Z I O N ' S T R U M P E T,

OR

Star of the Saints.

No. 3.] MARCH, 1849. [VOL. I.

THE LAME MAN AT THE TEMPLE.

How great the fame of the old lame man who sat by the temple gate has become in these days. Mention is made of him in every discussion about faith. He is made out to be a very faithful man in money, but in nothing else. He was as much without faith to receive healing as is a mountain, if we believe what the uninformed say. It is reasonable to assume that he had faith to receive money, otherwise he would not have sat at the temple gate for that purpose; but the question is, did he have faith to receive healing? Ask all the learned of the age, and they will say, "He did not." Rather it appears that Peter, with John, when they "fastened their eyes on him," and commanded him, "Look on us," thought that he had something besides money-type faith, for there was no need to fasten much attention on him, he being so obvious in the sight of everyone. Furthermore, it is reasonable to judge that the lame man of the temple had as many qualifications to receive healing, as did the other lame man of Lystra (Acts xiv, 9) to receive the same. After Paul had "beheld STEDFASTLY" the latter, he perceived "that he had faith to be healed," and he said to him, "Stand upright on thy feet." Peter did the same at the gate of the temple; after fastening particular attention on the other lame man, and after having a chance to see what he had, he dared to tell him in the name of Jesus of Nazareth to arise. Why did the two apostles pay such particular attention, with just Paul having a purpose in so doing? and how is it that one apostle, any more than the other, would venture to heal their lame men, without their seeing, through the gift of "discerning of spirits," whether they had faith? By faith in the name of Jesus Christ the two were healed; but if only the lame man of Lystra possessed faith, how much better off was he for that, if the other one received a blessing without faith? If men able to work by faith, received health without it, why then did our Lord say to the father of the deaf and dumb boy, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth?" (Mark ix, 23). It is contrary to reason and scripture to judge that the lame man of the temple did not have faith; because the healing that he received proves that the apostle was satisfied concerning his faith, or God would not have blessed him, "for without faith it is impossible to please him." If one agrees that each receives according to his faith, then one believes that the lame man also had faith; and if we cannot believe that, we will be, and that justifiably, "returned like a wave of the sea," for daring to accept silence in one part of scripture, to oppose the surety in another part. Hail to the time when the old lame man of the temple can show himself again before those who deny his faith in these days, so they can see that Christ is always of the same word.

"A CRY FROM THE HOLY CITY. — R E B U I L D I N G SOLOMON'S TEMPLE.—A CALL FOR GOD'S PEOPLE TO RETURN TO JERUSALEM."

THE editor of the New York Herald says:—"We received with the latest steamer from England, a copy of an unusual Proclamation, which was published by the Jews who dwell in Jerusalem, to all the seed of Abraham to the ends of the earth. It was written in pure Hebrew, together with an English translation of it, which we publish as a matter worthy of the most serious attention of the people of this country."

( T H E P R O C L A M A T I O N . )

"To our brothers the Israelites in Europe and America—generous and loving contributors to every good and godly cause—ready to stand at the gate to show their love for the promised land; to the well wishers of Jerusalem and the friends of Zion (dearer to us than our lives), those who support this holy city, and who consecrate their possessions of love and affection, 'to take pity upon its stones, and to show mercy towards their dust;' to the learned and venerable Rabbis, to their worthy and famous men; to noble chieftains and faithful leaders of Israel; to all the godly congregations of the Lord, and to every member of them—health, life, and success. May the Lord extend them his protection. They will rejoice and be extremely happy, and with their own eyes may they see when the Lord restores Zion. May this be his gracious will. Amen.

