Sunday Feb^y 1^st We started for Stockport. (Bro K, Sis K, and myself) Held meetings in the morning and afternoon, there was a very good turn out of Saints and strangers. Two or three of the Elders spoke very briefly in the forenoon after which I followed and enjoyed much of the Spirit both on that occasion & in the afternoon most of which I occupied in speaking. We took dinner and tea at Sister Smith’s and then returned to Manchester where we met with the Saints in their Hall. It was filled to its utmost capacity, & they listened with almost breathless attention while I spoke for about an hour and a half on the principles of the Gospel. I left somewhat hurriedly after finishing my remarks excusing myself to the congregation before they sang and prayed on account of the sickness of my daughter. By great exertions I succeeded in reaching the train just in time to get passage to Liverpool. I found Georgy a little better, but still very low.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Feb^y 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th. Engaged in Office business. Georgy still continues very bad. We administered to her frequently and with good effect. M^r Smith announced it to be inflammation on the chest and prescribed poultices composed of a piece of suet about the size of a hen’s egg boiled and mixed with bread crumbs and about two teaspoonsful of mustard to be applied to her chest her [he] lanced her tooth to day which appeared to give her considerable relief. Bro J. G. Bigler arrived to day from Ireland where he has been laboring since about Christmas; he has been very sea sick on the passage and his health poor otherwise. Bro Kay arrived from Manchester.

Thursday Feb^y 5^th. In the evening held meeting in the Chapel and preached on the first principles to a tolerably large congregation. They paid excellent attention.

Friday 6^th I was waited upon by a man of the name of Charles Derry an Englishman who once labored in the ministry in this country & who had emigrated to the Valley in 1854 where he lived 4½ years. He had resided in Ogden and Farmington. He denied the faith at the latter place. His object in calling upon me was to inform me as the Head of the Church in this country that he had come as a missionary for the “New Organization” under young Joseph Smith & to ask me if I would permit him to have the use of our places of meeting to lay his principles before our people. I promptly answered him that I would not. He said that I must be afraid of truth then & feared investigation that we were anxious to obtain privileges from others in their meeting houses which we were unwilling to extend to him. I replied that we were quite willing to extend to others the same privileges which we asked for ourselves; but that I did not view him and those with whom he was associated in the same light that I did an honest sincere sectarian for they had known the truth and had denied it, while the others were in ignorance. As for investigation long years of experience had given me all the Knowledge which I wanted respecting the men connected with the so-called New Organization.” I had known many of them before the prophet Joseph’s death and I was acquainted with their course. He then said he had another request to make which he did not expect however I would grant and that was, Would I publish the General Epistle of “Prest^. Joseph Smith.” I told him of course I would not. He then left. The Spirit he manifested was that of contention. He evidently would like us to notice him. I told him that we would not notice his existence in any manner, that we wanted nothing to do with him, nor his party, that all England was open before him as it was before us if he wished to make proselytes. But this of course would not suit the purposes of these fellows. The propogation of the principles of truth is not the object of their labors, but it is to assail, defame and destroy the servants and Church of God, and to seduce unwary members by their sophistry & lies from the fold of Christ. They are in reality wolves in sheep’s clothing, talking loudly about their belief in the Prophet Joseph while at the same time they are filled with the same Spirit that actuated his murderers to shed his blood. I have a thorough and unmitigated disgust for these Apostates —breakers of their covenants both to God & man.

Hell itself could not produce a meaner crew of false, traitorous and malignant apostates than are to be found within the bounds of that so called “New Organization.” All the filthy excrement which the Church has parted with to keep it in a healthy condition from the days of the Apostacy in Kirtland down to the present time has been accumulated within that organization, with but little exception. I regret exceedingly, in some respects, that the children of our beloved prophet should be in the least degree mixed up with such a foul crowd; but I feel (and the feeling amounts to knowledge) that circumstances will be so shaped that this miserable connection on their part, will, ere long, be broken, and some of them, if not all, be brought to see, in its true light, the position which they occupy. It is my constant prayer that they may be so enlightened; for it is horrible to me to see them hand and glove with men whom I know were deadly enemies to their father while living. I understand there are two of their so called apostles coming after a little. I have predicted that the advent of these characters will do us good, and be attended with beneficial results to us, if we do our duty & their efforts to benefit themselves will result in failure and discomfiture.

