History of Joseph Smith, the Prophet and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joseph F. Smith

to meet the Savior at His second coming, with all the Saints, to dwell with them in the millennial reign. And now, who, with the Bible in his hand, can suppose that these great and marvelous works can be accomplished by the Church without more revelations from the Lord? We cannot, for we worship the God of Israel, in whom is neither variableness nor shadow of turning;—consequently as in days of old, so in these last days, He has given us revelations by which we may know how to organize the Church of Christ, and by His authority to perform the work which He has enjoined upon us. And now brethren, if we wish for blessings upon this Church, we must walk humbly before the Lord, and observe to keep all His commandments. Notwithstanding the work of the gathering will be accomplished, we believe in a speedy manner, yet the Lord has commanded that it shall not be done in haste, nor by flight, but that all things shall be prepared before you; and for this purpose He has made it the duty of the Bishop or agent in the land of Zion to make known, from time to time, the privileges of the land to the conferences, which may determine and make known how many can be accommodated. And the Saints will remember that the Bishop in the land of Zion will not receive any, as wise stewards, without they bring a recommend from the Bishop in Ohio, or from three Elders. The Elders therefore, will be careful not to recommend and send up churches to this place, without first receiving information from the Bishop in Ohio, or in the land of Zion, that they can be accommodated when they arrive, so as to be settled without confusion, which would produce pestilence. Therefore, if a church is desirous to come to the land of Zion, we would recommend that first, by letter or otherwise, they make known their desires and their situation to the Bishop in Ohio, or in the land of Zion, and receive information from them before they start. Brethren will perceive as well as we, that where churches of fifty or a hundred souls each, are coming to the land of Zion, from different parts of the nation, and, as soon will be the case, from different nations, without a knowledge of each other, they would, when they arrive, be in a state of confusion, and labor under many disadvantages which might be avoided by strictly observing the rules and regulations of the Church. Moreover by being in haste, and forcing the sale of property, unreasonable sacrifices have been made, and although this is a day of sacrifice and tithing, yet to make lavish and unreasonable sacrifices is not well pleasing in the sight of the Lord.

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

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

      To the Elders of the Church of Christ, Who Preach Good Tidings to the World.

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

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

      Foreign News.

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

      Items for the Public.

      In connection with the Star, we publish a weekly paper, entitled the Upper Missouri Advertiser. It will contain sketches of the news of the day, politics, advertisements, and whatever tends to promote the interest of the great west.