History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 2Smith, Joseph, Jr.
History
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 2
Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
Dear Brother Orson:--We received yours of the 31st ultimo in due
course of mail, and were much grieved on learning that you were not
likely to succeed according to our expectations. Myself, Brothers
Newel, Frederick and Oliver, retired to the translating room, where
prayer was wont to be made, and unbosomed our feelings before God;
and cannot but exercise faith yet that you, in the miraculous
providences of God, will succeed in obtaining help. The fact is,
unless we can obtain help, I myself cannot go to Zion, and if I do
not go, it will be impossible to get my brethren in Kirtland, any
of them, to go; and if we do not go, it is in vain for our eastern
brethren to think of going up to better themselves by obtaining so
goodly a land, (which now can be obtained for one dollar and one
quarter per acre,) and stand against that wicked mob; for unless
they do the will of God, God will not help them; and if God does
not help them, all is vain.
Now the fact is, this is the head of the Church and the life of the
body; and those able men, as members of the body, God has appointed
to be hands to administer to the necessities of the body. Now if a
man's hand refuses to administer to the necessities of his body,
it must perish of hunger; and if the body perish, all the members
perish with it; and if the head fail, the whole body is sickened,
the heart faints, and the body dies, the spirit takes its exit, and
the carcase remains to be devoured by worms.
Now, Brother Orson, if this Church, which is essaying to be the
Church of Christ will not help us, when they can do it without
sacrifice, with those blessings which God has bestowed upon them, I
prophesy--I speak the truth, I lie not--God shall take away their
talent, and give it to those who have no talent, and shall prevent
them from ever obtaining a place of refuge, or an inheritance upon
the land of Zion; therefore they may tarry, for they might as well
be overtaken where they are, as to incur the displeasure of God,
and fall under His wrath by the way side, as to fall into the hands
of a merciless mob, where there is no God to deliver, as salt that
has lost its savor, and is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be
trodden under foot of men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account