Chapter II: Front Matter (2)

By the power of God I translated the Book of Mormon from hieroglyphics, the knowledge of which was lost to the world; in which wonderful event I stood alone, an unlearned youth, to combat with the worldly wisdom and multiplied ignorance of eighteen centuries, with a new revelation, which--if they would receive the everlasting gospel--would open the ears of more than eight hundred millions of people and make "plain the old paths," where if a man walk in all the ordinances of God, blameless, he should inherit eternal life.

If the ministers of religion had a proper understanding of the doctrines of eternal judgment, they would not be found attending the man who had forfeited his life, and injured the laws of the country by shedding innocent blood, for such characters cannot be forgiven until they have paid the last farthing; the prayers of all the ministers in the world cannot close the gates of hell against a murderer--unconditional election to eternal life was not taught by the apostles.

No unhallowed hand can stop the work of God from {19} progressing. Persecution may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame; but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly and independently, until it has penetrated every continent and visited every clime, swept over the country and sounded in every ear till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done.

We cannot be perfect without the fathers. We must have revelations from them, and we can see that the doctrine of revelation as far transcends the doctrine of no revelation as knowledge is above ignorance; for one truth revealed from heaven is worth all the sectarian notions in existence.

We believe that religion is instituted of God, and that men are answerable to Him, and Him only, for the exercise of it unless their religious opinions brought them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has the right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of a soul.

We have ever held ourselves amenable to the law; and for myself I am ever ready to conform to and support the laws and Constitution, even at the expense of my life. I have never in the least offered any resistance to the law or lawful process, which is a well-known fact to the public.

Posterity will yet do us the justice, when our persecutors are equally low in the dust with ourselves, to hand down to succeeding generations the virtuous acts and forbearance of a people who sacrificed their reputations for their religion and their earthly fortunes and happiness to preserve peace.

"Men profess to prophesy. I will prophesy that the signs {20} of the coming of the Son of Man are already commenced. We shall soon have war and bloodshed."

"As for perils which I am called to pass through, they seem but a small thing to me, as the envy and wrath of men have been my common lot all the days of my life; and for what cause it seems mysterious, unless I was ordained before the foundation of the world for some good end, or bad, as you may choose to call it."

At the request of Mr. John Wentworth, editor and proprietor of the Chicago _Democrat_, the Prophet wrote the following statement. Mr. Wentworth requested a statement of the faith of the Saints for the use of a Mr. Bostow, who was writing a history of New Hampshire.

I was born in the town of Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont, on the 23rd day of December, A. D. 1805. When ten years old my parents removed to Palmyra, New York, where we resided about four years, and from thence we removed to the town of Manchester. My father was a farmer and taught me the art of husbandry. When about fourteen years of age, I began to reflect upon the importance of being prepared for a future state, and upon inquiring the plan of salvation, I found that there was a great clash in religious sentiment; if I went to one society they referred me to one plan, and another to another; each one pointing to his own particular creed as the _summum bonum_ of perfection; considering that all could not be right, and that God could not be the author of so much confusion, I determined to investigate the subject more fully, believing that if God had a Church it would not be split up into factions, and that if He taught one society to worship one way, and administer in one set of ordinances, He would not teach another, principles which were diametrically opposed.

Believing the word of God, I had confidence in the declaration of James--"If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." I retired to a secret place in a grove, and began to call upon the Lord; while fervently engaged in supplication, my mind was taken away from the objects with which I was surrounded, and I was enwrapped in a heavenly {21} vision, and saw two glorious personages, who exactly resembled each other in features and likeness, surrounded with a brilliant light which eclipsed the sun at noon day. They told me that all religious denominations were believing in incorrect doctrines, and that none of them were acknowledged of God as His Church and Kingdom: and I was expressly commanded "to go not after them," at the same time receiving a promise that the fulness of the Gospel should at some future time be made known unto me.

On the evening of the 21st of September, A. D. 1823, while I was praying unto God, and endeavoring to exercise faith in the precious promises of Scripture, of a sudden a light like that of day, only of a far purer and more glorious appearance and brightness, burst into the room, indeed the first sight was as though the house was filled with consuming fire; the appearance produced a shock that affected the whole body; in a moment a personage stood before me surrounded with a glory yet greater than that with which I was already surrounded. This messenger proclaimed himself to be an angel of God, sent to bring the joyful tidings that the covenant which God made with ancient Israel was at hand to be fulfilled, that the preparatory work for the second coming of the Messiah was speedily to commence; that the time was at hand for the Gospel in all its fulness to be preached in power, unto all nations that a people might be prepared for the Millennial reign. I was informed that I was chosen to be an instrument in the hands of God to bring about some of His purposes in this glorious dispensation.

