,a ,,voice ,,from ,,jerusalem1    ,,or  
,a    ,,sketch    ,,of ,,the            
,,travels ,,and ,,ministry    ,,of      
,,elder ,,orson ,,hyde1    ,missionary  
of the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of     
,latter ,day ,saints1    ,,to           
,,germany1 ,,constantinople1 ,,and      
,,jerusalem1    ,,containing ,a         
,,description ,,of ,,mount ,,zion1 ,,the
 ,,pool ,,of ,,siloam1 ,,and ,,other    
,,ancient ,,places1    ,,and ,,some     
,,account ,,of ,,the    ,,manners ,,and 
,,customs ,,of ,,the ,,east1 ,,as       
,,illustrative ,,of ,,scripture ,,texts1
  ,,with ,a ,,sketch ,,of ,,several     
,,interviews ,,and ,,conversations      
,,with ,,jews'  ,,missionaries1 ,,etc41 
,,with ,a ,,variety ,,of ,,information  
,,on ,,the ,,present ,,state  ,,of      
,,that ,,and ,,other ,,countries ,,with 
,,regard ,,to    ,,coming ,,events ,,and
 ,,the ,,restoration ,,op ,,israel4     
99 99 99 99    ,,compiled ,,from ,,his  
,,late    ,,letters ,,and ,,documents1  
,the last of which bears date at        

,bavaria1 on this ,danube1 ,jan4 #ah1   
#ahdb4    99 99 99 99    ,,liverpool3   
,,published ,,by ,p4 ,p4 ,,pratt        
,,star ,,office1 #cf1 ,,chapel ,,street4
    99 99 99 99    ,,printed ,,by       
,,james ,,and ,,woodburn1 #ad1 ,,hanover
 ,,street4        ,,introduction4       
,the circumstances which gave rise to   
this mission of ,elder ,hyde are  quite 
peculiar and extraordinary2 and in an   
,american publication are  thus         
described by himself3 ,something near   
eight years ago1 ,joseph  ,smith1 a     
prophet and servant of the ,most ,high  
,god1 did predict upon my  head1 that ,i
 should yet go to the city of           
,jerusalem1 and be a watchman  unto the 
house of ,israel1 and perform a work    
there which would greatly  facilitate   
the gathering together of that people3  
the particulars of  which it is not     
necessary to mention here4    ,year     
after year has passed away since that   
period1 and my labours in  the ministry 
have been confined to the ,gentiles on  

both sides of the  ,atlantic4    ,in the
 early part of ,march last 7#ahdj71 ,i  
retired to my bed one  evening as usual1
 and while contemplating and enquiring  
out1 in my own  mind1 the field of my   
ministerial labours for the then coming 
season1  the vision of the ,lord1 like  
clouds of light1 burst upon my view4    
,the  cities of ,london1 ,amsterdam1    
,constantinople1 and ,jerusalem all     
appeared  in succession before me1 and  
the ,spirit said unto me1 ',here are    
many of  the children of ,abraham whom  
,i will gather to the land that ,i gave 
to  their fathers1 and here also is the 
field of your labours4'    ,a strict    
observance of the movements of the      
,jews1 and a careful  examination of    
their faith relative to their expected  
,messiah--the  setting up of his kingdom
 among them1 and the overthrow of the   
present  kingdoms and governments of the
 ,gentiles1 will serve to open the eyes 
of many of the uncircumcised1 when      
faithfully laid before them1 that  the  

great day of the ,lord comes not upon   
them unawares as a thief4    ,take1     
therefore1 proper credentials from my   
people1 your brethren1  and also from   
the governor of your state1 with the    
seal of authority  thereon1 and go ye   
forth to the cities which have been     
shown unto you1  and declare these words
 unto ,judah1 and say3 ',blow ye the    
trumpet in  the land3 cry1 gather       
together2 and say1 assemble yourselves1 
and let  us go into the defenced cities4
 ,let the standard be reared towards    
,zion4 ,retire6 stay not2 for ,i will   
bring evil from the north and a  great  
destruction4 ,the lion is come up from  
his thicket1 and the  destroyer of the  
,gentiles is on his way1 he is gone     
forth from his  place to make thy land  
desolate1 and thy cities shall be laid  
waste  without inhabitant4 ,speak ye    
comfortably to ,jerusalem1 and cry unto 
her  that her warfare is                
accomplished--that her iniquity is      
pardoned1 for  she hath received at the 

,lord's hand double for all her sins4   
,let your  warning voice be heard among 
the ,gentiles as you pass1 and call ye  
upon  them in my name for aid and for   
assistance4 ,with you it mattereth not  
whether it be little or much2 but to me 
it belongeth to shew favour  unto them  
who show favour unto you4 ,murmur not1  
therefore1 neither be  ye sorrowful that
 the people are slow to hear your       
petition2 but do as  has been told you4 
,all things shall work together for your
 good if you  are humble and keep my    
commandments2 for it must needs be that 
all men  be left without excuse1 that a 
righteous retribution may be awarded to 
all4'    ,many other things were shown  
and told me in the vision which will be 
made public at the proper time and      
places4 ,the vision continued open  for 
a number of hours1 that ,i did not close
 my eyes in sleep4    ,in obedience to  
the foregoing1 ,elder ,hyde proceeded to
 lay the  circumstances before the      
authorities of the church1 and before   

the  governor of the state of ,illinois1
 who gave their hearty sanction to  the 
mission1 and from whom he obtained the  
following documents3        ,letter of  
commendation from the ,conference at    
,nauvoo1 to ,elders      ,orson ,hyde   
and ,john ,e4 ,page1 appointing and     
confirming their      appointment to the
 work whereunto they have been called4  
,to all people unto whom these presents 
shall come1 ,,greeting4        ,be it   
known that we1 the constituted          
authorities of the ,church of           
,jesus ,christ of ,latter ,day ,saints1 
assembled in ,conference1 at            
,nauvoo1 ,hancock county1 and ,state of 
,illinois1 on this sixth day      of    
,april1 in the year of our ,lord1 one   
thousand eight hundred and      forty1  
consider an important event at hand--an 
event involving the      interest and   
fate of the ,gentile nations throughout 
the world4      ,from the signs of the  
times1 and from declarations contained  
in      the oracles of ,god1 we are     

forced to come to this conclusion4 ,the 
,jewish nation have been scattered      
abroad among the ,gentiles for a        
long period2 and1 in our estimation1 the
 time of the commencement      of their 
return to the holy land has already     
arrived4        ,as this scattered and  
persecuted people are set among the     
,gentiles      as a sign unto them of   
the second coming of the ,messiah1 and  
also1      of the overthrow of the      
present kingdoms and governments of the 
earth by the potency of his ,almighty   
arm1 in scattering famine and           
pestilence like the frosts and snows of 
winter1 and in sending      the sword1  
with nation against nation to bathe it  
in each others      blood2 it his highly
 important1 in our opinion1 that the    
present      views and movements of the 
,jewish people be sought after1 and laid
      before the ,american people for   
their consideration1 their profit       
and their learning2 feeling it to be our
 duty to employ the most      efficient 

means in our power to save the children 
of men from the      abomination that   
maketh desolate1 we have1 by the counsel
 of      the ,holy ,spirit1 appointed   
,elders ,orson ,hyde and ,john ,e4      
,page1      the bearers of these        
presents1 faithful and worthy ministers 
of      ,jesus ,christ1 to be our agents
 and representatives in foreign         
lands1 to visit the cities of ,london1  
,amsterdam1 ,constantinople and         
,jerusalem1 and also other places which 
they may deem expedient2      to        
converse with the priests1 rulers1 and  
elders of the ,jews1 and      obtain    
from them all the information possible2 
and communicate the      same to some   
principal papers for publication1 that  
it may have a      general circulation  
throughout the ,united ,states4         
,as ,messrs4 ,hyde and ,page have       
willingly and cheerfully accepted       
the appointment to become our servants  
and the servants of the      public in  
distant and foreign countries for       

,christ's sake1 we do      confidently  
recommend them to all religious and     
christian people1      and to ladies and
 gentlemen making no profession1 as     
worthy      members of society1         
possessing much zeal to promote the     
happiness      of mankind2 fully        
believing that they will be forward to  
render      them all the pecuniary aid  
they need1 to accomplish this laborious 
and hazardous mission1 for the general  
good of the human family4               
,ministers of every denomination upon   
whom these gentlemen shall      call1   
are requested to hold up their hands1   
and aid them by their      influence1   
with an assurance that such as do this  
shall have the      prayers and         
blessings of a poor and an afflicted    
people1 who have      tested the depths 
of their sincerity1 and love for their  
religion1      by the sacrifice of their
 blood upon a land1 shadowed by the     
stripes and stars of political and      
religious liberty4        ,given under  

our hands at the time and place before  
mentioned4        7,signed7 ,,joseph    
,,smith1 ,,jr41 ,,chairman4 ,,robert ,b4
 ,,thompson1 ,clerk4        99 99 99 99 
,from the ,governor of ,illinois4       
,,quincy1 ,,illinois1 ,april #cjth1     
#ahdj4        ,having been informed that
 the ,revd's4 ,orson ,hyde and ,john ,e4
      ,page1 elders in the church       
denominated ,later ,day ,saints1 are    
about to depart on their mission to     
,europe--and having heard      the      
former gentleman preach--and having been
 made acquainted to      some extent    
with the characters of both1 it affords 
me pleasure      to say1 that ,i was    
much pleased with the sermon delivered  
by      ,mr4 ,hyde2 and the reputation  
of both ,gentlemen for talents and      
christian-like deportment1 so far as ,i 
have been made acquainted1      are     
unexceptionable2 and as such1 believe   
them to be entitled to      the respect 
and kind treatment of all4              
7,signed7 ,,thomas ,,carlin1 ,governor  

of ,illinois4        99 99 99 99        
,,united ,,states ,,of ,,north          
,,america1 ,state of ,illinois1  ss3    
,i1 ,alexander ,p4 ,field1 ,secretary of
 ,state1 of the ,state of               
,illinois1 one of the ,united ,states of
 ,north ,america1 and keeper of      the
 great seal of said ,state1 do hereby   
certify that ,thomas ,carlin1      who  
took and signed the foregoing           
certificate1 is now1 and was at      the
 time of signing the same1 ,governor of 
the ,state aforesaid1      duly elected 
and qualified to office1 with full power
 by the      laws of this ,state to     
issue certificates as aforesaid2 that   
said      certificate is in due form of 
law1 and that full faith and credit     
are due his official attestations4      
,in testimony whereof1 ,i have hereunto 
set my hand1 and the great      seal of 
,state1 at the city of ,springfield1    
this twenty-second      day of ,may1 in 
the year of our ,lord1 one thousand     
eight hundred      and forty1 and of the

