Times and Seasons (, Hancock Co., IL), 2 May 1842, vol. 3, no. 13, pp. 767–782; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.
Historical Introduction
The 2 May 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons, a periodical published in , Illinois, was the thirteenth number in its third volume.JS purchased the and the newspaper from in February 1842 and was identified as its editor from 15 February to 15 October 1842. Although JS was named as the editor in the 15 February issue, he did not consider himself the editor of the newspaper until the 1 March 1842 issue. , , and others helped JS produce the Times and Seasons from March through October 1842, but JS was directly responsible for the content of the newspaper.
The fifth issue that JS oversaw as editor was dated 2 May 1842 and contained a letter to the Saints from the , urging them to fund the construction of the ; letters from missionaries and church members in the eastern and Europe; an extract of the “History of Joseph Smith,” which was printed serially in the newspaper; and reprinted articles from several other newspapers, including the church newspaper in , the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. In addition to this material, the issue also contained editorial content, meaning content created by JS as the editor or his editorial staff for the paper. This content in the 2 May issue included commentaries on articles about mummies, an editorial on the Nauvoo temple, news from proselytizing , commentary on an article about Judaism, and notices concerning temple donations and a position with the printing office staff. Selected editorial content from the 2 May issue is featured here, with individual introductions for each passage.
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.
The Millennial Star was a monthly church newspaper edited by Parley P. Pratt and first published in Manchester, England, in May 1840. (“Prospectus,” Millennial Star, May 1840, 1:1–2.)
, as it appears to be of the most vital importance that the Saints should assist in a work so desirable, which is looked forward to with anxious anticipation by all the faithful laborers in the kingdom. We shall do all that we can to forward the work. * * *
Dear Brother, I feel to rejoice in the prosperity of the work of the God of the Saints, which is truly prosperous in New England, the engine of eternal truth has been called into successful opposition against the crafts, and systems of “The like occupation,” and notwithstanding the contest has been exceeeding fierce, the enemy being active in the usual way with falsehood, and misrepresentation, the victory is the Lord’s; truth has triumphed, and is spreading its benign influence abroad like the rays of the king of day, as if unconscious of the elements of oppression and opposition which have been so unsuccesssfully employed from the first, up to the present time. I am on a visit to assist in his successful and extended field of labor, in this (). Sixty five have been obedient to the faith of the gospel, and hundreds of others “almost pursuaded.” In near 40 have obeyed, through the faithful labors of Elder . I have been absent from two weeks, have preached three or four times in , , Marblehead, Chelsea &c. And purpose returning to next Sunday, where I have been laboring with good success, thirty-six have obeyed since last fall, at New Salem, Mass. thirty-five to forty obeyed since August last, Leverett eighteen or twenty, Gilsum N. H. twenty to thirty. I have preached from one to three times almost every day, and cannot fill one to twenty of the calls for preaching; there is the greatest excitement in this country that I ever beheld during my travels, since I left ; a period of near three years in which I have travelled through eighteen States and British Provinces. The honest seeker after truth is rejoicing in its liberty; while “Our Crafts.men” are laboring and howling to see their sinking crafts crumbling to disolution and nonentity, without having power to repel the march of truth which is onward with the velocity of electricity, spreading terror and dismay throughout their majestic empire.
In haste .
P. S. Dear Brother, I long to see the time when I can return and again receive instructions from those whom God has chosen to council his saints with. “Thus saith the Lord,” and not the traditions of men; I feel very anxious to return by fall, as I have been absent three years. I have disposed of more than $150 worth of books (and expect near that amount this day from and ), the demand daily increases, some of the popular begin to take a decided stand in favor of the truth.
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We have received to day several numbers of the “Millennial Star;” published in , England; we extract the following from the minutes of a held in
“Twelve were represented consisting of 1589 members, with appropriate officers.”
“From the foregoing extract, it will be seen that the in conference now numbers near sixteen hundred members, after excommunicating one hundred and twenty-five and dismissing some hundreds by emigration.
All these have been into the fold in the course of about two years, and that from an obscure beginning, in a small cellar in Oldham-road; being the first place in which the fulness of the gospel was preached within the bounds of what now composes the conference. “Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth!”—Mil. Star, Nov.
From Elder Reed, Isle of Man—
“I think that all the lies that have been hatched in , England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, have been imported to the Isle of Man. Yet notwithstanding all these things the work of the Lord is advancing, as our congregation is on the increase. Seven have been added by since I came; and the saints speak with tongues, and interpret, and have dreams, and visions and prophesy; and the gift of healing has been wonderfully made manifest among the saints, and among others. . . . The work is beginning to spread on this Island, and new places are presenting themselves to us on every hand.”—Mil. Star.
From , Bedford England—
“In looking back to the time that Jesus sent me here to take charge of the which was in April last, I see great cause to rejoice and praise the name of the [p. 779]