Times and Seasons (, Hancock Co., IL), 1 July 1842, vol. 3, no. 17, pp. 831–846; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.
Historical Introduction
The 1 July 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons was the ninth issue published under JS’s editorship. Much of the issue was devoted to the publication of correspondence regarding ’s immoral conduct in , Illinois. This correspondence included a letter that JS wrote telling members about Bennett and describing how church leaders had handled his situation. To corroborate JS’s statements in that letter, the issue included excerpts of correspondence from unidentified individuals and from , who had evidently been sent to verify information about Bennett in . These statements, as well as JS’s letter, had been previously published in the 25 June 1842 issue of the Wasp.
In addition to information about , the 1 July issue contained an article by , excerpts from the “History of Joseph Smith,” an article on the Jews, and a reprint of a letter published in the Dollar Weekly Bostonian recounting a meeting at which “, the Mormon lecturer of the city of ” spoke. Also included were accounts of earthquakes that had occurred in Haiti and in Greece, a letter from to JS, communications from preaching outside of , minutes of in outlying , and a poem by about the . The issue also featured editorial commentary and notices written by the editorial staff. How involved JS was in composing the editorial material is unclear. While assisted him in editing the paper, JS, as editor, assumed primary responsibility for the paper’s content.
Note that only the editorial content created specifically for this issue of the Times and Seasons 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 are annotated elsewhere; links are provided to these stand-alone documents.
to preside, and clerk.— After singing and prayer the president of the conference gave some useful advice and instruction upon the course of life and procedure of the saints, in this region of country, as members of the church of Christ, and was followed in his remarks by other elders present. After singing and prayer conference adjourned until 2 P. M.
The of the church of Christ in Vinalhaven, was then represented by Elder Otis Shaw, consisting of eighty four members, including 4 elders, 1 and 1 ,—9 excluded and two added since last conference.
The branch of the church on the main land, in the county of Waldo, was then represented by , numbering 70 members, including 3 elders, 1 and 3 teachers. Three members, included, have been added since the Dec. conference.
The branch of the church of Christ in St. George, Lincoln county, was represented by Elder Alfred Dixon, numbering 18 members, including one elder, one priest, one teacher, and one deacon; three of the number have been added since the conference in December. Most of the members composing this branch were formerly included in the Waldo branch on the main.
After many appropriate remarks from the elders present it was
Resolved, That a copy of the proceedings of this conference be transmitted to , after which the conference adjourned to meet in Hope, on the third day of July next, at 10 o’clock A. M.
ALFRED DIXON, Pres’t.
, Clerk.
John Waymand writes from the Big Rock, Kendall county, Illinois, and states that in that neighborhood a small has been raised, consisting of two elders, one , one , and eleven members.
————
A meeting of the General of the , was held pursuant to previous notice, in the Hall, 245, Spring street, on Wednesday, the 18th of May. Present, seven , eighteen , six , and four .
The meeting having been called to order, Elder was elected president and appointed Secretary.
A fervent address to the throne of grace was offered by .
Delegates being called on to represent the different , Elder , of one of the of elders represented the following, viz:— The branch at , N. H. to consist of seventy one members, including one priest and one teacher, all by himself.
The branch at Gilsum, N. H. to consist of from twenty to thirty members.
The branch at New Salem, Mass. to consist of thirty six members, on the 1st of March last.
The branch at Wendell; Mass. to consist of about thirty five members.
The branch at Leverett, in the same state, to consist of twenty members, and stated that he had delivered a course of lectures in the city of Lowell, and had baptized ten.
Priest Merrill represented the branch at Norwalk, Ct. to consist of thirty one members, all in good standing.
C. H. Wandell, who is the presiding elder of the above branch, corroborated the preceding report, and stated that he had baptized nineteen since last conference.
Elder Dougherty reported that he and Elder Lane had labored for several months in Orange county, N. Y., in Essex county, N. J., and in , and had baptized eleven.
Elder Lane confirmed the report of his colleague, and added that they had held a discussion with Mr. Origen Bachelor, the result of which was the removal of much prejudice, and the conversion of many opponents into friends.
Elder stated that he had organized a branch of thirty members in ; had baptized eighteen since then, and that many were investigating. He also remarked that he had baptized seven at Cope Cod—that there were four members at Medfield, and five at New Bedford, Mass.
Elder Dougherty reported that there were three members, including one priest, at Pompton, N. J.
Elder Beebe represented five members, not organized, at Hicksville, L. I. [Long Island]
Elder Leach represented the branch at Paterson N. J. to consist of nineteen members, two priests, one teacher, and one deacon.
Elder represented the branch at Granville, N. J. to consist of [p. 844]