Lecture of Apostle O. Pratt at the Manchester Conference

“O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God.”—ISAIAH XL, 9.

THE above words, among others, relate to the great events which were to take place just previous to the coming of our Lord, whose coming the following verses mention:—“Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” We shall arrange the different subjects contained in our text under three general heads, or questions.

I. Who were to be those people whom the prophet named “Zion?”

II. What is the nature of the good tidings which Zion shall proclaim?

III. Why is Zion commanded to “get up into the high mountain?”

We do not have time, in a conference such as this, to treat these different topics very extensively; consequently, we shall make mention of only a few particular things that pertain to them.

I. Who were to be those people whom the prophet named “Zion?”—They were to be a people raised up by the Lord himself, just before he “comes with a strong hand” to rule. David says (in Psalm cii), “When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.” The Zion described in these passages could not mean that Zion then existing at Jerusalem, but a Zion that was to be built up in the future. It could not have had reference to the church established under the administration of the ancient apostles; for the Lord did not “appear in his glory” to rule with a strong hand in that day. It could not have had reference to any people who have existed for the last seventeen centuries: for, according to their own testimony, the Lord has not spoken during that time, and therefore he has not called any of them Zion. Neither has he built up any city among them called Zion; for if he had, he would have been sure to appear in his glory. But, as a preparatory work for his glorious appearing, both a people and a city called Zion are to be raised up. The people now have an existence. The city is yet to be built by them according to the pattern which the Lord shall give by new revelation. The “Latter-day Saints”—the “pure in heart”—have already been acknowledged by the Lord to be “Zion” (Doc. & Cov., page 243). The nations of the earth will not be at a loss to know when the Lord builds Zion; for each dwelling in Zion will have an appendage to it different from what has ever been seen in any of the cities of the nations. Isaiah says, “And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night.” This particular appendage will distinguish the dwelling places of Zion from those of all other cities. We think that this appendage will not be easily counterfeited. It will be a new order of architecture, that will surely puzzle the wise men of Babylon. Gas lights and artificial illuminations will rather get out of fashion in those days, especially in Zion. When the great men of the earth find out that they can neither buy nor steal the patent for thus illuminating their cities, they will no doubt feel very anxious to emigrate. In that regard Isaiah says, “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” But some of the kings will get awfully frightened as they draw near the city, and behold a flame of fire over every habitation. They will find out that a city of such splendor is no place for them, and they will haste away as fast as possible. David illustrates this beautifully in the 48th Psalm; he says, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.” It seems, then, that God will build up a city before he appears in his glory, that will strike sudden terror to the hearts of kings, as they assemble to see it. They will have something else to think of besides catechisms, creeds, and doctrines of uninspired men. Their imaginary God “without body, parts, or passions,” will, for a while, be forgotten, as they look upon the dazzling glory of Zion. Such is the city, and such are the people, whom Isaiah in our text calls Zion, and to whom he addresses his prophetic message.