I was also informed concerning the aboriginal inhabitants of this country and shown who they were, and from whence they came; a brief sketch of their origin, progress, civilization, laws, governments, of their righteousness and iniquity, and the blessings of God being finally withdrawn from them as a people, was made known unto me; I was also told where were deposited some plates on which were engraven an abridgment of the records of the ancient Prophets that had existed on this continent. The angel appeared to me three times the same night and unfolded the same things. After having received many visits from the angels of God unfolding the majesty and glory of the events that should transpire in the last days, on the morning of the 22nd of September, A. D. 1827, the angel of the Lord delivered the records into my hands.

These records were engraven on plates which had the appearance of gold, each plate was six inches wide and eight {22} inches long, and not quite so thick as common tin. They were filled with engravings, in Egyptian characters, and bound together in a volume as the leaves of a book, with three rings running through the whole. The volume was something near six inches in thickness, a part of which was sealed. The characters on the unsealed part were small, and beautifully engraved. The whole book exhibited many marks of antiquity in its construction, and much skill in the art of engraving. With the records was found a curious instrument, which the ancients called "Urim and Thummim," which consisted of two transparent stones set in the rim of a bow fastened to a breast plate. Through the medium of the Urim and Thummim I translated the record by the gift and power of God.

In this important and interesting book the history of ancient America is unfolded, from its first settlement by a colony that came from the Tower of Babel, at the confusion of languages to the beginning of the fifth century of the Christian Era. We are informed by these records that America in ancient times had been inhabited by two distinct races of people. The first were called Jaredites, and came directly from the Tower of Babel. The second race came directly from the city of Jerusalem, about six hundred years before Christ. They were principally Israelites, of the descendants of Joseph. The Jaredites were destroyed about the time that the Israelites came from Jerusalem, who succeeded them in the inheritance of the country. The principal nation of the second race fell in battle toward the close of the fourth century. The remnant are the Indians that now inhabit this country. This book also tells us that our Savior made His appearance upon this continent after His resurrection; that He planted the Gospel here in all its fulness, and richness, and power, and blessing; that they had Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, and Evangelists; the same order, the same Priesthood, the same ordinances, gifts, powers, and blessings, as were enjoyed on the eastern continent, that the people were cut off in consequence of their transgressions, that the last of their Prophets who existed among them was commanded to write an abridgment of their prophecies, history, etc., and to hide it up in the earth, and that it should come forth and be united with the Bible for the accomplishment of the purposes of God in the last days. For a more particular account I would refer to the Book of Mormon, which can be purchased at Nauvoo, or from any of our Traveling Elders.

As soon as the news of this discovery was made known, {23} false reports, misrepresentation and slander flew, as on the wings of the wind, in every direction; the house was frequently beset by mobs and evil designing persons. Several times I was shot at, and very narrowly escaped, and every device was made use of to get the plates away from me; but the power and blessing of God attended me, and several began to believe my testimony.

On the 6th of April, 1830, the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" was first organized in the town of Fayette, Seneca County, State of New York. Some few were called and ordained by the Spirit of revelation and prophecy, and began to preach as the Spirit gave them utterance, and though weak, yet were they strengthened by the power of God, and many were brought to repentance, were immersed in the water, and were filled with the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. They saw visions and prophesied, devils were cast out, and the sick healed by the laying on of hands. From that time the work rolled forth with astonishing rapidity, and Churches were soon formed in the States of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri; in the last named State a considerable settlement was formed in Jackson County: numbers joined the Church and we were increasing rapidly; we made large purchases of land, our farms teemed with plenty, and peace and happiness were enjoyed in our domestic circle, and throughout our neighborhood; but we could not associate with our neighbors who were, many of them, of the basest of men, and had fled from the face of civilized society, to the frontier country to escape the hand of justice, in their midnight revels, their Sabbath breaking, horse racing and gambling; they commenced at first to ridicule, then to persecute, and finally an organized mob assembled and burned our houses, tarred and feathered and whipped many of our brethren, and finally drove them from their habitations; who, houseless and homeless, contrary to law, justice, and humanity, had to wander on the bleak prairies till the children left the tracks of their blood on the prairie; this took place in the month of November, and they had no other covering but the canopy of heaven, in this inclement season of the year; this proceeding was winked at by the government, and although we had warranty deeds for our land, and had violated no law, we could obtain no redress.

There were many sick, who were thus inhumanly driven from their houses, and had to endure all this abuse and to seek homes where they could be found. The result was, that a great many of them being deprived of the comforts of life, {24} and the necessary attendances, died, many children were left orphans; wives, widows; and husbands, widowers; our farms were taken possession of by the mob, many thousands of cattle, sheep, horses and hogs were taken, and our household goods, store goods, and printing press and type were broken, taken, or otherwise destroyed.

