The Seer - Cont.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth,

See Ye, when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains. --Isaiah xviii, 3.

Vol. 1. January, 1853. No. 1.

ORSON PRATT, Editor,

Washington City, D. C.

DECEMBER 21, 1852.

This has divided into two parts due to the length of the book. The following is Part 2.

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That the marriage will be celebrated at the second coming of the Messiah, is also clearly expressed in the parable of the ten Virgins: for Jesus said, "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten Virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the Bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the Bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. Then all those Virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh." (Mathew [sic] 25: 1-13.) This parable, like that of the marriage of the King's son which we have already quoted, plainly shows that there will be a gathering out from among the nations--a going forth to meet the Bridegroom; but among those who gather, there will be some without a wedding garment--without oil in their lamps. But the five wise virgins who are ready, will go in with the Bridegroom to the marriage, and the door will be shut. And here let us ask the following questions: Are these five wise virgins, to be married unto the Bridegroom, or are they only the invited guests? And if they are guests who constitutes the Bride? In the parable of the marriage of the King's son, it is said, "And the wedding was furnished with guests;" the guests being those who received the invitation of the servants and gathered together. If the five wise virgins constitute the guests, then the Bride must be some wise holy virgin, chosen to be the royal consort or Queen. On the other hand, if the five wise virgins represent all the saints, both male and female and if they all constitute the Bride, then where will the guests come from, or who will they be? Again, if the five virgins are actually virgins or females who are to be married to the Bridegroom, then all the rest of the saints would constitute the guests. Are not these five wise virgins the "honorable Wives" which the Psalmist represents the Son of God as having taken from among king's daughters?

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From the passage in the forty-fifth Psalm, it will be seen that the great Messiah who was the founder of the Christian religion, was a Polygamist, as well as the Patriarch Jacob and the prophet David from whom He descended according to the flesh. Paul says concerning Jesus, "Verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham." (Heb. 2: 16.) Abraham the Polygamist, being a friend of God, the Messiah chose to take upon himself his seed; and by marrying many honorable wives himself, show to all future generations that he approbated the plurality of Wives under the Christian dispensation, as well as under the dispensations in which His Polygamist ancestors lived.

We have now clearly shown that God the Father had a plurality of wives, one or more being in eternity, by whom He begat our spirits as well as the spirit of Jesus His First Born, and another being upon the earth by whom He begat the tabernacle of Jesus, as His Only Begotten in this world. We have also proved most clearly that the Son followed the example of his Father, and became the great Bridegroom to whom kings' daughters and many honorable Wives were to be married. We have also proved that both God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ inherit their wives in eternity as well as in time; and that God the Father has

has already begotten many thousand millions of sons and daughters and sent them into this world to take tabernacles; and that God the Son has the promise that "of the increase of his government there shall be no end;" it being expressly declared that the children of one of His Queens should be made Princes in all the earth. (See Psalm 45: 16.)

Jesus says there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out." (Luke 13: 28.) There are many in this generation so pious that they would consider themselves greatly disgraced to be obliged to associate with a man having a plurality of wives; would it not be well for such to desire a place separate from the kingdom of God, that they may not be contaminated with the society of these old Polygamists? And then it would be so shocking to the modesty of the very pious ladies of Christendom to see Abraham and his wives, Jacob and his wives, Jesus and his honorable wives, all eating occasionally at the same table, and visiting one another, and conversing about their numerous children and their kingdoms. Oh, ye delicate ladies of Christendom, how can you endure such a scene as this? Oh, what will you do, when you behold on the very gates of the holy Jerusalem the names of the Twelve sons of the four wives of the Polygamist Jacob? If you do not want your morals corrupted, and your delicate ears shocked, and your pious modesty put to the blush by the society of polygamists and their wives, do not venture near the holy Jerusalem, nor come near the New Earth; for Polygamists will be honored there, and will be among the chief rulers in that Kingdom.

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Peter says, Likewise ye wives be in subjection to your own husbands, * * * * even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well" (1 Peter 3: 1, 6.) The females in the first age of Christianity considered it a great honor to become the daughters of Abraham, but now they have become so righteous that they think it a disgrace to be found in the society of a Polygamist; and no doubt they would think their characters ruined for ever, if any one should be so immodest as to call them the daughters of the Polygamist Abraham. But we will tell them how to avoid this deep disgrace; they can cease to do well; for Peter says that it is only on this condition that they become the daughters of Abraham. It will be necessary for you to reject Christianity and not obey the gospel; for in so doing you might very much endanger your reputation by becoming the daughters of that noted Polygamist. To become the daughters of a Polygamist by voluntarily embracing Christianity would be at once sanctioning father Abraham's deeds. Only think how awfully shocking it would be, to have your neighbors point the finger of scorn at you, and say, "There goes a daughter of Abraham--she has been adopted into the family of that old Polygamist--she must be a very immodest woman to want to get into his family," among his wives and concubines--who would have ever thought, that she would have embraced the faith of Abraham, and thus consent to be adopted as one of his daughters, when she very well knew his character! O what a disgrace! I wonder if she will not want to go and sit down with her adopted father and with all his wives in the kingdom of God. I dare say she will; for there is no telling how far Christianity will

will lead them, when they get so far gone as to be adopted into Abraham's family. The doctrine that she has embraced tells her that many shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God. O how shameful! I wonder why the law dent put a stop to Christianity when it produces such an immoral influence as to cause so many not only to be adopted into these disgraceful families, but to pretend that such characters are going to be in the kingdom of God, and that all their adopted children will go there too. She not only disgraces herself by coming into such a family, but according to her doctrine she will have to associate with beggars, for her book says, that the angels laid hold of a poor beggar named Lazarus and carried him off to Abraham's bosom. Oh what a family! Polygamists and beggars all together! and that poor silly woman is one of his daughters, and expects when she dies to be carried to his bosom also. I wonder if there will not be some great gulf or some other barrier to keep such disgraceful characters from intruding upon the society and corrupting the morals of the good pious people who die in the nineteenth century! I wonder if the angels will have the impudence to drag us away as soon as we die to the bosom of such a noted Polygamist as Abraham!" If you do not want to suffer such deep disgrace, you must keep out of Abraham's family by neglecting the Gospel; and when you die, the angels will not trouble you with his society, but there will be a great golf intervening between you and his family over which there will be no passage.

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Inasmuch as the saints in Utah consider it moral, virtuous, and scriptural, to practice the plurality system, they should seek by every means to irradicate [sic], not only from their own minds, but from the minds of their children, every erroneous improper prejudice which they have formerly imbibed, by their associations with the nations of modern Christendom. Parents who have daughters should seek to instil into their minds, that it is just as honorable for them to be united in marriage to a good man who is already a husband, as to one that is single: they should be taught to reject the society and proposals for marriage of all wicked men, whether single or not. A father should be impartial to all his children, and cultivate the same love for them all; while each wife should instil into the minds of her own children the necessity of loving the children of each of the others, as brothers and sisters. Each wife should, not only care for the welfare of her husband and her own children, but should also seek the happiness of each of his other wives and children. And likewise, the children of each wife should not only respect, honor, and love their own mother, but also the mothers of all their brothers and sisters. By observing these precepts, peace and tranquility will reign throughout every department of the family, and the spirit of God will flow freely from heart to heart.

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Nothing is so much to be desired in families as peace, love, and union: they are essential to happiness here and hereafter. And, in order to promote these desirable objects, we would recommend the observance of the following rules.

Rule 1st.--Let that man who intends to become a husband, seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and learn to govern himself, according to the

to the law of God: for he that cannot govern himself cannot govern others: let him dedicate his property, his talents, his time, and even his life to the service of God, holding all things at His disposal, to do with the same, according as He shall direct through the counsel that He has ordained.

Rule 2nd.--Let him next seek for wisdom to direct him in the choice of his wives. Let him seek for those whose qualifications will render him and themselves happy. Let him look not wholly at the beauty of the countenance, or the splendor of the apparel, or the great fortune, or the artful smiles, or the affected modesty of females; for all these, without the genuine virtues, are like the dew-drops which glitter for a moment in the sun, and dazzle the eye, but soon vanish away. But let him look for kind and amiable dispositions; for unaffected modesty; for industrious habits; for sterling virtue; for honesty, integrity, and truthfulness; for cleanliness in persons, in apparel, in cooking, and in every kind of' domestic labor; for cheerfulness, patience, and stability of character; and above all, for genuine religion to control and govern their every thought and deed. When he has found those possessing these qualifications let him seek to obtain them lawfully through the counsel of him who holds the keys of the everlasting priesthood, that they may be married to him by the authority of Heaven, and thus be secured to him for time and for all eternity.

Rule 3rd--When a man has obtained his wives, let him not suppose that they are already perfect in all things; for this cannot be expected in those who are young and inexperienced in the cares and vicissitudes of a married life. They, as weaker vessels, are given to him as the stronger, to nourish, cherish, and protect; to be their head, their patriarch, and their saviour; to teach, instruct, counsel, and perfect them in all things relating to family government, and the welfare and happiness of themselves and their children. Therefore, let him realize the weighty responsibility now placed upon him, as the head of a family; and also let him study diligently the disposition of his wives, that he may know how to instruct them in wisdom for their good.

Rule 4th.--Betray not the confidence of your wives. There are many ideas in an affectionate confiding wife which she would wish to communicate to her husband, and yet she would be very unwilling to have them communicated to others. Keep each of your wives' secrets from all the others, and from any one else, unless in cases where good will result by doing otherwise.

Rule 5th.--Speak not of the faults of your wives to others; for in so doing, you speak against yourself. If you speak to one of your wives of the imperfections of the others who may be absent, you not only injure them in her estimation, but she will expect that you will speak against her under like circumstances: this is calculated to weaken their confidence in you, and sow division in the family. Tell each one of her faults in private in a spirit of kindness and love, and she will most probably respect you for it, and endeavor to do better for the future; and thus the others will not, because of your reproof, take occasion to speak reproachfully of her. There may be circumstances, when reproof, given in the presence of the others, will produce a salutary influence upon all. Wisdom is profitable to direct, and should be sought for earnestly by those

by those who have the responsibility of families.

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Rule 6th.--Avoid anger and a fretful peevish disposition in your family. A hasty spirit, accompanied with harsh words, will most generally beget its own likeness, or, at least, it will, eventually, sour the feelings of your wives and children, and greatly weaken their affections for you. You should remember that harsh expressions against one of your wives, used in the hearing of the others, will more deeply wound her feelings, than if she alone heard them. Reproofs that are timely and otherwise good, may lose their good effect by being administered in a wrong spirit, indeed, they will most probably increase the evils which they were intended to remedy. Do not find fault with every trifling error that you may see; for this will discourage your family, and they will begin to think that it is impossible to please you; and, after a while, become indifferent as to whether they please you or not. How unhappy and extremely wretched is that family where nothing pleases--where scolding has become almost as natural as breathing!

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Rule 7th.--Use impartiality in your family as far as circumstances will allow; and let your kindness and love abound towards them all. Use your own judgment, as the head of the family, in regard to your duties in relation to them, and be not swayed from that which is right, by your own feelings, nor by the feelings of others.

Rule 8th.--Suffer not your judgment to be biased against any one of your wives, by the accusations of the others unless you have good grounds to believe that those accusations are just. Decide not hastily upon partial evidence, but weigh well all things, that your mind may not become unjustly prejudiced. When one of your wives complains of the imperfections of the others, and endeavors to set your mind against them, teach her that all have imperfections, and of the necessity of bearing one with another in patience, and of praying one for another.

Rule 9th.--Call your wives and children together frequently, and instruct them in their duties towards God, towards yourself, and towards one another. Pray with them and for them often; and teach them to pray much, that the Holy Spirit may dwell in their midst, without which it is impossible to maintain that union, love, and oneness which are so necessary to happiness and salvation.

Rule 10th.--Remember, that notwithstanding written rules will be of service in teaching you your duties, as the head of a family, yet without the Holy Ghost to teach and instruct you, it is impossible for you to govern a family in righteousness; therefore, seek after the Holy Ghost and He shall teach you all things, and sanctify you and your family, and make you one, that you may be perfected in Him and He in you, and eventually be exalted on high to dwell with God, where your joy will be full forever.

Rule 11th.--Let no woman unite herself in marriage with any man, unless she has fully resolved to submit herself wholly to his counsel, and to let him govern as the head. It is far better for her not to be united with him in the sacred bonds of eternal union, than to rebel against the divine order of family government, instituted for a higher salvation; for if she altogether turn therefrom, she will receive a greater condemnation.

Rule 12th.--Never seek to prejudice the mind of your husband against any of his other wives, for the

, for the purpose of exalting yourself in his estimation, lest the evil which you unjustly try to bring upon them, fall with double weight upon your own head. Strive to rise in favor and influence with your husband by your own merits, and not by magnifying the faults of others.

Rule 13th.--Seek to be a peacemaker in the family with whom you are associated. If you see the least appearance of division arising, use your utmost efforts to restore union and soothe the feelings of all. Soft and gentle words, spoken in season, will allay contention and strife; while a hasty spirit and harsh language add fuel to the fire already kindled which will rage with increasing violence.

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Rule 14th.--Speak not evil of your husband unto any of the rest of the family for the purpose of prejudicing their minds against him; for if he be informed thereof, it will injure you in his estimation. Neither speak evil of any members of the family; for this will destroy their confidence in you. Avoid all hypocracy [sic]; for if you pretend to love your husband and to honor and respect his wives, when present, but speak disrespectful of them when absent, you will be looked upon as a hypocrite, as a tattler, and as a mischief-making woman, and be shunned as being more dangerous than an open enemy. And what is still more detestable, is to tattle out of the family, and endeavor to create enemies against those with whom you are connected. Such persons should not only be considered hypocrites, but traitors, and their conduct should be despised by every lover of righteousness. Remember also, that there are more ways than one to tattle; it is not always the case that those persons who are the boldest in their accusations that are the most dangerous slanderers; but such as hypocritically pretend that they do not wish to injure their friends, and at the same time, very piously insinuate in dark indirect sayings, something that is calculated to leave a very unfavorable prejudice against them. Shun such a spirit as you would the very gates of hell.

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Rule 15th.--If you see any of your husband's wives sick or in trouble, use every effort to relieve them, and to administer kindness and consolations, remembering that you, yourself, under the same circumstances, would be thankful for their assistance. Endeavor to share each others burdens, according to the health, ability, and strength which God has given you. Do not be afraid that you will do more than your share of the domestic labor, or that you will be more kind to them than they are to you.

Rule 16th.--Let each mother correct her own children, and see that they do not dispute and quarrel with each other, nor with any others; let her not correct the children of the others without liberty so to do, lest it give offence. The husband should see that each mother maintains a wise and proper discipline over her children, especially in their younger years: and it is his duty to see that all of his children are obedient to himself and to their respective mothers. And it is also his duty to see that the children of one wife are not allowed to quarrel and abuse those of the others, neither to be disrespectful or impudent to any branch of his family.

Rule 17th.--It is the duty of parents to instruct their children, according to their capacities in every principle of the gospel, as revealed in the Book of Mormon and in the revelations which God has given, that they

, that they may grow up in righteousness, and in the fear of the Lord, and have faith in Him. Suffer no wickedness to have place among them, but teach them the right way, and see that they walk therein. And let the husband, and his wives, and all of his children that have come to the years of understanding. often bow before the Lord around the family altar, and pray vocally and unitedly for whatever blessings they stand in need of, remembering that where there are union and peace, there will also be faith, and hope, and the love of God, and every good work, and a multiplicity of blessings, imparting health and comfort to the body, and joy and life to the soul.

(Concluded in our next number.)

CONTENTS.

Second Epistle of Orson Pratt 161

Celestial Marriage 169

WASHINGTON CITY, D. C.

EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY ORSON PRATT,

at $1 per annum, invariably in advance.

THE SEER.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, See Ye, when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains. --Isaiah xviii, 3.

Vol. 1. December, 1853. No. 12.

CHRISTIAN POLYGAMY IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

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Among the distinguished Christian Reformers and celebrated Divines of the sixteenth century, may be mentioned the names of Luther, Melancthon, Bucer, and Melanther. These wonderful men distinguished themselves in their persevering, bold, and fearless opposition to the corrupt powers of Catholicism. Although not called and ordained of God with the authority of Apostles and Prophets to restore the Church of God to the earth, yet they were Reformers; and with a noble energy and perseverance, exposed, in a degree, the superstitions and wickedness of the Romish Church; they protested against their blasphemous doctrines and pretentious; they revolted from the jurisdiction and tyrannical power of the Romish Priesthood; they weakened its corrupting influence among the nations: they laid the foundation of more liberal principles; opened the way for the nations to burst the bonds of religious despotism; and planted the seeds of civil and religious liberty, which have continued to grow and spread until millions now bask under the extended branches. It was for these great and noble purposes that God moved upon the hearts of these men to boldly protest against a power that had become tyrannical and formidable to an alarming degree: it was to restore, in some small degree, that freedom and independence of mind, so necessary to the improvement and happiness of man; it was to open a door for advancement in the sciences and arts without being trammelled [sic] with the bigoted opposition of priestcraft. Though they were raised up to accomplish these great and desirable purposes, yet they could not restore the Church of God to the earth; for this was not their calling. They were called to lay the foundation of a reformation which should eventually terminate in the establishment of Governments favorable to liberty of conscience, that when the Church should be restored, men might be free to embrace its principles. They and their successors who have followed in their steps, were called as fore-runners to prepare the way before the Church when it should once more have place on the earth.

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These celebrated Reformers advocated Christianity so far as they understood its principles. Many Romish superstitions which had been palmed upon the world for Christianity, were abolished: many Christian institutions which had been abolished by the Romish Priesthood, were, in a measure, restored, at last in form; among which may be mentioned Polygamy. The Romanists had not only forbidden marriage to her priests, but had abolished the Divine institution of Polygamy which was practiced in early ages when pure Christianity was on the earth.

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While Polygamy flourished in the Christian Church, the Roman nation were in favor of Monogamy or the one wife system, and established laws, prohibiting a plurality of wives among their citizens. The Christian Church in that nation were obliged to relinquish the Divine institution of Polygamy, and submit to the Roman laws under heavy penalties. At length, through priestcraft and tradition the Church was made to believe that the Monogamy, established by the Roman civil law, was actually a part of Christianity. This delusion, concocted at the head quarters of the so-called Christian Church, gradually extended itself to the surrounding nations, and other branches of the Christian Church adopted it, and relinquished the Polygamic system. The one wife system did not originate in the Christian Church, but was adopted from the practice of the Roman nation by the Romish Priesthood, and by them palmed upon the nations as originating in Christianity. "Julius Caesar attempted to have a law passed in favor of Polygamy, but could not effect it." The Romans were too much opposed to the practices of Jews and Christians to permit this Divine institution to have free tolerance. And the Romish Church followed in the footsteps of their nation and were unwilling to have this Christian and Jewish practice continued within their ecclesiastical code. Many centuries passed away, during which the common people were not permitted to read the manuscript copies of the Bible for themselves, and they were traditioned by their priests to believe that Monogamy was a Christian institution, and that Polygamy was forbidden. This delusive tradition was riveted more and more firmly upon the minds of the people by the practices and teaching of each succeeding generation of Christendom, until even whole nations in the western world were influenced to make laws prohibiting Polygamy, as something which tradition had taught them was unchristian.

While the world was thus overwhelmed in darkness, following the false traditions and superstitions of the Papists, the great Reformers, Martin Luther, Philip Melancthon, Martin Bucer, Dennis Melanther, and numerous other German Divines, introduced a wonderful reformation in many things: among which they re-established the right of their priests to marry; and again permitted the Divine institution of Polygamy to exist in the Church.

Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, one of the principal Lords and Princes of Germany, wrote to the great Reformer, Martin Luther, and to the principal heads of the reformation, anxiously imploring them to grant unto him the privilege of marrying a second wife, while the first wife, his Princess, was yet living. Many arguments were urged by the Landgrave, showing that the practice was in accordance with the Bible, and not prohibited under the Christian dispensation. Upon the reception of this information, Luther, who had from the beginning of the reformation favored Polygamy, met in council with the principal Christian Divines to consult upon the propriety of granting the request of Lord Philip; after considering upon the subject, they addressed to him a lengthy letter, granting him his request;

his request; at the same time earnestly exhorting him to live a virtuous and upright life. The letter commences as follows:

"To the most serene Prince and Lord Philip Landgrave of Hesse, Count of Catzenlembogen, of Diets, of Ziegenhain, and Nidda, our gracious Lord, we wish above all things the Grace of God through Christ:

"I. We have been informed by Bucer, and in the instruction which your Highness gave him, have read, the trouble of mind and the uneasiness of conscience your Highness is under at this present; and although it seemed to us very difficult so speedily to answer the doubts proposed; nevertheless we should not permit the said Bucer, who was urgent for his return to your Highness to go away without an answer in writing."

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Then follows a lengthy exhortation to the Prince to live a life of virtue as a remedy to promote his health; for say they,

"If your Highness, after marrying a second wife, were not to forsake those licentious disorders, the remedy proposed would be to no purpose."

In the twenty-first paragraph, they counsel the Landgrave to keep his second marriage a secret from the public at large, and that only a few trusty persons should be present at the celebration. This counsel is as follows:

"XXI. But after all, if your Highness is fully resolved to marry a second wife, we judge it ought to be done secretly, as we have said with respect to the dispensation demanded on the same account, that is, that none but the person you shall wed, and a few trusty persons, know of the matter, and they, too, obliged to secresy [sic] under the seal of confession. Hence no contradiction nor scandal of moment need be apprehended; for it is no extraordinary thing for Princes to keep concubines; and though the vulgar should be scandalized thereat, the more intelligent would doubt of the truth, and prudent persons would approve of this moderate kind of life, preferable to adultery, and other brutal actions. There is no need of being much concerned for what men will say, provided all goes right with conscience. So far do we approve it, and in those circumstances only by us specified; for the Gospel hath neither recalled nor forbid what was permitted in the law of Moses with respect to marriage. Jesus Christ has not changed the external economy, but added justice only, and life-everlasting for reward. He teaches the true way of obeying God, and endeavors to repair the corruption of nature.

"Your Highness hath therefore, in this writing, not only the approbation of us all, in case of necessity, concerning what you desire, but also the reflections we have made thereupon; we beseech you to weigh them, as becoming a virtuous, wise, and Christian Prince. We also beg of God to direct all for his glory and your Highness's salvation."

The letter closes with these words:

"May God preserve your Highness. We are most ready to serve your Highness. Given at Wittemberg the Wednesday after the feast of Saint Nicholas, 1539.

"Your Highness's most humble, and most obedient subjects and servants,

MARTIN LUTHER,

PHILIP MELANCTHON,

MARTIN BUCER,

ANTONY CORVIN,

ADAM,

JOHN LEVINGUE,

JUSTUS WINTFERTE,

DENNIS MELANTHER."

This letter is in Melancthon's own hand-writing, as the following testimony clearly shows:

"I George Nuspicher, Notary Imperial, bear testimony by this present act, written and signed with my own hand, that I have transcribed this present copy from the true original which is in Melancthon's own hand-writing, and hath been faithfully preserved to this present time. at the request of the most serene Prince of Hesse; and have examined with the greatest exactness every line and every word, and collated them with the same original; and have found them conformable thereunto, not only in the things themselves but also in the signs manuel [sic], and have delivered the present copy in five leaves of good paper, whereof I bear witness.

GEORGE NUSPICHER,

Notary."

Having given extracts from the letter written by this Council of Protestant Christian Divines, permitting and approbating Polygamy in their Church, we will next give the Marriage Contract into which the Landgrave and his second spouse entered, and also the oath of Marriage administered to them by the Reverend Dennis Melanther, preacher to his Highness.

"The Marriage Contract of Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, with Margaret de Saal.

"In the name of God, Amen.

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"Be it known to all those, as well in general as in particular, who shall see, hear, or read this public instrument, that in the year 1540, on Wednesday, the fourth day of the month of March, at two o'clock or thereabouts in the afternoon, the thirteenth year of the Indiction [sic], and the twenty-first of the reign of the most puissant and most victorious Emperor Charles VI., our most gracious Lord; the most serene Prince and Lord, Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, Count of Catznelenbogen, of Dietz, of Ziegenhain, and Nidda, with some of his Highness's Counsellors [sic], on one side, and the good and virtuous Lady Margaret de Saal with some of her relatives, on the other side, have appeared before me, Notary and witness underwritten, in the city of Rotenburg, in the castle of the same city, with the design and will publicly to unite themselves by marriage; and accordingly my most gracious Lord and Prince Philip the Landgrave hath ordered this to be proposed by the Reverend Denis Melander, preacher to his Highness, much to the sense as follows: 'Whereas the eye of God searches all things, and but little escapes the knowledge of men, his Highness declares that his will is to wed the said Lady Margaret de Saal, although the Princes his wife be still living, and that this action may not be imputed to inconstancy or curiosity: to avoid scandal and maintain the honor of the said Lady, and the reputation of her kindred, his Highness makes oath here before God, and upon his soul and conscience, that he takes her to wife through no levity, nor curiosity, nor from any contempt of law, or superiors; but that he is obliged to it by such important, such inevitable necessities of body and conscience, that it is impossible for him to save either body or soul, without adding another wife to his first. All which his Highness hath laid before many learned, devout, prudent, and Christian preachers, and consulted them upon it. And these great men, after examining the motives represented to them, have advised his Highness to put his soul and conscience at ease by this double marriage. And the same cause and the same necessity have obliged the most serene Princess Christina, Duchess of Saxony, his Highness's first lawful wife, out of her great prudence and sincere devotion for which she is so much to be

to be commended, freely to consent and admit of a partner, to the end, that the soul and body of her most dear spouse may run no further risk, and the glory of God may be increased, as the deed written with the Princess's own hand sufficiently testifies. And lest occasion of scandal be taken from its not being the custom to have two wives, although this be Christian and lawful in the present ease, his Highness will not solemnize these nuptials in the ordinary way, that is, publicly before many people, and with the wonted ceremonies, with the said Margaret de Saal; but both the one and the other will join themselves in wedlock, privately and without noise, in presence only of the witnesses underwritten.' After Melander had finished his discourse, the said Philip and the said Margaret accepted of each other for husband and wife, and promised mutual fidelity in the name of God. The said Prince hath required of me, Notary underwritten, to draw him one or more collated copies of this contract, and hath also promised on the word and faith of a Prince, to me a public person, to observe it inviolably, always and without alteration, in presence of the Rev. and most learned masters, Philip Melancthon, Martin Bucer, Denis Melander; and likewise in the presence of the illustrious and valiant Eberhard de Than, counsellor [sic] of his electoral Highness of Saxony, Herman de Malsberg, Herman de Hundelshausen, the Lord John Fegg of the Chancery, Rodulph Schenck; and also in the presence of the most honorable and most virtuous Lady Anne, of the family of Miltiz, widow of the late John de Saal, and mother of the Spouse, all in quality of requisite witnesses for the validity of the present act.

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"And I, Balthasar Rand, of Fuld, notary public imperial, who was present at the discourse, instruction, marriage, espousals, and union aforesaid, with the said witnesses, and have heard and seen all that passed, have written and subscribed the present contract, being requested so to do; and set to it the usual seal for a testimonial of the truth thereof.

BALTHASAR RAND."

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These extracts have been taken from the 1st volume of a work entitled, "History of the Variations of the Protestant Churches," by James Benign Bossuet. They have also been extensively published in other works.

These celebrated Protestant Divines and great Christian Reformers of the sixteenth century, have thus most clearly decided that "the Gospel hath neither recalled nor forbid what was permitted in the law of Moses with respect to Marriage." And in accordance with these sentiments, they most freely declare to the Landgrave that, "Your Highness hath therefore, in this writing," "the approbation of us all concerning what you desire." And "The Reverend Denis Melander, preacher to his Highness," administered the oath of marriage and solemnized the nuptial ceremony in the name of God, declaring that "to have two wives" was both "Christian and lawful;" while, like Sarah, Leah, and Rachel--Abram and Jacob's wives, "the most serene Princess Christina, Duchess of Saxony, his Highness's first lawful wife," freely consented and admitted "of a partner," "as the deed written with the Princess's own hard sufficiently testifies."

These Reverend preachers did not come to a hasty conclusion that Polygamy was approbated by the Gospel; for Luther, "in a sermon which he delivered at Wittemberg, for the reformation of Marriage," in speaking of wives, says:

"If they are stubborn, it is fitting their husbands should tell them, if you will not, another will; if the mistress refuse to come, let the maid be called."

This "sermon was pronounced in 1522,' some eighteen years before they gave a written permission to the Landgrave to become a Christian Polygamist; hence, it will be perceived that their conclusions in regard to the Divine approbation of Polygamy, were formed after many years reflection upon the subject.

Having proved that the heads of the Protestant Reformation in Germany approbated Polygamy in their Church, we will next show that at the same period the supreme head and founder of the Church of England--Henry VIII, was a Polygamist. This King, having been married for upwards of twenty years to Catharine of Arragon [sic], became deeply in love with Anne Boleyn; and in the year 1532, he was privately married to her, while Catharine still remained his lawful wife. This second marriage, like that of the German Prince, was celebrated in secret through fear of public scandal; for it should be remembered, that through the delusive influence of the Romish church, the most of the people had been traditioned to believe that Polygamy was unchristian; hence, it became, in their estimation, scandalous; and those who believed to the contrary, and wished to practice this Divine institution, were under the painful necessity of keeping their marriage contracts with their second wives partially secret, only permitting a few trusty friends to witness the same.

The king, after having been privately married to Anne Boleyn, his second wife, through fear of being scandalized as a Polygamist, sought for a divorce from his first wife, Catharine; but the head of the Romish Church would not sanction his proceedings, whereupon, the King forthwith proclaimed himself the supreme head of the church, and invented new Articles of Religion, and enforced the same upon the people under the penalty of martyrdom. Some, refusing to acknowledge him as head of the church, were shamefully tortured and put to death. Thus was laid the foundation of the great and popular church of England; its first celebrated head and founder, being a polygamist.

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It is evident that the more intelligent and learned portion of England considered Polygamy perfectly consistant [sic] with Christianity, or they never would have confirmed by Parliamentary acts, the title of "Supreme Head of the Church" upon their Polygamist King. It is in vain for the church of England to say that Polygamy is not sanctioned by the gospel, so long as they acknowledge that the very founder and head of their church was a Polygamist.

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Though Polygamy is a Divine institution, yet both the German and English Reformers were not justified, in the absence of an inspired Priesthood, in officiating in the nuptial ceremonies. Not having the Priesthood, they had no authority to officiate in a divine ordinance. Though Polygamy was practiced in unrighteousness, under the sanction and approbation of the great Christian Divines of the sixteenth century, yet it proves most conclusively, that those Divines did sincerely believe it to be just as regal and lawful for a Christian to have two wives as to have one only; and they, no doubt acted in all good conscience in accordance with their firm conviction.

Thus Polygamy, after having been abolished for many centuries from the churches of Christendom, was again reinstituted therein by the

by the most celebrated Reformers of the sixteenth century. But they dare not, through fear of scandal, publicly proclaim this divine institution. It remained for the Renowned Prophet of the nineteenth century, Joseph Smith, to restore this divine institution in all its original purity to the earth, by the word and commandment of the Most High God. It remained for the inspired Apostles and Elders of the restored Church of God, to publicly announce to all nations the re-institution of this sacred and Christian ordinance. They do not fear the scandal of the deluded fanatics of an apostate church: they do not tremble to announce in the presence of an apostate priesthood, the beauty and holiness of the Divine institution of Marriage, whether including one or more wives: they are not ashamed to practice and proclaim publicly, that which the Protestant Divines, though convinced of its righteousness and purity, dare only approbate in secret. But in saying this, we would not boast, neither would we speak disrespectfully of the timidity of those good Christian Reformers; they were not sent to restore the Christian Church to the earth with all its heavenly ordinances and principles; and not being sent and clothed with the power of the everlasting Priesthood, they could not speak as men having authority, and consequently were timid, and afraid of scandal, and approbated Polygamy privately; this care or prudence was no doubt best, under the strong power of tradition and other circumstances with which they were surrounded.

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But "the times of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began" are at hand, preparatory to the coming of Jeans Christ, whom the heavens must receive until the restitution of all things is completed, when he will again be sent to take unto himself his great power and reign over all people. Among the "all things" which the prophets have predicted should be restored before the Messiah comes is Polygamy. The holy prophet Isaiah predicted, that in the day that the cloud and fire should be restored to the earth, as should be manifested upon all the assemblies and dwelling places of Zion, every one in that city should be called holy and should be beautiful and glorious, and that seven women would take hold of one man, anxiously imploring him to let them be called by his name to take away their..reproach, at the same time, promising that they would be no expense to him, but would agree to eat their own bread and wear their own apparel, if he would only become their husband and let them be called by his name. Thus we see that the Messiah never would come, unless Polygamy were restored to the Christian Church; for the heavens must receive him until all things are restored which all the holy prophets have predicted. If any should suppose that this prediction, so far as Polygamy is concerned, was fulfilled by the early protestants, we reply, that it is true that the protestant Divines restored Polygamy, but in their day we have an account of only two women taking hold of one man, by their approbation, whereas Isaiah says expressly, that it is to be SEVEN WOMEN who are to do this: therefore, though it cannot but be admitted that the Reformers restored Polygamy, yet they cannot claim the honor of having restored it in the full sense of Isaiah's prediction. This honor was reserved for a people who should be called Zion, where all should eventually be

be called beautiful, and glorious, and holy. The pure and virtuous daughters of Zion will consider it a great reproach to remain single and have no posterity: hence, their exceedingly great anxiety for husbands, that their reproach may be taken away. They will learn that a woman cannot, through her own carelessness or neglect, fail to fulfil the end of her creation, without bringing upon herself everlasting reproach, as well as condemnation for disobeying the Lord's great and first commandment to multiply. Oh, how different will be their feelings from those now manifested by females traditioned under papist and protestant superstitions! Surely there must be some mighty changes and revolutions when all things that the ancient prophets have predicted shall be restored! Polygamy, as well as Monogamy, will then be honored by all the heavenly hosts above, and by all the nations of the righteous upon the earth; and there will not be so much as a dog to move his tongue against any of the institutions of the Bible.

EDITOR.

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CELESTIAL MARRIAGE:

(Concluded.)

Rule 18th.--Let each mother commence with her children when young, not only to teach and instruct them, but to chasten and bring them into the most perfect subjection; for then is the time that they are the most easily conquered, and their tender minds are the most susceptible of influences and government. Many mothers from carelessness neglect their children, and only attempt to govern them at long intervals, when they most generally find their efforts of no lasting benefit; for the children having been accustomed to have their own way, do not easily yield; and if peradventure they do yield, it is only for the time being, until the mother relaxes again into carelessness, when they return again to their accustomed habits: and thus by habit they become more and more confirmed in disobedience, waxing worse and worse, until the mother becomes discouraged, and relinquishes all discipline, and complains that she cannot make her children mind. The fault is not so much in the children, as in the carelessness and neglect of the mother when the children were young; it is she that must answer, in a great degree, for the evil habits and disobedience of the children. She is more directly responsible than the father; for it cannot be expected that the father can always find time, apart from the laborious duties required of him, to correct and manage his little children who are at home with their mothers. It is frequently the case that the father is called to attend to duties in public life, and may be absent from home much of his time, when the whole duty of family government necessarily rests upon the respective mothers of his children; if they, through carelessness, suffer their children to grow up in disobedience and ruin themselves, they must bear the shame and disgrace thereof. Some mothers, though not careless, and though they feel the greatest anxiety for the welfare of their children, yet, through a mistaken notion of love for them, forbear to punish them when they need punishment, or if they undertake to conquer them, their tenderness and pity are so great, that they prevail over the judgment, and the children are left unconquered, and become more determined to resist all future efforts of their mothers until, at length, they conclude that their children have a more stubborn disposition than others, and that it is impossible to subject them in obedience. In

. In this case, as in that of neglect, the fault is the mothers. The stubbornness of the children, for the most part, is the effect of the mother's indulgence, arising from her mistaken idea of love. By that which she calls love, she ruins her children.

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Children between one and two years of age are capable of being made to understand many things; then is the time to begin with them. How often we see children of that age manifest much anger. Frequently by crying through anger, they that are otherwise healthy, injure themselves: it is far better, in such instances, for a mother to correct her child in a gentle manner though with decision and firmness until she conquers it, and causes it to cease crying, than to suffer that habit to increase. When the child by gentle punishment has learned this one lesson from its mother, it is much more easily conquered and brought into subjection in other things, until finally, by a little perseverance on the part of the mother, it learns to be obedient to her voice in all things; and obedience becomes confirmed into a permanent habit. Such a child trained by a negligent or overindulgent mother, might have become confirmed in habits of stubbornness and disobedience. It is not so much in the original constitution of children as in their training, that causes such wide differences in their dispositions. It cannot be denied, that there is a difference in the constitution of children even from their birth; but this difference is mostly owing to the proper or improper conduct of parents, as before stated; therefore, even for this difference, parents are more or less responsible. If parents, through their own evil conduct entail hereditary dispositions upon their children which are calculated to ruin them, unless properly curtailed and overcome, they should realise [sic], that for that evil they must render an account. If parents have been guilty in entailing upon their offspring unhappy dispositions, let them repent, by using all diligence to save them from the evil consequences which will naturally result by giving way to those dispositions. The greater the derangement, the greater must be the remedy, and the more skilful [sic] and thorough should be its application, until that which is sown in evil is overcome and completely subdued. In this way parents may save themselves and their children; but otherwise there is condemnation. Therefore, we repeat again, let mothers begin to discipline their children when young.

Rule 19th.--Do not correct children in anger; an angry parent is not as well prepared to judge of the amount of punishment which should be inflicted upon a child, as one that is more cool and exercised with reflection, reason, and judgment. Let your children see that you punish them, not to gratify an angry disposition, but to reform them for their good, and it will have a salutary influence; they will not look upon you as a tyrant, swayed to and fro by turbulent and furious passions; but they will regard you as one that seeks their welfare, and that you only chasten them because you love them, and wish them to do well. Be deliberate and calm in your counsels and reproofs, but at the same time use earnestness and decision. Let your children know that your words must be respected and obeyed.

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Rule 20th.--Never deceive your children by threatnings [sic] or promises. Be careful not to threaten them with a punishment which you have no intention

no intention of inflicting; for this will cause them to lose confidence in your word; besides, it will cause them to contract the habit of lying: when they perceive that their parents do not fulfil their threatenings or promises, they will consider that there is no harm in forfeiting their word. Think not that your precepts, concerning truthfulness, will have much weight upon the minds of your children, when they are contradicted by your examples. Be careful to fulfil your word in all things in righteousness, and your children will not only learn to be truthful from your example, but they will fear to disobey your word, knowing that you never fail to punish or reward according to your threatnings [sic] and promises. Let your laws, penalties, and rewards be founded upon the principles of justice and mercy, and adapted to the capacities of your children; for this is the way that our heavenly Father governs His children, giving to some a Celestial; to others a Terrestrial; and to others still a Telestial law, with penalties and promises annexed, according to the conditions, circumstances, and capacities of the individuals to be governed. Seek for wisdom and pattern after the heavenly order of government.

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Rule 21st.--Do not be so stern and rigid in your family government as to render yourself an object of fear and dread. There are parents who only render themselves conspicious [sic] in the attribute of Justice, while mercy and love are scarcely known in their families. Justice should be tempered with mercy, and love should be the great moving principle, interweaving itself in all your family administrations. When justice alone sits upon the throne, your children approach you with dread, or peradventure hide themselves from your presence, and long for your absence that they may be relieved from their fear; at the sound of your approaching foot-steps they flee as from an enemy, and tremble at your voice, and shrink from the gaze of your countenance, as though they expected some terrible punishment to be inflicted upon them. Be familiar with your children that they may delight themselves in your society, and look upon you as a kind and tender parent whom they delight to obey. Obedience inspired by love, and obedience inspired by fear, are entirely different in their nature; the former will be permanent and enduring, while the latter only waits to have the object of fear removed, and it vanishes like a dream. Govern children as parents, and not as tyrants; for they will be parents in their turn, and will be very likely to adopt that form of government in which they have been educated. If you have been tyrants, they may be influenced to pattern after your example. If you are fretful and continually scolding, they will be very apt to be scolds too. If you are loving, kind, and merciful, these benign influences will be very certain to infuse themselves into their order of family government; and thus good and evil influences frequently extend themselves down for many generations and ages. How great, then, are the responsibilities of parents to their children! And how fearful the consequences of bad examples! Let love, therefore, predominate and control you, and your children will be sure to discover it, and will love you in return.

Rule 22nd.--Let each mother teach her children to honor and love their father, and to respect his teachings and counsels. How frequently it is the case, when fathers undertake to correct

to correct their children, mothers will interfere in the presence of the children: this has a very evil tendency in many respects: first, it destroys the oneness of feeling which should exist between husband and wife; secondly, it weakens the confidence of the children in the father, and emboldens them to disobedience; thirdly, it creates strife and discord; and lastly, it is rebelling against the order of family government, established by divine wisdom. If the mother supposes the father too severe, let her not mention this in the presence of the children, but she can express her feelings to him while alone by themselves, and thus the children will not see any division between them. For husband and wives to be disagreed, and to contend, and quarrel, is a great evil; and to do these things in the presence of their children, is a still greater evil. Therefore, if a husband and his wives will quarrel and destroy their own happiness, let them have pity upon their children, and not destroy them by their pernicious examples.

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Rule 23rd.--Suffer not children of different mothers to be haughty and abusive to each other; for they are own brothers and sisters the same as the children of the patriarch Jacob; and one has no claim above another, only as his conduct merits it. Should you discover contentions or differences arising, do not justify your own children and condemn the others in their presence; for this will encourage them in their quarrels: even if you consider that your children are not so much in the fault as the others, it is far better to teach them of the evils of strife, than to speak against the others. To speak against them, not only alienates their affections, but has a tendency to offend their mothers, and create unpleasant feelings between you and them. Always speak well of each of your husband's wives in the presence of your children; for children generally form their judgment concerning others, by the sayings of their parents: they are very apt to respect those whom their parents respect; and hate those whom they hate. If you consider that some of the mothers are too lenient with their children and too negligent in correcting them, do not be offended, but strive, by the wise and prudent management of your own, to set a worthy example before them, that they, by seeing your judicious and wise course, may be led to go and do likewise. Examples will sometimes reform, when precepts fail.

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Rule 24th.--Be industrious in your habits: this is important as fulfilling the law of God: it is also important for those who are in low circumstances, that they may acquire food, and raiment, and the necessary comforts of life: it is also important for the rich as well as the poor, that they may be able more abundantly to supply the wants of the needy, and be in circumstances to help the unfortunate and administer to the sick and afflicted; for in this way, it is possible even for the rich to enter into the kingdom of heaven. A family whose time is occupied in the useful and lawful avocations of life, will find no time to go from house to house, tattling and injuring one another and their neighbors; neither will they be so apt to quarrel among themselves.

Rule 25th.--When your children are from three to five years of age, send them to school, and keep them there year after year until they receive a thorough education in all the rudiments of useful science, and in their manners, and morals.

, and morals. In this manner, they will avoid many evils, arising from indolence, and form habits that will render them beneficial to society in after life. Let mothers educate their daughters in all kinds of domestic labor: teach them to wash and iron, to bake and do all kinds of cooking, to knit and sew, to spin and weave, and to do all other things that will qualify them to be good and efficient housewives. Let fathers educate their sons in whatever branch or branches of business, they intend them respectively to follow. Despise that false delicacy which is exhibited by the sons and daughters of the rich, who consider it a dishonor to labor at the common avocations of life. Such notions of high-life, should be frowned out of the territory, as too contemptible to be harbored, for one moment, by a civilized community. Some of these bogus gentlemen and ladies have such grand ideas, concerning gentility, that they would let their poor old father and mother slave themselves to death, to support them in their idleness, or at some useless fanciful employment. The daughter will sit down in the parlour at her painting or music, arrayed in silks and fineries, and let her mother wash and cook until, through fatigue, she is ready to fall into her grave: this they call gentility, and the distinctions between the low and the high. But such daughters are not worthy of husbands, and should not be admitted into any respectable society: they are contemptible drones, that would be a curse to any husband who should be so unfortunate as to be connected with such nuisances. Painting, music, and all the fine arts, should be cherished, and cultivated, as accomplishments which serve to adorn and embellish an enlightened civilized people, and render life agreeable and happy; but when these are cultivated, to the exclusion of the more necessary duties and qualifications, it is like adorning swine with costly jewels and pearls to make them appear more respectable: these embellishments, only render such characters a hundred fold more odious and disgustful than they would otherwise appear.

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Rule 26th.--Use economy and avoid wastefulness. How discouraging it would be to a husband who has a large family, depending mostly upon his labor for a support, to see his wives and children carelessly, thoughtlessly, and unnecessarily, waste his hard earnings. Let not one wife, for fear that she shall not obtain her share of the income, destroy, give away, and otherwise foolishly dispose of what is given to her, thinking that her husband will furnish her with more. Those who economize and wisely use that which is given to them, should be counted worthy to receive more abundantly than those who pursue a contrary course. Each wife should feel interested in saving and preserving that with which the Lord has entrusted her, and should rejoice, not only in her prosperity, but in the prosperity of all the others: her eyes should not be full of greediness to grasp every thing herself, but she should feel equally interested in the welfare of the whole family. By pursuing this course she will be beloved: by taking a contrary course, she will be considered selfish and little minded.

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Rule 27th.--Let husbands, wives, sons, and daughters, continually realize that their relationships do not end with this short life, but will continue in eternity without end. Every qualification and disposition therefore, which will render them happy here,

here, should be nourished, cherished, enlarged, and perfected, that their union may be indissoluble, and their happiness secured both for this world and for that which is to come.

Let these rules be observed and all others that are good and righteous, and peace will be the result: husbands will be patriarchs and saviours; wives will be like fruitful vines, bringing forth precious fruits in their seasons: their sons will be like plants of renown, and their daughters like the polished stones of a palace. Then the saints shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and become a great people and strong, whose goings forth shall be with strength that is everlasting. Arise, O Zion! clothe thyself with light! shine forth with clearness and brilliancy! illuminate the nations and the dark corners of the earth, for their light is gone out--their sun is set--gross darkness covers them! let thy light be seen upon the high places of the earth; let it shine in glorious splendour; for then shall the wicked see, and be confounded, and lay their hands upon their mouths in shame; then shall kings arise, and come forth to the light, and rejoice in the greatness of thy glory! Fear not, O Zion, nor let thine hands be slack, for great is the Holy One in the midst of thee! a cloud shall be over thee by day for a defense, and at night thy dwellings shall be encircled with glory! God is thine everlasting light, and shall be a Tower of strength against thine enemies; at the sound of His voice they shall melt away, and terrors shall seize upon them. In that day thou shalt be beautiful and glorious, and the reproach of the Gentiles shall no more come into thine ears; in that day, shall the sons of them that afflicted thee come bending unto thee and bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and the daughters of them that reproached thee, shall come, saying, We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel, only let us be joined in the patriarchal order of marriage with the husbands and patriarchs in Zion to take away our reproach: then shall they highly esteem, far above riches, that which their wicked fathers ridiculed under the name of Polygamy.

We will close this lengthy article on the subject of Celestial Marriage by propounding the following questions for the consideration of such of our readers as may be opposed to the plurality system.

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1. If plurality is offensive in the sight of God, why was Abraham, who practiced it, called the friend of God, and the father of the faithful? Why did the Lord promise that in him, as well as in his seed, all the families of the earth should be blessed? Why require all the families of the earth, under the Christian dispensation, to be adopted into the family of a Polygamist in order to be saved? Why choose a Polygamist to be the father of all saved families? Why require all Christian families in order to be saved, to walk in the steps and do the works of Abraham? Why did God proclaim Himself to be "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," and say that this shall "MY NAME AND MY MEMORIAL TO ALL GENERATIONS?" (See Exodus 3: 15.) If Polygamy is not to be sanctioned among the generations of Christendom, why did He represent Himself to be the God of Polygamists, and say that all generations should adopt that memorial of Him? Why choose these Polygamists to be examples for Christians, and say, that many should come from the east and the west, from the north and the

north and the south, and sit down with them in the kingdom of God? Will Abraham's wives and concubines, and Jacob's four wives be in the kingdom of God with their husbands? If so, will it not greatly corrupt the morals of Christians to sit down in the same kingdom with them? Will not Christians be greatly ashamed to be found sitting in the company of Polygamists? Will not Christians entirely ruin their characters by being adopted into the family of so noted a Polygamist as Abraham, and be obliged to acknowledge him as father, and be called his children? "The Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, "In thee shall all nations be blessed." (Gal. 3: 8.) What kind of Gospel was preached unto Abraham? Was it not the same Gospel that was preached after Christ, by which the heathen were to be justified, and by which all the families of the earth might be blessed by becoming the children of Abraham through adoption? Did it not require the same Gospel to save the Polygamist father in the kingdom of God, as that which saves his adopted children that sit down with him in the same kingdom? Does the Gospel, since Christ exalt Christians to a more glorious kingdom than the one where Abraham dwells? If not, is it any better than the Gospel preached to Abraham? Did not Abraham see the day of Christ and rejoice in it, and look forward to his atoning sacrifice, the same as Christians afterwards looked back to the same atonement? If the Gospel which was preached to Abraham required the same faith--the same repentance--the same justification--the same sanctification through the Holy Ghost--if it procured for him the same blessings--the same gifts of prophecy and revelations---the same gifts of seeing visions and of conversing with angels--the same miraculous powers and heavenly promises--if it made him worthy of the title of the friend of God, and exalted him to be the father of the faithful, even the father of all saved nations--if, moreover, it saved him in the kingdom of God--in the same kingdom where his Christian children are to sit down with him--then was it not the Gospel of Christianity--the very same Gospel that was preached after Christ? And if the same Gospel, then who dare deny, that Polygamy was not practised [sic] by the very best of men, under a Christian and Gospel dispensation? Who dare say that Abraham's righteousness was not as great as the righteousness of his children?