 independence of the ,united ,states1   
the      sixty-fourth4        7,signed47
 ,a4 ,p4 ,,field1 ,secretary of ,state4 
,a ,,sketch    ,,of ,,the    ,,travels  
,,and ,,ministry    ,,of    ,,elder     
,,orson ,,hyde4    99 99 99 99          
,,letter ,i4    ,trieste1 ,january #a1  
#ahdb4    ,,dear ,,brethren ,,of ,,the  
,,twelve1    ,as the blushing orb of    
light from his eastern temple sends     
forth1  this morning1 over ,alpine      
heights1 his streaming columns of golden
  brightness to greet the earth with a  
happy new year1 welcome its  arrival1   
and crown it with a celestial radience1 
,i might be justly  charged with        
ingratitude towards a gracious and      
merciful ,providence1  and a want of    
generosity and reciprocal kindness      
towards my brethren1  did ,i neglect to 
acknowledge the kind aid and protection 
which heaven  has granted me in answer  
to your faith and prayers4 ,permit me1  
therefore1 to commence my letter by     
wishing you all a happy new  year2 and  

through you1 allow me to extend the same
 wish to all the  saints1 both in       
,england and ,america2 but particularly 
to my wife and  dear little children4   
,i am happy to improve the opportunity1 
which this hour affords1 of  writing to 
you1 and that happiness is increased by 
a firm conviction1  that a letter from  
your unworthy brother1 in the ,lord1    
will be received  by you with a         
friendship and cordiality corresponding 
to that which now  animate my bosom4    
,since it has pleased the ,lord to grant
 unto me health and  prosperity--to     
protect me from the dangers of the      
climates--from the  plague and          
pestilence that have carried death and  
mourning on their  wing1 and return me  
again in safety to a land of civilised  
life1 these  things demand my highest   
gratitude1 as well as demonstrations of 
praise  and thanksgiving1 to ,his       
exalted name4    ,as a member1          
therefore1 of your honourable quorum1   
bearing1 in common  with you1 the       

responsibility under which ,,heaven has 
laid us1 to spread  the word of life    
among the perishing nations of the      
earth1 allow me to  say1 that1 on the   
#bast of ,october last1 my natural eyes1
 for the first  time1 beheld ,jerusalem2
 and as ,i gazed upon it and its        
environs1 the  mountains and hills by   
which it is surrounded1 and considered1 
that  this is the stage upon which so   
many scenes of wonders have been acted1 
where prophets were stoned1 and the     
,saviour of sinners slain1 a storm  of  
commingled emotions suddenly arose in my
 breast1 the force of which  was only   
spent in a profuse shower of tears4     
,i entered the city at the west gate1   
and called on ,mr4 ,whiting1 one  of the
 ,american missionaries at that place1  
to whom ,i had a letter of  introduction
 from ,monsieur ,muratt1 our consular   
agent at ,jaffa4 ,mr4 ,w4  said1 that in
 consequence of the unsettled state of  
his family1 7having  just removed to the
 house which he then occupied17 he was  

sorry to  say it would not be convenient
 for him to invite me to share his      
hospitality2 but very kindly went with  
me to the ,latin ,convent1 which  is a  
sort of hotel or home for strangers1 and
 there engaged for me  my board and     
lodging at a reasonable compensation1   
and said that he  would keep a little   
watch to see that ,i was well taken care
 of4 ,this  expression of kindness did  
not escape my notice4    ,after ,i had  
been there an hour or two1 ,mr4         
,sherman1 another ,american  missionary1
 accompanied by a ,mr4 ,gager1 from     
,america1 who1 ,i think1 was  a         
licentiate from the ,presbyterian or    
,congregational ,church1 called on  me1 
and after some considerable conversation
 upon the state of affairs  in general1 
in ,america1 ,i introduced to them the  
subject of my mission  to that place2   
and observed1 that ,i had undertaken to 
do a good work in  the name of the      
,lord1 and had come there for a         
righteous purpose1 and  wished their    

co-operation and friendly aid4 ,they    
assured me that they  should be happy to
 render me any assistance in their power
 to do good4  ,i thanked them for their 
kindness1 and observed1 that as ,i had  
had  little or no rest since ,i left    
,beyrout1 ,i felt worn down with fatigue
  and a want of sleep1 as well as being 
almost overcome by the excessive  heat1 
and that ,i also wished to arrange some 
documents which ,i had1  and then ,i    
should be happy to enjoy the privilege  
of an interview with  them1 and with    
,mr4 ,whiting at the same time4 ,they   
said they would  indulge me in my       
request at almost any time4    ,i had   
sent a lengthy communication to the     
,jews in ,constantinople1 in  the       
,french language1 but had reserved a    
copy of it in the ,german4 ,as  this    
document set forth1 clearly and plainly1
 the object of my mission  there1 ,i    
translated it into ,english in order    
that ,i might lay the facts  before them
 in as clear a point of light as        

possible4    ,accordingly1 after wearied
 nature had sufficiently reposed under  
sleep's balmy and refreshing shade1 ,i  
called on ,mr4 ,whiting1 according  to  
previous arrangements1 and ,messrs4     
,sherman and ,gager soon came  in4      
,after the usual salutations were       
passed1 and all quietly seated1  ,i     
expressed to them my gratitude for that 
opportunity of bearing  testimony to the
 glorious reality1 that the ,lord was   
about to visit his  people1 and also my 
gratitude to ,,him whose hand had been  
stretched out  for my safety and        
protection1 and also to bear me onward  
to the place  where mercy1 with all her 
celestial charms1 was embodied in the   
person  of his own ,son4    ,i then took
 the liberty of reading the document    
containing the object  of my mission    
there1 and were it not for its length ,i
 would here insert  it4 ,after it was   
read1 all sat in private meditation     
until ,mr4 ,gager  interrupted the      
silence by asking wherein the doctrines 

of our church  differed from the        
doctrines of the established orthodox   
churches4 ,i  replied as follows3 ,there
 are so many different kinds of orthodox
  doctrines1 all differing one from the 
other1 that it might be difficult  to   
determine which one to be the standard  
by which ours should be  tried2 but1    
said ,i1 with your permission1 ,i will  
set forth and explain  to you the       
principles of our faith1 and then you   
can determine for  yourselves wherein   
they differ from others4 ,so1 beginning 
at the  ,ministration of the ,angel of  
the ,lord1 ,i expounded unto them many  
things concerning the rise of the       
church1 its organization and            
ordinances1 and form and order of its   
government1 after which ,mr4  ,sherman  
spake as follows3    ,now1 we are here  
trying to do all the good we can1 and   
have been  for some length of time2 and 
what more would you have us do1 or what 
more can we do8 ,i replied after the    
following3 ,it appears to me1  even     

allowing your cause to be just and      
right1 that your time is  spent here to 
little or no purpose2 not1 however1 that
 ,i would be  understood as charging you
 with idleness or inattention2 but the  
strong  and deep-rooted prejudices which
 reign in the breasts of the people     
here against you1 that they will not    
even allow you to educate their         
children1 when you propose to do it     
gratuitously1 must render your  labours 
extremely limited2 and1 further1 the    
genius of your policy does  not admit of
 your making that exertion which the    
,saviour of the world  required his     
servants to make in former days4 ,you   
receive a salary from  a home           
institution1 and by that institution you
 are directed to remain  here whether   
the people will hear you or not2 whereas
 the ,saviour  taught his disciples to  
depart1 and shake the dust from their   
feet1  against that house1 city1 or     
people1 that would not hear them1 and   
not  spend their labour for that which  

did not profit4    ,to this1 ,mr4 ,gager
 replied1 ,although the fruits of our   
labours do not  immediately appear1 we  
ought not to be discouraged4 ,we may    
labour1 and  other men may enter into   
our labours4 ,the husbandman1 after he  
hath  sowed his seed1 waiteth patiently 
until it hath received the former and   
latter rains2 and1 as the days of       
miracles are past1 we cannot expect  men
 to act now under the immediate         
direction of the ,saviour as they  then 
did4 ,i might have here observed1 that  
it would be a great tax  upon the       
patience of the husbandman1 if it did   
not quite exhaust it1 to  sow his seed  
year after year1 and reap no fruits of  
his labour4 ,but--    ,i replied1 that  
miracles had truly ceased2 but1 said ,i1
 why have  they ceased8 ,mr4 ,gager     
said1 because they were not necessary4  
,i made  answer1 that ,jesus formerly   
said to the people1 according to thy    
faith  be it done unto thee2 and said   
,i1 ,i presume he is of the same mind   

still2 but the people have no faith in  
the power of ,god1 therefore no         
miraculous favours are shown them2 and  
because the religious world  have lost  
sight of their high privileges1 the     
horizon of their minds  beclouded1 and  
faith driven from their hearts by the   
vain and foolish  traditions of         
uninspired men1 the ,lord hath sent an  
holy ,angel from  the ,temple of ,light1
 bearing to the earth truth's unfaded   
laurels1  and has boldly asserted the   
rights and privileges of all who would  
seek the face and favour of the ,,most  
,,high4 ,but against this heavenly      
message1 streaming from the bosom of a  
compassionate ,god1 with the  purest    
love and good-will to a fallen race1 and
 beaming in the face of  men with a     
celestial radiance1 is arranged the     
cold-hearted prejudices  of an          
unbelieving world4 ,well did the        
,saviour ask this question1 ,when  the  
son of man cometh1 shall he find faith  
on the earth8 ,with this  testimony have

 ,i come to ,jerusalem2 and in the name 
of my master1 who  here bore our sins1  
in his own body1 on the tree1 ,i warn   
all men1 so  far as ,i have opportunity1
 to beware how they lift their hands or 
their  voices against it1 for1 by the   
voice of the ,lord from ,heaven1 am ,i  
made  a witness of the eternal reality  
of what ,i have declared4    ,mr4       
,whiting then asked if we acknowledged  
any to be christians except  those who  
embraced our doctrines and joined our   
church8 ,to this ,i  replied in the     
following manner3 ,we believe there are 
many in all  the different churches1    
with many who are externally attached to
 no  church1 who serve the ,lord        
according to the best light and         
knowledge  they have1 and this service  
is unquestionably acceptable in his     
sight2  and those who have died in this 
condition have no doubt gone to receive 
the reward of their labours in the      
mansions of rest4 ,but should ,he be    
pleased to send more light and truth    

into the world1 or revive those         
principles of truth1 which have been    
made to yield their sovereignty to  the 
opinions of men1 and they refuse to     
receive them1 or walk in them1  their   
service would cease to be acceptable to 
the ,lord1 and with no  degree of       
propriety could we acknowledge them true
 christians2 and we  do know1 and are   
sure1 that the ,lord has caused more    
light to shine1  and that he will hold  
none guiltless who refuse to walk in it 
after the  means of obtaining it are    
brought to their knowledge and placed   
within  their reach4 ,these were hard   
sayings4 ,they observed1 that they could
  not say that these things were not as 
,i had said2 but to them they  appeared 
incredibly strange4    ,i then requested
 that some of them would do me the      
favour of an  introduction to some of   
the principal ,jews in the place3 but   
this  request was greeted with a number 
of hems1 which commonly mean no  more   
than to allay a little irritation1 or   

