but we have it in our hearts to bless all men who will do right, whatever their cccupation, and our arms are ever open to embrace such, and we pray for all men who are ignorant, or out of the right way, that our Heavenly Father will give them his spirit, that they may learn and do right.”

Some other points of social economy are touched on with like wisdom; such as the emigration fund, and the establishment of the Deseret University.

"We would urge upon all Saints the importance of keeping in view the Perpetual Emigrating Fund, and of adding thereto, all in their power the present season for every succeeding year will be more and more eventful in the progress of the work of God, and more and more Saints will be ready, and want to gather to Zion. We warmly anticipate that such will be the interest felt, and the funds collected in the British Isles, that we can commence bringing forward the Saints, from that region, one year hence; and the Presidency in England will take special care to be ready to act on future instructions on the subject.

"Elders of Israel be faithful in your calling, feed the sheep, feed the lambs of the flock, and proclaim the gospel in all simplicity, meekness, and love, whenever you have the opportunity as it shall be given you by the power of the Holy Ghost which you will always have for your counsellor if you are faithful; and let all the Saints give diligent heed unto the counsel of those who are over them in the Lord, upholding them by the prayer of faith, keeping themselves pure and humble. and they will never lack wisdom from above, and by faith and works search out your way to Zion.

"Several elders have been appointed missions to England, Scotland, the Society Islands, the States, and Western California, as will be seen by the minutes of the General Conference, of the 6th of April, to which we refer for particulars concerning any business then transacted.

We are happy in saying to all, that a brighter day is dawning on the intellectual prosperity of Zion; that the University recently established by the State of Deseret, bids fair to accomplish the object for which it was instituted; that it is under the supervision of faithful and intelligent men, who will consider no labour too great to carry out the wishes and greatest possible good of those for whose benefit the institution was founded and we earnestly solicit the co-operation of all the Saints, and particularly the elders in all nations, to gather, as they may have the opportunity, books in all languages, and on every science, apparatus, and' rare specimens of art and nature, and every thing that may teud to beautify and make useful; and forward or bring the same to the Regents of our University,' for the benefit of all such as may hereafter seek intelligence at their hands. '

Mr. Orson Pratt, in an "Epistle to the Saints throughout Great Britain," is solicitous for the purification of both the state and church from unworthy members. The following are extracts:

"About two years have elapsed since I was appointed to preside over the Saints in this land. I have endeavoured, during the time, to inform myself concerning your condition. and to offer such counsel as I thought best adapted to your c'reun.stances. If, in the multiplicity of business which has pressed my

mind, I have at any time erred, it has not been intentionally. It has been my constant prayer and study to know the will of God concerning you. It affords me great pleasure to know that the churches have greatly flourished since I have been in your midst, and that many thousands have been added to your numbers. Peace and union have also prevailed in almost every branch; while the Holy Spirit has been abundantly poured forth upon you, as is evident from the miraculous manifestation of the healing power, together with numerous other blessings enjoyed throughout the land. These tokens of the goodness of God towards his Saints are calculated to make the faithful servants of God rejoice.

"The wise and judicious management displayed by the presidents of conferences, and the travelling elders under them, has been the principal means in the hands of God in extending the cause of truth in the British Isles. The extensive circulation of the printed word has also given an impetus to the rolling of the great wheel of salvation. Strictness of discipline in plucking off dead branches -in purifying the church of corrupt members-and in laying the axe at the very root of every species of wickedness, has also had a powerful tendency to strengthen and confirm the meek and humble, and to enlighten the eyes of the honest inquirer."

