Jan 20, 1872

along in our pilgrimage. I have had this spirit upon me since I first
Entered this Chirch I was Baptized the first sermon I herd & from
that day untill now I have kept a daily Journal whenever I have herd
Joseph Smith preach, teach, or prophesy, I have always felt it my duty
to write it. I have always felt uneasy I could not Eat drink or sleep
in peace untill I did write it & my mind has been so Exercised upon
this subjects that when I herd Joseph Smith teach & I had not pen-
cil & paper I would go home & set down & write that whole sermon
almost word for word & sentence By sentence as it was deliver & when
I had written it, it was taken from me I remembered it no more
this was the gift of God to me & the question has often rested me why are
these things so, why has this subject rested upon me more than other men
again another Question has rested upon my mind many times? why
has the devil sought to take my life from the day I was born untill
now more than other men, for I been a marked victim for the
devil from the day I was born untill now, and I can find but
one answer & that is the devil knew if I got into the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints I would write the History of the
Church & leave on Record the doings, works, & teachings of the prophets
& Apostles Elders & Saints in the latter days, & that I would attend to
the Ordinances of the House of God. For my Fathers Household & Friends
both for the living & the dead. I am the ownly person in all the lineage
of my Fathers Household Either on my Father or Mothers side who
has been in the Church & in a situation to do any thing for my
Fathers House I Baptized my Father & all his household that He had
with him at the time including my step Mother & half sister
I am the ownly person that has attended to any of the ordinances
of the Church for my Dead. Again I have recorded nearly all
the sermons & teachings that I Ever herd Joseph Smith deliver & many
of the Quorum of the Twelve I have in my Journals scores of sermons
of President Brigham Young that He does not know that Exist on
Earth so of Orson Hyde, Parley Pratt, Orson Pratt, & others, one
reason I have Been moved upon to write in Early days was
nearly all the Historians appointed in the Early History of the Church
Apostitized & took the Journals away with them which in a measure
were lost to the Church. I still keep a daily Journal but I have not

Jan 20, 1872

along in our pilgrimage. I have had this spirit upon me since I first Entered this Chirch I was Baptized the first sermon I herd & from that day untill now I have kept a daily Journal whenever I have herd Joseph Smith preach, teach, or prophesy, I have always felt it my duty to write it. I have always felt uneasy I could not Eat drink or sleep in peace untill I did write it & my mind has been so Exercised upon this subjects that when I herd Joseph Smith teach & I had not pencil & paper I would go home & set down & write that whole sermon almost word for word & sentence By sentence as it was deliver & when I had written it, it was taken from me I remembered it no more this was the gift of God to me & the question has often rested me why are these things so, why has this subject rested upon me more than other men again another Question has rested upon my mind many times? why has the devil sought to take my life from the day I was born untill now more than other men, for I been a marked victim for the devil from the day I was born untill now, and I can find but one answer & that is the devil knew if I got into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints I would write the History of the Church & leave on Record the doings, works, & teachings of the prophets & Apostles Elders & Saints in the latter days, & that I would attend to the Ordinances of the House of God. For my Fathers Household & Friends both for the living & the dead. I am the ownly person in all the lineage of my Fathers Household Either on my Father or Mothers side who has been in the Church & in a situation to do any thing for my Fathers House I Baptized my Father & all his household that He had with him at the time including my step Mother & half sister I am the ownly person that has attended to any of the ordinances of the Church for my Dead. Again I have recorded nearly all the sermons & teachings that I Ever herd Joseph Smith deliver & many of the Quorum of the Twelve I have in my Journals scores of sermons of President Brigham Young that He does not know that Exist on Earth so of Orson Hyde, Parley Pratt, Orson Pratt, & others, one reason I have Been moved upon to write in Early days was nearly all the Historians appointed in the Early History of the Church Apostitized & took the Journals away with them which in a measure were lost to the Church. I still keep a daily Journal but I have not