, Letter, , Philadelphia Co., PA, to JS and Nauvoo High Council, , Hancock Co., IL, 23 Apr. 1843; handwriting of ; docket in handwriting of ; three pages; JS Collection, CHL.
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April 23, 1843
President Smith and High Council
At length I submit my Name to your <care> beleiveing you to be honerable Men and I feel assured this is the Church of Christ therefore being a member of the same I have made a covenant to stand firm and hold on through thick and thin th[r]ough hot and cold and am Willing to bear all for Christ[’s] sake but not for the Devil—— therefore in honesty I shal endeaver to commit some of my grievencies to you that your wisdom may destroy his power, and <not> permit him to have influence over all the Branch and eventually Crush the Church and leave the virtuous and good to bear the disgrace.— in, writing I shal endeaver to turn my back on Friend and Foe and dedicate myself to <the> will and Power of the Almighty God that my pen may be directed by truth and inteligence and convey the light and substance on this occasion to you that my weak mind: alone is incapable of (I do not wish you to think I am troubling you with a affairs that have been Canciled, those things I am about to relate never reached my ears until 21st of this month— but I will not write at present any thing respecting the general difficulties thare will be several, to relate them: I know but little about them, and wish I knew less of or that <I> had never seen him— in my opinion he is under the influense of the evil one for nothing but his power would cause him to conduct himself as he does,— and his immediate Friends that Constantly surround him; what <shal> I say of them— to say the least I do not think them any <a>, Benefit to and any person I will tel their Names and refer you to the traveli[n]g Elders that is now in our on their way to , respecting their Cond[u]ct Mr Leeman [Henry Lehman] is one; and will recalle him he lived in fifth below Vine Insulted and was Cut off for Unrightious Conduct <has now returned> Isacc W Statham [Isaac Stathem] is another and A young Man by the Name of [Nicholas B.] Helverson who now has withdrawn from the Branch— these Men stood by and opposed own our , in the Council Meeting of the 21[st]. and 22 of the Month—— it now time to talk about Myself. My last Wound was this and I shure [assure] <you,> it came very severe as I now know no bounds to the lies and Slander has dealt abroad respecting me and my Charactor, I now do not [p. [1]]