bounded into the water to me stark naked excecpting a loose cloth around their legs but I put a
stop to all disorder as fast as possible. & again I am Having a mighty struggle against this [Methodist]
power of falling down like a dead man stiff as a stake which is in some of the preachers as well
as the people. I have to handle all these things in wisdom. among the number that I have &
are Baptzing are some large farmers having 3 or 400 acres of land I have Baptzed sone constables
as well as preachers. there is a Merchent in Hanly that we Baptzed that trade is so bad that he is wind
ing up business & wants to go to Zion with the Saints. I have Baptzed most of his relatives
here several Brothers & Sisters here he has come down to visit them he has said sumthing to
them about it. & they all want to [trans] up business here & move with the Saints in
the U.S.A. & in fact most all the Saints are getting the same spirit here without my
preaching it. I do wish the Twelve would spedily come to England that we might hold a council
somewhare about these & many other things. when you next write to me say a word to me
what your mind is about this. the farmers here feel like this that bad times are coming & the
sooner they can turn their property in to gold the better & in fact with the view I have of the
times I cannot advise them as yet to the contrarary. you begin to see Brother Richards that I must
have much to occupy my mind at preasent considering what I have to do. & in addition to
this I have just recceved a Litter from Elder cCordon at Burslem. Stating that Elder Turley is
taken with a Stateswarrent & put into Stofford Gail, it was done by a man in Birmingham
for an old Debt that Brother Turley contracted 15 years ago before he left England, or in other words
Turley was in partnership with a man & when they dissolved Turley gave up the stock into his
hands to seell & he supposed it was all settled but now the man claims that he did not
sell the stock for as much as he expeted & that he has still claims On Turley. John Jones
in Burslem was connected in taking him It is merely a trick of the Devil to stop his
preaching but I believe the Lord will overturn it for Gdod how long he will be confined
in prison I do not know. The whole Labour at the Potteries is now flung upon Elder Cordon
& when he wrote me he was some out of health & should their be any faithful labourer at
liberty would they not do well to go into that part of the vineyard & assist. And again in addition
to this case I have a certain Brother Richards whome I love of a truth for the truths sake that dwelleth
in him & I pray God that it may be with him forever & he asks an interest in my prayerrs in
his behalf & his companions that the Lord may manifest his will concerning them. I will now
say Dear Brother I will gladly comply with your request the first leasure moments I can
get, in fact I have attempted two or three times since I recceved your two Letters upon the subjet
to lay the case before the Lord but no sooner than I would begin to pray some one would bye
wraping at my door for me to go & baptzed them or for sumething els. in fact since I recceved
your letters I have had no spare time hardly to pray for any thing, for you see how things are
with me & of course can judge how my time is taken up. I scarcely pass a pool of water but
what sumbody is waiting there for me to baptze them. & in fact if John had more Baptizing to
do when all Judea & Jerrusalem went unto him to be Baptzed, then I have had for a few days past he
certainly had his hands full. But do not think dear Brother that I shall close this letter with out
answering the questions you have asked me & expressing my feelings unto you No God forbid
not with standing I have not had time to lay your case before the Lord as I could wish, yet I have a word
to express upon the subject. In the first place I wish to say I recceved your twoo letters & have read them over
several times. & you speak my mind perfectly with regard to any other persons opening any of our letters
excepting our own Qurorum. & when I gave permision for a letter to be opened should one come before
my returned, I did not then expet to be gone but vary few days before my return & it was
under the impression that if I had a letter at all during my absence it would be from Brother Clayton in Manchester, & as they wanted to hear from him I gave them that priv^i^lege with a charge
to say nothing concerning the contents if their was any thing that the church should not know
bounded into the water to me stark naked excecpting a loose cloth around their legs but I put a
stop to all disorder as fast as possible. & again I am Having a mighty struggle against this [illegible]
power of falling down like a dead man stiff as a stake which is in some of the preachers as well
as the people. I have to handle all these things in wisdom. among the number that I have &
are Baptzing are some large farmers having 3 or 400 acres of land I have Baptzed sone constables
as well as preachers. there is a Merchent in Hanly that we Baptzed that trade is so bad that he is wind
ing up business & wants to go to Zion with the Saints. I have Baptzed most of his relatives
here several Brothers & Sisters here he has come down to visit them he has said sumthing to
them about it. & they all want to trans up business here & move with the Saints in
the U.S.A. & in fact most all the Saints are getting the same spirit here without my
preaching it. I do wish the Twelve would spedily come to England that we might hold a council
somewhare about these & many other things. when you next write to me say a word to me
what your mind is about this. the farmers here feel like this that bad times are coming & the
sooner they can turn their property in to gold the better & in fact with the view I have of the
times I cannot advise them as yet to the contrarary. you begin to see Brother Richards that I must
have much to occupy my mind at preasent considering what I have to do. & in addition to
this I have just recceved a Litter from Elder Cordon at Burslem. Stating that Elder Turley is
taken with a Stateswarrent & put into Stofford Gail, it was done by a man in Birmingham
for an old Debt that Brother Turley contracted 15 years ago before he left England, or in other words
Turley was in partnership with a man & when they dissolved Turley gave up the stock into his
hands to sell & he supposed it was all settled but now the man claims that he did not
sell the stock for as much as he expeted & that he has still claims On Turley. John Jones
in Burslem was connected in taking him It is merely a trick of the Devil to stop his
preaching but I believe the Lord will overturn it for Gdod how long he will be confined
in prison I do not know. The whole Labour at the Potteries is now flung upon Elder Cordon
& when he wrote me he was some out of health & should their be any faithful labourer at
liberty would they not do well to go into that part of the vineyard & assist. And again in addition
to this case I have a certain Brother Richards whome I love of a truth for the truths sake that dwelleth
in him & I pray God that it may be with him forever & he asks an interest in my prayerrs in
his behalf & his companions that the Lord may manifest his will concerning them. I will now
say Dear Brother I will gladly comply with your request the first leasure moments I can
get, in fact I have attempted two or three times since I recceved your two Letters upon the subjet
to lay the case before the Lord but no sooner than I would begin to pray some one would be
wraping at my door for me to go & baptzed them or for sumething els. in fact since I recceved
your letters I have had no spare time hardly to pray for any thing, for you see how things are
with me & of course can judge how my time is taken up. I scarcely pass a pool of water but
what sumbody is waiting there for me to baptze them. & in fact if John had more Baptizing to
do when all Judea & Jerrusalem went unto him to be Baptzed, then I have had for a few days past he
certainly had his hands full. But do not think dear Brother that I shall close this letter with out
answering the questions you have asked me & expressing my feelings unto you No God forbid
not with standing I have not had time to lay your case before the Lord as I could wish, yet I have a word
to express upon the subject. In the first place I wish to say I recceved your two letters & have read them over
several times. & you speak my mind perfectly with regard to any other persons opening any of our letters
excepting our own Quorum. & when I gave permision for a letter to be opened should one come before
my returned, I did not then expet to be gone but vary few days before my return & it was
under the impression that if I had a letter at all during my absence it would be from Brother
Clayton in Manchester, & as they wanted to hear from him I gave them that privilege with a charge
to say nothing concerning the contents if their was any thing that the church should not know