Mormon History, Oct 19, 1845, Sunday

[William Clayton Writings] Sunday 19th. At the office all day recording tithings. Brother Whitehead and McEwan told me that Bishop Whitney seemed very much dissatisfied because I had balanced up J.C. Kingsburys account without first asking them about it. I know of no reason why they should be dissatisfied unless it be because they dont like his account to shew on the book. He has been to work 10 months and has two dollars a day but is still $138. dollars in debt. Besides this he pays no rent, but this is paid by the Temple, neither does he pay any thing for horse feed although his horse is kept on Temple feed and kept well. Besides this he has money when he asks for it and has the first pick at every thing that comes in on tithing. When we have sugar or honey he generally has more than twice as much as any other man and is treated as much better than any other man about the works as can be imagined. He has paid no tithing out of this years work and although he has work enough
to keep him busy he can ride round when he has a mind to and all is right. He has no family, except Sarah Ann Whitney but he keeps an hired girl to wait on Sarah and a boy to wait on himself Julia Durfee lives with him which makes the number of his family and they take more to support them out of the Temple property than I have for my family although we are ten in number and I pay my own house rent and horse feed and pray for every thing I get. and when I asked for some flannel last week to make some flannel garments to wear this winter the Bishop hesitatingly said he supposed I could have it but finally said ``wear cotton garments as I do''. I have worked faithfully seven days in the week all this last season and frequently nights too, I have the same wages Joseph has although I have been here near four years and when I recorded my tithing in full for my sundays services which is one seventh instead of one tenth day, the Bishop seemed some dissatisfied about this. Now on t
he reflection of all these circumstances, being virtually denied the flannel and found fault with because I balanced Josephs account I could not help being grieved and angry and I make this record that if ever the question should arise in my absence as to the cause of my present feelings here it is. Besides all this the Bishop has found great fault about the Temple committee wasting property, but justice would bear me out in saying that so far as I ever saw the Temple committee were more prudent in this respect than has been practice for the last year past. The Bishop's boys Whitneys & Miller have free access to every thing in the store and when there is sugar in the store they eat it and waste it fluently.

[source: Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries]