Letterbook 2

  • Source Note
  • Historical Introduction
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Letter from Alanson Ripley • 10 April 1839
Ill. April 10th. 1839
Dear brethren in Christ Jesus,
It is with feelings in no small moment that I take up pen in hand to address you the prisoners of Jesus Christ and in the same faith of the gospel with myself who are holden by the cords of malice and of hellish plottings against the just, and of the lifting up the heel against the Lords anointed, but they shall soon fall and not rise again, for their destruction is sure, for no power beneath the Heavens can save them.— is wielding a mighty shaft against the whole kidney of foul calumniators and mobocrats of . Yesterday he spent part of the day with of this the President told him, that he was informed that was calculating to take out a bench warrant for himself and others, and then make a demand of his Excellency for them to be given up to be taken back to for trial, And he was assured by that noble minded hero, that if undertook that thing he would get himself insulted; he also assured him that the people called Mormons should find a permanent protection in this , he also solicited our people one and all to settle in this , and if there could be a tract of country that would suit our convenience he would use his influence for congress to make a grant of it to us, to redress our wrongs, and make up our losses.
We met last night in of the whole and passed some resolutions with respect to sending to the City of . We are making every exertion possible that lays in our power to accomplish that grand object, upon which hangs our temporal salvation, and interwoven with this our Eternal Salvation; and so closely allied to each other are they, that I want to see the head connected with the body again and while we are enjoying one, let us be ripening for the other: But my heart says where is he whose lips used to whisper the words of life to us? Alas! he is in the hands of Zions enemies. Oh Lord crieth my heart will not heaven hear our prayers and witness our tears? Yes saith the spirit thy tears are all bottled up, and shall speedily be rewarded with the deliverence of thy dearly beloved brethren.
But when I see the fearful apprehensions of some of our brethren it causes me to mourn, one instance of which I will mention. When I arrived at , I made my mind known to some of the community, and I told them that I wanted that they should send a messenger to the gaol to communicate with you, but I was denied the privelege. They said that the was so anxious to be free once more, that they would not consider the danger that the was in. They met in council and passed resolutions that I myself, , , W Barlow should leave for forthwith: But my spirits have been grieved ever since, So that I can hardly hold my peace. They are so afraid of bears, that they hardly remember [p. 16]
Letter from Alanson Ripley • 10 April 1839
Ill. April 10th. 1839
Dear brethren in Christ Jesus,
It is with feelings in no small moment that I take pen in hand to address you the prisoners of Jesus Christ and in the same faith of the gospel with myself who are holden by the cords of malice and of hellish plottings against the just, and of the lifting up the heel against the Lords anointed, but they shall soon fall and not rise again, for their destruction is sure, for no power beneath the Heavens can save them.— is wielding a mighty shaft against the whole kidney of foul calumniators and mobocrats of . Yesterday he spent part of the day with of this the President told him, that he was informed that was calculating to take out a bench warrant for himself and others, and then make a demand of his Excellency for them to be given up to be taken back to for trial, And he was assured by that noble minded hero, that if undertook that thing he would get himself insulted; he also assured him that the people called Mormons should find a permanent protection in this , he also solicited our people one and all to settle in this , and if there could be a tract of country that would suit our convenience he would use his influence for congress to make a grant of it to us, to redress our wrongs, and make up our losses.
We met last night in of the whole and passed some resolutions with respect to sending to the City of . We are making every exertion possible that lays in our power to accomplish that grand object, upon which hangs our temporal salvation, and interwoven with this our Eternal Salvation; and so closely allied to each other are they, that I want to see the head connected with the body again and while we are enjoying one, let us be ripening for the other: But my heart says where is he whose lips used to whisper the words of life to us? Alas! he is in the hands of Zions enemies. Oh Lord crieth my heart will not heaven hear our prayers and witness our tears? Yes saith the spirit thy tears are all bottled up, and shall speedily be rewarded with the deliverence of thy dearly beloved brethren.
But when I see the fearful apprehensions of some of our brethren it causes me to mourn, one instance of which I will mention. When I arrived at , I made my mind known to some of the community, and I told them that I wanted that they should send a messenger to the gaol to communicate with you, but I was denied the privelege. They said that the was so anxious to be free once more, that they would not consider the danger that the was in. They met in council and passed resolutions that I myself, , , W Barlow should leave for forthwith: But my spirits have been grieved ever since, So that I can hardly hold my peace. They are so afraid of bears, that they hardly remember [p. 16]
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