San Francisco, Jany 17^th 55.

My Dear Belinda,

I am well in body & spirit. I rec’d all the Letters of the last of Nov. from my dear family, a little after the new year. I was grieved to learn of the sickness of little Mary and Moroni & Mees (?) but I ­felt as though I had prayed for them & their mothers faithfully. & I am thankful that the Lord has spared the Lives of all my family. The letters were all good, & they filled my heart with joy and gladness. I read each of them, perhaps, a dozen times & feasted on every word. I thought to myself:– Well!—It is worth a lifetime of Lonliness, sorrow & toil & pilgrimage, to be privaledged to have such a family & to be counted worthy of associations, & kindred tis so endearing—so faithful & joyous, & resolute under trials; so united– & so full of sympathy & have affection. I have no fault to find with one soul of my family. I believe they all do the best they can. Love one another, & be patient with one another & I will Love and bless you all.

My dear Belinda, I do rejoice in your letters & in your spirit towards me. I do pray for you & bless you forever. as to that Latest Edition of our soul inspiring union, which is without title page, preface or introduction. Just call it what you please & I will Love it none the Less. If you have not fixed its name before this reaches you: Call it, “Eleanor.” There is a kindred spirit of that name now in the [unreadable], which you will become acquainted with & love as you love your own soul.

She is the very counter part of your self– & ought to have been your twin sister, if a short sighted mortal may judge. Pray for her with all your might, for she is groaning under a bondage tenfold more terrible, & hard to break than your once was. For twelve Long years she has been

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in dread of her Life and that of her children, & at last she has sworn the peace against a tyrant who rules with a rod of Iron. She has lately joined the S. S. [?] and is a very spirited energetic & noble spirited <hearted> woman. Her children tye her, where she would otherwise break her chains.

She lives in a well furnished palace, but sighs for a log hut with a quiet. A pious, genteel, proud, “titatoler.” who drinks to hard in seuet, & hates truth, is her tyrant.

The follow enclosed is a line just received from her. I send it as a specimen of her education & spirit.

Dear sister, you will doubtless wish to know how I get along. Agatha will receive a letter which will tell you in part. I generally enjoy good health and spirit, but have many lonesome hours. E. is at Santa Clara & suffers much with bad health, & nervous & melancholy feelings. Pray for her with all your might.

I spend my time partly in this place & partly there on the 30 & 31 Dec, we held a con. five branches were represented 120 members in all. Many of them are first rate. I expect to settle in Carson Valey, Utah, in May next with a Colony. I see no prospect of means to visit home this spring. I can hardly get enough to pay rent for a small bedroom where I stop when in town. And I get my meals all vand[?]  amany [?] the saints. As to means to buy a Cloak or a new Coat, or ever to pay my debts it is out of the question– I expect to receive from Liverpool a lot of Books soon, but they will have to lay in hand, for want of 3 or 4 hundred do,ls to pay the duties so far as I can see. Perhaps I am of Little faith. Well faith is the gift of God & I seek his spirit continually & he pours it out upon me, but not in the Gift of Faith in obtaining much means at present. But I am resigned to say not my will, O God, but thine be done.

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But enough about trash. “The body is more than raiment.” Belinda!—What shall I say?—You know my most refined & tender affections, I need not write then, indeed I could not—to Live & Die & rise & reign with you, & my dear family wide, would be in deed an unspeakable reward: I repeat your words– : we will be one: in Life or death.

I hope to piece to see you once more, & to Kiss & bless my little Elinnor, and welcome her to my bosom; bless her little heart, how I will Love her.

Remember me to all my dear Children: even Parley & Alma & Nephi & Heleman & Julia, & Lucy, & Belinda & “binny,” & “Aga” & Lehi & “Cora” & Teancum & little Elinna, & Olivia & Moroni, if you see them. God bless them all & their mothers.

I hope to see & embrace them all once more.

Now Belinda, What shall I say more? I wonder if I shall ever see you & Mary in Carson Valey!!!!!– & live with you there!!

Or when I can have the privilege of living in the city of Salt Lake!

Give my love to Mary & tell her if it will not be to much trouble I should like a line from her sometime. Or even a remembrance, when others are writing, just to remind me that she thinks of me some times.

Give my love to Sarah, & tell her I should be pleased with a line from her.

With sentiments inexpressible & full of—What shall I say?—of—of a boundless infinitude of Eternal aspirations of hope & joy & Life & Love I remain your own

Brother in endless ties.

P. P. Pratt.

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[Transcribed by Mauri Pratt; Sept. 2015]

“Parley P. Pratt letter, San Francisco, California, to Belinda M. Pratt, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1855 Januarly 17,” MS 19224, file 1, p. 3-11. (https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE1994991 : Retrieved 11 September 2015) Church History Library, Salt Lake City.

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