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Source document in Mormon Publications: 19th and 20th Centuries online archive: Times and Seasons Vol. 6]

TIMES AND SEASONS
"TRUTH WILL PREVAIL"
Volume VI. No. 8.]	CITY OF NAUVOO, ILL. May 1, 1845	[Whole No. 116.

HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH.

[Continued.]

About this date the brethren in Zion received the following communication from Governor Dunklin, in reply to their petition of September 28th.

City of Jefferson, Executive }

Department, Oct. 19, 1833. }

To Edward Partridge, W. W. Phelps, Isaac Morley, John Corrill, A. S. Gilbert, John Whitmer, and others:-

Your memorial soliciting my interposition against violence threatened you, and redress for injuries received by a portion of the citizens of Jackson county, has been received, and its contents duly considered. I should think myself unworthy the confidence with which I have been honored by my fellow citizens, did I not promptly employ all the means which the Constitution and laws have placed at my disposal, to avert the calamities with which you are threatened.

Ours is a Government of laws, to them we all owe obedience, and their faithful administration is the best guarantee for the enjoyment of our rights.

No citizen, nor number of citizens, have a right to take the redress of their grievances, whether real or imaginary, into their own hands: Such conduct strikes at the very existence of society, and subverts the foundation on which it is based. Not being willing to persuade myself that any portion of the citizens of the State of Missouri are so lost to a sense of these truths as to require the exercise of force, in order to ensure a respect for them.

After advising with the Attorney General, and exercising my best judgment, I would advise you to make a trial of the efficacy of the laws; the Judge of your circuit is a conservator of the peace. If an affidavit is made before him by any of you, that your lives are threatened and you believe them in danger, it would be his duty to have the offenders apprehended and bind them to keep the peace. Justices of the peace in their respective counties have the same authority, and it is made their duty to exercise it. Take, then, this course: obtain a warrant, let it be placed in the hands of the proper officer, and the experiment will be tested whether the laws can be peaceably executed or not, In the event they cannot be, and that fact is officially notified to me, my duty will require me to take such steps as will enforce a faithful execution of them.

With regard to the injuries you have sustained by destruction of property, &c., the law is open to redress, I cannot permit myself to doubt that the courts will be open to you, nor that you will find difficulty in procuring legal advocates to sue for damages therein.

Respectfully,

Your ob't servant,

DANIEL DUNKLIN.

W. W. PHELPS, ESQ., Independence, Mo."

Immediately on receipt of the Governor's letter, the members of the church generally, (though they had lain idle since the outrage in July,) began to labor as usual and build and set in order their houses, gardens, &c.

Tuesday the 29th of October, we took our departure from Mount Pleasant, on our return to Kirtland and arrived at Buffalo, New York, on the 31st.

While we were thus pursuing our journey the brethren in Zion were busily engaged in devising means of redress for their grievances, and having consulted with four lawyers from Clay county, then attending court in Independence, they received from them the following letter on the day written; which I will copy entire, that the principle by which the lawyers of this generation are actuated may be recorded, as well as the difficulties the Saints had to encounter, in executing the Governor's letter.

"Independence, Oct. 30, 1833.

Gentlemen;-The first thing necessary to be done, under circumstances like ours, is to ascertain and fix upon the amount of fee to be paid, and to secure the payment thereof by the necessary papers; and then the responsibility of advising rests upon us. We are now laboring under all the disadvantages of an engagement, without any of its advantages; it therefore becomes us to know whether we can agree as to the fee, or not; and that we should be paid, too, according to the situation in which we place ourselves. We have been doing a practice here, among these people, to a considerable extent, and by the engagement, we must expect to lose the greatest part of it, which will be to all of us a considerable loss; besides that the amount involved must be very considerable, and the amount involved must be generally the criterion of the fee. Taking all these matters into consideration, we propose

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to you to bring all the suits you may want brought, and attend to them jointly throughout, for the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars each, making for all four of us the sum of one thousand dollars.

