VOL. II, NO. 21, KIRTLAND, OHIO, JUNE, 1834.
COMMUNICATIONS.
<"Millenium">
Sidney Rigdon "Millenium," E&MS 2 (June 1834)
MILLENIUM. NO. VI. [Continued from our last.] {beliefs-lds}
What proves that David, in this Psalm, had reference to the second coming of Christ is, that in the 5 verse, he says, [Ps. 50:5] "Gather my saints together unto me; those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." Paul says, in the 2 chapter, of the 2 epistle to the Thessalonians, and the first verse: "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him." In the 24 chapter of Matthew, when the Savior is speaking of his second coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, he says, verse 31: "And he shall send his angels with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
The prophet Habakkuk, in the 3 chapter of his prophecy, & 3 verse, doubtless alluded to the second coming of Christ: "God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand; and there was the hiding of his power. Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations: and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting." No such wonders as these have transpired yet, nor is there any thing ever mentioned by the prophets to take place that can admit of such a scene but the second coming of Christ.
Isaiah, in the 64 chapter of his prophecy, and first verse, uses very similar language, at least, sufficiently so, to show that they both had the same thing in view:
"Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence. As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! verse 3: When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at they presence." It is necessary to observe, that the prophets speak of things to be accomplished long after their day, as though they had been accomplished at the time they wrote, because they saw them accomplished in the vision of heaven.
The same subject of the second coming of Christ is set forth by the sacred writers in another form.
For instance, Peter, in the 3 chapter of the Acts of the apostles, from the 19 to the 25 verse, had the same subject in view, calling it "the times of the restitution of all things:" he says thus: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heavens must receive, until the times of restitution of all things,which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people."
The prophet Joel, in the second chapter of his prophecy, calls it the great and terrible day of the Lord: see from the 28 verse to the close of the chapter which reads thus.
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.--And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall pe turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.--And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call." This same passage is quoted by Peter in the Acts of the apostles, 5 chapter, from the 14 to the 22 verse, with a little variation, such as notable instead of TERRIBLE, and saved instead of DELIVERED, &c.
John, in the 6 chapter of the Revelations, calls it the great day of the wrath of the Lamb. The connection begins at the 12 verse, and continues to the end of the chapter. It reads as follows: "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood: and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll [or parted as a scroll] when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond-man, and every free-man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
A close reader of the scriptures will see, that the writers, in the preceding quotations, had in view the second coming of Christ, and the things attendant on that advent. In the quotation from the Acts, the apostle says he will send Jesus Christ who was before preached unto you. He also says that Moses had previously spoken of this, that is, that the time was coming when every soul should be cut off from among the people, who would not hear that prophet that was to be raised up like unto himself, which prophet was Christ: but the time that every soul who would not hear that prophet should be cut off has not come yet; but it will when Christ comes: for this is the uniform testimony of all the prophets that have written of these things. Paul says when he comes, he will take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the gospel. John says, that all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him, and Peter says, that Moses had testified that every soul should be cut off. So great is the sameness among these writers, their need be no mistake that the times of restitution of all things, spoken of by all the holy prophets since the world began, is the time of the second coming of the Savior.
The quotation from Joel is equally plain; he says that, [Joel 2:30-31] "I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord come;" and at that time their is to be deliverance in mount Zion and in Jerusalem. This is the same in substance as others have said about the second coming of Christ. Paul says, as before referred to, that he should be revealed in fire. Malachi says, when he comes suddenly to his temple, he will be as a refiner's fire.
Joel here says, that the sun shall be darkened and the moon turn to blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. Isaiah says, as before quoted in the 24 chapter of his prophecy and last verse, that the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. Again, Joel says, that there shall be deliverance in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and Isaiah says, that the Lord will reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem. The sameness is so striking that any attentive reader may see that the terrible day of the Lord, spoken of by Joel, and quoted by Peter, is the time of Christ's second coming.
In the quotation from the 6 chapter of Revelations, the similarity is as visible: John mentions the sun becoming as sackcloth of hair, the moon turning to blood, and the stars of heaven falling, as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when shaken of a mighty wind. The Savior says in the 24 chapter of Matthew, when speaking of his second coming, 29 verse, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon turn to blood, and the stars fall from heaven," &c.
It is farther said, in the preceding quotation, that every mountain and island was moved out of their place. Isaiah, in the 64 chapter, as before quoted, speaking of the Lord rending the heavens and coming down, says, that the mountains flowed down at his presence, &c. One more coincidence is, that John says, "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and mighty men, and every bond-man, and every free-man, hid themselves in the dens, and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?" This is the same as others have said. Paul says he will take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel.
Daniel says he will break in pieces and destroy all the kingdoms of the world.
John says, the kings of the earth sought a covert under the rocks and mountains: and in another part of his Revelations, [Rev. 1:7] "All kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him." That is, when he comes in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, to reign on the earth a thousand years.
It must be plain to every thinking man, that all these writers in the foregoing passages, referred to the second coming of Christ, and the great and marvelous things there spoken of to be accomplished, are to take place in connection with his second advent and that the great and terrible, or notable day of the Lord, mentioned by Joel, and afterward by Peter, and the times of the restitution of all things spoken of by Peter, as well as the great day of the wrath of the Lamb, all refer to the second coming of the Savior, when he comes to reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
Every candid reader of the bible, who is not so completely bewildered by the prejudice of education, and in the greatest possible darkness, by reason of false teaching, must see that the second coming of Christ in order to reign on the earth, is by far the most important period in human existence--all the sacred writers have viewed it to be so--heaven, earth, and hell, are to be effected with it--saints, and sinners are deeply interested in it--all the righteous who are sleeping in their graves, fell a sleep in Christ, in view of that glorious and awful day of wonders and majesty--the disembodied spirits of the saints in the paradise of God, are waiting the arrival of that period to receive their glorified bodies, and commence their never-ceasing age of glory by reigning with Christ a thousand years on earth! The prophets, the apostles, Moses, and Jesus, Abel, Enoch, and Abraham, all beheld it afar off and rejoiced in it--The saints above, and the saints on earth are looking and longing for it,--the time when they shall all be gathered together, both the things on earth and the things in heaven, which are in Christ Jesus. Those in heaven to reign with him a thousand years, and those on earth, or in the flesh, to serve him a thousand years in their successive generations. Not only men, both in the flesh and in the spirit, but beasts, reptiles, and birds, are also to rejoice in it: they will cease to hurt and to destroy. The asp, the cockatrice, the lion, the leopard, and the bear, shall all become harmless, the little child shall play unmolested, the weaned child perform its wanderings undisturbed! the calf, the kid, and the lamb, sport in playful mirth, and nothing to make them afraid: the whole lower creation rejoice, and all the heavens be glad! O glorious day, O happy period! rejoice ye heavens, and be exceeding glad O earth! Ye lofty mountains, prepare yourselves to bow respectfully, and prostrate yourselves at the feet of the King of kings, and the Lord of lords; and ye humble valleys wait his advent, that thou mayest be lifted up on high! O earth, roll on, and cease not; bring in haste this day of wonder and glory. O thou time exert all thy powers, and bring it swiftly to our doors! O saints, let your prayers cease not; call upon God day and night, until this day of rest comes, and the heavens and earth rejoice together!
From the foregoing quotations we have learned the following particulars.
1. That Christ is coming again to reign on the earth a thousand years, and that he will bring all the saints with him of every nation, tongue, and kindred, and they shall reign with him.
2. And previous to, and at the time of his coming, the saints on earth are to be gathered together to mount Zion, and to Jerusalem, even all of them, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other; for there the Lord is to reign before his ancients gloriously.
3. That he will at that time take vengeance on the wicked, even all of them of all kindreds of the earth, for they shall all wail because of him.
Under these three general heads, we design to comprise all that we shall write on the subject of the Millenium in this desertation.
The first in order, then is, that Christ is coming again to reign on the earth a thousand years, and that he will bring all the saints with him of every nation, tongue, and kindred, and they shall reign with him.
There is no fact in the bible that is set forth more clearly, than that of Christ's coming to reign on the earth with all the raised saints: it has been declared by all the inspired men since the world began; and it has been the expectation of all the saints in every age of the world, that Christ would come, and they should yet reign with him in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem: the ancient prophets propesied of it, and the ancient poets sang of it.--Not as some have said, a spiritual (which might be more properly called imaginary) reign; but literal, and personal, as much so as David's reign over Israel, or the reign of any king on earth. All the inspired men have said that Christ shall reign over the earth literally; for literally the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our God and his Christ, and he shall reign on the earth. And he will as literally break in pieces and destroy all the kingdoms of the world, as ever one king destroyed and broke down the kingdom of another. Never did Cyrus the Great, (as he is called,) more literally break down and destroy the kingdom of ancient Babylon, than will Christ, the Great King, break in pieces and destroy all the kingdoms of the world; and so completely will he do it, that there will not, from one end of the earth to the other, be an individual found whose word, or edict will be obeyed but his own: so that he will completely break in pieces and destroy all kingdoms. See Daniel, 2 chapter, and 44 verse.
But before we enter particularly into an examination of Christ's reign, let us see the situation of the world in relation to the government of heaven, at the time Christ was to begin to make preparation for his great and last advent.
That the world, previous to this time, was to wander far from God, and righteousness was so far to depart from the earth and the true principles of the religion of heaven to be so neglected, as to leave the world in a state of apostasy, is pretty generally acknowledged by all who profess much confidence in the bible. This is the testimony of the Savior himself, and I presume, all will agree, that his testimony is sufficient to establish any point: I mean all who believe him to be the Savior of the world. He says, as recorded in the 24 chapter of Matthew, 37, 38, and 39 verses: "but as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away: so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
TO BE CONTINUED.
<"Faith of Church">
Sidney Rigdon "Faith of the Church," E&MS 2 (Jun 1834)
FAITH OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN THESE LAST DAYS. NO. IV. [Continued from our last.] {beliefs-lds}
After all the management and the ingenuity of the sectarian religionists, to make themselves appear righteous, it is impossible for them to hide themselves from the view of an honest reader of the bible: the great disparity between them and the primitive church of Christ is so manifest, that a man must load himself with an immense burden of prejudice not to see it. There are, however, none, or very few at least, but do see it, and have to display all their talents and learning to prove that which no creature that God ever made could prove, and that is, that God has a church on earth which he equally acknowledges with the church built up by the ancient apostles, and this modern church never sustain the same character before him the ancient church did.
It might be considered one of the most marvelous things in the world, for men, with the bible in their hands, and who do believe in future rewards and punishments, to deceive themselves and others by using all their talents and learning, to lead the world astray. Well might Paul say, that wicked men and seducers should wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived; [2 epistle to Timothy, 3 chapter and 13 verse;] for scarce had the church of the LATTER DAY SAINTS began to make its appearance, than as it was in days of old so is it in the last days. We are told, in the 4 chapter of the Acts of the apostles, 27 verse, that, "Against the holy child Jesus, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together;" and Paul says to the Thessalonians, 1 epistle, 2 chapter, 14 and 15 verses, "For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men."
According to these testimonies, it made no difference where the gospel had effect,whether in Jerusalem, or in Macedonia, Asia, or Europe, or who proclaimed it, either an apostle, or a prophet, or the Savior. Nor did it matter who received it, nor where it was received; for let the world differ in other things as they might, in this they all agreed, to persecute the messengers of heaven, and to seek the destruction of the church of Christ. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodians, and the Nazarites, in other things disagreed, but in persecuting the saints of God they agreed perfectly, together with all the heathen of every tribe, and tongue; for let them worship at the shrine of what god they would; with one consent they would persecute the church of Christ. Here you would find all classes of characters agreeing, moral and immoral, temperate and intemperate, learned and unlearned, vulgar and refined, old and young, priests and infidels; for they all felt a common interest. Neither were they wanting in persons to prove any thing they desired--there was no falsehood to great to tell, or to swear to.
William Jones, in his history of the Waldenses, (which were doubtless the remains of the apostolic church,) shows by records which are still extant, that as long as there could be found a vestage of the church of Christ, though their enemies had to seek after them in the mountains, and often in dens and caves of the earth, they were unceasing in their persecutions: they followed them from cave to cave, and from mountain to mountain, burning, butchering, and in taking every means in their power to provoke one another to acts of violence: inventing and publishing the most outlandish falsehoods, which neither themselves nor others believed; but it served as a pretext for them to practice their iniquities under. Such as their eating their children, living in common, which Mr. Jones shows from the clearest evidence, had no foundation, only in heads and hearts of the foulest characters. But such were the sufferings that innocent people had to suffer for righteousness' sake, and for no other reason, than that their faith differed from others.
The Roman Emperors put hundreds of the saints of God to death, because they believed that God would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies. The Romans were therefore determined to put their faith to the test, as they did the faith of the Savior--"let him come down from the cross, and then we will believe on him."
In every age of the world, when the Lord, after an apostasy, began to restore pure religion, the existing religionists, it mattered not whether they worshiped one imaginary god or fifty, they were all alike in their hostility to the messengers of heaven, and to the people of God. There is one thing common to the god, or gods of all apostate religionists, whether they are visible or invisible, wood, stone, marble, copper, brass, silver gold, or iron, they are all dumb--they never speak. Or, if the worshiper supposes his god to be spirit, still he is as silent as the material gods, and his tongue is as still as if he were wood or stone. It has been peculiar to the people of God in every age, to worship a God that would speak; for though some apostate religionists say they worship a God that is spirit, and one that in the younger part of his life, was in the habit of speaking and communicating to and with his saints, but now for many years he has been silent, and never calculates to speak any more, either because of his age, or because he does not know the language of the people. This peculiarity in the God of the saints, has exposed them to the severest reproaches from those whose god had got the other side of speaking. Probably, because age may have impaired his senses, or weakened his nerves, or for some other reason or cause which he has not made known. If the saints' God would be as silent as theirs, their religion might be borne with; but to worship a God that will communicate with his saints, is to great an imposition to be endured in the estimation of dumb-god worshipers.
Since the God of heaven has began to bring his church out of the wilderness, and to gether together his saints as he promised the fathers of Israel he would do in the last days, they [the saints] have had to feel the truth of Paul's declaration, that they who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Epistle to Timothy, 3 chapter, 12 verse. As it was in former days, so it is now, all the dumb-god worshipers in the land have found one thing on which they can unite: every tongue is let loose, every pen is employed in fabricating and publishing the most incredible falsehoods that the foulest of the foul can invent, though neither the inventor, the reporter, nor yet the printer believes a word of them; but they serve for a pretext to practice iniquity under, as done in the ancient persecuters of the Waldenses. One circumstance I think worthy of remark. Let any man read Jones' history of the Waldenses, and he will find that the very same lies are put in circulation now about the LATTER DAY SAINTS, that were formerly circulated about that people. But what else could we expect, since the God of the saints is the same, the devil the same, dumb-god worshipers the same, and the saints the same?
