Elders’ Journal, , Caldwell Co., MO, Aug. 1838. For more complete suorce information, see the source note for Elders’ Journal, Oct. 1837.
Historical Introduction
The Elders’ Journal, which published two issues in , Ohio, in 1837 before the church’s was destroyed, was reestablished in , Missouri, in 1838, after JS and most other church leaders migrated from Kirtland to Far West. was the proprietor of the newspaper, and JS was the editor, though the amount and nature of JS’s involvement and editorial oversight is unclear. By May 1838, JS and began working on material for the first Far West issue, dated July 1838. Ultimately, two issues were published in , dated July 1838 and August 1838. The July issue included letters to and from church serving proselytizing missions, as well as articles, minutes of meetings, and other items. The August issue contained similar material, including an editorial by JS and a letter that the commissioned to write to who had not yet gathered to Missouri. The August issue also included an obituary for Ethan Barrows Jr., who died in mid-August 1838, indicating that the issue was published sometime in the second half of the month or later.
Note that only the editorial content created specifically for this issue of the Elders’ Journal is annotated here. Articles reprinted from other papers, letters, conference minutes, and notices, are reproduced here but not annotated. Items that are stand-alone JS documents, such as the Minutes from a 28 June 1838 conference, are annotated elsewhere.
The obituary in the Elders’ Journal states that Barrows died on 15 August, but his father’s later autobiography gives the date of 18 August. (Obituary for Ethan Barrows Jr., Elders’ Journal, Aug. 1838, 64; “The Journal of Ethan Barrows,” Journal of History, Jan. 1922, 46; see also “The Journal of Ethan Barrows,” Journal of History, Oct. 1922, 451–452.)
Journal of History. Lamoni, IA, 1908–1920; Independence, MO, 1921–1925.
your paper; the vehicle through which you have the privilege of sending your testimony where you cannot go yourselves. Support it then by your influence, by exerting yourselves to obtain subscribers, and by obtaining and sending on means to Zion for its support. And we on our part, will endeavor to conduct it in righteousness, and it shall be a standing trumpet through which, you may send your warning voice, to all nations, kindreds, tongues and people.
None need to expect the paper will be sent to them after the present number until they send in their names, and money, who have not paid for the Journal either here or in .
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Our brethren, and , have arrived in this place with their families, and will locate in this .— They have been absent from their homes eleven months and eight days. They were upon the Island of Great Britain nine months and two days; and have been exceedingly blessed of the Lord, and brought many souls into the Kingdom. They think of publishing an account of their labors in a pamphlet, together with the manners and customs of the people of that country; and, also, such other information as will be of general service to the Elders and Ministers who may be sent there to preach the gospel. Should they conclude not to do this, they will favor the public with an abridged account thereof in the next number of this paper.
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Persons wishing to convey money to the publisher of the Journal, by mail, will understand that it must be in bills not less than five dollars current money, as no paper money of less amount is allowed to circulate in the state of ; and any person who has no more than one, two, three or four dollars to send, will please hand the money to some one of the travelling Elders, take a receipt of him, and direct a letter to the publisher, stating the amount paid, with the subscriber and Elder’s names, signed to it.
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“Argument to argument where I find it; Ridicule to ridicule, and scorn to scorn.”
We are not in the habit, of noticing the many libellous publications which are abroad in the world, designed, to injure our character. We generally let the authors and publishers of lies, take their own course, relying at all times, on the righteousness of our cause, and the integrity of our course, in the sight of God, our heavenly father; and feel disposed at the present time to pursue this as our general course. Indeed, we have felt to pity the poor priests and their satellites, seeing they had no better weapons to work with, than lies; a great majority of which, they made themselves, but some were catered for them, by men of like passions with themselves.
We have always been assured of this, that if they had any better weapons to have used against us, they would have used them, but as they have not, it would surely be wrong to deprive them of the best resort they have. And we feel the more willing to do this, inasmuch as we have no fear of their efforts doing any injury. They have been employed at it, for eight years; making and publishing all kinds of lies, till one would be ready to think, that the very prince of devils himself, had by this time, got wearied, and would certainly be ready, to sneak back to his smutty kennel, and there seek repose. But instead of this, at the appearance of every new liar, not only the prince himself, but all the flunkies, that fly at his knell, whether in the flesh or out of the flesh, take new courage, and put forth new efforts; and it would seem that they really believe, that by the assistance of a few more liars, they will be able to dethrone Jehovah, and upset his kingdom; and with satan at their head, establish an empire, that [p. 55]