This may seem to be a large sum for a fee for lawyers in this country, but the circumstances here involved make it necessary . This matter must be attended to in the first place, and then such advice, for the present, as may seem to be dictated by wisdom, and be necessary, we will give you; and in the proper time we will bring the suits. If this proposal suits, you will please execute notes, and send them to us: and if not agreed to apprise us by letter immediately, for we can be engaged on the opposite side in all probability. We prefer to bring your suits, as we have been threatened by the mob, we wish to show them we disregard their empty bravadoes.

Signed WOOD,

REESE,

DONIPHAN, & ATCHISON.

As a dernier resort, the brethren accepted the foregoing proposition, and Brothers Phelps and Partridge gave their note, of one thousand dollars, endorsed by Gilbert and Whitney. No sooner had the news spread among the mob, than they began to congregate and prepare for battle.

Friday, November 1st 1833, left Buffalo, New York, at eight o'clock A. M., and arrived at my house in Kirtland on Monday the 4th ten A. M., and found my family well according to the promise of the Lord in the revelation of Oct. 12th, for which I felt to thank my heavenly Father.

Thursday night the 31st of October gave the Saints in Zion abundant proof, that no pledge, written or verbal, was longer to be regarded; for on that night, between forty and fifty in number, many of whom were armed with guns, proceeded against a branch of the church west of Big-Blue, and unroofed, and partly demolished, ten dwelling houses; and in the midst of the shrieks and screams of women and children, whipped and beat in a savage and brutal manner, several of the men; and with their horrid threats, frightened women and children into the wilderness. Such of the men as could iescape [escape], fled for their lives; for very few of them had arms, neither were they embodied; and they were threatened with death if they made any resistance; such therefore as could not escape by flight, received a pelting by rocks, and a beating with guns, sticks, &c.

On Friday the 1st of November, women and children sallied forth from their gloomy retreat, to contemplate with heart rending anguish, the ravages of a ruthless mob, in the mangled bodies of their husbands, and in the destruction of their houses, and some of their furniture.-Houseless and unprotected by the arm of the civil law in Jackson County, the dreary month of November staring them in the face, and loudly proclaiming an inclement season, at hand; the continual threats of the mob, that they would drive out every Mormon from the county; and the inability of many to remove, because of their poverty, caused an anguish of heart indescribable.

On Friday night, the 1st of November, a party of the mob, proceeded to attack a branch of the church at the prairie, about twelve or fourteen miles from the village. Two of their numbers were sent in advance, as spies, viz. Robert Johnson, and one Harris, armed with two guns, and three pistols. They were discovered by some of the Saints, and without the least injury being done to them, said (mob) Johnson, struck Parley P. Pratt with the breech of his gun, over the head; after which they were taken and detained till morning; which it was believed, prevented a general attack of the mob that night. In the morning, they were liberated without receiving the least injury.

The same night (Friday,) another party in Independence, commenced stoning houses, breaking down doors and windows, destroying furniture, &c. This night, the brick part, attached to the dwelling house of A. S. Gilbert, was partly pulled down, and the windows of his dwelling broken in with brick-bats, and rocks; while a gentleman stranger lay sick with a fever in his house.

The same night, three doors of the store of Messrs. Gilbert and Whitney, were split open: and after midnight, the goods lay scattered in the streets, such as calicoes, handkerchiefs, shawls, cambricks, &c. An express came from the village after midnight to a party of their men, who had embodied about half a mile from the village, for the safety of their lives; stating that the mob were tearing down houses and scattering the goods of the store in the streets. The main body of the mob fled, at the approach of this company. One Richard McCarty was caught in the act of throwing rocks and brick-bats into the doors, while the goods lay strung around him in the streets and was immediately taken before Samuel Weston Esq.; and a complaint was then made to said Weston, and a warrant requested, that said McCarty might be secured; but said Weston refused to do any thing in the case at that time. Said McCarty was then liberated.

