revelations of God in these last days. I advise
you to be careful how you treat the things of God lest you be caught
in a snare but if you should write such a thing according to your
doctrine no doubt you would find some that would attach some
importance to it. is it true that those who make the greatest pre-
tentions to religion that are act up as lecturers as religious teachers
or make the greatest pretentions to religion always are the
farthest from the gospel standard. you say they always
under the same anathemas which they put upon others this is the true
is the natural the imperfection of man. I do not fully agree with you
on this point we will search the pages of sacred history this being the
standard. Enoch Noah Abraham Moses Joshua Zechariah the son
of Barachiah David Solomon Elijah Jeremiah and all the prophets
Jesus and all the Apostles these all made the greatest pretenti-
ons to Christianity that we have any account of in sacred history
together with the list of worthies mentioned by St. Paul in the 11th Ch
of Hebrews we will look at modern history a little Martin Luther John
Calvin John Knox George Fox John Wesley and a multitude of others
I might mention Mr Edwards our own countryman & many others
I might mention all these made as loud proclamations against
Errors as any that we have any account of. I presume you will want the
anathemas upon their heads which they pronounced upon the
ungodly now I think that I have found some at any rate that is to
exempt from the charge you allege against them and promptly af-
firm that no one is. I can not give you any more information a-
bout your Brothers Death. I wrote all the particulars that I could
gather to your father. I weep for your loss sincerely and cannot say
anything more or less to comfort you than I did to your father.
Since I learned that Joseph wrote to his uncle on the subject of
Jesse's death you say nothing about the receipt of his letter. I con-
clude it is not worth your notice by the turn of your letter also
Brother Sidney which I learned after I had written on the same
subject. his letter I suppose is treated with too contempt or
in the thought not worth notice or you may not have received
them. if you did you probably have got all the particulars that any
one could give and if you think they are not worth your noti-
ce you are mistaken about it. Mr Humphrey we learned no
more [illegible] we have not received a letter from George written
to George wrote to Mrs Humphreys a few days since by Mr Holley
giving her all the information I knew about the death of her
husband she probably has got the letter by this time I presume
George will answer your letter if he ever got it or shall not attempt to
solve the mystery with regard to Jesse's going to Missouri now it
you may know hereafter. you speak as tho I had heaped many
bitter anathemas upon you. you say from the state of Ohio and re-
sent as many. I was very wicked for it. I do not know what you mean
therefore I shall pass it over in silence. Jesse read a part of the letter
to me but not that part you speak of but he felt bad when he read it
but we think he had no hardness against you nor I can it be great ques-
tion that seems to burden more so much. what business any one has to
call the church of Christ the Church of the Latter Day Saints or call the chil-
dren of God saints is answer the Church of Christ is the Church of Saints
...and always was this is the reason why the apostles directed letters
his sometimes to the Church of God others to the Church of Christ & again to the
Brethren sometimes to the saints always meaning the Church of Christ.
Search the antient prophesies you will find that they never enumerate other
saints see Daniel 7–18, 22–27<th> was evidently meaning the Church of Christ
and saints or the Church of Christ now I advise you to search the scriptures wi-
th candor and prayer you will learn many things that you never
thought of before and you will not have so much reason to complain of your
benighted understanding your light would shine in darkness and
unfold to you many mysteries which seem to trouble now you much.
you will be glad to the council which you have heard and yours
will have same like a river your righteousness like an overflowing stream

 

(Address panel)

 

Mr. Elias Smith

East Stockbridge

 

Madison Co. N.Y.

 

tell Amos that the work of the Lord prospers the church increase in numbers
very fast. Paganism is giving away in this region as a spirit of inquiry prevails.
It is almost universally since the work set on and will until the saints
of the Latter Day take the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom & give
I expect it. The Church of the Latter Day Saints will prosper in
spite of wicked men and devils untill it fills the whole earth and the
signs increase that follow the true that belief which confirms the
truth of the word of the Lord. the walls of the Lord's house are nearly comple-
ted. the roof will go on next week if the Lord permit. we are in usual health.
our best wishes accompany this to all friends particularly our Mother
and may the Lord give you understanding in all things that you may
have wisdom to discern between right and wrong and know righteousness

 

Elias Smith

 

No. 42

 

is the prayer of your uncle

 

John Smith