Chapter XXVII
Official Denunciation of Thieves at Nauvoo--The Moral Law of the Church--Abandonment of Ramus as a Stake of Zion--Baptism for the Dead, an Epistle.
Wednesday, 24.--Elder Joseph Fielding, who sailed from Liverpool, on the Tyrean, with 204 Saints, arrived at Warsaw with his company; and Elders Willard Richards and John Taylor went to meet them and to give such counsel as their situation required.
Friday, 26.
Affidavit of Hyrum Smith--Denouncing Theft.
Whereas it hath been intimated to me by persons of credibility that there are persons in the surrounding country, who profess to be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who have been using their influence and endeavors to instil into the minds of good and worthy citizens in the state of Illinois, and the adjoining states, that the First Presidency, and others in authority and high standing in said Church, do sanction and approbate the members of said Church in stealing property from those persons who do not belong to said Church, and thereby to induce persons to aid and abet them in the act of stealing, and other evil practices; I therefore, hereby disavow any sanction or approbation by me, of the crime of theft, or any other evil practice, in any person or persons whatever, whereby either the lives or property of our fellow men may be unlawfully taken or molested; neither are such things sanctioned or approbated by the First Presidency, or any other person in authority or good standing in said Church, but such acts are altogether in violation of the rules, order, and regulations of the Church, contrary to the teachings given in said Church, and the laws of both God and man. I caution the unwary, who belong to the aforesaid Church, and all other persons, against being duped or led into any act or scheme which may endanger their character, lives, or property, or bring reproach upon the Church; and I certify that I hold my person {461} and property ready to support the laws of the land, in the detection of any person or persons who may commit any breach of the same. To which I subscribe my name, and testify, this 26th day of November, 1841.
Hyrum Smith.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 26th day of November, 1841.
Ebenezer Robinson, J. P.
I attended city council and presented a bill for "an ordinance in relation to Hawkers, Pedlars, Public Shows, and Exhibitions, in order to prevent any immoral or obscene exhibition," which passed the council by unanimous vote.
[Sidenote: The Prophet's Estimate of the Book of Mormon.]
Sunday, 28.--I spent the day in the council with the Twelve Apostles at the house of President Young, conversing with them upon a variety of subjects. Brother Joseph Fielding was present, having been absent four years on a mission to England. I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.
Monday, 29.--I gave the following affidavit, and published it in the Times and Seasons.
The Prophet's Denunciation of Thieves.
City Of Nauvoo, Illinois, November 29, A. D. 1841.
To The Public.
The occurrence of recent events makes it criminal for me to remain longer silent. The tongue of the vile yet speaks, and sends forth the poison of asps, the ears of the spoiler yet hear, and he puts forth his hands to iniquity. It has been proclaimed upon the house top and in the secret chamber, in the public walks and private circle, throughout the length and breadth of this vast continent, that stealing by the Latter-day Saints has received my approval; nay, that I have taught the doctrine, encouraged them in plunder, and led on the van--than which nothing is more foreign from my heart. I disfellowship the perpetrators of all such abominations--they are devils and not Saints, totally unfit for the society of Christians or men. It is true that some {462} professing to be Latter-day Saints have taught such vile heresies, but all are not Israel that are of Israel; and I wish it to be distinctly understood in all coming time, that the Church, over which I have the honor of presiding, will ever set its brows like brass, and its face like steel, against all such abominable acts of villainy and crime; and to this end I append my affidavit of disavowal, taken this day before General Bennet, that there may be no mistake hereafter as to my real sentiments, or those of the leaders of the Church, in relation to this important matter.
State Of Illinois, Hancock County.
Before me, John C. Bennett, Mayor of the City of Nauvoo, personally came Joseph Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the Mormon Church), who being duly sworn according to law, deposeth and saith, that he has never directly or indirectly encouraged the purloining of property, or taught the doctrine of stealing, or any other evil practice, and that all such vile and unlawful acts will ever receive his unreserved and unqualified disapproval, and the most vigorous opposition of the Church over which he presides; and further this deponent saith not.
Joseph Smith,
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Sworn to and subscribed before me, at my office, in the city of Nauvoo, this 29th day of November, A. D. 1841.
John C. Bennett,
L. S. Mayor of the City of Nauvoo.
Now it is to be hoped that none will hereafter be so reckless as to state that I, or the Church to which I belong, approve of thieving--but that all the friends of law and order will join in ferreting out thieves wherever and whenever they may be found, and assist in bringing them to that condign punishment which such infamous crimes so richly merit.
Joseph Smith,
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
[Sidenote: Conference in New York.]
A conference was held in New York City, Elder John E. Page presiding; in which were represented New York City, 17 Elders, 2 Priests, 1 Teacher, 2 Deacons, 179 members. Five branches were {463} represented, including 5 Elders, 6 Priests, 3 Teachers, 3 Deacons, 149 members. 3 Elders, 2 Priests, 1 Teacher, were ordained. There were present at the conference, 1 Apostle, 6 High Priests, 16 Elders, 3 Priests, 2 Teachers, 2 Deacons.
Tuesday, 30.--Attended a council of the Twelve Apostles at President Brigham Young's home. President Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, Orson Pratt, Lyman Wight, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff were present.
It was voted that Ebenezer Robinson be solicited to give up the department of printing the Times and Seasons to Elder Willard Richards.
Voted, that if Brother Robinson does not comply with this solicitation, Elder Richards be instructed to procure a press and type, and publish a paper for the Church.
Moved by Elder Young, and seconded by Elder Woodruff, that Lyman Wight and John Taylor present these resolutions to Brother Robinson.
Wednesday, December 1.--In view of the proceedings of the meeting of the Church at Ramus, on the 18th November, when certain individuals were cut off from the Church for stealing, the Twelve issued the following epistle:
Warning of the Twelve Apostles Against Thieves.
We are glad that the perpetrators of the above crime have been caught in their iniquitous practices; and we are only sorry that anybody should be found who would bail them out of prison, for such individuals, if the charges are true, ought to be made an example of, and not be suffered to run at large.
We have been informed that some of them have been talking of moving into this place, but we would here inform them that persons whose conduct has exposed them to the just censure of an indignant public, can have no fellowship amongst us, as we cannot, and will not countenance rogues, thieves, and scoundrels knowingly; and, we hereby warn them that the law will be as rigorously enforced against them in {464} this place as in any other, as we consider such characters a curse to society, whose pestilential breath withers the morals, and blasts the fame and reputation of any people among whom they may sojourn. There is no person that is, and ought to be despised more than the thief, by any respectable community; yet more especially ought such persons to be abhorred who have taken upon them the name of Christ, and thus with the pretext of religion, and garb of sanctity, cloak their nefarious practices.
We have been told that some individual or individuals have, under false pretenses, been wishing to palm their wicked and devilish principles upon the authorities of the Church, stating that it was part and parcel of the Gospel which God had revealed, and that it is one of the mysteries which the initiated only are acquainted with. We know not how to express our abhorrence at such an idea, and can only say that it is engendered in hell, founded in falsehood, and is the offspring of the devil; and it is at variance with every principle of righteousness and truth, and will damn all that are connected with it, for all mysteries are only such to the ignorant, and vanish as soon as men have sufficient intelligence to comprehend them; and there are no mysteries connected with godliness and our holy religion, but what are pure, innocent, virtuous, just, and righteous. If this [the foregoing practice of thieving] is a mystery, it is the "mystery of iniquity." We are at a loss to know who could be vile enough to propagate such base and unfounded statements, and we would say to the Church, beware of such men! Set them down as the worst of scoundrels, and reject their foul insinuations with the indignation and disgust that such unhallowed and vile insinuations deserve; for such men are either avowed apostates, or on the eve of apostasy, or have only taken the name of religion to cloak their hypocrisy; we fear the latter, in some instances is the case, and that Mississippi scoundrels [1] palm themselves upon us to cover their guilt. We {465} further call upon the Church to bring all such characters before the authorities, that they may be tried, and dealt with according to the law of God, and delivered up unto the laws of the land.
It is scarcely possible that any virtuous man could be made to believe any such statements, however ignorant; yet lest through false pretenses the innocent might be drawn into a snare, we would quote the following from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, section 42, paragraph 84, 85, "And if any man or woman shall rob, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of the land. And if he or she shall steal, he or she shall be delivered up unto the law of the land." Again, section 42, paragraph 20, [2] "Thou shalt not steal, and he that stealeth and will not repent shall be cast out." The broad law of God is, "Thou shalt not steal," and thieves, together with "liars and whoremongers," will eventually be found without the city, with dogs and sorcerers. We need only say that if we find such characters engaged in their nefarious practices, whether in or out of the Church, we shall take them up, and deal with them according to the law of God and man; and we wish the Church to inform us of such delinquents, or the sin will lie at their own door.
As there are gangs of robbers up and down this river, from whom we have suffered much, having had many horses, cattle and other property stolen, we purpose instituting a police for the protection of our property, and the rigorous enforcement of the laws of our country; and should any, who call themselves Latter-day Saints, be found in their midst, they will be cut off from the Church, and handed over to the law of the land.
We hope that what we have written may suffice, and take this opportunity of expressing our decided and unqualified disapprobation of anything like theft in all its bearings, as being calculated to destroy the peace of society, to injure the Church of Jesus Christ, to wound the character of the people of God, and to stamp with eternal infamy all {466} who follow such diabolical practices; to blast their character on earth, and to consign them to eternal perdition.
Brigham Young,
Heber C. Kimball,
Parley P. Pratt,
Orson Hyde,
William Smith,
Orson Pratt,
John E. Page,
Willard Richards,
Lyman Wight,
Wilford Woodruff,
John Taylor,
George A. Smith.
Nauvoo, Illinois, December 1, 1841. [3]
{467} Thursday, 2.--I received the following revelation to Nancy Marinda Hyde--
Revelation.
Verily thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have called upon me to know my will concerning my handmaid Nancy Marinda Hyde--behold it is my will that she should have a better place prepared for her, than that in which she now lives, in order that her life may be spared unto her; therefore go and say unto my servant, Ebenezer Robinson, and to my handmaid his wife--Let them open their doors and take her and her children into their house and take care of them faithfully and kindly until my servant Orson Hyde returns from his mission, or until some other provision can be made for her welfare and safety. Let them do these things and spare not, and I the Lord will bless them and heal them if they do it not grudgingly, saith the Lord God; and she shall be a blessing unto them; and let my handmaid Nancy Marinda Hyde hearken to the counsel of my servant Joseph in all things whatsoever he shall teach unto her, and it shall be a blessing upon her and upon her children after her, unto her justification, saith the Lord.
Saturday, 4.--I attended the city council, and spoke in defense of the marshal, in his not serving a warrant, when his life would have been endangered.
[Sidenote: Conference at Ramus.]
A conference was held at Ramus on the 4th and 5th of December, 1841, over which the Patriarch of the Church, Hyrum Smith, presided; Joseph Johnson acted as clerk; Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards and John Taylor, of the {468} quorum of the Twelve Apostles were present. It was unanimously resolved by the conference that the organization of the Church at Ramus as a Stake be discontinued and that John Lawson be presiding Elder over the branch at Ramus, and Joseph Johnson, clerk; and that William Wightman, the Bishop, transfer all the Church property in Ramus to the sole Trustee in Trust, Joseph Smith, President of the whole Church.
[Sidenote: Prophet Proof Reads Book of Mormon.]
Sunday, 5.--I commenced to proof read the Book of Mormon, previous to its being stereotyped; read sixty pages.
In the evening Brother Wilford Woodruff and wife visited me. We conversed about the Missouri troubles, and the death of David W. Patten; also his last request. [4]
Tuesday, 7.--The following is a copy of a letter to Lawyers Bushnell and Browning of Quincy:
Letter of the Prophet to Esquires Browning and Bushnell--Payment of Notes.
Esquires Browning and Bushnell:
Gentlemen:--Your letter of the 23rd ultimo, concerning two notes placed in your hands by Messrs. Halsted, Haines and Co., against myself and thirty-one others, for collection, was duly received. In reply, I must inform you, that I am not in possession of means, belonging to me individually to liquidate those notes at present; the reason is apparent to every one; I need not relate to you the persecution I have suffered, and the loss and confiscation of all my effects at various times as a reason of my inability; you know it all, and so do the gentlemen whose notes you hold for collection. But I wish you to say to them that if they will give me my time (and no more than I must necessarily have), they shall have their pay in some way or other. I have the means at command in the East, which, with a sufficient indulgence, will enable me to pay them every whit, but unless this is granted me, it will be impossible for me to do so. All I ask of those gentlemen and this generation is that they should not tie up my hands, nor thwart me in my operations. If this is granted me, I pledge my word, yea, my sacred honor, that all that can in fairness be demanded at my hands, either now or at any time shall ultimately be adjusted to the satisfaction of all concerned. This is all that I can say at this time, or do, {469} hoping that you will communicate to Messrs. Holsted, Haines and Co. the contents, or at all events the purport of this letter, together with my sincere regard for their welfare, and as regards you, gentlemen,
I remain very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
Joseph Smith.
Wednesday, 8.--The Twelve who attended the Ramus conference on the 4th instant returned with nearly a thousand dollars worth of property, consisting of horses, wagons, provisions, clothing, etc., for the Temple, which had been donated by the Saints at Ramus.
Friday 10.--I wrote to Horace R. Hotchkiss, Esq.
The Prophet's Letter to Mr. Hotchkiss--Commerce Lands.
Dear Sir:--Your letters, dated October, 11th and November 9th, 1841, have both been received, and that of the 9th of November is now before me. I am glad that you are pleased with the proceedings of our last conference relative to "Mr. Hotchkiss purchase," concerning which there had been some unpleasant feeling which had originated partly from a misunderstanding between us, and partly through the inefficiency, neglect or sickness of Dr. Galland. I wrote a letter to your friend and partner, Esquire Tuttle, some time since, which no doubt you have seen before now, and with which I hope you are also satisfied. I have handed your request to the editor of the Times and Seasons, who will forward you the desired papers. I am glad that James Ivins settled with you the $2,500 note, but sorry that you suffered yourself to lose in the sale of the land you had of him. As regards the Cook's Mill Tavern stand, and the one hundred and thirty-seven acres of pine land, which you propose to allow the Church three thousand dollars for, I have to say in reply, that I have consulted, not only my own feelings as sole Trustee in Trust for the Church; but also the feelings of those of the Church whose opinions I can always rely upon in such matters, and the conclusion is that thirty-two hundred dollars is the least the property ought to be sold for. You can, therefore, have it for three thousand two hundred, which is considerably less than it cost the Church; we are willing to make a partial sacrifice in the property, but under the circumstances, think that you can afford to give us two hundred dollars more than you proposed. The health of our place is at this time pretty good, and we hope it may continue to improve, with the improvements of the city.
I remain very respectfully yours, &c.,
Joseph Smith.
{470} Saturday, 11.--Late this evening, while sitting in council with the Twelve in my new store on Water street, I directed Brigham Young, President of the Twelve Apostles, to go immediately and instruct the building committee in their duty, and forbid them receiving any more property for the building of the Temple, until they received it from the Trustee in Trust, and if the committee did not give heed to the instruction, and attend to their duty, to put them in the way so to do.
Elder Willard Richards has left Warsaw for Nauvoo, it being considered unnecessary for him to tarry there any longer.
[Sidenote: The Prophet's Difficulties in Writing the Annals of the Church.]
Since I have been engaged in laying the foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have been prevented in various ways from continuing my journal and history in a manner satisfactory to myself or in justice to the cause. Long imprisonments, vexatious and long-continued law-suits, the treachery of some of my clerks, the death of others, and the poverty of myself and brethren from continued plunder and driving, have prevented my handing down to posterity a connected memorandum of events desirable to all lovers of truth; yet I have continued to keep up a journal in the best manner my circumstances would allow, and dictate for my history from time to time, as I have had opportunity so that the labors and suffering of the first Elders and Saints of this last kingdom might not wholly be lost to the world.
Sunday, 12.--I preached in the morning at Snyder's Hotel.
In the evening, the Twelve met in council at Brother Heber C. Kimball's.
Monday, 13.--I appointed Willard Richards recorder for the Temple, and my private Secretary and general Clerk, and he commenced his labors in my new office in the brick store.
[Sidenote: Anti Mormonism at Warsaw.]
Some time in the fall of 1839, Daniel S. Witter, of the {471} steam mill at Warsaw, solicited the First Presidency of the Church to make a settlement on the school section No. 16, one mile south of Warsaw, and the solicitations were continued by Daniel S. Witter, Mark Aldrich and others, from time to time, till the spring or summer of 1841, when articles of agreement were entered into between Calvin A. Warren, Esq., Witter, Aldrich and others, owners of the school section and the First Presidency, giving the Saints the privilege of settling on the school section, which had been surveyed and laid out in town lots, and called Warren, on certain conditions, and Willard Richards went to Warsaw on the 8th of September, and spent several weeks to prepare for the reception of immigrants. In the meantime the inhabitants of Warsaw attempted to form an anti-Mormon society, and were much enraged because Esquire Davis (who had spoken favorably of the Saints) was appointed clerk of the county by Judge Stephen A. Douglas.
In November two hundred and four Saints arrived at Warsaw, from England, led by Joseph Fielding, and were visited on the 24th of November by Elders Willard Richards, and John Taylor of the Twelve, and counseled to tarry at Warsaw according to the instruction of the First Presidency.
[Sidenote: Further Trouble at Warsaw.]
December 13.--Isaac Decker, presiding Elder at Warsaw, stated to the Presidency of Nauvoo, that Mr. Witter had raised one dollar per barrel on flour, and sold the sweepings of his mill to the Saints at $2.25 per hundred; and that Witter and Aldrich had forbidden the brethren the privilege of getting the old wood on the school section, which they had full liberty to get; that the price of wood on the wharf had fallen twenty-five cents per cord since the arrival of the Saints; that the citizens had raised their rent, &c.; and the First Presidency decided that the Saints should remove from {472} Warsaw to Nauvoo immediately; and that the proceedings at Warsaw be published in the Times and Seasons.
This morning President Young delivered the message I gave him on Saturday evening to Reynolds Cahoon and Elias Higbee, the Temple Committee, in presence of Elders Kimball, Woodruff, and Richards.
Elder Richards by letter instructed the Saints at Warsaw to remove to Nauvoo.
Baptism For The Dead.
An Epistle of the Twelve Apostles to the Saints of the Last Days.
