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Vol. IV. No. 14.] CITY OF NAUVOO, ILL. JUNE 1, 1843. [Whole No. 74
HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH.
Continued.
After laboring in that neighborhood one year, he received a very pressing invitation to remove to the town of Mentor, in the same county, about thirty miles from Bainbridge, and within a few miles from Lake Erie, which he sometime afterwards complied with. The persons by whom he was more particularly requested to move to that place, were the remnants of a Baptist Church, which was nearly broken up, the members of which had become attached to the doctrines promulgated by Elder Rigdon.
The town of Mentor was settled by wealthy and enterprizing [enterprising] individuals, who had by their industry and good management made that township one of the most delightful in that country, or probably in the Western Reserve. Its advantages for agricultural purposes could hardly be surpassed, while the splendid farms, fertile fields, and stately mansions made it particularly attractive to the eye of the traveller [traveler], and gives evidence of enterprize [enterprise] and wealth.-In that beautiful location he took up his residence, and immediately commenced his labors, with that zeal and assiduity which had formerly characterized him.
But being a stranger, and many reports being put in circulation of a character calculated to lessen him in the estimation of the people, and consequently destroy his influence. Some persons were even wicked enough to retail those slanderous reports which were promulgated, and endeavored to stir up persecution against him; consequently many of the citizens were jealous, and did not extend to him that confidence which he might otherwise have expected.
His path was not strewed with flowers, but the thorns of persecution beset him, and he had to contend against much prejudice and opposition, whose swollen waves might have sunk one less courageous, resolute, and determined; yet, notwithstanding these unfavorable circumstances, he continued to meet the storm, to stem the torrent, and bear up under the reproach for some time.
At length the storm subsided, for after laboring in that neighborhood about eight months, he so wrought upon the feelings of the people by his consistent walk and conversation-his sociability, combined with his overwhelming eloquence, that a perfect calm succeeded-their evil apprehensions and surmisings were allayed, their prejudices gave way, and the man whom they had looked upon with jealousy was now their theme of praise, and their welcome guest. Those who had been most hostile, now became his warmest admirers, and most constant friends.
The churches in which he preached, which had heretofore been filled with anxious hearers, were now filled to overflowing, the poor flocked to the services, and the rich thronged the assemblies.
The doctrines he advanced, were new, but at the same time were elucidated with such clearness, and enforced with an eloquence altogether superior to what they had listened to before, that those whose sectarian prejudices were not too deeply rooted, who listened to the deep and searching discourses which he delivered from time to time, could not fail of being greatly affected, and convinced that the principles he advanced were true, and in accordance with the scriptures. Nor were his labors and success confined to that township alone, but calls were made in every direction for him to preach, which he complied with, as much as he possibly could, until his labors became very extensive, and spread over a vast extent of country.
Wherever he went, the same success attended his ministry, and he was every where received with kindness, and welcomed by persons of all classes. Prejudice after prejudice, gave way on every hand-opposition after opposition, was broken down, and bigotry was rooted from its strong holds. The truths he advanced, were received with gladness, and the doctrines he taught had a glorious ascendancy wherever he had the opportunity of promulgating them.
His fame as an orator and deep reasoner in the scriptures continued to spread far and wide, and he soon gained a popularity and an elevation which has fallen to the lot of but few, consequently thousands flocked to hear his eloquent discourses.
When it was known where he was going to preach, there might be seen long before the appointed time, persons of all classes, sects and denominations, flocking like doves to their windows, from a considerable distance. The humble pedestrian, and the rich in their splendid equipages-might be seen crowding the roads.
The churches in the different places, where he preached, were now no longer large enough to contain the vast assemblies which congregated
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from time to time, so that he had to repair to the wide spread canopy of heaven, and in the woods and in the groves, he addressed the multitudes which flocked to hear him-Nor was his preaching in vain. It was not empty sound that so closely engaged the attention of his audiences, and with which they were so deeply interested, but it was the truths that were imparted, the intelligence which was conveyed, and the duties which were enforced.
Not only did the writings of the New Testament occupy his attention, but occasionally those of the ancient prophets, particularly those prophesies which had reference to the present and to the future, were brought up to review and treated in a manner entirely new, and deeply interesting. No longer did he follow the old beaten track, which had been travelled [traveled] for ages by the religious world but he dared to enter upon new grounds; called in question the opinions of uninspired men; shewed [showed] the foolish ideas of many commentators on the sacred scriptures-exposed their ignorance and contradictions-threw new light on the sacred volume, particularly those prophecies which so deeply interest this generation and which had been entirely overlooked, or mystified by the religious world-cleared up scriptures which had heretofore appeared inexplicable, and delighted his astonished audience with things "new and old"-proved to a demonstration the literal fulfilment [fulfillment] of prophesy [prophecy], the gathering of Israel in the last days, to their ancient inheritances, with their ultimate splendor and glory; the situation of the world at the coming of the Son of Man-the judgments which Almighty God would pour out upon the ungodly, prior to that event, and the reign of Christ with his saints on the earth, in the millenium [millennium].
These important subjects could not fail to have their weight on the minds of his hearers, who clearly discerned the situation in which they were placed, by the sound and logical arguments which he adduced; and soon, numbers felt the importance of obeying that form of doctrine which had been delivered them; so that they might be accounted worthy to escape those things which were coming on the earth, and many came forward desiring to be baptized for the ;remission of sins. He accordingly commenced to baptize, and like John of old, there flocked to him people from all the region round about-persons of all ranks and standings in society-the rich, the poor, and noble and the brave, flocked to be baptized of him. Nor was this desire confined to individuals, or families, but whole societies threw away their creeds and articles of faith, and became obedient to the faith he promulgated, and he soon had large and flourishing societies throughout that whole region of country.
He now was a welcome visiter [visitor] wherever he travelled [traveled]-his society was courted by the learned, and intelligent, and the highest encomiums were bestowed upon him for his biblical lore, and his eloquence.
The work of the ministry engaged all his time and attention, he felt deeply for the salvation of his fellow man, and for the attainment of which, he labored with unceasing dilligence [diligence].
From the Millennial Star.
MORMONISM, A HERESY.
A Sermon preached in the parish church of Hillbsrough, on Sunday, the 30th of October, l842, with an appendix of illustrations and proofs, by the venerable Walter B. Mant, M. A., Archdeacon of Down.
We have been led to notice this publication, not from any intrinsic merit which it has, nor in order to prevent any evil effects to the cause of truth that might arise from its circulation, but simply because of the authority from which it springs. Indeed, we rejoice to see such an effort made to put down the principles we advocate; it argues little for the party from whom it proceeds, and we assure the reverend writer that we consider it so innoxious [innocuous], so harmless in its effects upon us, that we would rather be engaged in its diffusion than in the suppression of it.
The author sets out with a eulogy on the principle of union of religion-the necessity of it-and of the existence of an acknowledged authority to teach the principles of truth; he then laments the introduction of the principles of dissent in the following manner:-
The evil is as old as the very early days of Christ's own apostles: lamented by St. Paul, in his epistles to the Corinthians, to the Galatians, to the Thessalonians, the to bishops, Timothy and Titus; by St. John, in the cases of those who denied that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh, and of Diotrephes, "who prated against" the apostles "with malicious words;" and by St. Jude. It was evidenced in the cases of the various heretics, who, in the four first centuries, were allowed to vex the church by errors concerning the Son of God and the Holy Ghost!-the Arians, Sabellians, and the like-and called forth the energies of the holy bishops and ministers of the time, St. Athanasiua and others, to confute their false doctrines: in the superstitions which for centuries overspread the truth under the dominion of Rome: and in the varieties of dissent , heresy, and schism which have distracted us since the reformation
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in the rejection of episcopal government by the followers of Calvin and Knox, and of the sacraments and other outward ordinances by the Quakers; in the unscriptural dogmas and practices of the Anabaptists, and the God-denying heresy of Socinius; and more lately in the schism originated in the very bosom of the church by the disciples of Wesley; wherever the mischievous principle has been acted upon, that every man is competent to form his own creed, and that every man has a right to do so; a principle avowed by some, and acted on more or less by all denominations of dissent, and tending at once to subvert the unity of the church and corrupt the purity of the faith.
