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Letter from Lyman Wight and Heber C. Kimball, 19, 21, and 24 June 1844

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Letter from Lyman Wight and Heber C. Kimball, 19, 21, and 24 June 1844

Source Note

and , Letter, , Philadelphia Co., PA, to JS, Harriet Benton Wight and Wight children, and , Wisconsin Territory, Saints, [, Hancock Co., IL], 19, 21, and 24 June 1844; handwriting of ; signatures of and in the handwriting of ; sixteen pages; JS Collection, CHL. Included enclosure (not extant); includes dockets, redactions, use marks, and notations.
Five bifolia, each measuring 10 × 7⅝ inches (25 × 19 cm). The letter was written on sixteen of the twenty pages. The bifolia were filled out one at a time rather than stacked when open to make a single gathering. The letter was written on the first three pages only of each bifolium except the last, which contains writing on all four pages. All of the pages with inscription are paginated except the final page. The letter was trifolded and presumably placed in a wrapper or envelope for delivery. The letter included an enclosure of funds, which were presumably used for the purposes stated in the letter. An unidentified individual later added a notation. The letter was later folded along the original creases for filing. There are holes from staples in the upper left corners of each of the bifolia; these staples were later removed.
This document was docketed twice by , who served as JS’s scribe from 1843 to 1844 and as clerk to the church historian and recorder from 1845 to 1865. There are graphite editorial marks, cancellations, insertions, and notations throughout the letter, presumably made while it was prepared for inclusion in JS’s history. It was listed in an inventory that was produced by the Church Historian’s Office (later Church Historical Department) circa 1904. By 1973 the document had been included in the JS Collection at the Church Historical Department (now CHL). The document’s early dockets, its redactions and notations, its listing in the circa 1904 inventory, and its later inclusion in the JS Collection indicate continuous institutional custody.

Footnotes

  1. Jessee, “Writing of Joseph Smith’s History,” 456, 458; Woodruff, Journal, 22 Jan. 1865.

    Jessee, Dean C. “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History.” BYU Studies 11 (Summer 1971): 439–473.

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  2. The draft notes for JS’s history indicate that the letter was “to be revised” for inclusion in the history. An abridged version was included in the history. (Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, 2 July 1844, 6; JS History, vol. F-1, 232–234.)

  3. “Letters to and from the Prophet,” ca. 1904, [3], Historian’s Office, Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904, CHL.

    Historian’s Office. Catalogs and Inventories, 1846–1904. CHL. CR 100 130.

