THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR

VOLUME 1, NO. 1-12, JUNE 1832-MAY 1833
INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI
VOLUME 2, NO. 13-24, JUNE 1833-SEP 1834
INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI AND KIRTLAND, OHIO




Vol. I, No. 1, INDEPENDENCE, MO. JUNE, 1832.

Revelations.

THE ARTICLES AND COVENANTS OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. [D&C 20; D&C 22]

The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in the flesh; it being regularly organized and established agreeable to the laws of our country, by the will and commandments of God in the fourth month and on the sixth day of the month, which is called April: Which commandments were given to Joseph [Smith], who was called of God and ordained an Apostle of Jesus Christ, an Elder of this Church; and also to Oliver [Cowdery], who was called of God an Apostle of Jesus Christ, an Elder of this Church; and ordained under his hand; and this according to the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to whom be all glory both now and forever. Amen.

{Joseph Smith, visions} For, after that it truly was manifested unto this first Elder, that he had received a remission of his sins, he was entangled again in the vanities of the world, but after truly repenting God ministered unto him by an holy angel, whose countenance was as lightning, and whose garments were pure and white above all whiteness, and gave unto him commandments which inspired him from on high, and gave unto him power, by the means which were prepared, that he should translate a Book, which Book contained a record of a fallen people, and also the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles; and also to the Jews, proving unto them, that the holy Scriptures are true; and also, that God doth inspire men and call them to his holy work, in these last days as well as in days of old, that he might be the same God forever. Amen.

{Joseph Smith, miracles} Which Book was given by inspiration, and is called The Book of Mormon, and is confirmed to others by the ministering of angels, and declared unto the world by them: Wherefore, having so great witnesses, by them shall the world be judged, even as many as shall hereafter receive this work, either to faith and righteousness, or to the hardness of heart in unbelief, to their own condemnation, for the Lord God hath spoken it, for we, the Elders of the Church, have heard and bear witness to the words of the glorious Magesty on high; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Wherefore, by these things we know, that there is a God in Heaven, who is infinite and eternal, from everlasting to everlasting, the same unchangeable God, the maker of Heaven and earth and all things that in them is, and that he created man male and female, and after his own image, and in his own likeness created he them; and that he gave unto the children of men commandments, that they should love and serve him the only being whom they should worship, but by the transgression of these holy laws, man became sensual and devilish, and became fallen man: Wherefore the Almighty God gave his only begotten Son, as it is written in those Scriptures, which have been given of him, that he suffered temptations, but gave no heed unto them; that he was crucified, died, and rose again the third day, and that he ascended into heaven to sit down on the right hand of the Father, to reign with Almighty power, according to the will of the Father. Therefore, as many as would believe and were baptized in his holy name, and endured in faith to the end, should be saved; yea, even as many as were before he came in the flesh, from the beginning, who believed in the words of the holy Prophets, who were inspired by the gift of the Holy Ghost, which truly testified of him in all things, as well as those who should come after, who should believe in the gifts and callings of God, by the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of the Father and of the Son, which Father and Son and Holy Ghost, is one God, infinite and eternal, without end. Amen.

And we know, that all men must repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and worship the Father in his name, and endure in faith on his name to the end, or they cannot be saved in the Kingdom of God: And we know, that Justification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is just and true; and we know, also, that Sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength, but there is a possibility that men may fall from grace and depart from the living God. Therefore let the Church take heed and pray always, lest they fall into temptation; yea, and even he that is sanctified also: and we know, that these things are true and agreeable to the Revelation of John, neither adding to, nor diminishing from the prophecy of his Book; neither to the holy Scriptures; neither to the Revelations of God which shall come hereafter, by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost; neither by the voice of God; neither by the ministering of angels, and the Lord God hath spoken it; and honor, power, and glory be rendered to his holy name both now and ever. Amen.

And again, by way of commandments to the Church, concerning the manner of baptism: Behold whosoever humbleth himself before God and desireth to be baptized, and comes forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnesseth unto the Church, that they have truly repented of all their sins and are willing to take upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him unto the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received the spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, then shall they be received unto baptism into the Church of Christ.

The duty of the Elders, Priests, Teachers, Deacons and members of the Church of Christ. An Apostle is an Elder, and it is his calling to baptize and to ordain other Elders, Priests, Teachers and Deacons, and to administer the flesh and blood of Christ according to the Scriptures, and to teach, expound, exhort, baptize, and watch over the Church, and to confirm the Church by the laying on of the hands and the giving of the Holy Ghost, and to take the lead of all meetings. The Elders are to conduct the meetings as they are led by the Holy Ghost. The Priests' duty is to preach, teach, expound, exhort and baptize, and administer the Sacrament, and visit the house of each member, and exhort them to pray vocally and in secret, and also to attend to all family duties; and ordain other Priests, Teachers, and Deacons, and take the lead in meetings; but none of these offices is he to do when there is an Elder present, but in all cases is to assist the Elder. The Teachers' duty is to watch over the Church always, and be with them, and strengthen them, and see that there is no iniquity in the Church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying nor back-biting nor evil speaking; and see that the Church meet together often, and also see that all the members do their duty; and he is to take the lead of meetings in the absence of the Elder or Priest, and is to be assisted always, and in all his duties in the Church by the Deacons; but neither the Teacher nor Deacons, have authority to baptize nor administer the Sacrament, but are to warn, expound, exhort and teach, and invite all to come unto Christ.

Every Elder, Priest, Teacher, or Deacon, is to be ordained according to the gifts and callings of God unto him, by the power of the Holy Ghost which is in the one who ordains him.

The several Elders composing this Church of Christ, are to meet in Conference once in three months, to do Church business whatsoever is necessary. And each Priest or Teacher, who is ordained by a Priest, is to take a cirtificate from him at the time, which when presented to an Elder, he is to give him a License, which shall authorize him to perform the duty of his calling.

The duty of the members after they are received by baptism. The Elders or Priests are to have a sufficient time to expound all things concerning this Church of Christ to their understanding, previous to their partaking of the Sacrament, and being confirmed by the laying on of hands of the Elders; so that all things may be done in order. And the members shall manifest before the Church, and also before the Elders, by a godly walk and conversation, that they are worthy of it, that there may be works and faith agreeable to the holy Scriptures, walking in holiness before the Lord. Every member of this Church of Christ having children, is to bring them unto the Elders before the Church, who are to lay their hands on them in the name of the Lord, and bless them in the name of Christ. There cannot any one be received into this Church of Christ, who has not arrived to the years of accountability before God, and is not capable of repentance.

And baptism is to be administered in the following manner unto all those who repent: Whosoever being called of God and having authority given them of Jesus Christ, shall go down into the water with them, and shall say, calling them by name: Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Then shall he immerse them in the water, and come forth again out of the water. And it is expedient that the Church meet together oft to partake of Bread and Wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus; and the Elder or Priest shall administer it, and after this manner shall he do, he shall kneel with the Church, and call upon the Father in mighty prayer saying: O God the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them, that they may always have his spirit to be with them. Amen. The manner of administering the Wine: Behold they shall take the Cup and say, O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this Wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which we shed for them, that they may witness unto thee, O God the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his spirit to be with them. Amen.

Any member of this Church of Christ, transgressing or being overtaken in a fault, shall be dealt with according as the Scriptures direct. It shall be the duty of the several churches, composing this Church of Christ, to send one or more of their Teachers to attend the several Conferences, held by the Elders of this Church, with a list of the names of the several members, uniting themselves to the Church since the last Conference, or send by the hand of some Priest, so that there can be kept a regular list of all the names of the members of the whole Church, in a Book kept by one of the Elders; whosoever the other Elders shall appoint from time to time: and also, if any have been expelled from the Church, so that their names may be blotted out of the general Church Record of names. Any member removing from the Church where he resides, if going to a Church where he is not known, may take a letter certifying that he is a regular member and in good standing; which certificate may be signed by any Elder or Priest, if the member receiving the letter is personly acquainted with the Elder or Priest, or it may be signed by the Teachers or Deacons of the Church.

[D&C 22:1-4] Behold, I say unto you, that all old Covenants have I caused to be done away in this thing, and this is a new and everlasting Covenant: even that which was from the beginning. Wherefore, although a man should be baptized an hundred times, it availeth him nothing, for ye cannot enter in at the straight gate by the law of Moses; neither by your dead works; for it is because of your dead works, that I have caused this last Covenant, and this Church to be built up unto me; even as in days of old. Wherefore, enter ye in at the gates as I have commanded, and seek not to counsel your God. Amen.

A PROPHECY GIVEN TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, [D&C 45:1-67, 71] MARCH 7, 1831.

HEARKEN, O ye people of my church to whom the Kingdom has been given: Hearken ye and give ear to him who laid the foundation of the earth; who made which live and move and have a being. And again I say, hearken unto my voice, lest death shall overtake you: in an hour when ye think not the summer shall be past, and the harvest ended, and your souls not saved. Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your case before him; saying Father behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; wherefore Father spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.

Hearken O ye people of my church, and ye Elders listen together, and hear my voice while it is called to-day and harden not your hearts; for verily I say unto you that I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the light and the life of the world, a light that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not; I came unto my own and my own received me not; but unto as many as received me gave I power to do many miracles, and to become the sons of God, and even unto them that believed on my name gave I power to obtain eternal life. And even so I have sent mine everlasting covenant into the world, to be a light to the world, and to be a standard for my people and for the Gentiles to seek to it; and to be a messenger before my face to prepare the way before me. Wherefore come ye unto it, and with him that cometh I will reason as with men in days of old, and I will show unto you my strong reasoning; wherefore hearken ye together and let me show it unto you, even my wisdom, the wisdom of him whom ye say is the God of Enoch, and his brethren, who were seperated from the earth, and were reserved unto myself, a city reserved until a day of righteousness shall come, a day which was sought for by all holy men, and they found it not because of wickedness and abominations, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth; but obtained a promise that they should find it, and see it in their flesh. Wherefore hearken and I will reason with you, and I will speak unto you and prophesy as unto me in days of old, and I will show it plainly as I showed it unto my disciples, as I stood before them in the flesh and spake unto them saying: As ye have asked of me concerning the signs of my coming, in the day when I shall come in my glory, in the clouds of Heaven, to fulfil the promises that I have made unto your fathers; for as ye have looked upon the long absence of your bodies to be a bondage, I will show unto you how the day of redemption shall come, and also the restoration of the scattered Israel.

And now ye behold this temple which is in Jerusalem, which ye call the house of God, and your enemies say that this house shall never fall. But verily I say unto you, that desolation shall come upon this generation as a thief in the night, and this people shall be destroyed and scattered among all nations, and this temple which ye now see, shall be thrown down that there shall not be left one stone upon another. and it shall come to pass, that this generation of Jews shall not pass away, until every desolation which I have told you concerning them, shall come to pass.

Ye say that ye know, that the end of the world cometh; ye say also that ye know, that the Heavens and the earth shall pass away; and in this ye say truly, for so it is; but these things which I have told you, shall not pass away until all shall be fulfilled. And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem, and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations, but they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men's hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth. And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound; and when the time of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be in the fulness of my Gospel; but they receive it not, for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men; and in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled: and there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land; but my disciples shall stand in holy places and shall not be moved, but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die; and there shall be earthquakes, also, in diverse places, and desolations, yet men will harden their hearts against me; and they will take up the sword one against another and they will kill one another: and now, when I the Lord had spoken these words unto my disciples, they were troubled, and I said unto them, be not troubled, for when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you, shall be fulfilled, and when the light shall begin to break forth, it shall be with them like unto a parable which I will show you: ye look and behold the fig trees, and ye see them with your eyes, and ye say when they begin to shoot forth and their leaves are yet tender, ye say that summer is now nigh at hand; even so it shall be in that day, when they shall see all these things, then shall they know that the hour is nigh.

And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the son of man; and they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the Heavens above and in the earth beneath; and they shall behold blood and fire, and vapors of smoke; and before the day of the Lord come the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and stars fall from Heaven; and the remnant shall be gathered unto this place; and then they shall look for me, and behold I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of Heaven, clothed with power and great glory, with all the holy angels; and he that wishes not for me shall be cut off.

But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his trump, and the saints that have slept, shall come forth to meet me in the cloud. Wherefore if ye have slept in peace blessed are you, for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye come unto me and your souls shall live, and your redemption shall be perfected, and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth; then shall the arm of the Lord fall upon the nations, and then shall the Lord set his foot upon this mount, and it shall cleave in twain, and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro, and the Heavens also shall shake and the Lord shall utter his voice and all the ends of the earth shall hear it, and the nations of the earth shall mourn, and they that have laughed shall see their folly, and calamity shall cover the mocker, and the scorner shall be consumed, and they that have watched for iniquity, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.

And then shall the Jews look upon me, and say what are these wounds in thine hands, and in thy feet, then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them, these wounds, are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the son of God. And then shall they weep because of their iniquities; then shall they lament because they persecuted their King. And then shall the heathen nations be redeemed, and they which knew no law shall have part in the first resurrection, and it shall be tolerable for them; and satan shall be bound that he shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men.

And at that day when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins; for they that are wise and have received the truth and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived; verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day, and the earth shall be given unto them, for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation, for the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their King and their lawgiver.

And now, behold I say unto you, it shall not be given unto you to know any farther than this until the New Testament be translated, and in it all these things shall be made known; wherefore I give unto you that ye may now translate it, that ye may be prepared for the things to come; for verily I say unto you they are nigh even at your doors, and not many years hence ye shall hear of wars in your own lands. Wherefore I the Lord have said gather ye out from the eastern lands, assemble ye yourselves together ye Elders of my Church; go ye forth into the western countries, call upon the inhabitants to repent, and inasmuch as they do repent, build up churches unto me; and with one heart and with one mind, gather up your riches that ye may purchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be appointed unto you, and it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the most high God; and the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there. And it shall come to pass, that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy, even so. Amen.

TO THE SAINTS OF CHRIST JESUS, SCATTERED ABROAD.

BRETHREN, As some of you have not been correctly informed, as we understand, respecting the order of the gathering of the saints to Zion: Therefore, for the benefit of the Church of Christ, generally, I subjoin a few extracts from the Revelation on this subject, that all may know and understand, and so conduct themselves, that order and not confusion may be produced; for God is a God of order.

In the love of Christ,

Yours. Edward [Partridge].

EXTRACTS.--"Let the privileges of the lands be made known from time to time by the Bishop, or the agent of the Church, and let the work of the gathering be not in haste, nor by flight, but let all be done as it shall be counselled by the Elders of the Church, at the Conference, according to the knowledge which they receive from time to time." [D&C 58:55-56] "They who are privileged to go up unto Zion, let them carry up unto the Bishop, a certificate from three Elders of the Church, or a certificate from the Bishop, [in Ohio] otherwise he who shall go up unto the land of Zion, shall not be accounted a wise steward, or be accepted of the Bishop in Zion." [D&C 72:24-26] "Let those therefore who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion, and let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem." [D&C 133:12] "Go ye out from among the nations even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness which is spiritual Babylon: but verily thus saith the Lord let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you." [D&C 133:14-15]



Selected.

THAT the world at large may the better judge, concerning the above prophecy, we add an extract from the Book of Mormon. It will be seen by this that the most plain parts of the New Testament, have been taken from it by the Mother of Harlots while it was confined in that Church,--way, from the year A.D. 46- to 1400: This is a sufficient reason for the Lord to give command to have it translated a new: Notwithstanding King James' translators did very well, all knowing that they had only the common faculties of men and literature, without the spirit of Revelation:--[Ed. E. & M. Star.]

[1 Ne. 13:24-37] And the angel of the Lord said unto me, Thou hast beheld that the Book proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew; and when it proceeded forth from the mouth of a Jew, it contained the plainness of the Gospel of the Lord, of whom the twelve apostles bear record; and they bear record according to the truth which is in the Lamb of God; wherefore, these things go forth from the Jews in purity, unto the Gentiles, according to the truth which is in God; and after that they go forth by the hand of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, from the Jews unto the Gentiles; behold, after this, thou seest the foundation of a great and abominable church, which is the most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the Gospel of the Lamb, many parts which are plain and most precious; and also, many Covenants of the Lord have they taken away; and all this have they done, that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord; that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men; wherefore thou seest that after the Book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the Book, which is the Book of the Lamb of God; and after that these plain and precious things were taken away, it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; and after it goeth forth unto all the nations of the Gentiles; yea, even across the many waters which thou hast seen with the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity; and thou seest because of the many plain and precious things which have been taken out of the Book, which were plain unto the understanding of the children of men, according to the plainness which is in the Lamb of God; and because of these things which are taken away out of the Gospel of the Lamb, an exceeding great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them; nevertheless thou beholdest that the Gentiles which have gone forth out of captivity, and have been lifted up by the power of God above all other nations upon the face of the land, which is choice above all other lands, which is the land which the Lord God hath covenanted with thy father, that his seed should have, for the land of their inheritance; wherefore, thou seest that the Lord God will not suffer that the Gentiles will utterly destroy the mixture of thy seed, which is among thy brethren; neither will he suffer that the Gentiles shall destroy the seed of thy brethren; neither will the Lord God suffer that the Gentiles shall forever remain in that state of awful woundedness which thou beholdest that they are in, because of the plain and most precious parts of the Gospel of the Lamb which hath been kept back by the abominable church, whose formation thou hast seen; wherefore, saith the Lamb of God, I will be merciful unto the Gentiles, unto the visiting of the remnant of the House of Israel in great judgement.

And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord spake unto me, saying: Behold, saith the Lamb of God, after that I have visited the remnant of the House of Israel, and this remnant of which I speak, is the seed of thy father; wherefore, after that I have visited them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles; and after that the Gentiles do stumble exceedingly, because of the most plain and precious parts of the Gospel of the Lamb which hath been kept back, by that abominable church, which is the mother of harlots, saith the Lamb; wherefore, I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, saith the Lamb insomuch that I will bring forth unto them in mine own power, much of my Gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb; for behold, saith the Lamb, I will manifest myself unto thy seed, that they shall write many things which I shall minister unto them, which shall be plain and precious; and after that thy seed shall be destroyed and dwindle in unbelief, and also, the seed of thy brethren; behold, these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the Gentiles, by the gift and power of the Lamb; and in them shall be written my Gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation; and blessed are they which shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the fit and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end, they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom of the Lamb; yea, whoso publish peace, that shall publish tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.

PERSECUTION.

THE following article has lately appeared in the news papers of the day, and we copy it to show that the religion of Jesus Christ, has always been persecuted. But when a saint lives to God, persecution or applause is all one: the soul is above them.

The first persecution of the Church of Christ under the Heathen Roman Emperors by Domitius Nero the VI., about the year 67, collected out of the lives of Nero, Caesar, Eusebius, and the Book of Martyrs. The occation whereof was this, Nero having passed over the first five years of his reign somewhat plausibly, he then began to all manner of prodigious impieties; and among other designs, he had a great desire to consume the stately imperial city of Rome with fire; pronouncing kind Pryamus a happy man, because he beheld the end of his kingdom and country together. Yea, said he, let not all be ruined, when I am dead, but while I am yet alive. And for effecting this villany, he sent divers to kindle the fires in sundry places; yea, some of his own bed chamber were seen to carry flax, tow, torches, &c. to farther it; and when any attempted to quench it, they were threatened for it. Others openly hurled fire-brands: crying they knew what they did, there was one would bear them out. This fire began among the oil-men and druggists; the night watch and Pretorian guards, did openly cherish it; and when it was thoroughly kindled, Nero went up to the top of Mecenes Tower, which overlooked the whole city, where he fed himself with the sight of the infinite burnings, and sang to his harp the burning of Troy.

Among other stately buildings that were burned down, the Circus or Race yard was one, being about half a mile in length, of an ovel form, with rows of seats one above another, capable to receive at least a hundred and fifty thousand spectators, without uncivil shoulderings. But the particulars were innumerable, and the damage inestimable: besides which many thousands of people perished; the flame and smoke smothered some, the weight of ruins crushed others, the fire consumed others; others threw themselves into the fire, out of sorrow and dispair, and villians slew many.

But Nero finding that this fire, which continued burning nine days, brought a great odium upon him. To excuse himself, he transferred the fault upon the Christians, as if out of malice, they had done it, and thereupon he raised this first persecution against them. For there was at this present a flourishing church of Christians, in Rome, even before St. Paul's arrival there, and Nero's own court was secretly garnished and enriched with some of those diamonds, whose salutations the apostle remembers in his Epistle to the Philipians. But while Nero with their blood, sought to quench and cover his own infamy, he procured himself new envy; while many that abhorred Christians for their religion, commisserated their sufferings as undeserved. Some he caused to be sewed up in skins of wild beasts, and then worried them to death with dogs; some he crucified, others he burnt in public, to furnish evening sports with bonfires. Many he caused to be packed up in paper stiffened in molten wax, with a coat of searcloth about their bodies and bound upwards to axletrees, many of which were pitched in the ground, and so set on fire at the bottom, to maintain light for Nero's night sports in his gardens. Some of them were gored in length upon stakes, the one end fastened in the earth, the other thrust into the fundaments, and coming out at their mouths.

Nor did the persecution rage in Rome alone, but it was extended generally over the whole empire, insomuch, that a man might then have seen cities lie full of dead mens' bodies, the old lying there together with the young; and the dead bodies of women cast out naked in the open streets, without any reference to their sex: Yea, his rage and malice was so great, that he endeavored to have rooted out the very name of Christians in all places. Whereupon Tertullian said, that it could be no ordinary goodness which Nero condemned: And, said he, we glory on the behalf of our sufferings, that they had such a dictator as he. But this persecution, like a blast, spread the religion that it blew, and having continued four years from the first rising, it expired in two most shining blazes, viz: in the martyrdom of the two great apostles, Peter and Paul; Peter was crucified with his head downwards, which manner of death himself made choice of; and while he thus hung upon the cross, he saw his wife going to her martyrdom, whereupon he much rejoiced; and calling her by name, he bade her remember the Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, also Paul, before Nero, made a confession of his faith, and of the doctrines which he taught; whereupon he was condemned to be beheaded, and the emperor sent two of his esquires, Ferega and Parthemius, to bring him word of his death. They coming to Paul, heard him instruct the people, and thereupon desired him to pray for them, that they might believe; who told them, that shortly after, they should believe and be baptized. Then the soldiers led him out of the city to the place of execution, where he prayed, and so gave his neck to the sword and was beheaded. This was done in the fourteenth, which was the last year of Nero.

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA.

"BUT the most stupendous work of this country is the great wall that divides it from N. Tartary. It is built exactly on the same plan as the wall of Pekin, being a mount of earth cased on each side with brick or stone. [The astonishing magnitude of the fabric consists not so much in the plan of the work, as in the immense distance of fifteen hundred miles over which it is extended, over mountains of two and three thousand feet in height, across deep valleys and rivers.] The materials of all the dwelling houses of England and Scotland, supposing them to amount to one million eight hundred thousand, and to average on the whole, two thousand cubic feet of masonry or brick work, are barely equivalent to the bulk or solid contents of the great wall of China. Nor are projecting massy towers of stone and brick included in this calculation. These alone, supposing them to continue throughout at bow-shot distance, were calculated to contain as much masonry and brick work as all London. To give another idea of the mass of matter in this stupendous fabric, it may be more than sufficient to surround the circumference of the earth on two of its great circuits, with two walls each six feet high and two feet thick! It is to be understood, however, that in this calculation is included the earthy part in the middle of the wall."--[Barrow's Travels in China.]

EVIL communications corrupt good manners--saith the Scripture.



Selections.

ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE THOUGHTS.

IT is necessary that our thoughts should be under regular discipline, in order to the full and successful exertion of our mental powers. What is called a vigorous and active mind seems, after all, to mean only a mind, of which the thoughts are all subjected to the authority of its governing powers, and may therefore all be brought to bear, with their whole force, on the business in which it is occupied.--Attention seems only another name for that state of mind, when all its thoughts are fixed and collected and bent to a single point; and it is a power of attention, much more than any original and native diversity of talents, which constitutes the intellectual difference among men. Newton was accustomed to declare, that if he differed from his fellow men, he owed it to his power of patient meditation; in other words to his power of fixing his thoughts intently and long on any subject with which he was occupied. We must have all observed the truth of these remarks in the course of our various pursuits. If we examine our minds at those periods when they are most vigorously and successfully exerted, we shall observe that all other objects are excluded from our minds, and that our thoughts are concentrated and engrossed by the task in which we are employed. If on the contrary we observe ourselves when our minds are indisposed, reluctant and inefficient, we shall find that our dominion over our thoughts is lost, that attention is dissipated and distracted by a multitude of unrelated images; which float through the fancy, and that all our powers are weakened, because discordant and divided. The effect of suffering our thoughts to wander without guidance and without object is too obvious to have escaped the most careless observer. It breaks up all our habits of regular inquiry, indisposes us for any thing which requires seriousness and patience, and especially unfits us for meditation on divine things, which from their nature the mind is with so much difficulty brought steadily to contemplate. If then we desire to effect any thing valuable in this short life; if we seek to use our talents according to the purpose of the Giver; if we would improve our own minds for the service of God, and the scenes of eternity; and contribute what we can, to the happiness and improvement of our fellow men, we must learn to control our thoughts, restrain our vain and wandering imaginations, and seek to make the proper business of life in our various callings, and the duties of devotion at their appointed seasons, fill and occupy our minds.

That our thoughts should be brought under discipline, is necessary, in the second place, for our happiness in actual life, and to fit us for its common scenes and duties. a great deal of misery is produced, particularly among those, who have no absorbing occupation, and those in whom the illusions of youth have not been corrected by the experience of actual life, by indulging the imagination in forming schemes and hopes of visionary felicity; or as it is sometimes called, "building castles in the air." It is indeed very delightful to give the reins to the thoughts, to send fancy on the wing from this world of imperfection and pain, and sorrow and sin, to scenes where every thing is perfect, happy, and fair; where nature wears an eternal bloom, where the skies are always blue, and the winds always balmy; where children are always virtuous, friends never faithless, and fortune is never fickle; where the eye knows no tear, and the heart no pang.

But this is not life as we must expect to find it. This is not the world in which we are to live, and in which we are to act. It is not intended that this state of trial should ever realize such dreams of fancy. And the effects of indulging this luxury of vain imagination are neither salutary nor innocent. If we could descend, indeed, from these airy fabrics of unreal felicity, and return as before to the common duties of life, the harshest epithet which we could apply to this employment would be, that it was useless. But both our happiness and our fitness for our duties are lessened by it. When we awake from these delusions, we feel the full force of the contrast between what we see and what we have imagined. The scenes and duties of common life appear tame and insiped, after gazing on the beautiful creations of fancy. The effects on the mind are precisely similar to those produced by works of fiction, except that in this case we read merely the fiction of another, and in that, we make the romance of ourselves; and are therefore more in danger of mistaking it for reality. the realities of life must always fall far short of the pictures of fancy. When we descend from the lofty regions where in imagination we have been dwelling, and are called on to perform the common-place duties of husbands and wives, and fathers, and children, and citizens, which the course can seldom call us to feel much either of rapture or of anguish, we miss the strong stimulus to which our passions have been accustomed. We find that we have been nourishing a sickly and fastidious delicacy, which revolts at the plain and homely, and sometimes coarse and disgusting employments, to which we are destined. A spirit of discontent and unhappiness is apt to spring up. We lose our cheerful acquiescence in the purpose of Providence, and our ready submission to that wisdom which always dicides best for us.

I do not say that this is always the effect of any degree of indulgence of these vain thoughts, but it is the tendency of it, and therefore it is that we must seek to banish them. We must refuse ourselves the luxury of solitary musing, and building castles in the air, and let hope and fancy and memory be regulated by reason and religion. Our expectations from life must become accommodated to its true state. We must be contented with the mixture of good and evil as it has been mingled for us, and not expect that we are born, with a peculiar destiny, to a happiness and perfection which is denied to others. If indeed it were nothing more than an unprofitable waste of time, that alone would be reason enough to confine this dissipation of thought, and restrain its irregularities. Enough surely of life is spent unprofitably, without giving any of the little, which remains, to the delusions of visionary happiness.

But the necessity of regulating our thoughts will appear more serious, when we consider their influence on our moral character. All action has its origin in the mind. The thought is the rudiment of the dead. Meditation produces desire, and desire leads to practice. If then we would have our actions rights, we must make our thoughts pure, and learn to forbear to think on what we are forbidden to do.

The manner in which evil thoughts are connected with bad actions is obvious. There is no one, who is yet innocent, who is not shocked by the idea of crimes, when they appear in all-their magnitude and deformity. No one ever leaped over the limits of virtue, into the confines of confirmed vice, at a single bound. On the contrary, the exclamation, "Is thy servant a dog that he should do this thing," is the natural impulse of every man's mind, whose conscience is yet unseared, at the very suggestion of atrocious guilt. But by revolving with pleasure the safety, facility, or advantages, of a wicked deed, he finds his constancy waver, his resolution relax, his detestation soften. The idea of some fraudulent stratagem or scene of guilty pleasure, which at first perhaps was admitted into the mind from curiosity merely, is next regarded with complacency; comes at length to be cherished with fondness; at last assumes the form of desire; and how nearly allied is desire to transgression, there are too many of us, alas, who know! what we allow ourselves to which, we are soon induced to attempt to gain. He who suffers his thoughts and wishes to dwell too long on the pleasures and advantages which he should derive from what another possesses, ill begin to reconcile his mind to some unlawful measure for procuring it. He, who suffers his imagination to be filled with images of guilty and degrading pleasure, will at length find his desire irresistibly stimulated to gratification. Every moment spent in meditation on sin increases its dangerous power over us, till at length the idea of pleasure overcomes the sense of guilt; the last limit of innocence is, though perhaps timidly and reluctantly, past--we enter into the confines of sin--it may be never to return.

We are thus irrisistibly led to the conclusion, that he who would govern his actions by the laws of virtue, must regulate his thoughts by those of reason and religion. It is not possible that a man should walk outwardly in the law of God, who is constantly feeding his imagination with the pleasures of sin. The passions will at last act. It is difficult to stop when we have inflamed ourselves with every possible incentive to advance; to abstain when appetite is sharpened to its kneenest edge.--Of what therefore we are forbidden to do, we must learn to forbid ourselves to think; and make the propriety of action a test of the propriety of thought. It if is wrong to gratify revenge, it is wrong to dwell on it in imagination. If we must resist all allurements of pleasure, we must refuse to contemplate them. We must not seek to indemnify ourselves for the restraints which we impose on our actions, by the sinful indulgences of imagination. There must be no discordance between the inward and outward man; thought, word, and deed, must constantly and inseparably unite.--[Thacher]

CULTIVATE THE MIND.

MAN was created to dress the earth, and to cultivate his mind, and glorify God. It, therefore, cannot be amis for us, at this early period, to urge the disciples of our Lord, to study to shew themselves approved in all things. For, when a disciple, educated, even as Paul at the feet of Gamaliel, is guided by the Holy Spirit, he not only edifies his fellow beings correctly, but he improves his faculties agreeable to the will of God. We select the following article from the Old Countryman, as worthy of a place under this head:--[Ed. E. &. M. Star.]

The venerable and Rev. Dr. Kidd, of Aberdeen, delivered the last Season, a Course of Lectures in Mechanic's Hall. Judging from the specimen before us, these Lectures must be invaluable to the general reader. We understand they have been printed.

In his introductory Lectures he said, in speaking of the advancement of knowledge: "Many a mechanic at the present day was a much greater adept in political economy than many legislators at the beginning of the present century and in the heart of England, where M'Culloch had lectured, they would find a journeyman mechanic rise up in any large assembly, and discuss the most abstruse points in this science, with such depth of thought, force and eloquence, that the orations of Pitt and Fox were fairly outshone. No man without careful observations would believe the march of mind which had taken place since the suicide, of Londonderry. Referring to the benefits of the cultivation of intellect, the Doctor said he might quote the beautiful passage of Dr. O. Gregory, and ask what was Arkwright?--a barber. Ferguson?--a peasant. Herschell?--a pipe and tabor player. Watt?--a mathematical instrument maker. Brindly?--a mill wright. Nelson?--a cabin boy. Ramage?--a currier.--These benefits exalted nations as well as individuals. What made William IV, the greatest monarch who now sat on a throne? Not the extent of his territories not his army, not his navy, but because he reigned over a free, educated, thinking and inquisitive people. Ignorance of their rights had once been cried up as the best way to make an obedient people; but the days were gone by for having the book of knowledge sealed, and education now ennobled the lowest in degree of the human race into men! Many a clown who stands in dumb and seemingly stupid gaze at the majesty of a full moon rising through a hazy horizon in an autumnal evening, or at the flash of the forked lightning, or at the fantastic shape of a transient cloud edged with gold by the gleams of a descending sun--who listen with ignorant but keen attention to the rolling thunder through the stupendous vault of the 'overhanging firmament,' or whistles as he returns from his daily task in sympathy with the minstrels of the grove, would--had he the benefit of education to brighten the rough diamond, and give scope 'to the genial current of the soul,' shine forth a Watt, or an Arkwright, in mechanics--a Washington or a Wellington in arms--a Nelson or a Cochrane on the wave--a Fox or a Canning in the cabinet--a Sheridan or a Mackintosh in the Senate--a Chalmers or a Thompson in the pulpit--a Jaffrey at the bar, or a Brougham on the woolsack."