Saturday Feb^y 7^th Wrote a long letter to President Young and also to my wife Sarah Jane. I addressed a Circular to the various Elders in the Mission occupying the leading positions in the Conferences advising them of the arrival of Derry so that they might be on their guard and be prepared to vigilantly ward off the attacks of such as he and giving them counsel to let such fellows severely alone & to not suffer them to draw any of the Elders or Saints into discussion with them, informing them also what the character of this so called “New Organization,” is.

Sunday 8^th. Attended meeting in the Chapel[.] Bro Bigler spoke, after which I followed and had considerable freedom. The sacrament was administered, at the conclusion of which Derry who was present rose & wished to get the privilege of speaking. I told him that he could not have it, that I had given him his answer on Friday, and I considered his making a request at the present time impertinent and very much out of place. He persisted, however, in talking, making some remarks about the responsibility which rested upon him. I told him that if he would not sit down I should be compelled to send for an Officer for we would not have our meetings disturbed. He came up to me after meeting was dismissed to explain his reasons for attempting to speak stating that he felt it to be his duty to warn us. I told him that I wanted to hear nothing from him & wanted to have no communication with him that if he felt it to be his duty to warn the people there were thousands of people besides ourselves whose salvation ought to be sought after as much as ours and he need not thrust himself so persistently upon us after we declined to hear him. His object in thus making the request in public was evidently to create a feeling of sympathy in the minds of the Congregation, as I saw him casting his eyes over the congregation while he was talking to see what effect his remarks would produce. But they had no apparent effect upon the people & when he sat down after I had given him so prompt a rebuff his face wore a fiendish expression. He looked at me very malignantly.

In the evening attended meeting in the Chapel. Bro West spoke and had for his subject “Necessity of continued revelation.” His remarks were excellent being well sustained by abundant quotations from Scripture, which he quoted with ease and correctness. I never heard him speak better than during the last half hour of his discourse.

Monday Feb^y 9^th Spent the day in the Office. In the evening Sister Mc Manus, her cousin, Sister Spencer & Bro & Sister Graham came and spent a very agreeable time.

Tuesday 10^th Dictating Editorial “The Spirit of Apostacy — its fruits & manifestations.”

Wednesday 11^th. Dictating letters during the day.

Thursday 12^th. Dictating letters. In the evening attended meeting with Bro Bigler at Bro Hodge’s in this town. Bro B and myself spoke. I ordained and set apart Brother R. E. Morwick to labor in the Liverpool Conference as a Travelling Elder.

Friday Feb^y 13^th Arranging Journal. Bro Bigler left for Sheffield in the morning. Cousins Fanny & Leonora Kidd called in the evening.

Saturday 14^th Busy writing Journal. Wrote a few letters connected with Office business.

Sunday 15^th Attended meeting at the Saints Chapel in the morning and evening when Brother Shearman spoke on the Necessity for continued revelation followed by me on the same subject. We have had very cold weather for a day or two. To day has been as cold a day as I think we have had this winter.

Monday 16^th Received a long interesting letter from Captⁿ Hooper under date of 26^th Jany^. he describes the condition of affairs in Washington as being very dreadful and in striking contrast to what they were when he and I were there last summer. Sickness abounds. The hospitals are full of wounded soldiers. The political corruption is really more dreadful than even pestilence. He writes as though he scarcely expected us to get admitted this winter & he asks — “If deferred until another winter, what will there be left to be admitted to? They appear willing to admit us if we would accept admission with provision against polygamy” but he informs them that we would not accept admission with such provision.

Bro’s West & Shearman went to Chester for the purpose of investigating the case of John Jewry.

Tuesday Feb^y 17^th Busy finishing Editorial entitled “Prophecy fulfilled and its truth vindicated by its Unbelievers.”

Bro Kay arrived from Manchester. Dictating several letters. Bro. Reynolds arrived from London.

