Who can comprehend the joy, the glory, the happiness and consolation that an Elder of Israel feels in being an instrument in the hands of God of bringing his father, mother, sister, brother, or any of the posterity of Adam through the door that enters into life and salvation? No man can, unless he has experienced these things, and possesses the testimony of Jesus Christ and the inspiration of Almighty God. 3

THUS ends the year of 1837 and the 1st VOL of my Journal. I now find myself upon one of the Islands of the sea in defence of the word of GOD and for the testim -ony of JESUS CHRIST, in company with (PHEBE) my companion whom God hath given me for a bosom friend & a helpmeet. I marvel & can exclaim like one one of old, "great and marvelous are thy works "O LORD GOD ALMIGHTY" when I consider his ways with the children of men, esspecially when I consider his dealings with myself.

We feel an anxiety about our families in Nauvoo in consequence of the Persecution that rages in that

April 16, 1843 ~ Sunday April 16th President J. Smith Addressed the assem- bly of the saints at the temple of the Lord upon the subject of the saints death burial & resurrection of the saints. He had been requested to preach a funeral sermon by several persons who had died lost friends & he had Just Received information that Elder Lorenzo Barnes had died in England we received this information by a letter from Elder P. P. Pratt. After reading the letter he addressed the assembly in a vary feeling interesting & edefying manner among many other remarks he said he should have been more reconciled to the death of Elder barnes could his bodey have been laid in the grave in Nauvoo or among the saints, he said he had vary peculiar feelings relative to recieving an honorable burial with his fathers he considered Nauvoo would be a burying place of the saints & should he die he considered it would be a great blessing to be buried with the saints & esspecially to be buried with his father yes he wanted to lie by the side of his father that when the trump of God should sound & the voice of God should say ye saints arise, that when the tomb should birst he could arise from the grave & first salute his father & say O my father, & his father say O my Son!! as they took each other by the heand he wished next to salute his brothers & sisters & then the Saints & he said it was upon this principle that the ancients were so particular to have an honorable burial with their fathers as in the case of Joseph, before his death he made his kindred promise to carry

President Joseph Smith spoke upon the occasion with much feelings & inter est among his remarks he said it is a vary solumn & awful time I never felt more solumn it calles to mind the death of my oldest brother who died in New York & my Youngest brother Carloss Smith who died in Nauvoo. It has been hard for me to live on earth & see those young men upon whome we have lean- ed upon as a support & comfort taken from us in the midst of their youth, yes it has been hard to be reconciled to these things I have sometimes felt that I should have felt more reconciled to have been called myself if it could have been the will of God, yet I know we ought to be still & know it is of God & be reconciled all is right it will be but a short time before we shall all in like manner be called. It may be the case with me as well as you. Some has supposed that Br Joseph could not die but this is a mistake it is true their has been times when I have had the promise of my life to accomplish such & such things, but having accomplish those things I have not at present any lease of my life & am as liable to die as other men

the speaker remarked that the death of this young man had made a vacancy in his heart that nothing could fill untill it was filled by restoring the society of the same person in eternity which is the case in loosing any friend.

I wish you to understand this subject for it is important & if you will recieve it this is the spirit of Elijah that we redeem our dead & connect ourselves with our fathers which are in heaven & seal up our dead to come forth in the first resurrection & here we want the power of Elijah to seal those who dwell on earth to those which dwell in heaven this is the power of Elijah & the keys

June 25, 1843 ~ Sunday 25 June Sunday I attended meeting at 10 clock in the morning & Brother Lyman wight (who had Just returned from a mission in the east) arose & addressed the meeting at full length from the 13 ch of 1st Corinth dwelt largely upon Charity show- ing what Charity was that it was far greater than faith & hope. He took grounds to prove that Charity consisted in doing that for others which they could not do for them- selves for instance Jesus Christ died to Redeem the world, the world could not Redeem itself this is Charity, if our fore fathers & Mothers & kindred have died without the gospel, & we embrace the gospel in our day & generation & can redeem our relatives By being Baptized for them they being dead that they may have part in the first resurrection, should we do this it would be Charity

Phebe's letter was Dated July 18th 1840 The following is an extract My Dear Willford, what will be your feelings, when I say that yesterday I was called to witness the depar- ture of our little Sarah Emma from this world, yes she is gone the relentless hand of death has snatched her from my embrace - but Ah! she was two lovely to kind, to affectionate, to live in this wicked world when looking on her I have often thought how I should feel to part with her. I thought I could not live without her esspecially in the Absence of my companion. but she has gone the Lord hath taken her home to himself for some wise purpose. It is a trial to me, but the Lord hath stood by me in a wonderful manner I can see & feel & that he has taken her home & will take better care of her than I possibly could for a little while untill I shall go & meet her yes Willford we have one little Angel in heaven & I think it likely her spirit has visited you before this time. It is hard living without her she used to call her poor Pa-Pa & putty pa-pa many times in a day she left a kiss for her pa-pa with me just before she died.

yes wives & children were left in this way to the mercy of God And the brethren And went away with cheerful hearts Believing that they were doing the will of God And while casting my eyes upon them I considered I was viewing the first Battalion of the Army of Israel engaged in the United States service for one year And going to lay the foundation of A far greater work even preparing the way for the building of Zion.