The Doctor concluded in the following words:--"Most of you are as tall as me; most of you are as strong as me; all of you have as many bones and muscles as me; why is it that you are deficient in capacity?--because of your neglect in cultivating your minds and neglecting the means of raising yourselves by education."

Worldy Matters.

THE TIMES IN WHICH WE LIVE.

WE have fallen upon other times than the church of God ever saw before; times in which the same amount of relegious and moral influence which once availed to advance the cause of Christ will not enable it to hold its own. The intellect of man, wakened up to new activity, has burst the chains that bound it, and the barriers that confined it, and with ten-fold means of influence, is going forth in its mightsness to agitate society. Old foundations are broken, and principles and maxims are undergoing a thorough and perilous revision, and that too upon a mighty scale.

In our colonial state we were few, and poor and feeble. Intercourse was difficult and rare, and moral causes insulated and local. What was said in one colony was not heard in another, and what was done in one state was not felt in another. But now each colony is a state, and each state a nation, and intercourse is rapid, and local causes tall in their results throughout the whole, as every stroke on the body is felt through all the members. Nations compose our confederacy, and nations our religious denominations, and nations the army of the aliens.--[Spirit of the Pilgrims.]

It will be recollected that the reduction of duties on Teas, the second reduction on coffee, and the second reduction on salt, enacted by Congress in 1830, went into operation in Jan'y. The duty on coffee is now only one cent a pound--on salt, ten cents per bushel of 56 lbs.--on Teas from China, or any other place east of the Cape of Good Hope, in American vessles, as follows;

Bohea, 4 cts. per lb. Black, 10- cts. do. Green, 12 cts. do. Hyson and Y. Hyson, 18 cts. do. Imperial, Gun Powder and Gomee, 25 cts. do.

From any other place, or in vessels other than those of the United States.

Bohea, 6 cts. per lb. Black, 18 cts. do. Green, 20 cts. Hyson and Y. Hyson, 27 cts. do. Imperial, Gun Powder and Gomee, 37 cts do.--[Jour. of Com.]

Mr. Geo. B. Raymond has returned from his mission to Holland relative to the jewels of the Princess of Orange. The value of the diamonds which he recovered on the Continent alone, were estimated to be worthy L100,00. The Prince and Princess of Orange have written him a complimentary letter, accompanied by an elegant diamond ring and breast-pin. He has been very successful and dexterous in managing this affair; but in crossing the frontiers between Holland and Belgium, he was severely wounded by a horseman who cut his head open with a sabre--supposing him to be a spy.--[N. Y. Courier & Enquirer.]

The London Evangelical Magazine, for January, contains an address to the pastors and members of churches in the independent denomination, signed by George Redford and J.A. James, on the importance of a day of united prayer, in consequence of the fact, that "public affairs are in a state of extreme agitation; commerce and trade at a low ebb; the fatal pestilence, like a destroying angel, has set its foot upon our shores, and pauses only till the almghty Sovereign shall seal its commission; crimes, unexampled, have been brought to light; the church languishes; fanaticism and speculation, like a wrathful bolt from the skies, have scathed some of the ceders of Lebanon," &c. &c. These are said to be distinct and imperative calls to humiliation and prayer.--[Christian Watchman.]

The following is found in an ancient History of Connecticut. Soon after the settlement of New-Haven; several persons went over to what is now the town of Milford, where, finding the soil very good, they were desirous to effect a setlement; but the premises were in the peaceable possession of the Indians, and some conscientious scruples arose as to the propriety of deposing and expelling them. To test the case a Church meeting was called, and the matter determined by the solemn vote of that sacred body. After several speeches had been made in relation to the subject, they proceeded to pass votes--the first was the following;--Voted, that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. This passed in the affirmative, and, "Voted, that the earth is given to the saints."--This was also determined like the former--mem. con.--ed. "Voted, that we are the saints," which passed without a dissenting voice, the title was considered indisputable, and the Indians were soon compelled to evacuate the place and relinquish the possession to the rightful owners.

The public expenditures of England, during the year ending the 5th of January, 1832, were L.,123,298 2s. 11d. ($209,227,444) and the income L46,424,440 17s. 11 1/2 d. showing an excess of expenditure over income of L698,867 5s, 11 1/2 d.

A Mr. M'Farlane lately died in a mail stage in the western part of Pennsylvania. His pocket book was found to contain $8,000! We remark this to show the uniform practice which seems to prevail, of connecting every possible casualty, every mortal mischance with the subject of money. Does a man die, the question is asked, how much is he worth? Does he come to his end by drowning or in an apoplectic stroke, the bystanders immediately haul out his pocket-book and begin to count the cash it contains. The more money they find about his person, the more they wonder that he should die! A hundred dollars is thought to be a large sum for a mortal to carry about him; but $8,000 furnishes a subject of undying astonishment.--[Alb. Daily]

Extract of a letter dated Green Bay February 8:--The small pox is making dreadful ravages among the Indians along the western shore of lake Michigan. As many as sixty had died of this malady at Milwauky, up to the last accounts.

The commerce of the west, dependent on the river Ohio and its tributary streams, gives employment to 190 steam boats. 5,000 flat boats and arks, and not less than 40,000 men and boys.

It appears by the report of the committee on the manufacture of salt, of the tariff convention, that the fixed capital in Ohio, used in making salt, amounts to $334, 762 and that the quantity of salt annually produced is 446,350 bushels. Four of the states make each a greater quantity than Ohio, viz: Massachusetts, New York Pennsylvania and Virginia. The number of bushels annually made in the United States, is 4,444,929. Quantity imported, 5,901,175 bushels.

It has lately been discovered that the best paper for wrappers, writing, and printing, may be produced from wood shavings, boiled in mineral or vegetable, alkali. One hundred pounds of wood and twelve pounds of alkali will produce a ream of paper.--[London paper.]

AWFUL AND ALARMING STATISTICS.

THE Rev. Dr. C. pastor of the Presbyterian church in York, Pa. has communicated in the Magazine of the German Reformed church, the result of an account kept during one year, of all the murders that came under his observation in reading various periodicals.--[Evang.]

The account has been kept for one year, commencing on the first day of January 1831, and to his surprise, the number amounts to 109, among which are some of, the most appalling kind, such as parents by their children, and children by their parents, husbands by their wives, and wives by their husbands, and several others of the most atrocious kind.

We are disposed to consider ourselves as moral, at least as the British nation and yet in the kingdom of England, whose population is about the same as ours, from a statistical account lately published, of all the crimes committed in that nation for 7 years, ending with that of 1830, the number of murders during that time is 103, averaging 15 each year, while ours amount to more than seven times that number.

As we cannot be supposed to be more wicked by nature than others, and as there is no other nation on earth where the inhabitants enjoy so abundantly, both necessaries and even comforts of life, and where there is less temptation for the commission of crimes, it becomes an important inquiry, how this awful increase of murder can be accounted for? Now we think, that it must occur to every serious and impartial observer, that of the 109 murders, a very large proportion was occasioned by the immoderate use of ardent spirits. This is truly an alarming fact, and ought to induce every one, who is a friend to religion and morality, to discourage as far as in his power the use of ardent spirits, which is the cause of many thousand deaths, every year in these United States.

Let even the temperate drinker ponder well, and consider what he is doing; for the greatest drunkard was once a temperate drinker, and could be have been foretold what crime he would one day commit, would have, perhaps, replied in the words of Hazael: "Is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing?" Yet the crime has been committed, and several executions have taken place during the past year in consequence of it. It ought to be stated that the murders occasioned by the insurrection of the negroes in the southern states, are not included in the above, and there may also have been others in different parts of the United States that did not come under the observation of the subscriber.--[Robert Cathcart.]

The more clearly the truth shines, the more will discordant parties, which are opposed to each other unite to oppose the progress of truth. Herod and Pilot though mortal enemies, united in persecuting Jesus Christ, and became friends in this work.

Whenever a society ceases to be virtuous, it flatters the world: For this reason the world persecutes true religion.

Native simplicity not unfrequently comprises beauty, virtue, and even the height of sublimity.

Sloth, like rust, consumes faster than labor wears, while the used key is always bright. Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time--for that is the stuff life is made of.

At the working man's house hunger looks in but never enters.

<"To Man">

William Phelps "To Man," E&MS 1 (June 1832)



THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR.

TO MAN.

{beliefs-lds} WITH the help of God, the first number of the Evening and the Morning Star, comes to the world for the objects specified in its prospectus, which was published last winter. That we should now recapitulate some of its leading objects, and briefly add a few remarks, will naturally be expected; and we cheerfully do so, that this generation may know, that the Star comes in these last days as the friend of man, to persuade him to turn to God and live, before the great and terrible day of the Lord sweeps the earth of its wickedness. That it comes not only as the messenger of truth, to bring the Revelations and Commandments of God which have been, but to publish those that God gives now, as in days of old, for he is the same God yesterday, to-day and forever; and is, after he was taken up, as mentioned in the first chapter of Acts, he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen, what possible reason is there to suppose that he would neglect to do likewise now--before he comes in his glory; before he gathers his elect, (the house of Israel; see Isaiah 45:4). and even before John the Revelator must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings? (see Rev. 10.) We know of no reason in the bible. That it comes as the harbinger of peace and good will to them that serve the Lord with a determination to have a part in the first Resurrection, and finally become kings and priests to God, the Father, in the celestial kingdom, where God, and Christ is, and where they will be for eternity; and where will be also, the general assembly of the first born, the Church of Enoch, who walked with God and built up Zion in the first days, which Zion and Enoch the Lord translated to paradise before the flood; but Isaiah says: Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring AGAIN ZION. That it comes according to the will of God, from those who are not ashamed to take upon them the name of Christ, and walk lowly in the valley of humiliation, and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon them: knowing that the great day of the Lord will soon usher in the Sabbath of creation, for the rest of the saints; that the Savior may reign his thousand years of peace upon the earth, while Satan is bound. That it comes in meekness and mercy to all mankind that they may do works meet for repentance and be saved in the first resurrection, and afterward dwell with the spirits of just men and made perfect in the celestial kingdom, which transcends the glory of the terrestrial as much as the terrestrial transcends the telestial, or the telestial transcends the prison of the imperfect. That it comes to bring good tidings of great joy to all people, but more especially the house of Israel scattered abroad, that the day of their redemption is near, for the Lord hath set his hand again the second time to restore them to the lands of their inheritance; ready to receive the Savior in the clouds of Heaven. That it comes to show that the ensign is now set up, unto which all nations shall come, and worship the Lord, the God of Jacob, acceptably. That it comes when war, and the plague or pestilence, as it is called, are sweeping their thousands and tens of thousands, to show that the days of tribulation, spoken of by our Savior, are nigh at hand, even at the doors. That it comes to repeat the great caution of Paul: Beware lest any spoil you, (the disciples of Christ,) through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men and the rudiments of the world. That it comes to prepare the way of the Lord, that when he comes he may have a holy people ready to receive him. That it comes to show that no man can be too good to be saved, but that many may be too bad. That it comes to declare that goodness consists in doing good, not merely in preaching it. That it comes to show that all men's religion is vain without charity. That it comes to open the way for Zion to arise and put on her beautiful garments and become the glory of the earth, that her land may be joined, or married, (according to the known translation of Isaiah,) to Jerusalem again, and they be one as they were in the days of Peleg. Thus it comes.

Man, being created but little below the angels, only wants to know for himself, and not by another, that, by obeying the commands of his Creator, he can rise again, after death, in the flesh, and reign with Christ a thousand years on the earth, without sin; be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and become a king and a priest to God in eternity--to forsake his sins, and say: Lord, I am thine! The first words of which we have account, that Jesus Christ, spake, concerning the things of eternal life, were: Suffer it to be so now: For thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he was baptized; and truly, if it became the Savior of the world, holy as he was, to be baptized in the meridian of time, to fulfil all righteousness, how much more necessary it is for man, to be baptized upon the very eve of the Sabbath of creation, to be saved? Let the heart answer the head, that the body may save the soul. As this paper is devoted to the great concerns of eternal things and the gathering of the saints, it will leave politics, the gainsaying of the world, and many other matters, for their proper channels, endeavoring by all means, to set an example before the world, which, when followed, will lead our fellow men to the gates of glory, where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary will find rest. That there may be errors both in us and in the paper, we readily admit, and we mean to grow better, till, from little children, we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, which we pray may be the happy lot of thousands, before he comes with the hundred forty and four thousand that are without guile. June, 1832.

W. [William] W. PHELPS.

<"To Church">
William Phelps "To Church," E&MS 1 (June 1832)

TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST ABROAD IN THE EARTH. {beliefs-lds}

IT is the duty of the Church of Christ, in Zion, to stand as an ensign to all nations, that the Lord hath set his hand the second time to restore the house of Israel to the lands of their inheritance &c; and it behooves the members of this Church, to manifest before the world by a godly walk; by a noble example, as well as by sterling precept; by prudence in living; by plainness in dress; by industry; by economy; by faith and works, and above all, by solemnity, humility and patience, that this is a day of warning and not a day of many words.

This being the order in Zion, how much more necessary is it, that the Churches of Christ, which have not yet come up to this land, should show the world, by well ordered conduct in all things, that they are the children of the living God? It is all-important and the salvation of many souls, depends upon their faultless example. They will, therefore, knowing that the Lord will suddenly come to his temple, do their part in preparing the way, by observing the Sabbath-day and keep it holy; by teaching their children the gospel, and learning them to pray; by avoiding extremes in all matters; by shunning every appearance of evil; by studying to be approved, and doing unto others, as they would have others do unto them; by bearing trouble and persecution patiently, without a murmur, knowing, that Michael, the arch angel, when contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. They will not only set an example worthy of imitation, but they will let their light so shine as that others, seeing, may go and do likewise. Example is the great thing that defies the world with all its vain glory; by letting their moderation be known unto all men, both in dress and in living; in words and in deeds; in watching and in praying; in love and in labor, and in works as well as in faith, they preach the world a lecture, they set the enquirer a sample, and teach all Christendom a lesson, that studied preaching and pulpit eloquence have failed to accomplish.

<"Common Schools">
William Phelps "Common Schools," E&MS 1 (June 1832)

COMMON SCHOOLS. {beliefs-lds}

THE disciples should loose no time in preparing schools for their children, that they may be taught as is pleasing unto the Lord, and brought up in the way of holiness. Those appointed to select and prepare books for the use of schools, will attend to that subject, as soon as more weighty matters are finished. But the parents and guardians, in the Church of Christ need not wait--it is all important that children, to become good should be taught so. Moses, while delivering the words of the Lord to the congregation of Israel, the parents, says, [Deut. 6:6-8] And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sitest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. If it were necessary then to teach their children diligently, how much more necessary it is now, when the Church of Christ is to be an ensign, yea, even a sample to the world, for good? A word to the wise ought to be sufficient, for children soon become men and women. Yes, they are they that must follow us, and perform the duties which, not only appertain to this world, but to the second coming of the Savior, even preparing for the Sabbath of creation, and for eternity.

<"Book of Mormon">
William Phelps "Book of Mormon," E&MS 1 (June 1832)

THE BOOK OF MORMON. {beliefs-lds}

THERE are not a few honest enquiring persons, who wish to learn the truth of the Book of Mormon. To put them in possession of such testimony as may lead to truth, is our duty, and, after stating that this Book contains a record of that branch of the tribe of Joseph which was separated from his brethren, according to the 49th chapter of Genesis, we say read the 37th chapter of Ezekiel and if the STICK OF EPHRIAM, therein mentioned does not mean the Book of Mormon, what does it mean? Isaiah has information, which, if rightly understood, ought to wake the world; the Lord says he will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, a marvelous work and a wonder, and who dare dispute the Lord?

Independent of Bible proof on the subject before us, we have the remains of towns, cities, forts &c., which silently declare to the beholder: We were built by a civilized people.

As man cannot trust in man, we request all that wish the truth on this great subject, to enquire of the Lord, who will always answer the pure in heart.

<Editorial>
William Phelps editorial E&MS 1 (June 1832)

TO AGENTS AND THE PUBLIC.

EVERY person that will procure ten subscribers for the Star, and transmit to us, free of postage, $10, (U. S. paper,) shall be entitled to a paper per. an. gratis. In all cases, payment must be made to us through the post office, or to an authorized agent, before the Star will be forwarded.

{beliefs-lds} As the public seem somewhat astonished, that we, among all the light of this century, should have "sacred records which have slept for ages" to publish, it is our duty to say, that we shall take an extract from The Prophecy of Enoch, for our second or third number. Jude spake of this prophet in the 14th verse of his epistle. There are too many books mentioned and missing in the Bible, for any one to query about more sacred records.

THE Star-office is situated within 12 miles of the west line of the state of Missouri:--which at present, is the western limits of the United States, and about 120 miles west of any press in the state--In about 39 degrees of North Latitude, and about 17 1/2 degrees of West Longitude; 2 1/2 miles south of Missouri River; 280 miles by land, or 500 by water west of St. Louis; nearly 1200 west of Washington; 1300 from New-York, and more than 1500 from Boston.

EARLY in May, Capt. Bonaville's Company, (150) under the command of Capt. Walker passed this town, on its way to the Rocky Mountains, to trap and hunt for fur in the vast country of the Black Feet Indians. About the middle of May, Capt. Soublett's Company, (70) passed, for the Rocky Mountains, on the same business. At which time, also, Capt. Wythe of Mass., with a Company of 30, passed for the mouth of Oregon River, to prepare (as it is said) for settling a territory. During the month of May there also passed one Company bound to Santa Fee.

About the 8th or 9th of this month Capt. Blackwell's Company, (60 or 70) passed this place for the Rocky Mountains, in addition.

UNDER the head of SELECTIONS, we intend to furnish the desciples with well-written articles from celebrated authors, that they may be enabled to judge between right and wrong; between the church of Christ and the church of man, and set an example worthy of imitation.

Under the head, also, of WORLDLY MATTERS, shall be given, as far as our limits may permit, such items of general news, as may enable the saints to know the condition of the world. We, therefore, cannot be responsible for the errors that may be in the article or items, but shall endeavor, at all times, to give correct information, praying to God continually for his spirit to guide us to all truth.



NEWS.

UNDER this head in addition to Worldly Matters on an other page, we shall furnish such items as may interest the public. We begin by stating, that on the 4th inst. A Mr. Taylor was stabbed to death by A Mr. Socie at Lexington, Mo. Socie is in Jail.

A large six story store in New-York, fell upon its inmates, not long since, and crushed several of them to death. A late arrival from Colombia, states that war has been declared between the place and New Grenada. We learn from Mr. Joseph Sterett, supercargo of the brig Brazen, arrived at this port yesterday from Ponce, Porto Rico, that the town of Guayanna, in that island, was entirely consumed by fire about the 11th of April. the light was distinctly seen at Ponce.--Letters detailing the event were received at the latter place which stated that the warehouses on the beach were injured. The brig Pedlar had sailed from Ponce with a cargo of lumber for the relief of the sufferers.--[Amer.] The steam boats Brandywine, Talisman, and Dolphin, were burnt this spring; some others have been sunk, damaged or injured, we believe, which brings the unwelcome tidings of some deaths. Mina has been found guilty of the murder of Mr. Chapman, at Doyalstown, Pa. It is said that the East India company, in 1668, imported 100-lbs of good tea. In 1830, about 63,000,000!! A treaty has been concluded between our government and the Wyandots, for the cession of 16,000 acres of land in Ohio, at $1,25 per acre. Robert Dale Owen, the free thinker, who was in favor of free intercourse independent of matrimony, has lately been married.

INDIAN WAR.--Reports have reached us of disturbances having broken out between the Indians, and the frontiers of Illinois. The Indians are undoubtedly the aggressors, and it is said they have murdered several men, women, and children, and made some captives. General Atkinson, and General Whitesides, with a considerable detachment of troops, are already in pursuit of the Indians; these troops in connection with 2,000 Militia of the state, which are called out by Gov. Reynolds, must quiet them as well as the fears of the public. There are but a handful of Indians at any rate, and the United States are strong enough to crush them at one step. In addition, we understand, the Otto passed our landing not long since, for a part of the troops stationed at Cantonment Leavenworth.--[Ed. E. & M. Star.]

The following account of a natural Phoenomenon is from the Cosmopolitan, a paper published in Buenos Ayres, dated on the 15th. ult. On Saturday last between one and two o'clock, a dense black cloud was observed approaching from the westward. The haste and apparent terror of street passengers at the time, indicated to us the nature of the coming storm, and we turned to behold an object most terrifically sublime. The cloud at first resembled black smoke rolling onwards with indescribable rapidity, driving before it affrighted birds screaming in terror at seeming approaching destruction. In a moment it was over our heads--the sun was hid from us--we were in darkness--utter darkness. We stood before an open window, but, for the space of nearly a minute, could not perceive that it was one. Then was heard a loud peal of thunder, which was immediately succeeded by a shower of "mud" thick mud,--"and there was light"--the dark veil which enveloped us had been wrent, a part falling to the earth; mingled with water. On the reappearance of light, surrounding objects presented themselves in a different color. The fronts of houses which, but a moment before, appeared to our view white as snow, now were a dingy robe. We conversed yesterday with a gentleman just from San Pedro, who states that in the neighborhood of that place there has lately been plentiful rains; and that the lakes are well filled, the cattle, however, had all strayed from Estancias, during the drought, in pursuit of water; but the owners entertained a hope that part of them would return.

CRIMES IN ENGLAND--An official return has appeared, giving details of the number of persons apprehended by the New Poliece during the last year. It is true the larger portion were taken up for crimes of minor magnitude; but the whole number reaches a fearful amount, comprising 45,907 males, forming a grand total of no less than 72,824 persons, all of whom have been thus dragged through the hands of justice. Out of this number, committed to take their trial is only 2,955, viz.--2,272 males, and 673 females--including 2,279 for larceny, 227 for picking pockets, and many for minor offences; thus leaving, we are happy to say, comparatively few charged with the heavier crimes--21,843, two-thirds of that number, being males, were summarily convicted by the different Police Magistrates: 24,239 were discharged by the same--while no less a number than 23,787 persons stated to be drunken cases, comprising 13,328 males, and 9,349 females, were apprehended determined in the different police quarters for more or less time, and discharged by the respective Superintendents.

FOREIGN NEWS.

WE select an item or two of foreign news, to give the reader an idea of the world, and its agitations at the present day. We would here remark, in giving the News of the world, we take it as we find it, and will not be responsible for its truth.

PORTUGAL. Our Madrid and Lisbon letters continue to strengthen the impression that, in the approaching struggle between the brothers for the Crown of Portugal, Spain will act neutrally. the latest accounts from Don Pedro state that he took possession of St. Michael's on the 22d, amid the congratulations of the inhabitants; and an expedition under Admiral Satorios, was to sail against Maderia upon the 26th, which, it was confidently expected, would also succeed in that important island to the lawful Sovereign of Portugal. The intelligence from Lisbon itself is satisfactory--for Don Miguel, though strong in all the material of defence, was becoming more weak in the fidelity of his troops. Even the tyrant himself, since the refusal which he had met with from Spain, is said to be desponding as to the issue of the coming conflict. The confidence of Don Pedro's friends remained unabated.

IRELAND. Two poor creatures died last week of starvation in the streets of Dublin. Irish poor.--Mr. Sadler has given notice that, on the 10th of May he will apply for leave to bring in a bill "for establishing a permanant provision for the suffering and destitute poor of Ireland, by levy upon real property of that part of the United Kingdom, and more particularly upon that of the absentees.

FRANCE. It is impossible any longer to doubt that there is an organized band in Paris, who poison the wine, the milk and the water, throughout the city and the environs. The people are greatly exasperated, the citizens are in a perfect dread, and cry loudly against so infernal a conspiracy.

THE CHOLERA MORBUS.

IT is with no ordinary feelings, that we select an item or two, in relation to the Cholera Morbus. Its ravages, for the past year, on the Eastern Continent, have been great, so that, if ever the pestilence walked in darkness, or destruction wasted at noon day, now is the time, but the Lord hath declared that it should be so before he came in his glory, and we have only to rely on him for deliverance, when he sweeps the earth with the besom of destruction.--[Ed. Eve. & Morn. Star.]

According to late accounts from the frontiers of Persia, the plague and cholera had hardly begun to subside in that country. In some provinces those formidable diseases had carried off more than 2-3d of the population. The province of Ghillan appeared to have been among the greatest sufferers. Out of a population of 300,000 only 60,000 men and 44,000 Women and children remained. The eggs of the silk-worms have been completely destroyed there, and it was calculated that it would take seven years to produce the same quantity of worms as formerly. Before the arrival of these diseases, the revenue of Ghillan were usually framed at 350,000 tomauns. Since then, no more than 80,000 tomauns could be obtianed.

In the East the Cholera frequently falls upon a community like a shower of grape shot. It was decided in the King of Siam's council, on a visitation of this kind, that it might be caused by a monster, who might be scared from the coast by making a terrific noise. His Majesty, in consequence, moved out against the invisible enemy, at the head of 30,000 subjects, all on the stretch to produce sounds of horror. He lost 5,000 in one day; and returned vanquished. A Persian writer says; "We were apprized that the cholera was at Shiraz, by finding one morning when we awoke, that it had carried off two thousand inhabitants during the night."--[London Medical Journal.]

Cholera in France. Ten persons have already been removed to the Hotel Dieu where preparations are made for the reception of many more. Seven persons died, of it yesterday; among whom was the cook of Marshal Lobau. The autopsy of five bodies took place in the presence of 38 medical men and of the Minister of the Public Works, M. d'Argout, by whom no doubt is entertained of the existence of the malady.

The Government, in order to prevent the extension of the alarm necessarily consequent on the report, endeavoured this morning to contradict it, but contradiction was useless. The medical board has been assembled, in order to make all proper regulations.

April 3.--The cholera is increasing in a dreadful manner. the official report states, that since Sunday at one o'clock, up to yesterday, there had been 735 cases, and 267 deaths, principally among the lower class. The King, & the whole of the Royal Family, with their usual benevolence, have sent a donation of 100,000 francs (L4000,) to be applied for the alleviation of the sufferings of the poor, and each of the Ministers have sent a donation of 1000 francs. The troops are all in good health. The cholera has manifested itself at Calais, Etampee, Orleans, and other towns. A letter from Calais, dated March 31, says: "The cholera morbus has been at Calais for the last two days, and several individuals have already died from it. It has been remarked that the disorder principally attacks the persons living in habits of filth and drunkenness.

The Cholera is in Ireland and England. The amount of deaths by it, in London, for the last week of March, was towards 1000.

To give the reader, a sketch of the above calamity, as well as other common news, is, under the peculiar situation in which we stand before the world, all that we shall aim at: and it might not be amiss for all candid readers, to make some allowances for the agitation of the times, when they read what we publish.--The present age is big with events that concern the world, and we only add: WATCH.



HYMNS,

Selected and prepared for the Church of Christ, in the last days.

[William W. Phelps] What fair one is this, in the wilderness trav'ling, Looking for Christ, the belov'd of her heart? O this is the Church, the fair bride of the Savior, which with every idol is willing to part. While men in contention, are constantly howling, and Babylon's bells are continually tolling, As though all the craft of her merchants was failing, And Jesus was coming to reign on the earth.

There is a sweet sound in the gospel of heaven, And people are joyful when they understand; The saints on their way home to glory, are even Determin'd, by goodness, to reach the blest land. Old formal professers are crying "delusion," And high-minded hypocrites day, "'tis confusion," While grace is pour'd out in a blessed effusion, And saints are rejoicing to see priest-craft fall.

A blessing a blessing, the Savior is coming, As prophets and pilgrims of old have declar'd; And Israel, the favor'd of God, is beginning To come to the feast for the righteous prepar'd. In the desert are fountains continually springing, The heavenly music of Zion is ringing; The saints all their tithes and offerings are bringing; They thus prove the Lord and his blessing receive.

The name of Jehovah is worthy of praising, And so is the Savior an excellent theme: The Elders of Israel a standard are raising, And call on all nations to come to the same: These Elders go forth and the gospel are preaching, And all that will hear them, they freely are teaching, And thus is the vision of Daniel fulfilling; The Stone of the mountains will soon fill the earth.

GLORIOUS things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God! He whose word cannot be broken, Chose thee for his own abode:

On the Rock of Enoch founded; What can shake thy sure repose? With Salvation's walls surrounded, Thou may'st smile on all thy foes.

See the stream of living waters, Springing from Celestial love, Well supply thy sons and daughters, And all fear of drought remove;

Who can faint, while such a river, Ever flows their thirst t'assuage? Grace which like the Lord, the giver, Never fails from age to age.

Round each habitation hov'ring, See the cloud and fire appear! For a glory and a cov'ring, Showing that the Lord is near:

Thus deriving from their banner, Light by night and shade by day; Sweetly they enjoy the spirit, Which he gives them when they pray.

Bless'd inhabitants of Zion, Purchas'd with the Savior's blood! Jesus whom their souls rely on, Makes them kings and priests to God.

While in love his people raises, With himself to reign as kings; All, as priests, his solemn praises, Each for a thank-offering brings.

Savior, since of Zion's city I through grace a member am; Though the world despise and pity, I will glory in thy name;

Fading are all worldly treasures, With their boasted pomp and show! Heav'nly joys and lasting pleasures None but Zion's children know.

THE time is nigh, that happy time, That great, expected, blessed day, When countless thousands of our race, Shall dwell with Christ and him obey.

The prophecies must be fulfil'd Though earth and hell should dare oppose; The stone out of the mountain cut, Though unobserved, a Kingdom grows.

Soon shall the blended Image fall, Brass, silver, iron, gold and clay; And superstition's dreadful reign, To light and liberty give way.

In one sweet symphony of praise, The Jews and Gentiles will unite; And infidelity, o'er come, Return again to endless night.

From east to west, from north to south, The Savior's Kingdom shall extend, And every man in every place, Shall meet a brother and a friend.

[William W. Phelps] REDEEMER of Israel, Our only delight, On whom for a blessing we call; Our shadow by day, And our pillar by night, Our king, our companion, and all.

We know he is coming to gather his sheep, And plant them in Zion, in love, For why in the valley Of death should they weep, Or alone in the wilderness rove?

How long we have wandered As strangers in sin, And cried in the desert for thee! Our foes have rejoic'd When our sorrows they've seen, But Israel will shortly be free.

As children of Zion Good tidings for us: The tokens already appear; Fear not and be just, For the Kingdom is ours, And the hour of Redemption is near.

The secret of Heaven, The myst'ry below, That many have sought for so long, We know that we know, For the spirit of Christ, Tells his servants they cannot be wrong.

[William W. Phelps] ON mountain tops the mount of God In latter days, shall rise Above the summit of the hills, And draw the wond'ring eyes.

To this the joyful nations round, All tribes and tongues shall flow; Up to the mount of God, they'll say, And to his house we'll go.

The rays that shine from Zion's hill, Shall lighten every land; Her King shall reign a thousand years, And all the world command.

Among the nations he shall judge, His judgments truth shall guide; His sceptre shall protect the meek, And crush the wicked's pride.

No war shall rage, no hostile band Disturb those peaceful years; To ploughshare men shall beat their swords, To pruning-hooks their spears.

Come then, O house of Jacob, come, and worship at his shrine; And, walking in the light of God, With holy beauties shine.

[THE PRAYER OF A WISE HEATHEN.]

GREAT JOVE, this one petition grant; (Thou knowest best what mortals want;) Ask'd or unask'd, what's good supply; What's evil, to our pray'rs deny!

The body is but chaff--The soul may live in glory, When this Earth's epitaph Is written in its ashes!

HE died! the great Redeemer died! And Israel's daughters wept around; A solemn darkness veil'd the sky; A sudden trembling shook the ground!

Come saints and drop a tear or two, For him who groan'd beneath your load; He shed a thousand drops for you, A thousand drops of precious blood.

Here's love and grief beyond degree; The Lord of glory died for men! But lo! what sudden joys were heard, Jesus though dead's reviv'd again!

The rising Lord forsook the tomb, (In vain the tomb forbid his rise,) Cherubic legions guard him home, And shout him welcome to the skies.

Wipe off your tears, ye saints, and tell How high your great deliv'rer reigns: Sing how he triumph'd over hell, To bind the Dragon fast in chains!

Say, "Live for ever wond'rous King! Born to redeem and strong to save!" Then ask the monster--"Where's thy sting? And where's thy vict'ry boasting grave?"

[From the Book of Mormon]

[3 Ne. 30] HEARKEN, O ye Gentiles, and hear the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, which he has commanded me that I should speak concerning you: for behold he commandeth me that I should write, saying, Turn all ye Gentiles from your wicked ways, and repent of all your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people, which are of the house of Israel.

BE always so precisely true, in whatsoever thou relatest of thy own knowledge that thou mayest get an undoubted and settled reputation of veracity; and thou wilt have this advantage, that every body will believe (without farther proof) whatsoever thou affirmest, be it never so strange.

Be a most strict observer of order, method and neatness, in all thy affairs and management. Saturday concludes the week; if thou wouldest set apart that day, take a view of all thy concerns, to note down what is wanting, and to put every thing into its place, thou--wouldest prevent much troublesome confusion, and save abundance of vexation and pains.--[U. S. Gaz.]

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Vol. I, No. 2, INDEPENDENCE, MO. JULY, 1832.

Revelations.

EXTRACT FROM THE LAWS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST [D&C 42:11-77]. 

