The Wentworth Letter

[TripletDaddy]

I had a question for the general body of CUF...hoping someone may have an insight or two.

I understand that the Wentworth Letter was written as a response to request for info from John Wentworth of the Chicago Democrat (what a rad name for a newspaper). Wentworth was simply obliging his friend, George Bastow, who was writing a history of the State of New Hampshire.

As all of this was taking place circa 1842, my question is this: why would George Barstow be seeking to include Mormonsim to any noteable degree in his history of New Hampshire? Do we have evidence of much involvement with New Hampshire in our early history....the first fifteen years or so? Am I missing out on major (or minor) significant incidents in New Hampshire that would prompt an author to include Mormonism in his research?

Also, does anyone have any background on the tie-in between Wentworth and Joseph Smith? I assume it is nothing more than Wentworth being the EIC of Chicago's main newspaper and Joseph Smith being the head honcho of a large city in the same state. Do we have any other records of previous interactions between the two?

I also find it curious that both Bastow and Wentworth would go to the trouble of procuring the info and then not bother to publish or use any of it. Makes me wonder if there was any sort of machination going on there, masked as a legitimate request for information.

I couldn't find much in HOC re: Wentworth himself (nor Bastow) but figured some folks here might have the 411.

[LA Ute]

I have a dim recollection of hearing someone say we don't know because there's no record of anything Wentworth or his friend Barstow said about the letter. I also think I heard that JS sent the letter to several other publishers who actually did use it, but I'm not sure about that at all.

[TripletDaddy]

I have a dim recollection of hearing someone say we don't know because there's no record of anything Wentworth or his friend Barstow said about the letter. I also think I heard that JS sent the letter to several other publishers who actually did use it, but I'm not sure about that at all.

From what I have read, I would concur with the notion that wentworth and barstow never used the info (I am not even sure that we have solid documentation that Barstow ever received the letter....who knows what Wentworth did with it).

As for other publications using the letter, I would wonder. As far as I know, T&S was the only publisher. I hadn't come across other examples of publication. That being said, it is entirely possible...although you would think such a thing would be better documented. even one example of it.

As you stated, we probably will never know but I was curious as to whether anyone else had come across other communications between Wentworth and JS. I still don't get why you would include a portion on Mormonism when crafting a history of New Hampshire.

[Solon]

From what I have read, I would concur with the notion that wentworth and barstow never used the info (I am not even sure that we have solid documentation that Barstow ever received the letter....who knows what Wentworth did with it).

As for other publications using the letter, I would wonder. As far as I know, T&S was the only publisher. I hadn't come across other examples of publication. That being said, it is entirely possible...although you would think such a thing would be better documented. even one example of it.

As you stated, we probably will never know but I was curious as to whether anyone else had come across other communications between Wentworth and JS. I still don't get why you would include a portion on Mormonism when crafting a history of New Hampshire.

I think you've hit upon something interesting, TD. After a little digging this morning, it seems clear that Barstow (erroneously referred to as "Bastow" in the March 1, 1842 edition of Times and Seasons) really seems to have had no business with the Mormons. His book, The History of New Hampshire ends with the events of 1819, the year before Joseph Smith's First Vision.

While some passing comments [e.g., here) have speculated that Barstow was interested in Smith because his family had briefly lived in New Hampshire, there is no real evidence either way. Certainly, Barstow's account (published in 1842) makes no mention of the Smiths or Mormonism, and Joseph Smith doesn't mention New Hampshire in the letter.

This final point struck me as strange. Why would Joseph Smith, writing a letter for a historian working on New Hampshire history, neglect to mention any connection at all to New Hampshire? The letter mentions Joseph's birth in Vermont and the family's moves to Palmyra and Manchester, NY, but makes no reference to New Hampshire.

Besides these internal questions, the Wentworth letter, as printed in Times and Seasons, represents the first published version of the First Vision (read more details here. Although neither Wentworth nor Barstow ever published it, if Joseph Smith indeed sent them this letter, it must have predated the March 1, 1842 issue of T&S.

There must be more to this story.

By the way, Wentworth seems like he was a pretty interesting guy - New Hampshire native (hence the connection to Barstow), US congress, mayor of Chicago, epicurean.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Sorry to detract from an interesting thread, but I still think it's funny that Joseph Smith's famous leg operation took place in home that is now that site of a KFC where one can buy some delicious wings and drumsticks.

[YOhio]

Sorry to detract from an interesting thread, but I still think it's funny that Joseph Smith's famous leg operation took place in home that is now that site of a KFC where one can buy some delicious wings and drumsticks.

Is it really?

[PaloAltoCougar]

Is it really?

So I'm told by a close friend (and longtime business partner of SU's brother) whose son attended Dartmouth's Tuck School of Management there in Hanover. He's one of the most trustworthy people I know. Not exUte trustworthy, but still....

[Solon]

So I'm told by a close friend (and longtime business partner of SU's brother) whose son attended Dartmouth's Tuck School of Management there in Hanover. He's one of the most trustworthy people I know. Not exUte trustworthy, but still....

Someone out there needs to get up to Lebanon, NH to do some reconnaissance.

[All-American]

Here's how I interpret it.

Barstow is writing a history of New Hampshire and hears about this phenomenon which had its origins in New England, including a few New Hampshire roots. He wonders exactly how relevant the story of Mormonism may be to the history of New Hampshire, and since he has a buddy in Illinois, he sends a ping. He hears back from Joseph Smith with a big long letter which he asks to have published in full, but the material isn't really all that useful. For one, there really aren't that many tie ins to the state of New Hampshire; besides, the whole thing is a very recent phenomenon, and he wasn't planning on going past 1820. So he shelves it.

My guess is that Barstow thought that Mormonism had deeper and more extensive roots than Palmyra and 1820. Every historian has picked up a book during the research process which he thought would be useful, but turned out otherwise. So it is with the Wentworth letter, the worth of which has been exclusively esoteric.

[Sleeping in EQ]

As an aside, I'll toss in that in writing the Articles of Faith, Joseph Smith Jr. almost certainly used a document written by Orson Pratt several years prior as a kind of template.

[BigPiney]

As an aside, I'll toss in that in writing the Articles of Faith, Joseph Smith Jr. almost certainly used a document written by Orson Pratt several years prior as a kind of template.

That is how I have understood it.

[All-American]

That is how I have understood it.

Yeah, didn't everybody know that?

[SeattleUte]

As an aside, I'll toss in that in writing the Articles of Faith, Joseph Smith Jr. almost certainly used a document written by Orson Pratt several years prior as a kind of template.

That's really disappointing. I've thought TAOF were the best thing he ever wrote. What does this tell us about his modus operandi? I understand that Oliver Cowdery's minister wrote a book sometime in the 1820's about how Indians were ancient Hebrew immigrants to the Americas.

[Sleeping in EQ]

That's really disappointing. I've thought TAOF were the best thing he ever wrote. What does this tell us about his modus operandi? I understand that Oliver Cowdery's minister wrote a book sometime in the 1820's about how Indians were ancient Hebrew immigrants to the Americas.

Are you auditioning to do stand up comedy at Sunstone?

[jay santos]

I understand that Oliver Cowdery's minister wrote a book sometime in the 1820's about how Indians were ancient Hebrew immigrants to the Americas.

Fascinating. Tell us more.