Helping Zion, or losing its refuge

Kirtland April 7th 1834 Dear bro Orson [Hyde] We received yours of the 31st ult in due course of Mail and were much grieved on learning that you were not like to succeed according to our expectations, Myself bro Newel [K. Whitney] Frederick [G. Williams] and Oliver [Cowdery] retired to the Translating room when prayer was wont to be made and unbosomed our feelings before God and cannot but exercise faith yet that you in the meraculus providence of God will succeed in obtaining help the fact is ⟦that⟧ unless we can obtain help I myself cannot go to Zion and if I do not go it will be impossable to get my brethren in Kirtland any of them to go and if we do not go it is in vain for our eastern brethren to think of going up to better themselves by obtaining so goodly a land which now can be obtained for one dollar and a quarter pr acre and stand against that wicked Mob for unless they do the will of God, God will not help them and if God does not help them all is vain. Now the fact is this is the head ⟦is⟧ of the church and the life of the body and threu able men as members of the body God has appointd to be hands to administer to the necessities of the body, Now if a mans hands refuse to administer to the necessity of his body it must perish of hunger and if the body perish all the members perish with it and if the head fails the whole body is sickened, the heart faints and the body dies the spirit takes its exit and the carcass remains to be devoured of worms Now bro Orson if this Church which is assaying to be the church of Christ will not help us when they can do it without sacrifice with those blessings which God has bestowed upon them I proph[es]y I speak the truth I Lie not God shall take away their tallant and give it to those who have no tallant and shall prevent them from ever obtaining a place of reffuge or an inheritance upon the Land of Zion Therefore they may tarry for they might as well be overtaken where they are as to incur the displeasur of God and fall under his wrath by the wayside or to fall into the hands of a merciless mob where there is no God to deliver as salt that has lost its savour and is thenceforth ⟦god⟧ good for nothing but to be troden undr feet of men I therefor beseech you to conjure [adjure] them in the name of the Lord by the Love of God to lend us a helping hand and if all this will not soften their hearts to administer to our necessity for Zion sake turn your back up on them and return speedily to Kirtland and the blood of Zion be upon their heads even as upon the heads of her enimies and let their reccompence be as the reccompence of her enemes for thus shall it come to pass saith the Lord of hosts who has the cattle upon a thousand hills who has put forth his Almyhty [Almighty] hand to bring to pass his strang[e] act and what man shall put forth his hand to steady the ark of God or be found turning a deaf ear to the voice of his servant God shall speak in due time and all will be declared amen Your broth[er] in the new covenant Joseph PS I am much disappointed on learni[n]g about my horse but if you cannot obtain him bring the mare and please do not [ride?] her very fast in a day and be very car[e]ful that I may not loose her and perhaps I may dispose of her to good advantage for the benefit of Zion— I am yours by every sacred and holy tie that can bind up souls Joseph Smith Jr F G Williams Oliver Cowde[r]y