Many of our brethren removed to Clay, where they continued until 1836, three years; there was no violence offered, but there were threatenings of violence. But in the summer of 1836 these threatenings began to assume a more serious form; from threats, public meetings were called, resolutions were passed, vengeance and destruction were threatened, and affairs again assumed a fearful attitude, Jackson County was a sufficient precedent, and as the authorities in that county did not interfere, they boasted that they would not in this: which on application to the authorities we found to be too true, and after much violence, privation, and loss of property we were again driven from our homes.

We next settled in Caldwell and Davies Counties, where we made large and extensive settlements, thinking to free ourselves from the power of oppression, by settling in new counties, with very few inhabitants in them; but here we were not allowed to live in peace, but in 1838 we were again attacked by mobs, an exterminating order was issued by Governor Boggs, and under the sanction of law, an organized banditti ranged through the country, robbed us of our cattle, sheep, horses, hogs, etc., many of our people were murdered in cold blood, the chastity of our women was violated, and we were forced to sign away our property at the point of the sword; and after enduring every indignity that could be heaped upon us by an inhuman, ungodly band of marauders, from twelve to fifteen thousand souls, men, women and children were driven from their own firesides, and from lands that they had warranty deeds of, houseless, friendless, and homeless (in the depths of winter) to wander as exiles on the earth, or to seek an asylum in a more genial clime, and among a less barbarous people. Many sickened and died in consequence of the cold and hardships they had to endure; many wives were left widows, and children orphans, and destitute. It would take more time than is allotted me here to describe the injustice, the wrongs, the murders, the bloodshed, the theft, misery and woe that has been caused by the barbarous, inhuman, and lawless proceedings of the State of Missouri.

In the situation before alluded to, we arrived in the State of Illinois in 1839, where we found a hospitable people and {25} a friendly home; a people who were willing to be governed by the principles of law and humanity. We have commenced to build a city called "Nauvoo," in Hancock County. We number from six to eight thousand here, besides vast numbers in the county around, and in almost every county of the State. We have a City Charter granted us, and charter for a Legion, the troops of which now number 1,500. We have also a charter for a University, for an Agricultural and Manufacturing Society, have our own laws and administrators, and possess all the privileges that other free and enlightened citizens enjoy.

Persecution has not stopped the progress of truth, but has only added fuel to the flame, it has spread with increasing rapidity; proud of the cause which they have espoused, and conscious of their innocence, and of the truth of their system, amidst calumny and reproach, have the Elders of this Church gone forth, and planted the Gospel in almost every State in the Union; it has penetrated our cities, it has spread over our villages, and has caused thousands of our intelligent, noble, and patriotic citizens to obey its divine mandates, and be governed by its sacred truths. It has also spread into England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales; in the year of 1840, where a few of our missionaries were sent, over five thousand joined the Standard of Truth; there are numbers now joining in every land.

Our missionaries are going forth to different nations, and in Germany, Palestine, New Holland, the East Indies, and other places, the Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing, persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.

1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.

3. We believe that, through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

{26} 4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: First, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of Hands for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by "prophecy, and by the laying on of hands" by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church--namely: Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, Evangelists, etc.

7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, etc.

8. We believe the Bible to be the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the book of Mormon to be the Word of God.

9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the ten tribes; that Zion will be built upon this (the American) continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth, and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

11. We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law.

13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul. "We believe all things, we hope all things," we have endured many things, we hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Joseph Smith.

Comment.

{27} What a stupendous work has been accomplished through his instrumentality! And what an immeasurable benefit has it been to that part of the human family which has laid hold of the blessings offered! His active service in the work, though limited to but fifteen years, when he gave his life a sacrifice for Truth, has made his name known throughout the entire civilized world; and as the angel told him, it is known for good and evil. Those whose prejudices, fed on popular denunciations and accusations which have their origin in untruthful breasts of wicked and depraved men, have kept them under the clouds of ignorance and misunderstanding regarding him and his mission, hold his name in disrepute; while those who have heeded not the libelous and slanderous cries of his enemies, but have probed to the root of the truth in the matter, and consequently understood him as he was and his mission as it actually is, hold his name in honor, whether they have obeyed the Gospel or not; but those who revere his memory most, hold it sacred before men, and thank God for his noble life and his faithful work, are those who have heard and obeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it was restored to the earth through Him, and during their whole lives have lived righteously before the Lord, true and steadfast to every covenant they have made with Him.

