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Letter from Alphonso Young, 6 May 1842

Source Note

, Letter, , Macon Co., TN, to JS, , Hancock Co., IL, 6 May 1842; handwriting of ; three pages; Newel K. Whitney, Papers, BYU. Includes address and docket. Transcription of first two pages from photocopied image; transcription of third page and addressing from original manuscript.
Two leaves. Because the location of the first leaf of the original manuscript is unknown, a photocopy of the leaf, in the Whitney Papers, was used for transcription. The photocopied image measures 12⅝ × 7¾ inches (32 × 20 cm). The photocopy shows that the left edge of the recto of the first leaf was damaged; also, the top, bottom, and right edges of the recto of the leaf had tears. The original included vertical and horizontal folds. Based on textual evidence in the letter, it appears that a leaf may be missing between the photocopied pages and the extant leaf.
The extant manuscript leaf measures 12¼ × 7¾ inches (31 × 20 cm). The leaf was trifolded twice in letter style, addressed, and sealed with a red adhesive wafer. It was subsequently folded for filing. It includes a docket in the handwriting of , who served as scribe to JS from 1842 to 1844. The left edge of the recto is damaged. The leaf is worn along the folds, including some tearing, which resulted in the loss of text. The leaf has undergone conservation.
The photocopied pages of the first leaf and the extant manuscript leaf are part of the Newel K. Whitney collection at Brigham Young University. In late 1844, following JS’s death, became one of the interim church trustees and was appointed “first bishop” among other bishops. It was presumably during this time that many of the church’s financial and other administrative records passed into his possession. This document, along with many other personal and institutional documents that Whitney kept, was inherited by Newel K. and ’s daughter Mary Jane Whitney, who was married to Isaac Groo. The documents were passed down within the Groo family. Between 1969 and 1974, the Groo family donated their collection of Newel K. Whitney’s papers to the J. Reuben Clark Library (renamed Harold B. Lee Library in 1973) at Brigham Young University.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    JS, Journal, 29 June 1842; “Clayton, William,” in Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:718.

    Jenson, Andrew. Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 4 vols. Salt Lake City: Andrew Jenson History Co., 1901–1936.

  2. [2]

    Richards, Journal, 9 Aug. 1844; “Conference Minutes,” Times and Seasons, 1 Nov. 1844, 5:693; see also Minutes, Times and Seasons, Dec. 1839, 1:30.

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

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  3. [3]

    Andrus and Fuller, Register of the Newel Kimball Whitney Papers, 24.

    Andrus, Hyrum L., and Chris Fuller, comp. Register of the Newel Kimball Whitney Papers. Provo, UT: Division of Archives and Manuscripts, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, 1978.

Historical Introduction

On 6 May 1842, wrote to JS in , Illinois, from , Macon County, Tennessee, expressing his desire to join the Saints in Nauvoo and reporting on his donations for the Nauvoo . Young had been sometime before December 1840 while living in Smith County, Tennessee. In late 1841 and early 1842, Young sent to Nauvoo via , who had become acquainted with Young while Lee was preaching in the region for several months between 1839 and 1841. During the spring of 1841, Young joined Lee in a public debate with Abraham Sallee and Samuel Dewhitt, members of another restorationist tradition. In April 1842, Lee returned to Tennessee, renewed contact with Young, and baptized a number of Young’s relatives. In the winter of 1841–1842, Young wrote to Lee in Nauvoo asking him to invite JS to pray that Young might be able to migrate to Nauvoo. When Young wrote to JS on 6 May, therefore, he believed JS knew of his desire to gather with the Saints.
In this 6 May 1842 letter, reiterated his desire to move to and asked JS for a authorizing him to preach and perform religious . He also discussed financial issues, including debts owed and donations made, and expressed his hope that JS would write back to him with advice on his situation. Young sent the letter with Lee, who left for Nauvoo on 10 May 1842 and arrived on 30 May. It is unknown if JS responded to Young’s letter, as no reply is extant.
Because the torn edges of the document have removed and obscured the text in several places, some text has been editorially supplied within brackets in the following transcript, based on context.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Witcher’s Cross Roads was the name of a post office established in 1833 in Smith County. In 1842, a portion of Smith County, including the location of the post office, became part of the newly formed Macon County. Witcher’s Cross Roads was changed to Gibbs’ Crossroads in 1854. Gibbs’ Crossroads is now located in Macon County, about fifty-four miles northeast of Nashville, Tennessee. (Maggart and Sutton, History of Smith County, Tennessee, 298.)

    Maggart, Sue Woodard, and Nina R. Sutton. The History of Smith County, Tennessee. Dallas: Curtis, 1987.

  2. [2]

    1840 U.S. Census, Smith Co., TN, 273; Lee, Journal, ca. 18 Dec. 1840.

    Census (U.S.) / U.S. Bureau of the Census. Population Schedules. Microfilm. FHL.

    Lee, John D. Journal, Mar. 1842–Aug. 1843. CHL. MS 2092.

  3. [3]

    Book of the Law of the Lord, 35, 100; Lee, Journal, 4 Apr. 1841; 10 and 16–30 May 1841; see also “Summary of News from the Elders Abroad,” Times and Seasons, 15 May 1841, 2:415; Brooks, John Doyle Lee, 46–51; and Berrett, “History of the Southern States Mission,” 181–183.