The same night, some of their houses in the village, had long poles thrust through the shutters and sash into the rooms of defenceless [defenseless] women

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and children, from whence their husbands and fathers had been driven by the dastardly attacks of the mob, which were made by ten, fifteen or twenty men upon a house at a time.

Saturday, the second of November, all the families of the Saints, in the village, moved about half a mile out, with most of their goods; and embodied to the number of thirty, for the preservation of life and personal effects. This night, a party from the village, met a party from the west of the Blue, and made an attack upon a branch of the church, located at the Blue, about six miles from the village; here they tore the roof from one dwelling, and broke open another house, found the owner David Bennet, sick in bed, whom they beat most inhumanly [inhumanely], swearing they would blow out his brains, and discharged a pistol, the ball of which cut a deep gash across the top of his head. In this skirmish, a young man of the mob, was shot in the thigh; but, by which party remains yet to be determined.

The next day, Sunday Nov. 3d, four of the church, viz: Joshua Lewis, Hiram Page, and two others, were despatched [dispatched] for Lexington, to see the circuit judge, and obtain a peace warrant. Two called on Esq. Silvers, who refused to issue one, on account, as he has declared of his fears of the mob. This day many of the citizens, professing friendship, advised the Saints to clear from the county, as speedily as possible; for the Saturday night affray had enraged the whole county, and they were determined to come out on Monday, and massacre indiscriminately; and in short it was proverbial among the mob, that "Monday would be a bloody day."

Monday came, and a large party of the mob gathered at the Blue, took the ferry boat, belonging to the church, threatened lives, &c. But they soon abandoned the ferry, and went to Wilson's store, about one mile west of the Blue. Word had previously gone to a branch of the church, several miles west of the Blue, that the mob were destroying property, on the east side of the Blue, and the sufferers there wanted help, to preserve their lives and property. Nineteen men volunteered, and started for their assistance; but discovering, that fifty or sixty of the mob, had gathered at said Wilson's, they turned back.

At this time two small boys passed on their way to Wilson's, who gave information to the mob, that the Mormons were on the road west of them. Between forty and fifty of the mob immediately started with guns in pursuit; after riding about two or two and a half miles, they discovered them, when the said company of nineteen, immediately dispersed, and fled in different directions. The mob hunted them, turning their horses into a corn field, belonging to the Saints, searching their corn fields and houses, threatening women and children that they would pull down their houses and kill them if they did not tell where the men had fled.

Thus, they were employed hunting the men, and threatening the women, until a company of thirty of the Saints, from the prairie, armed with seventeen guns, made their appearance.

The former company of nineteen had dispersed, and fled, and but one or two of them had returned to take part in the subsequent battle. On the approach of the latter company of thirty men, some of the mob cried, "fire, God damn ye, fire." Two or three guns were then fired by the mob, which were returned by the other party without loss of time. This company is the same, that is represented by the mob, as having gone forth in the evening of the battle bearing the olive branch of peace. The mob retreated early after the first fire, leaving some of their horses in Whitmer's corn field; and two of their number, Hugh L. Brazeale and Thomas Linvill, dead on the ground. Thus fell H. L. Brazeale, one who had been heard to say, "with ten fellows, I will wade to my knees in blood, but that I will drive the Mormons from Jackson County." The next morning the corpse of said Brazeale was discovered on the battle ground with a gun by his side. Several were wounded on both sides, but none mortally, except one Barber, on the part of the Saints, who expired the next day.-This battle was fought about sun-set, Monday Nov. the 4th; and the same night, runners were despatched [dispatched] in every direction under pretence [pretense] of calling out the militia; spreading as they went, every rumor calculated to alarm and excite the unwary; such as, that the Mormons had taken Independence, and the Indians had surrounded it, being colleagued together, &c.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THE ISLAND OF TOOBOUI, SOCIETY GROUP, DATED,

September 17th, 1844.

