,,divine ,,authority2    ,,or ,,the     
,,question1    ,,was ,,joseph ,,smith   
,,sent ,,of ,,god8    99999999    ,,by  
,,orson ,,pratt1    ,,one ,,of ,,the    
,,twelve ,,apostles ,,of ,,the ,,church 
,,of ,,jesus ,,christ ,,of              
,,latter-,,day  ,,saints4    99999999   
,a few days since1 ,mrs4 ,pratt and     
myself1 together with some others1  were
 kindly invited to take tea with a very 
respectable gentleman of  this town     
7,liverpool71 who1 though not connected 
with our church1 yet  was1 with his     
family1 sincerely enquiring after the   
truth4 ,they seemed  to be fully        
convinced in relation to the most       
important features of  our doctrine1 and
 were desirous of extending their       
investigations  still further4 ,we hope 
that their researches may happily result
 in a  full conviction of the truth1 and
 that they may obtain that certainty1   
so much to be desired1 as to the divine 
authority of the great and  important   
message now revealed from heaven--a     

message which must  assuredly prove a   
savor of life or death to the generation
 now  living4 ,this message is beginning
 to awake the attention of the honest1  
virtuous1 and upright among all classes 
of society4 ,they seem to be  aroused   
from the slumber of ages4    ,a message 
of simple truth1 when sent from         
,god--when published by divine          
authority1 through divinely inspired    
men1 penetrates the mind like a  sharp  
two-edged sword1 and cuts asunder the   
deeply-rooted prejudices1  the          
iron-bound sinews of ancient error and  
tradition1 made sacred by  age and      
rendered popular by human wisdom4 ,it   
severs with undeviating  exactness      
between truth and falsehood--between the
 doctrine of ,christ  and the doctrines 
of men2 it levels with the most perfect 
ease every  argument that human learning
 may array against it4 ,opinions1 creeds
  invented by uninspired men1 and       
doctrines originated in schools of      
divinity1 all vanish like the morning   

dew--all sink into insignificance  when 
compared with a message direct from     
heaven4 ,such a message shines  upon the
 understanding like the splendors of the
 noon-day sun2 it  whispers in the ears 
of mortals1 saying1 this is the way1    
walk ye  in it4 ,certainty and assurance
 are its constant companions2 it is     
entirely unlike all plans or systems    
ever invented by human authority2  it   
has no alliance1 connexion1 or          
fellowship with any of them2 it  speaks 
with divine authority1 and all nations1 
without an exception1  are required to  
obey4 ,he that receives the message and 
endures to the  end will be saved2 he   
that rejects it will be damned4 ,it     
matters not  what his former            
righteousness may have been--none can be
 excused4    ,as a specimen of the      
anxious inquiry which now pervades the  
minds of  many in relation to this      
church1 we publish the following extract
 from  a letter1 which was kindly read  
to us during our afore-mentioned visit1 

by the gentleman who received it from   
his friend in ,london4 ,we were  struck 
with the apparent candor1 the sound     
judgment1 and the correct  conclusions  
of the author of the letter1 and        
earnestly solicited the  privilege of   
publishing it4 ,permission was granted  
on condition that  we would withhold    
names4 ,we here present it to our       
readers1 and shall  endeavor1 in the    
same spirit of candor1 to answer the    
all-important  inquiries contained in   
it4     ,july #aeth4     ,,my ,,dear    
,,sir1--,i have been expecting1 time    
after time1 to be able to   return you  
the ,letters you so kindly left with me4
 ,as ,i informed you   in my last1 ,i   
cursorily read through the letters1 and 
then handed the   book to ,mr4 --4 ,with
 him it is at the present time4 ,the    
impression made   thereby on his mind is
 very remarkable1 and he requests me to 
inform   you1 that if you will allow    
him1 he means to keep the book1 if you  
will please to let him know the price   

thereof4 ,he and ,i concur in our   view
 of ,mormonism at present4 ,do you      
enquire what that view is8 ,i will      
then proceed to state it4 ,we consider  
that the proofs which ,mormonism   gives
 of the apostasy are1 without question1 
clear and demonstrative2   we entirely  
concur also in the personal appearance  
and reign of our   ,lord2 we are        
persuaded that all the preachers and    
teachers of the day   are without       
authority--that their teachings and     
interpretations are   uncertain as to   
the truth--that the translations of the 
scripture1   being done without         
inspiration1 are also uncertain4 ,all is
 uncertain6   melancholy thought6 a     
deplorable picture but a true one6--the 
different teachers doing the best they  
can6--all jarring--all   contending6    
,the result--division1 multiplied       
division6 ,and they have a   right if   
they think proper to divide from an     
authority merely human4   ,but their    
multiplied division is a multiplied     

proof that they are   wrong--that they  
are without that spirit who guides into 
truth1 and   truth is ,,one6     ,my    
dear sir1 the ,saints have made out a   
strong and irrefragable case   to show  
that authority to teach is no where1 if 
not with them2   but the proposition    
that they have authority to teach1      
interpret   c41 is one that at present  
does not create a conviction in ,mr4 -- 
or my mind4 ,we admit that it is very   
reasonable to suppose that1   under such
 circumstances1 ,god would raise up and 
send one invested   with authority4     
,whether ,joseph ,smith was such an one 
is the all   important question4 ,i also
 admit1 that so far as ,i am acquainted 
with   his history1 there is something  
very remarkable about him2 perhaps   ,i 
should be fully convinced if ,i were    
more fully read in writings   relating  
to him4 ,i wish ,i lived near to you1   
and then ,i would read   more fully on  
the subject ,i confess my mind is much  
concerned to   arrive at a clear        

conclusion upon the point4     ,mr4 --  
wishes you1 if you will be so good1 to  
select a few books that   you think     
clearly prove the divine mission of     
,joseph ,smith1 and send   them in a    
parcel to him with the prices2 he will  
feel much obliged1   and will send you a
 post-office order for the amount2 he   
believes   your selection will be a     
judicious one4 ,i have heard ,mr4 ,banks
 twice   since ,i saw you1 and other    
individual teachers also4 ,there is much
 in   their public services ,i approve4 
,i am struck with the simplicity of     
their celebration of the ordinances4    
,mr4 ,banks and the others assert       
strongly the divinity of ,joseph        
,smith's mission2 this is1 however1     
not enough3 the church of the early     
saints had proofs to give by   inspired 
apostles like ,peter1 inspired deacons  
like ,stephen1 inspired   evangelists   
like ,philip1 inspired prophets like    
,agabus1 and inspired   prophetesses    
like ,philip's daughters4 ,all this was 

the result of the   ,spirit being in and
 with them in authority and power4 ,the 
church   of the latter day ought to be  
the same1 if having the same spirit of  
authority and power4 ,the sects are     
without these proofs1 therefore   they  
are sects groping in the dark1 and      
hoping1 and thinking1 and   guessing    
they are right1 and all this convinces  
that they are not   the ,church1 the    
body of ,christ2 bodies they are of     
their doctors   and founders sure       
enough6 ,now ,i think the ,church of the
 ,latter-day   ,saints must resemble the
 original1 or it is at once proved only 
a   sect4 ,one result of my conversation
 with you and ,banks1 and perusing   the
 ,letters1 is1 that ,i can be no longer 
connected with any sect4 ,so   far as ,i
 see1 ,i can without difficulty confound
 in argument--plain   scriptural        
argument--any into whose company ,i am  
at any time thrown4   ,the ,methodist   
system ,i am convinced is the worst1    
because its   pretensions are highest4  

,i stand1 therefore1 fully alone4 ,i    
declare   ,i should be glad to be       
convinced that ,mormonism is what it    
professes   to be2 ,i would join it     
to-day if my mind could be convinced    
that its   elders had authority to      
baptize me for the remission of sins1   
and lay   hands on me for the gift of   
the ,holy ,ghost4 ,these sacred         
ordinances ,i   would obey gladly1 if ,i
 knew men having authority to administer
 them6   ,to have these ordinances      
administered without divine authority is
 mere   child's play4 ,thus you see my  
position4 ,a ,methodist leader1 an old  
friend1 said to me the other day1 ,are  
you connected with the church   of      
,christ now8--,i hear you are not with  
us now4 ,i answered1 ,where   is the    
church of ,christ8 ,he replied it is    
found among the different   sects4 ,i   
then inquired1 ,are you in the church of
 ,christ8 for if you   are1 you must be 
a member of all the sects4 ,this rather 
puzzled him4   ,i then asked him ,shew  

me the sect that resembled the church at
 the   beginning2 does any one of them1 
or do they all put together resemble    
the church at the beginning8 ,he said   
certainly not4 ,i enquired why   not8   
,he was shrewd enough to be silent and  
to see that his own mouth   must condemn
 his sect and all the sects4 ,observe1  
in the absence of   the spirit1 men must
 do as well as they can4 ,this ,i am    
trying to do1   only ,i confess that ,i 
am poor1 and blind1 and naked1 bereft of
 the   glory of the certainty of the    
authority and truth of the church of    
,christ4 ,the sects1 however1 are       
satisfied1 though poor1 blind1   and    
naked1 to boast of increase of goods1   
chapels1 rich friends1   preachers1 c41 
c4 ,so much for my present views and    
standing4 ,i   suppose by this time you 
have acted on your convictions1 and are 
joined to the ,saints2 in all honesty   
you ought1 ,i confess4 ,the moment   the
 conviction that divine authority and   
certainty of teaching is   with them1   

that moment will ,i join them4 999999   
,farewell4 ,my respectful regards to    
,mrs4 --1 and ever believe me1 my   dear
 sir1 yours very truly1                 
,first4--,the author of the above letter
 has carefully examined the  present    
state of the world1 and declares himself
 fully convinced of the  awful apostacy 
which now so universally prevails4 ,he  
unhesitatingly  admits that all         
authority to teach--to administer       
ordinances--to build  up the church of  
,christ1 has entirely ceased from the   
earth--that  all is uncertain4 ,he also 
admits that it is very reasonable to    
suppose1 that under such circumstances1 
,god would raise up and send  one       
invested with authority4 ,whether       
,joseph ,smith was such a one is  the   
all-important question4 ,yes1 indeed1 it
 is an important question1  and one that
 involves the fate of the present       
generation4 ,if ,joseph  ,smith was not 
sent of ,god1 this church cannot be the 
church of ,god1  and the tens of        

thousands who have been baptized into   
this church  are yet in their sins1 and 
no better off than the millions that    
have  gone before them4 ,the form1      
without the power and authority1 is no  
better than the hundreds of human forms 
that have no resemblance to  the ancient
 pattern2 indeed1 it is more dangerous1 
because better  calculated to deceive4  
,other churches do not profess to have  
inspired  apostles1 prophets1           
prophetesses1 evangelists1 c41 hence we 
know1  if the ,new ,testament be true1  
that they cannot be the church of ,god4 
,but the ,latter-day ,saints profess to 
have all these officers and gifts  among
 them1 and profess to have authority to 
administer in every form1  ordinance1   
and blessing of the ancient church2     
hence we know1 that  so far as the      
officers1 doctrines1 ordinances1 and    
ceremonies are  evidence1 this ,church  
can exhibit a perfect pattern4 ,in these
 things1  then1 both ancient and modern 
,saints are exactly alike4 ,by the ,new 