    Lee, John D. Journal, Mar. 1842–Aug. 1843. CHL. MS 2092.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Brooks, Juanita. John Doyle Lee: Zealot, Pioneer Builder, Scapegoat. Glendale, CA: Arthur H. Clark Co., 1961.

    Berrett, LaMar C. “History of the Southern States Mission, 1831–1861.” Master’s thesis, Brigham Young University, 1960.

  4. [4]

    Crihfield’s Christian Family Library and Journal of Biblical Science, 18 July 1842, 210–211; 25 July 1842, 217–219; 1 Aug. 1842, 228–229; 15 Aug. 1842, 236–238; see also Hughes, “Two Restoration Traditions,” 34–51.

    Crihfield’s Christian Family Library and Journal of Biblical Science. Harrodsburg, KY. 1842–1843.

    Hughes, Richard T. “Two Restoration Traditions: Mormons and Churches of Christ in the Nineteenth Century.” Journal of Mormon History 19, no. 1 (Spring 1993): 34–51.

  5. [5]

    Lee, Journal, 6–12 and 25–26 Apr. 1842.

    Lee, John D. Journal, Mar. 1842–Aug. 1843. CHL. MS 2092.

  6. [6]

    Lee, Journal, 10 and 30 May 1842.

    Lee, John D. Journal, Mar. 1842–Aug. 1843. CHL. MS 2092.

Page [2]

A portion of the time since her arrival in this country. The reason I requested your prayers in my behalf, and blessing also is that I have full confidence in the fact of the great god having Set to his hand again to recover the remnant of his long dispersed covenant people, and preperato[r]y thereto, he has raised up a prophet to lead them And anciently the prophets were heard and answered by Jehovah, & will a gain though the Devil Rage with tremendious fury.
The old fellow cannot stand his ground against the Holy , I have witnessed his decamp thanks be to God. I have great opposition by his engines. the sects do not fail to embrace every opportunity of forming alliances with his Satanic Majesty. They have made fri[e]nds with the old fellow that they may put down the truth. Yea they bawl s[o] loud. Some one th[ing?] and some an other. I will forbear I must hasten to a close the clock has some time [page torn] rang the midnight alarm all are wrapped in balmy arms of repose. The Brethren and Sisters Start in the morning for and I am compelled to hurry. I desire greatly to gather with the Lords people but am in debt, and the times are So extremely hard that I cannot collect to pay them, though I have large amounts due me and good property besides yet my creditors will neither take property, nor other mens notes for what I am due them. I am in a great strait how to act. I want your counsel. It does Seem every obstacle is placed in my way. If you can possibly get time to write me a lin[e] give me your advice, and if I am worthy [p. [2]]
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Source Note

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Page [2]

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Alphonso Young, 6 May 1842
ID #
1667
Total Pages
4
Print Volume Location
JSP, D10:30–35
Handwriting on This Page
  • Alphonso Young

Footnotes

  1. [8]

    Margaret Smoot had accompanied her husband to Tennessee in the fall of 1841 and remained there when he traveled to South Carolina in February 1842. Young, it seems, helped make preparations for her return to Nauvoo in April. She traveled to Nauvoo with John D. Lee and others in May. (Smoot, Diary, 25 Aug. 1841 and 10 Feb. 1842; Lee, Journal, 25 Apr. and 10–30 May 1842.)

    Smoot, Abraham O. Diary, 1836–1845. Photocopy. Abraham O. Smoot, Papers, 1836–1893. Photocopy. CHL.

    Lee, John D. Journal, Mar. 1842–Aug. 1843. CHL. MS 2092.

  2. [9]

    See Isaiah 11:11; and Book of Mormon, 1840 ed., 97, 103, 137 [2 Nephi 21:11; 25:17; and Jacob 6:2].

  3. [10]

    TEXT: “preperato[page torn]y”.

  4. [11]

    Young may have had in mind recent efforts to correct the actions of recent converts William and Alfred Young, who do not appear to have been related to Alphonso. In a May 1842 letter signed by John D. Lee, Alphonso Young, and Samuel Frost, Lee notified JS that the brothers had recently organized a branch in Putnam County, Tennessee, and were making efforts to raise the dead. Lee also mentioned their “tremendous combats with the devil” and described them as “counterfeit Mormons.” (“Letter from Tennessee,” Times and Seasons, 15 June 1842, 3:821.)

  5. [12]

    TEXT: “s[page torn]”.

  6. [13]

    TEXT: “th[page torn]”.

  7. [14]

    A number of writers from the period used the term balmy to describe sleep. (See, for example, Burnaby, Agatha, 61; Stranger of the Valley, 1:220; and “A True Story,” Gleaner [Boston], 16 Aug. 1834, [1].)

    Burnaby, Edwyn Andrew. Agatha; or, The Convent of St. Bartholomew: A Tragedy in Five Acts. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1821.

    Stranger of the Valley; or, Louisa and Adelaide. An American Tale. 2 vols. New York: Collins and Hannay, 1825.

    The Gleaner. Boston. May–Sept. 1834.

  8. [15]

    This sentence suggests that a group of Saints led by Lee, or perhaps another group, had plans to start for Nauvoo on the morning of 7 May. However, Lee, who carried Young’s letter, did not leave until 10 May. (Lee, Journal, 10 May 1842.)

    Lee, John D. Journal, Mar. 1842–Aug. 1843. CHL. MS 2092.

  9. [16]

    TEXT: “lin[page torn]”.

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