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2. Did not the Lord greatly bless and prosper Jacob both before and after he became a Polygamist? Did he not continue to give him many revelations and visions, and send hosts of angels to converse with him? If Polygamy were a crime, would not God have informed him of the fact? If it were sinful, would he have saved him in His kingdom without repentance? As Jacob did not repent, but continued a polygamist until his death, and as he was saved, he must have been saved in his sins; for God does not forgive sins without repentance; or, otherwise, polygamy is no sin. Why did the Lord restrain Sarai, Abram's wife, from bearing? (Gen. 16: 2.) Was it not because she for a long time neglected to give Abram another wife that he might become the father of many nations? After she had given Hager to her husband, the Lord then condescended to give her a son. If polygamy were criminal and sinful, why did Rachel give Bilhah to her husband? would she have sacrificed her feelings in this way for the sake of committing sin? would she have sacrificed, not only the dearest earthly object she had, but also subjected herself to sin and condemnation, and run the risk of sacrificing her eternal salvation, merely for the object of having Bilhah raise up children for her? What benefit would Bilhah's children be to her, compared with the love which a wife has for her husband, and especially with the love of justification before God? Does not this example then of self-sacrifice, show most conclusively that Rachel acted from a higher motive than the ruin of her soul for the sake of her husband's raising up children by Bilhah? Does it not prove that a sense of duty alone operated upon her mind and urged her on to make so great a sacrifice? How did Leah prevail with the Lord to obtain more children? She had several years before raised unto her husband four sons, but for some reason the Lord had for some length of time restrained her from bearing. What particular duty did she perform in order to again be blessed with children? She gave her handmaiden Zilpah to her husband for a wife. Did this sacrifice produce the desired effect? Yes it so highly pleased the Lord that He hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob a fifth son. And Leah said, "God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband." (Genesis 30.) Can it be said, in this case, that the love of having additional children, born by another woman would have induced her to yield to so great a sacrifice? If children were the object, she already had them of her own; and certainly, Zilpah's children could not have been as dear to her as her own dear husband. What higher object then could have induced her to make the sacrifice? If plurality were sinful, would she have expected that her sins would prevail with the Lord, and that her crimes would cause him to hearken to her prayer and give her additional children? If giving her maiden to her husband was offensive to God, why did He hearken to her prayer and bless her for so doing? Do not all these facts prove that God was highly pleased with the plurality system as practiced by those holy men and women.

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3. Where was there ever a more holy man than Moses with whom God spake face to face? Did not Moses know about Christ, and Christianity, and the gospel? Jesus says, that Moses wrote of him: Paul says that Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: and again he says, that the gospel was preached unto them (the children of Israel in the wilderness) as well as unto us, and testifies, that they were baptized in the cloud and in the sea. If Moses then believed the gospel, and was baptized, and embraced Christianity, and suffered the reproach of Christ, was he not a Christian just as much as those who embraced the gospel after Christ? Moses therefore, was a Christain [sic] polygamist and set the example before all Israel, and when his own brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam the prophetess, spake against one of his wives, the Lord was very angry with them and smote Mariam [sic] with the leprosy. (Numbers 12.) Did not the Lord by this act show most clearly that He approbated polygamy, and that he held sacred to Moses the wives he had taken? Did not God himself give laws through Moses to regulate the descent of property in the families of polygamists? Was not Moses, though a polygamist saved in the kingdom of God? Did not Moses and Elias appear in

in glory to Peter, James, and John in the holy mount at the time of Christ's transfiguration? If Moses could be saved by the gospel, and by embracing Christ, then is it not certain that polygamy was approbated just as much under the gospel as under the law?

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4. If polygamy was sinful and criminal, Why did God command the living brother to marry all the widows of his deceased brothers who died without children? Would God command his people under a heavy penalty to commit sin and then punish them for doing it? It must have been a hard case, if the children of Israel were to be cursed if they did not keep the law, and then again to be cursed if they did keep it! yet this must have been the case, if they were to be cursed for being polygamists when the law of God compelled them in certain cases to be such.

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5. In the days of Christ while the law of Moses was yet in full force, there must have been thousands of Israel who were compelled by their law to be polygamists or else suffer the penalty of the curse annexed to that law: In what way could those polygamists embrace Christianity and be received into the Church of Christ? Was it lawful for polygamists to be baptized into the Christian Church? If not, would the gospel permit them to divorce all their wives but one? Would the gospel permit them to put assunder [sic] those whom God, by his express command, had joined together? If the gospel would allow all but one to be divorced, then which wives were to be cast out with their children, and which one was to be retained? But if the gospel would not permit these Jewish Polygamists to divorce their wives, except in cases of adultery, what could they do? Could they be saved without coming into the Christian Church? And if not, must they be, damned without remedy? Did they by keeping the law, according to Gods command, place themselves in a hopeless condition, where Christianity could not reach them? If so, they must have been sent to hell if they had failed to keep the law, and Christianity sends them to hell, without offering any remedy, because they have kept the law and thus become polygamists. But this is too absurd for even savages to believe. It would be most shocking blasphemy to make God the Author of so wicked a doctrine. No, one can dispute, then, but that these Jewish polygamists with all their wives had the same privilege of entering the Christian Church as any others. And as this must have been the case, then who dare say that polygamy was not practiced and approbated by those in the Christian Church in the days of our Saviour and his apostles? Was there any possible chance of extricating the Jewish polygamist from his dilemma and saving him in the kingdom of God, short of Christianity? So certain as any of them were saved, so certain did Christianity tolerate polygamy; for we are certain that it did not tolerate divorces only for a certain transgression.

6. If polygamy is to be considered sinful under the gospel dispensation, why did David speak of the honorable wives of the son of God himself and so particularly describe one of His Queens. Would Christ sanction a sinful institution by his own practice? and then command His disciples to follow him?

7. If polygamists cannot be admited [sic] into the Christian Church, Why did Isaiah prophesy concerning the future glory of Zion under the Christian dispensation, and inform us that "In that day seven women should take hold of one man saying, We

saying, We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach?" If such things are sinful, Why did Isaiah further predict, that "In that day the branch of the Lord should be beautiful and glorious and that every one who should be left in Zion should be called holy, and that all their dwellings and assemblies should be overshadowed with a cloud and smoke by day, and a pillar of fire by night? Why are these polygamists who are to have seven women hold of their skirts to be called holy--to be so beautiful and glorious--to have such magnificent displays of the glory of God in their midst? Why is all this yet to take place under the Christian dispensation, if polygamy is not to be tolerated in the church of Christ and is so offensive in the sight of God? Do not all these things demonstrate that polygamy is compatible with Christianity, and that it has existed and will exist in the Christian Church in the days of its greatest glory? Can any Bible reader or Bible believer dispute this?

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8. Can any one tell why David before he committed adultery and was the means of shedding innocent blood was called a man after God's own heart? Did he not marry seven wives before God exalted him to the throne of Israel? After David had already taken seven wives, why did God give him all of Saul's wives in addition? Did the Lord think that David had not a sufficent [sic] number that He himself should give him more? Who dare say that polygamy is not a divine institution when God commanded it by the mouth of Moses, and then actually gave Saul's wives into David's bosom?

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9. If polygamy is not a divine institution Why did that good man Jehoiada the high priest give two wives to the good king Joash? Was not this done by a righteous man and by the highest authority of the priesthood that God lied upon the earth?

10. If polygamy is not a divine institution why did God command the prophet Hosea to marry two wives?

11. If among the people of God, polygamy is not more pleasing than monogamy or the one wife system, why did God command Israel to kill all their mule captives and to save all the virgins alive for themselves? Why did he command them to do this as a general rule in all their future wars against foreign cities and nations? Was it not instituted in order to supply Israel with women enough to make a nation of polygamists? Was it not in this way, that He intended to greatly multiply Israel and make them as the sands upon the sea shore, according to the promises made to their polygamist ancestors?

12. If among the righteous polygamists are not more honorable in the sight of God than the monogamists, why is it that God generally chose the former to be deliverers, judges, rulers, kings, priests, prophets, and patriarchs, in preference to the latter? Why was Gideon who had many wives and no less than seventy-two sons, chosen to deliver Israel? Why did the King of kings and Lord of lords choose to be born into this world in a family whose ancestors were noted polygamists? Do not all these things prove, that among the righteous, God prefered [sic] the system of polygamy to that of monogamy?

13. If polygamy was not permitted in the Christian Church, why did Paul require Timothy to select from among the church members men who were the husbands of one wife for the offices of bishops and deacons? If there were no polygamists in church, would it have been possible for Timothy to

Timothy to have selected them? And if not possible, why did Paul give the advice? Does not this prove most conclusively that polygamy did exist in that church? Does Paul any where represent polygamy to be evil or immoral? did not he require such selections to be made in order that these officers might not be encumbered with the cares of a large family? It might be necessary sometimes under particular circumstances, to select young men that were single for ordination, to be sent on particular missions, where even one wife would be a great incumbrance and for the time being a hindrance to their usefulness. Because, under such circumstances, instructions were given to select single men; should it therefore be inferred that it was sinful for others to be husbands? So likewise, considering the arduous duties, required of bishops and deacons, Paul thought best to select for these offices husbands having one wife; should it therefore be inferred that it was sinful for other husbands to have more than one?

14. Did our Saviour or any of his Apostles ever forbid polygamy or condemn it as sinful? If not why should Christendom now condemn it? Do they think to be more righteous in this respect, than Jesus Christ the great Author of Christianity?

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15. There are hundreds of thousands of polygamists among the various nations of the earth who have married their wives according to the laws of their respective governments. When Christendom send forth their missionaries to convert them, in what way can they be admitted into the church? Must they divorce all their wives but one? If so, which one shall they retain, and which ones shall they cast away upon the cruel mercies of the worlds? A certain wealthy, kind, and benevolent man, in Asia who knows nothing of Christianity, purchases for himself ten virgins and marries them all at the same time, according to the customs and laws of his country. Each of his wives raises up unto him four children. After which a missionary from Christendom happens along and preaches to him and his numerous family, Christianity: he, and his ten wives, and forty children, all believe and wish to be baptized into the Christian Church. He is told by the missionary that he must divorce all his wives but one, without which he cannot be received. But neither the missionary nor the man himself know of any rule to decide which one of the ten is to be retained? They were all married to him at the same time; all have been true to him; and each have borne to him an equal number of children. But at length, without any rule, the decision is made; nine-tenths of his dear family are put away; not however, without a heart-rending sacrifice of feelings on the part of himself and his beloved family. He and his one wife are now admitted into the church and considered good Christians. But two-thirds of his family who are thus torn from his embrace and cast out, begin to doubt very seriously whether Christianity is as good as the religion of their own nation. They begin to think that a religion that will thus break up families cannot be good; they renounce it at once, and turn to their idolatry. As for the other third of the sorrowful out cast wives, perhaps they may even yet have a feint lingering hope that Christianity is a true system of religion; but having no husband and protector, they finally meet with au opportunity of marrying idolatrous husbands: and after a while, having no Christian husbands to guide them, they

, they entirely lose what little faith they had, and embrace again the religion of their husbands and fathers, and the poor children follow the examples of their mothers. Thus the nine wives and thirty-six children who believed in Christianity and would have entered the church with their husband and father, had they not been put away, are forced into circumstances, calculated to destroy and entirely irradicate [sic] from their minds all faith in the Christian religion. Does Christianity require missionaries to pursue such a course among polygamist nations? Does it require them to tear asunder family ties; to break up and scatter in some instances nine-tenths of those who are nearer and more precious to each other than life? Does it require them to pursue a course calculated in its very nature, to make them loathe and detest Christianity, as more cruel in their estimation than the grave? By what law of Christianity do they teach such to divorce any one of their wives, except for the cause of adultery? O Christendom, where is thy consistency! it is gone! it is fled! and absurdity and every species of wickedness have taken the place thereof! Thou corruptest the nations with thy whoredoms, and yet thou wouldst fein persuade them that thou art righteous; but the day is at hand when thine iniquities shall be proclaimed upon the house tops, and thou shall be judged for all thy filthiness and abominations, and shall be cast down by devouring fire. Then shall come salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, and the reign of peace, and the day of the righteous, wherein Abraham and his wives together with all his seed that are righteous, shall inherit the earth, and reign for ever and ever.

EDITOR.

CONTENTS.

Christian Polygamy in the Sixteenth Century 177

Celestial Marriage 183

WASHINGTON CITY, D. C.

EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY ORSON PRATT,

at $1 per annum, invariably in advance.

THE SEER.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, See Ye, when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains. --Isaiah xviii, 3.

Vol. 2. January, 1854. No. 1.

THE TREATMENT OF THE UNITED STATES TOWARDS THE SAINTS.

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Question.--First, In what manner have the people of the United States treated the divine message contained in the Book of Mormon?

Answer.--They have closed their eyes, their ears, their hearts and their doors against it. They have laughed at, ridiculed, derided, and treated it with the utmost contempt. They have scorned, rejected, and hated the servants of God who were sent to bear testimony of it. They have invented the most abominable, wicked and malicious lies, and published the same against it. Their priests have hypocritically and piously read these lies from the pulpit, and warned their congregations from one end of the Union to the other, to neither hear, read, nor investigate it, nor any thing in favor of it. They have denounced it as "a most vile and wicked imposition;" "a horrid blasphemy;" "a soul-destroying and most damnable doctrine, emanating from the bowels of hell." Their editors have for years reiterated, through the columns of their papers, these abusive unjust denunciations and vile falsehoods, without giving any chance in their columns for a reply or correction of these bare-faced and foul misrepresentations.

Question.--Second, In what manner have the United States treated the saints who have believed in this divine message?

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Answer.--

Answer.--The people, not satisfied with having scorned, ridiculed, lied against, denounced, and rejected the message, have, likewise, poured out their abuse like a flood upon the heads of the innocent who received it. They have proceeded to the most savage and outrageous persecutions: have fallen like demons upon their defenceless [sic] prey; burned hundreds of their houses; destroyed their furniture, and their stacks of hay and grain; shot down their cattle and flocks for sport; dragged little children from their hiding places and placing the muzzles of their guns to their heads have blown out their brains, with the most horrid oaths and imprecations. They have taken the fair daughters of American citizens, bound them upon benches used for public worship, and there, in great numbers, ravished them until death came to their relief. They have thrust ministers of the gospel into loathsome dungeons, bound them in chains and hand-cuffs, and fed them on human flesh. At one time they drove twelve hundred men, women, and children from their own comfortable homes and firesides; seized upon their property and their lands, which by their hard earnings they had purchased from the General Government, and compelled the lawful owners to wander in the wilderness, and upon the bleak frosty prairies, without house, shelter, or home. At another time, after butchering scores of defenceless [sic] men, women, and children, fifteen thousand were driven from their own habitations and lands, and compelled to brave the storms of another dreary winter, while they wandered, faint and hungry, for several hundred miles through the inhospitable regions of Missouri, being scorned, hissed at, and spurned from their doors, and threatened with continual death. At another time, the Great Prophet of the last days, by whom the sacred history of one half of our globe was revealed, and others of the servants of God, were thrust into prison, and there some seventy or eighty individuals, painted and blacked for the occasion, are permitted, in open day, to fall upon their defenceless [sic] victims and murder them in the most shocking manner. At another time, thirty thousand men, women, and children, after seeing much of their property destroyed, and many of their numbers murdered, were forced at the point of the bayonet to again flee from their houses and lands, and launch forth in the cold month of February, among the snow-drifts and piercing colds of the almost uninhabited prairies of Iowa, leaving only a few hundreds of the old, sick, and infirm, until the season should become more favorable. And after having arrived in an Indian country, and suffered hardships indescribable, what was their astonishment to find themselves called upon to furnish five hundred men to fight the battles of the United States against Mexico! They themselves had just been deprived of all the sacred rights of American citizens; had just been driven by the force of arms from the Republic; had suffered the loss of millions of dollars, and were then in the very act of fleeing for their lives to the dens, and caves, and deserts of the Rocky mountains. And to add to all their calamities, the government had looked coldly on, and seen all these evils heaped upon them year after year; they had seen them deprived of every right guaranteed in the Constitution; they had seen them whipped, immured in dungeons, driven from settlement to settlement, and from state to state, and at last expelled from the

the States, and told that they must not stop short of the Rocky mountains. And yet this same government, that had afforded them no protection, provokingly asked them to drop their families upon the prairies, to leave them upon the western plains, in the midst of savage tribes; to forsake helpless women and children, exposed to the pitiless storms of an approaching winter, far from the abodes of what is termed civilized man; without house, without home, without food, without any apparent prospect but starvation and death. But here the scenery does not close, for scarcely had the five hundred men bid adieu to their weeping families, under these heart-rending circumstances, and commenced their long and tedious march against Mexico, when the sad and mournful news reached them that their aged fathers and mothers, their sick brothers and sisters, whom they were obliged to leave behind in Nauvoo, were surrounded by an army of several thousand strong, their defenceless [sic] houses cannonaded for several days, several killed, and the balance driven by the point of the bayonet across the Mississippi river, and told to flee for their lives beyond the Rocky mountains! Oh, how encouraging must this news have been to those brave and honest men who were then marching, hungry and thirsty, across the burning sandy deserts against the Mexican foe! Oh, how cheering must have been the reflection, that they themselves, with their helpless wives and children, had only a short time previous been driven from the nation in whose service they were then enlisted; and that their aged fathers and their sick relatives had just shared the same fate! This is a short but true account of the treatment of this nation towards one of the greatest messages that God ever sent to enlighten the world, and towards His servants who were sent to proclaim it, and towards the honest humble souls who have received it.

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Question.--Has the General Government any power to protect her citizens in the enjoyment of the rights guaranteed in her constitution?

Answer.--She has the power, but in the cases which we have mentioned she lacked the disposition.

Question.--But were not these wholesale murders and wholesale banishments inflicted by the sovereign states of Missouri and Illinois? and have the United States any power to interfere with the acts of sovereign States?

Answer.--When a sovereign state rises up in rebellion and open violation against the most sacred rights, vested in the general Constitution, and by force or arms deprives thirty thousand men, women, and children of their houses and lands, and forces them at the cannons' mouth, and under the most fearful threats of extermination and death, to leave not only the State, but also the Republic; then it is most palpably evident that these sovereign States are at open war against the Constitution and the dearest rights of American citizens. Each citizen of every State, is also a citizen of the United States; he has State rights and United States' rights, and when a sovereign State forcibly and without law deprives him of both of these rights, he has no appeal only to the General Government; and it is her province to restore the injured party to his rights and protect him therein, and to bring the sovereign State to punishment for her treason and rebellion against the Constitution.

Question.--Has not each sovereign State a right to act according to the wishes of the

of the majority? and should not the voice of the people in each State rule?

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Answer.--They have a right to comply with the wishes of the majority, when those wishes are included within the limits of the constitution; but the moment they transcend these, or undertake to rule by the voice of the people in violation of the rights of American citizens, their sovereignty should no longer protect them from the superior power of the United States. For instance, if the voice of the people in a sovereign State should do away with a republican form of government, and establish a king instead of a governor, the General Government would then have power to call that sovereign State to an account, and to protect the minority of her citizens in the rights called for by the constitution. The voice of the people, therefore, has no right to rule only within the limits of the constitution. Should the democrats, because they are the majority in the sovereign State of Illinois, force the whigs to yield up their constitutional rights, drive them at the cannons' mouth from the State, and threaten them with a wholesale extermination if they dared to stop within a thousand miles of the Republic, we think that there would be some power in the General Government to put a stop to the exercise of such sovereignty. We think that the voice of the people thus unconstitutionally exercised, would not screen her from the justice and punishment which she would so richly deserve. Would not the United States by military power immediately chastise such a sovereign State, and restore the whigs to their houses, their homes, and their rights as American citizens? Every man in the Union will answer yes. If this would be done in the case of the whigs, who are a large minority, should it not also be done in the case of a smaller minority? If the General Government has the right to protect one hundred thousand from a wholesale banishment, she has the right to protect thirty thousand from the same unjust calamity. In the one case she would have the power and disposition; in the other she has the power but not the disposition, and this makes the great difference. If a foreign foe should make war against the city of New York, and drive her citizens a thousand miles from their homes, you would not hear the General Government pretending that they had no power nor right to chastise that foreign foe. If the sovereign State of New York should commit the same depredations upon the city, should they not be chastised as an internal foe, far more dangerous than a foreign enemy? Is not rebellion against the dearest rights of American citizens far more outrageous and intolerable than the aggressions of foreign nations? If the United States have power to protect large bodies of her citizens from foreign invasion, is it not an absurdity to say that she cannot protect them from home invasions? Where then is the argument that will justify the General Government in their cruel neglect towards thirty thousand American citizens, whom they have seen robbed and expelled from their homes by the marshalled [sic] hosts of the sovreign [sic] State of Illinois? Is there the least shadow of an excuse for suffering a State to go unpunished who thus suffers her own citizens to. trample upon the rights of the minority, and deprive them of houses, lands, homes, and all the dearest rights of American citizens, and banish them, by wholesale, a thousand miles from their country? If

? If sovreign [sic] States can exercise this power without being amenable to the General Government, where then is safety? Where then can the minority, against whom the majority shall form a dislike, find protection from the sword and the bayonet? Where can they appeal for protection, in the enjoyment of their sacred homes and firesides, if not to the General Government? What shall save the minority, in any sovereign State, from being expelled from their country at any time that the majority shall think proper to attack them with powder and ball? Away, then, with the unjust assertion, that the United States have no right nor power to protect American citizens from being butchered, and forcibly driven from their country by the marshalled [sic] armies of sovereign States! The assertion is too glaring to blind the eyes of ignorant savages; and when made to enlightened freemen, it is an insult of the most aggravating nature.

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Question.--But were these thirty thousand citizens expelled from their homes and from the State, by the armies of the State, acting under State orders, or by mob armies?

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Answer.--It matters not by which it was done--it is certain that it has been done; and, however it may have been done, it does not justify, in the least, the criminal neglect of the General Government. First, if it were done by State armies, and by State authority, then the United States are deeply guilty for not bringing that rebellious State to justice, and for not restoring those thirty thousand injured citizens to their country--to their lands, and to their Constitutional rights; and protecting them therein as American citizens. Secondly, if they were driven from the country by mob armies, then the State, if she had power to protect her citizens, and did not do it, is equally as guilty as if she had expelled them by her own orders; and, in this case, the United States are equally as guilty as in the other case in suffering a sovereign State to permit American citizens to be thus treated. Lastly, if Illinois has not the power to protect the minority against the aggressions of the majority, then it was the duty of the United States to have furnished relief, and assisted the State in protecting the minority in their constitutional rights. And her neglect to do this, renders her equally as guilty as in the former two cases. Therefore, it matters not whether those thirty thousand were cannonaded out of the State by the orders of the State, or by the orders of a mob through the neglect of the State, or by the armies of a mob whom the State had not sufficient force to overcome. In either case, the neglect of the General Government is equally criminal; and the acts of those rebellious armies will forever be considered as virtually the acts of the General Government. And there is no way in which they can wipe away the odium, and stain, and blood-guiltiness which are upon them, and which cry loudly to the heavens for vengeance. It is true, should they bring Missouri and Illinois to justice; should they restore those exiled citizens to their country, their lands, and their homes, and protect them therein; and restore the millions of dollars worth of property which those States have suffered to be violently taken from them; it would manifest, in some measure, a repentance on the part of the General Government, and serve, in some small degree, to remove the stigma that is upon them; but all this would not restore

not restore the lives of hundreds of American citizens who have been murdered and butchered by their cold and unfeeling neglect.

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Question.--Have those injured exiled American citizens ever memorialized the General Government upon the subject of their wrongs, and sought redress from their hands, and protection in their constitutional rights?

Answer.--Yes: After fifteen thousand American citizens had been driven from the State of Missouri, under the exterminating orders of Governor Boggs, having previously applied to the judicial and legislative authority of that State in vain, they sent their delegates with a memorial to the President and to Congress, who had the unblushing impudence to refer them for redress to the very State whose Governor had driven them from her borders, and whose Legislature had voted two hundred thousand dollars to pay her troops for their blood-thirsty and unconstitutional acts. Yes, they were told to go and seek redress from their murderers, and from the murderers of their wives and children.

And again, when threatened with like calamities by the State of Illinois, memorials were again sent to the President and to Congress, earnestly imploring protection. I, myself, as the Agent and Delegate of that injured people, waited about ten weeks at the Capital for a report upon these memorials; but they were treated with silent neglect! and in a few weeks afterwards the Prophet and others were murdered; and but a short time elapsed before thirty thousand were forced from their homes and banished from the country. What has the Government done, in one single instance, to protect them or restore them to their rights, during the long period of twenty years' suffering and banishment? Just nothing at all. They have been treated as though they were not American citizens--they have been deprived of every sacred right in the Constitution--they have been whipped, mauled, and beaten, until their bowels have gushed out; they have been robbed, plundered, and driven, year after year, from county to county, and from state to state: they have been incarcerated in dungeons, bound down with strong chains, like wild beasts, and there fed with human flesh cut from their murdered friends. They have been tortured, shot, and murdered in various ways; and to cap the climax, they have, en masse, been cannonaded, not only from a State, but from the United States; and threatened that if they stopped short of the Sandy Deserts, west of the Rocky Mountains, they should be butchered and exterminated without regard to age or sex. What more can this nation do to fully and entirely reject the divine message which God has sent into the world to warn them of their sins, and to save them if they repent? They can do nothing worse than what they have already done. They can react those murderous scenes over again, and thus fill up the cup of their iniquities; but they cannot perpetrate deeds of a more horrid nature than those of which they are already guilty.

EDITOR.

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FAITH.

What is faith? This is a question often asked, and often answered in different ways. We shall not attempt to give the different views of people upon this principle, but only to clearly define our own. Faith is simply the belief, the confidence, or the assent of the mind in relation to any subject, or proposition, or thing, whether true or false, which it supposes to be true. Faith is the result of evidence. True evidence, when believed,

believed, produces true faith: false evidence, when believed, produces false faith. Neither a true nor false faith could exist without evidence. A child, seeing others walk, believes that he can walk, and accordingly makes the exertion and succeeds in taking a few steps. Now he would never have made the exertion without having some faith that it was possible; this faith in the child's mind is the result of evidence. A man, seeing others swim in water, believes on this evidence, and other circumstances, that it is possible for himself to perform the same act. He makes the attempt because of his faith. Truthful parents relate many facts and incidents to their little children, who, having a degree of faith in their words, follow their directions, and demonstrate by actual experience that those words are verily true. These frequent demonstrations beget almost unlimited confidence in what their parents tell them. Their words are considered sufficient evidence on almost any subject. These same parents, being, in some things, deceived themselves, teach their errors to their children; the children having proved in every preceding instance that their words were true, receive their evidence in relation to what is false. the result is a false faith, founded upon false evidence, which they sincerely suppose to be true. The faith of the heathen in their idolatrous gods is the result of false evidence; and their faith is weak or strong just in proportion to the apparent weakness or strength of the evidence. The faith of the Roman Catholics, that the Bible and tradition without any new revelation, are a sufficient rule of faith and practice, is just as much the result of a false traditionary evidence, as the faith of the Protestants in regard to the Bible alone being sufficient. The faith of Christendom in their newly invented "god, without body or parts," is just as much the result of false evidence, as the faith of the Hindoos [Hindus] in their gods of more ancient invention.

Before we can have faith in any thing we must first have evidence, for in all cases evidence precedes faith, and in searching after evidence we are exceedingly liable to be deceived. All the inhabitants of our globe were for many ages deceived in supposing that the earth had no diurnal rotation upon its axis: they believed that the apparent diurnal rotation of the heavenly bodies around the earth was real. This universal and long continued delusion was the result of receiving false evidence, handed down and rendered sacred by tradition. Among all the antediluvian world only eight persons had the true faith: all the rest perished with a false faith.

A false faith in regard to some things is far more dangerous than in others. To believe that the sun performs an annual revolution around the earth, though it is known to be false, is not attended with any very dangerous consequences; but to believe a divine message, sent from heaven, is false is attended with consequences of the most fearful kind, involving the present and future happiness of the soul. So, likewise, to believe a religion, invented by uninspired men, to be of divine origin, is equally fatal in its consequences.

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Faith most generally leads to works corresponding in nature with the belief. Faith in the heathen systems of mythology caused whole nations and generations to worship according to those systems. Faith in the corrupt systems of modern Christianity causes the nations of Europe and America

and America to practice in accordance therewith. Faith in new revelations leads people to practice according to the requirements contained in them.

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It is sometimes the case, however, that people practice contrary to their faith, being governed by some motive of a more powerful nature. A person may have a degree of faith in the Book of Mormon, yet, through fear of persecution, or some other cause, he may refuse obedience to its requirements. A farmer may believe that if he sows his fields and cultivates them they will yield an abundant harvest, but, through laziness, he neglects to act according to his faith, and therefore does not reap the reward. When faith, either true or false, is sufficiently powerful to lead to action, it produces effects accordingly. The faith of Paul that Jesus of Nazareth was an impostor led him to do many things against him: his faith, after seeing the light and hearing the voice from the heavens, led him to spend his life in advocating his doctrine. The faith of some led them to think that they were doing God service in killing the Apostles; the faith of others made them willing to die for their testimony concerning Jesus. The murderers of the apostles, and the apostles themselves, both had faith and works; the one had false faith and wicked works; the other had true faith and righteous works. Faith alone will not save men; neither will faith and works save them, unless they are of the right kind. Indeed the faith and works of the greatest portion of mankind will be the very cause of their damnation. True faith and righteous works are essential to salvation; and without both of these no man ever was or ever can be saved.

Unless the true principles of salvation be revealed and established by sufficient evidence, there could be no true faith and works by which mankind could obtain salvation; for in the system of salvation, works follow faith, and faith follows evidence, and evidence accompanies the revealed truth. For instance, God reveals the great and sublime truths contained in the Book of Mormon. Next, He sends evidence sufficient to convince mankind of the divine authenticity of these truths. Thirdly, this evidence produces faith in the minds of those who candidly and carefully examine it. Fourthly, this faith will lead the honest to do the works required of them in that book. And lastly, through the atonement of Christ these faith and works, combined together, will surely save them in the kingdom of God.

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The evidence which God always gives to establish the divinity of His revelations, is sufficient to produce faith in the heart of every person living, who examines it in a proper manner. Hence every creature in all the world, who has come to years of understanding, and who has evidence placed within his reach, is condemned if he does not believe it. There are some who say that, if the evidence were sufficient, they would be compelled to believe; but this is not true,--the evidence may be sufficient, and yet they may refuse to examine it; or they may examine it with prejudiced minds, or they may be careless in their examinations, or they may refuse to examine it in the manner in which God has directed; or they may examine it with a determination not to embrace it, even though it be true; or they may be partial in weighing the evidence for, and apparently against it, with a most anxious desire and hope, that they shall find it false. All these obstacles, and many others that might be named, prevent them from believing that which an honest, candid, unprejudiced, and prayerful mind would believe. Therefore it is not for the lack of evidence that they disbelieve, but it is their own evil hearts, and the darkness which they bring with them in their investigations. When God reveals a truth, as it is always accompanied with sufficient evidence, all people, because of their agency, can believe or disbelieve it, as they choose; and if they believe it, they can also obey or disobey it, as they choose: and herein is the condemnation of man, because they prefer unbelief to faith, and disobedience to Obedience.

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When the Apostles were commanded to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, they were informed that he who believed the Gospel and was baptized should be saved; and he who believed not should be damned. To believe the Gospel, as the Apostles preached it, was not sufficient, but Jesus added the condition of baptism, clearly showing that their faith must be manifested by their works, otherwise it would be of no benefit to them. Jesus very well understood that the works necessary to salvation never would be performed without faith, which always precedes them; and as this faith was in their power to obtain through the evidence offered by the preaching of his Apostles, he determined to damn every creature in all the world that would not believe the message they taught.

There are some who believe that faith alone, unaccompanied by works, is sufficient for justification, sanctification, and salvation. But what would it benefit a hungry man, in a field, who believes that in the house there is a table spread for him, with an abundance of food, if he make exertion to approach the house and obtain the blessing? What profit would it be to a rich man who has faith in the words of Jesus, concerning the feeding of the hungry and the clothing of the naked, unless he have works corresponding to that faith? What blessing would be obtained by believing every word which Christ has spoken, unless we do them It is not the person who merely believes in the sayings of Christ, that is justified, but it is he who shows his faith by obeying them. When Jesus speaks of believers, he has reference, most generally, to those whose faith had been sufficiently strong to lead them to obedience. It is to these kind of believers that he refers in the following passages: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my words, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come unto condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "He that believeth on him is not condemned."

Jesus here refers to a class of believers who should fully prove their faith by their obedience. Such, and such alone, should be freed from condemnation--should pass from death unto life--should become the children of God by having a faith that would lead them to obey. All other believers are without justification--without hope--without everlasting life, and will be damned, the same as unbelievers, because they profess to believe on the words of the Son of God, but will not obey them.

Jesus says, "If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not

keepeth not my sayings." As a man's love is manifested by his works, so is his faith.

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John says that, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God." It is evident, from the whole Epistle in which these words are contained, that none were to be considered as really believing that Jesus was the Christ, only those who manifested it by keeping his commandments; for he further says, "Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him." And again, he says, "Every one that doeth righteousness is born of him." "Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God." "He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him." "Every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." "He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love." "He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because, as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him because he first loved us." "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous."

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From all these passages it is easy to perceive that salvation depends upon our loving God; and that loving God is the keeping of his commandments; and the keeping of his commandments is the only sure evidence of our really believing that Jesus is the Christ. Let no persons, therefore, flatter or deceive themselves with the idea that they believe from their heart, that Jesus is the Christ, or that they are born of God; or that they have passed from death unto life, or that they love God, unless they are certain that they have kept his commandments and sayings. Millions are deceiving themselves with a false faith and with a false hope-deluding themselves with the notion that they are born of God, when they have not attended even to the first commandments in relation to their adoption. All such will meet with a bitter disappointment.

The first effect of true faith is a sincere, true, and thorough repentance of all sins; the second effect is an immersion in water for the remission of sins; the third is the reception of the ordinance of the laying on of the hands for the baptism of the Holy Ghost: these are the first commandments in the Gospel. No man has a saving faith without attending to these three requirements. person can be a believer in Christ, in the scriptural sense of that term, without complying, in the strictest manner, with these commandments; without receiving these, it will be in vain for him to pray for a forgiveness of sins, or for the baptism of the spirit, or for salvation: and if he flatters himself that he loves God, or that he can obtain eternal life without obeying these first commandments, he is wofully [sic] deceived. Indeed, these are the introductory principles, and the only principles by which men and women can be born into the kingdom of Christ, and become his sons and daughters. After attending to these, there are other commandments for them to obey; but if they undertake to obey the others first, they will find their endeavors unacceptable in the sight of God. For instance,

instance, God requires his sons and daughters to keep the Sabbath day holy; but no man can keep the Sabbath holy until he has attended to the first three commandments of the Gospel, after which he can keep the Sabbath according to the mind of God, but not before. There are many commandments which none but those who are born of God can keep. And for a man to undertake to keep them before attending to the first three, would be like a child's undertaking to read before it had learned the alphabet.

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A faith, then, that brings remission of sins or justification to the sinner, is that which is connected with repentance and baptism. Faith alone will not justify; faith and repentance alone will not justify; faith and baptism alone will not justify; but faith, repentance and baptism will justify and bring remission of sins through the blood of Christ. What does Paul mean, when be says, "Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ?" He means that faith is the starting point--the foundation and cause of our repentance and baptism which bring remission or justification; and being the cause which leads to those results, it is not improper to impute justification to faith. What does that scripture mean that says, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt Believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation?" It means that real faith in the heart is that which leads to obedience; for a man who does not obey, only has a degree of faith, and not a living faith in the heart which in all cases will lead to repentance, confession, baptism, laying on of hands, &c. All will admit that to believe with the heart leads to and includes repentance. Why not also admit that it includes every other commandment of the gospel? Because believing with the heart in the resurrection of Christ is the moving cause of obedience which brings salvation, it may well be said that salvation is the result of faith.

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There has been much dispute among mankind in regard to justification. Some have supposed that we are justified by the blood of Christ by simple faith alone, without performing any works either of the law or gospel. Others suppose that we are justified by the blood of Christ by simply adding repentance to our faith without any further works. Others contend that all mankind will be justified and saved through the blood of Christ, without either faith or works. All these admit that the atonement of Christ is necessary to justification. The only dispute seems to be in regard to the conditions required of the creature by which he receives the justification purchased by the atonement. Those who believe that simple faith alone, without works, is the only condition required, generally urge the following passages in support of that view: "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works." (Rom. 4: 2-6.) Those who believe works

works necessary to justification, quote the following: "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?" "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham, our father, justified by works, when he had offered Isaac, his son, upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab, the harlot, justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith, without works, is dead also." (James 2: 14-26.) Paul and James seem apparently to contradict each other; and this has been the cause of differences of opinion in our day: but these apparent contradictions can easily be reconciled, if we take into consideration the two different subjects upon which they were writing. Paul was writing to a people who were inclined to believe in circumcision, and other works of the ancient law which had been done away in Christ. And he shows clearly that circumcision and many of those ancient laws were given in the earlier ages, not to take away past sins or to justify those to whom they were given, but for various other purposes; and that by complying with those works, they did nothing more than what they were indebted to do, and that the reward attached to these acts was "not reckoned of grace, but of debt;" or in other words, the reward of grace is a forgiveness of past sins; but the reward of debt is a freedom from the condemnation, not of past sins, but of the sins which would exist in case we refused to pay the debt: for instance, God commanded Abraham to circumcise himself and all the males of his house, not to justify himself or his house of past sins, but for another purpose. When this commandment was given, it brought Abraham under obligations to obey it; it was a debt he owed to the Lord; if he paid it, there would be no condemnation arising from disobedience in relation to that particular commandment, and he would have the reward of a clear conscience, so far as the payment of that particular debt was concerned; but in all this there is no reward of grace manifested in the forgiveness of any sins which may have previously been committed. Therefore as obedience to these particular laws did not bring remission of sins, Paul could with propriety say that Abraham and others were not justified by works, that is, by such works of the law as circumcision, & c., which were given for a very different purpose than that of justification. It was very necessary that Abraham should do those works, though they were not works intended to bring remission of sins or justification, yet the performance of them would prevent the sin of negligence, and would also bring such blessings as were attached to them by way of promise. But after these laws and circumcision were done away in Christ, then Paul could say, "But to him that

him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." If those laws and ordinances which were given to Abraham to perform, were not intended to justify him of his past sins, much less would they justify those who lived after Christ, when they were done away. After Christ, these works given to Abraham to perform, were not considered even as a debt binding upon any: they were works, therefore, that would be sinful to perform. The faith of that man that "worketh not," that is, that does not perform works that are done away, "is counted for righteousness."

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But as Abraham was justified by faith, it may not be improper to inquire whether there were any other class of works, connected with his faith, that were of a justifying nature. Paul says, "The Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying: In thee shall all nations be blest."--(Gal. 3: 8.) From this we learn, that the same gospel that was to justify the heathen through faith, and bless all nations, was actually preached to Abraham. Now in the gospel there are certain works to be connected with faith for justification: by these works of the gospel, he manifested his faith and obtained justification; and not by the works of the law, such as circumcision, &c. Paul says, "Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised: that righteousness might be imputed unto them also; and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised."--(Rom. 4: 9-12.) From these passages we learn, that Abraham was justified before circumcision, consequently the gospel of justification must have been preached to him before that law was given. That there were works connected with the gospel preached to Abraham, is evident from the fact that all the heathen nations who lived in the Apostles' days, could be justified and become his children by walking, as Paul says, "in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham." There were certain steps pertaining to the gospel and faith of Abraham, in which he walked; otherwise he could not have been justified. Whatever works these steps of justification included, the very same were required of the heathen after Christ. These steps of the gospel, since Christ, we have already observed, are Repentance and Baptism, which bring remission of sins and justification, being the results of faith, or in other words, the steps of faith that Abraham walked in. Therefore "to him that worketh not" the works of circumcision and other laws that are done away, but performeth the works of the gospel, "his faith is counted for righteousness," the same as Abraham's was who walked in the steps of the same gospel, and was justified in the same way. This view of the subject perfectly reconciles the teachings of both Paul and James, and shows most clearly that both were correct, when their statements are applied to the two different subjects upon which they were writing.

EDITOR.

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON

ON DOCTRINE.

BY THE EDITOR.

Question. How many ways has God ordained to obtain eternal life?

Answer. Only one.

Q. How many dispensations has God sent into the world?

A. Many hundreds.

Q. Has not God's plan of saving men been different under different dispensations?

A. Not in the least, so far as certain laws and ordinances are concerned.

Q. What is the plan of salvation?

A. It is to believe and do all things that God requires of us, and then we shall be saved through the atonement of Christ.

Q. Has God required mankind under different dispensations to believe and do the same things?

A. In some respects He has, in others, He has not.

Q. What are those general law and ordinances necessary to be believed and obeyed in all dispensations, in order to obtain a complete salvation?

A. They are, first, Faith in the atonement of Christ; second, Repentance of all sin; third, Immersion in water for the remission of sins; fourth, the Baptism of Fire and of the Holy Ghost through the ordinance of Confirmation, or the laying on of hands.

Q. Could not any man from Adam to Christ receive a full salvation without being Baptized in water and with the Holy Ghost?

A. No; unless some other person authorized has been or shall be baptized for him after he is dead. Neither can any man from Christ to the end of the world, enter into the Celestial Kingdom without embracing these same principles.

Q. Who has authority to Baptize and Confirm?

A. None but those whom God has called and ordained.

Q. Have the Roman Catholics authority to baptize?

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A. No: for they have no inspired Apostles and Prophets among them: neither have they any new revelations, and without these things no one ever was or ever can be called to the ministry?

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Q. Is the Roman Catholic Church the Church of Christ?

A. No: for she has no inspired priesthood or officers, without which the Church of Christ never did nor never can exist.

Q. How long since the Roman Catholic Church lost the authority and ceased to be the Church of Christ?

A. She never had authority, and never was the Church of Christ; and consequently she could not lose that which she never was in possession of.

Q. If the Roman Catholics are not the Church of Christ, where has the Church of Christ existed since inspired men ceased from the earth:

A. She has existed in heaven where the gates of hell never can prevail against her, because she is built upon the rock; and the inspired Apostles are in heaven with her whom the Saviour promised to be with always, even unto the end of the world.

Q. What has become of the Apostles' successors?

A. The Apostles had no successors after those died off who were called by inspiration and new revelation.

Q. After the Church of Christ fled from earth to heaven, what was left?

A. A set of wicked Apostates, murderers, and idolaters, who, after having made war with the saints, and overcome them, and destroyed them out of the earth, were left to follow the wicked imaginations of their own corrupt hearts, and to build up churches by human authority, and to follow after the cunning craftiness of uninspired men; having no Apostle, Prophet, or Revelator to inquire of God for them: and thus, because of

of wickedness, the Church, and Priesthood, and gifts, and ordinances and blessings of the everlasting Gospel, were taken from the earth, and reserved in heaven until the fulness of times, when it was predicted that they should again be restored among men to continue until the end should come.

Q. Who founded the Roman Catholic Church?

A. The Devil, through the medium of Apostates, who subverted the whole order of God by denying immediate revelation, and substituting in the place thereof, tradition and ancient revelations as a sufficient rule of faith and practice.

Q. Did the great Protestant Reformers restore the Church of Christ to the earth?

A. No: for they had no inspired Apostles, Prophets, or Revelators among them, without which the Church could not be restored.

Q. But did not any of the Protestant Reformers have authority to Baptize and Confirm?

A. Not any of them: for they pretended that ancient revelation was a sufficient rule of faith; and, therefore, that no new revelation was needed: and without new revelation no man could be called and authorized to administer Gospel ordinances.

Q. But did not the first Protestant Reformers receive their ordination and authority from the Catholics?

A. Yes: and in this manner they received all the authority that their mother church was in possession of; and the mother having derived her authority from the Devil, could only impart that which his Satanic majesty was pleased to bestow upon her. If thorns could bear figs--if a bitter fountain could send forth sweet water--or a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit, then the whore of Babylon could confer divine authority upon her harlot daughters. But whatever authority the mother might have pretended to confer upon the daughters, she afterwards was very careful to take from them by excommunication. Therefore, unless the Reformers received fresh authority from heaven by new revelation, they had no authority at all.

Q. Are all the Baptisms administered by the Catholics and Protestants, and the different sects which have, from time to time, dissented from them, illegal, because the ministers were not authorized?

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A. They are, every one of them, illegal, and null, and void, and without effect; and will not be considered baptism in the day of judgment any more than the acts of unauthorized men in human governments are considered legal.

Q. Was not the Protestant Reformation a great benefit to the world?

A. Yes: it served to weaken the power of the mother church, and produced a great division in Satan's kingdom--the mother being opposed to her harlot daughters, and the daughters against their most abominable mother: and in this family war, the harlot daughters became also sorely displeased with each other. And in the midst of the contending elements, wise men became convinced that the civil government could not safely be entrusted with any of the contending parties: hence arose governments supporting religious freedom: whereas, if it had not been for the divisions in Satan's kingdom, freedom of conscience would have been wholly unknown in the nineteenth century. The iron yoke of Romanism would have sorely galled the necks of all nations upon whom she had power to place it. It was to weaken this corrupt, soul-destroying power; and to stir up contention, division, and war in all her borders, preparatory to the establishment of religious liberty, that God moved upon the hearts of the great Protestant Reformers of the sixteenth century.

Q. Is not sincerity a sufficient qualification to entitle a man to salvation?

A. No: sincerity is necessary to salvation, but is not sufficient for salvation. Paul, in his sincerity, verily thought he ought to do many things contrary to Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to his apostles, "The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service." (John 16: 2.) No one, who believes the Bible, will have the presumption to say, that those who killed the apostles could be saved, and yet Jesus says, that those murderers were to be so sincere, that they would really think that they were doing God service. Idolaters are frequently sincere, so much so, that they are willing to sacrifice their own lives to their idols. But the scripture says, that no idolater can inherit the kingdom of God. Millions of sincere persons will be shut out of the kingdom of heaven; and yet no person will be permitted to enter that kingdom unless he is sincere. The sincerity of some of the Catholics and Protestants in their religion, will in no wise qualify them for salvation. He that would be saved must not only be sincere, but embrace the true gospel, be baptized into the true Church, and continue a faithful member of the same unto the end. This is the only way to be saved with a full salvation. As neither Catholics nor Protestants are members of the true Church, they cannot claim celestial glory. However sincere, they are unprepared to dwell with God and receive the fulness of his glory.

Q. How long since the Church of Christ has been absent from the earth?

A. We have no history or knowledge of the Christian Church on the Eastern hemisphere after the second century. The Christian Church on the Western hemisphere ceased near the beginning of the fifth century. The Christian Church, therefore, was absent from the earth for above fourteen centuries.

Q. What has become of all the nations and generations during these fourteen centuries?

A. They have lived without prophets, without inspired apostles, without revelators, without the voice of God, without the ministry of angels, without heavenly visions, without authorized ministers to baptize or minister any other ordinance of the gospel, without the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, without the true Church, and consequently have died without salvation. And thus about fourteen thousand millions of the human race have gone down to their graves in ignorance and darkness, since the Church was taken from the earth.

Q. Will all these generations be damned without remedy?

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A. All these have died without hearing a message sent to them by divine authority; they have died with. out rejecting a message, and therefore will not be under the same condemnation as those who lived when messages have been sent, and who rejected the same. All these will be punished according to their works, and will be shut up in prison like those who perished in the flood, and will eventually have the gospel preached to them, even as Jesus preached the gospel to the antediluvian spirits; those who receive the gospel in prison will be redeemed therefrom; and those who reject it, will be sent down to hell with those who reject the same while here in the flesh. This eventually gives the same privilege to both the dead and the living

the living that they may all be judged by the same law. Hence the apostle Peter, after having informed us that Christ "went and preached unto the spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah," also informs us of the reason; "For, for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh." (1 Peter 3: 19, 20; also 4: 6.) The purpose to be accomplished in preaching to those who are dead and in prison, is to place their spirits in a condition to "be judged according to men in the flesh," who hear the gospel in this life. Thus both the living and the dead will be judged by the law of the gospel. Those who receive it will be saved; those who reject it will be damned.

Q. Why did not God send some one inspired with authority to build up his Church, during this long period of fourteen centuries?

A. Because the nations had become so extremely corrupt through the traditions handed down from their Apostate fathers, that they would not have suffered the true Church to be built up among them. Liberty of conscience was not tolerated sufficiently to permit a message by divine authority to be published in their midst. If God had sent forth servants to restore the true Church to the earth, before He had prepared the way by the establishment of governments favorable to religious liberty, they would have been killed off as the former day messengers were, and the church would again have been driven from the earth; and such wickedness would have left them in a far worse condition than what they would have been in if no message had been sent. If a message had been sent, and they had rejected it, it would have deprived them of hearing the gospel in prison with those who died in ignorance. The condition of things in the spiritual world will be more favorable to their hearing and receiving the gospel than it would have been under the tyrannical and corrupt powers of an Apostate Church. God, therefore, has dealt with these Apostate generations in that way that will, in the end, save far more of them than could have been saved by giving them a message in this life to trample under their feet. Other generations are in more favorable circumstances to have the gospel in this life, and in such cases, greater numbers can be saved than there could be by postponing the offer of salvation until they enter the spirit world. Hence God takes into account the favorable or unfavorable circumstances in which generations are placed, and sends them the gospel in this life or in the world of spirits, just according as He sees that it will have a tendency to save the most: this, therefore, is the reason why He has sent no divine message to the inhabitants of our globe, during the long and dreary night of fourteen centuries.

Q. But inasmuch as it is the object of God to save men, why not send the gospel to each generation here and in the next world also?

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A. Because if they reject the gospel here, they have not the privilege of entering into the prison in the spirit world, and of again hearing the gospel among those who never heard it while in the flesh: God's justice requires those who reject the gospel to be damned, instead of being favored with a prison among those who are less guilty. Those in prison are in an intermediate state: they are not saved, neither are they irrecoverably lost: but

lost: but when the gospel is preached to them it will decide their fate, redeeming those who receive it, and damning those who reject it; the one rising to light, glory, and happiness--and the other falling to darkness, damnation, and misery. And thus will the living and the dead be judged by the same gospel; and the mercy and justice of God be manifested to all without partiality. It will be perceived that the message of the gospel either saves or damns, instead of sending their spirits to an intermediate state.

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Q. Is this intermediate state, which is called in the scriptures a prison, a place of punishment?

A. Yes: but the severity of the punishment is not as great as is experienced among those who are sent to hell. Their punishment will be in proportion to their sins and the light which they have rejected. Indeed, the long ages of darkness, ignorance, doubt, and uncertainty which will slowly roll away, will of itself make them wretched and miserable. How tedious and wearisome must have been the condition of the antediluvian spirits to remain the long period of two thousand years and upwards without any ray of hope, until Jesus opened their prison doors, by preaching the gospel to them while his body was sleeping in the tomb.

Q. Will God's kingdom or Church be again restored to the earth?

A. It has already been restored.

Q. When did this restoration take place?

A. On the sixth day of April, in the year eighteen hundred and thirty.

Q. In what part of the earth was this kingdom first organized?

A. in the town of Fayette, Seneca county, and State of New York.

Q. How many persons were included in the first organization?

A. Only six.

Q. In what manner did the Lord proceed to restore his Church to the earth?

A. He first sent an holy angel to a young man, named Joseph Smith, and directed him where to obtain the sacred history of the ancient nations of America, and also the Urim and Thummim, and commanded him to translate these records into the English language.