,testament then we cannot be condemned4 
,if the ,latter-day ,saints are not what
 they profess to be1 one thing is       
certain1 that no one ever will be able  
to confute their doctrine by  the       
scriptures2 however imperfect the people
 may be1 their doctrine is  infallible4 
,can this be said of any other people   
who have existed on  the eastern        
hemisphere during the last #agjj years8 
,no4 ,their doctrines  have been a      
heterogenous mixture of truth and error1
 that would not  stand the test one     
moment when measured by a pattern of    
inspiration2  some disparity could be   
seen and pointed out--some deviation    
either in  the organization or in the   
ordinances of the gospel could be shown 
to  exist4 ,and now after so many       
centuries have elapsed1 and when human  
wisdom has been exerted to its utmost   
strength1 and the most exalted  and     
gigantic talents displayed to lay a     
stable foundation whereon to  build1 we 
awake and behold all an empty bubble--a 

vain show--a phantom  of man's creation1
 with scarcely a vestige of the ancient 
form1 to  say nothing of the power4 ,in 
the midst of all this thick darkness1 a 
young1 illiterate1 obscure1 and         
inexperienced man announces a message   
from heaven1 before which darkness flees
 away2 human dogmas are  overturned2 the
 traditions of ages are uprooted2 all   
forms of church  government tremble like
 an aspen leaf at its approach1 and the 
mighty  fabric of popular sectarianism  
is convulsed and shaken to its very     
foundation4 ,how happens all this8 ,if  
,joseph ,smith were an impostor1  whence
 his superior wisdom8 ,what power       
enervated his mind in laying  the       
foundation of a church according to the 
ancient order8 ,how could  an impostor  
so far surpass the combined wisdom of   
seventeen centuries  as to originate a  
system diverse from every other system  
under heaven1  and yet harmonise with   
the system of ,jesus and his apostles in
 every  particular8 ,what6 an impostor  

discover the gross darkness of ages1    
and publish a doctrine perfect in every 
respect1 against which not  one         
scriptural argument can be adduced6 ,the
 idea is preposterous6 ,the  purity and 
infallibility of the doctrine of this   
great modern  prophet is a presumptive  
evidence of no small moment in favor of 
his  divine mission4    ,we do not      
pretend that a perfect doctrine is an   
infallible evidence  in favour of the   
divine authority of the one who teaches 
it4 ,we  can conceive it possible1      
though not probable1 for a man to teach 
a  doctrine unmixed with error1 and yet 
be without authority to administer  its 
ordinances4 ,swedenborg1 ,irving1 and   
many others taught doctrines  in some   
respects true1 in other respects false2 
hence their authority  should be        
rejected1 even though they should       
perform miracles4 ,we have  no examples 
on the records of history1 of a doctrine
 perfect in every  respect1 being taught
 by any person or persons1 unless they  

were  inspired with divine authority4   
,if ,joseph ,smith taught a doctrine in 
any respect false1 he should be rejected
 as an impostor1 though he  should1 like
 the magicians of ,egypt1 turn rivers of
 water into blood1  or create frogs in  
abundance1 or even raise the dead like  
the witch of  ,endor4 ,on the other     
hand1 if he taught a true and perfect   
doctrine1 he  might be sent of ,god1    
though he himself should perform no     
miracle1 like  ,john the ,baptist1 or   
the ,prophet ,noah1 or many other       
prophets of the  ,old ,testament4    ,in
 ancient times1 many great prophets were
 sent of ,god1 and we have no  record of
 their doing miracles1 yet their        
respective messages were of  infinite   
importance1 and could not be rejected   
without condemnation4  ,where is there a
 man1 no matter how great his           
attainments1 that can  show ,mr4        
,smith's doctrine to be false8 ,did the 
ancient saints teach  baptism to the    
penitent believer for the remission of  

sins8 ,so did  ,mr4 ,s4 ,did they teach 
the laying on of hands for the gift of  
the ,holy  ,spirit8 ,so did ,mr4 ,s4    
,did the ,former-day ,saints teach that 
apostles1  prophets1 evangelists1       
pastors1 teachers1 deacons1 bishops1    
elders1  c41 all inspired of ,god1 were 
necessary in the church8 ,so did ,mr4   
,s4  ,did the ancient ,saints teach that
 dreams1 visions1 new revelations1      
ministering of angels1 healings1        
tongues1 interpretations1 and all  other
 spiritual gifts were necessary in the  
church8 ,so did this modern  prophet4   
,where then is the discrepancy between  
the ancient and modern  teachings8 ,no  
where4 ,the teaching of the one is as   
perfect as the  other2 and we again     
assert that this perfect coincidence in 
teaching1  in every point1 is a strong  
presumptive evidence that ,mr4 ,smith   
was  sent of ,god4    ,second4--,in what
 manner does ,joseph ,smith declare that
 a dispensation  of the gospel was      
committed unto him8 ,he testifies that  

an angel of  ,god1 whose name was       
,moroni1 appeared unto him2 that this   
angel was  formerly an ancient prophet  
among a remnant of the tribe of ,joseph 
on the continent of ,america4 ,he       
testifies that ,moroni revealed unto    
him where he deposited the sacred       
records of his nation some fourteen     
hundred years ago2 that these records   
contained the everlasting  gospel as it 
was anciently taught and recorded by    
this branch of  ,israel4 ,he gave ,mr4  
,smith power to reveal the contents of  
those records  to the nations of the    
earth4 ,now1 how does this testimony of 
,joseph  ,smith agree with the book of  
,john's prophecy given on the ,isle of  
,patmos8 ,john testifies that when the  
dispensation of the gospel is  again    
committed to the nations1 it shall be   
through the medium of an  angel from    
heaven4 ,j4 ,smith testifies that a     
dispensation of the  gospel for all     
nations has been committed to him by an 
angel4 ,the one  uttered the prediction2

 the other testifies its fulfillment4   
,though  ,mr4 ,smith had taught a       
perfect doctrine1 yet if he had         
testified that  his doctrine was not    
restored by an angel1 all would at once 
have  known him to be an impostor4 ,how 
came ,mr4 ,smith1 if an impostor1 to    
not only discover a perfect doctrine1   
but also to discover the precise  medium
 through which that doctrine should be  
restored to the earth8  ,did            
,swedenborg1 ,irving1 ,wesley1 or any   
other persons1 not only teach  a pure   
system1 but at the same time did they   
declare that it was  committed to them  
by an angel from heaven8 ,if not1       
however pure and  holy their teaching1  
they were not divinely authorised to    
administer in  ordinances4 ,if ,mr4     
,smith had professed to have            
accidentally discovered  those records1 
and that he was inspired to reveal their
 contents  through the ,urim and        
,thummim2 or if he had professed to have
 received  a message of the gospel      

through the inspiration of the ,holy    
,ghost1 or  the ,urim and ,thummim1 or  
in any other way but that of the        
ministering  of an angel1 we should1    
without further inquiry1 have known him 
to be  without authority4 ,how came ,mr4
 ,smith1 if a deceiver1 to think of all 
this8 ,did ,martin ,luther1 ,wesley1    
,whitfield1 ,swedenborg1 or ,irving     
think  of this8 ,whence his superior    
intellect--his depth of                 
understanding--his  extensive           
foresight--that he should so far surpass
 all former impostors  for #agjj years8 
,john testifies that when the           
everlasting gospel is  restored to the  
earth it shall be by an angel4 ,smith   
testifies that  it was restored by an   
angel1 and in no other way4 ,this is    
another  presumptive evidence that he   
was sent of ,god4    ,third4--,a        
revelation and restoration to the earth 
of the everlasting  gospel through the  
angel ,moroni would be of no benefit to 
the  nations1 unless some one should be 

ordained with authority to preach it    
and administer its ordinances4 ,moroni  
might reveal a book containing  a       
beautiful and glorious system of        
salvation1 but no one could obey  even  
its first principles without a legally  
authorized administrator1  ordained to  
preach1 baptize1 lay on hands for the   
gift of the ,holy  ,ghost1 c4 ,did      
,moroni ordain ,mr4 ,smith to the       
apostleship1 and command  him to        
administer ordinances8 ,no1 he did not4 
,but why not confer  authority by       
ordination1 as well as reveal the       
everlasting gospel8  ,because in all    
probability he had not the right so to  
do4 ,all angels  have not the same      
authority--they do not all hold the same
 keys4 ,moroni  was a prophet1 but we   
have no account of his holding the      
office of an  apostle2 and if not1 he   
had no right to ordain ,mr4 ,smith to an
 office  which he himself never         
possessed4 ,he no doubt went as far as  
he was  authorized1 and that was to     

reveal the stick of ,ephraim--the record
  of his fathers containing the         
everlasting gospel4 ,how then did  ,mr4 
,smith obtain the office of an apostle1 
if ,moroni had no authority  to ordain  
him to such office8 ,mr4 ,smith         
testifies that ,peter1 ,james1  and     
,john came to him in the capacity of    
ministering angels1 and by  the laying  
on of hands ordained him an apostle1 and
 commanded him to  preach1 baptize1 lay 
on hands for the gift of the ,holy      
,ghost1 and  administer all other       
ordinances of the gospel as they        
themselves did in  ancient days4 ,did   
,swedenborg--did ,irving's apostles--or 
did any other  imposters during the long
 age of darkness--profess that the      
apostleship  was conferred upon them by 
those who held it last--by an angel who 
held the office himself8 ,no2 and       
therefore they are not apostles1 but    
deceivers4 ,if ,mr4 ,smith had pretended
 that he received the apostleship  by   
the revelation of the ,holy ,ghost1     