In former days, Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, Nazarites, and all classes and casts of heathen, mutually agreed to persecute the church of God. So in these last days, Presbyterians, Methodists, Babtists, Episcopalians, Quakers, Shakers, Tunkers, Jumpers, Universalians, Restorationers, and to put the nub on, the LEARNED, the WISE, the PIOUS reformer, Mr. Campbell, with his whole train of Campbellite reformers, have entered the list, in connection with thousands of those who hate religion in all its forms!--The cry of "false prophets," and "false Christ," is heard through all their ranks, as though their heads and hearts were all alike. And as we are to know them by their works, we must draw the conclusion, that as their works are alike, their hearts cannot differ much.
In examining carefully, and honestly, all the sentiments of the different religious parties of the present day, their articles of faith, creeds, confessions, leagues, covenants, &c. it would be found, that there is scarcely one item even the smallest item of the doctrine of Christ preached in its purity; nor is there an item of it received in the same point of light as the ancients received it: neither is the practice, which grows out of their sentiments in any respect like the practice of the ancient churches.
With all the reformations the nineteenth century produces, or can produce, the sectarians will leave the world in no better condition than they found it--divided, distracted, confused; with parties, strifes, contentions, tumults, envyings, persecutions, evil speakings, and the whole list of abominations, related by the apostles, will be in full practice among them. And in despite of all their exertions, though they were ten times as vigilant and zealous as they are, and their reformations ten to one, and their converts to multiply as the sand by the sea shore, still, when the Savior comes the people will be as they were in the days of Noah, and know nothing until the Savior is revealed in fire and they are destroyed by the brightness of his coming; for this is the testimony of Moses, and the prophets, of Jesus and the apostles. Nor has there ever been an inspired man on earth, who did not bear the same testimony.
The ignorance of the religious teachers of the day, never appeared more glaring in any thing, than in an attempt to create a Millenium by converting this generation. I ask, when was a generation of apostate religionists ever converted to God? at no time since the world began: we read of their being cut off; and God, by the mouth of all the holy prophets, has said, that in the last days the Gentiles, because they received not the truth in the love of it, should be destroyed. But notwithstanding all this testimony the priests of the day are determined to make all the prophets liars; for they have decreed to convert the whole generation before the Son of man comes, and make a Millenium out of them. But let them know, that all the Millenium the bible knows any thing about, is, the thousand years that Christ shall reign personally on the earth, after he has gathered all the saints together from one end of heaven to the other, and cut all the wicked off that there shall not one be left.
We have been a little amused to see the inconsistencies which will appear in the writings and sayings of those who profess to be engaged in the same cause--Take for instance Mr. Campbell with his Harbinger, and Mr. Scott with his Evangelist; both professedly of the same faith, and devoted to the same cause. Mr. Campbell has published a long series of articles from the pen of a Mr. M'Corcle, in which Mr. M'Corcle, has endeavored to prove, that this whole religious generation is in a state of apostasy, [which is easily done by any one acquainted with the bible.] and that no apostate generation has ever been converted to God, and he warns this generation to beware, for the judgements of God will be upon them. [This he can do with the greatest propriety.]
Mr. Scott, of the Evangelist, in one of his late Editorial addresses to his patrons and brethren, informs them, that it was required of the saints always to convert the world, and as his brethren are the saints, he therefore notifies them that God requires at their hands the conversion of the world. Mr. Campbell's paper goes abroad alarming this generation, from the pen of Mr. M'Corcle, that they are in a state of apostasy, and therefore must be cut off, and cannot be converted; [and this is the testimony of all the prophets since the world began.] So one of their reforming papers denounces the judgments of God on this generation without remedy; the other has got a sovereign remedy--He and his brethren have got to convert them by the absolute requirement of heaven. If Mr. Scott was really in earnest when he penned the sentence alluded to, and is honest when he says that he believes the coming of the Son of man draws near, he must feel himself and his brethren to be in a very peculiar situation; for just as sure as the Lord lives, when the Son of man comes, instead of the generation who lives at that time on the earth being converted, they will be like the people of Noah, and like them will be cut off. Now, if Mr. Scott and his brethren have got, by the requirement of heaven to convert them, they will as certainly be found transgressors as ever the Lord comes; for they will never get them converted, for if they do, the prophets, yea, every one of them has lied; for they have said, that they should be a wicked generation, and be cut off. While it is written that the way of transgressors is hard, [see Proverbs, 13 chapter, and 15 verse,] Mr. Scott must feel himself and brethren in trying circumstances; for the Lord never required at the hand of any person more than they can do; and if the Lord has really required this at their hand, they will have to be like Abraham, against hope they will have to believe with hope; for the testimony of all the prophets is, that it will not be done. So Mr. Scott and the prophets stand in opposition to each other.
I think that it is probable, notwithstanding the immense labor which Mr. Scott has laid off for his disciples, and the vast importance he attaches to it, that it will pass off for a little Editorial puff, with which some Editors try to make the most of a thing.
There is not a fact more certain than this, that if the heavens have to retain the Savior till Mr. Scott and his saints convert the world, he will have a long residence there yet, and the generations of five thousand years will have nothing to fear from his coming. So Mr. M'Corcle may stay his hand, and cease to pronounce the judgments of God on this generation, and calmly employ himself about other matters, and leave this business to Mr. Scott, who has certainly chosen the better part, (whether it will be taken from him or not,) that of converting the whole of them.
I would recommend, however, to these gentlemen, as it is not so pleasing for reformers to disagree as it would be for them to see eye to eye, that they hold a council as the apostles did at Jerusalem about the question of circumcision, to settle this question; and as Mr. Campbell has a great interest at stake let him be moderator, and let the question be fairly settled, whether Mr. M'Corcle is to succeed in getting this generation destroyed, or whether Mr. Scott will get them converted; and let the result of the confab be published, both in the Harbinger and Evangelist so that the public mind, as far as they have been effected with the plans of Messrs. M'Corcle, and Scott, may be at rest. I can see no reason why this matter could not be settled thus amicably, besure, if there were to be any very severe "conflicting of the winds," as that is an element which Mr. Campbell is rather afraid of, he might have the liberty of calling on as much help as the case might require.
Among all false religionists, and worshipers of dumb gods, there is a great likeness, whether they be heathen, christian, Jewish, or Mahometan, as their god or gods are all alike, as far as speaking is concerned. They are therefore under the necessity of obtaining the knowledge of their duty to them, without getting any direct communication from them, (I mean to themselves,) and they come to a knowledge of it by conjecture, or by means of what they have said to others, or what they have been supposed to say. So one god requires one thing, and another requires another. Some require their worshipers to wash in the Ganges, others require their's to burn their children: some find it necessary to demand of their subjects to be crushed to death under the wheels of their car; but Mr. Scott's god is worse than all of them, for his god requires of him that he, and those associated with him, should convert the world--this the God of heaven never required at the hand of any man, or set of men: he has required of his saints to proclaim the gospel to every creature in all the world, but no where commanded them to convert the world. A man can burn his children; he can wash in the Ganges; he can lay down and let the wheel of the car of his god crush him to pieces; and the saints of God can proclaim the gospel to every creature; but to convert the world to any particular religion, neither Mr. Scott nor any other has done it, nor can do it. So that his god is more unreasonable than Juggarnaut; for Juggarnaut requires nothing of his worshipers but what they can do: but Mr. Scott's god requires of him what neither himself nor no other man or set of men have done, or ever can do.
TO BE CONTINUED.
<"Saints.--Again">
Oliver Cowdery "Saints.--Again," E&MS 2 (Jun 1834)
THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR.
KIRTLAND, OHIO, JUNE, 1834.
THE SAINTS.--AGAIN.
OUR readers will recollect, that we made a few remarks in an article published in the last number of the Star, under the head The Saints. Our remarks being limited on this item it is no more than just that something further should be said upon a word that occurs more than ninety different times in the bible, and in every instance is meant to represent the people of God, either those immediately dwelling with him in glory, or those on earth walking according to his commandments. It certainly cannot be supposed by a reflecting man, that the Lord talked in vain to his people in ancient days, if he cannot admit that HE now communicates to the professed world. And it is reasonable to suppose, that if the Lord ever talked to a people on earth, that he called them by a name; and if he did, it is reasonable that he should call his people by a name which would distinguish them from all other people, as well as by one which would be pleasing in his sight that they should wear.
How many different names the enemies of the people of the Lord heaped upon them in different ages of the world, we are not prepared to say, and especially, in the early period of the church, as we find nothing recorded on this subject. Whether Noah and his family were called by reproachful names or not the bible does not inform us; and the same may be said of Abraham, Lot, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was called Israel after he had wrestled with the angel and prevailed, and his posterity ever after have been called Israelites.
When the Lord appeared to Moses at the back side of the desert by mount Horeb, he called out of the bush and said, [Acts 7:3-4] "I have seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt;" meaning the children of Israel. Till now the descendants of Jacob are called Israelites, Jews, Ephraimites, Benjamites, &c. but may all be known as Israelites, in the prophets, where they predict their return in the last days to the land of Palestine. So there can be no doubt as regards the fact, that they will be known by that name in the last days, as were their fathers in former years; but to say that the Lord never had a people on earth before Israel, would be making an unwarrantable assertion.
If the Lord had a people on earth before the days of Israel, what were they called, or by what name were they distinguished from others? Melchizedek was a priest of the most high God, it is said, and was also king of Salem. If, in the days of Abraham God had a people, (and certainly, there was one righteous man beside him, for he was God's priest,) by what name were they called? They could not have been called Israelites, for Jacob was yet in the loins of his father, as was said of Levi, nor was the name of Israel known, or at least, as we have any account. And even to suppose that the Lord never had a people that he called his before the great deluge, would be an inconsistant supposition; for we read of the sons of God in, or about the days of Noah, and previous to the time when he built the ark; and who, in the name of common sense, could the sons of God be, if they were not men in the flesh? for it is said, that they took to themselves wives of all they chose, &c. And where, since the world was made had God sons who took wives, and yet at the same time did not dwell on earth? And where is it recorded, that God had sons on earth, who were not called his people? And if God had a people that he called his before the flood, by what name did he know them, and how were they distinguished from the wicked? They could not have been called Jews, nor Israelites.
While the apostles were living, both they and their brethren began to be called Christians; and since that time those professing the same religion, generally, have been known by the same name, especially by their enemies, till all who profess to be followers of the doctrine of the gospel of Christ, now call themselves Christians, with few exceptions. And from this fact we may conclude that they suppose it to be a name given by inspiration, and that all embracing the testimony of Christ, and believing him to be the Savior, are bound to acknowledge the same name. But this at once shows how little they study the word of God, and with what little concern they peruse its sacred pages; for if they would examine as one would without prejudice by tradition, they would see that the name Christian was one reproachfully given to the saints of God because they believed in Christ Jesus, and that the Lord never called his people by that name from the creation to the present day. If he did, it is no where recorded.
But in this age of darkness, men are driven to the necessity of flattering each other, to avoid an exposition, because they are so destitute of holiness that they seek any thing for a covering rather than have their weak systems compared with the plan of salvation which God has instituted. No matter say they, by what name you are called, if you are a good Christian you are safe enough; we do not believe that God will have any more respect for one name or society than he will for another, and if you think you are right, go on, there is no danger, you will do well enough; and if I believe I am right, no matter what I am, I shall get to heaven too: therefore, press on, our little differences of opinion will not be noticed in heaven. This, in short, is the language of men in this day.
It is generally admitted by the sects, that there are good Christians among all denominations, and these good Christians will be saved in glory let their names be as different here as Pope Sylvester and John Calvin. For instance, see two priests of the present-day sects, quarrel about their different tenets, and after abusing each other with slander and scurrility till both have exhausted their stock of bitter feelings, see them haul off very respectfully, by saying, "O, well dear brother, to be sure we cannot exactly agree here, but let us both be good Christians, and our differences of opinion will effect nothing, because we are both honest, and we shall meet in heaven. So go on, do all the good you can, and I will do all the good I can, and we shall be saved by and by!" Having this title before us, we shall see whether it can be proven from the scriptures, that God designed his people to be called by it, by comparing this name with the name saints; and if our reasoning is not satisfactory to any of our professing friends, they can have the liberty to give better ones, and if they please, disprove what we shall attempt to prove, and that is, as we have previously remarked, that God never called his people Christians.
The first mention of the name Christian, as recorded in the bible, is to be found in the 11 chapter, and 26 verse of Acts. Though the historian has not told us plainly that this was given to the believers in Christ by way of reproach, he has said that "they were called Christians first in Antioch." It is reasonable to suppose from the fact that the followers of Christ were not called Christians till so long after his resurrection, that it was a name given them by their enemies; for it is said, they were first called Christians in Antioch. And we may suppose that it was their enemies who gave them this name, as it is said, "they were first called." Had it been handed down to us that they first called themselves Christians in Antioch, it would alter the sense materially.
When Paul, [or Saul,] was led blind into Damascus, the Lord said to Ananias, in a vision, that in the house of Judas in a certain street he would find him; but Ananias sought to excuse himself because he had heard by many how much evil he [Saul] had previously done to the lord's saints in Jerusalem. [See the 9 chap.] In the same chapter it is said, that as Peter passed through the country he came down also to the saints who were in Lydda. In the 41 verse also of this chapter, it is written, that when Peter had raised Dorcas from the dead, he presented her alive to the saints, &c. This was evidently near the time when Barnabas found Paul at Tarsus, and brought him to Antioch, as would also appear from the manner of the expression, and was about the time when the disciples were first called Christians; but were known to each other by the name, disciples, brethren, and saints.
In the 31 chapter, and 28 verse of the same book, the historian informs us, that when Paul was speaking for himself before Agrippa, that the king said, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." There are certain facts to be considered concerning this account, previous to placing the mind directly upon this verse. We will here survey a powerful plea of Paul before his judges, rendered doubly interesting from the fact, that his accusers charged him with constant attempts to overthrow the government, stir up factions, riots, discords, tumults, and rebellions of every description, and finally a subverter of the peace and good order of society every where, and that he had spread his pernicious doctrine throughout all Asia, when the plain fact was, his accusers were mad with him because of his religion--he had forsaken his former party, and ceased to persecute the saints, and they were determined to take his life; if they could not assassinate him secretly, they would, like every other mob, use every exertion to frame and circulate false reports concerning his private as well as public character, to enrage popular prejudice and stir up the authorities against him, to procure his destruction in that way. But Paul spake for himself, in the defense of his own life and character, and maintained his point in a beautiful manner, by relating his own convertion to the doctrine of the gospel, and thereby satisfactorily convinced his judges, that this was the ground of the whole charge preferred against him by the Jews. One item further will be noticed in his defense, that in the midst of the relation of his vision, he says, [Acts 26:10] "Many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they [the saints] were put to death, I gave my voice against them." [The saints.] "Because, I thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth, therefore I shut up the saints [not Christians] in prison," &c.