My Dear Wife:

I doubt not but you will say "now my husband has got the desire of his heart," when I tell you the six first persons I have adopted into the kingdom by baptism are sailors, and perhaps you will ask, did you hammer the rust off them any? I will answer, could you see them on their knees, and hear their humble petitions, and the sincerity with which they thank the Lord for so ordering events, that I have been so casually thrown on

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this Island, and have been instrumental in his hands of showing them the way of life and salvation, I doubt not but you would say, "there has been a great change wrought some how."

I told you in my last, dated July 6th, I had baptized one; on the 22nd July I baptized nine more, four Americans, one Scotchman, four Natives; two of them are the man and wife with whom I live. On the 29th July, I proceeded to organize a branch of the church, which we call the Tooboui branch of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints; (take particular notice) consisting of eleven members, all in good standing.

On the 5th of August, I administered the sacrament: for wine I substituted cocoa nut milk, that was a pure beverage, which never had come to the open air, till we broke the nut for that purpose. On the 8th of August, I baptized another. The inhabitants have recently held a meeting to regulate Government affairs, among other things, they resolved to build me a house; they seem determined on my staying here, notwithstanding I say much about the gathering.

Were I to take up my residence any where out of the body of the church, I could not find I believe, a more delightful spot than this;-the climate is beautiful: never so cold as to have frost though in July and August it is as cold as it can be, and not freeze-January and February are the warmest months, though the heat is never so scorching as some days we have at home.

There are only two objections to the Island; in summer the mosquitos [mosquitoes] are innumerable;-in winter the fleas are equally plenty: but we have means to guard against them.

Before I came here King Tommatooah, buried his wife; on the 14th July I married him, to Toupah, his Queen; he has been very friendly with me ever since I came here. Perhaps you will ask, how do you enjoy yourself so far from former friends and home? I answer, sometimes when I get to thinking about home I feel that I could leave all and return as quick as possible: a few evenings since I fell into such a train of thoughts, and told my brethren I went to bed, fell asleep and dreamed, I had deserted my post and got to Nauvoo; the people all knew I had left without counsel, and they treated me with coolness and neglect;-this mortified my feelings so much that I never thought of my family; I saw Br. Young, he was busily employed in sending a company of elders to Europe; I felt an anxiety to go with them; but I had deserted one station, and they never intended to send me to another. I then thought I would go back to the one I had left, but I had no means to get back, or to help myself with; I thought my shame was greater than I could bear, and with these reflections I awoke.

I was sometime before I could make out where I was; at length I found myself in bed on Tooboui, and felt quite happy, I have been perfectly contented since. I have lived at Mattaoora since I came here, till the 23d of August. I then removed to this place called Mahoo; this is the place where we first landed.

The second Sabbath after I came, the church came over to visit me, and I baptized seven more, all natives and heads of families. I administered the sacrament and me [we] felt that we were greatly blest.

Last Saturday a vessel came on the other side of the Island, and Br. Hill sent me word she was from Tahita. I started to see her, in hopes to get letters from my two brethren there; but when I found they had none, I was sorely disappointed, and vexed; I have never received but two letters from them since they left me here; there has been no less than eight vessels here going to Tahita, and I have sent letters by them all, and Br. Hill near a half dozen; and we get no answers; why it is we do not know, if they are not in the fault, we wish them to clear themselves.

It is now a year, since I have heard a syllable from home, and three months since I have heard from the brethren at Tahita. The last mentioned vessel brought word that there were missionaries coming here from Tahita and would "play hell" with me for breaking into their sheepfold. I returned to my place, told Br. Hill if any thing of importance transpired, to send me word.

There came a runner before my morning discourse was ended, informing me that the missionaries had arrived. In the evening came a letter that they had been on shore and given the poor Mormons a tremendous thrashing;-christened some infants, told all the lies they knew about Br. Joseph and the church, and had gone on board again; that they were to be on shore the next day, and I must meet them.

