. . . I, with my little family, left Liverpool on the 20th of September, in company with a little over 200, mostly Saints. We started with a fine wind, taking leave of our beloved Brother [Parley P.] Pratt, who with his wife and Brother A. [Amos] Fielding, stayed in the ship the last night we spent there, and were soon out of sight of our native land. Brother Sanders was appointed to assist me in the oversight of the company. As the wind was rather strong we soon became affected with seasickness: this is very unpleasant, and sometimes painful, and requires ourselves and with each other; but it does not continue long.

We had in our company some who had not the spirit, and would have quarreled often, but others would not quarrel with them, so that we were, perhaps, as peaceable a company as ever crossed the ocean. We had preaching and sacrament every Sunday. We reached New Orleans in [p.76] forty-eight days from Liverpool. The weather was at one time very hot, about as hot as the hottest you ever felt in England, but the Lord was kind to us and gave us strength for our journey. I preached many times by the light of the moon while sailing in the trade winds, and we enjoyed ourselves very much. My object was to speak on the subject of the gathering, chiefly, for I saw that this was not well understood by some of the Saints: one or two were rather hurt at my plain way of telling them what tribulations they might expect (I could almost give the names of some, knowing they will send home an evil report); such as a Brother B. from Macclesfield. I wish in my heart that none, such would ever leave their homes; it is a pity for them to do so, both for themselves and others, yet there is one scripture to be thus fulfilled-the net must gather of every sort, yet I would not wish to gather such. At New Orleans some few divided from us, not liking the boat in which the rest were going, but the end of this only caused the rest to rejoice, as they saw how it went in such cases. At this place I had a fall which broke one of my ribs, and shook me much; from this I am yet not quite recovered. At St. Louis we found a number of Saints, at least who have a name among the Saints, some of these prove a trial to those who call there. They tell you many evil tales; I wish they would stop all who are like themselves. The faithful need not be troubled at them; let them talk and have all they can get, they seem afraid to suffer affliction with the people of God, and so go to Missouri, where there are none, thinking also to get a little more money. At New Orleans we paid three or four shillings a family for permits, but this may be avoided by getting blank permits and filling them up; it would then cost twenty cents.

The sickness so common there in summer, had just subsided. Several hundreds had died in the sickly season, but as soon as any frost comes the sickness ceases. It is common there to see trees loaded with oranges, which are very cheap. The people are partly white and partly colored. We took one of the best steamboats (the "General Pratt"), and for 11 shillings English each, and luggage, sailed to St. Louis, 800 or 1000 miles. The country is seldom much above the river. There are many slave settlements; these often reminded us of the factory lords in England, in their mansions surrounded with cottages occupied by the poor oppressed laborer: it is much the same with the slaves and their masters, but the slaves pay no rent. We saw also, many fields of cotton, and many of sugar cane. One of our boat's crew was shot, while getting some cane, by the owner, while the boat was taking in wood, but it did not prove fatal. A girl of our company, eleven years of age, while playing, fell overboard and could not be saved: this was the only death we had.

