# Letter to Emma Smith, 18 May 1834
# Date: May 18, 1834 | Source: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/letter-to-emma-smith-18-may-1834/1
# Scribal status: holograph (JSP source note: 'handwriting of JS')
# Spelling: original (Joseph Smith Papers verbatim transcript); deletions, editorial glosses/footnotes, and address panels removed

18th May Camp of Israel in Indiana State town of Richmond
My Dear Wife
meeting being over I sit down in my tent to write a few lines to you to let you know that you are on my mind and that I am sensible of the duties of a Husband and Father and that I am well and I pray God to let his blessings rest upon you and the Children and all that are a round you untill I return to your society the few lines you wrote and sent by the hand of Brother Lyman gave me satisfaction and comfort and I hope you will continue to communicate to me by your own hand for this is a consolation to me to convirse with you in this way in my lonely moments which is not easily discribed I will indeavour to write every Sunday if I can and let you know how I am and Brother Fredrick will write to Oliver and give him the names of the places we pass through and a history of our journey from time to time so that it will not be necessary for me to endevou to write it but feel a satisfaction to write a few lines with my own hand in this way I can have the privelege to communicate some of my feelings that I should not dare to reveal as you know that my situation is a very critacal one Brother Jinkins and William Jese and Jeorge are all well and are humble are detirmined to be faithful and finally all the Kirtland Brothen are well and cannot fail I must close for I cannot write on my knees sitting on the ground to edification O may the blessings of God rest upon you is the prayre of your Husband until death