Now we perfectly agree with the venerable Archdeacon in the necessity of there being a legitimate and acknowledged priesthood in the church of Christ, in order that we may have "one Lord, one faith, and one baptism." It is peculiarly in this principle that the Saints of the last days rejoice, that when all men were bewildered and in darkness-when the vision of all was covered and had become as the words of a book that was sealed, that then the Lord again sent his holy messengers from on high to renew the covenant which man had broken, and gave them authority to administer his holy ordinances as in the beginning. Therefore, on the necessity of the existence and authority of the holy priesthood we fully agree with the reverend gentleman, but with regard to believing that his church possesses that authority, we beg leave politely to disagree; yet with regard to his remarks upon the authors of dissent, as quoted above, we have no feeling that harmonizes with his censure. However we might condemn dissenters from the principles of truth when dispensed by legal authority, yet we can, not unite with him in the condemnation of those characters whose names he has quoted, because in the day in which they lived, we recognize no people having the authority of God as connected with the priesthood. On the other hand we admire such characters, and say they were men in their respective days, that rose up to call in question an assumed authority, and that they did right to dispute the claims of a hierarchy which, we make bold to say, the Lord recognized not as a priesthood after the order of his glorified Son.
"A heresy, springing from such a source, and of the most pernicious tendency, has, within a few months, appeared among us; and, by the insidious manner in which its errors have been propagated, has, I lament to say, led away several from the truth, and has staggered, at least, if it has not shaken, the faith of others.-Having its origin in the United States of America, a land which the Almighty in His wisdom, perhaps also in His wrath, has permitted to present the sole example of a country in which the godless sentiment is avowed and acted on, that a state has nothing to do with religion, and that all forms of faith are equally right, or equally wrong; having for its founders two miserable men, who at the time they commenced their wicked project, could be looked on as no other than unbaptised heathens, having by their own confession, up to that time, been members of no religious sect, and having never been baptised [baptized], and whose first proceeding was a sacrilegious mockery of God's ordinances, by plunging one another in water; producing in support of its pretended claims, a book, which is to be put upon a level with the word of God in the Old and New Testaments, and of which it is doubtful whether the clumsiness of the forgery or the awfulness of the blasphemy it contains, is most remarkable; having such a origin, such founders, and such support, this sect of Latter Day heretics (for I will not prostitute the holy name they have assumed by applying it to them,) hath spread from the hot bed of errors and schisms where it arose, and hath begun to pollute the members of the catholic and apostolic Church of England and Ireland with its pestilential doctrines."
In a word, we deny his first assertion that the heresy of Mormonism has sprung from such a source. We disclaim it with our strongest feelings, as having sprung from a spirit of dissent; but we assert that those "two miserable men" were, through the teachings of heavenly messengers, made the instruments, in the hands of God, of commencing this glorious work of the last days; and that America, instead of being under the wrath of heaven in this respect, has been favored as the second birth-place of those glorious principles which shall renovate the world, and effectuate by their power the salvation or destruction of the present generation of men. And these principles having thus sprung from this hot bed of errors and schisms, have begun to pollute the members of the catholic and apostolic Church of England and Ireland with their pestilential doctrines. How lamentable! We should have almost supposed that a church so "apostolical" would have been impregnable to the attacks of America schism; we should have thought that the members of so a pure a church would have enjoyed the privilege of knowing whether the doctrines were of men or of God. We would, if we deemed it at all necessary, enter into the subject of examining the claims of the reverend gentleman's church to the title of apostolic, but we think it would really be a work of supererogation; for taking
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the New Testament accounts as the model of an Apostolical church, and then turning to contemplate the sect to which the writer belongs, we feel certain it will be sufficient to
"Look on this picture and on that."
"The leaders of this sect," says the archdeacon, "profess to believe in God the Eternal Father, and in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost; and so far as this is expressed it is the truth, but it may not be discovered by many who read or hear it, that it is not the whole truth."
With regard to our views of the Godhead they are before the public, being lately published in the STAR, in the fifth lecture on faith; and those views are not the results of human ingenuity or fanciful theory, but what the Lord has been pleased to reveal. And in this matter we rejoice that we have not been left to speculate with the unholy zeal of modern religionists on this important subject.
"They have blasphemed," continues the writer, "the holy name of Jesus, by recording of him ;things which he never did, and words which he never spoke, and making the belief of these lies necessary to man's salvation." "They have arrogantly pronounced, that for sixteen or seventeen hundred years there has been no true church of Christ extant upon the earth; that all the doctrines of the gospel have been corrupted, and the ordinances of our holy religion all polluted; and they have assumed to themselves to be sent by the power of the Most High, thus taking the name of the Lord in vain, by running when he hath not sent them."
The last quotations we have made are as miserable a piece of mere assertion as we ever read; we trust we have recorded nothing of the sayings of Jesus contrary to the principles of eternal truth, and we believe we are a little more jealous of the honor and authority of Jesus than the reverend gentleman, and are more willing to teach, and more ready to obey those precepts of the Redeemer, recorded in that book which he acknowledges, than either his reverence or any members of his "church apostolic."
What we make necessary to man's salvation is what the Lord Jesus Christ has taught us and declared necessary and we would warn the writer himself to give heed to his teachings, and receiving them in humility, obey them, or his present dignified standing in Babylon will not avail him in the day of trial.
That the doctrines of the gospel have been corrupted, and the ordinances of the house of the Lord have been changed, we not only assret [assert] but confidently maintain, and feel no hesiation [hesitation] in stating that the protestant church has not been far behind her ancient mother in committing this great sin for which "the curse shall devour the earth, and the inhabitants thereof shall be burnt up and few men left."-We would faithfully warn the reverend gentleman to bring his own church to the standard of the New Testament, and let him take heed that he be not one of those priests that shall be overwhelmed in the general destruction, when it shall be "as with priest so with the people."
"We have assumed to ourselves," says he, "to be sent by the power of God, thus taking the name of our Lord in vain, by running when he hath not sent them." This is a mere begging of the question. We assume nothing; but if the work with which we are connected have a divine origin, we cannot cease to know it, we dare not deny it. Who could have persuaded the apostle Paul that the work of the Lord was not true; could any one have made him believe that on his road to Damascus, he had not seen a light and heard a voice? So we rejoice to say it is with the Saints of God in the last days, manifold are his mercies, numerous are his blessings, and no power of man or satan can compel us to cease to know and confess the truths of the work of the lord.
"They have erred from the 'one faith,' once for all delivered unto the saints, and caused to err those who follow them. Thus they profess a belief that 'men will be punished for their own sins only, not for Adam's transgression,' which is the old heresy of Pelagius, condemned by the Church Catholic as soon as it arose, and by our church in the ninth article of religion: being contrary to the doctrine of the scriptures, that 'by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,' and that 'death,' the 'wages of sin,' 'reigned even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression; that is to say, over infants, who having done no actual sin, are yet subject to the inborn taint which they inherit.' And therefore, the church, according to scriptures, has ever held, what these heretics deny, that infants equally need purification and remission of this original sin, as grown persons need remission of actual offences [offenses]."