The next and last mention made of the word Christian in the bible, is in Peter's first epistle, 4 chapter, and 16 verse. In the 14 verse of the same chapter, Peter plainly shows that the saints were called Christians in his day out of reproach, because he says, "If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part he [Christ] is evil spoken of, but on your part he [Christ] is glorified." From this it is reasonable to conclude, that the saints in Peter's day were reproached for the name of Christ, that is, because they belonged to or were followers of Christ; for had they not been followers of Christ, they certainly would not have been dispised or reproached for him, and if they had not believed on him, they would not have been called Christians, and if they had not been called Christians they would not have suffered reproach for the gospel's sake, because, if they were reproached for Christ, it is evident that they were called Christians out of reproach, for their religion being from heaven, certainly heaven never would give a religion and then reproach it by calling those who embraced it by another name, out of reproach. He further says: [1 Pet. 4:15-16] "But let no man suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet, if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."
This is all we have in the bible to form or make the word Christian for a name to distinguish the church of Christ. The first and last show evidently, that it was a name given by the enimies of truth, and the other is merely quoted as the words of Agrippa after hearing Paul relate his vision of the Savior. Paul was accused, as before said, of violating the law of his country, but when he was brought before Agrippa and the Roman governor, by relating his vision he convinced them that the whole accusation on the part of the Jews, was for his embracing the gospel and believing that Jesus of Nazareth was the true Messiah. So the fact was demonstrated to them that Paul was "reproached" for the name of Christ, and Agrippa was almost persuaded to be "reproached" also for the sake of the reward, after listening to Paul's account of his own convertion, and of the circumstances leading to, or transpiring previous to that event, and of the glory of God which surrounded him on that occasion.
This being the amount of the testimony in the scriptures on the word Christian, it is to be observed, that it is mentioned only three times in all, and in neither case by the Lord in any form as addressing his people in that name, but to the contrary, it came from unbelievers, except in the last instance, and this, as has been shown, was only quoted by the apostle Peter, as a name by which the saints were called out of reproach--the difference being more than thirty to none between the two words, and whenever the term or name saints is applied, it is mentioned to represent the people of God, not by their enemies, but by themselves.
When the church of God was persecuted anciently, by the command of the Roman Emperors, its members were called "Athiests," because they did not willingly offer sacrifices and pay adoration to the gods of the heathen. Why do not professors call themselves "Athiests" now, because the heathen once called the church of God by that name, when they had power to persecute thousands to death? It would be just as proper, because the last was given to reproachfully accuse them for disrespecting the heathen worship, and the other was only given to distinguish them as a sect or party, whose practices and forms were different from the popular classes. One was given by way of persecution, and so was the other; for had no persecution been known, neither of these names would have been heaped "reproachfully" upon the followers of Jesus, and of course, one is equally as appropriate as the other for the people of God to wear as a name of distinction from the unprofessing world.
Thus prejudice, growing out of tradition, is sufficient for any people who never look beyond the mere sound or common-place name, for a guide.--Custom, with them, is sufficient to establish any form of worship, or system of belief, and the man who is bold enough to step over the common bounds, is assailed by every engine possible to be brought into operation; and every individual who has a few shillings of this world's lucre at stake, is abundantly armed with subtle reasoning, calculated to spread the dark gloom of unprincipled superstition over the minds of the stupid multitude, who look to him as to God for every lesson concerning salvation! Let the cry of "delusion" once be raised by such men, and it re-echoes from the lips of every infatuated tool, who supposes numbers a sure proof of the correctness of his principle, and a disposition to crush the man who lays siege to the received prejudice, the will of God. No matter what may be the country, nor no difference what may be the theory believed, Mahomedans, Hindoos, and blind sectarian professors of the religion of Christ Jesus, are all alike!--[Editor of the Star.]
<"Reflections">
Oliver Cowdery "Reflections," E&MS 2 (Jun 1834)
REFLECTIONS.
EVERY candid mind, or at least, every mind that has been enlightened with the book of revelation, must be persuaded, on careful reflection, that there certainly exists a Supreme Being, who, by his own power, brought into action and still upholds the universe with all its innumerable train of inhabitants. To admit that such a being exists, or as many express themselves, that there is a Great First cause who governs creation, and then say that that Being never had respect enough for the work of his own hands to give them a law on which they could depend, and assurances confirmed on which they could unhesitatingly rely, would be placing him beneath even the creature itself, and show an inconsistency in his character which would at once discard all idea of a Supreme Being. If it is urged by such individuals, that HE did not create, only governs, and that all these vast systems and innumerable creatures are the work or effect of chance, and that HE has not respect sufficient for these chance-formed creatures whom he governs, to give them a law, would at once strike at the foundation of this chance theory, and make that Being far inferior to frail chance-man.
In offering any reflection upon the subject of religion; in communicating our thoughts upon a system which perports to be from heaven; in placing our minds to reflect directly upon the consistency of a law from God, and in giving our views one to another upon the meaning and design of that law, there is a secret joy springing up in the heart of every lover of truth, which is past the art of man to express, that all are permitted so to do without the least fear of molestation. It may be said by some, that in consequence of this freedom, by frequent and constant discussions new societies arise and new parties form themselves, and for this reason a permanent system ought to be laid and a prohibitio law framed to prevent any from departing from this standard; but this would at once be an assumption of power beyond any thing which God has given, or even affected to claim, and would at once deprive us of our agency, and of course, could never have originated in the bosoms of any except those who have sought to rule both heaven and earth. Discussions may begin and close, and no matter how warmly each advocates his respective tenet, a war of words the most, if each remains inflexible to the other's arguments. The free exercise of thought, the liberty of conscience, the liberty of speech, and the right to choose a course best suiting ourselves is, certainly, to be ranked among the great blessings of civil liberty, and a privilege for which the saint of God, is certainly bound, by ever principle of the religion which he professes to believe, and by every consideration of a just reward hereafter, to render unceasing gratitude to the Author of his existence in unfeined humility; for such principles could have emanated from no other source than from HIM--They are just, consistent, and heavenly, and should be cherished in the bosom of every lover of happiness or holiness.
Heaven has a just right to give a form of worship to men, and to require men to follow that form upon the principle that they are to be judged by that form; but one happy consideration may be observed as it presents itself in the form of heaven for men to follow, heaven alone reserves the right to judge and reward all according to its own plan, and has left men here, to obey its teachings or reject them as they are disposed, without giving to other men equally as weak, and equally as fallible, power or authority to enforce those precepts by the arm of law. And since a difference of opinion has arisen upon the subject of the ordor or plan of heaven for mans' salvation, we are again thankful that the matter is to be decided by heaven alone, and that none can come forward with a claim founded upon revelation, and assert that they have power and authority from God to compel others to yield to their form or opinion, of the system upon which the everlasting happiness of all men is so immovably fixed. We say immovabley fixed, because, amid all the bustle and strife of men upon this most important of all subjects, who are right and who are wrong, the exact foundation which has been laid by the Lord himself, remains unmoved, and his decrees concerning man as unalterably the same as his throne, and the least variation in HIM, would, in a moment overthrow the whole foundation, and strike into non-existence the whole universe. Men may believe or disbelieve, and truth remains truth notwithstanding: they may form and re-form, moddle and remoddle, and the plan of salvation is still as exact as ever the Lord commanded Moses to build the tabernacle after the form showed him in the mount; and if men are saved they will be saved precisely according to the form or plan which God has devised, or there is no truth nor revelation extant, nor a day of retribution appointed to which we are all hastening.
Individuals or nations, may form themselves into as many different societies as they please, adopt as many different forms of worship, frame as many different creeds and confessions of faith, preach and proclaim what they call salvation, in their way, and pretend to found their claims upon scripture, and have their forms correspond with the bible, and assert that they obtained their authority from heaven, and still, this fact is to be observed amid it all, God has the power to say who are right and who are not.
Since none of the different sects pretend that the Lord talks to men in this day, of course, one can demand equally of the other to wait for the day of decision when HE shall reveal all things in the presence of all heaven. A long time to wait to know whether a man is sure of salvation or not, truly, but since God does not say any thing to them in this day, and each defend their respective systems with equal talents, and each have an equal claim upon the scriptures, (being under the necessity of plundering something given to another people for a foundation,) without further controversy on this point, wait they must; for were one party to assert, that they had ascertained by revelation immediately to themselves from heaven, aside from the one in the bible, that they were right, they would offer violence to their own creed and overthrow their present foundation in spite of all the ingenuity of their priests to prop up their rotten fabric; and the other would disbelieve it on the same principle, because his creed did not admit of any more revelations.
Surely, then, but the one alternative remains, and that is; to wait till the Judge himself shall decide, if ever the matter is settled; for when ever they undertake to decide it by the force of their own arguments, and settle the matter by fair discussion, each party claims the "victory," and each disputant claims the ascendency in argument, and those who listen are as much in darkness when they have finished as before they began; they have only listened to a senseless chatter which had no salvation in it from beginning to end; and if any difference is effected it is with those whose notions were not wholly absorbed in tradition before, and have only been led to see the weakness of both systems to start out upon another plan, and commence proselyting the world after another form, proclaiming, at the same time, against the great weakness of their former brethren, and exposing with wonderful strength and powerful reasoning their inconsistences, without, however, pretending that God has spoken to them or given them authority to preach his gospel, other than a mere "impression of the mind." This is sufficient for the majority of men in this day; and while the preacher of the new order, or the setter forth of "new gods" can prevent his new followers from investigating his new theory, he passes on in splendor, using his "impression" for a CALL and his pretentions for authority, and this his craft for his trade, to spend his time in taking the name of God in vain to make merchandise of the souls of men. Thus the giddy world suffer themselves to be wheedled out of their common senses, to be led by "impressions," and fed with imaginations,and built upon a system without a foundation, or an existance, except in the brain of a priest who preaches for money!
Perhaps this manner of communication may offend some of our friends of the "uncertain" order, and cause some bitter reproaches to be dropped from their lips; but we entreat them to look, at least once, before they judge of the correctness or incorrectness of the foregoing remarks, which if they do, and are honest they will admit their truth. It cannot be expected, that those who are bound in the belief that their traditions are revelations, will forsake their follies, and from such we may suffer some reproach; but since they deny that God speaks to them when they call upon him, we are in no fear of their curses if they are pronounced in HIS name, for if he will not hear them when they ask blessings, we know, that as he is a God of mercy, he will not hear them when they pronounce curses in his name; for certainly, he would not remain deaf to all their cries and petitions for mercy, and at a moment when their wrath was kindled, send down judgments upon such as they disliked, as none of them pretend to hold the keys of the kingdom of heaven. We therefore advise such to be composed, and in their patience possess their folly, if they are not willing to forsake it, as complaints will only confirm the truth of those hints, and more effectually show the weakness of their theories, and expose to the view of the candid the fallacy of their systems.
The opinions of men vary on many subjects, but generally, if an assertion is made, and particularly upon the subject of salvation, and they do not believe it, it cannot possibly be true. Give us evidence, say they, that we may believe. As though the things of God were to stand or fall upon the mere fact that they believed or disbelieved them, and that their whims were to regulate the revelations and set the whole kingdom of heaven at defiance if they disbelieved, or set it in order if by chance they should believe them.
Give us signs, said the Jews, that we may know that God has sent you; because if he has, you can show us any sign we wish to see, and unless you can show us signs, and that too when we ask to see them, we shall not believe that you are the true Messiah who was to come; and if a people as holy as we are reject your testimony, you certainly are an imposture, and if we stamp your mission with disapprobation, heaven bear record, we will make you a false Christ whether you came from God or not.
But it is to be remembered, that each sect claimed this high prerogative, because each declared that they were the people of the Lord. The Pharisees said, We Pharisees are the people of the Lord, and the Sadducees said, We Sadducees are the people of the Lord, and so said every other sect in the days of the ministry of Christ on earth, and his apostles. Each party claimed the superiority over the other, and each sect were sanguine in their opinion that God had no other people upon the earth beside themselves; and as a matter of necessity, would call upon them to sanction every proceeding of his, and confirm every communication which he might make; and if any communication was not approbated by them such could not be true, and every decree of heaven, before it could take effect must be ratified by their consent, or it would remain void!
Such was the folly of a people whose fathers once heard the voice of the Lord, and were guided by his immediate instruction; such was the belief of a people who were favored with the presence of the Savior of the world in his own person--such their wickedness and hardness of heart, and such their blindness concerning the declarations of the ancient prophets, that the Lord of glory himself walked among them and was dispised, because he did not sanction their acts of rebellion and applaud them for their departure from him. They killed the prophets, stoned those whom God sent to turn them from their iniquities, cast out the apostles and offered violence to the wisdom of heaven, until, as the Savior said they would, they fell upon that stone and were "broken!"
Men in our day declare that they have received the word of the Lord, and that they are his people, and yet declare, that he will give no more revelations while time lasts, and that any person declaring to the contrary is a liar and not worthy to live! They say, "We have received;" when in fact, they have received nothing! They say, "We enjoy from God;" when HE never said any thing to them! They say, "We have a hope;" and found that hope upon a promise made to the ancients who passed through seas of afflictions and floods of adversities, dispared of life and sacrificed the dearest relations of human existance, left all things else and forsook the customs of the heathen, that they might obtain the promise from the Lord of glory that their salvation was sealed, that their election was sure! Will those who are so unlike them obtain the same blessings, and inherit the same glory? Will they have an abundant entrance administered unto them into the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb, when here they never heard his voice nor obtained a promise from his mouth? But amid all the strife and bustle on the subject of religion, the day is fast advancing when those who have made a false pretention will have their hypocrisy revealed before an assembled universe, and the generation dispising the revelations of God and setting at nought the glories of his kingdom, will be weighed in the BALANCE, and on them, according to the true declaration of the Lord, the stone will fall and [2 Ne. 26:5] "grind them to powder!"--[Editor of the Star.]
<Editorial>
Oliver Cowdery ed E&MS 2 (Jun 1834)
OBITUARY.
DIED in this place on the 3rd, HARRIET U. daughter of brother Amos F. and sister Harriet Herrick, aged 20 months.
The flower is often watched with care, but before its leaves have disclosed its opening fragrance, a worm may prey upon its roots, the next hour its beauty has fled, and nought but a withered stalk remains! Not so with the parents' hope, who is called to resign its prospects in the beauty of its smiling infant, though it commits its body to the tomb, God will watch its dust, and in the morning of the first resurrection HE will bring it forth from the dead, clothed in immortal life!
On the 6th, sister CLARISSA, wife of brother Phineas H. Young, aged 34 years.
Her relatives and intimate friends know best her former worth, and can the better appreciate their loss; but as a member of the church of the Latter Day Saints, her walk was a worthy example of the honesty and purity of her heart, and the sincerity of her profession, and her perseverance to the end, satisfactory evidence that she enjoyed what she desired--the presence of the Savior to and during her last moments--She lived, she fell asleep, and she was still the same,--a saint! And though the kindred cord on the part of her friends was loth to sever, yet her dust was committed to its mother earth with the full assurance, that though [1 Cor. 15:43] "sown in weakness, it will be raised in power."
On the 8th, sister LUCINDA BIGALOW, aged 44 years. She has been a worthy member of the church of the Latter Day Saints from near its first organization, during which she has maintained a circumspect and pious walk before all, and has now gone to the enjoyment of those who [Rev. 14:13] "rest from their labors, while their works follow them." She has left a large family of children, some young, to mourn the loss of a tender mother. "My flesh shall rest in hope!"--[Editor of the Star.]
