throughout the congregated millions and your guilty consciences will be that even profess to claim the promise racked with fear and pain; and the of Jesus in regard to the Gospel bless- miseries of hell will lay hold upon ings they call themselves believers, you; and you will be made to feel and yet they have not the signs of that God's holy word is not spoken believers-they profess that Jesus is in vain, and that it cannot be rejected their Saviour, and yet every soul of with impunity. them rejects his word in relation to Another very prevalent and great the promised signs: they are very evil is in the land. Many thousands willing to claim one of the promises of these corrupt false teachers who in the same connection with these have denied the necessity of the misigns, viz: Salvation; but the other raculous powers and gifts of the Gospromises spoken by the same Being, pel, and who have done away the and on the same occasion, are utterly gifts of prophecy and revelation from rejected; and if any honest, humble the church, have even dared to vensoul among them should begin to ture forward and officiate in some of seek after the promised signs and ex- the Gospel ordinances, as though they hort his brethren to do the same, he actually had authority from God; and would immediately be denounced as many thousands have actually prean enthusiast, or as insane; and if he sumed to receive the holy sacred orpersisted in so doing, he would be ex-dinances of the Gospel from the cluded from their ranks and expelled hands of such corrupt, soul-destroy. from their synagogues as a dangerous ing hypocrites. If there is any wickperson. Now what will become of edness that borders closely on blasall these false teachers who thus do phemy, it is this! What can be more away with the promises of Jesus? impious in the sight of heaven, than and what will become of the people for men to do away, as unnecessary, who suffer themselves to be led by nearly all of the most glorious gifts such hypocrites? They will, every of the Gospel, and preach to their soul of them, unless they repent of hearers that they are unnecessary in these false doctrines, be cast down these days, and then have the audato hell. Yes, every man and wo- cious wickedness to minister the holy man, priest and people, that do not sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or repent of having done away the mirac- pretend to baptize by the authority ulous gifts and blessings of the Gos- and in the name of the Father, Son, pel, will just as surely go to hell as and Holy Ghost. Such heaven-daring they are living beings. Do not flat-wickedness is calculated to sink these ter yourselves that you will escape; vile imposters to the lowest hell. And for there is no escape for you, only to unless the people repent of having rerepent and turn unto the Lord, and ceived baptism and other ordinances seek most earnestly after the mirac- of the Gospel at the hands of such ulous gifts of the Gospel which you, deceivers, they will be sent to hell and your false teachers, in your wick-with them; for if the blind lead the edness and hypocricy, have done blind, they will all go into the ditch away. Think not that you can follow together, and the deceived, as well as the popular multitude in their forms the deceiver, will all have to reap the of godliness, and with them deny the reward of their own corrupt doings. power thereof, and escape the right- I know that the people will be eous indignation of that holy Being angry with me, and hate me, because whose words you have rejected. By I tell them of their wickedness thus His words that you have had in this plainly. But I have not been sent to life, you are to be judged in the last flatter this generation with smooth day; if you have received and obeyed them, well; if not, they will condemn you, and you will shrink from the presence of Him who gave the word, things, nor to tell them that all is well; but I have been sent to set forth your sins and your abominations, and all your evil works which you continu ally practice before the Almighty in clearness before your minds, and to call upon you in the name of Him who sent me, to repent of the same and turn unto the Lord, and embrace the fulness of the Gospel which God has revealed anew in the Book of Mormon, or every one of you will, most assuredly, be damned. It matters not to me whether I please or displease you--whether I receive your good will, or incur your bitter hatred, my only object is to do the will of Him who has sent me, and to faithfully discharge my duty towards you. You were once a very different people from what you are now. When your pilgrim fathers fled from the persecutions of the old world and braved the dangers and hardships, incident to the settlement of this lovely country, they were a humble, honest people, who worshipped the Lord their God according to the best of their knowl. edge; and the Lord was with them, and destroyed the savages from before their face; and when the arm of the mother country was stretched out to oppress and destroy, He raised up sa viours and delivere them from the power of all their enemies. Moreover, He made them a great people, and strong, and independent of all nations. He established peace within the land, and their children have mul-i tiplied, and you have become one of the most powerful nations upon the earth. Your granaries and your storehouses have overflowed with the rich products and delicacies of the earth. The mountains, and hills, and dales, have been covered with the abundance of your flocks and herds, while your merchants have waxed rich in the extent of their trade, both by land and sea; the rich treasures of the earth have disclosed themselves, and blessings without number, have been multiplied