"It is a well known fact throughout Judah and Israel, that 'the glory has wholly departed the daughter of Zion,' for more than a hundred years by now; through violence, congregations of German Jews have been deprived of their homes and their inheritances. Cruel oppression has ground them to dust, and has obliged them to leave their dwelling places, to turn their backs on their houses and their possessions, and to seek refuge by flight. Because of this the great sanctuary our ancestors gave us, was destroyed and uninhabited, until it was possessed by strangers. The sacred buildings it contained, namely the synagogue and the Medrash, they destroyed, and all our possessions were completely destroyed, and our lawful inheritances were polluted before our very eyes. Then our souls refused to be comforted! for how could we look at the great evil that had come to our people? Just as light derives from a beam, so our congregation was determined to return, to repair, and to restore their buildings, and to take root in the holy mountain. For never was there any rest for our weary feet—no chosen and consecrated place for us to pray and to counsel together. Here our tired eyes found people from every nation and tongue, even from the distant isles of the sea, having splendid dwelling places and buildings, protected by walls, doors, and towers, while the people of the Lord have been exiled from their inheritances by rapacious barbarians, and shrouded with evil, scorn, and disgrace. The cry of the people has ascended to the Lord, who dwells in Zion. He has looked down mercifully on their affliction and their oppression. And ever since the ruler of Egypt took possession of the holy land's first government—a ruler who administers justice through all his territories—a law has been passed permitting the Jews to do what they please concerning the repairing of their ruined synagogues and academies. The Lord has seen fit to remember us mercifully, causing us to be restored to the inheritance of our fathers, yea, even to the aforementioned sanctuary, which is called the Ruins of the pious R. Jehudah (blessed be his memory). Blessed be the Lord our God, the God of our fathers, he who stirred the heart of the ruler of Egypt to restore to us the inheritance of our forefathers; and we did not delay or lose time in the matter, but strived to build Jerusalem. 'We excavated her, and we gathered her stones;' and the sacred task succeeded in our hands, until we completed the Medrash, 'and great is the glory of the house;' we built also the dwelling places of the teachers of the law; and also encampments for foreigners, which were absolutely indispensable in housing the hosts of Israelites who visited the holy city during the feasts. And on the last Rosh Hodesh Shebat, we had the joy of placing the Sepher Torah in the Medrash, which we consecrated with the name of 'Meirahem Zion,' for the Lord saw fit to comfort his people. But, although we, through the blessing of providence, have, in this manner, repaired part of those inheritances with which our godly forefathers bequeathed us, yet our hearts are afflicted, and our eyes fail us, when we behold the sanctuary of the Lord, the synagogue, which is in ruins, and we (the German congregation) are unable to rebuild it; for, oh, many are our poor people, who need bread, and we have been in great debt since we built the Medrash, and it is a great burden on us. Thus, the cause of our tribulation confronts us daily; the synagogue's ruins are in a heap in the middle of the court, surrounded by polluted weeds which cover the sacred cairn. Consequently, we consider it our special duty to send a missionary to our brethren the children of Israel, who are scattered, and in exile, to inform them that the Lord's salvation is 'in his land,' so that they will rise up and take pity on Zion, for the time has come to have mercy on her. In order to fulfill this burdensome mission, our dear friend, the well-known and venerable rabbi, the zealous and honorable Aaron Selig Ashkenasi, has offered his services. He is a strong and godfearing man, of faithful lineage; and it is he we will send as our missionary, worthy of every trust, to proclaim to all the congregations of Israel, 'according to the VISION, which he saw on zions mount;' and to him we have given letters of authority, containing the details with respect to his godly mission, and also all other necessary information pertaining to it.

"Now, therefore, let the just see and take delight; let the godly rejoice and be filled with joy; for the blessed day you have awaited so long, has come at last, and you will see it for yourselves. A holy crown will again adorn her primitive dwelling place. Thus, arise, and take it upon yourselves, according to the words of this letter, to dedicate a share of your wealth as a sacred gift to assist in building 'the temple of the Most High King on the mount of the Lord,' so that you will be given a name and a share in the chronicles of the righteous in Jerusalem. Let not one of you refuse your assistance, rather let the poor man contribute his mite for himself and his famil) willingly, and let the rich man give from his wealth, with which the Lord has blessed him. Let the fathers arise with their children, old and young alike, to take mercy on Zion in this profitable season; let every man exhort his friend, saying, 'We will be zealous and diligent in behalf of our people, and for the city of our God.' And out of love for Zion, and for Jerusalem's sake, we shall not rest, and we shall be faithful until Jerusalem is praised throughout the whole earth, and we will be first in our rejoicing, as we have vowed. 'If I forget Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its strength; shall I not choose thee Jerusalem, above all my happiness?' These are the words of your brethren, those who will greet you for the glory of the Lord, and in praise of his land, his people and inheritance, praying daily for our brothers in exile, placing our prayers on a holy place, especially near the western walls, so that you may be eternally happy, as you yourselves wish, and as we ourselves earnestly wish. Endorsed in Jerusalem the 18th day of the year 5597, A.M., by the Wardens of the Medrash and members of the building committee, for the congregation of the German Jews in the holy city. (Signed) Hirsh Joseph, David Reuben, Nathan Loadis, Abraham S. Salmons, Mordecai Avigdor, Uriah S. Hyam.