The building of the Temple of the Lord in the city of Nauvoo, is occupying the first place in the exertions and prayers of many of the Saints at the present time, knowing, as they do, that if this building is not completed speedily, "we shall be rejected as a Church with our dead;" for the Lord our God hath spoken it.
But while many are thus engaged in laboring and watching and praying for this all important object, there are many, very many more, who do not thus come up to their privilege and their duty in this thing, and in many instances we are confident that their neglect arises from a want of proper understanding of the principles upon which this building is founded, and by which it must be completed.
The children of Israel were commanded to build a house in the land of promise; and so are the Saints of the last days, as you will see in the Revelation given to Joseph the Seer, January 19, 1841, wherein those ordinances may be revealed which have been hid for ages, even their anointings and washings, and baptisms for the dead; wherein they may meet in solemn assemblies for their memorials, sacrifices, and oracles in their most holy places; and wherein they may receive conversations and statutes, and judgments, for the beginning of the revelations and foundations of Zion, and the glory and honor and adornment of all her municipals through the medium which God has ordained.
In the same revelation the command is to "all the Saints from afar" as well as those already gathered to this place: to arise with one consent and build the Temple; to prepare a place where the Most High may manifest Himself to His people. No one is excepted who hath aught in his possession, for what have ye that ye have not received? And I will require mine own with usury, saith the Lord; so that those {473} who live thousands of miles from this place, come under the same law, and are entitled to the same blessings and privileges as those who have already gathered. But some may say, how can this be, I am not there, therefore I cannot meet in the Temple, cannot be baptized in the font? The command of heaven is to you, to all, gather; and when you arrive here, if it is found that you have previously sent of your gold, or your silver, or your substance, the tithing and consecrations which are required of you for this building, you will find your names, tithings and consecrations written in the Book of the Law of the Lord, to be kept in the Temple, as a witness in your favor, showing that you are a proprietor in that building, and are entitled to your share of the privileges thereunto belonging.
One of those privileges which is particularly attracting the notice of the Saints at the present moment, is baptism for the dead, in the font which is so far completed as to be dedicated, and several have already attended to this ordinance by which the sick have been made whole, and the prisoner set free; but while we have been called to administer this ordinance, we have been led to inquire into the propriety of baptizing those who have not been obedient, and assisted to build the place for baptism; and it seems to us unreasonable to expect that the Great Jehovah will approbate such administration; for if the Church must be brought under condemnation, and rejected with her dead, if she fail to build the house and its appurtenances, why should not individuals of the Church, who thus neglect, come under the same condemnation? For if they are to be rejected, they may as well be rejected without baptism as with it; for their baptism can be of no avail before God, and the time to baptize them may be appropriated to building the walls of the house, and this is according to the understanding which we have received from him who is our spokesman.
Let it not be supposed that the sick and the destitute are to be denied the blessings of the Lord's house; God forbid; His eye is ever over them for good. He that hath not, and cannot obtain, but saith in his heart, if I had, I would give freely, is accepted as freely as he that gives of his abundance. The Temple is to be built by tithing and consecration, and every one is at liberty to consecrate all they find in their hearts so to do; but the tithings required, is one-tenth of all anyone possessed at the commencement of the building, and one-tenth part of all his increase from that time until the completion of the same, whether it be money, or whatever he may be blessed with.
Many in this place are laboring every tenth day for the house, and this is the tithing of their income, for they have nothing else; others would labor the same, but they are sick, therefore excusable; when they get well, let them begin; while there are others who appear to {474} think their own business of more importance than the Lord's. Of such we would ask, who gave you your time, health, strength, and put you into business? And will you not begin quickly to return with usury that which you have received? Our God will not wait always.
We would remind some two or three hundred Elders, who offered to go on missions, some six months, others one year, and some two years, and had their missions assigned them at the general conference to labor on the Temple, that most of their names are still with us, and we wish them to call and take their names away, and give them up to the building committee.
Brethren, you have as great an interest at stake in this thing as we have, but as our Master, even the Master-builder of the Temple, whose throne is on high, has seen fit to constitute us stewards in some parts of His household; we feel it important for us to see to it that our Master is not defrauded, and especially by those who have pledged their word, their time, their talents, to His services; and we hope this gentle hint will suffice, that we may not be compelled to publish the names of those referred to.
Probably some may think they could have gone on a mission, but cannot labor, as they have no means of boarding themselves, but let such remember that several score of brethren and sisters in this city, offered at the general conference, to board one or more laborers on the Temple till the same should be completed, and but few of those as yet have had the opportunity of boarding any one. To all such we would say, you are not forgotten, we have your names also, and we expect soon to send someone to your table, therefore put your houses in order and never be ready to refuse the first offer of a guest.
Large stores of provisions will be required to complete the work, and now is the time for securing it, while meat is plenty and can be had for one half the value that it can at other seasons of the year, and the weather is cool and suitable for packing. Let the brethren for two hundred miles around drive their fat cattle and hogs to this place, where they may be preserved, and there will be a supply till another favorable season rolls around, or till the end of the labor.
Now is the time to secure food, now is the time that the trustee is ready to receive your droves. Not the maimed, the lean, the halt, and the blind, and such that you cannot use; it is for the Lord, and He wants no such offering; but if you want His blessing, give Him the best, give Him as good as He has given you. Beds and bedding, socks, mittens, shoes, clothing of every description, and store goods are needed for the comfort of the laborers this winter; journeymen, stone cutters, quarrymen, teams and teamsters for drawing stone and all kinds of provision for men and beast, are needed in abundance.
{475} There are individuals who have given nothing as yet, either as tithing or consecration, thinking that they shall be able to do a great deal some time hence if they continue their present income to their own use, but this is a mistaken idea. Suppose that all should act upon this principle, no one would do ought at present, consequently the building must cease, and this generation remain without a house, and the Church be rejected; then suppose the next generation labor upon the same principle, and the same in all succeeding generations, the Son of God would never have a place on the earth to lay His head.
Let every individual remember that their tithings and consecrations are required from what they have, and not what they expect to have some time hence, and are wanted for immediate use. All money and other property designed for tithing and consecrations to the building of the Temple must hereafter be presented to the Trustee in Trust, President Joseph Smith, and entered at the recorder's office, in the book before referred to; and all receipts now holden by individuals, which they have received of the building committee for property delivered to them, must also be forwarded to the recorder's office for entry, to secure the appropriation of said property according to the original design.
The Elders everywhere will instruct the brethren both in public and in private, in the principles and doctrines set forth in this Epistle, so that every individual in the Church may have a perfect understanding of his duty and privileges.
Brigham Young,
Heber C. Kimball,
Orson Pratt,
William Smith,
Lyman Wight,
Wilford Woodruff,
John Taylor,
Geo. A. Smith,
Willard Richards.
Nauvoo, Illinois, December 13, 1841.
Footnotes:
1. This has reference to the blacklegs that infested the upper Mississippi region, and who plied their trade in disposing of counterfeit money and stolen goods along the river. The character of the old inhabitants in Northern Illinois at this time, (1840-44), Governor Ford describes in his "History of Illinois" as follows: "Then, again, the northern part of the State was not destitute of its organized bands of rogues, engaged in murders, robberies, horse-stealing, and in making and passing counterfeit money. These rogues were scattered all over the north; but the most of them were located in the counties of Ogle, Winnebago, Lee, and DeKalb. In the county of Ogle, they were so numerous, strong, and well-organized, that they could not be convicted for their crimes. By getting some of their numbers on the juries, by producing hosts of witnesses to sustain their defense by perjured evidence, and by changing the venue from one county to another, and by continuances from term to term, and by the inability of witnesses to attend from time to time at a distant and foreign county, they most generally managed to be acquitted."
2. The above references are published to correspond in current editions of the Doctrine and Covenants. The revelation quoted was given as a law to the Church, February 9, 1831. It was given in the presence of twelve Elders, at Kirtland, in fulfillment of the promise that the Lord made to the church while yet located in New York, in a revelation commanding them to move from the eastern countries to the Ohio; "And there," said the Lord, "I will give unto you my law, and there you shall be endowed with power from on high." (Doctrine and Covenants, section 38: 32.) As introductory to the revelation the Prophet said under date of February 9: "According to the promise heretofore made, the Lord gave the following revelation embracing the Law of the Church;" and indeed, it is appropriately so called, for it embraces well nigh every moral law of the Gospel, and is a most valuable chapter of divine instructions to the Church.
3. About this time there were gangs of robbers operating up and down the Mississippi River, from which the Saints suffered, as many of their horses and cattle were stolen, but more serious injury arose from the fact that the acts of these robbers were attributed to the Saints themselves, and did much to prejudice the minds of the public against them. Governor Ford in his "History of Illinois," from 1814 to 1847 in referring to these charges against the Saints, and speaking of events taking place about this time in Nauvoo, said: "It was a fact also, that some larcenies and robberies had been committed, and that Mormons had been convicted of the crimes, and that other larcenies had been committed by persons unknown, but suspected to be Mormons. Justice, however, requires me here to say, that upon such investigation as I then could make, the charge of promiscuous stealing appeared to be exaggerated." (History of Illinois, Ford, p. 329.)
The practice of charging these robberies upon members of the Church continued through the next three or four years. Speaking of the time somewhat later than the period with which our annals above deal, the Governor said: "On my late visit to Hancock county, I was informed by some of their violent enemies, that the larcenies of the Mormons had become unusually numerous and insufferable. They indeed admitted that but little had been done in this way in their immediate vicinity. But they insisted that sixteen horses had been stolen by the Mormons in one night, near Lima in the county of Adams. At the close of the expedition, I called at this same town of Lima, and upon inquiry was told that no horses had been stolen in that neighborhood, but that sixteen horses had been stolen in one night in Hancock county. This last informant being told of the Hancock story, again changed the venue to another distant settlement in the northern edge of Adams." (History of Illinois, p. 331.)
And thus sensational reports of "Mormon stealings" were made the shuttle-cock between the battle-doors of various neighborhoods.
In addition to the very emphatic utterances of the Prophet Joseph, his brother Hyrum, and the Twelve, the Times and Seasons editorially said:
"THIEVES.
"We are highly pleased to see the very energetic measures taken by our citizens to suppress thieving. It has been a source of grief unto us that there were any in our midst who would wilfully take property from any person which did not belong to them, knowing that if any person, who does, or ever did belong to this Church, should steal, the whole Church would have to bear the stigma, and the sound goes abroad that the Mormons are a set of thieves and robbers, a charge which we unequivocally deny, and pronounce a falsehood of the basest kind. That there are some amongst us base enough to commit such acts we do not pretend to deny, but whether they are all members of this Church or not, we do not know; but some who are have been caught in their iniquity, and one was among the missing after a warrant was out for him; circumstantial proof is so strong against him, that his guilt is established without a doubt. We have heard that some of those characters have said that such things are sanctioned by the authorities of the Church, this is the most base of all lies: and we would here warn all well disposed persons, to be aware of such characters, and if any such thing is ever intimated to them, to heed it not, unless it be to report such persons to the proper authorities so that they can be brought to condign punishment; for know assuredly that if you listen to them, they will prove an adder in your path, and eventually lead you down to destruction."--Times and Seasons, p. 615.
4. See Vol. III., p. 171.
{476}
Chapter XXVIII
Kirtland vs. Nauvoo--Political Attitude of the People of Nauvoo Declared--Publications Mormon and Anti-Mormon for 1841--Close of the Year.
Tuesday, December 14, 1841.--I commenced opening, unpacking, and assorting a lot of dry goods in the second story of my new store, situate on the northwest corner of block 155. [1] The joiners and masons are yet at work in the lower part of the building.
Wednesday, 15.--In reply to inquiries concerning Almon W. Babbitt, and the printing press at Kirtland, contained in a letter written at Kirtland, November 16, 1841, by Lester Brooks and Zebedee Coltrin, acting presidents, and Thomas Burdick, Bishop and council, to President Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, it was decided as follows:
Decision in the Case of Almon W. Babbitt and Kirtland.
It remains for Almon W. Babbitt to offer satisfaction, if he wishes so to do, according to the minutes of the conference. You are doubtless all well aware that all the stakes, except those in Hancock county, Illinois, and Lee county, Iowa, were discontinued some time since by the First Presidency, as published in the Times and Seasons; but as it appears that there are many in Kirtland who desire to remain there, and build up that place, and as you have made great exertions according to your letter, to establish a printing press, and take care of the poor, &c., since that period, you may as well continue operations according to your designs, and go on with your printing, and do what you can in righteousness to build up Kirtland, but do not suffer yourselves to harbor the idea that Kirtland will rise on the ruins of Nauvoo. It is the privilege of brethren emigrating from any quarter to come to this place, and it is not right to attempt to persuade those who desire it, to stop short.
The foregoing is an extract from my letter in reply.
{477} The Twelve Apostles were in council at Elder Kimball's.
[Sidenote: Affairs at Ramus.]
Tuesday, 16.--William Wightman of Ramus, delivered to President Joseph Smith, sole trustee-in-trust, the deed to the unsold and bonded lots of land in the town of Ramus, bearing date December 8, 1841; also the plat of the "first addition to Ramus," and the notes which have been received of individuals who have purchased lots, and the bonds of William Miller, September 21, 1840, and of Ute Perkins, November 26, 1840, and of William J. Perkins, November 7, 1840, and of John F. Charles, November 16, 1841, for lots of land adjoining Ramus, and which may hereafter be added to the town plats (a part of the land included in William Miller's bond is included in the first addition to Ramus, and the notes were transferred to the sole trustee-in-trust, for the benefit of the whole Church, by a vote of the Ramus conference, December 4 and 5, 1841), after applying sufficient of said property to liquidate the claims of those from whom the town was purchased, and also paying two notes given by William Wightman for money borrowed to pay for the above property, viz., to Lyman Prentice $11.45, and James Cummins $50.00, and some other small demands against said Wightman which have been contracted for the benefit of the Church in Ramus.
Saturday, 18.--I attended the city council, and stated circumstances which I had heard concerning mobocracy, from a person late from Macombe, and requested an ordinance passed, so that persons ordering any person to leave their peaceful homes could be dealt with rigorously; also presented the following--
Expressions of Gratitude to James Gordon Bennett and the New York Herald.
Resolved by the city council of the city of Nauvoo, that the high-minded and honorable editor of the New York Weekly Herald, James Gordon Bennett, Esq., is deserving of the lasting gratitude of this {478} community, for his very liberal and unprejudiced course towards us as a people, in giving us a fair hearing in his paper, thus enabling us to reach the ears of a portion of the community, who, otherwise would ever have remained ignorant of our principles and practices.
Resolved, That we recommend our fellow citizens to subscribe for the New York Weekly Herald, and thus be found patronizing true merit, industry, and enterprise.
Sunday, 19.--The Twelve were in council at Elder Brigham Young's--morning.
Meeting at my house in the evening.
The subjoined minutes are from Elder Wilford Woodruff's journal--
Minutes of a Meeting of the Twelve in the House of the Prophet.
Elder Heber C. Kimball preached at the house of President Joseph Smith, on the parable in the 18th chapter of Jeremiah, of the clay in the hands of the potter, that when it marred in the hands of the potter it was cut off the wheel and then thrown back again into the mill, to go into the next batch, and was a vessel of dishonor; but all clay that formed well in the hands of the potter, and was pliable, was a vessel of honor; and thus it was with the human family, and ever will be: all that are pliable in the hands of God and are obedient to His commands, are vessels of honor, and God will receive them.
President Joseph arose and said--"Brother Kimball has given you a true explanation of the parable," and then read the parable of the vine and its branches, and explained it, and said, "if we keep the commandments of God, we should bring forth fruit and be the friends of God, and know what our Lord did.
"Some people say I am a fallen Prophet, because I do not bring forth more of the word of the Lord. Why do I not do it? Are we able to receive it? No! not one in this room. He then chastened the congregation for their wickedness and unbelief, 'for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son and daughter whom he receiveth,' and if we do not receive chastisements then we are bastards and not sons."
On the subject of revelation, he said, a man would command his son to dig potatoes and saddle his horse, but before he had done either he would tell him to do something else. This is all considered right; but as soon as the Lord gives a commandment and revokes that decree and commands something else, then the Prophet is considered fallen. Because we will not receive chastisement at the hand of the Prophet and {479} Apostles, the Lord chastiseth us with sickness and death. Let not any man publish his own righteousness, for others can see that for him; sooner let him confess his sins, and then he will be forgiven, and he will bring forth more fruit. When a corrupt man is chastised he gets angry and will not endure it. The reason we do not have the secrets of the Lord revealed unto us, is because we do not keep them but reveal them; we do not keep our own secrets, but reveal our difficulties to the world, even to our enemies, then how would we keep the secrets of the Lord? I can keep a secret till Doomsday. What greater love hath any man than that he lay down his life for his friend; then why not fight for our friend until we die?
Elder Brigham Young said--one thing lay with weight on his mind; that is, that we should be prepared to keep each commandment as it came from the Lord by the mouth of the Prophet, and as the Lord had commanded us to build a temple, we should do it speedily.
Monday, 20.--I communicated to the Times and Seasons, as follows--
The Prophet on the Attitude of the Saints in Politics.
To My Friends In Illinois--The Gubernatorial Convention of the state of Illinois has nominated Colonel Adam W. Snyder [2] for Governor, and Colonel John Moore for Lieutenant-Governor, of the state of Illinois, election to take place in August next.
Colonel Moore, like Judge Douglas and Esquire Warren, was an intimate friend of General Bennett long before that gentleman became a member of our community; and General Bennett informs us that no men were {480} more efficient in assisting him to procure our great chartered privileges, than were Colonel Snyder, and Colonel Moore. They are sterling men, and friends of equal rights, opposed to the oppressor's grasp, and the tyrant's rod. With such men at the head of our State, government will have nothing to fear. In the next canvass, we shall be influenced by no party consideration, and no Carthagenian coalescence or collusion with our people will be suffered to effect, or operate against General Bennett, or any other of our tried friends, already semi-officially in the field; so the partizans in this county, who expect to divide the friends of humanity and equal rights, will find themselves mistaken--we care not a fig for Whig or Democrat; they are both alike to us, but we shall go for our friends, our tried friends, and the cause of human liberty, which is the cause of God. We are aware that "divide and conquer" is the watchword with many, but with us it cannot be done--we love liberty too well--we have suffered too much to be easily duped--we have no catspaws amongst us. We voted for General Harrison because we loved him--he was a gallant officer and a tried statesman; but this is no reason why we should always be governed by his friends. He is now dead, and all of his friends are not ours. We claim the privilege of freemen, and shall act accordingly. Douglas is a master spirit, and his friends are our friends--we are willing to cast our banners in the air, and fight by his side in the cause of humanity and equal rights--the cause of liberty and the law. Snyder and Moore are his friends--they are ours. These men are free from the prejudices and superstitions of the age, and such men we love, and such men will ever receive our support, be their political predilections what they may. Snyder and Moore are known to be our friends; their friendship is vouched for by those whom we have tried. We will never be justly charged with the sin of ingratitude--they have served us, and we will serve them. [3]
Joseph Smith.
