Saturday, Feby. 1^st 1862. Started this morning early in company with Bro. Amasa Lyman to attend a conference at Cardiff. The weather was mild, the travelling, therefore, was not unpleasant. Changed at Pontypool Road and at Rhymney Junction and reached Cardiff at 3.30 p.m. was met at the Station by Bros. Jeremy, Bywater and Halliday, the last named having arrived to-day from Bristol. We took tea and supper at Bro. Saml. Evans. He is the President of the Branch, Bro. Rich arrived in the evening from Cheltenham. Bro. Jeremy and myself lodged at Bro. Hancock’s who with his family, wife &, son and daughter — Horatio and Eliza at home — treated us very kindly. Bros. Lyman and Rich remained at Bro. Evans.

Sunday 2^d. Attended meeting this morning in the Hall hired by the Saints. A representation of the Conference was made by the President, Bro. Bywater, after which Bro. Rich proposed the authorities <for the conference to sustain> and then spoke. I followed him in some remarks. The room was crowded and the ventilation was very bad, making it <very> painful for both speakers and hearers. In the afternoon and evening we had the Temperance Hall, the largest building in town <in which to hold our meetings>. It is owned by a Mr. Mathews, an infidel, who when building it told the brethren they could have <the use of> it whenever they would give him sufficient notice. It is used for large assemblages and as a place of amusement. I spoke in the afternoon and Br. Lyman in the evening; the latter meeting especially was excellently attended and good attention was paid[.] Took tea at Bro. John Watts.

Monday, 3^d. Wrote an editorial “Respecting the blessing of children, &c.” and corrected the report of a discourse delivered by me at Birmingham at the Conference of the Elders. Took Dinner at Bro. Thos. Thomas’ and tea at Bro. W^m Watts, in evening attended a concert, with the brethren, in which the Saints were the performers and at which the Saints and a few of their friends attended in the Hall. Everything passed off well especially the pantomimie performance styled the “French Clowns.” Bros. Horatio Hancock and Thomas Thomas being the performers.

Tuesday, Feby. 4^th 62. Started with Bro. Jeremy to Swansea to examine the stock of books there belonging to the Church that I might be able to counsel respecting them. Took dinner at the house rented by br. Jeremy. Wrote journal during the afternoon. At 5 P.M. returned to Cardiff Spent the evening at Bro Saml. Evans’ in company with Bros. Lyman and Rich. The choir sang some very fine pieces.

Wed. 5^th. February, 1862. Started this morning at 9.15 <a.m.> for Liverpool. It was tedious travelling[.] I reached there at 8.45 P.M. and found all in pretty good health excepting Elizabeth whose health was but little if any better than when I left. She sprained her ancle on Sat. last which has, with her other ailments afflicted her. Cousin George is much better.

Thursday 6^th Had considerable talk with Bros. Whittall and Ajax relative to Priesthood and Presiding; my remarks being occasioned by their imagining that there was a conflict between my teachings at Birmingham and an Editorial written in Dec., 57 by Br. S. W. Richards[.] When I had finished they seemed satisfied that my position and views were correct.

Balancing , with Bro. Perkes, my monthly Cash a/c, etc. Elizabeth is very unwell this evening.

Friday, 7^th February, 62. Wrote to Bros. Bramall and Henriod at Southampton respecting the loss of some money stolen out of a trunk where they stopped <at,> during their absence. (£36 or £37) part of it Church money, it being near the end of the month and br. Henriod having his Conference monies on hand; the other part was money collected by Br. Bramall for one of the Brethren at home, to whom he intended to send it immediately. I also wrote to Br. Blackburn respecting getting ready to go to the States to assist in Emigration matters. I was busy during the morning giving Elizabeth a hip-bath and taking measures to get her to perspire freely. Wrote a letter also to Br. Hy. W. Barnett.

Saturday. 8^th Elizabeth is still very ill and Georgiana is also unwell and cries much after her mother. Wrote a long letter to Prest. Young and also wrote to Bros Ormes E. Bates and D. M. Stuart.

Sunday 9^th My wife is still very unwell though I think better to day than yesterday[.] Went to meeting in afternoon. Had a testimony meeting. I afterwards spoke on the advantage of cultivating the Spirit of the Lord as a means of acquiring knowledge. It is an infallible guide to all those who preserve and cultivate it, and will lead a man into all truth. If two men possessing equal natural abilities, start out in life, one cultivating the spirit of the Lord and taking it as his guide and the other and the other neglecting it, and <but> taking in the place of it books and the wisdom of the world and have <having> every facility afforded him of becoming proficient in that kind of knowledge, the one who is taught by the Spirit though he may be destitute of worldly advantages, will at the end of any given period be far in advance of the other. Cited the case of President Young to illustrate this. He was a statesman unequalled in the Nation of the United States, although there were hundreds who had made statesmanship and the theory of Government their only study. He understood the principles of Government because he understood the truth and had been taught of the Lord. This knowledge had come to him by faithfully attending to the Spirit and holding it as of the first importance, while many who had started out in the work when he did and who having their minds enlightened by the Spirit became aware of their defects and sought to remedy them had turned all their attention to the acquirement of worldly knowledge and had neglected the Spirit of the Lord, and in gaining one they had lost the other which was of greater importance. Spoke in evening upon the method men <had to> take to obtain a knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ that unless a man obtained revelation he could not know for himself whether Jesus was the Christ or not.

