Times and Seasons (, Hancock Co., IL), 1 Oct. 1842, vol. 3, no. 23, pp. 927–942; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.
Historical Introduction
JS, assisted by and , served as editor for the 1 October 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons, the twenty-third issue in the third volume. The extent to which JS was involved in writing the editorial content in this particular issue is unclear. As the newspaper’s editor, however, he was responsible for its content.
The non-editorial content in the issue, which is not featured here, included an installation of the serialized “History of Joseph Smith,” a letter from JS on the subject of for the dead, and the minutes of a church held in Alexander, New York. In addition, the issue featured a poem by Frederick William Faber titled “The Signs of the Times,” reprinted from the Warder (a newspaper published in Dublin, Ireland), and reprinted a response by the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star (the ’s newspaper published in ) to a letter featured in a British newspaper on the differences between Latter-day Saint and Baptist doctrine.
Editorial content included commentary on a passage from a book about archaeology in Central America; an update on the growth and development of , Illinois; and an editorial encouraging donations to the Nauvoo construction fund. In addition, the editors reprinted with commentary the church’s 1835 statement on marriage, criticized the way was handling the criminal case of three abolitionists, and countered the millenarian claims of and his followers. The issue also included a response to reports circulating in American newspapers that JS had fled Nauvoo to escape arrest. Two passages presumably written by the editors but not included in the selection of editorial content featured here are a single-sentence notice requesting that Martin Titus return to Nauvoo to answer undisclosed charges preferred against him and a recurring notice that new printings of the Book of Mormon and hymnbook were available for purchase.
Note that only the editorial content created specifically for this issue of the Times and Seasons is annotated here. Articles reprinted from other papers, letters, conference minutes, and notices, are reproduced here but not annotated. Items that are stand-alone JS documents are annotated elsewhere; links are provided to these stand-alone documents.
to show the difference between the Baptists and Former-Day Saints.
1st.—The Former-Day Saints baptized for remission of sins, Acts ii. 38. The Baptists baptize those only who are supposed to have their sins forgiven before they are baptized.
2nd.—The Former-Day Saints admitted all persons indisciminately to baptism, as soon as they professed faith and repentance, encouraging them to pass though that rite with the promise that great spiritual improvement would follow, Acts ii. 38–41 inclusive. But if the Baptists found the penitent believer looking for remission of sins through that rite, they would be put back to “get religion” where they could find it.
3rd.—After baptism, the Former-Day Saints prayed for and laid hands on the disciples in the name of Jesus, and professed to give them the Holy Ghost, Acts viii. 17, also Acts xviv. 6. The Baptists say, “they regard such mummery with as much disgust as all Christians do.”
4th.—Having, as they supposed the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, the Former-day Saints consistently pretended to have the power of working wonders, and professed to heal the sick with Holy Oil. Jas. v. 14, 15. Also to the power of prophecy. First Corinthians from 12th to 14th chapter. It need not be added that, the Baptists stand far removed from “such conceits,” and have no part in them; nor in any thing pertaining to the gifts and power of God: or to use the Apostle’s own words, they have a form of Godliness, denying the power.
5th.—Not satisfied with the Bible as a complete revelation from God, the Former-day Saints have added a volume of several hundred pages (the New Testament,) to that book, which (according to Baptist logic) Moses forbid them to add to, or take from. Deut. iv. 2. But even this was not enough; but new revelations were served up almost daily, fresh as they arrived, for all those who could swallow them. “The disgust with which the Baptists regard such things, considering them but a melancholy exhibition of human folly and wickedness;”separates them to an impassable distance from the Former-day Saints: and how with all these differences the Baptists should ever have been thought by themselves, or any body else, to be the church of Christ, is difficult to imagine!
6th.—In order to carry on their strange work, or order of things, the Former-day Saints had two priesthoods. The Aaronic Priesthood administered in outward ordinances, as in the case of John the Baptist. The power and authority of the Higher, or Melchizideck Priesthood was to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the Church, as Jesus said, "I give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven—whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven," &c. They were to have the privilege of knowing the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom,”—to have the heavens opened unto them—to commune with the general assembly and church of the firstborn; and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and of Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. Heb. xii. 22, 23, 24. So that in this wonderful Priesthood, they have provided for an ample supply of new things in endless variety, and without end, from those who are and were counted the off-scouring of all things; and who, as the baptists would insinuate, “did aspire to a dignity which they say, “belongs only to him who is the only Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck.”
The fear of trespassing upon the time and patience of our readers, prevents our enlarging upon these and many other points of difference; but enough has been said to shew that no two sects can possibly differ more widely from each other than do the Baptists and Former day-Saints,—and to amalgamate the two systems in any way is not only an act of injustice—but would involve the Baptists, who by the by are an honourable body, in the disgrace of that sect which was "every where spoken against" See Acts.
Millenial Star.
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The Boston Olive Branch says:
☞ Laroy Sunderland’s paper has gone out of his hands. Where are the thousands of dollars he begged for the poor slave gone? A mystery—we wish it solved.
☞ Now, if the public are not acquainted with Mr. Pratt’s exposition of Mr. Sunderland we refer all inquiries to that document, and we think they will be satisfield. We will, should they wish it, give the “thousands” a touch hereafter [p. 933]