Lieutenant-General of the Nauvoo Legion.
{481} Tuesday, 21.--I received from Edward Hunter a letter on business, to which I wrote the following reply--
The Prophet's Letter to Edward Hunter--Business Affairs at Nauvoo.
Nauvoo, Dec. 21, 1841.
Mr. Edward Hunter,
Beloved Brother:--Yours of the 27th of October came to hand at a late date, but I am now able to say to you that the power of attorney is executed and sent up to the clerk's office for the seal of the state, and {482} will be forwarded direct from them; it is now on the way most probably.
Your letter did not arrive till after Mr. Potter returned with the goods, which I received in safety; and Brother Potter has started on a mission to the inhabitants of Jamaica, one of the West India isles.
I will accept the goods as you propose, on your debt, so far as it goes, and answer the remainder on the payments which you mention, as they become due.
I have purchased ninety acres of timber land in the vicinity of Nauvoo, a little up the river, and have made proposals to McFall, but as yet, am waiting for him to receive answers from his correspondent in the east. I shall be able to purchase all the wood land you will want, in a little time.
As respects steam engines and mills, my opinion is, we cannot have too many of them. This place has suffered exceedingly from the want of such mills in our midst, and neither one nor two can do the business of this place another season. We have no good grain or board mill in this place; and most of our flour and lumber has to be brought twenty miles; which subjects us to great inconvenience.
The city is rapidly advancing, many new buildings have been erected since you left us, and many more would have arisen, if brick and lumber could have been obtained. There is scarcely any limits which can be imagined to the mills and machinery and manufacturing of all kinds which might be put into profitable operation in this city, and even if others should raise a mill before you get here, it need be no discouragement either to you or Brother Buckwalter, for it will be difficult for the mills to keep pace with the growth of the place, and you will do well to bring the engine. If you can persuade any of the brethren who are manufacturers of woollens or cottons to come on and establish their business, do so.
I have not ascertained definitely as yet how far the goods will go towards liquidating Dr. Fosters's note, or finishing your house; but this I can say, I will make the most of it, and benefit you every possible way.
Your message is delivered to Mrs. Smith, and she will be glad to have returns on her letter of attorney, as speedily as circumstances will permit, according to the understanding thereof.
I am happy to hear of your welfare, and the health of your family; and also to inform you that the health of Nauvoo has much improved since last summer, and considering the very mild state of the weather most of the time, it is excellent.
Myself and family are in health, and our enemies are at peace with us, as much as can be expected in this generation. Should anything {483} new occur, which may be for our advantage, you will please write, and I will do the same. I remain, yours in the Gospel of Christ,
Joseph Smith.
P.S.--You will endeavor to have the money on your letter of attorney from Mrs. Smith, ready to furnish a fresh supply of goods early in the spring. J. S.
Wednesday, 22.
Nauvoo, December 22, 1841.
Revelation to John Snyder and Amos B. Fuller.
The word of the Lord came unto Joseph the Seer, verily thus saith the Lord, let my servant John Snyder take a mission to the eastern continent, unto all the conferences now sitting in that region; and let him carry a package of epistles, that shall be written by my servants the Twelve making known unto them their duties concerning the building of my houses which I have appointed unto you, saith the Lord, that they may bring their gold and their silver, and their precious stones, and the box-tree, and the fir-tree, and all fine wood to beautify the place of my sanctuary, saith the Lord; and let him return speedily with all means which shall be put into his hands, even so. Amen.
Elder Amos B. Fuller, of Zarahemla, stated to me that he had settled all his debts, made all necessary provision for his family, and desired to know the will of God concerning him.
Revelation.
"Verily thus saith the Lord unto my servants the Twelve, let them appoint unto my servant A. B. Fuller a mission to preach my Gospel unto the children of men, as it shall be manifested unto them by my Holy Spirit. Amen."
This day I commenced receiving the first supply of groceries at the new store. Thirteen wagons arrived from Warsaw, loaded with sugar, molasses, glass, salt, tea, coffee, &c., purchased in St. Louis. The original stock purchased in New Orleans having been detained at St. Louis by one Holbrook, innkeeper, under false pretenses.
[Sidenote: Work on the Proclamation to Kings of the Earth.]
This evening I commenced giving instructions to the scribe concerning writing the {484} proclamation to the kings of the earth, mentioned in the revelation given January 19, 1841.
[Sidenote: Immigration Agency in England.]
Friday, 24.--This evening I had a consultation with President Young and Bishop Whitney about establishing an agency in England for the cheap and expeditious conveyance of the Saints to Nauvoo, and for our convenience in merchandise; and I said, "in the name of the Lord we will prosper, if we will go forward in this thing."
Elder Truman Gillett, Jun., returned from a short mission to Van Buren county, Iowa, where he baptized fourteen, bringing $20 as a donation to the building of the Temple, from Samuel Moore.
[Sidenote: Xmas at Nauvoo, 1841.]
Saturday, 25.--Being Christmas, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, and their wives, and Willard Richards spent the evening at Hiram Kimball's; and after supper, Mr. Kimball gave each of the Twelve Apostles a fractional lot of land lying on the west side of his second addition to Nauvoo.
Alpheus Gifford, a member of the Church since 1831, and a faithful Elder in the Church [it was he who baptized Heber C. Kimball] died at his home some five miles above Nauvoo. [4]
Conference Minutes--New York and Maine.
At a conference held in Batavia, Genessee county, New York, 11 branches, comprising 15 Elders, 7 Priests, 7 Teachers, 4 Deacons, and 207 members were represented.
A conference met in the Universalist Church, in Hope, Waldo {485} county, Maine, when Fox Islands, with five Elders, 1 Priest, 2 Teachers, 1 Deacon, and 100 members, also the Main Land, with 6 Elders, 2 Priests, 3 Teachers, 1 Deacon, and 68 members were represented; Otis Shaw, president, and Calvin C. Pendleton, clerk.
[Sidenote: Purpose of the Gift of Tongues.]
Sunday, 26.--The public meeting of the Saints was at my house this evening, and after Patriarch Hyrum Smith and Elder Brigham Young had spoken on the principles of faith, and the gifts of the Spirit, I read the 13th chapter of First Corinthians, also a part of the 14th chapter, and remarked that the gift of tongues was necessary in the Church; but that if Satan could not speak in tongues, he could not tempt a Dutchman, or any other nation, but the English, for he can tempt the Englishman, for he has tempted me, and I am an Englishman; but the gift of tongues by the power of the Holy Ghost in the Church, is for the benefit of the servants of God to preach to unbelievers, as on the day of Pentecost. When devout men from every nation {486} shall assemble to hear the things of God, let the Elders preach to them in their own mother tongue, whether it is German, French, Spanish or "Irish," or any other, and let those interpret who understand the language spoken, in their own mother tongue, and this is what the Apostle meant in First Corinthians xiv: 27. [5]
[Sidenote: Instructions to the Twelve.]
Monday, 27.--I was in council with Brothers Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards and John Taylor, at my office, instructing them in the principles of the kingdom, and what the Twelve should do in relation to the mission of John Snyder, and the European conferences, so as to forward the gathering of means for building the Temple and Nauvoo House; that Brigham might go with John Snyder on his mission if he chose, but the object of the mission could be accomplished without.
Tuesday, 28.--I baptized Sidney Rigdon in the font, for and in behalf of his parents; also baptized Reynolds Cahoon and others.
[Sidenote: Warren and Warsaw Affairs.]
Thursday and Friday, December 30th and 31st--Calvin A. Warren, Esq., Mark Aldrich and Daniel S. Witter, visited me at my office, and after much explanation and conversation concerning Warren and Warsaw, In which Esquire Warren manifested the kindest and most confidential feelings and Aldrich and Witter expressed their entire approbation of past proceedings of the Presidency, they all agreed that if I did not succeed in the next attempt to establish and build up Warren, that they would fully excuse me from all censure, and would feel satisfied that I had done all that could reasonably be required of any man in a like case, be the consequence what it might to themselves; and Esquire Warren frankly acknowledged that his temporal salvation depended on the success of the enterprise, and {487} made liberal proposals for the benefit of the brethren, to help forward the undertaking. The party retired manifesting the best of feeling, and expressing the most perfect satisfaction with their visit, with me and all concerned.
[Sidenote: A Prophecy Respecting Warsaw.]
Thursday evening at the office, while conversing with Calvin A. Warren, Esq., about the proceedings at Warsaw, I prophesied in the name of the Lord, that the first thing toward building up Warsaw was to break it down, to break down them that are there, that it never would be built up till it was broken down, and after that keep them entirely in the dark concerning our movements; and it is best to let Sharp [6] publish what he pleases and go to the devil, and the more lies he prints the sooner he will get through; not buy him out or hinder him; and after they have been in the dark long enough, let a certain set of men go there who will do as I tell them, a certain kind of men, some of those capitalists from the Eastern States, say from Pennsylvania; wise men who will take the lead of business, and go ahead of those that are there before they know what we are about, and the place will prosper, and not till then.
The following list shows some of the books, pamphlets, letters, &c., published for and against the Latter-day Saints in 1841.
Mormon Literature, (pro et con) 1841.
"A Proclamation to the Saints Scattered Abroad:" January 15, by Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith.
Twenty-three numbers of the "Times and Seasons," published at Nauvoo.
Twelve numbers of the "Millennial Star," published in England by Parley P. Pratt.
First European edition of the Book of Mormon, published in England, 21st January, by Elders Brigham Young, and Willard Richards.
{488} A third edition of the "Voice of Warning" was published in Manchester, England, by Parley P. Pratt.
"A Letter to Queen Victoria of England, Touching the Signs of the Times, and the Political Destiny of the World:" in pamphlet form, by Parley P. Pratt, Manchester, England.
Five hundred copies of "An Address to the Hebrews," in the Dutch language, by Orson Hyde. Published in Rotterdam, Holland, in July; being the first pamphlet pertaining to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, written in a foreign language.
A pamphlet containing 116 pages, 8vo., by Orson Hyde, containing "A Synopsis of the Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:" addressed to the German nation in their own language.
A Small Collection of Hymns, by Christopher Merkley.
"Evidences in Proof of the Book of Mormon:" a work of 256 pages, 32 mo. Published at Batavia, New York, by Charles Thompson.
A lengthy "Address to the Citizens of Salem, Massachusetts, and Vicinity," by Erastus Snow, and Benjamin Winchester, October.
"Gospel Reflector," a monthly periodical, by Benjamin Winchester, published in Philadelphia.
"Proclamation and Warning to the Inhabitants of America," by Charles Thompson.
The editor of the "Times and Seasons" noticed the following "From the 'Upper Mississippian,' a series of letters, entitled 'Nauvoo Mormon Religion,' &c., the writer no doubt intended to give a fair statement, and in the main did so; but respecting our faith (on some points), the Book of Mormon, &c., he is wide of the mark."
An article published in the "North Staffordshire Mercury," showing the difference between the Baptists and Latter-day Saints. Hanley, February, 16, signed "A Baptist." Replied to by Parley P. Pratt, who showed the difference between the Baptists and Former-day-Saints.
A severe article against the Latter-day Saints, which filled several columns of fine print, was published in "Edinburgh Intelligencer" of April 7th, taken from the "Athenaeum" on the subject of the "Book of Mormon and the Latter-day Saints." Replied to by Parley P. Pratt. May.
Mr. J. B. Rollo, of Edinburgh, Scotland, published a pamphlet entitled "Mormonism Exposed." Replied to by Parley P. Pratt, July 10.
The "Preston Chronicle" of April 24, published a long article against the Latter-day Saints, which was replied to by Parley P. Pratt, in the "Millennial Star," July 10.
A bitter article was published in the "Cheltenham Free Press" of {489} August 23rd, headed "Latter-day Saints' Swindle," replied to by Parley P. Pratt in the "Star" of October.
"A Few Plain Facts, Showing the Folly, Wickedness and Imposition of the Rev. Timothy R. Matthews." By George J. Adams, Bedford, England.
The St. Louis, Missouri, "Atlas" published a favorable article entitled, "The Latter-day Saints."
The "Juliet Courier" published a favorable account of the late trial of Joseph Smith. Monmouth, June.
The "Philadelphia Saturday Courier" and the "Public Ledger" on July 10, published several articles anathematizing the Latter-day Saints.
A slanderous pamphlet entitled "Mormonism Unmasked," by A. Gardner, of Rochdale, England.
"The Mormons--Arrest of Joe Smith" was the heading of an article published in the "New York Herald of Commerce," and copied in many of the Eastern papers.
"The Christian Messenger and Reformer" published an account of the Latter-day Saints, collected from the book of Edward D. Howe, of Painsville, Ohio.
Thomas Sharp, editor of the "Warsaw Signal," devoted his entire time to slandering, to lying against and misrepresenting the Latter-day Saints.
Footnotes:
1. On the corner of Granger and Water streets, in the southwest part of the city.
2. Governor Ford, in his "History of Illinois," gives the following biographical information about Adam W. Snyder, and as I can find nothing concerning him elsewhere, I quote Ford:--
"In December, 1841, a state Democratic convention assembled at Springfield, and nominated Adam W. Snyder as the Democratic candidate for governor, to be elected in August, 1842. Mr. Snyder was a native of Pennsylvania, and a distant relative of Gov. Snyder of that state. In his early youth, he learned the trade of a fuller and woolcarder. He came to Illinois when he was about eighteen years old; settled in the French village of Cahokia: followed his trade for several years: studied law; removed to the county seat, where he commenced his profession, in which he was successful in getting practice. In 1830 he was elected to the State Senate, and was afterwards elected to Congress, from his district; and was again elected to the State Senate in 1840. Mr. Snyder was a very showy, plausible and agreeable man in conversation, and was gifted with a popular eloquence, which was considerably effective. He was a member of the Senate when the Mormon charters were passed, and had taken an active part in furthering their passage." In fact Mr. Snyder was chairman of the Judiciary committee, to which the charters were referred, and he reported them to the Senate with a recommendation that they pass.
3. For some time there had been an agitation going on in respect of the Saints and their relationship to the politics of the State; and political capital was sought to be made by manifestations of friendliness or of hostility towards them. Although, in the main, the people of Nauvoo had sustained the Whig candidates, both locally and nationally, in the preceding election, including the Whig candidate for Congress, Mr. John J. Stuart, yet there were outbreaks against them both among the Whig politicians and in the Whig press of Illinois. "The Whig newspapers," writes Governor Ford, in his "History of Illinois," "teemed with accounts of the wonders and enormities of Nauvoo, and of the awful wickedness of a party which could consent to receive the support of such miscreants. Governor Duncan, [nominated in opposition to Snyder] who was really a brave, honest man, and who had nothing to do with getting the Mormon charters passed through the legislature, took the stump on this subject in good earnest, and expected to be elected governor almost on this question alone" (History of Illinois, Ford, p. 269.)
The position of the Saints in their relation to the political parties in the state of Illinois is tersely set forth by the late President John Taylor in his review of affairs at Nauvoo, leading up to the martyrdom of the Prophet; which document was prepared at the request of the Historians of the Church, and filed in the archives of the Church as the testimony of an eye witness and participant in those events. The document, under the title of "The Martyrdom of Joseph Smith," was published by permission of the author in Tyler's "History of the Mormon Battalion." Of the political situation at Nauvoo--which was forming at the period to which the political announcement of the text above belongs--President Taylor says:
"There were always two parties, the Whigs and Democrats, and we could not vote for one without offending the other; and it not unfrequently happened that candidates for office would place the issue of their election upon opposition to the 'Mormons,' in order to gain political influence from religious prejudice, in which case the 'Mormons' were compelled, in self-defense, to vote against them, which resulted almost invariably against our opponents. This made them angry; and although it was of their own making, and the 'Mormons' could not be expected to do otherwise, yet they raged on account of their discomfiture, and sought to wreak their fury on the 'Mormons.' As an instance of the above, when Joseph Duncan was candidate for the office of governor of Illinois, [in the campaign to which the document in the body of the text above relates] he pledged himself to his party that, if he could be elected, he would exterminate or drive the 'Mormons' from the state. The consequence was that Governor Ford was elected." (History of the Mormon Battalion, Introduction, pp. 12 and 13.)
It cannot in truth be claimed that any favor shown by the Democratic party, as such, to the Mormon people was the cause of the announcement of the above independent attitude in politics. For while Judge Douglas, a leading Democrat, had recently rendered a decision favorable to the Prophet, liberating him from the clutches of Missouri, it should be remembered that the Judge had but pronounced upon the course of the officers of the states of Missouri and Illinois and found that course at variance with the law, and there was no alternative but to set the Prophet free. But it was the law that vindicated Joseph Smith, not the favor of Judge Douglas. And then, if a Democratic Judge had decided a case in favor of the Prophet, it should be remembered that it was the act, and I might say the unwarranted, the illegal act, of a Democrat, Governor Carlin, which had put the life and liberty of the Prophet in jeopardy by issuing an illegal requisition for his arrest and deliverance to Missouri, This to show that it was not any favor that had been shown by the Democratic party, as such, that prompted the assumption of an independent attitude in politics by the Prophet; but that for weal or woe, the attitude was taken as a measure of self-defense, and for the protection of the people in whose interest it was announced.
4. Alpheus Gifford was born in Adams township, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, August 25, 1793. At the age of eighteen, having scarcely sufficient learning to enable him to read the Bible, he commenced preaching the Gospel, not for hire, but for the salvation of souls.