Q. What was the use of this sacred history?

A. It contained the fulness of the gospel, as Jesus Christ himself preached it to the Aborigines of America, soon after his resurrection. Every principle and ordinance of the gospel, in this sacred book, is so exceedingly plain, that it leaves no uncertainty upon the mind, as it regards the way of salvation.

CONTENTS.

The Treatment of the United States towards the Saints, 193

Faith, 198

Questions and Answers on Doctrine, 204

WASHINGTON CITY, D. C.

EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY ORSON PRATT,

At $1 per annum, invariably in advance.

THE SEER.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, See Ye, when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains. --Isaiah xviii, 3.

Vol. 2. February, 1854. No. 2.

FAITH IS THE GIFT OF GOD.

BY THE EDITOR.

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Faith is the gift of God. In what manner does God give faith? Does he impart this gift to the mind by the immediate operation of the Holy Spirit independent of any other means? Does he bestow it unsought for and irrespective of the preparation of the mind? Does he confer it independent of the agency of man? To say that man obtains this gift without preparing himself, or without the exercise of any agency, is to deprive him of all responsibility in regard to whether he has faith or not. This condition would free him

free him from all blame or condemnation for unbelief. If agency is in no way concerned in obtaining faith, it would be the highest act of injustice to punish the unbeliever: there would be no more responsibility about him than there is about the dumb brute. What would be thought of the justice of a man who would punish his horse because he was not harnessed? If the animal were endowed with the power of speech, would he not say, that he was an irresponsible being, that he had no power or agency to harness himself, that the gift of harnessing belonged to a higher and superior being to himself, and that he considered it very cruel, and unjust, and tyrannical for that higher being to punish him for not exercising a faculty with which he was not endowed, which was far beyond his capacities, and which was a condition that man alone was capable of bestowing? If faith is the girt of God, and man has no agency in obtaining this gift, then he stands in the same relation to God in regard to having faith, as the horse does to the man in regard to being harnessed: and if it would be unjust and cruel in man to punish his horse for not being harnessed, it would be equally unjust and cruel for God to punish man for not having faith, if he be considered a being incapable of the exercise of such a faculty.

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That faith is the girt of God there is no dispute; but that God bestows this gift unsought for, and without any preparation or agency on the part of man, is not only unscriptural and unreasonable, but extremely absurd, when we consider that man is to be punished for his unbelief. But some may inquire, has not God the power and right to do with man as He pleases? Has not He power to withhold faith, and punish whomsoever He will, whether they deserve it or not? We reply, that whatever power God has, it is certain that He will not exercise it contrary to the principles of Justice and Mercy, or contrary to the revealed character, which He has given of Himself. If it were possible for Him to change, or deviate from His word, then He would cease to be God. If He would punish the innocent and acquit the guilty, He would be a Being altogether unlovely and undesirable--a Being to be feared, but not to be loved. Therefore, we may rest assured that he will never punish a man for his unbelief, unless man has the power to obtain faith through the exercise of His own free will.

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But if faith cannot be obtained, unless sought for properly, how can the sayings of Paul to the Ephesians be reconciled with this idea? "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2: 8-10.) We are to understand from these passages, that the grace and faith by which man is saved, are the gifts of God, having been purchased for him not by his own works, but by the blood of Christ. Had not these gifts been purchased for man, all exertions on his part would have been entirely unavailing and fruitless. Whatever course man might have pursued, he could not have atoned for one sin; it required the sacrifice of a sinless and pure Being in order to purchase the gifts of faith, repentance, and salvation for fallen man. Grace, Faith, Repentance, and Salvation, when considered in their origin, are not of man, neither by his works: man did not devise,

not devise, originate, nor adopt them; superior Beings in the Celestial abodes, provided these gifts, and revealed the conditions to man by which he might become a partaker of them. Therefore all boasting on the part of man is excluded. He is saved by a plan which his works did not originate--a plan of heaven, and not of earth.

Well might the Apostle declare to the Ephesians, that these gifts were not of themselves, neither of their works, when the God and Father of our spirits, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift, was the great Author of them. But are these great gifts bestowed on fallen man without his works? No: man has these gifts purchased for and offered to him; but before he can receive and enjoy them, he must exercise his agency and accept of them: and herein is the condemnation of man, because when he was in a helpless fallen condition, and could not by his own works and devices atone for the least of his sins, the only Begotten of the Father gave his own life to purchase the gifts of faith and salvation for him, and yet he will not so much as accept of them.

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Faith therefore is the gift of God, but man cannot have this choice heavenly treasure only in God's own appointed way. Among the means that God has ordained through which man may receive this great and precious gift, may be mentioned, the preaching of the word by men called and inspired by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost: for saith the apostle, "How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?" "So then, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10: 14, 15, 17.) Though faith be the gift of God, yet it comes by hearing the word. Through this medium man makes himself acquainted with the evidence in favor of the divinity of the word; the evidence being of divine origin as well as the word. This evidence begets faith in the mind; and this faith, though it be obtained through the exercise of the free will and agency of the creature, is still the gift of God, granted through the evidence accompanying the preached word. In the apostles' days, when the art of printing was unknown, and the great majority of mankind could not read the word, the principal means of obtaining faith was by the process of preaching and hearing, but in these days, in many instances, faith comes, by reading as well as by preaching: for a man called and inspired of God can both preach and write by the power of the Holy Ghost; and when the honest humble soul either hears or reads that which is given by the Spirit, the light that is in him witnesseth that it is of God; for light cleaves to light, and truth to truth; the Spirit gives light to every man that comes into the world, and if he loves the light that is in himself, he will love all other light that is presented to his mind, and embrace it. Light cannot be presented to the mind of a candid, honest person, without being perceived to be light; but if he receive it not, he extinguishes in a degree the light that is in him, and darkness still greater ensues, and he is left to commit evils of a greater magnitude, until the light that was in him has entirely fled, and darkness reigns triumphantly: this darkness brings misery and wretchedness in this world and eternal torment in the world to come. This is the state of man who rejects light

light and truth, and will not exercise faith in that which the light that is in him teaches him is true.

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The word and the evidence accompanying it are both the gifts of God; but besides these, the light that is in every man who comes into the world is also the gift of God through Christ. For if Christ had not purchased this gift for man by his atoning blood, man would have been destitute of all light. Darkness alone would have reigned, and our world would have been a hell--the miserable abode of fallen spirits and fallen man: no ray of light could have penetrated the darkened understanding: the extreme of misery would have been the result. But saith our Saviour, "I am the light and the life of the world;" all light that is in the world came by him through his atonement; it is the gift of God to fallen man. If the light that is in man be the gift of God, surely all additional light offered to him, must be the gift of God also. By faith man should lay hold of this lights wherever he may discover it.

The only way to receive additional faith and light is to practice according to the light which we have: and if we do this, we have the promise of God that the same shall grow brighter and brighter until the perfect day. Every word of God is light and truth He that saith, that he is in the light, but obeyeth not the words of truth, is deceiving himself, and is in darkness; for none are the children of faith except such as walk in the light, and obey its laws. How many millions in Christendom profess to be christians and say that they are in the light and have been born of God, and yet they have never obeyed even the first principles of the light; they have never repented properly, and been immersed in water for the remission of sins by the ministration of one whom God has authorized; and yet they pretend that God for Christ's sake has forgiven their sins. How blindly deceived! and how vain their faith and hope of salvation! God has not forgiven their sins; neither will he forgive them, until they obey the message of the gospel, according to the precise order which he has revealed. Faith is the gift of God and is one of the means of salvation; but none can have this gift except in the way that God has ordained: and all who pretend to have faiths and obey not that form of doctrine which God has revealed, will find that their faith is of no effect, and that they will be damned with unbelievers: for God will not confer saving gifts upon the disobedient.

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Every thing that is good comes from God and is the gift of God. God has given revelation upon revelation unto man for his benefit; and the generations to whom he has given his word will be judged by that word at the last day. God raised up a prophet in our day, and gave him the Urim and Thummim, and revealed a flood of light and truth through him to this generation. This generation will be judged out of the books and revelations which God gave through this prophet. If they exercise faith in these revelations, and obey the same, they will be justified and saved; but if they disbelieve them, and harden their hearts against them, they will surely be damned; for the Almighty reveals not his word in vain. What doth it benefit this generation to offer them a heavenly gift, and reveal to them more light and truth if they receive it not? The gift benefits those only who receive it. The rest will receive a greater condemnation. When the honest read that heavenly

treasure--the Book of Mormon, they are filled with joy unspeakable, because God has again spoken to man as in ancient times; their souls feast upon the contents of that holy and divine book; and so great is their joy, that they cannot find language adequate to express the overflowings of their hearts. But how different are the feelings of those who reject it: light and truth flee from them, and they feel angry to think that God should again speak to man. But God will show them by his Almighty power that his word cannot be rejected with impunity.--The judgments that have befallen ancient generations and nations who have rejected his word, ought to be a solemn warning to those now on the earth. But alas! the pride, high-mindedness, and great wickedness of man cause him to hate the light because his deeds are evil. And thus this generation will, for the most part, perish in unbelief and disobedience to one of the greatest and most important messages that God ever sent for the salvation of the people. Oh, poor fallen man! how eager for happiness, and yet how unwilling to receive it upon righteous principles! Oh, that thou didst but know the day of thy visitation, and wouldst incline thine ear, and hearken to the voice of God and harden not thy heart, for then it would be well with thee! But thou knowest not, neither dost thou consider the fearful judgments that await thee, if thou turnest a deaf ear to the last great message of mercy, now revealed from the heavens for thy good! Oh, turn unto the Lord, and exercise faith in him, that your light and joy may be increased--your faith and love become perfected, that all of the gifts of God may abound in you, that you may finally obtain eternal life, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God to man.

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON DOCTRINE.

BY THE EDITOR.

Question. Does the Book of Mormon agree with the Bible?

Answer. Both books being of Divine origin, they will of course agree; for God never disagrees with himself; and His words spoken in ancient America are just as true as His words, spoken in ancient Palestine.

Q. Does the Book of Mormon contain any additional light not contained in the Bible?

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A. The whole volume, without exception to any of its parts, contains additional light and truth. Whether considered in its historical, prophetical, or doctrinal character, it is one of the most wonderful and important books of which the world has any knowledge. Were it not for this choice and invaluable work, the history of the ancient nations who once peopled this vast continent, would have slumbered in perpetual darkness: all efforts to have penetrated the mists of antiquity would have been in vain. The magnificent ruins of ancient cities, palaces, and temples, buried in primeval forests, would alone have proclaimed in silent grandeur, the strength and greatness of the former population. The Book of Mormon, then, as an ancient history, and the only history which we have of ancient America, is of priceless value--a gem most precious. A book is valuable in proportion to the importance and greatness of the truths which it unfolds; and this value is infinitely increased, when it is known that it is the only source of information upon the subject. That which greatly enhances the value of this ancient history is the fact of its being sacred. There are many histories of the ancient nations of the eastern continent, but they are full of

are full of contradictions and absurdities, and cannot in many things be depended on. The historian, in his researches into the remote ages of antiquity, is frequently guided by speculation and conjecture. These defects render some histories of less value than others whose veracity is undoubted. The Book of Mormon being a sacred history, its declarations can be depended on: and when we read the doings of by-gone ages, we know that we have no speculation or conjecture of the historian to blind and bewilder the understanding. Every event is accurately described: every word is truth; and we feast our minds with certainty and knowledge.

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Q. But what benefit is Sacred History in relation to the salvation of man?

A. By sacred history we learn the dealings of God with nations, generations, and individuals: we perceive the prosperity that attends the righteous, and the judgments that befall the wicked. All these things are encouragements and warnings to us, and calculated to lead us in the steps of righteousness, and cause us to shun the paths of evil.

Q. Is there any benefit to be derived from the prophetical and doctrinal portions of the Book of Mormon?

A. Yes: in this respect the book is infinitely more valuable than all other books in the world written by human wisdom. The doctrines and prophecies, contained in it, are so very definite, pointed, and plain, that no ambiguity or uncertainty is left upon the mind in regard to the way of salvation, and the events that are to transpire so far as they are predicted.

Q. But is not the Jewish Record or the Bible equally as plain?

A. No: it no doubt was once just as plain and definite as the sacred Scriptures given in Ancient America. But the Bible has been robbed of its plainness; many sacred books having been lost, others rejected by the Romish Church, and what few we have left, were copied and re-copied so many times, that it is admitted that almost every verse has been corrupted and mutilated to that degree that scarcely any two of them read alike. The original manuscripts of the books of the Old and New Testaments are no where to be found; all we have left are mutilated copies containing an incredible number of contradictory readings. From these, uninspired men have translated by their own human wisdom our present version of the Bible, which is so indefinite that it leaves room for different opinions, clashing one against the other; hence there has arisen avast number of sects contending about the true points of Christ's doctrine. The first thing, therefore, necessary to the re-establishment of the kingdom of Christ on the earth, was to reveal in perfect plainness the exact and precise principles of the gospel in all their fullness; this was accomplished in the remarkable discovery and translation of the sacred records of Ancient America.

Q. Did the revelation and translation of the book of Mormon authorize Joseph Smith to officiate in gospel ordinances?

A. No: God sent an holy angel, whose name was John (the Baptist) to confer upon him and upon another young man whose name was Oliver Cowdery, authority to baptize for the remission of sins.

Q. Did this authority extend to the ordinance of Confirmation, or the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost?

A. No: John could not baptize with the Holy Ghost; he was only authorized to baptize with water, and he could not confer

authority upon others which he himself did not hold.

Q. How did Joseph Smith obtain the office of an apostle?

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A. Peter, James, and John were sent to him, by whom he was ordained to the apostleship, and thus authorized to lay on hands upon baptized believers for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and to minister in all other gospel ordinances.

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Q. Who were the first ones that were legally baptized after the restoration of the authority!

A. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. After John the Baptist had laid his hands upon these young men and ordained them, he commanded them to baptize each other, which they accordingly did, agreeably to the pattern given in the book of Mormon. And after having received the office of the apostleship, they confirmed each other by the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. They were also commanded to ordain each other as a pattern for future ordinations.

Q. Was not the ordination which they received under the hands of John sufficient, without their being commanded to re-ordain each other?

A. It was necessary for them to set a perfect example for others to follow. Though the ordination which the angel had conferred upon them, gave authority, yet, as it was conferred previous to their baptism; it was necessary for them to be re-ordained after their baptism, as a pattern for the ordination of all future officers in the Church, lest some, in after times, should venture to ordain unbaptized persons, which the Lord did not intend, after the church was once restored, to sanction. This is the cause why the angel commanded a re-ordination after their baptism. In the restoration of authority the angel had a right to confer ordination before baptism, otherwise their baptism of each other would have been illegal and of no more effect than the baptisms of the apostate churches of Christendom. But when the authority was once restored, and baptism was legally administered, there existed no more necessity for ordination previous to baptism. Ordination henceforth, could only be bestowed upon baptized persons, and it was the will of the Lord that Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery should be the two highly favored individuals who should first set the example in all these holy ordinances.

Q. Did God give any further instructions preparatory to the re-organization of His Church on the earth?

A. Yes: He gave many revelations and commandments to Joseph Smith, setting forth the true order, rules, and regulations to be observed. He also sent an holy angel from heaven in open day, in the presence of three other individuals, namely, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris, who were in company with Joseph Smith, praying in the fields. These four men saw the angel descend from heaven, clothed in glory; they saw the plates of gold containing the writings of the ancient prophets of America in his hands; they saw him turn over the leaves, and beheld the engravings thereon; they heard his voice as he conversed with them face to face: they also heard the voice of the Lord, at the same time speaking out of the heavens, declaring to them that the unsealed portions of the plates had been translated correctly by Joseph Smith, and commanding them to bear testimony of what they then saw and heard to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to whom the translation should be sent. In accordance with these sacred injunctions, they

, they have sent forth their printed testimony in connection with the translation, called the Book of Mormon. These were some of the great preparatory events, preceding the organization of the Church of God again upon our earth. After the way was fully prepared, the kingdom of God was set up, consisting of only six members.

Q. Did Joseph the prophet receive any further instructions concerning the kingdom after its restoration?

A. Yes: God continued to give line upon line, precept upon precept, year after year, to govern, and set in order, and regulate all things pertaining to the church, that it might grow, and flourish, and increase in heavenly gifts, and be prepared to accomplish His righteous purposes.

Q. What purposes are to be accomplished through the medium of this church?

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A. First: God will send His faithful servants in this church to every nation under heaven to preach the gospel as a witness and a sign of the second coming of His Son from the heavens, to destroy the wicked and to reign with His saints on the earth. Secondly: God will, through his servants, gather out the righteous from among all nations, and assemble them in one; and they will be armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. Thirdly: God will enlarge the borders of His people, and increase their dominion until the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heavens shall be given into their hands. Lastly: God will destroy every nation under heaven that will not obey the fullness of His gospel and become subject to the laws of His kingdom.

Q. What does the Lord require of the people of the United States?

A. He requires them to repent of all their sins and embrace the message of salvation, contained in the Book of Mormon, and be baptized into this church, and prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord.

Q. What will be the consequence if they do not embrace the Book of Mormon as a divine revelation?

A. They will be destroyed from the land and sent down to hell, like all other generations who have rejected a divine message.

Q. In what way will the Lord destroy this nation if they reject the Book of Mormon?

A. By a succession of the most terrible judgments. Plague will follow plague in rapid succession, desolating populous cities and destroying hundreds of thousands. The rains of heaven will be staid, and the earth will not yield forth her wonted harvests, and thousands will pine away with hunger and perish. The bonds of the Union which now hold together the States of this Republic, will be severed, and a fearful, desolating, civil war will rage between the South and the North. The people then will no longer dwell upon their farms, and in their villages, and cities with security, but they will flee from city to city, and from State to State before the face of their enemies, and fear and terror will be upon them by day and night. The laws of the land will then be powerless, and the people will no longer be under their wholesome influence; bands of robbers and murderers will wander over the land unrestrained, and thus will the whole nation mourn and waste away and perish, unless they will hearken unto the great message which God has in mercy sent to them. There is no other alternative; they must either embrace the Book of Mormon as a divine revelation, or be cut off by judgments from the land, for it is the sure and certain decree

decree of heaven. God is not to be mocked, neither can a message be rejected from Him with impunity. Now is the day of mercy; now peace dwells within your borders; now the proclamation is repent and come forth with humble hearts and contrite spirits and be baptized for the remission of sins, that you may receive the Holy Ghost. If this proclamation is unheeded, the sword of justice, which is already unsheathed, will fall heavily upon you. Do not flatter yourselves that you will escape, nor suffer yourselves, for a moment, to suppose that all is well, for the decrees of the Eternal must be fulfilled, and this land must be cleansed from wickedness.

Q. But will the Lord destroy the righteous with the wicked in the day when he executes fierce judgment upon the nation?

A. No: the righteous will take warning and flee to the mountains and vales of Utah, that they may escape these sore calamities; but even they will be visited with great tribulation, unless they give the most earnest and diligent heed to the Book of Mormon, and to the other commandments and revelations which God has given or shall hereafter give to them. The wise will foresee the evil and hide themselves; but the wicked will be caught in their own snares, and fall into their own pits.

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EDITORIAL.

STATISTICS OF UTAH TERRITORY, as reported by the Bishops, Oct. 16th, 1853,--

Total number of inhabitants, 18,206

Persons on Missions, 139

Births during the year, ending October 6th, 1853, 904

Deaths during the year, ending October 6th, 1853, 253

We presume that the total number of inhabitants reported, does not include the emigration to that territory, during the year 1853. It is also presumable that the territory was only partially reported.

SANDWICH ISLANDS.--The gospel on those islands is spreading rapidly: from April 6th to July 25th the church was increased by the addition of about 1,000 souls. The translation of the Book of Mormon into the Hawaiian language is completed and ready for the press.

CHINA.--Our Missionaries to the celestial empire have returned. No opportunity for the introduction of the gospel among them at present. Wars and other judgments will, no doubt, eventually prepare the way, so that the kingdom of God may be established in their midst, and the honest humble seekers after truth, enter therein, and, in due time, be gathered to Zion: for thus saith the Lord, by the mouth of Joseph the prophet, "And it shall come to pass, among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor, must needs flee unto Zion for safety And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another." (Doc. &. Cov. Sec. 15: 13.) In this general emigration of the saints from all nations, China must contribute her portion: songs of praise and gladness in the Chinese language, will yet be heard among the congregations of Zion. The word of the Lord shall be fulfilled in its time and in its season.

SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA.--The country of San Bernardino is inhabited by the saints: it is in the southern part of California, and extends from the south-western part of Utah, to within 25 or 30 miles of the Pacific ocean. There are three saw mills and one flouring mill in the settlement. They are entitled to one State Representative. The colony is in a flourishing condition under the presidency of

of Amasa Lyman and Charles C. Rich, two of the twelve.

NEW WORK.--"JOSEPH SMITH THE PROPHET." This is the title of a very interesting work, written by the direction, and under the immediate inspection of the Prophet himself. It is now, for the first time, printed. It contains the genealogy and a brief sketch of his ancestors back for six or seven generations. Several remarkable dreams and visions of his father are related. But what renders the work doubly interesting is the early history of the Prophet, including many remarkable occurrences and important facts, never before published. Copies of this work would be valuable to every lover of truth, and would adorn the libraries of the honest and patriotic descendents [sic] of our pilgrim fathers, who will be pleased to learn that one of the greatest and most renowned Prophets that ever graced our earth, descended from that hardy illustrious race who first peopled the dense forests of New England, and formed the nucleus of a great and independent nation of freemen. We have on hand a few copies, procured from England, printed on superior paper, and bound in the most superior style of morocco, neatly gilted. Price $2; common paper, calf $1 50; Roan, $1.

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"MILLENNIAL STAR."--This is the title of a weekly periodical of sixteen pages, published by the Latter-Day Saints at 15 Wilton street, Liverpool, England. This much esteemed and highly interesting periodical has been published for many years; fifteen volumes have been completed. In the British Isles, it has a circulation of about twenty thousand: it is also extensively circulated in Europe, Asia, Australia, Pacific Islands, and America. Its columns embrace the general history of the Church of the Latter-Day Saints from its rise, together with the interesting news from our missionaries among all nations; they are also interspersed with many articles on prophecy and doctrine, opening the grand events of futurity, and elucidating rise principles of salvation, with a clearness which, at once, shows that they are the productions, not of human wisdom, but of the wisdom of God. The saints who wish to inform themselves of the rapid spread of the gospel, and upon every other useful subject, connected with the great Latter-Day Dispensation in which they live, should without fail procure the volumes of the Star, and they will have a continual feast. We have volumes 11, 13, 14, and 15 on hand for sale. Prices as mentioned in the Catalogue, except vol. 14, which contains 44 Nos. and supplement, for $2, or $2 20 including postage pre-paid by us. Will the saints be indifferent about procuring these most valuable publications? Will they grope in darkness when light of the most pure and heavenly nature is within their reach? Will they plead poverty, as an excuse for depriving themselves and their children of blessings that would be of more value to them than any earthly consideration? Would it not be much better to dispense for a while with some of the luxuries of life, and thus save a little means to procure heavenly light and truth, than to live in ignorance of what God is doing through His people? Would it not be more God-like to dispense with that nauseous and disgusting habit of chewing and smoking tobacco, and by that means not only save your health and constitution, but save funds to purchase a far more healthy and durable food upon which you can feast your minds both in time and in eternity? Or will you lie down and grovel in

grovel in ignorance like the natural brute beast, and yet profess to be Saints? Will you, not only curse yourselves with blindness and darkness, but entail the same upon your children and upon your generations after you? How can you be the children of light, when light shines all around you, and yet you perceive it not? One Presiding Elder over a branch of forty professed Saints in North Carolina writes that he had heard nothing of the saints since they were driven from Nauvoo. Now, if he had been in China, in Australia, or in the Pacific Isles, he would have obtained an abundance of news concerning them; but it seems that some impenetrable barrier down south has shut out all light and information for these many years; it must be a dismal place, indeed! We can think of nothing to compare with it only the old antediluvian prison where no heavenly light or information burst in upon them for the long dreary period of two thousand years and upwards. How long it will be before the prison doors down south will be opened, we know not. There possibly may be some chance for them at the close of the Millennium.

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APPOINTMENT. Elder James Brown is hereby appointed Emigration Agent for the Saints at New Orleans. He is requested to go immediately to that city, so as to be there in time to make preparations for the ships, filled with the emigrating Saints from Liverpool. The most of these ships will most probably arrive between the middle of February and the middle of May. Elder Brown has been laboring in the ministry with some success in Indiana, and we trust his active business turn of mind will prove a blessing to the emigrating Saints, and save them much expense and trouble. Brother Brown will open a correspondence with S. W. Richards, our agent at Liverpool, and will thus learn, previous to the arrival of each ship, the names and ages of all the passengers on board, which will be a help to him in making every necessary arrangement.

ORSON PRATT,

President of the Saints in the

U. S. and British Provinces

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REPENTANCE.

BY THE EDITOR.

REPENTANCE is one of the conditions granted to fallen man, through which he is made a partaker of the purchased gift and blessings of salvation. Repentance is a sorrow of heart for all past sins committed, and a full confession unto the Lord of the same, connected with a covenant or promise, and a fixed settled determination in the mind, to sin no more. Repentance may be considered under the following four heads:

First. The evils and sins to be repented of.

Second. The nature of the sorrow connected with true repentance.

Third. The confession necessary for the penitent.

Fourth. The promise and determination to sin no more.

We shall examine, First, The evils and sins to be repented of. Before any one can repent, he must be convinced of sin. Sin is a transgression of the law. Without a knowledge of the law, a person cannot always discern between good and sinful actions. The light that is in every man which comes into the world, will enable him, without the aid of the revealed law, to distinguish in some small degree, between good and evil. But there are many evils that could not be known short of the revealed law. The light of conscience will make manifest some of the more glaring evils: but this light becomes greatly obscured by neglect and by constant violation of its teachings, so much so, that persons may

persons may become almost or wholly insensitive to the dictates of conscience: many actions which were once considered evils will, by constant habit, be considered virtuous; while many practices once considered good, will by tradition and habit be transformed into evils. A heathen entirely unacquainted with the revealed law, would, if he were always to follow the still small voice of conscience, receive more and more light, and be able to discover many important truths, and to distinguish between virtue and vice more clearly than those who are constantly violating the monitor within them. But with all the light that he could glean, independent of revelation, he would be far from understanding the sinfulness of many actions, and would be entirely ignorant of the nature of others in regard to whether they were sinful or not: and he would also be wholly uninformed in regard to a future judgment and the penalties to be inflicted upon sinners; and without a knowledge of these things he could not repent acceptably as the gospel requires.

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It is therefore, by the revealed law, that we become acquainted with good and evil more fully; and by which we learn that we are accountable beings, and must be judged by the law for our doings, and that the penalty of the law must be executed upon us, if we have transgressed it, in order to satisfy the demands of justice, unless we have complied with the conditions through which mercy may have claim upon us, and may deliver us from the justice of the law. Paul says. "I had not known sin but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet," (Rom. 7: 7.) Without the law, conscience does not teach us that to labor on the Sabbath day is sinful. There is no process of reasoning that will teach a heathen that labor on the Sabbath is any more sinful, than labor performed on Monday, or Tuesday, or any other day of the week. It is by the revealed law, and not by conscience, that this sin is discovered. Conscience may teach the heathen that to murder is an evil, and human laws may teach them that death shall be the punishment of the murderer. Through fears of the penalties of the law and the evils resulting in this life, they refrain in a great measure from committing this crime; but they have no knowledge of the higher law against murder, nor of the greater penalty which will be inflicted upon the murderer beyond this life; they have no knowledge of a higher Being who will call them to account for that crime. If, therefore, they should repent of murder, it would not be for the purpose of escaping the penalty in the next life, nor for the purpose of pleasing God, of whose laws they know nothing, but for the purpose of avoiding the evils resulting in this present world. Such repentance, though good as far as it goes, is not that which the gospel requires; it is not repentance towards God, but it is a repentance towards man, in order to please man, and to avoid the penalty of man's laws.

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There are many among the heathen who commit adultery and fornication; conscience does not tell them that God is displeased with these evils; indeed, some of them do not consider these to be evils, and have no more remorse of conscience in doing them, than they would have in eating when they were hungry. But when they learn the law of God, they discover that these are great evils, and that the punishments to be inflicted in the next life for these sins, are of the most

the most fearful nature. Without the law, they consider that all is well; but when the law is made known, they find themselves transgressors. As the apostle Paul says, "Without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." (Romans 7: 8-13.)

Where there is no knowledge of the revealed law of God, sinful actions will not be punished to the same extent as where the laws and their penalties are known; for the apostle says, "Sin is not imputed when there is no law." (Rom. 5: 13.) That is, sin is not imputed to the same extent, and they are not punished with the same severity, as those who are acquainted with the law. Hence, the Saviour declares that he who knoweth the master's will and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes; while he that knoweth not, and yet doeth things worthy of punishment, shall be beaten with few stripes. The apostle also says, "For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law." (Rom. 2: 12.) The heathen, therefore, will perish without law, and be beaten with few stripes, because they obeyed not the light that was in them; but the penalty of the revealed law will not fully be executed upon them, and it will be more tolerable for them in the day of judgment, than for those who have sinned, having the law, and who are to be judged by the law, and have the sentence of the law executed upon them. Such, without repentance, will suffer eternal torment and everlasting banishment from the presence of God. And they will have weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

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Having learned that man is convicted of sin by the law, let us next endeavor to ascertain what sins the present generation are guilty of, in order to learn whether they have any need to repent. We will, for the present, pass over the sins of the heathens, and enumerate some of the evils existing among Christian nations where they have copies of the revealed law existing by millions, and where almost every family can read the sacred pages of the same. The Divine law says, "Thou shalt not kill." Now it is not the individual who murders who is alone criminal, but all those who sanction the same. When the Saints were murdered in Missouri and Illinois by the marshaled hosts of the wicked, who were urged on by the highest authorities of those States, it is a notable fact that thousands of professed Christians, and many Christian ministers of different denominations, were directly engaged in those most wicked and horrid murders. When the great prophet of the Lord was taken unlawfully from his peaceful avocations, and torn from his family, and carried, with a number of others, into the mob camp, and was sentenced to be shot the next morning, who was it that sanctioned and urged on these diabolical deeds? We reply, that among the vast hosts of those who made no profession of religion, there were no less than SEVENTEEN preachers of different orders who were in this council,

council, and most strenuously urged the cold- blooded murder of the prophet and his friends in the presence of their own familes [sic] upon the public square. Have these preachers and the thousands of professors of religion who took such an active part in the foul murders of the Saints, been disfellowshiped by their brethren throughout the States? No, they are still, the most of them, retained in the respective churches to which they belonged. But were those who immediately participated in these bloody persecutions, the only ones guilty? Were there not hundreds of thousands in the United States and other Christian nations, who in their hearts sanctioned these things, and who still continue to sanction them? Yea, more, has not even the general government itself, indirectly sanctioned these wholesale murders and robberies, as has been most clearly manifested by their cold and unfeeling neglect, and their refusal to protect the Saints in the rights of American citizens, while dwelling in those rebellious States? Will the persons who committed these murders and shed the blood of the only prophets which God has sent to the earth for more than a thousand years, be the only ones condemned as murderers in the day of judgment? No. Every person who has in the least sanctioned these things will suffer with the murderers, unless they repent. The Saviour said that the blood of all the prophets which had been shed upon the earth, from the days of righteous Abel, until the blood of Zacharius [Zacharias], which was shed between the temple and the altar, should be required of that generation. Why? Because they sanctioned the murder of contemporary prophets. The approbation, given to the murder of the prophet Zacharius [Zacharias] and other prophets, sent directly to them, was just as wicked as though they had actually killed all the former ones. So likewise, God will require of this nation, and of every individual on the earth, who in the least sanctions the murder of Joseph the prophet, or any of the Saints, the blood of those holy men at their hands; and not only their blood, but the blood of every righteous person that has been shed upon the earth in any age, will be required at the hands of those among this generation who give countenance in their hearts to these wicked deeds. This, therefore, is one among the many sins which hundreds of thousands are guilty of, and of which they must most heartily repent, or else the blood of the prophets and the saints will ascend up to heaven against them and in the great day of judgment, they will receive their portion, not only among hypocrites and unbelievers, but among murderers, whose deeds they have sanctioned.

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Also, the revealed law says, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." And we are informed that those who do this evil are to be punished with murderers. The Lord says by the mouth of John the revelator, that "The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Now when we examine the present state of the nations of Christendom, what do we find? We find them continually practicing these great evils so clearly and expressly forbidden in the law of God. In the city of New York alone, there are about twenty thousand public prostitutes, who procure their living by a constant violation of these divine laws. in the

. in the cities of Boston, Albany, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Orleans, and scores of others that might be named, there are thousands of female prostitutes. Now these wretched and vile characters are supported by hundreds of thousands of the male population, who daily and hourly commit crimes sufficient to sink the nation to the lowest hell. In ancient times such iniquities brought swift judgment upon the whole people where they were allowed. For one such crime among the tribe of Benjamin, God commanded the other tribes to go to war with them; and the whole tribe, men, women, and children, were cut off, with the exception of a very few. Does God feel any different towards this sin now, from what he did then? Is he not unchangeable in regard to his abhorrence of sin? If so, what must be His feelings to look down and behold several hundred thousand adulterers, and adulteresses, and whoremongers in the American nation--a nation that boasts of her moral and Christian institutions, and refinements? How is it, that the heavens can withhold speedy and awful vengeance from the nation? Nothing but the few honest, sincere, and humble souls among them, prevents an entire overthrow and destruction. When these are gathered out, then will come the day of visitation, and of fierce wrath which has been held in reserve for a long time; then will he quickly wipe away these enormous, wholesale evils with which this choice land has been, for a long period, most fearfully and dreadfully polluted. But this nation is not alone sunk down to the lowest depths of degradation and wickedness: other nations, calling themselves Christians, are equally guilty. In the city of London alone, there are about ninety thousand public female prostitutes, supported by several hundred thousand male prostitutes equally criminal. In Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and finally in all the large towns, tens of thousands get their daily and yearly living by the commission of this great crime. And what renders these evils still more abominable in the sight of God, is that they are constantly taking place in a land of Bibles, where millions of copies of the divine law are circulated in their midst, and where all have an opportunity of informing themselves of the denunciations of heaven against these iniquities. Again, when we cross over from Christian England to the European nations on the continent, the scenery is still worse, and too abominable to be named, or even thought of, in regard to the extent and magnitude of these filthy soul-destroying dens of pollutions. In many of these nations, their own statistics show, that above half the number of infants born are illegitimate. Only think of the extent of crime, when in one nation, comparatively small, from fifty to a hundred thousand illegitimate children are annually born, which is as it were only au index to the still greater amount of crime that does not render itself quite so apparent.

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It is almost an astonishment that God should have permitted these nations to practice these great abominations for so many generations without utterly destroying them from the earth. And it is also an astonishment that he should condescend to send a prophet with a message to a generation so awfully corrupt and wicked as the present. They are not worthy of prophets, or apostles, or the Book of Mormon, but yet God has sent one of the most glorious messages that ever reached the ears of mortals, to this very

, to this very generation who are worthy of nothing but judgment: be has done this, not because many of them will receive it, but because he intends to pour out the vials of his wrath upon them; and he knows that the rejection of so great a message will more speedily ripen them for an entire overthrow and utter desolation; that his vineyard may no more be cumbered with such abominable trash. God very well knew, that this generation were too far gone in the wicked traditions of their fathers, and sunk too low in the depths of wickedness, to receive a prophet, or hearken to the voice of inspiration; but he knew that the rejection of prophets, and of the Book of Mormon, would leave them without the least excuse, when he should rise up to destroy and make a full end of wickedness.

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Perhaps some may say that these great crimes are not approbated by the majority, and therefore the majority should not suffer for the doings of the minority. But we reply, if the majority do not approbate them, why do they not put a final stop to crimes of this nature? It is the majority that rule and make the laws of the land: why then, do not the majority, through their representatives, make laws for the utter abolishment of these crimes? They have the constitutional right, as well as the power, to make such laws and affix such penalties, as shall effectually demolish these criminal connections. The criminal code of our country pretends to be founded, in a great measure, upon the criminal code contained in the divine oracles. If laws are made against these crimes, why not affix to them the same penalties that the great Divine Law-Giver has ordained? Death to both the parties is the penalty of the Divine law. When this penalty was in force in ancient times, it was seldom that this crime was committed. Let the majority of the people in the several States and Territories, elect such legislators, as will affix the penalty of the divine law to the laws which they enact against these crimes, and they will soon see a great reformation; and adulteries and criminal connections will become as rare as murders: every den of pollution throughout the land would be broken up: no female would, at the risk of her life, think of following a practice so criminal and vile: the constant practice of murder, would be no more dangerous than constant prostitution for a living. Such laws and such only, will prove an effectual remedy against this great crime which has so fearfully and extensively corrupted the nation. If the majority do not make laws to effectually remedy and abolish the crime, then these evils will, in the day of judgment, be answered upon their own heads, and they will be found guilty, for suffering crimes of such magnitude to prevail throughout the country, when it was within their own power to have legislated against them with that severity that would have swept them out of the land. The very fact that the majority do not make such laws, shows most clearly that they are guilty of approbating the evil, at least, in others, if not in themselves; therefore, in the sight of the Great Law-Giver, they are considered guilty of participating in the same crimes. If the minority would free themselves from the same condemnation, they must repent. But how must they repent? It is not within the power of the minority to elect legislators, therefore, how can they remedy this evil, even if they feel ever so much disposed? We reply, that they can repent of ever having

ever having cast a vote for the election of a legislator, that would not promise, before hand, that he would use every exertion to have such laws passed; and they can reform, by not being guilty, for the future, of using their influence and vote for the election of legislators who will not do their duty in this respect. This kind of repentance and reformation will save the majority from the condemnation that rests upon the minority; and without such repentance, the minority, as well as the majority, will be considered, in the great judgment, as being guilty of participating in the same crimes. It was for like reasons, that God visited in judgment, the whole tribe of Benjamin and nearly extinguished them from the rice of the earth. It was not because the whole tribe had been directly guilty of the crime, but because they refused to bring the few that were guilty to justice; therefore God held the majority, yes, even the whole tribe, with the exception of a very few, responsible for the wicked acts of the few individuals; and the same penalty of death that would have been inflicted only upon the few who were immediately guilty, was with equal justice inflicted upon the whole who refused to deliver up the criminals. So likewise, shall it be with this nation, unless they do away these abominations that are in their midst: God will denounce them as being equally guilty as those who commit these crimes: and he will inflict upon them the same penalty, that should have been inflicted upon the criminals; and he will cast them down to hell to dwell with such vile and abominable characters, because they did not destroy these crimes from the land.

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The people of the United States are far more guilty in this one respect, than the people in other governments for here, it is the people who make the laws, through the legislators of their own choosing, consequently the people are responsible, not only for the laws that are made, but for the neglect to make any laws that ought to be made. But in many other governments the people have no choice in the appointment of their law-givers; and if the law-making department make unjust laws, or refuse to make laws for the suppression of crime, the people cannot remedy the evil without revolutionizing their forms of government. In such cases the responsibility rests upon the individuals committing the crime, and upon the law-making department who do not by appropriate laws suppress it, and also upon all others who approbate the same, or do not protest against it.

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The people of Utah are the only ones in this nation who have taken effectual measures (we will not say to suppress, for the word is entirely inapplicable to them,) but to prevent adulteries and criminal connections between the sexes. The punishment in that territory, for these crimes is DEATH TO BOTH MALE AND FEMALE. And this law is written on the hearts and printed in the thoughts of the whole people. Does not this righteous and just law have its desired effect upon them? Yes; it establishes virtue upon a permanent foundation, and deals out justice to the vile seducer, adulterer and whoremonger, so far as it can be dealt out in this life; it preserves the purity of the morals of the whole population, which is essentially necessary to the peace, happiness, and prosperity of any people, government, or nation. There, no houses of ill-fame, or public, or private prostitutes, can be found to corrupt society and pollute the land.

the land. There, no arch seducer is permitted to flatter the young and inexperienced female, till he has ruined his victim and left her an outcast from society. There, no vile adulterer can creep. into families, and violate the sacred chastity of the marriage covenant What prevents these evils? it is the righteousness of the people, and the righteousness of their laws; it is the love of virtue and the fear of punishment combined. This is the kind of repentance and reformation acceptable in the sight of God; it is to repent, not in word only, but in deed, and in truth, and in the enactment of just and equitable laws; and in the execution of these laws upon the transgressor. Repentance is not to ascend into a finely cushioned pulpit, and there whine over the wickedness of the people, without taking any effectual means to reform and suppress that wickedness. Repentance does not consist in merely pointing out the evil and professing to be very much grieved that it exists, but it consists in refraining from the evil, and pointing out the remedy by which it can be corrected, and applying that remedy as far as possible, and teaching all others to apply it. Utah is au example; and the virtuous results of her wholesome and just laws should induce the States and other Territories to follow in the same virtuous track. Let them try it, and we will insure them a much more wholesome moral atmosphere; and the overflowing floods of prostitution will be assuaged, and the fountain will dry up, and the houses of ill-fame will be abolished; and these abominable evils will vanish away; and the American nation will become a virtuous people--an example for all other nations to follow; and God will repent of the evil which he intends to bring upon them; and his hand of judgment will be lightened, and his chastisements will not be so heavy upon them. But if they repent not, but permit these crimes to continue, the Lord will surely visit them, and will not spare, but will execute all his fierce wrath upon them, until they shall cease to be a nation before him; and they shall know that it is the Lord against whom they have sinned, and before whom their abominations have continually been practiced, in defiance of his laws, and of his holy and just indignation.

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Among the various evils forbidden by the revealed law, is that of falsehood. God so detests this evil, that he has informed us, that whosoever "loveth or maketh a lie shall have their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone." God is a God of truth, and cannot lie without violating the great perfections and attributes of his nature, which if he should do, his power and glory would cease, and other Beings who are filled with all the fullness of his attributes, would succeed in his place. But God knowing all things, and loving righteousness and truth with a perfect love, it is impossible for him to violate the great unchangeable principles of his nature. Now all those who are permitted to dwell in his presence, must love truth as he loves it, and be as stable and unchangeable in truth as he is. All who are otherwise, can by no means be permitted to dwell there, to disturb the peace, happiness, confidence, and truthfulness that reign universally in those pure and heavenly mansions. The devil was a liar from the beginning, and is the father of lies, and all those who are addicted to this evil, are his children, and will dwell with their father, and be miserable as he is miserable,

is miserable, and partake with him of all the bitterness of hell, and associate with liars, and deceivers, and every evil doer. Besides the lake of fire into which they are cast, they will make an additional hell of their own by their own demoniac and malicious passions.

(To be continued.)

CONTENTS:

Faith is the gift of God, 209

Questions and Answers, 212

Editorial.--Statistics of Utah--Sandwich Islands--China--San Bernardino, California--New Work- -Millennial Star--Appointment, 216

Repentance, 281

WASHINGTON CITY, D. C.

EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY ORSON PRATT,

At $1 per annum, invariably in advance.

THE SEER.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, See Ye, when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains. --Isaiah xviii, 3.

Vol. 2. March, 1854. No. 3.

POWERS OF NATURE.

BY THE EDITOR.

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Man, by his researches, has discovered many methods of combining the powers of nature, so as to produce astonishing and beneficial results: he has, by the happy application of mechanical skill, so arranged the parts of machinery, that by developing the forces of nature in connection with them, results follow which would be altogether incredible to the ignorant and uninformed. These powers, the elements of which, in the hands of skillful and experienced mechanicians, produce such astonishing effects, are, when traced to their origin, nothing less than the powers ordained of God; powers that pervade all nature, or in other words, the power of God, acting according to prescribed laws, fixed and unchangeable in their mode of operation, only when the authority that gave them directs a deviation.

Man, because he beholds the effects of these stupendous powers, as they act upon the material elements surrounding him, has become familiarized with them, and unthinkingly calls them the "powers of nature;" and because they act in a fixed, undeviating manner, he calls their mode of action the "laws of nature;" as though abstract nature was capable of manifesting power, and of acting according to law, independently of a thinking, living, intelligent, moving substance in association with it. Nature has no power, and no method of action, and indeed, no action whatever, apart from a thinking, living substance, which is constantly associated with it. What is this substance? It is God, or in other words, the Holy Spirit which is associated in a greater or less degree with every particle of matter in the universe. It is this holy and All-wise substance that is omnipresent, pervading universal nature, governing and controlling worlds without number, producing and superintending the grand and August movements of the combined whole, as it stretches itself ant on every side to infinity: it is this All-wise, Omnipresent, and Almighty substance, that unites system with system, trader its own forces, so regulated, as to maintain an eternal bond of union, and yet so nicely adjusted as to prevent worlds from rushing on worlds, as they fly with inconceivable velocity in their appointed orbits.

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Were it not for the presence of this all-pervading substance, matter would be wholly devoid of force. The great central force of gravitation could not exist: matter could not have been collected into worlds; or if collected, there could have been no adherence of its particles--no chemical combinations--no formation of solids or liquids----no organizations of any kind--no varieties of matter--no hard and

and impenetrable atoms; but all substance, without force, would have been infinitely divisible, without properties of any kind, except the property of existence in space. Hence, all substance, without force, could not have been otherwise than precisely alike. It is force, then, that gives all the infinite varieties of form, taste, color, smell, hardness, and every other characteristic of the elements. This force is constantly acting in a fixed and definite manner; so that under the same circumstances, the same results are produced. This fixed rule of action is, in many cases, perceived by both the learned and unlearned; and all mankind are constantly governed in their actions by a firm and unshaken confidence in the stability of these laws. Some of these laws have been traced up from their remote consequences to a high degree of generalization; among which may be mentioned the grand law of universal gravitation, by which every particle of matter in the universe has a tendency, not to attract, (for such a mode of action is, in all cases, absolutely impossible,) but to approach every other particle with a force varying inversely as the square of its distance: that is, two particles or masses, situated at twice the distance from each other, will not have the same tendency to approach as at a nearer distance: and this diminution of the approaching tendency does not merely vary in the simple ratio of the distances, but in the duplicate proportion, so that at twice the distance, instead of having only twice less tendency to draw near each other, they have four times less inclination; and at three times greater distance, they have nine times less force; and at four times the distance, their force towards each other is sixteen times less: and whatever be the distance, that distance, multiplied into itself, will represent inversely the force or inclination of the two bodies to approach each other. Now the first moving cause, that ultimately results in this definite mode of action, is an all-wise, self-moving substance associated with the materials thus acting. It matters not how many intervening causes there may be of a higher order of generalization than that of gravitation, it certain that the first in the series is not only all-wise and all-powerful, but as extensive in quantity as the materials with which it is associated, and upon which it thus intelligently acts. If we are unable to trace the effects up through all the intervening links to their true origin, we are none the less assured of the intelligence and power of the first moving cause.

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And again, we behold a grand display of the wisdom and power of this governing and presiding agent in the institution of a law to counteract the gravitating tendency of the whole universe, namely: the law of centrifugal force, by which the bodies of a system and of the whole universe have a tendency to revolve around their common centre of gravity with mean velocities proportioned to the inverse square root of their mean distances. This law is dependent on the distances, and is as universal as that of gravity. All our planets and satellites follow this law as strictly and as undeviatingly as the law of central force. For instance, a planet, situated from the sun four times the distance of the earth, will have an orbit velocity, one-half as great as the earths; at nine times the distance its orbit velocity will be three times less; at sixteen times the distance, four times less; at a hundred times the distance, ten times less; and so on, the velocities decreasing, not in the simple ratio of their distances, but in the much slower proportion of the inverse square root of those distances. The revolutions of the satellites around their primaries follow the same law. And suns revolve around suns, and systems around systems, under the influence of the same grand and majestic law. And thus the whole August retinue of the starry heavens is prevented from rushing to one common centre, and producing a universal wreck of nature. While one law prevents the bodies from parting company, and flying off into the immeasurable wilds of space, the other keeps them at respectful distances, and does not suffer them to encroach upon the premises of their near neighbors.

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These are called powers of nature and laws of nature, but they are the powers of that Supreme Being or Substance, whose dwelling place is nature, and whose tabernacle is the elements. The great Architect of the universe did not construct the magnificent machinery of nature, and endow the materials thereof with certain fixed powers, and then withdraw Himself, or step aside to see the mighty fabric operate. Unintelligent materials are incapable of being endowed with any kind of powers, much less with the wise and intelligent powers that characterize the workings of the universe. God is every moment in nature, and every moment acts upon nature, and through nature, the same as the spirit of man acts in. and through, and upon the tabernacle of his body. If God should withdraw himself from nature, or should cease to act upon it, that portion of it which is without life or intelligence, (if there be any such portion,) would immediately cease all action: and while thus apart from nature no laws could be given to it which could be obeyed: no gravitative or cohesive tendencies could be exerted upon it; no chemical combinations or organic operations could be performed; or in other words, unintelligent nature would be entirely dead, and no voice or power could awake it, or have the least effect upon it, without entering into it, and operating upon it, and through it. It is only living and intelligent substances that hear, and understand, and obey a law. And if unintelligent nature appear to act and obey a law, it is not in reality the acts of nature, but the operations of a living, intelligent substance inhabiting nature. Unintelligent nature could no more act than the body without the spirit could act. Therefore, all the grand and magnificent movements of the universe as a whole, and all the minute and imperceptible operations of its particles, are the continued effects of the living, moving, all-powerful substance diffused through the whole. This all-pervading, omnipresent substance is the Holy Spirit existing in inexhaustible quantities, and extending through the immensity of space: it is the light, and the life, and the power of all things. To search out the laws of nature is nothing less than searching out the laws by which the Spirit in nature operates. Man is continually beholding these wonderful operations, but because he does not behold the acting agent, he ascribes the effects to blind, unintelligent and unconscious matter: as well might he ascribe the attributes of the divinity to a wooden idol. The light shines all around us, and is manifested in an infinite variety of wise and beneficial results, but so great is the darkness of man, that he

, that he perceives not the light; or as our great Redeemer has said, "The light shineth in darkness, but the darkness comprehendeth it not." Man is continually experimenting with the powers of nature, but he perceives not that those very powers with which he is so familiar, are nothing less than the manifestations of the power of God through the elements which are His tabernacle.

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EXPLANATION OF SUBSTITUTED NAMES IN THE COVENANTS.

BY THE EDITOR.

For the edification of the saints we will give some explanation concerning certain names in connection with several revelations in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. By reference to section 76th, it will be perceived that the Lord gave a revelation to "Enoch" in relation to "a permanent and everlasting establishment and order" for the benefit of the poor. Many of the saints, unacquainted with the circumstances, have wondered whether the names, "Enoch," "Gazelam," "Ahashdah," "Pelagoram," &c., mentioned in that section, together with those of a similar character mentioned in sections 87, 94, 97, 99, 101 and 102, were really ancient personages and ancient places and things, or those of the present age. All these names have reference to modern persons, places and things of our day. Indeed, when these revelations were first received by the Prophet Joseph, the real names were given: and it was not until months, and in regard to some of them, even years, had passed away, before the names were altered, and others bearing an ancient appearance were substituted.