AFTER our paper had gone to press, we received the minutes of the Conference held at Saco; Me. on the 13th, but for want of room they are laid over till our next.--By a request contained in the same letter the Elders and churches abroad are informed that Conferences will be held at the following places, viz:--At (or near Mr. Blood's as the church may appoint,) Andover, Windham co. Vt. on the 19th and 20th of July; at Benson, Rutland co. Vt. on the 26th of the same month; and at Bolton, Warren co. N. Y. on the 2nd of August. The Elders will attend for church business on Saturdays at each place, and on Sundays general instructions on the gospel will be publicly given. May God sanction and bless their labors, and make manifest the power of his truth!--[Editor of the Star.]
Erratum.--In the March No. 3rd page, first column, first line of the 2nd paragraph of brother W. [William] W. Phelps' letter, instead of reading "it was thought not advisable, read most advisable." Certainly, a difference--they lay under the snow!
<"Outrage">
Oliver Cowdery "Outrage," E&MS 2 (Jun 1834)
THE OUTRAGE IN JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI. {beliefs-lds}
Perhaps our friends may think that we devote too large a portion of the Star to the subject of the Jackson outrage, in consequence of the willingness of every respectable citizen to raise his voice against every proceeding of the kind, and the supposed fact, that in a government of laws, such conduct cannot fail, sooner or later, to meet its just reward; and further, that a people so degraded, so lost to every feeling of common humanity, so destitute of that kindness which ought to occupy the bosom of at least, every citizen of a free country, and who are so perfectly estranged from that Spirit which should have a place in the hearts of all people who profess to live in an enlightened land, that it is time they were permitted to rest undisturbed, and remain unmolested, at least, so far as relates to any further exposition of their dark and unprincipled deeds; but facts disclose themselves almost daily which serve to confirm previous statements, that those professing the religion of heaven, were equal coadjutors in this grand rebellion and this high handed treason against the general government; and are now lurking in every place where they can hope to have influence, to turn the heavy current of public censure which is continually setting against them with more and more force, and are, as they have been from the beginning, seeking to hide themselves from justice under the frail cloak of falsehood.
These degraded beings attempted so to contrive and arrange their plans, that when they brought them into operation against the government and laws in this outrage, a number could stand back, professedly nutral, and make a show at impartiality in order to blind the public mind, and save those who acted a conspicuous part openly, from the censure and contempt which their crimes so justly merited, by inventing and circulating lies to defame the characters and blast the reputable standing of those they persecuted, and by concealing the acts of the mob from investigation, try to make it appear, that they [the mob] were firstly imposed upon, and there remained no other alternative for them than to do as they have done, force civil inhabitants from their homes! but in this they have wholly failed. In their great eagerness to excuse the acts of those who figured openly, they have betrayed their own guilt in a manner which must be apparent to every sensible mind, and prove beyond a doubt, that if they were not imbruing their own hands in the immediate blood of their fellow creatures, they were acting a conspicuous part in the tragedy, behind the scene, equally to be censured, and equally as base when once viewed with a discerning and impartial eye.
View their conduct in the most favorable point of light--give them lenity in every act where the least semblance of excuse can be urged on their part, and still, a dark shade is thrown over every action, and the most undeniable proof characterizing every deed, that they condescended to pattern after the uncultivated savage, and in some instances they have outdun him in profligate meanness! The man who says to that assassin, go on, though I will not immediately engage in committing the act myself, but will use my influence to screen you from justice if you are in danger of being exposed, is equally guilty with the perpetrator, and when God calls the nations to an account, his hands will be found equally stained with the blood of his fellow man. Because he did not engage in the actual commission of the crime, is no excuse, since by his influence he exerted an ascendency over the other's mind, holding out a hope of escape from justice through his influence and standing in society, when, had it not been for this hope, entirely grounded upon the idea of escaping by this means, perhaps the deed never would have been committed, and those hands which must appear stained with the blood of men before the tribunal of Omnipotance, would have been clean and undefiled in his presence!
But in attempting to excuse the acts of treason and riot which have been so notorious in the Missouri affair, the coadjutors of the mob have betrayed a weakness common to all men on such occasions; and with the most plausible pretext yet framed and pawned upon the world by them, no matter who was its inventer, nor how impartially he would endeavor to write, with all the falsehoods he was capable of inventing, and with all his hypocritical turning he has not excused one act of the mob from first to last when once contrasted with the principles of justice and the common unalienable rights of men; but in every instance every individual has shown a personal revengeful feeling, and an uneasy, feverish desire to cover the acts of the perpetrators of those deeds, that the innocent might be crushed under the feet of superior power, and that power an unlawful banditti; and one thing as intelligibly discerned as any is, that all the abettors of the mob are troubled because of the religious principles of this persecuted society of saints.
This fact has been shown from the first, in the declaration of the mob, which was published in the 15th number of the Star, as well as in many subsequent articles on the same subject. And since it is the religion which is so troublesome to these men, it is to be expected, that such as are liable to suffer the greatest loss, will exert themselves with the most diligence to stop its progress; and as such men generally hold an influence, it is to be expected that that influence, will be used in the best possible manner to effect the desired object. It is the policy of such men to use all the art they have in their possession to heat up the ignorant class, by instilling into their minds a belief that something was materially wrong, that their personal liberty as freemen was about to be infringed, or was already trampled upon, and that only one course remained to rid themselves of those evils and secure to themselves permanent peace and safety, which was to rise enmass, and do by force what they could not by flattery nor threats; at the same time holding out the promise of escaping from justice through their influence, and of having an honorable acquittal from all censure by the falsehoods and miscoloring which should immediately be thrown over the act; and with a further expectation of becoming famous in the eyes of good men for distinguishing themselves in such a peculiar manner in doing God service, as the Jews did the ancient saints, by ridding the earth of a people who worshiped not according to their tradition, and in consequence of that were fanatics, impostures, and blasphemers!
It may be said, that none but the most ignorant and profligate, such as have no standing or character in society, and are desirous of neither, will engage in riots and disturbances; but when this is laid down as a general rule, if carefully examined, will be found to admit of exceptions. In small acts of offense against the general peace of society, it may be only the low and abandoned who engage in it, and perhaps these, nine times out of ten, do it more for what they call "sport" than out of any vicious or revengeful motive; but in an extensive riot, where civil law is set aside at mid-day, and deeds of the foulest kind perpetrated, no respect to age, sect, or condition observed, as in the Jackson outrage, a moment's reflection will teach any rational man, that such characters never laid a plan of that debth, and carried it on with such determined resolution, in the midst of a government like this. They never would have courage to make the first move toward such a desperate act: the fear of immediate trial for treason, if not the expectation of immediately being killed by civil troops in quelling such factions, would leave such wretches without hope, and the most determined without numbers to stand by them even to make one attempt.--Another fact to be considered is, that such men are never troubling themselves about religion--they have none themselves neither do they care whether others have or not, consequently, they would never say that in consequence of any religious sect they were in danger of losing their liberty, or, as the Missouri mob said, "pretended religious society."
When ever a government is found to be insufficient to protect its subjects from lawless depredators, and to ensure peace and safety to its citizens, against the assaults of men whose principles may differ from their neighbor's, and when any part of community can rise up and subvert civil authority, and turn their whole proceedings into a mock, mob legislature, where crimes are considered a virtue, and open rebellion against the laws, a responsible recommend to a seat in that body, that country is hastening to ruin, and the day is not far distant when every one who may be bold enough to oppose such proceedings, will find they do it at the hazard of property and the imminent risk of life!
The individual encouraging the acts of a mob in any shape or form, is that moment encouraging a course of procedure, which if suffered to continue, may recoil, perhaps, upon his own head, and be the means of his utter ruin: and when ever riots are hushed up, by people merely saying that they are unlawful, or that this not ought to be, because the civil law is sufficient to obtain every redress for injury, &c. without stamping it with the disapprobation due such vile opprobrious proceedings, many may find themselves, in time, in want of an influence exerted in their behalf, which they might have done for others, and the call for such an interposition as fruitless as the cry of the wicked, represented in the apocalypse, in the great day of the wrath of God!
Societies of great strength and power, may feel secure, perhaps, and in consequence of their supposed security, because of their superior numbers, think lightly of the afflictions of others and of proceedings calculated in their existance to overthrow the general peace, and set at defiance the very authority under which they themselves feel secure, till too late to heal the wound, or even apply a remedy. Give to a portion of mankind countenance in violating the laws, and they will soon have sufficient numbers to attack any society, or any part of society, against which they hold a spleen, and the community which once looked upon such proceedings with indifference, may be placed in an attitude where even a move toward self defense would be but a tocsin to utter destruction! The same circumstances surrounding the weak society today, may surround the stronger tomorrow; and the weak society which is oppressed and persecuted for its religion today, may stand and see the strong suffer tomorrow, without being able to raise an arm to defend it; and a mere turn off, because those were persecuted whose belief in matters of religion differed from our's, may be an encouragement to a gang of ruffians to accumulate more strength, and consult their plans to the entire subversion of our own liberty and future happiness!
We give, below, an extract of a letter from brother J. [John] Corrill, dated, "Clay Co. Mo. June, 14." It will be remembered, that the last No. of the Star contained a letter from brother W. [William] W. Phelps, of the same place, giving information of the destruction of houses, &c. as well as the alarm, and determination of the mob to resist the civil law to the last, which is confirmed by the following. It will be seen, however, that their leaders are beginning to leave the place for fear of consequences; abandoning their ignorant and wretched followers to help themselves out of trouble in the best manner they can devise.--[Editor of the Star.]
<John Corrill>
John Corrill ltr in E&MS 2 (Jun 1834)
"The leaders of the mob are yet striving to keep up the same spirit of opposition, by instilling falsehoods into the minds of the people. They tell them that the `Mormons' are coming upon them, mob like, to kill their women and children. They raised an alarm a few days ago in which the whole county of Jackson was in an uproar; men riding in different directions and proclaiming, `the Mormons are coming,--they are now crossing the river--they are coming to kill, destroy,' &c. Some women and children left their houses, and fled to the woods, and elsewhere, while the men, 2 or 300, gathered together, to oppose the `Mormons,' as they supposed, in their return. They repaired to the different ferries, on the river, to guard them, and I have been credibly informed, that they have since continued to guard the river at the different crossing places, from one end of Jackson county to the other. And for fear that we would return and enjoy our dwellings again, they set fire to, and burned them down, and then raised a report, that the `Mormons' went over and burnt their own houses. Several nights in succession were they in burning our houses, and I am informed, that they have burned them all, except a very few which are occupied by other families: and I have been told that they have destroyed our fences and other property that remained. What was the cause of this great alarm among them, I know not; for we were at home attending to our own business, and had no thought of returning at that time. Neither have we any thoughts of ever returning in the night time, or in the mob like manner which they represent to the people: for as we design to be governed in all cases by the laws of the land, we shall therefore return under the protection of the Governor, as he has promised us. We therefore have no need to return and take them on surprise, as they falsely represent to the people; for we mean to act only on the principles of self defense in all cases. But they state falsehoods to the people for the purpose; I suppose, of keeping their strength good, to oppose our return, which I understand they are determined to do, even to the shedding of blood; and it is said, by the mob, that the whole county is combined together. They are arming themselves, and they have distributed our guns among them. But it is easy to be seen, that fear and consternation prevails among them; some of their leaders have already cleared out; Col. S. [Samuel] D. Lucas, has taken his goods and gone down the river; both the [Henry and Joel F.] Childs have lately gone to the south, on a long visit; lawyer [Russel] Hicks says, if no compromise is made, he shall seek a location some where else; and I have been told that L. Franklin is going away soon; some families, I have heard, are leaving through fear. As nearly as I can learn, the number that is determined to stand and oppose our return, even unto bloodshed, is about 150 or 200 in that county, though it is said, that many from other counties will come to their assistance."
"They are trying to excite the people of this county to drive us from here, and for this purpose, it is said, they are circulating a paper, and have got some signers; but the authorities of this county do not countenance them in this thing, and I think they cannot succeed; but it is said that they are lurking about and seeking a chance to do private injury, but the brethren are on the look out, and are preparing themselves with arms for self defense, and I think, that if we continue firmly to persevere according to the laws of the land, that we shall be enabled shortly to overcome the mob and obtain our rights."
Yours, &c. "JOHN CORRILL."
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THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR
VOLUME 2, NO. 22-24
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KIRTLAND, OHIO
VOL. II, NO. 22, KIRTLAND, OHIO, JULY, 1834.
COMMUNICATIONS.
<"Millenium">
Sidney Rigdon "Millenium," E&MS 2 (Jul 1834)
MILLENIUM. NO. VII. {beliefs-lds}
[Continued from our last.]
Isaiah says in the 60 chapter of his prophecy and the 2 verse, "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 upon thee." Any man who will read this 60 chapter of Isaiah will see that he was speaking of the last days, even the days of the coming of the Son of man, the time of the gathering, or the dispensation of the fulness of times, in which all things are to be gathered that are in Christ Jesus, whether they are things on earth, or things in heaven: and it was at this time, that darkness was to cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. But more of this hereafter.
Paul, in the 2 epistle to the Thessalonians, 2 chapter and 3 verse, told that people whom he had besought by the coming of the Lord Jesus, and by their gathering together unto him, that they need not expect the day of the Lord, or the coming of the Lord, until there had been a falling away first. And in his first epistle to Timothy, 4 chapter, 1, 2, and 3 verses, he declares, "that the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared as with a hot iron; forbiding to marry, to abstain from meats, which God had created to be received with thanksgiving of them who believe and know the truth."
This same apostle, in his 2 epistle to Timothy, has set forth this same apostasy in words so plain as not to be easily misunderstood. 3 chapter, commencing with the first verse, to the close of the 5: "This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankfull, unholy, without natural affection, truce-brakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, dispisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
We can see by the last verse in this quotation, that it is the religious world he is speaking of; for others have not a form of godliness. The apostle continues his discourse down to the 4 chapter, and then in a most solemn manner charges Timothy: [see 1 and 2 verse:] "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." After this charge, he gives the reason why he was thus strict, in verse 3: "For the time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables." In consequence of the great corruptions of the last days,their exceeding great apostasy, the apostle declares in the 2 chapter of 2 Thessalonians, and 11 verse that the Lord will abandon them to strong delusions, that they may believe a lie; and in the 12 verse for this object, "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Who can read these declarations of the apostles, and not see that the world, in the last days, when it begins to draw near to the time of the coming of the Son of man, will be in a deplorable condition, led by a parcel of teachers whom God never sent, and themselves full of all corruption and vileness? The apostle does not say that their teachers will not be very learned men, and that it will not be an age when science will be greatly studied, as men call it, nor yet an age of politeness, and of great worldly refinement; but on the contrary we may fairly infer from what he says about there being found boasters, that they will be all this, and a great deal more; but he says that they will not be a people of God. Jesus says that they will be just such a people as lived in the days of Noah; and Isaiah says, that gross darkness will cover them.