In reviewing the results of his labors effected by the aid of God's power manifested in him, as we see them today in the perfected Church of Christ, its influence upon the world, the achievements of those who have embraced the truth, and the favorable condition of the saints generally, certainly of the literal fulfilment of the prediction of the prophet of old that in the last day God would establish a marvelous work and a wonder, forces itself clearly upon our minds. And in view of all that has been accomplished through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the far-reaching effects of his labors, even his bitterest enemies and those who most vigorously combat the system God established through him, are forced to a realization of the truth of Josiah Quincy's contention that of all Americans in the nineteenth century, none among them have exerted so great an influence upon "the destinies of their countrymen" as has "Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet!" and to-day more than ever before, should the world appreciate the value of Mr. Quincy's declaration concerning him, that "such a human being is not to be disposed of by pelting his memory with unsavory epithets." His life was devoted to {28} the cause of humanity, according as God directed him; and although the world will not acknowledge it, nevertheless there are nearly half a million earnest, sincere and honest-hearted men and women who know he was a prophet of the most high God, and that which he declared to the world under the spirit of the Almighty is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with its gifts, its blessings, and its powers restored for the salvation and exaltation of man. Thank God for the noble life and the faithful labors of his humble and obedient servant, Joseph Smith! (Elders Journal, Vol. 4, pages 146-7.)

"Those who have not been enclosed within the walls of prison without cause or provocation, can have but little idea how sweet the voice of a friend is! One token of friendship from any source whatever, awakens and calls into action every sympathetic feeling; it brings up in an instant everything that is past; it seizes the present with the avidity of lightening; it grasps after the future with the fierceness of a tiger; it moves the mind backward and forward, from one thing to another, until finally all enmity, malice, hatred, and past differences, misunderstandings and mismanagements, are slain victorious at the feet of hope."

Joseph Smith, claiming to be an inspired teacher, faced adversity such as few men have been called to meet, enjoyed a brief season of prosperity such as few men have ever attained, and finally, forty-three days after I saw him, went cheerfully to a martyr's death. When he surrendered his person to Governor Ford in order to prevent the shedding of innocent blood, the Prophet had a premonition of what was before him. (Josiah Quincy in Figures of the Past.)

Premonitions of Death.

When at the hotel at Carthage, a prisoner in the hands of mob officials, he asked if he looked like a desperate character. They replied that his outward appearance seemed to indicate exactly the opposite, but they could not tell what was in his heart. "Very true, gentlemen, you cannot see what is in my heart, and you are therefore unable to judge my intentions, {29} but I see what is in your hearts, and I will tell you what I see. I can see that you thirst for blood and nothing but my blood will satisfy you. It is not for crime of any description that I and my brethren are continually persecuted and harassed by our enemies, but there are other motives, and some of them I have expressed so far as relates to myself. I prophesy in the name of the Lord that you shall witness scenes of blood and sorrow to your entire satisfaction. Many of you who are now present shall have an opportunity to face the cannon's mouth from sources you think not of."

"If they take my life, I shall die an innocent man, and my blood shall cry from the ground for vengeance, and it shall yet be said of him, 'He was murdered in cold blood.'"

"I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a summer morning. I have a conscience void of offence toward God and toward all men."

His Assassination.

A statement from Thomas Ford, Governor of Illinois in 1844:

I desire to make a brief but true statement of the recent disgraceful affair at Carthage, in regard to the Smiths, so far as circumstances have come to my knowledge. The Smiths, Joseph and Hyrum, have been assassinated in jail, by whom is not known. I pledged myself for their safety, and upon the assurance of that pledge they surrendered as prisoners. . . . The compliance of the Mormons with every requisition made upon them, failed of their purpose. The pledge of security to the Smiths was not given upon my individual responsibility. Before I gave it, I obtained a pledge of honor by a unanimous vote from the officers and men under my command, to sustain me in performing it. If the assassination of the Smiths was committed by any portion of them, they have added treachery to murder, and have done all they could to disgrace the State, and sully the public honor.

On the morning of the day the deed was committed, we had proposed to march the army under my command into {30} Nauvoo. I, however, discovered, on the evening before, that nothing but utter destruction of the city would satisfy a portion of the troops; and that if we marched into the city, pretext would not be wanting for commencing hostilities. The Mormons had done everything required, or that ought to have been required of them. For these reasons, I decided, in a council of officers, to disband the army, except three companies, two of which were retained as guards for the jail. With the other company I marched into Nauvoo, to address the inhabitants there. . . . I performed this duty, and then set out to return to Carthage. When I had marched about three miles, a messenger informed me of the occurrences at Carthage.

(Signed) Thomas Ford,
_Governor and Commander-in-Chief_.

