History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 5Smith, Joseph, Jr.
History
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 5
Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
_Friday, 15_.--It was reported early in the morning that Elder Orson
Pratt was missing. I caused the Temple hands and the principal men of
the city to make search for him. After which, a meeting was called at
the Grove, {61} and I gave the public a general outline of John C.
Bennett's conduct.
The people met again in the afternoon, and were addressed on the same
subject by Brother Hyrum and Elder Kimball. I then stated that I had
heard that Edward and D. Kilbourn were engaged with John C. Bennett
to bring a mob on the city, from Galena, and asked Edward Kilbourn,
who was present, if it was so? To which Mr. Kilbourn replied at some
length, and denied the charge.
Elder Pratt returned in the evening.
I find an editorial, in the _Times and Seasons_, on the government of
God as follows:--
_The Government of God_.
The government of the Almighty has always been very dissimilar
to the governments of men, whether we refer to His religious
government, or to the government of nations. The government of God
has always tended to promote peace, unity, harmony, strength, and
happiness; while that of man has been productive of confusion,
disorder, weakness, and misery.
The greatest acts of the mighty men have been to depopulate nations
and to overthrow kingdoms; and whilst they have exalted themselves
and become glorious, it has been at the expense of the lives of the
innocent, the blood of the oppressed, the moans of the widow, and
the tears of the orphan.
Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Persia, Carthage, Rome--each was raised to
dignity amidst the clash of arms and the din of war; and whilst
their triumphant leaders led forth their victorious armies to glory
and victory, their ears were saluted with the groans of the dying
and the misery and distress of the human family; before them the
earth was a paradise, and behind them a desolate wilderness; their
kingdoms were founded in carnage and bloodshed, and sustained
by oppression, tyranny, and despotism. The designs of God, on
the other hand, have been to promote the universal good of the
universal world; to establish peace and good will among men; to
promote the principles of eternal truth; to bring about a state of
things that shall unite man to his fellow man; cause the world to
"beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning
hooks," make the nations of the earth dwell in peace, and to
bring about the millennial glory, when "the earth shall yield its
increase, resume its paradisean glory, and become as the garden of
the Lord."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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