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We often had access to the manuscripts when boarding with the Prophet; and it was our delight to read them over and over again, before they were printed. And so highly were they esteemed by us, that we committed some to memory; and a few we copied for the purpose of reference in our absence on missions; and also to read them to the saints for their edification These copies are still in our possession. When at length the time arrived to print the manuscripts, it was thought best not to publish them all, on account of our enemies, who were seeking every means to destroy the Prophet and the Church. On account, however, of the great anxiety of the church to see them in print, it was concluded, through the suggestions of the Spirit, that by altering the real names given in the manuscripts, and substituting fictitious ones in their stead, they might thus safely appear in print without endangering the welfare of the individuals whose real names were contained therein. It was by this means that several revelations were permitted to appear in print in the first edition, that otherwise would have been withheld from the knowledge of the saints, perhaps for many long years, or at least until more favorable circumstances would have permitted them to be made public.

It may be asked, had the Prophet a right to alter names given by revelation and substitute fictitious ones in their stead? We reply, that it is only the printed edition that contains the substituted names, while the original manuscripts, that are safely preserved in the hands of the church, contain the names as they were originally given. Moreover, the substitution of fictitious names for persons and places does not alter or destroy the sense or ideas contained in the revelations. But what the Prophet did in relation to this thing, was not of himself: he was dictated by the Holy Ghost to make these substitutions, for the time being, until it should be wisdom

be wisdom for the true names to appear. That he was thus inspired is certain from the fact, that at the very time that he made these substitutions, he also received much additional light; and by revelation line was added upon line to several of the sections and paragraphs about to be published. But some may inquire, are not the Almighty's revelations perfect when they are first given? and if so, where was the propriety of the Lord's adding any thing to them, when they were already perfect? We reply that every word of God is perfect; but He does not reveal all things at once, but adds "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little," revealing as the people are able to bear, or as circumstances require. But these were not the only revelations to which the Lord has made additions: for when the king of Judah burned the book of revelations, which God gave by the mouth of Jeremiah, God commanded Jeremiah to re-write the same. "Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiachim, king of Judah, had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words." (Jer. 36: 32.)

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The Lord, therefore, adds to His own revelations whenever he thinks proper; but He has expressly forbidden man to make any additions. The high prerogative of adding to an inspired revelation belongs to the Lord only: hence the Lord added by the mouth of Joseph "line upon line, here a little and there a little," to some of the manuscript copies which were about to be published.

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A similar thing transpired in ancient America. God expressly forbade the Prophet Mormon to write all the revelations contained in the numerous records of his forefathers. He was only permitted to make a small abridgment, called the Book of Mormon, and he states that not one-hundredth part was permitted to be copied into the abridgment. The Lord declaring to him that he would try the faith of the Gentiles and of the nations of the latter times, to see whether they would receive this abridgment; if so, He would give them more; but if not, He would withhold the greater things to their condemnation.

To add to or diminish the light to be offered to a generation or individual, is in strict accordance with the wisdom, justice and mercy of God. When a generation or individual is faithful to the light already given, God has promised to add more, and will cause that the light shall grow brighter and brighter until the perfect day. But when men despise the light, and treat it with contempt, He will withhold from them, and diminish that which they already have, until their minds become entirely enveloped in darkness, and they thus prepare themselves to dwell with the prince of darkness, and to be cast into outer darkness, where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth, and where no ray of heavenly light can penetrate their dark and dismal abode. This will be the fearful state of the wicked, because they love darkness rather than light, and will not come to the light that their deeds may be reproved.

As it may be satisfactory to the saints to know the original names in the manuscripts we here present them so far as our memory serves.

In Section 76, p. 2, for "Enoch or Gazelam" read Joseph Smith, Jr.

Sec. 76, p. 2, for "Ahashdah" read Newel K. Whitney.

Sec. 76, p. 2, for "Pelagoram" read Sidney Rigdon.

Sec. 94, pp.

Sec. 94, pp. 1, 2, for "Shederlaomach" read Frederick G. Williams.

Sec. 97, p. 2, for "Zombre" read John Johnson.

Sec. 97, p. 2, for "Seth" read Joseph.

Sec. 99, p. 3, for "Tahhanes" read "The Tannery, (or "The Tan Yard.")

Sec. 99, p. 3, for "Shinehah" read Kirtland.

Sec. 99, p. 5, for "Olihah" read Oliver Cowdery.

Sec. 99, p. 5, for "Laneshinehouse" read printing office.

Sec. 99, p. 7, for "Ozondah" read store.

Sec. 99, p. 7, for "Shule" read ashery.

Sec. 99, p. 10, for "Shinelah" read print.

Sec. 99, p. 11, for "Shinelane" read printing.

Sec. 99, p. 12, for "Talents" read dollars.

Sec. 99, p. 13, for "Cainhannoch" read New York.

Sec. 101, p. 4, for "Baurak Ale" read Joseph Smith, Jr.

Sec. 102, p. 8, for "Baneemy" read Sidney Rigdon.

In Section 87, paragraph 4, there occur five names, viz: Alam, Mahalaleel, Horah, Shalemanasseh and Mehemson. But we have forgotten the individuals whom they represent; the original manuscripts being in Utah, we are unable at present to gratify the desires of the saints in pointing out the individuals for whom they stand.

As the circumstances have changed since the substitution of those fictitious names, we do not apprehend that any danger can arise from a restoration of the original ones. And we should be most happy to see them as they stand in the manuscripts in the future editions of the "Doctrine and Covenants."

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REPORT OF THE ST. LOUIS CONFERENCE,

HELD IN CONCERT HALL, MARKET STREET, ST. LOUIS, MO.

JANUARY 1, 1854.

This meeting was called to order about 10 1/2 A. M., and opened with prayer by President H. S. Eldredge. It was moved that H. S. Eldredge preside over, and J. S. Cantwell act as clerk of the Conference; carried unanimously.

The President requested each presiding elder to give his own report. After a few remarks the representations were called for, and were as follows:

[IMAGE 1]

The representations being through, the President made some remarks relative to the Bellefontaine branch, (and in consequence of the reduction of it by removals,) it was proposed to disorganize and add it to the sixth ward in St. Louis; carried.

The following resolutions were sustained by unanimous vote:

First. That we uphold and sustain Brigham Young as President, Prophet, Seer and Revelator, over the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in all the earth.

Second. Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards as his counsellors [sic].

Third. The quorum of the Twelve Apostles, with Orson Hyde as their President.

Fourth. All the various organizations of the priesthood, in all the earth, sustained by the authorities in Zion.

Fifth. Orson Pratt as President over the Saints in the United States and British Provinces of America.

Elder J. S. Ballinger moved that we sustain and uphold Horace S. Eldredge as President over the St. Louis Conference; carried.

The President moved to acknowledge Elder James S. Cantwell as clerk of the St. Louis Conference, and Treasurer of the branch; carried.

The following Elders were sustained, by unanimous, vote over their branches:

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William Field, President of the First Ward.

William Fleming, President of the Second Ward.

James S. Ballinger, President of the Third Ward.

William Gore, President of the Fourth Ward.

Joseph Barker, President of the Fifth Ward.

John A. James, President of the Sixth Ward.

Thomas Bradshaw, President of

of Gravois.

John Donaldson, President of Alton.

William Gittings, President of Dry Hill.

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Elder Samuel J. Lees moved a vote of thanks to Joseph Seel, as leader of the choir, and to the singers under his tuition, for their attention and efficient services in St. Louis Branch; carried.

The Conference adjourned in the usual way until 2 ½ P.M.

Conference resumed at 2 ½; after prayer, &c., the President called on the various officers present to stand up, who being counted by the clerk, were found to be Seventies, 4; Elders, 33; Priests, 6; Teachers, 11; Deacons, 4. Total, 58.

The sacrament and blessing of children being attended to, the President called on Elder Wm. M. Batts, of Alton, to address the meeting; who made a few appropriate remarks on the subject of Unity and Theocracy.

The meeting adjourned until seven o'clock.

In the evening the Saints were addressed by Elder Samuel J. Lees, on the subject of Spiritual Rappings, and other manifestations of the powers of darkness, from the 6th chapter of the Ephesians, 12th verse. It was a plain, powerful, pointed discourse; at the conclusion of which, the President exhorted the saints to take heed unto themselves, and to the advice given them in Elder Lees' discourse.

The conference closed about 8 ½ P. M.

HORACE S. ELDREDGE, President.

JAMES S. CANTWELL, Clerk.

EDITORIAL.

PERPETUAL EMIGRATING FUND.--It is now about fifteen months since the saints in our field of labor were requested to forward their contributions to this fund. During this interval, only one small branch in the United States and British Provinces have responded to the call. This branch is located at Haverstraw, New York. They have contributed in all: thirty-three dollars and fifty-six cents. If the saints continue to be as liberal as they have been during the past fifteen months, we are in hopes in about two years, from this time, to be able to send one person to Utah. The saints in England, through their donations to this fund, send off hundreds to Zion annually. What a contrast! Can any one assign a reason for this difference? May it not be owing to the poverty of the English saints? For where poverty reigns, liberality abounds.

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TITHING.---God has, through revelation by the mouth of his servant, Joseph, the Prophet, commanded his saints to donate one-tenth part of all their property to the church, as tithing. The observance of this law enables us to distinguish between those who are in reality saints, and those who merely have the name: for surely those who refuse to keep the plain and positive commandments of God cannot be called saints. Now, in looking over our tithing book we find that twelve persons in the United States and British Provinces have paid tithing during the last fifteen months. The sum total of what these twelve have paid, amounts to one hundred and twelve dollars and forty-five cents. If these twelve persons have paid one-tenth part of what they possess, then they have kept the commandment, and there is good reason, so far as this law is concerned, to believe them to be saints. There may be, perhaps, a very few others whose names have not reached us that have paid their tithing to other authorized agents. Be this as it may, we still think it a matter of rejoicing that there are twelve saints in the United States and British Provinces under our jurisdiction. These are four more than what there were in the whole world in the days of Noah. We

of Noah. We would say to these twelve, get out from this wicked nation as soon as you can, for we know not the day nor the hour when God will visit them according to the threatening in the Book of Mormon. Should there be any others, besides these twelve, who are almost persuaded to be saints, we say to them, comply with the law of God. and pay your tithing, otherwise you can receive no inheritance among the saints, and your names will not be found recorded in the book of the names of the righteous. For thus saith the prophet, Joseph Smith:

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"It is contrary to the will and commandment of God, that those who receive not their inheritance by consecration agreeably to His law, which He has given, that He may tithe His people, to prepare them against the day of vengeance and burning, should have their names enrolled with the people of God; neither is their genealogy to be kept, or to be had where it may be found on any of the records or history of the church; their names shall not be found, neither the names of the fathers, nor the names of the children written in the book of the law of God, saith the Lord of Hosts. Yea, thus saith the stilt small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to quake while it maketh manifest, saying: And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the sceptre of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words: eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God: while that man who was called of God and appointed, that putteth forth his hand to steady the ark of God shall fall by the shaft of death like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning; and all they who are not found written in the book of remembrance, shall find none inheritance in that day, but they shall be cut asunder, and their portion shall be appointed them among unbelievers, where is wailing and gnashing of teeth. These things I say not of myself, therefore, as the Lord speaketh, He will also fulfil. And they who are of the High Priesthood, whose names are not found written in the book of the law, or that are found to have apostatized, or to have been cut out of the church, as well as the lesser priesthood, or the members, in that day shall not find an inheritance among the saints of the Most High; therefore, it shall be done unto them as unto the children of the Priest, as you will find recorded in the second chapter, and sixty-first and second verses of Ezra." (Given Nov. 27th, 1832; published in the "Millennial Star," page 284 vol. 14.)

And again the Lord says, "Behold, now it is called to-day, (until the coming of the Son of Man,) and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned (at His coming;) for after to-day cometh the burning: this is speaking after the manner of the Lord; for verily I say, to-morrow all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of Hosts: and I will not spare any that remain in Babylon." (Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 21, p. 5.)

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In these extracts we can learn who they are that will be counted worthy to receive an inheritance among the righteous: it will be those whose names are found in the records and history of the church, and in the law of Gods as having tithed themselves, and attended to all the other commandments and laws of God: while the names of the fathers and of the children of all others, will perish with them, and their genealogy not be remembered. Such, therefore, cannot in reality be saints, though they may have the name of saints. We were in hopes, when we entered our field of labor, to have found more than twelve saints in the whole nation; but, perhaps, we may yet have the pleasure of entering on record a few more.

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EMIGRATION TO UTAH.--Are there many saints going to Utah this season?

There will most probably be from three to four thousand from Great Britain, and a few hundred from other European Governments, and some small companies from the states and provinces of this country.

Where will the most of these companies concentrate themselves preparatory to their departure over the plains?

At St. Louis, where, by application to Gen. H. S. Eldredge, they can procure provisions and other necessaries for the outfit, at the wholesale prices, and thus save much expense.

Which way will they proceed from St. Louis?

It has been indicated by President Eldredge that they would go by steam. boat up the Missouri river to Kansas, or some of the other towns on the western frontier, and thence take their departure for the plains.

Where do the saints generally purchase their wagons and teams?

The wagons are mostly purchased at St. Louis, although some procure them at Cincinnati. They cost from $60 to $75, according to the quality. These are generally shipped on steamboats to the point of rendezvous for the plains. The freight will be from $8 to $12 per wagon, according to the distance and stage of water. Cattle will be from $50 to $80 per yoke. Companies of saints generally appoint good, faithful, trusty agents, to whom they entrust their funds and send them on, some few weeks in advance, to purchase cattle and drive them to the point where they are wanted, at some definite specified time, agreed noon by the company.

What quantity of provisions are required for the outfit?

About 200 lbs. to each individual.

What will be the cost of freight from St. Louis up the Missouri river? From $1 to $2 per hundred.

At what time will the companies leave the settlements?

They will begin to leave about the middle of May, or as soon as the grass is up sufficiently to sustain their animals; and they will continue to leave every few days from that time until about the 1st of July.

What time is required for ox teams to perform the journey?

From twelve to fifteen weeks.

What amount of team is required per ton?

Two yoke of oxen and one yoke of cows: some go with less.

Those who are not able to furnish wagons sufficient to accommodate their families for lodging, should supply themselves with tents at St. Louis.

What is the cost of freight from St. Louis to Salt Lake city?

From $12 to $14 per hundred.

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REPENTANCE.

BY THE EDITOR.

But how is it with this generation, in regard to making and loving lies? It is doubtful whether there ever were a generation so addicted to lying as the present. The spirit prevails among all classes, both the high and the low, the infidel and the professed Christian; all, with very few exceptions, are given, either

given, either to make lies, or love them after they are made. When God sent a great prophet to this generation to reveal to them the Book of Mormon, as the great and last warning message, preparatory to the revelation of his Son from the heavens to execute vengeance upon the wicked and ungodly, how was the message treated? We reply that the people began immediately to lie about it; and they have kept up this lying from that time until the present. One would declare that the Book of Mormon was originated in one way; another, in another; one making this lie, and another that; and the printing press has groaned under the weight of falsehood, published to prevent the people from repenting according to the requirements of this message. Pamphlets have followed pamphlets, and volumes have succeeded volumes to blind the minds of the people, and harden their hearts against the only message by which they can possibly be saved, either in this world, or in the world to come. Two of the most powerful engines that the father of lies has used to circulate these falsehoods, are the priests and editors. These have greedily snatched up falsehoods of every description, and of the blackest character, and multiplied millions on millions of copies and sent them with the rapidity of the steam car to the four winds of heaven: while the long-faced and professedly pious priests have reiterated these lies from the pulpit, and warned their congregations with many pious groans and hypocritical tears to beware of the Book of Mormon, and to reject it without any investigation, and to cast out the servants of God from their houses, and not listen to them for a moment, but reject them as imposters, untried and unproved. These lies have had their desired effect, to shut up churches and meeting-houses, and close the doors and hearts of the people against God's servants, and the great message of repentance which God has sent them to proclaim. In this thing the "father of lies" is made glad, and the hosts of darkness rejoice with a hellish exultation, in the prospects of reaping an abundant harvest of souls, whom they have deceived by their lies, and whom their priests have deluded by their hypocrisy.

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The persons who invented these lies against the servants of God, and against the divine message of repentance, contained in the Book of Mormon, are not the only ones who are guilty; they are not the only ones who will be punished in the lake of fire as liars; but all who have published these lies, and all who have loved to read and hear them, will share the same fate. The lover of lies is equally as guilty as the maker; hence, they both go to the same place, and both suffer the second death, unless they repent

It is a fearful thing to reject a prophet of God, or a servant of God, or a revelation of God; and especially to reject a message, so infinitely important as the one which God has given in the Book of Mormon: and the devil knows that he is sure of the people if he can only make them reject it; and hence his untiring exertions in the invention of all manner of falsehoods to accomplish his malicious and hellish object.

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But, it may be inquired, how are the humble, honest souls to discern between truth and falsehood? Must they be condemned with liars, because they are deceived with lies? We answer, that all will be condemned who suffer themselves to be deceived: for there is a way for every person to come to the light of truth; and it is not

it is not in the power of the devil to invent lies so plausible as to prevent the really honest person from discovering the truth that pertains to his salvation. The scriptures have expressly declared, that "cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." Now any person who will put his confidence and trust in popular lies, invented by the devil to prevent the people from discovering the truth, must rest under that curse, and in the day of judgment be condemned with liars. What excuse can any one have for rejecting the truth, because the devil has made lies, and nearly all mankind believe them? The scriptures inform us that we are to "prove all things and hold fast that which is good." There must be some infallible rule by which to prove things and discern the good from the evil, or else we never should have been exhorted to do so. This infallible test by which to discover the truth, is the light which God has already given us, and which He will give us if we will but properly seek after it. But when a person suffers himself to be blinded by the lies of uninspired men, so far as to close his doors and his heart against investigation, and rejects the message of heaven in the Book of Mormon upon popular rumor, or because his minister rejects it, he is justly condemned for suffering himself to be thus imposed upon, and led about by the precepts of those who he knows do not even profess to be inspired of God. He is putting his trust in man and making flesh his arm, the moment that he suffers others to judge for him in matters so infinitely important, involving the salvation of his soul: therefore, he is cursed of God, and will die and go to hell, unless he repents, notwithstanding his apparent honesty. Therefore, no man, nor woman, nor child that has come to the years of accountability, can be justified, for one moment, in rejecting God's revealed will, contained in the Book of Mormon, and especially if they never have placed themselves in a position to investigate those divine truths.

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But, replies one, many tens of thousands in the United States know nothing of the contents of that Book, having never seen it, and all that they have heard is, that it professes to be a divine revelation; are they, therefore to be condemned in their ignorance? We answer, that they have not the least excuse for their ignorance. There is not a person in the nation but what might have had the volume, if he had felt disposed to investigate its divine origin. It is now nearly twenty-four years since the book was first published among them; and during this interval, there have been printing presses enough in operation to have supplied a copy to every individual in all the world. And if they had been called for, they would have been supplied at a moderate price. Therefore, those who have not supplied themselves with a copy, and have not put themselves in a way to prove the divinity of the message, have no excuse for their ignorance. The lies that are in circulation against God's holy word, revealed in these last days, will not shield them from the justice of the Almighty in the great day of the Lord which is fast hastening. If they had loved the truth, as much as they have loved the lies against it, they would have sought after it and used a little exertion to obtain it. But no, the truth is far from them, and they love the precepts of uninspired men in preference to that which comes from heaven. "They have made lies their

their refuge and under falsehood have hid themselves;" therefore, they shall receive the portion of liars in the great judgment, and with them be cast into the same lake, unless they repent.

But it will be a very difficult matter for some of those who have published lies to repent. For instance, many editors of newspapers have been instruments in the hands of the devil of publishing a vast amount of the blackest kind of falsehoods against the truth, and against the few honest, humble souls who have received it. By the wholesale circulation of these falsehoods, they have stirred up the people to mobs and riots, and to shed the blood of the innocent. Though it might be within their power to repent and make restitution in part, yet they never could counteract fully the vast amount of injury which they have done. They might use their papers as extensively in publishing the truths of the Book of Mormon, as they have in publishing lies against it and the Saints, and thus endeavor to counteract the evils that they have done; but they can never recall the innocent from their graves whom they have been indirectly the cruel instruments of having murdered, by the wicked and malicious lies which they have so extensively circulated. Such, therefore, will find it hard to repent; yet, even these may have been, in some instances, swayed by popular prejudices, and led to do many things in their ignorance against the truth, against God, and against his people, of which, it may be possible, as in the case of Paul, for them to obtain forgiveness and salvation by receiving the truth, and hereafter devoting all their energies to print, and publish, and spread forth the same. But do what they may to recover themselves, and make restitution, they will always have it to regret, that they have ever written or printed any thing against so great and glorious a message as the one revealed in the opening of this last dispensation. But if we could see any symptoms of repentance and reformation on their part, we would gladly take them by the hand, and try to raise them up, and encourage them in the mighty struggle to recover themselves from the great and multiplied evils that they have done through the medium of the press.

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What evils lies have done in our world! It was through the lies of the Devil that our first parents were persuaded to partake of the forbidden fruit; it was through the lies invented by the wicked that the holy prophets were rejected by the respective generations to whom they were sent. Hence our Saviour says to his disciples, "Blessed are ye when men shall speak all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake; for so did they of the prophets who were before you." All prophets and inspired men were lied about, and the people were persuaded through these lies to reject the only means of their salvation. It was through liars and false witnesses that the Saviour of the world was condemned to be crucified; it was through the testimony of false witnesses that the Jews have, from generation to generation, continued to reject Jesus of Nazareth as the true Messiah; it was through lying that they were persuaded to believe that his disciples came and stole his body from the tomb. Through lies millions at the present day believe that the great Prophet of God, Joseph Smith, was an imposter. Through the belief of lies millions in ancient times were destroyed from the earth and sent down to hell; and through the reliance which this generation

generation place in newspaper reports, and the lies invented against the Book of Mormon and the Saints, millions more will be swept off, and their portion assigned them in the "lake which burneth with fire and brimestone [sic]," in company with ancient liars and those who loved the same.

Some lies are much more wicked than others, and calculated to do infinitely more harm. To lie for the purpose of cheating your neighbor--to lie so as to injure the character of any one--to lie for the purpose of punishing the innocent, or screening the guilty, are very great evils. But when compared with lies against a divine message sent from heaven, they dwindle into insignificancy. In the former cases, the lies are against men; in the latter they are against God. In the former they injure their neighbor temporally; in the latter they injure him spiritually by blinding his mind against the truth, and that too, against the only truth by which he can be saved. Lies, therefore, against a revelation which God gives for the salvation of a generation, will be considered in the day of judgment as an evil of very great magnitude, and the punishment will be in proportion.

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We have now pointed out three very great evils of which this nation in particular are very guilty before God. These evils are, first, the murder of the prophets and saints of God, and the sanctioning of the same, by letting the murderers go unpunished, and permitting them to boast of their bloody deeds in the most public manner. 'Second, the hundreds of thousands of public prostitutes, which they permit to commit crimes of the most abominable nature, in all the large cities and towns throughout the land, without taking efficient measures by legislative action to suppress them. And, third, the great sin of lying against what God has revealed in the Book of Mormon for the salvation of the nations, to prepare them for the coming of his Son. These are three of the most prominent evils of which this nation must most heartily repent, if they would escape the threatened evils with which they will otherwise most assuredly be visited.

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Another evil of no small magnitude is the vast amount of false doctrines which are taught, and extensively believed, and practiced throughout Christendom. Doctrines which are calculated to ruin the soul, are, in some respects, greater evils than those which merely have a bearing upon our temporal interests. A man who through dishonesty, defrauds his neighbor of his property, and brings distress and temporal ruin upon his family, is exceedingly guilty before God, and will, if he repent not and make no restitution, be severely punished; but how much greater will be the condemnation and punishment of that man who, through his cunning craftiness, palms upon his neighbor a false doctrine which is calculated to ruin him and his family, not temporally, but eternally! Thieves and robbers are less guilty before God than such false teachers.

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We will now mention some of these soul-destroying doctrines that are taught in Christendom, and which millions have had the wickedness to believe. First. These false teachers have had the presumption to deny the necessity of continued revelation from God, and have actually, in direct opposition to the Bible, persuaded whole nations to believe in this ruinous and impious doctrine. The great wickedness of this doctrine will appear when we reflect that it strikes a deadly blow against

Christianity and against the religion of the Bible. This fearful delusion was invented soon after the apostles fell asleep by a set of corrupt, vile apostates, who had so far departed from God that they could not get any communication from Him; and fearing that the more honest portions of mankind would discover a great contrast between their apostate condition and the condition of the true Church, which was always, without one exception, blessed with prophets and inspired men, they concluded to use all their sophistry and cunning to persuade the people that they already had enough revelation, and that they needed no further communication from heaven. If they could only get the people to believe this strong delusion, they knew that it would most effectually blind them in regard to their apostacy [sic]. They at length succeeded, though not without a great struggle of conscience among the more honest portions of the people. These could not so readily yield consent to so strange and unheard of doctrine. They looked back through the whole history of the dealings of God with his people, from the time that man was created to their day; and they could not discover one solitary instance of a true people of God, but what they had continued revelations from Him; and those who did not have these blessings were denounced as heathens, or in a state of apostacy [sic]. They were expressly told in their scriptures, that "where there is no vision the people perish." It, therefore, required no small exertion on the part of these wicked apostates to introduce, and get the people to believe in a doctrine so entirely new and strange, and so directly opposed to the whole tenor of divine revelation. But finally, through the help of the Devil, and after a long struggle, during which scores of thousands were tortured and put to death, they succeeded so far as to make an ecclesiastical law, not only positively excluding all further revelation, but actually limiting the faith of their apostate clan to a certain number of books, called, by them, "Canonical." This took place at the Third Council of Carthage in the year 397. All were forbidden to receive any thing as the word of God only the few canonical manuscripts which this apostate council had selected. This fatal law had its desired effect, in entailing upon posterity the soul-destroying delusion that God would no more speak with mortals. This great imposition has been transfered [sic] down to our time, and is extensively taught through all the nations of Christendom.

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If this delusion was confined to some obscure corner of the earth among unlettered barbarians, it would not be so fearful in its consequences, but to be embraced by millions of the most civilized people of our globe, and that, too, in direct defiance of the Bible, renders it vastly more offensive in the sight of God. It is calculated to destroy millions on millions of souls; for who, with the Bible in their hands, can expect to be saved, if they suffer themselves to believe or harbor such a wicked doctrine in their hearts? Do you expect that God will save you when you have the rashness to declare that you have no need of prophets and revelators--that you have enough of the word of God already? You cannot plead ignorance, like many hundreds of millions who have died in past ages who were never favored with the privilege of reading the Bible. You can have no excuse because your minister, and your neighbors, and your fathers, have

, have taught you this imposition. You have the Bible, and you can read and judge for yourselves; and the whole tenor of that sacred book will show you most clearly to the contrary. The Bible will inform you that so long as the Christian Church was on the earth they were favored with continued revelation; it will tell you that the Christian Church were guided and led continually by the spirit of prophecy and revelation--by living revelators and inspired men. It will tell you that any thing short of that order of things is not of God, but of men. If you will, therefore, by popular tradition, and through the influence of your popular false teachers, suffer yourselves to be imposed upon by such absurd, unscriptural and anti-Christian doctrines, you need not flatter yourselves that you can be saved; for God will not save those who reject the doctrine of continued revelation. This, therefore, is another great evil of which this generation are deeply guilty before God; and He has called upon them by the voice of his servants, and by the voice of revelation, contained in the Book of Mormon, to repent of this evil and give no more heed to false doctrines of this nature, declaring that all those I who do not repent of these things, shall be cut off and sent down to hell.

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Another false doctrine taught and almost universally believed by this wicked generation is, that it is no longer the privilege of believers to receive the miraculous signs promised to them in the Scriptures. For instance, Jesus informs us in the most express terms, as recorded in the last chapter of Mark, and in many other Scriptures, that certain miraculous gifts should be given to believers throughout all the world, wherever and to whomsoever the Gospel should be preached, and be believed and obeyed. And lest some wicked apostate or false teacher should undertake to limit the signs to the believers in the first age of Christianity, he most emphatically declares that "EVERY CREATURE" in all the world who should believe the Gospel and be baptized, should not only be saved, but that all such should have power in his name to "cast out devils"-"speak with new tongues"--"take up serpents"--and deadly poisons should not hurt them--and they should "lay hands upon the sick, and they should recover." Now, who could have believed that generations of professed Christians would arise, who, with the Bible in their hand, would have the bold, unblushing impudence, to declare that the believer has no right to claim this promise of our Lord? Only think, dear reader, of the millions of professed believers in the Gospel, who crowd the streets on the Sabbath day to go to their respective places of worship, and yet not one of them throughout the congregated millions that even profess to claim the promise of Jesus in regard to the Gospel blessings: they call themselves believers, and yet they have not the signs of believers--they profess that Jesus is their Saviour, and yet every soul of them rejects his word in relation to the promised signs: they are very willing to claim one of the promises in the same connection with these signs, viz: Salvation; but the other promises spoken by the same Being, and on the same occasion, are utterly rejected; and if any honest, humble soul among them should begin to seek after the promised signs and exhort his brethren to do the same, he would immediately be denounced as an enthusiast, or as insane; and if he persisted in so doing, he would be

, he would be excluded from their ranks and expelled from their synagogues as a dangerous person. Now what will become of all these false teachers who thus do away with the promises of Jesus? and what will become of the people who suffer themselves to be led by such hypocrites? They will, every soul of them, unless they repent of these false doctrines, be cast down to hell. Yes, every man and woman, priest and people, that do not repent of having done away the miraculous gifts and blessings of the Gospel, will just as surely go to hell as they are living beings. Do not flatter yourselves that you will escape; for there is no escape for you, only to repent and turn unto the Lord, and seek most earnestly after the miraculous gifts of the Gospel which you, and your false teachers, in your wickedness and hypocricy [sic], have done away. Think not that you can follow the popular multitude in their forms of godliness, and with them deny the power thereof, and escape the righteous indignation of that holy Being whose words you have rejected. By His words that you have had in this life, you are to be judged in the last day; if you have received and obeyed them, well; if not, they will condemn you, and you will shrink from the presence of Him who gave the word, and your guilty consciences will be racked with fear and pain; and the miseries of hell will lay hold upon you; and you will be made to feel that God's holy word is not spoken in vain, and that it cannot be rejected with impunity.

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Another very prevalent and great evil is in the land. Many thousands of these corrupt false teachers who have denied the necessity of the miraculous powers and gifts of the Gospel, and who have done away the gifts of prophecy and revelation from the church, have even dared to venture forward and officiate in some of the Gospel ordinances, as though they actually had authority from God; and many thousands have actually presumed to receive the holy sacred ordinances of the Gospel from the hands of such corrupt, soul-destroying hypocrites. If there is any wickedness that borders closely on blasphemy, it is this! What can be more impious in the sight of heaven, than for men to do away, as unnecessary, nearly all of the most glorious gifts of the Gospel, and preach to their hearers that they are unnecessary in these days, and then have the audacious wickedness to minister the holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or pretend to baptize by the authority and in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Such heaven-daring wickedness is calculated to sink these vile imposters to the lowest hell. And unless the people repent of having received baptism and other ordinances of the Gospel at the hands of such deceivers, they will be sent to hell with them; for if the blind lead the blind, they will all go into the ditch together, and the deceived, as well as the deceiver, will all have to reap the reward of their own corrupt doings.

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I know that the people will be angry with me, and hate me, because I tell them of their wickedness thus plainly. But I have not been sent to flatter this generation with smooth things, nor to tell them that all is well; but I have been sent to set forth your sins and your abominations, and all your evil works which you continually practice before the Almighty in clearness before your minds, and to call upon you in the name of Him who sent me, to repent of the same and turn unto the Lord, and embrace the fulness of

fulness of the Gospel which God has revealed anew in the Book of Mormon, or every one of you will, most assuredly, be damned. It matters not to me whether I please or displease you--whether I receive your good will, or incur your bitter hatred my only object is to do the will of Him who has sent me, and to faithfully discharge my duty towards you.

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You were once a very different people from what you are now. When your pilgrim fathers fled from the persecutions of the old world and braved the dangers and hardships, incident to the settlement of this lovely country, they were a humble, honest people. who worshipped [sic] the Lord their God according to the best of their knowledge; and the Lord was with them, and destroyed the savages from before their face; and when the arm of the mother country was stretched out to oppress and destroy, He raised up saviours and delivered them from the power of all their enemies. Moreover, He made them a great people, and strong, and independent of all nations. He established peace within the land, and their children have multiplied, and you have become one of the most powerful nations upon the earth. Your granaries and your storehouses have overflowed with the rich products and delicacies of the earth. The mountains, and hills, and dales, have been covered with the abundance of your flocks and herds, while your merchants have waxed rich in the extent of their trade, both by land and sea; the rich treasures of the earth have disclosed themselves, and blessings without number, have been multiplied upon you. But you have forgotten the Lord God whom your pilgrim fathers worshipped [sic]; you have become proud and haughty in your bearing; you despise the meekness and humility of the Christian's life. You remember not that it is God who has bestowed upon you all that you enjoy. You think that you can do what you please, and all will continue to be well. But as God has exalted you on high above all nations, if you repent not speedily, He will bring you very low; and the great blessings you now enjoy shall be taken from you, and your cities shall be left unto you desolate, and your beautiful habitations shall be deserted, and death and mourning shall be heard throughout the land.

(To be continued.)

CONTENTS:

Powers of Nature, 225

Explanation of Substituted Names in the Covenants, 227

St. Louis Conference Minutes, 230

Editorial--Perpetual Emigrating Fund--Tithing--Emigration to Utah, 231

Repentance, 233

WASHINGTON, D. C.

EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY ORSON PRATT,

At $1 per annum, invariably in advance.

THE SEER.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, See Ye, when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains. --Isaiah xviii, 3.

Vol. 2. April, 1854. No. 4.

WAR.

A REVELATION AND PROPHECY BY THE PROPHET, SEER, AND REVELATOR, JOSEPH SMITH.

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GIVEN DECEMBER 25th, 1832.

Verily thus saith the Lord, concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls. The days will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at that place; for behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States; and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations in order to defend themselves against other nations; and thus,

; and thus, war shall be poured out upon all nations. And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their Masters, who shall be marshalled [sic] and disciplined for war.--And it shall come to pass also, that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceeding angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation.--And thus, with the sword, said by bloodshed, the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquakes, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption, decreed, hath made a full end of all nations; that the cry of the Saints, and of the blood of Saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth [sic], from the earth, to be avenged of their enemies. Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen. (Pearl of Great Price, page 35.)

The above revelation was given twenty-one years ago last Christmas. We learn by this, some particulars in regard to the nature of that universal war which is soon to deluge all the nations and kingdoms of the earth.--The first indication of this fearful calamity was to begin in the rebellion of South Carolina. The revelation does not inform us that the first symptom of this rebellion would exhibit any thing very alarming in its appearance, but says, that it "will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls." "Eventually" (not directly or immediately,) should the rebellion of that State lead on to a war more general in its nature, involving the whole nation in a fearful revolution resulting, not in the loss of a few, but in the "death and misery of many souls."

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The revelation does not inform us of the particulars of this general war, but shows, in very few words, the order in which it would spread First, South Carolina should rebel second, "the Southern States" should "be divided against the Northern States;" third, the Southern States should call on Great Britain for help; and fourth, Great Britain should call on "other nations in order to defend themselves against other nations." It seems from this, that Great Britain will already be at war with some nations at the time the South will appeal to her for assistance; for she will be obliged to seek assistance to defend herself from other nations.--Whether Great Britain, under such critical circumstances, will render aid to the South, is not stated. She will, perhaps, in order to secure commercial advantages favour the South; this will enable the latter to compete with the superior numbers of the North. and prolong the war, until, as the revelation slates, it results in the destruction of many souls.

During this fearful revolutionary struggle between the South and the North, it seems that the South will marshal and discipline their slaves for war.

From this, it is quite evident, that the South will consider themselves hardly competent to withstand the force of the North without bringing into requisition the strength of the slave. However much assistance this may for awhile render to the South, it is certain, according to the revelation. that this strength will fail them: for, saith the Lord, "And it shall come to pass after many days, slaves shall rise up

rise up against their masters." From the expression, "after many days," we are led to conclude that the calamity, arising from the rebellion of the Slaves, will not take place, until the nation has, by its previous struggles been reduced to great weakness.

To add to the sufferings and great calamities of the nation, they will be greatly distressed by the aborigines, who "will marshal themselves and become exceeding angry" and vex them "with a sore vexation." We are inclined to believe that this will not take place until millions of the nation have already perished in their own revolutionary battles. To what extent the Indians will have power over the nation is not stated in this revelation; but from what Jesus informed their forefathers at the time of his personal ministry among them, as recorded in the Book of Mormon, they will have power in a great measure over the whole nation. in speaking upon this subject, Jesus prophesies as follows:--

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"Therefore, it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him" (Joseph Smith) "to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, it shall be done even as Moses said, they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant; and my people who are a remnant of Jacob, shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through, both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off.--Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles, except they repent, for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots, and I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strongholds; and I will cut off witch-crafts out of thy land, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers; thy graven images I will also cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands; and I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities.-And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, shall be done away.--For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel; and I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard." (Book of Nephi 9: 12.)

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From this prophecy of our Saviour. it will be seen that the aborigines or remnants of Jacob will prevail against the nation, even as a lion prevails against the beasts of the for eat. Naturally speaking, this could not lake place, unless the nation were first greatly weakened by former judgments, or unless God should so ordain, and suffer them to be overcome by their enemies. That Gull himself will fight for the remnant of Jacob, is clearly manifest in the foregoing quotation. it is God who is to cut off the horses, destroy the chariots, cut off the cities, and throw down all the strongholds of the nation: it is God who is to cut off the graven and standing images, and pluck up the pleasant groves, and destroy all wickedness

wickedness from the land: it is God who is to "execute vengeance and fury upon them even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard." God will, therefore, be with the remnant of Jacob, even as He was with their forefathers in the days of their righteousness: and as He destroyed the wicked nations from the land of Canaan, so will He utterly destroy this nation unless they repent and obey the word of the Lord revealed in the Book of Mormon.

The prophet Mormon, a little less than fifteen centuries ago, delivers a prophecy, concerning this remnant of Jacob and this nation of Gentiles in the following words:

"But behold, it shall come to pass that they" (the Indians) "shall be driven and scattered by the Gentiles; and after they have been driven and scattered by the Gentiles, behold, then will the Lord remember the covenant which He made unto Abraham, and unto all the house of Israel. And also the Lord will remember the prayers of the righteous, which have been put up unto Him for them. And then, O ye Gentiles," (meaning the people of the United States,) "how can ye stand before the power of God, except ye shall repent and turn from your evil ways! Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? know ye not that He hath all power, and at His great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll? Therefore repent ye, and humble yourselves before Him, lest he shall come out in justice against you; lest a remnant of the seed of Jacob shall go forth among you as a lion, and tear you in pieces, and there is none to deliver." (Book of Mormon, 2: 6.)

Before the Lord would suffer the remnant of Jacob or the Indians to fall upon the Gentiles, He promised their forefathers that He would bring forth their sacred records unto the Gentiles, that they might have the privilege of repenting and of being numbered with the house of Israel. Jesus spake unto their ancestors as follows:

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"In the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall he made known unto them. But we saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles, for notwithstanding they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of the house of Israel; and my people who are of the house of Israel have been cast out from among them, and have been trodden under feet by them; and because of the mercies of the Father unto the Gentiles, and also the judgments of the Father upon my people who are of the house of Israel; verily, verily, I say unto you that after all this, and I have caused my people who are of the house of Israel, to be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from among them, and to become hated by them--and to become a hiss and a bye-word among them. And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you, at that day, when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel," (meaning their rejection of the book of Mormon,) "and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them, and then, I will remember my covenant which I have made unto my

unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them; and I will show unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you; but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel. But if the Gentiles will repent, and return unto me, saith the Father, behold, they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel: and I will not suffer my people. who are of the house of Israel to go through among them, and tread them down, saith the Father. But if they will not turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, I will suffer them, yea, I will suffer my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall tread them down, and they shall be as salt that hath lost its savor, which is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of my people, O house of Israel." (Book of Nephi 7: 4.)

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It is evident from the foregoing that before the Indian are suffered to have complete power over this nation, God will thoroughly warn them through the medium of His word in the book of Mormon, which, if they reject, will ripen them for the threatened judgments; but first the Lord will bring the fulness of His gospel from among the nation, delivering them over, because of their wickedness, to hardness of heart and blindness of mind, that He may execute vengeance and fury upon them. Jesus more fully describes this calamity on another occasion, as follows:

"And the Father hath commanded me, that I should give unto you this land for your inheritance. And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent, after the blessing which they shall receive" (meaning the blessing of the Book of Mormon,) "after they have scattered my people, then shall ye who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them, who shall be many; and ye shall be among them, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through, both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.-- And I will gather my people together, as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor, for I will make my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am He who doeth it. And it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that the sword of my justice shall hang over them at that day; and except they repent, it shall fall upon them, saith the Father, yea, even upon all the nations of the Gentiles." (Book of Nephi, 9: 8 and 9.)

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This last quotation shows most clearly that it is God who will, through the instrumentality of this remnant of Jacob, bring this nation down; and because God is against them "none can deliver them" out of His hands, or out of the hands of the aborigines who are of the house of Israel: they will beat in pieces many people, and there will be no power in the Gentiles to stand before them, because they have sinned against Goal in rejecting His word which He has taken so much pains to preserve and bring forth unto them: But they treat it as a thing of naught, and despise the same;

; therefore shall they be treated as naught, and trodden down by the house of Israel even as nations of old. Say not in your hearts that you are strong, and that these calamities will not come upon you; for though you increase your strength an hundred fold, and fortify yourselves with walls and gigantic towers; and by your wisdom invent engines of destruction that will cause the nations to tremble, yet you shall be as naught before the power of the Almighty, and your strong-holds shall be thrown down, as were the walls of Jericho, and you shall fall a prey to the devouring sword, and your caresses shall moulder away upon the face of the land, and your flesh shall become meat for the dogs and for the ravenous birds of the air; and there shall be none left to blaspheme against the Holy One of Israel, or to fight against His holy word upon all the face of this land. For this is a choice land, and it must be redeemed from the hand of wickedness, that the righteous may dwell thereon for ever, and rejoice in the fulness of the blessings thereof.

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The day is at hand when the Lord will visit all the nations of the earth with a proclamation of repentance and mercy, and blessed are that people, nation, or tongue who know the joyful sound; but wo unto that people who hearken not unto the voice of the Lord, neither unto the voice of his servants; for the Lord has a consumption decreed upon all the face of the earth, and all flesh shall come in remembrance before Him to render unto them according to their works; to redeem the whole earth from wickedness, and to make a full end of all nations who will not become subject to His laws. Wherefore nation shall war against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and the slain of the Lord shall be many. In regard to the wars of the latter days, the vision of Nephi, seen about six hundred years before Christ, is highly instructive. We quote the following:

"And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, Nephi, saying, thou hast beheld that if the Gentiles repent, it shall be well with them; and thou also knowest concerning the covenants of the Lord, unto the house of Israel; and thou also hast heard, that whoso repenteth not, must perish; therefore, wo be unto the Gentiles, if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God, for the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvellous [sic] work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other: either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also unto destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken. And it came to pass that when the angel had spoken these words he said unto me, rememberest thou the covenants of the Father unto the house of Israel? I said unto him, yea. And it came to pass that he said unto me, look, and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations whose foundation is the devil. And he said unto me, behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the Church of the Lamb of God, belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the

of all the earth.

"And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.

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"And it came to pass that I beheld the Church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the Church of the Lamb, who were the Saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.

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"And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abomination did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God.

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the Saints of the Church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness, and with the power of God in great glory.

"And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon the great and abominable church insomuch that there were wars and rumours of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth; and as there began to be wars and rumours of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying, behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots; and behold, thou seest all these things: and when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose foundation is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to His people, who are of the house of Israel." (First Book of Nephi, 3: 45-51.)

From this quotation, it will be seen that there will be wars and rumours of wars among all the nations of the Gentiles. Whether the present war that has commenced between Russia and Turkey is the one predicted as the beginning of that more general war in which all the nations will participate, is not for us at present, to say; it has every appearance of becoming general, at least, as far as Europe is concerned. The European nations with the United States come more particularly under the dominion of the "great and abominable church," which includes all the churches of apostate christendom, both Catholic and Protestant. It is the nations of christendom that are to be visited with the heaviest of all judgments; for not only will they war among themselves, but every plague, mentioned in John's revelations as coming upon great Babylon, will surely come upon these apostate christian nations, and they will gnaw their tongues for pain, and finally, as one of the last judgments of a temporal nature, they will be totally destroyed--they and their cities, by devouring fire. But Oh, what soches [scorches] of wretchedness and misery await them, before the day of burning comes! No tongue can describe the fearful desolating judgments that will sweep through the land; but yet, they will not repent, for their day of grace will then be past, and they will be sealed over unto the judgments written; therefore, in the depths of their miseries, they will lift up

lift up their voices and curse God who has power over these plagues.

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In order that God may punish these nations and utterly overthrow them, he is calling upon his people to come out from them and flee far away, and hide themselves in the chambers of the mountains, and purify themselves before the Lord, lest they also perish in Babylon; for the Lord hath decreed that he will spare none that remain in Babylon. Let the Saints remember, that the Lord hath said, that the people of Zion are to be the only people upon the face of the whole earth but what shall be at war one with another. They alone will escape if they observe diligently all the commandments of the Lord in the Book of Mormon and in the other revelations which God has given or shall hereafter give; but if not, they will in no wise escape; for the Lord will chasten the Saints until they will learn to live by every word that proceedeth forth from His mouth. Those who call themselves Latter-day Saints are no more precious in the sight of God than other people, unless they do better than others. Indeed, the greater the light against which the Saints sin, the greater and more severe must be their judgment, unless they repent, therefore, let us fear before the Lord, and tremble exceedingly, if we have any of us sinned; let us go before Him and confess our faults, and seek mercies and forgiveness at His hands; let us put away every evil, and strive most earnestly to give heed to the word of truth: for how can we stand before Him unless we do this! The great and terrible day of the Lord is at hand, and all nations shall fear and tremble exceedingly; but if the Saints are prepared, it shall be a day of rejoicing and of great glory to them; it shall be the day of their redemption, and the commencement of a glorious reign of which there shall be no end.

EDITOR.

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FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

HONOLULU, Sandwich Islands, Nov. 18, 1853.

DEAR BROTHER O. PRATT,

I take the earliest opportunity to acknowledge your kindness in forwarding me the Seer. The nine first Nos. of which have just come to hand. The perusal of which has caused our hearts to rejoice. The foreign Elders are all anxious to procure one or more copies of all your publications in Washington. I send you the enclosed list of subscription.--We think the Seer a very valuable production, and feel that it may do much good here. The work upon these Islands is onward. Over three thousand have been baptized in all; and near two thousand of these, have been baptized since our conference last April. Although we meet with every opposition that priestcraft can invent; and in one instance two of the brethren were severely bruised and ill-treated by mob violence.--Besides which we have had many vexatious law-suits, &c., &c. The Book of Mormon is translated into the native tongue, and prepared for the press. And we are now actively engaged in procuring means to establish a press to speedily print that and many other works for this native people. And we hope before our April conference to have it in successful operation.

We are seeking out a location suitable to gather this people, that they may become better prepared for a general emigration; and also to detach them from the corrupt influence with which they are continually surrounded. The principles of truth and virtue are fast increasing among the native saints; and many who have received the priesthood are becoming powerful auxiliaries in rolling forward the

the work. Our religion is claiming the attention of many of the highest Chiefs or Nobles in the Kingdom; some of whom have avowed their belief, and are opening their hearts to assist in procuring a press and in granting lands to facilitate the gathering of the saints here.

The smallpox has done a great work here, some thousands have been swept off, including over two hundred of the saints. There is much talk of annexation to the United States of this kingdom, but we think it will not soon take place.

Believe me ever your Brother in Christ,

B. F. JOHNSON.

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APPOINTMENT.--Elder Aaron F. Farr is appointed to succeed Elder Horace S. Eldredge in the presidency of the St. Louis conference. President Eldredge has, so far as we are acquainted, presided over that conference with wisdom, and judgment, and in righteousness; but he is called to return to the valley this season to attend to other duties that may be assigned to him. He will probably leave in June, and no doubt with the good feelings, and prayers, and blessings of all the saints in that conference. Elder Eldredge will retain the Presidency of the conference until his departure, after which Elder Farr's appointment will be in force.

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We would suggest to Elder Farr the propriety of proceeding to St. Louis, as soon as convenient, in order that he may become acquainted, by confering [sic] with Elder Eldredge, with the nature of the duties assigned him.

ORSON PRATT,

President of the Saints in the

U.S. and British Provinces.

Washington City, D.C., Feb. 20, 1854.

FORMATION OF THE EARTH:

ITS DIVISION INTO ISLANDS AND CONTINENTS--ITS RESTORATION TO ITS ANTEDILUVIAN CONDITION.

BY THE EDITOR.

There has been much speculation in relation to the ancient condition of our globe. And from many facts, connected with the geological formations of the earth's crust, it has been concluded that the land and water have more than once changed places. Upon mountains and high elevations are frequently found shells and other remains of marine inhabitants in circumstances where it would seem to preclude all possibility of their having been deposited through human agency. It seems to be almost certain, then, that the dry land and even the highest elevations of our globe, have, at some former period, been submerged beneath the sea, and have formed the bed of the ocean.

Many geological speculations have been put forth to account for the great changes that have happened in the surface strata of the earth. But it is not our intention to examine the probability or improbability of those conjectures; but merely to give some few facts from divine revelation to show that the present geological conditions of our globe, are not, in their general characteristics, the result of slow and gradual changes; but the effects of sudden convulsions and catastrophes under the control and superintendence of that All-powerful Being who formed all things.

As the elements of all worlds were not created, but are eternal, and as they have always been the tabernacle or dwelling place of God, they must have eternally been acted upon by His spirit; consequently must have passed through an endless series of operations without beginning. Instead of seeking to trace out evidences of a beginning to the elements, we shall at once pronounce them eternal from the fact that we have no account of their creation from nothing, for God himself must

himself must be an eternal substance: and it is just as reasonable to believe that all the other elements which are His tabernacle, are eternal, as to admit, as we are compelled to do, the eternity of His substance.

