President Young
Beloved Brother
I essteem it a pleasure
to spend a few moments in conversing with you by
letter. I have had rather of a slow journey from Nauvoo to
Liverpool but have arived at last. came into dock on the
4th inst had a rough voyage some heavy gales but got along
without any difficulty we were most of us sea sick a nu[m]ber
of days. we had a voyage of 25 days was 5 days in the Channel
But we are all well & lastly our babe is well & rugged. we have
been here but few days, & have hardly got settelled. I have
not yet been able to comprehend things at the Office but
as far as I know things have been conducted right. the
saints appear to have ^full^ confidence in Br Hadlock. I have
not had much time as yet with them, as they are very busy
fitting out a ship. As near as I can learn the work
is doing well through this country generally considering
the small number of American Elders in the Vineyard
the work is prosperous in London under the Labour of Eldr
Davis. Straten is doing well in the Lverpool conference &
Elder Holmes & Has gone to Manchester con & Hardy for a
little time Elder Sheets over Bradford con. As soon as
I understand & comprehend affairs at Liverpool I shall visit the
various conferences. their is I believe a universal feeling of
union in supporting the Twelve for they know no othr authority
neither do they wish to, as being over them. I shall write you
from time to time as I have matters of interest to communicate.
I have written to Elder Taylor upon one subject that I wish
you would try to put a stop to for the good of the cause
in this land viz that of the Elders Bringing letters in quantities
to this country which is involving us in much trouble expence
& difficulty as their is £5 pounds fine upon all letters either
sealed or unsealed brought to England except in Ship Bags
so any that bring letters should put them into the hands
of the captain, ((except it may be some private letters
to us can be sent by confidential friends can be brought
to us when they first come ashore)) see Elder Taylors letter.
I wrote you three letters two full sheets & one small one by
Elder Wingate & two from Philadelphia please tell me if you
recieved them all. I hope you did. Is Br Webster living in my
house & has he attended to my taxes I sent money for him to
pay them I hope he has attended to it. But I hear nothing from
him since I left. If you see him please ask him to write
me a letter direct to 36 Chapel St Liverpool. I recieved a letter
from you in New York. In it you stated that the $50 was
to come out of the $500. I told Br Jones so & he seemed much
tried about it so much so that I did not endors it on the order
he says he left about $100 dollars of liabilities in some way
for that & that it was understood &c I told him it would
be all made right, when both come to understanding about
it. As to the order On Harden & Company the money was
never deposited with them. Elder Hedlock says in consequence
of paying some back debts & sending over so many without
pay the Office is some in debt. I shall understand the exact
situation of it as soon as I can. He wishes to send some
money for the Temple by this ship, so I took but £25 pounds
for Jones to start him with, which I endorsed on the order
the twenty five Pounds to be drawn by Mr Jeffreys has not yet
been paid Br Hedlock says they cannot supply the orders as
fast as they come & thinks in consequence of the prejudices
& feelings of the Saints in this country, that it would be
much better for the Temple money to be sent to Nauvoo
than to be paid on Orders here, thinks if it should be
known that it would be a blow up to collecting funds for
the Temple here they not knowing the circumstances that
their money is used for other purposes than for the temple.
I see from papers & Letters that the Saints in Nauvoo are
about entering unto [into] a systemmatical course of manuf-
acturing various articles for home consumption I think their
can be a system entered into in this country to cooperate
with them in Nauvoo to a good [illegible] which we shall
speak of more hereafter, & I think the Emegration business
can be carried on to a greater extent than what it has been
heretofore. We need an agency Esstablished at New [York] [page torn]
& New York & I trust these things may be brough[t] [page torn]
in process of time. 5 or 6 good wise American Elders that would
harken to council let mysteries alone & preach the first principles of
the gospel could find a good field of Labour here. what we have are
doing well, Sister Pitchforth who goes with this ship I have recommendend
to go to you for council about settleing in Nauvoo she is a worthy Sister
will tell you her circumstances. Elder Taylor knows her she has a little money
wishes to lay it out to the best advantage for herself & Children. please
write to me from time to time & give me such instruction as you
see fit. as soon as I get a knowledge of things as they exhist in this
country I will communicate it to you. please give my respects
to the Twelve, Br Phelps, Whitney, Miller, Clayton, & all my old
friends who inquire after me. & Sister Young Phebe says give
my respects to Br & Sister Young. Yours in the Kingdom of God
W. Woodruff
[upside-down text] Br Young Eldr Hedlock got your lettr yesterday Jan 14
we were truly glad to again hear from you & that P P-
Prat had gone to N York, to take charge of affairs in the
East & publish a paper &c. 15th The Ship leaves tomorrow morn-
ing it is busy times at the Office. Elder Hadlock informed me this evening
that Br Fielding had an order from you & Dr Richards for £8 or £10
Pounds of Temple funds to get pens writing apperatus or sumthing of that
kind He spoke to Br Hedlock about it this morning, & as I was [end of upside-down text]
here He wanted to speak to me about it & I did not know it untill
this evening I told Br Hedlock He had better let him have the money
in the morning, but before this reaches you you will probably
get a letter from us by Mail, contaning an account of all
affairs with us. Yours with respect
W. Woodruff
I don't find timed time to improve any in writing as you see
I shall send a number of Letters in a package with this. Please
distribute them to those to whom they are directed & oblige me
[sideways text] Mr ^Elder^ B. Young
Nauvoo
Ill [end of sideways text]
[upside-down text] W. Woodruff
to
B. Young
+ Jan 13, 1845
Liverpool [end of upside-down text]