, Letter, , Lancashire, England, to JS, [, Hancock Co., IL], 9 July 1840. Featured version published in “Epistle,” Times and Seasons, 1 Apr. 1845, 859–863. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.
Historical Introduction
On 9 July 1840, wrote a letter to JS from recounting the previous nine months of his travels and proselytizing efforts. Kimball was one of seven members of the then serving a mission in Great Britain, in accordance with a July 1838 revelation that directed the apostles to “go over the great waters, and there promulge my gospel.” The letter recounted Kimball’s journey to Great Britain, documenting how his travels intersected with those of other missionaries headed to and across the Atlantic Ocean. As they traveled to the eastern and proselytized along the way, the missionaries were delayed intermittently by illness, injury, and fatigue and were dependent upon the charity of members for food and lodging. The first group of three missionaries sailed from New York for on 19 December 1839. The remainder, including Kimball, did not sail from New York until 9 March 1840, nearly six months after Kimball left , Illinois, with in September 1839.
In his letter, , who had preached in in 1837 and 1838, described the state of the church there, noting the joy that the British Saints felt in being reunited with missionaries from the . He emphasized the growth of the church and expressed optimism about current opportunities to proselytize throughout the United Kingdom, including in Scotland and Ireland. Kimball also detailed the poverty he had encountered in England’s cities and reported on Great Britain’s economic depression and a burgeoning potato shortage in Ireland.
If JS responded personally to , that letter has not been located. On 15 December 1840, however, JS wrote a letter to the entire Quorum of the Twelve, in which he acknowledged “several communications” from the apostles he had not yet answered, citing the “multiplicity of business” that had occupied his attention in , Illinois. Kimball’s original 9 July letter is not extant. The version featured here was published in the 1 April 1845 issue of the Times and Seasons.
Pratt, Parley P. The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt, One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry and Travels, with Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from His Miscellaneous Writings. Edited by Parley P. Pratt Jr. New York: Russell Brothers, 1874.
I now embrace this opportunity of writing this epistle to you in order to give you a sketch of my travels since I left you, and of the progress of the work of God in this land, together with the signs of the times and of the conflicts which I and my brethren have endured during our journey to this land. You very well remember the time and situation in which we left our homes;— and I started together. We were both very sick and we likewise left our families very sick. Not being well able to travel brother Bently took us on our way fifteen miles to . This was on the 18th of September, we tarried at ’s house overnight and next day he took us to . Another brother volunteered there, and the same day took us on our way as far as which is fifty miles from . When we arrived at in consequence of the fatigues of the journey I was taken with the chill fever again at the sisters Pitkin’s:— after being there one or two days, I then went to Doctor Staley’s and remained under the care of Sister Staley and her daughter until the 25th, my pain and afflictions were very severe. I received great kindness from them and also from the Sisters Pitkin; and I pray that the Lord may abundantly bless them, and administer comfort and blessings to them in every time of need; ’s health was very poor in deed; he was not able to sit up but a little while at a time. While we were at Brothers , , and overtook us, they being also considerably sick and very feeble. The at were kind and administered to our wants and assissted us on our journey. My sorrow was great on leaving as well as on leaving , to see so many of our brethren sick and dying in consequence of being driven and being exposed to hunger and cold.
We all left on the 25th, Brother took and as far as Brother ’s distance about 9 miles, Brothers , , and had a horse and wagon of their own to help them on their way. left us and predicted many things which should come to pass, left his blessing with us and bid us farewell. May God bless him and save him in [p. 859]
With the help of Israel Barlow, Young departed Montrose, Iowa Territory, to join Kimball in Commerce on 14 September 1839. Of the first leg of his journey, Young recalled, “My health was so poor I was unable to go thirty rods to the river without assistance.” Young’s family arrived in Commerce on 17 September. Kimball later recounted their departure in more detail, recollecting that he and Young, although ill, arose in the wagon as they left and shouted a cheer to encourage their family members. (Historian’s Office, Brigham Young History Drafts, 26; Kimball, “History,” 111.)
