1840 03 15 Times and Seasons Letter from Orson Pratt, Brigham Young, P.P.Pratt, H.C.Kimball
New York. Feb. 19th, 1840.
Brigham Young, H. C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, and P. P. Pratt, to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Commerce, Ill. and to the Saints in general, GREETING.
Dear brethren, after so long a time we have met in New York and are about to sail for England. We have bespoke our passage on the old ship Garrick, which carried out Elder Kimball, and others three years since, we sail on Tuesday the 25 inst.
Bro. George Smith was here also, and is gone to Pensylvania on a short mission and will probably be here to go with us. Bro. Hadlock is here, and is also going; Elders Taylor, Woodruff, Turley, and Clark have already gone over to Eng. Most of us have had a very long and tedious journey, and have suffered much from sickness &c. and some are not yet wholly free from the lingering chills and fever, more particularly elder Smith. In journeying through the several states we found many brethren, friends and churches, and many elders who were laboring to advantage; the work is rolling on.-Indeed there were many elders whom we had never heard of before, that were preaching and baptizing, and ordaining other elders, who were still rolling the work of truth, wide and more wide; and thus it spreads. Br. Kimball baptized one in Weathersfield. Genesee co N. Y. and 3 in victor Ontario co. near where the records were found. Many were believing, and a very urgent door for preaching, such as he has seldom witnessed. He has been taken down with the fever four different times on his journey, and has sufferred much; but has persevered, and is brought through in safety, and is now tolerably well.
When we reflect upon the mountains of embarrassment which have intervened, to prevent the Twelve from accomplishing their present mission, and consider that most of them have persevered, through mobs, murderers, robbers, thieves; and through storms of persecution, poverty, sickness and death, and at last find themselves upon the sea shore, in health and peace and plenty; ready to set sail, it is a matter of joy and consolation to us and fills our hearts with gratitude to that god who commanded us to cross the mighty deep for Christ's sake and the gospel's. We consider that there is no instance on record where men have been called to so great an undertaking, under the same circumstances of poverty, sickness and distress; both ourselves, families, and brethren; but yet through the mercy of God, we think the mission will be accomplished, and will stand on record, for the wondering gaze of succeeding ages, and to God and the Lamb be all the praise and glory.
When we contrast the parting of Jacob and his son Benjamin, at the time of sending into Egypt for corn, and how it grieved the Patriarch to part with his son for so short a journey, with our having to part with tender wives and helpless offsprings, under cirstances of poverty, sickness, and death, robbed, plundered and driven, houseless, and unprovided for, either the journey or for our families. When we look upon the sufferings of the society around them, and think on the many long miles of our journey and the sickness we have had to endure by the way, also the mighty deep which lies before as, and the distance which will separate us from home and country, and friends and wives and children, and from all things naturally dear to our hearts, we are led to think that our sacrifice is almost as great as the old Patriarch's was in the absence of his son; but God will give us grace to perform all these things; and we hope that our transit from sorrow to joy may be like Jacobs when he found that Joseph was yet alive and had sent waggons and a great preparation to carry all Israel to Joseph the young dreamer, who had been lost but now was found; who had been in bondage, and in chains and dungeons, but was now exalted to a prince, and was able to settle his Israelite relations in the best of the land. ("He that hath cars to hear let him hear." We would renewedly commend our families to the mercy of God and to the kind attention of the saints, and ourselves to their prayers. We hear continually of the sickness and deaths which still prey upon the Saints in the west, and feel to cry how long O! Lord.
The work of the Lord is still rolling on in all this region where it is preached. The church in Philadelphia now numbers near one hundred, and 8 or 10 come forward for baptism almost daily; some are still coming forward in New York, doors are open more than can be filled at present. The Saints here in N. Y. are filled with faith and joy and charity and hospitality, and the same may be said of the saints in general in all this region.-The spirit that prevails is "west ward Ho!" to suffer, to live, or to die with the saints their brethren. There is scarce a saint here who would stay another month if they had means to go west. It is the bad times here and not the good times which keeps them from emigrating. There is but little money, little employment, little business of any kind here, and consequently they are most all groaning in poverty; but their deep poverty abounds unto the riches of their liberality, in forwarding the elders on their journey, and in every good work, while some of them almost lack daily bread. We think at present the church in N. York, with the utmost economy would not be able to emigrate, if land could be given them free of cost when they get there, much less to purchase; yet they hope to come some time another, through the utmost perseverance and industry, and looking to God to open their way: Brethren pray for them. Concerning printing in the west, Br. Charles Ivin of New Jersey, (one of the committee to raise means in this country) had concluded some time ago that he would spare five or six hundred dollars, which we hope he will forward to Commerce for that purpose. We are glad to hear of your resolutions in Commerce to publish the word of God, and pray that you may be successful, and we would take this opportunity to exhort the saints who have not been reduced to poverty by persecution to aid liberally in this matter, as the fulness of the gospel as well as a good Hymn book is very much wanted abroad. It is awful times of distress, perplexity, and embarrassment in the commercial world, both here, and in Europe. Tens of thousands are starving, or living on charity. Fires and tempests, ship wrecks, and famine, fearful sights and great signs, the sea heaving beyond its bounds, and all nations are perplexed beyond measure. Merchants weep and howl because no man buyeth their merchandize any more. But the saints rejoice, for they know what it means.
Elder P. P. Pratt has just returned from Washington city, after warning them faithfully. Whether he will be able to go with us to Eng. at this time is uncertain; he could have done it had he not been called to Washington just as he was getting ready to cross the ocean. But it is a good thing that he went to Washington, for by so doing we can go from America feeling our duty to this Government for the present more fully done.
We must now close by saying, may the the God of Israel bless and preserve the saints in America, and deliver them from their great tribulation, may he go before us and be with us and enable us to return to this land with our hundreds of thousands of souls saved in the kingdom of God.
We remain your brethren in the everlasting covenant.
P. P. PRATT,
BRIGHAM YOUNG,
H. C. KIMBALL,
ORSON PRATT,
