Johnathan O’Duke kept a handwritten autobiography and diary about his early life in England, his conversion to the Mormon Church in 1839, and his overland journey to Utah. This page in his diary notes his acquaintance with Edwin Whiting.
…and arrived in Pisgah… I went a little ahead of the teams and came upon my family by surprise and I was received by them as one who had risen from the dead here. I had an opportunity of meeting with many of my old Nauvoo friends and forming an intimate acquaintance with Edwin Whiting who was President of the Branch an excellent man to whom I was great attached here I felt myself at home amonst the Saints and was made Bishop counselor but to my countenance among them was of short duration about 3 weeks when I started to fort desmoine for the purpose of getting work but not succeeding to my mind I returned to Pisgah being absent 11 days I remained at home several weeks in the beginning of Oct. I started in company with Br. Whiting and Striker to Bentonsfort where I immediately got a …(end of page ) Source: Transcription of a page from a Journal of Johnathan O Duke from the BYU Special Collections Library. VMiss 227 v1.
To view the entire journal, click the link below. Reference to Edwin Whiting is on page 19 of the diary.
http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/Diaries/id/7640/rec/1
Transcribed by James W. Whiting, Springville, Utah, 7 March 2011. Spelling and punctuation retained original.
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