upon you. But you have forgotten the Lord God whom your pilgrim fathers worshipped; you have become proud and haughty in your bearing; you despise the meekness and humility of the Christian's life. You remember not that it is God who has bestowed upon you all that you enjoy. You think that you can do what you please, and all will continue to be well. But as God has exalted you on high above all nations, if you repent not speedily, He will bring you very low; and the great blessings you now enjoy shall be taken from you, and your cities shall be left unto you desolate, and your beautiful habitations shall be deserted, and death and mourning shall be heard throughout the land. (To be continued.) CONTENTS: Powers of Nature,.. Explanation of Substituted Names in the Covenants,. St. Louis Conference Minutes,.. Editorial-Perpetual Emigrating Fund-Tithing-Emigration to Utah,. WASHINGTON CITY, D. C. EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY ORSON PRATT, At $1 per annum, invariably in advance. All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth. See Ye. when He lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains.-Isaiah XVIII, 3. VOL. II. APRIL, 1854. WAR. No. 4. A REVELATION AND PROPHECY BY THE PROPHET, SEER, AND REVELATOR, JOSEPH SMITH. GIVEN DECEMBER 25th, 1832. places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen. (Pearl of Great Price, page 35.) Verily thus saith the Lord, con- tening hand of an Almighty God, until cerning the wars that will shortly come the consumption, decreed, hath made to pass, beginning at the rebel- a full end of all nations; that the cry lion of South Carolina, which will of the Saints, and of the blood of eventually terminate in the death and Saints, shall cease to come up into misery of many souls. The days the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, from will come that war will be poured out the earth, to be avenged of their eneupon all nations, beginning at that mies. Wherefore, stand ye in holy place; for behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States; and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is The above revelation was given called, and they shall also call upon twenty-one years ago last Christmas. other nations in order to defend them- We learn by this, some particulars in selves against other nations; and thus, regard to the nature of that universal war shall be poured out upon all war which is soon to deluge all the nations. And it shall come to pass, nations and kingdoms of the earth.after many days, slaves shall rise up The first indication of this fearful caagainst their Masters, who shall be lamity was to begin in the rebellion marshalled and disciplined for war.- of South Carolina. The revelation And it shall come to pass also, that does not inform us that the first sympthe remnants who are left of the land tom of this rebellion would exhibit will marshal themselves, and shall be- any thing very alarming in its appearcome exceeding angry, and shall vex ance, but says, that it will eventualthe Gentiles with a sore vexation.-ly terminate in the death and misery And thus, with the sword, and by of many souls." "Eventually" (not bloodshed, the inhabitants of the earth directly or immediately,) should the shall mourn; and with famine, and rebellion of that State lead on to a plague, and earthquakes, and the war more general in its nature, inthunder of heaven, and the fierce and volving the whole nation in a fearful vivid lightning also, shall the inhab-revolution resulting, not in the loss of itants of the earth be made to feel a few, but in the "death and misery of чe wrath, and indignation, and chas- many souls." The revelation does not inform us them "with a sore vexation." We of the particulars of this general war, are inclined to believe that this will but shows, in very few words, the not take place until millions of the order in which it would spread; nation have already perished in their First, South Carolina should rebel; own revolutionary battles. To what second, "the Southern States" should extent the Indians will have power "be divided against the Northern over the nation is not stated in this States;" third, the Southern States revelation; but from what Jesus inshould call on Great Britain for help: formed their forefathers at the time of and fourth, Great Britain should call his personal ministry among them, as on "other nations in order to defend recorded in the Book of Mormon, they themselves against other nations." will have power in a great measure It seems from this, that Great Britain over the whole nation. In speaking will already be at war with some na- upon this subject, Jesus prophesies as tions at the time the South will ap-follows: peal to her for assistance; for she "Therefore, it shall come to pass, will be obliged to seek assistance to that whosoever will not believe in my defend herself from other nations. words, who am Jesus Christ, which Whether Great Britain, under such the Father shall cause him" (Joseph critical circumstances, will render aid Smith) "to bring forth unto the Gento the South, is not stated. She will, tiles, and shall give unto him power perhaps, in order to secure commer-that he shall bring them forth unto cial advantages favour the South; this the Gentiles, it shall be done even as will enable the latter to compete | Moses said, they shall be cut off from with the superior numbers of the North, and prolong the war, until, as the revelation states, it results in the destruction of many souls During this fearful revolutionary struggle between the South and the North, it seems that the South will marshal and discipline their slaves for war. among my people who are of the covenant; and my people who are a remnant of