tickling in the throat2  but on this    
occasion1 from the peculiarity of their 
tone and cadence1  ,i judged they wished
 to be a little metaphorical1 and so    
used the  term figuratively to mean the 
following3 ,we have our scruples about  
complying with your request1 lest it    
might detract from our influence  and   
popularity4 ,they observed that ,mr4    
,johns1 the ,english ,consul1  might be 
the most proper man to grant me the     
desired favour4 ,i replied1  that ,i    
knew as little of ,mr4 ,johns as ,i did 
of any ,jew in ,jerusalem1  but that ,i 
would not insist upon my request being  
granted4 ,mr4 ,whiting  then remarked1  
that he should have no particular       
objections to do it1  but that it could 
not be well attended to until a day or  
two hence4  ,this reminded me of a      
circumstance in ,england1 where duty    
once led  me to call upon a clergyman to
 do me a little favour1 but he said he  
could not grant it1 because ,i had not  
come recommended by any one  with whom  

he was acquainted4 ,i replied1 that ,i  
was very sorry to be  so unfortunate on 
that occasion1 as to be recommended by  
none but my  master1 who was the        
,saviour of the world4 ,the two are not 
exactly  similar1 yet the former        
reminded me of the latter4 ,i thanked   
,mr4 ,w41  however1 for his kindness1   
and our interview closed4 ,the fact is1 
,god  has one system of etiquette1 and  
reciprocity and this sign-seeking       
generation has another4 ,the former is  
hospitality and kindness to the         
stranger2 but the latter is--be very    
cautious and particular that  you render
 him no assistance1 neither show him    
favour unless he come  recommended by   
our party1 or by some others who are    
honourable and  orthodox1 like          
ourselves4 ,but no man is justifiable in
 the eye of  humanity1 in the eye of the
 gospel1 or in that eye that never      
sleeps1  in rejecting the reasonable    
petition of a stranger1 though he do    
not come clothed with letters from the  

chief priests1 scribes1 and  elders of  
the people2 and it is what no gentleman 
will do1 unless his  frankness and      
liberality have become blasted by the   
chilling winds of a  sectarian          
atmosphere4    ,with what feelings of   
commingled pity and contempt does every 
,latter  ,day ,saint1 whose mind has    
thoroughly canvassed the principles of  
our  faith1 and in whose heart dwells   
that unction from the ,holy ,one1  look 
upon that want of generosity and        
frankness1 which he is often  compelled 
to witness1 when he knows that in his   
own bosom1 independent  of a boasting   
spirit1 or any desire of vain glory1 are
 jewels of light1  truth1 and knowledge1
 as far superior in lustre to any thing 
which they  possess1 as the purest      
diamond is to the common pebble of the  
rivulet6    ,i concluded1 however1 that 
,i would try to discharge my duty before
 ,god1  without subjecting any one to   
the humble mortification of giving me   
an introduction4 ,for myself1 ,i feel   

not very jealous of my popularity  where
 the cause of truth requires me to      
hazard it1 and am not so very           
particular4 ,if my name be only recorded
 in heaven1 on the list of the          
sanctified1 it will abundantly          
compensate me for the sacrifice which   
duty calls me to make of it among men4  
,let them1 therefore1 look upon  me as  
they may1 a deceiver or a deceived1 a   
wise man or a fool1 ,i feel  very       
thankful to the ,lord for what mine eyes
 have seen1 mine ears  have heard1 and1 
more than all1 for what my soul has     
experienced2 and  it is my constant     
prayer to an over-ruling ,providence1   
that his free  grace may be amply       
sufficient to bear me triumphantly      
through life's  conflicting scenes1 that
 my poor heart may swell the notes of   
praise  and thanksgiving for ever and   
ever to ,,him who died to save me and   
wash  me from my sins1 in his own most  
precious blood4    ,summoning up1       
therefore1 what little address ,i had1  

,i procured a  valet d'place1 or lackey1
 and proceeded to the house of ,mr4     
,simons1 a  very respectable ,jew1 who1 
with some of his family1 had lately been
  converted and joined the ,english     
,church4 ,i entered their dwelling4     
,they  had just sat down to enjoy a dish
 of coffee2 but immediately arose  from 
the table to meet me4 ,i spake to them  
in ,german1 and asked them  if they     
spoke ,english2 they immediately replied
 ,yes1 which was a  very agreeable sound
 to my ear4 ,they asked me1 in ,german1 
if ,i spoke  ,english4 ,i replied1 ,ya1 
,mein ,herr4 ,i then introduced myself  
to them1  and1 with a little apology1 it
 passed off as well as though ,i had    
been  introduced by the ,pacha4 ,with   
that glow of warmth and familiarity1    
which is a peculiar trait in the ,german
 character1 they would have  me sit down
 and take a dish with them2 and as ,i   
began to relate some  things relative to
 my mission1 the smiles of joy which sat
 upon their  countenances1 bespoke      

hearts not altogether indifferent4      
,there are two  ministers of the ,church
 of ,england there4 ,one was confined to
 his bed  by sickness1 and the other1 a 
,german1 and a ,jew by birth1 soon came 
in4 ,after an introduction1 ,i took the 
liberty to lay open to him some  of our 
principles1 and gave him a copy of the  
communication to the  ,jews in          
,constantinople to read4 ,after he had  
read it1 he said that my  motives were  
undoubtedly very good1 but questioned   
the propriety of my  undertaking1 from  
the fact that ,i claimed ,god had sent  
me4 ,if1 indeed1  ,i had gone to        
,jerusalem under the direction of some  
missionary board1  or society1 and left 
,god out of the question altogether1 ,i 
should have  been received as a         
celestial messenger4 ,how truly did our 
,saviour  speak1 when he said1 ,i am    
come in my father's name1 and ye receive
  me not2 but if another were to come in
 his own name1 him ye would  receive4 ,i
 replied1 however1 that so far as ,i    

could know my own heart1  my motives    
were most certainly good2 yet1 said ,i1 
no better than the  cause which has     
brought me here4 ,but he1 like all      
others who worship a  ,god without body 
or parts1 said that miracles1 visions1  
and prophecy  had ceased4    ,the course
 which the popular clergy pursue at this
 time in relation to  the ,divine       
economy1 looks to me as though they     
would say2 ,o ,lord6 we  will worship   
thee with all our hearts1 serve thee    
with all our souls  and be very pious   
and holy4 ,we will even gather ,israel1 
convert the  heathen1 and bring in the  
millennium1 if you will only let us     
alone  that we may do it in our own way1
 and according to our own will4 ,but  if
 you speak from heaven to interfere with
 our plans1 or cause any to  see visions
 or dream dreams or prophecy whereby we 
are disturbed or  interrupted in our    
worship1 we will exert all our strength 
and skill  to deny what you say1 and    
charge it home upon the devil or some   

wild  fantastic spirit1 as being its    
author4    ,that which was looked upon  
by the ancient saints1 at among the     
greatest  favours and blessings1 viz41  
,revelation from ,god and communion with
 him  by dreams and by visions1 is now  
looked upon by the religious world  as  
the height of presumption and folly4    
,the ancient saints considered  their   
condition most deplorable when ,jehovah 
would not speak to them2  but the most  
orthodox religionists of this age deem  
it quite heterodox  to even admit the   
probability that he ever will speak     
again4 ,o1 my  soul6 language fails to  
paint the absurdity and abomination of  
such  heaven-opposing1 and              
truth-excluding dogmas2 and were it     
possible  for those bright seraphs that 
surround the throne above1 and bask  in 
the sunbeams of immortality1 to weep    
over the inconsistency and              
irrationality of mortals1 the earth must
 be bedewed with celestial  tears4 ,my  
humble advice to all such is1 that they 

repent and cast far  from them these    
wicked traditions1 and be baptized into 
the new and  everlasting covenant1 lest 
the ,lord speak to them in his wrath1   
and vex  them in his sore displeasure4  
,after some considerable conversation   
upon the priesthood and the  renewal of 
the covenant1 ,i called upon him to     
repent and be baptized  for the         
remission of his sins1 that he might    
receive the gift of  the ,holy ,ghost4  
,what6 said he1 ,i be baptized6 ,yes1   
said ,i1 you  be baptized4 ,why1 said   
he1 ,i have been baptized already6 ,i   
replied  something after the following3 
,you have1 probably1 been sprinkled1    
but that has no more to do with baptism 
than any other ordinance of  man's      
device2 and even if you had been        
immersed1 you would not have  bettered  
your condition1 for your priesthood is  
without power4 ,if1  indeed1 the        
catholic church had power to give you an
 ordination1 and  by that ordination    
confer the priesthood upon you1 they    

certainly  had power to nullify that    
act1 and take the priesthood from you2  
and  this power they exercised when you 
dissented from their communion1 by      
excluding you from their church4 ,but if
 the catholic church possessed  not the 
priesthood1 of course your claims to it 
are as groundless as  the airy phantoms 
of heathen mythology3 so view the       
question on which  side you may1 there  
is no possible chance of admitting the  
validity of  your claims to it4 ,be it  
known1 therefore1 that ordinances       
performed  under the administration of  
such a priesthood1 though they may even 
be  correct in form1 will be found      
destitute of the seal of that authority 
by which heaven will recognise his own  
in the day when every man's work  shall 
be tried3 though a priesthood may be    
clothed with the wealth  and honours of 
a great and powerful nation1 and command
 the respect  and veneration of         
multitudes whose eyes are blinded by the
 thick veil  of popular opinion1 and    

whose powers of reflection and deep     
thought  are confused and lost in the   
general cry of great is ,diana of the   
,ephesians1 yet all this does not impart
 to it the divine sanction1  or animate 
it with the spirit of life and power    
from the bosom of the  living ,god2 and 
there is a period in future time1 when1 
in the smoking  ruins of ,babel's pride 
and glory1 it must fall and retire to   
the shades  of forgetfulness1 to the    
grief and mortification of its          
unfortunate  votaries4    ,in           
consequence of his great volubility1 ,i 
was under the disagreeable  necessity of
 tuning my voice to a pretty high key1  
and of spacing short  between words2    
determining that neither his greatness  
nor learning  should shield him from the
 shafts of a faithful testimony3 but    
there  is more hope of those ,jews      
receiving the fullness of the gospel1   
whose  minds have never been poisoned by
 the bane of modern sectarianism1  which
 closes the mouth of deity1 and shuts up

 in heaven all the angels1  visions1 and
 prophecyings4    ,mrs4 ,whiting told me
 that there had been four ,jewish people
 in  ,jerusalem converted and baptized  
by the ,english minister1 and four      
only2 and that a part of the ground for 
an ,english church had been  purchased  
there4    ,it was by political power and
 influence that the ,jewish nation was  
broken down1 and her subjects dispersed 
abroad2 and ,i will here hazard  the    
opinion1 that by political power and    
influence1 they will be  gathered and   
built up2 and1 further1 that ,england is
 destined1 in the  wisdom and economy of
 heaven1 to stretch forth the arm of    
political  power1 and advance in the    
front ranks of this glorious enterprise4
  ,the ,lord once raised up a ,cyrus to 
restore the ,jews1 but that was not     
evidence that he owned the religion of  
the ,persians4 ,this opinion ,i  submit1
 however1 to your superior wisdom to    
correct1 if you shall find  it wrong4   
,there is an increasing anxiety in      