Wednesday 18^th Called upon M^r Carr to see him about business, for Bro Orson Hyde —more Chancery business—and also about some other items. Bro’s West and Shearman returned from Chester. Dictating a number of letters.

Thursday Feb^y 19^th Writing letters to Captⁿ Hooper, Bro Amasa M, Lyman, and my brother Angus. Attended Saints Chapel in the evening and addressed the Congregation.

Friday 20^th Dictating Article entitled “Wise policy in Emigrating.” I received three interesting letters from Bro J. W. Young which I inserted in the Star and on which I based my remarks. Bro & Sister Graham spent the evening with us. Sister Cannon busy changing bedroom.

Saturday 21^st Wrote a letter to the Prest^. and a letter to M^r John Miller of Cardiff respecting W. O. Owen who had apostatized. We sent our little daughter Georgiana in the care of Alice Howard to Brother and Sister Peet’s who live on a farm near Ormskirk for the benefit of her health.

Sunday 22^nd Attended meeting in the chapel. Bro. West and myself occupied the forenoon and the Sacrament was administered. Bro. Shearman had been advertized to speak in the evening upon the subject “Hope for the World, or the Millenial era.” By his request I spoke upon that subject[.] I had considerable freedom in doing so. I occupied about an hour and a quarter during which the congregation listened very attentively. My Aunts Margaret & Mary were at the meeting.

Monday Feb^y 23^rd The American mail was delivered this morning. I received a letter from Judge Phelps, Jan^y 17^th. in which he says, — “I shall be 71 years old one month from today and I can say without the fear of contradiction that the past year has been one of the happiest of my life, without pain or sickness, and according to the revelation of Joseph, I expect to live the next 70 years, improving on the past and then may be “caught up & changed in the twinkling of an eye.”

Also received a letter from Bro Ben, F, Johnson in which he breathes very warm feelings; it was dated Jan^y 15^th.

Wrote a number of letters.

Tuesday 24^th Went into the town to see my bondsmen — M^r Fazakerley (Bookbinder) and M^r Brown (of the firm of Cearns & Brown, Provision Merchants) about going with me on Thursday to file bonds for my Passage Broker’s license. Wrote a number of letters. In the evening attended in company with my wife, Bro’s West & Shearman, & Bro Middleton & wife (Bro Middleton furnishing the tickets through some interest he had) a concert at the Philharmonic Hall. The piece was “Judas Maccabaeus” one of Handel’s oratorios. The principal artists were Madame Reudersdorff, Miss Palmer, Sims Reeves & David Lambert. M^r Reeves is considered the best tenor singer in England. It was the first oratorio I ever heard, and I was much delighted with it. Madame Reudersdorff’s singing was very fine. I was particularly pleased with the chorus of the Youths and Maidens — “See the Conquering Hero comes.” There was a chorus of 250 male and female singers.

Wednesday Feb^y 25^th. Wrote a letter to Grandma Goodfellow and visited Mr^, and Sister Tilley and family in company with Bro’s West and Sloan, a portion of the family being in the Church. Mr. [last name redacted] was formerly in the Church and was cut off for non-payment of Tithing. We returned in the evening and found Sister Spencer at the Office.

Thursday Feb^y 26^th In the morning called upon M^r Fazakerley and M^r Brown for the purpose of having them accompany me to the Emigration office to secure my license as a Passage Broker. Wrote a letter to my wife Sarah Jane & visited my aunt Margaret in the afternoon in company with my wife. In the evening attended meeting and had a very good flow of the Spirit while speaking.

Friday 27^th. Attending to Office Business & dictating letters. Commenced one to President Orson Hyde and the brethren of my quorum.