AGAIN I say unto you, that it shall not be given to any one to go forth to preach my gospel, or to build up my church, except he be ordained by some one who has authority, and it is known to the church that he has authority, and has been regularly ordained by the hands of the church. And again, the elders, priests, and teachers of this church, shall teach the Scriptures which are in the Bible, and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the Gospel; and they shall observe the Covenants and church Articles to do them; and this shall be their teachings. And they shall be directed by the Spirit, which shall be given them by the prayer of faith; and if they receive not the Spirit, they shall not teach. And all this they shall observe to do, as I have commanded concerning their teachings, until the fulness of my Scriptures are given. And as they shall lift up their voices by the Comforter, they shall speak and prophesy as seemeth me good; for behold, the Comforter knoweth all things, and beareth record of the Father, and of the Son.

And now behold, I speak unto the church: Thou shalt not kill; and he that killeth, shall not have forgiveness, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. And again, thou shalt not kill; he that killeth shall die. Thou shalt not steal; and he that stealeth and will not repent, shall be cast out. Thou shalt not lie; he that lieth and will not repent, shall be cast out. Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shall cleave unto her and none else; and he that looketh upon a women to lust after her, shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit; and if he repent not, he shall be cast out. Thou shalt not commit adultery; and he that commiteth adultery and repenteth not, shall be cast out; and he that commiteth adultery and repenteth with all his heart, and forsaketh and doeth it no more, thou shalt forgive him; but if he doeth it again, he shall not be forgiven, but shall be cast out. Thou shalt not speak evil of thy neighbor, or do him any harm. Thou knowest my laws, they are given in my Scriptures, he that sinneth and repenteth not, shall be cast out.

If thou lovest me, thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments; and behold, thou shalt consecrate all thy properties, that which thou hast unto me, with a covenant and a deed which cannot be broken; and they shall be laid before the bishop of my church, and two of the elders, such as he shall appoint and set apart for that purpose. And it shall come to pass, that the bishop of my church, after that he has received the properties of my church, that it cannot be taken from the church, he shall appoint every man a steward over his own property, or that which he has received, inasmuch as shall be sufficient for himself and family; and the residue shall be kept to administer to him who has not, that every man may receive according as he stands in need; and the residue shall be kept in my storehouse, to administer to the poor and needy, as shall be appointed by the elders of the church and the bishop; and for the purpose of purchasing lands, and the building up of the New Jerusalem, which is hereafter to be revealed; that my covenant people may be gathered in one, in the day that I shall come to my temple: And this I do for the salvation of my people. And it shall come to pass, that he that sinneth and repenteth not shall be cast out, and shall not receive again that which he had consecrated unto me: For it shall come to pass, that which I spake by the mouths of my prophets shall be fulfilled; for I will consecrate the riches of the Gentiles, unto my people which are of the house of Israel. And again, thou shalt not be proud in thy heart; let all thy garments be plain, and their beauty the beauty of the work of thine own hands, and let all things be done in cleanliness before me.

Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread, nor wear the garments of the laborer. And whosoever among you that are sick, and have not faith to be healed, but believeth, shall be nourished in all tenderness with herbs and mild food, and that not of the world; and the elders of the church, two or more shall be called, and shall pray for, and lay their hands upon them in my name, and if they die, they shall die unto me; and if they live, they shall live unto me.--Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die, and more especially for those that have not hope of a glorious resurrection. And it shall come to pass, that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them; and they that die not in me, wo unto them; for their death is bitter. And again, it shall come to pass, that he that has faith in me to be healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed. He who has faith to see, shall see; he who has faith to hear, shall hear; the lame who have faith to leap shall leap; and they who have not faith to do these things, but believe in me, have power to become my sons, and inasmuch as they break not my laws, thou shalt bear their infirmities. Thou shalt stand in the place of thy stewardship: Thou shalt not take thy brother's garment; thou shalt pay for that which thou shalt receive of thy brother. And if thou obtainest more than that which would be for thy support, thou shalt give it into my storehouse, that all things may be done according to that which I have spoken. Thou shalt ask and my Scriptures shall be given as I have appointed; and for thy safety it is expedient that thou shalt hold thy peace concerning them, until ye have received them; then I give unto you a commandment that ye shall teach them unto all men; and they also shall be taught unto all nations, kindreds, tongue and people.

Thou shalt take the things which thou hast received, which thou knowest to have been my law, to be my law, to govern my church; and he that doeth according to these things shall be saved, and he that doeth them not shall be damned, if he continue. If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries, and the peaceable things of the kingdom; that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal. Thou shalt ask and it shall be revealed unto you in my own due time where the New Jerusalem shall be built. And behold, it shall come to pass, that my servants shall be sent both to the east, and to the west, to the north, and to the south; and even now let him that goeth to the east, teach them that shall be converted to flee to the west; and this is the consequence of that which is to come on the earth, and of secret combinations. Behold, thou shalt observe all these things, and great shall be thy reward. Thou shalt observe to keep the mysteries of the kingdom unto thyself, for it is not given to the world to know the mysteries. The laws which ye have received, and shall hereafter receive, shall be sufficient for you both here, and in the New Jerusalem. Therefore, he that lacketh knowledge, let him ask of me and I will give him liberally, and upbraid him not. Lift up your hearts and rejoice, for unto you the kingdom has been given; even so. Amen.

The priests and teachers, shall have their stewardship given them even as the members; and the elders are to assist the bishop in all things, and he is to see that their families are supported out of the property which is consecrated to the Lord, either a stewardship, or otherwise, as may be thought best by the elders & bishop.

Behold, verily I say unto you, that whatever persons among you having put away their companions for the cause of fornication, or in other words, if they shall testify before you in all lowliness of heart that this is the case, ye shall not cast them out from among you; but if ye shall find that any persons have left their companions for the sake of adultery, and they themselves are of the offenders, and their companions are living, they shall be cast out from among you. And again I say unto you, that ye shall be watchful and careful, with all inquiry, that ye receive none such among you if they are married, and if they are not married, they shall repent of all their sins, or ye shall not receive them.

COMMANDMENT FOR KEEPING THE SABBATH, &c. [D&C 59:1-24]

BEHOLD, saith the Lord, blessed are they who have come up unto this land with an eye single to my glory, according to my commandments; for them that live shall inherit the earth, and them that die shall rest from all their labours, and their works shall follow them, and they shall receive a crown in the mansions of my father, which I have prepared for them; yea, blessed are they whose feet stand upon the land of Zion, who have obeyed my gospel, for they shall receive for their reward the good things of the earth, and it shall bring forth in its strength; and they also, shall be crowned with blessings from above; yea and with commandments not a few; and with revelations in their time, they that are faithful and diligent before me. Wherefore I give unto them a commandment saying thus: thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Thou shalt not steal. Neither commit adultery, nor kill, nor do any thing like unto it. Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things. Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and that thou mayest more fully keep thy self unspoted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day, for verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labours, and to pay thy devotions unto the most high: nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days, and at all times, but remember that on this, the Lord's day, thou shalt offer thine oblations, and thy sacraments, unto the most high, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord; and on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart, that thy fasting may be perfect, or in other words, that thy joy may be full. Verily this is fasting and prayer; or, in other words, rejoicing and prayer. And in as much as ye do these things with thanksgiving, with cheerful hearts, and countenances, (not with much laughter, for this is sin,) but with a glad heart, and a cheerful countenance: verily I say, that in as much as ye do this the fulness of the earth is yours; the beasts of the fields, and the fowls of the air, and that which climbeth upon the trees, and walketh upon the earth, yea, and the herb, and the good things which cometh of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses, or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards; yea, all things which cometh of the earth, in the season thereof, is made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye, and to gladden the heart; yea, for food and for raiment, for taste, and for smell, to strengthen the body, and to enliven the soul; and it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto men; for unto this end were they made, to be used with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion; and in nothing doth man offend God or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things and obey not his commandments. Behold this is according to the law and the prophets. Wherefore trouble me no more concerning this matter, but learn that he that doeth the works of righteousness, shall receive his reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come. I the Lord have spoken it and the spirit beareth record. Amen.



A VISION. [D&C 76:1-119]

HEAR, O ye Heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord he is God, and beside him there is none else; and great is his wisdom; marvelous are his ways; and the extent of his doings, none can find out; his purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand: from eternity to eternity, he is the same, and his years never fail.

I the Lord am merciful and gracious unto them who fear me, and delight to honor them who serve me in righteousness, and in truth; great shall be their reward, and eternal shall be their glory; and unto them will I reveal all mysteries; yea, all the hidden mysteries of my Kingdom from days of old; and for ages to come will I make known unto them the good pleasure of my will concerning all things; yea, even the wonders of eternity shall they know, and things to come will I show them, even the things of many generations; their wisdom shall be great, and their understanding reach to Heaven; before them the wisdom of the wise shall perish, and the understanding of the prudent shall come to nought; for by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will; yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.

{Joseph Smith, visions} We, Joseph and Sidney, being in the Spirit on the sixteenth of February, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty two, and through the power of the Spirit, our eyes were opened, and our understandings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the things of God; even things which were from the biginning before the world was, which was ordained of the Father, through his only begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, even from the beginning, of whom we bear record, and the record which we bear is the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is in the Son whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the Heavenly Vision; for as we sat doing the work of translation, which the Lord had appointed unto us, we came to the twenty ninth verse of the fifth chapter of John, which was given unto us thus: speaking of the resurrection of the dead who should hear the voice of the Son of man, and shall come forth; they who have done good in the resurrection of the just, and they who have done evil in the resurrection of the unjust. Now this caused us to marvel, for it was given us of the Spirit; and while we meditated upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our understandings, and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone round about; and we beheld the glory of the Son, on the right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness; and saw the holy angels, and they who are sanctified before his throne, worshiping God and the Lamb forever and ever. And now after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him, that he lives; for we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the only begotten of the Father; that by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are made, and were created; and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. This we saw also and bear record, that an angel of God, who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the only begotten Son, (whom the Father loved, and who was in the bosom of the Father,) and was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son, and was called Perdition; for the Heavens wept over him; for he was Lucifer, even the son of the morning; and we beheld and lo, he is fallen! is fallen! even the son of the morning. And while we were yet in the Spirit, the Lord commanded us that we should write the Vision; for behold satan, that old serpant, even the devil, who rebelled against God, and sought to take kingdoms of our God, and of his Christ; wherefore he maketh war with the saints of God, and encompasses them about: And we saw a vision of the eternal sufferings of those with whom he maketh war and overcometh, for thus came the voice of the Lord unto us.

Thus saith the Lord, concerning all those who know my power, and who have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves, through the power of the devil, to be overcome unto the denying of the truth, and the defying of my power: they are they who are the sons of perdition, of whom I say it had been better for them never to have been born; for they are vessels of wrath doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels, throughout eternity: concerning whom I have said there is no forgiveness for them in this world nor in the world to come; having denied the Holy Ghost after having received it, and having denied the only begotten Son of the Father, crucifying him unto themselves, and putting him to an open shame: these are they who shall go away into the lake of fire and brimstone, with the devil and his angels, and the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power; yea, verily the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath, who shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph & the glory of the Lamb; who was slain, who was in the bosom of the Father before the worlds were made. And this is the Gospel, the glad tidings which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us, that he came into the world, even Jesus to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness; that through him all might be saved, whom the Father had put into his power; and made by him who glorifieth the Father; and saveth all the world of his hands, except those sons of perdition, who denieth the Son after the Father hath revealed him: wherefore he saveth all save them, and these shall go away into everlasting punishment, which is endless punishment, which is eternal punishment, to reign with the devil and his angels throughout eternity, where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched, which is their torment, but the end thereof, neither the place thereof, and their torment, no man knoweth, neither was revealed, neither is, neither will be revealed unto man, save to them who are made partakers thereof: nevertheless I the Lord showeth it by vision unto many, but straightway shutteth it up again: wherefore the end, the width, the height, the depth, and the misery thereof, he understandeth not, neither any man save them who are ordained unto this condemnation. And we heard the voice saying, Write the Vision for lo, this is the end of the vision of the eternal sufferings of the ungodly!

And again, we bear record for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the Gospel of Christ, concerning them who come forth in the resurrection of the just: they are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name, and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he hath given, that, by keeping the commandment, they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power; and who overcome by faith, and are sealed by that Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father shedeth forth upon all those who are just and true: they are they who are the church of the first-born: they are they into whose hands the Father hath given all things: they are they who are priests and kings, who having received of his fulness, and of his glory, are priests of the most High after the order of Melchisedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the only begotten Son: wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God: wherefore all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs, and they are Christ's, and Christ is God's; and they shall overcome all things: wherefore let no man glory in man, but rather let him glory in God, who shall subdue all enemies under his feet: these shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever: these are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in the clouds of heaven, to reign on the earth over his people: these are they who shall have part in the first resurrection: these are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just: these are they who are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all: these are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the first born: these are they whose names are written in Heaven, where God and Christ is the judge of all: these are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood: these are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the Son, even of God the highest of all; which glory the Sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.

{beliefs-lds} And again, we saw the Terrestrial world, and behold and lo! these are they who are of the terrestrial, whose glory differeth from that of the church of the first born, who have received of the fulness of the Father, even as that of the Moon differeth from the Sun of the firmament. Behold, these are they who died without law; and also they who are the spirits of men kept in prison, whom the Son visited and preached the Gospel unto them, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, who received not the testimony of Jesus in the flesh, but afterwards received it: these are they who are honorable men of the earth, who were blinded by the craftiness of men: these are they who receive of his glory, but not of his fulness: these are they who receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father: wherefore they are bodies terrestrial, and not bodies celestial, and differeth in glory as the Moon differeth from the Sun: these are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus: wherefore they obtained not the crown over the kingdoms of our God. and now this is the end of the vision which we saw of the terrestrial, that the Lord commanded us to write while we were yet in the Spirit.

And again, we saw the glory of the Telestial, which glory is that of the lesser, even as the glory of the stars differeth from that of the glory of the Moon in the firmament: these are they who receive not the Gospel of Christ, neither the testimony of Jesus: these are they who deny not the Holy Ghost: these are they who are thrust down to hell: these are they who shall not be redeemed from the devil, until the last resurrection, until the Lord, even Christ the Lamb, shall have finished his work: these are they who receive not of his fulness in that eternal world, but of the Holy Ghost through the administration of the terrestrial; and the terrestrial through the administration of the celestial; and also the telestial receive it of the administering of angels, who are appointed to minister for them, or who are appointed to be ministering spirits for them, for they shall be heirs of salvation.--And thus we saw in the Heavenly vision, the glory of the telestial which surpasseth all understanding; and no man knoweth it except him to whom God hath revealed it. And thus we saw the glory of the terrestrial, which excelleth in all things the glory of the telestial, even in glory, and in power, and in might, and in dominion. And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excelleth in all things where God, even the Father, reigneth upon his throne forever and ever: before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence and giveth him glory forever and ever. They who dwell in his presence are the church of the first born; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace; and he maketh them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion. And the glory of the celestial is one, even as the glory of the Sun is one. And the glory of the Terrestrial is one, even as the glory of the Moon is one. And the glory of the Telestial is one, even as the glory of the stars is one: for as one star differeth from another star in glory, even so differeth one from another in glory in the telestial world: for these are they who are of Paul, and of Apollos, and Cephas: they are they who say, there are some of one and some of another; some of Christ; and some of John; and some of Moses; and some of Elias; and some of Esaias; and some of Isaiah; and some of Enoch, but received not the Gospel; neither the testimony of Jesus; neither the prophets; neither the everlasting covenant; last of all: these are they who will not be gathered with the saints, to be caught up into the church of the first born, and received into the cloud: these are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremungers, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie: these are they who suffer the wrath of God on the earth: these are they who suffer the vengeance of eternal fire: these are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God until the fulness of times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall have perfected his work, when he shall deliver up the kingdom and present it unto his Father spotless, saying: I have overcome and trodden the wine-press alone, even the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God: then shall he be crowned with the crown of his glory, to sit on the throne of his power to reign forever and ever. But behold and lo, we saw the inhabitants of the telestial world, that they were in number as innumerable as the stars in the firmament of Heaven, or as the sand upon the sea shore, and heard the voice of the Lord saying: These all shall bow the knee, and every tongue shall confess to him who sitteth upon the throne forever and ever: for they shall be judged according to their works; and every man shall receive according to his own works, and his own dominion, in the mansions which are prepared; and they shall be servants of the most High, but where God and Christ dwells they cannot come, worlds without end. This is the end of the vision which we saw, which we were commanded to write while we were yet in the Spirit.

But great and marvelous are the works of the Lord and the mysteries of his kingdom which he showed unto us, which surpasseth all understanding in glory, and in might, and in dominion, which he commanded us we should not write, while we were yet in the Spirit, and are not lawful for man to utter; neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and understood by the power of the Holy Ghost; which God bestows on those who love him and purify themselves before him; to whom he grants this privilege of seeing and knowing for themselves; that through the power and manifestation of the Spirit, while in the flesh, they may be able to bear his presence in the world of glory. And to God and the Lamb be glory, and honor, and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.

Selected.

THE EXCELLENCE OF SCRIPTURE. {beliefs-lds}

THE incomparable excellency which is in the sacred Scriptures, will fully appear, if we consider the matters contained in them under this threefold capacity. 1. As matters of divine revelation. 2. As a rule of life. 3. As containing that covenant of grace which relates to man's eternal happiness.

1. Consider the Scripture generally, as containing in it matters of divine revelation, and therein the excellency of the Scripture appears in two things. 1. The matters which are revealed. 2. The manner in which it is revealed.

1. The matter which are revealed in Scripture, may be considered these three ways. 1. As they are matters of the greatest weight and moment. 2. As matters of the greatest depth and mysteriousness. 3. As matters of the most universal satisfaction of the minds of men.

1. They are matters of the greatest moment and importance for men to know. The wisdom of men is most known by the weight of the things they speak; and therefore that wherein the wisdom of God is discovered, cannot contain any thing that is mean and trivial; they must be matters of the highest importance, which the Supreme Ruler of the world vouchsafes to speak to men concerning: and such we shall find the matters which God hath revealed in his word to be, which either concern the rectifying our apprehensions of his nature, or making known to men their state and condition, or discovering the way whereby to avoid eternal misery. Now which is there of these three, which, supposing God to discover his mind to the world, it doth not highly become him to speak to men of?

1. What is there which doeth more highly concern men to know, than God himself? or what more glorious and excellent object could he discover than himself to the world? There is nothing certainly which should more commend the Scripture to us, than that thereby we may grow more acquainted with God, that we may know more of his nature, and all his perfections, and many of the great reasons of his actings in the world. We may by them understand with safety what the eternal purposes of God were as to the way of man's recovery by the death of his son; we may there see and understand the great wisdom of God; not only in the contrivance of the world, and ordering of it, but in the gradual revelations of himself to his people, by what steps he trained up his church till the fulness of time was come; what his aim was in laying such a load of ceremonies on his people the Jews; by what steps and degrees he made way for the full revelation of his will to the world by speaking in these last days by his son, after he had spoken at sundry times and divers manners by the prophets, &c. unto the fathers. In the Scriptures we read the most rich and admirable discoveries of divine goodness, and all the ways and methods he useth in alluring sinners to himself; with what majesty he commands, with what importunity he woos men's souls to be reconciled to him; with what favor he embraceth, with what tenderness he chastiseth, with what bowels he pitieth those who have chosen him to be their God! With what power he supporteth, with what wisdom he directeth, with what cordials he refresheth the souls of such who are dejected under the sense of his displeasure, and yet their love is sincere towards him! With what profound humility, what holy boldness, what becoming distance, and yet what restless importunity do we therein find the souls of God's people addressing themselves to him in prayer! With what cheerfulness do they serve him, with what confidence do they trust him, with what resolutions do they adhere to him in all straits and difficulties, with what patience do they submit to his will in their greatest extremities! How fearful are they of sinning against God, how careful to please him, how regardless of suffering, when they must choose either that or sinning, how little apprehensive of men's displeasure, while they enjoy the favor of God! Now all these things which are so fully and pathetically expressed in Scripture, do abundantly set forth to us the exuberancy and pleonasm of God's grace and goodness towards his people, which makes them delight so much in him, and be so sensible of his displeasure. But above all other discoveries of God's goodness, his sending his son into the world to die for sinners, is that which the Scripture sets forth with the greatest life and eloquence. By eloquence, I mean not an artificial composure of words, but the gravity, weight, and persuasiveness of the matter contained in them. And what can tend more to melt our frozen hearts into a current of thankful obedience to God than the vigorous reflection of the beams of God's love through Jesus Christ upon us? Was there ever so great an expression of love heard of? nay, was it possible to be imagioned, that God who perfectly hates sin, should himself offer the pardon of it, and send his son into the world to secure it to the sinner, who doth so heartily repent of his sins, as to deny himself and take up his cross and follow Christ! Well might the Apostle say, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." [1 Tim. 1:15] How dry and sapless are all the voluminous discourses of philosophers, compared with this sentence! How jejune and unsatisfactory are all the discoveries they had of God and his goodness, in comparison of what we have by the Gospel of Christ! Well might Paul then say, "That he determined to know nothing but Christ and him crucified." [1 Cor. 2:2] Christ crucified is the library which triumphant souls will be studying to all eternity. This is the only library which to commend is the true IATREION PSUCHES, [Greek.] that which cures the soul of all its maladies and distempers; other knowledge makes men's minds giddy and flatulent, this settles and composes them; other knowledge is apt to swell men into high conceits and opinions of themselves, this brings them to the truest view of themselves, and thereby to humility and sobriety; other knowledge leaves men's hearts as it found them, this alters them and makes them better. So transcendent an excellency is there in the knowledge of Christ crucified above the sublimest speculations in the world!

And is not this an inestimable benefit we enjoy by the Scripture, that therein we can read and converse with all these expressions of God's love and goodness, and that in his own language? Shall we admire and praise what we meet with in Heathen philosophers, which is generous and handsome; and shall we not adore the infinite fulness of the Scriptures, which run over with continued expressions of that and a higher nature? What folly is it to magnify those lean kine, the notions of philosophers, and to contemn that fat, the plenty and fulness of the Scriptures?--If there be not more valuable and excellent discoveries of the divine nature and perfections, if there be not far more excellent directions and rules of practice in the Sacred Scriptures, than in the sublimest of all the philosiphers, then let us leave our full ears, and feed upon the thin. But certainly no sober and rational spirit, that puts any value upon the knowledge of God, but on the same account that he doth prize the discourses of any philosophers concerning God, he cannot but set a value of a far higher nature on the word of God. And as the goodness of God is thus discovered in Scripture, so is his justice and holiness: we have therein recorded the most remarkable judgments of God upon contumacious sinners, the severest denunciations of a judgment to come against all that live in sin, the exactest precepts of holiness in the world; and what can be desired more to discover the holiness of god, than we find in Scripture concerning him? If therefore acquaintance with the nature, perfection, designs of so excellent a being as God is, be a thing desirable to human nature, we have the greatest cause to admire the excellency and adore the fulness of the Scriptures, which gives us so large, rational, and complete account of the being and attributes of God. And which tends yet more to commend the Scriptures to us, those things which the Scripture doth most fully discover concerning God, do not at all contradict those prime and common notions which are in our natures concerning him, but do exceedingly advance and improve them, and tend the most to regulate our conceptions and apprehensions of God, that we may not miscarry therein, as otherwise men are apt to do. For it being natural to men so far to love themselves, as to set the greatest value upon those excellencies which they think themselves most master of: thence men come to be exceedingly mistaken in their apprehensions of a deity, some attributing one thing as a perfection, another a different thing, according to their humours and inclinations. Thus imperious self-willed men are apt to cry up God's absolute power and dominion as his greatest perfection; easy and soft spirited men his patience and goodness; severe and ridgid men his justice and severity: every one according to his humour and temper, making his god of his own complexion: and not only so, but in things remote enough from being perfections at all, yet because they are such things as they prize and value, they suppose of necessity they must be in God, as is evident in the Epicureans' ATARAXIA, [Greek.] by which they exclude providence, as hath already been observed. And withal considering how very difficult it is for one who really believes that God is of a pure, just, and holy nature, and that he hath grievously offended him by his sins, to believe that this God will pardon him upon true repentance: it is thence necessary that God should make known himself to the world, to prevent our misconceptions of his nature, and to assure a suspicious, because guilty creature, how ready he is to pardon iniquity, transgression, and sin, to such as unfeignedly repent of their follies, and return unto himself. Though the light of nature may dictate much to us of the benignity and goodness of the divine nature, yet it is hard to conceive that that should discover farther than God's general goodness to such as please him: but no foundation can be gathered thence of his readiness as to pardon offenders, which being an act of grace, must alone be discovered by his will. I cannot think the sun, moon, and stars are such itinerant preachers, as to unfold unto us the whole counsel and will of God upon repentance. It is not every star in the firmament can do that which the star once did to the wise men, lead them unto Christ. The sun in the heavens is no Parelius to the sun of righteousness. The best astronomer will never find the day-star from on high in the rest of his number. What St. Austin said of Tully's works, is true of the whole volume of creation. There are admirable things to be found in them: but the name of Christ is not legible there. The world of redemption is not engraven on the works of providence; if it had, a particular divine revelation had been unnecessary, and the apostles were sent on a needless errand, which the world had understood without their preaching, viz. "That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing to men their trespasses, and hath committed to them the ministry of reconciliation." [2 Cor. 5:19] How was the word of reconciliation committed to them if it were common to them with the whole frame of the world? and the apostle's query elsewhere might have been easily answered, How can men hear without a preacher? for then they might have known the way of salvation, without any special messenger sent to deliver it to them. I grant that God's long suffering and patience is intended to lead men to repentence, and that some general collections might be made from providence of the placability of God's nature, and that God never left himself without a witness of his goodness in the world, being kind to the unthankful, and doing good, in giving rain and fruitful seasons. But though these things might sufficiently discover to such who were apprehensive of the guilt of sin, that God did not act according to his greatest severity, and thereby did give men incouragement to hearken out and enquire after the true way of being reconciled to God; yet all this amounts not to a firm foundation for faith as to the remission of sin, which doth support God himself publishing an act of grace and indemnity to the world, wherein he assures the pardon of sin to such as truly repent and unfeignedly beleive his holy Gospel. Now is not this an inestimable advantage we enjoy by the Scriptures, that therein we understand what God himself hath discovered of his own nature and perfections, and of his readiness to pardon sin upon those gracious terms of faith and repentance, and that which necessarily follows from these two, hearty and sincere obedience?

2. The Scriptures give the most faithful representation of the state and condition of the soul of man. The world was almost lost in disputes concerning the nature, condition, and immortality of the soul before divine revelation was made known to mankind by the gospel of Christ; but "life and immortality was brought to light by the gospel," and the future state of the soul of man, not discovered in an uncertain Platonical way with the greatest light and evidence from that God who hath the supreme disposal of souls, and therefore best knows and understands them. The Scriptures plainly and fully reveal a judgment to come, in which God will judge the secrets of all hearts, when every one must give an account of himself unto God, and God will call men to give an account of their stewardship here, of all the receipts they have had from him, and the expenses they have been at, and the improvements they have made of the talents he put into their hands. So that the gospel of Christ is the fullest instrument of the discovery of the certainty of the future state of the soul, and the conditions which abide it, upon its being dislodged from the body. But this is not all which the Scripture discovers as to the sate of the soul; for it is not only a prospective glass, reaching to its future state, but it is the most faithful looking-glass, to discover all the spots and deformities of the soul: and not only shows where they are, but when they came, what their nature is, and whither they tend. The true original of all that disorder and discomposure which is in the soul of man, is only fully and satisfactorily given us in the Word of God.

The nature and working of this corruption in man had never been so clearly manifested, had not the law and will of God been discovered to the world; that is the glass whereby we see the secret workings of those bees in our hearts, the corruption of our natures; that sets forth the folly of our imaginations, the unruliness of our passions, the distempers of our wills, and the abundant deceitfulness of our hearts.

And it is hard for the most Elephantine sinner (one of the greatest magnitude) so to trouble these waters, as not therein to discover the greatness of his own deformities. But that which tends most to awaken the drowsy, senseless spirits of men, the Scripture doth most fully describe the tendency of corruption, "that the wages of sin is death," and the issue of continuance in sin will be the everlasting misery of the soul, in a perpetual separation from the presence of God, and undergoing the lashes and severities of concience to all eternity. What a great discovery is this of the faithfulness of God to the world, that he suffers not men to undo themselves without letting them know of it before hand, that they may avoid it! God seeks not to entrap men's souls, nor doth he rejoice in the misery and ruin of his creatures, but fully declares to them what the consequence and issue of their sinful practices will be, assures them of a judgment to come, declares his own future severity against contumacious sinners, that they might not think themselves surprised, and that if they had known there had been so much danger in sin, they would never have been such fools as for the sake of it to run into eternal misery. Now God to prevent this, with the greatest plainness and faithfulness, hath showed men the nature and danger of all their sins, and asks them before hand what they will do in the end thereof; whether they are able to bear his wrath, and wrestle with everlasting burnings? if not, he bids them bethink themselves of what they have done already, and repent and amend their lives, lest iniquity prove their ruin, and destruction overtake them, and that without remedy. Now if men have cause to prize and value a faithful monitor, one that tenders their good, and would prevent their ruin, we have cause excedingly to prize and value the Scriptures, which gives us the truest representation of the state and condition of our souls.

3. The scripture discovers to us the only way of pleasing God and enjoying his favour. That clearly reveals the way (which man might have sought for to all eternity without particular revelation) whereby sins may be pardoned, and whatever we do may be acceptable unto God. It shows us that the ground of our acceptance with God, is through Christ, whom he hath made "a propitiation for the sins of the world," [1 Jn. 2:2] and who alone is the true and living way, whereby we may "draw near to God with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience." [Heb. 10:22] Through Christ we understand the terms on which God will show favour and grace to the world, and by him we have ground of a PARRESIA [Greek.] access with freedom and boldness unto God. On his account we may hope not only for grace to subdue our sins, resist temptations, conquer the devil and the world; but having "fought this good fight, and finished our course by patient continuance in well doing, we may justly look for glory, honor, and immortality," and that 'crown of righteousness which is laid up for those who wait in faith,' holiness, and humility, for the appearance of Christ from heaven. Now what things can there be of greater moment and importance for men to know, or God to reveal, than the nature of God and ourselves the state and condition of our souls, the only way to avoid eternal misery and enjoy everlasting bliss!

The Scriptures discover not only matters of importance, but of the greatest depth and mysteriousness. There are many wonderful things in the law of God, things we may admire, but are never able to comprehend. Such are the eternal purposes and decrees of God, the doctrine of the Trinity, the incarnation of the Son of God, and the manner of the operation of the Spirit of God upon the souls of men, which are all things of great weight and moment for us to understand and believe that they are, and yet may be unsearchable to our reason, as to the particular manner of them.--[To be continued.]

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE SACRED WRITERS.