Deuel was a member of the church living twelve miles outside of Lima, Illinois. Apparently located near a proposed railroad track, Deuel’s home was described as a “Shantee on the raileroad.” (Kimball, “History,” 111–112; Turley, Reminiscences and Journal, 7.)
Kimball, Heber C. “History of Heber Chase Kimball by His Own Dictation,” ca. 1842–1856. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 2.
Turley, Theodore. Reminiscences and Journal, Sept. 1839–July 1840. Photocopy. CHL. MS 1950.
Kimball later identified this man as “Bro. Bidwell.” He was likely Robert W. Bidwell, who resided in Adams County, Illinois, where Lima is located. (Kimball, “History,” 112; Robert W. Bidwell, Affidavit, 8 Jan. 1840, Record Group 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, National Archives, Washington DC.)
Kimball, Heber C. “History of Heber Chase Kimball by His Own Dictation,” ca. 1842–1856. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 2.
Record Group 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives / Petitions and Memorials, Resolutions of State Legislatures, and Related Documents Which Were Referred to the Committee on Judiciary during the 27th Congress. Committee on the Judiciary, Petitions and Memorials, 1813–1968. Record Group 233, Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1789–2015. National Archives, Washington DC. The LDS records cited herein are housed in National Archives boxes 40 and 41 of Library of Congress boxes 139–144 in HR27A-G10.1.
Laura and Abigail Pitkin were members of the church living in Quincy, Illinois. (Heber C. Kimball, Quincy, IL, to Vilate Murray Kimball, Sept. [1839], Heber C. Kimball, Collection, CHL; Thompson, Journal of Heber C. Kimball, 54–55.)
Kimball, Heber C. Collection, 1837–1898. CHL. MS 12476.
Thompson, Robert B. Journal of Heber C. Kimball an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Nauvoo, IL: Robinson and Smith, 1840.
On 14 January 1840, Young wrote to his wife, Mary Ann Angell Young, and assured her that he had “injoyed my self well sence I left home concidirn [considering] my helth has ben so poor.” (Brigham Young, Richmond, MA, to Mary Ann Angell Young, 14 and 16 Jan. 1840; 5 Feb. 1840, George W. Thatcher Blair, Collection, CHL.)
Blair, George W. Thatcher. Collection, 1837–1988. CHL.
Smith, Turley, and Hedlock departed Commerce on 21 September 1839 and followed a route very similar to Young and Kimball’s. They arrived in Quincy on 24 September 1839. Turley described his sickness as the “western Chill” fever, which caused one of his legs to swell so much that his leg “contracted” and he “could not put it to the Ground.” (Turley, Reminiscences and Journal, 5–8; George A. Smith, Journal, 21 Sept. 1839.)
Turley, Theodore. Reminiscences and Journal, Sept. 1839–July 1840. Photocopy. CHL. MS 1950.
Smith, George A. Autobiography, ca. 1860–1882. George Albert Smith, Papers, 1834–1877. CHL. MS 1322, box 1, fd. 2.
In summer 1839, the Saints in Nauvoo and Montrose were ravaged by malaria. They generally attributed their susceptibility to the epidemic to their forced exodus from Missouri. (See, for example, John Taylor, Letter to the Editor, LDS Millennial Star, May 1841, 2:13.)
On 8 March 1840, Phebe Carter Woodruff reported that a few days earlier Wight had expressed his intention of “going to N. & S. Carolina this summer to preach.” Wight may have undertaken this journey at the time he joined with Kimball and the others. (Phebe Carter Woodruff, Montrose, Iowa Territory, to Wilford Woodruff, Ledbury, England, 8 Mar. 1840, digital scan, Wilford Woodruff, Collection, CHL.)
Woodruff, Wilford. Collection, 1831–1905. CHL. MS 19509.