"We, whose names are signed below, the Bethdin tax collectors, and by order of the Reverend chief Rabbi, testify that the Rev. Aaron Selig Ashkenasi has been authorized to accomplish that which is referred to in the foregoing proclamation. London, the Sabbath, Dec. 24, 5599. Israel Levy, Aaron Levy, A. L. Barnett."

[The foregoing Proclamation speaks of great things, and shows that the Jews are preparing to gather to Jerusalem, by the coming in of the fulness of nations. The "vision" which Aaron Selig Ashkenasi had on the holy mount, bears a striking resemblance to that which was prophesied by Zechariah (ii, 4 ) , namely, "Run, speak to this young man, saying Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein." It is logical that the Jews, as well as the Gentiles, receive revelation from God, so that the necessary preparations can be completed before the coming of the Messiah to save them.—ED.]

THE DIVINITY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON IS PROVED FURTHER.

"YUCATAN.—Yucatan is the grave of a great nation that has mysteriously passed away and left behind no history. Every forest embosoms the majestic remains of vast temples, sculptured over with symbols of a lost creed, and noble cities, whose stately palaces and causeways attest in their mournful abandonment, the colossal grandeur of their builders. They are the gigantic tombs of an illustrious race, but they bear neither name nor epitaph. The conscience-stricken awe with which the Indian avoids them as he relates a confused tradition of a whole people extinguished in blood and lire, by his forefathers—a ferocious and cannibal race delighting in human sacrifices—are all that even conjecture can say of the manner in which the ancient occupants of Yucatan, were blotted, en masse, from the page of existence. The barbarous exterminators remained the masters of the country, and built them rude huts under the shadow of those immense edifices which are still the marvel and the mystery of Yucatan. On many of these singular edifices is stamped the blood-red impress of a human hand; a fit symbol of the rule of blood to which it has so constantly been the victim. This "bloody hand" was imprinted with evident purpose on the still yielding stucco of the new-built walls, and presents every line and curve in life-like distinctness, but the explanation of the symbol is unknown."—From the New York Sun, June 8, 1848.

The writer of the above article on "Yucatan" (in America) is greatly mistaken. He says, "Yucatan is the grave of a great nation that has mysteriously passed away, and left behind no history.'''' This is not so. The first great nation that anciently inhabited Yucatan, passed away about 2,440 years ago; but their prophets left a history, and abridgment of which has been translated into the English language, called the "Book of Ether," and tens of thousands of copies have been published in the Book of Mormon, and circulated both in America and in England for many years. The last great nation that inhabited that country and passed away, have also left their history which was discovered, translated, and published in the English language nearly 20 years ago by Joseph Smith, who has since fallen a martyr to the truth, instead of being rewarded by man for having unfolded the ancient history of one half of our globe from the earliest ages after the flood. This seems to be the common lot of the benefactors of the human race. They live and die neglected, or are persecuted to death by their contemporaries, and their worth is not appreciated until they are gone, and not always then.

The writer acknowledges the discovery of "vast temples," "noble cities," and "stately palaces," embosomed in "every forest." He then refers to a confused tradition of the Indians, who say that their forefathers exterminated a whole people by "blood and fire." He supposes that this is "all that even conjecture can say of the manner in which the ancient occupants of Yucatan, were blotted, en masse, from the page of existence."

How correctly this Indian tradition agrees with the history given in the Book of Mormon. Mormon says, that in the 367th year after Christ, "the Lamanites"—the forefathers of the American Indians—"took possession of the city of Desolation,"—which was in Central America, near to or in Yucatan—"and this because their number did exceed the number of the Nephites," the Nephites being the Nation who inhabited the cities of Yucatan.— "And they"—the Lamanites—"did also march forward against the city of Teancum, and did drive the inhabitants forth out of her, and did take many prisoners, both women and children, and did offer them up as sacrifices unto their idol gods." In the 375th year, large numbers of the Nephite women and children were taken prisoners, and were also sacrificed unto idols. (Book of Mormon, pg. 566 and 567.)