  4. See the full bibliographic entry for JS Collection, 1827–1844, in the CHL catalog.

Historical Introduction

From 19 to 24 June 1844, and wrote a letter from to JS in , Illinois, to inform him about the progress of their mission to the eastern and about support from various quarters in his presidential bid. Like most of the rest of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Wight and Kimball were barnstorming for JS’s presidential campaign. After Wight returned to Nauvoo from overseeing the ’s logging and milling operations in the on 1 May 1844, JS inducted him as a member of the and stated that he “wanted Wight and every other man who could leave, to go into all the States and preach and electioneer for him to be president.” In response to JS’s request, formally moved during a 6 May meeting of the Council of Fifty that Wight “go through the United States electioneering for the Presidency.” Wight then made plans to travel with Heber C. Kimball to to deliver instructions from the Council of Fifty to and , who were there on assignment from the council. On 20 May the Saints held a public meeting in Nauvoo “to obtain means” to support Wight on his mission with Kimball.
The following day, and left for via by steamboat with and approximately one hundred elders called to preach and to canvass the eastern states for JS’s election. The group held several political meetings with Latter-day Saints during its journey from Nauvoo to Pittsburgh. These meetings reportedly resulted in at least a few positive interactions and garnered a modicum of political support for JS among those outside the church.
After arriving in , and left in the city and traveled with apostle toward . Wight and Kimball arrived in the city on 2 June, where they spent several days meeting with political leaders and a few local church members. Smith evidently left for sometime before Wight and Kimball did. On 7 June they submitted a memorial to Congress that they had written detailing the Saints’ persecutions of 1838–1839 and petitioning for redress. Evidently having come to terms with the unlikelihood of members of the church receiving any financial redress, Wight and Kimball petitioned for “a liberal grant of lands in one of the Territories of the , to be located in such manner as not to deprive any previous actual settler of any just right or claim.” Suspecting Congress might not grant even that petition, they requested that alternatively the Saints be granted preemption rights (first right of purchase) to unspecified western lands, on which the Saints would eventually settle, provided they could make payments “at periods of ten, fifteen and twenty years.” The following day, Wight and Kimball met with and delivered a 13 May 1844 letter from the . They then left and spent several days in Philadelphia and nearby Wilmington, Delaware.
On 19 June, in , they began the featured letter to JS, with dictating on their behalf to church member , who served as the scribe. The letter was produced serially, with portions of it dictated on 19, 21, and 24 June. On 20 June, Wight and met with the Philadelphia of the church, and on 21 June, Wight and Kimball traveled to Wilmington, where they held a on 22 and 23 June. On 24 June the two returned to Philadelphia, where Wight finished dictating their letter to JS and added a short note to his wife, Harriet Benton Wight, and their children, as well as to the Latter-day Saints in with whom he had lived while in .
After completing the letter, and sent it and $1,300 in donations they had presumably collected along the way to JS by way of and a Brother Price. Forgeus and Price arrived in on 12 July, two weeks after JS was assassinated. Upon his arrival, Forgeus explained that he had orders not to give the funds to anyone but JS. However, given that JS was dead, he agreed to deliver the funds and letter to , formerly JS’s private clerk. He delivered “$300 from L Wight & $1000. from bro. Kimball” to Clayton the following day.

Footnotes

  1. JS, Journal, 1 May 1844; Council of Fifty, “Record,” 3 May 1844.

  2. Council of Fifty, “Record,” 6 May 1844.

  3. JS, Journal, 13 May 1844; Council of Fifty, “Record,” 13 May 1844; Richards, Journal, 14 May 1844.

    Richards, Willard. Journals, 1836–1853. Willard Richards, Papers, 1821–1854. CHL. MS 1490, boxes 1–2.

  4. JS, Journal, 20 May 1844. It is unclear why Wight received financial support for his mission while Kimball and others did not.

  5. JS, Journal, 21 May 1844.

  6. Kimball, Journal, 2–8 June 1844. It is unclear whether William Smith went to Washington DC along with Wight and Kimball. Neither Wight nor Kimball mentioned Smith’s participation in any of their efforts in Washington DC, and Hyde referred to meeting with only “Elders Kimball and Wight” on 8 June, which suggests that if Smith did travel to Washington, he was no longer in the city by that date. (Letter from Orson Hyde, 9 June 1844.)

    Kimball, Heber C. Journal, June 1837–Feb. 1838; Feb.–Mar. 1840; May 1846–Feb. 1847. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 3, fd. 2.

  7. Lyman Wight and Heber C. Kimball, Petition to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 7 June 1844, [2], Record Group 46, Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives, Washington DC. The day before he and Wight submitted the petition, Kimball recorded that he had received a divine communication “that Congress would not do anny thing fore us.” Reconciling himself to this impression, Kimball wrote, “I do not care wheather they do or not. it is none of thares to give. my Father in heaven owns it all and he will give it to [us] so let them go to thare own place.” The following day, when Wight and Kimball met with Orson Hyde, they informed him that the sentiments of the Council of Fifty were that “it was not expected that Congress would do any thing for us” and that the memorials would serve “only to tease them.” (Kimball, Journal, 6 June 1844; Letter from Orson Hyde, 9 June 1844.)