,europe for the restoration of that     
people2 and this anxiety is not confined
 to the pale of any religious           
community1 but it has found its way to  
the courts of kings4 ,special           
ambassadors have been sent1 and consuls 
and consular-agents have been           
appointed4 ,the rigorous policy which   
has hitherto characterised the  course  
of other nations towards them1 now      
begins to be softened by the  oil of    
friendship1 and modified by the balm of 
humanity4 ,the sufferings  and          
privations under which they have groaned
 for so many centuries1  have at length 
touched the mainsprings of ,gentile     
power and sympathy2  and may the ,god of
 their fathers1 ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and   
,jacob1 fan the  flame by celestial     
breezes1 until ,israel's banner1        
sanctified by a  ,saviour's blood1 shall
 float on the walls of ,old ,jerusalem1 
and the  mountains and valleys of ,judea
 reverberate with their songs of praise 
and thanksgiving to the ,lamb that was  

slain6    ,the imperial consul of       
,austria1 at ,galatz1 near the mouth of 
the  ,danube1 to whom ,i had a letter of
 introduction from his cousin in        
,vienna1 told me1 that1 in consequence  
of so many of their ,jewish  subjects   
being inclined of late to remove to     
,syria and ,palestine1 his  government  
had established a general consulate at  
,beyrout for their  protection4 ,there  
are many ,jews who care nothing about   
,jerusalem1  and have no regard for     
,god4 ,their money is all the god they  
worship2  yet there are many of the most
 pious and devout among them1 who look  
towards ,jerusalem as the tender and    
affectionate mother looks upon the  home
 where she left her lovely little babe4 
,you will discover by this letter1 and  
more particularly by the one  written   
from ,alexandria1 to ,elder ,pratt in   
,manchester1 ,england1 that1  through   
the goodness of the ,lord1 ,i have been 
enabled to accomplish  that which was   
told me prophetically1 several years    

ago1 by ,brother  ,joseph ,smith4       
,though the blustering snow-storm has   
thrown the gorgeous folds of his        
crimson mantle over the mountain tops1  
which half encircle us on our  north and
 east as we lie here in quarantine1 yet 
their sides towards  the base1          
beautifully terraced and thickly set    
with vines and olives1  though not in   
their summer dress1 present a           
widely-extended scene of  rural beauty  
and loveliness4 ,all the irregularities 
and deformities of  nature 7if1 indeed1 
there are any17 are completely lost in  
the distant  view1 though we gaze       
through the ship's powerful magnifier2  
so1 when  the eye of imagination surveys
 the saints far in the west1 their      
faults  and foibles are lost in the     
distance1 7if1 indeed1 any they have17  
and nothing but their virtues appear1   
which render the society very  inviting 
and extremely desirable4 ,the simple    
unrestrained language of  my heart      
is--,i want to see my brethren1 for in  

their bosoms1 ,i am sure1  is a         
corresponding echo which1--      ,like  
the harp1 when the zephyr is sighing    
,to the breath of that zephyr1 in music 
replying1    ,friendship can tremble    
with feelings as true4    ,i have just  
been upon deck to witness the king of   
day retiring in his  robes of state to  
the western portions of his kingdoms1 to
 proclaim  there1 in propria persona1   
the advent of #ahdb1 after opening and  
lighting up the glory of the new year in
 the east4 ,as his golden disk  was     
sinking behind the western rim of the   
deep blue waters of the  ,adriatic1 and 
throwing back1 in rich profusion1 his   
soft and glowing  beam upon the clear   
blue sky1 with a radiance and splendour 
peculiar  to none but him1 thought ,i1  
oh1 that thou couldest take a thought or
  good wish from me and bear it on the  
pathway of one of thy golden beams  to  
my dear little family1 which perhaps at 
this moment is pouring  his noon-day    
splendour obliquely upon the home where 

they dwell4 ,but  another thought       
succeeded--,i will not be a ,parsee4    
,there is a ,being  whose throne is     
high1 and whose glorious image shines   
forth in the  mirror of all his works to
 feast the mental eye and heal the      
wounded  heart1 ,his ear is not heavy   
that he cannot hear1 neither is his arm 
shortened that he cannot save2 to ,,him1
 therefore1 will ,i send a  thought on  
the wing of my evening devotion1 and    
breathe an aspiration  that his favour  
may gladden and cheer the cot where     
dwell all my  earthly hopes and earthly 
riches3 therefore1 tarry not for me thou
  glorious orb of light1 but speed thy  
course onward in the circuit of  the    
heavens1 to dye the sheen of other      
climes1 and to roll in the hour  when   
the dead1 small and great1 shall stand  
before ,god4    ,jerusalem at this time 
contains about twenty thousand          
inhabitants2  about seven thousand are  
,jews1 and the remainder mostly ,turks  
and  ,arabs4 ,it is enclosed by a strong

 wall from five to ten feet thick4 ,on  
those sides which are most accessible1  
and consequently most exposed  to an    
attack1 the wall is thickest1 and well  
mounted with cannon2 it  is from twelve 
to thirty feet in height4 ,the city is  
situated at the  south-eastern extremity
 of an inclined plane1 with the valley  
of ,kedron  on the east1 and the valleys
 of ,hinnom and ,gihon on the south and 
west1  all converging to a point in the 
valley of ,jehosaphat1 south-east of    
the city3 from the eastern gate of the  
city to the top of ,mount ,olivet1  as  
you pass through the valley of ,kedron1 
is just about one ,english  mile4 ,on   
the top of this mount you have a fair   
view of the ,dead ,sea and  river       
,jordan1 which are about fifteen miles  
in the distance4 ,as ,i stood  upon this
 almost sacred spot and gazed upon the  
surrounding scenery1  and contemplated  
the history of the past in connection   
with the  prophetic future1 ,i was lost 
in wonder and admiration1 and felt      

almost  ready to ask myself--,is it a   
reality that ,i am here gazing upon this
  scene of wonders8 or1 am ,i carried   
away in the fanciful reveries of a      
night vision8 ,is that city which ,i now
 look down upon really ,jerusalem1      
whose sins and iniquities swelled the   
,saviour's heart with grief1 and  drew  
so many tears from his pitying eye8 ,is 
that small enclosure in the  valley of  
,kedron1 where the boughs of those      
lonely olives are waving  their green   
foliage so gracefully in the soft and   
gentle breeze1 really  the garden of    
,gethsemane1 where powers infernal      
poured the flood of  hell's dark gloom  
around the princely head of the immortal
 ,redeemer8  ,oh1 yes6 ,the fact that ,i
 entered the garden and plucked a branch
 from  an olive1 and now have that      
branch to look upon1 demonstrates that  
all  was real4 ,there1 there is the     
place where the ,son of the ,virgin bore
  our sins and carried our              
sorrows--there the angels gazed and     

shuddered  at the sight1 waiting for the
 order to fly to his rescue2 but no such
  order was given4 ,the decree had      
passed in heaven1 and could not be      
revoked1 that he must suffer1 that he   
must bleed1 and that he must die4  ,what
 bosom so cold1 what feelings so        
languid1 or what heart so unmoved  that 
can withhold the humble tribute of a    
tear over this forlorn  condition of the
 ,man of ,sorrows8    ,from this place  
,i went to the tombs of the prophets in 
the valley of  ,jehosaphat1 and on my   
way around the city1 ,i entered the pool
 of ,siloam  and freely washed in its   
soft and healing fountain4 ,i found     
plenty  of water there for baptizing1   
besides a surplus quantity sent off in  
a limpid stream as a grateful tribute to
 the thirsty plants of the  gardens in  
the valley4 ,the pool of ,bethsda1 which
 had five porches1  yet remains in the  
city1 but in a dilapidated state1 there 
being  plenty of water to meet the      
demands of the city of a better quality1

  and more convenient--this vast        
reservoir is consequently neglected4    
,this pool was unquestionably as free   
and accessible to all the people  of    
,jerusalem as the ,thames is to the     
,cockneys1 or the ,mississippi to  the  
people of ,nauvoo2 and from its vast    
dimensions1 it would certainly  contain 
water enough to immerse all ,jerusalem  
in in a day3 so the  argument against   
the doctrine of immersion1 on the ground
 that there  was not water enough in    
,jerusalem to immerse three thousand    
persons in  in one day1 is founded in an
 over anxiety to establish the          
traditions  of men to the subversion of 
a gospel ordinance2 and it will be borne
 in  mind also1 that the day of         
,penticost was in the month of ,may1    
just at  the close of the rainy season1 
when all the pools and fountains in and 
about the city were flush with water4   
,what were anciently called ,mount ,zion
 and ,mount ,calvary1 are both  within  
the present walls of the city4 ,we      

should not call them mountains  in      
,america1 or hardly hills2 but gentle   
elevations or rises of land4  ,the area 
of what was called ,mount ,zion1 ,i     
should not think contained  more than   
one acre of ground2 at least as ,i stood
 upon it and  contemplated what the     
prophets had said of ,zion in the last  
days1 and  what should be done in her1  
,i could no more bring my mind to       
believe  that the magnet of truth in    
them which guided their words1 pointed  
to  this place1 any more than ,i could  
believe that a camel can go through  the
 eye of a needle1 or a rich man enter   
into the kingdom of ,god4  ,but on the  
land of ,joseph1 far in the west1 where 
the spread eagle  of ,america floats in 
the breeze and shadows the land--where  
those  broad rivers and streams roll the
 waters of the western world to the     
fathomless abyss of the ocean--where    
those wide-spreading prairies  7fields  
of the wood7 and extensive forests adorn
 the land with such  an agreeable       

variety1 shall ,zion rear her stately   
temples and stretch  forth the curtains 
of her habitation4 ,the record of       
,mormon chimes in  so beautifully with  
the scriptures to establish this        
position1 that an  honest and faithful  
examination of the subject is all that  
is required  to expel every doubt from  
the heart4    ,the customs and manners  
of the people of the east are so similar
 to  what they were in the days of our  
,saviour1 that almost everything which  
the traveller beholds is a standing     
illustration of some portion of         
scripture3 for example1 ,i saw two women
 grinding wheat at a little  hand-mill1 
consisting of two small stones with a   
little rude tackling  about it1 the     
whole of which one man might take in his
 arms and carry  almost any where at    
pleasure4 ,one would turn the top stone 
until her  strength was exhausted1 and  
then the other would take her place1 and
  so alternately keep the little grinder
 in operation4 ,it appears that  our    