Of all doctrines that ever were ushered into the world or suggested by satan, surely that of the liability of infants who die, to go into punishment to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, is certainly the most horrible that can possibly be conceived, and it is the greatest outrage upon the principles of truth that ever was propounded unto man; and yet such is the doctrine advocated by this reverend divine. The gentleman quotes the passage that "by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin,'
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and that 'death,' the 'wages of sin,' 'reigned over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression; that is to say, over infants." We grant this, that in consequence of the fall, that death has reigned over all, but not the second death; no; 'for as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive.' Thus has the atoning sacrifice of our glorious Redeemer removed the curse of original sin from all the posterity of Adam, and man only becomes accountable unto God for what, as a rational intelligence he can be hold responsible for. And we would remind the rev gentleman, that whether infants have undergone the ordinance of his church or not, which we repeat is a solemn mockery before God, that of such is the kingdom of heaven.-By the fall of Adam his whole race were brought under condemnation, but through the fall of man obtained a knowledge of good and evil.-The atonement of Jesus has been amply sufficient to remove from a fallen world this original condemnation, and leaving us in the possession of the knowledge we have obtained of good and evil, we now according to our condition stand or fall before him.
But to assert that infants, who are not responsible agents, required an ordinance of baptism to obtain remission, is to slight the atonement of Jesus and tacitly declare that it is not sufficiently efficacious to cancel the misfortune of being borne [born] of sinful parents. Were we to suppose for a moment that his absurd doctrine were true, then let us suppose again that one of his order was unable to arrive in time to administer this ordinance, and the little infant expires before the performance of this rite, what are the consequences according to his doctrine? The child is gone to hell, to never-ending punishment. We will quote his words and say, 'hear this ye parents! Your lovely babe, over whose dying throes you hung with such anxiety, according to the horrible doctrine of this divine, is lost forever, because it has not undergone the 'solemn mockery' of infant sprinkling!!!
"The heresies in doctrine and errors in practice into which these teachers would lead their deluded followers, are supported, however, by a claim to the possession of supernatural powers; to a very brief consideration of which pretence [pretense] I request your attention. The powers claimed are three-fold,-the gift of tongues and their interpretation; of prophecy, visions, and the like; for miracles: and all these pretences [pretenses] are borrowed from other sects, which, even within our own memory, have been permitted to try our steadfastness in the faith."
We can afford the rev. gentleman to speak slightingly of the gifts of the spirit of God, for we know that his reiterated opinions can never alter truth, and that they who have been raised from beds of sickness by the ordinances of God's house, will be no less grateful to the Lord for his mercies, because Archdeacon Mant is pleased to deny them,. The ear that has been closed for a quarter of a century, and that is now open to listen to the word of life, will not close again in silence, because the fact may be questioned, neither will the eyes that were once veiled in
"Such black night as saw not with the day
All round it,'
but which have since been opened by the power of God, cease to sparkle with a grateful lustre [luster[ as they drink in the radiant beams of heaven. Let the learned divine close his eyes to the word of God, or shut his ears to the testimony of the Saints of God, he cannot mar their bliss, he cannot make one joy the less. We have extended our remarks already too much, but we cannot close without another quotation from the sermon.
"In the next place: avoid all arguments with those who have embraced any of these strange notions. Be assured, the devil will be ready enough to make them seem plausible and fair to you, and you have no right to expect God will support you in a contest or argument into which you needlessly throw yourselves. Avoid these false teachers, and their disciples, and be satisfied to 'hold fast the form of sound words' delivered by the Church of Christ through the agency of rightly ordained ministers.
Lastly: beware of that curious disposition, that itchingness of the ears, which leads men in these days to run after preaching wherever it is to be found-which is still seeking some new thing; and that false liberality, or rather irregular freedom which leads men, for the sake of hearing this or that preacher, to run as indifferently to the dissenting meeting, or to the Methodist preaching house, or to any other denomination of sectaries, as they would go to church' to be edified by the prayers, instructed by the doctrine, and nourished by the sacraments administered there by the duly ordained ministers of Christ,"
We think our last extract needs no comment and will venture, notwithstanding the gentleman's counter advice, to conclude with the words of Paul, "Prove all things, and hold fast that which is good."
DREAM OF SISTER ROBINSON, OF THE ISLE OF MAN.
At the time this dream was given (May 10, 1842) there was a great religious excitement
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amongst the different sects in the island. She and her husband returning home from a meeting, had to pass a Primitive Methodist preaching held in the Wellington Hall. The sermon was finished, and the after-prayer or revival meeting was at its height, when sister Robinson felt an anxious desire to go in and see the meeting. The people appeared to be very ardent and zealous, and our sister after her return home, was very wishful to know if there was no reward for them hereafter, as their sincerity and labor seemed to be great, according to the light they had. She retired to rest and dreamt the following dream:-
She thought that Elder Reid came from a journey, to her house, fatigued and wanting supper, but would have nothing but eggs, and having none in the house, she went to market to purchase some. There she saw many crowds of people collected together. She first went to a young woman that had eggs to sell, who had them covered with a clean white cloth; but after taking off the cloth and looking at the eggs, she perceived that they were all spotted and speckled, and apparently had rings round them. She asked if they were the only eggs she had, and the woman said, yes. She then went to six or seven other persons who had eggs to sell, and remarked each lot covered with a clean cloth, the same as the first, but found them all spotted and speckled like the first. She then saw a person dressed in the habit of the Society of Friends who attracted her attention: he, also, was an egg seller. She accosted him as she had the others; he stated he had eggs to dispose of, the best in the fair, but when she lifted up the cloth and discovered them to be like the others, she was angry with him, and told him she thought they were wild bird eggs, and that he must be selling them to deceive the people. She then asked him if there were no white eggs in the market; he told her there were, at the same time pointing to a man on the opposite side of the fair, but telling her that he who sold them was not considered altogether right in his mind, and those who purchased of him were considered the same. She replied she did not care what was said, for she would have white eggs if she could get them. She then went to this man and asked if he had got white eggs, he said yes, and he had them under clean straw, and not a clean cloth as the others; she enquired [inquired] how he sold them; he replied he did not sell them but gave them, and she might take as many as she wanted. She stated that she waned a dozen, which he directed her to count out; she did so as she thought, but he perceiving that she had only taken eleven, pointed out the error, and told her take another; she did take up another, and underneath was a pamphlet entitled "Mormon Delusion," and he told her that if she would take the pamphlet and read it, it would give her a correct description of the religious sects and parties, and that it was written by the Rev. Robert Aitken, formerly of the Isle of Man, but then at St. John the Evangelist's church at Liverpool. He told her that the speckled eggs were representation of the different churches of christendom, none of which were recognized as the pure church by the Father as his church and kingdom, and that the small white eggs were representatives of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She returned home with the eggs, and rejoiced to reflect that amongst the many eggs sold in the market, only one persou [person] had white eggs, and she had got some of them without money and without price.
We would reply Mr. Aitken never did write a pamphlet entitled "Mormon Delusion," but he preached a sermon at the opening of Zion Chapel, Waterloo Road, London, on Sunday Dec. 2nd, 1838, from which we make the following extract, illustrative of the instruction she received from the person who gave her the eggs.
There has been the revelation of the man of sin; and there has been, as foretold, the mystery of iniquity in full operation; but a temple of God, or church of Christ, there has not been, and there is not at this present moment; else the glory of the Lord would be there, and the gathering of the nations would be there, and the riches of the princes of the earth would be there, and the gifts of the Spirit would be there. God hath not a dwelling place on Zion; there is no treasury-house to deposit his riches; there is no banqueting-room, to manifest his glory.
My beloved hearers, can I have any interest in making matters worse than they really are? Is there any sorrow, and I have not my part in it? Is there any grief which I do not share? Do you ask me if these things are so? Is God then left without a witness? No, blessed be God, he has many individual witnesses to his truth, as well as to his saving power. The very churches that are now in existence, and that most certainly are not built upon the foundation stone, which is Christ, are witnesses for the truth of God. Every one of them appears to have fastened upon a single, though an important truth; and each sect and party has held up the individual truth which it has separately chosen for its real foundation stone, to the churches and to the world. Thus the very wickedness and folly of the existing churches have been overruled by ;the providence of God,
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and have become outstanding witnesses to many of the great truths of God. Thus, although none of them is God's temple, or the depository of God's gift, or the resting place of his glory-because none of them is erected upon the foundation stone, and according to God's pattern-yet all of them put together, manifest the excellency of many important truths which the church of Christ will exhibit in their fulness [fullness] when it is established upon the earth.
