Great Salt Lake City
Feby 7, 1855,
Elder Franklin D. Richards
Dear Brother,
We have rec'd per Mail arriving on the fifth instant, yours of the 27th and 31st of Oct, Enclosing Draft of Pound40 in favor of Majors, also acc. of persons by P. E. Fund &c. I can say that I feel truly gratified to learn not only from yours but various other communications of the rapid progress of the work of God in the various missions. I feel to say that your labors will be blessed even as they have been and evenmore abundantly for you shall humbly rely upon the Lord to guide and sustain you in all your duties. I can but approve of your general arrangements of the various Missions under your Presidency, as also the arrangements of the Office Books <Publications,> &c as they seem to be dictated by wisdom, and tend to secure the benefit of the cause, which is the grand consideration of all such matters. In relation to receiving the Copy right of the History &c you can do as wisdom shall dictate but I do not feel there is much danger of any advantage being taken of it, if nothing is done about it. I had some missionaries of foreign birth who have been last appointed were instructed to obtain their naturalization papers prior to leaving the U. S. and I think generally has done so No person has received any encouragement from me to take a wife while upon their Missions. or to even to look one up to return home with them. You need pay no attention to any such idle report, I have been rather annoyed at times by some of the Elders in this respect, who seem to direct so large a portion of their thoughts and time to a subject proper enough in its place but not while they should devote their energies to the work which has been appointed unto them. We have recently written to you by way of the Southern Mail and you will learn per Bro Pace that I have given him liberty to come home heme if he desires it I will also say that if Bro Spencer wishes to return I should like to have him and any others who are in ill health in consequence of their labours or Climate, as a general guide in relation to Elders returning home I wish to have them act in wisdom, and in accordance with counsel from the Presidency there, but after two years faithful service I would be willing they should return if they wished it, and circumstances served <seemed> to justify We need another aee Copying Press such as you forwarded us before that is an excellent one, furnish us another of the Best quality The money handed over to the Iron Co through a mistake by Bro Empy amounting to some thirty six hundred dollars I have managed to secure it through the Shares taken by the Legislative Assembly in that Company I believe you were previously advised that the Church and the Legislative Assembly have taken two Shares each in the Iron Company. We find they still need encouragement although they are doing very well they yet lack the necessary experience which I think they are fast acquiring -- Since my last we have learned of the death of Indian Chief Captain Walker, he died on the 29th ult near Fillmore City of inflamation of the Lungs, after an illness of ten days, all is well with us the Weather continues mild and health, peace and prosperity prevails.
Praying God My heavenly Father in your behalf continually that you may be Blessed and preserved, I remain Your Brother in the Gospel of Christ
Brigham Young