I CANNOT forbear taking notice of one other mark of integrity which appears in all the composition of the sacred writers, and particularly the Evangelists; and that is, the simple, unaffected, unornamental, and unostentatious manner, in which they deliver truths so important and sublime, and facts so magnificent and wonderful, as are capable, one would think, of lighting up a flame of oratory, even in the dullest and coldest breast. They speak of an angel descending from heaven to foretell the miraculous conception of Jesus; of another proclaiming his birth, attended by a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, "and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men;" [Luke 2:14] of his star appearing in the East; of angels ministering to him in the wilderness; of his glory in the mount; of a voice twice heard from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son;" [Matt. 3:17] of innumerable miracles performed by him, & by his disciples in his name; of his knowing the thoughts of men; of his foretelling future events; of prodigies accompanying his crucifixion and death; of an angel descending in terrors, opening his sepulchre, and frightening away the soldiers who were set to guard it; of his rising from the dead, ascending into the heaven, and pouring down, according to his promise, the various and miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit upon his apostles and disciples. All these amazing incidents do these inspired historians relate nakedly and plainly without any of the colourings and heightenings of rethoric, or so much as a single note of admiration; without making any comment or remark upon them, or drawing from them any conclusion in honor either of their master or themselves, or to the advantage of the religion they preached in his name; but contenting themselves with relating the naked truth, whether it seems to make for them or against them; without either magnifying on the one hand, or palliating on the other, they leave their cause to the unbiassed judgment of mankind, seeking, like genuine apostles of the Lord of truth, to convince rather than to persuade; and therefore coming, as St. Paul speaks of his preaching, "not with excellency of speech,--not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but with demonstration of the spirit, and of power, that," adds he, "your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." [1 Cor. 2:1, 4] And let it be remembered that he, who speaks this, wanted not learning, art, or aloquence, as is evident from his speeches recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, and from the testimony of that great critic Longinus, who, in reckoning up the Grecian orators, places among them Paul of Tarsus; and surely, had they been left solely to the suggestions and guidance of human wisdom, they would not have failed to lay hold on such topics, as the wonders of their master's life, and the transcendent purity and perfection of the noble, generous, benevolent morality contained in his precepts, furnished them with. These topics, I say, greater than ever Tully, or Demosthenes, or Plato, were possessed of, mere human wisdom would doubtless have prompted them to make use of, in order to recommend, in the strongest manner, the religion of Jesus Christ to mankind, by turning their attention to the divine part of his character, and hiding, as it were in a blaze of heavenly light and glory, his infirmities, his sufferings, and his death. Had they called to their assistance of the arts of composition, rethoric, and logic, who would have blamed them for it? Not those persons, I presume, who, dazzled and captivated with the glittering ornaments of human wisdom, made a mock at the simplicity of the Gospel, and think it wit to ridicule the style and language of the Holy Scriptures. But the all-wise Spirit of God, by whom these sacred writers were guided into all truth, thought fit to direct or permit them to proceed in a diffent method; a method, however, very analogous to that in which he has been pleased to reveal himself to us in the great book of nature, the stupendous frame of the universe; all whose wonders he hath judged it sufficient to lay before us in silence, and expects from our observations the proper comments and deductions, which have endued us with reason, he hath enabled us to make. And tho' a careless and superficial spectator may fancy he perceives even in this fair volume many inconsistencies, defects, and superfluities; yet to a diligent, unprejudiced, and rational inquirer, who will take pains to examine the laws, consider and compare the several parts, and regard their use and tendency, with reference to the whole design of this amazing structure, as far as his short abilities can carry him, there will appear, in those instances which he is capable of knowing, such evidence characters of wisdom, goodness and power, as will leave him no room to doubt to their author, or to suspect that in those particulars which he has not examined, or to a thorough knowledge of which he cannot perhaps attain, there is nothing but folly, weakness, and malignity. The same thing might be said of the written book, the second volume, if I may so speak, of the revelations of God, the Holy Scriptures. For as in the first, so also in this are there many passages, that to a cursory, unobserving reader appear idle, unconnected, unaccountable, and inconsistent with those marks of truth, wisdom, justice, mercy, and benevolence, which in others are so visible, that the most careless and inattentive cannot but decern them. And even these, many of them, at least, will often be found, upon a closer and stricter examination, to accord and coincide with the other more plain and more intelligible passages, and to be no heterogeneous parts of one and the same wise and harmonious composition. In both, indeed, in the natural as well as the moral book of god, there are, and ever will be, many difficulties, which the wit of man may never be able to resolve; but will a wise philosopher, because he cannot comprehend every thing he sees, reject for that reason all the truths that lie within his reach, and let a few inexplicable difficulties over-balance the many plain and infallible evidences of the finger of God, which appear in all parts, both of his created and written works? Or will he presume so far upon his own wisdom, as to say, God ought to have expressed himself more clearly? The point and exact degree of clearness, which will equally suit the different capacities of men in different ages and countries, will I believe, be found more difficult to fix than is imagined; since what is clear to one man in a certain situation of mind, time, and place, will inevitably be obscure to another, who views it in other circumstances. How various and even contradictory are the readings and comments, which several men, in the several ages and climates of the world, have made upon nature! And yet her characters are equally legible, and her laws equally intelligible, in all times and in all places: "There is no speech nor language where her voice is not heard: her sound is gone out through all the earth, and her words to the end of the world." And these misrepresentations therefore, and misconstructions, of her works, are chargeable only upon mankind, who have set themselves to study them with various degrees of capacity, application, and impartiality. The question then should be, why hath God given men such various talents? And not, why hath not God expressed himself more clearly? And the answer to this question, as far as it concerns man to know, is, that God will require of him according to what he hath, and not according to what he hath not. If what is necessary for all to know, is knowable by all; those men upon whom God hath been pleased to bestow capacities and faculties superior to the vulgar, have certainly no just reason to complain of this having left them materials for the exercise of those talents, which, if all things were equally plain to all men, would be of no great advantage to the possessors. If therefore, there are in the sacred writings, as well as in the works of nature, many passages hard to be understood, it were to be wished, that the wise and learned, instead of being offended at them, and teaching others to be so too, would be persuaded that both God and man expect that they would set themselves to consider and examine them carefully and impartially, and with a sincere desire of discovering and embracing the truth, not with an arrogant unphilosophical conceit of their being already sufficiently wise and knowing. And then I doubt not but most of these objections to revelation, which are now urged with the greatest confidence, would be cleared up and removed, like those formerly made to Creation, and the Being and Providence of God, by those most ignorant, most absurd, and yet most self-sufficient pretenders to reason and philosophy, the Atheists and Sceptics.--[West.]

Aristotle considers friendship as of three kinds; one arising from virtue, another from pleasure, and another from interest; but justly determine, that there can be no true friendship, which is not founded in virtue.

A deaf and dumb pupil, when asked in writing, what is Eternity? wrote upon his slate with his pencil, THE LIFE-TIME OF THE ALMIGHTY.

CONTENTS.

Of this (July) number of the Evening and the Morning Star.

REVELATIONS.--Extract from the Laws for the government of the church of Christ. page. 1. REVELATIONS.--Commandment for keeping the Sabbath, &c. ... page 1. REVELATIONS.--A Vision. ... page 2. SELECTED.--Excellence of the Scripture. ... page 3. SELECTED.--The Simplicity of the sacred Scriptures. ... page 4. COMMUNICATED.--The elders in the land of Zion, to the churches,&c. ... page 5. EDITORIAL.--Hosea Chapter III. ... page 6. EDITORIAL.--Items for the public. ... page. 6. EDITORIAL.--To the elders of the church of Christ, &c. ... page 6. EDITORIAL.--Foreign News. ... page 6. WORLDLY MATTERS-- ... page 7. WORLDLY MATTERS--Comet of 1832. ... page 7. WORLDLY MATTERS--Cholera Morbus. ... page 7. WORLDLY MATTERS--Horrors of the Cholera Morbus. ... 7. HYMNS--The Celestial hymn. ... page 8. HYMNS--The Pilgrims hymn. ... page 8. --Bad company, Terms &c. ... page. 8.

THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR.

[COMMUNICATED.]

<"To Church">
William Phelps "To Church," E&MS 1 (July 1832)

{beliefs-lds} THE ELDERS IN THE LAND OF ZION TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST SCATTERED ABROAD.

BRETHREN, We think it proper to give you some general information respecting the present state of the church in Zion, and also the work of the gathering. Notwithstanding that nearly all christendom doubt the propriety of receiving revelations for the government of the church of Christ in this age, and generally adopt the Scriptures of the old and new testament as the only rule of faith and practice, yet we believe, from the Scriptures of truth, that to every church in the past ages, which the Lord recognized to be his, he gave revelations wisely calculated to govern them in the peculiar situation and circumstances under which they were placed, and to enable them by authority to do the peculiar work which they were to perform. The Bible contains revelations given at different times to different people, under different circumstances, as will be seen by editorial articles in this paper. The old world was destroyed for rejecting the revelations of God, given to them through Noah. The Israelites were destroyed in the wilderness for dispising the revelations given to them through Moses; and Christ said that the world, in the days of the apostles, should be condemned for not receiving the word of god through them: thus we see that the judgments of God in the past ages have come upon the people, not so much for neglecting the revelations given to their forefathers, as for rejecting those given immediately to themselves. Of the blessings of heaven it may be said, they have always rested upon the heads of those to whom they were promised: Therefore, seeing that it not only was, but as long as God remains the same, always will be the privelige of the true church to receive revelations, containing blessings and cursings, peculiarly adapted to itself as a church. We conclude it is a mistaken notion that the Scriptures of the old and new testament are the only rule of faith and practice; nevertheless, inasmuch as the precepts and examples contained in them are truly applicable to us, under our particular circumstances, we are bound to be governed by them; and we also can receive much benefit from such prophecies as point out the events that shall take place in our day and age: of these there are many, both in the old and new testament. They speak plainly of great things that shall be accomplished in the last days; such as preaching of the everlasting gospel to all nations; the gathering of the elect from the four winds of heaven; the building up of Zion and Jerusalem, or the in gathering of the remnants of Jacob, and the planting them in the lands of their fathers' inheritance: the necessary preperation to meet the Savior at his second coming, with all his saints to dwell with them in the millennium reign. And now, who with the Bible in his hand, can suppose that these great and marvelous works can be accomplished by the church without more revelations from the Lord? We cannot, for we worship the God of Israel, in whom there is neither variableness nor shadow of turning; consequently as in days of old, so in these last days, he has given us revelations by which we may know how to organize the church of Christ, and by his authority to perform the work which he has enjoined upon us. And now brethren, if we wish for blessings upon this church, we must walk humble before the Lord, and observe to keep all his commandments. Notwithstanding the work of the gathering will be accomplished, we believe, in a speedy manner, yet the Lord has commanded that it shall not be done in haste, nor by flight, but that all things shall be prepared before you; and for this purpose he has made it the duty of the Bishop or Agent in the land of Zion, to make known, from time to time, the priveleges of the land, to the conferences, which may determine and make known how many can be accommodated. And the saints will remember that the Bishop in the land of Zion, will not receive say, as wise stewards, without they bring a recommend from the Bishop in Ohio, or from three elders. The elders therefore, will be careful not to recommend and send up churches to this place, without first receiving information from the bishop in Ohio, or in the land of Zion, that they can be accommodated when they arrive, so as to be settled without confusion, which would produce pestilence. Therefore, if a church is desirous to come to the land of Zion, we would recommend, that first, by letter or otherwise, they make known their desires and their situation to the Bishop in Ohio, or in the land of Zion, and receive information from them before they start. Brethren will perceive as well as we, that where churches of fifty or a hundred souls each, are coming to the land of Zion from different parts of the nation, and, as soon will be the case, from different nations, without a knowledge of each other, they would, when they arrive, be in a state of confusion, and labor under many disadvantages, which might be avoided by strictly observing the rules and regulations of the church. Moreover by being in haste, and forcing the sale of property, unreasonable sacrifices have been made, and although this is a day of sacrifice and tithing, yet to make lavish and unreasonable sacrifices, is not well pleasing in the sight of the Lord.

It is about one year since the work of the gathering commenced, in which time between three & four hundred have arrived here and are mostly located upon their inheritances, and are generally in good health and spirits and are doing well. The expenses of journeying and settling here, together with the establishing of a printing office and store, have probably exceeded the expectations of our brethren abroad, and although Zion, according to the prophets, is to become like Eden or the garden of the Lord, yet, at present it is as it were but a wilderness and desert, and the disadvantages of settling in a new country, you know, are many and great: Therefore, prudence would dictate at present the churches abroad, come not up to Zion, until preperations can be made for them, and they receive information as above. The prospect for crops, in this region of country, is, at present, tolerable good, but calls for provisions will undoubtedly be considerable, for besides the emigration of the whites, the government of the United States is settling the Indians, (or remnants of Joseph) immediately to the west, and they must be fed.

Brethren, we drop the above remarks for your benefit, until you can have the revelation to peruse for yourselves, which will be published as soon as they can be consistently. Although the Lord has said, that it is his business to provide for his saints in these last days, yet, remember he is not bound so to do, unless we observe his sayings and keep them.

Our Elders abroad, may do much good by obtaining subscribers for the Star, and transmit the money by mail, to us,or the Bishop in Ohio.

<"Hosea">
William Phelps "Hosea," E&MS 1 (July 1832)



HOSEA CHAPTER III. [Hosea 3]

WE select this chapter for a few comments, because it contains some figures of speach, as well as plain prophecy.

Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other Gods, and love flagons of wine. So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer of barley, and a half homer of barley: and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for an other man: so will I also be for thee. For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without a teraphim: Afterwards shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.

{beliefs-lds} Notwithstanding some, or nearly all professing denominations of what are called Christians, have invented a general rule to spiritualize the Scripture, yet these sacred records carry, on almost every page, a very different idea: For instance, when God said, let there be light and there was light, every rational man, that believes the word of God, must know it was temporally so, because the light continues yet. When God told Noah to prepare an Ark, for Behold I even I do bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh, who dare say it was not literally fulfilled? When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, and Pharoah followed after and was swallowed up in the Red Sea, what spiritual construction will turn this mighty scene, from the power of God naturally displayed to man? when the Lord told Ahaz, Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and Jesus Christ came in the flesh: not only them that saw him and believed then, but those who have believed and have been baptized, and have received the gift of the Holy Ghost since, know that this prophecy was literally fulfilled as foretold. Using such literal examples far a guide, we shall commence literalizing this Chapter of Hosea, and say the first verse alluded to sending the gospel to the Gentiles, which Peter and Paul afterwards fulfilled.--No one can dispute that the woman means the church, for the Lord has created a new thing in the earth: A woman shall compass a man, and the church of Christ will eventually triumph over the man of sin, and Satan will be bound. The second and third verses may refer to the son of perdition, who sold his master for money.--Then salvation to the Gentiles: which salvation was to continue many days, viz: to the present day. The fourth verse shows the time that the children of Israel were to remain scattered abroad, without the sacred things which God gave unto them when they were to remain scattered abroad, without the sacred things which God gave unto them when they were in favour with him. They were even to do without the Teraphim, [Urim & Thumim, perhaps] or sacred spectacles or declarers; supposed to the same called gods and images when Jacob fled, from Laban. For Jacob was a man of God and did not worship idols or images. The original in Hebrew is Teraphim. Moses when blessing the tribes in the 33rd of Deuteronomy, says: Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy Holy one. This brings to mind that important information on the same subject, which is recorded in the second Chapter of II Maccabees, which the wisdom of man has seen fit to call Apocrypha. It reads thus:

It is also found in the records, that Jeremy the prophet commanded them that were carried away to take of the fire, as it has been signified: And how that the prophet, having given them the law, charged them not to forget the commandments of the Lord, and that they should not err in their minds, when they see images of silver and gold, with their ornaments. And with other such speeches exhorted he them, that the law should not depart from their hearts. It was also contained in the same writing, that the prophet, being warned of God, commanded the tabernacle and the ark to go with him, as he went forth into the mountain, where Moses climbed up, and saw the heritage of God. And when Jeremy came thither, he found a hollow cave, wherein he laid the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door. And some of those that followed him came to mark the way, but could not find it. Which when Jeremy perceived, he blamed them, saying, As for the place, it shall be unknown until the time that God gather his people together, and receive them unto mercy. Then shall the Lord shew these things, and the glory of the Lord shall appear, and the cloud also, as it was shewed unto Moses, and as when Solomon desired that the place might be honourably sanctified.

The fifth verse directs to the time of the gathering, and positively promises their return, which our Savior referred to, when he declared that he would send his angels and gather his Elect.--Here let it be known once for all, that Israel, the twelve tribes of Jacob, are the Elect of God. Isa. 45th and 5th and Romans 11th 28th which says, as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. Again, it not only promises the return of Israel in the latter days, but it declares that they shall seek the Lord their god, and David their King. Seek David their King! Here remember that David had been dead many years, for Hosea prophesied about 175 years before the Babylonish Captivity: It opens the meaning of the latter part of the 37th Chapter of Ezekiel, which speaking of the gathering of Israel, says that they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, and they shall dwell therein, they and their children, and their children's children for ever, and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. David must have had his eye upon the same thing when he said in the 71st Psalm, Thou shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depth of the earth. No man will attempt to say that the children of Israel have lived in the land of Jacob, governed by David as King or Prince, since God by the mouths of Hosea and Ezekiel declared, that such should be the case, in the latter days! The secret of the matter is, that God, in his infinite wisdom prepared the children of promise, the heirs of the Celestial kingdom, to live twice in the flesh on the earth, once in a state of probation; and once in a state of approbation, and this is the reason why Job exclaimed: For I know my Redeemer liveth, and he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. [Job 19:25-26] And again this accounts for the Redeemed out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation, which John the Revelator saw [Rev. Chap. 5.] who were made Kings and Priests to God, and reigned on earth or as it is written [Rev. Chap. 20.] They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

<Editorial>
William Phelps ed E&MS 1 (July 1832)

ITEMS FOR THE PUBLIC

IN connxeion with the star, we publish a weekly paper, entitled "The Upper Missouri Advertiser," It will contain sketches of the news of the day, politics, advertisements, and whatever tends to promote the interests of the Great West.

An extract from the Prophecy of Enoch in our next number.

The "Vision," which appears on the second page, is the greatest news that was ever published to man. It shows the economy of God, in preparing mansions for men: Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Notwithstanding the Month of May was wet and cold, the weather, for some time past, has been such, that the prospect of the farmer is fair, and we have hopes of good crops.

The frontier Indian war continues. There have been several killed on both sides. The government of the United States has appropriated $300,000 for this purpose, and we may calculate, the war will be prosecuted vigorously as far as necessary.

The Cholera Morbus commenced its deadly work at Quebec, Lower Canda about the first of June. It is said to be severer, than in Europe. The will of God must be done whether by pestilence, famine, or the sword.

<"To Church">
William Phelps "To Church," E&MS 1 (July 1832)

TO THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, WHO PREACH GOOD TIDINGS TO THE WORLD

{beliefs-lds} BRETHREN, As stars of the ensign, which is now set up for the benefit of all nations, you are to enlighten the world; you are to prepare the way for the people to come up to Zion; you are to instruct men how to receive the fulness of the gospel, and the everlasting covenants, even them that were from the beginning; you are to carry the ARK OF SAFETY before the wondering multitudes, without fear, entreating, and beseeching all men to be saved; you are to set an example of meekness and humility before saints and sinners, as did the Savior; and when reviled you are not to revile again; you are to reason with men as in days of old, to bear patiently and answer as the spirit of truth shall direct, allowing all credit for every item of good. You are to walk in the valley of humility and pray for the salvation of all; yes, you are to pray for your enemies; and warn in compassion, without threatening the wicked with judgments which are to be poured upon the world hereafter. You have no right to take the judgments, which fell upon the ungodly before the flood, and pour them upon the head of this generation; you have no authority to use the judgments which God sent upon Pharaoh in Egypt, to terrify the inhabitants of America, neither have you any direction, by commandment, to collect the calamities of six thousand years, and paint them upon the curtain of these last days, to scare mankind to repentance; no; you are to preach the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, even glad tidings of great joy unto all people.

Again, you are not to take the blessings of an individual, or of a church, from the days of Enoch to the days of the apostles, and place them upon an individual or a church, in these last days; but you are to teach all men that they shall be judged according to their works: For, if God is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever, his reward is always with him, and his revelations and blessings, and judgments, before the flood, were fitted for that people and that time; in the days of Abraham, for that man and that time; in the days of Moses, for that man and that time; in the days of David, for that man and that time; in the days of Paul, for that man and that time; and now, for this generation, and this time: You therefore, must reason from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, with great care and not pervert the meaning of God's sacred word. If our Heavenly Father saw fit to destroy Sodom and Gomorah for their wickedness, Nineveh for its abomination, and Jerusalem for a transgression of his commandments, what have their destructions to do with the salvation of the world now? The Lord says vengeance is mine, and I will repay. Teach all men to trust in God and not in man, and do works meet for repentance.--Again, teach all men that God is a God of the living and not of the dead. Finally, whatever you do, do it with an eye single to the glory of god. You are the light of the world in matters of pure religion, and many souls may be required at your hands. Let the idea not leave you that, not only the eyes of the world, but the eyes of the angels and of God are upon you.

<Editorial>
William Phelps ed E&MS 1 (July 1832)

FOREIGN NEWS.

IT is a day of strange appearances. Every thing indicates something more than meets the eye. Every nation is opening events, which astonish mankind: Even the heart of man begins to melt at the prospect before it. The unquenchable thirst for news; the continuity of emigration; the wars and rumors of wars, with many other signs of the distress of nations, from the old world, (as it is called across the Ocean) whispers so loud to the understanding, that he that runs may read the label on the Eastern sky: The end is nigh. France is filled with a spirit of rebellion, and when the Cholera was sweeping its thousands, mobs were collecting to slay their tens of thousands. While the hospitals were crowded with the sick, and the groans of the dying filled the air, the fashionable French were holding Cholera Balls and dancing at the judgments of the almighty. In England, where an anxious multitude have been waiting for Reformation in government for years, disappointment is distruction. The house of Lords has rejected the Reform bill, and the proud hearted Englishman says--Reform or Revolution! No stop there: for the sound comes across the Atlantic. Reform or ruin! All the Kingdoms of the East seem to be preparing to act the part allotted to them, when the Lord rebukes the nations. As on a morning of some, great festival, the church bell, the cannon, the small arms, the music, and the cheers of the multitude, arouse all to what is going on, and thunders to man: Behold the day! so also earthquakes wars, and rumors of wars, the distress of nations, the constant tide of emigration to the West, the wide spreading ravages of the Cholera Morbus, and the joy of the Saints of God as they come out of Babylon, alarms the world, and whispers to every mortal, watch ye, for the time is at hand for the second coming of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of Israel, with peace on earth and good will to man. Watch the signs of his coming, that ye be not deceived.



Worldly Matters

DAVID Ritter of New-Haven, with twelve hands,manufactures, $10,000 worth of Razor straps a year. And again the said David with five hands, turns off about $3,000 worth of marble monuments, chimney pieces, &c.

At an election in Montreal, L.C. a dreadful riot took place, which resulted in the death of several men.

ROMANCE OF REAL LIFE.--On Friday April 26, 1832, D. Falton, one of the coroners of this county, was called to view the bodies of Elizabeth Bird and Abraham Vandyck, found drowned in Brown's pond, town of Clinton. They were tied together around the waist, and from previous declarations, no doubt remained but that they had deliberately made way with themselves. They were seen going to the Pond on Wednesday preceding, she quite intoxicated, and it was supposed he not much better. They had divested themselves of their upper garments which were carefully deposited near the Lake, together with a bottle containing the remains of a pint of rum which they had purchased that morning, perhaps not an hour before they took their fatal plunge. both were habitually intemperate.--[Poughkeepsie paper.]

We learn from the Wyoming Republican, that three children were recently scalded to death in Luzerne county. The mother was engaged in boiling soap, when the pot fell from the crane, and the contents were dashed over two children playing on the floor before the fire; and the third, which was on her lap, she droped into the boiling liquid in her frightful endeavors to rescue the other two.

EMIGRANTS.--On Sunday last, fourteen hundred and forty six emigrants arrived in this city from Europe, and yesterday, four hundred and twenty eight. The number which arrived at Quebec on the 26th, 27th, and 28th of May, was two thousand, four hundred and eighty eight.--[N. Y. Com.]

A church bell of glass has been cast in Sweden; its diameter is six feet, and its tone is said to be finer than that of any metal.

BOSTON, MAY 18

Yesterbay forenoon Mr. George W. Coombs was at work in the well of Mr. William T. Spear, Prince Street, about 36 feet from the surface, and Mr. William Elm about 8 feet below him, both in the employ of Mr. Isaac Scott, laying lead pipe, and using a furnace with charcoal, for soldering. Coombs complained of faintness and Elm went up to assist him; but, in passing the furnace he was likewise taken faint, yet succeded in reaching the top, and calling assistance. Before it arrived, however, Mr. C. had fallen to the bottom. He was drawn up, and two physicians attended immediately; but life was extinct. Mr. C. was about 25 years of age, and has left a wife and child. It was the opinion of the physicians that the fumes of the charcoal caused his death.--[Daily Adv.] BOSTON, MAY 18.

A young girl aged about nine years, daughter of Mr. Ezra Palmer, residing at No. 92, Ann street, whilst reaching out of a chamber window in the third story to arange a bird cage, lost her balance and fell to the ground. In her fall, she struck on the shoulder of a young man who was passing at the moment, and thus, happily, her life was preserved. She has, however, suffered severely from contusions, broken bones, and dislocations.--[Transcript.]

In Augusta, on Wednesday, a squall took place, which blew out the gable end of a brick bilding near the market, belonging to Mr. Bennock, which, falling on a small adjoining wood house killed two negroes that were in it, a woman, and child of three or four years old, and crippled two others. The wall was only one brick thick.--[Sa. Ga.]

GREAT FRESHET.--In consequence of a heavy rain which commenced on the 19th of May and continued till the 22d, the waters of the Kennebed river in Maine, rose to an unparalleled height. In many places it was 20 feet above low water mark, and has done immense damage, carrying away bridges, mills, houses and large quantities of lumber.

A gentleman, who within the past six months has visited nearly every principal town in the Valley of the Mississippi, has furnished the editor of the Journal of Commerce with a list, by which it appears that twenty four steamboats have been destroyed on the western waters, since the breaking up of the ice last spring.

PHENOMENON.--From the Poughkeepsie Telegraph, we learn that a piece of land, embracing an area of an acre and a half, on the eastern shore, in Dutchess county, three miles above Newburg, has sunk one hundred feet, so that the tops of the highest trees growing upon it, are scarcely level with the surrounding surface. It is supposed that a stream of water, flowing beneath the river, has finally washed away such a quantity of the supporting earth as to render this occurrence inevitable; if this be not a philosophical explanation, we must place the phenomenon to the credit of the theory of Capt. Symmes.--[N. Y. paper.]

THE COMET OF 1832.

On or about the 22d of next August Biela's Comet may be seen by means of telescopes somewhere near the direction of the seven stars. On the 19th of September, it will be visible to the naked eye just above the horizon in the North East, about 9 o'clock in the evening. About 10 o'clock in the evening of November 13th it will rise E. N. E., and will about that time appear the brightest. From the middle of October to the middle of November, it may be seen with great distinctness. August 22d its distance from the Earth will be 117,373,096 miles, and 157,179,530 from the Sun.--Its nearest approach to our planet will be on the 23d of October, when its distance from us will be 51,085,913 miles, and from the Sun 98,650,424. It will cross the Earth's orbit about the last of October, when it will be several hundred thousand miles farther from us than it will be when it passes its perihelion. Its nearest approach to the Sun will take place on the 28th of November when its distance from that planet will be 83,444,193 miles, and from us 67,952,845.--[N. E. Review.]

THE POLES.--The heart bleeds when it contemplates the fate of this noble people. What a melancholy picture of prostrate liberty is presented in the following paragraph:

"From the 3d to the 6th of March, the gates of Warsaw were closed, whilst arrests were made of the young Poles said to be implicated in the late insurrection, were sent to Riow, to be incorporated in the Russian regiments. A private letter states that those young men are sent off in tens of thousands to Siberia, to form colonies to people those dreary regions of perpetual snow and Cimmerian darkness. The pretended discovery of a new plot is the pretext for this wholesale banishment of the Polish race: including it is said not less than 40,000."

CHOLERA MORBUS

WE select an item under this head, which, gives an extensive view of this sweeping disease. The Atlantic cities tremble at the distant destruction of this irreconcilable foe to health and happiness, but the only alternative is, Trust in God. To endeavor to stay the progress of such a calamity by means, is--is what? why, what means would have stayed the angels' visit to the camp of the Assyrians?

The item is from the N.Y. Courier & Enquirer's Paris correspondent:

I find it impossible to procure the exact number of the deaths up to the latest moment with any pretensions to accuracy, but there cannot be the least doubt that they now exceed 10,000, and as the number of cases in the early stages of the disease when its character was more virulent than it has since become bore a proportion to the deaths somewhere between five to two and three to one, the number of persons effected by it may now be stated in round numbers to amount to at least 30,000 or about four per cent. on the whole mass of the population.

Supposing the disease to be suddenly arrested at its present point, which would be inconsistent with the whole of its previous history, the proportional loss which Paris has suffered with the other great cities of Europe which have yet been visited by the disease would be very considerable, as you will at once perceive on casting your eye over the following abstract, in which the 1st column gives the names of places, the second the amount of their population, the third the number of persons effected by the cholera and the fourth the number of deaths.

Moscow, ... 350,000 8,576 4,690 Petersburg, ... 360,000 9,247 4,757 Vienna, ... 300,000 3,980 1,899 Berlin, ... 240,000 2,220 1,401 Hamburgh, ... 100,000 874 455 Prague, ... 96,000 3,234 1,335 Breslaw, ... 78,000 1,276 670 Koenigsberg, ... 70,000 2,188 1,310 Magdebourg, ... 36,000 576 346 Braun, ... 33,000 1,540 604 Stettin, ... 24,000 366 250 Halle, ... 23,000 303 152 Elberg, ... 22,000 420 283 Hungary, ... 8,750,000 435,330 188,000 London, ... 1,500,000 2,534 1,328 Paris, ... 750,000 30,000 10,000 Edinburgh, ... 150,000 127 72 Glasgow, ... 180,000 782 395 Paisley, ... 60,000 359 204

HORRORS OF THE CHOLERA MORBUS.

We have witnessed in our days the birth of a new pestilence, which, in the short space of fourteen years, has desolated the fairest portion of the globe, and swept off at least fifty millions of our race. It has mastered every variety of climate, surmounted every natural barrier, conquered every people. It has not, like the simoon blasted life, and then passed away; the cholera, like small-pox or plague, takes root in the soil which it has once possessed. The circumstances under which the individual is attacked are no less appalling than the history of the progress and mortality of the disease. In one man says an eye witness, the prostration of strength was so great the he could hardly move a limb, though he had been but fifteen minuits before in service of an officer was seized in the act of picking up his rice, previous to going out to cut grass close to his master's feet, and being unable to call for assistance, he was observed by an other person at a distance from him, picking up small stones and pitching them towards him, for the purpose of atracting his notice. This man died in an hour. It is no wonder that the approach of such a pestilence has struck the deepest terror into every community.

The origin of this disease is not known. It broke out at Jessore, about a hundred miles south east of Calcutta, in August, 1817. "Spreading from village to village, and destroying thousands of the inhabitants, it reached Calcutta early in September. It then spread into other parts of the country, taking different places in succession; and at length it appeared in the grand army, and eventually extending over a large portion of Hindostan." In Bassora, which contained 60,000 inhabitants, in fourteen days it destroyed from 15,000 to 18,000 persons. In seven months, it had extended from Caramania to Judea, over a space of not less than a hundred leagues, and reached the shores of the Mediterranean. But it was introduced into Europe at the mouth of the Volga on the Caspian Sea, in 1830.--[London Quarterly Review.]



HYMNS,

Selected and prepared for the Church of Christ, in these last days.

{beliefs-lds} THE CELESTIAL HOME.

BEYOND these earthly scenes in sight, Immortal beings rest, In realms of infinite delight; The home of Jesus Christ.

CHORUS. O the home, the glorious home, Of the beloved Son, Where the righteous all shall meet And be forever one!

Celestial home! could our weak eyes But half its charms explore, How would our souls desire to rise, And live on earth no more! O the home, the glorious home, &c.

There pain and sorrow never come, No; nothing there is vain; But perfect peace, and ceaseless bloom, With endless pleasure reign. O the home, &c.

No curse those blissful regions know; Nor fears create despair, For sin, the source of every wo, Can never enter there. O the home, &c.

There changing time is never known, Nor Sun o'er mountain brow, But God upon his shining throne Fills one eternal now. O the home, &c.

THE PILGRIMS' HYMNS [William W. Phelps].

GO on, dear pilgrims, while below, In wisdom's paths of peace, Determin'd nothing else to know, But Jesus' righteousness.

Do like the Savior, follow him, He in this world has been, And oft revil'd, but like a lamb, Did ne'er revile again.

O take the pattern he has given, Seek first the things of worth, And learn the only way to heaven, Is--worship God on earth.

Remember we must watch and pray While journeying on the road, Lest we should fall out by the way And wound the cause of God.

Go on rejoicing day by day; Your crown is yet before, So fear no trials on the way, The scene will soon be o'er.

Soon we shall reach the promis'd land, With all the ransom'd race And meet with Enoch's perfect band, To sing redeeming grace.

There we shall be when Christ appears, And all his glory see, And reign with him a thousand years, When all the world is free.

Our souls are in his mighty hand, And he will keep them still; If faithful, we shall surely stand With him on Zion's hill.

Him, eye to eye, we there shall see our face like his shall shine; O! what a glorious company, When saints and angels join!

O! what a joyful meeting there, In robes of white array! Palms in our hands we all shall bear, And crowns that ne'er decay!

We'll hasten to our earthly home, While Jacob gathers in, And watch our great Redeemer come, And make an end of sin.

When we've been there a thousand years, Bright shining as the Sun, We've no less days to sing God's praise, Than when we first begun.

BAD COMPANY, &c.

"EVIL communication," says the text, "corrupts good manners." The assertion is general, and no doubt all people suffer from such communication; but above all, the minds of youth will suffer; which are yet unformed, unprincipled, unfurnished, and ready to receive any impression.

But before we consider the danger of keeping bad company, let us first see the meaning of the phrase.

In the phrase of the world, good company means fashionable people. Their stations in life, not their morals are considered: and he, who associates with such, though they set him the example of breaking every commandment of the decalogue, is still said to keep good company.--I should wish you to fix another meaning to the expression; and to consider vice in the same detestable light, in whatever company it is found; nay, to consider all company in which it is found, be their station what it will, as bad company.

The three folowing classes will perhaps include the greatest part of those, who deserve this appellation.

In the first, I should rank all who endeavor to destroy the principles of Christianity--who jest upon Scripture--talk blasphemy--and treat revelation with contempt.

A second class of bad company are those, who have a tendency to destroy in us the principles of common honesty and integrity. Under this head we may rank gamesters of every denomination; and low and infamous characters of every profession.

A third class of bad company, and such as are commonly most dangerous to youth, includes the long catalogue of men of pleasure. In whatever way they follow the call of appetite, they have equally a tendency to corrupt the purity of the mind.

Besides these three classes, whom we call bad company, there are others who come under the denomination of ill chosen company: trifling, insipid characters of every kind; who follow no business--are led by no ideas of improvement--but spend their time in disipation and folly--whose highest praise it is, that they are only not vicious--With none of these a serious man would wish his son to keep company.

It may be asked what is meant by keeping bad company? The world abounds with characters of this kind: they meet us in every place; and if we keep company at all, it is impossible to avoid keeping company with such persons.

It is true if we were determined never to have any commerce with bad men, we must, as the apostle remarks, "altogether go out of the world." By keeping bad company, therefore, is not meant a casual intercourse with them, on occasion of business, or as they accidentally fall in our way; but having an inclination to consort with them--complying with that inclination--seeking their company when we might avoid it--entering into their parties--and making them the companions of our choice. Mixing with them occasionally cannot be avoided.

