| Joseph writes W. W. Phelps in Independence. Sends
warm greetings. Imagines he is frustrated by difficulties encountered in
getting inheritances settled for immigrants. Answers Phelps' questions (D&C
85). If Joseph is right, those who aren't careful will fail to attain their
desires while the obedient will be exalted over earthly kingdoms. Prayer
that Joseph and William will some day experience the wisdom of eternity
and be delivered from the limitations of an imperfet language. |
| The letter is a copy of the original. It is the first letter in Joseph's letterbook,
beginning in the hand of Frederick G. Williams, but ending in Joseph's handwriting. |
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Letter first |
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Letterbook-1, 1:20, 1–4. |
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Kirtland Nov 27th 1832 |
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Warm
greetings
Desire to communicate |
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Brother Wm Phelps I say brother because I feel so from the
heart and altho it is not long since I wrote a letter unto you yet I feel
as tho you would excuse me for writing this as I have many things which
I wish to communicate some things which I will mention in this letter which
are laying <great> with weight upon my mind |
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Family
well
Regards
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I inform you that I am well and family God grant that you
may enjoy the same and yours and all the brethren and sisters who remember
to enquire afte[r] the commandments of the Lord and the weffare of Zion
in order to keep the commandments of God and such a being as me |
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| Imagine W. W. is
thinking |
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and while I dictate this letter I fancy to myself that you are saying
or thinking something simmiler to these words |
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God, why can't these
people receive their inheritances?
They came obediently
God appointed bishop to organize and regulate the church |
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my God great and mighty art thou therefore shew unto thy servant what
shall becom of all these who are assaying to come up unto Zion in order
to keep the commandments of God and yet recive not ther inhertance by consecration
by order or deed from the bishop the man that God has appointed in a legal
way agreeable to the law given to organize and regulate the church and all
the affairs of the same; |
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Confidence
in William
Feelings of my heart
Answer questions |
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Bro Wm In the love of God having the most implicit confidence
in you as a man of God having obtained this confidence by a vision of heaven
therefore I will proceed to unfold to you some of the feelings of my heart
and procede to answer the questions |
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[D&C 85] |
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If
I am right, men should be careful or fall
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[3] … now Broth- William if what I {say} have Said is
true how careful then had men aught to be what they do in the last days
lest they are cut {assunder} short of their expectations and they that think
[they] Stand should fall because they keep not the Lords commandments |
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Joseph begins writing on
page 3. |
Obedient rejoice
Be exalted over kingdoms of the earth |
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whilst you who do the will of the Lord and keep his commandments have
need to rejoice with unspeakable Joy for such shall be exalted very high
and shall be lifted up in {tri} [4] triumph above all the kingdoms of this
world |
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| Must drop subject |
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but I must drop this subject at the beginning |
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| When will William and Joseph together behold
eternity |
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Oh Lord when will the time come when Brothe William thy Servent and myself
{sha} behold the day that we may stand together and gase upon Eternal wisdom
engraven upon the hevens while the magesty of our God holdeth up the dark
curtain <until> we may read the round of Eternity to the fullness
and satisfaction of our immortal Souls |
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| Deliver us from imperfect
language |
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Oh Lord God deliver us in thy due time from the little narrow
prison almost as it were total darkness of paper pen and ink and a crooked
broken scattered and imperfect language |
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| Subscribers to Evening
and Morning Star |
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I would inform you that I have obtained subscribers for the
Star … |
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William W Phelps / Joseph Smith Jr.
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W.
W. Phelps
Joseph Smith to W. W.
Phelps, July 31, 1832
Joseph Smith to W. W. Phelps, November 27, 1832
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