Kirtland Geauga County Ohio
Brother Asahel H. Woodruff
Dear Sir
As I have
just taken my pen from a sheet directed to our Distant
parents I thought pirhaps it would not be amiss to
address a few lines to you as I have never had any reason to
believe that you had lost that friendship or attachment towards
me that I formerly have been made the partaker of an opportunity
afforded. Notwithstanding years have rolled away between us since
we saw each other face to face yet my attachment towards you
or my desire for your wellfare either in temporal or spiritual things
hath not either lessoned or abated. It certainly is gratifying to
me to hear of the prosperity of my Brethren in evey lawful
pursuit Brother Asahel I have long felt anxious to again
hear from you I am sensible that it is not alltogether profitable to
be always pouring upon any ones mind any subject however good
it may be lest be be weary in consequence of which I have remained
more silent upon those subjects in which I have been ingaged than I
otherwise should have done. But thinking perhaps you would like to
Know whare I was how & what I was doing I concluded to call your
mind to the perusal of this sheet. I would here rema^r^k that after
our last conference in the south I spent a few days in visting the
Churches which God had rased up by my instrumentality in that country
I had a good season amo[n]g them I added 9 to their numbers &
took the parting hand I took water at Paducah K.Y. on the 25 th of
Oct after passing one boat that had sunk & run aground ourselv[es]
traveled 400 miles we reached Luisville I then went by land to Owenton,
& spent two weeks preaching & visiting some Kinsman of Elder
Snoots a travling Brother from Tenne who is with me we then went
to Cincinnati visited the big bone lick on the road the place whare
those large bones are taken that have been exhibited in Europe &
America. When I arived at Cincinnati My first business was
to inquire at the store of Webster & Conway for you they told
me you had located at Terrehaute Indianna & I was glad to learn
from them that the prospects for your prosperity was flattering
Cincinnati is much of a place of business I sayw while there the Dead & wounded
taken from the Flora caused by the bursting of the connecting pipes I took water
at Cincinnati for Wellsville rising of 400 miles I also passed another boat
that had run against a snag store her hull & sunk at Wellsville I took
the stage to Kirtland 90 miles & whene I arived at Kirtland I was almost
asstonished I at the alteration in the place since I was there in May
1834 for when I left there was but few buildings & most of them shanties
but now on my returen I fou^n^d a city as it were arising from the hills
& dales & a temple standing in its midsts with its steeple pointing
towards heaven in honor of that God who commanded it be built
& framed the materials of which it was made. It was truly a happy
season to my soul to again meet the inhabitants of Kirtland those with
whom I had endured perils & tribulations I visited the house of the lord &
its contents & I saw that which I did not expect to behold in my generation
& among these things I say the Egyptian mummies & also the Book of
Abram written by his own hand in ancient form. On last sabbath
I had the privelege of going up to the house of the Lord in Kirtland to
worship with my Beloved Brethren I kno not ownly had the privilege of
hereing the word of God in company with about 1,000 Saints from the
sacred desk but also of declaring the word of God unto them. my happiness
hath been great to behold the work of God in these last days & Allthough
the gentiles rages & the priest imagin vain things yet the work of God will roll on
in spite of all these things untill babylon shall fall Israel be gathered & Christ
reign
I am mow about to commence a cours
of study perhaps shall enter school on the morrow what length of tim[e] it
will take me to accomplish it I am unable to say I may spend the private
part of my time for several years in this place. I intend to leave school in
the spring a sufficient time to visit my parents & frends in the east & proclaim
the gospel unto them I expect to spend the ^ensuing^ summer in Connecticut I
am perfectly reconciled with my lot in life I never enjoyed myself better in
life than at present. I am now experiencing what I have looked for several
years ownly the blessings of God are greater than I ever expected to
behold. enjoy or even hear from in my generation if you ever
travel through this county I desire you to visit Kirtland once more as
I understood yesterday by Elder Johnston that you called upon him
in this place & inquired for me I supposed at It was a year or
two since I would have been glad to have seen you I
hope the day may come when you may have the privelege
of fully investigating the cause in which I am engaged for
I believe your honesty & dissermment would lead you
to imbrace it I have found one thing to be true that
when we seek first the Kingdom of God all things els mecessary
will be added. I should consider it one of the greatest blessings
on earth to have you & the rest of my Kinsman become
members of the Church of Latter day Saints & why I
desire it is because I know it to be the true Church
of Christ & my friends would be exhalted before
God & receieve blessings that fadeth not away I certanly
could have no motive to desire my friends to receieve
darkness or error But I certainly have a chance [&]
know the reality of these things as well at least as those
who are out of the Church & not been privileged
with as closan close an inspection as myself yea & even
our enemies in this county are beginning to acknowl[edge]
of a truth it is in vain to raise their hands against [page torn]
great ene[mies] await us I would to God my friends were [page torn]
for them this world is passing the things of time are transitory
the things of the Celestial Kingdom [a]re eternal & worth possessing
I desire to meet you there. My hart hath also been much
penetrated for Brother Azmon I have loved that Brother I love
him yet I shall still plead before God for him I have
no other than the best of feelings towards him Although I am
ignorant of his feelings towards me the Lord knows I wish
all of my relatives well & if they knew what I know ^not wishing to boast^ they would
be up & doing but as it was in the days of Lot & Noah so will it
be when Christ apperars. [Matthew 24:37] Is it possible that I cannot have a
natural Brother [to] partake with me the glory of God in these
last Days I have thought the former Dealings of God with you
was preparing you for theis great work I trust time will yet
proove it to be so I shall pray for it at least write to me when
convnent Direct to Kirtland Ohio (this place) if you have
opportunity call & see me it would be a great privelege to me
yours with the best of feelings & wishes
W. Woodruff