of said Church and is duly authorized to preach the gospel and act in all the ordinances of the House of the
Lord agreeable to the Authority of the office.
Given by the direction of a council of Elders assembled in Clay County Missouri John Whitmer
I called upon Bishop Edward Partridge and asked him whare my mission should be in what part of the country
I should go to preach the gospel. He replyed that He would like to have some of the Brethren go into the Southern States
through Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, &c if he could find any body who had faith Enough to go for it would
be a hard mission & a hard mission country to travel in at present in consequence of the Missouri persecution
I told him I was as ready to go South as any whare Els if he wished it. As Arkansas lay south of Mo I
asked him if I should go through Jackson County as that county lay direct in our path. He said it would be
a risk of ones life but if I had faith to undertake it I might do it He had not. I asked him if I went
through Jackson County should I start without "Purs or scrip" He said he had not faith enough to attempt
it through Jackson County if I had I might try it. As the commandments required the Elders to travel
without purse or scrip I felt strenuous to keep the commandments so I resolved to go without purse or scrip
I wished to have some companion to go with me upon my mission as I did not wish to launch forth into the open world
alone I called upon Brother Henry Brown (who had gone accompanied me from Richland N. Y. to M.o.)
I laid before him my intended mission and requested him to acompany me, it met his wishes and he agreed
to go with me and we immediately commenced preparing for our Journey which we were soon prepared and
on the I received the following Recommend
Liberty, Clay County, Missouri, Jan 13th 1835. This certifies that Wilford Woodruff has faithfully discharged
evry duty required of him in the Camp of the Saints in Journeying from Kirtland Ohio to this place, has been
very faithful in the discharge of his duty since his arival here both spiritual & temporal, is strong in the
faith of the Latter Day Saints and worthy of his calling he is recommended by the Church in this place
to any branch whare Providence may call him Lyman Wight
After receiving the above recommend I bid Brother Wight & family goodby and shouldered my voliese
weighing 15 lbs, mostly Books of Mormon, and started in company with Elder Henry Brown upon my first
mission upon this 13th day of Jan 1835. we started without purse or scrip. I also took with me a petition
to the Governor of Missouri for redress of wrongs done us biy the inhabitants of Jackson County in driving
us from our homes iand lands in Jackson County Missouri. this was a bold move as we were about to
pass through Jackson County & should we be caught by the mob & the petition found with us it might
cost us our lives. But I felt to lift up my heart in prayer to God to preserve us from the hand of our
enemies and to Grant us wisdom & make us meet for our Masters use and assist us to rightly divide
the word of truth & give evry man their portion of meat in due season that our garments might
be clear of the Blood of all men. We crossed the Missouri River in a ferry bout & landed in Jackson
County as we steped upon the bank two horsemen went into the boat they Eyed us vary close but said
nothing to us. this was the first time that my feet had ever troad the soil of Jackson County Missouri
and I felt to thank God for the privilege we bowed down upon our knees before God & offered up our
petitions & thanksgivings unto God while at the same time that Land was polluted by wicked and
ungodly men. we travelled 23 miles & spent the night with one Brother Benson who still remained in
that county & we got 5 signers to the ^petition to the^ Governor of Missouri for wrongs done us by the Jackson
County Mob. Travelle[d] but 5 miles & spent the night with Brother Charles McClure & got him
to sign the petition. Travelled 12 miles through some of the most beautiful rolling prairie I
of said Church and is duly authorized to preach the gospel and act in all the ordinances of the House of the
Lord agreeable to the Authority of the office.
Given by the direction of a council of Elders assembled in
Clay County Missouri
John Whitmer
I called upon Bishop Edward Partridge and asked him whare my mission should be in what part of the country
I should go to preach the gospel. He replyed that He would like to have some of the Brethren go into the Southern States
through Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, &c if he could find any body who had faith Enough to go for it would
be a hard mission & a hard country to travel in at present in consequence of the Missouri persecution
I told him I was as ready to go South as any whare Els if he wished it. As Arkansas lay south of Mo I
asked him if I should go through Jackson County as that county lay direct in our path. He said it would be
a risk of ones life but if I had faith to undertake it I might do it He had not. I asked him if I went
through Jackson County should I start without "Purs or scrip" He said he had not faith enough to attempt
it through Jackson County if I had I might try it. As the commandments required the Elders to travel
without purse or scrip I felt strenuous to keep the commandments so I resolved to go without purse or scrip
I wished to have some companion to go with me upon my mission as I did not wish to launch forth into the open world
alone I called upon Brother Henry Brown (who had accompanied me from Richland N. Y. to M.o.)
I laid before him my intended mission and requested him to acompany me, it met his wishes and he agreed
to go with me and we immediately commenced preparing for our Journey we were soon prepared and
on the I received the following Recommend
Liberty, Clay County, Missouri, Jan 13th 1835. This certifies that Wilford Woodruff has faithfully discharged
evry duty required of him in the Camp of the Saints in Journeying from Kirtland Ohio to this place, has been
very faithful in the discharge of his duty since his arival here both spiritual & temporal, is strong in the
faith of the Latter Day Saints and worthy of his calling he is recommended by the Church in this place
to any branch whare Providence may call him
Lyman Wight
After receiving the above recommend I bid Brother Wight & family goodby and shouldered my voliese
weighing 15 lbs, mostly Books of Mormon, and started in company with Elder Henry Brown upon my first
mission upon this 13th day of Jan 1835. we started without purse or scrip. I also took with me a petition
to the Governor of Missouri for redress of wrongs done us by the inhabitants of Jackson County in driving
us from our homesand lands in Jackson County Missouri. this was a bold move as we were about to
pass through Jackson County & should we be caught by the mob & the petition found with us it might
cost us our lives. But I felt to lift up my heart in prayer to God to preserve us from the hand of our
enemies and to Grant us wisdom & make us meet for our Masters use and assist us to rightly divide
the word of truth & give evry man their portion of meat in due season that our garments might
be clear of the Blood of all men. We crossed the Missouri River in a ferry bout & landed in Jackson
County as we steped upon the bank two horsemen went into the boat they Eyed us vary close but said
nothing to us. this was the first time that my feet had ever troad the soil of Jackson County Missouri
and I felt to thank God for the privilege we bowed down upon our knees before God & offered up our
petitions & thanksgivings unto God while at the same time that Land was polluted by wicked and
ungodly men. we travelled 23 miles & spent the night with one Brother Benson who still remained in
that county & we got 5 signers to the petition to the Governor of Missouri for wrongs done us by the Jackson
County Mob. Travelled but 5 miles & spent the night with Brother Charles McClure & got him
to sign the petition. Travelled 12 miles through some of the most beautiful rolling prairie I
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