Governor Ford, in his History of Illinois, admits that he pledged Joseph Smith, and fourteen others for whose arrests warrants had been issued, the protection of the State if they would leave Nauvoo and go to Carthage for trial upon the charge of treason. Acting upon this pledge, they left Nauvoo, a city of 16,000 Saints who had armed themselves against mob violence, and went to Carthage. Here they were met by Governor Ford and the State militia. At the dictation of a Justice of Peace, who vastly exceeded his legal authority, they were taken from the hotel and placed in Carthage jail. Again the Governor pledged them protection. He planned to go to Nauvoo with the entire force under his command, but found that the men under him were anxious to go to Nauvoo to exterminate the Saints and he determined to discharge the militia, except three companies. In the morning of the day of the assassination he started for Nauvoo with two of these companies, leaving the third (the Carthage Grays) to guard the jail. Of this company the Governor said:

"I knew that this company were the enemies of the Smiths, yet I had confidence in their loyalty and integrity, because their captain was universally spoken of as a most respectable citizen and honorable man." Yet the Governor knew that in his presence and upon the arrival of the Prophet these same men had rebelled against their captain.

Before reaching Nauvoo, rumors of the intended assassination came to him in such numbers that he determined to send one of the companies with him back to Carthage, but they did not reach the city as an organized body. At Carthage, {31} preparations were being made on every hand for the assassination. The captain of the Carthage Grays left his company for fear of his life and, quoting again from Governor Ford's History of Illinois: "Communication was established between the conspirators and the company who were stationed some distance from the jail, and it was arranged that the eight men on guard should have their guns charged with blank cartridges, and fire at the assailants when they attempted to enter the jail." In the afternoon, and while Governor Ford was addressing the Saints in Nauvoo upon law and order, a mob of bloodthirsty men, with faces blackened and consciences stilled, charged the jail and assassinated the Prophet Joseph Smith and Patriarch Hyrum Smith, his brother. They were in an upper room of the jail accompanied by Apostles John Taylor and Willard Richards. Each fell wounded with four balls and Apostle Taylor was also four times wounded. The Prophet fell from the window and a ruffian placed his body against the well curbing, where four men at a distance of a few paces fired upon his prostrate body.

The Christian world has hitherto regarded the growth of Mormonism with a kind of an air of indifference, but, unfortunately, they may yet awaken to feel its power. It is not at all improbable that within the course of a century some great orator may arise, some man gifted like the Apostle Paul, who will make the name of the martyr prophet ring even as does the name of Christ, and it is not impossible that Sharon, Palmira, Manchester, Kirtland, Far West, Adam-on-Diahmon, Ramus, Nauvoo, and the Carthage Jail may become holy and venerable names, places of classic interest, in another age, like Jerusalem, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives and Mount Calvary to the Christian, and Mecca and Medina to the Turk. And in that event the author of this history feels degraded by the reflection that the humble Governor of an obscure State, who would otherwise be forgotten in a few years, stands a fair chance, like Pilate and Herod, by their official connection with the true religion, of being dragged down to posterity with an immortal name, hitched on to the memory of a miserable impostor. There may be those whose ambitions would lead them to desire an immortal name in history, even in those humbling terms. I am not of that number. (Governor Ford's History of Illinois.)

{32} Yes, Governor Ford, you are of that number, your name does go down through the generations of time, righteously coupled with that of Pontius Pilate, caused by your official connection with the death of a true Prophet of God. Your treachery, in plighting to him the protection of the State of Illinois, and then leaving him in the hands of confederate murderers, preserves your name in history, only to be hated and despised by those who abhor the existence of treachery. Joseph Smith relied upon your solemn pledge as the Governor of a great State, that he should be protected. He was basely betrayed, together with his beloved brother Hyrum, and went to a martyr's grave. His name is held throughout every civilized nation upon the earth as a Prophet, Seer and Revelator, while you became an object of charity, and now occupy a pauper's grave, having been buried as a public charge. It is not often that a man occupying the exalted position of Governor, lives to see himself despised, and fed by the hand of charity; but God gave you this fate, and during the last moments of your miserable life you must have had a strong testimony that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. "Mormonism is now so firmly established that it claims the respectful attention of the world. It has survived not only the violence which murdered its Prophets, burned the houses of Saints, laid waste the fields and destroyed their temples, but also an exodus which, for the distance covered and the dangers encountered, has not a parallel in ancient or modern history."

Nearly every nation under the whole heaven has given to the new faith some of her sons and daughters. What the Christian church is to the world to-day in point of numbers of followers and kindliness of feeling, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be to future generations. Its destiny is to roll until it shall fill the whole earth: It had its beginning when God spoke to Joseph Smith out of the heavens and He will finish what He has begun.

Another Prophecy.

August 6, 1842.

"I prophesied that the Saints would continue to suffer much affliction, and would be driven to the Rocky Mountains, and many would apostatize, others would be put to death by our persecutors, or lose their lives in consequence of exposure or disease, and some of you will live to go and assist in {33} making settlements and building cities and see the Saints become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains."