II. What is the nature of those “good tidings” which this people, called Zion, were to bring? The “everlasting gospel” no doubt was to form the principal part of this message of “good tidings.” God could not raise up a people called Zion, without restoring to the earth the gospel as described by John in his prophecy. That gospel, when restored, must produce the same blessings among the children of Zion as were enjoyed in ancient times, namely, visions, dreams, new revelations, healings, and, in fine, all the miraculous gifts promised to believers. Now this, indeed, would be “good tidings” to the nations, who for a great many centuries had been destitute of such blessings. The gospel containing such tidings is nothing more nor less than the “everlasting gospel,” that is, a gospel that is unchangeably and everlastingly the same, producing in all ages, among all nations, the same fruits, the same blessings, the same miraculous powers and gifts, whenever and wherever it is preached by those sent of God, and received and obeyed in faith. Such a gospel had not been preached by one having authority, on this eastern hemisphere for the last seventeen hundred years, until it was of late restored by an angel from heaven. But it is now preached with power and authority for the last time, and those who receive it are the children of Zion, and they are gathering out by thousands from among the nations, that in the Lord’s due time they may build the city of Zion, according to the prophets. This people, then, are the people who are carrying “good tidings” to the nations. Never were there better tidings revealed to man than are contained in the present message. O, ye inhabitants of the British isles, rejoice, for Zion hath sent unto you “good tidings” of great joy. She hath sent to you messengers of peace, holding the great seal of authority from her King. If you will hear their voice, and receive their good tidings, you shall become the King’s favorites, and assist in building him a beautiful city, and he will come and dwell in your midst, and you shall go in and out of his presence, and his glory shall be upon you and upon your children, and upon your assemblies, and upon every dwelling place of your city, and it shall be called the “perfection of beauty,” and the great King shall honor it with his presence. Let the poor in the isles rejoice in the tidings, for the day of their deliverance is near at hand; for they shall be gathered to Zion, and flourish in the rich valleys of Ephraim. Let the rich rejoice also, for they shall have the privilege of bringing their gold and their silver with them to beautify the place of the name of the Lord of Hosts-the mount Zion. Let the kings of the earth rejoice, for they shall come to the light of Zion, and shall be taught a perfect system of government; for a perfect law shall go forth of Zion, from which kings and many nations shall learn wisdom. Let all the inhabitants of the earth rejoice, for a feast of fat things is preparing, and all that will come, may come and partake freely. Behold, we publish “good tidings” to nations and kingdoms, peoples and tongues, that the preparatory glory of the second coming of our Lord is about to be revealed. Blessed are they who shall take oil in their lamps and gather out from among the nations-from the midst of great Babylon, and go forth to meet the Bridegroom—to the place appointed, and there to build unto him a city and sanctuary, that the place of his feet may be made glorious; for, recollect, the Bridegroom will not come until “he builds up Zion.” Blessed are they who shall receive these good tidings, and shall seek with all their hearts to build up Zion, for they shall be filled with the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, and shall perform miracles, signs, and wonders in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and shall receive their inheritance among the mighty ones of Zion. Zion is now sounding her “good tidings” in the ears of the present generation.

(To be concluded in the next.)

Healing of the Mute and Deaf through the Power of God!

THE prophet Isaiah (chap. xxix) said of the great and strange work that God would do in the last days, that God would use some “SEALED BOOK” as a means of presenting something to an unlearned man, which would denote the beginning of this divine and miraculous revolution, and that God would work miracles so great that “the DEAF WOULD HEAR THE WORDS OF THE BOOK.” The following account gives one more example of the fulfillment of this prophecy, and it proves that the Book of Mormon is the book referred to, for it was through obedience to the commandments of God, according to that Book, that this deaf man came to hear them. The testimony of the Saints about the miracles of God is opposed, for they happen far away, they say; but we have this circumstance in our midst, the Welsh, at least; and for our part, the man referred to is by our side while we write these lines, and not only does he read, but he also hears the reading of that sealed Book, and he is of age so that he can answer for himself. The Editor of the Merlin came to him in person to request this story, and he took him with him to his Office.

“EXTRAORDINARY OCCURENCE.—During the night of Friday week, (the 22nd of September) between the hours of eleven and twelve, a very extraordinary occurrence took place in Newport. A young man named Reuben Brinkworth was, in 1840, at Bermuda, on board the Terror, Commodore Franklin, on the northern expedition; and when in the midst of a storm of thunder and lightning, he was suddenly deprived of both hearing and speech; and in this deplorable condition returned to Stroud in England, of which place he was a native. He has since been residing with Mr. Nash, basket maker, Market Street, Newport, who, with several other persons, is attached to the community of people known as “Mormons.” Some of those people have been able to communicate their doctrines to Brinkworth, by means of writing, signs, and the finger alphabet. His sad condition, they allege, excited their sympathy for his spiritual as well as temporal welfare; and their doctrines made very considerable impression upon him-perhaps, more especially, because their creed was, that God did perform miracles in the days of old, and that one might be wrought in his favor. On Friday night week, the young man was suddenly seized with a kind of fit, in which he continued some time; and on his recovery, he was called upon, by signs, to believe in the Savior, that the healing power of God might be exercised in his behalf. He was, moreover, earnestly entreated to be baptized; but this was very strongly opposed by a person in the room. The deaf and dumb man, however, signified his acquiescence—he was taken to the canal and baptized in the name of our Savior; and immediately on coming up out of the water, he cried out, “Thank the Lord, I can speak and hear again, as well as any of you!” He now speaks fluently and hears distinctly. This happening is attributed to the power of Providence by the friends of the young man, who called at our office with him, and gave us the details. We have heard from another source that this remarkable change in the young man’s condition is supposed to have been produced by the action upon him of the electric fluid during the thunder storm of Friday night. We shall not take upon ourselves to decide the matter.”—Merlin.

