During a life of nearly 82 years, 59 of which time having been spent in the Church of Jesus Christ of Later day Saints, I can testify to the happiness of a life of moral honesty and religious devotion. Experience has taught me the high value of moral purity and religious sentiment, as reaching far above earthly pleasures, and the gratification of appetite and passion, which cannot produce lasting joy.
My success in life has come through my not borrowing money and mortgaging my home, but through my always living within my means, and sustaining myself and family by the sweat of my face.
When I owned little, I lived on little and was satisfied. My married life of 46 years has been a happy one; my wife was always true, gentle, faithful, kind and wise, a help mate in very deed to me. During our entire married life of 46 years, we never had a hard feeling, or cross word, but lived in love together, always adopting the rule of speaking gently and kindly to and of each other; and now, at the age of 82 years, standing as it were on the verge of eternity, my great desire and advice to all of you is to be faithful and true to our holy religion, to never depart from the faith and to turn against God.
Every day that I live, I rejoice more and more in the great work of the Lord, and in the hope of eternal life.
Your loving father and grandfather,
Elisha Hildebrand Davis
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I love this letter written to US! I have it framed (thank you, Kathy) and hung in my home for all to view often. We take it down on occasion and go over it as family, friends, or for various lessons given. It has a message that applies to all ages and times.
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