It is a truly interesting scene to pass up this river; we often thought of the crowded population of England, who cannot get a foot of land in all their lifetime, and here we travel many hundred miles and see little but forests and no one to occupy it, and the best of land. The river is often very shallow, and it requires much care in managing the boat. As I passed along in sight of Missouri, I had peculiar feelings; all the wrongs done there to the Saints seemed to come before me, and I felt as though the curse of heaven was upon it, and I only felt to say Amen to it. At St. Louis, the Saints (so called) durst not say that they are Mormons for fear of the people. From this place to Warsaw we paid one dollar (four shillings), where we landed in nine weeks from Liverpool. We got into houses, and stayed there till some of the twelve came from Nauvoo to give us council; this is about twenty miles, and as the river was low, we traveled over land, most of which is prairie. Late in the evening of the day we left Warsaw, we came in sight of some neat cottages fenced in with pickets, manifesting to us that the hand of industry was there different from anything we had seen from our leaving England, even by the light of the moon; this was the first we saw of the city of the Saints (Nauvoo), and we were then told that we had two miles to go to that part of the city to which we were going. We soon passed the temple, went from street to street, as in some large city, till we are near the river to the house of our late beloved Brother Thompson; I can truly say that the place, in general, exceeds my expectations; in short, one would hardly believe it possible that a town of such extent, [p.77] could have been built in so short a time, especially by a people generally poor - there are many log, many frame, and many brick houses. The temple is 128 feet in length and 88 in breadth, and is to be 150 feet in height; the whole is vaulted, and what I call the vault, is in part occupied by the baptismal font, supported by twelve oxen, which are of wood, now painted white, but eventually to overlaid with gold. It would be vain to attempt to describe my feelings on beholding this interesting sight; but if you have the same faith as myself in the great work of God, and consider that the things on earth are patterns of things in heaven, at the same time look back on the form of the temple of Solomon and the design of this temple and the font, you may judge of my feelings. Many have been baptized therein for their deceased relatives, and also for the healing of their own afflicted bodies. The temple is going on well, though the building itself is at a stand, because of the frost, but I suppose scores of men are at work in the stone quarry, and from ten to twenty teams are at work, bringing the stones to the place; I suppose the men of England would not attempt to build such a house unless they had some thousands of pounds to start with, but it seems as though the Lord saw that money is the god of this generation, and to shew the folly of it, is manifesting to the world that he can do his own work, it will, indeed, be a noble building; it is to be of stone, and the surface hewn; it is not yet quite up to the floor of the building; the outer walls are from three to four feet thick, and it is to be accomplished by tithing and consecrations, the Saints bring this in on one day in the week, viz. on Saturday; this is to prevent confusion - the sum thus brought in has often exceeded 1000 dollars per week, for the people offer to the Lord willingly and liberally, even as they hope to receive of him.

This tithing is not confined to Nauvoo, but all the branches of the church are as much concerned in it as anyone; in fact, it is the duty and interest of all Saints, in every land, to aid in this thing, because all will share in the blessings to be received at its accomplishment. I would to God I could inspire your hearts with that faith and zeal which this subject justly claims, but I know the poverty of many of you, and I know, also, that you would be as diligent in the work as any others if you were here, and if so, the Lord will bless you.

The foundation of the Nauvoo House is laid, and the walls are from ten to twenty feet (i.e.) from the bottom. This is to be a large and splendid building, for the accommodation of strangers and visitors; it is built in shares of fifty dollars; the foundation is stone, but the walls are to be brick. These buildings have furnished many of the poor with work. You have heard it said that Joseph Smith expects the Saints' money; to this I will give you his own words to me: "we ask for no one's money except it be as loan, and we will pay him again with interest, but we claim a right to council and direct how or where his money should be laid out, so that while the owner is reaping the gain, it may also contribute to the general good."

It is plain enough that Brother Joseph is a prophet of the Lord, and that he is an honorable man, as well as his brother Hyrum. The twelve are doing all they can to provide for their families, preaching at various parts of the city, and laboring in every way to build up the work, both temporally and spiritually. They are not expected to go out again till the temple is finished; seven or eight of them are here. I have thought, since I came here, that if any could have a right to complain, it would be the elders, who left all to preach the gospel to other lands without purse or scrip, and return home empty handed, and have to go to labor or do anything, even chopping of wood, &c., to get food for their families, having not money enough to buy tools to labor with; and this is no strange thing, yet they do not complain, but rejoice in the testimony of a good conscience, that they have been faithful in declaring the truth as it is in Jesus, without covetousness. We think that no sacrifice is too great in such a cause. There is one thing, in particular, I wish to caution the church against, namely this: some women, whose husbands persecute them for their religion, desire to come here; now, if such would lay their case before a council of the church and get a written statement from the presiding elder of their situation, so that the church here might know it, they might learn whether it would be lawful for [p.78] them to be married again. There has been a case or two of this sort here, which has been a source of trouble. I would advise no one to come in such a case without such certificate.

There was also a report raised in England that the sale of spirituous liquors was encouraged here; but it is a law of the city, that anyone who sells it for common use shall pay a fine of fifty dollars. I have seen no such thing as selling liquors or drunkenness in the city.