How literally this prophecy has been fulfilled! To-day the church numbers hundreds of thousands of prosperous, happy people in the midst of several Rocky Mountain States. Millions of dollars have been spent in establishing and maintaining schools: millions in the erection of churches, Tabernacles and Temples. Through the most wonderful system of irrigation in the world, the desert has been made to produce in abundance; the waste places have become fruitful, and the wilderness made to "blossom as the rose." To-day the colonizer is asking the secret of the system that has made it possible to establish thousands of peaceful towns and cities in those mountain valleys, and he will not understand that the voice of revelation established this western empire and that the Spirit of God preserves its unity.

Brigham Young, Successor to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

"To accuse us of being unfriendly to the government is to accuse us of hostility to our religion, for no item of inspiration is held more sacred with us than the Constitution under which she acts."

John Taylor, Second Successor to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

"It was through and by the power of God, that the fathers of this country framed the Declaration of Independence, and also that great palladium of human rights, the Constitution of the United States. There is nothing of a bigoted, narrow-contracted feeling about that instrument; it is broad and comprehensive."

Wilford Woodruff, Third Successor to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

"The Lord inspired the men who framed the Constitution of our country, and has guarded the nation from its foundation."

{34}

Lorenzo Snow, Fourth Successor to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

"The spirits dwelling within our bodies are immortal and will always exist. Our individuality and our identity will always continue; we will be ourselves and will continue advancing in wisdom, intelligence and power worlds without end."

Joseph F. Smith, Fifth Successor to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

It was part of the design of the Almighty when He influenced the fathers to leave the old world and come to this continent; He had a hand in the establishment of this government; He inspired the framers of the Constitution and the fathers of this nation to contend for their liberty.

When we remember that Mr. Quincy had the rare opportunity of being personally and intimately acquainted with the great men of America, of his period; that he was acquainted with Lafayette, and that John Quincy Adams, the Second President of the U. S., was his personal friend when he was a young man; his statement that Joseph Smith was one of two men from whom there "emanated a certain peculiar moral stress and compulsion" which he had not felt in other men, has peculiar significance.

In his chapter on Joseph Smith, in Figures of the Past, Mr. Quincy comments as follows upon the resemblance between Joseph Smith and Elisha R. Potter of Rhode Island, whom he met in Washington in 1826. "The likeness was not such as would be recognized in a picture, but rather one that would be felt in a grave emergency. Of all men I have met, these two seemed best endowed with that kingly faculty which directs, as by intrinsic right, the feeble or confused souls who are looking for guidance. This it is just to say with emphasis; for the reader will find so much that is puerile and even shocking in my report of the prophet's conversation that he might {35} never suspect the impression of rugged power that was given by the man. * * * The prophet's hold upon you seemed to come from the balance and harmony of temperament which reposes upon a large physical basis."

In the chapter on "Washington in 1826," Mr. Quincy writes the following: Mr. Potter seemed to carry about with him a certain homespun certificate of authority, which made it natural for lesser men to accept his conclusions. Oddly enough, I have met only one other individual who impressed me as possessing the same sort of personal power, and he was one whose place in history is certain when the lives of greater and better men are covered by oblivion; for the muse of history postpones the claims of statesmen and poets to those of the founders of religions, who, for good or evil, are more potent factors in the destiny of mankind. Hereafter I may give an account of my visit to Joseph Smith, in his holy city of Nauvoo. It is now sufficient to mention that when I made the acquaintance of the Mormon prophet, I was haunted with a provoking sense of having known him before; or, at least, of having known some one whom he greatly resembled. And then followed a painful groping and peering "into the dark backward and abysm of time," in search of a figure that was provokingly undiscoverable. At last the Washington of 1826 came before me, and the form of Elisha R. Potter thrust itself through the gorges of memory. Yes, that was the man I was seeking; yet the resemblance, after all, could scarcely be called physical, and I am loath to borrow the word "impressional" from the vocabulary of spirit mediums. Both were of commanding appearance, men whom it seemed natural to obey. Wide as were the differences between the lives and characters of these Americans, there emanated from each of them a certain peculiar moral stress and compulsion which I have never felt in the presence of others of their countrymen. The position of Mr. Potter in his native State has now faded to a dim tradition. It was of the authoritative kind which belongs to men who bear from nature the best credentials.

{36}

DEDICATION OF PALESTINE.