Jacob, shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through, both treadeth down and teareth in picces, and none can deliver. Their hand shall be From this, it is quite evident, that the lifted up upon their adversaries, and South will consider themselves hard- all their enemies shall be cut off.ly competent to withstand the force Yca, wo be unto the Gentiles, except of the North without bringing into they repent, for it shall come to pass requisition the strength of the slave. in that day, saith the Father, that I However much assistance this may will cut off thy horses out of the for awhile render to the South, it is midst of thee, and I will destroy thy certain, according to the revelation, chariots, and I will cut off the cities that this strength will fail them for, of thy land, and throw down all thy saith the Lord, “And it shall come strongholds; and I will cut off witchto pass after many days, slaves shall crafts out of thy land, and thou shalt rise up against their masters." From have no more soothsayers; thy grathe expression, “after many days," ven images I will also cut off, and thy we are led to conclude that the ca- standing images out of the midst of lamity, arising from the rebellion of thee and thou shalt no more worship the Saves, will not take place, until the works of thy hands; and I will the nation has, by its previous strug-pluck up thy groves out of the midst gles been reduced to great weakness. of thee; so will destroy thy cities.— To add to the sufferings and great And it shall come to pass that all lycalamities of the nation, they will be ings, and deceivings, and envyings, greatly distressed by the aborigines, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and who "will marshal themselves and whoredoms, shall be done away.become exceeding angry" and vex For it shall come to pass, saith the Before the Lord would suffer the remnant of Jacob or the Indians to fall upon the Gentiles, He promised their forefathers that He would bring forth their sacred records unto the Gentiles, that they might have the priv Father, that at that day whosoever | put up unto Him for them. And then, will not repent and come unto my be- O ye Gentiles," (meaning the people loved Son, them will I cut off from of the United States,) "how can ye among my people, O house of Israel; stand before the power of God, except and I will execute vengeance and fury ye shall repent and turn from your upon them, even as upon the heath- evil ways! Know ye not that ye are en, such as they have not heard." in the hands of God? know ye not (Book of Nephi 9: 12.) that He hath all power, and at His From this prophecy of our Sa-great command the earth shall be rolled viour it will be seen that the aborigi- together as a scroll? Therefore renes or remnants of Jacob will pre-pent ye, and humble yourselves bevail against the nation, even as a lion fore Him, lest he shall come out in prevails against the beasts of the for justice against you; lest a remnant of est. Naturally speaking, this could the seed of Jacob shall go forth among not take place, unless the nation were you as a lion, and tear you in pieces, first greatly weakened by former and there is none to deliver." (Book judgments, or unless God should so of Mormon, 2 : 6.) ordain, and suffer them to be overcome by their enemies. That God himself will fight for the remnant of Jacob, is clearly manifest in the foregoing quotation. It is God who is to cut off the horses, destroy the chariots, cut off the cities,and throw down | ilege of repenting and of being numberall the strongholds of the nation: it is God who is to cut off the graven and standing images, and pluck up the pleasant groves, and destroy all wickedness from the land: it is God who is to "execute vengeance and fury upon them even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard." God will, therefore, be with the remnant of Jacob, even as He was with their forefathers in the days of their righteousness: and as He destroyed the wicked nations from the land of Canaan, so will He utterly destroy this nation unless they repent and obey the word of the Lord revealed in the Book of Mormon. The prophet Mormon, a little less than fifteen centuries ago, delivers a prophecy, concerning this remnant of Jacob and this nation of Gentiles in the following words: "But behold, it shall come to pass that they" (the Indians) "shall be driven and scattered by the Gentiles; and after they have been driven and scattered by the Gentiles, behold, then will the Lord remember the covenant | which He made unto Abraham, and unto all the house of Israel. And also the Lord will remember the prayers of the righteous, which have been ed with the house of Israel. Jesus spake unto their ancestors as follows: "In the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them. But wo, saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles, for notwithstanding they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people who are of the house of Israel; and my people who are of the house of Israel have been cast out from among them, and have been trodden under feet by them; and because of the mercies of the Father unto the Gentiles, and also the judgments of the Father upon my people who are of the house of Israel; verily, verily, I say unto you that after all this, and have caused my people who are of the house of Israel, to be snitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from among them, and to become hated by them--and to become a hiss and a bye-word among them. And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you, at that day, when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel," (meaning their rejection of the book of Mormon,) “and shall be lifted up in the pride of their I |