The next morning I went over, and found them in the house I had kept school in learning the natives to sing. Br. Bowen was acquainted with them. I went in with my church, and was introduced to them, I reached out my hand they said, no; we do not give you the hand till we are better acquainted. I sat down where I could look them full in the face, which I did, as if they had been the first specimens

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of the human family I had ever seen. I had heard so much of their iniquity, I wanted to see how they looked; to me they looked guilty indeed! The fourth, by the name of More, is a hot headed fellow against the Mormons; he got so enraged the day before, he fairly danced about it. Howe at length turned to me and very sanctimoniously remarked, I understand you have come among these Islands in the capacity of a preacher. I answered in the affirmative; and what do you preach? The sacred truths of the Bible, I replied. Said he I suppose you are aware that so many years ago the London Missionary Society established a mission here at a very vast expense; the whole stress was on the vast expense; the cost of translating the bible, &c. Well said I, and now are you opposed to having the bible preached after you have accomplished the translation? He said no; he had understood I had another book I preached from. I told him it was a mistake, and went on to tell him what it was; a long dialogue ensued in which they all questioned me on the fundamental principles of the gospel, and they had to drop several points they introduced for fear of trapping themselves; at length they told me they found no fault with me as far as the bible was concerned, but the Book of Mormon they had read, and said it was a bad book. I told them to show me some specimens of bad doctrine in it; they turned to the place where it says, "Adam fell that man might be," they flounced greatly that; I soon succeeded in proving it was not contrary to bible doctrine. Well, they said they could find a worse place then that; so they turned to where it says, "Adam had to know misery before he knew happiness.' This they spouted upon me in a great rage.-I referred them to the temptations of the Savior, his sufferings that he might be perfected; what, said they, do you suppose all the angels in heaven, knew sin before they knew happiness? as for all of them I could not say, but if the bible is true we know some of them did; for John tells of one he saw who would not let him worship him because he was of his fellow servants the prophets. They did not know what to make of me; but I suppose they thought I was a dry bone to pick a dinner off any how.

I then began to question them about their belief in the bible, and the coming of the Son of God the second time: contrasted this with the dispensation of Noah, told them the world was now being warned, and the consequences that would ensue, if men did not give heed.-I then raised my right hand towards heaven and called on, all the heavenly hosts to witness the testimony I bore; that I knew Br. Joseph Smith to be a good man and a prophet of the Lord: and I roared on them like a lion-I believe my eyes flashed, for I felt as if I could swallow them all at one mouthful. The spirit of the Lord rested upon me; it threw them into confusion, they knew not what to say. They finally told me as long as I preached the truth they would pray that I might be upheld, but if I preached error they should pray it might fall to the ground. Then I said, our prayers will be united.

I let them have a Book of Mormon, a Voice of Warning, and O. Pratt's pamphlet on finding the plates. I told them I was happy to see them manifest a better spirit; and reminded them how they had abused me and my cause the day before. This they attempted to deny but I was able to prove it. They said Brother Joseph was in jail for adultery. Br. Hill knew too many of their tricks to be fooled; he replied, if imprisonment was the penalty for adultery here, there are not many of you who would be at liberty to-day to my certain knowledge. They did not deny it, but one said there were many things they had cause to regret.

We separated-they shook me by the hand with the cordiality of old friends. The natives felt hurt for me when they saw them at first refuse to shake hands with me. King Tommatooah told me not to lay it to heart, for they were going home to England, and would not return; and now is our time to supply them with missionaries.

The natives took my part, and defended the cause with great boldness when I was not present. Br. Hill I have adopted in Br. Hanks, stead: he is one of the honorable men of the earth-intelligent and kind. I have great reason to esteem him:-my American brethren are all extremely kind and willing to divide to the last with me.

The native family with whom I live are much attached to me; where I go, they go, and where I stay, they stay; they consider all they have is mine.

