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Instructions to Twelve Apostles at Nauvoo, Ill. on April 19, 1843
Source: Joseph Smith Diary (Willard Richards)

3. P. M. in the presidents office B. Young, Wm Smith, P. P. Pratt, O Pratt, W.Woodruff, J Taylor, Geo a Smith, and W Richards, -

¶ Joseph Said. to the Twelve. -

¶ go in the name of the Lord God & tell Woodworth to put the hands onto the Nauvoo House & begin the work & be patient till means can be provided.-

¶ call on the inhabitants of Nauvoo. & get them to bring in their means, then go to La Harpe & serve them the same.

¶ Thus commence your career, and never stand still tell the Master appears, for it is necessary the house should be done. Out of the stock that is handed to me, you shall have as you have need. for the laborer is worthy of his hire.

¶ I hereby command the hands to go to work on the house and trusting in the Lord. Tell Woodworth to put them on and he shall be backed up with it.- you must get cash, property, lands, horses, cattl &c,, & flour, corn wheat &c. the grain can be ground in this mill. If you can get hands onto the house, it will give such an impetus to the work, it will never stop till it is completed Let the twelve keep together. you will do more good to keep together, not travel together, but meet in conference alternately from place to place, and associate together, & not be found more than 200 miles apart - Then travel from Maine here till they make a perfect highway for the Saints, from here to Maine.

¶ It is better for you to be together. for it is difficult for a man to have strength of lungs & health to be instant in season and out of season.- under all circumstances. & you can assist each other, & when you go to spend a day or two in a place you will find it as it is with miller. they will gather together in great companies.

¶ If twelve men cannot build that house, they are poor tools.

¶ President Young asked if any of the Twelve should go to England?

Said Joseph.-

¶ No. I don't want the Twelve to go to England this year. I have sent them to England & and they have broke the ice^ & done well And now I want to send some of the Elders & try them. I will not designate who. Lorenzo Snow may stay at home till he gets rested.

¶ The Twelve must travel to save their lives. I feel all the veins and strata necessary for the Twelve to move in to save their lives.

¶ You can never make any thing out of Benjamin Winchester. if you take him out of the channel he wants to be in.

¶ Send Samuel James to England. thus saith the Lord, also. Reuben Hedlock. he's a heavenly messenger wherever he goes. need not be in a hurry. send these two. &d when you think of some one else send them.

¶ John Taylor, I believe you can do more good in the editorial department than preaching. he can write for thousands to read while you can preach to but few. We have no one else we can trust the paper with, & hardly with you. you suffer the paper to come out with so many mistakes.

¶ Parley may stay at home and build his house.

¶ Bro Geo. A. Smith, I don't know how I can help him to a living, but to go. put on a long face & make them doe over to him. if he will go, his lungs will hold out. The Lord will give him a good pair of lungs yet.-

¶ Woodruff can be spared from the printing office, if you both stay, you will die.

¶ Orson Pratt. I want him to go.

¶ Bro Brigham asked if he should go? Yes, Go.

¶ I want John E. Page to be called away from pittsburgh. send a good elder to take his place.

¶ Orson Hyde can go and travel.- you will all go to Boston.

¶ I want Elder Willard Richards to continue in the history at present. perhaps he will have to travel some to save his life. The History is going out by little & little in the papers & cutting its way. so that, when it is completed, it will not raise a persecution against us.

¶ When Lyman Wight comes home [from Kirtland] I intend to send him right back again.

¶ Wm Smith is going East with his sick wife.

¶ I want you to cast up a highway for the saints from here to maine.

¶ Kimball will travel.

¶ Dont be scart about the temple. don't say any thing against it. but make all men know your mission is to build the Nauvoo House.

¶ It is not necessary that Joshua Grant should be ordained a high priest he is too young. he is one of Zebedee Coltrins children, & has got into Zebedees spirit. & Jedediah also. & they clip 1/2 their words. & I intend to heal them of it.- If a high priest comes along and goes to snub. him. let him knock his teeth down his throat &c. &c.

¶ you shall make a mighty wake as you go. Clayton, tell the Temple committee to put hands on that house (Diagonal corner from the Brick store) to finish it forth with. right off. the Lord hath need of other houses as well as a Temple.

¶ I can sell $10,000 worth of property this spring. I will meet you at any conference in Maine, or any conference where you are, and stay as long as it is wisdom.

¶ Take [Jacob] Zundall & [Frederick H.] Moeser, & tell them never to drink a drop of ale, or any spirit or wine, only that which flows right out from the presence of God; & send them to Germany. & when you meet with an Arab, send him to Arabia, when you find an Italian, send him to Italy. & a french man, to France; or an Indian, that is suitable. send him among the Indians. & this and that man send them. to the different places where they belong.- Send somebody to Central America and to Spanish America & don't let a single corner of the earth go without a mission.

¶ Write to Oliver Cowdery. & ask him if he has not eat husks long enough? If he is not that ready to return & go up to Jerusalem, Orson Hyde hath need of him. (A letter was written & signed by the members of the quorum present)


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