After enumerating the peculiarities of the various leading sects of the day, which he considers as consistent with the principles of eternal truth, he thus continues:
O, my God, my God! I have, according to the light which thou hast given me, glanced at every would-be christian church of the day, and I see all is of man's building; and although each of them is, to some extent, promoting thy glory, by exhibiting one or more of thy blessed truths, yet each of them is marring thy glory, and is only rubbish, which must be removed before thou canst lay thy foundation stone in Zion. Every living stone, in each of the churches, is so debaubed with filth, and so broken as to its jointing, that methinks thou must go to the quarry of nature, hard though it be, rather than to the old, battered, and defiled materials that are scattered throughout the churches.
My beloved hearers, my soul is in heaviness, and what am I to do-to build? I am willing, but where am I to build? I see what ought to be, but how to forward the purpose of God in temple-work, I know not-I know how to go about the conversion of a sinner; and success has proved that, in this, I am not mistaken; but where is the foundation of the temple to be laid? When shall the Lord my God discover his little hill of Zion? Do; any of you ask me, in what condition is your own little sect and party, my friends? I am ashamed of the terms, sect and party; but since things must have names, names they must have. My reply is a short but painful one. Some few who are connected with me are weeping and groaning, like myself, day and night, because there is no resting place for the ark of the Lord: because there is no living temple for the manifestation of the glory of our God, Many hundreds of others are mere babes in Christ, newly begotten of the Lord; like little children they are joyful in their God, rejoicing in their first love; and they are not yet ripe for bearing the burden of the Lord; and the remainder are neither more nor less than the Methodists, and I have taught them to be so. O my God, help me, for man cannot. Man has not brought me into this dilemma, and man cannot take me out of it. This much I have reason to be thankful for. I am not in a humor to be led away by any foolish fantasy of man, or of satan's devising. I will, by God's help, have clear direction from God, and solid gospel ground, for every step; but stand still I will not-stand still I dare not, unless it be to wait the direction of my God; and if the road lead to the stake, by the help of my God, I will take it. I will have temple-building work, and temple-building blessings, else I will fail in the attempt. This morning I was blessed by the application of this truth to my mind-"God has chosen the little hill of Zion." The mountains and the hills around leaped with rage, because the Lord made choice of the little hill; and I have felt convinced ever since, that if some score or two of devoted christians, filled with the spirit, were to come together, and be of one accord, and cry unto God day and night, God would come to Zion; God would lay the foundation stone, or rather, build them upon the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the head of the corner. God would restore temple-building gifts, and the temple-building blessings. God would raise a church that would become a praise in the earth; and through that church, the earth would soon be filled with the glory of the Lord.
That all of you may have a clear apprehension of what is wanted-yea, of what is promised; of what a christian church must be, before Christ can be said to reign in Zion, I shall give you a very slight sketch of the promised Bible church. And, oh, what a picture presents itself to my mind! The blessed Jesus is the first stone, and the alone foundation. The apostles and prophets, the second row this building, were like the foundation, and had their purity, their wisdom and power, by virtue of their union with him! and the remaining stones must be like unto these, else, built upon the same foundation they never can be. The whole power of the church must be from Christ-and it must be like unto these, else, built upon the same foundation they never can be. The whole power of the church must be from Christ-and it must be nothing less than the power of Christ. Every member of the church must be like Christ; and the life, and purpose, and policy of the church, must be that of the precious foundation. Such a Zion the Lord will build, such a church the Lord must have; and he will bring his treasures into it; and his gifts as well as his graces shall be there; and he will gloriously manifest his presence and his power there. Yea, he will glorify the house of his glory; and by such a church he will subjugate the kingdoms of the earth; and through the instrumentality of its members, the whole earth shall be filled with the glory of God. O! ye that sigh for the temple-building blessings, begin the work of repentance. Repent! repent! because ye have usurped the prerogatives
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of God! Ye have had ministers of your own choosing, instead of those of God's sending; ye have had forms of government of you own devising, instead of bringing the lawgiver to Zion by your prayers; ye have had your own way in every thing, and ye have sought your own glory and not the glory of God. "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!"
We have been much astonished at the sentiments contained in the foregoing extracts, at the light which the individual has had of what is truth; and we cannot but lament that his own course has led him, not to the fulness [fullness] of the gospel and the kingdom of God, but to become associated with one of the very churches he condemns as having no claim upon the title of the Church of Christ; but so it is, let the light of truth break in upon the human mind, and let the individual after rejoicing in the light for a season reject it, and who shall describe the darkness in which he is involved! but while such is the course of man, let the saints rejoice in the truth of God, knowing that it is their privilege to be associated with the kingdom of the Redeemer, to have their minds illuminated by his spirit, to judge all things, and to be instrumental in raising a temple for his glory, and in the building up of his people, in order that they may receive the dominion, and reign with him at his coming.-When we read the pointed facts stated by the Rev. gentleman whose words we have quoted, and read his lamentations and mournings because the Lord has no house upon the earth and kingdom of his own organization which he can acknowledge and bless as such, our own feelings are those of gratitude and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father; in the first place for an existence in the flesh at the time when he has commenced his glorious work; and secondly that we have been favoured [favored] with hearing the gospel of the kingdom, and especially that we have been led to the obedience of faith, so as to realize for ourselves that assurance and that spirit which can be enjoyed only by obeying the precepts and keeping the commandments of the King of Zion. Does the Lord need a temple in which to manifest his glory and bestow his blessings upon his people? we know such an object shall be speedily consummated.-Must the nations of the earth be gathering to Zion? it is ours to behold the hand of the Lord manifested in this also-to behold the little stone cut out of the mountain without hands, rolling onward in majesty; and while the nations of the earth are perplexed, and a general and almost universal paralysis seems to affect the sources of prosperity, it is our privilege to be connected with a growing kingdom, destined never to be destroyed, but, like a phenix [phoenix], rise from the ashes of a world, to become irradiated and adorned with the splendours [splendors] of heaven, and to repose in the light of the presence of God.
*** Elders James Higbee, jur. and Z. H. Brewster, of Springfield, Sangamo county, have been cut off from membership, by the authorities of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
JAMES ADAMS, President.
*** Should any elders be passing through, or near, Fredericksburgh, Virginia, they are particularly requested, by Elder Francis H. Bell, to call and visit the small branch of the church in that place.
TIMES AND SEASONS.
CITY OF NAUVOO,
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 1843.
The Editor of a small paper, published in St. Louis, that has lately sprung into existence, called "The Ariel," has been pleased to animadvert rather unceremoniously, and surely not very courteously, upon the Times and Seasons. Scarcely having broken the shell, and certainly not fully fledged; not being able to stand alone, and laboring severely under the hallucinations of a disordered brain, he has seen fit to stagger forth unfledged, and make a wanton, uncalled for, unprovoked "PECK" at us-and as it is the nature of geese to fly, no doubt, but that while staggering on the brink of the nest, gaping like a young goslin for what might be crammed down his throat, he fancied in the wild flight of his imagination, that he was soaring on high, and making his nest in the clouds that the earth was under his control-that he was king of the feathered tribe and lord of the skies. Poor thing, he knew not that he was wallowing in his own nest, subject to the control of others, and besmeared with the filth of his own making, every time he flapped his featherless wings, exposing his own nakedness, discommoding others, even of the same brood, and stirring up the foul effluvia with which he was enveloped. We should not have noticed the creature at all, had he not, with the flapping of his wings, cast some of his dirt at us; as it is, we shall give him a gentle admonition to keep out of our path-and let him go.
