Letter from Jacob Marinus Lauritzen, 25 January 1898
RICHFIELD, UTAH, .
Pres. Wilford Woodruff,
Dear Brother:
Enclosed herewith will be found my answer to your letter of the 12th
instant, endorsed by my bishop as requested. The same gives a general statement of
my circumstances financially. My wife is somewhat conserned about my going
at the time designated in my call, Apr 2nd [18]98. She believes that the Lord desires me
to go on that date or I would not have received the call. She feels willing to
take the apparent consequences, to loose her home, which is about all we have, and
to be left without any means of support for herself and children, so long as these
sacrifices are made in doing the will of the Lord. My feelings would be
similar to those of my wife were it not for the fact that your letter contains
the words, "Should there be no reasonable obstacles to hinder you from going."
The Lord in His goodness has given me a good wife and five sweet children, one
of which He has recalled, and alone and unaided except by Him I have
provided them a home and the average necessities and comforts of life. I love
my family next to my God and I do not feel that I will be justified in
leaving them on the date designated unless you find, after considering my
circumstances, that it is the Lord's will, and then I will do so cheerfully, no
matter what may be the consequences, knowing that I am doing His will.
Should you decide that it is the Lords will that I respond to the call on the
date named, I will do all in my power to comply, but should you, on the
other hand, decide that the Lord requires me to place my affairs in order,
