Brother Woodruff—Knowing the anxiety you must feell
for the cause of God in America, I imbrace the present to
drop you a line by permision of Elder Fordham who
leaves this place to-morrow with many others for Nauvoo
they carry up much money a goods for the Temple, all
the Elders have been called in this Summer to labor
on the Temple, the brethren are resolved to have the en-
dowment commence this fall, our enemies are
say if we are not exterminated before the Temple is
finished, it never can be done—so you may depend
on a decisive blow being struck for its completion,
I mean the completion of the Temple. I would inform
you that we now as a people stand in relationhip
to this country that we never stood before. I have
succeeded in obtaining an appointment for one
of our brethren in the Custom House in this city
and have the promise of some more in other parts
of the ci^o^untry in other cities. I have also obtained quite
an influence on the part of the executive of the General
Government in our behalf. Governer Ford will have
to give us protection during his administration or
he wil loose his influence with the General Govern
ment, to whome he will be looking for an appoint
ment in the cabinet after he has left the executive
chair in Illinois, and will lose^oose^ it if he is not
our friend. I have much I would like to tell
you but I have not roome I close for elder Pratt
Brother Woodruff—Knowing the anxiety you must feell
for the cause of God in America, I imbrace the present to
drop you a line by permision of Elder Fordham who
leaves this place to-morrow with many others for Nauvoo
they carry up much money a goods for the Temple, all
the Elders have been called in this Summer to labor
on the Temple, the brethren are resolved to have the endowment commence this fall, our enemies
say if we are not exterminated before the Temple is
finished, it never can be done—so you may depend
on a decisive blow being struck for its completion,
I mean the completion of the Temple. I would inform
you that we now as a people stand in relationhip
to this country that we never stood before. I have
succeeded in obtaining an appointment for one
of our brethren in the Custom House in this city
and have the promise of some more in other parts
of the country in other cities. I have also obtained quite
an influence on the part of the executive of the General
Government in our behalf. Governer Ford will have
to give us protection during his administration or
he wil loose his influence with the General Govern
ment, to whome he will be looking for an appoint
ment in the cabinet after he has left the executive
chair in Illinois, and will looose it if he is not
our friend. I have much I would like to tell
you but I have not roome I close for elder Pratt
"Letter from Elijah Fordham, Samuel S. Brannan, and Parley Parker Pratt, 13 March 1845," p. 2, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed May 1, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/320M