without an ordination under the  hands  
of an apostle1 we should at once know   
that his pretensions were  vain1 and    
that he was a deceiver4 ,if an impostor1
 how came ,mr4 ,smith  to discover this8
 ,why did he not1 like the ,irvingites1 
assume the  apostleship without an      
apostle to ordain him8 ,how came he to  
possess so  much more wisdom than       
,irving1 as to discover that he could   
not be an  apostle without being        
ordained under the hands of an apostle8 
,if ,mr4  ,smith be a false apostle1 it 
must be confessed that he has exhibited 
far more judgment than all the false    
apostles who have preceded him1  learned
 and talented as they were4 ,is not this
 another presumptive  evidence of       
,joseph ,smith's divine mission8 ,such a
 correctness upon  matters of so great a
 moment1 and upon subjects on which     
millions have  heretofore erred1        
indicates something more than human--it 
indicates  inspiration of the ,almighty4
 ,the purity of ,mr4 ,smith's           

doctrine--the  perfect coincidence of   
his testimony with that of ,john's1 in  
relation  to the manner of the          
restoration of the everlasting ,gospel  
to the  earth1 and the consistency of   
his testimony in relation to the manner 
of the restoration of the apostleship1  
are strong presumptive evidences  that  
beautifully harmonize with and          
strengthen each other2 the evidence  is 
therefore accumulative1 and increases   
with every additional  condition or     
circumstance in a multiplied ratio1 and 
seems almost  irresistibly to force     
conviction upon the mind4               
,fourth4--,joseph ,smith not only       
professes1 through the medium of angels1
  to have received a dispensation of the
 gospel1 and the power and  authority of
 the apostleship1 but he also professes 
to have received1  through revelation   
and commandment from ,god1 a            
dispensation for  the gathering of the  
,saints from all nations4 ,now the      
doctrine of the  gathering of the       

,saints in the last days must either be 
false or  true2 if false1 then ,j4      
,smith must be an impostor4 ,it matters 
not  how correct he may have been in all
 other points of his system1 if  this   
one point--the doctrine of the          
gathering--be false1 he must be  a      
deceiver4 ,why8 ,because he professes to
 have received this doctrine  by direct 
revelation and commandment4 ,on the     
other hand1 if the  doctrine of the     
gathering of the ,saints be a true      
doctrine and  scriptural1 this will be  
another presumptive evidence that ,mr4  
,smith  was sent of ,god4    ,now a     
doctrine may be true and not be         
scriptural2 as for example1  ,newton's  
doctrine or law of universal gravitation
 is a true doctrine1  but not a         
scriptural one2 that is1 it can neither 
be proved nor  disproved by the         
scriptures4 ,so1 ,noah's doctrine of    
gathering into  an ark--,lot's doctrine 
of fleeing out of ,sodom--,christ's     
doctrine  to depart out of ,jerusalem   

and flee to the mountains to escape     
destruction1 were all true2 but neither 
of them could be proved  or disproved by
 any scripture given to any of the      
former prophets4  ,so likewise ,mr4     
,smith's doctrine of the gathering of   
the ,saints in  the last days might be  
true1 even though there should be no    
former  scripture that predicted such an
 event2 but in this case such a         
doctrine would be no evidence that ,mr4 
,smith1 who advocated it1 was  sent of  
,god2 but if such a doctrine can be     
proved to be a scriptural  doctrine1    
that is1 if the gathering of the ,saints
 was predicted in  ancient scriptures as
 an event to take place in a certain    
age1 in a  certain way1 and through     
certain means1 and ,mr4 ,smith comes in 
that  age1 professing to have a message 
to gather the ,saints in such way1  and 
by such means as the scriptures have    
foretold1 then the exact and  perfect   
agreement between the professed message 
of ,mr4 ,smith1 and the  scriptural     

predictions relating to such a message  
or work1 would be a  presumptive        
evidence of great weight in favor of his
 divine mission4    ,the doctrine of the
 gathering of the people of ,god1       
including ,israel1  is one so clearly   
predicted by the inspired writers1 that 
it seems  almost superfluous to refer to
 the numerous passages relating to it4  
,the dispensation in which the people of
 ,god were to be gathered in  one1 is   
called by the apostle ,paul1 the        
dispensation of the fulness  of times2  
which he represents as being an event   
then in the future4  ,john1 nearly one  
hundred years after the birth of our    
,saviour1 saw  the wonderful events and 
sceneries of unborn generations         
displayed in  majestic and awful        
grandeur before him4 ,he saw the        
churches of ,asia1  then under his own  
personal watch-care1 lukewarm1          
corrupted1 and about  ready to be moved 
out of their place4 ,he saw the         
universal apostacy  sic that was soon to

 succeed and hold dominion for ages over
 all  kindred and tongues1 under the    
name of the ,mother of ,harlots--the    
great ,babylon that should make all     
nations drunk with her wickedness4  ,he 
saw that after the nations had been thus
 overwhelmed in thick  darkness for     
ages1 without the church of ,god1       
without apostles1 without  prophets1    
without the ministering of angels1      
without one cheering  message from      
heaven1 that there would be one more    
proclamation of  mercy made to all      
people--one more dispensation of glad   
tidings from  the heavens1 to be ushered
 in by an angel restoring the           
everlasting  gospel1 which was to       
receive a universal proclamation to all 
the  inhabitants of the earth1          
accompanied with a loud cry1 that the   
hour of ,god's judgment is come4 ,he saw
 the universal proclamation  of this    
warning message immediately followed by 
another angel1  proclaiming the complete
 overthrow and downfall of ,babylon4    

,between  the interval of the flying of 
these two angels1 he heard another      
voice from heaven1 saying1 ,,come ,,out 
,,of ,,her1 ,,my ,,people1 that ye be   
not partakers of her sins1 and that ye  
receive not of her plagues2  for her    
sins have reached unto heaven1 and ,god 
hath remembered her  iniquities4        
,remember1 that this voice1 commanding  
the people to come  out of ,babylon1 was
 to be a voice from heaven4 ,it was not 
to be  a cunningly devised plan of      
uninspired man1 brought about by human  
ingenuity1 but it was to be a voice from
 heaven--a message sent from  ,god--a   
new revelation1 commanding the ,saints  
to come out of ,babylon  previous to its
 downfall4 ,how came ,mr4 ,smith1 if an 
impostor1 to get1  not only all the     
other particulars which we have         
mentioned1 perfectly  exact1 but also to
 discover that there must be a gathering
 of the  ,saints out of ,babylon1 and   
that that work must immediately follow  
the introduction of the gospel by an    

angel8 ,why did he not say1 ,my         
doctrine is true1 and if you will       
embrace it1 you can be saved1 and  still
 remain where you are8 ,it matters not  
how correct his doctrine  might have    
been in all other points1 if he had told
 his disciples to  remain among the     
corrupt nations1 and not gather         
together--this alone  would have exposed
 the cloven foot1 and proved him to be a
 deceiver4  ,swedenborg1 ,wesley1       
,irving1 and a numerous host of others1 
during the  last seventeen hundred      
years1 have entirely neglected the      
gathering1  which proves that they were 
without authority--that a dispensation  
of  the gospel was never committed to   
them--that the voice from heaven  to    
come out of ,babylon had never saluted  
their ears4 ,previous to the            
restoration of the gospel by an angel1  
,god had no people in ,babylon1  and    
therefore could not call them out4 ,an  
unauthorised1 uninspired  priesthood1   
preaching a perverted gospel1 never     

could raise up a  people of ,god in     
,babylon2 for they themselves are       
,babylon1 and all  their converts or    
children are begotten after their own   
likeness  with ,babylonish inscriptions 
upon their foreheads4 ,it is only when  
the gospel1 apostleship1 and power are  
again restored in the way and  manner   
predicted1 that a people of ,god can be 
raised up among the  nations4 ,it is    
then1 and not till then1 that the voice 
is heard from  heaven1 calling that     
people out from among the nations4 ,mr4 
,smith did  not forget this4 ,it is     
marvellously strange1 indeed1 that he   
should  be an impostor1 and yet embrace 
in his system every particular that  was
 to characterize the great dispensation 
of the latter times4 ,it  matters not   
how diverse the points of his doctrine  
were to the popular  current among the  
great modern systems of religion4 ,he   
seems to have  introduced his system    
without paying the least regard as to   
what would  be popular or unpopular--as 

to whether it would suit the learned or 
the  unlearned--as to whether it would  
suit the temporal circumstances of  man 
or not4 ,he did not stop to make the    
inquiry whether the gathering  of the   
,saints would be congenial to the       
feelings of those who occupied  splendid
 mansions1 upon fine farms1 surrounded  
with every luxury of  life4 ,he did not 
stop to consider any of those things1   
but spoke as one  having authority2     
saying1 thus saith the ,lord1 upon every
 point of  doctrine which he            
promulgated4 ,now1 for a young man1     
inexperienced and  illiterate1 to       
profess to give the word of the ,lord   
upon subjects of so  great a moment--to 
reveal doctrines which were directly    
opposed1 not  only to his own           
traditions1 but to the teachings and    
doctrines of the  most popular1         
numerous1 and powerful sects of the day1
 and at the same  time have those       
doctrines exactly accord1 not only with 
the ancient  gospel1 but with every     

minute prediction relative to the       
dispensation  of the last days--is an   
evidence that carries ,,truth upon the  
face of  it1 and leaves a deep and      
lasting impression upon every reflecting
  mind1 and we can hardly refrain from  
assenting in our hearts1 that  surely he
 must have been sent of ,god4           
,fifth4--,what else besides the         
everlasting gospel does the ,book of    
,mormon profess to contain8 ,it         
professes to contain a brief but        
faithful  history of a small branch of  
the tribe of ,joseph1 and the           
revelations  given to them both before  
and after ,christ1 written by a         
succession of  prophets who were the    
literal descendants of ,joseph2 hence it
 professes  to be1 in the full sense of 
the word1 the writings or records of    
the tribe of ,joseph4 ,it contains      
numerous and pointed predictions1       
shewing expressly that the age in which 
their records should1 by the  power of  
,god1 be revealed to the nations1 should