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How many thousands of millions of times the elements of our globe have been organized and disorganized; or how many millions of shapes or forms the elements have been thrown into in their successive organizations and disorganizations; or how widely the particles have been diffused through boundless space; or how many different worlds these particles have, at one time and another, formed component parts; or how long they have been parts of the solar system; or how long that system itself has formed a branch of our stellar heavens--is unknown to us mortals. We can only go back to the organization of our present globe--to the time when "the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy." This is only one link in the endless chain--only one grand event in a series without beginning. But this event was sudden, not the effects of slow and imperceptible changes, operating for an indefinite number of ages.--Jehovah spake--the elements came rushing together, not by their own power, but under the action of the self-moving forces of His Spirit, associated with the particles to be moved. That this all-powerful spirit performed its operations in a definite and fixed manner, according to certain prescribed laws, there is no doubt. And if any of our modern Philosophers had been present on that grand occasion, they undoubtedly would have beheld every particle moving toward the great common centre with a resultant force, varying inversely as the square of its distance from every other particle.--They would have called it the law of gravitation: while those better acquainted with the origin of the force would have called it the law by which the Spirit of God moves together the particles of matter.

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We are not to suppose that these elements, before they were collected, were formed into solid masses of rocks and other hard substances: and that these came rushing together--rocks being piled on rocks, breaking, crashing, and rending into millions of fragments. But no doubt through the operation of antecedent forces, there had been a complete disorganization or dissolution of the bodies, composed of these elements in that prior state of existence anterior to the foundation of the present globe: this being the case, the elements being separate, and apart, and widely diffused, were in a condition to come together in a state of particles, instead of aggregate masses. These particles, under the law of force ordained, would collect in the form of a sphere, arranging themselves according to their specific gravities in strata at different distances from the centre.

If these particles, while collecting from the surrounding spaces, were under the influence of no foreign forces, they would form a perfect sphere, having no tendency to rotate; but if they were disturbed by their gravitation towards foreign bodies, they would, at the time of their contact with the central nucleus, strike the surface of the same obliquely, which would give rise to a rotatory movement: and this rotation would change the form of the nucleus from that of a sphere to a spheroid; and the oblateness or eccentricity of the spheroid would depend upon the final resultant velocity of the rotation at the time that the particles were all

were all collected.

In the morning of our creation the gathering together of the particles was accomplished under such regular, harmonious and systematic laws, that there were no elevations of the land above the water. All the successive strata seemed to have arranged themselves in a perfect spheroidal form, comforming [sic] to the laws of gravity and rotation, as if they had been a fluid substance. So perfect was this arrangement, that the land was completely enveloped in a flood of water: no portion thereof was seen.

But soon the commandment came for the waters to be gathered together into one place, and for the dry or solid land to appear. This great event was unquestionably brought about under a system of fixed laws, no less definite than that of gravitation; but perhaps not so well comprehended by man. The Spirit of God in association with the elements, not only produces all the phenomena of gravitation, but also causes the elements to act upon each other, cohesively and chemically, when the particles are brought insensibly near to each other It could hardly be expected, therefore, that such a great mass of elements could be brought together from the surrounding spaces, without producing chemical operations of such force and power as to disturb the whole globe. Such forces would cause the upheaval of the dry land in some places, and a corresponding depression in others, to which the waters would rush; or the dry land might be made to appear, and the waters be gathered together, by a very different process, namely, by a variation of the period of the earth's rotation.

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The original position of the land and water in regard to the surface of the earth, as it existed immediately after their separation, we have no means of determining only by revelation. It is certain, however, that it was entirely different from the present arrangement; and that it remained so sufficiently long for extensive marine deposits to be formed, which, by the great eruptions and changes that have since taken place, exhibit themselves in the interior of continents, and in locations highly elevated above the sea level.

From the revelations which God has given, there is no doubt but there has been a most wonderful change. By them we learn that the Eastern and Western Continents were one; whilst the waters occupied the polar regions of our globe. America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and many Islands of the sea, were all one land. The dividing of the earth into continents and islands, was mostly accomplished in the days of Peleg, who was born 101 years after the flood, and died 339 years after that memorable destruction. Many changes were made upon the earth in the days of Enoch: and no doubt the flood occasioned still greater; but we must look to the days of Peleg for the division of the earth into continents and islands, and the letting in of the waters upon the equatorial regions. Since the grand division of the earth, many great changes have happened to the various divisions of land by volcanic action and earthquakes; the greatest of which transpired at the crucifixion of Christ, when all the face of this land was broken up and changed; many mountains becoming valleys, and many valleys becoming mountains.

Without further revelation it is impossible for us to give any thing like a correct idea of the geographical condition of the earth before the days of Peleg. Some of its general features may be very correctly determined from the following revelation, concerning the second coming of Christ, which reads thus:

"Prepare ye for the coming of the Bridegroom; go ye, go ye out to meet Him, for behold, He shall stand upon the Mount of Olivet, and upon the mighty ocean, even the great deep, and upon the islands of the sea, and upon the land of Zion; and He shall utter His voice out of Zion, and He shall speak from Jerusalem, and His voice shall be heard among all people, and it shall be a voice as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder which shall break down the mountains, and the valleys shall not be found; He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land, and the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided. And the Lord, even the Saviour, shall stand in the midst of His people, and shall reign over all flesh." (Doc. and Cov., 108: 5.)

The great deep is to be driven into the north countries--the islands are to become one land--the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion (meaning the Eastern and Western Continents) are to be turned back into their own place, and the earth to be restored to its ancient geographical position. John the revelator prophesies of the same convulsions, and says that "every mountain and island were moved out of their places." He saw that when the seventh angel poured out his vial of the wrath of God that "There were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. And every island fled away and the mountains were not found." Rev. 16: 17-20.

The same tremendous convulsion is predicted by Isaiah (24: 17-20) in the following language:--

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"Fear, and the pit, and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly; the earth shall reel to and fro, like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again."

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The convulsion of the earth at the time of its restoration to its antediluvian condition, will exceed all former convulsions, not excepting the great one which took place at the time of its division into continents and islands; hence, John describes it as the greatest earthquake that had ever happened since men were upon the earth, not only affecting the surface by casting down mountains, and exalting valleys, but causing the very continents and islands themselves to flee away; they are not annihilated, but as John says, "moved out of their places." It will not be merely the exterior strata of the earth that will be broken up, but the very "foundations," as Isaiah says, shall shake. This latter-day earthquake will be attended with intense heat, melting and

and separating the very elements, or as Isaiah says, "The earth is clean dissolved;" and as the Psalmist predicts: "A fire goeth before Him, and burneth up His enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory." (Ps. 97: 3-6.) From this passage we learn that this intense fire will attend the presence of the Lord at His coming, and appears to be of the nature of "lightning," which is to "enlighten the whole world." We can form some idea of its intensity from the fact of its "melting hills like wax," and "dissolving the earth."

If we had an antediluvian map, we should be able to point out the future geographical positions of the land and water as it will exist during the Millennium; or in other words, an antediluvian map would answer very well the purpose of a Millennial map. For the earth is to be restored to its former condition.

In order to maintain the present ellipticity of the earth, and its present diurnal period of rotation, and at the same time retain the seas in the polar regions, it will be necessary that the solid portions, now submerged beneath the equatorial sea, should be upheaved or lifted up. This could not be done without producing a corresponding depression around the poles, and the waters would thus, under the present laws of gravitation, be obliged to rush from the equatorial to the polar regions. Although it is done by the direct command of God, yet He generally accomplishes His purposes through the medium of laws which are in operation. For aught we know the raising up of the equatorial bed of the ocean may be accomplished by the internal forces of the earth, with which we are entirely unacquainted, only as we now and then behold their effects in the earthquake and volcano. But whatever be those internal forces, it is certain that they will be controlled intelligently so as to arrange the continents and islands in their ancient position.

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REPENTANCE.

BY THE EDITOR.

(Concluded.)

Many other evils might be mentioned of which it is needful for you to repent; but as you have much of the word of God pointing them out to you, it is not necessary for me in this article to describe every particular evil. Many of you are guilty of blaspheming that Holy Being who gave you existence, and of continually using his name in vain. Many of you are guilty of defrauding and taking the advantage of your neighbor; of bearing false witness; of slandering, reviling, and speaking evil of one another; of oppressing the poor; and of being lifted up in great pride; and of withholding your riches and your substance from the widow and the fatherless, and from the poor and needy, while you and your false teachers revel in the luxuries of the earth, and adorn your chapels, and your synagogues, and your churches with all manner of costly ornaments: and you clothe yourselves in silks and satins, and in fine twined linen, and remember not that God has given these things to you, that you might not only be blessed yourselves, but that you might bless the sick and afflicted.--Of all these things, and of many other evils. you must repent, or you can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God; for the cries of the poor and needy will ascend up before God against you.

Having set forth the evils of which you are guilty, we now

, we now come to the second part of our subject, namely--The nature of the sorrow connected with true repentance. There are different kinds of sorrow. Thieves, robbers, murderers, adulterers, &c., are frequently sorrowful because they have been detected in the crimes which they have committed. They are not sorrowful, because they have sinned against God, or because they have injured others; but they are sorry that their crimes have been exposed, or that they have been prevented from a realization of the happiness which they anticipated. This is the sorrow of the world; and it is of the same nature as the sorrowing of the evil spirits in hell: they are sorry when they fail to accomplish their malicious designs against God and His people. This kind of sorrow, worketh death.

Others have a species of sorrow, arising through fear. They are convinced that they have, in numerous instances, violated the law of God, and they greatly fear the consequences in the great judgment day; but yet they feel no disposition to reform.--They are sorry that there is a law of God, or a punishment in the world to come. They love wickedness, and are sorry that they must one day give an account before God for all their evil deeds. They are sorry that they cannot continue to cheat and defraud their neighbor, and heap up riches, without being harassed with the idea of future punishment. Many are convinced in their hearts that the Book of Mormon is a divine revelation: and they are sorry that God should again speak to man; they are sorry that there is not some more popular way of being saved; they are sorry that they must subject themselves to the scorn and ridicule of the world in order to receive the message which God has now sent into the world.--Finally, there are many things which create sorrow in the world.

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But the sorrow that is acceptable in the sight of God is that which leads to true repentance, or reformation of conduct: it is that sorrow which arises, not only through fear of punishment, but through a proper sense of the evil consequences of sin; it is that sorrow which arises from a knowledge of our own unworthiness, and from a contrast of our own degraded and fallen condition with the mercy, goodness, and holiness of God. We are sorry that we should ever have condescended to do evil. We are sorry that we should ever have rendered ourselves so unworthy before God; we are sorry at the weakness of our own fallen nature. This kind of sorrow will lead us to obey every commandment of God; it will make us humble and childlike in our dispositions; it will impart unto us meekness and lowliness of mind; it will cause our hearts to be broken and our spirits to be contrite; it will cause us to watch, with great carefulness, every word, thought, and deed; it will call up our past dealings with mankind, and we will feel most anxious to make restitution to all whom we may have, in any way, injured. It will lead us to sympathize with the poor and needy, and, if we have riches, to administer to their wants; it will cause us to visit the sick and afflicted, and to do all that the gospel requires to alleviate their sufferings: these, and many other good things, are the results of a Godly sorrow for sin. This is repentance not in word but in deed; this is the sorrow with which the heavens are well pleased.

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Third, The confession necessary for the penitent, in order to render him still more acceptable in the sight of God, is something

something that should not be overlooked by those who are desirous, not only to reform, but to obtain forgiveness of past sins. Though we may break off from our sins, and reform: our conduct, yet we cannot expect a forgiveness of our past sins without a humble confession of the same. If we have trespassed against any of our neighbors, it is our duty, not only to make restitution, but to make a suitable confession and seek their forgiveness. We should also confess our sins to God with a Godly sorrow and contrition of spirit.

And Fourth, this confession should be accompanied with a promise and determination to sin no more. To confess our sins before God would be of no particular benefits unless we were determined to forsake them Without a covenant or promise before God that we will forsake sin with an unshaken determination, that we will henceforth yield to no evil, our confession and repentance will be vain, and we must not expect to be pardoned; for the Holy One of Israel cannot be deceived, and will not pardon those who merely confess their sins, and still make no resolution to forsake them; a confession of sins, unaccompanied with the resolution to forsake, is a solemn mockery before Him and will add to our guilt, and increase the displeasure of heaven against us. There are many who are afraid to make a promise that they will sin no more, lest they should break it. Now such thoughts are not right; for without entering into such a covenant how can such ones expect to be forgiven and obtain salvation? If you were in a house, enveloped with flames, and had the privilege of escape, would you still remain for fear that some future evil might happen to you? No: you would gladly accept the only possible means of safety. Oh, then, why suffer the devil to cheat you out of the only possible means of salvation through fear of some imaginary evil which you have the power, through the grace of God, to ward off? If you linger behind, and enter into no covenant with God for fear you may break it, you are sure to perish in your sins. Whereas, if you exercise your agency and repent, entering into a solemn covenant to sin no more, the grace of God will be sufficient for you to sustain you in the hour of temptation and trial.

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We have now pointed out all the prominent principles, connected with true repentance. And it can easily be seen by every honest heart, that God requires mankind, first to seek diligently to discern good from evil and to ascertain what sins and evils they are guilty of; secondly, to be exercised with a Godly sorrow that they have ever sinned against so great and good a Being as God: thirdly, to make suitable confession before God for all past sins committed, and lastly, such a confession must be accompanied with a solemn covenant or promise to sin no more; and the heart should be fixed and immovable in this covenant. All persons who will do these things will have a measure of the Spirit of Christ resting upon them, imparting humility, and meekness, and lowliness of heart. But still this repentance does not guarantee to them a remission of. sins; it only prepares the heart to obey properly a great and holy ordinance which God has instituted expressly for the remission of sins. We mean the ordinance of Baptism. As this holy ordinance is of so much importance, and instituted expressly for the benefit of penitent believers, that they may obtain forgiveness of all past sins, we feel it our duty to say a few words on

few words on the nature of this institution. But, in the meantime, before we enter into its investigation, permit us to exhort you, my dear reader, to repent of every evil which we have pointed out to you in this article, and of every other sin which you may be guilty of. Repent with all your heart. Be determined that you will neither eat, nor sleep, until you have commenced the infinitely important work. Remember how much you have at stake--that it is no less than the eternal happiness of the soul, eternal life beyond the grave. Oh, how many millions have gone down to their graves in an impenitent state! you may in an unexpected moment be cut off also. Oh then give heed to the warning voice; let your heart be humble, and your spirit be contrite; confess your sins before God, and forsake them, and prepare yourself in all things to receive forgiveness through the ordinance of Baptism.

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BAPTISM FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.

BY THE EDITOR.

Having treated upon the subject of Faith and Repentance, in the preceding Nos. of this volume, we will now proceed to show the way in which the truly penitent believing soul may be pardoned of all his past sins. It has pleased God to ordain Baptism or Immersion in water, as the medium through which the truly penitent should be forgiven of all the sins he has committed. Baptism does not atone for sins, but it is an institution granted to man, because of the atonement of Christ. The atonement is made by the blood of Christ, but man cannot receive the blessings of the atonement legally and fully without strictly complying with the conditions ordained of God. One of the choice blessings purchased by the precious blood of Christ is the forgiveness of sins, but all mankind do not have their sins forgiven, but only such as claim the purchased blessings by complying with the requirement. Now we have already shown that the first requirement is to have Faith or belief in the words of Christ and his atonement; and that the second requirement is to repent with a humble and contrite heart, entering into a covenant to forsake all sin. Both these conditions may be strictly complied with, and yet past sins remain unforgiven. Why? Because the individual as yet, has not complied with the third condition through which forgiveness is granted. By complying with the first two conditions, he has received a measure of the spirit of Christ by which his heart is melted down into humble contrition: This spirit of meekness and lowliness of heart is imparted to him as a preparation to receive the holy ordinance of Baptism acceptably in the sight of God; and when this ordinance is complied with by the believing penitent, then comes the Remission of sins; all former transgressions are blotted out. Oh what joy now fills the heart! He is indeed, a new creature! born of water! and adopted in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost into the family of Christ! one of the sons of God his sins, though many, are freely pardoned! they no longer stand recorded against him! Oh who would not repent and be baptized to receive so great a blessing, and to be filled with such great joy! Alas! there are many who care not for these things; and the forgiveness of sins and the joys of heaven, are treated with indifference; and they go down to their graves in impenitence without any preparation for the great judgment.

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Baptism is just as essential to salvation, as Faith and Repentance.--Without being immersed in water no man

water no man can enter into the fulness of Celestial glory: for baptism is instituted for the remission of sins; and if a person does not take the necessary steps to obtain pardon of sins, of course, he cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. Jesus did not shed his blood to save us in our sins, but to open a way whereby man might obtain forgiveness through Faith, Repentance, and Baptism: and no man can be saved who neglects either of these principles. Many have been taught to seek forgiveness by prayer, and have been told that baptism being only all outward ordinance would not avail any thing, and that it is to be administered to those only who have already received forgiveness: these are doctrines of false teachers, and they are the wicked traditions handed down by apostate Christendom. Baptism is a condition of forgiveness, and to teach mankind to seek for parties in any other way than the one set forth in the gospel, is a wicked perversion of truth, and all such false teachers will, if they do not repent, be sent down to hell, for cursed be that man or angel who preaches another gospel, or perverts the true gospel of Christ.

Baptism in order to be acceptable in the sight of God must be administered by a man ordained of God and authorized of Jesus Christ, otherwise, it will be a solemn mockery before God, and highly sinful in His sight. But who in this generation have authority to baptize? None but those who have received authority in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints: all other churches are entirely destitute of all authority from God; and any person who receives Baptism or the Lord's supper from their hands will highly offend God, for he looks upon them as the most corrupt of all people. Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the "whore of Babylon" whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. And any person who shall be so wicked as to receive a holy ordinance of the gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent of the unholy and impious act. If any penitent believer desires to obtain forgiveness of sins through baptism, let him beware of having any thing to do with the churches of apostate Christendom, lest he perish in the awful plagues and judgments, denounced against them. The only persons among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people who have authority from Jesus Christ to administer any gospel ordinance are those called and authorized among the Latter-day Saints. Before the restoration of the church of Christ to the earth in the year 1830, there have been no people on the earth for many generations possessing authority from God to minister gospel ordinances. We again repeat. beware of the hypocritical false teachers and imposters of Babylon.

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Another great abomination practiced among Christendom is the Baptism of infants and little children.--This wicked doctrine was invented by the devil, in order to blind the minds of the children of men, and make them think that infant baptism is all sufficient, and that the baptism of adults for the remission of sins is not necessary, provided that they were sprinkled in infancy. All infants and little children are free from sin, having been redeemed from the fall by the blood of Christ, and that too without any conditions of Faith, Repentance, or Baptism. All such are innocent before God,

before God, and are already prepared to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, for parents to have their little children baptized is awfully wicked before God; it is a solemn mockery of the ordinances of the gospel; and unless parents repent of this great wickedness, they will go down to hell. No doubt but many have committed this great evil in their ignorance, but now God calls them to repent of this evil and of every other sin, and be immersed in water for a remission of all their transgressions: and if they will not do this, the sins that they have committed in their ignorance, will be answered upon their heads, as if they had done them with a knowledge of the will of God. Parents who are guilty of having their infants baptized must repent of the evil, or they cannot be saved.

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It is unnecessary for us to appeal to the scriptures in proof of the doctrine of Faith, Repentance, and Baptism as taught in these articles: for this we have already done in a series of pamphlets which we have formerly published.

NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS.

Our subscribers are hereby informed that after the publication of the sixth number of the present volume of the SEER, the paper will be discontinued, as the present limited circulation is altogether inadequate to meet the necessary expenses. The publication thus far has been attended in this country with a loss of several hundred dollars. We will send to each of our subscribers enough of our church publications to make up the balance of the other half year's subscription. When we commenced the present volume, we were in hopes that there would have been sufficient interest manifested by the nation to learn our doctrines from our own publications, instead of those of our enemies; but it seems that they prefer falsehood to truth; and when we would enlighten them and correct the misstatements concerning us, they choose to remain in ignorance and darkness.

We expect to leave Washington about the first of May for Utah. All letters for us, arriving after that date, will most probably not be attended to.

EDITOR.

CONTENTS:

War, 241

Foreign Intelligence--Sandwich Islands, 247

Appointment, 247

Formation of the Earth--Its Division into Islands and Continents--Its Restoration to its Antediluvian Condition, 248

Repentance, 252

Baptism for the Remission of Sins, 254

Notice to Subscribers, 256

WASHINGTON CITY, D. C.

EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY ORSON PRATT,

At $1 per annum, invariably in advance.

THE SEER.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, See Ye, when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains. --Isaiah xviii, 3.

Vol. 2. May, 1854. No. 5.

NEW REVELATION.

BY THE EDITOR.

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There is no subject which is more ridiculed by the religious world, at the present day, than that of New Revelation. All Christendom profess to admit that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are still in existence, and that they are unchangeable in their attributes, and that there are just as many angels now as in ancient times; but to assert that any of these holy beings have communicated any New Revelation to man since the first century of the Christian era, is considered, if not blasphemy, something near akin to it.

Now a religion that excludes New Revelation from its principles, is just the very religion that suits the devil: he is well pleased with it. He cares not how moral people may be, nor how genteel and polished in their deportment, nor how

, nor how much they go to church, nor how many prayers they pretend to offer up, nor how pious they may be in every respect, if they will only disbelieve in New Revelation; for he knows well that God has nothing to do, nor never had, with any religion that did not acknowledge Prophets and Revelators, through whom He could speak and reveal His will to his sons and daughters.

The devil knows that God never had a church on the earth without having inspired men in it. No other church gives him any uneasiness. He likes to see them pray and be very sanctimonious, as long as he knows that they have no faith in New Revelation. The devil rejoices, and his angels are glad, when they look over their wide spread dominions, and behold countless churches and synagogues professedly built to the God of ancient revelation, and contemplate the hundreds of millions whom they have deluded with the idea that all New Revelation is unnecessary. So long as the devil can deceive the people with this anti-christian and unscriptural doctrine, he knows that he is sure of them.

How well pleased his satanic majesty must have been, when he prevailed upon the "Third Council of Carthage," at the close of the fourth century, to sit in judgment upon the manuscript copies of the word of God, compiling a few of them into a volume, and rejecting all the others, and then passing an ecclesiastical law that no other books or revelations should ever be added to the canon or volume. This bound all their deluded followers to reject, in every succeeding generation, every thing in the form of New Revelation. Oh! how the hosts of hell must have exulted over their signal success in thus cutting off all further communication between God and man!

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And again: what could have more gratified Satan when he found that the religion of the Romish Church did not altogether suit all the people, than to have them, under the name of Protestants, invent some new forms of religion, excluding prophets, and binding the people to believe in only the sixty-six books of the Bible. This newly invented religion, inasmuch as it made the canon of scripture full, and would in no wise admit prophets to add any new books to the volume, was just as acceptable to the devil as the religion of the Catholics; for what the Catholics did not catch, the other impositions would.

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But the moment that God sent angels from heaven to earth, and raised up inspired men, and once more restored the true Christian Church to the earth, the devil, with all his combined armies of Catholics and Protestants, was enraged. For God to dare restore the religion of the Bible again to the earth, by sending prophets and inspired men, by giving visions, and by sending angels, as He did in all other ages when His religion was on the earth, was more than the devil could bear without making a tremendous exertion to put it down. To undertake to put it down by scripture, reason or argument, was entirely in vain, though this was attempted in some few instances at first, but it always resulted in the most disastrous consequences to the devil's kingdom. The devil soon found that there was not the least shadow of evidence to sustain the Catholic and Protestant imposition against the doctrine of continued revelation. This forlorn hope having utterly failed him, his next and most successful operation was to ridicule and denounce the doctrine, and lie about it, and, if possible, to close the eyes, and ears, and

, and hearts of the people effectually against it. But even in this thing be will be defeated; though he may for a time triumph, yet the refuge of lies shall be swept away, and God will show unto the honest in heart, with power and great glory, that He is the same yesterday, to-day and for ever, and that he is a God who delights to reveal Himself by revelations, and dreams, and visions, and prophecies, by the ministering of angels, and by the miraculous gifts and power of the Holy Ghost. All who deny these things, and do them away, will be cut off from among the people, and be sent down to hell to suffer with the devil who has deceived them, and by whom they have been led captive to reject and deny the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the powers and glory of God's kingdom.

If this generation are asked to give a reason for rejecting all revelation later than John the Revelator's day, their answer is, almost universally, "We have enough, and need no more;" and we reply, yes, they have enough to send them to hell, unless they will receive more, when God in mercy offers it to them. The very Bible, which they pretend is enough, will rise up in judgment against apostate Christendom, and condemn them, because in it is taught the doctrine of continued revelation, which they have the great wickedness to reject.

But why is the devil so angry with a church under the guidance of New Revelation? Because he knows that a people who live near enough to the Lord to receive information from Him, will receive by that means a knowledge of all his cunning plans, and detect the cunning devices by which he has blinded the nations of apostate Christendom so long. To have the ancient and venerated systems of priestcraft exposed, and the false doctrines, which he has taken so much pains to introduce and maintain for so many centuries, overturned by the restoration of true Christianity again to the earth, is calculated to make the hellish hosts and all under their influence, who delight in darkness, to tremble with anxiety and through fear of the consequences.

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Fear and trembling seize upon the wicked priests, whenever the sound of ancient Christianity, with its revelations, prophecies, visions and the gifts and powers of the Holy Ghost., approach their neighborhood. Their craft is in danger--they fear for their rotten, corrupt forms of religion--they fear that the people will get their eyes open to discern the wide difference between the religion of the Bible and their powerless forms invented by the devil and his servants--they fear that their popularity will wane, and their salaries be decreased or entirely fail them. To travel without purse or scrip,.as the Latter-day and Former-day Saints have done, they cannot afford to do. And then if they should do so, they would receive no reward, but condemnation for preaching false doctrines among the people.

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If they preach false doctrines they think that they must be well paid: for it is the only reward that they can get, and bye-and-bye the end comes and they are hewn down and cast into the fire: their motto, then is, to live grand while they have the chance, and so long as they can delude the nations with their apostate forms of religion, under the sacred garb of Christianity, they have the prospect of waxing fat on the hard earnings of their deluded victims. No wonder then that ancient Christianity, taught by the humble servant of God, as the Holy Ghost gives him utterance, is like an

, is like an arrow to the hearts of such hypocritical imposters. Oh! how abhorrent and disgusting to a humble servant of Christ, and to God, and to all His holy angels, to see Catholic and Protestant ministers enter their richly adorned churches and chapels, and there pretend to worship God, when they are as destitute of almost every feature of ancient Christianity as the devil and his angels. The days are not far distant when such base hypocrites, and all that will suffer themselves to be deceived by them, will be cast down by devouring fire, that their impositions, and their hypocrisies, and their corruptions, and all their filthiness and abominations, may cease to come up before the Lord of Hosts.

Tremble and fear! for if there ever were a generation that had need to tremble and fear, it is the present.--Tell about this being an enlightened age--an age of gospel light! Never was there an age of greater darkness since man was created upon the earth so far as it regards the religion of heaven. It is the very age predicted by Isaiah, the Prophet, when "darkness should cover the earth and gross darkness the people;" it is a day of thick darkness--darkness that has been accumulating for centuries, through the abominations practiced by the apostate nations of Christendom. Not even one ray of light from heaven has forced its passage through the dark, gloomy, dismal night with which they have been for centuries enshrowded [sic], until an angel penetrated the depths and brought to light that sacred, heavenly, and most precious treasure--the Book of Mormon--and raised up inspired men by which light from heaven again shines on our earth. But so great are the mists of darkness, that this generation do not perceive the light. "The light shineth in darkness but the darkness comprehendeth it not."

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"An age of light!" Oh tell it not in the face of high heaven! Where are your holy apostles inspired from heaven to speak the word of the Lord in the ears of fallen man? Where are your prophets to lift up their voices by the word of the Lord, and warn the nations of approaching danger? Where are your Seers, enrapped [sic] in the visions of the Almighty, bringing to light things both new and old, opening the grand events of futurity, and unlocking the hidden mysteries of the heavenly world? Where now is the voice of inspiration, and the voice of angels, to salute the ears of mortal man with glad tidings of great joy? Where now are the gifts of healing--the opening of the eyes of the blind--the unstopping of the ears of the deaf--the speaking with other tongues, and all the miraculous gifts and powers of the Holy Ghost? They are not to be found in apostate Christendom, only as enjoyed by the Latter-day Saints. Will Christendom have the unblushing impudence to call themselves the people of God, when they are destitute of all those most precious gifts promised in the gospel? "An age of light!" Oh shame! Oh impudence! when will you cease to call evil good? How long will the heavens suffer such wickedness to go unpunished!

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"An age of light!"--"a Christian nation!" Go to all your large cities throughout the land--find one, if you can, where there are not whoredoms and other abominations enough, committed every day, to sink the whole nation to the lowest hell. Look at the swarms of public prostitutes, permitted to roam at large and corrupt society with their accursed filthiness, and then lift your eyes to heaven and hypocritically

thank God that you live in such a christian nation. Oh. fear and tremble, ye hypocrites, ye whited sepulchres, lest God shall smite you, for thus provokingly telling him that you are a christian nation! But God suffers you thus to corrupt yourselves, because you love darkness, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and false doctrines and every evil work. He will suffer you until your golden cup is full and running over, that he may visit you with a more speedy and awful judgment, and blot out your name from under heaven! Then shall the holy apostles, and prophets, and all the heavens rejoice over your downfall; for you shall fall to rise no more.

At the present time, so great is your wickedness, that silence reigns in heaven, and all eternity is pained, and the angels are waiting with longing anxiety for the great command to reap down the harvest of the earth, and bind the tares in bundles, and give them to the burning flame! And if you will not listen to the warning voice, and repent, the servants of God will not cease their cries to the heavens, until God shall come out of his hiding place, and make a full end, that the earth may be cleansed and rest for a season.

How is it, that you will not awake to a sense of the awful condition that you are in? How is it, that you will close your eyes to the signs of the times, and not perceive the day of your visitation? How is it, that you will not pay any attention to that which belongs to your peace? How is it, that you can be so hard in your hearts and blind in your minds that you cannot perceive the hand of the Lord in bringing to light the sacred Records of the ancient Israelites who dwelt upon this continent? Why do you condemn that most excellent work upon popular rumour, without even reading one page of its contents? Why will you be proud in your hearts, and exalt yourselves above all other nations, and boast in your own strength as a nation, and imagine that no evil will come upon you, though you continue in your wickedness? Why not discern and understand that it is God that has made you a strong and powerful nation, and not yourselves? It is God that setteth up and pulleth down. If you would repent, as He requires you in the Book of Mormon, you would continue to be blessed upon the land; but if you obey not, and reject His word, He will certainly visit you as it is written. Oh, then, why will you not repent? it will certainly do you no harm to repent, and forsake false doctrines, and every species of wickedness. If you repent and call upon the Lord even as our pilgrim fathers did, when they first came to this land, God will be merciful unto you and prolong your blessings in the land.--Even though you, in your darkness, may suppose the Book of Mormon an imposition, you certainly will be on the safe side if you repent and do as that book requires.

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If this new revelation required you to do something that was evil, you would have some reason for distrusting it and paying no attention to it; but when it requires you to repent, and forsake every evil practice, and sets forth your evils and abominations plainly before your eyes, of which you yourselves know that you are guilty, where is your excuse for not obeying, even though you may think that it is the work of man? If it be the work of man, can you be excused, and will God overlook all the sins which you know you are guilty of and which that book accuses you of, and which it requires you to repent of? No: you

of? No: you have no excuse; you well know that you ought to repent of every evil of which that book accuses you; and that God will in no wise acquit the guilty. And if you already know this, how much more ought you to fear when a professed revelation makes its appearance threatening you with awful and speedy judgment, if you do not repent.

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Oh my nation! the inhabitants of this beautiful and lovely country! open your ears to the voice of your Redeemer, whose bowels of compassion yearn over you--whose voice is to all the inhabitants of the land calling on them to repent, and turn away from all their iniquities, and be baptized in His name for the remission of their sins, that they may be filled with the Holy Ghost. Then shall ye know His voice, and the voice of his servants, and the voice of his spirit: for the spirit is light, and maketh manifest the truth, and if it be in you, you shall be the children of light and not walk in darkness.

Now what man is there in all this nation that will not acknowledge that repentance would not only be beneficial to individuals, but to the whole nation? Why then condemn the Book of Mormon, for calling upon you to do that which you know would be beneficial? But, you may reply, the Book of Mormon professes to be a New Revelation and to call upon us by authority to repent, and we do not believe in new revelation, and therefore we will not repent.--A poor excuse, indeed! that you will not do that which you acknowledge would be beneficial, because you are afraid of giving sanction to the Book of Mormon.

Another thing should cause you to fear and tremble exceedingly. You should remember that, that very book is substantiated in this generation with far greater evidence than they have for any other revelation. (See "Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon," by O. Pratt.) To reject so great evidence, and still remain in your sins will be presumptuous on your part.

Again, every man in the nation has the privilege on condition of repentance and obedience of receiving the Holy Ghost, which will most assuredly guide them into all truth, and bear record unto them of the truth of this New Revelation, so that they may have the same knowledge of the divine Authenticity of the Record as they have of any other truth. To know a thing to be true certainly would impart more happiness and joy, than to remain in uncertainty and doubt A knowledge of the truth will give stability to the mind, so that it will not fluctuate to and fro with every wind of doctrine, invented by the cunning craftiness of uninspired men. Is there any excuse therefore, for any man in the nation? when it is within the power of all to obtain the most perfect knowledge that the Book of Mormon is a revelation from God? And especially when this knowledge is to be obtained by doing that which every man will acknowledge ought to be done, and which all see would be beneficial both to individuals and to the nation to do?

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ZION OF ENOCH.

BY THE EDITOR.

What is the meaning of the word Zion? The Prophet Enoch answers this question in the following language:--"And the Lord called His people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them." The Lord by the mouth of Joseph the Prophet gave the following definition:--"Let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion--The pure in Heart." Enoch was called of God, when but a young man, and was sent forth unto the antediluvian

nations to preach Faith, Repentance, and Baptism for the remission of sins, and to Prophesy and warn the people of approaching judgment. Many among the nations hearkened to his voice, and received the gospel, and became the sons of God; for the Holy Ghost fell upon them, and they were born of God. These by the commandment of God, were gathered out from the nations by themselves, and they were established upon the high places of the earth and upon the mountains; and became sanctified before the Lord; "and the Lord came and dwelt with His people, and they dwelt in righteousness. The fear of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the glory of the Lord which was upon His people."

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It was under these circumstances that the Lord called his people Zion. And from what God has revealed, concerning this great continent, we have reason to believe that this is the very land where the righteous were gathered in the days of Enoch. And there are indications in the revelations which God has given us through the mouth of Joseph Smith, that this is the very land, where once flourished the garden of Eden. One thing is certain, that three years previous to Adam's death "he called Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Mathuselah [Methuselah], who were all high priests, with the residue of his posterity who were righteous, into the valley of Adam-Ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon them his last blessing. And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the Prince, the Archangel. And the Lord administered comfort unto Adam, and said unto him, I have set thee robe at the head--a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou art a prince over them for ever," (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 2: 28.)

Here then were eight generations, including all the righteous of Adam's posterity, all assembled in the valley of "Adam-Ondi-Ahman." According to other revelations of the martyred Prophet Joseph, this valley is in the state of Missouri, only about 50 or 60 miles north of Jackson Co., where the city of Zion is to be built up in the last days. From the fact that Adam "called" his descendants into that valley, we have reason to believe that it was his place of residence--his old homestead, perhaps, where he may have dwelt for many centuries.

Enoch built a city, called Zion, and the people who received the gospel through his ministry dwelt therein.--It is very probable that Jared the father of Enoch and all his Ancestors, even to Adam, were not located very far from the city of Enoch. Whether Adam and all those of his descendants who were righteous in Enoch's day still dwelt near their native country; or whether they had emigrated from some distant part of the earth in order to detach themselves from the wickedness of surrounding nations, we cannot positively determine without further revelation. As the earth was not divided into continents and islands before Enoch's day, it would not have been difficult for Adam, and the righteous of those days, to have emigrated by land from the opposite side of the globe to this country. But if the Ancestors of Enoch came with him from some distant part of the globe, it would be reasonable to suppose that they would have located themselves in the same city with him, and have been translated and caught up into heaven with him and his people. But from the fact that all his Ancestors, except Adam, were alive at the time that Zion was caught up, and that they were

they were all left behind and lived on the earth many years after that event, it seems almost certain that they did not live in Zion; but probably were located on their old inheritances where they lived when the foundations of Zion were laid.

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Mathuselah [Methuselah], the son of Enoch, was also left behind, and lived for some six centuries until the flood. His grand-son, Noah, most probably built the Ark in this land: if so, he must have been wafted by winds and currents for many months until he landed upon the mountains of Ararat.--Without direct revelation it would have been difficult for Noah to have determined the geographical position of his landing place; he and his sons located themselves in Asia, and it is very doubtful whether they had any idea of the great distance that intervened between them and their native country.

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America, then, may be considered the Old world--the cradle of the human race--the theatre of events pertaining to the antediluvian age. From American soil was formed the first tabernacles of man and beast, fowl and creeping things. Here was the garden of the Lord, where flourished the tree of life whose fruit was calculated to impart immortality and eternal life to those who should partake thereof. Here God conversed freely with man and gave him dominion over the earth. Here Satan introduced sin, and misery, and death. Here holy messengers guarded with a flaming sword the tree of life from the hands of fallen man. Here Cain imbrued his hands in the blood of righteous Abel. Here nations multiplied on nations and waxed strong in wickedness before God. Here Enoch preached repentance and baptism for the remission of sins, and led the people of God, who overcame their enemies that came to battle against them. Here Enoch "spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the Lions was heard out of the wilderness and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of language which God had given him. There also came up a land out of the depth of the sea; and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God that they fled and stood afar off, and went upon the land which came up out of the depths of the sea. And the giants of the land, also, stood afar off; and there went forth a curse upon all the people which fought against God: and from that time forth there were wars and bloodsheds among them." Here flourished the city of Zion, built by Enoch and his people, and God chose it for his dwelling place for ever, and He came and dwelt in the midst of it; and His glory overshadowed it for upwards of three centuries, when it was taken up with all the inhabitants thereof into heaven.--Here was built an ark of safety, wherein seed of all flesh was preserved to repeople a world cleansed from wickedness by baptism in the mighty flood.

What portion of the land was taken up with the Zion of Enoch is not revealed. It seems very probable that a sufficient quantity of the earth would be translated with the city to form inheritances for the people. In what part of space this city is located is unknown. During the interval between the translation of Zion and the flood, angels came down out of heaven and appeared unto many, "and the Holy Spirit fell on many and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion." The

." The descendants of Noah not having faith sufficient to be caught up into Zion, concluded to build a tower sufficiently high to get there without being under the necessity of receiving a translation. From this it appears that the early descendants of Noah had an idea that Zion was located somewhere near the earth. Abraham sought to become an inhabitant of the same city; for, as Paul declares, "he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Abraham understood that in the translation of the city there was something more than the houses caught up: he was aware that the city had "foundations" as well as buildings; and he knew that God was the "builder and maker" of it; or, in other words, that God gave Enoch the pattern and instructed him how to build it.

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There have been many conjectures among the saints in regard to the condition of the inhabitants of Enoch's city: some have supposed them still to be mortal--that they die--and that successive generations come and go as here: others have supposed that they were only partially changed so that death could have no power over them; conjecturing that the change was similar to that received by the three Nephites, mentioned in the Book of Mormon, and that they will not receive a full change until the coming of Christ, or the last day: Others suppose them to have been changed from mortality to immortality. We have no revelation to decide directly which of these suppositions is correct; although we are inclined to believe that the latter supposition is the most probable. But this is a subject which does not immediately concern us, as a matter of importance; God is willing for us to know all about the Zion of Enoch, and about many other things that are good, and great, and glorious, just as fast as we will prepare our hearts to receive knowledge and it is only on account of our darkness, unbelief, and disobedience that many mysteries are withheld from us.

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To suppose that the inhabitants of the city of Enoch have been caught away to some other planetary body, and that they have there continued to multiply a fleshly offspring, would necessarily involve the idea of mortality and death; for we know of no revelation that indicates that a fleshly offspring could be derived from immortal parents. If therefore, a fleshly offspring are begotten in the Zion of Enoch, then mortality and death reign among them; and generation must have succeeded generation; and there has been time enough for them to have peopled several worlds as large as this. On the other hand, if they were immortal, their offspring must have been spirits; and as in this condition none of their children could multiply, the increase would be far less. Indeed, a city containing four hundred thousand inhabitants, consisting of an equal number of immortal males and females, would require about three hundred thousand years to people one world with the same number of inhabitants as have already come upon our globe; that is, supposing the rate of increase to be two hundred thousand per year.

However far the Zion of Enoch may be from the earth's appointed orbit, it is certain, according to the promise of God, that it will return again to the earth at the second coming of Christ We can hardly believe that this city was taken away beyond the limits of the Solar system; for if it had been famed with a velocity of one mile per minute, it would have required upwards of five thousand years

years to have gone as far as the planet Neptune: and with that velocity it would have required over ten thousand years to go there and return. As an immortal body has the power of rendering itself invisible, it is reasonable to infer that a city wrought upon by the power of God, and changed in its nature, could be rendered invisible, and still be within our immediate vicinity.

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One of the most beautiful characteristics of the antediluvian Zion, was that "they were of one heart and one mind, and there were no poor among them," a perfect union of sentiment and feeling: no bitterness--no hatred --no slandering or reviling--no defrauding or taking the advantage one of another--no person seeking to aggrandize himself by heaping up riches while others were poor--no selfishness or pride--no hypocrisy or affectation: but every one loved his neighbor as himself---every one studied the welfare of the whole--every one considered himself as only a steward over the things committed to his charge: it was all considered the Lord's, and ready to be appropriated for any purpose which the Lord should direct They were equal in earthly things, therefore the Lord made them equal in heavenly things. Nothing short of continued revelation could ever have brought about an order of things so perfect. Such union was strength and power; such oneness was after the order of heaven: the powers of the earth could not hold them--the laws of nature could not retain them: their faith laid hold on immortality---on eternal life--on the powers of heaven--on heavenly things; the veil was parted and could no more be closed--the city of Zion fled from earth to heaven there to be reserved until a day of righteousness should come, when the earth should rest; then shall they return to their native land and their city with them; then shall be fulfilled the words of Isaiah: "Thy watchmen shall lift up their voice, and with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion." Yes: when the Lord brings again the Zion of Enoch from heaven to earth the watchman of the Latter day Zion shall see eye to eye with the watchman of the Zion from heaven: then shall ancient and modern saints embrace each other, and their hearts shall be full of joy; for the Lord himself will be there, and He will comfort his people for evermore.

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LATTER-DAY ZION.

BY THE EDITOR.

The Latter-Day Zion will resemble, in most particulars, the Zion of Enoch: it will be established upon the same celestial laws--be built upon the same gospel, and be guided by continued revelation. Its inhabitants, like those of the antediluvian Zion, will be the righteous gathered out from all nations: the glory of God will be seen upon it; and His power will be manifested there, even as in the Zion of old. All the blessings and grand characteristics which were exhibited in ancient Zion will be shown forth in the Latter-Day Zion. As the Zion of Enoch was caught up by the powers of heaven, so will the Latter-Day Zion be taken up into the cloud when the heavens are opened and the face of the Lord is unveiled at His second coming.

As the building up of Zion in the last days is to be a work of so great a magnitude, it will not, we trust, be uninteresting to our readers if we refer to some of the ancient prophecies relative to it; especially as the day is at hand when the Lord has laid the foundation and commenced the fulfilment of the great work.

work.

The Psalmist, speaking prophetically, exclaims, "Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in His glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. For He hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; to declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem when the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms to serve the Lord." (Psalm 102: 13--22.)

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From this we learn that the building up and the favouring of Zion was not to take place in that age, for it is expressly declared, that what was then written was for the benefit of "a generation to come." That it had no reference to the Christian Church built up in the days of the apostles, is certain from the declaration that, "When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in His glory." it was to be a work, therefore, immediately preceding the glorious appearing of our Lord. It will be a work in which the power of God will be so marvelously displayed, that it will excite the attention of whole nations and kingdoms to that degree, that they will actually gather together among the people of Zion to serve the Lord. One object they will have in view in gathering, will be to worship the Lord in His house, and to receive ordinances therein. Or as the Prophet Isaiah, when speaking of this subject, says, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2: 2-4.)

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It is very evident from this that there will be a glory and power connected with the establishment of the house of the Lord, that will be sufficient to cause whole nations and kingdoms to flow unto it. They flow to the mountains where the house of the God of Jacob is erected, because they can there be taught in the ways of the Lord, and receive information that is impossible for them to receive in their own lands. In Zion a law will be given by the Great Law Giver, which will be for the government of all nations; and all nations will have to submit to that law, or be destroyed from the earth: for the "Lord will rebuke strong nations afar off." The law for the government of all nations will go forth from Zion the same as the laws for the government of the United States now go forth from Washington. Zion will be the seat of government, and her officers will be far more respected,

respected, and have far more influence, than those of any government upon the earth; all nations will yield the most perfect obedience to their commands and counsels. There will be no party politicians, and party newspapers to speak evil of them, as they now do of the President and highest authorities of this nation: a word from them will control all the inhabitants of the earth as one man. This great influence and high respect will not be obtained by swaying the sceptre of tyrants--by binding the people down with the strong arm of oppression; but it will be because of their righteousness, and their faith in God, and because their power is given to them from God; and they act, and speak, and counsel, and command in His name and by His authority; and, therefore, the nations must obey or incur the displeasure of Him who governs all things, according to His own will and pleasure.

The Lord says, concerning Zion, "And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The city of righteousness--the faithful city." (Isaiah 1: 26.) "I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness." (Isaiah 60: 17.) When the Lord restores the judges, counsellors [sic] and officers of Zion, after the same order as in the ancient Zion, or among Israel, He will choose good and righteous men who can be entrusted to direct the governmental affairs of every nation under heaven, who will see that the laws issued from Zion are properly respected and obeyed.

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Ambitious politicians are now striving, contending, and exerting all their power in order to obtain the presidential chair or a seat in Congress. If they can only arise high enough to preside over this nation for four years, they think it wonderful honor. O fools! how little do they know what true honor is! We would rather be honored with the office of deacon, among the high and honorable people of Zion, than to be elected President of the United States; for the latter is but a momentary office, expiring at the close of four short years; while the former will endure for ever; or rather, he who honors the office of deacon, and faithfully discharges the duties of the same, will receive a crown, and kingdom, and power, and authority, and greatness, and honor, and glory, that will never have an end: and even in this life the days will come that deacons in Zion will be more honored and more respected, than any emperor, king or president, now ruling among the nations.

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Before Zion can partake of the glory and honor promised to her, she will be hated, afflicted, and despised by the wicked: and because she does not, at first, give heed in all things to the word of the Lord, He will chasten her, and for a moment hide His face from her, and forsake her; and she will be as a wife of youth, forsaken and grieved in spirit. And in the midst of her affliction she will exclaim, "The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me." But the Lord saith, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." (Isaiah 49: 14, 15.) All the shame and reproach which she has suffered from her enemies will be wiped away: hence, Isaiah says, "Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to

be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of Hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall He be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer." (Isaiah 54:4-8.)

Though Zion has been driven by these United States, and been persecuted, hated, and despised, let her not be discouraged, nor faint-hearted, nor afraid; for God will surely remember His kindness towards her, to bring to pass all that is written. As the Lord has "sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so hath He sworn that he would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee." And again for the encouragement of Zion in her affliction, the Lord says, "for the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed: but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my people be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders or pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." (Isaiah 54: 9-13.)

When the city of Zion is built up in Jackson county, in the state of Missouri, with all the precious stones spoken of in the above quotation, it seems that they will be no more "afflicted and tossed to and fro and not comforted." Mob violence will no more prevail against them, providing that they continue in righteousness. For the Lord says, "In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror: for it shall not come near thee." (verse 14.) Their enemies no doubt will even then seek their overthrow, but they will be completely disappointed. "Behold they shall surely gather together, but not by me, whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake." (Verse 15.)

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Should the enemies of Zion even invent new weapons of warfare, and think to prevail against her by that means, it will be useless for them to try it; for the Lord says. "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." (Verse 17.)

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The Lord will not only deliver Zion from all her enemies, but He will actually make all nations serve her, as will be seen by the following quotation:--"And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.-For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly

be utterly wasted."--"The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah 60: 10, 11, 12, 14.)

O how great must be the glory and power of the Lord to cause kings to rise up and leave their native country to visit Zion! The forces of the Gentiles will come to her as a flowing stream whose waters cease not, day nor night: they will come like clouds flying, and like doves seeking refuge in their windows from storms and tempests. What a change of sentiments and feelings there must be, to cause those who have despised the saints to bow themselves down at the soles of their feet! if any nations are too stubborn or too proud to show this respect, and to serve Zion, they will have the alternative of being destroyed and utterly wasted.

But why does the Holy One of Zion confer this honor upon his people? Because they have patiently submitted to every kind of insult and abuse that the Gentiles could heap upon them for the truth's sake: because they have been "afflicted and tossed to and fro" by their enemies; and because in all their tribulation, they have held fast the truth. And therefore, will the Lord place them, as the head of the nations; and instead of being compelled to labor and toil to build the walls of Zion, and to take care of their flocks and cultivate the earth, the Lord will cause this to be done by strangers. "And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But ye shall be named, The Priests of the Lord: men shalt call you, The Ministers of our God." (Isaiah 61: 5, 6.)

The children of Zion having been robbed and driven from county to county and from state to state, and even from the United States, and having suffered the loss, time after time, of their houses, and lands, and of their hard earned labors, the Lord will compensate them by giving them the riches of the Gentiles; hence, He says "ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double; everlasting joy shall be unto them." (Isaiah 61: 6, 7.) "Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breasts of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron." "Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee." (Isaiah 60: 9, 15, 16.)

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Contrast this glory, and honor, and majesty, and greatness, and riches with the past and present condition of Zion; and then let her sons shout aloud for joy, and sing with gladness of heart: though Zion is now small and little, remember what the Lord hath said concerning her: "A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in its time." (Isaiah 60:

." (Isaiah 60: '22.) "Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." (Isaiah 66: 8.) Zion will become a strong nation suddenly; her increase will be at once; and they will return to their waste and desolate cities which the Gentiles have robbed them of; and their former possessions will be too small for them. Then shall the following words of Isaiah be fulfilled "Thy waste, and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other," (that is after the other has been driven out and forced to seek refuge in the Rocky mountains) "shall say again in thine ears, the place is too straight for me: give place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thine heart: Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?" (Isaiah 49: 19--21.) Their waste and desolate places which were, by mob violence, forcibly wrested from them, not being sufficient to contain the vast number of the saints, they will spread forth into all quarters of the land. Then shall another prophecy of Isaiah be fulfilled: "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left: and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited." (Isaiah 54: 2, 3.)

