Delivery of the Letter of Appointment
1a This letter was received at Burlington by regular course of mail, coming through the distributing office at Chicago, and bears the Nauvoo post-mark of June 19, the day following its date.
1b It arrived at Burlington July 9th, and was immediately taken from the office by C. P. Barnes, Esq., a distinguished lawyer at that place,
1c who, in consequence of the rumors of persecution and civil war against the Mormons, and a general anxiety to hear the latest news, immediately carried it to Mr. Strang, with the request to be informed of any news of public interest which it might contain. It therefore became public the same evening.
2a As much pains have been taken to belie this document and to derogate from its authority, it is proper to add that from the day of its reception to this (april, 1848), it has always been kept open to public inspection,
2b And not an iota of evidence has yet been produced derogatory to its authenticity.
2c The Brighamites and other apostates have reported far and near that it had a black postmark, and that such were not used in the office at Nauvoo. This report is a falsehood. The postmark is red.
3a They also started a story that no proper entry of the mailing of such a letter could be found in the register of “mails sent” from Nauvo, but Mr. Strang caused the register to be examined,
3b And under the date of June 19th, 1844, the proper entry was found of such a letter to the distributing P.O. at Chicago, and the register at Burlington of “Mails received” contains the proper entry from Chicago.
4a In the winter of 1845-46 these facts were publicly proclaimed in the Temple at Nauvoo by Moses Smith, Samuel Shaw, and others, and an examination of the registers called for.
4b The next day crowds were at the P.O. to inspect the register, but though the register of every other quarter of the establishment of that P.O. was safely there, that particular quarter was nowhere to be found.
4c It never has never since been produced. Comment is unnecessary.
5a Mrs. Emma Smith recollects well of her husband receiving a letter from Mr. Strang, and holding a council on the subject, and names Hyrum Smith, Willard Richards, and John P. Greene as present at that council;
5b And also that a letter was sent to Mr. Strang in answer, but of the import of the answer she was not informed.
6a Immediately after the martyrdom of Joseph, John Taylor, Willard Richards and William W. Phelps took a kind of temporary direction of the affairs of the church,
6b Instructing the saints to wait patiently the hand of the Lord, assuring them that he had not left them without a shepherd, and that all things would be made known in due season.
6c To every question of the saints, Who is the prophet? replies were made in substance that the saints would know in due season, but that nothing could be done till the Twelve got home,
6d Because the appointment of a prophet, and the directions for the salvation of the church from the perils they were in, was contained in sealed packages directed to them.
7a Orson Hyde, and others of the Twelve who were then in the east, stated in public congregations in New York, Philadelphia, and other cities, that Willard
Richards had written to them that the appointment of a prophet was left with him under seal, to be opened on the return of the Twelve.
7b This assertion was so often made that the whole church were daily expecting to hear a new prophet proclaimed.
8a On the eighth of August, 1844, when Sidney Rigdon endeavored to obtain authority to lead the church, John P. Greene, marshal of the city of Nauvoo, told them:
8b They need not trouble themselves about it for Joseph has appointed one James J. Strang, who lives up north, to stand in his stead.
9a The sudden death of John P. Greene immediately after this declaration (under very extraordinary circumstances) left Willard Richards [Brigham Young’s cousin] and John Taylor sole repositors of all documents on this subject, except this letter.
9b They had simply to suppress documents in their hands to set themselves up in power, or overthrow themselves and their pretentions by publishing them.
10a These and many other facts, which we have not room to state, make an array of testimony of the strongest kind in favor of this letter.
10b It is worthy of consideration that no one fact has been relied on against it, but that in various quarters different false tales have been told to disparage it, which a mere inspection of the letter or of public records would prove false.
10c The only reason which can be given for this continued resort to falsehoods is that there is no truth against it.
TESTIMONY.
I, Jonathan Sumner, do hereby testify, that I was present at the Conference held in Nauvoo, soon after the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, which was called by those who sought to place Sidney Rigdon at the head of the Church, while in conversation with a squad of Elders talking on the question of Rigdon’s right to lead.–John P. Green, Marshall of the City, said they need not trouble themselves about it, for Joseph had appointed one to stand in his stead. I asked him why he was not here to take his place. He said he was not ready, but would be there after a time. I asked him where he lived; and he said up North a considerable distance. I asked his name and he said Strang, James J. Strang. I asked what sort of a man, and he
said a young man. I then asked whether he had ever been in Nauvoo, and he said he had been and that Joseph baptized him.
JONATHAN SUMNER.
Voree, June 30th, 1846.
Signed in the presence of, Benjamin C. Ellsworth, George Eberson, Phineas Wright.
Note–John P. Green, died very mysteriously a few days after the statement above made by him.