There are some thoughts which force themselves on the mind, when reflecting on what the Savior says about the people of the last days being as the people were in the days of Noah. Paul has shown, that the people of the last days were apostate religionists, and their great corruption arose from this thing, that they had apostatized from the faith of the gospel. Now, as we are told that they are just such a people as were in the days of Noah, would it be hazarding much to draw the conclusion, that the people in the days of Noah were apostate religionists, also, and that their fore fathers understood the religion of heaven as perfectly as the fore fathers of this generation? or do not like causes produce like effects?
Another thing of great importance to those who believe in the second coming of the Savior is, that if the testimony of the Savior himself is to be credited, all attempts to convert this generation will be vain; for he says as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man. Now, if we can find how it was in the days of Noah, we need not be at a loss to tell how it will be with this generation: Let us ask what advantage would it have been in the days of Noah to have gone throughout the land and built up churches? the answer is, it would have, (if the people thus built up believed that they had embraced the religion of heaven,) effectually secured them in blindness until the day of their destruction!
There was but one way for them to escape, and that was, to hear the preaching of Noah, and be gathered as God might have directed him. "And so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man:"
The scriptures abound in warnings and admonitions to the people of the last days, lest they should be overtaken in an hour they expected not, and the Son of man should come and find them sleeping; but notwithstanding all the warnings and admonitions which the sacred writers left on record for their use, they well knew that they would be overtaken at last as by a thief in the night: even when they were crying peace and safety sudden destruction should come upon them; for so great was to be their darkness, that they were not to be able to discern the signs of the times. All the signs of the coming of the Son of man were to pass before their eyes, and still they were not to be able to discern them, nor yet know them to be such, because they were the children of darkness and not the children of light.
No man who believes, can read the prophetic history of the last days without marveling greatly. We are told that before this marvelous advent of the Savior, and as testimony to the world that his coming draws nigh, the sun is to be darkened, the moon turn to blood, and the stars fall from heaven: that there are to be wars, and rumors of wars, with earthquakes in divers places, famines and pestilences; and all this declared by the Savior as well as the apostles, to be to the world for signs, that his coming was at hand; and still, with all this testimony, the sacred writers testify, that they would be in such great darkness, that all these might pass by, and the world be overtaken by the coming of the Son of man as a thief in the night; and what could produce this effect? one thing, and only one, that God had given them over to strong delusions that they might believe lies, in order that they might be damned; because they did not receive the truth in the love of it. Compare first Thessalonians, 5 chapter, from the 1 to the 12 verse, with Matthew, 24 chapter, 29 and 30 verses; Isaiah 24, chapter, 23 verse; Acts, 2 chapter, and 20 verse; Revelations, 6 chapter, and 12 verse. Who can read, understandingly, and not marvel, yea, greatly marvel at the generation of the last days.
Peter, in his 2 epistle, 2 chapter, 1, 2, and 3 verses, has given us the reason of the gross darkness which is to cover the people. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you." The apostle in the subsequent part of the chapter, gives us the terminating point of a false religion, and the full extent of its influence on the minds of men--it reduces them to the level with the beast which perish: "But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption." This is the final result of a false religion: it places its victim in a situation to perish, having first reduced him to a level with the beasts. It matters not how learned he may be, how refined, how polite, how genteel, nor yet how moral, according to the judgment of the world; destitute of the true religion, he is, notwithstanding all this, like a natural brute beast, if Peter's testimony is to be credited. But let us enquire a little, what will make a man like a beast? we know of but one thing, and that is, being in a situation that he cannot get revelations; for should he have power sufficient with God to get revelations, he can escape any destruction, but without it, he can escape none only by mere accident, or chance, and so it is with the beasts. Nor could nature produce any thing more suitable to describe the situation of a race of men, who do not receive revelations, than the beasts; neither is it possible for a false religion to bring a greater evil on the human family than this, and nothing but a false religion can produce this effect: for there never was a society of people who possessed the true religion, but they received revelations from God, whether they were Jews, or Gentiles, unless they had corrupted it; or at least, if there were any such, we have no account of them; for the bible which we have, never makes mention of any such people.
If religion was ever designed of the God of heaven to be of any use to men, it was intended to bring him into the nearest possible relation to himself, and to give him the highest possible communion with his Creator, that his nature would admit; and any thing, or system, which in any degree prevents mankind from this attainment, is a departure from the pure religion of heaven, and the less of this communion men have, the farther they are from the truth, and when they get so far as not to be able to get revelations at all, they are like unto the beasts, and are ripe for destruction!
These sayings of Peter, when properly considered, taken in connection with what Paul says in his 2 epistle to Timothy, 4 chapter, [verses 4,5] "For the time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn their ears away from the truth, and shall be turned to fables," may assist us in understanding the peculiar darkness of the generation, who shall inhabit the earth at the coming of the Savior. Peter says, that there shall be false teachers, who shall make merchandise of them, and so bewilder them that they will at last be like the beasts that perish. Paul says, that they will have itching ears, and heap to themselves teachers, who shall turn their ears away from the truth, and they shall be turned to fables. From what Paul has said in the 5 chapter of 1 Thessalonians, 1, 2, and 3 verses, we can see that they were to be in such darkness, that the Son of man was to come upon them as a thief in the night, when they were in the very act of crying peace and safety, notwithstanding the sun, previous to this time, had been darkened, the moon had been turned to blood, and the stars of heaven had fallen. And why was it that they could not discern the signs of the times? why? because, they had had itching ears and had heaped to themselves teachers, and through their influence their ears were turned away from the truth unto fables! false teachers had got them so far from their God, that they were like the beasts that perish, they could get no revelations. Besure they had seen the sun darkened, and the moon turn to blood, and they beheld some thing like stars falling from, or flying in the midst of heaven, but then they could not tell whether this was what was intended by the Savior and the apostles, when they said these signs should appear in the heavens as a prelude to the Savior's coming; and as none of them had power with God sufficient to get a revelation and know of a truth whether this was the case or not, like the beast which perish, they must stand and perish without power to know the things of God for themselves.
Peter, in his 2 Epistle, 3 chapter, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 verses, speaking of the people of the last days, says: "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."
This testimony of the apostle is very decisive: he says that the people of the last days, are to be mockers and scoffers; they are to scoff at the idea of the Saviors coming, saying, "where is the promise of it?" &c.
This will doubtless be after the church begins to come out of the wilderness, and to announce to the world his coming; then will the mockers and scoffers begin to cry, "where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation;" and this because they are willingly ignorant. The apostle, by this expression, seems to suppose that the subject of his coming to burn the world with fire, or to be revealed in fire, as Paul says, was so plainly written that it is wilful ignorance not to be acquainted with it, and understand it. This is a hard saying for those who have been for years trying to find out something about the second coming of Christ, or Millenium, which is the same thing, and yet say they dare not approach it. Peter says they are willingly ignorant of it, the same as to say, that they are unwilling to believe what the scriptures say about it, and want to spiritualize them, or interpret them, so as to make them mean something different from what they say, and are, in consequence of this, in great ignorance, which ignorance is wilful. Isaiah, in the 28 chapter of his prophecy, from the 8th to the 23 verse, gives us a similar account of the last days, the time when God should begin to give revelations to a people of stammering lips and of another tongue, for the benefit of Israel, he says:
"Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: for with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest: and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the Lord was unto them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which was in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it: and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work: and bring to pass his act, his strange act. Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth."
That the prophet refers to the same people that Peter referred to, I think will not admit of a doubt. Peter said of the people of the last days, that they were mockers, and scoffers, and were to mock and scoff at the coming of the Son of man. Isaiah says that the people of whom he spake, were scorners, and mockers, and they were to mock at the overflowing scourge, saying it would not come unto us. Another fact which puts the matter to rest is, that Isaiah wrote of a people who were to live in the days, when God had decreed a consumption on the whole earth. This was to be done in the last days, at the coming of the Son of man. So that Isaiah as well as Peter, has given the same character to the generation which is to live in the days of the coming of the Son of man.
I shall have occasion for this quotation in another part of this desertation.
I shall now sum up the substance of what is said in the foregoing quotations, concerning the situation of the world at the coming of the Son of man.
1. They are to be false religionists, broken up into parties and sects.
2. Their teachers are to be numerous and of their own making; for they are to "heap to themselves teachers having itching ears."
3. Those teachers that they heap to themselves, are to be false teachers, and are to make merchandise of the people.
4. They are to be in gross darkness, not able to discern the signs of the coming of the Son of man, however visible they may be.
5. They are to be mockers, and scoffers; mocking at the idea of the coming of the Son of man; mocking and scoffing at the revelations, even the line upon line; the precept upon precept, which the Lord is to give to Israel to cause them to rest, by a people of stammering lips and another tongue, even by the Gentiles.
6. They were to have a form of godliness denying the power thereof.
7. They were to be like the natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, not being able to get revelations for themselves.
8. To crown all, they are to be a people just such as God destroyed in the days of Noah, marrying and given in marriage, being proud, boasters, inventers of evil things; heady, high minded; lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, with an innumerable train of other evils.
Thus the sacred writers discribe the people of the last days, and no doubt but the people themselves will say they are enlightened, very learned, exceedingly polite, remarkably genteel, peculiarly scientific, the greatest of statesmen, the profoundest of polititions, and the best of generations,--truly God seeth not as man seeth.--So differs inspired men and non inspired men in their judgment of mankind.
TO BE CONTINUED.
<"Faith of Church">
Sidney Rigdon "Faith of the Church," E&MS 2 (Jul 1834)
FAITH OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN THESE LAST DAYS. NO. V {beliefs-lds}
[Continued from our last.]
It is really marvelous to hear men proclaiming to the world what great duties have been required of them by their God, when they have no authority for it but the workings of their own brain.
Among the follies of men this is the greatest; and where is the sect that is free from it? I answer none; there never was nor never will be a people on this earth, except those who get direct revelations from heaven for themselves, but will forge out their own religious duties, and enjoin duties on themselves that no other being ever required of them. In consequence of the gods of the nations all being dumb, we have had at one time and another, in this world, the most marvelous codes of religious laws that ever honored or disgraced the archives of any planet, of all God's vast creation. Men might be great statesmen and politicians, brave warriors, able counsellors, wise governors, discrete rulers, as far as worldly government was concerned; but unless their god could, and did talk, and that to themselves, their religion was perfect folly, and the most senseless ignorance. Take, for instance, the Greeks in their greatest glory, and with all their sagacity as statesmen, and wisdom as legislators, yet their religion was the greatest folly, being of no advantage to them, neither in this life nor yet in that which is to come, consisting in running races, with men, horses, and chariots, with every species of folly, not even drunkenness excepted, licentiousness, and debauchery, and still they were conscientious in the observances of their self-created duties, as necessary religious performances.
Let any candid person read the history of religion, as it has been practized in the world from one period to another, during the thousand years, of man's existence, and he will read nothing but a mixture of folly and wickedness from one end of the earth to the other, except among that portion of mankind who received direct revelation from heaven; nor were they any better off, though their fathers had received revelations from God, unless they received them themselves, they would soon degenerate, and their religion would be turned into the greatest nonsense and wickedness.
Whenever the Jews began to reject the prophets sent to them, they began to corrupt themselves, and become defiled before God, and ripened rapidly for destruction, and nothing could have preserved them from the complete overthrow which they suffered, but receiving constant revelations from God. Had they continued to acknowledge the prophets, and received their teachings, they never would have crucified their Messiah, and they would have escaped the calamities which befel them.
The world, at one time and another, has supported all kinds of religion without direct revelations from heaven, except the religion of Jesus Christ, but that they never preserved without direct revelations from heaven since the world began. For revelations direct from heaven was a part of that great system devised in the heavens, for the salvation of man, and a very important item of it too, without which all the rest of the plan would have failed of its object, for without this, no people were ever saved, nor ever will be; nor is there salvation in the system and take this important item away. There never was a society on earth, nor never will be one, it matters not how pure they may be, let the God of heaven say as the religious world now says, that the canon of scripture is full, and there is now no more need of revelations, you have got enough; and from that very hour that society would begin to corrupt its way before God, and would never stop its deterioration until every vestage of purity had departed from it, and it would become a sink of corruption. It was part of the scheme of salvation to give constant revelations to the saints, and that, as long as they lived, nor was there any period in their life that they did not need to receive revelations.--A person might as well talk about a perfect human system, when it had an arm or a leg cut off, as to talk about a perfect scheme of purification, by which men are fitted for heaven, without the persons thus being fitted received continued revelations for themselves, for their own direction and salvation.
Without this power, what vain and foolish duties men hatch up out of their own brain and enjoin them on their followers, and on themselves also! what various kinds of obligations, from the severe austerities of a dominican friar, to the laborious duties enjoined on Mr. Scott, even the task of converting the world! for the dominican friar, or the augustine monk, has as much authority for his austerities, as Mr. Scott has for his ardious task of converting the world: that is just as much authority as they could give to themselves, or get from persons in the same situation as themselves. Indeed, they both worship the same kind of god, one who has found it necessary to hold his tongue for nearly two thousand years, and does not calculate to speak any more till time shall end, and one of them has as good a chance to know his duty as the other, and has as good a right to practice his austerities as the other has to convert the world.
No man ever yet knew his own individual duty to God only, as it was made known to him from time to time, as he needed instruction by immediate revelation direct from God. Without this he will labor in the labyrinths of uncertainty and doubt, [2 Tim. 3:7] "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth!"
In consequence of the religious world having lost the power of getting revelations for themselves, they have fallen into their present state of confusion, each party manufacturing duties for themselves. For instance, the Presbyterian, the Episcopalian, the Methodist, and the Catholic god, with the god of some other sects, requires them, (or at least they think he does,) to sprinkle their children, while the Baptist, the Christian, (so-called,) and the Campbellite god, or gods, are greatly offended with it, and considers it an insult to him for them to perform such a thing in his name; but reqires them to immerse only. But notwithstanding their gods require them all to immerse, they differ widely in the object for which they do immerse: the Baptist and Christian gods, command their worshipers to be babtized because their sins are forgiven them; and the Campbellite god commands his worshipers to be baptized for the remission of their sins, in order that their sins may be remitted; the Episcopalian god requires the children of his worshipers to be sprinkled, that their sins may be remitted, as also the Catholic god; but the Methodist god considers the children of his worshipers all fit for heaven without sprinkling, as he considers them without sin: the Baptist and the Presbyterian god have elect and non elect among the children of their worshipers, as well as among the adults. But after all the supposed requirements of these gods, (gods we say, for who in his senses will have the affrontery to say that all these clashing commandments come from the same god?) let a person ask any of them, has your god at any time spoken to you and told by direct revelation that he required this at your hands? O no; say they, we worship a god that does not give revelations at present, nor will he ever speak any more to men in the flesh: he formerly conversed very freely with men, and told them every thing that they desired to know in righteousness; but he has now of a long time, seventeen hundred years, at least, been silent, and will remain so forever. Well, how do you know that he requires such ceremonies of you as these which you perform? We know because we find in a book which he caused to be written that these were required. But of whom were they required? why; they were required of the people who lived at that day. Well, do you expect to receive the same reward for your obedience as the people received in that day? No; we do not expect to receive any of the spiritual gifts which were bestowed upon them, neither healings, miricles, speaking with tongues, nor yet the interpretation of tongues. And still he requires the performance of the same duties of you as he did of them? To be sure; for he never changes! But he does not give you as great a reward as he gave them. After all you have said about your god a man must draw the conclusion, that he is very much like the Pharaoh which rose up in Egypt who knew not Joseph; he requires the tale of brick; but makes you hunt the straw! Criticise all these sects down closely, and you will soon find that their gods, notwithstanding they are supposed to differ so much in their requirements, agree in one thing, that is, they are not very noisy! they are all dumb dogs: they have ears, but they hear not; mouths, but they speak not. So were the gods of the heathen, which were made by man's hands, of wood and stone; and after all the cry which pretended religionists make against the follies of heathenism, their gods are but a very little better than those.