Mormon, in one of his epistles to his son Moroni, shows their awful wickedness and cannibal-like dispositions. He says—

"The Lamanites have many prisoners, which they took from the tower of Sherrizah; and there were men, women, and children. And the husbands and fathers of those women and children they have slain; and they feed the women upon the flesh of their husbands, and the children upon the flesh of their fathers, and no water, save a little, do they give unto them. And notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people in Moriantum. For, behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoners; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue; and after they had done this thing, they did murder them in a most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death; and after they have done this, they devour their flesh like unto wild beasts, because of the hardness of their hearts; and they do it for a token of hravery. 0 my beloved son, how can a people like this, that are without civilization—(and only a few years have passed away, and they were a civil and delightsome people)—but, 0 my son, how can a people like this, whose delight is in so much ahomination—how can we expect that God will stay his hand in judgment against us? Behold, my heart cries wo unto this people. Come out in judgment, O God, and hide their sins, and wickedness, and abominations from before thy face." In the 384th year, the occupants of Yucatan and Central America, having been driven from their great and magnificent cities, were pursued by the Lamanites to the hill Cumorah in the interior of the state of New York, where the whole nation perished in battle. During the protracted wars which resulted in the overthrow of a great nation, many hundreds of towns, villages, and cities were burned by the conquerors. Desolation and ruin marked the footsteps of the contending millions. Though fourteen centuries have passed away, these historical facts are still recorded in the breast of the Indian. The cannibal acts of their forefathers— the extinguishing of a whole nation by "fire and blood," and the offering of thousands of prisoners—are events in Indian tradition not easily forgotten. Well might the conquering nation imprint upon the stately edifices of their fallen foe—"the blood-red impress of a human hand!" This truly seems to be a fit symbol of the terrific wars which had drenched that land in the blood of millions. Were it not for the faithful record of Mormon, written in Egyptian hieroglyphics, the history of Ancient America would have remained an untold mystery to all future generations, until the slumbering millions of that vast continent should burst their ancient tombs, and appear with all the assembled nations in judgment."

LATTER-DAY ZION

[TUNE—"Roslin Castle."]

GREAT is the mention that's made here,

Every single day, of the land

Our Lord gives us freely,

It is the lovely Zion:

It will be built for us,

It will be a splendid inheritance,

Says Jesus Christ, our Sovereign,

The true and great Captain of the host:

Great will be the marvelous pleasure,

We shall have from the Lord and his pure angels,

Constantly night and day,

With no one heavy of heart;

In his splendid Zion,

Everyone there will know their place,

In their beautiful and lovely dwelling,

With neither pain nor plight.

Heavenly perfection we shall enjoy,

If we continue in the faith;

Jesus will freely give us

Daily strength in his work;

There he will be a gracious King,

Constantly for our benefit,

His face will be splendid,

Constantly full of peace:

We can sing his praises with joy,

All from the heart in uplifting privilege,

Amid the sweet choir,

Inside the portals of his court:

We shall have joyous harpists,

And pleasant musicians,

The choir will daily be fulsome,

Morning and afternoon.

There, the lion and the lamb will be,

Every day in harmony:

No cross words, angry or bitter,

Between two men in this place;

All enmity will have fled,

And its causer put aside

Bound, and locked up,

Quietly without escape;

And we shall be there,

To our honor, in daily enjoyment

Of the best fruits ever,

Created for our benefit:

We shall there have honey and milk,

And lovely wine to our taste,

And every kind of nourishment sought,

Directly by our kind.

In addition to this, we shall always

Live all with our Lord,

The Son of man, heaven's Heir,

With no veil to separate us;

We shall also have, no doubt,

The company of heaven's pure angels,

And dear, cheerful cherubs,

To delight us everywhere:

There will be a happy family,

Craftsmen and talented poets,

Of stature, and true bards,

Wonderful heroes, full of grace,

Splendid and powerful orators we shall have, —

Each office will be filled;

And the just law of emancipation

We shall know—strange to relate!

Dear man, come to God,

Come and heed now his call;

He wants you to come

Homeward before long:

Friend, leave the old family of pain,

Come out of the land of Babel,

Across the seas yonder far,

To a country truly better:

0 come from Babylon

To this land, if you believe—

Without delay come to the land

Our Father gives us;

Splendid salvation will be there,

For the whole family of faith;

Our Ruler will give us care,

And prepare a wonderful feast for us.

Dear Welshman, hear my song,

Come forward with the throng,

Toward the blessed and beloved land,

Which is for us to have:

To Zion let us in joy proceed,

There is a fulsome welcome there

For the righteous and faithful,

To enjoy her abundance:

There we'll have pure delight

In a sea of true love which never ebbs,

And continually so,

As in heaven, where the Father is:

There will be peace, blessed unity,

And brotherhood in joy;

We shall ever have,

All bliss in that very land.

