Letter to John Taylor, 1 August 1845 [LE-781]

Dear Brother Stanly Building Bath Street
Liverpool Aug 1^st
1845

Elder Taylor

Beloved Brother

I wish once more to call your
attention to the subject of your Times & Season in this Country
We have rented a New Office called Standly Stanley
Building Bath street Liverpool where we wish all addresses
to us directed hereafter it is a vary [suitable] office much more
so than the one we have had. And as your papers have
been brought here & I am now about to take charge of them
I wish an understanding with you upon the subject
All that I have written to you heretofore upon that
subject I have said according to the statements made to
me by Elders Hedlock & Ward I know nothing about it
more than what they have said. In a letter I got from
Nauvoo I was informed that some one told you from
Scotland that if he had known they were in this country he
could have sold them all. I dont know who the person was
but who ever he might be I think he was mistake in that. I do
not know how great a little exertion the Brethren have
made here to sell them but they advertised them several times
in the Star & Elder Hedlock says that in his travels through
England & Scotland in all his conference, He spoke of them
The Stars speak for thousands upon that subject. But I will
here say since I have come their is not a Book in England
I have taken more pains to try to sell than the Times & Seasons

[written in sideways text] Coppy of a letter
To Elder J Taylor
Nauvoo Aug 1^st
1845 [end of sideways text]

see my address to the Churches in the land Vol 5 No 9
also Vol VI No 3. & in all my travels since I have been here
in conferences & councils I have urged the sail of that work
the sail of it does not interfere with any Books in this land
I Brought about one dozens of the IV Vol Bound some I gave to
some of my American Elders & what I sold I sold of 8/
the Brethren thought that if they were bound & sold for
6/ shillings that they would readily be disposed of But I
have told them that will not do it will neither satisfy you
nor pay the cost, but I have concluded tnot to bind them
at all, but do all in my power to sell them as they
are at 8/ per volume that is about the same as $2 per Vol
I am confident they will not fetch more than that
& if you can get that it is better for than for
them to lie on the shelves here for years I am
starting some churches whare are laying by a little each
week so when they get 8 shillings they will take one I will
do any thing I can cheerfully upon this subject & I will
not charge anything for my trouble, & Ias I am about
to take them into my own hands I have been to the trouble
of counting each Number of the 4^th & 5 volume all over report
so that I know what I do reveal of them the duty on them
is 6/ per pound & some other expenses of cartage &c Elder Hedlock
said that you have required the duty & all expense to be added
to $2 per vol he says it will amount to near 9/ per vol
& that this is the reason why no more could be sold.

Elder Ward has sold the Stars Bound for 3/6 & 4/ the
cvenants Bound are sold for 3/6 & all publications are
cheeper in England than in America & when they come to
see 9/ charge for the Times & Seasons ^unbound^ it frightens them
& as you allow for sale evry 10^th Vol to agents I have
thought if you would allow them to be sold for 8/ I
would throw in my own trouble & try to get agents
that sell in the conferences & churches ^to^ do the same which
would mostly make up the loss. I wish you to informe
me as soon as you get this after considering all these
things what you are willing to do whether you are willing
to have them sold at 8/ or not if you require 9/ per Vol
for them I think it will take many years to dispose of
them for they have now been here over two years & ownly
£ 3,3,0 worth have been sold while the expenses & Duty
has been £ with the £ 5, sent you £22,13,9. If it was
my care property I would far prefer to sell them at 8/
or even some less than to have them lie on hand as they
probably would at 9/ but when you come to consider
all these things if you say hold on to them at 9/ I
will do so. I will do by them as well as I would if
they were my own. I hope Br Taylor will not think
that I am wishing to dictate him concerning his property
But I have done as I would wish to be done by in
making these statements. Their has ownly one or two
volumes of the fifth Vol been sold in consequence of their not

being complete I suppose from the counting of them that
it was intended for 400 copies of each Vol but they very
may materially as they now stand the following is a true
account of them as they come into my hands

[sideways text]

Thus you see the lowest Number of the 4^th Vol is 308
while 15 & 22 are as high as 374. Also Vol 5^th No 5 as low
as 289 while No 6 as high as 413. Many of the 5^th Vol were
just as they were when they came from Nauvoo not opened at all
& still they served in their Numbers as much as any other.
Their has bean som bad managemet some whare in
counting them out but the list I have given you is Just
as they now stand I had two hard days work counting them
over & I found in Vol 4^th No^'s 11= & 10 7 numbers of the first
part of No 11 & the last part of No 10 was put together which spoiled
7 numbers of both 10 & 11. Before I left the office the Tim[es]
& Seasons were all counted out & we found a good
many spare Numbers more than would make full
volumes if you could send me 43 extra Numbers of the
14^th No of the 4^th Vol it would make 43 full volumes more
than what we now have here & whare you see any of
these Numbers deficient on this list & you have any of the same

it would be be well to take good care of them
& not dispose of them as they will make full volumes
with what we have here. I have been looking for Elder
Fielding for a long for a long time & expected the
remainder of the 5^th Vol commencing with the 19^th
No as we have the 18^th here. I have not thought proper
to break the 5^th vol or sell a part of it untill the whole
arived, but I think I have said quite sufficient upon
this subject. I have no doubt but that you are
quite busy but still I hope you will steal time
enough to duly consider this subject & give me an
answer. As to news in this county I will merely
touch upon a few items. the 18 of July brought us a fine
Son. I blessed him on the 8^th day, his name is Joseph. Father
Mother, Son & Daughters all well. The Acader Brought us
Times & Seasons May 1^st Neighbor July 2^nd, 1^st No of the
N. York Messenger letters from Boston, Philadelphia,
& Connecticut & brought grand news I hope you will
continue to forward me the Times & Neighbor & when you
cannot find any thing els to do write a letter, all the American
Elders Here ^are^ well but what few we have got here are expecting
most of them to go home soon. The work is prosprous throughout
this country are generally well united & in the increase The
Liverpool Branch is in better order than it has been for years
Elder McGuffee that has been apostizing for more than a
year & we cut him off. But he has since been ^in^ hell & is now
broke down is as humble as a child has made a most humble confession
& is now coming into the church again. One Rigdon Missionary
has arived & more we understand are comeing but unless
those that follow have better success than the one that is now
in England that will not get pay for their trouble. We

are prepared for the receptince of any Rigdonites that may
come to this country I have no fears of their doing much
damage to the Church in this country land for though
our ulabourers are few we have good success in keeping the
bars up. we have published 1,500 hundred of O. Hydes
address before the Hight Priest quorum. Their is much
sensitive feeling in this land at the present time on the subject
of the annexation of Texas & Oregon question some think
the embankment that Jackson made use of at the Battle
of New Orleans viz cotton Bales will stop the war & some
think it will not be strong Enough to do it. Editors
say the late English Embassadors have put the placed
this country in a situation to be the laughing stok
of the whole world. I wish I could spend one sabbath in
Nauvoo or the City of Joseph to see how you all
look & what you are doing, but all late News bring
most a glorious report of the goodly land & City &
while it is well with you all those I trust & believe I
shall be remembered before the Lord in your prayers the
Lord has been with me thus far on this mission
& I hope he will be, or his blessing untill my work is done
here. Remember me to Sister Taylor, The Twelve
judge Phelps, Hands in the office, their families, the [prophets]
Mother Smiths, widows of the Martered prophets & all who in
inquire after me including the Lords annointed as far as you
see them. From your ^friend &^ Brothr in the Truth,

W. Woodruff

Mrs Woodruff wishes to be remembred to you all