Many of the Saints in England have complained that their friends do not write to them from this country. One cause of this neglect is, that almost all things here are carried on without the use of money, but they cannot send letters by post without it; they are also very throng, they are so busy about their houses and the House of the Lord, that they seem to have no time to attend to other things, you will also see it to be in the wisdom of God that such communications should be rather limited, although every one is at liberty to write as often as he will; but some are not wise in this matter, and if they would bear it in mind, that what they send from here, if it be incorrect, will surely come here again, they would be more careful to write the truth. But I wish the Saints in England would not be grieved or surprised if they do not get as many letters as they would like. I would, with pleasure, write letters to many individuals in England and the Isle of Man, but I must beg to be excused; it would take more money than I can at present command, but I will tell them, generally, Nauvoo is a flourishing city; a steam mill is to be built this spring for grinding corn and for sawing timber, in this a miller will be wanted; there are not many mills, but a man of this calling may soon get a situation, and the wages are high; such brethren need not fear if they only have the faith of the church, and without this they are as well at home.

It is the wish of the church that factories should be established. Some of the brethren might put their money together and accomplish this, it would do well for themselves and well for the church, but till this can be done, or whether it be or no, a man with a small capital would do well to set up some hand-looms; he may get the cotton thread or cops at St. Louis, and the expense of carriage would be but little; but perhaps it would be well to bring some reeled worsted and some reeds. Sheep are increasing here, and of course the wool will too. Any kind of iron work is dear here. To establish weaving here is very important, as it would keep the cash at home which has now to go for clothing, in a great measure at least, and it would also furnish many with employment who are better acquainted with weaving than any other work. As to trades in general, they seem to prosper according to men's activity and uprightness; several have done well at shop-keeping, and it is likely to be a good business. Farming is also important, as all we get out of the earth is as though we created it (i.e.) it has not to be purchased from the world.

I would gladly contribute to the information already circulated in my native land, and if I should see anything that would be of benefit, I shall be ready to make it known to you if the Lord will. And now, after having born a faithful testimony for four years in my native land, I again testify to my countrymen, and to all men, that the Lord has restored the lost priesthood, renewed the broken covenant, and after the world has long sat in darkness, and every man has walked in his own way and after the image of his own God, while some have been saying this, this is truth, and others, this (its contrary) is truth, the Lord has sent his holy angel to make known the true gospel of Jesus Christ; and as no man has any right to assert anything contrary to the declaration of others, unless he has superior evidence, I would remind them that it is the peculiar privilege of the Saints to receive, and the peculiar nature of the gospel to give a knowledge of the truth, and this is our privilege. We know that we have the true gospel of Jesus Christ, for God has declared it and we have heard his voice, and our testimony is true, and those who hear and obey it shall find mercy and be saved if they continue faithful to the end of their day of probation: but those who disregard it shall be cut off, and the faithful shall be witnesses against them at the last day. The Lord hath also begun to gather his people and to build up Zion, as the holy scriptures have foretold, and the nations of the earth have begun to flow to it, as the scriptures testify [p.79] they should do; therefore, O, ye Saints, listen to the word of the Lord which is sent among you in these last days, receive it with thankfulness, pay that respect to it which the word of God demands, live by every word and you shall be filled with joy and peace, fear not to obey his word, for in keeping of it there is great reward.

"Then gather up for Zion, ye Saints, throughout the land, and clear the way before you, as God shall give command." With this I send my love specially to all who know me and to all the Saints. Some Saints have died who came from England, and some have left the faith, but not at all a great proportion of those that have come. The times are better here than they were a year ago. May the Lord bless you with all good things. I am well, and my family. I remain, as ever, your affectionate brother in the Lord,

Joseph Fielding. [p.80]

BIB: Fielding, Joseph. [Letter] addressed to Brother Pratt, dated Nauvoo, Jan. 1842. Latter- Day Saints' Millennial Star 3:4, Aug. 1842) pp. 76-80. (CHL)
(source abbreviations)