A god that never speaks, is no better than an image of stone or wood, nor is any person under any more obligation to worship him, than he is to worship wood or stone, the gods of men's hands. But there are none of these gods, the God of the bible: the God of the bible, whenever he had a people on earth, whether they were Jews or Gentiles, whether they were in Pontus, Gallatia, Cappadocia, Bithynia, in Libya, Macedonia, or the parts about Cyrene, Cretes, or Arabians, God spake to them all, and gave revelations to them all, if they were worthy of promises; they were not under the necessity of going and hunting after the revelations given to some other people, but by the faith that was in them, they obtaned them for themselves.--By faith, says the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, the elders, or ancients, obtained promises: see the 11 chapter, 33 verse. The sectarians of this generation, are very different from the ancient saints; for instead of their obtaining promises by faith, they get them by stealth, by plundering the property of the saints and call it their own. They do not even pretend to get promises, but to claim those which others obtained for themselves eighteen hundred years since, and call them their own! "God say they, has promised eternal life to his children." And they call themselves his children, or they get their priests to set in judgment on them, and get them to call them the children of God; and having got a priest to name them they claim to themselves the promises which were made to the saints in the days of the ancient apostles, which they obtained by their faith; though they do not, neither can they claim the same standing before God which the saints obtained; for they came so near to God as to have heavenly visions, obtain the spirit of prophecy, of revelation, and of speaking with tongues, of the interpretation of tongues, as also the gifts of healing by the same spirit, and of working miracles; as also the seeing and conversing with angels--with the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and faith. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews, informs us, that the saints to whom he wrote that epistle, had [Heb. 12:23-24] "come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel;" Such was the power which the ancients had with God, that by their faith they were introduced into the society of all the heavenly host, not even the Father and the Son excepted, so that they became acquainted with the unseen world and its inhabitants, and having this power with God, through faith, they obtained promises, enjoyed the spirit of both revelation and vision, and as such, received the promises of God because he considered them worthy.--Another peculiarity about these saints was, that it was God who sat in judgment on them, and not men: they did not call on priests to know whether they were the people of God or not; but on the Father of heaven himself, and he passed decision on their head: if they had sinned, he who searched the hearts and tried the reins of all living, declared it unto them, and told them wherein: if they were indulging in secret iniquities he made it manifest to all: thus, they were searched reproved, rebuked, and chastened, until they were made clean every whit, and became a fit temple for the holy spirit, which dwelt in them, and led them into all truth: they were full of the spirit of wisdom and understanding: God dwelt in them and they in him, until they became identified with the Father and the Son, as the Father and the Son were identified in one! see John's gospel, or testimony, 17 chapter, from the 10, to the 23 verse.
If the epistolary writings of the new testament, were examined closely, it will be found that all the churches that did not obtain this power with God, were rebuked for their wickedness instead of being flattered with the promises made to another people. This was the perfection which God required, and he would receive nothing less from them or else he would [Rev. 3:16] "spew them out of his mouth."
But in these last days, we have churches and very many of them, who have never obtained a particle of power with God, and are utter strangers to the purity, holiness, and faith of the saints, and yet they are claiming their promises, and expect that God will receive them into the same heavenly mansions with those who overcame the world and obtained power with God. If I were to ask this sectarian generation, where their promise of eternal life was, they would have recourse to the promises made to the saints of former days, and there found their hope of eternal life! But ask them, do you sustain the same character before God they did? Have you the same power with God that they had? Can you draw near with as pure hearts to God as they did, and obtain the judgment of God on yourself as they obtained it? All these questions they would have to answer in the negative, and confess they did not! how vain, then, must it be to expect to be benefited by their promises, unless we sustain the same character, and have obtained the same standing before God they had obtained. If men are to be judged according to the deeds done in the body, shall persons whose sayings, doings, and sufferings, bare as little resemblance as those of the primitive saints and the sectarians of the nineteenth century, receive the same reward, and be appointed unto the same glory in the eternal world? If they are, God will not judge men according to the deeds done in the body!
If men obtain power with God in proportion to their holiness and purity before him, there must be a vast difference between the purity and holiness of the primitive saints and the modern sectarians; for there is a great difference in their power, one having power to do all things, and the other power to do nothing! one doubtless was holy, and the other is as certainly corrupt! one pure, and the other impure! and yet, they are all to be rewarded alike in the eternal world! And to crown the whole, all are to be rewarded "according to the deeds done in the body!!!" TO BE CONTIUED.
<"Reflections">
Oliver Cowdery "Reflections," E&MS 2 (Jul 1834)
THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR.
KIRTLAND, OHIO, JULY, 1834.
REFLECTIONS FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1834. {beliefs-lds}
Every citizen of this great Republic, can, with propriety join in the same voice in offering a tribute of gratitude and veneration to the Author of the universe, for those privileges and blessings which are not to be found in the same abundance in no other nation on earth, as every one must admit, when he compares these with the history and situation of other countries. There are other Republics, we admit, for other people have been roused up to exert their strengh in consequence of the unjust oppression exercised over them, and have been permitted to partake, in a degree, the benefits derived from a government administered by their own hands; but they are yet young, and need care to sift from among them every principle of their former anarchy, which if done, they may rejoice equally with our nation and partake of all the abundant blessings which surround us at this day.
It has invariably been the case to the present day, that whenever a people threw off the shackles of despotism, they were, more or less, involved in difficulties, occasioned by party strifes and excesses; but if a firm course was pursued, trifling divisions were easily accommodated, and petty disputes buried, while each year brought its additional blessings, with a year's increase of intelligence and experience. And while integrity and virtue were the leading principles actuating the administrators of the law, such governments have continued to increase in strength and beauty, leaving far behind those whose personal ambition and tyranical dispositions were opposed to the freedom of mankind.
There is something enchanting in the word LIBERTY! Can gold purchase it? no; it is the gift of heaven! and degraded, indeed, must be that man, who is once brought to taste its sweets, and then condescends so far beneath that exalted station in which nature at first placed him, (equal with all,) as to submit himself to the disposition of tyrants and usurpers!
When the reflecting man surveys our happy form of government, and contemplates the unsullied benefits which are, and can be enjoyed within its jurisdiction, he must be impressed with gratitude for that kind providence, which has, up to this present day, been so peculiarly favorable for the existence and continuation of the same. Fifty eight years have rolled away since the "Thirteen confederate colonies dissolved their allegiance to the British crown." Amid embarrassments and perplexities calculated in their very nature to dispond the hearts of all except FREEMEN, they threw off a foreign yoke, and gave birth to millions of happy mortals who must otherwise have remained in obscurity and sunk into the dust in silence.
It would have required a prophetic glance for either of those illustrious signers of that sacred compact, to have conceived the vast superstructure which was to be reared on that foundation so memorable in the mind of every lover of this exalted country, and without a firm reliance upon the divine authenticity of such a vision, he would even himself, been willing to pronounce it a vain fanaticism, and a wild uncertainty, fit only for the superstitious and ignorant class, who were entirely unacquainted with the history of other nations, and the subsequent events attendant on acts of this importance, in former days. And nothing short of a reliance on that Arm which has ever been sufficient to deliver those who were unjustly oppressed, could have induced our fathers to take this step.
Had they not taken this step, hundreds whose illustrious deeds do and will shine upon the pages of history, must have remained unseen and unknown, and hundreds whose genius and intelligence have bettered the condition of men, and served to raise them above wretchedness and degradation, would have remained like the unwrought marble in the bosom of the mountain, unpolished, without disclosing one beauty, or adding one ray of elegance to the work of sculpture, to grace the march of science, and to spread a single luster over the memory of men after they sleep in the dust. Blessings like ours!--where can they be found? Not in a foreign clime! At home, alone, is the place of their residence--they are our own--our sacred property; and each individual has an equal share! Had not heaven smiled, to this day gilted coaches would have rolled over the ashes of the peasant; opulent landlords would have thronged our capitals, and held the poor in bondage; Deputies would have stalked at the corners of our streets, to exact the stipulated fee of a hereditary prince, whose virtues or vices we knew nothing of, and as little whether he were a wise man or a fool, with ten thousand armed soldiers at his heels, to enforce the royal edicts, and this whole beautiful country, so peculiarly formed by the hand of Omnipotence to sustain a virtuous and happy people, would groan under the oppressive tax of ambitious soverigns, to support an army to keep in subjection the humble laborer, or massacre him if by chance he should refuse so to do, or speak amiss of his foreign lord!
But millions have cause to rejoice that it is otherwise--Here, each man, so far as he conducts himself in prudence and discretion, is entitled to the highest privileges and honors of this Government--here he is protected from oppression, honored as an equal, and respected as a citizen of the same great family, which God has planted with his own hand and sustains by his own power. Here he can contemplate the happy days of his rising posterity, (if they walk in righteousness,) and when called to leave this present state of existence, he can bless God that he can repose in peace with the joyful reflection, that his lot has been cast upon a consecrated land, where factions have not been permitted to boil, nor usurpation, with her destructive wand been permitted to blight the flower of freedom, nor wither the genial rose that blossoms upon the tree of liberty, contributes strength, and adds a perpetuity to our noble institutions.
Here while law is administered in equity, an asylum is held out to the oppressed, and a proper inducement offered by which he can break those natural affections which bind him to the place which gave him being, which fact is demonstrated yearly by the many thousands who emigrate to our shores--here he may enjoy his religion equally with others, and his social relations unmolested; and while his labor is blessed he can enjoy the fruit of that also, without an exacter to rob him of the same to support a vile ministry, either civil or ecclesiastical; but what heaven blesses him with is his own--his liberty is guaranteed, his person is protected, and his right of citizenship questioned by none. Such privileges and blessings are no less than the gift of God, and every individual enjoying them, is bound to acknowledge his hand in the organization of this Government, and the protection heretofore given to our fathers, his peculiar mercy, that a people might possess this land for a purpose unthought of and unknown to thousands, but held in reserve in his own mind to disclose to future generations, when his strong arm shall be revealed in the deliverance of Jacob, and his mighty power manifested in his defense.
These may be reflections foreign to the minds of most men in this delightful country, and perhaps might be spurned from them as a wild superstition, were they to be presented, in consequence of the overwhelming ignorance of men on the subject of the promises of God to his elect nation.--But however lightly these facts may be esteemed at this day, certain it is, that a peculiar providence was manifest from the first discovery of this continent, to the period when this nation became independent. This can be demonstrated from facts, and clearly shown to the mind susceptible of light, and willing to admit an overruling Hand in every act of nations to bring about great and important events in the future happiness of man.
Why, it might be asked, was not this continent discovered to eastern nations previous to the year 1492? great boast is made of the arts and learning of the Egyptians, of the wisdom and science of the Greeks and Romans, and to this day a continual strife is made to copy in the train of these nations, and equal their learning and refinement. The Egyptians could astonish the universe for centuries with their knowledge of embalming their dead, of concealing their arts in mystical characters of hieroglyphics, and cause creation to wonder at their unparalleled power in piling rocks into huge masses as monuments of their iudustry and extravigance, and yet their knowledge of the extent of this globe be limited to a little narrow space, on which they were born, figured so wonderfully, and at last laid their bones with those of their fathers upon the same.
Greece could rise by transmitting to her shores the instructions she received from Egypt as a mother, and cause generations to gaze on her works of art and sculpture, men of intelligence to strive to equal her in wisdom and march in her train of philosophy; leave ruined cities and decayed temples as specimens of her vain ambition, for man of after years to admire with astonishment, and yet fall to the ground, after speculating upon the system of creation sufficiently to draw the world in her course, and yet her knowledge be as limited as the former.
Rome could rise on the ruins of Greece, exist century after century filled with riches and luxury, render herself famous for her power, conquer the east with her arms, and transmit her laws to after nations, with a great share of her profligacy, and sink at last into ruin without being able to soar over the vast deep and discover another world to poisen with her wickedness--That was left for after ages, and the honor to be given to a future generation, though Italy may boast of raising the favored city which gave birth to the man who, by the immediate inspiration of heaven, conceived the idea of the existance of another earth. Fourteen hundred and ninety two years from the birth of the Saviour, one thousand and sixteen from the fall of the Roman Empire in the west, and thirty nine from its extinction in the east, had clapsed, before the nations of the eastern continent were favored with this knowledge. One wave might have overwhelmed his little bark and consigned this adventurer to the deep; and without a spirit equal to the first, another man might not have been found to hazard his all upon this dangerous experiment, and so the plan remain forever without being undertaken again--but the time had arrived, and wisdom in the Author of the world made it expedient for this treasure to be disclosed! Why not Egypt have this honor? or why not Greece study out by her philosophy the power of the great BALANCE, and transmit to mankind this important blessing? Why not Rome, proud mistress of the eastern world, unfold the secret which was to make so many millions a resting place and a covert from the tempest? The short answer is, the time had not arrived, and with all their intelligence these nations were limited to territory, and though their genius were fertile in innumerable arts, yet they never touched upon the great and important thought of leading their children into an almost boundless region, where nature, with her luxurient mantle had thrown around the blessings of the earth in the fullest abundance!
Many items present themselves to the mind which are pleasing as one reviews the history of the discovery of this country by the Europeans, and its subsequent settlement by them, at least, such parts of it as are not characterized by acts of cruelty and unparalleled barbarity. In perusing the history of the first introduction of the Spaniards into South America and the Mexicos, the heart of the philanthropist must shrink at those scenes of inhumanity to which they had recourse to deprive the aborigines of their country and precious metals. It may be said that they obtained it by right of conquest. This may be a sufficient excuse for some, yet when compared with the true principles of justice, will be found wanting. It may be said that the natives were ignorant, and the introduction of arts, sciences, and religion, would better their condition in time, and particularly religion in eternity; but if this is the case, (and is, no doubt,) it might be asked, and with propriety too, what confidence could a rational mind place in a people who should rob them of every thing they possessed--treasures, lands, and homes, and drive them into mountains, and then turn round and offer them religion, and hold it forth as the only means of salvation!
As the eye of the student rapidly glances over the history of the world, he may ask at first, why so long a period elapsed from the first discovery of San Salvador, by Columbus, in the year 1492, to the first permanent English settlement at Jamestown, in the year 1607?--a period of 115 years.