"Let the presiding elders of every conference endeavour to inform their minds relative to the condition of every branch under their respective jurisdictions. See whether your flocks are in a healthy condition or not. The Lord has made you the shepherds over his sheep: if you lose the sheep, or suffer them to perish through your neglect, they will be required at your hands. Teach the presidents of branches to look diligently after all the members. Counsel them to enforce strict discipline, and to root out all backbiting and evil-speaking one against another; for this is a great evil, and tends to quarrels, divisions, strifes, apostacy, and death. If the backbiter or evil-speaker will not, after proper admonitions, reform and cease his evil practices, let fellowship be withdrawn from him, and let all know that the church of God is not the place to injure and devour one another. If any officer or member under your charge be found teaching or prac tising unvirtuous doctrines, let him be dealt with strictly by the law of God; and if the president of a conference shall transgress, or teach or practice any iniquity, let the same be reported to us, accompanied with the proper evidences; and if one of the Twelve, or the president of the Saints in Great Britain, shall transgress the law of virtue, and teach or practise unrighteousness, let the presidents of conferences inquire into the same, and collect the testimonies thereof, and forthwith transmit the documents unto the First Presidency at head quarters, that all may be dealt with according to the law of heaven. The time is come when too much light and knowledge have been given to the Saints for them to suffer themselves to be imposed upon by men who are carried away with their lusts. And we say, in the name of the Lord, that the displeasure of heaven shall overtake the adulterer unless he speedily repent, and his name shall be blotted out from among the people of God. "Woe unto them that commit whoredoms, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell." Woe unto them who shall betray the confidence reposed in them, and shall make use of their authority to seduce and lead astray ignorant and silly women, for, except they repent, their authority shall perish quickly like the dry stubble before the devouring flame.

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Woe unto them who lie and bear false witness against their brother or sister to their injury; it were better for them that they were sunk in the depths of the mighty ocean than to offend the children of God. Woe unto them who steal, for their deeds shall be made manifest, and justice and judgment shall lay hold on them in an hour they think not. Woe unto them who love slander, and will not cease to speak evil of their brother and sister, for they shall be hated of God and man, and their hopes shall wither away and perish. Woe unto all those among the Saints who shall turn from their righteousness and do iniquity, for the great day of the Lord is at hand, and their portion shall be among hypocrites and unbelievers.

Such language as this in their public documents, together with the recorded facts of the excision and excommunication of offending members, would seem to exonerate the Mormon system from the vices of Mormon members. They also prove, whatever may have been the moral state of Mormon society in time past, that it has already greatly improved. And as to the accusations against their founders, even when made by undoubtedly pious men, the Mormons have an indisputably valid answer, which they have thus worded for themselves.

"Pious men, who prayed often and fasted frequently, affirmed that Jesus and His apostles were foul impostors, vile sabbathbreakers, gluttons, wine-bibbers, treasonable persons, not fit to live. Do you judge Jesus by the testimony of pious enemies? No, you judge his character, &c., by the testimony of friends. Pursue the same line of judgment toward Joseph Smith, and the issue is triumph his bosom burned with a love to humanity, manly, frank, and Godlike. You believe in the testimony of Moses as to the wonders recorded in the Pentateuch, yet Moses killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand! Joseph Smith never did anything like that. You believe and receive the Psalms and Proverbs, yet David and Solomon sinned foully and fearfully. Let your reason and common sense speak and judge righteous judgment. A false prophet will ever teach something false: Joseph taught in perfect accordance with Scripture, just as a true prophet must do."

The enmity excited among the pious, too, had its natural ground in the peculiar doctrines taught by the new sect. These we will also take in their own words:

"Some of the leading characteristics of the Latter-Day Gospel were as follows: It declared all the earth, Christian, Jew, Heathen, and Pagan, to be living in wickedness, unbelief, and without a knowledge of God. It declared that the religion of Jesus established upon the earth in the days of the primitive apostles, had been long perverted into human institutions, without either the form or power, and con

