The Brigham Young Center

Salt Lake City. U.T.
1 August 1870

Mr Levi Wilkinson
Portland.
Ionia Co. Mich.

Dear Sir:

Your favor of 11 July has been received, and by this mail I forward in compliance with your request a copy of the Book of Mormon. This book as you will discover on reading it, is the history of the aborigines of this continent; detailing events that transpired on this land from shortly after the building of the Tower of Babel, up to the time of the death of Christ when he appeared to these people, and for about four hundred years after His advent. It also contains many plain and precious truths, relating to the salvation of mankind and the dealings of our Heavenly Father with His children, as well as the Old and New Testiment

But it is not our Bible, the Bible we receive is the same as that accepted by other Christian communities, generally called "King James' Translation." Still we regard the book of Mormon as containing the word of the Lord. That portion recorded in the Bible being the laws He gave to His people on the Eastern continent and that contained in the book of Mormon being the revelations with which he blessed the people of the Western continent

Hoping you will receive it in safety and will read it with a sincere and prayerful heart, that you may realize its truth

I remain, Yours Respectfully
Brigham Young