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The desolate cities of the Gentiles, which have been left desolate by the great and terrible wars among themselves will in that day be inhabited by the children of Zion; for the children of the "married wife" or of the Gentiles who in ancient times became the married wife, instead of Israel, will be, because of wickedness, greatly diminished, while the children of the desolate, whom the Lord has for a small moment apparently forsaken, will speedily become a strong nation: though barren, and a captive, wandering to and fro, despised, and afflicted, and tormented, and cast out into the mountains and deserts, and hated by the whole United States, yet the words of Isaiah shall be fulfilled, and Zion shall sing and forget the reproach of her youth. "Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear, break forth into singing and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate, than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord." (54: 1.) The children of Zion, therefore, will, in that day, be more numerous than the nation who has oppressed them, and trodden them under their feet.

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Hear another prophecy, "Thus saith the Lord God, behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. Shall the prey be taken from the

from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the Lord, even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I wall contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh: and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that! the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob." (Isaiah 49: 22-26.)

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From this prophecy, it will be seen that the Lord commences His work for the gathering of his people by lifting up His hand to the Gentiles and by setting up a standard to the people. This work has already commenced among this Gentile nation. He has already lifted up his hand, by sending among them a great prophet to bring forth that sacred and holy Record--the Book of Mormon, as a "standard to the people." And the time is close at hand when the kings and the queens of the Gentiles will assist in gathering many of the descendants of Israel unto Zion upon this land, while those of the house of Judah will flee to their own land, even to Jerusalem, where they will suffer many afflictions and great chastisements, because of their unbelief in the true Messiah; but the believing of the other tribes will gather to Zion, in America, where they will remain until the full time for their return to receive their ancient inheritances in Palestine.

The American Indians, who are a remnant of Israel, will gather to Zion; for they will believe in the history of their forefathers, contained in the Book of Mormon; they will repent of all their sins, and become a righteous branch of the house of Israel: and this work will be a speedy work among them, resembling the birth of a nation in a day; and all the promises that the Lord has made to Israel and to the Latter-Day Zion, will be realized by these remnants of Israel in America. While their enemies that have oppressed them will be fed with their own flesh, and be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine; and all flesh, from one end of the earth to the other, shall know that it is the Lord who has humbled the pride and haughtiness of this nation, and exalted the remnant of Israel upon the land. Then Zion shall be clothed in her beautiful garments, and be armed with strength; the bands of her neck shall be broken off, and she shall be free; her ensign shall be lifted on high to welcome the nations; her light shall be as the sun to enlighten the world; her tabernacles shall be the dwelling place of the Most High; her dwellings shall be encircled with glory: a cloud by day and a fire by night shall be her defence [sic]; her walls shall be called Salvation, and her gates Praise. Violence shall no more be heard in the land; wasting nor destruction within her borders. Then America shall be called the land of the Lord, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High: then shall the fear of the Lord be upon all nations, upon their kings, and upon their princes, and upon their nobles, and upon their rulers; and all kindreds and tongues shall see the salvation of the Lord, and behold His glory; and submit themselves to His laws, for the whole earth shall be full of His glory; and God himself will be in the midst of His people and reign over all flesh.

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But before that day shall come, what sorrow--what mourning--what lamentations will be heard in the earth! Nations shall rush

shall rush fiercely on nations--thrones be overturned--kingdoms be removed, and the earth will be soaked with blood. Every nation under Heaven will be at war except Zion. The city of Zion will be the only place of refuge. There shall be shelter from the furious storms, and tempests, and whirlwinds, that will agitate the nations and toss them to and fro upon the raging billows. There the righteous shall find safety and dwell securely in peaceable habitations; and none shall molest them or make them afraid. Oh, that the people would open their eyes and discern the signs of the times! for if they will not take warning, they must perish! But they rush blindly on, giving no heed to the prophecies of the holy prophets, nor to the voice of the Lord which is kindly calling after them; nor to the voice of His servants, who are laboring day and night to rescue them from the coming evils! The voice of mercy falls listlessly upon their ears, or is entirely lost in the confusion of great Babylon! Gladly would we awake them to the sense of the awful dangers which threaten them; but the slumbers of death have taken a firm hold upon them, and they are prepared for the slaughter, and to the slaughter they will go.

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Let the saints study the prophecies diligently, and then look at the signs of the times; and they will see the hand writing of destruction in broad and legible characters written upon all the thrones, and kingdoms, and nations of great Babylon. Hear, then, Oh ye saints, the great voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, O my people, lest ye partake of her sins, and receive of her plagues; for her sins have reached to the heavens, and God hath remembered her iniquities." Therefore, flee ye, get ye out of the midst of her! Stay not; tarry not, lest while you linger, some sore calamity or sudden evil befall you. We speak more particularly of the saints in the United States. The destroyer is sent forth to lay waste and destroy, and his mission is to the nations of Babylon, and he will not return nor cease, until he hath made a full end.

UTAH.

Our latest intelligence from Utah is up to the l2th of Dec. All things apparently were in a prosperous condition. Two volunteer companies, under the direction of Elder Orson Hyde, had started in the month of Nov. to form a settlement between one and two hundred miles east of Salt Lake City, on Green river. They were well fitted out with farming utensils, and every thing necessary for the formation of a permanent settlement. A colony formed in that vicinity will be of great importance in rendering aid and assistance to the weary emigrant, as he pursues his tedious and lonely track towards Oregon and California. The emigrating Saints will, also, reap much benefit in finding settlements of their own brethren near two hundred miles east of their destination. It is to be hoped that this little colony will flourish and prosper.

The Indians of the territory appear to be more friendly than they were a few months since. The massacre of Captain Gunnison and party was by a band of the Par-van-tes who were highly exasperated by the brutal conduct of a company of California emigrants, under the command of a man by the name of Hillsworth, who had wantonly killed one of their number and wounded two others; previous to this, that small tribe had been friendly with the whites. The Saints have constantly studied the welfare of the red-men, although they have, in some few instances, been reluctantly

reluctantly compelled to defend themselves against their depradations [sic]. The Indians in that territory, near our settlements, are in a ten fold more prosperous condition than they were previous to the location of the Saints in the country. Through the wise and humane policy of Governor Young, and of the people generally, there is a bright prospect of extending civilization and Christianity among the uncultivated and savage tribes of the interior. Already many of their children are being comfortably clothed and fed, and are acquiring the first rudiments of an English education. And it is to be hoped, that not many years hence, we shall see whole tribes laying aside the tomahawk and scalping knife, and pursuing the peaceful avocations of a civilized life.

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EXTRACT

FROM GOVERNOR YOUNG'S MESSAGE TO THE LEGISLATURE OF UTAH.

Happily for Utah, she has no party politics for her Legislature to discuss, she can therefore lend her energies for the benefit of the country, and practicing that industry, so worthy of imitation by the people, benefit them by example, as well as precept.

Judging the future by the present and past, unparalleled prosperity is dawning upon us as a people. Health and contentment universally prevail, and the mountain breezes, and cooling streams bring vigorous strength and action. Nature's wilderness is fast receding before the scythe, sickle, and the plow, and her swarthy children keep company with the mountain game, or retire with the Buffalo of the arid and extended plain, to make way, to give place for the pale face, the citizen who inhabits houses, and cultivates the ground. Although far distant from the channels of the trade and commerce of the world, and, moreover, isolated in a great degree from the influence of her society, yet it is a rich inheritance which has been extended unto us, and which in due time will, if rightly improved, add a brilliant to the constellation of nations illuminating the northern hemisphere.

As hitherto, self-exertion meets her own reward, and the laborer delves with a certain prospect of success, and the teeming earth yields forth her fruits and grain, in rich abundance, for the sustenance of the children of her bosom.

Let us continue to cultivate the arts of peace, and impart to the weary wanderer comfort and consolation, abiding in charity and benevolence towards our fellows, whether found in the forlorn wandering ignorance of ages, or the enlightened bondage of tradition and error.

Feeling to reciprocate for past kindness and forbearance, I shall ever be ready to participate with you in your labors, hoping that our united exertions may become advantageous, and promote the interest, prosperity, rapid growth, and advancement of the rising State.

BRIGHAM YOUNG.

UTAH TERRITORY,

EXECUTIVE OFFICE,

Dec. 12, 1853.

CONTENTS:

New Revelation, 257

Zion of Enoch, 261

Latter-Day Zion, 265

Utah, 271

Extract from Governor Young's Message to the Legislature of Utah, 272

WASHINGTON CITY, D. C.

EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY ORSON PRATT,

At $1 per annum, invariably in advance.

THE SEER.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, See Ye, when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains. --Isaiah xviii, 3.

Vol. 2. June, 1854. No. 6.

RESURRECTION OF THE SAINTS.

BY THE EDITOR.

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Among all the blessings which God has promised to fallen man, there are none greater

greater than that of the resurrection of the body to eternal life and happiness. The life that we now enjoy, though mingled with sorrow and trouble, is still desirable and sought after most eagerly by man. When death stares him in the face, he would be willing to part with thrones and kingdoms, with houses and lands, and with all his possessions, could he redeem himself from the grasp of this awful monster. Many remedies have been sought out and prescribed, not to redeem man from death, but to shield and protect him for a few years longer from this fearful enemy. But no-one has been able to discover a remedy that will render man immortal. All are overtaken, sooner or later, by the grim tyrant and prostrated low in the dust. Generation after generation fall beneath the mighty conqueror. Oh, how dismal must be the thought of a never-ending sleep in the tomb! Death must be bitter indeed, to those who have no knowledge of the resurrection--who lay their bodies down without the least idea of receiving them again; and yet, many hundreds of millions have passed away without the faintest hope of a future resurrection-who suppose that they part with their bodies for ever.

Could man be fully persuaded that his body would rise again from the grave, and that he would live, and move, and act, as he does now, and enjoy the same that he now experiences, he would consider it a blessing far greater than earthly riches or honors; and were he certain that such a blessing could be attained, there would be no sacrifice too great for him to make in order to secure an immortality in a world that would afford him no greater happiness than the present one. If, then, in a world like this, where troubles meet us on every side, we still enjoy life, and so earnestly cling to it, what would be our joy were we assured of a resurrection to an eternal life of the most perfect happiness? where no troubles or sorrows could ever come? where death could no more enter? What tidings could be more joyful to the soul than these?

Now, the inhabitants of this fallen world have been most positively assured by the word of God, that their bodies shall all live again--that they shall be called forth from the dust and be reorganized, and that the same spirits which once inhabited them, shall reanimate them again. This redemption of the body is not a partial one--that is, the body is not merely redeemed from the grave to a life of mortality subject to a second dissolution, but it is redeemed to immortality--the spirit being re-united with the body never more to be disunited.

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The resurrection of the body from the dust will be effected by the word and power of God. The Spirit of God which dwells in the elements, will, by His command, bring them together, depositing every particle in its proper position, so as to form a perfect tabernacle! The deformities existing in the mortal body, will not appear in our resurrection bodies; but all who are counted worthy to receive a celestial body, will appear in the image and likeness of the glorified body of Jesus; and his body is in the express image and likeness of his Father's person. Paul, in speaking of the resurrection says, that Jesus "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body." (Philippians 3: 21.) Notwithstanding we shall be fashioned like his body, yet there will be a variety of features and size by which one will be distinguished from another, the same as in this life. The

life. The likeness will be in the general outlines--in the perfection of the organization--in the beautiful adjustment of the several parts--in the perfect symmetry of the whole--and in the purity, immortality, and glory with which it is filled and surrounded. In all these respects there will be a perfect likeness. But when sizes are compared, there will be a great variety from the tabernacles of infants up through every grade to those of gigantic magnitude. Although there will be an endless variety of features, yet all will appear equally glorious and beautiful; the beauty being the result of the perfection and glory of the spirit inhabiting the tabernacle. There will undoubtedly be distinguishing characteristics relating to the age attained previous to the dissolution. This distinction will probably be manifested, in some small degree, in the countenance and in the color of the hair, and in the difference of size between the child and the man of gray hairs. In all the works of God, we behold a resemblance among classes; but a variety among individuals belonging to each class. All the planets of our system resemble each other more or less in form; but in magnitude and in many other respects, there is a great variety. In every species of animals and plants, there are many resemblances in the general outlines, and many specific differences characterizing the individuals of each species. So in the resurrection: there will be several classes of resurrection bodies; some celestial, some terrestrial, some telestial, and some sons of perdition. Each of these classes will differ from the others by prominent and marked distinctions; yet in each, considered by itself, there will be found many resemblances as well as distinctions. There will be some physical peculiarity by which each individual in every class can be identified.

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Will the same identical materials composing the mortal body be reorganized in the resurrection body?--There will be a sufficient quantity of those materials brought forth to form a perfect tabernacle for the spirit. But it is not to be expected that every particle, which at any time has formed a component part of the mortal body, will be raised and enter into the immortal one. Many persons by severe sickness, lose from fifty to a hundred pounds of flesh in the course of a few months; and after recovering, they not unfrequently, in the course of one or two years, regain as much flesh as they lost. And in the course of a long life, they may, by successive intervals of health and sickness, gain and lose from ten to fifteen hundred pounds of flesh. Now it would be altogether absurd to suppose that these ten or fifteen hundred pounds of flesh are all to be reorganized in the resurrection body. The same reasoning will apply to the bones as well as the flesh, for small pieces of bones may be extracted from the system, and by the deposition of new matter, new bones, or rather parts of bones, will be formed; and in the course of a long life, there could be many pounds of bone extracted by small pieces at successive intervals from the human system, and many pounds of new bone formed to supply the place of the old. Also, children shed their teeth, and others grow in their stead. Now we cannot suppose that in the resurrection, the old and new teeth, and the old and new bones will all be raised and enter into the composition of the immortal body. Many persons cut off over one-tenth of an inch of their beard every

every week, which, in the course of a year, will amount to over five inches, and in the course of sixty years, will amount to over twenty-five feet. And those who are in the habit of paring off the ends of the finger and toe nails, will find that in the course of sixty or eighty years, they have actually cut off from each finger and toe, from six to eight feet of nail. If, therefore, all the old materials of the human system are to arise, we shall be favored with a beard and hair from twenty-five to thirty feet long; with finger and toe nails, six or eight feet long; with two sets of teeth, and with ten or fifteen hundred pounds of flesh and bones. Such a supposition would be ridiculous. We are, therefore, compelled to believe that in the resurrection, each immortal body only takes that quantity of the old materials as is amply sufficient to form a beautiful and perfect tabernacle for the spirit.

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It is believed by many scientific men that our bodies are constantly and gradually changing through the whole of our lives, and that in the period of from seven to ten years, the whole body undergoes an entire change; the old particles having been thrown off, and new ones having succeeded in their stead, and that the reason why many old scars remain during a long life is, because the new particles in the gradual interchange, take the position of the old, necessarily perpetuating the shape of the scar years after the old particles have fled. It is pretended that this doctrine is established by many indubitable evidences that cannot be shaken. If we should admit this idea to be correct, it would still further prove that in the resurrection all the materials of the mortal body do not come forth; for an old man whose weight has been some two hundred pounds the most of his days, and having passed through ten entire changes of the materials of his system, would have had, during his life, about one ton of flesh and bones that has been successively deposited and thrown off, and in the resurrection not over one-tenth part of these materials would be needed to construct the immortal body. Therefore, whether we admit the idea of a constant and gradual change, or sudden changes, produced by successive intervals of sickness and health, we are led to the same conclusion, that only a part of the old materials of the mortal body will enter into the composition of the immortal one.

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Some persons have denied the possibility of the resurrection, on the ground that among cannibals, where they are in the constant habit of devouring human flesh, one human body is, in a great measure, formed out of the component parts of many others. And because the same particles have, at successive periods, existed in scores of individuals, forming parts of each successive tabernacle, they argue that each individual has equal claim upon the same identical particles. And as the same particles in the resurrection can only be organized in one body at the same time, they reason that all the others who have equal claims to the same, would be lacking of the necessary materials, and consequently could not rise. If, in this argument, the premises are granted, the conclusions would be correct. But the premises are false: for all flesh was originally formed from earthly and vegetable matter; and though cannibals and carniverous [sic] animals grow and increase, both in size and weight, on flesh; yet that very flesh, when traced back through successive animals

animals which have been devoured, will be found to have originated in herbiferous animals whose flesh is wholly composed of earthly and vegetable substances. Now the amount of vegetable substances, converted into flesh, is not only equal to, but far greater than the amount of animal substances, converted into the flesh of other animals. This is evident from the constant change to which the bodies of all animals are subject, owing to the removal of old particles, and the deposition of new, as manifested by a decrease or increase of flesh, depending on the scarcity or abundance of food. When we take into consideration the whole animal kingdom, nothing is more certain than that the flesh, formed by devouring other flesh, can never exceed in weight the flesh formed from vegetables and earthly matter: indeed it would be an absolute impossibility for the former ever to exceed the latter. And when we take into consideration the calls of the appetite, and that every animal, in the course of a very few years, requires many times its own weight in food, it demonstrates beyond all controversy that the amount of flesh, formed from herbs and vegetables, must far exceed, by many times its own weight, that formed by devouring flesh; for were it not so, the former would in a very few months be wholly devoured by the latter, and the earth would speedily be depopulated of men and animals.

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If, then, the amount of flesh, formed directly from vegetable substances, exceed, by an immense quantity, all other kinds of flesh, it demonstrates the fact, that in the resurrection the whole herbiferous and carniverous [sic] tribes of the land and water, including fish, fowls, animals, and men, could be raised up from the dust with immortal bodies, constructed of the same identical particles, or rather a sufficient quantity of them, that once existed in the form of mortal flesh; and still there would be an immense quantity to spare, being surplus flesh, arising from the constant mutations or changes to which all mortal flesh is subject.

We will venture to remark still further, that should it be maintained that even every vegetable of our globe should be reconstructed and made new, there would be an abundance of materials that have once existed in those vegetables to form them all anew without making use of any foreign matter that has not been thus organized. This may, at first view, appear impossible; it may be supposed that as the whole animal kingdom, if raised to immortality, being composed of vegetable matter, would require a vast amount of the vegetable materials to reconstruct their immortal bodies; and first, therefore, if the whole vegetable kingdom was likewise to receive a resurrection, it would require that portion of its materials which constitutes animal flesh. But this would be unnecessary: for the same change, which is said to be constantly taking place in the animal body, is also affirmed to be a characteristic in the vegetable economy. It is said that every blade of grass--every herb and plant, and every tree, is constantly throwing off or parting with its old particles, and that new matter is every moment being secreted to supply the place of the old. it is said that a tree, as well as a man, undergoes an entire change of materials every few years. If this be the case, the whole vegetable kingdom, including those of every age, might be reorganized out of old vegetable particles, without interfering, in the least, with that

that portion of vegetable matter which enters into the animal economy; and. also, without being under the necessity of borrowing materials from foreign sources, that never were before vegetable constituents.

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Without coinciding with the views of the scientific world in regard to the constant and gradual change, operating upon all organic substances, by which they are said to contain, in the course of a long period, several times the quantity of matter that they inherit at any one time, we can still account for the resurrection and reconstruction of all organic bodies, both of the vegetable and animal kingdoms, by supposing, that in the renewal of those bodies, it is not absolutely necessary that their whole systems should be composed of materials which have previously been thus organized. If there be enough of the old materials to form the germ or nucleus of the resurrection body, it will not matter, in our view of the subject, whether the balance of the materials are the old particles again collected, or foreign matter, similar in kind, but not identical in substance. In the formation of a drop of water, it would make no difference, whether it were composed of the eight parts of oxygen and one of hydrogen that it was previously composed of, or whether the same proportions of these elements were derived from some foreign source where they never had existed in combination as water. Two drops of pure water--one formed in Asia and the other in America, would be composed of the same definite proportions of their elementary constituents--would have the same properties and qualities in every respect; and one could be changed for the other without the least inconvenience, and would subserve exactly the same purpose in all experiments, conditions, or circumstances to which it might be subjected: and, therefore, the original circumstances in which the elements existed, would not have the least bearing upon their present combinations and future purposes. If the particles of the body, themselves, were intelligent and accountable beings, they then might, with some propriety, contend flint it was their right to be reorganized into an immortal tabernacle in connection with their old companions, and again be placed in conjunction with the same immortal spirit that governed and controlled them in their mortal career. But if those particles only exist as an organized tabernacle for the accommodation and happiness of the immortal spirit, and they themselves are not benefited, or remain insensible to their condition, then it would make no difference, so far as they are concerned, whether they were reorganized in the bodies of men, or brutes, or remain unorganized; and it certainly would make no difference to the human spirit what particular particles its tabernacle was constructed of, providing the organization was perfect and consisted of the right kind of matter.

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Paul compares the resurrection to the growing up of grain after it is sown and dies. "But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? Thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another of beasts, another of fishes, and

, and another of birds." (1 Corinth. 15: 35--39.) When a kernel of wheat falls into the earth, it dies, or rather a portion of its substance is disorganized; and the germ unites itself with other materials, and forms a stalk which heads, and blossoms, and numerous other kernels of wheat begin to make their appearance which grow and ripen; and it is at length found that sixty or a hundred other kernels of the same, shape, size, and quality, as the one sown, are produced. Now these new kernels are not the same identical materials sown: neither is the one-hundredth part of the old particles found combined in each of the new: they are each composed of almost entire new substance that never was before organized as wheat: The old particles were only necessary as a foundation to give direction to the organization, that the new might be moulded after the old, bearing the same appearance, and possessing the same quality. Hence the farmer soweth not that body that shall be, but he soweth its likeness; and other bodies of the same form spring forth. So likewise man sows not the body that shall be, but he sows one containing the form, and magnitude, and, in some degree, the elements of the new.--Without the sowing of the old wheat, and its dissolution in the earth, the new could not be expected: so also, without our bodies are sown in corruption, there would be no foundation for incorruptible bodies. And as the new wheat is mostly composed of new particles never before organized as wheat; so, it is probable, that the new immortal body will contain much matter never before organized in human bodies.

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"But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed his own body;" that is, God doth not cause thorns to grow from figs, nor wheat to spring from potatoes, nor elephants to be produced from musquitoes [sic]: but He giveth to "every seed his own body," not the identical old one, but one in its likeness in magnitude, form, and construction. "All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds." When the ponderous whale that flounces in the mighty deep, is raised from the dead, he will not take the form of the rhinoceros, neither will the tiger, in the resurrection morn, put on the form of a shark, neither shall we have wolves converted into lambs, nor lions into cows; but in the resurrection, God will give to every seed his own body; not the identical one, but a similar one, so that the different species of fish, fowls, and animals will be distinguished from each other.

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The springing forth of new grain from the kernel of the old which falls into the earth and dies, is analogous to the resurrection only in those qualities already named; and this seems to be as far as the apostle intended the analogy to be carried when he made use of the representation. The new wheat, like the old, is subject to decay; but the new body is immortal and eternal, and in this respect is unlike the old. The new wheat is formed through a gradual and rather lengthy process of growth; while the immortal body is organized at once of the proper size and form: the former is slow in its operation; the latter is a quick and sudden work, when compared with the formation of the infant through the process of generation, and its gradual growth to manhood: and oven when compared with the slow process of the growth of grain, it may be considered a quick and sudden

and sudden work. There is no doubt, but what the resurrection will occupy a short interval of time in the formation and completion of the different organs and frame work of the immortal body. It will not be as sudden as a flash of lightning, or as the twinkling of an eye; neither will it be a prolonged work, like that of the growth of vegetables, or the still slower growth of animals.

Ezekiel describes the resurrection as follows: "The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about: and behold! there were very many in the open valley: and lo! they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, Call these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo! the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, Son of Man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army." (Ezekiel 37: 1-10.)

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From this vision of the resurrection, we can see that it is not accomplished in the twinkling of an eye: first the bones come together, bone to its bone; and thus the foundation and framework is laid; secondly, the flesh and sinews come upon the bones; thirdly, the skin covers the flesh and sinews; and lastly, the breath enters them, and they live and stand upon their feet. In cases where the bones are decayed, as well as fleshy sinews, and skin, the first process will be to bring together the particles and form the various bones, after which they will be joined together in their appropriate positions. The formation of so many bodies directly from the dust, will require a wisdom and skill far surpassing our utmost comprehension; but there will be nothing more marvelous in this, than there was in the formation of the tabernacles of our first parents who were constructed directly out of the dust, of the full size and shape.

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Indeed, all the immortal bodies of flesh and bones are made independent of the process of generation. All fleshly bodies begotten and born are mortal: all made directly out of the dust, as Adam and Eve, and the first fish, fowls, and animals, are immortal. To organize a mortal body out of the ground, independent of generation, would be something unheard of, and consequently, unnatural: So likewise, to organize an immortal body of flesh and bones by the process of generation, would be something unheard of, unrevealed, and consequently unnatural. We call that natural which transpires in a certain definite manner, so that under the same circumstances, the same event happens, according to the

to the same fixed laws. We call that unnatural which happens out of the ordinary course: for on immortal body of flesh and bones to be born, would be unnatural, because we have no account of such an event ever happening, or that such an event ever will happen: but to form it directly from the dust would be natural, because this is the way that new revelation, as well as old, informs us that all the first pairs of fish and fowl, beast and man, were first constructed; and this is the way that the resurrection is brought about.

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There is nothing more marvelous about the resurrection and reorganization of all the generations of men and animals out of the dust, than there is in the generation of their mortal bodies: the latter is just as miraculous as the former. All the difference is, we cease to regard the latter as a miracle, because of the frequency of its occurrence; while the former, only having happened at a certain period before the fall, and, in a few instances, immediately after the resurrection of Christ, is regarded in the light of a miracle. When all the righteous are called from their graves at the second advent of our Saviour; and when, during the Millennium, all the aged that fall asleep in death, are immediately raised again to immortality, we shall cease to call the resurrection any thing more miraculous than the formation of the mortal tabernacle by generation. This method of calling things unnatural or natural, miraculous or not miraculous, according to the unfrequency [sic] or frequency in which the events happen, is extremely erroneous. Gravitation, by which a piece of iron sinks in the water, is just as miraculous as the causing of the same to swim on water: the latter, however, is called a miracle because of the unfrequency [sic] of its occurrence; and because it deviates from the former mode of action, which, by its constancy, is called a law of nature. A deviation from this law is called a miracle; while the law itself, which is still more marvelous, is looked upon as nothing but a common occurrence. A law of nature is the exertion of the power of God upon the materials of nature to make them act all the time in a certain fixed definite manner; consequently a law of nature is nothing less than the continued exertions of the power of God, according to prescribed laws. A deviation from the laws of nature is the exertion of the power of God, contrary to His general method of action: both are the effects of the same power and of the same God; but of the two, the laws of nature are the most astonishing and the most marvelous, because they are the displays of Omnipotent power upon a more extensive and grand scale. To see all the universe acted upon at the same time, and these actions continued year after year without any interruption, is astonishing beyond all measure; it is overwhelming and almost overpowering to every contemplative mind; but to see a body spring forth from the dust, though it is certainly miraculous, yet it is local in its character, and only as it were a momentary action, and in itself no more miraculous than the springing forth and growth of a blade of grass, or the falling of a stone, or the intense power that holds together the particles of a piece of iron; all these are the effects of that same Almighty power that brings forth the dead from their graves, and stamps immortality upon all resurrection bodies.

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The resurrection is a gift bestowed upon all mankind.

Because of the fall the human race forfeited their bodies and lost them; but the Son of God, having given his body to the shafts of death, and suffered in man's behalf, wrought out a full and perfect redemption for the bodies of all the human family; not a redemption which immediately restores man to immortality, but a redemption which grapples with the monster death, after he has overpowered his victim and laid him low in the grave. Justice armed death with eternal powers; it authorized him to destroy all nations and generations, and plunge them into the dismal gulf, and to set an eternal seal upon them; it gave him power to bind them down with everlasting chains which no man could loose; the huge gates were closed; the bolts, and bars, and locks, were firmly fastened; a world of fallen beings was enclosed in the eternal prison of the grave; all nature wept! and eternity was clothed in mourning! while the greedy monster death, having satiated his capacious maw, sat enthroned upon the funeral pile exulting in the eternal ruin of a once beautiful world!

But hark! a voice is heard on high of one mighty and strong! It is the voice of one who pleads! Ah see! He stands before the majestic throne, where justice sits! He weeps! but not for himself; it is for fallen man! Listen! he speaks of mercy for a ruined world! What compassion swells his bosom! what lovely words poured forth in melting strains of mercy! Justice is moved to tears, but still holds fast the flaming law, and with sword unsheathed exclaims, "How can I show mercy? must not the penalties of my law be inflicted? and the honor of my throne be maintained?" The merciful--the kind-the Holy One, with bowels yearning o'er the miseries of a fallen world, replies, "On me, O Justice, let all thy vengeance fall! but spare these my brethren!" Mercy prevailed--the offer was accepted--and the only Begotten of the Father left the peaceful heavenly mansions of glory to suffer, to die, to enter the solitudes of the grave, to unbar the gates of death, and break the everlasting chains, and say to the sleeping nations, live.

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Though all the human race will eventually be liberated from the grave, yet the righteous will be liberated long before the wicked. When the great Redeemer shall roll back the curtains of heaven, and unveil his glorious face, an angel shall sound his trump, both long and loud, which will cause the whole earth to quake: then will the graves of the saints be opened, and their sleeping bodies will come forth, clothed in all the beauty and freshness of immortality; arrayed in beautiful garments and white robes, and encircled with pillars of light, their glory will be as the dazzling rays of the sun. These shall all be caught up from the earth, and be wafted from the four winds towards the great central gathering place in the clouds of heaven, where the Redeemer will be seen, armed with Omnipotent power, followed by the saints of all ages, nations, and kindreds, accompanied by the angels and all the armies of heaven. In the midst of the numberless hosts will be seen all the saints of the latter-days who shall be alive on the earth at that time; for they also shall be caught up, as well as the righteous dead; and they shall be quickened by the power of God. And thus shall the whole combined hosts of the righteous, of both the heavens and the earth, be gathered in one. Then shall the nations of the wicked, who have not previously been destroyed, gaze with

, gaze with awful fear and terror upon the immense multitude of glorified beings, filling all the heavens above. And while they gaze with frightful astonishment at the glory, power, and majesty, displayed in the heavens, another trump is heard, calling forth another class who have received their part in prison, where the gospel has been preached to them that they might be judged according to men in the flesh. These are not Christ's until his coming, but then they are redeemed, being brought forth from their prison houses by the power of the Lamb.

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While the terror-stricken nations still behold, they hear the sound of the third trump, calling forth the spirits of wicked men who are to be judged, and who are not found worthy to receive their bodies, until the thousand years are ended, and who are to be cast out into outer darkness, where is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. After which the fourth trump will proclaim the dreadful doom of the sons of perdition. When the spirits of the dead have been attended to, and sealed over unto the end, to reap the results of their own evil doings, then shall the fifth angel sound his trump in the ears of the frightened nations still living, proclaiming that the hour of God's judgment is come: then shall the arm of the Lord fall upon them; and the fierce and vivid lightnings shall streak forth, and the thunderings of his power shall shake the earth and heavens, and the nations of great Babylon shall be cast down by devouring fire; and the hills and mountains shall melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, and the earth shall be purified of its wickedness, and the saints shall receive their inheritances on the same, and the poor and the meek shall be comforted, for the fatness of the earth and all the fulness thereof shall be theirs.

The saints who have received their immortal bodies from the grave, will each receive a crown immediately after their resurrection. Some have supposed that the saints would not be crowned until after the Millennium, and the earth passes away, and the new heavens and new earth are made. But Jesus says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, and it hath gone forth in a firm decree, by the will of the Father, that mine apostles, the twelve which were with me in my ministry at Jerusalem, shall stand at my right hand at the day of my coming in a pillar of fire, being clothed with robes of righteousness, with crowns upon their heads, in glory even as I am, to judge the whole house of Israel, even as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else; for a trump shall sound both long and loud, even as upon Mount Sinai, and all the earth shall quake, and they shall come forth: yea, even the dead which died in me, to receive a crown of righteousness, and to be clothed upon, even as I am, to be with me, that we may be one." (Doctrine and Covenants, Sec. 10, par. 3.)

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From this quotation we learn that the crowns are to be on the heads of the apostles and of the resurrection saints in the day of the Lord's coming, and that they will not have to wait one or two thousand years longer before they receive their kingdoms. If the apostles have crowns placed upon their heads immediately after they obtain their bodies, they will most unquestionably each have a throne. When Jesus was with them in his ministry at Jerusalem, he made them the following promise: "Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of

the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matthew 19: 28.) These twelve thrones will not merely be thrones of judgment, but they will be thrones of kingdoms, as we are informed in a parallel passage: "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And! appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke 22: 28-30.) As the twelve tribes of Israel, or that portion of them who are righteous enough to come forth in the first resurrection, will receive their inheritances in the land of Palestine: the twelve apostles will, no doubt, have their thrones located in Jerusalem, after it is rebuilt. John, the revelator, in describing the appearance of that city, as he beheld it in vision descending upon the new earth, says, it "had a wall great and high, and the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." (Rev. 21: 12, 14.) Jerusalem, then, will be the residence of these twelve kings: there their thrones will be located, upon which they will sit and judge the tribes. When the great and high wall is built around it, the names of each of these twelve kings will be most beautifully engraved upon the twelve great foundation stones.

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At what time the wall will be built is uncertain: the commencement of the building of the city will be just prior to the coming of the Messiah and the Millennium: it will undoubtedly be continued under the superintendence of Jesus and his apostles, during the whole of that peaceful and happy period. It is very probable that the wall will be about the last thing built; this will be thrown around the city to prevent the apostate nations after the thousand years are ended from encroaching upon the holy and consecrated place. We are told by the prophet Isaiah, that Jerusalem shall put on her beautiful garments and become a holy city, and that from "henceforth there shall no more come into her the uncircumcised and the unclean." (Isaiah 52: 1.) To prevent the intrusion of wicked characters when Satan shall be loosed, a high wall will be built; it will also serve as a splendid ornament to the city, the gates being formed of the most costly and magnificent pearls, while the twelve foundation stones will each be different, and each will be garnished with all manner of precious stones; and the light of the glory of God shining upon them, will give the whole a most brilliant and dazzling appearance.

The Lord has promised that this city, after it is rebuilt, "shall not be plucked up nor thrown down any more for ever." (Jer. 31: 38--40.) Consequently, when the old earth passes away, and the new one is formed out of the old materials, it will be necessary for the preservation of the city to take it up from the earth into the heavens, where it will remain until the new earth is fully completed, when it will descend as the great capital and seat of government over the new creation, where Jesus and his apostles will continue to reign over the House of Israel for ever and ever.

But to return again to the sceneries, connected with the first resurrection. We have already ascertained, that the apostles after their resurrection will bare crowns, and thrones, and a kingdom given to them; and that Jerusalem, where they formerly suffered shame,

shame, and affliction, and persecution, will be their residence, where their mansions, and their palaces, and their thrones, will be erected; and that the resurrection saints, included in the twelve tribes of Israel, will be judged by them, or in other words, be ruled and governed by them, as their lawful kings.

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Jesus will also have his throne erected in Jerusalem: for he will reign over the house of Israel; and the apostles, in the exercise of their kingly office, will be subject to him. The angel said to Zacharias concerning Jesus: "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:32, 33.) The throne of Jesus will be erected in the magnificent temple, described by the prophet Ezekiel in the last chapter of his prophecy. "Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: and, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory." "And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. And He said unto me, Son of man, THE PLACE OF MY THRONE, and the place of the soles of my feet, where will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings." (Ezekiel 43: 1, 2, 4-7. Whether the twelve apostles will have their twelve thrones in the same temple, or in Separate palaces, is not stated.

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The dwelling places of many of the resurrection saints will be in the same city: others of them will have their mansions erected in other cities, and upon their farms and inheritances throughout the land of Canaan. Ezekiel, as we have already noticed, had a view of their resurrection: he saw their bones united; he saw the flesh. sinews, and skin, placed in their proper position; he saw the breath enter them, and that they lived and stood upon their feet an exceeding great army, And not fully understanding who or what people they were, the Lord gave him further instruction, as follows:-"Then He said unto me, Son of man. these bones are the whole house of Israel," (meaning no doubt the righteous among them, for the wicked will not be favored with a resurrection at the time of the righteous;) "behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts." No doubt the house of Israel in Ezekiel's time, were in great fears and doubts, about the fulfilment of the promises made to their fathers: they could read in their sacred books that the righteous of Abraham's seed were to inherit that land for ever; and yet they saw that many holy prophets and righteous men of Israel died in foreign lands in captivity. And having no knowledge that the promise could be fulfilled after death, they contended that many had died without receiving the promise, and that their bones were dry and mouldering in their graves, and that those righteous persons never inherited a foot of the promised land: and seeing all this, they exclaimed in despair, "Our hope is lost: we are cut off

cut off for our parts." The Lord in order to show them that the promise was still sure, gave Ezekiel this vision, and showed him how Israel should inherit the promise after the resurrection. Hence, the Lord commanded him to prophesy to those bones or to the whole house of Israel in their sepulchres, "and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves; and shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord." (Ezekiel 37: 11-14.)

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All the righteous of the twelve tribes are to have their graves opened, and they are to come up out of their graves an exceeding great army. And Oh, what joy will fill their bosoms, when they find themselves in possession of that very land, where the tribes of Israel once lived--the land where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived as strangers and pilgrims! How joyful it will be for Abraham, Sarah, Hager, and his other concubines to find themselves dwelling again in the land of their pilgrimage; and to see the numerous hosts of their immortal children all around them. Jacob and his four wives will gaze upon the descendants of their twelve sons, and see them spread out upon the face of the land, like the stars of heaven for multitude. How these ancient fathers and mothers of the hosts of Israel, will rejoice to gather around them their descendants to the hundredth generation and relate to them the sceneries of their childhood, and point out to them the places where they pitched their tents--where they built their altars--where they called upon the Lord in mighty prayer--where angels descended and comforted them--where the God of glory appeared and gave them great promises, concerning their seed forever! How delighted will all the generations of their children be, to visit the mansions of these glorified patriarchs and eat and drink with them, and realize that death can no more separate them, but they shall dwell in the land of Israel for ever!

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Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have already received their crowns, and their thrones, and now sit upon them, (see Revelation in No. 1, vol. 1 of the Seer, paragraphs 11 and 14,) being exalted among the principalities and powers of the heavenly worlds; and they look forward with longing anticipations, to the time when all their righteous children shall come out of their graves, that they may return to the land of Canaan, and. reign on the earth, as they now reign in the heavens. As these ancient patriarchs now sit upon their thrones, it is evident that they must have received their resurrection immediately after the resurrection of Christ. Matthew says, that "The graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." (Matthew 27: 52, 53.) The Book of Mormon bears testimony that many of the saints in ancient America arose from the dead, and appeared to many on this land. All those who then arose have undoubtedly received their crowns, and have been sitting upon thrones, and reigning as kings in the heavens, from that day to this. Their redemption has been perfected, but they wait

they wait for the redemption of their children to be perfected also until which, they cannot return to their promised inheritances upon the earth.

America, being the land of Adam and the land of Enoch, and the land of the Jaredites, and the land of the branch of the tribe of Joseph, and the land of the Gentiles who are now upon the face thereof; will be the promised land of the righteous of all those nations and generations, even as the land of Palestine is to the righteous of the twelve tribes. And in the first resurrection, the righteous who have dwelt on this land, will again inherit it in their immortal state.

The twelve American disciples of Jesus whom he chose, soon after his resurrection, at the time he showed the remnant of Joseph his risen and glorified body, will also sit upon twelve thrones to judge the righteous upon this land who are of Israel: and these twelve will be judged by the other twelve at Jerusalem: or in other words, they will be guided and directed by the advice and counsel of the twelve apostles in all the important affairs pertaining to their kingdom and government in America.

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One of the most important personages whose throne will be established in America, will be Adam, the father of the human race. He will reign over all the other kings upon the face of the whole earth, under the counsel and direction of the Holy One: Jesus alone will have the pre-eminence over him. Adam, therefore, will stand forth as the grand Patriarch and chief Prince over all the righteous of his posterity. This promise was made to him three years previous to his death by the mouth of the Lord who appeared to him, and the righteous of his posterity, in the grand council, held in the valley of his residence, called Adam-Ondi-Ahman, near the western boundaries of Missouri. This venerable Patriarch was called Michael the arch-angel, or the head angel. He is called in Daniel, "the Ancient of days," being the most ancient personage who lived in days--the first flesh formed from the dust of the earth. Having received the eternal priesthood which includes the kingly power, he received a crown most glorious, and sits upon a throne highly exalted in the eternal heavens, awaiting the period when the corrupt thrones of earthly monarchs shall be cast down, when he will be sent from heaven to earth, accompanied by thousands on thousands of glorified beings, to make ready and prepare all things before the Son of Man, who will come with the clouds of heaven, and present himself before the ancient of days, even Adam, who will stand forth as the head representative of the earthly kingdom and present it to his great Redeemer, the King of kings, and Lord of lords: then will the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God on the earth become one.

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It is Michael the arch-angel who sounds the seventh trump, and proclaims the finishing of the great preparatory work for the reign of his Saviour: it is Adam or Michael who holds the keys of the mysteries of the mighty works of God which are to be accomplished during the seventh thousand years, or Millennium; and he will proclaim the same, at the second sounding of his trump, in the ears of all living: it is he who is to "stand forth upon the land and upon the sea, and swear in the name of him who sitteth upon the throne, that there shall be time no longer;" it is he that will lead forth all the armies of heaven, against all the armies of the combined hosts of hell, after the close

the close of the Millennial period, and the Devil and His armies will be overcome, and they will be cast into their own place where they will not, henceforth, have power over the saints any more at all.

The throne of this great and illustrious personage will most probably be in America--the land of his pilgrimage, and the land of his fall; the land where first the glad tidings of redemption reached the ears of mortal man.

The throne of Enoch will also be in or near America, in the midst of his own city, Zion, which he built unto the Lord before the flood, and which fled from earth to heaven, to be reserved until a day of righteousness should come, when it will come again in the sight of the astonished nations, and have place, until the end shall come. This city will, most probably, not rest upon the earth belt hover over it, and will be the abode of glorified immortal beings: hence we read that when the aged die, during the Millennium, they are not buried in the earth, but they are immediately raised to immortality, and are caught up where their rest is glorious. This proves that there will be a glorified place above the surface of the earth to which these aged people ascend after they are raised. This place is undoubtedly the city or Zion of Enoch in connection with other redeemed cities which the Lord has taken from all the creations which He has made. The Zion of Enoch, therefore, will probably be very near the earth, located over the American continent where it was anciently built; and, most likely, will partake of the diurnal and annual revolutions of the earth, so as not to change its relative position in regard to the western hemisphere of our planet.

We have spoken of Jesus and the twelve apostles having their thrones in Jerusalem, and of the resurrection saints, connected with the twelve tribes of Israel, receiving their inheritances in the land of Canaan: but these are only their earthly thrones and their earthly inheritances; besides these, they will have heavenly thrones and heavenly inheritances, not connected with the earth, or rather, not standing upon the earth, but in the redeemed cities and glorified worlds above. Therefore, these celestial Kings and Priests, and resurrection Saints will only visit their earthly kingdoms, and sit upon their earthly thrones, and occupy their earthly mansions, and dwell upon their earthly inheritances, at intervals, whenever they feel disposed, and whenever they think it necessary for the welfare and benefit of the earthly and mortal inhabitants.

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That the Father, and Son, and all the children of God will have thrones and kingdoms in the heavens eternally as well as upon the earth, is clearly revealed in many parts of scripture both ancient and modern. In the second epistle of Mormon to his Son Moroni, he closes thus: "And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of His power, until all things shall become subject unto Him, be, and abide with you for ever." God the Father has a throne high in the heavens. The prophet Mormon in his sermon on Faith, Hope, and Charity, speaks of Christ thus: "He advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens." And in speaking of the three Nephites who were never to taste of death, but who received a partial change, he says, that in the judgment day of Christ they are to receive a full change from mortality to

mortality to immortality, and "be received into the kingdom of the Father to go no more out, but to dwell with God eternally in the heavens." The same idea is clearly expressed in many other revelations, from which it is plain that the earthly thrones and kingdoms are but a small portion of the vast dominions and blessings of the righteous.

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In a revelation given through Joseph the Seer in March, 1832, the Lord sets forth a pattern for His servants in regard to being equal in temporal things, that they might become equal in heavenly things. He says, "Through my providence, notwithstanding the tribulation which shall descend upon you, that the Church may stand independent above all other creatures beneath the celestial world, that you may come up unto the crown prepared for you, and be made Rulers over many kingdoms, saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Zion." Thus we see that there are many kingdoms, besides those pertaining to the earth, over which the faithful servants of God will be made rulers. In this same revelation the Lord says "he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all things." (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 76.) Again, the Lord says, concerning His faithful servants, that "he that is ordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is least and the servant of all: wherefore, he is possessor of all things, for all things are subject unto him, both in heaven and on the earth, the life and the light, the spirit and the power, sent forth by the will of the Father, through Jesus Christ His Son; but no man is possessor of all things, except he be purified and cleansed from all sin; and if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done." (Doc.& Cov. Sec. 17: 6.)

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From these quotations, it will be perceived that the children of God who are purified from all sin are to be made equal one with another in earthly and heavenly things--that they are to possess the light and the life, the spirit and the power; that all things are to be subject unto them both in heaven and on the earth--and that they are to inherit all things. In section Seventh, paragraph thirty-third, we are informed that the saints are to be made equal with Christ immediately after their resurrection; and in the vision, we are told that they are to be made "equal in power, and in might, and in dominion." How, it may be asked, will the saints be made equal "in dominion?" We know not, unless it will be by each one inheriting all things: if all the thrones, and kingdoms, and worlds throughout universal space, should be the inheritance of God the Father, and of His Son, and of each of His children who attains to a fulness of celestial glory; then it might with propriety, be said that they were equal "in Dominion:" if one ruled over a greater number of worlds than another, it would appear not only to destroy the equality "in dominion," but the equality "in power," and the promise of all things, and of the inheritance of all things would seem to be void. Jesus in his prayer to the Father says, "And all mine are thine, and thine are mine." (John 17: 10.) Again, Jesus says, "All things that the Father hath are mine." (John 16: 15.) Hence we perceive, that the Father inherits all things, that Jesus inherits all that the Father does; and that the saints are to be equal with Jesus and be joint heirs with him in all his possessions, and to

, and to sit down with him on his throne, even as Jesus sits on his Father's throne and exercises almighty power in his kingdoms: consequently all glorified worlds that have been, that are, and that ever will be, appear to be the common property of all saints who attain to the fulness of the glory of the celestial world. Herein consists the perfect oneness between the Father, Son, and all His Saints. The Saints will be as perfect as the Father and Son are perfect; they will be as pure as they are; they will receive a fulness of all truth--even a knowledge of "all things as they are, as they were, and as they are to come." They will be "equal in power, and in might, and in dominion," they will "inherit all things;" they will be crowned over all the kingdoms of our God. All principalities and powers, whether in heaven or in the heaven of heavens, in the heights above or in the depths beneath will be subject to them. Each one will be God in all the fulness of His glorious attributes, swaying almighty power over all, and in all, and through all things. Then we shall know that we are in God and God in us; otherwise, we could not abound; then we shall know that there is but one God so far as the attributes are concerned, and that He dwells in an infinity of tabernacles; and that He has prescribed laws to govern Himself in all the tabernacles which He inherits, and that He acts in and through each tabernacle according to His own laws and the fullness of His attributes in one tabernacle will not act in opposition to the fulness of His attributes in another; but He will act in all His dwelling places in harmony with Himself.

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Now, we are but parts of God, dwelling in different tabernacles, and we are required to gain other parts; and if we abide in the law ordained for our government, God will impart more of Himself; hence Jesus says, "Inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me, and I in you." When we have received him in fulness, it prepares us to be joint heirs with Him in the inheritance of all things. It is this fulness of God in each tabernacle that inherits all things--that possesses all things--that exercises power over all things--that reigns over all, erecting His thrones upon all glorified worlds, and giving Himself universal dominion wherever He may dwell whether in one tabernacle or in the whole.

The earth, as we have already stated; will be one of the glorified kingdoms, where the resurrection saints will receive their inheritances, and their thrones; but during the Millennial period, they will not dwell so constantly on their earthly thrones as on their heavenly ones. After the earth has passed away and been made new, and becomes a glorified and celestial world, it will be crowned with the presence of God the Father, and it will be the dwelling place of numerous tabernacles of God; for though each inherits all things, no one can be in two places at once, so far as the tabernacle is concerned; therefore the glorified earth will be the homestead of those saints who have previously inhabited it; while the saints of other glorified worlds who also inherit all things, will have the respective worlds to which they belong as their everlasting homes or head quarters. Thus God by His attributes, inhabiting an infinity of tabernacles, dwelling on numberless worlds, can be in them all at the same moment, and thus be Omnipresent. While if it were not for this arrangement, He could only be on one world at a time. Oh, how

. Oh, how great and marvelous are the ways of the Almighty! How wonderful are His doings! He organizeth for Himself dwelling places in all glorified worlds that He may abide in them for ever! He maketh them beings independent in the highest sphere, and yet by His wisdom He subjecteth them to the same celestial law and uniteth them as one!

When the resurrection saints have attained to all this fulness of glory, and have become exalted as gods upon their eternal thrones, there will be no possibility of their falling, any more than there is of the fall of the Father and Son. Therefore the inhabitants of all inferior kingdoms, over whom they reign, will look to them with the same confidence that we now look upon the Lord our God. And God, that is in each, will proclaim Himself to all his creations as the only wise God, that besides Him there is none else, and that He is from everlasting to everlasting, His works having no end, neither beginning.

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Notwithstanding we have spoken of the saints jointly inheriting all things, yet there will, undoubtedly, be strict and unchangeable laws regulating this joint inheritance, by which no one will be permitted to infringe upon the rights of others; these laws being established upon the strictest principles of justice and equity, from which there will be no deviation. Each will be appointed to take the immediate charge of particular or specified portions of the joint inheritance, over which he will more immediately rule: though the whole is the inheritance of each, yet each cannot, in his own person, be every where present to govern and rule over the whole: therefore each will have his family, and particular kingdoms, and worlds assigned him to govern and control, so that the great, universal, and infinite inheritance may be properly managed for the benefit of its joint owners. This will be a grand co-partnership, embracing the inhabitants of all glorified worlds who have attained to the fulness of celestial glory.