It may be urged, philosophically, that the complicated condition of the affairs of Europe, was the main preventative, as the more part of its sovereigns were employed in either gaining possession of their thrones, or defending them from usurpation when once obtained, and that in consequence of these acts, there were none to engage in enterprises of this kind except individuals, and they, for a want of means, or a desire for self aggrandizement, by which they destroyed that confidence so necessary for others to repose in them, were insufficient to accomplish an undertaking of such great importance. But one fact was, the country invited agriculter rests, who must depend wholly upon their own industry with the blessing of heaven for their support, while the South was overspread with ambicious Spaniards, who made no scruple as to the justice of carrying death and desolation with them, for the purpose of robbing the innocent and unsuspecting natives of their gold, and of bringing them into slavery!
Leaving the history of the South, by glancing over that of the North, we shall find the newly settled inhabitants involved in many difficulties, and at times unable to extricate themselves without the aid of a Superior power.
From the natives they received frequent assaults, and from the "mother country" after a few years, the cruel oppressions of a tyrant instead of that kind protection and fostering care so much needed, and so anxiously looked for and expected. From the latter, excuses would prove ineffectual to satisfy the mind that the colonies were nourished in a parental manner. But from the former, had they the advantages of other people, and were heard when urging their excuses, by contrasting their first conduct with that of their new neighbors, right, between man and man, would unquestionably outweigh many charges now preferred against them, and excuse them in many acts where they have been charged with being the first agressors, although they have been called, savages and heathen.
It may be said, that the established customs of the whites, had constituted as a part of their religion the principle of taking of each other by force what they could not by purchase or flattery, and consequently, as the aborigines were a wild uncultivated race of men, wandering over a vast uncultivated region, obtaining their support from the wild beasts of the wilderness, that the whites had a right to demand a certain portion of this country for themselves, and if they could not obtain it by gift nor bribery, they could by force, as their means and experience of warfare were superior to that of the natives; not thinking that the Judge of all regarded the poor equally with the rich, and the destitute "Red man," though humble, worthy his privileges!
But whatever their custom may have established as a rule of right, if practiced, except that point can be founded upon the immediate revelation of heaven, or agree with the principles emanating from that source, they must fall, and in a coming day, be pronounced unrighteous before, and by the great and mighty One.
It might be urged on the part of the natives, that custom and tradition, which with them constituted their religion, had established as a just principle the cruel practice of avenging themselves on a conquered enemy, although defenseless, and of treating their wives and little ones in the same manner; and as they had been provoked by the whites, their new neighbors, according to the received custom of their warfare, they had a just right to lurk for the blood of their enemy, and also carry his wives and little ones into captivity, to sacrifice them in tortures the same as their unfeeling fathers before them, after conquering a neighboring tribe!
But this does not prove that a course of this kind was just, however sacredly it might have been handed down by tradition, nor however strictly it had been observed for generations, any more than the practice of the other to take by force what they could not obtain by treachery. These two items, are, unquestionably, decided in the mind of our common Creator, and in a coming day will be proclaimed when the secrets of all are revealed, and each rewarded according to his works.
Without discussing particularly the justice or unjustice of the conduct of our fathers in obtaining this couutry in the manner they did, we shall pass more directly to the subject immediately before us--the 58th anniversary of American Independence. Still, there can be no doubt but our fathers had as just a right to drive the "wild man" from his hunting and fishing ground, without giving him an adequate compensation for the privilege of forming a Government upon the same; as the monarchs of Europe had to claim jurisdiction over them because some of their subjects happened to sail along its coasts. And the fact, that the Supreme Being ordered in his providence, all things in their proper time of the discovery of this continent to the Europeans, does not prove that they had a right to cheat its lawful owners, and by any unjust principle obtain their lands. An act which may be censured or pronounced unjust in one instance, will, under the same circumstances, be equally as unjust, let it be committed by whom it may. And though the descendants of Jacob upon this continent, (which no man can disprove that they are,) are yet in darkness, the day is not far distant when light shall be reflected upon them, and that deep malicious feeling, now reigning in many of their bosoms in consequence of injuries received, will be lost in the perfect knowledge of the gospel of the Lord Jesus, and they be prepared to receive and enjoy the promises so frequently (though long since) made to their fathers by the mouths of all the holy prophets.
If our fathers acted unjustly in any respect in taking possession of this country, no man in his sober moments when made acquainted with the conduct of the "Mother country," will for an instant doubt the justice of their act in dissolving their former allegiance. Though frequently annoyed by the acts of the British Parliament, and the false insinuation of persons in power, no thought of revolt was meditated till long after their sovereign's troops had commenced an unwarrantable attack upon the unoffending citizens.--From the battle of Lexington, on the 19 of April, 1775, more than a year elapsed before the united colonies declared themselves FREE. And when carefully examined, it will be seen, was the last and only resort, except lying submissively down to be walked over by their oppressors!
Notwithstanding their affections for the country which contained the ashes of their fathers, the convention of 1776 resolved, at all peril, to try the test, and on the 4th of July, according to previous arrangement, the committe appointed for that purpose, reported a Bill which was carefully examined, and engrossed. Thus, being driven to the last expedient, their act on this day has claimed a name which will cause it to be observed with care by rising generations, should this Government exist, and like the "passover," will be hailed as the anniversary of freedom and blessings, when all who bore a share in those toils which purchased the same have gone down to the silent shades of death!
Millions will celebrate this day, and if one to ten of their number know or realize for what, or why, it will be something uncommon. The great mass "turn out"--every heart is filled with joy for some cause--every youth has looked for the anxious day to arrive, and enquired if it were near--the gay and fashionable have promised to themselves enjoyments unknown to the other days, all anxious to act their part in celebrating the same--Work is suspended, the laborer ceases from his toil, and the slave forgets for one day that his soul has been bought with money like the beast, while a general time of festivity and joy occupies the mind and engrosses the attention of all.
But how few there are who realize the eventful moment which gave birth to this enjoyment! How few contrast the circumstances surrounding us with those surrounding our fathers who had courage and confidence sufficient to put their trust in the arm of God, and offer their lives a sacrifice to secure the blessings of peace and prosperity uncontrolled to their children! Those were days which tried men's souls, and an hour when every feeling of patriotism had to be brought into requisition; and each man who embarked in this great enterprize must "count the cost!" for if he did not succeed the debt must be paid at the end of the halter. But these are different days--surrounded with the blessings of heaven, what more can be asked that we have not already received? and what can disturb our peace, except unwise and factious men, who never inherited a virtue cherished in the bosoms of our fathers, rise up and seek the destruction of others without cause?
Though none of the signers of the declaration of Independence are now remaining, yet a few who fought in its defense are still alive, to see the reward of their sufferings and toils. But the mind cannot be brought to reflect upon these characters without asking, what has been done for these men, and what have they received from their children? comparatively nothing. It may be said that the more part receive pensions from the Government, and this is sufficient. What is a few dollars in comparison to life and liberty? It ought to be remembered, that these men not only spent their best days, but while doing it offered their lives in the cause. Their numbers are now small, and in a few years the remainder will leave us, and all that can be done for them must be done soon.
While this day is spent in reveling by thousands, there is no doubt but many realize the importance of it, and reflect upon the consequences had our fathers failed in maintaining their declaration. Though all are bound to acknowledge the doings of the Creator in the discovery of this country, and the subsequent blessings in establishing a free Government upon the same, yet it is not to be expected that those who profess a belief in the religion instituted on high, will be wanting in gratitude, or behind in ascribing suitable thanks to heaven for these peculiar mercies. Here they may rejoice with the assurance, that while the law is faithfully administered, their persons and effects are secure from all religious intolerance and ecclesiastic oppression; that here they can worship as it best suits their minds or consciences, without the least fear from such as may feel disturbed on the account of it! Certainly, then, the saint is prepared to acknowledge this fact, and he, of all men is the most willing to ascribe the hand of his Master in it. For the privilege of living undisturbed, and enjoying that communion ever held between heaven and the church of Christ, is a thought so pleasing, that while thousands pass unconcernedly along, the saint cannot but view it as an uncommon providence, and a mercy given to but few since the world began.
Who cannot see it? and who so destitute of the spirit of life as not to acknowledge it? How many might have groaned, and that in vain, had it not been for this; and how many millions may now come to a knowledge of the gospel who might otherwise have remained in darkness! Here the Nazarene, the Jew, the Mahomedan, and the Hindoo, may each worship according to his respective system, and yet hold an equal influence in all matters of this great Government, and each respectively transmit to his children the same privileges.
Amid these reflections the question may be asked, how long is this Government destined to stand? It is easy to discover the improprieties of other nations who have risen, flourished and sunk again into barbarism, and perished; but had they been capable of discerning their own approaching ruin, and marked the causes of the same, it is to be expected that they would have shuned the evil. Rome is justly said to boast of the longest Republican form of Government of any other, and yet it is to be observed, that the whole, or a great part of the time its citizens condescended to acts of profligacy and idolatry. One eighth of that time has transpired since this Government declared itself free, and it may be asked, cannot this, with all the experience drawn from former Governments, exist a still longer time? Every lover of free Governments is ready to enquire, will ambitious men rise up and lead to destruction the inhabitants of this favored country, and involve them in ruin? Will not a respect for the name and honor of our fathers, as well as our own personal happiness, be a stimulous to awaken every feeling bosom to assert a cause so just, so holy, and so important to the welfare of men? And will there not be found a sufficient number who shall fearlessly stand forth in the defense of this righteous cause? Will men look calmly on and see their liberties proscribed, their dearest and most sacred rights trampled upon, and their children destined to wear out a life in wretched slavery, and spend their years in bending to their fellow creatures who are no better than themselves? May heaven forbid it!!
In offering these reflections we have only spoken the convictions of our own mind, without any desire to turn the affections of others from a just regard for their own laws. They may boast of their respective Governments, and flatter themselves that theirs is the most liberal, most refined, and the best, and while they can live in peace, and particularly the saints, they are bound to be content, and in all cases be obedient to their laws, at least, so long as their privileges of worshiping God are not infringed; but when ever this time arrives in the administration of any Government, when all are not privileged by law to worship as they please, how they please, and when they please, every saint is justified in revolting against such oppressive systems, and resting assured that heaven approves the course.
Believing as we verily do, that our privileges are superior to any others, we are bound to offer up our feeble petitions for the long continuence of this Government and the increasing prosperity of its citizens. We cannot but wish that it may long continue, a sample for others and a resting place for all--and when destructions and desolations come upon all nations, and the indignation is poured upon all who are unprepared, as assuredly will be the case, we sincerely pray that God may here have a people, yes many thousands, redeemed from the corruptions of the world, taught in the mysteries of his kingdom, and prepared to rise and meet him when he comes to reign on earth with his elect! Then earthly kingdoms, governed by the wicked will be no more! and the scepters of men no longer swayed--crowns will crumble--thrones dissolve--systems vanish--empires sink in ruin--and all pomp and parade of earthly courts will be no longer heard! but universal peace will be established, righteousness will abound, holiness surround the saints, and the knowledge of God will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea!--[Editor of the Star.]
<Editorial>
Oliver Cowdery ed E&MS 2 (Jul 1834)
AFFAIRS IN THE WEST.
We copy the following from the MISSOURI ENQUIRER, of the 18th of June, printed at Liberty, Mo. As appears from another article in the same paper, the people of Jackson co. had appointed a Committee of 12 men to make proposals to our friends for the purchase of their possessions in Jackson co. It is said in another part of this same paper, that a public meeting was held in the court house in Clay co. and that several gentlemen addressed their fellow citizens on the subject of the Jackson outrage, advising a compromise. There are several items of importance connected with the proceedings of this meeting, which may be noticed in a future number, as our limits are not sufficient in this.
The first following, exhibits a number of names purporting to be a Committee invested with authority, by the people of Jackson co. to effect a compromise, settled difficulties, and make amends for grievances; which, were the time offered on their part sufficient for our friends to purchase their possessions, we have no doubt, on the whole, but it would be by far the best: or at least, could a fair course be entered upon, giving our friends an equal choice, notwithstanding the unlawful conduct of the mob heretofore, it might prevent the further effusion of blood, which certainly is desirable. Although our friends are entitled to another mode of proceedure for the adjustment of their difficulties, which is, by being immediately reinstated upon their former possessions, protected when returned, and rewarded in civil court for injuries of person, and damages of property, yet, if an honorable course can be persued, and this shocking affair amicably and satisfactorily settled, we shall not only be satisfied, but thankful to God, and presume that every reflecting man will rejoice with us. To say that a part of the citizens of Jackson co. have not openly rebelled against the civil law, and as may be drawn from the first following, are still determined to persist in their own course, is impossible for any candid, unprejudiced man to deny; though their offer to sell and peaceably leave the county, is a great step towards effecting a peace, and shows that they are persuaded to abandon their former unprecedented policy.--[Ed. Star.]
"PROPOSITIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF JACKSON TO THE `MORMONS.'
The undersigned Committee, being fully authorized by the people of Jackson county, hereby propose to the Mormons, that they will buy all the land that the said Mormons own in the county of Jackson; and also, all the improvements which the said Mormons had on any public lands in said county of Jackson, as they existed before the first disturbances between the people of Jackson and the Mormons, and for such as they have made since. They further propose that the valuation of said land and improvements shall be ascertained by three disinterested arbitrators, to be chosen and agreed to by both parties. They further propose, that should the parties disagree in the choice of arbitrators, then . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . is to choose them. They further propose, that twelve of the Mormons shall be permitted to go along with the arbitrators to show them their land and improvements while valuing the same, and such other of the Mormons as the arbitrators shall wish to do so, to give them information: and the people of Jackson hereby guarantee their entire safety while doing so. They further propose, that when the arbitrators report the value of the land and improvements, as aforesaid the people of Jackson will pay the valuation, WITH ONE HUNDRED PER CENT. ADDED THEREON, to the Mormons, within thirty days thereafter. They further propose, that the Mormons are not to make any effort, ever after, to settle, either collectively or individually, within the limits of Jackson county. The Mormons are to enter into bond to insure the conveyance of their land in Jackson county, according to the above terms, when the payment shall be made; and the committee will enter into a like bond, with such security as may be deemed sufficient, for the payment of the money, according to the above proposition. While the arbitrators are investigating and deciding upon the matters referred to them, the Mormons are not to attempt to enter Jackson county, or to settle there, except such as are by the foregoing propositions permitted to go there.--They further propose, that the people of Jackson will sell all their lands, and improvements on public lands, in Jackson county, to the Mormons--the valuation to be obtained in the same manner--the same per cent. in addition to be paid--and the time the money is to be paid is the same, as above set forth in our prepositions to buy--the Mormons to give good security for the payment of the money, and the undersigned will give security that the land will be conveyed to the Mormons. They further propose, that all parties are to remain as they are till the payment is made, at which time the people of Jackson will give possession. SAMUEL C. OWENS, THOMAS HAYTON, sen., JOHN DAVIS, ROBERT RICKMAN, THOMAS JEFFREYS, JAMES CAMBELL, RICHARD FRISTOE, ABRAHAM M. CLELLAN, SMALLWOOD NOLAND, S.V. NOLAND.