The woman was once married to a Boston ship carpenter; he died, and this native man is her second husband; they are good people:-while she lived with her first husband, she learned to make and mend shirts, wash, starch and iron. She is naturally ingenious, They all talk much of coming to America, and often ask where is the ship to go in? It is a spiritual feast to me to meet them in prayer meetings, and hear them pray for Br. Joseph and the church, and with all simplicity thank the Lord for sending me among them.

When the brethren get their vessel done,

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which will be a year from this time, if we should not hear from you, we think of going to Columbia river, and so cross the Rocky Mountains to Nauvoo. If you wish to know when I am coming home, you must ask Br. Young.-

I see nothing in the way of sending a host of elders-the islands all want teachers.

Our long imprisonment on the Timmoleon, (for I can never call it any thing else,) served to form attachments among the passengers, which will be long remembered. Dr. Winslow and his wife treated me with great respect; made me several presents-likewise the captain made me some presents-and told the young king if he did not use me well, he would come back there and take me away.-Dr. Winslow told me if I wished to leave the island, and had not means, I might draw on him at Tahita, for any amount I wanted, and he would meet the demand: and if I could never conveniently refund it, he would give it to me. Mrs. Winslow is a superior woman-We parted with much friendship, and from Tahita they sent me a long letter; that the wars there had thwarted their plans, that their goods where reshipped for the Sandwich Islands, and urged me to visit them there before I returned to America.

Mr. Lincoln, I understand, is baptized at Tahita; he was one of our passengers, and a fine man too.

And now, my dear family, I must bid you adieu: could I get a letter from you, it would do me more good than all the letters I ever had in my life. Often at the dusk of evening when all is still and silent, but the distant roar of breakers upon the coral reef, do I take a long and lonely walk upon the beautiful sand beach that skirts the island; and as I gaze upon the broad ocean that separates us, my mind is wafted to Nauvoo, to my home and fireside; and as I gaze upon the happy circle, I ask-has grim death made any inroads there? I am lead to say there are none gone; for I committed you to the care of my heavenly Father when I left you, and when I have done so, I have never been disappointed.

Give my love to all the Saints, and enlist their prayers, that when I have faithfully discharged the trust committed to me, I may return with the laurels of an approving conscience. That we may be preserved till we all meet again to praise the name of the Lord together, is the prayer of your affectionate husband and father,

ADDISON PRATT,

TO MRS. LOUISA PRATT, NAUVOO.

CONFERENCE MINUTES.

Princes Grove, Peoria county, Illinois, April 26, 1845.

A conference of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints was held at the house of P. Brunson, pursuant to previous appointment. Elder John Sigler was called to the chair and John T. Guthrie was appointed clerk. Conference was opened by singing;-prayer by Elder Hitchcock. Elder Sigler then arose and returned his sincere thanks to the conference for the confidence reposed in him, and was aware of the responsibility attending his situation as presiding officer of the conference, and also every member composing the same, Elder Sigler preached upon the subject of the kingdom of God and was followed by Elder P. Brunson who made some very appropriate remarks upon the subject of the gospel. On motion conference adjourned until to-morrow morning 11 o'clock.

Conference convened agreeable to adjournment, and was called to order by singing and prayer. After which Elder Sigler arose and preached upon the subject of the kingdom again, in continuation of his subject the day before and was followed by Augustus Richards, who very highly approbated the course which Elder Sigler had taken in explaning [explaining] to the auditory [audience?] the consequences which must follow unbelief. A representation of the several branches composing said conference was then called for.

The Toulon branch Stark county, returned eighteen members all in good standing, three elders, two priests, and one teacher. John Sigler their presiding elder.

Princes Grove branch, Peoria county, returned twelve members. Three elders all in good standing represented by P. Brunson their presiding elder.

On motion resolved that the editor of the Time and Seasons be requested to publish the minutes of this conference.

On motion conference adjourned.

JOHN SIGLER, Pres.

JOHN T. GUTHRIE, Clerk.