The danger of keeping bad company, arises principally from our aptness to imitate and catch the manners and sentiments of others--from the power of custom--from our own bad inclinations--and from the pains taken by the bad to corrupt us.

In our earliest youth, the contagion of manners is observable. In the boy, yet incapable of having any thing instilled into him, we easily discover from his first actions, and rude attempts at language, the kind of persons with whom he has been brought up: we see the early spring of a civilized education, or the first wild shoots of rusticity.

As he enters farther into life, his behavior, manners, and conversation, all take their cast from the company he keeps. Observe the peasant, and the man of education; the difference is striking. And yet God hath bestowed equal talents on each. The only difference is, they have been thrown into different scenes of life; and have had commerce with persons of different stations.

Nor are manners and behavior more easily caught, than opinions and principles. In childhood and youth, we naturally adopt the sentiments of those about us

And as we advance in life, how few of us think for ourselves; How many of us are satisfied with taking our opinions at second hand;

The great power and force of custom forms another argument against keeping bad company. However seriously disposed we may be; and however shocked at the first approaches of vice; this shocking apperance goes off upon an intimacy with it. Custom will soon render the most disgustful think familiar. And this is indeed a kind provision of nature, to render labour, and toil and danger, which are the lot of man, more easy to him.

The raw soldier who trembles at the first encounter becomes a hardy veteran in a few campaigns. Habit renders danger familiar, and of course indifferent to him

But habit, which is intended for our good, may, like other kind appointments of nature, be converted into a mischief. The well-disposed youth, entering first into bad company, is shocked at what he hears, and what he sees. The good principles which he had imbibed, ring in his ears an alarming lesson against the wickedness of his companions. But alas! this sensibility is but of a day's continuance. The next jovial meeting makes the horrid picture of yesterday more easily endured.--[To be continued.]

A correspondent of the Nat. Intelligencer, among the many preventives against the Cholera, says:--God will hear, if man will pray. This we endorse as truth.

Mental pleasures never cloy; unlike those of the body, they are increased by repetition, approved of by reflection, and strengthened by enjoyment.

A great man with the Lord, is what the world would call a poor wretch, or he is of no note. Thus the simple confound the wise.

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Vol. I, No. 3, INDEPENDENCE, MO. AUGUST, 1832.

The Cholera.

THIS desolating sickness is spreading steadily over the United States. The account of its ravages, in many places, we cannot give: The whole number of cases in New York, to July 31, is--3731. Deaths--1520.

No man can stop the work of the Lord, for God rules the pestilence, and the pestilence rules men. Oceans, sentinels, and forts, may hinder men, or money may bribe, but when the pestilence rides on the wings of the wind, the ocean is no barrier; the sentinel has no power; the fort is no obstacle, and money has no value: the destroying angel goes, waving the banner of death over all; and who shall escape his pointed arrow? Not he that could brave death at the cannon's mouth, but shrink at the sound of the cholera; not he that worshiped his god in some stately chapel, every sabbath till the cholera comes, and then flees for his life; no; none but him that trusts in God, shall be able to stand when a thousand shall fall at his side, and ten thousand at his right hand, by the noisome pestilence.

Revelations.

COMMANDMENT, GIVEN MARCH 8, 1831. [D&C 46]

HEARKEN, O ye people of my church, for verily I say unto you, that these things are spoken unto you for your profit and learning; but notwithstanding these things which are written, it always has been given to the elders of my church, from the beginning, and ever shall be, to conduct all meetings as they are directed and guided by the Holy Spirit: nevertheless ye are commanded never to cast any one from your public meetings, which are held before the world: ye are also commanded never to cast any one, who belongeth to the church, out of your sacrament meetings: nevertheless, if any has trespassed, let him not partake until he makes reconciliation. And again I say unto you, ye shall not cast any out of your sacrament meetings, who is earnestly seeking the kingdom; I speak this concerning those who are not of the church. And again I say unto you, concerning your confirmation meetings, that if there be any that is not of the church, that is earnestly seeking after the kingdom, ye shall not cast them out, but ye are commanded in all things to ask of God who giveth liberally, and that which the spirit testifies unto you, even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men, for some are of men, and others of devils: Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived? and that ye may not be deceived, seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given; for verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do, that all may be benefited; that commandments, and him that seeketh so to do, that all may be benefited; that seeketh or that asketh of me, that asketh and not for a sign that he may consume it upon his lusts.

And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what these gifts are, that are given unto the church, for all have not every gift given unto them, for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the spirit of God; to some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby; to some is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world; to others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful. And again, to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration, as it will be pleasing unto the same Lord, according as the Lord will, suiting his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men. And again it is given by the Holy Ghost to some to know the diversities of opperations, whether it be of God or not, so that the manifestations of the spirit may be given to every man to profit with all. And again, verily I say unto you, to some it is given to have faith to be healed, and to others it is given to have faith to heal. And again, to some it is given, the working of miracles; and to others it is given to prophesy, and to others the discerning of spirits. And again, it is given to some to speak with tongues, and to another it is given the interpretation of tongues: and all these gifts cometh from the Lord, for the benefit of the children of God. And unto the bishop of the church, and unto such as God shall appoint and ordain to watch over the church, and to be elders unto the church, are to have it given unto them to discern all those gifts, lest there shall be any among you professing and yet not be of God. Behold, it shall come to pass that he that asketh in spirit shall receive in spirit; that unto some it may be given to have all those gifts, that there may be a head, in order that every member may be profited thereby; he that asketh in spirit asketh according to the will of God, wherefore it is done even as he asketh. And again I say unto you, all things must be done in the name of Christ, whatsoever you do in the spirit; and so must give thanks unto God in the spirit for whatsoever blessing ye are blessed with: and ye must practice virtue and holiness before me continually; even so. Amen.

COMMANDMENT, GIVEN MAY 9, 1831. [D&C 50]

HEARKEN, O ye elders of my church, and give ear to the voice of the living God, and attend to the words of wisdom which shall be given unto you, according as ye have asked and are agreed as touching the church, and the spirits which have gone abroad in the earth. Behold verily I say unto you, that there are many spirits, which are false spirits, which have gone forth in the earth, deceiving the world: and also satan hath sought to deceive you, that he might overthrow you. Behold I the Lord have looked upon you and have seen abominations in the church, which profess my name; but blessed are they who are faithful and endure whether in life or in death, for they shall inherit eternal life. But wo unto them that are deceivers, and hypocrites, for thus saith the Lord, I will bring them to judgment. Behold verily I say unto you, there are hypocrits among you, and have deceived some which has given the adversary power but behold such shall be reclaimed, but the hypocrites shall be detected & shall be cut off, either in life or in death, even as I will, and wo is unto them that is cut off from my church, for the same is overcome of the world: wherefore, let every man be aware lest he do that which is not in truth and righteousness before me.

And now come, saith the Lord, by the spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand: let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face: now when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man, even so will I the Lord reason with you that you may understand; wherefore I the Lord asketh you this question, unto what was ye ordained: to preach my gospel by the spirit, even the comforter which was sent forth to teach the truth; and then received ye spirits which ye could not understand, & received them to be of God, & in this are ye justified? Behold ye shall answer this question yourselves, nevertheless I will be merciful unto you: he that is weak among you hereafter shall be made strong. Verily I say unto you, he that is ordained of me and sent forth to preach the word of truth by the comforter, in the spirit of truth, doth he preach it by the spirit of truth, or some other way: and if by some other way, it be not of God; and again he that receiveth the word of truth doth he receive it by the spirit of truth, or some other way; if it be some other way it be not of God: Therefore, why is it that ye cannot understand and know that he that receiveth the word by the spirit of truth, receiveth it as it is preached by the spirit of truth, wherefore he that preacheth and he that receiveth understandeth one another and both are edified and rejoice together; and that which doeth not edify is not of God and is darkness; that which is of God is light and he that receiveth light and continueth in God, receiveth more light, and that light growth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. And again, verily I say unto you, and I say it that you may know the truth, that you may chase darkness from among you, for he that is ordained of God and sent forth, the same is appointed to be the greatest, notwithstanding he is least, and the servant of all: wherefore he is possessor of all things, for all things are subject unto him, both in heaven and on earth, the life the light the spirit and the power, sent forth by the will of the Father, through Jesus Christ, his Son; but no man is possessor of all things except he be purified and and cleansed from all sin; and if ye are purified and cleansed from all sin, ye shall ask whatsoever you will in the name of Jesus and it shall be done: but know this, spirits shall be subject unto you: wherefore it shall come to pass, that if you behold a spirit manifested that ye cannot understand, and you receive not that spirit, ye shall ask of the Father in the name of Jesus and if he give not unto you that spirit, then you may know that it is not of God; and it shall be given unto you power over that spirit, and you shall proclaim against that spirit with a loud voice, that it is not of God; not with railing accusation that ye be not overcome; neither with boasting, nor rejoicing, lest you be seized therewith: he that receiveth of God, let him account it of God, & let him rejoice that he is accounted of God worthy to receive & by giving heed & doing these things which ye have received, and which ye shall hereafter receive, and the kingdom is given unto you of the Father, and power to overcome all things, which is not ordained of him: and behold, verily I say unto you, blessed are you that hear these words of mine from the mouth of my servant, for your sins are forgiven you. Let my servant Joseph [Smith], in whom I am well pleased, and my servant Parley [P. Pratt], go forth among the churches and strengthen them by the word of exhortation; and also my servant John [Whitmer], or as many of my servants as are ordained unto this office, and let them labor in the vineyard; and let no man hinder them of doing that which I have appointed unto them: wherefore in this thing my servant Edward is not justified, nevertheless let him repent and he shall be forgiven. Behold ye are little children, and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of truth. Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me; and none of them which my Father hath given me shall be lost: and the Father and I are one: I am in the Father and the Father in me: and inasmuch as ye have received me ye are in me, and I in you: wherefore I am in your midst; and I am the good shepherd; and the day cometh that you shall hear my voice and see me, and know that I am. Watch, therefore, that ye may be ready; even so, Amen.



EXTRACT FROM THE PROPHECY OF ENOCH. [Moses 7:1-69]

AND it came to pass that Enoch continued his speech saying, Behold our father Adam taught these things, and many have believed and become the sons of God, and many have believed not and have perished in their sins, and are looking forth with fear, in torment, for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God to be poured out upon them. And from that time forth Enoch began to prophesy, saying unto the people, That, as I was journeying and stood upon the place Mahujah, and I cried unto the Lord, there came a voice out of heaven, saying, Turn ye and get ye upon the mount Simeon. And it came to pass that I turned and went upon the mount, and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory, and I saw the Lord; he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with an other face to face; and he saith unto me, Look, and I will shew unto thee the world for the space of many generations. And it came to pass that I beheld in the valley of Shum, and lo, a great people which dwelt in tents, which were the people of Shum. And again the Lord said unto me, Look, and I looked towards the north, and I beheld the people of Canaan, which dwelt in tents. And the Lord said unto me, Prophesy, and I prophesied saying, Behold the people of Canaan, which are numerous, shall go forth in battle array against the people of Shum, and shall slay them that they shall utterly be destroyed; and the people of Canaan shall divide themselves in the land, and the land shall be barren and unfruitful, and none other people shall dwell there but the people of Canaan; for behold the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof shall go forth forever: And there was a blackness come upon all the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people. And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me, Look, and I looked and beheld the land of Sharon, and the land of Enoch, and the land of Omner, and the land of Heni, and the land of Shem, and the land of Haner, and the land of Hanannih, and all the inhabitants thereof: and the Lord said unto me, Go to this people and say unto them, Repent, lest I shall come out and smite them with a curse, and they die. And he gave unto me a commandment that I should baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, which is full of grace and truth, and the Holy ghost, which beareth record of the Father and the Son.

And it came to pass that Enoch continued to call upon all the people, save it were the people of Canaan, to repent: And so great was the faith of Enoch that he lead the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them, and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled: and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language, which God had given him. There also came up a land out of the depth of the sea; and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God, that they fled and stood afar off, and went upon the land which came up out of the depths of the sea; and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God, that they fled and stood afar off, and went upon the land which came up out of the depths of the sea. And the giants of the land, also, stood afar off; and there went forth a curse upon all the people which fought against God; and from that time forth there was wars and bloodsheds among them, but the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness. The fear of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the glory of the Lord, which was upon his people: And the Lord blessed the land, and they were blessed upon the mountains, and upon the high places, and did flourish. And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and of one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them: and Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the The City of Holiness, Even ZION. And it came to pass that Enoch talked with the Lord, and he said unto the Lord, Surely Zion shall dwell in safety forever:--But the Lord said unto Enoch, Zion hath I blessed, but the residue of the people have I cursed. And it came to pass that the Lord showed unto Enoch all of the inhabitants of the earth; and he beheld, and lo, Zion, in process of time, was taken up into heaven! And the Lord said unto Enoch, Behold mine abode forever: and Enoch also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam, and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam, save it were the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, and had not place among them. And after that Zion was taken up into heaven, Enoch beheld and lo, all the nations of the earth were before him! and there came generation upon generation, and Enoch was high and lifted up, even in the bosom of the Father, and the Son of man; and behold the power of Satan was upon all the face of the earth! And he saw angels descending out of heaven; and he heard a loud voice, saying, Wo, wo, be unto the inhabitants of the earth! And he beheld Satan, and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness, and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced. And Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven bearing testimony of the Father and Son, and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion: And it came to pass that the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept, and Enoch bore record of it, saying, How is it the heavens weep and shed forth her tears as the rain upon the mountains? And Enoch said unto the Lord, How is it that thou canst keep, seeing thou art holy and from all eternity to all eternity? and were it possible that man could number the particles of the earth, yea, and millions of earths like this, it would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations; and thy curtins are stretched out still; and yet thou art there, and thy bosom is there; and so, thou art just; thou art merciful and kind forever; thou hast taken Zion to thine own bosom from all thy creations, from all eternity to all eternity, and nought at peace, justice and truth is the habitation of thy throne; and mercy shall go before thy face and have no end: how is it that thou canst weep? The Lord said unto Enoch, Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them: and in the garden of Eden gave I unto man his agency; and unto thy brethren have I said, and also, gave commandment, That they should love one another; and that they should choose me their father, but behold they are without affection; and they hate their own blood; and the fire of mine indignation is kindled against him; and in my hot displeasure will I send in the floods upon them, for my fierce anger is kindled against them: Behold I am God; Man of holiness is my name: Man of council is my name, and Endless and Eternal is my name, also. Wherefore, I can stretch forth mine hands and hold all the creations which I have made; and mine eye can pierce them, also; and among all the workmanship of mine hand, there has not been so great wickedness, as among thy brethren, but behold their sins shall be upon the heads of their fathers: Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom; and the whole heavens shall weep over them, even all the workmanship of mine hands: Wherefore, should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer? But behold, these, which thine eyes are upon, shall perish in the floods; and behold I will shut them up: a prison have I prepared for them:--And that which I have chosen hath plead before my face: Wherefore he suffereth for their sins, inasmuch as they will repent in the day that my chosen shall return unto me; and until that day, they shall be in torment: wherefore, for this shall the heavens weep; yea, and all the workmanship of mine hands.

And it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Enoch and told Enoch all the doings of the children of men: wherefore Enoch knew, and looked upon their wickedness, and their misery, and wept, and stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned, and all eternity shook. And Enoch saw Noah, also, and his family, that the posterity of all the sons of Noah should be saved with a temporal salvation: wherefore he saw that Noah built an Ark; and the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand; but upon the residue of the wicked came the floods and swallowed them up. And as Enoch saw thus, he had bitterness of soul, and wept over his brethren, and said unto the heavens, I will refuse to be comforted; but the Lord said unto Enoch, Lift up your heart and be glad, and look: and it came to pass that Enoch looked, and, from Noah, he beheld all the families of the earth; and he cried unto the Lord, saying, When shall the day of the Lord come? when shall the blood of the righteous be shed, that all they that mourn may be sanctified, and have eternal life? And the Lord said, It shall be in the meridian of time, in the days of wickedness and vengeance. And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying, The righteous is lifted up, and the Lamb is slain, from the foundation of the world; and through faith I am in the bosom of the father: and behold Zion is with me? And it came to pass, that Enoch looked upon the earth, and he heard a voice from the bowels thereof, saying, Wo, wo is me the mother of men? I am pained: I am weary because of the wickedness of my children? When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which has gone forth out of me? When will my Creator sanctify me that I may rest, and righteousness, for a season, abide upon my face? And when Enoch heard the earth mourn, he wept, and cried unto the Lord, saying, O Lord wilt thou not have compassion upon the earth? Wilt thou not bless the children of Noah? And it came to pass that Enoch continued his cry unto the Lord, saying, I ask thee, O Lord, in the name of thy only begotten, even Jesus Christ, that thou wilt have mercy upon Noah and his seed, that the earth might never more be covered by the floods? And the Lord could not withhold: and he covenanted with Noah, and swore unto him with an oath, that he would stay the floods; that he would call upon the children of Noah: And he sent forth an unalterable decree, that a remnant of his seed should always be found among all nations, while the earth should stand: and the Lord said, Blessed is him through whose seed Mesiah should come: For he saith, I am Mesiah, the King of Zion; the Rock of heaven, which is broad as eternity; whoso cometh in at the gate and climbeth upon by me shall never fall: Wherefore, blessed are they of which I have spoken, for they shall come forth with sons of everlasting joy.

And it came to pass, that Enoch cried unto the Lord, saying, When the Son of man cometh in the flesh, shall the earth rest? I pray thee show me these things. And the Lord said unto Enoch, Look, and he looked and beheld the Son of man lifted upon the cross, after the manner of men; and he heard a loud voice; and the heavens were veiled; and all the creation of god mourned; and the earth groaned; and the rocks were rent: and the saints arose and were crowned at the right hand of the Son of man, with crowns of glory; and as many of the spirits as were in prison, came forth and stood on the right hand of God; and the remainder was reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day. And again, Enoch wept and cried unto the Lord again, saying, When shall the earth rest? And Enoch beheld the Son of man ascend up unto the Father: and he called unto the Lord saying, Wilt thou not come again upon the earth, for inasmuch as thou art God, and I know thee, and thou hast sworn unto me and commanded me that I should ask in the name of thine only begotten, thou hast made me, and given unto me a right to thy throne, and not of myself but through thine own grace: wherefore, I ask thee, if thou wilt not come again on the earth? And the Lord said unto Enoch, As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which I have made unto you, concerning the children of Noah: and the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth to bear testimony of mine only begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men: and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out of mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an holy city, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called ZION, a New Jerusalem. And the Lord said unto Enoch, Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us, and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other, and there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years shall the earth rest. and it came to pass that Enoch saw the days of the coming of the Son of man, in the last days, to dwell on the earth in righteousness, for the space of a thousand years: but before that day he saw great tribulations among the wicked; and he also, saw the sea that it was troubled, and men's hearts failing them, looking forth with fear for the judgments of the Almighty God, which should come upon the wicked. and the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a fulness of joy: And all the days of Zion in the days of Enoch, were three hundred and sixty five years: And Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he dwelt in the midst of Zion: And it came to pass that Zion was not, for God received it up into his own bosom; and from thence went forth the saying, Zion is fled.

Selected.

THE EXCELLENCE OF SCRIPTURE.

[Continued.]

{beliefs-lds} THE Scripture comprehends matters of the most universal satisfaction to the minds of men; though many things do much exceed our apprehensions, yet others are most suitable to the dictates of our nature, as Origen bid Celsus see, whether it was not the agreeableness of the principles of faith with the common notions of human nature, which prevailed most upon all candid and ingenuous auditors of them. And therefore, as Socrates said of Heraclitus's books, what he understood was excellent, and therefore he supposed that which he did not understand was so to: so ought we to say of the Scriptures: if those things which are within our capacity be so suitable to our natures and reasons, those cannot contradict out reason which yet are above them. There are many things which the minds of men were sufficiently assured that they were, yet were to seek for satisfaction concerning them which they could never have had without divine revelation. As the nature of true happiness, wherein it lay, and how to be obtained, which the philosophers were so much puzzled with, the Scripture give us full satisfaction concerning it. True contentment under the troubles of life, which the Scripture only acquaints us with the true grounds of; and all the prescriptions of Heathen moralists fall as much short of, as the directions of an empiric do of a wise and skilful physician. Avoiding the fears of death, which can alone be through a grounded expectation of a future state of happiness which death leads men to, which cannot be had but through the right understanding of the word of God. Thus we see the excellency of the matters themselves contained in this revelation of the mind of God to the world.

As the matters themselves are of an excellent nature, so is the manner wherein they are revealed in the Scripture; and that, I. In a clear and perspicuous manner; not but here may be still some passages which are hard to be understood, as being either prophetical, or consisting of ambiguous phrases, or containing matters above our comprehension; but all those things which concern the terms of man's salvation, are delivered with the greatest evidence and perspicuity. Who cannot understand what these things mean, "what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" [Micah 6:8] --that "without faith it is impossible to please God?" [Heb. 11:6] --that "without holiness none shall see the Lord"--that "unless we be born again we can never enter into the kingdom of heaven:" [John 3:3] these and such like things are so plain and clear, that it is nothing but men's shutting their eyes against the light can keep them from understanding them; God intended these things as directions to men; and is he not able to speak intelligibly when he pleases? He that made the tongue, shall he not speak so as to be understood without an infalible interpreter? especially when it is his design to make known to men the terms of their eternal happiness? Will God judge men at the great day for not believing those things which they could not understand? Strange, that every man should judge the Scriptures obscure in matters necessary, when the Scripture accounts it so great a judgment for men not to understand them. "If our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them." Sure Lot's door was visible enough, if it were a judgment for the men of Sodom not to see it, and the Scriptures then are plain and intelligible enough, if it be so great a judgment not to understand them.

2. In a powerful and authoritative manner; as the things contained in Scripture do not so much beg acceptance as command it; in that the expressions wherein our duty is concerned, are such as awe men's consciences and pierce to their hearts and to their secret thoughts; all things are open and naked before this Word of god; every secret of the mind and though of the heart lies open to its stroke and force; "it is quick and powerful, sharper than a two edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." [Heb. 4:12] The word is a tellescope to discover the great luminaries of the world, the truths of highest concernment to the souls of men, and it is such a microscope as discovers to us the smallest atom of our thoughts, and decerns the most secret intents of the heart. And as far as this light reacheth, it comes with power and authority, as it comes armed with the majesty of that God who reveals it, whose authority extends over the soul and conscience of man in its most secret and hidden recesses.

3. In a pure and unmixed manner; in all other writings, how good soever, we have a great mixture of dross and gold together: here is nothing but pure gold, diamonds without flaws, suns without spots. The most current coins of the world have their alloys of baser metals, their is no such mixture in divine truths; as they all come from the same author, so they all have the same purity. There is a Urim and Thummim upon the whole Scripture, light and perfection in every part of it. In the Philosophers we may meet, it may be, with some scattered fragments of purer metal, amidst abundance of dross and impure ore; here we have whole wedges of gold, the same vein of purity and holiness running through the whole book of Scripture. Hence it is called "the form of sound words;" [2 Tim. 1:13] here have been no hucksters to corrupt and mix their own inventions with divine truths.

4. In uniform and agreeable manner. This I grant is not sufficient of itself to prove the scriptures to be divine, because all men do not contradict themselves in their writings, but yet here are some peculiar circumstances to be considered in the agreeableness of the parts of Scripture to each other, which are not to be found in mere human writings.

1. That this doctrine was delivered by persons who lived in different ages and times from each other. Usually one age corrects another's faults, and we are apt to pity the ignorance of our predecessors, when it may be our posterity may think us as ignorant, as we do them. But in the Sacred Scripture we read not one age condemning another; we find light still increasing in the series of times in Scripture, but no reflections in any time upon the ignorance, or weakness of the precedent; the dimmest light was sufficient for its age, and was a step to farther discovery. Quintilian gives it as the reasons of the great uncertainty of Grammar rules, "quiz non analogia dimissa coelo formam loquendi dedit;" that which he wanted as to Grammar, we have as to divine truth; they are delivered from heaven, and therefore are always uniform and agreeable to each other.

2. By persons of different interests in the world. God made choice of men of all ranks to be inditers of his oracles, to make it appear it was no matter of state policy or particular interest, which was contained in his word, which persons, of such different interest, could not have agreed in as they do. We have Moses, David, Solomon, persons of royal rank and quality; and can it be any mean thing, which these think it their glory to be penners of? We have Isaiah, Daniel, and other persons of the highest education and accomplishments, and can it be any trivial thing which these employ themselves in? We have Amos, and other prophets in the Old Testament, and the apostles in the New, of the meaner sort of men in the world, yet all these join in concert together; when God tunes their spirits, all agree in the same strain of divine truths, and give light and harmony to each other.

3. By persons in different places and conditions; some in prosperity in their own country, yet all agreeing in the substance of doctrine; of which no alteration we see was made, either for the flattery of those in power, or for avoiding miseries and calamities. And under all the different dispensations before, under, and after the law, though the management of things was different, yet the doctrine and design was for substance the same in all. All the different dispensations agree in the same common principles of religion; the same ground of acceptance with God, and obligation to duty was common to all, though the peculiar instances wherein God was served might be different according to the ages of growth in the church of God. so that this uniformity considered in these circumstances, is an argument that these things came originally from the same spirit, though conveyed through different instruments to the knowledge of the world.

5. In a persuasive and convincing manner: and that these ways, 1. Bringing divine truth down to our capacity, clothing spiritual matter in familiar expressions and similitudes, that so they might have the easier admission into our minds. 2. Propounding things as our interest, which are our duty; thence God so frequently in Scripture, recommends our duties to us under all those motives which are wont to have the greatest force on the mind of men; and annexeth gracious promises to our performance of them; and those of the most weighty and concerning things. Of grace, favor, protection, deliverance, audience of prayers, and eternal happiness, and if these will not prevail with men, what motives will? 3. Courting us to obedience, when he might not only command us to obey but punish presently for disobedience. Hence are all those most pathetical and affectionate strains we read in Scripture: "O that there were such a heart within them, that they would, fear me and keep all my commandments always, that it might go well with them, and with their children after them!--Wo unto thee, O Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be? Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die, O house of Israel? How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboun? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.--O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not?" What majesty and yet what sweetness and condescension is there in these expressions! What obstanacy and rebellion is it in men for them to stand out against God, when he thus comes down from his throne of majesty and woos rebellious sinners to repent unto him that they may be pardoned! Such a matchless and unparalleled sign of rhetoric is there in the Scripture, for above art and insinuations of the past commemorators. Thus we see the peculiar excellency of the manner of wherein the mates contained in Scripture are revealed to us: thus we have considered the excellency of the Scripture, as it is a discovery of God's hand to the world.



The Scripture may be considered as a rule of life, or as a law of God, which is given for the government of the lives of men, and therein the excellency of it lies in the nature of the duties, and the encouragements to the practice of them.

1. In the nature of the duties required, which are most becoming God to require, most reasonable for us to perform.

1. Most becoming God to require, as they are most suitable and agreeable to the divine nature, the imitation of which in our actions is the substance of our re-religion. Imitation of him in his goodness and holiness, by our constant endeavors of mortifying sin and growing in grace and piety. In his grace and mercy, by our kindness to all men, forgiving the injuries men do unto us, doing good unto our greatest enemies. In his justice and equity, by doing as we would be done by, and keeping a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men. The first takes in the duties of the first, the other the duties of the second table. All acts of piety towards God, are a part of justice; for as Tully saith, "Quid aluid est pietas nisi justitia, adversus does?" And so our loving God with our whole hearts, our entire and sincere obedience to his will, is a part of natural justice; for thereby we do but render unto God that which is his due from us as we are his creatures. We see then the whole duty of man, the fearing God and keeping his commandments, is as necessary a part of justice, as the rendering to every man his own is.

2. They are most reasonable for us to perform, in that 1. Religion is not only a service of the reasonable faculties which are employed the most in it, the commands of the Scripture reaching the heart most, and the service required being a spiritual service, not lying in meats and drinks, or any outward observations, but in a sanctified temper of heart and mind, which discovers itself in the course of a Christian's life: but 2. The service itself is reasonable; the commands of the gospel are such, as no man's reason which considers them, can doubt of the excellency of them.--All natural worship is founded from the dictates of nature, all instituted worship on God's revealed will; and it is one of the prime dictates of nature, that God must be universally obeyed. Besides, God requires nothing but what is apparently man's interest to do; God prohibits nothing but what will destroy him if he doth it; so that the commands of the Scriptures are very just and reasonable.

2. The encouragements are more than proportionable to the difficulty of obedience. God's commands are in themselves easy, and most suitable to our natures. What more rational for a creature than to obey his Maker? All the difficulty of religion ariseth from the corruption of nature. Now God, to encourage men to conquer the difficulty arising thence, hath propounded the strongest motives, and most prevailing arguments to obedience. Such are the considerations of God's love and goodness manifested to the world by sending his son into it to die for sinners, and to give them an example which they are to follow, and by his readiness through him to pardon the sins, and accept the persons of such who so received him as to walk in him; and by his promises of grace to assist them in the wrestling with the enemies of their salvation. And to all these add that glorious and inconceivable reward which God hath promised to all those who sincerely obey him, and by these things we see how much the encouragements overweigh the difficulties, and that none can make the least pretence that there is no motive sufficient to down-weigh the troubles which attend the exercise of obedience to the will of God. So that we see what a peculiar excellency there is in the Scriptures as a rule of life, above all the precepts of mere moralists, the foundation of obedience being laid deeper in man's obligation to serve his Maker, the practice of obedience being carried higher in those most holy precepts which are in Scripture, the reward of obedience being incomparably greater than what men are able to conceive, much less to promise or bestow.

The excellency of the Scriptures appear as they contain in them a covenant of grace, or the transactions between God and man in order to his eternal happiness. The more memorable any transactions are, the more valuable are any authentic records of them. The Scriptures contain in them the Magna Charta of heaven, an act of pardon with the royal assent of heaven, a proclamation of good will from God towards men; and can we then set too great a value on that which contains all the remarkable pasages between God and the souls of men, in order to their felicity, from the beginning of the world! Can we think, since there is a God in the world of infinite goodness, that he should suffer all mankind to perish inevitably without his propounding any means for escaping of eternal misery? Is God so good to men as to this present life; and can we think, if man's soul be immortal, that he should wholly neglect any offer of good to men as to their eternal welfare? Or is it possible to imagine that man should be happy in another world without God's promising it, and prescribing conditions in order to it? If so, then this happiness is no free gift of God, unless he hath the bestowing and promising of it; and man is no rational agent, unless a reward suppose conditions to be performed in order to the obtaining it; or man may be bound to conditions which were never required of him; or if they must be required, then there must be a revelation of God's will, whereby he doth require them: and if so, then there are some records extant of the transactions between God and man, in order to his eternal happiness: for what reason can we have to imagine that such records, if once extant, should not continue still, especially since the same goodness of God is engaged to preserve such records, which at first did cause them to be indited? Supposing then such records extant some where in the world, of these grand transactions between God and men's souls, our business is brought to a period: for what other records are in the world that can in the least vie with the Scriptures, as to the giving so just an account of all the transactions between God and men from the foundation of the world? which gives us all the steps, methods, and ways whereby God hath made known his mind and will to the world, in order to man's salvation? It remains only then that we adore and magnify the goodness of God in making known his will to us, and that we set a value and esteem on the Scriptures, as the only authentic instruments of that Grand Charter of peace, which God hath revealed in order to man's eternal happiness [Stillingfleet.]

THE VALLEY OF THE JORDAN, AND THE DEAD SEA.
WE left the convent at three in the afternoon, ascended the torrent of Cedron, and at length, crossing the ravine, rejoined our route to the east. An opening in the mountain gave us a passing view of Jerusalem. I hardly recognized the city; it seemed a mass of broken rocks; the sudden appearance of that city of desolation in the midst of the wilderness had something in it almost terrifying. She was in truth the Queen of the Desert.

As we advanced, the aspect of the mountains continued constantly the same, that is, a powdery white--without shade, a tree, or even moss. At half past four, we descended from the lofty chain we had hitherto traversed, and wound along another of inferior elevation. At length we arrived at the last of the chain of heights, which close in on the west the Valley of Jordan and the Dead Sea. The sun was nearly setting; we dismounted and I lay down to contemplate at leisure the lake, the valley, and the river.

When you speak in general of a valley, you conceive it either cultivated or uncultivated; if the former, it is filled with villages, cornfields, vineyards, and flocks if the latter, it presents grass or forest; if it is watered by a river, that river has windings, and the sinuosities or projecting points afford agreeable and varied landscapes. But here there is nothing of the kind. Conceive two long chains of mountains running parallel from north to south, without projections, without recesses, without vegetation. The ridge on the east, called the Mountains of Arabia, is the most elevated; viewed at the distance of eight or ten leagues, it resembles a vast wall, extremely similar to the Jura, as seen from the lake of Geneva, from its form and azure tint. You can perceive neither summits nor the smallest peaks; only here and there slight inequalities, as if the hand of the painter who traced the long lines on the sky had occasionally trembled.