,lord foresaw the perpetuity of this    
custom1 even to the time of his  second 
coming2 for he said1 ,two women shall be
 grinding at the mill2  one shall be    
taken and the other left2 and for aught 
,i know1 these two  ,i saw were the     
identical ones4 ,i also saw the people  
take a kind of  coarse grass and mix it 
with some kind of earth or peat that had
 been  wet and reduced to the           
consistency of common mortar1 and then  
lay it  out in flattened cakes to dry   
for fuel4 ,i then1 for the first time   
in my life1 saw the propriety of our    
,saviour's allusion1 ,if ,god so  clothe
 the grass of the field1 which to-day   
is1 and tomorrow is cast  into the oven1
 c4 ,i might swell this letter to a     
volume upon these  subjects1 but ,i     
forbear for the present4 ,one may read  
of the customs of  the ,east1 but it is 
not like seeing them4 ,to read of a good
 dinner may  brighten up a man's ideas  
about eating1 especially if he be a     
little  hungry2 but to sit down at the  

luxurious board and eat is far more     
satisfactory4 ,the two cases are not    
exactly parallel1 yet the latter  serves
 to illustrate the former4    ,as ,i    
walked about the environs of the town1  
my spirit struggled within  me in       
earnest prayer to the ,god of ,abraham1 
,isaac1 and ,jacob1 that he  would not  
only revolutionize this country1 but    
renovate and make it  glorious4 ,my     
heart would lavish its blessings upon it
 in the greatest  prodigality in view of
 what is to come hereafter4 ,after      
returning to  the city1 ,i found my feet
 and legs completely coated with dust2  
for the  whole face of the country was  
like an ash bed in consequence of the   
great length of the dry season4 ,i then 
thought how very convenient it  must    
have been for the ancient disciples to  
fulfil one injunction of  the ,saviour1 
shake off the dust of your feet4        
,syria at present is in a very unsettled
 state4 ,the ,drewzes and  ,catholics   
are fighting almost constantly4 ,they   

sometimes kill hundreds  and hundreds of
 a day4 ,in some sections it is not     
unfrequent that the  traveller meets    
some dozen or twenty men by the way-side
 without heads1  in a day4 ,in a letter 
from ,bavaria1 ,i stated that           
hostilities had  recommenced between the
 ,turks and ,egyptians2 ,i took the     
statement from  a ,german paper1 but it 
was a mistake4 ,the hostilities were    
between the  lesser tribes in ,syria4   
,the ,american missionaries at ,beyrout 
and ,mount  ,lebanon have received      
official notice through ,commodore      
,porter1 our  minister at               
,constantinople1 from the ,grand        
,sultan1 that hereafter they  can have  
no redress by law for any violence1     
outrage1 or cruelty1 that  may be       
practiced upon them by the people2 and  
advises them to leave  the country4     
,this course is approved of by          
,commodore ,porter4 ,i read  the        
correspondence between him and ,mr4     
,chassan1 our consul at ,beyrout2  but  

all is going on in the providence of    
,god4 ,syria and ,palestine must        
ferment and ferment1 work and work1     
until they work into the hands of       
,abraham's children to whom they rightly
 belong2 and may the ,god of  their     
fathers bless the hand that aids their  
cause4    ,i must now begin to think of 
coming to a close4 ,i have nearly three 
weeks yet to remain in quarantine4 ,the 
time seems long2 yet ,i endeavour  not  
to let it run to waste4 ,when our ship  
shall have obtained her  prattique1 ,i  
shall proceed1 if the ,lord will1       
directly to ,germany over  the ,alps1   
and try to light up a fire there4 ,will 
you give me your  prayers that ,god may 
bless my exertions1 and that ,i may be  
enabled to  conduct myself with that    
dignity and propriety in all things     
which  become a man of ,god1 and which  
the purity and virtue of the cause ,i   
advocate1 so justly merits2 and further1
 that in my great weakness  celestial   
strength may appear4    ,my kind        

respects to the presidency of the       
church1 and a happy new year  to all    
absent and enquiring friends4    ,with  
the most kind and tender feelings       
towards you1 and with a heart  that will
 burst with blessings on your heads when
 your faces ,i behold1  allow your      
unworthy brother in ,christ to close by 
the following lines  which he offers you
 as a farewell token until ,providence  
shall permit  us again to meet3         
,where the sun leaves his last golden   
ray1      ,far over the sea's swelling  
tide1    ,will friends1 dear and true1  
for me pray1      ,that ,i in the ,lord 
may abide8    ,though distance and time 
do us part1      ,and scenes new and    
strange roll between1    ,your memory is
 dear to my heart1      ,and            
friendship's bright star gleams the     
same4      ,in the west1 let its ray    
pour a light      ,on the circle of     
,zion's true sons1    ,to greet them    
with joy in the sight      ,of ,him who 
has said we are one4    ,to share in the

 spoils of my love1      ,her daughters1
 though last1 are not least2    ,for    
surely1 'twas blest from above          
,which graced the end of the feast4     
,,orson ,,hyde4    99 99 99 99    ,,dear
 ,,brother ,,pratt1    ,in consequence  
of the great distance to ,nauvoo1 and   
the uncertainty of  this letter reaching
 our brethren there1 should ,i address  
it to them1  ,i have thought proper to  
address it to you1 with this request1   
that  you will publish it by itself in  
pamphlet form1 as soon as possible1  and
 send a copy to each one of the twelve1 
three to the presidency of  the church1 
and one to my wife4 ,i wrote her a      
lengthy letter from this  place1 and    
sent it by an ,american ship bound      
directly to ,new ,york1 and  should have
 sent this along with it if it had been 
ready4 ,i wish you1  also1 to send five 
copies to my brother1 ,abijah ,hyde1    
,oxford1 ,newhaven  ,county1 and ,state 
of ,connecticut1 that he may send one to
 each of my  other brothers1 and one    

also to each of my sisters1 and that ,i 
wish  them and their families to        
consider themselves embraced within the 
circle of every good wish expressed in  
it4    ,the size of the edition ,i leave
 with you to determine4 ,you know that  
,i1  like yourself and every other      
,latter ,day ,saint preacher1 have no   
salary  except the voluntary            
contributions of the people where we    
labour2 and  having been absent from my 
family nearly two years1 my arm and my  
purse have been too short to render them
 much assistance4 ,i wish you1          
therefore1 to forward a sufficient      
number of copies to each branch  of the 
church any where this side of the       
,atlantic1 that all who wish  for a copy
 may have one2 and whatever any brother1
 sister1 or friend1  shall be disposed  
to give in return1 for the benefit of my
 wife and  children1 will be most       
gratefully received by them1 and no less
 so by  me4 ,it can be handed to the    
agent to whom you shall send the copies1

  and he can forward it to you through  
the post1 or otherwise as you  shall    
direct1 which will enable you to pay the
 printer2 and the balance  7should there
 be any7 ,i will advise you in due time 
how to convey it  to my family4 ,but    
should you discover any impropriety in  
the plan1 or  should it be inconsistent 
for you to carry it into execution1 you 
are  at liberty to use the document as  
your better wisdom may direct you1  only
 send it in some form to ,nauvoo as soon
 as possible4 ,perhaps ,i feel  too     
anxious about my family1 but where the  
heart has only few objects  to share its
 sympathies1 upon those few objects the 
sun of affection  shines with warmer and
 more brilliant ray4 ,my family is my   
earthly  all2 and of late my feelings   
concerning them are very peculiar4 ,it  
is  nearly a year since ,i have heard   
anything of them1 and being confined    
here in quarantine1 perhaps ,i have     
become childish4 ,my kind respects to   
yourself and family1 to brothers ,snow  

and ,adams1 and to all the ,saints  in  
,england2 may ,god bless you all3 pray  
for me4 ,i am your brother in  ,christ1 
,,orson ,,hyde4    ,p4,s4 ,in justice to
 the ,american missionaries at          
,jerusalem1 ,i must  say1 however1      
particularly of ,mr4 ,whiting1 with whom
 ,i became most  acquainted1 that as    
men1 their conduct towards me was both  
courteous  and civil2 and when ,i left  
,mr4 ,w4's house ,i could not withhold  
my  blessing from himself and           
family--his interesting wife and lovely 
little girls1 who all speak fluently the
 ,english and ,arabic4 ,a kind  word or 
action towards a stranger in a strange  
land is not soon  forgotten4 ,may the   
,lord bless them and their families with
 his  salvation1 through the knowledge  
of the truth1 was my desire then1 and   
is my prayer still4                     
,note4--,expecting a letter or letters  
from you to be lodged in ,bavaria  for  
me1 ,i have addressed a note there      
requesting them 7if any7 to be          

forwarded to me at this place2 but as my
 note went on shore in the  bustle      
without the postage being paid1 and     
having to pass through  different       
kingdoms1 ,i do not expect it will be   
forwarded4 ,i hope1  however1 to get    
news from you and the church when ,i get
 there myself4 ,i  hope also to hear    
something from my wife4 ,i feel that a  
word from her  would be more precious   
than gold2 yet ,i am afraid to hear lest
 she may  be in trouble1 or some of her 
friends dead--a father or mother        
perhaps1  or brother or sister4 ,yet ,i 
try to comfort myself with the thought  
that  my long absence is the cause of   
all my bad feelings4 ,the ,lord knows1  
and ,i pray that he may bind up every   
broken heart4 ,fare-thee-well2 thy      
brother in the ,lord1    ,o4 ,h4    99  
99 99 99        ,,letter ,,ii4          
,trieste1 ,january #ag1 #ahdb4    ,,dear
 ,,brethren ,,and ,,sisters ,,at        
,,nauvoo1    ,i have just written a     
lengthy letter to the ,twelve1 and sent 

it by way  of ,elder ,pratt1 in         
,england4 ,in that1 and in a former one 
written to  him from ,alexandria in     
,egypt1 is contained an account of my   
mission to  ,jerusalem4 ,i feel1        
however1 as though ,i wished to write a 
few lines  more on this the last day of 
my confinement on ship board1 where  ,i 
have spent the last fifty-six days3 six 
days in the harbour of                  
,alexandria--twenty-two days on our     
passage--and twenty-eight here in       
quarantine4 ,to-morrow1 if the ,lord    
will1 the the jubilant song1 with  its  
thrice welcome melody1 will greet the   
ears of a poor captive exile1  the      
prison doors give way1 and he be        
permitted once more to breathe the  air 
of freedom in a land where he is not    
annoyed by the sight of the  star and   
crescent1 the turban and the covered    
face--all of which are an  abomination  
in my sight4    ,the thoughts which ,i  
record will1 no doubt1 be scattering1   
and like  the gleaning of grapes when   

the vintage is done2 or like a few      
indolent belated stragglers going to the
 place of worship on a ,sabbath  morning
 after the more conscientious and       
faithful have broken the  silence which 
hovered around the place of their       
devotion1 and greeted  the morning with 
their prayers and joyful acclamations of
 praise to the  ,lord their ,god4    ,it
 is now rapidly advancing to the close  
of two long years since ,i  had the     
pleasure of mingling my voice with yours
 in ascribing honour  and thanksgiving  
to that ,being whose arm alone has been 
my support1 and  whose kind angel has   
swept the misty vapours far away which  
dispondency  would feign cast over the  
star of hope1 and nearly one year since 
,i  have heard ought direct from you4   
,while in ,bavaria1 ,i saw a statement  
in a ,german paper that ,brother ,joseph
 had been apprehended and confined  in  
prison4 ,i knew not but that it might be
 so2 yet ,i was inclined  to set it down
 among the numerous deaths which he has 

