This letter was written in response to three letters, each dated 7 June 1833, that church leaders in , Ohio, received from , none of which have been located. The contents of this 2 July 1833 letter indicate that at least one of the letters from Missouri reported the safe arrival of and , who had been directed by a of in Kirtland to travel together to Missouri. The letter also suggests that at least one of the 7 June letters had inquired about the gift of tongues. In addition to addressing these topics, the letter from JS featured here included instructions for sending copies of the Book of Commandments—then being printed on the church’s in , Missouri—to Kirtland and updated the Missouri church members on various developments in , including the health of Kirtland church members, Kirtland leaders’ impending missionary journeys, and the news that JS had completed his translation of the Bible on the same day this 2 July 1833 letter was written. At one point in the letter, makes a first-person reference to himself, and he was also the first signer of the letter, indicating that he likely served as the principal author. Nevertheless, most of the letter is written in the first-person plural.

It is unclear whether church members in ever received this letter. Depending on a variety of factors, letters sent between and could take anywhere from ten days to a month to deliver. If the letter was mailed as intended on 3 July, it could have arrived in Independence as early as 13 July. If it traveled more slowly, however, it may have been lost in the confusion attending the mob violence that took place on 20 and 23 July in Independence.