 also be the day in  which ,israel      
should be gathered2 and that their      
records1 in conjunction  with the       
records of the ,jews1 should be the     
powerful instruments in  the hands of   
the servants of ,god in bringing about  
that great work4  ,now1 how does this   
accord with the word of the ,lord to    
,ezekiel upon  the same subject8        
,ezekiel was commanded to write upon two
 sticks1 one  for ,judah1 and the other 
for ,joseph2 after which he was         
commanded to  join them together into   
one4 ,and when the children of ,israel  
should  make enquiry what these two     
united writings of ,judah and ,joseph   
meant1  he was to say unto them1 that   
the ,lord ,god would join the writings  
of  ,joseph with those of ,judah2       
immediately after which he would take   
the  children of ,israel from among the 
heathen1 whither they were gone1 and    
would gather them on every side1 and    
bring them into their own land3  and    
that he would make them one nation in   

the land upon the mountains  of ,israel2
 and that one king should be king to    
them all2 and that they  should no more 
be two nations or kingdoms4 ,ezekiel    
testifies that the  writings of ,joseph 
should be joined with the writings of   
,judah4  ,mr4 ,smith presents this      
generation with a book1 consisting of   
several  hundred pages1 professing to be
 the sacred writings of the inspired    
prophets of the tribe of ,joseph1 who   
anciently inhabited the great  western  
hemisphere4 ,ezekiel testifies that     
,israel should be gathered1  never again
 to be scattered1 immediately after the 
union of these  two records4 ,the       
professed record of ,joseph1 brought to 
light by ,mr4  ,smith1 testifies in the 
most positive language1 that this is the
 age  in which ,israel shall be gathered
 through the instrumentality of the     
word and power of ,god1 contained in the
 two records4 ,ezekiel uttered  the     
prediction4 ,mr4 ,smith presents a      
professed fulfilment4 ,this is  another 

presumptive evidence in favor of the    
divine authority of his  mission2 for if
 the gathering of ,israel had not been  
included in the  mission of ,mr4 ,smith1
 as an important part of the great work 
of the  last dispensation1 all would    
have had good reason for rejecting him  
without further inquiry4 ,the           
ministering of an angel--the restoration
  of the gospel--the conferring of the  
apostleship--the setting up  of the     
kingdom of ,god--the gathering of the   
,saints--the revelation  of the record  
of ,joseph1 and its union with the      
,jewish record--and  the restoration of 
all the house of ,israel to their own   
lands1 are  the wonderful events to be  
fulfilled in the great dispensation of  
the fullness of times4 ,whatever person 
or persons are divinely  commissioned to
 usher in that dispensation1 must have  
the keys of  authority to perform every 
work pertaining thereunto4 ,if ,joseph  
,smith  had included all these          
remarkable events in his mission1       

excepting  one2 then that one exception 
would be sufficient to prove him to be  
acting without authority4 ,but where1 we
 ask1 is there one exception8  ,what    
particular event or circumstance        
pertaining to the dispensation1  of     
which he professed to hold the keys1 has
 he excluded from his  system8 ,did     
,john predict the restoration of the    
gospel by an angel8 ,it  is included in 
,mr4 ,smith's system4 ,did ,john predict
 that the ,saints  should receive a     
message from heaven1 commanding them to 
come out of  ,babylon8 ,it also is      
included in the system of ,joseph       
,smith1 and the  ,saints are now obeying
 it4 ,did ,ezekiel predict the final    
gathering  of ,israel as an immediate   
result of the union of the two records  
of  ,joseph and ,judah8 ,mr4 ,smith also
 includes this in his system4 ,the two  
records are already united in their     
testimony1 and will soon accomplish  the
 purpose for which they were sent forth4
 ,what then is lacking8 ,is  there any  

of the prophets1 or inspired writers of 
ancient times1 who  have pointed out    
some other way for the latter day       
dispensation to be  brought about8 ,can 
any man show that the gospel will not be
 restored  by an angel1 or that the     
,saints will not be called out of       
,babylon  by a message from heaven8 or  
that the record of the tribe of ,joseph 
will not be joined with the ,jewish     
record--the ,bible8 or that ,israel     
will not be gathered to their own lands 
through the instrumentality  of more    
revelation8 or that the kingdom of ,god 
will not be set up  in the latter days  
to break in pieces all other kingdoms8  
or that  apostles and prophets will not 
be restored to the earth as in ancient  
times8 ,if all these things are         
possible1 probable1 and scriptural--if  
all these events must come to pass in   
their time1 and in the manner           
predicted--can any one show that this is
 not the time8 that the ,book  of       
,mormon is not the record of ,joseph1   

about which ,ezekiel prophesied8  ,can  
any one show any cause why ,joseph      
,smith should not receive the           
ministering of an angel8 why he should  
not be ordained an apostle1  or prophet1
 or receive revelations and commandments
 from ,god8 ,if the  gospel is to be    
restored by an angel1 it must be        
restored at the first  to some person4  
,why not that person be ,mr4 ,smith8 ,if
 the records of  two different tribes   
are to be joined in one1 why not the    
,book of  ,mormon and the ,bible be the 
two records8 and why not ,mr4 ,smith be 
the  instrument in the hands of ,god in 
fulfilling this prophecy8 ,if these     
things are not not the fulfillment of   
those ancient predictions1  will the    
generation that lives when they do come 
to pass be any more  believing than they
 are at present in this work8 ,will they
 be any  more ready to receive new      
revelations1 visions1 angels1 or ancient
  sacred records than they are now8     
,when ,god sets up his kingdom1 will    

mankind be any more willing to receive  
the apostles1 prophets1 and  inspired   
officers of that kingdom1 than they are 
now8 ,one thing is  certain2 if the     
angel has not come--if the gospel is not
 restored--if  the records of ,joseph   
are not revealed--then there is no      
kingdom of  ,god on the earth1 no       
authority to preach or administer the   
ordinances  among men2 all is gross     
darkness--all is uncertainty--and our   
only  alternative is to wait till the   
voice of the angel is heard1 till the   
great work of the last dispensation is  
ushered in4 ,but will we then  receive  
it8 ,will not our prejudices be as great
 then as they are now  against ,mr4     
,smith8 ,are there any qualifications   
that ,mr4 ,smith should  possess that he
 did not possess8 ,were there any       
doctrines which he  advocated adverse to
 scriptural doctrine8 ,were there any   
principles  connected with his system   
inconsistent with the prophecies8 ,if   
then  perfection characterizes every    

doctrine embraced in the great scheme   
of this modern prophet1 who can say that
 he was not sent of ,god8 ,who  dare    
oppose so great and perfect a system1   
without the least shadow of  evidence to
 prove its falsity8 ,who so lost to     
every sense of reason and  sound        
judgment1 as not to perceive an         
overwhelming evidence flowing in  from  
every quarter to establish the divine   
mission of ,joseph ,smith8 ,who  that   
has examined his mission or system      
impartially1 can bring even  one        
evidence against it8 ,are we not bound  
then to yield1 at least1 our  faith on  
the side of evidence8 ,what excuse then 
can the learned1 and  great1 and wise of
 the earth1 render for opposing a work  
of so great  importance with nought but 
ridicule1 and slander1 and vile         
reproaches8  ,let them bring forth their
 strong reasonings1 or else let them    
hear1  and say1 it is ,,truth4          
,sixth4--,the perfect agreement between 
the prediction of ,isaiah 7chap4  xxix7 

and ,mr4 ,smith's account of the finding
 and translation of the  ,book of       
,mormon1 is another collateral proof    
that he was divinely  commissioned4 ,mr4
 ,smith testifies that the plates from  
which that book  was translated were    
taken out of the ground1 from where they
 were  originally deposited by the      
prophet ,moroni2 that the box containing
  them was composed of stone1 so        
constructed as to exclude1 in a great   
degree1 the moisture of the soil2 that  
with the plates he discovered a  ,urim  
and ,thummim1 through the aid of which  
he afterwards was enabled to  translate 
the book into the ,english language4    
,soon after obtaining the  plates1 a    
quantity of the characters were         
correctly transcribed1 and  sent to some
 of the most learned individuals in the 
,united ,states1 to  see if they could  
translate them4 ,among the rest1 they   
were presented  to ,professor ,anthon1  
of ,new ,york city4 ,but no man was     
found able to  read them by his own     

learning or wisdom4 ,mr4 ,smith1 though 
an unlearned  man1 testifies that he was
 commanded to translate them1 through   
the  inspiration of the ,holy ,ghost1 by
 the aid of the ,urim and ,thummim1  and
 that the ,book of ,mormon is that      
translation4 ,now1 ,isaiah says  to     
,israel1 ,thou shalt be brought down1   
and shalt speak out of the  ground1 and 
thy speech shall be low out of the dust1
 and thy voice  shall be1 as of one that
 hath a familiar spirit1 out of the     
ground1 and  thy speech shall whisper   
out of the dust4    ,who cannot perceive
 the perfect harmony between ,isaiah's  
prediction  and ,mr4 ,smith's testimony8
 ,isaiah1 as if to impress it upon the  
minds of those who should live in future
 generations1 gives no less  than four  
repetitions of the same prediction in   
the same passage1  informing us1 in the 
most definite language1 that after      
,israel should  be brought down1 they   
should speak in a very familiar manner  
out of  the ground1 and whisper low out 

of the dust4 ,mr4 ,smith has been an    
instrument in the hands of ,god of      
fulfilling this prediction to the  very 
letter4 ,he has taken out of the ground 
the ancient history  of one half of our 
globe--the sacred records of a great    
nation of  ,israel--the writings of a   
remnant of the tribe of ,joseph1 who    
once  flourished as a powerful and great
 nation on the western hemisphere4  ,the
 mouldering ruins of their ancient      
forts1 and towers1 and cities  proclaim 
their former greatness1 in mournful     
contrast with their  present sad        
condition4 ,they have been brought down 
like all the rest  of ,israel2 but the  
words of their ancient prophets speak   
out of the  ground1 and whisper out of  
the dust to the ears of the present     
generation1 revealing in a very familiar
 manner the history of  ancient         
,america1 which before was entirely     
unknown to the nations4  ,isaiah says1  
that ,israel should speak out of the    
ground4 ,mr4  ,smith says1 that he      

