On 16 April 1843, member wrote a letter from , Illinois, to JS in , Illinois, requesting that JS allow him to rent a house that was occupying in Macedonia. Johnson had been designated as an of the church in Macedonia a month earlier, and he had received a power of attorney from JS on 10 April authorizing him “to Grant, bargain, Sell, release and confirm all or any part” of JS’s real estate “in and about the Town of Macedonia.” However, Johnson’s request appears to be a personal one, rather than a proposed transaction between a church officer and agent.

The location of the house in question is unclear, but it was apparently one that JS owned in . On 8 December 1841, JS—acting as trustee-in-trust for the church—received seventeen parcels of land in the plat of Macedonia (then called ) from and Dolly Eaton Wightman. On 12 December 1841, he purchased a lot from the Wightmans for himself and not on behalf of the church. It is likely the house was on one of these lots. moved to Macedonia in spring 1842, but shortly thereafter he and his family contracted malaria, rendering them largely destitute, which may have been the reason he was occupying property JS owned either personally or in his capacity as trustee-in-trust. In spring 1843, Young purchased property two miles outside of Macedonia, and he may have been planning to move there, which would then have made the house available for . Since Johnson already had a house and a tavern in Macedonia, it is unclear what he intended to do with the rental.

indicated in the letter that he would send it to JS by an unnamed “bearer.” The lack of postal markings further indicates that a courier hand delivered the letter. JS replied to Johnson on 18 April.