There has been much shouting after the Saints for miracles, and to give them as much as one sign, such as the deaf coming to hear, or the mute to speak, &c., promising that they would believe the divinity of their message immediately; let the foregoing cause such to know themselves better, although we are not disappointed through their denying the power of God in the matter; for bitter experience has taught us many times before this, that that is what they would do, despite their own eyes and ears; this proves that the purpose of miracles was not, and is not, to convince men to believe the gospel: and why continually ask for them for that purpose, then? The above Editor deserves the character of a free and unbiased man, more than any one of the Sectarian editors of Wales that we know about yet. The Rabbis and the Reverends deserve considerable praise from the idol worshippers, the fruitfulness of their imaginations and their incomparable skill in trying to rob God of the praise for this miracle, choosing instead to give the praise to the lightning and the thunder. Strange that they were not so tricky as to deny the thing completely, as they have done with many similar things! Lightning healed him, did it? Well, that was remarkably miraculous lightning, to happen to come and restore the man immediately after being baptized by the Saints! Why did it not come earlier? Why did it not wait longer? Why did it happen to come immediately after he obeyed, for the only time in his life until then, a divine ordinance. The Son of God promises to heal the sick through his ordinances, and we and thousands of others are witnesses of his truthfulness; but the deniers acknowledge this miracle, by affirming that it was the lightning that healed him, the above matter an incomparable miracle; and the more they deny the miracle of it in this way, the more miraculous it appears. Who has ever heard of lightning so beneficial, so obliging and miraculous as that, ever before? But there is one other notable thing relating to that lightning, and even more remarkable, namely that it restored the afflicted so completely, and he did not even see it, he says; and no one else saw lightning, nor heard thunder there, at the time, that we have heard of, or from then until now, that we know of. Let God receive the praise from the Saints, and let them obey his gospel.

A Letter on the Same Matter

DEAR BROTHER JONES,—I take the leisure of writing to you as to how the work of God is succeeding in this place, and how the prayers of the Saints are being answered. There was a young man by the name of Reuben Brinkworth, on board a ship that was called the Terror, when on the island of Bermuda, and he was struck deaf and dumb during a storm of thunder and lightning, while five others were killed. He continued in that state until he met the Saints in this town. Brother Nash had occasion to show to him from the scriptures that the God whom the Saints worship is a God of miracles, and that He could have mercy on him as well. The young man, by means of his fingers, asked for the Saints to pray for him. On Friday night, the 22nd of September, the Saints prayed for him according to his wish; and he was led by Brother Nash to the water, where he was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins. As soon as he came up out of the water, he said aloud, “Thank the Lord, I can speak and hear again as well as any of you.” The Saints here are rejoicing because the power of God is seen so clearly in their midst. Many in this place previous to that said that they would believe, if the young man came to speak and hear; but the hireling preachers now say they will not believe them, unless they can raise the dead. Many are marvelling about this thing, when they hear the mute speaking so fluently within their hearing. A responsible doctor in the town attributes it all to the exercising of faith, and I cannot fail to agree with him. Some are baptized here each week, and many of those receiving baptism have been several years with other denominations. Last Tuesday night, two ship captains were baptized, and the next night they were heard rejoicing and testifying to their seagoing friends. Five were baptized Friday and two on Saturday. There was a very sizeable assembly here on the Sabbath, and more requested baptism. There is considerable anger shown toward us here; nevertheless, the work of God is going forward. I was glad to hear that you were so well. May God bless you with strength and health to fulfill your office.

Yours in the truth,

Newport, Oct. 9, 1848. WILLIAM HENSHAW.

Counsels to the Emigrants to California

IN response to the frequent and varied questions which we are asked with respect to the preparations and the expense of emigrating, if the inquirers are not satisfied with the following observation, let them ask again.

