The following comes from:
George
Burket letter, Eden Utah, Church History Library, Call no.: MS 14715
Eden City, Ogden Valley, Weber
Co. December 18 / 67
Dear Children,
I now take the opportunity of
writing to you, I received your letter on the 11 of this month. I feel very
thankful for the present you send me in your letter it was very acceptable, in
the situation I am at present. I have been sick 2 Months or more and confined
to the House. I am not able to walk from the bed to the fire without help. I
expect I have not more than 5 or 6 lbs of flesh on my body, am reduced to a
complete skeleton, this probably may be the last letter you may receive from
me, for I am uncertain how long I may last.
[A heavily overwritten passage
follows here. The legible fragments appear to include “Grandmother” and “able
to wait on me,” but the full sentence cannot be read with confidence.]
Corn is well and has all the work
to do in tending and feeding the stock. Concerning my faith I am satisfied with
this work and when the Lords will is that I am to go I shall die happy. As to
my son John I know not where he is at the present time, O. M. Allen told me
last spring that he heard of John being 200 Miles below St Joseph on the
Missouri River when he was in Missouri last winter on a mission. I should be very
much pleased to see you all, especially you and Eleanor. Grandmother wishes to
see you so bad she would like to see you all. I can tell you the price of stock
now but as the winter has set in early this year I do not know what price they
will be in the spring.
Calves are about from 8 to 10
Dollars each that is spring Calves. Yearlings are about 15 Dollars and 2 Year
Old from 20 to 25 Dollars. Cows about 35 Dollars and Sheep 4 Dollars per head.
Flour is not dear only from 3 Dollars to 3.50 per Hundred, and though not so
much Wheat has been raised through the Grasshoppers, enough corn has been
raised to make up for the deficiency more corn than has ever been raised
before, but money is very scarce, Store goods are cheap. William Allen left
here last September and went to Dixie to see his Mother and Stepfather he says
he will start back next April he promised only a week before he left that he
would never leave his Grandfather and I have no Children now within 400 Miles
and no Grandchildren nearer than Salt Lake Valley except Alma Taylor, though
John Taylor has been up at times and been very kind in doing some chores and getting
wood.
The people are very kind here in
getting me wood and will not see me want for any thing I need. My faith is just
the same as when I first embraced the gospel nothing could turn me out of the
way and what I know about the Kingdom of God I know more now than I did then
and my faith is increased. I do not be in a hurry of going to Jackson County
for the land has to be cleared and the power of God to rest upon it before we
think of returning there. I heard Joseph Smith say in my house when in Clay
County that when we returned there there not would be a dog to wag his tail or
move his tongue against us none but the pure in heart will go up there and the
Lord will prepare his people they shall be clear as the sun fair as the moon
and ⟨terrible⟩ as an army with banners these are
our girls [?] the hundred and forty and four thousand that shall stand on Mount
Zion these are the bride the Lambs wife.
This place is building up very
fast the Kingdom of God is being built up in the mountains the highway is cast
up for the children of Ephraim to return to their own land, and when the Lords
time is they will return and not before. Grandmother would very much like if
you would let Mandy come here to see us I would like to see all the children,
we would like to see John and Nelly once more if we could.
Write back as soon as you receive
this and send us the best news you can. I have told you all I can think of to
interest you I must now conclude as I feel very feeble.
Give our love to all enquiring
friends and accept the same yourselves.
This is from your affection
Parents
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