Saturday 28^th. Wrote the following letter to President B. Young:

During this week past I have felt very much impressed to write to you for counsel respecting sending my wife home this coming season. I have not heard from you for some time, and therefore do not know what your feelings may be respecting my own labors this year whether I shall stay here or return. Upon this point I still feel, as I ever have felt, to be in your hands like clay in the hands of the potter, and to take pleasure in returning or remaining just as you shall dictate. But as the Spring is drawing near, and if I should be very fortunate in obtaining your reply, I cannot expect it before the emigration season will be nearly ended. I thought it better not to defer writing any longer than this week whether your letter, which I have been expecting for some time, reached me or not. My reasons for alluding to the return of my wife are; that I feel (and I may say all the Elders with whom I have conversed on the subject feel the same) some doubts respecting the road being open another year for emigration to go through without interruption, and as we would have some dodging, and probably hard travelling to do to reach home, if that should prove to be the case, it has struck me that it might be wise to send her home this season while the road is open and there is but little danger comparatively from our enemies. I fear, also, that if she should remain here, and we then should have to go through by some circuitous route, that her health might be so impaired, this climate not agreeing with her, that she might break down under the fatigue. Naturally, she would prefer stopping until I should return, in which preference I myself should join, if there was no danger of trouble, or if it should be your counsel so to do. I may here remark, that since she returned from the trip on the Continent with me, her health has been better than she has had before in England; but is not so good as has been usual with her at home.

If she were to return this season, she could probably return, if you were to think it wisdom, in company with Bro West when he returns in company with Brigham. In conversation with them they thought she could go home in that way better than any other, and be able to endure the journey, and Bro West proffered to take charge of her through. If you should think this way of returning injudicious or unadvisable, she could go with the emigration. I dislike to trouble you upon these matters, as I know that you already have enough to think about; but I know you will pardon the freedom I take in view of the circumstances.

Since my last letter was written to you (Feb. 21st) there has nothing new transpired particularly worthy of note. I have written a letter to my quorum which Bro Geo. A. will doubtless show you in which there may be a few items concerning the apostate Derry that may possess some little interest.

Unless your letter or letters should contain instructions to the contrary, it is my present intention to appoint Bro J. G. Bigler (as well as Bro Staines) Agent for the Emigration and send them over together to New York about the 14^th March. I have tried to hope that Bro Bigler would not have to be released, as I knew that his help would be seriously missed; but I am forced to conclude that change of climate is necessary for the restoration of his health. Had he not concealed his condition from me for fear that somebody might think he was trying to get a release I presume I should have come to this conclusion much earlier. Accept my love to yourself, Brother’s Heber and Daniel and Brother Carrington. That the Lord may bless and preserve you is the constant prayer of Your Bro, as ever,

Dictated an Editorial entitled “Sin of Adultery, and its consequence.” Completed my letter to President O. Hyde, &c as follows: —

As I stated in my last, under date of December 13^th., that it was my intention to open and keep up a correspondence with you, I now again attempt to fulfil that promise. Since my last letter was written to you every thing connected with the Work in these lands has continued to move on harmoniously and with tolerable success. The Elders and Saints have generally, manifested a disposition to throw off every feeling of lethargy and to engage in the discharge of their duties with greater energy than ever. I feel, however, that there is still room for abundant improvement in all, & I trust we will not rest satisfied until it is made.

William, O. Owen, whose excommunication I mentioned in my last, has been doing all in his power in public lectures of the most wicked and malignant character, to arouse a spirit of hatred and opposition against us. He has fully abandoned himself to the influence of the Spirit of Satan, and indulges in every conceivable slander against us. So far, his efforts have been attended with no particular results; for blind as many people are respecting the Truth, they are not so utterly destitute of reason and sense as to fail to perceive his inconsistency and falsehood, he having told them two stories, both of which cannot possibly be true. An apostate, of the name of Parrott stirs the Elders up occasionally by raising a mob wherever he can to annoy them and to disturb our meetings. He gave me a charivari early in January, while visiting Bristol to attend a Conference; but he did not succeed in interrupting our proceedings or in preventing us from enjoying ourselves. Since then, he has paid Elder Bramall & the Saints in Southampton a visit & issued handbills of an exciting and inflammatory character, and has delivered public lectures against us for the avowed purpose of interfering with and putting a stop to all our labors in this country. One of his handbills is headed “One Hundred Guineas Reward.” to Bro Bramall, and some others of the Elders and myself, if we will meet him & prove our doctrines true upon a certain night named in the placard. That night he had a large audience in expectation of a discussion; but there being nobody there to meet him, and the people being disappointed in seeing the fun which they expected, they left as many as twenty at a time and at the conclusion of his lecture there were there scarcely any present. He disgusts every decent person who goes to hear him, & though he succeeded in obtaining a “Reverend” for his chairman in his first lectures he became so ashamed of his connection with Parrott, that he left him. I counselled Bro Bramall to refrain from noticing him in the least. He and the Saints have adopted this policy and thus far it has been attended with the happiest results. In Bath our people are much persecuted by a mob incited and headed by members of an “Anti-Mormon” association, which exists in that city. They have hired a hall quite close to that occupied by the Saints and are doing all in their power to break up our meetings there.

