The Brigham Young Center

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President's Office.
Gt. Salt Lake City,
Jan 30th 1866.

Elder William Gibson
42 Islington Liverpool.

Dear Brother:

Your letter of Nov. 26, which came enclosed in a letter to your wife, has reached me and been perused with interest.

I am much gratified with the Spirit which your letter manifests, and trust that it will be the Spirit which will actuate you in all your labors and intercourse with the people throughout your entire Mission. It always gives me pleasure to hear of the Elders' faithfullness in their ministry among the people, because I know that in so doing they exalt themselves and save the people. All the Elders who are on Missions have the constant faith and prayers of the priesthood and Saints; they are remembered in holy places, and if they feel after the Lord and live humbly before him, they will have the needed strength to escape every temptation and to overcome every obstacle that may be in their path way.

You doubtless have heard, err this, of the illness of Sister Lydia, your wife. Much to the regret of us all, and notwithstanding every thing that could be done for her, her health, since the commencement of winter, has steadily failed. For sometime she continued to cling to life with great tenacity, and besought the Elders' faith and prayers and administerations in her behalf; but despite every exertion, she still continued to get worse, and finally lost all desire for life, and contemplated the idea of departing with pleasure. On the morning of the 8th of Jan. she received two letters from you. she was very weak at the time; but seeing the hand writing she recognized it as yours, and requested a little wine to be given her to strengthen her, and read a part of one and then had the sisters read the balance to her. The perusal of these letters seemed to give her great satisfaction. In half an hour after she read these letters she peaceably fell asleep. She was quite conscious up to the last moment and her faculties seemed as bright as ever.

Though we regret our her departure, and mourn over her early death, still it is not with that feeling of greif that is commonly indulged in at such bereavement.

You have our sympathies, and we pray that God may strengthen you and enable you to pursue an upright and honorable course before God and all men.

With love I remain Your brother,

Brigham Young