ANSWER.
GENTLEMEN: Your proposition for an adjustment of the difficulties between the citizens of Jackson county and the Mormons, is before us; and as explained to you in the court house this day, we are not authorized to say to you that our brethren will submit to your proposals; but we agree to spread general notice, and call a meeting of our people in all, the present week, and lay before you an answer as soon as Saturday or Monday next. We can say for ourselves, and in behalf of our brethren, that peace is what we desire, and what we are disposed to cultivate with all men; and to effect peace, we feel disposed to use all our influence, as far as would be required at our hands, as free-born citizens of these United States.--And as fears have been expressed that we designed to commence hostilities against the inhabitants of Jackson county, we hereby pledge ourselves to them, and to the hospitable citizens of Clay County, that we will not, and neither have designed, as a people, to commence hostilities against the aforesaid citizens of Jackson county, or any other people.
Our answer shall be handed to Judge Turnham, the chairman of the meeting, even earlier than the time before stated, if possible. W. [William] W. PHELPS, WM. E. M'LELIN [McLellin], A. S. GILBERT, JOHN CARRILL, ISAAC MORLEY
N.B. As we are informed that a large number of our people are on their way, removing into Jackson county, we agree to use our influence immediately to prevent the said company from entering into Jackson county, until you shall receive an answer to the propositions aforenamed."
It may be said, at first view, that the mob Committee have made a fair proposition to our friends in offering to buy their lands at 100 per cent. in 30 days, and of offering theirs on the same terms to our friends; but when it is understood that the mob hold possession of a large quantity of land more than our friends, and that they only offer 30 days for the payment of the same,it will be seen that they are only making a show to cover their past unlawful conduct. If the mob will give our friends a sufficient time to purchase their lands at a fair and adequate price, and also pay them damages for injuries received upon their persons, and of property, then, and not till then, shall we believe that they are disposed to act on any principle of justice further than they are compelled by law, and that put in force by military movement!--[Ed.]
[From the Missouri Enquirer of June 25.]
Copy of a letter from DANIEL DUNKLIN, Governor of the State of Missouri, to Col. J. THORNTON, dated
CITY OF JEFFERSON, June 6, 1834.
DEAR SIR,--I was pleased at the receipt of your letter, concurred in by Messrs. Rees, Atchison and Doniphan, on the subject of the Mormon difficulties. I should be gratified indeed, if the parties could compromise on the terms you suggest, or, indeed upon any other terms satisfactory to themselves. But I should travel out of the line of my strict duty, as chief executive officer of the government, were I to take upon myself the task of effecting a compromise between the parties. Had I not supposed it possible, yes, probable, that I should, as Executive of the State, have to act, I should before now, have interfered individually, in the way you suggest, or in some other way, in order if possible, to effect a compromise. Uncommitted, as I am, to either party, I shall feel no embarrassment in doing my duty; though it may be done with the most extreme regret. My duty in the relation in which I now stand to the parties, is plain and strait forward. By an official interposition, I might embarrass my course, and urge a measure for the purpose of effecting a compromise, and it should fail, and in the end, should I find it my duty to ACT contrary to the ADVICE I had given, it might be said, that I either advised wrong, or acted wrong; or that I was partial to one side or the other, in giving advice that I would not, as an officer, follow. A more clear, and indisputable right does not exist, than that the Mormon people, who were expelled from their homes in Jackson county, to return and live on their lands, and if they cannot be persuaded as a matter of POLICY, to give up that right, or to qualify it, my course, as the cheif executive officer of the state, is a plain one.--The constitution of the U. States declares, "That the citizens of each state shall be entitled to all prvileges and immunities of citizens in the several states."--Then we cannot interdict any people who have a political franchise in the United States from emigrating to this state, nor from choosing WHAT PART of the state they will settle in, provided they do not trespass on the property or rights of others. Our state constitution declares that the people's "right to bear arms, IN DEFENCE OF THEMSELVES, and of the state, cannot be questioned." Then it is their constitutional right to arm themselves. Indeed, our militia law makes it the duty of every man, not exempted by law, between the ages of 18 and 45, to arm himself with a musket, rifle, or some firelock, with a certain quantity of amunition, &c. And again, our constitution says, "that all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences." I am fully persuaded that the eccentricity of the religious opinions and practiecs of the Mormons, is at the bottom of the outrages committed against them.
They have the right constitutionally guaranteed to them, and it is indefeasible, to believe and WORSHIP JO SMITH as a MAN, an ANGEL, or even as the only TRUE AND LIVING GOD, and to call their habitation ZION, the HOLY LAND, or even heaven itself. Indeed there is nothing so absurd or ridiculous, that they have not a right to adopt their religion, so that in its exercise, they do not interfere with the rights of others.
It is not long since an impostor assumed the character of Jesus Christ, and attempted to minister as such; but I never heard of any combination to deprive him of his rights.
I consider it the duty of every good citizen of Jackson and the adjoining counties to exert themselves to effect a compromise to these difficulties, and were I assured that I would not have to act in my official capacity in the affair, I would visit the parties in person and exert myself to the utmost to settle it. My first advice would be to the Mormons, to sell out their lands in Jackson county, and to settle some where else, where they could live in peace, if they could get a fair price for them, and reasonable damages for injuries received. If this failed I would try the citizens and advise them to meet and rescind their illegal resolves of last summer; and agree to conform to the laws in every particular, in respect to the Mormons. If both these failed, I would then advise the plan you have suggested, for each party to take separate territory and confine their members within their respective limits, with the exception of the public right of egress and regress upon the highway. If all these failed, then the simple question of legal right would have to settle it. It is this last that I am afraid I shall have to conform my action to in the end. And hence the necessity of keeping myself in the best situation to do my duty impartially.
Rumor says that each party are preparing themselves with cannon.--That would be illegal. It is not necessary to self defense, as guaranteed by the constitution. And as there are no artillery companies organized in this state, nor field pieces provided by the public, any preperations of that kind will be considered as without right; and, in the present state of things, would be understood to be with a criminal intent. I am told that the people of Jackson county expect assistance from the adjoining counties, to oppose the Mormons in taking or keeping possession of their lands.--I should regret it extremely if any should be so imprudent as to do so; it would give a different aspect to the affair.
The citizens of Jackson county have a right to arm themselves and parade for military duty in their own county, independent of the commander-in-chief; but if citizens march there in arms from other counties, without order from the commander-in-chief, or some one authorized by him, it would produce a very different state of things. Indeed, the Mormons have no right to march to Jackson county in arms, unless by the order or permission of the commander-in-chief.--Men must not "levy war" in taking possession of their rights, any more than others should in opposing them in taking possession.
As you have manifested a deep interest in a peaceable compromise of this important affair, I presume you will not be unwilling to be placed in a situation, in which perhaps, you can be more serviceable to these parties. I have therefore taken the liberty of appointing you an aid to the commander-in-chief, and hope it will be agreeable to you to except. In this situation you can give your propositions all the influence they would have, were they to emanate from the executive without committing yourself or the commander-in-chief in the event of a failure.
I should be glad you, or some of the other gentlemen who joined you in your communication, would keep a close correspondence with these parties, and by each mail write to me.
The character of the state has been injured in consequence of this unfortunate affair: and I sincerely hope it may not be disgraced by it in the end.
With high respect, your ob't servant,
(Signed) "DANIEL DUNKLIN."
From the ENQUIRER of July 2, we copy the following communication to the people of Clay co. from Cornelius Gilliam, Esq. with the reply of our friends to his interrogations relative to the cause of their emigrating to that place. Their answer was signed by eleven of their company, whom, we presume, had authority to speak the sentiments of the remainder. With the most of the signers we have a personal acquaintance, and can unhesitatingly say, that it contains the feelings and desires of every individual professing the faith of the everlasting gospel, if he has been instructed therein; and justifies remarks previously made over the proposition of the mob. If the mob or their partisans in this, or any other country have fancied to themselves that we, as a people, are to be trampled upon in this unheard of and unholy manner, without affecting to resist, they will, in the end, find themselves mistaken! We are assured of our own personal rights, as free citizens of this Republic, and these we shall have, or every officer within the same is a perjured man! Our liberty is as dear to us as to any other people, for we have yet fathers living who fought for the purchase and maintainance of the same, and while there is a constitution and laws, they shall protect us, if they possess any virtue! We are aware, as we have frequently had occasion to remark, that this persecution, from the first to the present, has been inflicted upon us in consequence of our religious principles, and that, in the first instance, was put into operation, and is still moved forward by the present priests and others of their obsequious adherents, who suppose that, to raise persecutions and violate the civil law in the destruction of those whose principles are unlike their own, is no sin in the sight of heaven!
The latest intelligence from the west corroborates statements previously received, that a compromise would be effected, and negociations entered into, which will secure peace and save the loss of any more blood. We are aware that the people of the Upper Missouri have frequently been misinformed concerning our motives and assertions, and that many reports of ms shameful description have emanated from persons resident in this vicinity. But so long as we can answer a pure conscience before all men for the conduct of our friends in the west, towards the people of Jackson co. they are at their defiance to make it appear to a candid public, after looking at both sides of the matter, that our friends were the first agressors, or have, in any instance, acted only on the defensive. We were residing in Jackson co. at the time hostilities first commenced, and the fact, that our friends left that co. in the manner they did, is sufficient to convince every man who has the least desire for the principles of truth and righteousness, that the mob acted the part of abandoned villains, not to say common unwholesome citizens! The beautiful crops of wheat, amounting to some hundreds of acres, the labor of industrious and peaceable citizens will, no doubt, serve to feed the mob and their assistants a considerable length of time, should they enjoy the privilege. We advise some of those wretches who are so anxious that the mob in Missouri should accomplish their purposes, residing in this country, who have been busily employed for the last 6 or 8 months in communicating lies to their coadjutors in Jackson co. to go up and join their friends--they might, possibly, enjoy a large spoil! These items are to be remembered! [Ed.]
"Being a citizen of Clay county, and knowing that there is considerable excitement amongst the people thereof; and also knowing that different reports are arriving almost hourly: and being requested by the Hon. J. F. Rvland. to meet the Mormons under arms, and obtain from the leaders thereof the correctness of the various reports in circulation--the true intent and meaning of their present movements, and their views generally regarding the difficulties existing between them and the citizens of Jackson county--I did, in company with other gentlemen, call upon the said leaders of the Mormons, at their camp, in Clay county; and now give to the people of Clay county their written statement, containing the substance of what passed between us." (Signed) "CORNELIUS GILLIUM."
PROPOSITIONS, &c. OF THE "MORMONS."
"Being called upon by the above named gentlemen, at our camp, in Clay county, to ascertain from the leaders of our men, our intentions, views, and designs, in approaching this county in the manner that we have: we therefore the more cheerfully comply with their request, because we are called upon by gentlemen of good feelings, and who are disposed for peace and an amicable adjustment of the difficulties existing between us and the people of Jackson county. The reports of our intentions are various, and have gone abroad in a light calculated to arouse the feelings of almost every man. For instance, one report is, that we intend to demolish the printing office in Liberty; another report is, that we intend crossing the Missouri River on Sunday next, and falling upon women and children, and slaying them; another is, that our men were employed to perform this expedition, being taken from manufacturing establishments in the East that had closed business; also, that we carried a flag, bearing PEACE on one side and WAR OR BLOOD on the other; and various others too numerous to mention. All of which, a plain declaration of our intentions, from under our own hands, will show are not correct. In the first place, it is not our intention to commit hostilities against any man or body of men. It is not our intention to injure any man's person or property, except in defending ourselves. Our flag has been exhibited to the above gentlemen, who will be able to describe it. Our men were not taken from any manufacturing establishment. It is our intention to go back upon our lands in Jackson county, by order of the Executive of the State, if possible. We have brought our arms with us for the purpose of self-defense, as it is well known to almost every man of the State that we have every reason to put ourselves in an attitude of defense, considering the abuse we have suffered in Jackson county. We are anxious for a settlement of the difficulties existing between us, upon honorable and constitutional principles. We are willing for twelve disinterested men, six to be chosen by each party, and these men shall say what the possessions of those men are worth who cannot live with us in the county; and they shall have their money in one year; and none of the Mormons shall enter that county to reside until the money is paid. The damages that we have sustained in consequence of being driven away, shall also be left to the above twelve men. Or they may all live in the county, if they choose, and we will never molest them if they will let us alone and permit us to enjoy our rights. We want to live in peace with all men, and equal rights is all we ask. We wish to become permanent citizens of this State, and wish to bear our proportion in support of the Government, and to be protected by its laws. If the above proposals are complied with, we are willing to give security on our part; and we shall want the same of the people of Jackson county for the performance of this agreement. We do not wish to settle down in a body, except where we can purchase the lands with money: for to take possession by conquest or the shedding of blood, is entirely foreign to our feelings. The shedding of blood we shall not be guilty of, until all just and honorable means among men prove insufficient to restore peace." [Here follows the signatures.]
Afflicting.--It becomes our duty, though painful, to notice the death of 13 of our friends at the west, 12 men and one woman, who died of cholera the last of June, in Clay co. After a compromise was proposed, a part of the company from this place and the east, were preparing to return to their families, when this destructive scourge was sent, and in a few days we were deprived of the society in this life of some of our most worthy and valuable citizens! Up to the last accounts the decease had abated and many who had been severely attacked were recovering. It is said that the pestilence is raging on the western waters to an alarming degree, and in many or most cases proves fatal.
Never, before, were we called to record a mortality so afflicting, which seems to be increased when we reflect upon the great usefulness of some of those who have been taken from us; yet, we are bound to acknowledge, the justice of every providence of our God, and we are not disposed to murmur, knowing that the righteous are often taken from the evil to come. Some have left wives and children with a small proportion of the comforts of this life; but we are assured that Israel's God is a Father of the fatherless, and the widow's friend. We earnestly recommend such as are needy to the benevolent who have abundance, while we assure them that we sensibly feel this providence of God, and sincerely hope that we may also be prepared to meet our own approaching dissolution, knowing that this life is not only filled with innumerable toils, cares, disappointments, and adversities, but is short, and none except such as have an assurance in that which is to come, can take any real enjoyment! The names of those deceased, as furnished us, are John S. Carter, Eber Wilcox, Seth Hitchcock, Erastus Rudd, A. Sidney Gilbert, Alfred Fisk, Edward Ires, Noah Johnson, Jesse B. Lawson, Robert M'Cord, Eliel Strong, Jesse Smith, and Betsey Parish.--[Ed.]
Other news from the west being so highly important, we are prohibited from presenting any particular remarks upon the character or personal worth of either of our deceased friends. Some two or three deaths have occurred in this place since our last, but cannot be particularly mentioned in this. The Maine Conference minutes are laid over, as well as some other interesting matter. Expecting intelligence from the west, we delayed this number till the last, to give all we could on the subject of the Jackson affair.
[Ed.]
VOL. II, NO. 23, KIRTLAND, OHIO, AUGUST, 1834.
COMMUNICATIONS.