A man by the name of Charles Derry, waited upon me two or three weeks ago to ask me, as he said, for the privilege of setting forth his principles to our congregations in our chapels throughout the country. He said he was a missionary sent over by the “New Organization of the Church,” under young Joseph. My reply was, that he could not have that privilege. He thought I was not as fair with him, as we wished others to be with us — that we asked others for the privilege of preaching in their Halls, but would not grant him ours for such a purpose. I told him, I would feel very differently were he an honest Sectarian, who wished to set forth his views in sincerity; but, he himself, had once known the truth and had apostatized from it, and those who sent him were in the same condition, and I knew they were neither honest nor sincere. I knew their history well & knew them to be base, bad men. He said I was afraid of the truth, and feared investigation. I replied that I knew the truth, & that there was no need at this late hour to investigate the claims of such fellows as he, for we had learned it through long years of sad experience. He then wanted to know, (though he prefaced his request by the remark that he thought I would not grant it) if I would publish the “General Epistle of President Joseph Smith?” I told him of course I would not. He then left. On the Sunday morning following I found him ensconsed in a seat in one corner of the chapel, when I went in. After I got through speaking he rose and requested the privilege of making some remarks. I repeated my refusal, and as he was disposed to be pertinacious, told him that if he did not sit down immediately I should put him in charge of a police officer. At that he caved. After meeting he came up to me & said that it was the weight of his responsibility under which he was laboring which induced him to rise. I replied that it was just such a responsibility as the Devil had ever felt. He evidently intended to arouse, if possible, a feeling of sympathy in the minds of the people in his favor, but he failed most signally, and when he was compelled to sit down I caught sight of an expression on his face of baffled and disappointed hate. Not knowing where he might direct his steps I wrote a circular to the presiding Elders throughout the Mission, putting them on their guard against the insidious approaches of such “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” I warned them particularly against permitting themselves, or any of the Elders and Saints under their jurisdiction, to be drawn into a discussion with this man or any others with similar pretensions, telling them to adopt the let-them-alone-severely policy. I learn by letters from Elder Mills, that he was at West Bromwich last Sunday, in company with some old apostates, and arose to “say a word by way of bearing testimony,” but they (the brethren) had been put upon their guard by the counsel which had been given, and they would allow no such thing. After meeting he wanted to speak, and attempted to inveigh against Polygamy. The Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Mormon and the Bible were about to be appealed to, when the Brethren told him to desist at once, & they ordered the room to be cleared, as the meeting was over: It was in this town where he married his wife before he emigrated to the Valley. He has been shown no quarters, however, by any of our people, and will, I am confident, do us more good in the end than harm. I felt to predict this when I first knew of his arrival. My teachings to the Elders and Saints have been, not to descend from the dignity of their positions to argue and to hold controversy, neither with the Devil nor with those filled with his Spirit, nothing can be gained, I have told them, by reasoning with apostates, men who have known the truth & denied it and forfeited the Spirit of the Lord & yielded themselves up to the Spirit of the Evil One. I have a thorough & deep grounded dislike to these miserable liars & covenant breakers — so many of whom are to be found within the bounds of this “New Organization.” They are a base crew of malignant blood thirsty creatures who were so corrupt years ago, that they could not bear to see holiness and purity and virtue exist embodied in human nature, and therefore sought to shed the blood of those who cherished these principles. I regret greatly that any of the children or relatives of our beloved prophet should be connected in any way with such a crowd, many of whom sought and rejoiced over the death of their father. I feel convinced, however, that circumstances are being so over ruled that they, or at least a portion of them, will yet have their eyes open to see their true position, and where alone they can find the true friends of their father and family. It is my prayer that they may be thus enlightened.