In 1817, he married Anna Nash, who bore him seven sons and three daughters. In the spring of 1831, hearing of the doctrines taught by Joseph Smith, he made diligent inquiry, and found they were scriptural, and was baptized and ordained a priest; he brought home five Books of Mormon which he distributed among his friends; he was then living in Tioga county, Pennsylvania. Soon after he went to Kirtland, Ohio, to see the Prophet Joseph Smith and the brethren, when he was ordained an Elder; he was accompanied by his brother Levi Elial Strong, Eleazar Miller, Enos Curtis and Abraham Brown, who were baptized. On returning to Pennsylvania he preached and baptized many, among whom was Heber C. Kimball. The gifts of the Gospel were enjoyed by many; signs following those that believed, devils were cast out; the sick were healed; many prophesied; some spake with new tongues; while others interpreted the same. Mr. Calvin Gilmour, with whom Brother Gifford had previously been associated in preaching, heard him speak in tongues and interpret. Gilmour declared he understood the languages and that they were interpreted correctly, but that he would rather be damned than believe in Mormonism.
In June, 1832, Brother Gifford started for Missouri; traveled to Cincinnati and wintered there with a few Saints, who had been baptized by Lyman Wight. He arrived in Jackson county, Mo., in March, 1833, where he preached much. He was driven with the saints in the fall of that year. He removed to Clay county, and subsequently went to Kirtland, Ohio, and attended the dedication of the Temple and received the ordinances there administered. He returned to Missouri, and removed with the Saints to Far West, Caldwell county. In the winter of 1839 he was driven from Missouri. He located in the Morley settlement near Lima, Illinois, and subsequently removed five miles above Nauvoo, where he died December 25, 1841. (The above is taken from a sketch of his father's life by Samuel K. Gifford, furnished the Church Historian in November, 1861, and filed in the History of the Church under date of December, 1841.)
5. "If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, at the most by three, and that by course, and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the Church; and let him speak to himself and to God."
6. This reference is to Thomas Sharp, editor of the Warsaw Signal, a bitter anti-Mormon, and described by the late President John Taylor, as "a violent and unprincipled man, who shrank not from any enormity."
{490}
Chapter XXIX
The Opening of the Year 1842--Whereabouts of the Twelve Apostles--Correspondence of Elder Hyde from Trieste--Report of High Council on Affairs in Nauvoo--Events and Conditions in British Mission.
[Sidenote: Sundry Labors of the Prophet.]
Saturday, January 1, 1842.--I again have the pleasure to report the location of the Twelve Apostles. Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards are in Nauvoo. George A. Smith, in Zarahemla, Ohio. Orson Hyde in quarantine at Trieste, Italy. Parley P. Pratt in Liverpool. Lyman Wight in Ohio. William Smith in New Jersey. John E. Page somewhere in the Eastern States.
I commenced placing goods on the shelves of my new store, assisted by Bishop Newel K. Whitney and others; and in the evening attended city council.
Five hundred and twelve Saints were reported at the Glasgow Conference of this date.
Several of the Twelve spent the day at Sylvester B. Stoddard's and in the city council, which lasted from 6 p. m. until midnight, on the trial of Gustavus Hills.
Sunday, 2.--Meeting at my house, day and evening; Brother Hyrum and Elder Woodruff preached.
Tuesday, 4.--I wrote Dr. John M. Bernhisel, of New York, on business.
Joseph Duncan, candidate for Governor of Illinois, made an inflammatory speech against the Saints at Edwardsville, a mass of falsehoods.
{491} Wednesday, 5.--William Wightman signed over and delivered the town plat of Ramus to me, as sole Trustee in Trust for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
My new store was opened for business this day for the first time, it was filled with customers, and I was almost continually behind the counter, as clerk, waiting on my friends.
I dictated a letter to Edward Hunter, West Nantmeal, Pennsylvania, as follows:
The Prophet's Letter to Edward Hunter--Reports Opening of the New Store.
Nauvoo, January 5, 1842.
Mr. Edward Hunter.
Beloved Brother:--I am happy that it is my privilege to say to you that the large new building which I had commenced when you were here is now completed, and the doors are opened this day for the sale of goods for the first time. The foundation of the building is somewhat spacious (as you will doubtless recollect) for a country store.
The principal part of the building below, which is ten feet high, is devoted exclusively to shelves and drawers, except one door opening back into the space, on the left of which are the cellar and chamber stairs, and on the right the counting room; from the space at the top of the chamber stairs opens a door into the large front room of the same size with the one below, the walls lined with counters, covered with reserved goods.
In front of the stairs opens the door to my private office, or where I keep the sacred writings, with a window to the south, overlooking the river below, and the opposite shore for a great distance, which, together with the passage of boats in the season thereof, constitutes a peculiarly interesting situation, in prospect, and no less interesting from its retirement from the bustle and confusion of the neighborhood and city, and altogether is a place the Lord is pleased to bless.
The painting of the store has been executed by Edward Martin, one of our English brethren; and the counters, drawers, and pillars present a very respectable representation of oak, mahogany and marble for a backwoods establishment.
The Lord has blessed our exertions in a wonderful manner, and although some individuals have succeeded in detaining goods to a considerable amount for the time being, yet we have been enabled to secure goods in the building sufficient to fill all the shelves as soon as they were completed, and have some in reserve, both in loft and cellar.
{492} Our assortment is tolerably good--very good, considering the different purchases made by different individuals at different times, and under circumstances which controlled their choice to some extent; but I rejoice that we have been enabled to do as well as we have, for the hearts of many of the poor brethren and sisters will be made glad with those comforts which are now within their reach.
The store has been filled to overflowing, and I have stood behind the counter all day, dealing out goods as steady as any clerk you ever saw, to oblige those who were compelled to go without their usual Christmas and New Year's dinners, for the want of a little sugar, molasses, raisins, &c., &c; and to please myself also, for I love to wait upon the Saints, and be a servant to all, hoping that I may be exalted in the due time of the Lord.
With sentiments of high consideration, I remain your brother in Christ.
Joseph Smith.
[Sidenote: Rejoicing of the Prophet.]
Thursday, 6.--The new year has been ushered in and continued thus far under the most favorable auspices, and the Saints seem to be influenced by a kind and indulgent Providence in their dispositions and [blessed with] means to rear the Temple of the Most High God, anxiously looking forth to the completion thereof as an event of the greatest importance to the Church and the world, making the Saints in Zion to rejoice, and the hypocrite and sinner to tremble. Truly this is a day long to be remembered by the Saints of the last days,--a day in which the God of heaven has begun to restore the ancient order of His kingdom unto His servants and His people,--a day in which all things are concurring to bring about the completion of the fullness of the Gospel, a fullness of the dispensation of dispensations, even the fullness of times; a day in which God has begun to make manifest and set in order in His Church those things which have been, and those things which the ancient prophets and wise men desired to see but died without beholding them; a day in which those things begin to be made manifest, which have been hid from before the foundation of the world, and which {493} Jehovah has promised should be made known in His own due time unto His servants, to prepare the earth for the return of His glory, even a celestial glory, and a kingdom of Priests and kings to God and the Lamb, forever, on Mount Zion, and with him the hundred and forty and four thousand whom John the Revelator saw, all of which is to come to pass in the restitution of all things.
Conference held at Zarahemla, at which that stake was discontinued; a branch was organized in place thereof, and John Smith appointed president.
Wednesday, 12.--The ship Tremont sailed from Liverpool for New Orleans with the Saints, about this time.
The following notice was published in the Times and Seasons:
Tithings and Consecrations for the Temple of the Lord.
From this time the Recorder's Office will be opened on the Saturday of each week for the reception of the tithings and consecrations of the brethren, and closed on every other day of the week. This regulation is necessary, to give the Trustee and Recorder time to arrange the Book of Mormon, translation of the Bible, Hymn Book, and Doctrine and Covenants for the press, all of which the brethren are anxious to see in their most perfect form, consequently the Saints should be particular to bring their offerings on the day specified, until further notice, but not relax their exertions to carry on the work.
The Elders will please give the above notice in all public meetings until the plan is understood.
Willard Richards,
Recorder for the Temple.
Nauvoo, January 12, 1842.
I rode south about seven miles to my wood land, accompanied by Brother John Sanders and Peter Maughan, [1] {494} and found a vein of coal about eighteen inches thick, apparently of good quality for the western country.
Elder Benjamin Winchester was suspended by the quorum of the Twelve until he made satisfaction for disobedience to the First Presidency.
Thursday, 13.--My clerk, Willard Richards, commenced boarding with me.
The British forces having evacuated Cabul, [2] they were attacked in the Pass, a few miles from the city, and after three days' fighting; they were nearly all slaughtered.
[Sidenote: Book of Mormon Corrections.]
Saturday, 15.--I commenced reading the Book of Mormon at page 54, American stereotype edition (the previous pages having been corrected), for the purpose of correcting the stereotype plates of some errors which escaped notice in the first edition.
Attended city council, and was appointed on committee of ways and means and municipal laws.
Sunday, 16.--I preached at my house, morning and evening, illustrating the nature of sin, and showing that it is not right to sin that grace may abound.
Monday, 17.--Transacted a variety of business in the city. Myself and Brother Willard Richards dined with Sister Agnes M. Smith. [3]
[Sidenote: Meeting with the Twelve.]
In the evening I attended a council of the Twelve at my office; present, Elders Young, Kimball, Orson Pratt, Taylor, Woodruff, George A. Smith and Richards--appointed Elder Amos B. Fuller a mission to Chicago, according to the revelation of the 22nd of December, and Elder Henry Jacobs to accompany him. The council were unanimously opposed to {495} Robinson's son's publishing the Book of Mormon and other books.
Tuesday, 18.--This day revoked my power of attorney given to Dr. Isaac Galland to transact business for the Church.
After transacting a variety of business, sleeping an hour from bodily infirmities, I read for correction in the Book of Mormon, and debated in the evening with the mayor [John C. Bennett] concerning the Lamanites and Negroes.
For an extract of a letter from Elder Orson Hyde, "Trieste, January 1 and 18, 1842," see Millennial Star, vol. II, pages 166-169. [4]
Highly Interesting from Jerusalem.
We have lately received two lengthy and highly interesting communications from Elder Orson Hyde, dated at Trieste, January 1st, and 18th, containing a sketch of his voyages and travels in the East, his visit to Jerusalem, a description of ancient Zion, the pool of Siloam, and many other places famous in holy writ, with several illustrations of the manners and customs of the East, as applicable to Scripture texts, and several conversations held between himself and some of the Jews, missionaries, etc., in Jerusalem, together with a masterly description of a terrible tempest and thunder storm at sea, with a variety of miscellaneous reflections and remarks, all written in an easy, elegant, and masterly style, partaking of the eloquent and sublime, and breathing a tone of that deep feeling, tenderness, and affection so characteristic of his mission and the spirit of his holy and sacred office.
Elder Hyde has by the grace of God been the first proclaimer of the fullness of the Gospel both on the continent of Europe and in far off Asia, among the nations of the East. In Germany, Turkey (Constantinople), Egypt, and Jerusalem. He has reared as it were the ensign of the latter-day glory, and sounded the trump of truth, calling upon the people of those regions to awake from their thousand years' slumber, and to make ready for their returning Lord.
{496} In his travels he has suffered much, and has been exposed to toils and dangers, to hunger, pestilence and war. He has been in perils by land and sea, in perils among robbers, in perils among heathens, Turks, Arabs, and Egyptians; but out of all these things the Lord hath delivered him, and hath restored him in safety to the shores of Europe, where he is tarrying for a little season, for the purpose of publishing the Truth in the German language, having already published it in French and English in the various countries of the East, and we humbly trust that his labors will be a lasting blessing to Jew and Gentile.
We publish the following extract of his communication, and we shall soon issue the whole from the press in pamphlet form. It will, no doubt, meet with a ready sale; and we purpose devoting the profits to his benefit, to assist him in his mission.
Excerpts from Elder Hyde's Letters.
"Summoning up, therefore, what little address I had, I procured a valet d'place, or lackey, and proceeded to the house of Mr. Simons, a very respectable Jew, who with some of his family had lately been converted and joined the English Church. I entered their dwelling. They had just sat down to enjoy a dish of coffee, but immediately arose from the table to meet me. I spoke to them in German and asked them if they spoke English. They immediately replied 'Yes,' which was a very agreeable sound to my ear. They asked me in German if I spoke English; I replied, 'Ya, mein Herr.' I then introduced myself to them, and with a little apology it passed off as well as though I had been introduced by the pasha. With that glow of warmth and familiarity which is a peculiar trait in the German character, they would have me sit down and take a dish with them; and as I began to relate some things relative to my mission, the smiles of joy which sat upon their countenances bespoke hearts not altogether indifferent. There were two ministers of the Church of England there. One was confined to his bed by sickness, and the other, a German, and a Jew by birth, soon came in. After an introduction, I took the liberty to lay open to him some of our principles, and gave him a copy of the communication to the Jews in Constantinople to read. After he had it, he said that my motives were undoubtedly very good, but questioned the propriety of my undertaking from the fact that I claimed God had sent me. If, indeed, I had gone to Jerusalem under the direction of some missionary board or society, and left God out of the question altogether, I should have been received as a celestial messenger. How truly did our Savior speak, when He said, 'I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; but if another were to come in his own name, him ye would receive.' I replied, however, that so far as I could know my own heart, {497} my motives were most certainly good; yet, said I, no better than the cause which has brought me here. But he, like all others who worship a God 'without body or parts,' said that miracles, visions, and prophecy had ceased.
"The course which the popular clergy pursue at this time in relation to the Divine economy looks to me as though they would say, 'O Lord, we will worship Thee with all our hearts, serve Thee with all our souls, and be very pious and holy; we will even gather Israel, convert the heathen, and bring in the millennium, if Thou wilt only let us alone that we may do it in our own way, and according to our own will; but if Thou speakest from heaven to interfere with our plan, or cause any to see visions or dreams, or prophesy, whereby we are disturbed or interrupted in our worship, we will exert all our strength and skill to deny what Thou sayest, and charge it home upon the devil or some wild, fanatic spirit, as being its author.'
"That which was looked upon by the ancient saints as among the greatest favors and blessings, viz., revelation from God and communion with Him by dreams and by visions, is now looked upon by the religious world as the height of presumption and folly. The ancient saints considered their condition most deplorable when Jehovah would not speak to them; but the most orthodox religionists of this age deem it quite heterodox to even admit the probability that He ever will speak again. O my soul! language fails to paint the absurdity and abomination of such heaven-opposing and truth-excluding dogmas; and were it possible for those bright seraphs that surround the throne above, and bask in the sunbeams of immortality, to weep over the inconsistency and irrationality of mortals, the earth must be bedewed with celestial tears. My humble advice to all such is, that they repent and cast far from them these wicked traditions, and be baptized into the new and everlasting covenant, lest the Lord speak to them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure.
"After some considerable conversation upon the priesthood and the renewal of the covenant, I called upon him [i. e. the aforesaid German-Jew church of England minister] to be baptized for the remission of his sins, that he might receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 'What' said he, 'I be baptized?' 'Yes,' said I, 'you be baptized.' 'Why,' saith he, 'I have been baptized already.' I replied something after the following: You have probably been sprinkled, but that has no more to do with baptism than any other ordinance of man's device; and even if you had been immersed, you would not have bettered your condition, for your priesthood is without power. If, indeed, the Catholic church has power to give you an ordination, and by that ordination confer the priesthood upon you, they certainly had power to nullify that act, and take the {498} priesthood from you; and this power they exercised when you dissented from their communion, by excluding you from their church. But, if the Catholic church possessed not the priesthood, of course your claims to it are as groundless as the airy phantoms of heathen mythology. So, view the question on which side you may, there is no possible chance of admitting the validity of your claims to it. Be it known, therefore, that ordinances performed under the administration of such a priesthood, though they may even be correct in form, will be found destitute of the seal of that authority by which heaven will recognize His [own] in the day when every man's work shall be tried. Though a priesthood may be clothed with the wealth and honors of a great and powerful nation and command the respect and veneration of multitudes whose eyes are blinded by the thick veil of popular opinion, and whose powers of reflection and deep thought are confused and lost in the general cry of 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians,' yet all this does not impart to it the Divine sanction, or animate it with the spirit of life and power from the bosom of the living God; and there is a period in future time when, in the smoking ruins of Babel's pride and glory, it must fall and retire to the shades of forgetfulness, to the grief and mortification of its unfortunate votaries.'
"In consequence of his great volubility, I was under the disagreeable necessity of tuning my voice to a pretty high key, and of spacing short between words, determining that neither his greatness or learning should shield him from the shafts of a faithful testimony. But there is more hope of those Jews receiving the fullness of the gospel, whose minds have never been poisoned by the bane of modern sectarianism, which closes the mouth of Deity and shuts up in heaven all the angels, visions, and prophesyings. Mrs. Whiting told me that there had been four Jewish people in Jerusalem converted and baptized by the English minister, and four only; and that a part of the ground for an English church had been purchased there. It was by political power and influence that the Jewish nation was broken down, and her subjects dispersed abroad; and I will here hazard the opinion, that by political power and influence they will be gathered and built up; and further, that England is destined in the wisdom and economy of heaven to stretch forth the arm of political power, and advance in the front ranks of this glorious enterprise. The Lord once raised up a Cyrus to restore the Jews, but that was not evidence that He owned the religion of the Persians. This opinion I submit, however, to your superior wisdom to correct if you shall find it wrong.
"There is an increasing anxiety in Europe for the restoration of that people [the Jews]; and this anxiety is not confined to the pale of any religious community, but it has found its way to the courts of kings. Special {499} ambassadors have been sent, and consuls and consular agents have been appointed. The rigorous policy which has hitherto characterized the course of other nations towards them now begins to be softened by the oil of friendship, and modified by the balm of humanity. The sufferings and privations under which they have groaned for so many centuries have at length touched the main-springs of Gentile power and sympathy; and may the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, fan the flame by celestial breezes, until Israel's banner, sanctified by a Savior's blood, shall float on the walls of old Jerusalem, and the mountains and valleys of Judea reverberate with their songs of praise and thanksgiving to the Lamb that was slain.
"The imperial consul of Austria, at Galatz, near the mouth of the Danube, to whom I had a letter of introduction from his cousin in Vienna, told me that in consequence of so many of their Jewish subjects being inclined, of late, to remove to Syria and Palestine, his government had established a general consul at Beyroot for their protection. There are many Jews who care nothing about Jerusalem, and have no regard for God. Their money is the god they worship, yet there are many of the most pious and devout among them who look towards Jerusalem as the tender and affectionate mother looks upon the home where she left her lovely little babe."
Wednesday, 19.--I wrote Dr. Galland as follows:
The Prophet's Letter to Isaac Galland--On Settlement of Accounts.
