Elder Call Waxes Elequent on. . .what else? Family History!

[Note: In my last email to Elder Call, I told him that I have been called as the Family History Center director for our ward. Additionally, some months before his mission, Elder Call and I had discussed getting permission to publish the journals and related papers of John Scott, a family ancestor—but we had decided to wait until after Elder Call's mission to move forward on the project. In my email to Elder Call, I mentioned this project and said I may not be able to wait until he gets home to move forward with it. —Ed.]

2 November 2009

Hi Dad,

I loved your email!! It was so much fun to read. Don't ever worry about it if you forget to email me, though. You are very busy. We have a set schedule every week that is the only time to email, so it is easier for me to do it.

So I finished that letter I wrote you guys about that one couple on Wednesday. I had been praying every opportunity I had for them. On Wednesday night I prayed even more sincerely and earnestly for them. I pled with the Lord that they would be able to work things out. Thursday morning at 8:00 we got a text message (we can receive them, but not send any). It read, "Please pray for me. Help me be strong." It was an answer to not only my prayers, but to many, many others' as well. That is the last we have heard from them.

That is so exciting for the Brumbles! I can't wait for them!! Elder Naverette, one of my Zone Leaders is from Chile. He goes home at the end of December or the beginning of January. Is it a 2 year proselyting mission, service mission, office couple, or what? They will be great missionaries. Tell them congratulations, and please thank them for all they have done.

I am glad things are going good with your clients. I will increase my prayers on your behalf. I have seen literal miracles happen when we pray with faith and humble ourselves to accept the Lord's will.

That is so cool that you are the ward's Family History Center Director! I am so jealous. You will do great, I just know it.

The John Scott Journals would be sweet to publish. It would be great if you were able to publish them. If I can remember correctly, we were thinking of doing the John Scott Journals. I think there are two of them, maybe, but in that one packet.

He served two missions, I believe. One throughout the Midwest with an epistle from the brethren about gathering the saints to Salt Lake. (It might be kind of cool to maybe find that letter and include it.) And then I think he served a mission in Ireland.

We were also thinking of Jacob Scott's letters to his daughter(s?). They are in possession of the Community of Christ, I think. I seem to remember that you and Rachel got me a CD from BYU with some John and Jacob Scott stuff on it from their Special Collections library. The CD would probably be in that cupboard with the family history stuff.

We also considered finding letters or other documents written by John Scott's siblings. They would probably be in possession of the Community of Christ. As you know John's siblings went apostate. The one brother Isaac Franklin Scott I believe wrote some letters too.

It could be a "Jacob Scott Family Papers" project, or whatever. It would be really interesting because the Jacob Scott family was involved in things, but you never really hear very much about it all. The Scotts were Irish Canadians and converted around 1836. They knew people like the Laws and Isaac Russell in Canada. They all joined the church and moved to Missouri. A lot of them were excommunicated.

Apparently there were some financial dealings with Joseph Smith, because Jacob Scott writes a letter of apology to Joseph Smith in Nauvoo and mentions it. He also wrote an unkind letter to Joseph and Hyrum while they were in Liberty Jail. Its whereabouts is unknown, to the best of my knowledge. Ann Scott (I believe), one of John Scott's sisters, carried the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible under her dress to keep it safe from the mob. Then gave it to Emma who carried it under her dress to Nauvoo. I think Ann's husband was James Mulholland, one of the scribes to Joseph Smith. I think he got sick in the Nauvoo swamps in the spring/summer of 1839 and died. Then Mulholland Street was named after him.

There is a possibility that Sarah Scott, John's sister, was a plural wife to Joseph Smith. (On that same thread John Scott had three wives while in Nauvoo: Elizabeth Menerey, Mary Pugh, and Sarah Ann Willis. Sarah is our ancestor.)

Of course you know the Robert Scott story with the group that was organizing against Joseph Smith. (That was the Laws; could they have invited him because they were family friends and there was already dissension among family members and the church?) I think there was some sort of Irish Rebellion in Nauvoo and I bet you anything that the Scotts were a part of that. It would not surprise me at all. Then all of the Scott family joined different apostate groups and were quite active in them.

As far as I can tell the only sibling that didn't join an apostate group was Robert. Was that because of his experience in being a spy for Joseph Smith in that dissenting group? One thing that always makes a researched, published family history better is if you ask yourself what was going on at the time of the events, what could have influenced the family members to act as they did, why did they choose to do so, who did they know, or were there individuals outside of the family who seem to be involved in those same historical events, etc.

There is a lot that could go into the project. You might consider putting together some sort of researched and documented brief history of the Scott family. It doesn't need to be anything too detailed. Just major points in each of the siblings lives; i.e. moving to Canada, baptism, Missouri, excommunication, joining apostate groups, etc. Just so people can kind of have an idea about the movements of the family members. I don't know, just do what you feel inspired to do.

Of course you would need to get permission to publish the journals and letters. As you know any authoritative work is well documented and cited. I am sure you know much more about writing and publishing than I do. I've just done research.

That is probably way more information than you wanted to know, but you would do a great job with however you decide to do it.

It will be great, just do what you think you should.

Love,

Elder Call

P.S. One more tidbit of information that just popped into my mind: If I remember correctly Jacob Scott and possibly other family members were still living in the Far West Area in the 1840 census. Active members were out by that time. The 1840 census only has heads of households listed. So it would be helpful if you knew who Jacob and Sarah Warnock’s children and sons/daughters-in-law were.