In the first place, with respect to the preparation for food for the voyage, we say that the state government requires every shipowner to carry on board the ship the various provisions which we mentioned already in our previous observations on this matter in the last issue of the PROPHET; that is, that everything be proportionate with respect to nourishment, for a pound of bread to be apportioned to each emigrant over the age of one each day of the voyage, in addition to 10 pounds of bacon each for the voyage; these supplies will be included in the price of the crossing, that is, the sum which in the last ship was £3 12s 6c for everyone over fourteen years of age. We further observe that the above preparation perhaps may not be sufficient for everyone, and anything else which the emigrants may wish to purchase will be at their discretion, with respect to provisions and abundance. The following list we consider sufficient for each one, in addition to the provisions of the ship; and so each one can determine at his home not only the additional cost he will have to bear for food, but also whether it will be better for those who have such things at home to bring them or to buy them for the following prices in Liverpool:—

Provisions

10 pounds of hard bread for each one who is over 14 years old, £. s. c.

at 3 pence a pound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 2 6

2 pounds of Rice, at 3 pence a pound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 0 6

4 pounds of Sugar, at 3 1/2 pence a pound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 1 2

1/4 pound of Tea, at 2 pence a pound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 0 6

2 pounds of Coffee, at 6 pence a pound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 1 0

4 pounds of Treacle at 2 1/2 pence a pound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 10

4 pounds of Raisins, or Currants, at 4 1/2 pence a pound . . . . . . . . . .0 1 6

3 pounds of Butter, at 1 s. a pound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 3 0

3 pounds of Cheese, at 8 pence a pound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 2 0

£0 13 0

Take note that this will be in addition to the price of the crossing. It is seen that the above prices are much lower than for such things that are sold in the shops; the reason for that is the advantage which is allowed to the emigrants by purchasing large quantities together from the Custom House, without tax on them, because it is intended to use them at sea. To those who can prepare oat bread, good butter of their own, cheese, preserves, pickles, or other things they may desire, it will be very good for them to take such things with them from home. The state government sees to it that all provisions that are prepared by the ship are good and tasty; to the head of each family will be weighed out each week that which he needs for the time being, for him and his family, so they can use it how and when they choose themselves. Those who have children under the age of fourteen will probably not need to provide the additional items above for them, since the provisions of the ship will be sufficient, and their cost will be less by that much. It will be up to each one to provide his own provisions also on the way to Liverpool and then until the ship begins the voyage.

Necessary Clothing

We do not counsel the Saints to buy very much clothing material here, more than will last them for about two or three years in order to be warm and comfortable; for they will earn more than the difference of prices in the interest they will receive from the money they would spend for them; while from the other side such goods would lie in decay and be useless in comparison. While we warn against extremes on that side, we urge everyone from the other side to prepare, as much as they can, durable, warm and useful clothing; especially let abundant preparations be made for underclothing, dark wool clothes, especially for the children and women; for clear water for washing clothes cannot be obtained on the ocean. Let there be prepared an equal proportion of heavy and light clothing, or summer and winter clothing, such as is prepared for the climate of this country generally. If all the women and their daughters would have a dress of homespun material, or Welsh wool gowns, as are worn in Carmarthenshire, &c., that would be considered valuable by the time they arrive at the end of the journey; if the men could get a suit or two of clothes besides that which they normally have here, that would be sufficient for them to get underway, especially of outer clothes; but as for underclothing, the more you have the better, for one of the main points in the creed of the Saints is cleanliness, comfort and satisfaction. Though we shall experience various climates during the journey, the first part of it will not be too warm to wear winter clothes of this country; and the rest of the clothing, that is, those for the warm weather, we would counsel everyone to get deal chests of the following sizes, if new ones are purchased, that is 3 feet 3 inches long, about 18 or 20 inches wide, and deep, and put their clothes dry and neat in them, so that there will be no need to open them for a long time, especially on the sea, for the breeze and water of the sea will greatly damage clothing. Besides that, the chests of the above sizes will be more convenient than to move the belongings back and forth, and after they are filled with spare clothes, they can be put out of way on the ship, and there will be more space for the passengers. Let all do according to this counsel before leaving town; otherwise they will encounter inconvenience on the way, if all their clothes are in confusion and mixed throughout all their chests. Dress the children warmly and healthily, lest they all start crying from colds or other discomforts. Those who have feather beds may take them along; i.e., as many as wish for their use on the voyage. Notice that all must provide their own beds and bedding on the ship, and every other place and so take care to bring enough blankets and other bedding to be comfortable. The ship provides nothing more than bed boards only, that is, the place on which to put the beds.