At a general conference of the church held at Nauvoo, April 6th, 1840, Apostles Orson Hyde and Hyrum E. Page were called to go on a mission to Jerusalem for the purpose of dedicating that land for the gathering of the House of Judah. They started upon this important mission but Elder Page failed to continue the journey beyond the border of the United States. Apostle Hyde therefore set out alone and accomplished the labor assigned at said conference. In a letter dated at Alexandria, November 22nd, 1841, addressed to Parley P. Pratt, Brother Hyde, said:

"A few minutes now offer for me to write, and I improve them in
writing to you. I have only time to say that I have seen Jerusalem
precisely according to the vision which I had. I saw no one with me
in the vision; and although Elder Page was appointed to accompany
me there, yet I found myself there alone. The Lord knows that I
have had a hard time, and suffered much, but I have great reason
to thank Him that I enjoy good health at present, and have a good
prospect before me of soon going to a civilized country, where I
shall see no more turbans or camels. The heat is most oppressive,
and has been all through Syria. I have no time to tell you how many
days I have been at sea without food, or how many snails I have
eaten; but if I had had plenty of them, I should have done very
well. All this is contained in a former letter to you written from
Java. * * *

"On Saturday morning, October 24th, a good while before day, I
arose from sleep and went out of the city, as soon as the gates
were opened, crossed the brook Cedron, and went upon the Mount of
Olives, and there in solemn silence, with pen, ink and paper, just
as I saw in the vision, offered up the following prayer to Him who
lives forever and ever:

"O Thou! who art from everlasting to everlasting, eternally and
unchangeably the same, even the God who rules in the heavens
above, and controls the destinies of men on the earth, wilt thou
not condescend through thine infinite goodness and royal favor, to
listen to the prayer of thy servant which he this day offers up
unto thee in the name of the Holy child Jesus, upon this land where
the Son of Righteousness sat in blood, and thine _Anointed One_
expired.

"Be pleased, O Lord, to forgive all the follies, weaknesses,
vanities and sins of thy servant, and strengthen him to resist all
future temptations. Give him prudence and discernment that he may
avoid the evil, and a heart to choose the good; give him fortitude
to bear up under trying and adverse circumstances, and grace to
endure all things {37} for thy name's sake, until the end shall
come, when all the Saints shall rest in peace.

"Now, O Lord! Thy servant has been obedient to the heavenly
vision, which thou gavest him in his native land; and under the
shadow of thine outstretched arm, he has safely arrived in this
place to dedicate and consecrate this land unto Thee, for the
gathering together of Judah's scattered remnants, according to the
predictions of the holy prophets--for the building up of Jerusalem
again after it has been trodden down by the Gentiles so long, and
for rearing a temple in honor of thy name. Everlasting thanks be
ascribed unto thee, O, Father! Lord of heaven and earth, that thou
hast preserved thy servant from the dangers of the seas, and from
the plague and pestilence which have caused the land to mourn. The
violence of many has also been restrained, and thy providential
care by night and by day has been exercised over thine unworthy
servant. Accept, therefore, O Lord, the tribute of a grateful heart
for all past favors, and be pleased to continue thy kindness and
mercy towards a needy worm of the dust.

"O thou, who didst covenant with Abraham, thy friend, and who didst
renew that covenant with Isaac, and confirm the same with Jacob,
with an oath that thou wouldst not only give this land for an
everlasting inheritance, but that thou wouldst also remember their
seed forever. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have long since closed their
eyes in death, and made the grave their mansion. Their children are
scattered and dispersed abroad among the nations of the Gentiles
like sheep that have no shepherd, and are still looking forward for
the fulfillment of those promises which thou didst make concerning
them; and even this land, which once poured forth nature's richest
bounty, and flowed, as it were, with milk and honey, has, to a
certain extent, been smitten with barrenness and sterility since
it drank from murderous hands the blood of Him who never sinned.
Grant, therefore, O Lord, in the name of thy well beloved Son,
Jesus Christ, to remove the barrenness and sterility of this land,
and let springs of living water break forth to water its thirstly
soil. Let the vine and the olive produce in their strength, and
the fig tree bloom and flourish. Let the land become abundantly
fruitful, when possessed by its rightful heirs; let it again flow
with plenty to feed the returning prodigals who come home with a
spirit of grace and supplication; upon it let the clouds distill
virtue and richness, and let the fields smile with plenty. Let
the flocks and the herds greatly increase and multiply upon the
mountains and hills; and let thy great kindness conquer and subdue
the unbelief of thy people. Do thou take from them their stony
heart, and give them a heart of flesh; and may the Son of thy
favor dispel the cold mists of darkness which have beclouded their
atmosphere. Incline them to gather in upon this land according
to thy word. Let them come like clouds and like doves to their
windows. Let the large ships of nations bring them from the distant
isles; and let kings become their nursing fathers, and queens with
motherly fondness wipe the tear of sorrow from their eyes.

