TO EMMA SMITH
1839 NOVEMBER 9

AL[S]. Joseph Smith, Springfield, Illinois, to Emma Smith, Nauvoo, Illinois, 9 November 1839, 1 p., RLDS Church Archives, Independence, Missouri.

Springfild Ill

November 9th 1839

My Dear Wife

perhaps you may thing strange That we are not fu<r>ther on our Jou[r]ny at this date but I will say that we have done all that we could for the safty of Elder Rigdon on account of his week state of hea[1]th and this morning we are under the neees nesesity of leaveing him at Brother [John] Snyders and pesueing our Journy without him we think he will soon recover his health as he is not dangerously sick we regret that he cannot go on with us very mut much but cannot help ourselves but must commit him into the hands of God and pe go on being fild with constant anxiety for our Families and friends behind I shall be filled <with> constant anxiety about you and the children until I hear from you and in a perticular maner litle Frecerick it was so painful to leave him sick I hope you will wa[t]ch over those tender ofsprings in a maner that <is> bec<is>oming a mother and <a> saint and try to cu[1]tivate their minds and learn <them> to read and be sober do not let <them> be exposed to the wether to take cold and try to git all the rest you can it will be a long and lonesome time and dureing my absence from you and nothing but a sense of humanity could have urged me on to a so great a sacrafice but shall I see so many perish and <not> seek redress no I will try this once in the <name> of the Lord therefore be patient u<n>till I come and do the best you can I cannot write what I want but believe me <my> feelings are of the best kind towards you all my hard cramps so I must close I am [page cut away]

[Joseph Smith Jr]

To Emma Smith [p. 1]

Mrs Emma Smith
Commerce Hancock Co Ill