    Wight, Lyman, and Heber C. Kimball. Petition to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 1844. Petitions, Memorials, Resolutions of State Legislatures, and Related Documents Which Were Referred to the Committee on Public Lands during the 28th Congress. Petitions and Memorials, 1816–1948. Record Group 46, Records of the U.S. Senate, 1789–2015. National Archives, Washington DC.

    Kimball, Heber C. Journal, June 1837–Feb. 1838; Feb.–Mar. 1840; May 1846–Feb. 1847. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 3, fd. 2.

  8. Lyman Wight and Heber C. Kimball, Petition to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 7 June 1844, [2], Record Group 46, Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives, Washington DC.

    Wight, Lyman, and Heber C. Kimball. Petition to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 1844. Petitions, Memorials, Resolutions of State Legislatures, and Related Documents Which Were Referred to the Committee on Public Lands during the 28th Congress. Petitions and Memorials, 1816–1948. Record Group 46, Records of the U.S. Senate, 1789–2015. National Archives, Washington DC.

  9. Letter from Orson Hyde, 9 June 1844; Letter to Orson Hyde and Orson Pratt, 13 May 1844. JS and the council wrote to Hyde and Pratt, rebuking Hyde for some changes he made to a memorial asking Congress to make JS a member of the United States Army.

  10. Kimball, Journal, 20–23 June 1844.

    Kimball, Heber C. Journal, June 1837–Feb. 1838; Feb.–Mar. 1840; May 1846–Feb. 1847. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 3, fd. 2.

  11. A notation written in pencil, possibly by clerk Robert L. Campbell, on the final page of this letter records that it was “received 2d July.” Accordingly, extracts from this letter were later placed in JS’s history under the date 2 July. William Clayton’s diary, however, makes clear that the letter did not arrive in Nauvoo until 12 July. (Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, 2 July 1844, 6; JS History, vol. F-1, 247; Clayton, Journal, 12 July 1844.)

    Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

  12. Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 31.

    Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, ca. 1845. CHL. MS 3365.

  13. Clayton, Journal, 12–13 July 1844. It is possible that Kimball delivered some of this money to Emma Smith on 8 August 1844. (Kimball, Journal, 8 Aug. 1844.)

    Clayton, William. Journals, 1842–1845. CHL.

    Kimball, Heber C. Journal, June 1837–Feb. 1838; Feb.–Mar. 1840; May 1846–Feb. 1847. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 3, fd. 2.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Letter from Lyman Wight and Heber C. Kimball, 19, 21, and 24 June 1844 History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”
June 24 1844
Just returned form [from] Wilmi[n]gton , accompanied by we Several of the Brethren & Sisters who went from this , we can truly say that this was one of the most pleasent trips in our life, we went down on Steamer “Balloon”, and returned by Railway, our conference commencd on Saturdey the 22nd. the Brethern came in from the adjacent country and after much instructon from and myself we took a vote to know whether they would go whithersoever they and and [go?]; should it be be the or or any other place directed by the wisdom directed by the of almighty God or would they stay in Wilmington and build up a according to the advice of the last General Conference without prophets or apostles, the saints numbering about 100 rose to their feet and exclaimed they whithersoevr they go, we go, without a disenting voice. this was truly an interesting meeting, we have not the least Idea that any one will back out, nearly all men of wealth; and have commenced <​this mornig​> to offer all surplus property for sale, <​that​> they may have a liberal opportunity, that whenever you say go they are ready, We ten as promisi[n]g young as we ever laid hands upon, they pledged themselves to Start this week and go [p. 12]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Lyman Wight and Heber C. Kimball, 19, 21, and 24 June 1844
ID #
1423
Total Pages
20
Print Volume Location
Handwriting on This Page
  • John A. Forgeus

Footnotes

  1. Kimball recorded that he and Wight traveled to Wilmington “in company with Sister Min and daughter,” referring to Mary Dull and Margaret McMinn, and “Sister Poltry and son,” possibly referring to Sarah Ann and William Pollock. (Kimball, Journal, 21 June 1844; “Names of the Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Philadelphia,” in Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 12, 22.)