The chain on the eastern side forms part of the mountains of Judea--less elevated and more uneven than the ridge on the west: it differs from it also in its character; it exhibits great masses of rock and sand, which occasionally present all the varieties of ruined fortifications, armed men, and floating banners. On the side of Arabia, on the other hand, black rocks, with perpendicular flanks, spread from afar their shadows over the Dead Sea. The smallest bird could not find in those crevices of rock a morsel of food; every thing announces a country which has fallen under the divine wrath; every thing inspires the horror at the insest from whence sprung Ammon and Moab.

The valley which lies between these mountains resembles the bottom of a sea, from which the waves have long ago withdrawn: banks of gravel, a dried bottom--rocks covered with salt, deserts of moving sand--here and there stunted arbutus shrubs grow with difficulty on that arid soil; their leaves are covered with the salt which had nourished their roots, while their bark had the scent and taste of smoke.

In stead of villages, nothing but the ruins of towers are to be seen. Through the midst of the valley flows a discolored stream, which seems to drag its lazy course unwillingly towards the lake. Its course is not to be discerned by the water, but by the willows and shrubs which skirt its banks--the Arab conceals himself in these thickets to waylay and rob the pilgrim.

Such are the places rendered famous by the maledictions of heaven: that river is the Jordan: that lake is the Dead Sea. It appears with a serene surface; but the guilty cities which are embosomed in its waves have poisoned its waters. Its solitary abyss can sustain the life of no living thing; no vessel ever ploughed its bosom--its shores are without trees, without birds, without verdure; its water frights fully salt, it is so heavy that the highest wind can hardly raise it.

In travelling in Judea, an extreme feeling of ennui frequently seizes the mind from the sterile and monotonous aspect of the objects which are presented to the eye: but when journeying through these deserts, the expanse seems to spread out to infinity before you, the ennui disappears, & a secret terror is experienced, which, far from lowering the soul, elevates and inflames the genius. These extraordinary scenes reveal the land desolated by miracles;--that burning sun, the impetuous eagle the barren fig-tree; all the poetry, all the pictures of scripture are there. Every name recalls a mystery; every grotto speaks of the life to come; every peak re-echoes the voice of a prophet. God himself has spoken on these shores: these dried-up torrents, these cleft rocks, these tombs rent asunder, attest his resistless hand, the desert appears mute with terror; and you feel that it has never ventured to break silence since it heard the voice of the Eternal.

I employed two complete hours in wandering on the shores of the Dead Sea, not withstanding the remonstrances of the Bedouins, who pressed me to quit that dangerous region. I was desirous of seeing the Jordon, at the place where it discharges itself into the lake; but the Arabs refused to lead me thither because the river, near its mouth, makes a detour to the left, and approaches the mountains of Arabia. It was, therefore, necessary to direct our steps toward the curve nearest us. We struck our tens, and travelled for an hour and a half with excessive difficulty, through a fine and silvery sand. We were moving towards a little wood of willows and tamarinds; which, to my great surprise, I perceived growing in the midst of the desert. All of a sudden the Bethlehemites stepped, and pointed to something at the bottom of a ravine, which had not yet attracted my attention.-
Without being able to say what it was, I perceived a sort of sand rolling on through the fixed banks which surrounded it. I approached it, and saw a yellow stream which could hardly be distinguished from the sand of its two banks. It was deeply furrowed through the rocks, and with difficulty rolled on, a stream surcharged with sand: it was the Jordan.

VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT.--The aspect of this celebrated valley is desolate the western side is bounded by a ridge of lofty rocks which support the walls of Jerusalem, above which the towers of the city appear. The eastern side is formed by the Mount of Olives, and another eminence called the Mount of Scandal, from the idolatry of Solomon. These two mountains adjoin each other, are almost bare, and of a red and sombre hue; on their desert side you see here and there some black and withered vineyards, some wild olives some ploughed land, covered with hysop, and a few ruined chapels. At the bottom of the valley, you perceive a torrent, traversed by a single arch, which appears of great antiquity. The stones of the Jewish cemetry appear like a mass of ruins at the foot of the mountain of Scandal, under the village of Siloam. You can hardly distinguish the buildings of the village from the ruins with which they are surrounded. Three ancient monuments are particularly conspicuous: those of Zachariah, Josophat, and Absalom. The sadness of Jerusalem, from which no smoke assends, and in which no sound is to be heard; the solitude of the surrounding mountains, where not a living creature is to be seen; the disorder of those tombs, ruined, sacked, & half exposed to view, would almost induce one to believe, that the last trump had been heard, and that the dead were about to rise in the valley of the Jehoshaphat.

THE RUINS OF CARTHAGE.--From the summit of Byrsa, the eye embraces the ruins of Carthage; which are more considerable than are generally imagined: they resemble those of Sparta, having nothing well preserved, but embracing a considerable space. I saw them in the middle of February; the olives, the fig-trees, were already bursting into leaf; large bushes of angelica and scanthus formed tufts of verdure, amidst the remains of marble of every color. In the distance I cast my eyes over the Isthmus, the double sea; the distant isles, a cerulean sea, a smiling plain, and azare mountains. I saw forests and vessels, and aqueducts; Moorish villages, and Mahom tan hermitages; glittering minarels, and the white buildings of tunis. Surrounded with the most touching recollections, I thought alternately of Dido Sophonish, and the noble wife of Asdrubal; I contemplated the vast plains where the legions of Annibel, Scipio, and Caesar were buried; my eyes sought for the sight of Utica. Alas! the remains of the palace of Tiberious still remain in the island of Capri, and you search in vain at Utica for the house of Cato. Finally, the terrible Vandals, the rapid Moors, passed before my recollection which terminated at last on Saint Louis expiring on that inhospitable shore.--[Chateaubriand's Travels, &c]

RESTORATION OF THE JEWS. {beliefs-lds}

SAYS the Apostle, I would not that ye should be ignorant of this mystery that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles become in: and so all shall be saved.--Romans xi. 25. [Rom. 11:25-26]

Few commentators extend the time for the restoration or conversion of the Jews beyond the year 1866. Of the fact of their conversion, none who believe the New Testament can doubt. But the precise time, and the way and the manner in which this will be effected,the Lord has reserved to himself, and it must be expected, that the opinion of men in regard to it will be various, and in many instances contradictory. In all probability it will take place near the time of that thousand years of peace and rest, foretold in the Revelation, when satan shall be bound, and not be permitted to deceive the nations any more till the thousand years are finished.

The Lord, and not man, will have the glory of bringing about this event, and all the efforts and undertakings of men to accomplish it will prove unavaling, as heretofore has been the case down to the present time. A Jew once said to me, says Adam Clarke, 'There are some of you christians who are making wonderful efforts to convert the Jews. Ah, there is none but God Almighty that can convert a Jew.' Adam Clarke remarks, Truly I believe him. Only God can convert any man: and if there be a peculiar difficulty to convert any soul, that difficulty must be in the conversion of the Jew.--[Reformer.]

REMARKS. Neither the house of Joseph in America, nor the Jews among all nations, nor the Ten Tribes which went to that country "where never mankind dwelt," can be converted by ministers, though the Gentiles are: for God has said to his Son, in the Psalms, Thy people [Israel.] shall be willing in the day of thy power; (that is, when he comes in the clouds of heaven, and all the tribes mourn, [the whole 12.] they will be ready and willing to receive the Messiah.)--[Star.]

BIBLE PROVERBS.

Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked. What is that proverb, &c. The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? Thus saith the Lord God:--The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge. [Jer. 31:29] Physician heal thyself. The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and, The sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire. [2 Pet. 2:22]

The Providence (R. I.) American, gives the names, ages and residence of thirty-seven Revolutionary Soldiers, who were present at the recent celebration of our National Independence in that city. The oldest was 94 and the youngest 62. At the celebration in 1830 says the American, 76 Revolutionary Soldiers were present; and in 1831, 53. In a few years more, those last remains of Revolutionary glory will live only in the memories of their countrymen.

THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR.

PRESENT AGE OF THE WORLD. {beliefs-lds}

THERE are so many different opinions upon, as well as various periods to the age of the world, that we fear the truth of the matter will be believed by few. Whether by the comentators upon the sacred writings, or by the clergy, the term of four thousand and four years, was put down as the exact time from the beginning till the birth of the Savior, we shall not pretend to say, but content ourselves by stating, that 4004 years, which is the present Christian calculation, added to the current year of our Lord, makes but 5836 years since the commencement of time in this world. But upon collecting the passed periods that the Lord has been pleased to measure out to his servants, by the prophets, we find a very different amount of years from the beginning. We compute thus:

Chapters. Years.

Gen. 5 & 8. From Adam to the end of the flood, ... 1656 " 11. From the flood to Abram, ................ 292 " 21. From Abram to Issac, .................... 100 " 25. From Isaac to Jacob, .................... 60 " 47. From Jacob's birth to his entering Egypt, 130 Ex. 12. The children of Israel in Egypt, ........ 430 From their departure out of Egypt till the birth of the Savior, ................ 1491

Years before Christ, .................. 4159 Since his birth, ...................... 1832

From the begining till now, ........... 5991 Deduct, ............................... 5836

Difference, ........................... 155

Here we have more than a century and a half difference on a subject of the utmost importance to the human family; and that, too, from the word of the Lord: And how comes this, asks the humble enquirer, I thought the spirit of God taught his disciples alike in all ages, and in all things? Be patient, beloved reader, and you shall know where the error comes from. The different parcels of time, from the creation till Jacob told Pharoah the days of his pilgrimage were 130 years, are just as explicit as words at full length can make them; and he that will, may add the years of each man from birth to birth, till he comes to Jacob's pilgrimage, when he entered Egypt, and he will find 2238 years. Very well, but notwithstanding the word of the Lord says, in several places, that the children of Israel sojourned in Egypt four hundred and thirty years, in words at full length, yet all christendom reject the account, and declare that the said 430 years commenced when Abram departed from Ur in Chaldea, leaving Israel in Egypt but 220 years; and some have actually had the presumptuous audacity, to endeavor to strengthen this calculation, by quoting Paul's words in the third chapter of Gallatians: The covenant, that was confirmed before of God is Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, can not disannul, that it should make the promise of none affect. Now let us search out the word confirm, and we shall learn that Paul allowed the children of Israel to be in Egypt 430 years, according to the record of the prophets. The 105th Psalm says, O ye seed of Abraham his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen: He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth: He hath remembered his covenant to a thousand generations; which he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac, confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant. He that believes the bible, knows that God made a covenant with Abraham; and said to Isaac, I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father, and when the same God spoke to Jacob saying, Fear not to go down into Egypt--I will surly bring yon up again, in addition to the promise before, that, in him and his seed should all the families of the earth be blessed, he has the confirmation, that Paul when he used confirm had no reference to the time when God made the covenant with Abraham. Besides the prophetic declaration that the seed of Abraham should be a stranger in a land not theirs; and they should be afflicted 400 years (Gen. 15.) Stephen says, in the 7th chapter of Acts, that they were evil entreated that length of time, which just agrees with the general account, that about 30 years after Jacob went into the land of Goshen a new king rose up, who began to torment Israel and to increase the tale of his labor, which lasted four hundred years!

The objection to this account of time, is, like others against the scripture,made by man upon the supposition, that if Levi begat Kohath, and Kohath begat Amram, and Amram began Moses, there could not have been 430 years, as the age of man at that day rarely exceeded 120 or 130 years.

As there is but one place, as we recollect, that carries an idea tha Moses was the SON of Amram, if the world will furnish us with The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah, mentioned in the 9th chapter of I Chronicles, wherein the genealogies of the fathers of Israel were regularly kept we will endeavor to explain the secret: so we add 430 years to the last sum, and it makes 2668, years when God brought Israel out of bondage.

From this till the Savior came, are 1491 years: Divided thus: To the commencement of Soloman's Temple, 480, as mentioned in the 6th chapter of the first book of Kings. From thence to the Babylonish captivity of the Jews, are 411 years, drawn from the different reigns of the various Kings. In this account, we think there is a small difference, not to exceed 8 or 10 years; we take the least. From the Babylonish captivity till the birth of the Savior, not only the scripture and commentators, but the Book of Mormon also, agree in 600 years; which three sums, added to 2668, give an aggregate of four thousand one hundred and fifty five years to the commencement of this present era.

We will remak here, that years cannot be calculated by generations: For the 1948 years from Adam to Abraham included 20 generations: 97 1/4 years to a generation in all, but before the flood about 165 years. From Abraham to Christ were 42 generations, 2211 years; which would give about 52 2/3 years to a generation: But as the sacred writer divided the said 2211 years into three portions of fourteen generations each: We have, from Abraham to David, 1126 years; equal to 80 1/2 years to a generation. From David to the captivity at Babylon, 485 years; equal to 34 2/3 years to a generation: And from the captivity to the birth of Christ, 600 years: equal to 42 1/2 years to a generation. Wherefore, he that is wise will watch the signs, without measuring the length of a generation.



As no serious objections have been made to the current account of time, called the christian era, we shall not only suppose it correct, but set it down so, at 1832, and, with the old and new eras, we have Five thousand nine hundred and ninety one years; leaving the world NINE years from the begining of the seven thousandth year, or sabbath of creation: But as all have the privilege of ascertaining such facts for themselves, we ask no man to take our word for the age of the world; the word of the Lord is enough, and whether it be 160, or only 9 years to the morning of the Great Day, is not so much matter, as the solemn reality--Are we ready?

TO THE HONORABLE MEN OF THE WORLD. {beliefs-lds}

TO the honorable searchers for truth, we, in a spirit of candor and meekness, are bound by every tie that makes man the friend of man, by every endowment of heaven, that renders intelligent beings seekers of happiness, to show you the way to salvation. In fact, we are not only bound to do thus for those that seek the riches of eternity, but, to walk in the tracks of our Savior, we must love our enemies; bless them that curse us; do good to them that hate us, and pray for them that dispitefully use us, and persecute us, or you and the world may know, that we are not the children of God. Therefore, to be obedient to the precepts of our divine master, we say unto you, Search the Scriptures--search the revelations which we publish, and ask your heavenly Father, in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to his glory, nothing doubting, he will answer you by the power of his Holy Spirit: You will then know for yourselves and not for another: You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God; nor will there be any room for speculation. No: for, when men receive their instruction from him that made them, they know how he will save them. Then again we say, Search the Scriptures; search the prophets, and learn what portion of them belongs to you, and the people of the nineteenth century. You, no doubt, will agree with us, and say, that you have no right to claim the promises of the inhabitants before the flood; that you cannot found your hopes of salvation upon the obedience of the children of Israel, when journeying in the wilderness; nor can you expect that the blessings which the apostles pronounced upon the churches of Christ, eighteen hundred years ago, were intended for you: Again, if others' blessings are not your blessings, other's curses are not your curses; you stand then in these last days, as all have stood before you, agents unto yourselves, to be judged according to your works.

Every man lives for himself. Adam was made to open the ways of the world, and for dressing the garden. Noah was born to save seed of every thing, when the earth was washed of its wickedness by the flood; and the Son of God came into the world to redeem it from the fall. But except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. This eternal truth settles the question of all men's religion. A man may be saved, after the judgment, in the Terrestrial kingdom, or in the Telestial kingdom, but he can never see the Celestial kingdom of God, without being born of water and the Spirit. He may receive a glory like unto the Moon, or a star, but he can never 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 ssembly 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, unless he becomes as a little child, and is taught by the Spirit of God. Wherefore, we again say, Search the revelations of God: study the prophecies, and rejoice that god grants unto the world seers and prophets: They are they who saw the mysteries of godliness; they saw the flood before it came; they saw angels ascending and decending upon a ladder that reached from earth to heaven; they saw the stone cut out of the mountain, which filled the whole earth: they saw the Deliverer come out of Zion, and turn away ungodliness from Jacob; they saw the glory of the Lord when he showed the transfiguration of the earth on the Mount; they saw every mountain laid low and every valley exalted when the Lord was taking vengeance upon the wicked; they saw truth spring out of the earth, and righteousness look down from heaven in the last days, before the Lord came the second time, to gather his elect; they saw the end of wickedness on earth, & the sabbath of creation crowned with peace; hey saw the end of the glorious thousand years, when Satan was loosed for a little season; they saw the day of judgment when all men received according to their works, and they saw the heaven and earth flee away to make room for the city of God, when the righteous receive an inheritance in eternity: And, fellow sojourners upon earth, it is your privilege to purify yourselves and come up to the same glory, and see for yourselves, and know for yourselves: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

THE BOOK OF ETHER. {beliefs-lds}

THE Book of Mormon contains a short history of a race of people, which lived on this continent many generations before the children of Israel came to it. This brief account was written by a prophet of the Lord, named Ether; and his account, embracing a period from the confounding of the language at the building of Babel, to about 600 years before the birth of the Savior is supported by the Bible; for the Lord declares, that he scattered them abroad from thence, upon the face of all the earth. This nation, which, in honor of one of the first families that came over, were called Jaredites, must have had the unmolested control and use of America, near 1500 years. No nation, since then, can boast of so long a national existence; and but few before: the Adamites, or, at least, some Cainites, had the world to themselves about 1600 years before the flood.--As to the Jaredites, no more is known than is contained in The Book of Ether. Perhaps "Dighton writing Rock," in Massachusetts, may hold an unknown tale in relation to these Pioneers of the land of liberty, which can yet be revealed. God is great, and when we look abroad in the earth, and take a glimpse through the long avenue of departed years, we can not only discover the traces in artificial curiosities, and common works, and small hills, mountain caves, and extensive prairies, where the Jaredites filled the measure of their time, but, as they were a very large race of men, whenever we hear that uncommon large bones have been dug up from the earth, we may conclude, That was the skeleton of a Jaredite. The mystery of man in this world, has not been unfolded to all, yet; and it may not be, in full, till the Savior comes; but enough has come to light, in these last days, to show that man was made to multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it, whether a few branches of christendom knew it or not. To the point; a beautiful sketch of the Book of Ether is handed down to us, in the Book of Mormon, by Moroni. We give an extract.

[Ether 12:1-28] And it came to pass that the days of Ether was in the days of Coriantumr; and Coriantumr was king over all the land. And Ether was a prophet of the Lord; wherefore Ether came forth in the days of Coriantumr, and began to prophesy unto the people, for he could not be constrained because of the spirit of the Lord which was in him; for he did cry from the morning, even until the going down of the sun, exhorting the people to believe in God unto repentance, lest they should be destroyed, saying unto them, That by faith all things are fulfilled; wherefore, whoso believeth in God, might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God. And it came to pass that Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they saw them not. And now I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things: I would shew unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith: for it was by faith that Christ shewed himself unto our fathers, after that he had risen from the dead; and he shewed not himself unto them, until after they had faith in him; wherefore it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he shewed himself not unto the world. But because of the faith of men, he has shewn himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen; wherefore ye may also have hope, and be partakers of the gift if ye will but have faith. Behold, it was by faith that they of old were called after the holy order of God; wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son, hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled: for if there be no faith among the children of men, God can do no miracle among them; wherefore he shewed not himself until after their faith. Behold, it was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth. Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost. Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren, which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites; yea, and even all they which wrought miracles, wrought them by faith, even those which were before Christ, and also them which were after. And it was by faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should not taste of death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith. And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God. And there were many whose faith was so exceeding strong even before Christ came, which could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad. And behold, we have been in this record, that one of these was the brother of Jared: for so great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his finger, he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared, because of his word which he had spoken unto him, which word he had obtained by faith. And after that the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, because of the promise which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold any thing from his sight; there fore he shewed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the veil. And it is by faith that my fathers have obtained the promise that these things should come unto their brethren through the Gentiles; therefore the Lord hath commanded me, yea, even Jesus Christ. And I said unto him, Lord, the Gentiles will mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing: for Lord, thou hast made us mighty in word by faith, whereunto thou hast not made us mighty in writing: for thou hast made all this people that they could speak much, because of the Holy Ghost which thou hast given them; and thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he wrote, were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them. Thou hast also made our words powerful and great, even that we cannot write them; wherefore, when we write, we behold our weakness, and stumble because of the placing of our words; and I fear lest the Gentiles shall mock at our words.--And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me saying, Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness: and if men come unto me, I will shew unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness, that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me: for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Behold, I will shew unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will shew unto them that faith, hope, and charity, bringeth unto me the fountain of all righteousness.

[Ether 13:1-12] And now I, Moroni, proceed to finish my record concerning the destruction of the people which I have been writing. For behold, they rejected all the words of Ether: for he truly told them of all things; from the beginning of man; and how that after the waters had receded from off the face of this land, it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord; wherefore the Lord would have that all men should serve him, which dwelleth upon the face thereof; and that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord. Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land; and he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come; after that it should be destroyed, it should be built up again a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore it could not be a New Jerusalem, for it had been in a time of old, but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built up unto the house of Israel; and that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for the which things there has been a type: for as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph, that they perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph, that he should perish not; wherefore the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall built up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come, when the earth shall pass away. And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto the old, save the old have passed away, and all things have become new. And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they which dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they which are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, which are of the house of Israel. And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they which were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father Abraham. And when these things come, bringeth to pass the Scripture which saith, There are they which were first, which shall be last; and there are they which were last, which shall be first.

LET every one that queries about more Revelations from the Lord, take his bible and see if God ever acknowledge a church to be his, unless there was a prophet in it. This is one of the most important points relative to salvation, for, as it is written, not every one that says Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

One of the commandments says, My servants who are abroad in the earth, shall send forth the account of their stewardships to the land of Zion, for Zion shall be a seat, and a place to receive, and to do all these things: [D&C 69:5-6] Wherefore we would remind the elders at a distance, to send forth, to the Editor of the Star, post paid, all matters connected with their mission, embracing historical facts, the number of sheaves the faithful laborers are blessed with, and all else, that may be well-pleasing in the sight of him who said, What thou seest, write in a book.

The prophet told the truth, when, prophesying of the last days, he said, The good is perished out of the earth; for so it is. Christ's disciples were nick-named CHRISTIANS, in the meridian of time; and his disciples, are now called MORMONITES without authority or provocation, by the sectarian papers, as well as the political; not, however, with an intimation to follow the Savior's golden rule, or to teach mankind, to embrace Paul's more excellent way! Let brotherly love continue.

The editor of this paper, husked, of this season's growth, ripe corn on the 28 July last; some of which has been planted for a second crop, and is coming on finely.

Worldly Matters.

CONGRESS has appropriated, for internal improvements this year, more than $1,000,000. The President of the United States, has put his veto to the bill, rechartering the U. S. Bank. The remains of the celebrated French minister Casimir Perrier, as soon as he died with the cholera, were buried with great pomp, at Paris, in a separate apartment.

According to a report recently made in Congress there have been in the United States 52 steamboat explosions--256 persons killed, and 104 persons wounded.

A London paper states that the Rev. C. C. Colton, the author of Lacon, put a period to his existence on Saturday, at Fontainbleau. The dread of undergoing a surgical operation, is the cause assigned for committing this melancholy act.

We learn that the amount of duties secured to be paid at the Custom House in New York for the quarter ending on the first day of April last, exceds five millions seven hundred thousand dollars, a sum exceeding by nearly one million of dollars the amount ever before secured in the corresponding quarter of any previous year.

A workman in the employ of Mr. Stevens, one of the tavern keepers in Andover, dug up a root in the field, on Thursday last, and not understanding its nature, bit off and ate a piece of it. He died in consequence, in about one hour and a half. The root, we believe, is called the Sicuta Root.

American Nankeens.--A sample of this article has been shown us, made of the nankeen-colored cotton, raised in Georgia, on the estate of Senator Forsyth. It has sold at $2 the piece, and is finer than the India nankeen ordinarily worn; still finer samples are intended to be manufactured. It differs advantageously from the India in the important particular of not fading from wear. On the contrary, a sample was shown us which had been in wear two years, and had grown of a darker and richer color. It is made at Patterson, N. J. and persons can see the article, or be supplied with it, by applying to Mr. N. F. Williams, Bowly's warf. Baltimore.--[Baltimore Patriot.]

The N. Y. Observer contains a letter from Paris, dated April 30th of which the following is an extract:-
"From all I can learn, although there have been many cases of Cholera among the higher classes and those in easy circumstances, the great body of those who have fallen victims to it, are the wretched and the vicious. The drunkard, whether high or low, stands but little chance to escape: and among those wretched, truly wretched beings, the prostitutes of the city, the mortality has been frightful. In one house in which there were sixty of these women, not one escaped! and in a street, the Rue de la Mortellerie, in which there were computed to be 1,300 of them, 1,200 have fallen victims.

THE MINING COUNTRY. THE situation of this whole country called the lead mines in the state and territory, and the country adjoining the mining district, embracing an extent of about 400 miles long, and 60 or 70 broad, is at this time in a condition of distress, unparrallelled in the history of our country.

Travel west, east north, or south, we see nothing but waste, destruction and dilapidation. Fields half plowed for sowing and planting; some just planted; gardens partly made; hogs, cattle, fowls, &c. running wild, houses vacated and left with all the furniture within them, and not an inhabitant within 60 miles, presents an aspect too gloomy for reflection.

Four years of the hardest kind of times for all who continued to reside in this country, have passed leaving no other consolation, than the belief, that they would sometime, come to an end. This spring seemed to open prospects in the most flattering manner, and every man, woman and child seemed to gladden as spring approached. It was a common exclamation here, that our hard times were at an end. The farmers, the miners, the smelters, the mechanics, the merchants, all begun their business as if they had been endowed with new life. Their prospects were flattering; they built their hopes on the result of their season's business.

How is the scene changed? Look at our condition now, and the question is solved. The whole country is vacated and its inhabitants driven by our barbarous neighbors, whom we have so long fostered and fed, into forts, blockades, &c. and none dare, without an escort of from 50 to 100 well armed men, go to visit their farms. Our allied enemy have nearly or quite surrounded us; they are now marching their large armies of incendiaries upon our borders. We have not force enough here to compete with them. The Illinois militia are disbanded and has left us to fight our own battles, defend our own country, or fall a sacrifice to the tomahawk and scalping knife.

The United States' troops are too low down to afford any protection to this part of the country. We cannot go out to wage an offensive war against our enemy, without hazarding the safety of women, children, and property at our homes.--Hence we can do but little towards concluding the destructive war, till we get some relief from other sources.

The people are all forted in different parts of the country, with but a few days provision, and nothing growing in the country. Should this war continue, famine without some relief from the lower country, must be the result. We are willing to fight our battles if our families can be protected.

Our mails are all stopped except some carried by express, and then generally interrupted and cut off by the Indians.

We have only given above a faint picture of the situation of this upper Mississippi region.--[Galenian of May.]

A PARIS correspondent of the New-York Courier & Enquirer, has the following TABLE OF POPULATION.

The fourth year of scarcity with which France is not threatened gives an additional interest to the statistical table which I now subjoin. It contains a statement of the average price of corn in France and Prussia respectively for the ten years from 1821 to 1830, both inclusive. The other columns indicate the number of deaths and births, and the excess of the births over the deaths, in each year, and it is not a little interesting to see how this excess is affected by the price of corn.--The total population af Prussia is about thirteen millions, while that of France is fully 32, and yet the total excess of births over deaths during the whole ten years is in Prussia 1,603,904, while in France it is not more than 1,829,830, supposing the numbers to be the same for 1830 as for the previous year. The French prices are of course stated in francs and centimes per hectotlitre, and the Prussian in thalers and decimal parts of a thalar per bushel--the value of a thaler in French money being 3 francs 71 centimes.
#############################################
FRANCE.

Years. Mean Price. Deaths. Births. Excess. 1821 17-24 751,214 963,358 212,144 1822 14-89 774,162 972,796 198,634 1823 17-81 742,755 964,021 221,286 1824 15-66 763,606 984,152 220,546 1825 14-50 798,012 973,986 175,974 1826 15-24 835,658 993,191 151,533 1827 16-37 791,125 980,196 189,071 1828 20-36 837,145 976,547 139,402 1829 22-95 806,723 964,343 157,620 1830 22-54 no return 

7,100,380 8,772,590 1,672,210


PRUSSIA.

Years. Mean Price. Deaths. Births. Excess.

1821 1.100 287,573 504,160 216,()587 1822 1.224 315,524 562,962 188,438 1823 1.372 314,899 498,686 179,787 1824 .721 318,520 503,338 186,818 1825 .688 327,354 523,653 196,299 1826 .971 355,139 325,623 170,491 1827 1.400 365,585 490,675 125,090 1828 1.436 372,880 499,507 126,627 1729 1.294 388,255 495,483 107,228 1830 1.394 390,702 497,241 106,539

3,439,424 5,043,323 1,603,904



COMPANY, &c.

CONTINUED.

VIRTUE is soon thought a severe rule; the gospel, an inconvenient restraint a few pangs of conscience now and then interrupt his pleasures; and whisper to him that he once had better thoughts: but even these by degrees die away; and he who at first was shocked even at the appearance of vice, is formed by custom into a profligate leader of vicious pleasures--perhaps into an abandoned tempter to vice.--So carefully should we oppose the first approaches of sin ; so vigilant should we be against so insidious an enemy!

Our own bad inclinations form another argument against bad company. We have so many passions and appetites to govern; so many bad propensities of different kinds to watch, that amidst such a variety of enemies within, we ought at least to be on our guard against those without. The breast even of a good man is represented in scripture, and experienced in fact to be in a state of warfare. His vicious inclinations are continually drawing him one way; while his virtue is making efforts another. And if the scriptures represent this as the case even of a good man, whose passions, it may be imagined, are become in some degree cool, and temperate, and who has made some progress in a virtuous course; what may we suppose to be the danger of a raw unexperienced youth, whose passions and appetites are violent and seducing, and whose mind is in a still less confirmed state? It is his part surely to keep out of the way of temptation; and to give his bad inclinations as little room as possible to acquire new strength.--[Gilpin.]

TRUTH.

TRUTH, is the glory of time, and the daughter of eternity; a title of the highest grace, and a note of divine nature; she is the life of religion, the light of love, the grace of wit, and the crown of wisdom; she is the beauty of valor, the brightness of honor, the blessing of reason, and the joy of faith; her truth is pure gold, her time right precious, her word is most glorious; her escence is in God, and her dwelling with his servants; her will in his wisdom, and her work to his glory; she is honored in love,and graced in constancy; in patience admired, and in charity beloved; she is the angel's worship, the virgin's fame, the saints bliss, and the martyr's crown; she is the king's greatness, and his council's goodness; his subjects' peace and his kingdom's praise: her heart never faints, her tongue never trips, her hand never fails, and her faith never fears: her church is without schism, her city without fraud, her court without vanity, and her kingdom without villany. In sum, so infinite is her excellence in the construction of all sense; that I will thus only conclude in the wonder of her worth; she is the nature of perfection in the perfection of nature, where God in Christ shews the glory of christianity.--[N. Breton, 1616.]

HOPE.

AS the influence of the sun upon the earth; or the light of the moon upon the blackness of night; so is hope to the soul. It is hope that enkindles the spirits when dimmed by disappointments, and chilled by the cold touch of despair. It is the boon of heaven to man, and serves as a faithful pilot to guide him through the dark avenues of life, nor ever shrink from the parts assigned it. Mankind are all inspired by this kind soother of anxious toil--it is coeval with our creation, and as lasting as our existence. In childhood it amuses; in youth it encourages and animates; in manhood it promises greater preferments and more eminent distinctions; and in the declivity of life, it strengthens and supports--it strews roses on our pathway to the tomb, and although the pleasures and allurements of earth may cheat, hope still clings to us with enthusiastic fondness; nor does it wane with the decline of our existence, 'but travels through nor quits us when we die.' Sweet harbinger of joy! Life without thee, were a world without light--a deathlike song--a frightful dream! Where could we flee in adversity but to thee? When sorrow and sadness pour upon us like a mighty deluge--when grief corrodes within the breast--when cares perplex the mind, and disappointments bring their train of melancholy, or despair fixes her talons deep upon the heart; it is hope alone that can light up the dark paths of life, and bear us up from shrinking under the heavy hand of affliction. A well founded hope presents the future illuminated by its own unfading radience; it refers us to a nobler world than this--to the beautiful shores of immortality; and when the last convulsive throb of nature ceases to beat within the breast, hope with radient finger points to realms of ever lasting felicity and joys unspeakable.--[Ladies Magazine.]

EVENING [William W. Phelps.]

THERE are two periods in the life of man in which the evening hour is peculiarly interesting in youth and in old age. In youth, we love it for its mellow moonlight, its million of stars, its thin rich and soothing shades, its still serenity, amid these we commune with our loves or twine the wreaths of friendship, while there is none to bear us witness but the heavens and the spirits that hold their endless Sabbath there, or look into the deep bosom of creation, spread abroad like a canopy above us, and look and listen until we can almost see and hear the waving wings and melting songs of other worlds. To youth evening is delightful, it accords with the flow of his light spirits, the fervor of his fancy, and the softness of his heart. Evening is, also, the delight of virtuous age; it affords hours of undisturbed contemplation; it seems an emblem of the tranquil close of busy life, serene, placid, and mild, with the impress of its great Creator stamped upon it; it spreads its wings over the grave, as if watching for the day star of eternity.

HYMNS,

Selected and prepared for the Church of Christ, in these last days.

HAPPY SOULS [by William W. Phelps].

O HAPPY souls who pray Where God appoints to hear! O happy saints who pay There constant service there! We praise him still; And happy we; We love the way To Zion's hill

No burning heats by day, Nor blasts of evening air, Shall take our health away, If God be with us there: He is our sun And he our shade, To guard the head By night or noon.

God is the only Lord, Our shield and our defence, With gifts his hand is stor'd: We draw our blessings thence. He will bestow On Jacob's race, Peculiar grace, And glory to.