Trehafod. JOHN RICHARDS.

LAST GREETING OF THE EMIGRATING SAINTS TO CALIFORNIA.

DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, — With sadness and nostalgia on the one hand, and great joy, love and hopes on the other, we send this last greeting to you who are staying behind in Babylon. We all feel deeply indebted to gratefully recognize the great care and protection of our heavenly Father over us until now. We, 240 of us besides children, on board the ship "Buena Vista," and 65 other Welsh Saints, besides children, on board the ship "Hartley," have organized our whole circumstances as comfortably as can be expected, and intend to sail on the great ocean tomorrow. We had unusually good weather on our voyage here; and however many the dangers which surrounded us, and however much was prophesied of adversity for us, and however many Babylonians who tried to discourage us, mislead us and plunder us—we all thank our God today in victory for giving us a leader to guide us safely through it all, without anyone getting hurt or plundered of anything. Much did the enemies of the truth prophesy about our dear president, Capt. Jones, that he would plunder us of our money, and that he would leave us in the midst of strangers and that he would do any number of bad things to us; but justice to his character, justice to the religion which he professes, glory to the God who owns him, our duty is to testify to you that our dear Bro. Jones has been and continues to be more of a blessing to us in the present circumstances than ever before, and we can never repay him enough for his continual care over us and his beneficial directions to us. Through him we got new and comfortable ships to transport us cheaply. The price of our transportation is ￡3 12s, 6c. each for every person over 14 years of age, and ￡3 each for those who are under that age and over one year old, when there are some other ships here now sailing to the same port which are charging ￡5 each, and without all the necessary provisions, while on the other hand, our ships contain all the provisions we will need: this was done for us through his wisdom and fatherly care over us. And not only that, but we know that he, instead of cheating the Saints out of their money, as many falsely accused him, has paid much of his own money to comfort and assist the others, and until now has refused to receive the least pay for that; rather he has paid, to the penny, the same price as ourselves for his transportation in every regard. In short, his loving and watchful behavior over all has without exception bound the affections of all around him with more and more love, until everyone likes to hear his voice in our midst; and the biggest worry of all of the others was that there would not be a big enough ship to transport everyone in the same place with him.

Dear Saints, all of us are encouraged and praying that the gracious Lord will quickly open the way to you to come after us to Zion. No doubt little Wales is like a boiling pot with the false tales about us, and much will be prophesied about the wrecking of our ship, &c; but pray for us, and we shall go safely under the protection of our God; do not believe them! Also you can defend our character on our departure from Babylon and our righteousness; for you know that our dear President proclaimed and warned beforehand that he would not allow anyone to come away who was in debt to the world or to the Saints; and we are happy to say that there is none of us with a guilty conscience because of that, or who has given cause to disgrace the religion of Jesus Christ; when on the other hand, completely contrary, the Babylonians boast of not paying to us their just debts, as if exerting themselves to the utmost to plunder us of everything they can grab, which, unless they repent, will testify against them in the judgment. They were so bad, some of them, that they influenced our own families, yes, our dear wives and children! so as to frighten them against coming with us! yes, to cause contention between husband and wife, between parents and dear children. What worse could they have done? They will have much to answer for! Yet, no doubt these themselves will raise their voices highest to condemn a man for leaving his disobedient, peevish and cruel wife behind when she refuses every offer to come. We assure you that there are no men in our midst who have not tried their utmost to get their wives to come with them, and their children also. Do not the laws of man and God assure to the husband, as the head of his family, the choice of his country? And if they refuse to follow him, his wife or children are the ones who are leaving him, and it is not he who is leaving them!

Many stories were spread before we left that women were going against the wishes of their husbands; but a baseless lie is that; there is none of the kind that we know of in our midst, or anyone who has wronged a man in our midst or who has wronged a man in anything, without reconciling the wrong. The rage of our fellow nation was so great toward us before our departure from Wales that we could not enjoy our civil rights in hardly any place; and it is abundantly true that the life of our dear brother Capt. Jones was in such danger that his house was attacked almost every night for weeks before his leaving Merthyr, so that his godly life was not safe in sleeping except between guards from among his brethren; and there were scoundrels so inhuman, who had been paid to kill him as he left, that he had to leave secretly the day before. To what end is all this? You know that it was not for any cause given to anyone, rather it is all the rage of the devil against him, because he is an instrument in the hand of God to pull down the kingdom of darkness, and to gather the children of God to Zion. The only repayment which Bro. Jones desires is to get an interest in the prayers of the Saints and for them to be kind to his dear wife and child,* whom he leaves in your midst until he returns, because his only child was but four

* We are happy to report that our dear sister has recuperated so quickly that she became sufficiently strong to be able to leave with a ship full of Saints which sailed about the middle of this month; and she intends to join her husband in Council Bluffs before long. May God be with her.—ED.

days old when he left them—and he practiced every other self-denial for the gospel of Christ and the Saints. No doubt his reward and that of his family for it all will be great in Zion.

