After returning from the Election
I recieved an interesting Letter from Mother Woodruff
under date of Sept 7th which was written at Simsbury Connecticut while she was on a visit to Si[s]ter
Anna Cossett's. She informed me they were all strong in faith of the New covenant & Sister Eunice
firmly contending for the truth & others of my relatives were believing in the cause of the Latter Day Saints
what Joy such intelligence brings to my soul. O how mysterious are the ways of God! I spent the
night at father Carters. Distance 8 miles
~ Tuesday
11th I perused the Portland Argus & saw the returnes of the Election of Cumberland County the
republicans had a majority over the federalist of about 100. I expect the electionereing excitement
will pass off in few day & sumthing els will occupy the minds of men. [FIGURE] I learn from experienc
that the Saint must watch & pray lest he enter into tempation & in order to overcome the
devil we must continually be on our watch tower. the Saint in any age of the world cannot
pass through their allotted portion of existance on flowery beds of ease in this life. I am now daily making
preperations to leave the state of Maine and all my relatives and friends in Scarborough to lead a company
of Saints from the Islands of the sea to the land of Zion in the far west I shall be accompanied by
my wife & child. It is the greatest trial Phebe has ever been called to pass through to take the parting
hand of her Parents, Brethren & sisters, & neighbours & perhaps for the last time, & go a journey of
two thousand miles late in the fall & start with a babe of two mont[h]s old which is in the first stage
of the hooping cough & to add to this to leave a kind father's house of plenty & go to a new country &
settelle among strangers after the flesh. These kind reader are the meditations that are daily running
with the rapidity of lighting through the mind of my bosom friend & companion & to add the insinuation
of friends against such a course of procedings, and all the temptations that the devil is capable of
inventing are crouded into the mind in order to hinder the will of God being done. Thus standing in the
midst of such a position nothing but a Saint could stand the shock nothing but a God could support the
sinking soul. I speak not of myself but my companion and when she suffers I suffer also. The above has
been a code of experience my wife hath been passing through from time to time for weeks that are
Sept 10th After returning from the Election [FIGURE] I recieved an interesting Letter from Mother Woodruff under date of Sept 7th which was written at Simsbury Connecticut while she was on a visit to Sister Anna Cossett's. She informed me they were all strong in faith of the new covenant & sister Eunice firmly contending for the truth & others of my relatives were believing in the cause of the Latter Day Saints what Joy such intelligence brings to my soul. O how mysterious are the ways of God! I spent the night at father Carters. Distance 8 miles
~ Tuesday
11th I perused the Portland Argus & saw the returnes of the Election of Cumberland County the republicans had a majority over the federalist of about 100. I expect the electionereing excitement will pass off in few day & sumthing els will occupy the minds of men. [FIGURE] I learn from experienc that the Saint must watch & pray lest he enter into tempation & in order to overcome the devil we must continually be on our watch tower, the Saint in any age of the world cannot pass through their allotted portion of existance on flowery beds of ease in this life. I am now daily making preperations to leave the state of Maine and all my relatives and friends in Scarborough to lead a company of Saints from the Islands of the Sea to the land of Zion in the far west. I shall be accompanied by my wife & child. It is the greatest trial Phebe has ever been called to pass through to take the parting hand of her Parents, Brethren & Sisters, & neighbours & perhaps for the last time, & go a journey of two thousand miles late in the fall & start with a babe of two monts old which is in the first stage of the hooping cough & to add to this to leave a kind father's house of plenty & go to a new country & settle among strangers after the flesh. These kind reader are the meditations that are daily running with the rapidity of lighting through the mind of my bosom friend & companion & to add the insinuation of friends against such a course of procedings, and all the temptations that the devil is capable of inventing are crouded into the mind in order to hinder the will of God being done. Thus standing in the midst of such a position nothing but a saint could stand the shock nothing but a God could support the sinking soul. I speak not of myself but my companion and when she suffers I suffer also. The above has been a code of experience my wife hath been passing through from time to time for weeks that are