    Kimball, Heber C. Journal, June 1837–Feb. 1838; Feb.–Mar. 1840; May 1846–Feb. 1847. Heber C. Kimball, Papers, 1837–1866. CHL. MS 627, box 3, fd. 2.

    Philadelphia Branch Record Book, 1840–1854. Microfilm. CHL. Original at CCLA.

  2. The steamboat Balloon made trips on the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Wilmington every day except Sunday. It left from the Chestnut Street wharf in Philadelphia, seven blocks from the McMinn residence, at 9:00 a.m. with passengers paying a fifty-cent fare. Wight and Kimball likely returned to Philadelphia via the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, which was built about 1836. (“Steamboat Balloon, for Wilmington,” Public Ledger [Philadelphia], 19 June 1844, [3]; Newkirk and Wallace, “Second Annual Report of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Company,” 595–596.)

    Public Ledger. Philadelphia. 1836–1925.

    Newkirk, Matthew, and J. Wilson Wallace. “Second Annual Report of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Company.” American Railroad Journal, and Advocate of Internal Improvements 6, no. 41 (14 Oct. 1837): 595–596.

  3. With tensions growing in Hancock County, Illinois, JS and other Latter-day Saint leaders discussed moving the body of the Saints to a variety of different locations. On 20 February 1844, JS instructed the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to “send out a delegation— & investigate the Locations of Californnia & oregon & find a good Location where we can remove after the Temple is completed.” A few weeks later, during the initial meeting of the Council of Fifty on 10 March, JS and other leaders read and discussed two different letters from Lyman Wight, George Miller, and others urging JS to consider a new gathering place in Texas. The following day, the council again met, and “all seemed agreed to look to some place where we can go and establish a Theocracy either in Texas or Oregon or somewhere in California &c.” On 31 March, JS signed his name to two memorials, one to Congress and the other to United States president John Tyler, petitioning to be made a member of the army and for permission to raise a force of “one hundred thousand armed volunteers” to guard the overland trail and protect American interests in Oregon “from foreign aggression, and domestic broils.” As a part of their mission to Washington DC, Wight and Kimball submitted yet another petition to Congress, asking for liberal land grants in the territories where the Saints could settle away from their history of troubles with other Americans. (JS, Journal, 20 Feb. 1844; Council of Fifty, “Record,” 10 Mar. 1844; Letter from Lyman Wight and Others, 15 Feb. 1844–A; Letter from Lyman Wight and Others, 15 Feb. 1844–B; Council of Fifty, “Record,” 11 Mar. 1844; JS, Journal, 31 Mar. 1844; Memorial to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, ca. 24–26 Mar. 1844; JS, Memorial to the President of the United States of America, 30 Mar. 1844, draft, JS Collection, CHL; Lyman Wight and Heber C. Kimball, Petition to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 7 June 1844, [2], Record Group 46, Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives, Washington DC.)

    Wight, Lyman, and Heber C. Kimball. Petition to U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 1844. Petitions, Memorials, Resolutions of State Legislatures, and Related Documents Which Were Referred to the Committee on Public Lands during the 28th Congress. Petitions and Memorials, 1816–1948. Record Group 46, Records of the U.S. Senate, 1789–2015. National Archives, Washington DC.

  4. On 8 April 1844, during the April conference of the church, JS delivered a discourse in which he declared that “the whole Americ[a] is Zion itself— from North to South— that is the Zion where the Mountain of the L[or]d sh[oul]d be.” He further stated that he had “rec[eived]— inst[ruction] from [the] L[or]d that E[lde]rs shall build churches where ever they raise branches through the States then build stakes— in the g[rea]t cities Boston &c there shall be stakes.” (Discourse, 8 Apr. 1844.)

  5. TEXT: Possibly “000 100”.

  6. See Ruth 1:16.

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