Many preachers of the different sects, after slandering us and smearing our characters through the Welsh publications and condemning our dear religion from their pulpits, and doing everything they could to disgrace us and to shatter our feelings, are even here, when we are on board the ship, with practically one foot out of Babylon, and they are trying to frighten the Saints about the sea voyage, about the country and about everything that is good, trying to persuade them to everything except that which they should do. Great are their efforts to poison the relationship between us and Capt. Jones. He is the target of all their arrows; but up to now they have failed to influence so much as one. And each one was glad to get back on shore for shame of their own false beliefs. And occasionally one of the more honest of them confessed in surprise that neither we nor our religion were as bad as he had thought. Yesterday, all of them, including their ministers and the Rev. H. Rees as well, received irrefutable testimony from Capt. Jones and others, that caused them to go back to shore hurriedly and mutely. We hope that it will be beneficial to bring them from darkness to light.

All praise and trust is due to our dear Pres. Pratt for all his goodness to us here. He is worthy of your trust also in all things.

For now, dear Saints, farewell to all of you; hasten to come after us.

We are, your brothers in the gospel of Jesus Christ,

THOS. JEREMY, Llanybydder WILLIAM MORGAN, Merthyr

BENJAMIN FRANCIS, ditto EDWARD EDWARDS, ditto

DAVID PHILLIPS, Brechfa BENJAMIN JONES, Aberdare

DANIEL DANIEL, ditto EDWARD EDWARDS, ditto

RICE WILLIAMS, Swyddffynnon WILLIAM DAVIES, Rhymni

WILLIAM TREHARN, Pontyates JOHN WILLIAMS, ditto

DAVID JAMES, ditto REES PRICE, Dowlais

MORGAN HUGHES, ditto JOB ROWLAND, ditto

SAMUEL LEIGH, Llanelli JOHN HUGHES, Penycae

JOHN RICHARDS, ditto WILLIAM LEWIS, Blaenafon

WILLIAM ROWLAND, Hirwaun JOHN PARRY, Birkenhead

REES JONES, ditto WILLIAM JENKINS, Cardiff,

THOMAS GILES, Merthyr

Liverpool, Feb. 25, 1849.

EMIGRATION OF THE SAINTS TO CALIFORNIA.

MR. ED. , — I wish to give some of the story of the Saints who emigrated from this country lately, inasmuch as I accompanied them to Liverpool and consequently am enabled to describe their voyage up to that point.

The emigration was begun in Swansea, where all the Saints of South Wales met on the 13th of last February, and at nine o'clock the next morning they were to leave on the steamboat "Troubadour," to go to Liverpool. A preaching meeting was held the previous night in the large and convenient chapel which the Saints have in Swansea, which was overfilled with responsible listeners while brother Thomas Pugh and others preached. The emigration had caused a great commotion in the town, and thousands gathered to see the Saints depart. When the emigrants were about to leave the town, through permission of the Captain, they sang a beautiful rendition of "The Saints' Farewell," attracting unusual attention of the observers. Great respect was shown to the occasion by the crowd in general, and many handkerchiefs were being waved in the nearby windows. While the singing continued the ship sailed away, and it arrived at Liverpool about half past three, the following Thursday. They had a voyage which was especially successful and shorter than usual by four hours. Everyone was healthy and content during the entire voyage, except that a little seasickness troubled some. Upon landing at Liverpool the captain of the ship showed great care for the Saints by landing at a place where there were no "sharpers" of the town waiting, hosts of which had gathered at the usual place to await the steamboat so they could steal from the emigrants. In addition to this kindness the Liverpool Saints had rented a large, six-story house in order to care for their Welsh brothers while in the town. It was sufficiently large for the whole company to take lodging in it. I am pleased to say also that, through listening to their leaders' warning to take care of their possessions, all the Saints kept everything safe so that all the cunning of the predators of the place did them no harm in any way. They spent five days in the aforementioned house, and during that time no more than I s . 6c. each was charged for lodging. The following Tuesday everyone moved to the American ship which was to sail the next day; but because of some obstacles it waited there until the 26th. In the meantime the Saints stayed on the ship, and I also stayed in their midst; and I saw some of the Saints at times taken sick; but no sooner were hands laid on them but what they were restored immediately; and I can bear witness that I have never seen more of the power of God than I saw on the ship. While I was in their midst there, I was led by my curiosity to put many of the Saints to the test, especially the weakest ones (and I can name Gwilym Ddu, to satisfy the friends of Pontypridd), in order to see if I could get some of them who were homesick to go back. The answer which I received generally was,—"However much we love you, we cannot love you so much as to wish to turn back with you. Leave us in peace; it is forward that all of us want to go."