We think of all people in the world, the inhabitants of the state of Missouri, ought to be the last to say any thing about the Mormons
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whether we refer to their judges or officers, military or civil; their governors, legislators, priests, people or editors. Holding fraudulently, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property, the plunder of legalized banditti, and their garments yet dripping with the blood of the innocent, with administrators too corrupt to award justice, and a legislature too dishonest to refund their ill gotten gain; we repeat it again-of all people in the world, they ought to be the last to say any thing about Mormonism.
We have observed, that for some time, the editors and legislators have been silent on this subject: and we presume if this featherless goslin had waited till he had been better informed, he would also have been dumb; but now to the point. Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, peoples, and tongues, and let it penetrate the ears of all mankind, that a young spright, having only bustled a few weeks in an editorial atmosphere, an editor (?) of Missouri, has in the bright hallucinations of his editorial manomani, pronounced the Times and Seasons to be a "semi monthly issue of trash" but why is it so? Wherein is there any thing that is foolish, weak, ludicrous, evil, or injurious?-Our worthy editor has not told us. But is it not enough that he has said it! Bow therefore, O ye nations with respectful deference, to his ip si-dixit, for he is a worthy scion, of a famous stock. He further states, without adducing one solitary testimony, "if any sober enquirer [inquirer], who really can look through the veil that hides hypocrisy, will examine that journal, he will probably come to the same conclusion that we have." We are at a loss to know whether the worthy editor knows the meaning of hypocrisy or not; as he has not assigned any reason why the Times and Seasons are hypocritical. To stir up his 'pure mind, by way of remembrance,' we will refer him to an instance or two. When an organized Missouri mob, under the direction of the governor of that state, went to Far West, ostensibly for the purpose of restoring order, and sustaining the law; but in reality for the purpose of robbing, plundering, and murdering, we should call it an act of 'hypocrisy.' When Judge King called a court, professedly for the purpose of trying according to law and evidence, a number of persons, who had been taken under mob law, and thrust into prison; but for the real purpose of condemning them without evidence, and not allowing them to bring any of their witnesses into court; the whole of the examination being exparte, under pretence [pretense] of law; we should call it an act of 'hypocrisy.' When the legislature, knowing these facts, having been memorialized on the subject, yet to screen their iniquity, published a book from the record of those exparte documents, and called it a true record of facts, published by authority, we should call it an act of 'hypocrisy.' When the legislature of Missouri, after knowing that the Mormons had been robbed of hundreds of thousands of dollars, voted two thousand dollars "for the relief of the suffering poor," merely for the sake of hiding their corruption, we should call it an act of 'hypocrisy.' We wonder whether our immaculate editor, who can see so clearly through the "veil of hypocrisy," ever discerned these things? And lastly, when an editor undertakes to call things "trash," and applies the epithet of "hypocrisy" to things of which he can give no account, nor render any reason why they are so, we think that he means to deceive the public, and call it an act of 'hypocrisy.'
We next have given to us a communication, signed "A Mormon," as a specimen of Mormon literature. If our space would admit, we should be glad to compare it with some of the official documents of the dignitaries of Missouri. We would indeed produce some precious specimens of Missouri literature. The following, one example out of many, written by a justice of the peace, we give "verbatim, et literatim, et punctuatim; et spelatim."
"I Adam Black a justice of the peace of Davis County do here by sertify [certify] to the People caled [called] mormin [Mormon] that he is bound to suport [support] the consticution [constitution] of this State & the United States & he is not attached to eny [any] mob nor willnt [will not] attach his self to eny [any] such people and so long as they will not molst [molest] me I will not molest them.
ADAM BLACK, J. P.
This the 8 day of august 1838"
Our worthy editor next advises a Mormon to read his Bible. We will give him a quotation. Perhaps he can "see through the vail [veil]." Isa. 29:1, "Woe to Ariel-to-"Ariel." But he tells us that he is to be aided by some judicious commentary. Perhaps the Rev. Isaac McCoy, a missionary of the Baptist order, who was one of the foremost of the mob in Jackson county, and held a tar bucket while some men were being tarred and feathered, would be able to write a very able commentary. Or the redoubtable Bogart, a Methodist minister, of mobocratic memory, who, after killing numbers of the Saints, killed a Missourian, and preached his way to Texas, might write a good commentary. Or if they failed, the Rev. Sessiel Wood, or Jabbot Hancock,
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of the Presbyterian order, who headed a mob in Carrol county, might be able; and if they should fail, we flatter ourselves that we could write a commentary, both for the worthy editor of the Arial and his excellent coadjutors, the priests.
RECOMMENDATORY.
To all whom it may concern!-
Be it known that Brother G. J. ADAMS, the bearer of these presents, has been designated by the Holy Spirit, appointed and set apart by the voice of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in Nauvoo, to accompany Elder Orson Hyde, who has just returned from Jerusalem, on a mission to Saint Petersburgh [Petersburg], in Russia; to be one of the messengers to introduce the fulness [fullness] of the glorious gospel of the Son of God, to the people of that vast empire.
Brother Adams, after several years of successful labors in the Eastern States, and also in England, has now returned to this place and rendered an account of his ministry and course of life, and is found worthy of the confidence of the saints and of being associated with Elder Hyde in the performance of this highly important mission to a foreign land. He is therefore authorized and required to raise all the funds he possibly can to defray the expenses of said mission, by donations from the saints and from all other persons who may be friendly disposed towards a good cause. Let not the people suffer the petitions of this man to reach their ears in vain, but let them remember that all they have belongeth to the Lord, and that it is the Lord's good pleasure to add to the stewardship of such as freely and liberally open their hearts, and their purses, at the call of his servants, to send forth the word of life to the nations of the earth. Will you suffer these men to go forth among strangers empty? Shall they blow the trumpet all the day long, encounter the obstacles and persecutions at home, the tribulations and hardships of foreign countries, with none to administer the oil of gladness, or aid with the unrighteous mammon?
In conclusion, I would say, if you regard the word of the Lord, through your friend and Brother, Joseph Smith, withhold not your substance from Brothers Hyde and Adams, but as you bestow upon them, so some hand shall bestow upon you.
I remain, as ever, your brother and servant, in the kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: Amen.
JOSEPH SMITH,
Presiding Elder, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, &c.
A DISCOURSE,
Delivered by Elder Amasa Lyman, at the Conference.
It is with a degree of satisfaction that I address you, after the variety that has graced the feast during the last few days, in which the beasts, spoken of by Daniel and John have been served up in good style, and rendered quite palatable.
