the gospel to the Nations of the Earth gather Israel & build up Zion
weed our own gardens & let our neighbors alone. dont interfere
with your neighbors affairs for that is his business & not ours

February 7, 1853 ~ Monday

7^th I walked to Snows herd ground & back distance of the day 20.

February 8, 1853 ~ Tuesday to February 9, 1853 ~ Wednesday

8, 9. I spent the day at home writing

February 10, 1853 ~ Thursday

10^th I spent this day at home writing

February 11, 1853 ~ Friday

Feb 11^th [FIGURES] This was a painful day I was called at about 1 oclok
this morning to administer to sister Rhodes who had
been labouring in Child birth for two days she was nearly worn out
as she could not be deliverd. Brother Franklin Richards with myself
administerd to her but she died at 2 oclock amid the greatest Agiony I closed
her eyes. At 3 oclock PM. there was a Post Mortom examination made
the Presidency and several of the Twelve were present the surgical operation
was performed by Dr Andrews and no blame was attached to the mid
wives who officiated {The following is the result of the examination: The child lay across the womb with own hand
oblong, the head lay on the right side the feet on the left. The child had torn the womb to pieces
with his feet and the afterbirth so if the child had been born the woman
could not live. The doctor gave the following instructing to the woman: If the child presents feet
first put the hand into the womb and bring out the child feet first. And if the child's face is turned
so the chin would hook under the [illegible] bone turn the child with the face
towards the back bone. Then it can be born. If the child's feet come doubled up put up the hand
and bring down one limb at a time in the womb and turn the child. He said a woman's
[feelings] should not be consulted at such times but the midwife should use their own judgement.}

February 12, 1853 ~ Saturday

12^th [FIGURE] I attended sister Rhodes Funeral The President Twelve
& a large congregation of people assembled and President Young
preached & said that the few remarks I have to make I will endeavor
to speak to the point my text is it is better to go to the house of mour-
ning than to the House of feasting for that is the end of all men & the living
will lay it to heart. When we are in a situation so that we cannot
know any thing ownly what we know by the natural senses it causes
us to mourn the loss of friends but if we could understand all
things it would often times be a source of Joy instead of morning
when a spirit enters a tabernacle here in this life it enters
into a state of sorrow yet if we understood things in their
tru light we should be satisfyed with it. When the spirit
enters the body it enters a dark sell and is left to sorrow &
to be tried in all things but when the spirit leaves the body if
a saint it enters into the brilliant light and glory of God like
taking a prisioner out of a dark sell whare he could see a
little glimmer of light through the grates & put him into the
blaze of the mid days sun. when we loose our Friends we mourn
but what is it that mourns is it that light, truth and intellige[nce]
of the Almighty that is in man that mourns No it is the grocer
part of our being that mourns let a person be unclothed and
we could see the spirit of our sister and all other friends & shake
hands with them & spirit be tangible to each other as our bodies
now are to each other when I am filled with the spirit of God
I can see men and what is in them and the more we are in
refined in spirit the more we can see the reason I cannot shake
hands with Sister Rhodes is becaus of this gross body. Women
were not made to die in child bed as Sister Rhodes has done
but what is the matter death is here it is death that has caused
it death is in the land around us it is here Children die before they
are born this because their is death around us we cannot