WE SHALL SEE HIM AGAIN [by William W. Phelps].

FROM the regions of glory an angel descended, And told the strange news how the babe was attended: Go, shepherds, and visit this heavenly stranger; Beneath that bright star, there's your Lord in a manger Hallelujah to the Lamb, Whom our souls may rely on; We shall see him again, When he brings again Zion.

Glad tidings I bring unto you and each nation; Glad tidings of joy, now behold your salvation: Arise all ye pilgrims and raise up your voices, And shout--The Redeemer! while heaven rejoices Hallelujah to the Lamb, &c.

Let glory to God in the highest be given, And glory to God be re-echo'd in heaven; Around the whole world let us tell the glad story, And sing of his love, his salvation, and glory. Hallelujah to the Lamb, &c.

The kingdom is yours by the will of the Father, Whose uplifted hand just the righteous will gather Before all the wicked will pass as by fire, And heaven shall shine with the coming Messiah. Hallelujah to the Lamb, &c.

PRAISE TO GOD [by William W. Phelps].

SEE all creation join To praise th' eternal God; The heavenly hosts begin the song, And sound his name abroad.

CHORUS. By all that shines above His glory is express'd; But saints that know his endless love, Should sing his praises best.

The sun with golden beams, And moon with silver rays, The starry lights, and twinkling flames, Shine to their Maker's praise. By all that shines above, &c.

He built those worlds above, And fix'd their wondrous frame; By his command they stand or move, And always speak his name. By all that shines above, &c.

The fleecy clouds that rise, Or falling showers, or snow; The thunders rolling round the skies, His power and glory show. By all that shines above, &c.

The broad expanse on high, With all the heavens afford; The crinkling fire that streaks the sky, Unite to praise the Lord. By all that shines above, &c.

ON folly's lips a strong of tattlings dwell, Wisdom speaks little, but that little well; So lengthening shades the sun's decline betray, But shorter shadows mark meridian day.

The Evening and the Morning Star

IS PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH AT INDEPENDENCE, JACKSON COUNTY, MO.,

BY W. W. PHELPS & CO.

THE PRICE IS ONE DOLLAR FOR A YEAR IN ADVANCE, EXCEPT SPECIAL CONTRACTS WITH THE CHURCH.

EVERY PERSON THAT SENDS US $10, (U. S. PAPER,) SHALL BE ENTITLED TO A PAPER FOR A YEAR, GRATIS. ALL LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, OR PUBLISHERS, MUST BE POST PAID.

ADVERTISEMENTS WILL BE INSERTED TO ORDER IN THE ADVERTISER, AT THE USUAL RATES.

PRINTING,

OF MOST KINDS, DONE TO ORDER, AND IN STYLE.

VOL. I, No. 4, INDEPENDENCE, MO. September, 1832.

William Phelps "Writing Letters," E&MS 1

THE Art of writing is one of the greatest blessings we enjoy. To cultivate it is our duty, and to use it is our privilege. By these means the thoughts of the heart can act without the body, and the mind can speak without the head, while thousands of miles apart, and for ages after the flesh has mouldered back to its mother dust. Beloved reader! have you ever reflected on this simple, this useful, this heavenly blessing! It is one of the best gifts of God to man, and it is the privilege of man to enjoy it. By writing, the word of the Lord has been handed to the inhabitants of the earth, from generation to generation. By writing, the inventions and knowledge of men have been received, age after age, for the benefit of the world. By writing, the transactions of life, like the skies over the ocean, are spread out upon the current of time, for the eyes of the rising multitudes to look upon. And while we are thus summing up some of the blessings and enjoyments, which result from this noble art, let us not forget to view a few of the curses and mischiefs which follow an abuse of this high privilege. While we behold what a great matter a little fire kindles, let us not stand mute: Let us not forget to see a better example, when we see the slanderer dip his raven's quill in gall, to blot the fair fame of some innocent person. Let us weep, for so will the heavens do, when the great men of the earth, write their glory in the tears of the fatherless and the widow. Let us mourn while this world's vanity is written for deception, in letters of gold. But enough, for the wicked are writing their own death warrant, and the hail of the Lord shall sweep away the refuge of lies. We, as the disciples of the blessed Jesus, are bound by every consideration that makes religion a blessing, to the inhabitants of the earth, while we see this exalted privilege abused, to set a more noble example: To do our business in a more sacred way, and, as servants of the Lord, that would be approved in all things, hide no fault of our own, nor cover any imperfection in others; neither offend, lest we bring a reproach upon the great cause of our holy Father.

It is pleasing to God to see men use the blessings which he gave them, and not abuse them. For this reason, if the saints abide in the faith wherewith they have been called, the land shall yield her increase, and the blessings of heaven shall attend them, and the Lord will turn to them a pure language, and the glory of God will again be among the righteous on earth. All things are for men, not men for all things. Beloved brethren, before we can teach the world how to do right, we must be able to do so ourselves: Therefore, in the love of him who is altogether lovely, whose yoke is easy, and whose burden is light, who spake as never man spake, let us offer a few ideas on this important subject, for the consideration of such as men to love their neighbors as themselves, for the sake of righteousness and eternal life.

1. Never write a letter to friend or foe, unless you have business which can not be done as well in some other way; or, unless you have news to communicate, that is worth time and money. In this way you will increase confidence and save postage.

2. Never write any thing in a letter to friend or foe, that you are afraid to read to friend or foe, for letters from a distance, especially one or two thousand miles, are sought for with great anxiety; and, as no one is a judge of men and things, you are liable to misrepresent yourself, your country, your friends, and your enemies, and put in the mouth of the honest, as well as the dishonest, a lie, which truth, in her gradual but virtuous way, may not contradict till your head is under the silent clods of the valley.

3. Never write any thing but truth, for truth is heavenly, and like the sun, is always bright, and proves itself, without logic, without reasons, without witnesses, and never fails. Truth is of the Lord and will prevail.

4. Never reprove a friend or foe for faults in a letter, except by revelation; for in the first place, your private intentions, be they ever so good, are liable to become public, because, all letters may be broken open, and your opinion only on one side of the question, can be scattered to the four winds, and he to whom you meant good, receives evil; and you are not benefited. Again, we can hardly find a language, written or spoken, on earth, at this time, that will convey the true meaning of the heart to the understanding of another; and you are liable to be misunderstood, and to give unpleasant feelings; and you merely to use a simile, bleed an old sore, by probing it for proud flesh, when it only wanted a little oil from the hand of the good Samaritan, in person, to heel it. No matter how pure your intentions may be; no matter how high your standing is, you can not touch man's heart when absent as when present. Truly, you do not cast your pearls before swine, but you throw your gold before man, and he robs you for your folly. Instead of reproof give good advice; and when face to face, rebuke a wise man and he will love you; or, do so to your friend, that, should he become your enemy, he can not reproach you: thus you may live, not only unspotted, but unsuspected.

5. Never write what you would be ashamed to have printed; or, what might offend the chastest ear, or hurt the softest heart. If you write what you are ashamed to have printed, you are partial: If you write what would offend virtue, you have not the spirit of the Lord; and if you write what would wound the weak hearted, you are not feeding the Lord's lambs, and thus you may know, that you are not doing to others, what you would expect others to do to you. The only rule we would give to regulate writing letters, is this: Write what you are willing should be published in this world, and in the world to come: And would to God, that not only the disciples of the church of Christ, but the whole world, were willing to follow this rule: Then the commandments would be kept, and no one would write a word against the Lord his God. No one would write a word against his father and mother. No one would write a word against his neighbor. No one would write a word against the creatures of God. No one would need write a word against ought but sin; and then the world would be worth living in, for there would be none to offend.

{beliefs-lds} As to the church, this being a day of warning and not a day of many words, let them that wish to communicate, or instruct, whether high or low, whether male or female, whether parent or child, whether master or servant, whether teacher or member, whether elder or high priest, come to this conclusion, That the eyes of God are upon them, and that what they do is for eternity; for God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil: and therefore, to obey the commandments, of the Lord, and to set an example in all things, worthy of imitation by the world; knowing that in the midst of counsellors there is safety; with the light of revelation shining around them, as the sun in his strength; while the tidings from heaven to the faithful, is, Peace on earth, and good will to men; while the spirit of Christ directs them to pray for one another, and for their enemies; and while the love of God exalts the heart, to forget and forgive: let them not write a line that they would be ashamed to have printed, for the world to profit by; or, written in the unsullied books of heaven, for the angels to look upon. Begin to think right and your thoughts may be worth saving: begin to speak truth in all things, and your words may be powerful; so much so, that you can exclaim like Job: O that my words were now written! O that they were printed in a book! We can not close this essay without saying, Brethren! live for Jesus, for he lives for you: Sisters! live for Jesus, for he lives for you: Husbands! live for Jesus, for he lives for you: Wives! live for Jesus, for he lives for you: Children! live for Jesus, for he lives for you: And whatever you write, let it be--the truth: in fact and in very deed, let your yea be yea, and your nay be nay, and then, when letters are written by you, from Zion to the world, the spirit of the Lord will bear record, that they are true: and if letters from abroad, are written by the disciples , to Zion, the spirit of the Lord will bear record, that they are true, and the glory of God will be in Zion. Again, should hypocrites or sinners, write, either to or from Zion, and not write the truth, their own words may condemn them: Their own letters can be sent back, either way, as witnesses of their folly now, and remain as testimony against them, when the Lord comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. So be it, and the will of the Lord be done: But brethren: Love the Lord and keep his commandments, that righteousness may abound. Serve the Lord and pray earnestly, that the Spirit may be with you. Fear the Lord and be humble, that faith may increase. Trust in the Lord and be holy, that the world may be overcome. And finally, walk in the valley of humility, and remember the world of mankind which lies in darkness and sin, and pray for them; and if necessary, that you die for Christ,--die--for he died for you. Beloved, there was a time so perfect, and the union so pure, that the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy! and we do beseech you, to purify yourselves that your names may be written in heaven, for the company of angels to look upon, that they may come down and teach us to purify ourselves for the presence of Jesus, that he may dwell with us, while his glory covers the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise, that we may be one with all the redeemed of the Lamb, and them that are changed in the twinkling of an eye as the heaven and the earth are made now, that the tabernacle of God may be with men, and he with them, that we may hear the sons of Zion from all the creations he hath made, shouting glory and power and honor, to God and the Lamb throughout eternity.

<E&MS 1-4 (Sep 1832)>

The Cholera.

NOT since the flood, if we think right, has the Lord sent the same pestilence, or destruction, over the whole earth at one: But the Cholera, which has swept its thousands in Asia, Afac, Europe and Americ, gives a solemn token to a wondering world, that it will do so. Let the reader remember that all flesh is grass, but, that amidst all the judgments of the Lord, the righteous have never been forsaken. The spread of the Cholera, may be likened unto the ripple or wave, formed by casting a stone into a pond of water: ring follows ring till they meet the shore: It is said to be in nearly all the eastern cities. Well has Isaiah said, 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.

EXCHANGE.--Those persons wishing to exchange with the Star, must remember that it requires 2 or 3 weeks to accomplish the desire; and that their papers must be put up in strong wrappers, and well-tied, or they will rarely reach us.



Revelations.

A REVELATION, GIVEN SEPTEMBER, 1830. [D&C 29]

LISTEN to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the great I am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins; who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice, and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer.--Behold, verily, verily I say unto you at this time your sins are forgiven you; therefore ye receive these things; but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you. Verily I say unto you, that ye are chosen out of the world to declare my gospel with the sound of rejoicing, as with the voice of a trump: lift up your hearts and be glad for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom; and as it is written, Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive; and ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect, for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts: Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father, that they shall be gathered in unto one place, upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts, and be prepared in all things, against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked: for the hour is nigh, and the day is soon at hand, when the earth will be ripe; and all the proud, and they that do wickedly, shall be as stubble, and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth; for the hour is nigh, and that which was spoken by mine apostles must be fulfilled; for as they spoke so shall it come to pass; for I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory, with all the hosts thereof, and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand. and again, verily, verily I say unto you, and it hath gone forth in a firm decree, by the will of the Father, that mine apostles, the twelve which were with me in my ministry at Jerusalem, shall stand at my right hand at the day of my coming in a pillar of fire, being clothed with robes of righteousness, with crowns upon their heads, in glory even as I am, to judge the whole house of Israel, even as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else; for a trump shall sound both long and loud, even as upon mount Sinai, and all the earth shall quake, and they shall come forth, yea, even the dead which died in me, to receive a crown of righteousness, and to be clothed upon, even as I am, to be with me, that we may be one. But behold, I say unto you, that before this great day shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall be turned into blood, and the stars shall fall from heaven; and there shall be great signs in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath; and there shall be weeping and wailing among the inhabitants of the earth; and there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth: and it shall come to pass, because of the wickedness of the world, that I will take vengeance upon the wicked, for they will not repent: for the cup of mine indignation is full; for, behold my blood shall not cleanse them if they repent not: wherefore, I will send forth flies upon the face of the earth, which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof, and shall eat their flesh, and shall cause maggots to come in upon them, and their tongues shall be stayed that they shall not utter against me, and their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets: and it shall come to pass, that the beasts of the forests, and the fowls of the air, shall devour them up: and that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall be cast down by devouring fire, according as it was spoken by the mouth of Ezekiel the prophet, which spoke of these things, which have not come to pass as yet, but surely must, as I live, for abominations shall not reign.

And again, verily, verily I say unto you, that when the thousand years are ended, and men again begin to deny their God, then will I spare the earth but for a little season; and then the end shall come, and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed, and pass away, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; for all old things shall pass away, and all things become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fulness thereof, both men and beasts; the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea, and not one hair, neither moat, shall be lost, for it is the workmenship of mine hand. But verily I say unto you, before the earth shall pass away, Michael, mine archangel, shall sound his trump, and then shall all the dead awake, for the graves shall be opened, and they shall come forth, yea, even all; and the righteous shall be gathered on my right hand unto eternal life; and the wicked on my left hand will I be ashamed to own before the Father: wherefore I will say unto them, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels. And now, behold I say unto you, never, at any time, have I declared from mine own mouth, that they should return, for where I am they can not come, for they have no power; but remember, that all my judgments are not given unto men, and as the words have gone forth out of my mouth, even so shall they be fulfilled, that the first shall be last, and that the last shall be first in all things, whatsoever I have created by the word of my power, which is the power of my spirit, for by the power of my spirit created I them, yea, all things both spiritual and temporal; firstly spiritual, secondly temporal, which is the beginning of my work: and again, firstly temporal, and secondly spiritual, which is the last of my work, speaking unto you that ye may naturally understand, but unto myself my work hath no end, neither beginning; but it is given unto you, that ye may understand, because ye have asked it of me, and are agreed: wherefore, verily I say unto you, that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal, neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam your father, whom I created; behold I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself and I give unto him a commandment, but no temporal commandment give I unto him, for my commandments are spiritual; they are not natural, nor temporal, neither carnal nor sensual; and it came to pass, that Adam, being tempted of the Devil, for behold the Devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power, and also a third part of the host of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency: and they were thrust down, and thus came the Devil and his angels; and behold, there is a place prepared for them from the beginning, which place is hell; & it must needs be that the Devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves, for if they never should have bitter, they could not know the sweet: Wherefore, it came to pass, that the Devil tempted Adam and he partook of the forbidden fruit, and transgressed the commandment, wherein he became subject to the will of the Devil, because he yielded unto temptation: wherefore, I the Lord God caused that he should be cast out from the garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression; wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death which, is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced upon the wicked when I shall say, Depart ye cursed. But behold I say unto you, that I the Lord God gave unto Adam, and unto his seed, that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I the Lord God should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption through faith on the name of mine only begotten Son; and thus did I the Lord God appoint unto man the days of his probation, that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe on my name, and they that believe not, unto eternal damnation, for they can not be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not, for they loved darkness more than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey. But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world, through mine only begotten: Wherefore they can not sin, for power is not given to Satan to tempt little children until they begin to be accountable before me, for it is given unto them even as I will, according to mine own pleasure, that great things may be required at the hand of their fathers. And again, I say unto you, that whoso, having knowledge, have not I commanded to repent? and he that hath no understanding, it remaineth in me to do according as it is written. And now, behold, I declare no more unto you at this time. Amen.

A REVELATION ON PRAYER, GIVEN OCTOBER 30, 1831. [D&C 65]

HEARKEN, and lo, a voice as of one sent down from on high, who is mighty and powerful, whose going forth is unto the ends of the earth; yea, whose voice is unto men, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths strait. The keys of the kingdom of God, are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is hewn from the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth; yea, a voice crying, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the bridegroom; pray unto the Lord; call upon his holy name; make known his wonderful works among the people; call upon the Lord; that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth; that the inhabitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the days to come, in the which the Son of man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth: Wherefore, may the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou O God may be glorified in heaven, so on earth, that thine enemies may be subdued; for thine is the honor, power and glory, forever and ever: Amen.

THE BOOK OF JACOB. {beliefs-lds}

ONE of the greatest figures, one of the plainest parables, and sublimest prophecies, that we know of, is found in the book of Jacob in the book of Mormon. It is as simple as the accents of a child, and as sublime as the language of an angel. The words are from the mouth of an ancient prophet named Zenos, and would to God we had all his prophetic book, for he that caused Isaiah's lips to be touched with sacred fire, filled Zenos with the word of wisdom. Isaiah said, The vineyard of the Lord of hosts, is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant, and Zenos adorns it with the tame olive tree for the children of Israel, and grafts in the wild olive, for the Gentiles; and marvel not that the Lord is now sending his servants to prune this vineyard for the last time; he hath already had laborers in it at the sixth and ninth hour, and those that work for the Lord at this eleventh hour, will receive their penny as much as those that have labored all day. The captivity of Jacob will return, and the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. Whoso readeth let him understand, for thus it is:

[Jacob 5] BEHOLD, my brethren, do ye not remember to have read the words of the prophet Zenos, which spake unto the house of Israel, saying: Hearken O ye house of Israel, and hear the words of me, a prophet of the Lord, for behold, thus saith the Lord, I will liken thee, O house of Israel, like unto a tame olive tree, which a man took and nourished in his vineyard; and it grew, and waxed old, and began to decay. And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went forth, and he saw that his olive tree began to decay; and he saith, I will prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot forth young and tender branches, and it perish not. And it came to pass that he pruned it, and digged about it, and nourished it, according to his word. And it came to pass that after many days, it began to put forth somewhat a little, young and tender branches; but behold, the main top thereof began to perish. And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard saw it, and he saith unto his servant, It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, go and pluck the branches from a wild olive tree, and bring them hither unto me; and we will pluck off those main branches which are beginning to wither away, and we will cast them into the fire, that they may be burned. And behold, saith the Lord of the vineyard, I take away many of these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will; and it mattereth not that if it so be, that the root of this tree will perish, I may preserve the fruit thereof unto myself; wherefore, I will take these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will. Take thou the branches of the wild olive tree, and graft them in, in the stead thereof; and these which I have plucked off, I will cast into the fire and burn them, that they may not cumber the ground of my vineyard.

And it came to pass that the servant of the Lord of the vineyard, done according to the word of the Lord of the vineyard, and grafted in the branches of the wild olive tree. And the Lord of the vineyard caused that it should be digged about, and pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant, It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I might preserve the roots thereof that they perish not, that I might preserve them unto myself, I have done this thing. Wherefore, go thy way; watch the tree, and nourish it, according to my words. And these will I place in the nethermost part of my vineyard, whithersoever I will, it mattereth not unto thee: and I do it, that I may preserve unto myself the natural branches of the tree; and also, that I may lay up fruit thereof, against the season, unto myself: for it grieveth me that I should lose this tree, and the fruit thereof.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard went his way, and hid the natural branches of the tame olive tree in the nethermost parts of the vineyard; some in one, and some in another, according to his will and pleasure. And it came to pass that a long time passed away, and the Lord of the vineyard saith unto his servant, Come, let us go down into the vineyard, that we may labor in the vineyard.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard, and also the servant, went down into the vineyard to labor. And it came to pass that the servant saith unto his master, Behold, look here; behold the tree. And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard looked and beheld the tree, in the which the wild olive branches had been grafted; and it had sprang forth, and began to bear fruit. And he beheld that it was good; and the fruit thereof was like unto the natural fruit. And he saith unto the servant, Behold, the branches of the wild tree hath taken hold of the moister of the root thereof, that the root thereof hath brought forth much strength; and because of the much strength of the root thereof, the wild branches hath brought forth tame fruit: now, if we had not grafted in these branches, the tree thereof would have perished. And now, behold, I shall lay up much fruit, which the tree thereof hath brought forth; and the fruit thereof I shall lay up, against the season, unto mine own self.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard saith unto the servant, Come, let us go to the nethermost part of the vineyard, and behold if the natural branches of the tree hath not brought forth much fruit also, that I may lay up of the fruit thereof, against the season, unto mine own self. And it came to pass that they went forth whither the master of the vineyard had hid the natural branches of the tree and he saith unto the servant, Behold these: and he beheld the first, that it had brought forth much fruit; and he beheld also, that it was good. And he saith unto the servant, Take of the fruit thereof, and lay it up, against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine owns if: for behold, saith he, This long time have I nourished it, and it hath brought forth much fruit.

And it came to pass that the servant saith unto his master, How comest thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree? for behold, it was the poorest spot in all the land of thy vineyard. And the Lord of the vineyard saith unto him, Counsel me not: I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee, I have nourished it this long time; and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard saith unto his servant, Look hither: behold, I have planted another branch of the tree also; and thou knowest that this spot of ground was poorer than the first. But, behold the tree: I have nourished it this long time, and it hath brought forth much fruit; therefore, gather it, and lay it up, against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine ownself.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard saith again unto his servant, Look hither, and behold another branch also, and it hath brought forth fruit. And he saith unto the servant, Look hither, and behold the last: behold, this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long time, and only a part of the tree hath brought forth tame fruit; and the other part of the tree hath brought forth wild fruit: behold, I have nourished this tree like unto the others.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard saith unto the servant, Pluck off the branches that have not brought forth good fruit, and cast them into the fire. But behold, the servant saith unto him, Let us prune it, and dig about it, and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto thee, that thou canst lay it up against the season. And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard, and the servant of the Lord of the vineyard, did nourish all the fruit of the vineyard.

And it came to pass that a long time passed away, and the Lord of the vineyard saith unto the servant, Come, let us go down into the vineyard, that we may labor again in the vineyard. For behold, the time draweth near, and the end soon cometh: wherefore, I must lay up fruit, against the season, unto mine own self.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard, and the servant, went down into the vineyard; and they came to the tree whose natural branches had been broken off, and the wild branches had been grafted in; and behold, all sorts of fruit did cumber the tree.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard did taste of the fruit, every sort according to its number. And the Lord of the vineyard saith, Behold, this long time have we nourished this tree, and I have hid up unto myself against the season, much fruit. But behold, this time it hath brought forth much fruit, and there is none of it which is good. And behold, there are all kinds of bad fruit. And it profiteth me nothing, notwithstanding all our labor; and now, it grieveth me that I should lose this tree. And the Lord of the vineyard saith unto the servant, What shall we do unto the tree, that I may preserve again good fruit thereof unto mine ownself? And the servant saith unto his master, Behold, because thou didst graft in the branches of the wild olive tree, they have nourished the roots, that they are alive, and they have not perished; wherefore, thou beholdest that they are yet good.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard saith unto his servant, The tree profiteth me nothing; and the roots thereof profiteth me nothing, so long as it shall bring forth evil fruit. Nevertheless, I know that the roots are good; and for mine own purpose I have preserved them; and because of their much strength, they have hitherto brought forth from the wild branches, good fruit. But behold, the wild branches have grown, and have overran the roots thereof; and because that the wild branches have overcome the roots thereof, it hath brought forth much evil fruit; and because that it hath brought forth much evil fruit, thou beholdest that it beginneth to perish: & it will soon become ripened, that it may be cast into the fire, except we should do something for it to preserve it.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard saith unto his servant, Let us go down into the nethermost parts of the vineyard, and behold if the natural branches have also brought forth evil fruit. And it came to pass that they went down into the nethermost parts of the vineyard. And it came to pass that they beheld that the fruit of the natural branches had become corrupt also; yea, the first, and the second, and also the last; and they had all become corrupt. And the wild fruit of the last, had overcome that part of the tree which brought forth good fruit, even that the branch had withered away and died.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and saith unto the servant, What could I have done more for my vineyard? Behold, I knew that all the fruit of the vineyard, save it were these, had become corrupted. And now, these which have once brought forth good fruit, have also become corrupted. And now all the trees of my vineyard are good for nothing, save it be to be hewn down and cast into the fire. And behold, this last, whose branch hath withered away, I did plant in a good spot of ground; yea, even that which was choice unto me, above all other parts of the land of my vineyard. And thou beheldst that I also cut down that which cumbered this spot of ground, that I might plant this tree in the stead thereof. And thou beheldest that a part thereof, brought forth good fruit; and a part thereof, brought forth wild fruit. And because that I plucked not the branches thereof, and cast them into the fire, behold they have overcome the good branch, that it hath withered away. And now behold, notwithstanding all the care which we have taken of my vineyard, the trees thereof hath become corrupted, that they bring forth no good fruit; and these I had hope to preserve, to have laid up fruit thereof, against the season, unto mine ownself. But behold, they have become like unto the wild olive tree; and they are of no worth, but to be hewn down and cast into the fire: and it grievth me that I should lose them. But what could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it? Nay; I have nourished it, and I have digged it, and I have prunned it, and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long; and the end draweth nigh. And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into the fire, that they should be burned. Who is it that hath corrupted my vineyard?

And it came to pass that the servant, saith unto his master, Is it not the loftiness of thy vineyard? Hath not the branches thereof overcome the roots, which are good? And because that the branches have overcome the roots thereof. For behold, they grow faster than the strength of the roots thereof, taking strength unto themselves. Behold, I say, Is not this the cause that the trees of thy vineyard hath become corrupted.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard saith unto the servant, Let us go to, and hew down the trees of the vineyard, and cast them into the fire, that they shall not cumber the ground of my vineyard; for I have done all: what could I have done more for my vineyard? But behold, the servant saith unto the Lord of the vineyard, Spare it a little longer. And the Lord saith, Yea, I will spare it a little longer: for it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard. Wherefore, let us take of the branches of these which I have planted in the nethermost parts of the vineyard, and let us graft them into the tree from whence they came; and let us pluck from the tree, those branches whose fruit is most bitter, and graft in the natural branches of the tree, in the stead thereof. And this will I do, that the tree may not perish, that perhaps I may preserve unto myself the roots thereof, for mine own purpose. And behold, the roots of the natural branches of the tree which I planted whithersoever I would, are yet alive; wherefore, that I may preserve them also, for mine own purpose, I will take of the branches of this tree, and I will graft them in unto them. Yea, I will graft in unto them the branches of their mother tree, that I may preserve the roots also unto mine ownself, that when they shall be sufficiently strong, that perhaps they may bring forth good fruit unto me, and I may yet have glory in the fruit of my vineyard.

And it came to pass that they took from the natural tree which had become wild, and grafted in unto the natural trees, which also had become wild, and they also took of the natural trees which had become wild, and grafted into their mother tree. And the Lord of the vineyard saith unto the servant, Pluck not the wild branches from the trees, save it be those which are most bitter; and in them ye shall graft, according to that which I have said. And we will nourish again the trees of the vineyard, and we will trim up the branches thereof; and we will pluck from the trees those branches which are ripened, that must perish, and cast them into the fire. And this I do, that perhaps the roots thereof may take strength, because of their goodness; and because of the change of the branches, that the good may overcome the evil; and because that I have preserved the natural branches, and the roots thereof; and that I have grafted in the natural branches again, into their mother tree; and have preserved the roots of their mother tree, that perhaps the trees of my vineyard may bring forth again good fruit; and that I may have joy again in the fruit of my vineyard; and perhaps that I may rejoice exceedingly, that I have preserved the roots and branches of the first fruit; wherefore, go to, and call servants, that we may labor diligently with our mights in the vineyard, that we may prepare the way, that I may bring forth again the natural fruit, which natural fruit is good, and the most precious above all other fruit. Wherefore, let us go to, and labor with our mights, this last time, for behold the end droweth nigh; and this is for the last time that I shall prune my vineyard.--Graft in the branches: begin at the last, that they may be first, and that the first may be last, and dig about the trees, both old and young, the first and the last, that all may be nourished once again for the last time. Wherefore, dig about them, and prune & dung them once more, for the last time: for the end draws nigh. And if it so be that these last grafts shall grow, and bring forth the natural fruit, then shall ye prepare for them, that they may grow; and as they begin to grow, ye shall clear away the branches which bring forth bitter fruit, according to the strength of the good and the size thereof; and ye shall not clear away the bad thereof, all at once lest the roots thereof should be too strong for the graft, and the graft thereof shall perish, and I loose the trees of my vineyard. For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard; wherefore, ye shall clear away the bad, according as the good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard. And the branches of the natural tree, will I graft in again, into the natural tree; and the branches of the natural tree, will I graft into the natural branches of the tree; and thus will I bring them together again, that they shall bring forth the natural fruit: and they shall be one. And the bad shall be cast away; yea, even out of all the land of my vineyard: for behold, only this once will I prune my vineyard.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servants; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servant; and they were few. And the Lord of the vineyard saith unto them, Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your mights. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard: for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your mights with me, ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself, against the time which will soon come.

And it came to pass that the servants did go to it, and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them: and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things. And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; and the wild branches began to be plucked off, and to be cast away; and they did keep the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof. And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself, that the trees had become again the natural fruit; and they become like unto one body; and the fruit were equal; and the Lord of the vineyard had preserved unto himself the natural fruit, which was most precious unto him from the beginning.

And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he calleth up his servants and saith unto them, Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; & thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning;and blessed art thou.--For because that ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and hath brought unto me again the natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold, ye shall have joy with me, because of the fruit of my vineyard. For behold, for a long time will I lay up of the fruit of my vineyard unto mine ownself, against the season, which speedily cometh; and for the last time have I nourished my vineyard, and pruned it, and dug about it, and dunged it, wherefore I will lay up unto mine ownself of the fruit, for a long time, according to that which I have spoken. And when the time cometh that evil fruit shall again come into my vineyard, then will I cause the good and the bad to be gathered; and the good will I preserve unto myself; and the bad will I cast away into its own place. And then cometh the season and the end; and my vineyard will I cause to be burned with fire.

COMPARISON BETWEEN HEATHENISM AND CHRISTIANITY. {beliefs-lds}

THE apostle saith, "After the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God to save believers by the foolishness of preaching." [1 Cor. 1:21] That is to say, since the mere systems of reason were eventually insufficient for the salvation of mankind; and since it was impossible that their speculations should obtain the true knowledge of God; God took another way to instruct them; he revealed by preaching of the gospel what the light of nature could not discover, so that the system of Jesus Christ and his apostles supplied all that was wanting in the systems of the ancient philosophers.

But it is not in relation to ancient philosophers only, that we mean to consider the proposition in our text; we will examine it also in reference to modern philosophy. Our philosophers know more than all those of Greece knew; but their science which is of unspeakable advantage, while it contains itself within its proper sphere, becomes a source of errors, when it is extended beyond it. Human reason now lodges itself in new intrenchments, when it refuseth to submit to the faith.--It even puts on new armor to attack it, for it hath invented new methods of self-defence. Under pretence that natural science hath made greater progress, revelation is despised. Under pretence that modern notions of God the Creator are purer than those of the ancients, the yoke of God the Redeemer is broken off.--We are going to employ the remaining part of this discourse in justifying the proposition of St. Paul, in the sense that we have given it: we are going to endeavor to prove that revealed religion hath advantages infinitely superior to natural religion: that the greatest geniuses are incapable of discovering by their own reason. If the truths necessary to salvation: and that it displays the goodness of God, not to abandon us to the uncertainties of our own wisdom, but to make us the rich present of revelation.

We will enter into this discussion, by placing on the one side a philosopher contemplating the works of nature: on the other, a disciple of Jesus Christ receiving the doctrines of revelation. To each we will give four subjects to examine: the attributes of God: the nature of man: the means of appeasing the remorse of concience: and a future state. From their judgments on each of these subjects, evidence will arise of the superior worth of that revelation, which some minute philosophers affect to despise, and above which they prefer that rough draught, which they sketch out by their own learned speculations.

1. Let us consider a disciple of natural religion, and a disciple of revealed religion meditating on the attributes of God. When the disciple of natural religion considers the symmetry of this universe; when he observes that admirable uniformity, which appears in the successions of seasons, and in the constant rotation of night and day; when he remarks the exact motions of the heavenly bodies: the flux, and reflux of the sea, so ordered the billows, which swell into mountains, and seem to threaten the world with an universal deluge, breaks way on the shore, and respect on the beach the command of the Creator, who said to the sea, "hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be staid;" when he attend to all these marvelous works, he will readily conclude, that the Author of nature is being powerful and wise. But when he observes winds, tempests, and earthquakes, which seem to threaten the reduction of nature to its primitive chaos; when he sees the sea overflow its banks, and burst the enormous moles, that the industry of mankind had raised; his speculations will be perplexed, he will imagine he sees characters of infirmity among so many proofs of creative perfection and power.