Necessary Dishes, Tools, &c

The emigrants would be well advised to take with them for the service of their family after arriving home a good proportion of the following things which they will have at hand, that is, plates, knives, forks, spoons, crockery (china, if they wish), and the other things which the women deem desirable for their comfort, for we consider their comfort as much, yes, even more than our own, and we hope to see them at the end of their journey having built homes and living in them—having planted vineyards, and enjoying the fulness of their tasty produce with no one to frighten them or oppress them; and as a result, we counsel them to think for themselves about the dishes, &c., on which they will choose to prepare such feasts after arriving home. They can carry them across the sea, in moderation, at no cost—i.e., for their own service; for if the government officials where we land on the other side think that we intend to sell any of such things, they will put a tax on them, which perhaps will make them more expensive than if they were purchased in St. Louis. But for such things for personal use, they rarely tax them there. Since there will be no need for such dishes for normal use on the voyage, it would be best to put them for safekeeping among the spare clothes to keep them from breaking. We do not counsel anyone to take heavy tools, or in fact scarcely any household furniture, except what has been mentioned; and we do not counsel the various craftsmen to take very many of their normal tools with them, for they can probably get new ones, better and cheaper, in St. Louis. As for tin dishes for use on the voyage, they can be obtained in Liverpool best as we get under way.

The Way That Will be Taken the Distance and the Estimated Cost

We have already been speaking with the captain of the steamboat “Troubadour” about taking the first company of emigrants from Swansea to Liverpool; and that kind gentleman promised to make every provision for the benefit and comfort of the travelers, and to carry them much cheaper than usual. We shall advertise the time later in greater detail; for perhaps the whole company cannot be prepared before the end of January or the beginning of February. After reaching Liverpool, someone else will board the ship which will be prepared by Pres. O. Pratt and will let us know so that we can be there three or four days before sailing, and that is the time that the wisdom and value of that part of the “Mormon creed” will be seen, i.e., “everyone mind his own business,” lest the sharpers and the wolves snatch them and their belongings, while smiling to their faces; but we sincerely hope that the Welsh flock know the voice of their shepherd too well to mistake the howl of a wolf for it. From Liverpool, the normal time for the voyage to New Orleans is from six to seven weeks; the most part of the journey, after leaving the borders of this kingdom, is temperate, and the breezes are lovely, and more often than not there are too few of them. In New Orleans, large steamboats are available during that season of the year to come close to the ship and take the whole procession and their belongings at once, in about five or six days and for about ten shillings each, up the great Mississippi River, for over eleven hundred miles to the great city of St. Louis. There another steamboat will be obtained to take them and their belongings up the Missouri River to Council Bluffs, about eight hundred or nine hundred miles, in about a week for about a pound each. All will need to provide their own food along this part of the journey, besides the prices mentioned; and in short, along the way from the ship to the end of their journey, all will take care of their provisions at their own cost. Yet the uncommon unity and love of the Saints will be very advantageous to them to buy everything required in large quantities; and so, everything that is necessary to buy, especially the conveyance along the rivers, will come much less expensive to each one.

After reaching Council Bluffs, you will be outside the western confines of Babylon, among settlements containing thousands of Saints emigrating to Salt Lake City, who make the desert blossom as the rose, and who will prepare themselves there for the rest of the journey; so the Welsh procession will rest in Council Bluffs while preparing wagons and food and buying animals to pull them forward; perhaps this will take several weeks of time before the whole procession is ready to get under way again, besides being more than likely that there will be several thousands of other Saints, besides the Welsh, traveling together from there through the Rocky Mountains. There are in Council Bluffs shops and every kind of necessary skills being carried on by the Saints where wagons and every needed tool can be purchased. In those neighborhoods milk cows cost about 2 pounds each, a yoke of oxen from 5 to 6 pounds; further to the east from here they can be obtained cheaper because the Saints have been buying so many in those areas. We cannot count the cost from Council Bluffs forward to our satisfaction, as well as from there back; but the best estimate we can make is this which follows. If eight persons were to go in together to buy a wagon, one yoke of oxen and four cows, which would carry them and their clothes and their food comfortably, we think that their expense would be not more than £3 10 shillings or £4 each, and the wagon and the animals would belong to them then. Those who have a family of four, five, or six children, will need to get a wagon for themselves; but for families of two or three children, two such families can get together to buy one wagon between them and share the cost. The distance from Council Bluffs to Salt Lake City is considered about one thousand miles, and there is enough game on the journey for sustenance. These few counsels we deem sufficient for this time about the above things, and we wish for all who can see their way open before them to send to us their names, and ages of each one, and the babies also, as soon as possible. We are mindful that these days are the time of gathering and the day of winnowing, that the call is for the children of Zion to come out of Babylon, lest they be made recipients of her plagues; and no doubt each one who neglects the duty to emigrate will sadden the Spirit of God, when God opens his way and provides the circumstances for that. We know of some in this land who began to wither, like the wife of Lot of old, until they became dry trees waiting to be gathered for the fire.