Dear Sir:--By your reply of the 18th instant to my note of the 17th, I am led to conclude that you received my communication in a manner altogether unintended by me, and that there may be no misunderstanding between us, and that you may be satisfied that I did not intend, and that I do not now intend anything, only upon the principles of the strictest integrity and uprightness before God, and to do as I would be done unto, I will state I have become embarrassed in my operations to a certain extent, and partly from a presentation of notes, which you, as my agent, had given for lands purchased in the eastern states, they having been sent to me. I have been obliged to cash them, and having no returns from you to meet those demands, or even the trifling expenses of your outfit, it has placed me in rather an unpleasant situation, and having a considerable amount of your scrip on hand, enough, as I suppose, to counterbalance the debts due you, and leave a balance in my favor, to some extent, even if it were small; and as I was pressed for funds, from the causes above mentioned, as well as others, I had hoped it would be convenient for you to lend me some assistance at the present time, and this was the reason why I sent a messenger to you as I did.
{500} And now, sir, that we may have no misunderstanding in this matter, I think we had better have a settlement, and if I am owing you, I will pay you as soon as I can, and if you owe me, I shall only expect the same in return, for it is an old and trite maxim, that short reckonings make long friends. With this view of the matter, I would request you to call as soon as you possibly can make it convenient, and compare accounts, so that all things may be understood most perfectly between us in future time, and that all occasion for unpleasant feelings, if any such there be, may be entirely obliterated.
I remain, sir, most respectfully yours, &c.,
Joseph Smith.
Read in the Book of Mormon, and in the evening visited Bishop Miller's wife, who was very sick, and the Bishop absent, collecting the funds for building the Temple and Nauvoo House.
[Sidenote: Isaac Galland Affair.]
Thursday, 20.--I attended a special conference of the Church at 10 o'clock a. m., concerning Dr. Galland. The conference voted to sanction the revocation of Dr. Galland's agency, dated the 18th of January, as published in the Times and Seasons, and also instructed the trustee-in-trust to proceed with Dr. Galland's affairs in relation to the Church, as he shall judge most expedient.
Six o'clock evening, attended a special council in the upper room of the new store.
George Washington Gee died today. [5]
{501} Friday, 21.--I read the Book of Mormon, transacted a variety of business in the store and city, and spent the evening in the office with Elders Taylor and Richards, interpreting dreams, &c.
The presidents of the different quorums met with the High Council at Brother Hyrum's office, to receive instructions, according to appointment of the council on the 18th.
[Sidenote: Seventies' Quorum Affairs.]
President Joseph Young stated the reasons why the quorum of Seventies had granted licenses; that he applied to President Joseph Smith for permission, on the solicitations of the quorums; that their reasons for so doing were because licenses could not be obtained from the Church clerk. President Joseph Butterfield testified to the same, and the council was satisfied with the testimony. The council was then addressed by President Hyrum Smith on the Word of Wisdom.
Saturday, 22.--I was very busy in appraising tithing property, and in the evening revised the rules of the city council, attended council, and spoke on their adoption, and was elected mayor, pro tem. of the city of Nauvoo.
Sunday, 23.--Spent the day mostly at the office, and on the presentation of charges by Elder William Draper, Jun., silenced Elder Daniel Wood, of Pleasant Vale, for preaching that the Church ought to unsheath the sword, and Elder A. Litz for preaching that the authorities of the Church were done away, &c., and cited him to appear before the High Council of Nauvoo for trial.
Monday, 24.--Reckoned with William and Wilson Law in the counting room, and examined the lots on which they are about to build a steam, grain, and sawmill.
Tuesday, 25.--Signed deeds for lots, to Law; transacted a variety of business in the city and office. In the evening debated with John C. Bennett and others to show that the Indians have greater cause to complain of the treatment of the whites, than the negroes, or sons of Cain.
{502} Nauvoo Legion Headquarters,
Nauvoo Legion, City Of Nauvoo, Illinois,
January 23rd, 1842.
General Orders. All the public arms will be required to be in the best possible condition, at the general inspection and parade, on the 7th of May proximo, and no deficiency whatever will be countenanced, overlooked, or suffered to pass without fine, on that occasion. All persons, therefore, holding said arms, will take notice, and govern themselves accordingly; and in order that the general inspection may pass off in a truly military style, alike honorable to the Legion, and creditable to the citizen soldiers, the brigadiers are required to attend the battalion parades within their respective commands, and inspect said arms in propria personae, prior to the general parade. Persons disregarding these general orders, whether officers or privates, will find themselves in the vocative. The invincibles (Captain Hunter's company of light infantry), will be detailed for fatigue duty, on escorts and special service, and will take post by assignment, and receive their orders direct from the major general, through his herald and armor bearer. His Excellency the Governor of Illinois, the circuit judge of the judicial circuit, and the members of the bar, the officers of Hancock county, Colonel Williams and Colonel Deming, with their respective field and staff officers of the Illinois militia, and General Swazey and Colonel Fuller, with their respective field and staff officers, and Captain Davis and Avery's companies of cavalry of Iowa militia, are respectfully invited to attend and participate in the general parade on the 7th May.
Joseph Smith, Lieutenant General.
Wednesday, 26.--Rode out to borrow money, to refund for money borrowed of John Benbow, as outfit for Dr. Galland in his agency. Transacted a variety of business, explained scripture to Elder Orson Spencer in my office, read in the Book of Mormon in the evening. Wrote a long letter to Edward Hunter, West Nantmeal, on temporal business.
The Church is in a prosperous condition, and the Saints are exerting themselves to build the Temple. The health of the city is good.
Upwards of twenty-three vessels wrecked on different parts of the British coast.
Thursday, 27.--Attended to baptism in general; in the afternoon, in council with the recorder, and gave some {503} particular instructions concerning the order of the kingdom, and the management of business; placed the carpet given by Carlos Granger on the floor of my office; and spent the evening in general council in the upper room.
In the course of the day, Brigham Young, and James Ivins returned, and gave a favorable report from Dr. Galland, with his letter of attorney, letters and papers which he had received of me and the Church.
Friday, 28.--While I was at my office, Emma and Sister Whitney came in and spent an hour.
I received the following revelation to the Twelve concerning the Times and Seasons, given January 28, 1842--
Revelation.
Verily thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Joseph, go and say unto the Twelve, that it is my will to have them take in hand the editorial department of the Times and Seasons, according to that manifestation which shall be given unto them by the power of my Holy Spirit in the midst of their counsel, saith the Lord. Amen.
I also decided that Elder John Snyder should go out on a mission, and if necessary some one go with him and raise up a church, and get means to go to England, and carry the epistle required in the revelation of December 22nd; and instructed the Twelve, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards being present, to call Elder Snyder into their council and instruct him in these things, and if he will not do these things he shall be cut off from the Church, and be damned.
Elias Higbee, of the temple committee, came into my office, and I said unto him; The Lord is not well pleased with you; and you must straighten up your loins and do better, and your family also; for you have not been as diligent as you ought to have been, and as spring is approaching, you must arise and shake yourself, and be active, and make your children industrious, and help build the Temple.
{504} Elder Snyder had appeared very backward about fulfilling the revelation concerning him, and felt that he could not do it unless the Twelve would furnish him means, when he was more able to furnish his own means, as all the Elders were obliged to do when they went on missions, or go without.
The High Council heard and accepted the report of their committee of the 18th instant, as follows--
Report of High Council Committee.
The High Council of the Church of Jesus Christ to the Saints of Nauvoo, greeting--
Dear Brethren:--As watchmen upon the walls of Zion, we feel it to be our duty to stir up your minds, by way of remembrance, of things which we conceive to be of the utmost importance to the Saints.
While we rejoice at the health and prosperity of the Saints, and the good feeling which seems to prevail among them generally, and their willingness to aid in the building of the "House of the Lord," we are grieved at the conduct of some, who seem to have forgotten the purpose for which they have gathered.
Instead of promoting union, they have appeared to be engaged in sowing strifes and animosities among their brethren, spreading evil reports, brother going to law with brother for trivial causes, which we consider a great evil, and altogether unjustifiable, except in extreme cases, and then not before the world.
We feel to advise taking the word of God for our guide, and exhort you not to forget that you have come up as saviors upon Mount Zion, consequently to seek each other's good--to become one, inasmuch as the Lord has said, "Except ye become one, ye are not mine."
Let us always remember the admonition of the Apostle--"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the Saints? Do ye not know the Saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If, then, ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the Church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren. But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? {505} why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (I Cor. 6: 1-10). Who, observing these things, would go to law distressing his brother, thereby giving rise to hardness, evil speaking, strifes and animosities among those who have covenanted to keep the commandments of God--who have taken upon them the name of Saints, and if Saints are to judge angels, and also to judge the world--why then are they not competent to judge in temporal matters, especially in trivial cases, taking the law of the Lord for their guide, brotherly kindness, charity, &c., as well as the law of the land? Brethren, these are evils which ought not to exist among us. We hope the time will speedily arrive when these things will be done away, and everyone stand in the office of his calling, as a faithful servant of God, building each other up, bearing each other's infirmities, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
William Marks, President; Samuel Bent, Lewis D. Wilson, David Fullmer, Thomas Grover, Newel Knight, Leonard Soby, James Allred, Elias Higbee, George W. Harris, Aaron Johnson, William Huntington, Sen., Daniel Carrier, Austin Cowles, Charles C. Rich, Counselors.
Attest: Hosea Stout, Clerk.
Sir Robert Sale [commander of the British forces in Afghanistan] received a letter from Sha-Shoojah, requiring him to evacuate Jellalabad, with which he refused to comply.
Saturday, 29.--I was much engaged with the tithings; in the afternoon in my office, counseling various individuals: and in the evening in council with Brothers Young, Kimball, Richards and others, showing forth the Kingdom and the order thereof concerning many things, and the will of God concerning His servants.
Letter of G. Walker to Elder Brigham Young et al.--Affairs in England since Departure of the Apostles.
Manchester, England, Jan. 29, 1842.
To President Young, Elders Kimball and Richards.
Beloved Brethren:--Soon after your departure, a clergyman of the {506} church of England called upon my employer, to request that he might have an interview with me, as he had a wish to propound certain questions to me; upon his request being complied with, we retired to a private room, when he produced a long list of questions, written down, opposite to which he wrote my answers. The rise of the Church, Priesthood, doctrines offices, sacraments, &c., were the principal queries he advanced. When he demurred to any of our principles I was proceeding to explain, he cut my discourse short by saying he would not hold any controversy, his object being only to obtain information. After the disposal of his queries, he wished to be informed where he could obtain the whole of the publications of the Latter-day Saints, as he wished to be in possession of them; I informed him at 47 Oxford street, Manchester, and he promised to send for them.
Soon after the visit of this reverend gentleman, I had reason to suspect that undermining operations were in progress against me, I therefore tendered my resignation to the directors, but they would not accept it; and very soon after a public accountant was employed by them to investigate their accounts for several years back, and I was happy to be able to answer satisfactorily every question that was asked of me respecting them.
After this another minister sent a lengthy article extracted from an American paper, purporting to be the production of a Mr. Anthon, with a request that I would "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest" the same. I replied to the statements of Mr. Anthon, and after disposing of them paragraph for paragraph, I told him that I was obliged by his favoring me with it, inasmuch as it satisfied my mind, and was confirmatory of the prediction of Isaiah being fulfilled, seeing that Mr. Anthon admitted that "the words of the book were delivered to the learned," &c. I then proceeded to contrast the church of England with churches established by the Apostles; but he has not acknowledged the receipt of my letter as yet. The clergy are building ten new churches in this town and neighborhood, and are employing additional curates to go round to the houses of their parishoners, to coerce or intimidate them into an attendance upon their services in fulfillment of the words of Paul, In the last days perilous times will come, &c., that they would have a form of godliness, but deny the power, and would creep into houses to lead captive silly women, &c. (See II Timothy, 1st chapter, 1st to 8th verses.) These curates make repeated visits, generally when the heads of families are from home, and take special care to enquire where the family are employed, and what place of worship they attend, &c., and leave tracts for the family to read.
One of the Rev. Hugh Stowell's curates has paid several visits to my house, but always in my absence, although he was requested to call {507} when I was at home, and informed of the time when he might meet with me.
The following discourse took place in our own neighborhood: Curate: What religion may you be, my good woman? I am a churchwoman, sir. What church do you usually attend? I never attend any, sir.
After reprimanding the woman for pretending to be one of his flock, while she absented herself from the fold, he went to the house of a poor woman who had lately joined the Saints. I am a minister of the Church of Jesus Christ in England, and have called to inquire what school you send your children to, and what religion you profess? The woman replied she was a "Latter-day Saint." "Oh! delusion, delusion!" he rejoined, and began to rail against the Saints, whereupon she handed him the Bible, and requested him to read the place where she casually opened to, namely the third chapter of Micah, and to preach a discourse from that part of the Bible; but he retreated from before her and has not troubled her since.
The Lord Bishop of Chester and the Protestant clergymen, have hired a person of the name of Brindley to go about lecturing against the Saints, and have commenced a monthly periodical in which the foul slanders heaped upon the Saints in America and elsewhere are retailed out to satisfy the malice of the enemies of truth. The Manchester Courier has had several articles against our society and principles, and the old Spaulding romance has been resuscitated for the occasion. The Rev. Charles Burton, Doctor of Laws, minister of "All Saints," has been several times to see me lately, and upon one occasion invited me to his house, where I went and discussed our principles for several hours, until he was glad to withdraw from the contest; I found him ignorant in a great measure of what the Bible contains respecting the latter-days. He admitted that the Saints would reign on earth.
The great work of the Lord is still progressing in spite of all the opposition of lying priests and their auxiliaries of the newspaper press. I baptized Elizabeth Smith, who resided with us when you were in England, and she purposes coming out to America along with us.
There is very great distress among the operatives and the poor generally, and great excitement respecting the agitation of the repeal of the corn laws. Great fires have frequently occurred at the commencement of this year; a large carrier's warehouse was consumed by fire, about from £200,000 to £300,000 ($1,000,000 to $1,500,000) worth of cotton and grain, &c., destroyed. It was the Union Company's carrying ware house, Piccadilly. There is great depression in almost every branch of manufactures, and great perplexity; and I am daily more and more convinced that the time is not far distant when Babylon the great will be {508} fallen and become a desolation, and the kings and the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, and she will be cast down, even as a great mill-stone cast into the sea, and will be found no more at all.
I opened a place for preaching at Blakesley, about six week's ago; and there were three baptized and confirmed there last week. I was with Elder John Brotherton at Middleton on Sunday last, where he and Elder Hardman had obtained a room to preach to the Chartists. [6] We have also a place opened at Disbury and Heaton.
About three weeks ago there was a letter inserted in the Manchester Courier, by a writer who signs himself R. P., calling upon the clergymen of the church of England, and the respectable inhabitants, and the most respectable and intelligent of the police, to attend our meetings at the Carpenters' Hall, as they had fondly hoped that the system would have fallen to the ground by the weight of its own absurdity; but they found that there was method and consistency in the apparent madness of these deluded people, and that experience had taught them that such expectations were vain; as they had observed that there was considerable consistency displayed, and method attending our arrangements, there being an emigration office established in this town, &c. The writer suspected there was a genuine American trick being practiced by the interested parties at the head of the system, to decoy the ignorant and unwary to perish in the swamps of New Orleans, and that they were draining the country of their best artists; and it was high time some steps were taken to put a stop to such practices.
We have since discovered that the writer is no other than Robert {509} Philips, Esq., an extensive manufacturer and merchant, brother to Mark Philips, Esq., another great manufacturer and member of parliament for the Borough of Manchester. The editor of the Courier has been playing upon the same string for several weeks since, and feels satisfied that from the exposure he has given the whole system, it must inevitably die away. He was therefore satisfied with having done his duty, and could safely leave them to the management of the proper parties, and recommend the police to do their duty. It appears that the gallant officer at the head of the police (Sir Charles Shaw), has too much discretion and good sense to be set on like a dog to worry out a society of Christians, because the editor of the Puseyite Oracle pointed the finger of scorn at them, because they dared to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences. I should have liked very well for the police to have been there on Sunday last, for three persons had to be put out by the brethren for disturbing the meeting in the sacrament services.
I remain, beloved brethren, your brother and fellow laborer,
G. Walker.
P. S.--I omitted to say that the writer in the paper alluded to, informed the public that he was endeavoring to obtain information respecting the movements of the people. He had previously sent a person to Elder Pratt to get him to state something in writing respecting emigration, and after the publication of the letter before referred to, he again sent to Elder Pratt for additional information in writing. I happened to be at Elder Pratt's when he made the second application, and I told Elder Pratt that he was the individual who had published the letter in the Courier. Elder Pratt sent him another letter containing the required information; and also stated that he had no objection to submit to him, or to the government of this country, or any of its departments, the religious principles of our society, our place of emigration, and indeed the whole of our movements in this and other countries, for the strictest investigation.
The manufacturers are evidently beginning to be jealous of the mechanics and workmen emigrating with people having so systematic an organization as the Latter-day Saints display in their arrangements in this town.
I remain yours, &c. G. W.
Footnotes:
1. Peter Maughan was born May 7, 1811, at Breckenridge, in the parish of Parley, county of Cumberland, England. He married Miss Ruth Harrison in 1829. He was baptized into the Church by Elder Isaac Russell in 1838, and emigrated to Nauvoo with his family of six children, now motherless, his wife having died in 1841. He came on the ship Rochester, in company with Brigham Young and several other members of the quorum of the Twelve on their return home. He was a man of keen intelligence and commanding personal influence.
2. Cabul is the capital of Afghanistan, situated on the river Kabul. It is noted as a commercial and strategic center, and the event named in the text above is an incident in what is usually called the first Afghan War. While the British were compelled to evacuate the place, as stated in the text, they re-took it in September following.
3. Widow of the late Don Carlos Smith, the Prophet's brother.
4. The article from the Star here referred to is inserted in extenso, and that for the reason that so many letters of Elder Hyde's concerning his journey to Jerusalem have already appeared in this volume, that this one seems necessary to the completion of the history of that mission, which must be regarded as an important movement on the part of the Church at this period.