On reflecting upon the subjects that have been agitated and discussed since the sitting of our conference, it has occurred to my mind that nothing has been said in direct reference to the Book of Mormon, a belief in the truth of which, constitutes one of the peculiar characteristics by which we as Latter Day Saints are distinguished from those who do not believe in any revelations but those contained in the Bible. My reasons for offering such reflections on this subject as shall be suggested to my mind, are, that they may chance to fall upon the ear of some one enquiring [inquiring] after the truth: being aware that I also address a number who are called with me to take a part in bearing the truth before the world, to rend asunder the veil of darkness that has obscured the light of truth, and let it shine in the face of men. In making my remarks I shall not dwell upon the scripture, but offer some plain reasons that may be deduced from certain plain statements in the scriptures, thus learning who, according to the Bible, reason and good logic, are deceived in believing, and impostors for teaching, as do the Latter Day Saints; and believing that God ever did and ever will give revelations for the salvation of mankind; and others for teaching as they do, and professing to believe that all revelations is contained in the Bible. To carry out the investigation proposed we shall be led to inquire after the facts upon which is predicated the necessity of revelation to any of the numerous progeny of Adam, in any portion of the habitable earth. To commence, then, we ask the question, had Jehovah an object in the creation of the human race? if so, the nature of that object? that we may be prepared to judge whether it could be accomplished without revelation or not. That we may learn that he had an object, and something of its nature, we will hear the words of the apostle Paul to the Hebrews, ii : 10, For it became him for whom are all ;things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Here we have a statement by inspiration, in relation to the purpose of God, in the creation of man, which was to make them sons of God. That we my be satisfied whether there exists a possibility that he
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should be foiled in his purpose or change his mind, we will hear the testimony of James i : 17, Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness neither shadow of turning. If the apostle has told the truth in this matter we cannot expect a change to suit the caprice of the creature man; we have already learned that the purpose of God was to bring many sons unto glory; that it was impossible to accomplish this without revelation, we infer from the scriptural testimony; for, say the evangelist, "he, the Lord came to his own but his own received him not, but unto as many as received him gave he power to become the sons of God, even as many as believed on his name." By this scripture we learn that men had power to become the sons of God by believing on the name of Jesus. The question here arises, could they have had it without? if so, then we must charge the omnipotent God with an incompetency of judgement [judgment] that would disgrace beings of less capacity than himself by calling into requisition means that the accomplishment of his work did not require. Inasmuch then as it was his purpose to make sons of the human race, there was left no alternative but to reveal himself or not accomplish his object in the creation of men. From our examination of this subject thus far, we learn that the accomplishment of the object for which men were created demanded that God should reveal himself-for says the Apostle Paul, "How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall he preach except he be sent?" Again: the justice of God requires that he should give to his creatures as manifestation of his law, that he might, in justice, bring them into judgment before him, that every creature might receive according to their works. Having reasoned thus far in relation to the principles that govern revelation, we learn that, just as sure as God did purpose from before the foundation of the world to save men, so sure it is that he purposed to reveal himself for its accomplishement [accomplishment]. We will conclude our reasoning on this point with a reference to the declaration of Jesus, recorded by John: "This is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent;" and 'no man' says the apostle, 'can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." For the history of the facts from which we have made the preceding deductions, we are indebted to the Bible-and for the Bible, we are indebted to the Jews. The next thing to be examined, is the extent to which the Bible record may be applicable to the human family, as a rule to fix their future destinies in the day of retribution according to their works. To set this matter in order, and upon principles not to be mistaken, we shall commence and aportion the scriptures as they were given, and as they must appear in that day when the books are opened, and the dead judged out of the things written in them. What portion, then, will it be by which the people anterior to the flood can be justified or condemned, but that which was revealed to them, so that the judgment of that people make use of that portion of the Bible given to them-the people from Noah to Moses, that portion revealed to them-from Moses to Christ, that portion given to them-which takes us through the Old Testament, and when the people to whom the apostles preached the gospel shall come into judgment, it will require the word spoken to them. Thus we have used all revelations of God in both Old and New Testaments, and but a small portion of the family of man yet received their doom. Thus far our investigation has been confined to the dealing of God with that portion of the human race located on the continent of Asia, and have made that portion of the earth the principal theatre [theater] of all His wondrous works; but we will now enlarge our view of the subject, and cast a look across the wide waste of waters, where the great western continent stretches itself between the two extremities, North and South, with its unnumbered millions of inhabitants, and inquire if they bear the same relation to God as the people of Asia. If we contemplate their physical organization and mental endowments, we find them the same. If the fact that the Greek, the Jew, or the Roman were not able to "believe on him of whom they had not heard," it was equally so with the American-so that, reasoning from analogy, we conclude them to be a part of the same great family, blessed with the same endowments, subjected to the ills of mortality, and the same inability so save themselves from the ruinous effects of the fall.
But to show to every reflecting mind that if the Bible is true, our conclusions are correct, we will now advert to some statements in the scriptures. We commence with Acts, 17: 26, "And hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell upon all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation." we would here remark that if there is any truth or good sense in the word of the Apostle, that wherever there are nations of men that dwell on the face of the earth they are of the same blood-made by the same God and Father of all, consequently bearing the same relation to God, by creation. But have they, we would now enquire [inquire], been
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equal sharers in the rich promises made for the salvation of men, and revealed in Asia? Admitting the truth of the religious dogmas which say that the Bible contains all revelations of the age, we answer they have not, for it was not until about the end of the fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth century that the vast continent on which we dwell became known to modern geographers, thus opening the way that the Canonical law might visit the western continent, whereas the Scriptures inform us that as early as the founding of Babel, a few years subsequent to the flood, men were scattered into all the earth, according to Genesis 11: 8. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of ALL the EARTH, and they left off building the city. America, therefore, must have received her portion. But, says the grave objector to the faith of the Saints, how came they here, as the art of ship building was not known? At the same time, however, he will tell us, with all the apparent sanctity that religion can inspire, that he believes the Bible with its account, that God took dust and made a man, and him a living soul-but still; can have no conception how he could, not make men, but merely transport them to this part of the earth; for the moment we leave the objector to wonder at the deep mystery of his own ignorance, while we examine a little farther the tendency of that anti-biblical doctrine which tells us that the Bible contains all the words of God, which word, says the Savior, is to judge all men at the last day; to which also agrees the declaration of John, who says, Revelations 20: 12, "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." The revelator here speaks of a plurality of books, which the advocates of many of the religious dogmas of the age tell us is the Old and the New Testaments-a flimsy evasion of the truth, but in perfect keeping with the bigotry and holy ignorance of the age. For present convenience we suppose ourselves having an existence in the time when all the numerous progeny of Adam are called into judgment before God, in whom there is no injustice whatever, to be judged out of the things written in the books according to their works, the men of Asia, Africa, or Europe, might be required to pass under the ordeal of the word there written from the fact that he might have been one of the favored few to whom God had had respect in the day of revelation in the east, but in the vast assemblage we find a multitude whose lot has not been cast in the great theatre [theater] of revelation in Asia, who, if the popular theories of the age are correct, must have lived in ignorance of those sublime truths which are found in the Bible, so that we not only find them brought to be judged and condemned for not having kept a law they never knew, but for the first time to have the idea suggested to their minds of its existence, or the existence of a God, to whom they were amenable. I speak of those who dwelt here anterior to the discovery of this continent by the Europeans. Humanity shudders at the thought. Justice outraged, retires from the scene, while a shade, blacker than midnight, is cast on the character of that God in whom all perfection dwells. Angels unnumbered weep over the scene. Millions of human beings consigned to eternal fire, because they have not obeyed a law they never heard. Shame-shame to the intelligent man or woman that would believe it; and condemnation and perdition to them that teach it. But John heard individuals around the throne of God saying that they had been redeemed out of every kindred, tongue, people and nation, and were made unto God kings and priests. Revelations, 5:9. And as men were not made kings and priests in Asia without revelations, we conclude that, as in God there is "no shadow of turning," it required the same cause to produce the same effect in America.-This principle carried out, would extend the benefits of revelation to all people; that when they are brought into judgment, and the books opened, out of which they are to be judged, it will be the law they have known-consequently by it they are either justified or condemned.-Thus God is just, and the protecting ægis of the plan of salvation is universally thrown around suffering humanity. Thus the justice, mercy, and immutability of God, together with the necessities of the creature man, form the considerations that influence the counsels of omnipotence in preparing the means of salvation.
THE JEWS.
The following very singular notions of the Jews, with regard to their resurrection, will, no doubt, be read with interest by many of the curious, especially the lovers of Jewish literature. We do not give publicity to it to establish the idea that the Jews believe in the resurrection.-This every intelligent man must concede. The Jews, as a body-those that were considered orthodox, at least-always believed in the resurrection, as the scriptures abundantly testify.-There was a sect in our Savior's day, that did not believe in the resurrection, nor in angels or spirits; but they were very inconsiderable. Their doctrines were considered unpopular and false,
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and Paul in his day had nothing to do but to proclaim himself a believer in the resurrection, to obtain a temporary protection from the Pharisees, at least in the time of his difficulty.-ED.
To the EDITOR of the TIMES & SEASONS.
SIR: If you should judge the following remarks interesting your readers, they are at your disposal.
