Letter to Oliver

Thu   Jun 25, 2009   (3:57 am)

I did some digging on that letter written by Joseph [Smith] inviting Oliver Cowdery back into the church. Apparently it was not in Donna Hill's book. I must have read it somewhere else. There's no record of his responding to Joseph, but he did respond to the letter from the Twelve [Apostles of the Mormon Church].

Here are two references to it:

Scott H. Faulring, "The Return of Oliver Cowdery," pages 4-5

"Background: During a six year period (1842-1848) Phineas Young, brother of Brigham Young, and brother in law of Cowdery (Phineas being married to Oliver's half sister Lucy) continually wrote and paid visits to Oliver. At the same time, Church leaders were feeling after Oliver. For example, Willard Richards, who kept the Prophet Joseph Smith's journal was directed by Joseph in the spring of 1843 to "Write to Oliver Cowdery and ask him if he has not eaten husks long enough, if he is not most ready to return." The Twelve sent a letter to Oliver with an invitation to return to the fold which among other things stated, "your brethren are ready to receive you. . . . Your dwelling place you know ought to be in Zion." Cowdery received the letter December 20, 1843.Just five days later (Christmas day) Oliver responded in a friendly manner, but was not quite ready to re-claim his Church membership as he felt the circumstances surrounding his excommunication had not been examined in their true light."

From "The History of the Church," Vol. 5, Chapt. 19, pg. 368:

"Write to Oliver Cowdery and ask him if he has not eaten husks long enough? If he is not almost ready to return, be clothed with robes of righteousness, and go up to Jerusalem? Orson Hyde hath need of him. (A letter was written accordingly.)"

-- End Of Article --

Addendum 1

[In response to Keys Message Number 41703 posted on 2009-06-25, JJ Dewey posted Keys Message Number 41708, dtd 2009-06-25 which contained the following:]

Keith:

"I have a soft spot for Oliver Cowdery. I have always thought he got a raw deal. The man gave a lot more than he took. His pride may have been hurt and his ego needed a little stroking.

"Now, Joseph saying the following is not going to get a man of pride back into the fold,...'Write to Oliver Cowdery and ask him if he has not eaten husks long enough, if he is not most ready to return.' Oliver probably wanted to tell Joseph to put those husks were the sun doesn't shine."

JJ:

Joseph wasn't exactly being diplomatic here. I suspect there was some irritation on both sides of the relationship.

I once knew a person who received some flashbacks to life in that period and she told me she knew Oliver Cowdery and he was a real funny guy -- something like Robin Williams. That's something I never gathered from church history.

-- End Of Addendum 1 --

Addendum 2

[In response to Keys Message Number 41711 posted on 2009-06-25, JJ Dewey posted Keys Message Number 41716, dtd 2009-06-25 which contained the following:]

Ruth:

"I do not understand why JS did not go directly to Cowdery and talk to him face to face, rather than write letters to him. What was he scared of, that he could not talk to his good friend in person, rather than write impersonal letters to Oliver?"

JJ:

Oliver lived about 600 miles away and the journey would have taken a couple weeks in those days making it impractical for someone running a church as well as being mayor and general to the Nauvoo Legion.

-- End Of Addendum 2 --

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