To-day I received the following
letter from Bro. W. W., which he requested
me to copy and forward to you, as his
handwriting is hardly legible in many
places, being done rather hastily in
his peculiar style of penmanship.
Dear Brethren—Last evening
I had an interview with Brother J. Jaques,
and he brought me your favor of Sep. 20,
which I read with much interest.
I have just arrived in Salt Lake
County. Among other things I had
some private business I could not well
attend to while absent. Then again,
my intention is to take Emma south
with me for the winter. Brother Wm.
H. Thompson brought me up, and
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expects to take me back in a week or ten
days. It was said to Adam it was
not good to be alone. I have been alone
a great deal since I have been a married
man, and for the last two years I have
not been with any of my family but very
little, with the exception of riding with Emma and her family 200 miles to Ashley,
and since I last wrote you I have been
having some very poor turns of what is
called Bright's disease, or kidney disease,
the worst I have every had. In one instance
I became almost blind, speechless, and had
loss of memory for half an hour. My senses
then all returned. I was very weary
at the time, having travelled about
40 miles that day. Notwithstanding
this, my vital health is good. I have
lost considerable flesh this season. I
thought I had better have one of my wives
spend the winter with me and nurse me.
I have travelled 1000 miles since the first of
June in lumber wagons, though I had
a spring seat the last 350 miles. I am
in Salt Lake County. I do not pretend to
go to the houses of any of my families.
Very few know that I am in the county.
The fewer who know of our whereabouts the
I thought I would take the first oppor-
tunity to notify you that I was in the county, so that if there was any item
of business of any kind that I could per-
form of any interest to the kingdom of
God while here I wish to do it. I came
very quietly through the count^r^y. None
know of my coming, except a few
safe individuals where we stopped.
The Temple opened again on the 15th.
Now, dear brethren, I want to
lay before you my feelings. I have never
felt better in my life, in spirit, than to-day.
I have been blessed, as you have, with bodily
health and strength to a good old age.
We have both been preserved in life while the
prophets and apostles and thousands of the
Saints have been called into the spirit world,
for the Lord has taken whom he would take,
and preserved in life whom he would preserve.
I have been trying to get ready when called
to go. As to the infirmities of the body, I
expect them, I have them. As to the infirm-
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ities of the spirit, I would to God I had less of
them. I wish I had been a better man and
done more good. But notwithstanding all
the imperfections of my nature, I rejoice in
God. I am thankful that I live in this day
and generation, that I have received the
Gospel and the priesthood, and that the Spirit of God is still with me and my
companions. The hand of God is before
me and visible to my eye in the great work
of this last dispensation to all the inhabi-
tants of this world. Yea, the God of Israel
will teach this nation, with its congress-
men and rulers, the governors, judges,
and marshals, and all men, that He
is stronger than man, that His purposes
fail not, that He is able to perform all
that He has set His hand to do, and that
he will perform it and bring it to pass
in spite of earth or hell, or wicked men or
devils, and none can stay his hand. In
this I rejoice. We have nothing to discourage
us, so far as the Church and Kingdom
of God are concerned in their final triumph.
Of course we are called to mourn for sin
and transgression, whether in the church
or out of it. This warfare is with
God and the Heavenly hosts on one side,
and the fallen angels and the earth beneath
on the other. The devil is ruling over his
kingdom and is making a desperate strug-
gle to overcome the kingdom of God and
its Christ. But they cannot prevail.
Here is the patience and faith of the Saints
and they that keep the commandments of God
and the testimony of Jesus. [Revelation 14:12] It certainly is
beginning to be a trying time to the
Saints of God. But if we had no trials,
in our day, of our faith, we would hardly
be at home with the ancient Saints,
who were persecuted and martyred for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus
Christ. Whatever weakness we may have
as pertaining to our flesh, we certainly ought
not to be afraid to lay down our lives for the
Gospel's sake if required, and I hope and
pray that we may all be prepared for
whatever afflictions the Lord has ordained
us to pass through.
I have been asked a number of times
if I could tell where the October Conference
would be held. I have answered that I
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presumed the public would be notified through
the proper channel, and from the proper source.
Brethren, I don't know that I have
any counsel to give. I know there is a deep
anxiety throughout the public mind of the
Saints for your safety. But I thoroughly
believe the Lord will reveal to you your
duty, and what course to pursue for your
own safety. I have had some very unpleas-
ant dreams concerning my own safety,
of being in the hands of my enemies.
But they may have been as a warning
of caution, as I have escaped so far.
I received a letter from B. Y. Duffin,
in Arizona with Brother Brigham Young,
on the Lamanite Mission, and things
were brightening up much there now.
A letter from G. Teasdale, of Chihuahua,
gives a history of affairs there, the purchase,
land, water, etc., and said all were doing
as well as could be expected; but of course
you have been made acquainted with all
those affairs by Brothers Snow and Preston
and others who have written.
You are under the protection and
watch care of God our heavenly father, and
you have the prayers of all the faith-
ful Saints of God. And I pray God
to protect you from all your enemies,
and reveal unto you every evil and enemy
that lie in your path, and with my
love and blessing upon your heads, to the
extent of my power, I remain