suffered1 the  imprisonments which he   
has endured1 and the various runaways of
 which  he has been guilty1 according to
 the flood of newspaper slang which has 
been poured forth upon a deceived       
public3 but as time allows nothing  to  
remain stationary1 you may judge of my  
anxiety to hear from you1  particularly 
when the happiness or misery of my own  
dear wife and  little children is       
identified with your own4    ,i         
sometimes fancy myself in your midst1 in
 my hours of silent  meditation1 gazing 
upon a large concourse of saints4 ,i see
 many1 very  many strange faces that ,i 
never saw before2 while others with whom
 ,i  was familiarly acquainted1 ,i do   
not see4 ,being anxious to know where   
they are1 ,i inquire after them2 but am 
told1 with a sigh that contains  no     
fiction1 that time--that cruel and      
unfeeling destroyer of the human  race1 
has borne them on his untiring wing to a
 long and sleepy mansion1  to await the 
hour when the voice of the ,archangel   

and the trumpet of  ,god shall bid their
 sleeping dust arise1 and come forth to 
receive the  reward of their labours4   
,o1 ye precious souls6 your debt is     
paid1 and ,i  cannot but embalm your    
memory with a tear as these lines slip  
from my  pen4    ,there1 for instance1  
sits a brother looking steadily upon his
 little  daughter4 ,his melancholy mien 
bespeaks a heart wadeing deep in sorrow3
  he puts his handkerchief to his face  
and bursts into tears4 ,i ask the  cause
 of that2 and am told1 that that brother
 has lately lost his wife2  and as he   
looked upon the young and tender flower1
 and recognised in  her the kind and    
affectionate features of the companion  
of his youth  who now sleeps in the arms
 of death1 he immediately contrasted all
 her  virtues with every unkind word    
that he might have given her1 and every 
ungenerous action2 and the thought that 
his children are bereft of a  mother1   
and his own bosom of its dearest friend1
 swells his heart to a  burst of grief2 

and every unkind word which he might    
have given her in  the warmth of the    
moment1 now rushes upon his memory1     
pierces his soul1  and adds an          
additional pang to the flood of grief   
which overwhelms  him4 ,husbands1       
whoever you are1 love your wives1 and be
 not bitter  against them4 ,the delicacy
 of their sex1 the vivid perceptibility 
of their mind1 and the soft and engaging
 virtues of their heart1  which weave   
themselves into the rugged recesses of  
man's masculine  temperament and        
constitute him a fit member of society1 
render them  entitled to the warmest    
affections of your heart1 and to the    
generous  protection of your arm4    ,in
 another part sits a sister clad in deep
 mourning1 with a number  of little     
children about her4 ,the solemnity which
 sits upon the  countenance1 and the sad
 melancholy which lingers in her eyes1  
declare  that her mourning is not all on
 the outside4 ,she looks upon the little
  ones and beholds in them the generous 

and manly features of their sire1  but  
his place his vacant3 ,and pray1 where  
is he8 ,oh6 as the sturdy oak  of the   
forest is laid low by the shaft from    
heaven1 so has their dear  father fallen
 by an arrow from the bow of a strong   
archer1 and these  young and tender     
branches which have sprung forth from   
his roots1 only  are left to perpetuate 
his name4 ,none but ,god knows the      
anguish of that  sister's heart1 as she 
hides her face1 and pours forth her     
grief in  flowing streams of tearful    
eloquence4 ,but stay1 my hand1 open not 
those  wounds afresh when thou hast no  
balm to bind them up3 but may the ,lord1
  whose province it is to comfort all   
that mourn1 and to bind up the          
broken-hearted1 soothe the sorrows of   
those afflicted ones1 and pour  the oil 
of consolation into their grieved and   
wounded spirit4    ,when1 oh6 when shall
 human grief and woe come to a final    
end8 ,thank  kind heaven1 there is a    
time when these must cease4 ,in the     

times of  the restitution of all things1
 when the son of the virgin shall have  
disarmed death of his power and         
triumphed over every foe of man2 then   
shall the tree of life spread wide its  
branches1 bloom in eternal  spring1 and 
exhale his rich and life-giving odours  
to the breeze1  carrying life1 health1  
and joy upon its balmy wing to every    
department  of ,god's creation4 ,behold 
we bring you glad tidings of great joy  
which shall be unto all people4    ,i   
have not performed this long journey    
without encountering some few           
hardships1 but ,i will not mention them2
 suffice it to say1 that ,i am  well at 
present4 ,the past is over and gone1 and
 ,i leave the future with  my master4   
,you certainly have an interest in my   
prayers day and night1  and ,i hope you 
will send up a good wish occasionally   
for me2 yes1 even  for me4 ,i need it4  
,my heart is full1 and ,i can write no  
more upon these  matters4    ,let me now
 tell you something about a thunderstorm

 at sea4 ,i have  crossed the ,atlantic 
three times--once the ,german and ,black
 seas1 and  all about the ,levante1     
besides sailing much on the ,american   
waters2  but never1 no1 never before did
 ,i witness nature in such a rage on the
  deep1 as once on this last voyage off 
the island of ,candia1 about the  #gth  
of ,december4 ,the sun sat behind the   
rising bulwarks of a dark and  gloomy   
cloud as though he would not look upon  
the scene that awaited  us3 this said to
 the experienced tar1 there is danger on
 the deep4  ,about six o'clock in the   
evening1 the breath of the monster      
reached us3  all hands aloft furling    
sails4 ,the sky became suddenly         
black--the sea  began to roll in upon   
our weather-beam and lash the hull of   
our ship1  tossing her from surge to    
surge with as much ease as a giant would
  sport with an infant4 ,the scene      
became grand4 ,our vessel stood on her  
course--wind on her larboard quarter1   
and under fore and close-reefed         

maintopsail only2 while thunders loud   
and long uttered their voices  from on  
high1 and rolled through the vaulted    
canopy as if clothed with  the official 
mandate from ,jehovah for the sea to    
give up its dead4 ,the  lightnings      
issued from the womb of darkness in     
fiery streams of blazing  vengeance to  
light up the terror of the storm4 ,a    
feeling of solemnity  and awe rolled    
across my bosom as ,i gazed upon the    
troubled deep1  raging in the wildness  
and fury of a tempest4 ,the spray of the
 clipped  surge was frequently whirled  
on the wing of the eddying currents like
  mighty cascades upon our deck1 while  
the rain descended like torrents  from  
the mountains4 ,abroad on the deep1 the 
crested billows rolled  high their      
fleecy heads1 and threw up thin sheets  
of foam in great  majesty1 coruscating  
in the lightning's glare2 and for a few 
minutes  it really appeared to me that  
the elements had engaged in a pitched   
battle--the crown of sovereignty to be  

awarded to the victor4 ,the winds       
howled through our almost naked shrouds 
like a thousand winged spirits  waiting 
to chaunt our requiem2 but under the    
providential care of ,,him  who governs 
the winds and the waves1 and who formed 
the ocean from his  palm1 our gallant   
barque bore us safely out the gale4     
,then said ,i--      ,god speed thee1   
good ship1 on thy pathway of foam1      
,the sea is thy country1 the billow thy 
home4    ,when the light of the next    
morning had dawned upon us1 ,i arose and
 went  out upon deck1 and found our lady
 of the deep attired in full dress1     
bearing us over the bosom of the gently 
rolling billow1 apparently as  careless 
and unconcerned as though nothing had   
happened2 and1 safely  has she brought  
us into port1 so ,i will sing--         
,now on ,europe's shores we're landed1  
,far away from ocean's roar2    ,where  
howling winds and rolling surges1       
,disturb our anxious hearts no more4    
,still is every note of tempest1        

,calmly sleeps the peerless wave2    ,an
 emblem of our friends departed1        
,whose dust reposes in the grave4       
,thanks to ,him who holds the billow1   
,and rides aloft on fleecy clouds2      
,let heaven1 earth1 and seas adore him1 
,with all the vast unnumber'd crowds4   
,worthy6 worthy is the ,saviour6        
,who1 for sinners1 once was slain2      
,swell6 oh1 swell6 the joyful anthem1   
,all ye wretched sons of men4      ,come
 unto this bleeding fountain1      ,meek
 and lowly you must be2    ,bear the    
cross and wash in ,jordan1      ,then   
from guilt he'll set you free4    ,my   
poetic organ is not largely developed1  
so for the correctness of the  measure  
and rhyme of these few lines ,i will not
 be responsible4    ,when in ,bavaria ,i
 wrote brother ,joseph a long letter2 it
 was sometime  in ,august last4 ,i hope 
he received it1 for ,i think it would do
 him  good--at least it was written with
 that intention2 and ,i sent one to my  
wife at about the same time3 the answers

 ,i hope to receive when ,i get  to     
,bavaria again4    ,fare you well2 ,i   
love you all1 ,i pray for you all1 and  
by the grace of  ,god1 ,i always shall4 
,i am your brother1 far away1 and yet   
near1    ,,orson ,,hyde4    99 99 99 99 
,regenshurgh1 ,january #cj1 #ahdb4      
,,to ,,brother ,,pratt ,,alone1         
,sir1--,i have thought proper to send   
this letter to you also1 for the  same  
reasons as are assigned in the other4   
,you will therefore publish  them both  
together1 if you shall think proper to  
do any thing with  them4 ,the whole was 
written in ,trieste1 except these last  
lines4  ,not having a convenient        
opportunity to send them from that      
place1 ,i  brought them with me here to 
,regensburgh4 ,i now have the pleasure  
of  acknowledging the receipt of your   
two letters1 and one from my wife and   
brother ,joseph1 dated #adth ,november  
last4 ,i was thrice glad to hear  from  
you all3 ,i laughed and cried           
altogether4 ,i have no room here to     

reply1 but you may hear from me again by
 and by4    ,dear ,brother1--,i have not
 forgotten looking at you through the   
crevices of a prison1 neither have ,i   
forgotten what my thoughts were  at that
 time2 but if ,i had had the strength of
 a ,sampson1 then was  the time that ,i 
would have used it for your deliverance4
 ,i need not  be particular to explain  
my own situation at that time2 but ,god 
be  thanked that ,i am where ,i am4 ,if 
enemies are strong and many1 nail  your 
flag to the spanker gaff1 keep close to 
the wind1 and if your  metal is not     
heavy enough1 the artillery of heaven   
will play upon them4    ,,orson ,,hyde4 
99 99 99 99        ,,letter ,,iii4 ,a   
,footnote ,a3 ,this letter and the      
following are of much earlier date  than
 the two preceding1 and have either     
wholly or in part appeared  previously  
in the ,millennial ,star4               
,alexandria1 ,nov4 #bb1 #ahda4    ,,dear
 ,,brother ,,pratt1    ,a few minutes   
now offer for me to write1 and ,i       

improve them in writing  to you4    ,i  
have only time to say that ,i have seen 
,jerusalem precisely according  to the  
vision which ,i had4 ,i saw no one with 
me in the vision2 and  although ,elder  
,page was appointed to accompany me     
there1 yet ,i found  myself there alone4
    ,the ,lord knows that ,i have had a 
hard time1 and suffered much1 but ,i    
have great reason to thank him that ,i  
enjoy good health at present1 and  have 
a prospect before me of soon going to a 
civilized country1 where ,i  shall see  
no more turbans or camels4 ,the heat is 
most oppressive1 and  has been all      
through ,syria4    ,i have not time to  
tell you how many days ,i have been at  
sea1 without  food1 or how many snails  
,i have eaten2 but if ,i had had plenty 
of them1  ,i should have done very well4
 ,all this is contained in a former     
letter  to you1 written from ,jaffa4    
,i have been at ,cairo1 on the ,nile1   
because ,i could not get a passage      
direct4 ,syria is in a dreadful state--a

