Letter to Aphek and Azubah Hart Woodruff, 4 December 1845
Liverpool
Dear Father and Mother
We once more call your attention
to the perusal of a sheet from us. It is now a long
time since we heard from you, we have felt very anxious
to know how you were in health and circumstances.
My main object in writing to you at this time is to
lay before you my mind and and feelings on certain subjects
and to make some proposals to you. You are of
course well apprised of the continued persecution of
the Saints in Illinois and their expectation to emigrate
en masse next May to California where they can
be out of the reach of the persecution of the United States
and form a colony of their own. It is true, in accomplish-
ing this they have to make a sacrifice of much pro-
perty in Nauvoo, but I have no doubt it will work
together for the good of the people and the more fully
establishing of the Kingdom that the Law of God
may go forth of Zion and they be enabled to fulfil
the expectations of the Ancient Prophets. We, as a
people have borne the oppression of the United
States quite as long as the Lord requires it of us, and
the word is now "Save thyself O Zion that dwellest
with the Daughter of Babylon" [Zechariah 2:7] and "Come out of her
my people that ye receive not of her sins, and partake
not of her plagues." [Revelation 18:4] The Cup of the Iniquity of the