All the latest news from California is very comforting. Apostle W. Woodruff tells us through a recent letter that over 900 wagons loaded with Saints left Council Bluffs toward Salt Lake City during last June and hosts of others are preparing to follow them. Every crop has produced in the valley beyond all expectations; the Saints enjoy generally better health there than in any other place they have been. The medicinal waters which are in the springs there have proven to be a priceless blessing to the sick so far, and what a blessing it would be if we could see all the sick children of God from Wales leaping with joy on the banks of these springs.

The spirit of gathering has taken a strong hold on the Saints in Wales and throughout the world, and we are happy to learn of that. How thoroughly are the words of Isaiah fulfilled when he says, “In that day,” not only “shall the deaf hear the words of the book,” but he clearly says further,—“The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” What greater rejoicing could the poor, meek men of Wales desire in this life than to get a way of emigrating to a country where there is and will be abundance for them, and their race after them to all the generations of the earth. Well, such preparation is already awaiting them in Zion, only to go there to enjoy it. And for the comfort of the poor Saints, we state that we have sufficient faith to believe no matter how great their poverty that “He who started them in this good work will finish it,” through preparing their way and bringing a means to their hands according to their faithfulness, so that the easiest way for all to arrive home is through fulfilling the role which they are in at the present time. But we do not have sufficient faith to believe that God will allow the poverty of one of His faithful Saints to deprive him of this blessed deliverance. And will they not “rejoice in the Lord” at that time, in spite of the extent of their former poverty? We expect to yet see a nation of meek Welshmen who will strengthen a strong host of brave men from the stock of Gomer dwelling happily and peacefully in the centers of the western continent, and all obedient citizens of heavenly laws. We expect to see the poor in their beautiful carriages along the high roads of the earth, enjoying their fill of its abundance. And before long we shall lend a listening ear to hear the mountains and the hills echoing the sweet songs of rejoicing of the children of Zion; and sometime soon we hope to see kings and queens encouraging this great and wondrous work to be fulfilled. Blessed is he who does it with all his might, because that is the work which continues in praise to his name through his generations, while the work of all the foremost people of the world is like grass, stubble, and clay.

Another Thing that Merits the Attention of All the Saints!

We would like for the Saints to remember, especially those who intend to go toward Zion, that that is a place “where JUSTICE dwells;” and consequently, all children of Zion should be workers of justice, as far as they can, even while in captivity in Babylon. The laws of Zion do not allow any of her children to work injustice with any of the Babylonians; and as far as we can know, we do not allow any who are indebted to anyone of the world, justly, to emigrate without either paying them, satisfying them, or getting their forgiveness, or in some other way working justice toward them. The Saints were warned of this before, and we remind their pure minds again, so they can strive to free themselves from all they can of this tiresome captivity by the time the happy invitation comes to call them home. It is our desire for the benefit and freedom of the Saints, as well as for the glory of Zion, which prompts us to call the attention of the Saints frequently to this important matter. It is true that the wages are low and the time is bad; yet, there was never a time so bad that the principle of justice could not be shown through doing that which can be done; and then if but a penny of the old debt incurred while one of the Babylonians can be paid, that would show a penny’s worth of righteousness and so on as much as possible; and then there would be faith to claim the blessing of the just God on every just effort to work justice, and doubtless it will succeed.

Notice All the First Emigrants!