"Thou, O Lord, did once move upon the heart of Cyrus to show favor
unto Jerusalem and her children. Do thou now also be pleased
to inspire the hearts of kings and the powers of the earth to
look with a friendly eye towards this place. And with a desire
to see thy righteous purposes executed in relation thereto. Let
them know that it is thy good pleasure to restore the kingdom
unto Israel--raise up Jerusalem as its capital, and constitute
her people a distinct nation {38} and government, with David thy
servant, even a descendant from the loins of ancient David, to
be their king. Let that nation, or that people who shall take an
active part in behalf of Abraham's children and in the raising
up of Jerusalem, find favor in thy sight. Let not their enemies
prevail against them, neither let pestilence or famine overcome
them, but let the glory of Israel overshadow them, and the power of
the highest protect them; while that nation or kingdom that will
not serve thee in this glorious work must perish according to thy
word--'Yea those nations shall be utterly wasted.'

"Though thy servant is now far from his home, and from the land
bedewed with his earliest tears, yet he remembers, O Lord, his
friends who are there, and family, whom for thy sake he has left.
Though poverty and privation be our earthly lot, yet ah! do Thou
richly endow us with an inheritance where moth and rust do not
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. The
hands that have fed, clothed or shown favor unto the family of thy
servant in his absence, or that shall hereafter do so, let them not
lose their reward, but let a special blessing rest upon them, and
in thy kingdom let them have an inheritance when thou shalt come to
be glorified in this society. Do thou also look with favor upon all
those through whose liberality I have been enabled to come to this
land; and in the day when thou shalt reward all people according to
their works, let these also not be passed by or forgotten, but in
time let them be in readiness to enjoy the glory of those mansions
which Jesus has gone to prepare. Particularly do thou bless the
stranger in Philadelphia, whom I never saw, but who sent me gold,
with a request that I should pray for him in Jerusalem. Now, O
Lord, let blessings come upon him from an unexpected quarter, and
let his basket be filled, and his store-house abound with plenty,
and let not the good things of the earth be his only portion, but
let him be found among those to whom it may be said, Thou hast been
faithful over a few things, and I will make thee ruler over many."

"O my Father in heaven! I now ask thee in the name of Jesus to
remember Zion, with all her stakes, and with all her assemblies.
She has been grievously afflicted and smitten; she has mourned;
she has wept; her enemies have triumphed and have said--'Ah, where
is thy God?' Her priests and prophets have groaned in chains
and fetters within the gloomy walls of prison, while many were
slain, and now sleep in the arms of death. How long, O Lord,
shall iniquity triumph, and sin go unpunished? Do thou arise in
the majesty of thy strength, and make bare thine arm in behalf of
thy people. Redress their wrongs, and turn their sorrow into joy.
Pour the spirit of light and knowledge, grace and wisdom, into the
hearts of her prophets, and clothe her priests with salvation. Let
light and knowledge march forth through the empire of darkness, and
may the honest in heart flow to their standard, and join in the
march to go forth to meet the Bridegroom.

Let a peculiar blessing rest upon the Presidency of thy Church,
for at them are the arrows of the enemies directed. Be thou to
them a sun and a shield, their strong tower and hiding place; and
in the time of distress or danger be thou near to deliver. Also
the quorum of the Twelve, do thou be pleased to stand by, for thou
knowest the obstacles which we have to encounter, the temptations
to which we are exposed and privations which we must suffer. Give
us, therefore, strength according to our day, and help us to bear a
faithful {39} testimony of Jesus and His Gospel, and to finish with
fidelity and honor the work which thou hast given us to do, and
then give us a place in thy glorious kingdom. And let this blessing
rest upon every faithful officer and member in thy Church. And all
the glory and honor will we ascribe to God and the Lamb for ever
and ever. Amen.

* * * * *

On the top of Mount Olives I erected a pile of stones as a witness
according to the ancient custom. On what was anciently called Mount
Zion, where the Temple stood, I erected another, and used the rod
according to the prediction upon my head. I have found many Jews
who listened with intense interest. The idea of the Jews being
restored to Palestine is gaining ground in Europe almost every day.
Jerusalem is strongly fortified with many cannons upon its walls.
The wall is ten feet thick on the sides that would be most exposed,
and four or five feet where the descent from the wall is almost
perpendicular. The number of inhabitants within the walls is about
twenty thousand. About seven thousand of this number are Jews, the
balance being mostly Turks and Armenians. Many of the Jews who are
old go to this place to die, and many are coming from Europe into
this Eastern world. The great wheel is unquestionably in motion,
and the word of the Almighty has declared that it shall roll. * * *

Speaking editorially of Elder Hyde's mission and the dedicatory prayer offered, Brother Parley P. Pratt said:

"Through his persevering exertions, and the prayer offered up on
the Mount of Olives, the land is now consecrated and dedicated
to the Lord for the restoration of Israel. It would seem by the
war which is raging in that country that the ground is being
disencumbered of the Catholics and other barbarian tribes, and
is being vacated for the Jews, while seven thousand now dwell in
Jerusalem, and great numbers of others in other parts of that land.