THE JEWS.

Among the many societies, who have recently met in various parts of our country, to celebrate anniversaries, and carry out means for future operations, was the "American Society" which seek to help the Jews. From a New York paper, we select the following:-

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MELIORATING THE CONDITION OF THE JEWS.

The Anniversary was held last evening in

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the Broome-street Church. The meeting was opened by prayer, after which the President, Rev. Mr. Milledoller, proceeded to give an interesting account of the history of the Jewish nation, their claims upon the Christian world, and their prospects in the future. From the time of the destruction of the temple in the year 70, they have been without a country, without a ruler, and constantly visited by retributive justice-the fulfilled promises of God It was stated that the Jews have however suffered more than the merciless treatment of man, than they have deserved from any acts they have committed. The prophecies of Scripture were alluded to in stating that the Jews cannot consistently account for rejecting those portions which related to the coming of the Messiah, and which have been so plainly fulfilled.

It is difficult from the scattered state of the Jews to ascertain their actual number, but it is believed to exceed 3,000,000, most of whom still retain and observe the customs and many of the laws of their forefathers. The present condition of the nation is believed to be improving, although their long political subserviency [subservience] has not greatly changed. In England and on the Continent of Europe many of the disabilities are being gradually removed, and in this country they have never existed. In all their persecutions the Jews have ever been comforted with the hope of a restoration to their ancient and promised heritage. Various stated periods have been fixed for this important event. Dr. Priestly of England, fixes for the year 1850, and 1866 has been calculated on by many as the "appointed time."-These calculations are of course founded on certain explanations of the prophecies. The claims of the Jew to sympathy and aid, were strongly adverted to. They are the descendants of the "Father of the Faithful" From them have sprung most illustrious men of the world. They have preserved the Old Testament in its purity, and have always revered its precepts-to them we are indebted for its faithful preservation, which has been ever kept as the most sacred treasure. The Jews were alluded to as living witnesses of the truth of Scripture, and as a constant miracle of the providence of God. The signs of the times show a greatly increased interest in the cause of the Jews. The Christians have in many ways exhibited a desire for their conversion, and the Jew himself has shown a ready appreciation of the efforts in his behalf. The actual success of the Society in making converts does not appear to be very great. The receipts of the Society of the past year were $3716, of which $477 were received by legacies. The receipts show an increase of nearly double from those of the previous year. The Society publication, the Jewish Chronicle, has increased in circulation from 800 to 1300. The number of Auxiliary Societies formed during the year has been very encouraging, and much benefit is expected from their efforts.

Several distinguished scholars were present, and addresses were made by Rev. Dr. De Witt, Rev. Mr. Johns of Baltimore, and Rev. Dr. Herschell of England, who has just arrived in this country to prosecute his labors. The plan proposed by the Society to accomplish this object, is in the words of inspiration, "to preach Christ crucified" and it is believed that the showing the simple history of the claims and evidences of its truth, and the zealous efforts of the various Christian churches, will accomplish the object of the Society-the conviction, and consequent melioration of the present Jewish nation."

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

As all men are not equally learned, we take a small extract from the "Book of Denominations," to show how the now prevailing church of England, first came into existence. We live in a day of investigation and trouble, and, to be right, needs investigation, care, and even revelation. The extract reads thus.

"Perhaps there is no church upon earth whose doctrines and constitution are so little understood by the majority of its members as the united church of England and Ireland.-The leading facts in its history are indeed generally known, but what it really believes and teaches, how far it is ecclesiastical and how far secular, and how the one interferes with the other, and how strangely they are frequently amalgamated, to the deterioration of religion and the best interests of the community, very few indeed are competent to determine. The antiquity claimed for the church by a few of its more zealous advocates, on account of some fancied and mysterious connexion [connection] which they pretend to discover subsisting between it and a church more ancient than that of Rome, and purely apostolic in its character, is perfectly ludicrous. Every vestige of such a church vanished before the missionaries of the pope at a very early period of our ecclesiastical history, and at the Reformation there was no church in Christendom that was more entirely popish, tyrannical, and corrupt, than the church of England.