The gospel says "Blindness in part has happened in Israel," &c. The reader of this will perceive how far the apostle was correct in his assertion, The resurrection is one of the important subjects of faith amongst them. The most of them believe it. Every Jew is commanded to rehearse the thirteen articles of faith daily. The last of the thirteen is: "I believe, with a perfect faith, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, at the time when it shall please the Creator, blessed and exalted be his name forever." The following is the opinion of the Rabbies [Rabbis] on the subject:
Rabbi Manasse Ben Israel says in Nishmath Cajim: "we find many proofs of the resurrection in the five Books of Moses and the Prophets. Faith in it is essential and godly. Those who say the resurrection cannot be proven from the law, bar themselves out from the communion of the saints, and deny a particular point of the law. All such are heretics and infidels, and will have no part in the world to come, and be deprived of eternal life."
R. Isaac Aberhaph in his Menorat Hamoor, says: "Who denies the resurrection, or one miracle contained in the law, denies the whole law, and will have no part in the world to come, in Talm Tract Sanhedrin. Those that deny the resurrection, can have no part in it, because it is one of the great properties of God to pay with the same measure wherewith we have measured, and according to every sin we shall be punished." Why is the resurrection not named in the law of Moses? R. Baccay answers: "It is one of the mightiest matters of the law to be very short and brief." Mysterious things, the shorter and more mysterious, the more difficult is the explanation; and you find, generally, short accounts of mysterious things-for instance: in the creation of the world you find but a short account upon the light, while the third day has a full description. Even so with the waters above to the waters beneath. Furthermore, all promises wherewith Moses encourages the seed of Adam diligently to keep the commandments, are bodily, that man might more easily believe his words, and press forward on their own account to reach a higher state of felicity. This makes him to be so short on the subject. Would he have attempted at that time to impress this truth on their dark minds, they would not have believed him; because it was a future and distant subject, and what proofs could he have given them? A wise and diligent searcher of the Bible will find out the sacred hints of it by degrees, and then he will search more diligently, which he would not have done if he had seen it all at once. At the time when the dead shall rise, the Rabbies [Rabbis] give the following: R. Isaac Abarbanel says, on Isaiah 18:3: "The prophet would gather the dispersed Jews at the last day, and at the same time performing the wonderful work of the resurrection from the dead, then all those dwelling upon the earth will acknowledge the high and lofty one." R. D. Kimchi is of the same opinion. He says, on Isaiah 66:5: "You that are in trouble about the word of the Lord, when it will come at last, your God in whom you trust, will fulfil [fulfill] unto you his promises." Rabbi Naphtali in Emakhamelek puts the resurrection forty years after the gathering together of the Jews. The proofs he takes from Psalms 147:2, 3. The Jalkut Kodosh and Medrash Neelam agrees with him, from which the Abarbanel concludes that the redemption of the Jews must undoubtedly be in the year of the world 5294-A. D., 1534, and the resurrection 5335-A. D., 1575. R. Bacay takes a different view. From Deuteronomy 30:15, he says: "If one compares this place, which begins with the first verse and ends with the tenth, and which, undoubtedly, speaks on the redemption, it will appear from this that the resurrection will be 206 years after the redemption-because the Hebrew has 206 in number. In the Song of Solomon it is said: "Unto thee, Solomon, are due one thousand" but unto the keepers of his fruit two hundred. Understand 206-he would shew [show] thee with it that the resurrection from the dead would be 206 years after Spiritual Solomon, viz: Messiah which would spring from him: you must understand this verse, then, in the following manner: When Solomon and the Messiah, which is the Prince of Peace, will make their appearance (after their allowed time, 1,000 years,) then shall the keepers of his fruits, (those that kept his commandments,) 206 years afterwards, be raised from the dead. Who shall perform the resurrection? In Aphkat Rackel it is said: "All Israel, young and old, must believe that in future the most holy God will quicken the dead, call them forth out of the dust, and unite their souls to their bodies. R. Joseph Albo says: "Because this is so supernatural, the men of the large congregation, Ezra and his collego [college], attribute it only to the power of God, and for this reason, in compiling the prayer, have said this blessing: 'Thou art powerful to raise the dead.'
R. Jacanan counts three keys the Lord kept wherewith he would trust no messenger, viz:
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1st. The key of the Womb-Genesis 30:22.
2d. The keys of the Rain-Deut. 28:12.
3d. The key of Raising the Dead-Ezekiel 37:13.
Talmuh Tract Sanhedrin and Bereshith Rabba agree with Rabbi Jocanan. Others attribute the resurrection to the Messiah. The Medrash Mihle R. Levi ber Gerohonon, Deuteronomy 34:10, literally then, should not be a prophet like Moses; but Messiah would be a greater prophet: he would be the prophet of all nations-and this his general power he would prove by the resurrection from the dead.
Some Rabbies [Rabbis] attribute the power of raising the dead to the righteous and godly, and they also bring their proofs from the Bible. R. Jonathan finds a proof in Zechariah 8:4, and Second Kings 4:29-even as Elijah and Elisha raised the dead, even so in future all righteous, old men and women with their sticks, will raise the dead. See Talmud Tract Resokim.
In the book Emek Hameleck it is said that those only which have embraced the Jewish religion will have power to raise the dead. The proofs are taken from Isaiah 65:20, saying those who did not embrace the Jewish religion before the coming of Messiah, he will not acknowledge them: then they will be ashamed at their obstinacy-repent and die-afterward the righteous will raise them. The same is said in Jalkut Kadash.
The Sohar speaks differently on the subject.-Those who died in the promised land will rise 40 years before those who died without its boundary. Now every one that dies without and has but one relative there to mourn for him, can rest most assuredly to profit by the resurrection, because his relative in the promised land has power to raise all his kinsmen who died out of it. But this quickening is connected with a painful sensation, called by them Gilgool Meholus, the rolling in the caves beneath. R. Elias means the corps rolls itself, under the earth, to the Romish land. That this is possible, says Rabbi Akiba, at the time when the dead shall rise, God Almighty will come down from the highest Heaven, set himself upon his Throne at Jerusalem. Jeremiah 3:17. Then he will call his ministering spirits and angels and say: My sons, I have had no other motive in your creation than that you should do me a favor at this hour. Lord of the Universe, will they say, we are ready to fulfil [fulfill] all thy commands. Well, says the praiseworthy, walk through the whole earth; go in the four parts, lift up the surface of the earth, so that there might be a cave, but in such a manner that every righteous person will have his own cave, and bring unto me, every one separately, the righteous N., son of N. the good N * * * Bring me all those who have labored for my namesake, that they may not torment themselves long. I will quicken them in the land of Israel. At this all the angels go forth in the four parts to take hold of the four corners to lift her up, according to Job 38:13. Draw out the ungodly, and in that manner make the caves so that they might roll themselves into the promised land. Then God himself will quicken them, to the comfort of those who are afraid of this troublesome journey. The book Avodath Hakodash promises that the righteous out of the promised land will stand upright in their caves, and go there. The Rabbies [Rabbis] all agree that this journey will be painful. Talmut Tract Ketuboth and Sohar show the occasion, viz: The passengers will be plagued by the powers of Darkness. The Jews believe the world is parted among the seventy nations, and they call the rulers of them Chipa Devils when they pass through their dominion, and this is the reason that they are so much afraid of it, and many in their old age go to Jerusalem to die. They believe a fear of it is discovered by the patriarchs Jacob and Joseph, who were, most assuredly, good; and yet they commanded to be taken to the promised land, so that they might not robe themselves there. See Talkut Kadash, R. Solman Jarkian and Genesis 39:20. the place where those who roll themselves, will come-out is Mount Olivet, according to the Chaldaic translation 8:5, Song of Solomon. Solomon prophesies there that at the resurrection, Mount Olivet will open itself so that the righteous may come out of it, but the wicked will be drawn out of their graves like a stone out of a sling.-Zechariah 14:4. In Abodah Hakadash Rabbi Simeon, son of Jacay and Pesikta Raba, are of the same opinion. The reason of this painful and troublesome journey, is that the Almighty might swear unto them that they never should be carried from their land. He will do it in the following manner: The Holy One, blessed be his name, will let down the Heavenly Jerusalem with the already finished Temple, which never will be destroyed, and because in future the souls of the Jews will always remain with God, they (body and soul,) could not be united together in any other place but such as will remain forever, according to Isaiah 4:3. Now in like manner as the body of Zebaoth is holy and lives forever, even so shall the righteous be called holy and live forever. There are some Rabbies [Rabbis]who deny the rolling altogether. R. Abarbane denies the rolling. He says, on Isaiah 18: Because the resurrection will take place in all the world, then the nations of the earth will be afraid and tremble: yea, even those of the Euphrates, and will send messengers upon the Sea
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unto the land of the children of Israel, acknowledging that the law comes out of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Most assuredly when they shall see their dead come out of the graves and hear them call upon the name of Jehovah, and openly acknowledge their faith in Messiah, then will they (the heathen,) also call upon the name of Jehovah, and worship him with one mind and one spirit.