The Saturday before sailing, the Rev. Henry Rees and some of the sectarian preachers of the town came to the Saints on board the ship. They asked me and Capt. Jones if the emigrants were Welsh. We answered, "Yes." Then they asked further, "Is it true that there are here widows from the south who have prepared clothes to put on their departed husbands in California and shoes to put on their feet, for we have received letters from respected ministers from South Wales telling us that." "Not a word of that is true," said we; "rather it is a barefaced lie; and those persons knew it was a lie when they wrote to you. Nevertheless, there are on the ship some widows who have kept some things of their husbands out of respect, but not to greet them with in California." "We are very glad indeed," they said, "that the Welsh are as wise as that. We were surprised to hear that the Welsh were so foolish; but now we have witnesses to the contrary." Then we showed our principles to those reverends, telling them that we did not believe anything except that which is in the Bible. With that, they said, "Very well; we wish success to you to arrive at the end of your journey, and may God bless you all." After that they left, bidding farewell to us, and they are probably very disappointed with the Saints.

On Sunday (namely the 25th), a conference was held on the ship, which was begun at two, by the secretary, by singing and prayer, and it was carried forward under the presidency of Capt. Jones. Several of the brethren spoke on the occasion, and an unusual measure of the Spirit of God was enjoyed there. All the Saints there were embodied in one branch; and then they were divided into eight groups, with a president over each group; and three others were appointed to preside over the whole company.

After that, a council was organized to arrange the matters of the Saints, so that everyone could have justice; and then the conference was ended in the customary manner. After that, the time drew near to sail toward home, which would begin the next day at eleven. On this occasion, the harpists and singers had a place on the captain's cabin, to sing "The Saints' Farewell" for the last time, when crowds had congregated to listen to their music and to be eyewitnesses of their departure to California. Many left their tasks to be present, and great was the courtesy which was shown on the occasion. They reached the mouth of the river at about one o'clock, and

"They went singing over the ocean,

Without a single fear in their breast,"

until soon they escaped our sight, and their wish and ours is for them to reach the "better country." Another ship left the morning of the next day full of Welsh, Irish, and Scottish Saints. That the gracious God may bless them and us is my continual prayer. Amen. W. PHILLIPS.

CONFERENCE MINUTES.

F L I N T S H I R E .

THE conference of Flintshire was held in Rhosllannerchrugog, on the 4th of last February. The meeting was opened by Abel Evans with song and prayer; and then he was chosen to preside over the conference. In this conference also, that which was passed in the Merthyr Conference was approved. Then the branch presidents were called on to represent their branches. Bagillt had two elders, two priests, and 15 members; Flint, one elder, one teacher, one deacon and 14 members; Rhos, one elder, two priests, and 16 members; Cefn, one elder, four priests, one teacher, and 17 members. Six elders, three priests, three teachers, and one deacon were called. The total is eleven elders, five priests, three teachers, one deacon and 62 members (including everyone). We had a delightful conference, with everyone fervent and enjoying the Holy Spirit. Several who were there bore their strong testimonies, and all were determined to go forth. In their midst there was a sister who lives near Cefnmawr, who testified that she had tried all the doctors she had heard about, in an attempt to cure her cancer, but despite it all she had worsened and was a hopeless case in their opinion, and they had given her up. After that, God revealed his power through his servants, who anointed her with oil in the name of the Lord, and she was completely healed. Her face and her nose had been severely eaten by it, and the inside of her mouth was full of holes. She thanked God for his blessing to her, and committed to cling to his work even if she had to lose the last drop of blood of her heart. Who will not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ?

ABEL EVANS, President,

A. VAUGHAN , Scribe.

THE SAINTS' MARCH.