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Though the saints are all "equal in power, and in might, and in dominion," so far as the universal joint inheritance is concerned, yet, we suppose, that they will be unequal in regard to the extent of the allotted portions of the joint inheritance assigned to the management of each. This inequality probably arising from the nature of their callings and their righteousness in this life. To illustrate this, we will suppose that all the inhabitants of Utah were united together in a firm or co-partnership, in which each individual should be considered as having equal privileges, or in other words, each individual should be called the possessor and owner of the whole capital invested. If this capital were appropriated to every species of useful business throughout the territory, it is evident that branches of business assigned to individuals would be very unequal: some requiring a hundred fold more of the joint capital than others, and some would be entrusted, from the nature of the business, with a hundred fold more responsibility than others; but notwithstanding this great inequality in the multiplied branches of industry, in the extent of the responsibility, and in the amount of joint capital trusted to some in comparison with others, yet when the whole capital is taken into consideration, they are all equal; for each one possesses the whole; each one has equal powers in regard to the whole; each one inherits all things, included in the great general capital.

capital.

Now let this general capital be infinitely enlarged, so as to take within its scope all glorified worlds in boundless space, that now is or that ever will be, and the same principle is equally applicable: it accounts for the inequalities in some things, and the equality in others; it reconciles the apparent contradictions which some have supposed to exist in the revelations of heaven: it shows how we can "inherit all things," and be made "equal in power, and in might, and in dominion," and at the same time be very unequal in the distribution of the management of different portions of the joint inheritance.

NOTICE.

We have forwarded to our subscribers in the States and Provinces other publications in connection with the 4th Number of the resent volume, sufficient to compensate them for their future half year's subscription. This is the last Number which will be issued in this country. The remaining six Numbers will be published in England. Those wishing to procure the bound volumes of "O. PRATT'S WORKS," can obtain them through the mails, at any time hereafter, by forwarding $1.50 to A. F. Farr. Post Box 883, St Louis, Missouri. Postage, if paid in advance, 17 cents; if not prepaid, 26 cents. Those desirous of supplying themselves with any of the books mentioned in our Catalogue, should forward their orders between this and the let of May, as we expect to leave for Utah in May.

CONTENTS:

Resurrection of the Saints, 273

Notice, 288

WASHINGTON CITY, D. C.

EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY ORSON PRATT,

At $1 per annum, invariably in advance.

THE SEER.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, See Ye, when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains. --Isaiah xviii, 3.

Vol. 2, No. 7. July, 1854. Price 2d.

THE EQUALITY AND ONENESS OF THE SAINTS.

BY THE EDITOR.

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"BE ONE: AND IF YE ARE NOT ONE, YE ARE NOT MINE." This is the command of Jesus Christ to the Latter-day Saints, given as early as the year 1831, before the Church was one year old. In what respects are the Saints required to be one? We answer, they are required to be one in things temporal and spiritual, in earthly and heavenly things--one in faith. repentance, and baptism--one in the new birth--one in the same family and kingdom--one in justification, sanctification, and redemption--one in obedience to the powers and authority ordained of God--one in virtue, honesty, and uprightness of conduct--one in the enjoyment of heavenly and spiritual gifts--and when they are perfected, to be one in glory, power, and dominion--to be one with the glorified beings of all celestial worlds --each one inheriting all things--each one possessing a fulness of wisdom, knowledge, and power--each one dwelling in God, and God in him--each one knowing as he is known, and seeing as he is seen--each one perfected in all the fulness of every attribute of God. This oneness is to be so perfect, that either of these glorified beings will represent God in all the glory of his attributes, in all the fulness of his wisdom and excellency, in all the majesty and omnipotence of his power.

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The command to "Be One," embraces all other commands. There is no law, statute, ordinance, covenant. nor blessing, but what was instituted to make the Saints one. This is the ultimate end and aim of the great plan of salvation. For this, Jesus suffered and died; for this, his servants have toiled and labored day and night in our fallen world; for this, all the

all the powers of heaven will be exerted, until Satan shall be overcome, and the earth be redeemed, and all the glorified inhabitants thereof become one.

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As the grand and ultimate object of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. is to take their own children who have made themselves imperfect, and restore them to perfection, and make them one like themselves, let us examine the plan by which this great work is accomplished. First, God has revealed a plan of adoption, by which these imperfect beings may be made members of His own family. Secondly. He has revealed laws for the government of His family; and lastly, He has ordained authorities to teach His laws and minister in all things to make the Saints one. Through faith, repentance, baptism, the forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, the imperfect sons and daughters of Adam become the sons and daughters of God: and being born of God, and all baptized with the same spirit into the same body, they begin to feel alike, think alike, and act alike, in many things: this is a first approximation towards a oneness: but being weak, and only having obeyed the first principles of the celestial law, they are tempted by the devil; divisions of feeling arise; each one sees the faults and imperfections of his brothers or sisters; and instead of trying to reclaim them in the spirit of meekness from their faults, he whispers them to others; prejudice arises; their love towards them begins to grow cold; this coldness is felt by others, and begets the same feeling in them. And thus the seeds of division are sown, and begin to sprout, and grow, and, if not checked, they speedily bring forth nauseous and bitter fruit, which, when ripened, contains the poison of death.

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To counteract these divisions strict laws are given, and authorities ordained to strengthen and succour the weak; to root out all evil-speaking; and to check every sinful thing on its first appearance. Those who give diligent heed, will become habituated to keep the law of God, and will understand their duties, and perform them with cheerfulness and delight. Such will become more and more assimilated in their feelings; their love towards each other, and towards God and His word, will grow stronger and stronger; and thus by habit they learn obedience to the law of oneness, until they are ready and willing to do anything which that law requires. While those, on the other hand, who do not give heed, find themselves more and more tempted, and their love growing colder and colder, and the faults and imperfections of their brethren and sisters still more magnified in their eyes; and at last they become destitute of the spirit--destitute of good desires--destitute of the meekness and humility of the Gospel; and the devil takes possession of them, and leads them captive at his own will and pleasure. These do not abide a celestial law, therefore they cannot be made one.

The Saints are not only one in doctrine, but they are to be made one in temporal things, without which they cannot be made equal in spiritual things. For many centuries past mankind have sought to accumulate riches, and to aggrandize themselves one above another; and this covetous spirit has prevailed even among those who have professed to be the followers of Jesus and his Apostles: hence, we find rich and poor, all belonging to the same Church, and all expecting to go to the same heaven: one rolling in luxury and wealth, and another ground down in poverty and affliction. Was this the way that the Church was built up in the days of the Apostles? Did they not sell their houses and lands and lay the avails thereof at the Apostles' feet? Did they not have all their property in common? Did not the poor rejoice in that he was exalted, and the rich in that he was made low? Were they not all considered equal and one in temporal riches? Yes: they consecrated all they had to the Lord; and holy men were appointed to minister these temporal things to others, according to their wants, without partiality; and this they did in the fear of the Lord: and no part nor portion of the great common stock fund was considered as belonging to some individuals to the exclusion of others; but it belonged to the Lord, and to them all equally, and the officers who were appointed to supply the wants of the Saints had no more title to it, than the least member of the Church. And thus they were all equal in temporal things.

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This same oneness in temporal things existed in the Christian church among the ancient Nephites, so long as they continued in righteousness: for each one had equal claims upon the whole. The same order of things existed in the Zion of Enoch: there were no poor among them. And the same order of things must exist in the Zion of the Latter-days, or else the inhabitants thereof never will be one. Any thing short of a perfect equality in temporal things is a sin: hence, the Lord says, "It is not given that one man should possess that which is above another, where. fore, the world lieth in sin." (Doc. and Cov. lxv. 3.)

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Is this law now enforced upon the Saints? Do they have all things common? Do they all possess the same? No: They have not become righteous enough to obey this law. Covetousness has taken such deep root in their hearts, through the wicked traditions of their Gentile fathers, that this law remains unheeded. And had it been enforced in all its strictness, but few would have continued in the Church. The Lord, in order that He might be just, granted His Saints the privilege of living up to this law, when He first began to gather them on the land where the Zion of God is to be built. But the Saints seen manifested their Gentile covetousness and would not obey the law; and the rich refused to gather because the law required them to consecrate all their property, and place it in the general storehouse of the Lord, and henceforth become stewards over such portions of the Lord's property as he saw fit to bestow upon them or place under their charge. This was too holy a law for their covetous dispositions; they could not endure it. The Lord, therefore, concluded that if they would not endure His holy law, they should not remain on His holy land to pollute and corrupt it. He, therefore, suffered them to be smitten and driven by their enemies, and to be expelled from His goodly land. But He did not wholly cast them off, because he knew that their covetousness was instilled into their minds by their wicked fathers; and He knew that they were very weak, and lacked experience, and that in the main they were inclined to do right; He therefore gave them another law more suited to their weakness. This latter law only required them to consecrate all their surplus property, and afterwards pay one-tenth of all their annual income. This left them with all the property which was not surplus, as their own. The first law required them to consecrate all their

their property, in stead of the surplus portion, and afterwards to become stewards. The last law permitted them to keep a certain portion, not called surplus. The first law required them to consecrate annually all the income of their stewardships, except what they needed for their immediate support: the second law required them to pay annual tithes of only one-tenth of their income. Thus we see the great difference between the perfect law of oneness by which the latter-day Zion is to he built up, and the law given to the children of Zion in their scattered and persecuted condition.

But the Saints are not perfect enough to give heed even to this last law. When they gather to Utah, instead of consecrating all their surplus property as the revelation requires, they only give one-tenth to begin with, and afterwards pay one tenth of their annual income: consequently they are transgressors, and do not abide the lesser law only in a degree. The children of Zion, while scattered from their inheritances, could not obey the perfect law of the Lord in all respects, as they could if they were dwelling on the consecrated land; hence the Lord said, "Let those commandments which I have given, concerning Zion and her law, be executed and fulfilled after her redemption." (Doc. and Cov. cii. 10.) In the mean time, the Saints are under preparatory laws given because of the hardness of our hearts, and the blindness of our minds, and our covetousness: not that the celestial law has been wholly taken from us: for we are under au inferior law only in some temporal matters, adapted to our present condition, during the days of our correction and chastisements, that we may learn by degrees how to subdue our covetousness. And when we have fully learned by the things we suffer, how to wean ourselves from the god of this world, the Lord will again restore us to the privileges of the celestial law of consecration; and we shall once more be permitted to consecrate houses and lands, flocks and herds, gold and silver, jewels and precious things. We shall then have the glorious privilege of giving everything to the Lord, and of receiving from him in return whatever He in His boundless liberality shall see proper to return or bestow upon us.

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We are in hopes that the time will soon come, when the inferior law of consecration, which we are now under, will be kept to the very letter. We want to see the time come, that when the Saints arrive in Utah, all their surplus property shall be consecrated, instead of one-tenth: and that when a Saint arrives with one hundred thousand dollars, instead of giving ten thousand and keeping ninety thousand himself, he shall give all except what the Bishop may judge sufficient for his immediate necessities in procuring house, and home, and other comforts in the same proportion that the rest of his brethren enjoy. After that, let him earn himself a living in whatever business he may be engaged, and give annually one-tenth of all his income, be it little or much. And if he by accident, or misfortune, or sickness comes to want, let him be liberally supplied out of the Lord's storehouse, and let the Lord's Bishops judge concerning the wants and necessities of all His people. And when the Saints have learned to keep this inferior law of consecration, it will prepare them to keep the more perfect one, when they shall return to build up Zion according to the celestial order; when all the riches and wealth of Zion shall be

shall be common property, and each of the Saints inherit their portion as stewards. Then, and not till then, will they be equal in temporal things; and the least member of Zion will be as rich as the highest Apostle or Prophet. This will be a oneness in earthly things which will prepare them for a oneness in heavenly things; for the equality in heavenly things is to be brought about and established upon the same principles as the equality in earthly ones; the one being a type of the other.

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The Lord, in a revelation gives in 1832, speaks of an "everlasting establishment and order," into which the Church must be organized, that they "may be equal in the hands of heavenly things: yea, and earthly things also, for the obtaining of heavenly things; for if ye are not equal in earthly things, ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things." (Doc. and Cov. lxxvi. 1.) Nothing is more certain, than that the Saints must eventually become perfect enough to consent to the great principles of equality in regard to property. And if they cannot abide such an order of things in this life, they never can attain to the fulness of the glory of the celestial kingdom. Heavenly riches and earthly riches are of the same nature; only one is glorified and made immortal, and the other is in a fallen. unglorified state. If we are not willing to be governed by the law of equality in regard to that which is of least value, who shall intrust us with all the riches of eternity? If we seek to grasp more than our brother of this world's treasures, will not the same spirit of selfishness govern and control us in regard to the more valuable treasures of the world to come? He that will not conform to the law in earthly things, can not be intrusted with the more sacred things of heaven.

Where property is all invested in one common fund, there will be one common interest among the Saints in increasing that fund. We see this illustrated in well-regulated families, where the husband and wife, sons and daughters, all seem to be engaged with equal interest to add to or increase the family property; for each receives a support from that property; and each feels anxious to contribute his portion to the fountain; and the father or head directs each one in regard to his particular branch of business, not only for his own good, but for the mutual good of the whole. When prosperity attends them, they all rejoice together: when adversity overtakes them, and their common fund is diminished, they all suffer together; and thus they bear each other's burdens; and as Paul says, when one member suffers, they all suffer; when one rejoices in affluent circumstances, and has an abundance of the luxuries of life, they all participate in the same, and rejoice with him. In such a family, under a wholesome discipline, there is an equality in the enjoyment of temporal things: there is a union and oneness of interest and feeling. By this union of action and interest. they are able to accomplish more, unitedly, than they could accomplish individually with separate interests. Indeed, in many circumstances, certain objects could be accomplished with a united exertion which never could be brought about by separate individual action.

What is applicable to small families is also applicable to larger ones; and the same great heavenly principle is applicable to larger ones; and the same great heavenly principle is applicable to a union of any number of families; or to the whole body of

body of the Saints: yes, more; it is applicable to the union of all the glorified inhabitants of all celestial worlds: they can accomplish great and wonderful works by union, which they could not accomplish as individuals.

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In this life all Saints have not an equal degree of knowledge and wisdom to manage property, yet such may be equally faithful to all the commands of God. Now, is it right for these faithful ones to suffer for the good things of this life, because circumstances, or the want of experience, has prevented them from accumulating property? No. They are just as much entitled to the good things which the Lord has made, and which He owns, as those whom circumstances have favored. And for one part of the Saints to retain these blessings from another part equally faithful, is sin, and not according to the celestial law which requires them to be one. If then all are to share alike, it is proper that the property of the whole Church should be placed under the management of those who have wisdom, and who are ordained of God to manage temporal things: for this purpose, God has appointed 'Bishops, whose duty it is to appoint every family their stewardships, and to receive the avails of these stewardships, not to aggrandize themselves, but as the agents of the Church, and the Lord's agents, to regulate the temporal affairs of the Saints, by the revelations of the Holy Ghost, and the counsels and voice of the presidency of the Church. We are now speaking of what ought to be, and what must be when Zion is built up according to the celestial law. The First Presidency, and the Twelve, and other authorities, are doing all that they can, under present circumstances, to prepare the people for this more perfect law of consecration, which we know must, sooner or later, be brought into full force and operation.

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Is a bishop any more honorable, or any better in the sight of God, because he is called to direct in temporal things, than the humble, private citizen who consecrates the avails of his stewardship into his hands? No. If they are equally faithful, they are equally beloved of the Lord; and they are equally entitled to food and raiment, and to the good things of the earth. And the Bishop has no more claim upon the Lord's storehouse than the least member of the Church, only as his time may be more occupied in public matters, which may prevent him from cultivating the earth or engaging in other business avocations. And the same is true in regard to the Twelve, or the First Presidency. The highest officers and the lowest are all one in Christ--children of the same great family; God is their father, and He looks upon His children without partiality; if they serve Him equally, He loves them equally, and He will make them equal; or, in other words, joint owners of all the property and riches which He thinks proper, in this life, to confer upon them.

An inequality in riches lays a foundation for pride, and many other evils. A family who are rich can build comfortable houses, purchase inheritances and fine carriages, clothe themselves in splendid attire, and educate their children in every branch of useful learning; while those who are poor labour and toil from morning until evening to procure a scanty subsistence; their families are coarsely clad, their children are not so highly educated. These opposite circumstances produce distinctions; the rich family do not feel to associate with the same degree of

of familiarity with the poor as they do with the rich: the sons and daughters of the rich seek for companions among those that are wealthy; the poor feel themselves slighted, and feel envious, because they are not rich. Besides the great inequalities in regard to the actual comforts of life, it produces great inequality in education, in the social circle, in marriage associations, and in almost every other respect. Hence, an inequality in property is the root and foundation of innumerable evils; it tends to division, and to keep asunder the social feelings that should exist among the people of God. It is the great barrier erected by the devil to prevent that unity and oneness which the Gospel requires; it is a principle originated in hell; it is the root of all evil.

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Riches are not a curse, but they are a great blessing: it is inequality in riches that is a great curse. God has made all the riches of the earth, and the riches of all worlds. He made the gold, and the silver, and the precious metals: He formed the flocks and herds, and all useful animals: He has made the earth exceedingly rich; and He has given man dominion over all these things: the more His people enjoy of these things the better he is pleased; it is impossible for His people to become too rich: if the whole world, with all the treasures thereof, were in the hands of the Saints, the Lord would still be delighted for them to have more. But these blessings have become a great curse to man, because they have been unequally possessed. We again repeat the word of the Lord to this Church: "IT IS NOT GIVEN THAT ONE MAN SHOULD POSSESS THAT WHICH IS ABOVE ANOTHER; WHEREFORE THE WORLD LIETH IN SIN." Unequal possession of that which God has made for the benefit of all His children, is sin. All nations, kindreds, and people, are in sin because of this inequality. The Saints are still in sin so far as they approve of this unequal possession; and we shall remain in sin until we make exertions to put this inequality away from us. We must be one, not only one in heavenly riches, but one in earthly riches.

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But how are we to be made one and equal in the inheritance of temporal things? If the riches of the earth were equally divided among all the children of God, circumstances would soon render them unequal; accidents, misfortunes, unwise calculations, sickness, and many other calamities would reduce some to poverty; while through experience and favorable circumstances, others would greatly add to their property; and in many instances, increase the same ten, fifty, or a hundred-fold. Hence, it is supposed by some, that under such changing and fluctuating circumstances, equality could not be maintained, even though it should be established. They argue that if they were all made equal today, circumstances would render them unequal to-morrow. To such, we reply, that God's plan of making His Saints equal in property is not subject to any fluctuating circumstances; it is a perfect plan; it is not brought about by an equal division of property, nor by any division at all. Division of property, like a division in doctrine, is a plan of the devil, followed by Gentiles, Equality among the Saints is not to be introduced by an equal division of property, but by a UNION of property. Let all the property of the Church be united instead of divided: and then let each person in the Church possess the whole; and let this joint possession be under strict and impartial

impartial laws; and let each individual and family have their stewardship; some in one branch of business and some in another; some having more capital under their charge, and some less, according to the nature of their callings and business; and let each one give an account of his stewardship to those whom God has appointed as judges in Israel; and let each family receive a sufficient portion of the avails of their stewardship to supply their proper wants and necessities, according to the magnitude of the joint fund, and the amount of population to be supplied from it. In this way a perfect equality could be maintained; for if each inherited all things, then all would be perfectly equal; and while this order of things remained, no circumstances could render them unequal. Then no one could say to his neighbor, I own more than you, or you own more than I. No one would shun his neighbor because he was more poor, or because his children had not the same advantages of education as his own. No envying could exist, because of wealth and riches. No chance for one to sit in idleness, and feast himself upon the luxuries earned by the hard labors and toils of others. Whatever a man earned in his stewardship, whether little or much, would go into the Lord's storehouse, except what was needed for his immediate necessities: and thus there would be no chance for one to become rich and another poor. And if any family were sick and unfortunate in their stewardship, so that they did not accumulate enough to supply their wants, they would have claim upon the Lord's storehouse. The widow and the fatherless, as well as those of old age, or who are lame, or blind, or afflicted in any way, are just as rich as the others. The great common stock fund is all theirs, to be dealt out by those whom the Lord appoints by the voice of his people. The poor emigrant also who escapes from Babylon, and arrives in Zion weary, hungry, and naked, becomes as rich as any of his brethren. This order of things is not now established, but it surely will be established as a permanent and everlasting order, to remain, not in time only, but in eternity. For "he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all things," in eternity as well as in time: "all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs, and they are Christ's, and Christ is God's." Each one becomes the "possessor of all things in heaven and upon the earth," whether they are the heavenly worlds at present existing, or the heavenly worlds that are yet to come. All the fulness of the riches thereof is his. He is a joint inheritor--a joint heir--perfectly equal with all the rest "in dominion," in power, in glory, being, as modern revelation says, made equal with Jesus, who is also equal with the Father: being one, as he and the Father are one: and their glory will be one, even as the glory of the sun is one.

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Some, perhaps, may object to this perfect order of equality, on the supposition that it will lay the foundation for idleness among certain individuals who will claim a support, whether they labor much, or little, or none at all. But this objection is effectually destroyed by the following items of revelation:--

"Every man shall be made accountable unto me, a steward over his own property, or that which he has received by consecration, inasmuch as is sufficient for himself and family." (Doc. & Cov. xiii. 9 )

"It is required of the Lord, at the hand

, at the hand of every steward, to render an account of his stewardship, both in time and in eternity. For he who is faithful and wise in time is accounted worthy to inherit the mansions prepared for them of my Father." (Sec. xc. par. 1.)

Every steward must render an account of his stewardship in time as well as in eternity. The individuals whom the Lord has ordained to judge these accounts and keep records of the same, are the Bishops whom the Lord has appointed to be judges in Israel. These judges with their counsellors [sic] are required to judge according to the law of the Lord. Now what law has God given concerning idlers?

"Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the labourer." (Doc. and Cov. xiii, 12.)

"And the inhabitants of Zion, also, shall remember their labours, inasmuch as they are appointed to labour, in all faithfulness; for the idler shall be had in remembrance before the Lord. Now, I, the Lord, am not well pleased with the inhabitants of Zion, for there are idlers among them." (Doc. and Cov. xxii. 4.)

"Let every man be diligent in all things. And the idler shall not have place in the Church, except he repents, and mends his ways." (Doc. and Cov. lxxxviii. 5.)

The idler, when he stands forth before the judgment seat of the Bishop, will find that there are strict laws in regard to his case: he will find that it is not for him to eat the bread nor wear the garments of the labourer." He will find himself cast out, and entitled to no place among the people of God. Therefore, the Lord's plan of equality is effectually guarded against idlers. We would remind such to study the parable of the talents. The steward that buries his talent in the earth, or is idle, and does not improve his stewardship, will have that which is committed to his charge taken from him, and given to other stewards who have labored faithfully, while the unfaithful steward will be cast out of the vineyard of the Lord, and be counted unworthy to have place among those that are faithful.

The benefits derived from this order of things, are infinitely superior to the Gentile order: for it is not only impartial in conferring temporal blessings upon the Saints, but it prevents an immense amount of suffering, which would naturally attend any other order. Where individuals are wholly dependent upon their own resources, sickness, fires, and other calamities may reduce them to great poverty and sufferings; but when these losses are sustained by the whole people, instead of one individual, the burden becomes light, or is scarcely felt. And thus much suffering is prevented.

This method is also the surest way of becoming rich and wealthy as a people. Much poverty is frequently the result of mismanagement; but where there are wise men ordained of God to manage temporal things, to whom the Lord's stewards must seek for counsel, and to whom they must render an account, the various departments of the Lord's vineyard will be managed by the wisdom of the Spirit; economy will characterize the movements of the whole people; the farmer, the mechanic, the manufacturer, and the merchant will flourish and greatly prosper in their business. Riches will flow in abundance through all these channels into the great common reservoir. If there is any great enterprise to be undertaken, requiring a vast amount of capital, that capital is on hand, being furnished by the whole people, instead of a few individuals. If any

. If any great public works, such as railroads, canals, electric telegraphs, temples, state houses, Universities, forts, fortifications, walls, &c., are required for the good of the people, the union of the whole property and strength of the people have many fold more power to accomplish these great undertakings, than the exertions of a few individuals. Where idleness is considered a sin, and not permitted to exist among a people, and where industry universally prevails, and is directed in the proper channels, there wealth will rapidly increase, and unbounded prosperity will necessarily crown their united exertions.

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But it may, perhaps, be asked, What benefit is to be derived from becoming exceedingly rich as a people? We answer, that God designs to restore to civilization and Christianity the American Indians, who are a remnant of the tribe of Joseph of the house of. Israel. These Indians number many millions, and they are generally poor: and being unaccustomed to the arts and sciences, and the labors of civilization, they will require a vast amount of assistance, preparatory to their being in a condition to support themselves. The riches and wealth accumulated by the Saints, wilt be of incalculable benefit towards alleviating their wants, in preparing food, raiment, habitations, farms, farming utensils, and other necessities, to succour [sic] and sustain them, while they are learning to take care of themselves. And in doing this work, we shall be fulfilling the word of the Lord, which says, "I will consecrate of the riches of those who embrace my gospel among the Gentiles, unto the poor of my people who are of the house of Israel." (Doc. and Cov. xiii. 11) Riches will also be needed to build up the city of the New Jerusalem, which, we are informed, is to be constructed of the most costly materials, and in the most magnificent style; and it will require immense wealth to procure the precious stones, the gold, and other costly ornaments with which it must be adorned. Riches will also be needed to gather home hundreds of thousands of poor Saints, who will embrace the gospel in foreign lands. For instance, to gather only one million of Saints at the low rate of one hundred dollars per head, would cost about two hundred tons of gold. Many great enterprizes [sic] the Saints will be obliged to engage in, which will require all the means that they can accumulate by their united energy and industry.

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The object of riches is to alleviate the sufferings of mankind, and place them in a prosperous, happy condition. And when this can be accomplished upon just and equitable principles; when all can be made equally happy and comfortable, then the end is attained for which riches are given. Riches are not given to gratify the pride and ambition of man; they are not given to exalt one man in extravagance and grandeur above another; they are not given to make kings and princes of some, and beggars and slaves of others; they are not given to encourage man in idleness and in vain and unprofitable pursuits; but they are given to ameliorate his condition; to satisfy the wants of his physical nature; to beautify and adorn his habitations, his gardens, his vineyards, his inheritances; to supply him abundantly with wholesome food, with comfortable raiment, and with all the luxuries that can be righteously desired to please the eye, the taste, or the smell; to furnish him with useful or entertaining books, or with musical

instruments to delight the ear or gladden the heart with melodious sounds; that with music, and with cheerful songs and hymns of praise, the full hearts of the Saints may flow with joy and thanksgiving to Him who is the Author of riches, and from whom all blessings flow. For all these, and many other great and good purposes, riches are given, not to be enjoyed by some, to the exclusion of others equally worthy; for this is sin, but to be equally enjoyed by the whole family of God, that they may he one. Otherwise, there will ever be envying, fault-finding, dissatisfaction, pride, extravagance, oppression, murmuring, complaining, continual divisions, unjust speculations, defrauding, and every other evil work, all arising from separate interests, and inequalities in temporal things.

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If the riches of the Saints were all consecrated to the Lord. and they occupied the same as accountable stewards, being required to annually consecrate all the income of their stewardships, except what was sufficient to supply their wants, they would have no desire to speculate one out of another; for if one half of the Saints should, by close bargains and business transactions, speculate with the other half, and take away their stewardships or any part of them, nothing would be gained at the end of the year; for all that the speculators had gained out of their brethren would have to be consecrated, and would still belong to the whole Church; this property would not be increased by merely changing hands from one family to another. Speculation, therefore, out of each other could not exist with the least degree of advantage to the common fund. The general fund could only be increased by a surplus of that which was actually manufactured or raised in flocks or herds, or from the ground, or obtained from some foreign source. If one half should. turn thieves, and steal millions of property from the other half, when the stolen property was consecrated it would not increase the general fund in the least; for if it had remained in the hands of the rightful owners or rather stewards, they would have consecrated it; therefore, there would be no object for stealing one from another; neither would there be any object in cheating or defrauding one another; for none of these evil acts could increase the great capital. Therefore, this order of equality would effectually do away with speculating, defrauding, cheating, or stealing from one another. Each one owning the whole, no one would feel any interest in stealing his own property, or in defrauding his right hand for the sake of his left.

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It is true, where each one receives his stewardship, there would still be buying and selling, trading and exchanging property with one another as well as with the world; for no one would be permitted to take that which was in the charge of another, without paying for the same. And in this way each could render a proper account of his stewardship. On the other hand, if each one had a right to take property wherever he found it, without paying an equivalent for the same, all would be confusion; no one would be able to account satisfactorily for his gains or losses. Hence, the Lord says, "Thou shalt stand in the place of thy stewardship; thou shalt not take thy brother's garment; thou shalt pay for that which thou shalt receive of thy brother; and if thou obtainest more than that which would be for thy support, thou shalt give it into my storehouse, that all

, that all things may be done according to that which I have said." (Doc. and Cov. xiii 14.)

It will easily be seen, from what we have said, how the Saints are made equal and one in earthly things: it is not by dividing the properties of the Church equally among them all, but it is by a union of the same for the good of each; wherein each becomes the possessor of the whole, under certain restrictions and laws. But will there not be a difference in regard to the amount of the stewardships distributed among the Saints? Yes; there will be a great difference. Rome stewards will be intrusted with a hundred-fold more than others, and have a hundred-fold greater responsibility resting upon them. There are many useful branches of industry which could not be successfully carried on, without ten, fifty, a hundred. or even a thousand-fold more capital, than others: consequently, stewardships must necessarily vary in amount and value, according to the nature of the business, callings, capacities, and circumstances of the several stewards; but as all the profits, arising from these unequal stewardships, must go into the general fund, they are all equally enriched by them.

As in temporal things, so in spiritual: each faithful member here in this life is made a partaker of all spiritual blessings granted to the Church: each one inherits the benefits of all the gifts. There are a great variety of spiritual gifts given; but none of these gifts are given for the exclusive benefit of the individual possessing them: for instance, God has given to some to hold the keys of revelation, and knowledge, and wisdom: they become stewards over these gifts: they use these keys to unlock the sacred treasures of eternity, and become acquainted with hidden stores of knowledge, deep mysteries are made plain; secret things are manifested; wonders are exhibited; and the mild, richly laden with the choice treasures of the heavenly worlds, and the wonderful works of God, feasts upon the delicious food; the soul is filled with joy unspeakable; the heart swells with the love of God; and the bosom yearns with compassion towards all mankind, and especially towards all who are pure in heart. They long to pour out the knowledge which they have received, into the hearts of others who are equally worthy with themselves: the impartation of knowledge to others who are pure in heart, diffuses in each and all, the same joy and happiness that they themselves have, indeed, their own joy is increased by imparting their knowledge to others; and if they impart all the knowledge they have to the pure in heart. then, all become equal in knowledge, so far as it is revealed: this makes them one so far as the revealed knowledge is concerned. Now the whole body of the Saints who are thus made equal in knowledge are not revelators; the keys were not intrusted to them all, but the keys of this rich stewardship were intrusted to some for the benefit of all. Now it matters not, through what source this knowledge is first communicated, whether to one or to all, if the pure in heart are all equally benefitted by it.

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There is not a division in knowledge, that is, it is not divided into equal shares, and one portion given to one, and another to another: this is not God's plan of making His Saints one and equal in knowledge: but each becomes the possessor of the whole revealed: they are joint heirs--joint owners of the whole, the same as in temporal things, which are the types of

types of heavenly ones. There is this difference, however, between temporal riches and knowledge: when each Saint obtains the fullness of all the knowledge revealed, instead of being made an accountable steward over a small portion of the joint fund, he is accountable for the whole; for each is made a steward of the whole which could not conveniently exist in relation to temporal things.

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Each is required to improve upon his stewardship, and obey every law connected with the additional knowledge imparted, in order that he may be prepared for more, through the keys that are ordained and thus knowledge is multiplied upon knowledge, and the light grows brighter and brighter until the perfect day, the whole body being perfected in knowledge, light, and truth, through the choice gifts of revelation given to some.

To some it is given to teach the word of wisdom, that the whole Church may be equally wise, inasmuch as they give diligent heed. The Saints may have great knowledge revealed to them, and still be exceedingly unwise in the use of that knowledge. Therefore, God has appointed some to be filled with great wisdom as well as knowledge; not for their own benefit alone, but for the benefit of the whole body. God is altogether in favour of the common stock principle in wisdom and knowledge, as well as in property. He, therefore, is not willing that the stewards over these rich treasures should hoard them up for their own exclusive use, when there are others equally worthy of enjoying the same. They are commanded to give, not a part, but the whole, to the pure in heart, that all may be equal in the enjoyment of these precious gifts.

So likewise, the gifts of prophecy, visions, the discerning of spirits, or the beholding of angels and ministering spirits, the gifts of healing, miracles, tongues, interpretations, &c., are distributed among the Saints; each to be exercised for the benefit of all, being common stock blessings belonging to the whole body, though ministered through many channels. These gifts are given to perfect the whole Church, that it may become the tabernacle of God--His habitation--His temple, becoming sanctified, purified, glorified, and finally, perfected; being filled with the fulness of Him who is in all things--who knoweth all things, who maketh them equal, even one with himself. Then, and not till then, the most of these gifts will be done away: having subserved the purposes for which they were given. Healings will then cease, for the Saints will then all be immortal, and will have no need of healing; tongues and interpretations will then fail, for from thenceforth they will all use one perfect pure language, viz., the language of the Holy Ghost; prophesying will cease, for all things in the future will be known by all; knowledge in part will be done away, for the Saints will know all things; the gift of revelation will cease, for the Saints no longer know in part, but already, know as they are known, and see as they are seen. While knowledge in part continues, revelations and prophesying will continue; but when all things are known, these gifts necessarily cease. But charity never faileth; it is a gift that will abide for ever. The fullness of knowledge and wisdom, light and truth, wilt also remain for ever; the gift of immortality and eternal life will continue and have no end. All things that are perfected will be everlasting; but the most of the instruments or gifts used to bring about this

this perfection, will cease, being adapted to imperfect beings only, and like the scaffolding to a building, wholly unnecessary, when the edifice is finished.

It is in this glorified perfect state that the most indissoluble ties will exist; being perfected in wisdom and knowledge, light and truth, justice and mercy, goodness and love, no one can or will do anything, but what will be the will of the whole. Each one in all the greatness and infinity of his works will be doing the perfect will of the whole. As the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are united in all their works, and never do the least thing contrary to each other's will, so all this infinitude of celestial beings, inhabiting all glorified worlds, will possess the same perfect oneness, acting in this same perfect union. This oneness will be as undeviating and as unchangeable as truth itself, and will continue throughout all eternity, and have no end.

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Although an equality of knowledge is intended for the Saints, yet there are some who do not prepare themselves to receive it; therefore, it is withheld from them. Some are permitted, because of their righteousness and faith to receive knowledge that is not lawful to be uttered to others. This inequality arises, not from any imperfection in the plan, but from the imperfection of those who profess to receive the plan. God desires them to have all the knowledge--that He has but he desires that they should obtain it in the way that he has appointed. If any fail of obtaining the knowledge which others have received, and which they are not permitted to utter, the fault is wholly in themselves: it is free to all upon the same principles; and God is better pleased with those who attain to it, than He is with those who do not. It is, true, here in this life, there is a great inequality of circumstances surrounding individuals which may prevent them from obtaining a perfect equality in the knowledge of God. The improvement of the capacities or intellects of some may differ in consequence of some physical organization, or some injury which the body may have sustained, or which they may have inherited from their ancestors. All these things arise in consequence of the imperfections introduced into our world by the fall of man. And furthermore, there is no doubt but the spirits of man in their antecedent state vary, not in capacities, but in the improvement of them; some spirits being reckoned among the noble and great ones, because of their attainments. All these circumstances combined, prevent some from obtaining knowledge with the same ease as others. Yet, when all these shall be fully redeemed from all opposing causes, and all shall be blessed with immortal bodies, perfect in their organization, nothing will hinder them from understanding all things, discerning them by the Spirit of God. This will make them equal and one.

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In what manner, it may be asked, will this fullness of truth be imparted? Will it be by the long and tedious process of study? or will it be by the immediate light of the Spirit which is in us? We will answer these questions by a quotation from the word of the Lord spoken unto Moses, given to Joseph the Seer in June, 1830. The Lord said unto Moses, "Look, and I will shew thee the workmanship of mine hands, but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease. Wherefore, no man can behold all my works, except he behold all my glory; and no man can behold all my

all my glory, and afterwards remain in the flesh." * * * * * "And it came to pass, as the voice was still speaking, he cast his eyes, and beheld the earth, yea, even all the face of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the Spirit of God; and he beheld also the inhabitants thereof; and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore. And he beheld many lands; and each land was called earth, and there were inhabitants upon the face thereof."

From this we perceive, that Moses beheld the whole earth, not merely its general outlines, or the surface, consisting of land and water, islands and continents, rivers, lakes, and oceans, but the interior portions also: "there was not a particle it which he did not behold." All the inhabitants thereof were also beheld; not one soul escaped his vision. The great telescope, by which the whole was rendered visible, was not formed by human art: it was no less than the all-wise--all-powerful Spirit of God. If this all-powerful telescope had been pointed to the sun, moon, planets, or comets, it would have rendered every particle of each distinctly visible: Moses could have looked upon each with the same ease that he looked upon those of the earth. It was a telescope not limited in its field of vision; its capacities were such that the astonished beholder could see in all directions at the same instant. And if prepared with an immortal body, so as not to be overpowered with the dazzling glory, and magnificence, and omnipotence of the scenery, eternity itself, with all its boundless contents, and infinitude of worlds, would be present before the eyes: every particle in endless space could be seen through the same medium that Moses beheld every particle of the earth. But no man can have the aid of this most wonderful telescope, to show him all the works of God which include all His glory, till he is prepared with an immortal and celestial body; for the glory of the infinitely extended view would consume his mortal body in a moment.

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Another wonder is connected with this telescope; it not only shows things as they now exist, but as they have existed, and as they will exist. That great and renowned philosopher, the brother of Jared, by calling upon the Lord, obtained the use of this magnificent telescope for a short time, by which he was enabled to look upon the Lord, and saw the body of His spirit, and beheld his glorious face, and conversed with Him as a man converses with his friend; and not satisfied with beholding things present, he looked upon things past, and upon things to come; and the Lord showed unto him "all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and He withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth." What a wonderful instrument! it enables one to look not only in all directions at the same time, but to look into the past, present, and future, at the same moment.

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Lord Ross has constructed a telescope that will enable us to see millions of worlds so distant that their light by which they are now rendered visible, must have left them hundreds of thousands of years before our earth was made: this enables us to see, not the present existence of these worlds, but their past existence, But with all his ingenuity, neither he, nor any other man can form a telescope

telescope that will show us the present existence of those distant bodies: neither can they invent instruments that will show the future existence of bodies that are to be created and made. Neither will his telescope, nor any other instrument of man's invention, enable us to look at every particle that enters into the composition of worlds. Hence, the Lord's plan of assisting the vision is infinitely superior to all others. We can readily perceive that the means by which man discerns knowledge in the heavenly worlds are not by reasoning nor studying as here: it will be by a sudden process; for if the Holy Ghost, when resting upon mortal men, can in a moment show them such wonderful things, what an infinitude of knowledge it will pour into the mind of an immortal being upon whom it rests, not in measure, but in fulness. Can anything, past, present, or to come, be hidden from them? Will there be bounds set to circumscribe their vision? Or is the field so extensive that the power of the telescope will not reach it?

It is upon this same principle that God the Father can behold all things; or as He says in the prophecy of Enoch, "I can stretch forth mine hands, and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them also;" or as our Saviour says, "Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I Am, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the same which looked upon the wide expanse of eternity, and all the seraphic hosts of heaven, before the world was made: The same which knoweth all things, for all things are present before mine eyes." (Doc. and Cov. xii. 1.)

Enoch informs us that if every particle of this earth was numbered, and millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of worlds which that Being had made whom he was addressing; and yet that God informs him that He could pierce all these creations with His eye. Jesus also says," All things are present before mine eyes;" and this he gives as a reason why he knows all things. It is very evident, therefore, that all these Beings discern things through the same medium; that is by the Spirit; and though the works of God are infinite, yet there are none beyond the reach of His all-powerful vision. And because they all behold and discern by the Spirit without any opposing obstacles, they all have an opportunity of seeing alike, and understanding alike, and knowing the same things; they are made perfect in one, and enjoy the same glory.

Oh, ye Saints of the Latter Days, do not forget the high destiny that awaits you. An eternity is before you, which has no end: a boundless space surrounds you, filled with an infinitude of worlds. The kingdoms, principalities, and heavenly powers that fill all the vast expanse are yours: the heights and depths, the lengths and breadths, the riches and honors, the wisdom and excellency, the knowledge and power, the glory of all things, and the fulness of all things, are yours for ever and ever. Blessed is he that overcometh, for he shall inherit all things.

A PROPHECY AND ITS FULFILMENT.

In February, 1831, the Lord spake, concerning His servants, by the mouth of Joseph the Seer, saying:--

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"And it shall come to pass that they shall go forth into the regions round about, and preach repentance unto the people; and many shall be converted, insomuch that ye shall obtain power to organize yourselves, according to the laws of man; that your enemies may not have power over

power over you, that you may be preserved in all things; that you may be enabled to keep my laws, that every band may be broken wherewith the enemy seeketh to destroy my people." (Doc. & Cov. lxii. 2.)

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It is now upwards of twenty-three years since this prophecy was delivered. Contrast the condition of the Saints at that time, with their present condition, and it will at once be apparent to all, that there has been a most perfect fulfilment of the prediction. At that time the Church was less than a year old: only a very few had then received the divine message; and they were hated and despised by the people, and considered as poor weak-minded individuals; unlearned in the wisdom and education of the world; destitute of this world's riches; persecuted by every religious denomination; denounced in the pulpit as deceivers, religious impostors, and fanatics: lied about and slandered by their enemies and the press. On every hand, it was supposed and predicted by thousands, that the Church would be broken up and cease to exist in six months, or at the longest, in a year. But mark the prophetic word of God! "And it shall come to pass that they" (the servants of God) "shall go forth into the region round about, and preach repentance unto the people." Did they go? Did they preach repentance? Yes: they went forth, though ignorant and unlearned, not trusting to their own strength, but in the name of the Lord who sent them. Their speech and their preaching were in meekness and lowliness of heart: they went as lambs among wolves, without salaries, without purse or scrip, without having where to lay their heads, being cast out, scorned, and derided; suffering hunger, cold, and fatigue; they stemmed the mighty torrent of public opinion; they encountered the venerated systems of popular priestcraft, made sacred by their antiquity and the traditions of the fathers: they testified boldly against the sins and abominations of the people: they bore their humble testimony that God had once more spoken; that angels had once more visited man; that the kingdom of God was at hand, having been set up in fulfilment of the words of the prophets, preparatory to the second advent of the Lord from heaven: they exhorted and persuaded the people to repent, and to come forth, humble and childlike, and be immersed for the remission of their sins: testifying that as many as would do this with all sincerity of heart, should be filled with the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, as in ancient times.

And what was the result? Let the word of prophecy answer this question. "And many shall be converted." How literal has this prediction been fulfilled! The hearts of thousands were softened; they believed the message; for what honest soul could refrain from believing? they repented; they called upon the Lord in humble prayer; they sought earnestly for further evidence--evidence that comes from God--evidence upon which their souls could rest as a sure foundation; and the Lord was merciful, bearing witness unto them by many infallible testimonies, that this was his work, sent forth in fulfillment of the prophets: and having received a measure of the Spirit of the Lord to convince, enlighten, and soften their hearts, they sought baptism at the hands of those whom God had called and authorized to minister this sacred ordinance. Branches of the Church began to multiply. Thousands were converted; and thus the word of the Lord was fulfilled, in opposition to the expectations and predictions of all their enemies.

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Perhaps some may say, that the prediction that "many shall be converted" is indefinite; and if only a few scores, or a few hundreds were converted, it might be claimed as a fulfillment of the prophecy. In reply, we refer again to the quotation, in which it will be seen that the prediction is not ambiguous, but contains sufficient explanation within itself. "And many shall be converted, insomuch, that ye shall obtain power to organize yourselves according to the laws of man." This began to be fulfilled, in some small degree, about twelve or thirteen years ago, while several thousands of our people were dwelling in Nauvoo. The Legislature of Illinois granted a charter, conferring upon that city the same privileges as upon many other cities, wherein we had the right of enacting our own laws, and regulating our own internal affairs within the limits assigned by the charter. This shielded us, in some measure, and for a short time, from the fury of our persecutors. But the charter being repealed, our enemies were let loose upon us; the Prophet and many of the Saints were murdered, and the balance, driven by mob violence, were obliged to seek refuge in the far distant and lonely vales of the rocky mountains, where, by the kind providence of God, they have again been organized, "according to the laws of man," and upon a far more extensive scale.

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In our former organization we were limited to a few miles of ground, included in our city plot; now we occupy a territory, embracing several hundred thousand square miles: then, our legislative Council enacted laws for only one city; now our legislature make laws for the government of a whole territory, including many cities, towns, and counties. In spite of the devil and our enemies, we have, in the strength of the Lord our God, triumphed; and the whole world can now see the fulfilment of the saying: "And many shall be converted, insomuch that ye shall obtain power to organize yourselves according to the laws of man." How little did natural appearances, twenty-three years ago, indicate the fulfilment of this prophecy! What tremendous efforts our enemies have put forth to overthrow and destroy the Saints, and prevent the word of the Lord from being fulfilled; but contrary to their numerous predictions, contrary to their every expectation and calculation concerning us, and contrary to all their mighty exertions against us, the Saints stand forth this day as an organized people; not only organized according to the laws of God, but also according to the laws of man. They are lifted up and exalted by the hand of God upon the mountains, as a great people, as an ensign to the nations, as a sign and infallible evidence to all nations, that God has, indeed, again spoken and fulfilled that which He declared should come to pass. How vain are the efforts of man, when he undertakes to thwart the purposes of Jehovah! The very thing which man vainly supposes will destroy the work of God and His people, is frequently made to contribute largely to the prosperity of the same. Little did the enemies of the Saints suppose, when they were cannonading them out of the States, and forcing them to flee for their lives to the mountains, that they were thus placing the Saints in a position for the word of the Lord to be more speedily fulfilled! Little did the Legislature of Illinois think that by unjustly repealing the charter of Nauvoo,

Nauvoo, they were laying the foundation for our persecuted people to obtain a more extensive territory and charter! No thanks to them for these privileges: they meant it for evil, but the Lord permitted it for the good of his people; they thought to drive us out to perish, but the Lord has turned it for our salvation, and for the salvation of many people among the nations, who will come by thousands to our great and extended territory, to partake of the sweets of religious liberty which are denied them in their own country.

But what object had the Lord in view in prophesying that we should convert many, and have power to organize them "according to the laws of man?" The object is particularly specified in the very next words of the revelation. "That your enemies may not have power over you; that you may be preserved in all things; that you may be enabled to keep my laws; that every band may be broken wherewith the enemy seeketh to destroy my people."

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When this prophecy was given, it should be borne in mind that our enemies had not as yet come out with sword and bayonet, cannon and fire-arms, to unlawfully dispossess us of our peaceable homes; yet the Lord knew that they would do so, and as a comfort, promised that we should have power to organize ourselves according to the laws of man, which should have a tendency to destroy the power of our enemies over us. Has not this also come to pass? Do our enemies now have power over us to persecute and destroy our lives, and take our houses and lands from us, as they have done in times past? Not only then has the organization predicted taken place, but it accomplishes the very object for which the Lord predicted it should be established: it has effectually destroyed the power of our enemies over us. Let an enemy now undertake to burn our stacks of hay or grain--to shoot down our flocks and herds--to burn or otherwise destroy our dwellings--to steal, plunder, or rob any of the citizens--to ravish women--or to murder the Saints, and they will find that there is justice in the courts of Utah--that there are laws for the protection of Saints as well as Gentiles. Murderers are not permitted there to roam at large, boasting of their bloody deeds, as was the case in Missouri and Illinois. There all religious societies can have the most unbounded privileges of worshipping [sic] as they please, or who, or what they please, and there is no one that will be permitted to infringe upon their rights, or persecute them. But if they trespass upon the rights of others, and break the laws of the land, by those laws they will be condemned or acquitted. A perfect equality of rights is extended to Jew or Gentile, Christian or Mahommedan [Muhammadan], Saints or Sinners, Americans or Asiatics, white or black; all are protected by the laws--all have liberty to serve one God, or many, or none at all, and be accountable for their own belief to God and not to man. This is the spirit and letter of the great constitution of the American Republic; this is the spirit and letter of the laws of Utah; and this is the spirit and law printed in the hearts and thoughts of the whole people. Liberty is their motto--unbounded liberty of conscience to the whole human race.

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The object of this organization was not only to break every band "wherewith the enemy seeketh to destroy," but as the revelation further states, "that you may be enabled to keep my laws." There are some of the laws of God which

which conflict with the State laws; and which the Saints in those States could not keep without subjecting themselves to the penalties of their unjust laws. But these State laws are local in their nature; they are not the laws of the land. For instance, these local law-making departments have become so bigoted, that they have actually made it a crime for a man to follow the example of the holy prophets and Patriarchs of old in his domestic relations: not permitting a man to have but one wife living at the same time. Now a man wishing to enlarge his family and follow the examples of ancient men of God in his family relations, is actually forbidden by these local State laws so to do. Now inasmuch as the Abrahamic and Israelitish custom is no where condemned by the word of God as a crime, and can in no possible way be injurious to society, where it is voluntarily practised [sic], and regulated by wise and judicious laws, the same as the one wife system, liberty should, therefore, be granted for man to marry one wife, or many, or none at all; and no law should be enacted to take this liberty from him.

The Saints, having been favored with revelation from heaven, have had laws given to them from God, regulating, as in ancient times, their domestic institutions. Inasmuch as these laws, like those of old, approbate the marriage of one wife or many, it is evident that the Saints could not keep them under the local governments of the Stares. Therefore, it was in reference to these conflicting laws which the Lord intended to reveal, that He predicted that the Saints should have power to organize themselves according to the laws of man; that is, they should have power to organize themselves according to laws which their own legislature should enact, not repugnant to the Constitution and laws of the United States. Now there is nothing in the Constitution and laws of the general government that prohibits this Bible institution, consequently the Territories have a right to embrace this divine institution without the fear of infringing upon any law of man. The Saints in Utah, then, are effectually delivered from the bondage of these unjust local laws, and placed in a condition where, as the revelation predicted, they are enabled to keep the laws of God, and still, at the same time, not break the laws of man.

The Lord says, "Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land." This saying, no doubt, has reference to the laws of the United States, and to all State laws that are in conformity with them. Had the Saints embraced the Abrahamic domestic institution, while residing in any of the States of the Union, they would not have violated any of the laws of the land; that is, any of the United States' laws, but only the local laws of the State where they resided. And that they might not violate the latter, they are separated from them, and organized in a Territorial capacity, no more subject to State laws or their penalties. In all these respects, how speedily, and how literally has the word of the Lord been fulfilled!