Eugene Henriod wrote me a very humble letter from Atchison. I can scarcely reconcile its contents and the Spirit it breathes with the fact of the girl’s confession at Southampton that she had been seduced by him. I mention this letter to you now, because in my last letter to you, I informed you that he had denied having done any wrong with any person in the Church, yet this girl had testified that he had ruined her and as I have not seen the girl, myself, I wish him to have the benefit of the doubt in your minds which his penitent letter has raised in mine.

Unless some counsel should come from the President to the contrary, I expect a number of the Valley Elders will be released this Spring to return home. They feel very pleased at the prospect of so soon enjoying the society of their families and the Saints of God. The Saints are very desirous to get away this Spring, already applications from all quarters have commenced flowing in to me to know if I cannot extend them a little help to get away, some lacking more and some less money, & these applications will increase very rapidly as the time of Emigration approaches. As yet, I have received no intimation from Brother Brigham respecting the sending down of teams to the Frontiers to carry up the poor and as I do not like to make any very definite moves or to stir the people up very much upon the subject of Emigration until that arrives, we feel considerably anxious to receive some word. The people from Scandinavia are intending to come by way of Liverpool this season instead of via Hamburgh as they did last. We think the advantages are greater by this than the other route. The Work is prospering there and numbers are being added. In many Conferences, in this Mission also, the labors of the Elders are being attended with marked success.

Brother John L. Smith is pursuing a very wise and saving course towards the Saints & the people within the limits of his Mission. When everything is considered I think the Elders there have done and are doing remarkably well. In France Bro Bertrand has many grave difficulties to contend with, which prevent him from being as successful in his labors as he otherwise would be. He does not appear to get discouraged or to give up trying and occasionally baptizes a few. I proposed to him, when I was in Paris, in view of his lengthy absence from home and the utter indifference of the people to the message of which he is the Bearer, to return home this Season; but left it to himself to decide. He has since expressed a wish to remain another year. The Holland Mission, I think, from present appearances, will have to be abandoned. You will doubtless recollect that Elders Van der Woude and Paul, A. Schettler were appointed a Mission to Holland in the spring of ‘61. For some time after their arrival they had but little success, and Bro Van der Woude wrote some very discouraging letters here, in which he evinced but very little faith. Money had to be sent there to sustain them, and as I had no Authority to thus use funds I mentioned the matter in a letter to the President. He counselled the withdrawal of the Elders, if the people would not receive their message. In the meantime, however, they had baptized a few, and as prospects appeared brighter, we thought it better to let them try a little longer. As I had learned that there was difficulty in the Branch they had raised up I thought it better to visit them while I was on the Continent, and concluded it would be wise to separate the Elders and removed Bro Schettler to labor with Bro John, L. Smith, who was much in need of his help, and with whom he could labor with greater pleasure and harmony than where I investigated the difficulty, & thought the principal opponent of Bro Van der Woude evidently had a bad Spirit, yet Bro Van der Woude’s course had been a very unwise one. The latter promised to do better, and the difficulty was settled, only, however, to break out with greater violence, as I have since learned. One object that I supposed would be gained by the removal of Bro Schettler would be that the Branch, as I was informed by them, would be able to sustain Bro Van der Woude; but I have since learned that they refuse to sustain him—that is, those of them who have the means—and I have been compelled to forward him money to keep him from suffering. As I have no hopes respecting his accomplishing anything in that country I have deemed it better to release him to return home in the Spring. I think that the right kind of man might do good in that country, but it is without doubt, I think, a hard field.

Bro’s Bigler and West still travel through the Mission and their labors are attended with very good effects.

Accept my love to yourselves, individually, and to your families in which my wife joins. Praying the Lord to fill you with his Holy Spirit and to endow you with the power of your Apostleship and to preserve your lives long upon the earth, I remain, as ever,

Elizabeth started this morning for Ormskirk taking Rosa with her to bring Georgiana back. She returned in the evening. Georgiana was much improved in health.