According to custom all who transport emigrants over the sea, President Pratt expects each one to send one pound of the money for passage in advance, before he will hire a ship, which will secure for each one passage on the ship for his turn to come there in time by the announced time, through paying the rest of the price of his passage according to that which was mentioned above; and consequently, in order to save expense, loss and cost, we expect that all, or someone for them, will bring the aforementioned pound with them to the NEXT CONFERENCE which is held in Merthyr, which will take place on the LAST SUNDAY OF THIS YEAR; and then, if President Pratt is able to be here on that occasion, as he has promised, he can get them all together; or if he cannot come here, they can be transported to him, and so he can then have a better advantage to hire a ship more cheaply, through getting more time to choose a ship, than if he but takes whatever might be there at the time, and so the crossing will be cheaper for everyone. Notice that a place will not be secured on the ship for anyone except those who follow this arrangement.

Discovery of a Gold Ore Mine in California!

“FOR BRASS I WILL BRING GOLD.”—We are informed by letter, dated San Francisco, June 1, 1848, which is published in the “New York Morning Herald,” September 27, of a remarkable discovery of gold ore, in the following words:—“These parts of California are in an unusual uproar (and soon the south will be under the influence of such an uproar), because of the discovery of Placera, or the land of gold, which was found along the banks of the branches of the Sacramento river. Three-fourths of the houses in San Francisco have been left empty; even the lawyers closed their books, and emigrated in haste, with a shovel in one hand and a wooden pan in the other, to get rich by washing out the gold from the gravel of the Sacramento river. Servants refuse the sizeable sum of fifty dollars a month to stay longer in their previous service. Clerking wages have risen to a thousand dollars a year. Carpenters, smiths, and other craftsmen, who worked before for three dollars a day, now refuse ten dollars; very few of such are left in the town, who are night and day making pickaxes, shovels, and tools suitable for searching for gold, and by so doing they earn about twenty dollars a day. One smith is making from ten to fifteen pickaxes a day, which sell for six dollars each. For English shovels, one gets ten dollars each. There is not now in the town one new shovel for sale, or one tin or wooden vessel that would be useful for the above purpose. A boat will be four days in going from here to Sutter’s Fort, near the place where the gold is; and the price of passage has risen from four to twelve dollars each. Vessels useful for this task that can be had in New York for five or six pence, now cost here about a pound.”

We are happy to inform the Welsh Saints, that it was their Mormon brethren who discovered the aforementioned gold mine. Those on the journey that started from New York, under the leadership of Elder S. Brannan, are the only natives of that country. The gold is found in pieces, from the size of grains, to an ounce in weight, for over a hundred miles of country. One person collects about l 20 a day.

The Blind Man and His Book

DEAR BROTHER JONES,—I wish you to put the true story which follows, through the medium of your PROPHET, before the public. Because lying men are trying to put our religion in a bad light, by going about the country, and also to the Works, and selling this pamphlet which is entitled “The True Mirror,” which book has been reprinted; and those who sell it say that its author is not yet dead!! namely Daniel Jones (the Blind), which is a completely unfounded lie. It is a strange thing that men who were fashioned in the image of the truthful God should so succumb to the influences of the father of lies as to claim that he (Daniel Jones) is still alive. If he is alive, he must have taken part in the first resurrection. Where is he, that he may be seen? for that would certainly be a great miracle, so that those who live here near the banks of the Taff can see him, those who knew him so well, and heard him sing ballads in the fairs, and those too who carried him to lie in Llanllwni cemetery. If it is true that (Blind) Daniel Jones is alive now, hundreds of men around Llanybydder and Llanllwni, and the next parishes, would have to believe that miracles are being performed now, or deny that it is Daniel.

Since lies are being spread around the Works, &c., namely that Daniel is alive, that is the reason I am writing this account, and also a little of his story before his death.

He was baptized and received as a member in Llanybydder, on the 7th of July, 1846. He was in the service with us on the Thursday evening and the following Sunday, and that is all he went to our meetings. Soon afterwards he started persecuting us throughout the community; but he did not succeed in that way in his slander, because they knew him well here. We baptized many in the months following that.

