Journal, 1835–1836

  • Source Note
  • Historical Introduction
Page 80
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Letter to William Smith • 18 or 19 December 1835
Friday Dec 17th <​18th​> 1835
Answer to the foregoing Letter from Br.   a Copy
.
having received your letter I now procede to answer it, and shall first procede, to give a brief naration of my feelings and motives, since the night I first came to the knowledge, of your having a debating school, which was at the time I happened, in with, his and Mother &c— which was the first that I knew any thing about it, and from that time I took an interest in them, and was delighted with it, and formed a determination, to attend the school for the purpose of obtaining information, and with the idea of imparting the same, through the assistance of the spirit of the Lord, if by any means I should have faith to do so; and with this intent, I went to the school on <​last​> Wedensday night, not with the idea of braking up the school, neither did it enter into my heart, that there was any wrangling or jealousy’s in your heart, against me;
Notwithstanding previous to my leaving home there were feelings of solemnity, rolling across my breast, which were unaccountable to me, and also these feelings continued by spells to depress my feelings <​spirit​> and seemed to manifest that all was not right, even after the debate school commenced, and during the debate, yet I strove to believe that all would work together for good; I was pleased with the power of the arguments, that were aduced, and did [p. 80]
Letter to William Smith • 18 or 19 December 1835
Friday Dec 18th 1835
Answer to the foregoing Letter from Br.   a Copy
.
having received your letter I now procede to answer it, and shall first procede, to give a brief naration of my feelings and motives, since the night I first came to the knowledge, of your having a debating school, which was at the time I happened, in with, his and Mother &c— which was the first that I knew any thing about it, and from that time I took an interest in them, and was delighted with it, and formed a determination, to attend the school for the purpose of obtaining information, and with the idea of imparting the same, through the assistance of the spirit of the Lord, if by any means I should have faith to do so; and with this intent, I went to the school on last Wedensday night, not with the idea of braking up the school, neither did it enter into my heart, that there was any wrangling or jealousy’s in your heart, against me;
Notwithstanding previous to my leaving home there were feelings of solemnity, rolling across my breast, which were unaccountable to me, and also these feelings continued by spells to depress my spirit and seemed to manifest that all was not right, even after the school commenced, and during the debate, yet I strove to believe that all would work together for good; I was pleased with the power of the arguments, that were aduced, and did [p. 80]
Page 80