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When the Saints reflect upon this, let them take courage, and have the most unbounded confidence in every word which God has spoken by the mouth of Joseph the Prophet: for as surely as the Lord lives, every prophecy in the Book of Mormon, and in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and in the other revelations which God has given through that great

that great and holy prophet, which has not already come to pass, will, every jot and tittle, be fulfilled in its time and season. And there is no power on earth or in hell that can prevent it. God hath in these last days spoken, and He is almighty to fulfil. All the glory. and power, and dominion, and greatness, promised to the Saints of the latter times, will most assuredly come to pass. And all the nations that will not yield themselves to the law of the Lord will certainly perish and be utterly wasted: and the kingdom and the greatness of the dominion under the whole heaven will be given into the hands of the Saints of the Most High. Remember that this is our destiny.

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As sure as ever Zion was to be called to "get up into the high mountain," according to the words of Isaiah, (chap. xl ) so she will eventually roll from that mountain as the stone of Daniel, to smite the great image, representing the corrupt powers of the earth, and break them to pieces; and they will become like the chaff of the summer thrashing floor and be blown away, and no place be found for them; and that same stone will increase, and grow, and become a great mountain, and fill the whole earth. This is the decree of the Almighty; and no power can prevent its coming to pass.

Whether Utah wail eventually be organized as a State government, we do not know; neither does it matter to us, whether this shall be the case or not; if we are faithful, we shall enjoy all the power that is necessary for our good. And if we are never organized in the capacity of a State, still there has already been a fulfilment of the word of the Lord in our behalf, and we now enjoy peace and rest from our enemies, as it was foretold; and these blessings are the results of the predicted organization. When the population of Utah becomes sufficiently numerous, the probability is, that Congress will grant us a State government, and admit us into the Union, with all the powers and privileges belonging to the other States. This would still more effectually break every band by which our enemies seek to bind us. We are anxious to enjoy all the liberties guaranteed in the glorious constitution of our country. And as the time is not far distant when mobocracy will gain the ascendancy over the other States of the Union, we wish to be so effectually organized as to maintain inviolate the great principles of liberty so dearly purchased by our fathers, and to effectually resist every attempt to trample upon the rights of man.

It is our desire to see Utah organized as a State, in order that all religions may be equally protected by good and wholesome Jaws; that the Mahommedan [Muhammadan] and heathen may enjoy equal privileges with the Christian in their domestic institutions, which, at present, are ,tented them in all the State governments, and which are great barriers to emigration from many nations. These anti-Bible and anti-liberal laws should he done away. It is to be hoped that Utah, if she becomes a State, will never disgrace herself with such illiberality; but that she will unfurl the banner of liberty to the Hindoo [Hindu], the Chinese, the Mahommedan [Muhammadan], and all other nations without compelling them to break up their families, and to divorce all their wives but one, and to succumb to the bigoted institutions of apostate Christendom.

This Republic can never become an asylum to all nations, until her domestic institutions are founded upon liberal laws; until she will

she will protect polygamy as equally sacred with monogamy, as a Bible institution, as a right that should be sacredly guaranteed not only to the polygamic emigrant who may land upon our shores, but to all the inhabitants of our country who may desire to embrace this Bible institution. If Utah be admitted as a State, she will, most undoubtedly, see that the rights of the domestic institution are not trampled upon by religious bigotry; that no illiberal laws are enacted to prevent emigration from polygamic nations. She will protect her citizens in the enjoyment of every right embraced in the beloved constitution of our country. She will be strict to punish crime, but zealous for the rights of man, whether Pagan or Jew, Christian or Mahommedan [Muhammadan]. May the time speedily roll on, when Utah shall become a State.--EDITOR.

CONTENTS.

The Equality and Oneness of the Saints 289

A Prophecy and its Fulfilment 300

EDITED BY ORSON PRATT.

LIVERPOOL:

PUBLISHED BY F. D. RICHARDS, 15, WILSON, STREET.

LONDON:

FOR SALE AT THE L. D. SAINTS' BOOK AND MILLENNIAL STAR DEPOT, 35 JEWIN STREET, CITY, AND BY AGENTS AND ALL BOOKSELLERS THROUGHOUT GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

PRINTED FOR THE PUBLISHER, BY R. JAMES, 39, SOUTH CASTLE STREET, LIVERPOOL.

THE SEER.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, See Ye, when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains. --Isaiah xviii, 3.

Vol. 2, No. 8. August, 1854. Price 2d.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE SECOND ADVENT.

THE SETTING UP OF THE LATTER-DAY KINGDOM--ITS LOCATION IN THE MOUNTAINS-RESTORATION OF THE GOSPEL BY AN ANGEL--ITS UNIVERSAL PROCLAMATION--THE GATHERING OF THE CHILDREN OF THE KINGDOM--DOWNFALL OF THE APOSTATE NATIONS OF CHRISTENDOM, UNDER THE NAME OF GREAT BABYLON.

BY THE EDITOR.

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There is no event that ever transpired in our world, of such magnitude and importance as the coming; of Christ to reign on earth. And as such, it has commanded the attention of the Saints of all ages. All have looked forward to that day as a full consummation of all their hopes. It is the happy period when the righteous shall receive their full reward; it is the time of the resurrection of the righteous dead; it is the day when sin and sorrow shall cease; it is the day of rest--the Millennium of peace: the opening of an entirely new era upon our fallen world.

Many events have happened since the creation, of great magnitude, wonderful in their nature, and of overwhelming interest to mortals; among which may be mentioned, the overthrow of the antediluvian world in the mighty flood; the confusion of tongues; the destruction by fire from heaven of Sodom, Gomorrah, and other cities of the plain; the miraculous delivery of Israel from Egypt; the descending of the Lord upon Sinai; the grand display of miracles from generation to generation among the Israelites; the first advent of the Messiah, and the preaching of the Gospel among all nations, attended with miraculous signs following the believers. But all these grand events, though accompanied with such great power, dwindle, comparatively speaking, into nothing, when contemplated in connexion [connection] with the August, majestic, glorious, and most powerful sceneries of the second advent of the Messiah in the clouds of heaven, accompanied by all the hosts of Saints and angels, before whose presence the sun shall hide his face in shame, the elements melt with fervent heat, the hills and mountains be cast down, the valleys be raised up, the earth reel to and fro, the heavens shake, and the wicked be consumed as stubble before the devouring flame.

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As revelation informs us that such a day is surely coming, it is of the utmost importance that we prepare ourselves for it; for whether we are dead or alive at that day, we shall be equally concerned in it, and equally affected by it. It was just as important for the people of the antediluvian world to he prepared for the second coming of Christ, as for those who shall live immediately preceding that event. People of all nations, generations, and ages should be equally concerned in preparing for it. Those who have died in past sees without such preparation will fail of receiving the reward of the righteous, the same as if they lived now; for in that day both the quick and the dead will be judged, whether in the flesh or out of it; whether their bodies sleep in the grave till the last resurrection, or rise with the just--all must receive their judgment and their sentence to darkness, misery, and death, or to light, happiness, and eternal life. Consequently, the people of all ages are alike concerned in the great events of that day.

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Let us now most earnestly inquire, What preparations are necessary for man in order to meet the Lord in peace?

In answer to this inquiry, we say, that it has been necessary for each individual and generation, from the days of the creation until now, to strictly obey the words of the living prophets and inspired men among them: this, in connection with the teachings of the Holy Ghost, would have given them every necessary preparation for that great day. Without this, they have died unprepared. Perhaps some may ask, if the words of prophets and inspired men that are dead, are not sufficient to make known the whole duty of man, without having living ones? We boldly answer, no. God never intended that man should learn his whole duty from written laws and commandments without a living inspired authority through whom He could communicate His will from time to time. Written laws, statutes, and ordinances are good and of great benefit to man, in making known to him much of the will of God; but God never revealed in any written book His whole win to the world, or to his people of succeeding generations. He has, from time to time, revealed some of the leading outlines of His will which have been applicable to all generations alike, and which all generations who have had knowledge of them, have been required to obey. But in order that each individual might learn his whole duty from a written law or book it would be necessary that a very large volume should be written, especially adapted to the circumstances of each individual from which he could learn each succeeding day, during his whole life, that which God required at his hands.

If all the duties of one man had been written before hand by the spirit of prophecy, it would have required a volume much larger than the Old and New Testaments. All the multiplied and varied duties of one year might possibly be printed on one, hundred octavo pages: and sixty years duties might be printed on six thousand such pages. But as the circumstances of individuals differ widely from each other, there would be millions of duties required of one, not required of another; therefore, each individual would require a separate volume in which the particular duties required of him should be prophetically and clearly

clearly revealed for each successive day luring his whole life. A thousand million of such books would be required for each generation, all of them differing in a vast number of duties, according to the circumstances and callings of mankind. If a million of prophets had been diligently engaged in writing from the creation till now, they could not have written one half of the duties of one generation, to say nothing of succeeding ones. Therefore, God never intended that the whole duty of man should be contained in inspired books; but a living inspired Priesthood, and the teachings of the Holy Ghost, are intended to acquaint man with the whole will of God, excepting that small portion contained in his written word which is applicable to all persons. It should be constantly borne in mind, that the Bible does not contain the one thousand millionth part of the will of God, in relation to the successive generations of man.

Each generation, in order to he prepared for the coming of the Lord, and to enter into His glory, should make themselves acquainted with His whole will, and perform the same. This would require constant revelation in every age and generation.

We can safely affirm, that all individuals, nations, and generations, who have not had prophets and new revelations among them, have died without the necessary preparations to enter into the millennial glory in all its fulness: for no one can abide the fulness of the glory of the Son of God without doing his will; and no one can learn his will in all things without new revelation.

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Since inspired men ceased, the Church of God has not existed on the earth; consequently mankind have gone down to their graves in darkness, unprepared for the glorious appearing of the great Judge of quick and dead. So long as mankind remain without prophets, inspired men, and new revelations, they will be unprepared for the day of Christ. And should Christ be revealed in flaming fire in a day when there were no prophets and revelators among men, there would not be one solitary soul among mortals that could abide that day; no, not one. But the whole earth would be smitten with a curse, and all souls would perish from off its face.

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But according to the Scriptures there will be a few prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom--a few, as in the days of Noah, who will escape the dreadful destruction--a few who will be caught up with the righteous dead to meet the Lord in the air. Now these few will be the children of the kingdom, or the faithful members of his Church. Therefore, it is certain, that the kingdom of God, or His Church, must be set up or restored to the earth before His coming or there will be no flesh who can abide the day.

Is it reasonable to suppose that Christ would return to the earth to reign upon it for a thousand years without preparing the way before-hand, for this most wonderful of all eras? What would be the nature of this preparation? Could there be any preparation whatsoever, short of restoring to the earth a Gospel Church? As there has been no true church on the earth for some twelve or fifteen centuries, one of the first steps towards preparing for the second advent would be to restore to the earth His Church. Now a work of this kind, and of so great importance, would most likely be the subject of prophecy among ancient prophets, which we find to be the case. Daniel, in his second chapter has spoken expressly of the setting up of this latter-day

-day Church, or as he very appropriately calls it, the kingdom of God, represented by a stone.

"And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. (Daniel ii. 44, 45.)

This same great event is also mentioned in the 34th and 35th verses of the same chapter as follows:--

"Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth."

The kingdom which the God of heaven was to set up, has been by many supposed to refer to the Church or kingdom which was established on the earth at the first advent of the Messiah, but this idea is altogether erroneous, as we shall now proceed to show.

The time of the organization of the ancient Church does not agree with the period announced in the prophecy. "In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom." In the days of what kings? We reply, in the days of the kings or kingdoms, represented by the feet and toes of the great image, shown in dream to Nebuchadnezzar. This is evident from the 34th verse, "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and break them to pieces." Nebuchadnezzar saw a succession of kingdoms, each represented by different parts of the image. His own kingdom was represented by the head of gold. Next in succession was that of the Medes and Persians: the third was the Macedonian under Alexander: the fourth was the Romans. These four kingdoms were represented by the head of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, and the legs of iron: and in order that the image might be complete, the feet and toes had to be formed: these were constructed from the divided state of the Roman empire, the ten toes, representing the ten kingdoms, growing out of the iron legs, or the eastern and western empire of the Romans: or, in other words, the feet and toes of the image represent all the broken fragments of the once powerful empire of Rome, which have been or shall be, down until the whole image is entirely destroyed. All the European kingdoms, together with the nations now inhabiting America who are of European extraction, are the feet and toes of the great image shown to the king of Babylon.

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The Roman monarchy was the last which ruled over the eastern continent with al-almost [sic] universal dominion: all other kingdoms and governments, growing out of it since that day, have been comparatively feeble, which is literally foretold in the prophecy.

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"And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be

shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay." (Verses 41, 42, 43.)

All who are acquainted with the history of the European kingdoms will perceive how the kings and rulers have mingled themselves with the seed of men by marriages; those of one nation forming matrimonial alliances with those of another; but notwithstanding all this, they do "not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay." Hence there have been many wars among these nations from time to time, and there will still continue to be. And their marriage relations will not prevent them from fighting and seeking each other's overthrow. Some of these nations have, in some small degree, the strength of the iron in them, but it is so mixed with the miry clay, that there is no stability or security for them, as was the case in relation to the four great monarchies who preceded them.

The cause of their weakness and instability is owing to the great diversity of religious and political views entertained by the people; and the oppression of the poor, and the great inequality of classes, and the awful corruption, wickedness, and abominations existing in every grade of society. With all these elements at work, the whole heterogeneous mass of iron and clay is kept in constant agitation, fomenting and heaving to and fro, like the troubled ocean, tossed in wild commotion, and whose billows find no rest. In this restless, fearful state, they have continued from generation to generation, as the old muddy, miry, clayey feet and toes, plastered on to the old rusty iron legs of the ancient empire of Rome. The old iron bands, by which the muddy, clayey feet have been kept from crumbling to pieces, are nearly rusted asunder, and the whole image is waxed old, and full of wrinkles and bruises, and putrifying [sic] sores, and trembles under its own weight, as if conscious of a sudden downfall and speedy dissolution. If a small stone were to roll from the mountains and smite the old gentleman's feet, they would crumble to pieces; and before he had time to procure crutches, his whole body, clay, iron, brass, silver, and gold, would fall with a tremendous crash, breaking the whole as fine as the chaff of the summer threshing floors, which would be blown away by the winds of heaven, and no more place on the earth be found for them.

Many long centuries before these feet and toes were formed, the Saviour established His Church on the earth by His first advent. This occurred in the days of the iron legs: and so strong and powerful was the iron kingdom that in time it "made war with the Saints, and prevailed against them." "And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven: and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered." (Daniel vi. 21, and viii. 10, 11, 12.)

, 11, 12.)

"And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people." (Verse 24.)

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"Therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen [sic] with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous [sic] things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that [sic] is determined shall be done." (Daniel xi. 30-36.)

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This same wicked power is described by John the Revelator under the name of the beast with seven heads and ten horns: he says--

"And all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped [sic] the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped [sic] the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." (Revelations xiii. 3-7.)

In these quotations it is clearly predicted that the Saints, composing the Church and kingdom of Christ, were to have war made against them; and that the beast, assisted by the dragon or devil, would prevail against, overcome, and destroy them; and that they were to fall by the sword, by flame, and by captivity; and that many should forsake the holy covenant, and many should cleave to them by flatteries; and so complete was to be the triumph of the beast, that all the world should wonder after him, and worship the dragon that gave him power: "and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."

What then became of the kingdom of Christ, established at his first advent? it was caught up unto God and to His throne, having passed through great tribulation, while it tarried on the earth: but the world being unworthy of so glorious a kingdom, it fled from earth to heaven; and all kindreds, and tongues, and nations were left without the least vestige of the kingdom among them, except its ancient history, called the New Testament.

The kingdom of Christ having been entirely rooted out of the earth, the dragon, in order to hush the consciences of men, invented a spurious religion, and gave it the

it the sacred name of Christian, and palmed it off upon all kindreds, tongues, and nations; from this apostate religion, formed by the dragon, sprang all the Catholic, Greek, and Protestant religions which have so extensively prevailed among all the generations and nations who have formed the feet and toes of the great image which is destined to be broken in pieces and utterly destroyed.

As the powers of the earth have driven the kingdom of Christ from among men, and entirely banished it from the earth, it is evident that it was not the kingdom of God which Daniel predicted should totally destroy the image. The first advent, therefore, was not the time for the stone to be cut from the mountain without hands. The great image made war upon the former-day kingdom and overcame it, while the latter-day kingdom will smite the feet and toes of the image, and the whole mixed and corrupt mass will be dashed to pieces together. The former-day kingdom of Christ was set up in the days of the iron legs of the image; the latter-day kingdom of God is set up after the feet and toes have been attached. The former-day kingdom was itself to be destroyed from the earth; the latter-day kingdom should never be destroyed, but should stand for ever, and should become a great mountain and fill the whole earth.

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It should be borne in mind that Nebuchadnezzar saw successive portions of the image formed, until it was completed in all its parts, from the head of gold to the feet and toes of iron and clay; and it was not till after the image stood complete in all its parts before him, in a form majestic and terrible, that he saw the stone rolling from the mountains. Hence Daniel, after having described to the king the vision of the whole image, even to the toes, says, "Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands which smote the image upon his feet." This expression most clearly shows that the cutting of the stone from the mountain was a work of a later period than the formation of the feet and toes. The king of Babylon saw kingdom succeeding kingdom, and his vision extended down till he saw something entirely distinct from the image--a something that had no connexion [connection] whatever with the corrupt powers and kingdoms of man's formation--a something cut from a mountain without hands, that is, not founded by the hands of man--a something in a mountain or high place--a something that had no fellowship for the iron and clayey toes and feet, but immediately smote them, and they had no power to stand before it, but were broken to pieces, and all the powers included in the image were utterly destroyed, and no place was found for them; while that victorious stone increased till it filled the whole earth. This latter-day kingdom, then, was the last thing seen in the grand panorama of kingdoms that passed before him. And it was not to be set up at the first advent, but as Daniel said to the king, "There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days." It was a prophetic scenery, reaching to the latter times, showing him how man-made governments should be destroyed, and how the Divine government should succeed and triumph, and have universal and everlasting dominion on the earth.

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It has been supposed by some that the kingdom, represented by the stone, was not to be set up by the God of heaven until the second advent, when Christ comes to reign on the

reign on the earth. But this view of the prophecy is no less erroneous than the supposition of its being set up eighteen hundred years ago. If Christ should not set up his kingdom until he comes in his glory, there would be no Saints on the earth ready to be caught up to meet him; for we have already shown that the former day kingdom no where exists on the earth, but has been prevailed against and overcome, and nothing is left but man-made churches and governments among all kindreds, tongues, and nations. If this had not been the case---if the kingdom had continued on the earth during the last eighteen centuries, there would have been no necessity for its being set up. It would be folly to say that the kingdom of England should be set up, if it were already in existence; so likewise, it would be an absurdity to prophesy that the kingdom of God should be set up to destroy the powers represented by the great image, if such kingdom had already been on the earth for eighteen centuries. But from the fact that it was to be set up after the feet and toes of the image had been formed, it is demonstrated that the earth at the time had no such kingdom on it: and being destitute of such kingdom, the God of heaven was under the necessity of cutting it out of the mountain without hands, and of setting it up by his own power.

That this kingdom is to be set up before the second advent, is still further evident from the prediction that "'the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." At the time of its first origin it is "cut out of the mountain;" from which fact it must be much smaller than the mountain from which it is taken; and while of this diminutive size, it smites the image upon the feet and toes; but it rapidly increases in magnitude till it becomes a mountain, not a small one, but "a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." In this prophecy, it is clearly expressed that in the first origin of this kingdom, it is very small, not a mighty rock or a mountain, but a stone cut from a mountain, and that it rapidly grows to an exceedingly great magnitude, till the whole earth is filled by it.

Now, if the kingdom were not to be set up till the second advent, it would at once appear in its full size and grandeur; for when Christ comes, he brings all his Saints and holy angels with him; and instead of a stone from the mountain, the kingdom would at once fill the whole heavens, and then the earth.

The cutting of the stone from the mountain shows also that the kingdom is not first seen in the clouds of heaven in all its glorious majesty, but that it is a kingdom set up on the earth in a high place or mountainous region. Its location must evidently be near the extremities of the feet and toes of the image.

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The locality of the powers, forming the image, are known. The first two great monarchies, forming the head, breast, and arms, are found in the western parts of Asia: the third, in the eastern borders of Europe, extending into Asia; the fourth, including the feet and toes, are found in Europe, the United States, and other nations of America of European origin. Remnants of all the nations, forming the image, are still in existence, though not in their former grandeur and greatness. The head, breast, and arms, belly and thighs, and iron legs still exist, as well as the feet and toes, though in a weak and feeble condition; and they will all continue to exist until a kingdom of divine origin

origin shall come down from the mountains upon the feet and toes; and then comes the mighty crash of republics, kingdoms, thrones, and empires, all desolated--all destroyed, no more to rise again; no more place on earth can be found for them. In their place Saints will live and reign, governed, not by human, but by divine laws; and this universal kingdom will not, like the former ones, be taken from one people and transferred to another; but the people of the Saints of the most High will possess it for ever and ever, and God Himself will be their King and their Law Giver.

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Having learned from Daniel's prophecy, that "in the latter days," God's kingdom is to be set up to abolish all other kingdoms, and that it will be located in a mountain, and that the subjects of this kingdom will be called the Saints of the Most High, let us next inquire into the manner of setting up this kingdom. It might be expected, that a work of such great magnitude, involving the interests of all the world, would be a subject frequently referred to by inspired writers. We find accordingly, that many have spoken of it, and predicted many events in relation to it.

To set up the kingdom of God on the earth would require a restoration of authority to minister the principles, ordinances, and laws of that kingdom, or, in other words, authority to preach the gospel of the kingdom and minister its ordinances. In what manner is it predicted that this authority is to be restored to the earth? It certainly has not existed among men for many generations: if so, the kingdom: would have been among them, and there would have been no necessity to set it up. Therefore, as certain as the kingdom of God is to be set up, so were all mankind to be destitute of authority to minister its ordinances and laws. Can any one, for a moment, suppose that God has authorized ministers of the gospel on the earth, and yet there is no kingdom? The very idea is an absurdity too glaring to be harboured by the most ignorant. If He has no kingdom, he has no authorized ministry among men; and if this be the case, the Gospel can not be embraced, so far as its ordinances are concerned. Baptism, confirmation, and the Lord's supper, can not be legally ministered or received: no ordination or office can be legally conferred. Therefore the setting up of the kingdom, includes the restoration of the gospel, and a gospel ministry, with all the powers, gifts, and blessings of the same. These things could not be restored, short of something being revealed anew from heaven. The infinitely important question to be solved is, How have the scriptures predicted that the gospel should be restored?

The Revelator John, in his great vision on Patmos, was permitted to behold the restoration of the gospel to our fallen world. He says,

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." (Rev. xiv. 6.) This prophetic vision most clearly shows, that when the "everlasting gospel" is restored to our earth, an angel is to be the important personage who will fly from heaven to earth with the glad tidings. We furthermore learn that when the angel brings this gospel "every nation and kindred, and tongue, and people," are to have it preached to them. Will this angel himself, come down on the face of the earth, and travel about from place to place, from city to city, from nation to nation, preaching, baptizing, confirming, and ministering the Lord's supper? No: if one angel, alone, should undertake to attend to all these matters, it would take many thousand years for him to fulfil his mission. Will he merely fly over the various nations, proclaiming, as with a voice of thunder, the gospel in their ears, and command them to obey all the sacred ordinances of the same? No: for this would be of no benefit to the nations, unless they had an authorized ministry on the earth, who could baptize the penitent for the remission of sins, and confirm the Holy Ghost upon them by the laying on of hands. Therefore, we are compelled to believe, that when this angel comes from heaven to restore the gospel, he will restore the authority also to preach it; and that these chosen vessels, being ordained by an angel, will be commanded to preach the gospel, and baptize, and ordain others, and thus reorganize the kingdom of God on the earth, according to the prediction of Daniel. When the kingdom of Christ was organized on the earth, eighteen centuries ago, it was by calling apostles, prophets, and other officers, and inspiring them with the gifts of revelations, visions, and prophecy, and with all other supernatural gifts, requisite to preach the Gospel and build up the kingdom among men. And when the kingdom of God is restored to the earth in the latter days, it is to be expected that it will resemble the one of former days.

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At the time the angel comes with the everlasting gospel in order to set God's kingdom upon the earth, he finds the people of the whole earth destitute of these glad tidings. Not even one, among all the unnumbered millions, who has received the Gospel. It is true they have the history of others receiving it in ancient times, recorded in the New Testament; but what benefit is the history of others' enjoyments, unless they themselves can be baptized and receive the same gifts, powers, and blessings? What benefit to a hungry man would it be to read the history of the people anciently feasting upon the leaves and fishes, unless he himself could partake and eat? Though the nations can read the history of the three thousand being baptized on the day of Pentecost for the remission of their sins, this will do them no good, as they have killed off the ancient Saints, and destroyed every vestige of divine authority from the earth, and there is no one left to baptize them for a remission of their sins. Though they can read of the history of Peter and John laying their hand upon baptized believers, and confirming upon them the gift of the Holy Ghost, yet they are left with the sad reflection, that there are no authorized apostles to confirm this great gift upon them; though they can read the history of the Saints partaking of bread and wine to commemorate the death and sufferings of Christ, yet there is no authorized minister to officiate in giving them these sacred emblems: and to receive any of these holy ordinances from unauthorized men would prove a curse to them instead of a blessing. In this sad, benighted, and forlorn condition, they can read what the Gospel is--what authority is necessary to minister its ordinances--and what its gifts, powers, and blessings are: but alas! there is no one to minister it to them.

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The Lord, beholding the wretched condition of all nations, determined to send an angel from heaven to restore the everlasting gospel, and give all nations, kindreds,

, kindreds, tongues, and people, one more opportunity to come into his kingdom, decreeing that if they would not obey it, the kingdom should roll upon them and break them to pieces, and blot out their very names from under heaven. Connected with the message of the Gospel was another proclamation of a most fearful nature. The same angel was to cry, "Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of his judgment is come." (Verse 7.)

The period when the angels commits this Gospel to man on earth, is peculiarly characterized as "the hour of His judgment." In order to more clearly understand what is meant by "the hour of His judgment," we are told in the following verses, that,

"There followed another angel, sayings Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." (Verses 8-11.)

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To read those passages, and contemplate the fearful doom of all the apostate nations that live on the earth at the time the angel restores the message of the Gospel, is truly calculated to make one shudder at the awful and most terrible judgments denounced against them. From these passages, it is certain that the great mass of the apostate Christian nations, under the name of "the beast and his image" will reject the "everlasting gospel" that the angel brings, which ripens them for the sore judgments that are mediately to follow. They are the ones who are to "be tormented with fire and brimstone;" they are the ones who are to "have no rest day nor night," but, "The smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever;" they are the ones who constitute the old worn-out corrupt image of Nebuchadnezzar; they are the ones whom the Lord designates great Babylon, of whom the angel is to proclaim the downfall; they are the ones who have corrupted all kindreds, tongues, and nations, with their false doctrines, their whoredoms, and with "the wine of the wrath of their fornications;" they are the ones who shall be made "to drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation." But first, in order that may be just in inflicting these severe judgments, He offers them His gospel which He has sent His angel to restore to the earth; but they will close their eyes, ears, and hearts against it: they will reject it, as Pharaoh and the Egyptians rejected the proclamation of Moses and Aaron; they will scorn it as the antediluvians scorned the message of Noah; they will treat it with the same contempt that the Sodomites did the message of the angels to Lot. And as the cities of the plain were punished with the vengeance of eternal fire, so shall these be punished with fire and brimstone, where their worm dieth not, neither is their fire quenched.

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Having learned from the Scriptures the exact way in which the Gospel is to

Gospel is to be restored, and God's kingdom to be set up; and having also learned that these marvellous [sic] events are immediately to precede the downfall of Babylon or the great image of Nebuchadnezzar; or, in other words, the utter destruction and abolishment of the apostate Christian nations inhabiting Europe, Western Asia, and America, let us next enquire if there are any indications of the angel's having come with the gospel.

First, we have no reasons why he may not come in our day. There are no prophecies, that we are aware of, that need fulfilling, before the angel comes. The whole political organization of the nations corresponds, in every particular, with the predicted state of society, as it should exist at the time of this memorable event. The feet and toes of the image have been long in existence; Babylon, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, has been indefatigable in spreading her corrupt principles among all the nations and kindreds of the earth; the nations have greedily swallowed the filthiness and abomination of her golden cup, by which they have been made drunken with the wine of her fornications. All things, according to the prophecies, seem to be in the most perfect readiness for the angel to descend from heaven with the message of the Gospel, connected with a message of judgment.

But has the angel yet come? Go to the Roman Catholics and ask them. They will tell you that they are the Church and kingdom of God --that their authority has been transferred direct from the apostles --and that there is no need of an angel's coming with the everlasting Gospel; for they have it already; and it would be superfluous for an angel to bring something that they have had long before John saw his vision on Patmos. Next go to the Greek Church, among the Russians and other nations, and ask them if an angel has lately come from heaven with a message of the everlasting Gospel, intended for all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, and they will be ready to put you in prison for daring to ask such a question. They will consider it the highest blasphemy, for you to dare to call in question their ancient and venerated religion: they will inform you that their Church has had the everlasting Gospel among them ever since the first advent of the Messiah. Last of all, go to the Protestants--to every name, and sect, and denomination, from those established by law to the dissenter of yesterday; ask them all, if an angel has made his appearance from heaven to any of them, having the everlasting Gospel to preach to all people upon the face of the whole earth; and you will hear a united voice, ascending from all their ranks and grades, saying, "We have the everlasting Gospel in the New Testament--we have the kingdom of God among us and in our hearts; and this everlasting Gospel and kingdom have been on the earth ever since the first advent; and we have authorized ministers to administer all the ordinances of the Gospel; and there is no need of an angel's coming from heaven with the Gospel, when we already have it; there is no need of God's setting up His kingdom on the earth, when it is already on the earth, and has been for more than eighteen centuries."

Thus, after you have inquired of the Catholics, Greeks, and Protestants in vain; and can get no information of the appearance of the angel; but learn from all of them, that such an event is wholly unnecessary, you will, perhaps, conclude that Daniel and John were

were mistaken; or, if not mistaken, that they had reference to some mystery, not for man to know, or to be understood in some mysterious sense: thus you may endeavour to hush your fears, and to quiet your minds, and to think that all is well, and that the true Church is indeed on the earth, and is greatly flourishing, according to the united testimony of the whole of Christendom.

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But stop! Do not be too hasty in your conclusions. This is a subject of too great importance to pass over with some few slight inquiries. Remember that your inquiries have been limited to those very powers who are to be destroyed, because they reject the Gospel message of the angel--to the very powers, called Babylon--the most corrupt and soul-destroying of all other powers: it is not, therefore, to be expected, that you will find them rejoicing in anticipation of the angel; it is not to be supposed, that an event so opposed to their views, would find any favour among them. Go, now, to some people entirely disconnected with them; make your inquiries of them. If you go to the heathen nations of Asia, Africa, or the Islands of the sea, they will tell you that they know nothing about Christ, angels, or the Gospel: therefore, you can obtain no information from them upon this subject.

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There remains one more people, gathered out of the nations, isolated by themselves, dwelling far up in the sequestered vales of the Rocky mountains; go and inquire of them if an angel has come with the everlasting Gospel to preach to all people, tongues, and nations: they will with one united voice answer, yes: they will tell you that in the year 1827, God sent an holy angel from heaven, and committed into the hands of Joseph Smith, the sacred records of ancient America, containing the fulness of the everlasting Gospel: they will tell you that after the Prophet Joseph translated these records by the aid of the Urim and Thummim, the angel appeared unto three others, and showed them the plates of gold, containing this everlasting Gospel, at the same time, commanding them to bear their testimony to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people to whom the record should be sent: they will tell you that on the sixth day of April, in the year 1830, God set up His kingdom by giving written commandments and revelations: they will tell you, that chosen men were ordained under the hand of angels to preach this Gospel, and ordain others, through the gift of prophecy and revelation: they will tell you that God commanded His servants by His own voice and by the voice of angels to preach this Gospel to every nation, kindred, and tongue: they will tell you, that through the preaching of this Gospel, and by the commandment of the Most High, the children of the kingdom are being gathered from the nations unto the peaceful vales of the great Rocky mountains, forming the divided ridge between the great Atlantic and Pacific oceans: they will tell you that God has, indeed, set up His kingdom as a stone upon the mountains: they will tell you that it will roll forth from the mountain tops, increasing in greatness, in power, in majesty, and in dominion: they will tell you that it is destined to fill the whole earth, and to continue forever and ever.

Here then, dear reader, you find a people that answers every description, pointed out by the prophets; not one feature is lacking. Did John testify that an angel should fly, having the everlasting Gospel? this people testify of its

of its fulfilment, and present you with the Book of Mormon, containing it, already translated into many foreign languages. Did Daniel testify that God should set up His kingdom in the latter-days? This people testify that they were set up by special commandments and revelations, and present you with the books containing them. Did Daniel prophesy that the latter-day kingdom should be "cut from the mountain without hands?" this people are being gathered to the mountains, as the appropriate position of the stone. Did the former-day kingdom have inspired apostles and prophets? the latter-day one has the same. Did signs follow the believers in the former-day kingdom? the same is true of this people. Did the former-day kingdom receive their laws and commandments by revelation from the great king? the latter-day kingdom are governed by new revelation in the same manner. Not one ordinance, commandment, law, gift, or blessing, pertaining to the kingdom of God, is lacking: not one item of prophecy, pertaining to the setting up of this kingdom, has failed. Yet, with all this overwhelming testimony, apostate Christendom will reject it, and perish; and their nations and kingdoms be blotted out of existence; for the kingdom of God shall smite them, and they shall crumble to pieces and be known no more. This is the decree of heaven from ancient times, and no nation can thwart the purposes of Jehovah.

If any should feel disposed to admit the truth of Daniel's and John's prophecies, but yet be unwilling to believe that the Church of the Latter-day Saints is the kingdom predicted: we would ask such the following questions--

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Where else will you go to find a people that fulfil the terms of the prophecy? Where else will you go to find a people that even believe that an angel must come with the Gospel? Where else can you find a people that even profess that they have been set up, by express revelation, as a kingdom, representing the stone of the mountains? Where else do you find a people, claiming that God has by an angel restored the authority and ordained Apostles? As you can find no other people, professing to have all these characteristics, are you not compelled to admit that these prophecies have not been fulfilled, unless in the setting up of the Church of the Latter-day Saints? If you reject them, as being the kingdom predicted, on what grounds do you reject them? Is there any discrepancy or imperfection in their doctrines? Is there anything which you can prove false or contrary to the Gospel taught by our Saviour and his Apostles? Is there any office lacking, which was in the ancient church? Is there anything in the Book of Mormon, or in any of their books of revelation, that is contrary to sound doctrine? If, then, you cannot reject them upon any of these grounds, do you not run a fearful hazard by rejecting them as not being the kingdom predicted? Do you say, that though you can find no other people that answer the terms of the prophecy, yet you look for such a people hereafter to arise? What assurances have you that you would believe in their testimony, any more than you do in the Latter-day Saints? In what respects would they differ from this church? Would they have any doctrine, or ordinance, or principle, or office, or power, or gift that is Church have not got? Would there be any mark or sign by which you could distinguish a people whom you expect to arise, from this people? If you believe this is not the predicted kingdom, must you not look for another precisely like it? Must you not look for one which will testify that an angel is come with a message of the Gospel, connected with a proclamation of judgment? If it did not testify of this, would you believe it to be the Latter-day kingdom predicted? Oh, then, when you see all these predicted characteristics connected with this people, why will you doubt? Why will you join with apostate Christendom in condemning them? Why follow popular opinion and pursue the broad road, thronged by the multitudes? Why not realize and lay it to heart that the gate is strait and the way narrow that leads to truth, happiness, and eternal life?

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We commenced this article with the intention of pointing out some of the great leading events that are to take place, prior to the second advent. We have already pointed out several, namely, the coming of the angel--the restoration of the Gospel--the preaching of the same to all nations--the setting up of the kingdom of God--and the breaking to pieces of the great image, or in other words, the downfall of Babylon. To show still more clearly, that these are events immediately proceeding the glorious appearing of our Lord, the revelator John, after seeing the angel with the Gospel fly, says--

"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

"And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat of the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

"And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

"And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God. And the wine-press was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine-press, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs." (Rev. xiv.14-20.)

Thus it can be perceived that shortly after the angelic message of the Gospel is revealed, the Son of man is beheld sitting upon a white cloud, with a sharp sickle; and the harvest of the earth is reaped: that is, the wheat is cut and lifted up into the cloud, and the vine of the earth is gathered into the great wine-press of the wrath of God, and trodden without the city. The Gospel message, then, brought by the angel, is the great preparatory message for the second advent of the Son of man in a cloud.

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This kingdom which the God of heaven was to set up, is frequently mentioned in the prophecies, under the name of Zion. Hence the Psalmist say--

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"When the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory." (Psalm cii. 16.)

This is an additional evidence that Zion nowhere existed on the earth--that the Catholics, Greeks, and Protestants, who call themselves Zion, are assuming a name that in nowise belongs to them; for Zion was not to be built up, until immediately prior to the Lord's appearing in

in His glory. If it had already existed for upwards of eighteen centuries, there would be no necessity for building it up; but inasmuch as the Lord has not yet appeared in His glory, we know that Zion could not have existed on the earth for so many centuries, as the most of religious societies have the presumption to assert. It is a latter-day work; it is a people especially prepared for the coming of the Lord in His glory: it is not a work brought about by human wisdom; but, it is the Lord, Himself, who builds up Zion.

Perhaps some may object to this Church being the kingdom of God, from the fact that its first origin was not in the mountains, whereas Daniel says, that the stone shall be cut out of the mountain without hands. But we ask, does Daniel say, that the first origin of the stone was in the mountain? Or does he not rather say, that it was to be taken from the mountain about the time that it should smite the feet of the image? We answer, that it is very evident, that the mountain is the place from which it is taken when the full time shall arrive for the image to be smitten.

In order to show that a mountain is not the place of the first origin of Zion, we will quote a prophetic exhortation of Isaiah in relation to it.

"O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain." (Isaiah xl. 9.)

That this prophetic exhortation was addressed to the latter-day Zion is evident from the next verse.

"Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him." (verse 10.)

Before the Lord God comes with a strong hand, to rule in great glory, He will, as the Psalmist says, "build up Zion:" and this people, called Zion, will bring glad tidings, and be commanded, as Isaiah says, to "get up into the high mountain." It is certain, then, that Zion, or the kingdom, does not take its first origin in the mountains; but after having been built up, it is commanded to take its journey up to the mountains, and to be located in its appropriate position, against the time when it shall roll, as a stone, to smash the old Babylonish image.

Consequently, the very fact, that the Church of Latter-day Saints did not originate in a mountainous country, but are now going up by thousands annually "into the high mountain," is an additional evidence of no small importance that they are, in very deed, the real Zion of the latter-days, built up by the Lord's own hand, preparatory to His coming.

It will be noticed that the people whom Isaiah addresses as Zion, and whom he exhorts to "Get up into the high mountain," are those who bring "good tidings." Now what tidings could be more Joyful than those of the fulness of the everlasting Gospel? The Gospel is frequently defined to be glad tidings. Indeed, without the Gospel, Zion could not be built up. And as this work does not take place until just before the coming of the Lord, it is evident that prior to that all people must have been, for a long time, without the Gospel: but being restored to the earth by an angel, Zion are the people who receive it; they are the ones who bring good tidings. When Isaiah, enwrapt [sic] in prophetic vision, saw Zion in the high mountains, and saw them sending forth hundreds of missionaries to the nations afar off, with the good tidings of the Gospel, he exclaimed--

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace;

peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion." (Isaiah lii. 7, 8.)

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Beautiful, indeed, upon the mountains, are the messengers of Zion! they go forth to the nations, with a proclamation to all people, "That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall trust in it." As an evidence that the poor trust in Zion for a place of deliverance, see them come from the islands and from the nations afar off! see mighty ships spread forth their sails to the winds Of heaven, filled with Zion's children! hear their cheerful songs, as they are swiftly carried up the rolling current of the broad majestic rivers of Zion's land! see them launch forth upon the almost boundless prairies that lie stretched out like a vast sea of meadows before them! These are the pastures of the Lord, covered with a luxuriant growth of grass, and bespangled with the flowers of Eden! Here, week after week, and month after month the joyful camps of Zion move slowly on! Here they gradually ascend the great highway of the redeemed, till they gain the mountain tops, and descending into the lovely vales of Ephraim, they greet their friends, and shout aloud for joy! How beautifully has Isaiah described this great highway of the Saints.

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"They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold these shall come from far: and lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. Sing, O heavens: and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted." (Isaiah xlix. 9-13.)

Throughout this long journey, springs of water abound in every direction; and the Lord truly has made His "mountains a way," and exalted His highways upon them, and spread out His "pastures in all high places," where the flocks of His people feed, among the wild buffalo, the deer, and the elk.

Behold the children of Zion spread forth upon the mountains, upon the hills, and in the vales, surrounded with their numerous flocks and herds! see their granaries and storehouses full to overflowing with the rich products of the earth! see her children and the rising generation flocking by thousands to her schools, her acadamies [sic], and her numerous institutions of learning! look at her manufacturers, her mechanics, and her artists, all industriously engaged to produce from the raw material everything necessary for the comfort and well-being of the people! Behold her borders enlarged by the emigrating thousands that annually pour in upon them from many nations! and then read the prophecy of Isaiah concerning her prosperity, and rejoice.

"For the Lord shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody." (Isaiah li. 3.)

From the passages which we have already quoted, it will be perceived that the latter-day

latter-day kingdom or Zion is to be formed by the gathering of those who receive the Gospel. That instead of remaining scattered abroad, they will be required to gather in one. This feature of the latter-day kingdom is one dwelt upon largely by the inspired writers. Jesus said--

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Mat. xiii. 47-50.)

The kingdom here spoken of is not the one then built up, but the one that was to he set, up just before "the end of the world," not the end of the earth, but the end of the wicked world. Both good and bad are gathered into the kingdom: both good and bad are drawn to the shore--all professing to be the children of the kingdom. This has no reference to any, but those who are called the children of the kingdom. The final separation of these wicked characters does not take place till after they are gathered out from the nations; and then it will be done by angels who will sever them from among the just. The same thing is represented in the parable of the wheat and tares; "the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." (Matt. xiii. 39-43.)

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Tares or bad fish will be found in the kingdom, as well as out of it; through fear of judgments, or for some other cause, they will even go so far as to gather out of the nations with the children of the kingdom, and will both grow together until the harvest is fully ripe, and the angels pluck them out, bind them in bundles, and cast them into the fire.

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That the children of the latter-day kingdom will be gathered out, preparatory to the second advent, is clearly foretold in the parable of the ten virgins. When speaking of the day of his coming, Jesus said--

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom." (Matt. xxv. 1.)

It should be particularly noticed that the former-day kingdom was not likened to ten virgins: but Jesus spake of the future--of the time when he should come in his glory: "THEN" should be the period, when the children of the kingdom should take their lamps and go "forth to meet the bridegroom." But to what part of the earth do they go? We answer, they "get up into the high mountain." But will they find the bridegroom in the mountains? No: they only go forth to the mountains in order to be more thoroughly prepared against the bridegroom shall come in the clouds of heaven. And even after they have taken all this trouble, it seems that those represented by the foolish virgins will merely take their lamps, but take no oil with them. And after they have all gathered out from the ends of the earth, the wise and foolish will all become rather careless:

careless: or as Jesus says, "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept." (verse 5..) Although they are all expecting the bridegroom, yet it seems that after they have gathered themselves out from the nations of the wicked, they will feel apparently secure, and become rather inclined to be off from their watch tower; but "at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh: go ye out to meet him." What a startling cry! How it must thrill through the hearts of those who are thus suddenly awakened from their slumbers! "Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out." (verses 7, 8.)

What a fearful condition the foolish virgins will be in! Fancy to yourself, dear reader, the earth trembling, reeling to and fro--the mountains sinking, the vallies [sic] rising, the heavens shaking, the trump of God sounding, the curtains of heaven parting asunder, and all nature in tremendous convulsions; and then depict upon your mind the despair, the fearful agony of those whose lamps have gone out! hear them plead with the wise to give them oil! But their petition is in vain! "The wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them and sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterwards came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not." (Verses 9-12)

In this parable, as well as the others which we have quoted, it is most definitely stated that the children of the kingdom will be gathered in one; and that among them there will gather some who are represented by the bad fish or tares; and others who will become apostates--whose lamps will only burn long enough for them to gather out with the righteous to the mountains, and there they will go entirely out, and they will carelessly fall into a deep sleep, from which nothing can awake them, but the midnight cry; but alas! they awake too late! the door is shut against them, and they will perish with the rest of the wicked.

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This is also represented by the parable of the Supper: "A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: and sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper" (Luke xiv. 16-24.)

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The supper, or the marriage feast, had no reference whatever to the first advent, but to the

, but to the great day of his second coming. And the sending of "his servant at supper time," was a latter-day message, showing that the Lord would again speak to his servants, and give them a mission to invite the rich and wealthy of the Gentiles to come to his supper; that is, to leave their fine habitations, and farms, and merchandise, and gather to the mountains to prepare a feast of fat things--of wines on the lees well refined--to prepare for the supper of the great bridegroom. But Jesus says, that all these wealthy people should with one accord excuse themselves from going, on account of their property or some other worldly consideration. The language of the parable clearly shows, that the invitation to come to the supper, required them to go to some place. And because of their excuses the Lord was to be sorely displeased; and then his servants are commanded to gather "the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind." And this being done, they were to be sent forth on a third mission, with power to compel those in the highways and hedges to come in.

In all three of these missions the Lord was to speak to his servants; that is, give them new revelation, pointing out the duties of each mission; and also in all three of the missions there is a gathering implied.

Where is there a church in all Christendom that profess that the Lord has spoken directly to them, and committed into their hands the everlasting Gospel by an angel from heaven, and commanded them to preach it, and to say to all people who receive it,. Arise and go forth with your lamps to the supper of the Lord--to meet the bridegroom? Do not every church say to their followers, "Receive the doctrine which we preach, and stay where you are, upon your farms, and in your comfortable houses; for God will save you here, as well as anywhere else? Don't go forth to meet the bridegroom: there is no need of your gathering together in one; it is all folly for Zion to 'get up into the high mountain:' God don't speak to people in our day; he has said nothing to any one since the days of John the Revelator!" Is not this the constant language of both Catholics and Protestants? O how different does Jesus show, in his parables, the nature of the great preparatory work for his coming? Jesus says, "They shall go out to meet him:" but all Christendom say, "Stay where you are." Jesus says, "They shall be bidden to come to the supper:" but Christendom say, "Don't leave your splendid mansions, and your native land, to be gathered to the mountains; for you can enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb just as well if you remain at home."

Only one people upon the whole earth, are crying to the Saints among all nations, saying, "Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord." A voice has come from heaven, as John the Revelator predicted, saying, "Come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."

This voice from heaven was to follow the proclamation of the Gospel brought by the angel. Two causes are here assigned, why the people of the Lord--the Latter-day Saints, should come out of Babylon: one was that they might not partake of her sins; and the other was that they might not receive of her plagues.

The judgments which are to befall the apostate

apostate nations of Christendom, under the name of great Babylon, are of the most fearful and terrible nature. And as Lot was saved by literally fleeing out of Sodom into the mountains, so will the Latter-day Saints be saved from the most dreadful plagues of Babylon,. by fleeing to the mountains.

This latter-day Zion is to be like a city set upon a high hill, and lighted with the glory of God: she will give light to all the surrounding nations. This will not only be an intellectual, spiritual light, enlightening the mind, but a light that will be seen with the natural eyes. Hence Isaiah says, that "The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night." (Isaiah iv. 5.) That this literal manifestation of the glory of the Lord in a cloud, and smoke, and fire, is to take place while yet the wicked nations are on the earth, is evident from the following prediction of the same prophet--

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"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee" (Isaiah lx. 1, 2.)

Thus, while darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people, the glory of the Lord will he literally seen in the form of a cloud and smoke by day, and a flaming fire by night, not merely upon the temple, but upon all the dwelling places of the city, and upon all her assemblies.

Reader, contemplate for a moment this grand and magnificent scenery. Contemplate a great and extended city, with a dazzling and glorious light, enveloping every habitation, and filing all the heavens above it. Would not such a wonderful phenomenon attract the attention of all nations? Suppose that the newspapers and periodicals of the day should actually publish the news that a whole city was enveloped in the brightness of a flaming fire, night after night, month after month, and year after year; and that the buildings remained unconsumed, would it not create the most intense excitement? Would it not be the great topic of conversation? Would not thousands and millions come from the most distant nations to gaze upon so strange and unexpected a scenery? Hear what Isaiah further says, "The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee." "Thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." "The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah Ix. 3-5, 11, 12, 14.)

Such a scene as this the earth has never realized, but it must come to pass before the Saviour appears. And there will be great

to take place while yet the wicked nations are on the earth, is evident from the following prediction of the same prophet--

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"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee" (Isaiah lx. 1, 2.)

Thus, while darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people, the glory of the Lord will he literally seen in the form of a cloud and smoke by day, and a flaming fire by night, not merely upon the temple, but upon all the dwelling places of the city, and upon all her assemblies.

Reader, contemplate for a moment this grand and magnificent scenery. Contemplate a great and extended city, with a dazzling and glorious light, enveloping every habitation, and filing all the heavens above it. Would not such a wonderful phenomenon attract the attention of all nations? Suppose that the newspapers and periodicals of the day should actually publish the news that a whole city was enveloped in the brightness of a flaming fire, night after night, month after month, and year after year; and that the buildings remained unconsumed, would it not create the most intense excitement? Would it not be the great topic of conversation? Would not thousands and millions come from the most distant nations to gaze upon so strange and unexpected a scenery? Hear what Isaiah further says, "The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee." "Thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." "The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah Ix. 3-5, 11, 12, 14.)

Such a scene as this the earth has never realized, but it must come to pass before the Saviour appears. And there will be great multitudes from all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, who will come with their gold and silver unto the name of the Lord of Hosts. But after a while the excitement will gradually subside, and the nations will be enveloped in a seven-fold greater darkness than what they were in before; and when this takes place they will be speedily ripened for the burning, and be consumed from the earth by the coming of the Lord. Then shall the glorious reign of peace commence, and the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

CONTENTS.

Preparations for the Second Advent 305

EDITED BY ORSON PRATT.

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