The following October, Capt. D. Jones came this way; he and I went to the community of Brechfa to preach; and as we were returning towards Llanybydder, we met (Blind) Daniel Jones in the mountains, going to Brechfa fair. Capt. D. Jones questioned him about how he had become such a persecutor of the Saints. Daniel did not give one reason in answer, but he indicated clearly enough that he was an enemy of the Saints. Capt. D. Jones told him, that if he persecuted and falsely accused the Saints, the hand of God would be upon him, and his fate would be hotter than that of Cora, Dathan, and Abiram. He told him strongly the danger of persecuting and falsely accusing the Lord’s people. Afterwards the facts clearly proved that Capt. Jones told him the truth. He was taken very ill, so that he felt his intestines on fire inside him: he drank a lot of cold water to stop the supposed fire inside him, and also he ran out of the house to wallow in water in order to cool down; but all in vain. He died in this painful condition; although I was not present, I heard about him. I live about three miles from the place where he died. I have been with Mr. James Evans, the Registrar, who has registered the death of Daniel Jones, and he is willing to give a copy to anyone who wishes, if they pay 2s. 6c. and the postage.

Before finishing I shall give a word of advice to those who accuse us falsely and persecute us. It is this; let them reflect, and consider they are fighting against the good God who sustains them; let them repent for all their sins, and be baptized by the servants of God for the remission of them, and take back their lies as faithfully as they fashioned them. Let the above story about poor Daniel be a warning to all to leave the children of God alone.

May the gracious Lord have mercy on all the honest in heart, by moving away the obstacles so that they may have the great privilege of coming into the Church of Jesus Christ, and sharing in the joy of the Holy Ghost with the Latter-day Saints, is my constant prayer through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Yours in the truth,

Llanybydder, October 24, 1848. THOMAS JEREMY.

[Some of the men who sell the said book admit that it is the sectarians who have paid for them, and presented books to them for nothing, especially the Baptists and the Independents in Llanybydder. Let it be between them and their betrayers as to the accusation, and let it be between them and the great God against whose gospel they are struggling as far as this atrocious work goes. We published a short treatise called “Haman hanging from his own Gallows,” some time ago, in which can be seen the deceit and lies of this poor blind man; and it is obvious that these pious believers who support such libel and lies, love and make up, publish and spread, the same lies, so as to blind the eyes of their fellowmen lest they perceive the brilliance of the glory of Jesus Christ’s gospel. One would think that the father of lies himself would be ashamed to say what the book in question contains; such as, a blind man saying, as is seen on the last page,-”When I went to search in detail (says the blind man) I perceived clearly [says a totally blind man!!] that what the Saints had was trickery.” Who would believe anything such a man said, unless he loved lies in his heart of hearts, and hated truth; that is how those who believe this book must be.

Many times rash and arrogant men shout in our face, as the deceased did, daring us to curse him, recalling the example of Elymas of old-yes, sometimes they hold out their hands, and beg us to curse them. Although we do not claim any power to curse anyone, yet we are sure that we worship that God who cuts some down before their time, because of their enmity towards his children, and the faith of his Son Jesus Christ. If that is the case here, let the reader judge, and we will believe what we wish about the matter. It is hoped that the testimony of the respectable man above will be sufficient to send the book in question to the place it deserves, and that the truth will become clearer the more it is investigated.—ED.]

The Eastern Welsh Conference

THE above Conference was held, in Pontypool, on the 1st day of October. It was begun by singing and prayer, and it was proposed that Eld. W. Henshaw preside. The president announced the purpose of their assembly; and after that he called for bringing forward the matters of the various branches. One branch had been added to the Monmouthshire conference. This Conference contained eight elders, fourteen priests, six teachers, three deacons, and 176 members. Baptized since the previous conference, 34. The total was 202. Brothers Nash, Dallen, and Bowlding were called to be elders, three others to be priests, one as a teacher, and one as a deacon. A sustaining vote was given by the Saints there for the offices of Brigham Young, the twelve apostles, the president of the British Isles, and the president over Wales. A sustaining vote was also given to Wm. Henshaw as the president of the above Conference. Several testified concerning the work of God, and among them was the young man who came so miraculously to speak and hear in Newport, as he came up out of the waters of baptism, after being mute and deaf for years.

WILLIAM HENSHAW, President.

URIAH RICKETTS, Clerk.

The Glamorgan Conference

WILL be held in the Cymreigyddion Hall (White Lion), the last day of the Year, and the following day, at which time it is expected that the Presidents of all the Branches will be present to represent their branches, and make sure that all the Distributors under their jurisdiction are ready to close out completely all accounts they have for books. This is the last call we can make, and we earnestly implore that it will be effective.

N. B.—Visitors are expected to be present at the Conference.