User:Trevdna/sandbox/Happiness Letter

The Happiness Letter was a letter written by Joseph Smith to Nancy Rigdon on xx xxx 1844.

Named for a well-known and oft-cited passage which reads "Happiness is the object and design of our existence, and will be the end thereof, if we follow the path which leads to it. Which path is .... keeping commandments..."

Background

JS - founded Mormonism, was secretly practicing polygamy.

JS, then 36(?) Had proposed to 19 YO Nancy Rigdon, daughter of Smith's first counselor in the First Presidency, Sydney Rigdon. Letter was part of his efforts to that end.

Text

(Entire text or highlights if too long.)

Later History

Nancy Rigdon apparently did not marry Joseph. (How was it caused to be written down?)

Often-cited in LDS History (at least for a while?)

References

JS Papers No Man Knows My History

Burner account