5. George W. Gee was the first son of Solomon and Sarah W. Gee, born in Rome, Ashtabula county, Ohio, August 13, 1815. Was baptized at Kirtland, Geauga county, Ohio, February 17, 1833. Married Mary Jane Smith in Kirtland, February 5, 1838, by whom he had two sons named Elias S. and George W. Went to Caldwell county, Missouri, 1838. Was driven out by a mob in the spring of 1839. Went to Nauvoo, and was ordained an Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the first conference held at Nauvoo, in October, 1839. Removed to Ambrosa, Lee county, Iowa, where he was appointed postmaster and deputy county surveyor; he surveyed the city plats of Nashville and Zarahemla, under the direction of President Joseph Smith. Was sent by the fall conference in 1841, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he died, January 20, 1842, while in discharge of his duties, having won the affections of all the Saints with whom he had become acquainted, by his integrity and perseverance. His opportunity for schooling had been limited, but by his own exertion he attained to an excellent education, and collected quite a respectable library.
6. "Chartism" and the "Chartists," may be said to have come into existence early in the reign of Queen Victoria, in consequence of the formal declarations of the leaders of the Liberal party in parliament not to proceed further in the reforms to which it was generally understood they were pledged. "Quietly studied now," says Justin McCarthy (1878) "the people's charter does not seem a very formidable document. There is so little smell of gun-powder about it. Its 'points' as they were called were six:" Manhood suffrage; annual parliaments; vote by ballot; abolition of the "property qualification" for members of parliament; payment of the members of parliament; and the division of the country into equal electoral districts. "There's your charter," said Daniel O'Connel, to the secretary of the Workingmen's Association--"There's your charter, agitate for it, and never be content with anything less." It was this circumstance that gave the movement and to its supporters the same "chartism" and "chartists." "Nothing," to again quote McCarthy, "can be more unjust than to represent the leaders and promoters of the movement as mere factions and self-seeking demagogues. Some of them were impassioned young poets drawn from the class whom Kingsley has described in 'Alton Locke;' some were men of education; many were earnest and devoted fanatics; and so far as we can judge, all, or nearly all, were sincere." History of Our Own Times, Vol. I, Chapter V. This to show that the preaching of the Elders of the Church to the "Chartists," was no effort to unite Church work with any wild and disorderly political movement in England.
{510}
Chapter XXX
Emigration of the Saints from England to Nauvoo--The Book of Abraham.
Sunday, January 30, 1842.--I preached at my house morning and evening, concerning the different spirits, their operations, designs, &c.
Monday, 31.--Assisted in appraising the tithings of Saturday with Emma. Received many calls. Read in the Book of Mormon. After dinner visited Brother Chase who was very sick, and in the evening was in council with Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff, and Willard Richards concerning Brother Snyder and the printing office; spent the evening very cheerfully, and retired about ten o'clock.
Tuesday, February 1.--Two large stones, for door sills, for the Nauvoo House, were landed.
The following article is from the Millennial Star of this date:
Emigration.
In the midst of the general distress which prevails in this country on account of the want of employment, the high price of provisions, the oppression, priestcraft, and iniquity of the land, it is pleasing to the household of faith to contemplate a country reserved by the Almighty as a sure asylum for the poor and oppressed,--a country every way adapted to their wants and conditions--and still more pleasing to think that thousands of the Saints have already made their escape from this country, and all its abuses and distress, and that they have found a home, where, by persevering industry, they may enjoy all the blessings of liberty, peace and plenty.
It is not yet two years since the Saints in England, in obedience to the command of their heavenly Father, commenced a general plan of emigration to the land of Zion.
They were few in number, generally poor, and had every opposition {511} to encounter, both from a want of means and from the enemies of truth, who circulated every falsehood calculated to hinder or discourage them. Newspapers and tracts were put in circulation, sermons and public speeches were delivered in abundance, to warn the people that Nauvoo was a barren waste on the sea shore--that it was a wild and uninhabited swamp--that it was full of savages, wild beasts and serpents--that all the English Saints who should go there would be immediately sold for slaves by the leaders of the Church--that there was nothing to eat, no water, and no way possible to obtain a living; that all who went there would have their money taken from them, and themselves imprisoned, &c. But notwithstanding all these things, thousands have emigrated from this country, and now find themselves comfortably situated, and in the enjoyment of the comforts of life, and in the midst of society where God is worshiped in the spirit of truth and union, and where nearly all are agreed in religious principles. They all find plenty of employment and good wages, while the expense of living is about one-eighth of what it costs in this country. For instance--beef and pork costs about one penny per pound, flour from 2s to 3s for forty pounds, and Indian meal about one shilling for sixty pounds; butter from 4d to 6d per pound, while milch cows are to be had in plenty for about £3 per head, and other things in proportion. Millions on millions of acres of land lie before them unoccupied, with a soil as rich as Eden, and a surface as smooth, clear, and ready for the plough as the park scenery of England.
Instead of a lonely swamp or dense forest filled with savages, wild beasts and serpents, large cities and villages are springing up in their midst, with schools, colleges, and temples. The mingled noise of mechanism, the bustle of trade, the song of devotion, are heard in the distance, while thousands of flocks and herds are seen grazing peacefully on the plains, and the fields and gardens smile with plenty, and the wild red men of the forest are only seen as they come on a friendly visit to the Saints and to learn the way of the Lord.
Several large ships have been chartered by the Saints during the present fall and winter, and have been filled with emigrants, who have gone forth with songs of joy; and some of them have already arrived safely in the promised land, while others are, doubtless, still tossing upon the ocean.
The expense of passage and provisions to New Orleans has, at no time this season, exceeded £4, and it is generally as low as three pounds fifteen shillings. This is remarkable when we reflect that each passenger has provisions and water provided in plenty for ten weeks. But it is obtained at this low price by a union of effort among the Saints, and by the faithful and persevering exertions of their agents. For instance {512} they purchase provisions by the quantity, and duty free, and the moment they bid farewell to their native shores they hoist the Flag of Liberty--the Ensign of Zion--the stars and stripes of the American Union; and under its protection they completely and practically nullify the bread tax. They eat free bread, free tea, free sugar, free everything, and thus accomplish a journey of five thousand miles on the same money that is would cost to feed them for the same length of time in England.
Who that has a heart to feel, or a soul to rejoice, will not be glad at so glorious a plan of deliverance? Who will not hail the messengers of the Latter-day Saints as the friends of humanity--the benefactors of mankind.
Thousands have gone, and millions more must go, The Gentiles as a stream to Zion flow.
Yes, friends, this glorious work has but just commenced; and we now call upon the Saints to come forward with united effort, with persevering exertion, and with union of action, and help yourselves and one another to emigrate to the Land of Promise.
In this way we shall not only bring about the deliverance of tens of thousands, who must otherwise suffer in this country, but we shall add to the strength of Zion, and help to rear her cities and temples--"to make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord," while the young men and the middle aged will serve to increase her legions--to strengthen her bulwarks--that the enemies of law and order who have sought her destruction, may stand afar off and tremble, and her banner become terrible to the wicked.
Ye children of Zion, once more we say, in the name of Israel's God, arise, break off your shackles, loose yourselves from the bands of your neck, and go forth to inherit the earth, and to build up waste places of many generations.
All who would go before September next, should go in the early part of March, as it is as late as is advisable to venture by way of New Orleans, on account of the extreme heat of summer; and to go by New York or Quebec, will be double the expense. Experience has taught us that an emigrant can go from Liverpool to New Orleans, and from thence 1,500 miles up the river to Nauvoo for something like £5 per head, including all provisions and expenses; while by way of New York or Quebec it will cost from ten to thirteen pounds; and besides there is another consideration, and that is, goods will cost but a trifle for freight up the Mississippi on a steamer, while the expense would be immense the other way.
Therefore the Saints will please take notice, that after the 10th of March next, emigration had better entirely cease, till about the 20th of {513} September following. If thousands should wish to go between this time and the 10th of March, they have only to furnish us with their names and about £4 per head (children under fourteen years half price), and we will provide them passage and provisions, for the voyage, and return the overplus, if any, at Liverpool.
We would again urge upon emigrants the important fact that if they make known to us their intentions, and send their money and names some weeks beforehand, it will be a great convenience, and save confusion, trouble and expense. All applications should be addressed to Messrs. Pratt and Fielding, 36 Chapel street, Liverpool, or to the Star office, 47 Oxford street, Manchester.
We do not wish to confine the benefit of our emigration plan to the Saints, but are willing to grant all industrious, honest, and well-disposed persons who may apply to us the same information and assistance as emigrants to the western states, there being abundant room for more than a hundred millions of inhabitants.
[Sidenote: Death of Laura Phelps.]
Wednesday, 2.--Sister Laura Phelps, wife of Morris Phelps, died, aged 36 years. She was driven from Jackson county in 1833, was in the persecution of Missouri, in 1838, and went from Iowa to Missouri to assist in liberating her husband, and was left in the prison yard when he made his escape, willing to suffer all the abuses a savage horde could inflict upon her to set her companion free from the grasp of his murderous enemies. Her rest is glorious.
I spent the day in council with Dr. Isaac Galland and Calvin A. Warren, Esq.
Thursday, 3.--In council with Calvin A. Warren, Esq., concerning a settlement with the estate of Oliver Granger, and delivered him the necessary papers.
Elder Woodruff took the superintendence of the printing office, and Elder Taylor the editorial department of the Times and Seasons; and he commenced by taking an inventory of the establishment this day.
Friday, 4.--Instructed that an invoice of Dr. Galland's scrip be made.
[Sidenote: Debates in Nauvoo.]
Closed a contract with Ebenezer Robinson for the printing office on the corner of Bain and Water streets, also {514} the paper fixtures, bookbindery, and stereotype foundry, by proxy, namely, Willard Richards, cost between 7,000 and 8,000 dollars. In the evening attended a debate. At this time debates were held weekly, and entered into by men of the first talents in the city, young and old, for the purpose of eliciting truth, acquiring knowledge, and improving in public speaking.
[Sidenote: Vindication of Daniel Wood.]
Saturday, 5.--Elder Daniel Wood, who had been silenced by Presidents Smith and Young, on a complaint for teaching false doctrine, came before the High Council at Nauvoo, and proved that he had not taught false doctrine, but had been complained of by those who had prejudice and hardness against him, and was restored to his former standing in the Church.
This being Tithing Day, upwards of $1,000 worth of property was received.
The ship Hope sailed from Liverpool for New Orleans with 270 Saints.
Sunday, 6.--Elders Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball went to La Harpe to hold a two-days meeting.
From this time I was engaged in counseling the brethren and attending to the common vocations of life and my calling, reading the Book of Mormon, &c.
Thursday, 10.--I was sick and kept my bed.
The war continues to rage between England and China.
Friday, 11.--I was convalescent, and walked twice to the store.
Saturday, 12.--An ordinance regulating weights and measures was passed, also an ordinance regulating auctions, by the city council which I attended. During the sitting of the council the subject of our chartered rights was discussed.
In the afternoon, plead in an action of slander before the mayor, in behalf of the city against Lyman O. {515} Littlefield, and obtained judgment of $500 bonds to keep the peace.
Sunday, 13--In council with the mayor, Brother Hyrum and Elder Willard Richards, and visited Samuel Bennett (who was sick) in company with William Law and wife.
Monday, 14.--Spent the day at my office, transacting a variety of business, and continued to do the same from day to day till the 17th.
Thursday, 17.--I attended a special session of the city council, when an ordinance was passed authorizing and regulating marriages in the city of Nauvoo.
Letter of Alfred Cordon to Joseph Smith--Reporting Affairs in England.
Hanley, Stafford County, England, February 17, 1842.
President Joseph Smith:--The work in which we are engaged rolls on in this lands and in spite of all its enemies, moves onward in majesty and power; there are many who devote all their time and talent in endeavoring to overthrow it; but I discover that they can "do nothing against the truth but for the truth." Many tracts have been published against us, containing all manner of lies, but in the end good will be the result. "He that knoweth God, heareth us." Some of the tools of Satan are doing more in spreading the truth than we are able to do; one in particular, a Mr. Brindley, is publishing a periodical showing the "errors and blasphemies" of "Mormonism;" and in order to do this, he publishes many of the revelations of God given to us, and through this means, the testimony is visiting the mansions of the high and mighty ones--the "reverends, right reverends" and all the noble champions of sectarians receive them as a precious morsel; and they are read with much interest; whereas, if we had sent them, they would have been spurned from their dwellings, and would not have been considered worth reading.
The state of this country is very awful, and is, according to prospects, on the eve of a mighty revolution; all confidence is gone between master and man, and men are afraid of each other; peace is fast removing from this land; in the course of the last few days, in many parts of this isle, they have been burning the effigy of the great men of this nation--poverty, distress and starvation abound on every hand. The groans, and tears and wretchedness of the thousands of people are enough to rend the hearts of demons; many of the Saints are suffering much {516} through hunger and nakedness; many with large families can scarcely get bread and water enough to hold the spirit in the tabernacle; many, very many, are out of employment, and cannot get work to do, and others that do work hard fourteen or fifteen hours per day, can scarcely earn enough to enable them to live upon the earth. Surely there is need of deliverance in Zion, and I am ready to exclaim, thanks be to Thy name, O Lord, for remembering Thy covenants! and that the "set time to favor Zion has come," and that He has chosen the west for a refuge for His people.
Wishing you all success, I remain, yours in the new and everlasting covenant.
Alfred Cordon.
[Sidenote: Confidence in the Nauvoo Charter.]
Friday, 18.--I attended an adjourned city council, and spoke at considerable length in committee of the whole on the great privileges of the Nauvoo Charter, and especially on the registry of deeds for Nauvoo, and prophesied in the name of the Lord God, that Judge Douglas and no other judge of the Circuit Court will ever set aside a law of the city council, establishing a registry of deeds in the city of Nauvoo.
Saturday, 19.--I was engaged in the Recorder's Office (in the first story of the Brick Store), on the tithings, and in council in my office with Elders Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and others.
A severe shock of an earthquake threw down all the parapets, bastions, and guard houses constructed by Sir Robert Sale, and demolished a third part of the town of Jellalabad, India.
Sunday, 20.--I attended the meeting on the hill. About this time the ship John Cummins sailed from Liverpool for New Orleans with Saints. The Tremont sailed on the 12th of January with 143 passengers, mostly Saints. The expenses of passage from Liverpool to New Orleans averages from £3, 15s to £4, including provisions.
Monday, 21.--I was visiting in the city in the morning, and transacting a variety of business at the office in the afternoon and evening.
{517} Announcement of the Trustee in Trust for the Church Respecting Work on the Temple.
To The Brethren In Nauvoo City: Greeting--It is highly important for the forwarding of the Temple, that an equal distribution of labor should be made in relation to time; as a superabundance of hands one week, and none the next, tends to retard the progress of the work: therefore every brother is requested to be particular to labor on the day set apart for the same, in his ward; and to remember that he that sows sparingly, shall also reap sparingly, so that if the brethren want a plentiful harvest, they will do well to be at the place of labor in good season in the morning, bringing all necessary tools, according to their occupation, and those who have teams bring them also, unless otherwise advised by the Temple Committee. Should any one be detained from his labor by unavoidable circumstances on the day appointed, let him labor the next day, or the first day possible.
N. B--The captains of the respective wards are particularly requested to be at the place of labor on their respective days, and keep an accurate account of each man's work, and be ready to exhibit a list of the same when called for.
The heart of the Trustee is daily made to rejoice in the good feelings of the brethren, made manifest in their exertion to carry forward the work of the Lord, and rear His Temple; and it is hoped that neither planting, sowing, or reaping will hereafter be made to interfere with the regulations hinted at above.
Joseph Smith, Trustee in Trust.
An Additional Word from the Twelve.
Recorders Office Febr. 21, 1842.
We would also say to all the churches, that inasmuch as they want the blessings of God and angels, as also of the Church of Jesus Christ, and wish to see it spread and prosper through the world, and Zion built up and truth and righteousness prevail,--let all the different branches of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in all the world, call meetings in their respective places and tithe themselves and send up to this place to the Trustee in Trust, so that his hands may be loosed, and the Temple go on, and other works be done, such as the new translation of the Bible, and the record of Father Abraham published to the world.
Beloved brethren, we as the messengers of the Lord feel to call upon you to help roll on the mighty work, it is our duty so to do, and it is your reasonable service--and the Lord will bless you in so doing.
{518} We subscribe ourselves your humble servants, and standard bearers to the world. Brigham Young, President,
Willard Richards, Clerk of the Twelve.
Tuesday, 22.--Attended to a variety of business as usual.
Wednesday, 23.--Settled with and paid Brother Chase, and assisted in the counting room in settling with Ebenezer Robinson, visiting the printing office, and gave Reuben Hedlock instruction concerning the cut for the altar and gods in the Records of Abraham, as designed for the Times and Seasons.
Thursday, 24.--Engaged in council with the brethren, attended to business at the general office. In the afternoon explained the records of Abraham to the recorder. Sisters Marinda, Mary, and others present to hear the explanations.
Letter of the Prophet's to an Unknown Brother on Tithing.
Nauvoo, Feb. 24, 1842.
Beloved Brother--Yours of the 24th ult. is received, in relation to certain tithings of your neighborhood being transferred to your account, which you hold against the Church to the amount of $305, including $150 of your own.
There are no receipts issued for property received on tithing; but an entry is made in the Book of the Law of the Lord, and parties living at a distance notified of the same.
If the parties named will pay you the sum specified in your letter, and you will endorse the same, i. e. $305, on the obligation you hold against the Church, and give me notice accordingly, with a schedule of individuals' names and payments, the same shall be entered to their credit on tithing. Yours, &c.
Joseph Smith,
Willard Richards, Scribe.
Friday, 25.--Engaged in counseling and general business.
Saturday, 26.--At the recorder's office engaged in the tithing, and at the court at the office of the Patriarch.
Sunday, 27.--Engaged in counseling the Saints.
Monday, 28.--I offered a settlement to Father Snow by {519} Jenkins' notes, which he declined, choosing to take land in Ramus; paid Brother Robert Pierce $2,700, the balance due him for a farm Dr. Galland bought of Brother Pierce in Brandywine Township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, for $5,000, namely a deed for lot 2, block 94, $1,100, and lot 1, block 95, $800, and lot 4, block 78, $806, the remainder having been previously paid. The bond was cancelled and given up, and Brother Pierce expressed his satisfaction of the whole, in the Times and Seasons, as follows--
Note of Robert Pierce--Expressing Satisfaction at Financial Settlement.
Nauvoo, Feb. 28, 1842.
President Joseph Smith.