When he thinks that God, having enriched the habitable world with innumerable productions of infinite worth to the inhabitant, hath placed man here as a sovereign in a superb palace; when he considers how admirably God hath proportioned the divers part of the creation to the construction of the human body, the air to the lungs, aliments to the different humors of the body, the medium by which objects are rendered to the eyes, that by which sounds are communicated to the ears; when he remarks how God hath connected man with his own species, and not with animals of another kind; how he hath distributed talents, so that some requiring the assistance of others, all should be mutually united together; how he hath bound men together by invisible ties, so that one cannot see another in pain without a sympathy, that inclines him to relieve him: when the disciple of natural religion meditates on these grand subjects, he concludes that the Author of nature is a beneficent being. But when he sees the innumerable miseries to which men are subject; when he finds, that every creature, which contributes to support, contributes at the same time to destroy us; when he thinks, that the air, which assists respiration, conveys epidemic diseases, and imperceptible poisons; that aliments, which nourish us, are often our bane; that the animals, &c. &c., when he observes the profidiousness of society, the mutual industry of mankind in tormenting each other; the arts which they invent to deprive one another of life; when he attempts to recken up the innumerable maladies that consume us; when he considers death, which bows the loftest heads, dissolves the firmest cements, and subverts the best-founded fortunes; when he makes these reflections, he will be apt to doubt whether it be goodness, or the contrary attribute, that inclineth the Author of our being to give us existance. When the disciple of natural riligion reads those reverses of fortune, of which history furnisheth a great many examples: when he seeth tyrants fall from a pinnacle of grandeur; wicked men often punished by their own wickedness, the avaricious punished by their avarice, the ambitious by those of their ambition, the voluptuous by those of their voluptuousness: when he perceives that the laws of virtue are so essential to public happiness, that without them society would become a banditti, at least, that society is more or less happy, or miserable, according to its looser or close attachment to virtue; when he considers all these cases, he will probably conclude that the Author of this universe is a just and holy being. But when he sees tyranny established, vice enthroned, humility in confusion, pride wearing a crown, and love to holiness sometimes exposing people to many and intolerable calamities; he will not be able to justify God, amidst the darkness in which his equity is involved in the government of the world.



But, of all these mysteries, can one be proposed, which the gospel doth not unfold; or, at least, is there one, one which it doth not give us some principles that are sufficient to conciliate it with the perfections of the Creator, how opposite soever it may seem?

Do the disorders of the world puzzle the disciple of natural religion, and prudence difficulties in his mind? With the principles of the gospel I can solve them all.--When it is remembered that this world hath been defiled by the sin of man, and that he is, therefore, an object of divine displeasure; when the principle is admitted, that the world is not what it was, when it came out of the hands of God; and that, in comparison with its prestine state, it is only a heap of ruins, the truly magnificent, but actually ruinous help of an edifice of incomparable beauty, the rubbish of which is far more proper to excite our grief for the loss of its primitive grandeur, than to suit our presant wants. When these reflections are made, can we find any objections, in the disorders of the world, against the wisdom of our Creator?

Are the miseries of man, and is the fatal necessity of death, in contemplation?--With the principles of the gospel, I solve the difficulties, which these sad objects produce in the mind of the disciple of natural religion. If the principle of Christianity be admitted, if we allow that the afflictions of good men are profitable to them, and that, in many cases, prosperity would be fatal to them; if we grant, that the present is intransatory state, and that this momentary life will be succeeded by an immortal state; if we recollect the many similar truths, which the gospel abundantly declares; can we find in human miseries, and in the necessity of dying, objections against the goodness of the Creator?

Do the prosperities of bad men, and adversities of the good, confuse our ideas of God? With the principles of the gospel, I can remove all the difficulties, which these different conditions produce in the mind of the disciple of natural religion.--If the principles of the gospel be admitted, if we be persuaded that the tyrant, whose prosperity astonishes us, fulfils the counsel of God; if ecclesiastical history assures us, that Herods, and Pilates, themselves contributed to the establishment of that very Christianity, which they meant to destroy; especially, if we admit a state of future rewards and punishments; can the obscurity, in which providence hath been pleased to wrap up some of its designs, raise doubts about the justice of the Creator?

In regard then, to the first object of contemplation, the perfection of the nature of God, revealed religion is infinitely superior to the natural religion; the disciple of the first religion is infinitely wiser than the pupil of the last.

II. Let us consider these two disciples examining the nature of man, and endeavoring to know themselves. The disciples of natural religion cannot know mankind; he cannot perfectly understand the nature, the obligations the duration of man.

III. The disciple of natural religion can only imperfectly know the nature of man, the difference of the two substances, of which he is composed. His reason, indeed, may speculate the matter, and he may perceive no relation between motion and thought, between the dissolution of a few fibres and violent sensations of pain, between agitation of humors and profound reflections; he may infer from two different effects, that there ought to be two different causes, a cause of motion, and a cause of sensation, a cause of agitating humors, and a cause of reflecting, that there is body, and that there is spirit.

But, in my opinion, those philosophers, who are best acquainted with the nature of man, cannot account for two difficulties, that are proposed to them, when, on the mere principles of reason, they affirm, that man is composed of the substances of matter and mind. I ask, first, Do ye so well understand matter, are your ideas of it so complete, that ye can affirm, for certain, it is susceptible of nothing more than this or that? Are ye sure that it implies a contradiction to affirm, it hath one property, which hath escaped your observation? And consequently, can ye actually demonstrate, that the essence of matter is compatable with thought? Since, when ye cannot discover the union of an attribute with a subject, ye instantly conclude, that two attributes, which seem to you to have no relation, suppose too different subjects: and since ye conclude that extent and thought compose two different subjects, body and soul, because ye can discover no natural relation between extent and thought; if I discover a third attribute, which appears to me entirely unconnected with body extent and thought, I shall have a right, in my turn, to admit three subjects in man; matter, which is the subject of extent; mind, which is the subject of thought; and a third subject, which belongs to the attribute, that seems to me to have no relation to either matter or mind. Now I do know such an attribute: but I do not know to which of your two subjects I ought to refer it: I mean sensation. I find it in my nature, and experience it every hour. But I am altogether at a loss, whether I ought to attribute it to body, or spirit. I perceive no more natural and necessary relation between sensation and motion, than between sensation and thought.

There are, then, on your principle, three substances in man, one the substratum, which is the subject of extension; another, which is the subject of thought; and a third, which is the subject of sensation: or rather, I suspect, there is only one substance in man, which is known to me very imperfectly, to which all these attributes belong, and which are united together, although I am not able to discover their relation.--[To be continued.]

A wise man hath his foibles as well as a fool. But the difference between them is, that the foibles of the one are known to himself, and concealed from the world; the foibles of the other are known to the world, and concealed from himself. The wise man sees those frailties in himself, which others cannot; but the fool is blind to those blemishes in his character, which are conspicuous to every body else.

THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR.

<"Revelations">
William Phelps "Revelations," E&MS 1 (Sep 1832)

THE OLD AND NEW REVELATIONS. {beliefs-lds}

WHAT a source of happiness our heavenly Father has placed before us, if we will believe his word! But say thousands, we do believe his word, we have the old and now testaments and they are enough; they were given to the world that every body might be saved. But my friends, reflect a moment: Was the law which was given to the children of Israel, given also to the world? was the revelation, that prophetic blessing and cursing and the gathering, as recorded by Moses, in the 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33rd chapters of Deuteronomy, meant for any other people than Israel? what nation but Israel had the blessing, or prophets to fortel it? what nation but Israel, received the curse, and what nation but Israel was scattered to be gathered again? Be it remembered also, that while Israel endeavored to keep the law, they had prophets to tell them when they were right, and when they were wrong. The revelations of the old and new testaments, were given from Adam in the garden of Eden, till John on the isle of Patmo, during which time, holy men, moved by the Holy Ghost, spake to the Lord's annointed, his elect, his chosen, and church, what the Lord commanded. Each prophet revealed what was expedient for his own time, and the people he spoke to: fortelling just what the Lord pleased to communicate to that people. When the Savior came, he gave his own revelations, and used the old to support them. If the many things which Jesus did, were written, we suppose, as John did, that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written; and yet, John, many years after, brings forth some new revelations, which must shortly come to pass.

The world should not be ignorant of this fact: when Paul wrote an epistle to the Romans, it was not to the Corinthians; when he wrote to the Corinthians, it was not to the Ephesians; when he wrote to the Hebrews, it was not to the Gentiles: So, also, when James directed his epistle to the twelve tribes scattered abroad, it was not intended for the Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians nor any Gentile church, but for the covenant people of the Lord. We do entreat all men to consider, before they offer an opinion upon the word of the Lord. The covenant with Noah was very different from the covenant with Abraham, and the last covenant with Israel, which is to be written in the heart, when the Lord gathers in Jacob, from all countries where they have been driven, will undoubtedly be different from the creeds or articles of every church on earth, not established by immediate revelation from heaven. The spirit of God is a spirit of revelation, and when the following chapter is fulfilled, there must be some new revelations:--Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth; the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: neither shall one trust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and if they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

[Joel 2:13-32] Therefore also now, saith the Lord, Turn ye to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; yea, even a meat-offering and a drink-offering unto the Lord your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?

Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people. Yes, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: but I will remove far off from you the northen army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea; and his stink shall come up, and his ill savor shall come up, because he hath done great things.

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things. Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wonderously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

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 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 the 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.

Beloved reader! when the Lord pours out his Spirit upon all flesh, which will not be until the wicked are consumed, for every soul that will not hear the Lord at his second coming, must be cut off, there will be marvelous things revealed which will cause the children of God to rejoice. But before this great work is finished, John the Revelator, [Rev. 10] comes to prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings, which the Lord [not man] will see fit to add to the words of his other prophecy: For eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that wait for him. [Isa. 64:4]

<"Second Coming">
William Phelps "Second Coming," E&MS 1 (Sep 1832)

THE SECOND COMING OF THE SAVIOR, NO. I. {beliefs-lds}

ONE of the first duties of man is, to assist his fellow beings in all things appertaining to their happiness, and, for this purpose, we have a desire, not only to labor for the benefit of the saints, but that the world may know, that the second coming of our Savior is near. Notwithstanding there exists, and that too, among those who profess to have a form of godliness, a great difference of opinion when and how the Lord will come, yet we shall endeavor to bring such passages of sacred writ, as will make this subject clear to them that look for him the second time without sin unto salvation, and remind them that doubt, that the time is at hand. Firstly, Peter, who had the keys of the kingdom, wrote thus: This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; on which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandments of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior: 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 from the beginning of the creation. [2 Pet. 3:1-4]

It is a good thing to be reminded of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, for without them the world would be a wilderness; men could not tell from whence they sprang, or to where they would go after death. But to the subject, according to Jude, Enoch said, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints [Jude 1:14]; and by reading the extracts of his prophecy, in the last Star, it will be seen that Enoch was shown all things from the beginning to the end, and he thus inquires about the sabbath of creation and second coming of the Lord: When shall the earth rest? And Enoch beheld the Son of man ascend up unto the Father: And he called unto the Lord saying, Wilt thou not come again upon the earth, for inasmuch as thou art God, and I know thee, and thou hast sworn unto me and commanded me that I should ask in the name of thine only begotten, thou hast made me, and given unto me a right to thy throne, and not of myself but through thine own grace: wherefore, I ask thee, if thou wilt not come again on the earth? And the Lord said unto Enoch, as I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which I have made unto you, concerning the children of Noah: and the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth to bear testimony of mine only begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men: and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an holy city, that my people may gird up their loins,and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called ZION, a New Jerusalem. [Moses 7:38-62]

David seems to have understood this prophecy when he composed the 85th Psalm; for besides saying, that the Lord had brought back the captivity of Jacob, (meaning the twelve tribes, and ten of them have been lost ever since the reign of Hoshea,) he said, Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give good, and our land shall yield her increase [Ps. 85:11-12]. Passing the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we next observe that the Lord said, by Moses, I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, which Peter, while preaching, thus adds to his own words on the same subject: [Acts 3:19-24] 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 heaven 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, Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. We will remark here, that notwithstanding many prophecies have been fulfilled, yet the time when every soul was destroyed, who refused to hear a prophet, from Moses till this day, has not come to pass, but there can be no doubt, it will be so when Malachi's words are fulfilled: [Mal. 4:1] For behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Job, who is supposed to have lived while the children of Israel sojourned in Egypt, said, he knew his Redeemer lived, and that he should stand at the latter day, (not the meridian of time,) upon the earth, at which time the stone that Daniel saw cut out of the mountain, will fill the whole earth: [Isa. 24:23] Then 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. It is said, that the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob. Paul while speaking of the salvation of Israel, in the 11th chapter of Romans, says, [Rom. 11:26] There shall come of zion a Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. And again Isaiah said, [Isa. 40:9-10] O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain: O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold the Lord God will come with strong power, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. And Zecheriah says when the day of the Lord cometh, [Zech. 14:4, 5] his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives; and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with him. But to remove all doubt, let us take the Savior's own words, when he was asked by his disciples when and what should be the sign of his coming? [Matt. 24:29-34] Immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig-tree; when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.--Verily I say unto you, This generation [in the which these things shall be shewn forth,] shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Again it is written, he said, [Luke 21:24] Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, till the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. We need not quote every passage that alludes to the second coming of the Savior, for it is so plainly foretold by almost all the prophets, that a child can not mistake, even the generation when the Lord may be looked for. For as it is written: [Acts 1:11] Ye men of Gallilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven: So also, when you hear of wars and rumors of wars; when pestilence begins to spread over the whole earth; when famine and other troubles try men's souls, and when, as the Book of Mormon says, the fullness of the gospel goes to the Gentiles, and the remnants of Joseph begin to know that they are the covenant people of the Lord, watch, for the hour is near, when Jesus will drink of the fruit of the vine, new with his disciples in his Father's kingdom.

The only caution we give on this subject, is, be careful and blend not the Day of Judgment, which comes at least, more than a thousand years after the Son of man comes in the clouds of heaven, with the first resurrection! When the earthquake begins to shake this broken globe, and the mountains begin to flow down at his presence, and every valley is exalted, all them that have escaped the desolations, will soon see the Son of man coming in his glory with Zion, or the general assembly and church of the first-born, with him, to reign on earth while satan is bound: Then peace and righteousness, like the noon-sun, will enlighten the world.

<"One Lord">
William Phelps "One Lord," E&MS 1 (Sep 1832)

HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD. {beliefs-lds}

AND Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him [Deut. 34:9]. Moses ordained Joshua that he might receive the Holy Ghost and lead Israel into the promised land. And the apostles laid on hands, that the person might receive the Holy Ghost, if he was contrite before the Lord; for, every one that hungers after righteousness shall be filled, and God give him that repents and is baptized, the gift of the Holy Ghost, that the words which were spoken by the Savior, may be fulfilled, namely: [Mark 16:17-18] And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.

The Lord our God is one Lord, and the Holy One of Israel is one Savior, that spake and the world was, and he never had a church unless the Holy Spirit was in it, because no one can be born into his church without water and the Spirit, for the Spirit is the gift of God, which is so plainly illustrated by Paul, in the 12th chapter to his Corinthian brethren, that were quote it: [1 Cor. 12:3-10] No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom: to another, the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another, faith by the same Spirit: to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, discerning of spirits; to another, all kinds of tongues; to another, the interpretation of tongues.

As the Lord is one God that never changes, where are the signs following them that believe in the sectarian churches? Has God ever said, These signs should cease? No. These signs were in the beginning: Hence, as a sign that Abel had faith and works to please God, his offering was accepted; as a sign that Noah was a righteous man before the Lord, he was saved when the wicked were destroyed by the flood; as a sign that Moses was a man of God, his rod swallowed up the magicians' rods: as a sign that Joshua had received the Spirit of God, the waters of Jordan were cut off while Israel passed over; and also, the walls of Jericho fell when compassed according to the commandment of the Lord; as a sign that followed them that believe, Hannah brought forth a son in answer to her prayer, who was a prophet; as a sign that Elijah had faith in God, he called down fire from heaven; as a sign that Elisha was favored of God, the widow's oil was increased; as a sign that all were subject to God, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, were unscorched in Nebuchadnezzar's furnace; as a sign that God was a revelator of all mysteries, Daniel interpreted the hand-writing upon the wall: as signs that these signs followed them that believed, the apostles spake with tongues on the day of Pentecost; as a sign that the Lord never changed, John brought forth a new revelation on the isle of Patmos; and as a sign that the words of Isaiah are true, the Lord hath again began to give precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, in these last days; and, where faith is exercised, and holiness practised before the Lord, these signs will follow them that believe, until the Savior comes.

In Matthew, the last words of Jesus were: [Matt. 28:19-20] Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

<"Beware">
William Phelps "Beware," E&MS 1 (Sep 1832)



BEWARE LEST ANY MAN SPOIL YOU THROUGH PHILOSOPHY AND VAIN DECEIT.--PAUL. {beliefs-lds} [Col. 2:8]

AMONG all denominations in the world, that serve, or, at least, worship God to be saved, it may be worth while for the humble disciple of the meek and lowly Jesus, to notice how the rich, the great, and the noble, are flattered and honored, and even excused from acts of sin; nor would it be wrong for the children of the living God, to observe how the christians, as they style themselves, follow the changing fashions of the day, to the most extravagant extremes; and watch how greedily they seek the world and all things in it, while the poor are forgotten by their neighbors. Truly did the Savior say, [Luke 16:15] For that which is highly esteemed among men, is an abomination in the sight of God. Great names are clung to, good or bad, and rich men are courted, saints or sinners, though it may be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. As in the days of the Savior, all sects are striving for the uppermost rooms at feasts, and for the chief seats in the synagogues, and as Paul said should be the case in the last days, [2 Tim. 3:5] they have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof. Well might James exclaim: [James 2:5] Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

<"Power of God">
William Phelps "Power of God," E&MS 1 (Sep 1832)

THE POWER OF GOD. {beliefs-lds}

HOW little does man know of the power of God. The prophets who exercised this power, never left a trace of it upon the earth nor a line upon the sacred scroll, which would convince the world what it was. The earthquake, the whirlwind, and the flaming flame, might terrify and astonish, but when Elijah heard the still small voice, he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave, for the Lord was there! When the Lord said to Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, and all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; standing back, afar off, beseeching Moses to speak with God, that he might not speak to them, lest they die, we may know that a man must be pure in heart, to see God: When we read that God is not a man, that he should lie, we learn that he always does as he says, and when we see, by the revelation on the second page of this paper, that the power of God is his honor, then may we exclaim like Lehi of old, Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty! Thy throne is high in the heavens, and thy power, and goodness, and mercy, is over all the inhabitants of the earth!

<Editorial>
William Phelps ed E&MS 1 (Sep 1832)

Worldly Matters.

AN ourang-outang which lately arrived at Pheladelphia, has died with a disorder resembling that of cholera. More than $91,000 in specie, arrived lately in New York, from foreign parts. Five hundred buildings, with most of their contents, were burnt at Port au Prince, on the 8th of July last. From appearances, the Indian War in the Upper Mississippi region, is about closed, and the Illinois militia have been disbanded. The carpet manufactory of Tanfville, Conn. has capital of $123,000. Since the cholera appeared on this continent, $10,000 have been collected in New York for the benefit of the poor and needy. It seems that, at the Union celebration of the 4th of July, in Bishopsville, S.C. the coots poisoned the victuals which sickened all that eat, and one died. On the 7th of July, a raft of Pine boards and shingles, with thirteen persons upon it, landing at Quebec, was driven back in a storm and eleven of the thirteen, were drowned.--On the 10th of July, a schooner was sank in Lake Erie, containing 500 berrels of salt and ten tons of merchandize. On sunday the 22nd of July two daughters of Mr. Woodworth, of Fenner, New York, were killed by lightning; one aged 1 , and the other 5 years. It is said that more than 40,000 emigrants had arrived at Quebec up to July, this season.

We learn, says the Lexington Observer, that a man named Coleman, was murdered near Harrisburg on Friday night last. The particulars, we have not been able to learn, further than that the person deceased, left Harrisburg late on the evening of Friday, for his residence, a short distance in the country, and was waylaid, cut and mangled in a most shocking manner. He had about him, when he left Harrisburg, about 3000 dollars, which was also taken from his pockets. His body was discovered on Saturday morning. The perpetrators of the crime have not been discovered, nor suspicion, as yet, fixed upon them.

Murder.--On Thursday of last week, an Indian by the name of John Steeprock, beat his squaw with his fist, until she died. The outrage was committed near the Tonnewanda Reservation, while they were both drunk. Steeprock was accused by his squaw with having stolen pork, upon which he fell to mauling her, and she fell down, and, to use his own emphatic language, when explaining the act afterwards, "stoped breathing."--[Batavia Advocate.]

Wanted--A wet nurse to take charge of a basket of children left at this office at short time since.--[Miners Journal.]

How to be saved.--When the bishop of Exeter, who preached a sermon at St. James's church last, he gave out his text, 'What shall I do to be saved?' a wag in the side gallery called out, to the evident discomfiture of the right Rev. prolate, but to the no small amusement of a great portion of the congregation, 'vote for the Reform Bill!' The beadle immediately bus led towards the place where the sound proceeded but no further notice was taken of the occurrence.

We observe in the Quebec Mercury of the 21st instant, that the benificent society of that city has resolved "to send back to Europe, with their families, the widowers and widows, whom may be desirous of returning thither."

A statesman of the Tang dynasty recommended the Emperor Kaou-Tsoo to put away all sycophants from the Court. His Majesty asked, 'who are the sycophants?' To find them out, his advisers suggested this notable expedient:--'At your next levee, when your courtiers are all about you, consulting on national affairs, affect to be angry, in order to try them. Those that pertinaciously reason the point, and won't submit to you, are upright statement: those who are awed by your Majesty, and submit to your will, are sycophants.' The Emperor replied, 'the Sovereign is the fountain; statemen are the streams; from a turbid fountain clear streams cannot be obtained. If the Sovereign act a deceitful part how can he expect upright Ministers? I must rule with perfect sincerity. Your device, sir may be a good one, but I cannot adopt it?--[Canton Register.]

LABOR.--The idea that labor degrades the mind, is one of the most mischievous errors of which poor human nature was ever guilty. It enables the idle and vicious to rob the honest and laborious of a large portion of their earnings; it is a most serious obstacle in the way of all improvement, and ought to be discountenanced by every sensible man.--Says Governor Morris, on this subject, 'I have met with mechanics, in the first societies in Europe, from which idlers of high rank were excluded; and was once introduced by a coppersmith to the intimacy of a Duke.'

It is mentioned in the Niagara Gleaner, that several of the deserters from General Scott's forces had arrived at that place from fort Gration. Out of a party of forty that deserted at one time, fifteen had either died or were left on the rout unable to proceed. Before they came to the inhabited part of the Upper Province, the deserters were plundered by the Indians.

REMEDY FOR VOMITING.--Common Coffee--Prepare it in the following manners.--Roast half a pint of Indian corn in an iron pan or kettle, free from any grease; stir it steadily until it is so brown as to be nearly black; grind or powder it. To one tea cup of the corn powder, pour a pint of boiling water--let it boil five minutes in a clean tin vessel, then strain it, and give half a tea-cup full without milk; and if it is vomited once, give the other half cup which is usually sufficient.

This receipt cures nine times out of ten, and is valuable as it enables the stomach to retain medicine.--[Alb. Jour.]

Bogota papers to the 10th of June, received at Baltimore, contain intelligence of the cholera having made its appearance in Chili.

"This fatal news," says the Balletin de Pop yan, "has just reached us, and we consider ourselves under obligation to give it immediate publicity. A letter from Santiago de Chili, from unquestionable source, dated 12 February, says. "An epedemic called Scarletine, or Cholera Morbus, has made its appearance in this country, with so much violence, that people die in the streets in a few minutes after leaving their houses. By the mail just arrived from Valparaiso, we learn, that 363 persons have died in that city in the space of eight days; and during the present week 591 have died in this capital."
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POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1830.

Maine, . . . . . 399,462 New Hampshire, . 269,533 Vermont, . . . . 280,655 Massachusetts, . 610,100 Connecticut, . . 297,711 Rhode Island, . 97,211 New York, . . .1,934,496 New Jersey, . . 320,770 Pennsylvania, .1,336,034 Delaware, . . . 76,737 Maryland, . . . 446,913 Verginia, . . .1,186,287 N. Carolina . . 738,470 S. Carolina . . 581,478 Georgia, . . . . 516,567 Ohio, . . . . . 937,679 Kentucky, . . . 688,844 Indiana, . . . . 341,585 Illinois, . . . 157,575 Missouri, . . . 137,127 Tennessee, . . . 684,822 Louisiana, . . . 215,275 Alabama, . . . . 309,216 Mississippi, . . 97,865 Dis. Col., . . . 39,858 Michigan, . . . 31,696 Arkansas, . . . 39,380 Florida, . . . . 34,725

Total. 12,796,649

FOREIGN STATISTICS.

Inhabitants of Sicily, . . . . . . . . . . . 1,780,000 Ecclesiastics, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300,000 Monks, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,117 Income of the clergy in Spain, . . . . . . .$71,040,000 Government Tax, in 1799, . . . . . . . . . .$24,420,000 Clergy loaned government in 16 years . . . . L1,890,000 Received from the people in the same time, L195,000,000 Extraordinary exactions, same time, . . . .L56,000,000 Number of Priests, . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200,000 Number of beggars--nearly, . . . . . . . . . 300,000 Ignorance among the lower classes keeps Spain bound with the fetters of a tyranic Priesthood.



REMARKABLE FULFILMENT OF INDIAN PROPHECY.

FORTY or fifty years ago, while living in their ancient rudeness, and practicing customs whioh now remain only as vestiges, the Cherokees were accustomed to be addressed, when assembled in their town houses, by certain individuals who were to be found in every village. Whether these individuals were a distinct class of men and set apart for the special purpose of talking, and relating traditions to the people, or whether they were nothing more than the leaders or head men of the villages, we are not prepared to say.

It is a fact, however, which many living eye witnesses can testify, in addition to many very interesting particulars (with which, perhaps, we may hereafter entertain our readers) related of these men, that they actually foretold the events which are now taking place in relation to the south western Indians. It was their custom, on the occasions above mentioned, to take their station (some say they would ascend the town house, wearing leggins made of dressed but unsmoked deer skin, and fanning themselves with the wing of some particular bird) and relating the traditions of the nation to the people.

The language they employed was somewhat different from the one in common use, many words and phrases being interspersed in their speeches which were not understood by the mass of their hearers, especially when mentioning the names of places where the Cherokees had formerly resided. They would tell of the events which had happened to their forefathers and would bring their account to the time in which they lived, when a new era in their history would commence in consequence of approaching settlements of the white man.

In speaking of the future destiny of their nation, they foretold with a remarkable exactness the principal events which have since taken place in its history. This part of their address was something like the following.

Our elder brother [meaning the white people--using the singular for the plural] has become our neighbor: he is now near us, and already occupies our ancient habitations--But this is as our forefathers told us--They said my [our] feet are turned towards the west--they are never to turn round. Now mark what our fathers told us. Your elder brother will settle around you--he will encroach upon your lands, and then ask you to sell them to him. When you give him a part of your country, he will not be satisfied but ask for more. In process of time he will ask you to become like him--He will tell you that your mode of life is not as good as his--Whereupon you will be induced to make great roads through the nation, by which he can have free access to you. He will learn your women to spin and weave and make clothes, and learn you to cultivate the earth. He will even teach you his language, and learn you to read and write, &c. &c. But these are but the means to destroy you, and to eject you from you habitations. He will point you to the west, but you will find no resting place there, for your elder brother will drive you from one place, to another until you get to the great western waters.--These things will certainly happen, but it will be when we are dead and gone.--We shall not live to see and feel the misery which will come upon you.

Such in substance was a portion of their speeches and it is that which we have denominated prophecy, and as for the fulfilment, we leave it to the reader to judge for himself.

It is, perhaps, difficult to say upon what ground the forebodings of untutored men were predicted. It will hardly do to say that they judged from the past conduct of the whites towards other Indian tribes, because they were in a great measure ignorant of the behavior of whites, except towards the Cherokees themselves, and there was nothing in that behavior, at that time, to create suspicion that the events which they seem to have foreseen would actually take place.--[Cheroke Phoenix.]

REMARKS.--Notwithstanding the Indians may doubt, or even fear the policy of the government of the United States, in gathering and planting them in one place, &c.--they may be assured, that the object is good, and they will soon be convinced that it is the best thing that has come to pass among them for many generations.--[Star.]

PERSECUTION OF THE QUAKERS.

THOUGH the government of New England was restrained from putting the Quakers to death, and granted them liberty for a while, it lasted not long.--The dispositions of the magistrates was still the same.

In 1662, Mary Tomkins, Alice Ambrose, and Ann Coleman came under a religious concern to visit their friends about Piscataqua river. They had not been long there, before Rayner, a priest of Dover, excited the magistrates to persecute them. He bro't them before Walden, a deputy magistrate, who telling them of the law they had to punish them, Mary Tomkins answered, "So there was a law that Daniel should not pray to his God." He replied, "Yes, and Daniel suffered, and so shall you." Also, when A. Ambrose said, "Her name was written in the Lamb's book of Life," he answered, "Nobody here knows that book, and for this you shall suffer." On this occasion the priest supplying the place of a clerk, formed for him a warrant or order as follows:

"To the Constables of Dover, Hampton, Salisbury, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, Wennam, Linn, Boston, Roxbury, Dedham, and until these vagabond Quakers are carried out this jurisdiction.

"You and every of you are required in the King's majesty's name, to take these vagabond Quakers, Anne Coleman, Mary Tomkins, and Alice Ambros, and make them fast to the cart's tail, and driving the cart through your several towns, to whip them on their backs, not exceeding ten stripes a piece on each of them, in each town, and so convey them from constable to constable, till they come out of this jurisdiction, as you will answer it at your peril: and this shall be your warrant.

Per me,

"RICHARD WALDEN"

Dated at Dover, Dec. 22, 1662.

This order was executed at Dover, while the priest stood by and laughed; for which cruel levity Eliakim Wardel and William Fourbish reproved him; when the magistrate caused them to be put into the stocks. They were then conveyed to Hampton, and then again whipped, and also at Salisbury; but the constable of that town, deputing a person to convey them further, he, moved with compassion, determined to run the hazard of breaking the law, and set them at liberty, whereby the priest was disappointed of his aim, which seemed to be to take away their lives, which in all likelihood had been the case, if the constables of these eleven townships had executed the warrant with such severity as he had excited the constable of Dover to do, the distance from Dover, to the end of the jurisdiction, being about eighty miles.

After a little time they returned again to Dover, where, being met together with other friends on the first day of the week, whilst A. Ambrose was at prayer, 2 Constables, Thomas Roberts and John his brother, came into the meeting, and taking her each by an arm, dragged her out of doors, and then through the snow, which was knee-deep, over stumps and old trees, near a mile; when they had wearied themselves, they commanded two others to help them; then they fetched Mary Tomkins, and treated her in like manner. The next morning, which was excessive cold, they forced them into a canoe, together with Ann Coleman, (who had in love accompanied them) and carried them to the harbour's mouth, threatening that they would now dispose of them so, as that they would be troubled with them no more. And because they were not willing to go they forced them down a steep place in the snow, dragging Mary Tomkins again over stumps of trees to the water side, whereby she was much bruised, and fainted under their hands. Anne Ambrose they pulled into the water, and kept her swimming by the canoe, in danger of drowning, or being frozen to death. They would in all probability have proceeded in their design of murdering them, had they not been prevented by a storm, which drove them back to the house where they had kept them all the night before. They kept them there till near midnight, and then turned them out of doors, in the frost and snow, though Ann Ambrose's clothes were frozen. The barbarity exercised on these women was such, that, to all human probability, they must have perished, had not providence in a signal manner preserved them. It did not appear that these men had any legal authority for what they did, but that they were encouraged to this abuse of these harmless women by a ruling elder of their church, (miscalled) "Hate-evil Nutter."

SELECT POETRY.

GOD IS LOVE [by William W. Phelps].

EARTH with her ten thousand flowers, Air with all its beams and showers; Heaven's infinite expanse; Ocean's resplendent countenance--All around, and all above, Hath this record--God is love.

Bounds among the vales and hills, In the woods, and by the hills, Of the breeze and of the bird, By the gentle murmur stirred--Sacred songs, beneath, above, Have one chorus--God is love.

All the hopes that sweetly start, From the fountain of the heart; All the bliss that ever comes, To our earthly --human homes--All the voices from above, Sweetly whisper--God is love.

HYMN.

PRAISE to God, immortal praise, For the love that crowns our days; Bounteous source of every joy, Let thy praise our tongues employ;

For the blessings of the field, For the stores the gardens yield, For the vine's exalted juice, For the gen'rous olive's use;

Flocks that whiten all the plain, Yellow sheates of ripen'd grain, Clouds that drop their fatt'ning dews, Suns that temp'rate warmth diffuse;

All that spring with bounteous hand Scatters o'er the smiling land; All that lib'ral autum pours From her rich o're flowing stores;

These to thee, our God we owe, Source where all our blessings flow; And for these our souls shall raise Grateful vows and solemn praise.

This solemn pledge the Scriptures give--The wicked die: The righteous live.

The Evening and the Morning Star

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THE EVENING AND THE MORNING STAR

VOL. 1
OCT, NOV, DEC 1832
INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI



VOL. I, NO. 5, INDEPENDENCE, MO. OCTOBER, 1832.