obtained the writings of ,joseph from   
out of the  ground4 ,now1 if ,mr4 ,smith
 had professed that he had got his book 
as  ,swedenborg obtained his1 or as the 
,shakers obtained theirs2 that is1  if  
he had professed to have obtained this  
book to usher in this last  dispensation
 in any other way but out of the ground1
 we should have  had reason to suppose  
him a deceiver1 like ,swedenborg and    
thousands  of others4 ,again1 ,isaiah   
says1 that the vision of all is become  
unto you as the words of a book that is 
sealed1 which men deliver to  one that  
is learned1 saying1 ,read this1 ,i pray 
thee3 and he saith1 ,i  cannot2 for it  
is sealed3 ,and the book is delivered to
 him that is  not learned1 saying1 ,read
 this1 ,i pray thee3 and he saith1 ,i am
 not  learned4 ,wherefore the ,lord     
said1 ,forasmuch as this people draw    
near  me with their mouth1 and with     
their lips do honor me1 but have removed
  their heart far from me1 and their    
fear toward me is taught by the         

precepts of men3 ,therefore1 behold1 ,i 
will proceed to do a marvellous  work   
among this people1 even a marvellous    
work and a wonder3 for the  wisdom of   
their wise men shall perish1 and the    
understanding of their  prudent men     
shall be hid4 ,all this was fulfilled   
before ,mr4 ,smith was  aware that it   
had been so clearly predicted by        
,isaiah4 ,he sent the  ,,words of a book
 which he found1 as before stated1 to   
,professor  ,anthon4 ,but it was a      
sealed writing to the learned           
professor--the  aboriginal language of  
ancient ,america could not be deciphered
 by him4  ,he was as much puzzled as the
 wise men of ,babylon were to interpret 
the unknown writing upon the wall4      
,human wisdom and learning1 in this     
case1 were altogether insufficient4 ,it 
required another ,daniel1 who  was found
 in the person of ,mr4 ,smith4 ,what a  
marvellous work6 ,what  a wonder6 ,how  
the wisdom of the wise and learned was  
made to perish  by the gift of          

interpretation given to the unlearned6  
,if the ,book of  ,mormon is what it    
professes to be--a sacred record--then  
it must be the  very book mentioned in  
,isaiah's prediction2 for the ,prophet  
,nephi1 one  of the writers of the ,book
 of ,mormon1 who lived upwards of #bdjj 
years  ago1 informs us that their       
writings should be brought to light in  
the  last days1 in fulfillment of       
,isaiah's prediction2 he also delivers a
  prophecy in relation to the same book1
 and predicts many events in  connexion 
therewith1 which are not mentioned by   
,isaiah4 ,we here give an  extract from 
his prediction1 as also his quotations  
from ,isaiah3     ,behold1 in the last  
days1 or in the days of the ,gentiles2  
yea1 behold   all the nations of the    
,gentiles1 and also the ,jews1 both     
those who   shall come upon this land1  
and those who shall be upon other lands2
   yea1 even upon all the lands of the  
earth2 behold1 they will be drunk   with
 iniquity1 and all manner of            

abominations2 and when that day   shall 
come1 they shall be visited of the ,lord
 of ,hosts1 with thunder1   and with    
earthquake1 and with a great noise1 and 
with storm and with   tempest1 and with 
the flame of devouring fire2 and all the
 nations   that fight against ,zion1 and
 that distress her1 shall be as a dream 
of a night vision2 yea1 it shall be unto
 them1 even as unto a hungry   man1     
which dreameth1 and behold he eateth1   
but he awaketh and his soul   is empty2 
or like unto a thirsty man1 which       
dreameth1 and behold he   drinketh1 but 
he awaketh1 and behold he is faint1 and 
his soul hath   appetite3 yea1 even so  
shall the multitude of all the nations  
be that   fight against mount ,zion3 for
 behold1 all ye that do iniquity1 stay  
yourselves and wonder1 for ye shall cry 
out1 and cry1 yea1 ye shall   be        
drunken1 but not with wine2 ye shall    
stagger1 but not with strong   drink3   
for behold1 the ,lord hath poured out   
upon you1 the spirit of   deep sleep4   

,for behold1 ye have closed your eyes1  
and ye have rejected   the prophets1 and
 your rulers1 and the seers hath he     
covered because   of your iniquity4     
,and it shall come to pass1 that the    
,lord ,god shall bring forth unto   you 
the words of a book1 and they shall be  
the words of them who have   slumbered4 
,and behold the book shall be sealed3   
and in the book shall   be a revelation 
from ,god1 from the beginning of the    
world to the   ending thereof4          
,wherefore1 because of the things which 
are sealed up1   the things which are   
sealed shall not be delivered in the day
 of the   wickedness and abominations of
 the people4 ,wherefore the book shall  
be kept from them4 ,but the book shall  
be delivered unto a man1 and   he shall 
deliver the words of the book1 which are
 the words of those   who have slumbered
 in the dust2 and he shall deliver these
 words unto   another2 but the words    
which are sealed1 he shall not deliver1 
neither   shall he deliver the book4    

,for the book shall be sealed by the    
power   of ,god1 and the revelation     
which was sealed1 shall be kept in the  
book until the own due time of the      
,lord1 that they may come forth3   for1 
behold1 they reveal all things from the 
foundation of the world   unto the end  
thereof4 ,and the day cometh that the   
words of the book   which were sealed1  
shall be read upon the house-tops2 and  
they shall   be read by the power of    
,christ3 and all things shall be        
revealed unto   the children of men     
which ever have been among the children 
of men1   and which ever will be1 even  
unto the end of the earth4 ,wherefore1  
at   that day when the book shall be    
delivered unto the man of whom ,i have  
spoken1 the book shall be hid from the  
eyes of the world1 that the   eyes of   
none shall behold it1 save it be that   
three witnesses shall   behold it1 by   
the power of ,god1 besides him to whom  
the book shall be   delivered2 and they 
shall testify to the truth of the book1 

and the   things therein4 ,and there is 
none other which shall view it1 save it 
be a few1 according to the will of ,god1
 to bear testimony of his word   unto   
the children of men3 for the ,lord ,god 
hath said1 that the words   of the      
faithful should speak as if it were from
 the dead4 ,wherefore1   the ,lord ,god 
will proceed to bring forth the words of
 the book2 and in   the mouth of as many
 witnesses as seemeth him good1 will he 
establish   his word2 and wo be unto him
 that rejecteth the word of ,god4       
,but behold1 it shall come to pass that 
the ,lord ,god shall say unto   him to  
whom he shall deliver the book1 take    
these words which are not   sealed1 and 
deliver them to another1 that he may    
show them unto the   learned1 saying3   
read this1 ,i pray thee4 ,and the       
learned shall say1   bring hither the   
book1 and ,i will read them3 and now1   
because of the   glory of the world1 and
 to get gain1 will they say this1 and   
not for   the glory of ,god4 ,and the   

man shall say1 ,i cannot bring the book1
 for   it is sealed4 ,then shall the    
learned say1 ,i cannot read it4         
,wherefore   it shall come to pass1 that
 the ,lord ,god will deliver again the  
book   and the words thereof to him that
 is not learned2 and the man that   is  
not learned1 shall say1 ,i am not       
learned4 ,then shall the ,lord ,god     
say unto him1 the learned shall not read
 them1 for they have rejected   them1   
and ,i am able to do mine own work2     
wherefore1 thou shalt read   the words  
which ,i shall give unto thee4 ,touch   
not the things which are   sealed1 for  
,i will bring them forth in my own due  
time3 for ,i will   shew unto the       
children of men that ,i am able to do   
mine own work4   ,wherefore1 when thou  
hast read the words which ,i have       
commanded thee1   and obtained the      
witnesses which ,i have promised unto   
thee1 then   shalt thou seal up the book
 again1 and hide it up unto me1 that ,i 
may   preserve the words which thou hast

 not read1 until ,i shall see fit in    
mine own wisdom1 to reveal all things   
unto the children of men4 ,for   behold1
 ,i am ,god2 and ,i am a ,god of        
miracles2 and ,i will shew unto the     
world that ,i am the same yesterday1 to 
day1 and for ever2 and ,i work   not    
among the children of men1 save it be   
according to their faith4     ,and again
 it shall come to pass1 that the ,lord  
shall say unto him that   shall read the
 words that shall be delivered him1     
forasmuch as this   people draw near    
unto me with their mouth1 and with their
 lips do   honor me1 but have removed   
their hearts far from me1 and their fear
   towards me is taught by the precepts 
of men1 therefore1 ,i will proceed   to 
do a marvellous work among this people2 
yea1 a marvellous work and   a wonder3  
for the wisdom of the wise and learned  
shall perish1 and   the understanding of
 their prudent shall be hid4 ,and wo    
unto them   that seek deep to hide their
 counsel from the ,lord4 ,and their     

works   are in the dark2 and they say1  
who seeth us2 and who knoweth us8 ,and  
they also say1 surely1 your turning of  
things upside down1 shall be   esteemed 
as the potter's clay4 ,but behold1 ,i   
will shew unto them1   saith the ,lord  
of ,hosts1 that ,i know all their works4
 ,for shall the   work say of him that  
made it1 he made me not8 ,or shall the  
thing   framed say of him that framed   
it1 he had no understanding8 ,but       
behold1   saith the ,lord of ,hosts1 ,i 
swill shew unto the children of men1    
that   it is not yet a very little      
while1 and ,lebanon shall be turned into
 a   fruitful field2 and the fruitful   
field shall be esteemed as a forest4    
,and in that day shall the deaf hear the
 words of the book2 and the   eyes of   
the blind shall see out of obscurity and
 out of darkness2 and   the meek also   
shall increase1 and their joy shall be  
in the ,lord2   and the poor among men  
shall rejoice in the ,holy ,one of      
,israel4 ,for   assuredly as the ,lord  