Dear Sir--I feel anxious to express my feelings concerning the business transactions between the Church and myself; as it is well known to many, that Dr. Galland, as agent for the Church, purchased my farm while I was living in Brandywine Township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, and many supposed, or pretended to suppose, I would get nothing in return; but I wish to say to all my old friends and enemies in Pennsylvania, through the medium of the Times and Seasons, that I have received my pay in full from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, through yourself, sir, as their trustee in trust, according to the original contract; and that from my acquaintance with yourself, and those brethren who are assisting you in the great and increasing business of the Church, I have the fullest confidence in all the transactions of the Church, and I request those papers in Philadelphia, who published concerning my sale and loss, with such bitter lamentations, to publish this also.
I am, sir, your brother and well-wisher,
Robert Pierce.
Thursday, March 1, 1842.--During the forenoon I was at my office and the printing office, correcting the first plate or cut of the records of Father Abraham, prepared by Reuben Hedlock, for the Times and Seasons, and in council in my office, in the afternoon; and in the evening with the Twelve and their wives at Elder Woodruff's, at which time I explained many important principles in relation to progressive improvement in the scale of intelligent existence.
{520} I commenced publishing my translations of the Book of Abraham in the Times and Seasons as follows--
Fac-Simile From the Book of Abraham--No. 1.
Explanation of the Above Cut.
Fig. 1. The Angel of the Lord.
Fig. 2. Abraham fastened upon an altar.
Fig. 3. The idolatrous priest of Elkenah attempting to offer up Abraham as a sacrifice.
Fig. 4. The altar for sacrifice by the idolatrous priests, standing before the gods of Elkenah, Libnah, Mahmackrah, Korash, and Pharaoh.
Fig. 5. The idolatrous god of Elkenah.
Fig. 6. The idolatrous god of Libnah.
Fig. 7. The idolatrous god of Mahmackrah.
Fig. 8. The idolatrous god of Korash.
Fig. 9. The idolatrous god of Pharaoh.
Fig. 10. Abraham in Egypt.
Fig. 11. Designed to represent the pillars of heaven, as understood by the Egyptians.
Fig. 12. Raukeeyang, signifying expanse, or the firmament over our heads; but in this case, in relation to this subject, the Egyptians meant it to signify Shaumau, to be high, or the heavens; answering to the Hebrew word, Shaumahyeem.
{521}
Fac-Simile From the Book of Abraham--No. 2.
Explanation of the Above Cut.
Fig. 1. Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence of God. First in government, the last pertaining to the measurement of time. The measurement according to celestial time; which celestial time signifies one day to a cubit. One day in Kolob is equal to a thousand years according to the measurement of this earth, which is called by the Egyptians Jah-oh-eh.
Fig. 2. Stands next to Kolob, called by the Egyptians Oliblish, which is the next grand governing creation near to the celestial or the place where God resides; holding the key of power also, pertaining to other planets; as revealed from God to Abraham, as he offered sacrifice upon an altar, which he had built unto the Lord.
Fig. 3. Is made to represent God, sitting upon His throne, clothed with power and authority; with a crown of eternal light upon his head; representing, also, the grand key words of the Holy Priesthood, as revealed to Adam in the Garden of Eden, as also to Seth, Noah, Melchisedek, Abraham, and all to whom the Priesthood was revealed.
Fig. 4. Answers to the Hebrew word Raukeeyang, signifying expanse or the firmament of the heavens; also a numerical figure, in Egyptian signifying one thousand; answering to the measuring of the time of Oliblish, which is equal with Kolob in its revolution and in its measuring of time.
Fig. 5. Is called in Egyptian Enish-go-on-dosh; this is one of the governing planets also, and is said by the Egyptians to be the Sun, and to borrow its light {522} from Kolob, through the medium of Kae-e-vanrash, which is the grand Key, or, in other words, the governing power, which governs fifteen other fixed planets or stars, as also Floeese or the Moon, the Earth and the Sun in their annual revolutions. This planet receives its power through the medium of Kli-flos-is-es, or Hah-ko-kau-beam, the stars represented by numbers 22, and 23, receiving light from the revolutions of Kolob.
Fig. 6. Represents this earth in its four quarters.
Fig. 7. Represents God sitting upon His throne, revealing through the heavens the grand Key-words of the Priesthood; as also the sign of the Holy Ghost unto Abraham, in the form of a dove.
Fig. 8. Contains writings that cannot be revealed unto the world; but is to be had in the Holy Temple of God.
Fig. 9. Ought not to be revealed at the present time.
Fig. 10. Also.
Fig. 11. Also.--If the world can find out these numbers, so let it be. Amen.
Figures 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, will be given in the own due time of the Lord.
The above translation is given as far as we have any right to give at the present time.
Explanation on Cut No. 3.
Fig. 1. Abraham sitting upon Pharaoh's throne, by the politeness of the king, with a crown upon his head, representing the Priesthood, as emblematical of the grand Presidency in Heaven, with the scepter of justice and judgment in his hand.
Fig. 2. King Pharaoh, whose name is given in the characters above his head.
Fig. 3. Signifies Abraham in Egypt; referring to Abraham, as given also in the ninth number of the Times and Seasons. (Also as given in the first fac-simile of this book.)
Fig. 4. Prince of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, as written above the hand.
Fig. 5. Shulem, one of the king's principal waiters, as represented by the characters above his hand.
Fig. 6. Olimlah, a slave belonging to the prince.
Abraham is reasoning upon the principles of Astronomy, in the king's court.
{523} Fac-Simile From The Book of Abraham--No 3.
{524}
The Book Of Abraham. [1]
Translated from the Papyrus, by Joseph Smith. [2]
A Translation of some Ancient Records that have fallen into our hands, from the Catacombs of Egypt, purporting to be the writings of Abraham, while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand upon papyrus.
In the land of the Chaldeans, at the residence of my father, I Abraham, saw that it was needful for me to obtain another place of residence, and finding there was greater happiness, and peace and rest for me, I sought for the blessings of the fathers, and the right whereunto I should be ordained to administer the same; having been myself a follower of righteousness, desiring also to be one who possessed great knowledge, and to be a greater follower of righteousness, and to possess a greater knowledge, and to be a father of many nations, a prince of peace; and desiring to receive instructions and to keep the commandments of God, I became a rightful heir, a High Priest, holding the right belonging to the fathers; it was conferred upon me from the fathers; it came down from the fathers, from the beginning of time, yea, even from the beginning, or before the foundations of the earth, to the present time, even the right of the first born, or the first man, who is Adam, our first Father, through the fathers, unto me.
2. I sought for mine appointment unto the Priesthood according to the appointment of God unto the fathers, concerning the seed. My {525} fathers having turned from their righteousness, and from the holy commandments which the Lord their God had given unto them, unto the worshiping of the gods of the heathen, utterly refused to hearken to my voice; for their hearts were set to do evil, and were wholly turned to the god of Elkenah, and the god of Libnah, and the god of Mahmackrah, and the god of Korash, and the god of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, therefore they turned their hearts to the sacrifice of the heathen in offering up their children unto their dumb idols, and hearkened not unto my voice, but endeavored to take away my life by the hand of the priest of Elkenah--the priest of Elkenah was also the priest of Pharaoh.
3. Now at this time it was the custom of the priest of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to offer up upon the altar which was built in the land of Chaldea, for the offering unto these strange gods, men, women and children. And it came to pass that the priest made an offering unto the god of Pharaoh, and also unto the god of Shagreel, even after the manner of the Egyptians. Now the god of Shagreel was the Sun. Even the thank-offering of a child did the priest of Pharaoh offer upon this altar, which stood by the hill called Potiphar's hill, at the head of the plain of Olishem. Now, this priest had offered upon the altar three virgins at one time, who were the daughters of Onitah, one of the royal descent, directly from the loins of Ham. These virgins were offered up because of their virtue; they would not bow down to worship gods of wood, or of stone, therefore they were killed upon this altar, and it was done after the manner of the Egyptians.
4. And it came to pass that the priests laid violence upon me, that they might slay me also, as they did those virgins, upon this altar; and that you may have a knowledge of this altar, I will refer you to the representation at the commencement of this record. It was made after the form of a bedstead, such as was had among the Chaldeans, and it stood before the gods of Elkenah, Libna, Mahmackrah, Korash, and also a god like unto that of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. That you may have an understanding of these gods, I have given you the fashion of them in the figures at the beginning, which manner of the figures is called by the Chaldeans Rahleenos, which signifies hieroglyphics.
5. And as they lifted up their hands upon me, that they might offer me up and take away my life, behold I lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God; and the Lord hearkened and heard, and he filled me with a vision of the Almighty, and the angel of his presence stood by me, and immediately unloosed my bands, and his voice was unto me, Abraham! Abraham! behold my name is JEHOVAH, and I have heard thee, and have come down to deliver thee, and to take thee away from thy father's house, and from all thy kinsfolk, into a strange land that thou knowest {526} not of, and this because they have turned their hearts away from me, to worship the god of Elkenah, and the god of Libnah, and the god of Mahmackrah, and the god of Korash, and the god of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; therefore I have come down to visit them, and to destroy him who hath lifted up his hand against thee, Abraham my son, to take away thy life. Behold I will lead thee by my hand, and I will take thee to put upon thee my name, even the Priesthood of thy father; and my power shall be over thee; as it was with Noah so shall it be with thee, but through thy ministry my name shall be known in the earth for ever, for I am thy God.
6. Behold Potiphar's Hill was in the land of Ur, of Chaldea; and the Lord broke down the altar of Elkenah, and of the gods of the land, and utterly destroyed them, and smote the priest that he died; and there was great mourning in Chaldea, and also in the court of Pharaoh, which Pharaoh signifies king by royal blood. Now this king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of Ham, and was a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth. From this descent sprang all the Egyptians, and thus the blood of the Canaanites was preserved in the land.
7. The land of Egypt being first discovered by a woman, who was the daughter of Ham, and the daughter of Egyptus, which, in the Chaldean, signifies Egypt, which signifies, that which is forbidden. When this woman discovered the land it was under water, who afterwards settled her sons in it: and thus from Ham, sprang that race which preserved the curse in the land. Now the first government of Egypt was established by Pharaoh, the eldest son of Egyptus, the daughter of Ham, and it was after the manner of the government of Ham, which was patriarchal. Pharaoh being a righteous man, established his kingdom and judged his people wisely and justly all his days, seeking earnestly to imitate that order established by the fathers in the first generations, in the days of the first patriarchal reign, even in the reign of Adam, and also of Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood.
8. Now Pharaoh being of that lineage by which he could not have the right of Priesthood, notwithstanding the Pharaohs would fain claim it from Noah, through Ham, therefore my father was led away by their idolatry; but I shall endeavor hereafter to delineate the chronology, running back from myself to the beginning of the creation, for the records have come into my hands which I hold unto this present time.
9. Now, after the priest of Elkenah was smitten, that he died, there came a fulfillment of those things which were said unto me concerning the land of Chaldea, that there should be a famine in the land. Accordingly a famine prevailed throughout all the land of Chaldea, and my {527} father was sorely tormented because of the famine, and he repented of the evil which he had determined against me, to take away my life. But the records of the fathers, even the patriarchs, concerning the right of Priesthood, the Lord my God preserved in mine own hands, therefore a knowledge of the beginning of the creation, and also of the planets, and of the stars, as they were made known unto the fathers, have I kept even unto this day, and I shall endeavor to write some of these things upon this record, for the benefit of my posterity that shall come after me.
10. Now, the Lord God caused the famine to wax sore in the land of Ur, insomuch that Haran, my brother died, but Terah, my father, yet lived in the land of Ur of the Chaldees. And it came to pass that I, Abraham, took Sarai to wife, and Nehor, my brother, took Milcah to wife, who were the daughters of Haran. Now the Lord said unto me, Abraham, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee. Therefore I left the land of Ur, of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and I took Lot, my brother's son, and his wife, and Sarai, my wife, and also my father followed after me, unto the land which we denominated Haran. And the famine abated; and my father tarried in Haran and dwelt there, as there were many flocks in Haran; and my father turned again unto his idolatry, therefore he continued in Haran.
11. But I, Abraham, and Lot, my brother's son, prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord appeared unto me, and said unto me, arise, and take Lot with thee, for I have purposed to take thee away out of Haran, and to make of thee a minister, to bear my name in a strange land which I will give unto thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession, when they hearken to my voice, for I am the Lord thy God; I dwell in heaven, the earth is my footstool; I stretch my hand over the sea, and it obeys my voice; I cause the wind and the fire to be my chariot; I say to the mountains depart hence, and behold they are taken away by a whirlwind, in an instant, suddenly. My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning, therefore, my hand shall be over thee, and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure; and make thy name great among all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto all nations; and I will bless them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as their father, and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee, and in thee (that is, in thy Priesthood), and in thy seed (that is thy Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the {528} literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.
12. Now, after the Lord had withdrawn from speaking to me, and withdrawn his face from me, I said in my heart, thy servant has sought thee earnestly, now I have found thee. Thou didst send thine angel to deliver me from the gods of Elkenah, and I will do well to hearken unto thy voice, therefore let thy servant rise up and depart in peace. So I, Abraham, departed as the Lord had said unto me, and Lot with me, and I, Abraham, was sixty and two years old when I departed out of Haran. And I took Sarai, whom I took to wife when I was in Ur in Chaldea, and Lot, my brother's son, and all our substance that we had gathered, and the souls that we had won in Haran, and came forth in the way to the land of Canaan, and dwelt in tents, as we came on our way; therefore, eternity was our covering, and our rock, and our salvation, as we journeyed from Haran by the way of Jershon, to come to the land of Canaan.
13. Now I, Abraham, built an altar in the land of Jershon, and made an offering unto the Lord, and prayed that the famine might be turned away from my father's house, that they might not perish; and then we passed from Jershon through the land, unto the place of Sechem. It was situated in the plains of Moreh, and we had already come into the borders of the land of the Canaanites, and I offered sacrifice there in the plains of Moreh, and called on the Lord devoutly, because we had already come into the land of this idolatrous nation.
14. And the Lord appeared unto me in answer to my prayers, and said unto me, unto thy seed will I give this land. And I, Abraham arose from the place of the altar which I had built unto the Lord, and removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched my tent there; Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east; and there I built another altar unto the Lord, and called again upon the name of the Lord.
15. And I, Abraham, journeyed, going on still towards the south; and there was a continuation of a famine in the land, and I, Abraham, concluded to go down into Egypt, to sojourn there, for the famine became very grievous. And it came to pass when I was come near to enter into Egypt, the Lord said unto me, behold Sarai, thy wife, is a very fair woman to look upon, therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see her they will say, she is his wife; and they will kill you, but they will save her alive: therefore, see that ye do on this wise, let her say unto the Egyptians she is thy sister, and thy soul shall live. And it came to pass that I, Abraham, told Sarai, my wife, all that the Lord had said unto me; therefore, say unto them, I pray thee, thou art {529} my sister, that it may be well with me for thy sake, and my soul shall live because of thee.
16. And I, Abraham, had the Urim and Thummim, which the Lord my God had given unto me, in Ur of the Chaldees; and I saw the stars, that they were very great, and that one of them was nearest unto the throne of God: and there were many great ones which were near unto it: and the Lord said unto me, these are the governing ones; and the name of the great one is Kolob, because it is near unto me; for I am the Lord thy God. I have set this one to govern all those which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest. And the Lord said unto me, by the Urim and Thummim, that Kolob was after the manner of the Lord, according to its times and seasons in the revolutions thereof, that one revolution was a day unto the Lord, after His manner of reckoning, it being one thousand years according to the time appointed unto that whereon thou standest; this is the reckoning of the Lord's time, according to the reckoning of Kolob.
17. And the Lord said unto me, the planet which is the lesser light, lesser than that which is to rule the day, even the night, is above, or greater than that upon which thou standest in point of reckoning, for it moveth in order more slow; this is in order, because it standeth above the earth upon which thou standest, therefore the reckoning of its time is not so many as to its number of days, and of months and of years. And the Lord said unto me, Now Abraham, these two facts exist, behold thine eyes see it; it is given unto thee to know the times of reckoning, and the set time, yea, the set time of the earth upon which thou standest, and the set time of the greater light, which is set to rule the day, and the set time of the lesser light, which is set to rule the night.
18. Now the set time of the lesser light, is a longer time as to its reckoning than the reckoning of the time of the earth upon which thou standest; and where these two facts exist, there shall be another fact above them; that is, there shall be another planet whose reckoning of time shall be longer still; and thus there shall be the reckoning of the time of one planet above another, until thou come nigh unto Kolob, which Kolob is after the reckoning of the Lord's time; which Kolob is set nigh unto the throne of God, to govern all those planets which belong to the same order as that upon which thou standest. And it is given unto thee to know the set time of all the stars, that are set to give light, until thou come near unto the throne of God.
19. Thus I, Abraham, talked with the Lord face to face, as one man talketh with another; and He told me of the works which His hands had made; and He said unto me, My son, my son, (and His hand was stretched out,) behold, I will show you all these. And He put His hand upon mine eyes, and I saw those things which His hands had made, {530} which were many; and they multiplied before mine eyes, and I could not see the end thereof; and He said unto me this is Shinehah which is the sun. And He said unto me, Kokob, which is star. And He said unto me, Olea, which is the moon. And He said unto me, Kokaubeam, which signifies stars, or all the great lights which were in the firmament of heaven. And it was in the night time when the Lord spake these words unto me: I will multiply thee and thy seed after thee, like unto these; and if thou canst count the number of sands so shall be the number of thy seeds.
20. And the Lord said unto me, Abraham, I show these things unto thee, before ye go into Egypt, that ye may declare all these words. If two things exist, and there be one above the other, there shall be greater things above them; therefore Kolob is the greatest of all the Kokaubeam that thou hast seen, because it is nearest unto me; now if there be two things, one above the other, and the moon be above the earth, then it may be that a planet, or a star may exist above it, (and there is nothing that the Lord thy God shall take in His heart to do, but what He will do it;) howbeit that He made the greater star; as, also, if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning, they existed before; they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum or eternal.
21. And the Lord said unto me, these two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other, there shall be another more intelligent than they: I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all. The Lord thy God sent His angel to deliver thee from the hands of the priest of Elkenah. I dwell in the midst of them all; I, now, therefore, have come down unto thee, to deliver unto thee the works which my hands have made, wherein my wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou hast seen.
22. Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones, and God saw these souls that they were good, and He stood in the midst of them, and He said, These I will make my rulers; for He stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and He said unto me, Abraham, thou art one of them, thou wast chosen before thou wast born. And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with Him, We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may {531} dwell; and we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; and they who keep their first estate, shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate, shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.
23. And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me and another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate, and at that day many followed after him. And then the Lord said: Let us go down; and they went down at the beginning, and they (that is, the Gods), organized and formed the heavens and the earth. And the earth, after it was formed, was empty and desolate; because they had not formed anything but the earth; and darkness reigned upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of the Gods was brooding upon the face of the waters.
24. And they (the Gods), said; Let there be light, and there was light. And they, the Gods, comprehended the light for it was bright; and they divided the light, or caused it to be divided from the darkness, and the Gods called the light day, and the darkness they called night. And it came to pass that from the evening until morning they called night; and from the morning until the evening they called day; and this was the first, or the beginning of that which they called day and night.
25. And the Gods also said: Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters and it shall divide the waters from the waters. And the Gods ordered the expanse, so that it divided the waters which were under the expanse, from the waters which were above the expanse, and it was so, even as they ordered. And the Gods called the expanse heaven. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning that they called night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that they called day; and this was the second time that they called night and day.
26. And the Gods ordered, saying: Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the earth come up dry, and it was so, as they ordered; and the Gods pronounced the dry land earth and the gathering together of the waters, pronounced they great waters: and the Gods saw that they were obeyed. And the Gods said: Let us prepare the earth to bring forth grass; the herb yielding seed; the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed in itself yieldeth its own likeness upon the earth; and it was so, even as they ordered. And the Gods organized the earth to bring forth grass from its own seed, and the herb to bring forth herb from its own seed, yielding seed {532} after his kind, and the earth to bring forth the tree from its own seed, yielding fruit, whose seed could only bring forth the same, in itself after his kind; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed. And it came to pass that they numbered the days: from the evening until the morning they called night. And it came to pass from the morning until the evening they called day; and it was the third time.
27. And the Gods organized the lights in the expanse of the heavens, and caused them to divide the day from the night; and organized them to be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years and organized them to be for lights in the expanse of the heaven, to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And the Gods organized the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, with the lesser light they set the stars, also; and the Gods set them in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to cause to divide the light from the darkness. And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered, until they obeyed. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning that it was night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that it was day; and it was the fourth time.
28. And the Gods said, Let us prepare the waters to bring forth abundantly the moving creatures that have life; and the fowl that they may fly above the earth, in the open expanse of heaven, And the Gods prepared the waters that they might bring forth great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters were to bring forth abundantly after their kind; and every winged fowl after their kind; and the Gods saw that they would be obeyed, and that their plan was good. And the Gods said, We will bless them and cause them to be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, or great waters; and cause the fowl to multiply in the earth. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning that they called night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that they called day; and it was the fifth time.
29. And the Gods prepared the earth to bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth after their kind; and it was so as they had said. And the Gods organized the earth to bring forth the beasts after their kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after its kind; and the Gods saw they would obey. And the Gods took counsel among themselves, and said: Let us go down, and form man in our image, after our likeness, and we will give them dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing, that creepeth upon the earth. So the Gods went down {533} to organize man in their own image, in the image of the Gods, to form they him male and female, to form they them; and the Gods said We will bless them. And the Gods said, We will cause them to be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and to have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And the Gods said, Behold, we will give them every herb bearing seed that shall come upon the face of all the earth, and every tree which shall have fruit upon it, yea the fruit of the tree, yielding seed to them we will give it, it shall be for their meat; and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, behold we will give them life, and also we will give to them every green herb for meat, and all these things shall be thus organized. And the Gods said, We will do everything that we have said, and organize them; and behold, they shall be very obedient. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning that they called night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that they called day, and they numbered the sixth time.
30. And thus we will finish the heavens and the earth, and all the hosts of them. And the Gods said among themselves, On the seventh time, we will end our work, which we have counseled; and we will rest on the seventh time from all our work which we have counseled. And the Gods concluded upon the seventh time, because that on the seventh time they would rest from all their works, which they, the Gods, counseled among themselves to form, and sanctified it. And thus were their decisions, at the time that they counseled among themselves to form the heavens and the earth. And the Gods came down and formed these, the generations of the heavens and of the earth, when they were formed, in the day that the Gods formed the earth and the heavens, according to all that which they had said, concerning every plant of the field, before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field, before it grew; for the Gods had not caused it to rain upon the earth, when they counseled to do them; and had not formed a man to till the ground; but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the Gods formed man from the dust of the ground, and took his spirit, that is the man's spirit, and put it into him, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.
31. And the Gods planted a garden, eastward in Eden, and there they put the man, whose spirit they had put into the body, which they had formed. And out of the ground made the Gods to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also, in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good {534} and evil. There was a river running out of Eden, to water the garden, and from thence it was parted and became into four heads. And the Gods took the man and put him in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it; and the Gods commanded the man, saying: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the time that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. Now I, Abraham, saw that it was after the Lord's time, which was after the time of Kolob; for as yet, the Gods had not appointed unto Adam his reckoning.
32. And the Gods said, Let us make an helpmeet for the man, for it is not good that the man should be alone, therefore we will form an helpmeet for him. And the Gods caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; and he slept, and they took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in the stead thereof, and of the rib which the Gods had taken from man, formed they a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said this was bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, now she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man; therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. And out of the ground the Gods formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them, and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that should be the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, to the fowl of the air, to every beast of the field; and for Adam, there was found an helpmeet for him.
Footnotes:
1. For an account of how the Prophet came into possession of the Book of Abraham see this History Vol. II, pp. 235, 6, 8; also 286, and more especially pp. 349-50, and note p. 350.
2. The Book of Abraham was first published in the Times and Seasons in two numbers, Vol. III, Nos. 9 and 10, March 1 and March 15, 1842, respectively. In this form it was copied into the Prophet's history with the several historical items which occurred between the dates of the publication of the two parts, and in this form is found in the Millennial Star, Vol. XIX, pp. 100-103 and 164-168; but it is now thought proper to publish the Book of Abraham entire without dividing it into two articles, as in the above named periodicals.
It is important to note also that the Book of Abraham was published in the Times and Seasons when the Prophet was responsible editor of the periodical (he announces his editorial responsibility in No. 9 of Vol. III, p. 710). Attention is called to this fact, in passing, because it is contended on the part of some, that the doctrine of the plurality of divine personages, as now understood by the Church, was not a doctrine taught by Joseph Smith; whereas it is a doctrine of the Book of Abraham, as will be seen by reference to it, published by him in a periodical of which he was the responsible editor; and, moreover, the Book of Abraham was often referred to by the Prophet in approving terms.
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XXXI. The Wentworth Letter. [1]
March 1, 1842.--At the request of Mr. John Wentworth, Editor and Proprietor of the Chicago Democrat, I have written the following sketch of the rise, progress, persecution, and faith of the Latter-day Saints, of which I have the honor, under God, of being the founder. Mr. Wentworth says that he wishes to furnish Mr. Bastow, a friend of his, who is writing the history of New Hampshire, with this document. As Mr. Bastow has {536} taken the proper steps to obtain correct information, all that I shall ask at his hands, is, that he publish the account entire, ungarnished, and without misrepresentation.
I was born in the town of Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont, on the 23rd of December, A. D. 1805. When ten years old, my parents removed to Palmyra, New York, where we resided about four years, and from thence we removed to the town of Manchester. My father was a farmer and taught me the art of husbandry. When about fourteen years of age, I began to reflect upon the importance of being prepared for a future state, and upon inquiring [about] the plan of salvation, I find that there was a great clash in religious sentiment; if I went to one society they referred me to one plan, and another to another; each one pointing to his own particular creed as the summum bonum of perfection. Considering that all could not be right, and that God could not be the author of so much confusion, I determined to investigate the subject more fully, believing that if God had a Church it would not be split up into factions, and that if He taught one society to worship one way, and administer in one set of ordinances, He would not teach another, principles which were diametrically opposed.
Believing the word of God, I had confidence in the declaration of James--"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." I retired to a secret place in a grove, and began to call upon the Lord; while fervently engaged in supplication, my mind was taken away from the objects with which I was surrounded, and I was enwrapped in a heavenly vision, and saw two glorious personages, who exactly resembled each other in features and likeness, surrounded with a brilliant light which eclipsed the sun at noon day. They told me that all religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines, and that none of them was acknowledged of God as His Church and kingdom: and was expressly commanded "to go not after them," at the same time receiving a promise that the fullness of the Gospel should at some future time be made known unto me.
On the evening on the 21st of September, A. D. 1823, while I was praying unto God, and endeavoring to exercise faith in the precious promises of Scripture, on a sudden a light like that of day, only of a far purer and more glorious appearance and brightness, burst into the room, indeed the first sight was as though the house was filled with consuming fire; the appearance produced a shock that affected the whole body; in a moment a personage stood before me surrounded with a glory yet greater than that with which I was already surrounded. This messenger {537} proclaimed himself to be an angel of God, sent to bring the joyful tidings that the covenant which God made with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah was speedily to commence; that the time was at hand for the Gospel in all its fullness to be preached in power, unto all nations that a people might be prepared for the Millennial reign. I was informed that I was chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of His purposes in this glorious dispensation.
I was also informed concerning the aboriginal inhabitants of this country and shown who they were, and from whence they came; a brief sketch of their origin, progress, civilization, laws, governments, of their righteousness and iniquity, and the blessings of God being finally withdrawn from them as a people, was made known unto me; I was also told where were deposited some plates on which were engraven an abridgment of the records of the ancient Prophets that had existed on this continent. The angel appeared to me three times the same night and unfolded the same things. After having received many visits from the angels of God unfolding the majesty and glory of the events that should transpire in the last days, on the morning of the 22nd of September, A. D. 1827, the angel of the Lord delivered the records into my hands.
These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, each plate was six inches wide and eight inches long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters, and bound together in a volume as the leaves of a book, with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction, and much skill in the art of engraving. With the records was found a curious instrument, which the ancients called "Urim and Thummim," which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breast plate. Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift and power of God.
In this important and interesting book the history of ancient America is unfolded, from its first settlement by a colony that came from the Tower of Babel, at the confusion of languages to the beginning of the fifth century of the Christian Era. We are informed by these records that America in ancient times has been inhabited by two distinct races of people. The first were called Jaredites, and came directly from the Tower of Babel. The second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem, about six hundred years before Christ. They were principally Israelites, of the descendants of Joseph. The Jaredites were destroyed about the time that the Israelites came from Jerusalem, who succeeded {538} them in the inheritance of the country. The principal nation of the second race fell in battle towards the close of the fourth century. The remnant are the Indians that now inhabit this country. This book also tells us that our Savior made His appearance upon this continent after His resurrection; that He planted the Gospel here in all its fulness, and richness, and power, and blessing; that they had Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, and Evangelists; the same order, the same priesthood, the same ordinances, gifts, powers, and blessings, as were enjoyed on the eastern continent, that the people were cut off in consequence of their transgressions, that the last of their prophets who existed among them was commanded to write an abridgment of their prophecies, history, &c, and to hide it up in the earth, and that it should come forth and be united with the Bible for the accomplishment of the purposes of God in the last days. For a more particular account I would refer to the Book of Mormon, which can be purchased at Nauvoo, or from any of our Traveling Elders.
As soon as the news of this discovery was made known, false reports, misrepresentation and slander flew, as on the wings of the wind, in every direction; the house was frequently beset by mobs and evil designing persons. Several times I was shot at, and very narrowly escaped, and every device was made use of to get the plates away from me; but the power and blessing of God attended me, and several began to believe my testimony.
On the 6th of April, 1830, the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" was first organized in the town of Fayette, Seneca county, state of New York. Some few were called and ordained by the Spirit of revelation and prophecy, and began to preach as the Spirit gave them utterance, and though weak, yet were they strengthened by the power of God, and many were brought to repentance, were immersed in the water, and were filled with the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. They saw visions and prophesied, devils were cast out, and the sick healed by the laying on of hands. From that time the work rolled forth with astonishing rapidity, and churches were soon formed in the states of New York, Pennsylvania Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri; in the last named state a considerable settlement was formed in Jackson county: numbers joined the Church and we were increasing rapidly; we made large purchases of land, our farms teemed with plenty, and peace and happiness were enjoyed in our domestic circle, and throughout our neighborhood; but as we could not associate with our neighbors (who were, many of them, of the basest of men, and had fled from the face of civilized society, to the frontier country to escape the hand of justice,) in their midnight revels, their Sabbath breaking, horse racing and gambling; they commenced at first to ridicule, then to persecute, {539} and finally an organized mob assembled and burned our houses, tarred and feathered and whipped many of our brethren, and finally, contrary to law, justice and humanity, drove them from their habitations; who, houseless and homeless, had to wander on the bleak prairies till the children left the tracks of their blood on the prairie. This took place in the month of November, and they had no other covering but the canopy of heaven, in this inclement season of the year; this proceeding was winked at by the government, and although we had warrantee deeds for our land, and had violated no law, we could obtain no redress.
There were many sick, who were thus inhumanly driven from their houses, and had to endure all this abuse and to seek homes where they could be found. The result was, that a great many of them being deprived of the comforts of life, and the necessary attendances, died; many children were left orphans, wives, widows and husbands, widowers; our farms were taken possession of by the mob, many thousands of cattle, sheep, horses and hogs were taken, and our household goods, store goods, and printing press and type were broken, taken, or otherwise destroyed.
Many of our brethren removed to Clay county, where they continued until 1836, three years; there was no violence offered, but there were threatenings of violence. But in the summer of 1836 these threatenings began to assume a more serious form, from threats, public meetings were called, resolutions were passed, vengeance and destruction were threatened, and affairs again assumed a fearful attitude, Jackson county was a sufficient precedent, and as the authorities in that county did not interfere they boasted that they would not in this; which on application to the authorities we found to be too true, and after much privation and loss of property, we were again driven from our homes.
We next settled in Caldwell and Daviess counties, where we made large and extensive settlements, thinking to free ourselves from the power of oppression, by settling in new counties, with very few inhabitants in them; but here we were not allowed to live in peace, but in 1838 we were again attacked by mobs, an exterminating order was issued by Governor Boggs, and under the sanction of law, an organized banditti ranged through the country, robbed us of our cattle, sheep, hogs, &c., many of our people were murdered in cold blood, the chastity of our women was violated, and we were forced to sign away our property at the point of the sword; and after enduring every indignity that could be heaped upon us by an inhuman, ungodly band of marauders, from twelve to fifteen thousand souls, men, women, and children were driven from their own firesides, and from lands to which they had warrantee deeds, houseless, friendless, and homeless (in the depths of winter) to wander as exiles on the earth, or to seek an asylum in a more {540} genial clime, and among a less barbarous people. Many sickened and died in consequence of the cold and hardships they had to endure; many wives were left widows, and children, orphans, and destitute. It would take more time than is allotted me here to describe the injustice, the wrongs, the murders the bloodshed, the theft, misery and woe that have been caused by the barbarous, inhuman, and lawless proceedings of the state of Missouri.
In the situation before alluded to, we arrived in the state of Illinois in 1839, where we found a hospitable people and a friendly home; a people who were willing to be governed by the principles of law and humanity. We have commenced to build a city called "Nauvoo," in Hancock county. We number from six to eight thousand here, besides vast numbers in the county around, and in almost every county of the state. We have a city charter granted us, and charter for a Legion, the troops of which now number 1,500. We have also a charter for a University, for an Agricultural and Manufacturing Society, have our own laws and administrators, and possess all the privileges that other free and enlightened citizens enjoy.
Persecution has not stopped the progress of truth, but has only added fuel to the flame, it has spread with increasing rapidity. Proud of the cause which they have espoused, and conscious of our innocence, and of the truth of their system, amidst calumny and reproach, have the Elders of this Church gone forth, and planted the Gospel in almost every state in the Union; it has penetrated our cities, it has spread over our villages, and has caused thousands of our intelligent, noble, and patriotic citizens to obey its divine mandates, and be governed by its sacred truths. It has also spread into England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, where, in the year 1840, a few of our missionaries were sent, and over five thousand joined the Standard of Truth; there are numbers now joining in every land.
Our missionaries are going forth to different nations, and in Germany, Palestine, New Holland, Australia, the East Indies, and other places, the Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.
We believe in God the eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
{541} We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
We believe that the first principle and ordinances of the Gospel are: (1) Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; (2) Repentance; (3) Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; (4) Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
We believe that a man must be called of God by prophecy and by the laying on hands, by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive Church, viz.: apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc.
We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, etc.
We believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes: that Zion will be built upon this [the American] continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates, in obeying honoring and sustaining the law.
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul, "We believe all thing, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."
Respectfully, &c.,
Joseph Smith.
Footnotes:
1. The "Wentworth Letter" is one of the choicest documents in our Church literature; as also it is the earliest published document by the Prophet making any pretension to consecutive narrative of those events in which the great latter-day work had its origin. It was published in number 9 of Volume III of the "Times and Seasons," March 1st, 1841; while the publication of that more pretentious History of the Church under the title "History of Joseph Smith," of which these volumes are but a reproduction, was not commenced until number 10, Volume III, of the "Times and Seasons," March 15th, 1841. Introducing this "History of Joseph Smith," in the "Times and Seasons" (Vol. III, p. 726) is the following note referring to the Wentworth Letter and the more pretentious "History."
"In the last number I gave a brief history of the rise and progress of the Church, I now enter more particularly into that history, and extract from my journal."
Referring again to this Wentworth Letter, I may say that for combining conciseness of statement with comprehensiveness of treatment of the subject with which it deals, it has few equals among historical documents, and certainly none that excel it in our Church literature. In it one has in a few pages (less than six of these pages) a remarkably full history of the leading events in the Church, and an epitome of her doctrines, from the beginning (the birth of the Prophet, 1805) up to the date of publication, March, 1841, a period of thirty-six years. The epitome of the doctrines of the Church, since called "The Articles of Faith," and published by millions, has been carried to all the nations of the earth and tribes of men where the gospel has been preached. These Articles of Faith were not produced by the labored efforts and harmonized contentions of scholastics, but were struck off by one inspired mind at a single effort to make a declaration of that which is most assuredly believed by the Church, for one making earnest inquiry about the truth. The combined directness, perspicuity, simplicity and comprehensiveness of this statement of the principles of our religion may be relied upon as strong evidence of a divine inspiration resting upon the Prophet, Joseph Smith.
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