THROUGH a world of oppression, the Saints march forward,

Under the banner of gentle Jesus, through the strength of the Holy Ghost,

Destroying the kingdom of Satan, and building the kingdom of God,

And showing the way of life to everyone of mankind.

For that the servants of the dark enemy himself,

Come to the field in strength against the Son of man,

Saying they believe, yet believing nothing,

But in some pretence of godliness, denying the power thereof.

And if they hear of any who believe the truth,

As it came from the mouth of Jesus, completely pure and holy,

These they begin to persecute, and mock them on their way,

As did their cruel fathers to the saints of former day.

T. H.

FRIGHTFUL EARTHQUAKES.

RECENT news from Wellington, New Zealand, tells us that frightful earthquakes have taken place in Port Nicholson, through which the flourishing town of Washington was reduced to a heap of ruins. Friday, the 13th of October, appeared fine, but very warm, and Saturday was windy with heavy rain. It continued thus throughout Sunday; and Monday morning, at half past one, a distant hollow noise was heard, which was quickly drawing closer, when suddenly the whole town was trembling from an earthquake like no one had ever before seen. It continued like this from time to time until half past seven. Two of every five chimneys were thrown down, and many public buildings were destroyed. More tremors were felt again on Tuesday, and the houses rocked like ships in a storm, and several were killed by the falling buildings. The hospitals and prisons were so badly damaged, that they were forced to move the patients and the prisoners. By Wednesday, all was quiet; but on Thursday, renewed quakes were felt, and since they were stronger, they completed the destruction. The Wesleyan chapel and other buildings collapsed, the earth opened in several places, and the sky appeared strangely fiery. Tremors were felt for several days afterwards, but not as strong, and from then to the 17th of November, nothing further was heard about it. The ships were a place of refuge to the frightened inhabitants during the devastation, or many would have been killed. The earthquake was felt in other parts of New Zealand, but as yet there is no information as to how much devastation it caused. The words of Jesus Christ are being verified through "earthquakes," as well as through "these signs which follow." Those who continue to disbelieve, can expect "the end" to seal them indeed.

"TALK OF WARS."

I T WAS thought some time ago that the world was a fairly peaceful place, but presently "talk of wars" frequently fills our ears. The Sikhs in India have been cruelly attacking the English there, and have killed many of them, and many of our own compatriots among them. After the English received reinforcement, they attacked the fortress of Moultan, which they captured easily, since the opponents gave it up when about three thousand cruel-looking men were taken prisoners. Then they entered the city, which was totally destroyed, and many valuable treasures were found there, which, it was decided, were divided among the victors.

We also read about the riots in Pernambuco, Brazil, as late as the 6th of last month, where a hundred were killed on one side, and three hundred on the other side, and four hundred were taken prisoners. All the latest news from the continent is also talk of war, and how many thousands one country needs in order to defeat another. They say also that small skirmishes trouble France and Ireland, which are nearer to us; and the signs of the times predict that all this is merely "the beginning of grief."

MISCELLANEOUS.

AGE OF THE EARTH. — A learned author said once in a religious meeting that, "we do not need to study geology to prove this fact; for, as it is in relation to the creation of celestial beings, it can be proved that the fixed stars are at such a great distance, even though their light travels back 190,000 miles every minute, that it would take 300,000 years for a beam to travel through that distance before it reached the earth; consequently, the stars we see now must have been created more than 300,000 years ago."

T H E WAY TO POVERTY.—Sit down, and puff on half an ounce of tobacco while you speak of it.

THE IMPOLITE.—He either does all the talking himself, or he talks across other people's conversations; he always smokes when others eat; and he leaves when his friend is half way through his story. He usually sings while others are in bed; he is unusually surprised by every bit of news; and he makes sure to blow his nose when half way through his dinner. GEMS.—Do not do anything today, that you will regret tomorrow.— Every minute in time is a monument of mercy.—Examples do not justify what is amiss.—Foolishness, like wisdom, is justified by its own children.— Forget your own good deeds, but not those of others.—God pours his wrath according to his judgment; but shares his mercy without number or measure.

LAZINESS.—Laziness grows on people; it begins as a spider's web, and ends in iron chains. The more a man has to do, the more he will do; for he will learn how to apportion his time.

"PROVE ALL THINGS."

All things should be proved,

And hold fast that which is good;

For that is each man's duty,

And wise is he who does it.

JOHN DAVIS, PRINTER, MERTHYR TYDFIL