liveth1 they shall see that the terrible
 one is   brought to nought1 and the    
scorner is consumed1 and all that watch 
for iniquity are cut off2 and they that 
make a man an offender for a   word1 and
 lay a snare for him that reproveth in  
the gate1 and turn   aside the just for 
a thing of nought4 ,therefore thus saith
 the ,lord1   who redeemed ,abraham1    
concerning the house of ,jacob1 ,jacob  
shall not   now be ashamed1 neither     
shall his face now wax pale4 ,but when  
he   seeth his children1 the work of my 
hands1 in the midst of him1 they   shall
 sanctify my name1 and sanctify the     
,holy ,one of ,jacob1 and shall   fear  
the ,god of ,israel4 ,they also that    
erred in spirit shall come to           
understanding1 and they that murmured   
shall learn doctrine4    ,here it will  
at once be perceived that the ,book of  
,mormon is actually  the book predicted 
by ,isaiah1 or else it must be an       
imposture4 ,the  book mentioned by      
,isaiah was to have every characteristic

 which seems  to accompany the ,book of 
,mormon4 ,did ,isaiah predict that the  
deaf  should hear the words of the book1
 and the eyes of the blind see out  of  
obscurity1 and out of darkness8 ,it has 
been fulfilled by the  coming forth of  
the ,book of ,mormon4 ,did ,isaiah say  
that in the day his  predicted book     
should speak out of the ground1 then    
those who erred  in spirit should come  
to understanding1 and they that murmured
 should  learn doctrine8 ,it has been   
fulfilled to the very letter through the
  instrumentality of the ,book of       
,mormon4 ,tens of thousands of honest   
men1 who erred in spirit because of the 
doctrines and precepts of men1  have    
come to understanding4 ,many points of  
doctrine which had been in  controversy 
for ages are made perfectly plain in the
 ,book of ,mormon2  hence those who have
 murmured because of the darkness and   
obscurity  thrown over the scriptures by
 human wisdom and learning1 have learned
  doctrine4 ,did ,isaiah prophecy that  

when the predicted book should  make its
 appearance1 that then the house of     
,jacob should no longer be  made        
ashamed1 neither should the face of     
,jacob any more wax pale8 ,the  ,book of
 ,mormon has come1 declaring that the   
time is at hand for the  gathering of   
the house of ,jacob1 no more to be      
scattered4 ,did ,isaiah  predict that in
 the day of the revelation of a certain 
book1 the  terrible one should be       
brought to nought1 the scorner be       
consumed1 and  all that watch for       
iniquity be cut off2 and finally that   
all the  nations who should fight       
against ,mount ,zion1 should pass away  
as the  dream of a night vision1 and be 
destroyed by earthquake and the flame   
of devouring fire8 ,the ,book of ,mormon
 comes testifying that the hour  of     
these judgments is at hand4 ,and        
finally1 there is no circumstance       
mentioned by ,isaiah1 connected with the
 revelation and translation of  the book
 he mentions1 but what is connected with

 the ,book of ,mormon4  ,if ,joseph     
,smith was an impostor and wished to    
palm himself off upon  the world as the 
great prophet who was to usher in the   
preparatory  dispensation for the coming
 of the ,lord1 how came he to discover  
all  these minute particulars contained 
in ,isaiah's prophecy1 so as to so      
exactly and perfectly incorporate in his
 great scheme of imposture  each and    
every one of them8 ,if this illiterate  
youth was a deceiver1  he has far       
outstretched all the learned divines or 
impostors of the  last eighteen hundred 
years--he has made his great and        
extended scheme  to harmonize in every  
particular1 not only with the ancient   
gospel  but with the ancient prophecies1
 and this1 too1 so perfectly1 that no   
one can detect the delusion4 ,reader1   
does not such a scheme savour  very     
strongly of the truth8 ,does it not     
require a greater effort of  mind to    
disbelieve such a scheme than it does to
 believe it8 ,if such a  scheme can not 

be credited1 where is there a scheme or 
system in the  whole world that can be  
credited8 ,can you find a scheme more   
perfect  than the one introduced by ,mr4
 ,smith8 ,can you find one equal to it  
in  perfection8 ,can you find one that  
contains the one-twentieth part of  the 
truth which his system contains8 ,if1   
then1 you doubt the authority  of ,mr4  
,smith1 how much more ought you to doubt
 the authority of every  other man now  
on the earth8 ,if ,mr4 ,smith's perfect 
scheme should be  rejected1 surely all  
other schemes or doctrines1 which can be
 shown to  be ten times more imperfect1 
should also be rejected4 ,if any are to 
be  received1 surely that one should be 
received which seems to contain  all the
 elements of a true doctrine1 and in    
which there cannot be  detected the     
least evidence of imposture4 ,to invent 
a scheme apparently  every way suited to
 the last dispensation or preparatory   
work for  the second advent of our      
,lord--to have that scheme agree in     

every  minute particular with the       
endless circumstances and numberless    
events  predicted by the ancient        
prophets1 bespeaks a wisdom far superior
 to  that of man3 it bespeaks the wisdom
 of ,god4 ,this endless train of        
circumstances--all harmonizing--all     
combining--all concentrating as  it were
 into one focus--carries with it such   
irresistible evidence of  truth that it 
is almost impossible for the careful    
investigator to  reject the divinity of 
,joseph ,smith's mission4 ,like         
investigating the  works of nature1 the 
more he examines the more he perceives  
the wisdom  of the ,deity enstamped upon
 every sentence4                        
,seventh4--,according to the ,book of   
,mormon1 all of the great western       
continent1 with all the valleys1 hills1 
and mountains1 riches and  resources    
pertaining thereunto1 was given to the  
remnant of ,joseph1  as their land of   
promise4 ,the ,almighty sealed this     
covenant and  promise by an oath1       

saying1 that the land should be given   
unto them  for ever4 ,the western world1
 including both ,north and ,south       
,america1  is the land of promise1 to   
the remnant of ,joseph1 in the same     
sense that the land of ,palestine is a  
promised land unto the twelve  tribes of
 ,israel4 ,now this testimony of the    
,book of ,mormon agrees most  perfectly 
with the prophetic blessing placed upon 
the head of ,joseph by  the patriarch   
,jacob2 who1 just previous to his death1
 called together  his sons and predicted
 upon each what should befall them or   
their  tribes in the last days4 ,the    
blessing upon the tribe of ,joseph is   
as follows3--7,genesis xlix chap47      
,joseph is a fruitful bough1 even a     
fruitful bough by a well1 whose branches
 run over the wall3 the archers  have   
sorely grieved him1 and shot at him1 and
 hated him2 but his bow  abode in       
strength1 and the arms of his hands were
 made strong by the  hands of the mighty
 ,god of ,jacob2 7from thence is the    

shepherd1 the  stone of ,israel37 even  
by the ,god of thy father1 who shall    
help thee2  and by the ,almighty who    
shall bless thee with blessings of      
heaven  above1 blessings of the deep    
that lieth under1 blessings of the      
breasts  and of the womb3 the blessings 
of thy father have prevailed above the  
blessings of my progenitors1 unto the   
utmost bound of the everlasting  hills3 
they shall be the head of ,joseph1 and  
on the crown of the head  of him that   
was separate from his brethren4 ,in the 
preceeding chapter1  when blessing the  
two sons of ,joseph1 he says1 let them  
grow into a  multitude in the midst of  
the earth4 ,and again1 his seed shall   
become  a multitude of nations4 ,from   
these predictions it will be perceived  
that ,jacob prevailed with ,god1 and    
obtained a greater blessing in  behalf  
of the tribe of ,joseph than what       
,abraham and ,isaac1 his  progenitors1  
had obtained4 ,while the blessing of    
,jacob's progenitors  was limited to the

 land of ,palestine1 ,joseph had        
confirmed upon him a  blessing or       
country above1 or far greater than      
,palestine--a country  at a distance1   
represented by the utmost bounds of the 
everlasting  hills4 ,some of the        
branches of the fruitful bough of       
,joseph  were to spread far abroad from 
the parent tree--they were to run over  
the wall of the mighty ocean--they were 
to become a multitude of  nations in the
 midst of the earth4 ,there1 among the  
everlasting  hills1 they were to be made
 strong by the hands of the mighty ,god 
of ,jacob4 ,it was to be there1 among   
the multitude of nations of  the        
posterity of ,joseph1 that the          
,shepherd--the stone of ,israel  was to 
establish a kingdom1 which should break 
in pieces all other  kingdoms1 and fill 
the whole earth4    ,in ,america there  
is a multitude of nations1 called by us 
,indians4 ,these ,indians evidently     
sprang from the same source as  is      
indicated by their color1 features1     

customs1 dialects1 traditions1  c42 that
 they are of ,israelitish origin is also
 evident from their  religious          
ceremonies1 their language1 their       
traditions1 and the  discovery of       
,hebrew inscriptions1 c4 ,if ,america is
 not the land given  to a branch of     
,joseph1 where1 or in what part of the  
globe shall that  tribe receive the     
fulfillment of ,jacob's prediction8     
where1 if not  in ,america1 has a land  
been peopled by a multitude of the      
nations of  ,joseph8 ,can a multitude of
 the nations of ,joseph be found in     
,europe1  ,asia1 or ,africa1 or in any  
of the adjoining islands8 ,if not1 then 
,america seems to be the only place     
where that great prediction could       
receive its accomplishment4 ,the ,book  
of ,mormon testifies that ,america  is  
the land of ,joseph1 given to them by   
promise4 ,is not this an  additional    
evidence that ,mr4 ,smith was sent of   
,god8 ,if ,mr4 ,smith was  an impostor1 
how came he to discover that the tribe  

of ,joseph was to be  favored so much   
above all the other tribes of ,israel8  
,perhaps it may  be replied1 that it was
 easy to discover that from the         
scriptures2  but1 we ask1 why did not   
,swedenborg1 ,wesley1 ,irving1 or some  
of the  other impostors of former times1
 make this scriptural discovery1 and    
incorporate it in their pretended       
dispensations8 ,it would be1 at  first1 
thought far more natural to suppose the 
,american ,indians to be  the ten lost  
tribes of ,israel2 indeed1 this is the  
opinion of many  of the learned at the  
present day4 ,why did not this modern   
prophet1  if a deceiver1 form his       
deceptive scheme more in accordance with
 the  opinions of the learned8 or why   
should he choose a remnant of the  tribe
 of ,joseph to people ancient ,america8 
,out of the twelve tribes of  ,israel1  
why did he select only a branch of one  
tribe to people this  vast continent8   
,all can now perceive why the ,book of  
,mormon should  profess to be the       