 war of extermination is going  on      
between the ,drewzes and ,catholics4 ,at
 the time ,i was at ,beyrout1 a  battle 
was fought in the mountains of ,lebanon1
 near that place1 and  about #hjj       
killed4 ,robberies1 thefts1 and murders1
 are daily being  committed4 ,it is no  
uncommon thing to find persons in the   
street  without heads4 ,an ,english     
officer in going from ,st4 ,jean d',acre
 to  ,beyrout1 found ten persons        
murdered in the street1 and was himself 
taken prisoner1 but was rescued by the  
timely interference of the  ,pacha4 ,the
 particulars of all these things are    
contained in a former  letter4    ,an   
,american traveller1 named ,gager1 a    
licensed minister of the                
,congregational or ,presbyterian        
,church1 left ,jerusalem in company with
  me4 ,he was very unwell with the      
jaundice when we left1 and at ,damietta 
we had to perform six days' quarantine  
before we ascended the ,nile4 ,on  our  
passage up he was taken very ill with a 

fever1 and became helpless4  ,i waited  
and tended upon him as well as our      
circumstances would allow2  and when we 
landed at ,bulack1 ,i got four men to   
take him to the  ,american consul's1 in 
,cairo1 on a litter2 ,i also took all   
his baggage  there1 and assisted in     
putting him upon a good bed--employed a 
good  faithful ,arabian nurse1 and the  
,english doctor4 ,after the physician   
had examined him1 he told me that he was
 very low with a typhus fever1  and that
 it would be doubtful whether he        
recovered4 ,under these  circumstances  
,i left him to obtain a passage to this 
place4 ,after ,i had  gone on board a   
boat1 and was just about pushing off1 a 
letter came  from the doctor1 stating   
that poor ,mr4 ,gager died in about two 
hours  after ,i left him4 ,he told me   
before we arrived at ,cairo1 that he was
 #bg  years of age1 and his friends     
lived in ,norwich1 ,connecticut1 near   
,new  ,london1 ,i think4 ,there are many
 particulars concerning his death which 

would be interesting to his friends1 but
 ,i have no time to write them  now4    
,on ,sunday morning1 ,october #bdth1 a  
good while before day1 ,i arose from    
sleep1 and went out of the city as soon 
as the gates were opened1  crossed the  
brook ,cedron1 and went upon the ,mount 
of ,olives1 and there1  in solemn       
silence1 with pen1 ink1 and paper1 just 
as ,i saw in the  vision1 offered up the
 following prayer to him who lives for  
ever and  ever3    ,o ,thou6 who art    
from everlasting to everlasting1        
eternally and  unchangeably the same1   
even the ,god who rules in the heavens  
above1  and controls the destinies of   
men on the earth1 wilt ,thou condescend1
  through thine infinite goodness and   
royal favour1 to listen to the  prayer  
of thy servant which he this day offers 
up unto thee in the name  of thy holy   
child ,jesus1 upon this land where the  
,sun of ,righteousness  sat in blood1   
and thine ,anointed ,one expired4    ,be
 pleased1 ,o ,lord1 to forgive all the  

follies1 weaknesses1 vanities1  and sins
 of thy servant1 and strengthen him to  
resist all future  temptations4 ,give   
him prudence and discernment that he may
 avoid the  evil1 and a heart to choose 
the good2 give him fortitude to bear up 
under trying and adverse circumstances1 
and grace to endure all things  for thy 
name's sake1 until the end shall come1  
when all the saints  shall rest in      
peace4    ,now1 ,o ,lord6 thy servant   
has been obedient to the heavenly vision
  which thou gavest him in his native   
land2 and under the shadow of thine     
outstretched arm1 he has safely arrived 
in this place to dedicate  and          
consecrate this land unto ,thee1 for the
 gathering together of  ,judah's        
scattered remnants1 according to the    
predictions of the holy  prophets--for  
the building up of ,jerusalem again     
after it has been  trodden down by the  
,gentiles so long1 and for rearing a    
temple in  honour of thy name4          
,everlasting thanks be ascribed unto    

thee1 ,father6  ,lord of heaven and     
earth1 that thou hast preserved thy     
servant from  the dangers of the seas1  
and from the plague and pestilence which
 have  caused the land to mourn4 ,the   
violence of man has also been           
restrained1  and thy providential care  
by night and by day has been exercised  
over  thine unworthy servant4 ,accept1  
therefore1 ,o ,lord1 the tribute of a   
grateful heart for all past favours1 and
 be pleased to continue thy  kindness   
and mercy towards a needy worm of the   
dust4    ,o ,thou1 who didst covenant   
with ,abraham1 thy friend1 and who didst
  renew that covenant with ,isaac1 and  
confirm the same with ,jacob with an    
oath1 that thou wouldst not only give   
them this land for an everlasting       
inheritance1 but that thou wouldst also 
remember their seed for ever4  ,abraham1
 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 have long since    
closed their eyes in death1  and made   
the grave their mansion4 ,their children
 are scattered and  dispersed abroad    

among the nations of the ,gentiles like 
sheep that have  no shepherd1 and are   
still looking forward for the fulfilment
 of those  promises which thou didst    
make concerning them2 and even this     
land1  which once poured forth nature's 
richest bounty1 and flowed1 as it  were1
 with milk and honey1 has1 to a certain 
extent1 been smitten with  barrenness   
and sterility since it drank from       
murderous hands the blood  of ,him who  
never sinned4    ,grant1 therefore1 ,o  
,lord1 in the name of thy well-beloved  
,son1 ,jesus  ,christ1 to remove the    
barrenness and sterility of this land1  
and let  springs of living water break  
forth to water its thirsty soil4 ,let   
the  vine and the olive produce in their
 strength1 and the fig tree bloom  and  
flourish4 ,let the land become          
abundantly fruitful when possessed by   
its rightful heirs2 let it again flow   
with plenty to feed the returning       
prodigals who come home with a spirit of
 grace and supplication2 upon  it let   

the clouds distil virtue and richness1  
and let the fields smile  with plenty4  
,let the flocks and the herds greatly   
increase and multiply  upon the         
mountains and the hills2 and let thy    
great kindness conquer  and subdue the  
unbelief of thy people4 ,do thou take   
from them their  stony heart1 and give  
them a heart of flesh2 and may the sun  
of thy  favour dispel the cold mists of 
darkness which have beclouded their     
atmosphere4 ,incline them to gather in  
upon this land according to thy  word4  
,let them come like clouds and like     
doves to their windows4 ,let  the large 
ships of the nations bring them from the
 distant isles2  and let kings become   
their nursing fathers1 and queens with  
motherly  fondness1 wipe the tear of    
sorrow from their eye4    ,thou1 ,o     
,lord1 did once move upon the heart of  
,cyrus to shew favour  unto ,jerusalem  
and her children4 ,do thou now also be  
pleased to inspire  the hearts of kings 
and the powers of the earth to look with

 a friendly  eye towards this place1 and
 with a desire to see thy righteous     
purposes  executed in relation thereto4 
,let them know that it is thy good      
pleasure to restore the kingdom unto    
,israel--raise up ,jerusalem as its     
capital1 and constitute her people a    
distinct nation and government1  with   
,david thy servant1 even a descendant   
from the loins of ancient  ,david1 to be
 their king4    ,let that nation or that
 people who shall take an active part in
 behalf  of ,abraham's children1 and in 
the raising up of ,jerusalem1 find      
favour  in thy sight4 ,let not their    
enemies prevail against them1 neither   
let pestilence or famine overcome them1 
but let the glory of ,israel  overshadow
 them1 and the power of the highest     
protect them2 while that  nation or     
kingdom that will not serve thee in this
 glorious work must  perish1 according  
to thy word--',yea1 those nations shall 
be utterly  wasted4'    ,though thy     
servant is now far from his home1 and   

from the land bedewed  with his earliest
 tear1 yet he remembers1 ,o ,lord1 his  
friends who are  there1 and family1 whom
 for thy sake he has left4 ,though      
poverty and  privation be our earthly   
lot1 yet ah6 do ,thou richly endow us   
with an  inheritance where moth and rust
 do not corrupt1 and where thieves do   
not break through and steal4    ,the    
hands that have fed1 clothed1 or shown  
favour unto the family of  thy servant  
in his absence1 or that shall hereafter 
do so1 let them  not lose their reward1 
but let a special blessing rest upon    
them1 and  in thy kingdom let them have 
an inheritance when thou shalt come to  
be  glorified in this society4    ,do   
,thou also look with favour upon all    
those through whose liberality  ,i have 
been enabled to come to this island2 and
 in the day when thou  shalt reward all 
people according to their works1 let    
these also not be  past by or forgotten1
 but in time let them be in readiness to
 enjoy the  glory of those mansions     

which ,jesus has gone to prepare4       
,particularly  do thou bless the        
stranger in ,philadelphia1 whom ,i never
 saw1 but who  sent me gold1 with a     
request that ,i should pray for him in  
,jerusalem4  ,now1 ,o ,lord1 let        
blessings come upon him from an         
unexpected quarter1  and let his basket 
be filled1 and his storehouse abound    
with plenty1  and let not the good      
things of the earth be his only portion1
 but let  him be found among those to   
whom it shall be said1 ',thou hast been 
faithful over a few things1 and ,i will 
make thee ruler over many4'    ,o my    
father in heaven6 ,i now ask thee in the
 name of ,jesus to remember  ,zion1 with
 all her stakes1 and with all her       
assemblies4 ,she has been  grievously   
afflicted and smitten2 she has mourned2 
she has wept2 her  enemies have         
triumphed1 and have said1 ',ah1 where is
 thy ,god8' ,her  priests and prophets  
have groaned in chains and fetters      
within the  gloomy walls of prisons1    

while many were slain1 and now sleep in 
the  arms of death4 ,how long1 ,o ,lord1
 shall iniquity triumph1 and sin go     
unpunished8    ,do ,thou arise in the   
majesty of thy strength1 and make bare  
thine arm  in behalf of thy people4     
,redress their wrongs1 and turn their   
sorrow  into joy4 ,pour the spirit of   
light and knowledge1 grace and wisdom1  
into the hearts of her prophets1 and    
clothe her priests with salvation4  ,let
 light and knowledge march forth through
 the empire of darkness1 and  may the   
honest in heart flow to their standard1 
and join in the march  to go forth to   
meet the ,bridegroom4    ,let a peculiar
 blessing rest upon the presidency of   
thy church1 for  at them are the arrows 
of the enemy directed4 ,be thou to them 
a sun  and shield1 their strong tower   
and hiding-place2 and in the time of    
distress or danger be thou near to      
deliver4 ,also the quorum of the        
twelve1 do thou be pleased to stand by1 
for thou knowest the obstacles  which we

