Eliza Ann Carter, in a letter to James C. Snow, reports on the confession of apostles such as Thomas Marsh, David Patten, and William Smith after dissenting from Joseph due to the Kirtland Bank.

Date
Jul 22, 1837
Type
Letter
Source
Eliza Ann Carter
LDS
Hearsay
Holograph
Direct
Reference

Eliza Ann Carter Letter to James C. Snow, July 22, 1837, MS 34620, Church History Library

Scribe/Publisher
Eliza Ann Carter
People
Eliza Ann Carter, Sidney Rigdon, David W. Patten, Mary Ann Pratt, Joseph Smith, Jr., Orson Hyde, William Smith, Thomas Marsh, Heber C. Kimball, Parley P. Pratt
Audience
James Snow
Transcription

July 22, 1837

Dear Absent Brother,

I received your letter on June 28th. And I was glad to hear that you had arrived at St. Johnsbury, Maine in good health. You had wished for me to write as soon as I received your letter–respecting the Church and Bank. I must confess to you of my negligence in not writing back to fulfill my word to you–and sincerely pray that you will forgive me. You need not think that I have forgotten you in consequence of my not writing– for I have not. I often think of the happy hours that we spent together and do anticipate the day when we shall meet again and enjoy each other’s society.

The reason that I did not write you sooner was because I had written to mother a short time before I received your letter. I wrote to her respecting the Church and also the Bank. I knew that you might see her and I thought that if you stopped by her place you would be likely to see my letter. For this reason I delayed my response. I also thought that I would wait and see how the Church bore out their difficulties before I wrote back. I shall now endeavor to drop a few lines with regard to the Church and also the Bank.

With respect to Church, there are some who have been standing out against the heads of the Church. They have now come and made their confession to the Church and there are some who have not. Elder Patten, Elder Marsh and William Smith have come to Kirtland. They arrived here the 8th of July– for the purpose of settling the affairs of the Church. It was their request to meet with the Twelve and Presidency and hold a Conference. However, the Twelve left– some had gone one way and some another. Lyman Johnson and Luke Johnson went to Missouri. Parley Pratt started for there but met Elder Patten and turned around and came back with him. They held counsel at Brother Joseph’s with those that were here and settled their difficulties.

We had a glorious meeting in the House of the Lord last Sabbath in the forenoon. We were addressed by our beloved Brother Patten. In the afternoon confessions were made by William Smith, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Sidney Rigdon and Joseph Smith, Jr. William Smith made a very humble confession to the Church with regard to his conduct the winter past—he said he was determined to forsake all and go forth and proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth. As for Parley Pratt and Orson Pratt, they said they were truly convinced that the charges which were laid to Brother Joseph the season past ware actually false. They were now fully persuaded in their own minds that Joseph had done the best that he could–considering all things. They confessed that their minds had been darkened, their hearts hardened, and they had said many things against the Prophet that they ought not to have said.

Parley Pratt has sold his stand and all his house furniture and is about take his wife Mary Ann and go East to preach–as far as New York– or some where there about. He calculates to stay until fall and then return back to Kirtland and settle up his business and then he will take his wife and two children and start for England. And he will probibly stay there a number of years.

With regard to Joseph and Sidney’s confessions, they acknowledged that they were men subjected to light passions as other men, and that they had erred in some things as well as others.

Orson Hyde and Heber C. Kimball have gone to England. Elder Patten and Elder Marsh have started for Missouri again. The Church is prospering very fast. They seem to be united and the contentions and disputations are done away with — and the spirit of God is with us.

Now concerning the Bank–the money is not good here yet–and I don’t know when it will be. Some think that it will be good by next fall. I understood that they were sending it out west to buy land. It went well there and they have carried a great deal of it out of Kirtland so that it is not very plentiful here — so I was informed.

Now I will turn my subject upon something else. We have had as fine a weather here as anyone could wish for. Farmers have begun to hay here— and grain is now ready to harvest. We have potatoes, onions, beets, green peas, beans, currents, cherries and raspberries now. In a short time we shall have apples.

My health has been very poor — but it is better now. I called for Father Smith and Brother Butterfield. They prayed for me and anointed with oil and said that I should have my health. I believe that I shall — if I keep the commandments of God. I desire your prayers that I may be preserved from the powers of darkness and the evils which are and will come on the earth. I feel strong in the Lord and am determined to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made me free— and hope that you are of the same determination.

I feel perfectly contented here and I do not want to go back to Newry [Maine] while I live–and I think now I never shall. I wrote to mother that I had some notion of going home–but I have given it up. Your folks are all well and enjoying good health.

I now say that my respects to you are the same now that they were when you went away. The covenant I made with you shall never fail on my part. Not while the earth shall stand, shall anyone enjoy my company but you. And I hope that you are of the same mind. I want to see you very much. You must come home in October without fail.

I must draw this letter to a close for I have nothing more to write. Please write to me without fail–and let me know where you are and how you get along through this wicked and devilish generation.

Respectfully yours,

Eliza Ann Carter

Kirtland Ohio

BHR Staff Commentary

Transcription taken from: http://web.archive.org/web/20170804041313/http://ldsmag.com/jane-austen-meets-the-wild-west-letter-from-a-young-woman-in-kirtland

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