Monday. Feby. 10^th 62. Wrote a long letter to Bro. Van Cott upon emigration etc, giving him instructions how to proceed. Busy about office business. Elizabeth still continues unwell. Georgiana is also ill.

Tues. 11^th Wrote a letter to Br. John L. Smith concerning emigration. Elizabeths health is slightly improved.

Wed. 12^th of February 1862. Wrote an article entitled “Priesthood and Presiding.”

Thursday 13^th Elizabeth is very much prostrated to-day. She is weaker than she has been since she was first attacked[.] Busy with accounts &c. to-day. Wrote a letter to Br. Bramall respecting the theft of his and Br. Henriods money.

Friday, 14^th. Elizabeth is still very low. The disease has assumed a new type. She has every symptom of Gastric fever. We have commenced to wean Georgiana. Poor little thing! she frets considerably for her mama and the breast. It is very hard on her at present as She is cutting some teeth.

Wrote letters to Bros. Lyman[,] Rich, Mills, Jas. S. Brown, Adams & Coward.

Saturday, 15^th/62. Busily engaged. Elizabeth still very ill, though she does not suffer so much from a sense of debility and prostration as she did yesterday. Wrote a letter to Br. Ormus E. Bates New York. Received a letter from President Young, dated Jany 7^th.

Sunday, 16^th. At home with Elizabeth all day.

Monday 17^th February, ’62. Very early this morning Elizabeth was seized with a nausea at the stomach, she retched considerably a few minutes before nine she vomited and brought up some black clotted blood and in a few minutes vomited again bringing up a little bright colored. She is quite free from pain but very weak. She is easier this afternoon

Tuesday 18^th. Elizabeth is improving slightly She is suffering from torpidity of the function of the bowels. She has not had a passage since Saturday. I administered repeated injections last night and this morning of Castor oil and warm water; but without moving the bowels. Wrote a letter to Mr. Fussell respecting the prospect of a school of Art and Design being established there in the Valley, if he were to go there.

Wednesday 19^th Elizabeths bowels were powerfully moved and she feels weak in consequence, but I think her improvement is quite perceptible. Emending <Amending> an article written as an Editorial by Cousin George J. Taylor, entitled “Injudicious examples and practices.”

Thursday, Feby. 20^th 62. Elizabeth appears worse than she did yesterday; she is exhausted and languid. Waited upon Mr. Fazackerly and Mr. Brown to learn from them whether they were still willing to be my sureties this year as passage broker[.] Sureties acceptable to the Emigration Officer of this Port have to be bound for £1,000 each in bonds with myself which bonds have to be acceptable to her Majesty’s Commissioners of Emigration in London before I can take out a License. They expressed themselves as being quite willing.

Friday 21^st Elizabeth passed a much better night and is stronger to-day than she has been. Wrote to Br. Joseph F. Smith[.] Received a letter from Sarah Jane enclosing a likeness of herself and my son Abraham. Elizabeth was very much pleased to receive the latter. They are all well at home, excepting Cousin Joseph J. Taylor, who is sick with the pleuresy and fever his father writes. Angus has had a son born to him through his wife Sarah Mariah.

Saturday 22^d. February ’62. Wrote a letter to my wife Sarah Jane.

Sunday, 23^d Met with the Saints in a special meeting of this Branch and Birkenhead called by br. Sloan for the purpose of laying before them their financial condition. Bro. Sloan and myself talked to them on the subject and laid before them the necessity of increasing their exertions to defray the current expenses. Met in evening with them again. Bro. Sloan Spoke and I followed at some length. The people were interested. Elizabeth still continues to improve, but slowly.

Monday 24^th Variously engaged. I have been up too <so> much lately with Elizabeth (having now been for ten days and nights without having my clothes off to sleep, and not having had scarcely two hours consecutive sleep during the time) <so> that I feel worn out. I have a severe pain also in my breast. I concluded to try and get some sleep and left her in charge of the nurse. I applied a mustard plaister to my breast.

Tuesday Feby 25^th ’62. Bro. Lyman arrived to-day from Wales via Birmingham[.] Elizabeth still improves slightly. she sat up a little to-day.

Wednesday, 26^th Wrote an editorial entitled, “How many Elders shall there be released to go home to Zion. Went up this evening and administered to Bro. Ajax who is very ill with the gravel.

Thursday 27^th Wrote an <number of> editorials <letters to> various parties. Bros. John Brown and E. H. Blackburn arrived: the one from London, the other from Bedford. I having written to them that they were appointed to cross to the States and act as emigration agents this season. Elizabeth is not so well this evening as she was yesterday evening.

Friday. 28^th. Busy all day in writing letters and preparing instructions for Brs. Brown and Blackburn as emigration agents. Went to the office of the Commissioners of Emigration with my sureties, Messrs. Fazackerly and Brown and signed my bonds. Called and had an interview with Mr. Smith of Tapscott, Smith & Co. respecting Emigration.