Wales, June 21st 1847
Beloved Bro. & President,
Having just heard by letter from our worthy Bro. (Brs.?) Spencer that some of the American Arothren are returning, I embrace this oportunity to send my complements along with them as harbingers of an exile's return home.
I naturally conclude that you will expect me e'er this to give some acount of my stewardship, especially as mine necessarily is such a roving comission. Yet I must be very brief lest you'l not find time to read it. All you will expect of me will be historical of course. Yet allow me to sympathise with you & all the faithful Saints in their banishments; it will be gratifying to understand that even now you have hundreds of feeling brothers & sisters in Wales who fain would bear a part of yr burdens. I know that I am expressing the sentiments of more than a thousand Saints. I know it because they prove it by contributing of their money to yr assistance so far as is possibl. This year I have remitted in all about 60 L, altho' they are all nearly working classes; and they are determined to make up to 100 L this year they say; This trifl forms an item to prove the reciprocating spirit and love that cements the hearts of Saints in one, tho' oceans & tongues intervene.
Dear Pres. Many a novel scene has transpired with me, much more so with you since that parting day, when we took the parting grip by the Temple of the Lord! I see a little clearer I know a little better, & think that I have grown a little bigger every way e'er this, than I was then, especially than I was when you & Bro. Pratt appointed, (or informed me of this apointment) and altho our beloved Bro. Taylor when here told the folks that "the little Capt. was only one of the little boys of Zion." Yet he means to grow big enough to fit a man's new suit of cloathes when he gets to Zion. When all is said, I feel to thank the Lord a thousand times & his servants too that I have come here. I feel tis my place, where the Lord blesses me with his spirit to enable me to gather the honest hearts from amongst my kindred to this _______ (garner?) for safety e'er the stormy day overtakes them on the plains? Since I cam here a portion of my time has been devoted to publishing in Welsh. From that time until now I have published ten different pamphlets containing over 600,000 pages Duo. Among others, a treatise on the setting up of the Kingdom; "The Proclamation of the Twelve Apostles"; Hymn Book in Welsh; "Prooffs of the Book of Mormon"; smaller treatises, & replys to different authors; together with a pamphlet of 104 pages giving a brief history of Joseph Smith, the 'plates' their translation, history of the Missouri persecutions,
all about Nauvoo, the cruel martyrdom of our Beloved Prophet & Patriarch, (from observation) to their banishment into the wilderness for the testimony of Jesus. This is designed chiefly to disabuse the public mind in Wales about Mormonism inasmuch as all the Priests on Babels walls nearly had deluged this little country with the Clark, Bennett, Martha Brotherton, Spaulding, walk on the water and all others stories that were anywere to be found; and not the least was the Great, "Casswells Prophet of the 19 Century"! So you see that the folks tho't that they knew enough about Mormonism before I came here. You can see how strong an emetic was required to cause them to puke all this up and swallow down the right pills! But thank heaven, for veryfying yr promises to me as well as those of our martyrd Prhophet i.e. that not a dog shd move his tongue successively against the truth in Wales. Lastly in all controversies (tho' not most politely) comes my testimony of the characters which the Clergy here love to traduce___? it comes like that "jaw bone" of old in the hand of Samson, &c You may guess the results. Wel, I am thankful that I have seen the life of those men to within an hour or so of their death, and I live in hopes of a welcome greeting yet.
In addition to the foregoing I have been publishing a Star of 32 pages Duo. monthly for one year, it is on a similar principle to our other periodicals, and gains circulation gradually. I anticipate it will e'er long sustain itself & be the means of diffusing information to a people that are greatly bound up by fetters and "cast iron creeds," of the Fathers. Making in all, without one scratch of anothers' pen but my own nearly one million pges. Almost all these have been distributed through the nation chiefly by our traveling Elders, who get them off ? me at cost chiefly sustain themselves in new districts by the proceeds, so that they do good every way. The Gospel has been preached more or less by myself in the principal towns in every Co in Wales & some more abundantly by the others; & some Saints in every Co now. In the first Manchester Conference after my arrival I shd have represented 3 had I but babtised 1. myself & wife included! But now I can represent over 1500 good, humble honest hearted loving & zealous Saints. I am not afraid of exagerating of their merits for I think that Bro. Taylor will bear me witness, & I fancy that when Bro. Brigham sees them standing (a glorious host) on Zion's happy hill he will not charge me with overrating their virtues. I fancy they will make, and bear as good a polish as any "stones" there, with care. They are all in such union & love from Cardiff to Holy head, that I
really do not know of a whine or grunt. The chief query is, "Bro Jones, when shall we go to Zion?" (or in our tongue "(Pa bryd y cawn fyned i Seion?") I ask Bro. Brigham the same. When o when, shall we hear the welcome herald sound, "to yr tents ye Cambria's sons & daughters?" We hear by the Spirit that you are preparing for us. We hear all about you tho far apart. We hear too from the same source that the remnats of our rase which are in that wilderness somewhere (The Welsh Indians) will be revealed e'er long & embrace the Gospel quickly!! Tis sweet to have the counsells of my "file leader' here, as Bro. Cimball used to say (bless him, please to say that Bro. Jones loves him) but it would be passing(?) sweet to see yr name, except in print, yes, more than I've seen these two long years nearly. Fut tis too much to ask amidst such busy scenes I presume.
Now Dear Pres. before I say farewell, I will ask. that if these humble efforts are worthy, please to ask yr God & my God, the God of Israel & of Joseph too, to bless Bro. Jones with widsom to govern his Welsh Saints in union until they land in Zion; -with talent to win many to ehri number & with a seat in sight of Bro. Brigham in his Kingdom. This is none too much to beg I know, for nothing less will suffice. Will Bro. Taylor, Pratt, Woodruff & families please to acept of a tribute of memory from Bro. Jones. And I may congratulate you I trust on the arival of Bro. Hyde. I have never recd but one letter from any one there since I left Nauvoo! Please to accept of the affectionate farewell for while of yr Bro. & Obt Svt in the Gospel D.Jones
