Joseph Smith to Emma, October 13, 1832

Mormon History 1830-1844

Joseph Smith to Emma (October 13, 1832)
Joseph's first visit to New York City. He is astonished by the engineering and buildings, but beneath it all he can see the citizens do not give proper credit to the Lord. Their beauty is superficial, for beneath it all, their world is corrupt and will soon to be destroyed. He enjoys a conversation with a young man well into the night and they part reluctantly the next morning. Joseph is grateful for Newel K. Whitney's experience as a purchasing agent. He has good contacts and is a good, faithful companion.

Joseph awed by New York architecture	Joseph has been walking around "the most splended part" of New York. The buildings, he says, "are truly great and wonderful … astonishing."	PWJS, 278–280. Original, Community of Christ Archives, Independence, Missouri.
Great inventions	Can God, "maker of all thing[s] magnificent and splendid be displeased with man for all these great inventions," he asks.
Good results unless God doesn't get credit	No, because "these works are calculated to mak[e] men comfortable wise and happy." The Lord cannot be displeased with them, but He is displeased, even angry, with men "because they Give him not the Glory."
Iniquity, fire	The Lord will punish them for their iniquities, and their works shall "be burned up with unquenchable fire."
Appearances mask grotesque	Their dress makes people appear beautiful, but "all is deformity."
Disagreeable countenances	With few exceptions there is "something in every countinance that is disagreable."
Darkness covers earth	Oh how long Oh Lord Shall this order of things exist and darkness cover the Earth and gross darkness cover the people
Meditates to calm mind Thinks of home	After seeing all he cared to see, Joseph returned to his room "to meditate and calm my mind," and think of Emma and their daughter Julia.
New York like Nenevah	But his thoughts turn again to the city, which he compares to Ninevah. His bowels, he says, are filled compassion for the 200,000 inhabitants.
Encouragement for Emma	He hopes God will give Emma strength and "soften the hearts" of her neighbors so they will support her in her "beculier [peculiar] triel and presant affliction."	Emma is pregnant.
God and Joseph are her friends	He assures her "that God is your friend in Heaven and that you hav[e] one true and living friend on Earth your Husband."
Newel is shopping, a tedious job Joseph reads, prays, writes, strolls	In a postcript, Joseph adds that while Newel K. Whitney is "selecting goods" for the store, he has "nothing to [do] but to sit in my room and pray for him," for it is a "tedious Job to stand on the feet all day to select goods." It takes experience and there is no one to advise him. Joseph prefers reading and praying and "holding comuneion with the holy spirit," writing Emma, and walking around.
Conversation with beautiful young man Spared from cholera	He had a good conversation with "one very butiful young gentleman from Jersy whose countinance was very sollam." The man sat down by Joseph and struck up a conversation about the cholera epidemic in the city last summer. He nearly died from it, but says "the Lord had spared him for some wise pu[r]pose."
Strong attraction Long conversation	Joseph takes advantage of the opening to deliver "a long discours." The young man responds with "much pleasure" and Joseph concludes the young man was "very strongly attacth to me." They talk late into the night.
	They intend to continue their conversation the next morning, but the young man is detained by business, arriving only in time to see Joseph and Newel off at the dock. They part with "much reluctance."
Newel faithful, good company	Newel has been well received by all his old friends. He is "faithful in prayr and fervant in spirit" and they "take great comfort together."
	The hotel has about a hundred guests including some from overseas. Joseph thinks Emma would have laughed "right harty" to "see the waiters … both Black and white and molato runing bowing and maneuvering," but he must conclude, and signs off "your affectionate Husband until Death."
	Joseph Smith to Emma, June 4, 1834 Joseph Smith Correspondence Home