It is said there is no royal road to geometry-but Henry VII, soon convinced the pope and the nation, that he had discovered a truly royal

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method of effecting the reformation of religion. It was not by a slow process of instruction, not even by writing a treatise in its favor, as he had once done in opposition to its mightiest champion; his own sovereign dictum achieved in an hour what Wickliffe, and Ridley, and Cranmer might have attempted in vain for a century. Not that there was anything resembling a true and scriptural reformation, effecting by the violent and arbitrary changes which Henry introduced into the Anglican church. Those changes were favorable to the diffusion of evangelical light, and the reformers availed themselves of the opportunity thus afforded them, to imbue the mind of the nation with protestant principles; but Henry was as much a papist as a protestant, persecuted both with equal severity, and had nothing at heart in the zeal which he affected for religion, but humbling the pontiff, and gratifying his own avarice and ambition by seizing the ecclesiastical revenues, and constituting himself instead of his Holiness the Supreme Head of the Church. The clergy was alarmed, and whispered the curses they did not dare to formulate. Henry laughed at their terrors;-despised their combinations, and with an atrocious gaiety, perfectly harmonizing with the general brutality of his character cooly [coolly] said, "I will betake me to their temporalities." He was as good as his word; and it would have been well had he confined himself to the spoilation of monastic and other ecclesiastical revenues. What she lost in wealth, the church might have gained in virtue; and if her mitres and her thrones had been trampled in the dust, her bishops would probably have been wiser and better men, and the successors of the fishermen of Galilee, in emulating the poverty, might have attained to the spirituality of apostolic times. But Henry was resolved to continue the hierarchy in all the wealth and splendor which was compatible with its subserviency [subservience] to his own authority; but to prove to the whole world that, as "Defender of the Faith," he could construct a creed as well as depose the pope, he proceeded to fabricate with all his royal diligence and skill, a summary of Christian doctrine, the most essential article of which, however, seems to have been his own supremacy; for whoever denied this, whether protestant or papist, was sure to suffer in its most appalling form. History may record Henry as the first layman, who took to himself in the ecclesiastical sense of the expression, the title of "Supreme Head of the Church," and which he was not long in realizing; for he forthwith enjoined all preachers to instruct the people to believe the whole Bible, the three creeds, the Apostle's the Nicene and Athanasian, and to interpret all things according to them!"

We shall endeavor to continue these extracts, as far the way of truth may need to show the "old paths," and when and where "the ordinances were changed."

TIMES AND SEASONS.

CITY OF NAUVOO,

MAY 1, 1845.

(->) This number of the Times and Seasons has been unavoidably delayed beyond the time of publication, and perhaps one or two numbers more may have to be, but we crave the indulgence of friends and patrons. We are not perfect, and unforeseen difficulties frequently hinder us from performing our intended duties. But grace, patience, and honest intentions, mingled with a little charity, make out what the world calls "popularity"-and so in the end "every man receives his penny."

THE SIGNS FOR MAY.

The world shows evident signs of wo.-Fires, murders, storms, earthquakes, and many other distressing calamities, have become but common or every day occurrencies [occurrences]. Millions of dollars worth of property have been consumed in the last few weeks, and what renders these distressing events more terrific to the watchful mind is, that, in most cases, the fires have commenced accidentally.

We feel truly thankful to our heavenly Father for the "appearances" of his kingdom and coming, and for the "tokens" of the dawning of that happy day, when his will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

We are not prepared in this number, to give a brief summary of the "mighty acts of God" among the nations of the earth, as they are enacting before the eyes of man, but, hereafter, we shall do so, in order that the Times and Seasons may contain a faithful history of the last days. The poet said,

"Coming events cast their shadows before," and a discerning man has only to look, to behold!-and so "he that runs may read."