 have to encounter1 the temptations to  
which we are exposed1  and the          
privations which we must suffer4 ,give  
us1 therefore1 strength  according to   
our day1 and help us to bear a faithful 
testimony of ,jesus  and his gospel1 and
 to finish with fidelity and honour the 
work which  thou hast given us to do1   
and then give us a place in thy glorious
  kingdom4 ,and let this blessing rest  
upon every faithful officer and  member 
in thy church4 ,and all the glory and   
honour will we ascribe unto  ,god and   
the ,lamb for ever and ever4 ,amen4     
99 99 99 99    ,on the top of ,mount    
,olives ,i erected a pile of stones as a
 witness  according to the ancient      
custom4 ,on what was anciently called   
,mount  ,zion1 where the temple stood1  
,i erected another1 and used the rod    
according to the prediction upon my     
head4    ,i have found many ,jews who   
listened with intense interest4 ,the    
idea  of the ,jews being restored to    
,palestine is gaining ground in ,europe 

almost every day4 ,jerusalem is strongly
 fortified with many cannon  upon its   
walls4 ,the wall is ten feet thick on   
the sides that would be  most exposed1  
and four or five feet where the descent 
from the wall is  almost perpendicular4 
,the number of inhabitants within the   
walls is  about twenty thousand4 ,about 
seven thousand of this number are ,jews1
  the balance being mostly ,turks and   
,armenians4 ,many of the ,jews who are  
old go to this place to die1 and many   
are coming from ,europe into this       
,eastern world4 ,the great wheel is     
unquestionably in motion1 and the  word 
of the ,almighty has declared that it   
shall roll4    ,i have not time to write
 particulars now1 but suffice it to say1
 that  my mission has been quite as     
prosperous as ,i could expect4    ,i am 
now about to go on board a fine ship for
 ,trieste1 and from thence  ,i intend to
 proceed to ,regensburgh1 and there     
publish our faith in the  ,german       
language4 ,there are those who are ready

 and willing to assist me4    ,i send   
you this letter by ,captain ,withers1 an
 ,english gentleman1 who  goes direct to
 ,england on board the ,oriental        
steamer4 ,he has come with  me from     
,jerusalem4 ,if ,i had money sufficient 
,i should be almost tempted  to take    
passage on board of her to ,england1 but
 this ,i cannot do4    ,on receipt of   
this1 ,i wish you to write to me        
immediately1 and direct  to             
,regensburgh1 on the ,danube1 ,beyern1  
or ,bavaria4 ,if you know anything  of  
my family1 tell me4    ,my best respects
 to yourself and family1 to brothers    
,adams and ,snow1  and to all the saints
 in ,england4    ,may grace1 mercy1 and 
peace1 from ,god our ,father1 and from  
the ,lord  ,jesus ,christ1 rest upon you
 all from this time1 henceforth1 and for
  ever4 ,amen4    ,your brother in      
,christ1    ,,orson ,,hyde4    ,p4,s4   
,mr4 ,gager died on the #aeth instant1  
at four o'clock in the  afternoon4    99
 99 99 99        ,,letter ,,iv4         

,jaffa1 ,october #bj1 #ahda    ,,dear   
,,brother ,,pratt1    ,yesterday ,i     
arrived in this place from ,beyrout1 and
 just as ,i was  about to start from the
 ,american consul's in this place to    
,jerusalem1  at a most enormous price1 a
 company of ,english gentlemen rode in  
from ,jerusalem with many servants all  
armed1 and they were to  return         
immediately to ,jerusalem1 and ,i can go
 for little or nothing  comparatively   
speaking4    ,i have only time to say a 
few words2 but through the favour of    
heaven  ,i am well and in good spirits1 
and expect1 in a day or two1 to see     
,jerusalem4    ,my journey has been long
 and tedious1 and consequently          
expensive4 ,if ,i  get back to ,england 
with money enough to buy my dinner1 ,i  
shall think  myself well off4    ,the   
country is in a terrible state4 ,while  
,i was at ,beyrout1 a terrible  battle  
was fought in ,mount ,lebanon1 about six
 hours' walk from ,beyrout1  between the
 ,drewzes and ,catholics4 ,it was said  

that about four hundred  were killed on 
each side4 ,an ,english officer1        
returning from ,st4 ,jean  d',acre to   
,beyrout1 was taken by the ,drewzes1 and
 would have been killed  had not the    
,pacha come to his rescue4    ,he said  
that he found ten human bodies in the   
street on his way  without heads4       
,thefts1 murders1 and robberies are     
taking place almost  continually4 ,the  
,american missionaries in ,beyrout and  
,mount ,lebanon  have had notice from   
the ,grand ,sultan1 through our minister
 at  ,constantinople1 ,commodore        
,porter1 to leave the country1 and a    
prospect  that all the missionaries in  
,syria will have to leave4 ,this is only
  conjecture1 however4 ,but in this1 if 
it do take place1 ,i can see  plainly   
the hand of ,providence4 ,the fact is1  
this land belongs to the  ,jews2 and the
 present fermentation thereof shows to  
me that it is fast  working back into   
the hands of its rightful heirs4 ,god   
will1 in due  time1 drive out the       

,canaanites1 so that no more a          
,canaanite shall be  found in the land1 
or in the house of the ,lord4    ,i find
 that almost an universal anxiety       
prevails respecting the return  of the  
,jews4 ,the waters are troubled because 
the ,angel has descended4  ,my heart    
leaps for joy at the prospect of seeing 
that land1 and there  fulfilling my     
mission4    ,when we left ,smyrna for   
,beyrout1 we only took in stores for one
 week1  thinking that would surely be   
sufficient1 as the voyage is usually    
made  in four days2 but we were nineteen
 days on the passage4 ,a number of  days
 ,i eat snails gathered from the rocks1 
but the greatest difficulty  was1 ,i    
could not get enough of them4 ,i was so 
weak and exhausted that ,i  could not go
 on shore after the slight exertion of  
drawing on my boots4  ,but that is past2
 ,i am now strong and well1 and have    
plenty to eat4 ,i  now have nothing but 
land pirates1 in the shape of ,arabs1 to
 encounter4  ,an ,englishman seems like 

a brother1 let his religion be what it  
may4  ,yet ,i am very partial to the    
fulness of the gospel2 for in it ,i have
  great joy4    ,the servants are now   
waiting for me1 and ,i must gird on my  
arms and be  off4 ,yet one thing ,i will
 notice1 which is this3 ,on my passage  
from  ,beyrout to this place1 the night 
before last1 at one o'clock1 as ,i was  
meditating on the deck of the vessel1 as
 she was beating down against  a sultry 
schroke wind1 a very bright glittering  
sword appeared in the  heavens1 about   
two yards in length1 with a beautiful   
hilt1 as plain and  complete as any cut 
you ever saw4 ,and1 what is still more  
remarkable1  an arm1 with a perfect     
hand1 stretched itself out and took hold
 on the  hilt of the sword4 ,the        
appearance really made my hair rise1 and
 the  flesh1 as it were1 to crawl on my 
bones4 ,the ,arabs made a wonderful     
outcry at the sight2 ,o1 ,allah1 ,allah1
 ,allah6,a was their exclamation  all   
over the vessel4    ,footnote ,a3 ,lord1

 ,lord1 ,lord6    ,i mention this       
because you know there is a commandment 
to me which  says1 ,unto you it shall be
 given to know the signs of the times1  
and  the sign of the coming of the son  
of man4    ,may the ,lord bless you all 
in ,england and in ,america4 ,and ,i    
pray that  he will bless my wife1 and my
 dear little children2 ,god knows that  
,i  want to see them--yea1 and all the  
saints4    ,i have many particulars that
 ,i would like to write1 but time will  
not allow at this time4 ,you will hear  
from me again by the first  opportunity1
 if the ,arabs don't kill me4 ,there is 
no post here2 letters  are sent by      
private conveyance1 through friends1 c4 
,god bless you and  the cause of ,zion  
is my last prayer4    ,my love to       
brothers ,snow and ,adams1 and all the  
brothers and sisters in  the communion3 
pray for me4    ,yours1 in great haste1 
,,orson ,,hyde4    99 99 99 99          
,,the ,,gathering ,,of ,,israel4    ,,by
 ,,mrs4 ,,tinsley4    7,from the        

,monthly ,chronicle for ,april47        
,a sound hath pass'd through the        
nations1 heard      ,by the heart alone1
 when its depths are stirr'd2           
,mightier than that of storm-lifted     
seas1      ,than the tempest's rush amid
 forrest trees2      ,mightier than     
sorrow's earth-born cry1      ,than the 
shout of kings to victory2      ,and    
still1 where its tale hath gone1        
,a voice to the breeze is cast1      ,on
 to ,jerusalem1 brothers1 on6        ,we
 have gain'd our home at last6          
,lift up thine head1 ,o ,israel6 yet    
,from the depths of the darkness round  
thee set2      ,rejoice1 for the chosen 
of the ,lord      ,have listened once   
more to ,his living word2      ,calling 
them forth from the nations around1     
,to the hallow'd rest of their father's 
ground3      ,and still1 as the goal is 
won1        ,let the thrilling shout be 
past1      ,on to ,jerusalem1 brothers1 
on6        ,we have gain'd our home at  
last6        ,was the scoffer strong in 

the days of old1      ,fenced by his    
idols of dust-won gold1      ,mocking   
their hope1 while his footsteps trod    
,with the prophet-gather'd hosts of     
,god8      ,heed him not now in the     
times that be1      ,for ours is no     
common destiny2      ,but1 with true    
armour1 won        ,from the stores of  
the mighty past1      ,on to ,jerusalem1
 boldly on6        ,we have gain'd our  
home at last6        ,did the desert of 
old yield its gushing wave1      ,for   
the pilgrim-fathers their thirst to     
lave8      ,did the vision of ,god      
before them stand1      ,guiding their  
steps to the promis'd land8      ,and   
shall we1 their children1 all forget    
,that this mighty arm is our refuge yet8
      ,no6 by the hope whereon          
,we have lean'd through the stormy past6
      ,on to ,jerusalem1 brothers1 on6  
,we have gain'd our home at last6       
,there flow the waters that flow'd of   
yore1      ,washing no trace from the   
hallow'd shore2      ,there rise the    

hills where our fathers bow'd      ,when
 the voice of ,god shook the riven      
cloud2      ,and the boughs of the      
stately cedar thrill      ,with that    
holy breath1 for it stirs them still3   
,and we1 are we call'd upon        ,by a
 voice to the desert cast8      ,on to  
,jerusalem1 ,israel1 on6        ,we have
 gain'd our home at last6    99 99 99 99
    ,liverpool3 ,james and ,woodburn1   
,printers1 #ad1 ,hanover ,street4       
,transcriber's ,note    ,some obvious   
printer's errors 7e4g4 'injuction' for  
'injunction'7 have  been corrected as   
seemed reasonable4 ,some unusual        
spellings 7e4g4  'radience1' ',bethsda'7
 and inconsistent quotation marks in    
the original have been maintained4