The Life of John Taylor: Third President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsRoberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
History
The Life of John Taylor: Third President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Latter Day Saint churches; Taylor, John, 1808-1887
It is true there were many members of the Church in the eastern states
at the time, but they were unorganized, and indifferent to the progress
or defense of the work of God. Elder Taylor called upon the Saints to
come to his assistance in publishing a paper, but it reminded him of a
man, he humorously said, in describing the result to President Young,
who said, "I can call spirits from the vasty deep;" "So can I," shouted
another, "but they won't come." Still there were a few who responded,
and with what they furnished and the money obtained for the teams and
wagons he had brought with him from Utah, and a few hundred dollars
which he and those with him could borrow, a paper was started, the
first number bearing the date of the 17th of February, 1855.
"We commenced our publication," writes Elder Taylor to President Young,
"not because we had means to do it, but because we were determined to
fulfill our mission, and either make a spoon or spoil a horn. * * *
How long we shall be able to continue, I don't know. We are doing as
well as we can, and shall continue to do so; but I find it one thing to
preach the gospel without purse or scrip, and another thing to publish
a paper on the same terms."
CHAPTER XXVIII.
"THE MORMON"--THE FIRST ISSUE--IN THE FRONT OF THE BATTLE--BOLDNESS OF
DEFENSE--CHALLENGES ACCEPTED--THE ACTS OF COWARDS--"THE MORMONS DON'T
NEED YOUR SYMPATHY, NOR CANKERED GOLD"--A TERTULLIAN.
"The Mormon" was the title which Elder Taylor gave his paper. It was
a handsome, well printed, twenty-eight columned weekly. It had a very
striking and significant heading, filling up at least one fourth of the
first page. It represented an immense American eagle with out-stretched
wings poised defiant above a bee-hive, and two American flags. Above
the eagle was an all-seeing eye surrounded by a blaze of glory, and the
words: "Let there be light; and there was light." On the stripes of the
flag on the left was written: "Truth, Intelligence, Virtue and Faith;"
signed, "John Taylor;" upon those on the right; "Truth will prevail;"
signed, "H. C. Kimball;" while in the blue fields of one of the flags,
the star of Utah shone resplendently. Two scrolls on either side of the
eagle bore the following inscriptions: "Mormon creed--mind your own
business," Brigham Young; and "Constitution of the United States, given
by inspiration of God," Joseph Smith.
On the inside, at the head of the editorial column was the American
eagle standing on a bee-hive with an American flag on either side. Upon
the bee-hive, on one side, leaned the Doctrine and Covenants, Book of
Mormon and Bible; on the other a tablet on which was written: "Peace
and good will to man." The eagle held in its break a scroll on which
was written: "Holiness to the Lord."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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