[TO BE CONTINUED.]
(Published by request.)
PHILADELPHIA, APRIL 5TH, 1843.
Elder Whipple:
Dear Brother,-Time, as it rolls along, developing in its progress the true characters of men and things, occasionally brings to our remembrance our friends, our brethren and our promises. Actuated by these feelings of un-alloy and pleasure, I sit down this afternoon to while away an hour or two, to write to you, in order that I may tell you a few things past, present, and to come.
I would then inform you first, that I am not at present in good health, having a most violent cold, and indeed I have not been well this winter past, and I have been home but a very little all winter, for the Lord has mightily inspired me with zeal to proclaim the gospel, and the last three months, the work of God has shone more brilliant, glorious and sublime, than it ever did before; so much so, that I would not cease to declare the whole counsel of God, so far as I knew it-and I have baptised [baptized], since the beginning of the new year, upwards of sixty in the following places: First I baptised [baptized] 19 at the Navy Yard; then I went up to Northumberland county with brother Clements; here we baptised [baptized] about 20. After I returned I was warned by the spirit to go up to Mount Holly, Burlington county, New Jersey, and I was obedient to the call. There I have labored for these 8 or 10 weeks, although when I went I knew not a single individual; yet I rented a large church for $2,50 a night, which was crowded to excess every evening. Here I lifted up my voice with the sound of rejoicing, being greatly blessed with the spirit of my master. I was permitted to preach with great liberty. I soon branched out to other villages in the vicinity, and have baptised [baptized] there 25, and if we are to judge by appearances, there will be hundreds brought into the kingdom the coming season in that vicinity. On next Sunday I expect 10 or 12 to be baptised [baptized]-thus you see that God has been with me, and I have not been idle.
And now what shall I say concerning my going to Nauvoo this spring; for you doubtless are aware that I fully intended to go up, but to leave my field of labor at the present time, under such favorable auspices, would, to my mind, not be wisdom. I therefore, after mature reflection, have concluded not to go this spring; and I would here take the occasion to return my grateful acknowledgments to my brethren of their kind regard to me, in wishing me to move out this spring.
And now, dear brother, be assured that my best wishes will ever attend you; and though lands and seas may separate us, yet I shall never forget you. Yours is a name I shall ever remember, even while time and eternity shall last. Remember me to all the saints, and especially to your beloved family, and receive for yourself the affectionate regard of your brother in the covenants of our Lord Jesus Christ.
J. H. NEWTON.
Minutes of the Geneseee conference of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
(Concluded from our last.)
On motion, Resolved, That the different branches be represented.
Attica branch represented by Charles Thompson, consists of 12 members; 3 elders.
Akron branch represented by C. Thompson, consists of 11 members; 8 elders.
Alabama branch, represented by C. Thompson, consists of 7 members; 1 teacher.
Alexander branch, represented by Samuel Mott, 21 members, (six added since the last conference,) 13 elders; 1 teacher.
Batavia branch, represented by elder J. L. Burtrolf, consists of 12 members; nine elders.
Bennington branch, represented by Charles Thompson, consists of twenty five members, (two added since last conference) including two elders and one high priest.
Johnson Creek branch, represented by Elder John Bell, consists of sixteen members, including four elders, one priest.
Salem branch, represented by letter, from Brother E. Williams, consists of nineteen members, including three elders, one priest and one teacher.
Weight Settlement branch, represented by Elder George Thompson, consists of five members, including one elder.
Elder Charles Thompson represented five members, in Weathersfield, not organized.
Elders S. Mulliner, James Houston and Henry Jacob, travelling [traveling] elders, reported twenty one scattering members in Niagara county, not attached to any branch. They also stated that the prospects in that vicinity were good, many were earnestly inquiring after the truth.
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Buffalo branch, represented by Elder J. P. Green, consists of twenty three members, including five elders.
Ten scattering members in Victor, Bloomfield and vicinity, represented by Elder Thompson.
On motion, adjourned for one hour.
Thursday, conference assembled and was opened by prayer, by Elder J. P. Green.-Elder Green then made some general remarks to the conference.
Resolved, That Elder Green write a letter to the branch east of the Genessee River, that were formerly within the bounds of this conference.
On motion adjourned till 1 o'clock P.M.
At 1 o'clock conference assembled, and was opened by prayer, by Elder R. J. Coats, Elder Henry Jacob said he considered himself under this conference and was willing to labor where the conference saw fit.
Resolved, That Elder Green give him advice where to labor.
Resolved, That Brothers Austin Cravat, Wm. E. Murray, Orson Beach, Sanford Cooper, Norman Fillmore, David H. Crocker and Luther Crocker be ordained elders.
Resolved, That Elder Green occupy the rest of the afternoon addressing the young elders.
On motion, adjourned till to-morrow, 9 o'clock, A.M.
Conference assembled and was opened by payer, by Elder Youngs. Elder Greene [Green ?], then addressed the conference on the subject of signs and miracles; for what they were given, &c.
Resolved, That Brother William Carey, go and labor in Mumphreysville and vicinity.
Resolved, That this conference adjourn to meet in Buffalo on the first day of September, 1843, at 10 o'clock A.M., where the brethren moving west, are requested to meet and make preparations for their journey.
JOHN P. GREEN, Prest.
RALPH J. COATS, Secr'y.
POETRY.
For the Times and Seasons.
LINES WRITTEN IN THE ALBUM OF MISS M. L.
BY MISS E. R. SNOW.
Friendship's tones are sweet and thrilling, Then Mary, friendship's wreath entwine,
Like the zepher's soothing sound- But never worship at its shrine;
Like the beauteous rainbow filling, For death will sever every tie
Friendship's halo gathers round. That is not based above the sky.
Sweet sounding harp! I prize it more
Than both the India's boasted store; Heav'nly hopes death cannot sever,
I know its worth-its charm I feel Nor time's bold torrent sweep away.
This moment o'er my bosom steal. The "Word of God" will stand forever,
Though empires waste and crowns decay;
Yet with chasten'd thought I cherish Then let its precepts be your care,
Fairest gems of earthly mould; And mould you mind and practice there;
In the grave our "memories perish"- And calmly while life's tempests beat,
Friendship there forgets its hold. Like Mary, sit at Jesus' feet.
The Times and Seasons, IS EDITED BY JOHN TAYLOR. Printed and published about the first and fifteenth of every month, on the corner of Water and Bain Streets, Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, by JOHN TAYLOR AND WILFORD WOODRUFF.
TERMS.-TWO DOLLARS per annum, payable in all cases in advance. Any person procuring five new subscribers, and forwarding us Ten Dollars current money, shall receive one volume gratis. All letters must be addressed to John Taylor, editor, POST PAID, or they will not receive attention.
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