history of a remnant of one tribe1      
instead of being  the history of the ten
 tribes4 ,all can see1 why ,america     
should be  represented as a promised    
land to ,joseph1 instead of being given 
to  ,reuben1 ,simeon1 or any of the     
other tribes4 ,all can now see1 though  
it was not seen at the first1 that if   
the ,book of ,mormon was different  from
 what it now is2 that is1 if it         
professed to contain a history of  the  
ten lost tribes2 or if it had given the 
great western continent  to any other   
people1 or to any other tribe than that 
of ,joseph1 that  it would have proved  
itself false--it would not have been the
 book or  record which the prophets     
predicted should come forth to usher in 
the  great work of the last days4 ,an   
impostor would be obliged to take into  
consideration all these minute          
circumstances1 many of which are in     
direct opposition to the established    
traditions of the day2 yet none of  them
 could be neglected without proving     

fatal to his scheme4 ,but ,mr4  ,smith1 
with all the accuracy of a profound     
mathematician1 has combined  all the    
minute elements of both doctrine and    
prophecy in his grand and  wonderful    
scheme--nothing is wanting4 ,whatever   
department of his system  is examined it
 will be found invulnerable4 ,what an   
invaluable amount of  evidence to       
establish the divine mission of the     
,prophet ,joseph ,smith6                
,eighth4--,in the ,book of ,mormon are  
given the names and locations of        
numerous cities of great magnitude1     
which once flourished among the  ancient
 nations of ,america4 ,the northern     
portions of ,south ,america1  and also  
,central ,america1 were the most densely
 populated4 ,splendid  edifices1        
palaces1 towers1 forts1 and cities1 were
 reared in all  directions4 ,a careful  
reader of that interesting book1 can    
trace the  relative bearings and        
distances of many of these cities from  
each  other2 and if acquainted with the 

present geographical features of the    
country1 he can1 by the descriptions    
given in that book1 determine1  very    
nearly1 the precise spot of ground they 
once occupied4 ,now since  that         
invaluable book made its appearance in  
print1 it is a remarkable  fact1 that   
the mouldering ruins of many splendid   
edifices and towers1  and magnificent   
cities of great extent1 have been       
discovered by  ,catherwood and ,stephens
 in the interior wilds of ,central      
,america1 in  the very region where the 
ancient cities described in the ,book of
  ,mormon were said to exist4 ,here     
then1 is a certain and indisputable     
evidence that this illiterate youth--the
 translator of the ,book of  ,mormon1   
was inspired of ,god4 ,mr4 ,smith's     
translation describes the  region of    
country where great and populous cities 
anciently existed1  together with their 
relative bearings and approximate       
distances from  each other4 ,years      
after1 ,messrs4 ,catherwood and         

,stephens discovered  the ruins of      
forty-four of these very cities and in  
the very place  described4 ,what1 but   
the power of ,god1 could have revealed  
beforehand  this unknown fact1          
demonstrated years after by actual      
discovery8      ,ninth4--,the           
fulfillment of a vast number of         
prophecies delivered by ,mr4  ,smith is 
another infallible evidence of his      
divine mission4 ,out of the  many       
hundreds of fulfilled predictions       
uttered by him1 we select the  following
 as examples4    #a4 ,soon after ,mr4   
,smith found the plates1 he commenced   
translating  them4 ,he had not proceeded
 far before he discovered from his own  
translation of the prophecy of ,nephi1  
as before quoted1 that ,,three          
,,witnesses1 besides himself1 should    
behold the book by the power of  ,god1  
and should know and testify of its      
truth4 ,some length of time  after this1
 or in the month of ,june1 ,a4,d4 #ahbi1
 the ,lord gave a  revelation1 through  

,mr4 ,smith1 to ,oliver ,cowdery1 ,david
 ,whitmer1 and  ,martin ,harris1        
promising them that if they would       
exercise faith1 they  should have a view
 of the plates1 and also of the ,urim   
and ,thummim4  ,this prediction was     
afterwards fulfilled2 and these three   
persons send  forth their written       
testimony1 in connexion with the ,book  
of ,mormon1  to all nations1 kindreds1  
tongues1 and people1 declaring that an  
angel of ,god descended from heaven1 and
 took the plates and exhibited  them    
before their eyes2 and that1 at the same
 time1 the voice of the  ,lord from the 
heavens testified to them of the truth  
contained in ,mr4  ,smith's translation 
of these records4 ,now an impostor might
 indeed  predict the raising of ,,three 
,,witnesses1 but he could never call    
down  an angel from heaven1 in the      
presence of these ,,witnesses1 to       
fulfill  his prediction4    #b4 ,before 
the ,church of ,jesus ,christ of        
,latter-day ,saints had any  existence  

upon the earth1 the prophecy of ,moroni 
was translated and  printed in the ,book
 of ,mormon4 ,it is expressly predicted 
in this  prophecy1 that in the day that 
that book should be revealed1 the  blood
 of the ,saints should cry unto the     
,lord from the ground1 because  of the  
wickedness of the people1 and that the  
time should soon come  when1 because of 
the cries and mourning of widows and    
orphans  whose husbands and fathers     
should be slain by wicked hands1 the    
,lord  should avenge the blood of his   
,saints4 ,and again1 in ,august1 #ahca1 
the word of the ,lord came to ,mr4      
,smith1 saying that the ,saints should  
be scourged from city to city1 and from 
synagogue to synagogue1 and  that but   
,,few of those then in the ,church      
should stand to receive  an             
inheritance4--7,see ,book of ,doctrine  
and ,covenants1 page #aea sec4  #fc47   
,the blood of many hundreds of ,saints  
who have been slain and  martyred in    
this church1 is an incontrovertible     

evidence of the truth  of the           
prediction4 ,surely ,mr ,smith must have
 been a prophet of ,god to  have        
foreseen not only the rise of the church
 of the ,saints1 but that  their blood  
should cry aloud from the ground for    
vengeance upon the  nation who should   
perpetrate these bloody deeds4 ,no human
 foresight  could have seen the bloody  
sceneries that were to take place after 
the  rise of the church4 ,all natural   
appearances in the ,united ,states were 
against the fulfillment of this dreadful
 prediction4 ,every religious  society  
throughout the whole country was        
strongly guarded against  persecution   
and religious intolerance by the strong 
arm of the civil  law4 ,the glorious    
constitution of this great and free     
people proclaimed  religious freedom to 
every son and daughter of ,columbia's   
soil3 yet1  in the midst of this boasted
 land of freedom and religious rights1  
where universal peace seemed to have    
selected her quiet dwelling  place1 the 

voice of the great prophet is heard     
predicting the rise of  the ,latter-day 
,church1 and the bloody persecutions    
that should follow  her from city to    
city1 and from synagogue to synagogue4  
,never were  there any prophecies more  
literally and palpably fulfilled since  
the  creation of the earth4 ,if the     
foretelling of future events that could 
not possibly have been foreseen by human
 wisdom--events1 too1 that to  all      
outward appearances were very unlikely  
to come to pass3 if the  predicting of  
such events and their subsequent        
fulfillment constitute a  true prophet1 
then ,joseph ,smith must have been a    
true prophet1 and1 if  a true prophet1  
he must have been sent of ,god4         
,tenth4--,there are many thousands of   
living witnesses who testify  that ,god 
has revealed unto them the truth of the 
,book of ,mormon1  by dreams1 by        
visions1 by the revelations of the ,holy
 ,ghost1 by the  ministering of angels1 
and by his own voice4 ,now1 if ,mr4     

,smith is an  impostor1 all these       
witnesses must be impostors also4       
,perhaps it may  be said1 that these    
witnesses are not impostors1 but are    
deceived  themselves4 ,but1 we ask1 can 
any man testify that he ,,knows a false 
doctrine to be true1 and still not be an
 impostor8 ,men frequently are  deceived
 when they testify their opinions1 but  
never deceived when  they testify they  
have a knowledge4 ,such must either be  
impostors1  or else their doctrine must 
be true4 ,now1 would it not be          
marvellously  strange indeed1 if even   
three or four men who were entirely     
disconnected1 being strangers to each   
other1 should all undertake  to deceive 
mankind by testifying that an angel of  
,god had descended  before them1 or that
 an heavenly vision had been shown to   
them1 or that  ,god had in some other   
marvellous way manifested to them the   
divine  authenticity of the ,book of    
,mormon8 ,if the testimony of three or  
four  impostors would appear marvellous1

 how infinitely more marvellous would   
appear the testimony of tens of         
thousands of impostors in different     
countries1 widely separated from each   
other1 and who never saw each  other's  
faces1 and yet all endeavouring to palm 
upon the world the same  great          
imposition6 ,if many thousands of       
witnesses do testify boldly1  with words
 of soberness1 that ,god has revealed to
 them that this is his  church or       
kingdom that was to be set up in the    
last days1 then we have  an overwhelming
 flood of collateral evidence to        
establish the divine  mission of ,joseph
 ,smith4    ,eleventh4--,the miracles   
wrought by ,joseph ,smith are evidences 
of no  small moment to establish his    
divine authority4 ,in the name of the   
,lord he cast out devils1 healed the    
sick1 spoke with new tongues1           
interpreted ancient languages1 and      
predicted future events4 ,many  of these
 miracles were wrought before numerous  
multitudes of both  believers and       

unbelievers1 and upon persons not       
connected with  our church4 ,and again1 
the numerous miracles wrought through   
the  instrumentality of thousands of the
 officers and members of this  church1  
are additional evidences that the man   
who was instrumental in  founding the   
church must have been sent of ,god4 ,the
 thousands of sick  that have been      
miraculously healed in all parts of the 
world where  this gospel is preached1   
give forth a strong and almost          
irresistible  testimony that ,mr4       
,smith's authority is from heaven4      
,although the  great majority of mankind
 consider miracles to be an infallible  
evidence in favor of the divine         
authority of the one who performs  them1
 yet we do most distinctly dissent from 
this idea4 ,if miracles be  admitted as 
an infallible evidence1 then all that   
have ever wrought  miracles must have   
been sent of ,god4 ,the magicians of    
,egypt wrought  some splendid miracles  
before that nation2 they created        