sequently were not acknowledged of God. It declared, that all those calling themselves Christians in the nineteenth century, were nothing less than idolators, and living under a broken covenant. It declared that God had now spoken from the heavens, and given a commission to man to go forth and usher in the dispensation of the fulness of times, by opening the kingdom of God to Gentile and Jew. It declared that all who would not humble themselves, and go forth and be baptized for a remission of their sins, and have the imposition of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, by those whom God had called, would never enter into the kingdom of God, or be saved with an everlasting salvation. It declared that all who were without prophets and apostles-the spirit of inspiration and immediate revelation from God, together with the Holy Ghost, which would enable men to dream dreams, see visions, and prophesy; speak in unknown tongues, and work miracles; were not yet fellow-citizens with the Saints, or of the household of God. It declared that this was the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, spoken of by Daniel and the prophets, and that it would roll on until every hostile power upon the earth had fallen before it, and it had become a great kingdom and filled the whole earth. Let us here pause, and inquire: Was there anything in all this, to pamper the prejudices of the public mind, and thereby gain the applause of the world? On the contrary; it is obvious, that had the inhabitants of some other world laid their heads together, to concoct such a story to palm upon this world, as would stir up the bitterest spirit of hatred and persecution, they could not have hit upon one more effectual than the principles embodied in the Latter-Day Gospel.

"We accordingly find that the gospel met the opposition and contempt naturally to be expected. No sooner was its first proclamation made, than both earth and hell were in a stew to find adequate means to put a stop to such a work; all manner of lies and slanderous reports were put in circulation to the prejudice of those who obeyed it, everywhere. The whole artillery of the learned world was put in requisition to bolster up such lies and slanders, and men were warned, both from pulpit and press, to beware of the impostors. The servants of the Lord knew and felt they were so treated; but still they preached and still they determined to know, and to glory in nothing else. Why this, if they were impostors, they must have yielded to the contempt it called forth. But no, they preached it, and succeeded. And yet Jew and Gentile hated it. What could carry it above that hatred but the power of God? For, as was to be expected from a religion of this description, making such pretensions, and with a world hostile and already entrenched in power, it met

with most formidable opposition and violent persecution from all ranks, orders, classes, and individuals whose interests were endangered or craft disturbed. From governors, rulers, inferior magistrates; from priests and the whole train of idolatrous worshippers; from a lawless rabble multitude, the victim and sport of every passion and prejudice; the ready instruments of party violence; the easy dupes of designing men, and the tumultuous and eager executioners of wrath, against those who had become the object of their hatred. That the Latter-Day Saints have suffered horrible persecutions is a fact not to be denied, after all the publications upon the subject, and the thousands of living witnesses who at this moment attest its truth, and mourn over their martyred relatives.

As an outline of what is contained in our records upon this subject, we may notice, that no sooner were a few thousands of the Saints settled on the western frontiers of Missouri, having provided themselves with comfortable, and many of them with large possessions, and having by industry greatly improved their estates, and were beginning to enjoy something like real comfort, than the storm that had been brewing against them in the hearts of their enemies broke out with uncontrollable force; and large bodies of Christians, armed with the powers of mobocracy, and headed by their ministers, with the Bible in one hand and the sword in the other, endeavoured to annihilate the poor, peaceful, unoffending Latter-Day Saints; and in the most savage, barbarous manner did they drive them from their lands and possessions in the midst of a severe North American winter, burning their dwelling-houses and other buildings, murdering them and their families, first ravishing and then murdering their wives and daughters. In one case nineteen of them had hid themselves in an old smithy, but their ruthless pursuers found them out and butchered them to a man; and just when about to leave, thinking that the work of slaughter was done in this place, one of them discovered a little boy hid behind the bellows; him they dragged forth, and while his little eyes and hands were raised to heaven in earnest entreaty that these christian savages might have mercy upon him, one of them, in whose heart the last spark of humanity was not wholly extinguished, ventured to plead for the life of the little boy; but the ready reply of one and all was, ' Away with him; d—n him, if he lives he'll be a Mormon like his father,' and a ball from a gun quickly scattered his brains upon the floor.

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My heart sickens, and the blood freezes in my veins while I write, and while I contemplate the worse than savage atrocities inflicted upon the most law-abiding, peaceful, unoffending people that ever graced the footstool of God. Yes, they drove them from their