serpents and  frogs1 and turned rivers  
of water into blood4 ,if miraculous     
evidence  is infallible1 the ,egyptians 
were bound to receive the contradictory 
messages of both ,moses and the         
magicians as of divine authority4       
,according to this idea1 the witch of   
,endor must have established her  divine
 mission beyond all controversy by      
calling forth a dead man from  the grave
 in the presence of ,saul1 king of      
,israel4 ,a certain wicked  power       
described by ,john 7,rev4 viii chap47   
was to do great wonders  and miracles1  
and cause fire to come down from heaven 
on the  earth in the sight of men4 ,if  
miracles were infallible evidences1     
surely no one should reject the divine  
authority of ,john's beast4 ,again  7in 
,rev4 chapter xvi7 ,john saw three      
unclean spirits like frogs1  which he   
expressly says1 are the ,,spirits ,,of  
,,devils ,,working ,,miracles1  which go
 forth unto the kings of the earth and  
of the whole world to  gather them to   

the battle of that great day of ,god    
,almighty4 ,the  learned divines and    
clergy of the nineteenth century boldly 
declare  that miracles are an           
,,infallible evidence of the divine     
mission  of the one who performs them4  
,if so1 who can blame the kings of  the 
earth1 and these learned divines1 and   
all their followers for  embracing the  
message of these divinely inspired      
devils8 ,for according  to their        
argument1 they should in no wise reject 
them1 for they  prove their mission by  
evidences which they say are infallible4
 ,we  shall expect in a few years1 to   
see an innumerable host of sectarian    
ministers as well as kings1 taking up   
their line of march for the  great      
valley of ,armageddon1 near ,jerusalem1 
and thus prove by their  works that they
 do really believe in the infallibility 
of miraculous  evidence4 ,devils can    
work miracles as well as ,god1 and as   
they have  already persuaded the        
religious world that miracles are       

infallible  evidences of divine         
authority1 they will not have much      
difficulty among  the followers of      
modern christianity in establishing the 
divinity  of their mission4 ,but the    
,latter-day ,saints do not believe in   
the  infallibility of miraculous        
evidence4 ,we believe that miraculous   
gifts  are absolutely necessary in the  
church of ,christ1 without which it     
cannot exist on the earth4 ,miracles1   
when taken in connexion with a  pure1   
holy1 and perfect doctrine1 reasonable  
and scriptural1 is a very  strong       
collateral evidence in favour of that   
doctrine1 and of the  divine authority  
of those who preach it4 ,but abstract   
miracles alone1  unconnected with other 
evidences1 instead of being infallible  
proofs  are no proofs at all3 they are  
as likely to be false as true4 ,so      
baptism for the remission of sins is    
essential in the church of  ,christ1 and
 when taken in connexion with all other 
points of doctrine  embraced in the     

gospel1 is a presumptive evidence for   
the divine  authority of the person who 
preaches it4 ,but baptism for the       
remission  of sins1 unconnected with    
other parts of the doctrine of ,christ1 
would  be no evidence either for or     
against the divine authority of any man4
  ,the many thousands of miracles       
wrought in this church1 being connected 
as they are with an infallible doctrine1
 and with a vast number of  other       
proofs1 have carried an almost          
irresistible conviction to the  minds of
 vast multitudes1 who have1 in          
consequence1 yielded obedience  to the  
message1 and become in their turn the   
happy recipients of the  same power of  
,god1 by which they themselves can also 
heal the sick and  work by faith in the 
name of the ,lord2 thus demonstrating to
 themselves  the truth of the ,saviour's
 promise1 viz3--that certain miraculous 
signs shall follow them that believe4   
7,see ,mark1 chap4 xvi47    ,there is   
one thing connected with ,joseph        

,smith's message which will  at once    
prove him to be an impostor or else a   
true prophet4 ,it is a  certain promise 
contained in a revelation which was     
given through him  to the apostles of   
this ,church in the year #ahcb4 ,it     
reads as follows3  ,go ye into all the  
world1 and whatsoever place ye cannot go
 into1  ye shall send1 that the         
testimony may go from you into all the  
world  unto every creature4 ,and as ,i  
said unto mine apostles1 even so ,i say 
unto you1 for you are mine apostles1    
even ,god's high priests2 ye are  they  
whom my ,father hath given me--ye are my
 friends2 therefore1 as  ,i said unto   
mine apostles1 ,i say unto you again1   
that every soul who  believeth on your  
words1 and is baptized by water for the 
remission of  sins1 shall receive the   
,holy ,ghost4 ,and these signs shall    
follow them  that believe4 ,in my name  
they shall do many wonderful works2 in  
my name  they shall cast out devils2 in 
my name they shall heal the sick2 in  my

 name they shall open the eyes of the   
blind1 and unstop the ears of  the deaf2
 and the tongue of the dumb shall speak2
 and if any man shall  administer poison
 unto them it shall not hurt them2 and  
the poison of  a serpent shall not have 
power to harm them4 99 99 99 ,verily1   
verily1 ,i  say unto you1 they who      
believe not on your words1 and are not  
baptized  in water in my name1 for the  
remission of their sins1 that they may  
receive the ,holy ,ghost1 shall be      
damned1 and shall not come into my      
,father's kingdom1 where my ,father and 
,i am4 ,and this revelation unto  you1  
and commandment1 is in force from this  
very hour upon all the  world4          
7,doctrine and ,covenants1 page #hf4    
,sec4 #hd3fb-ge7 ,here1 then1  this     
great modern prophet has presented      
himself before the whole world  with a  
bold unequivocal promise to every soul  
who would believe on  his message--a    
promise1 too1 that no impostor would    
dare to make with  the most distant hope

 of success4 ,an impostor might indeed  
make such  a promise to his followers1  
but they never would realize a          
fulfilment  of it4 ,if these miraculous 
signs have not followed according to the
  above promise1 then the tens of       
thousands who have complied with the    
conditions would know ,joseph ,smith to 
be an impostor1 and with one  accord    
would turn away1 and that would be the  
end of the imposition4  ,but the very   
fact that vast multitudes are annually  
being added to  the ,church1 and        
continue therein year after year1 is a  
demonstrative  evidence that the promise
 is fulfilled--that the ,holy ,ghost is 
given1  and the miraculous signs also4  
,dare any other societies in all the    
world make such a promise unto the      
believers in their respective  systems8 
,no1 they dare not2 they know full well 
that it would be the  speedy downfall   
and utter overthrow of their vain1      
unauthorized1 and  powerless religions4 
,o1 what a wide and marked difference   

between  the religion of ,joseph ,smith 
and that of ,protestant and ,catholic   
religion--between his authority and that
 of sectarian divines6 ,the one         
promises all the miraculous gifts of the
 ,holy ,ghost to his followers1  the    
other is as powerless as the dry stubble
 prepared for the burning4  ,while the  
followers of this great prophet cast out
 devils1 speak with  new tongues1 heal  
the sick1 open the eyes of the blind1   
cause the  lame to walk1 obtain heavenly
 visions1 and converse with angels1 the 
followers of those unauthorized1        
deluded1 and crafty sects not only  deny
 these great and glorious gifts1 or     
impute them in these days to  the power 
of the devil1 but they grasp the sword1 
and fire-arms1 and  deadly weapons1 to  
kill off the ,saints1 and drive them    
from the face  of what they call        
civilized society4 ,while the one class 
are suffering  martyrdom by scores for  
their testimony1 the other class are    
rolling in  all the luxuries and        

splendors of ,great ,babylon1 with fat  
salaries of  from ten to twenty-seven   
thousand pounds sterling per annum4     
,as we have briefly examined into the   
nature of the evidences in favour  of   
,joseph ,smith's divine mission1 it may 
be well at the close of this  number to 
give a short summary of the proofs and  
arguments contained in  the foregoing4  
#a4 ,joseph ,smith's doctrine is        
reasonable1 scriptural1 perfect1 and    
infallible in all its precepts1         
commands1 ordinances1 promises1         
blessings and gifts4 ,in his            
organization of the church1 no officer  
mentioned in the ,new ,testament        
organization is omitted4 ,inspired      
apostles and prophets are considered as 
necessary as pastors1 teachers1  or any 
other officer4    #b4 ,joseph ,smith's  
account of the restoration of the gospel
 by an  angel--of his taking out of the 
ground the sacred records of the tribe  
of ,joseph--of their subsequent         
translation by the gift of ,god--and of 

the great western continent's being     
given to a remnant of ,joseph1 where    
they have grown into a multitude of     
nations1 are all events clearly         
predicted by the ancient ,jewish        
apostles and prophets1 together with    
the minute circumstancess connected     
therewith4 ,the times and season  in    
which these events should transpire1 and
 the purposes which they  should        
accomplish are also all plainly         
foretold4 ,joseph ,smith presents  the  
world with the fulfilment at the        
predicted time--in the predicted        
manner--and for the predicted purpose as
 anciently specified4    #c4 ,joseph    
,smith incorporates in his mission the  
gathering of the  ,saints out of        
,babylon1 and every other predicted     
event that was to  characterise the     
great preparatory dispensation for the  
second advent  of our ,lord4    #d4 ,the
 revelation in the ,book of ,mormon1    
pointing out the location  of man sic   
ancient cities1 the ruins of which were 

subsequently  discovered by ,catherwood 
and ,stephens--the direct and palpable  
fulfilment of many of the prophecies of 
,joseph ,smith1 which no human  sagacity
 could have foreseen1 all natural       
appearances and circumstances  being    
entirely against their expected         
fulfillment--the raising up  of numerous
 other witnesses who also testify to the
 ministering of  angels and the         
manifestations of the power of ,god     
confirmatory of this  message--the      
performance of many splendid miracles by
 ,mr4 ,smith and his  followers1 and the
 bold unequivocal promise of the        
miraculous gifts to  all who should     
believe and embrace this message1 are   
all evidences such  as no impostor ever 
has given1 or ever can give4 ,they are  
evidences  such as will prove the       
salvation of every creature that        
receives the  message1 and the damnation
 of every soul that rejects it4         
#ae1 ,wilton ,street1 ,liverpool1       
,september #cjth1 #ahdh4    99999999    

,r4 ,james1 ,printer1 #ci1 ,south       
,castle ,street1 ,liverpool