Times and Seasons (, Hancock Co., IL), 1 Mar. 1842, vol. 3, no. 9, pp. 703–718; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.
Historical Introduction
The first issue of the -affiliated newspaper Times and Seasons was published near , Illinois, in 1839. Owned jointly by and , the paper was edited at various times by Smith, Robinson, and through summer 1841. Following the deaths of Smith and Thompson in August 1841, Robinson became sole proprietor and editor of the paper. On 28 January 1842 JS dictated a revelation that directed the to assume editorial responsibility for the paper. A week later Robinson sold the newspaper, along with the remainder of his printing establishment, to JS.
Though JS assumed editorship of the Times and Seasons sometime in mid-February, he stated in his first editorial passage that he did not begin reviewing the paper’s content until the 1 March 1842 issue. A 2 March 1842 entry in JS’s journal notes, “Read the Proof of the ‘Times and Seasons’ as Editor for the first time, No. 9[th] Vol 3d. in which is the commencement of the Book of Abraham.” Though JS actively edited the paper at times, apparently assisted him in writing content. Regardless of who penned specific passages of editorial material, JS openly assumed editorial responsibility for all installments naming him as editor except the 15 February 1842 issue.
Included in the 1 March 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons are four editorial passages, which are featured below with introductions. Other JS documents published in this issue of the newspaper, including an excerpt from the Book of Abraham and a rare narrative history of the church, are featured as stand-alone documents in this or other volumes of The Joseph Smith Papers. In the first editorial passage, JS publicly announced his new role as editor of the Times and Seasons to the newspaper’s readership.
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.
Ebenezer Robinson, “To the Patrons of the Times and Seasons,” Times and Seasons, 16 Aug. 1841, 2:511; Ebenezer Robinson, “Items of Personal History of the Editor,” Return, May 1890, 257; July 1890, 302; see also Crawley, Descriptive Bibliography, 1:91–92.
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
The Return. Davis City, IA, 1889–1891; Richmond, MO, 1892–1893; Davis City, 1895–1896; Denver, 1898; Independence, MO, 1899–1900.
Crawley, Peter. A Descriptive Bibliography of the Mormon Church. 3 vols. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1997–2012.
In the 15 March 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons,Robinson confirmed JS’s declaration. Apprising readers that in early February it had not been “fully decided whether President Smith should take the responsibility of editor, or not,” Robinson stated that the 15 February issue went to press without JS’s “personal inspection.” (Ebenezer Robinson, “To the Public,” Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 3:729.)
duct was truly heroic. When my life was sought at , and my brethren in prison had great anxiety on my account, she interceded with my pursuers, who were nearly thirty in number, and actually convinced them that I was another person, altogether, and the pursuit was stopped. She, afterwards, in company with her brother, left her home in , together with her tender offspring, and traveled a distance of nearly two hundred miles on horseback, to assist in the deliverance of her companion, or devise means whereby he and his brethren might make their escape from Prison; which thing was effected, and she left among a savage horde to suffer such abuses as they saw fit to inflict upon her, but through the goodness of God she was delivered from their hands and returned in peace to the bosom of her family and friends. Much might be said of the character of our deceased friend, but our paper will not permit us to be lengthy in our eulogies on the dead. We have penned the above acts to be handed down to future generations as a memorial of her, for her faith, her patience, and her integrity to her friends and her religion.
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For the Times and Seasons.
THE COMING OF CHRIST.
The coming of Christ is a subject that the ancients have contemplated with great emotion; Isaiah having a view of this event, realized a portion of its benefit for says he, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace: Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.—” Jeremiah gazing upon the unparalleled blessings that should accrue to the human family through the incarnation of the son of God, breaks forth in rapturous accents and exclaims, “This is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.” David looking down the stream of time, got his eye upon this noble event; and feeling its benefit applied to his heart, tunes the lyre and in seraphic notes he chants his praise. Moses beheld the coming of Christ, and saw a striking similarity, and said unto his people, “A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me.” Abraham by faith beheld the son of God vailed in human form, and rejoiced to see it. In the fulness of time Christ came, and then every symbol was abolished by its representative; every shadow is lost in its respective substance—every prediction meets with its fulfilment.—And hecatombs no longer struggle upon the Jewish altars, while yielding their blood, as a type of better things.
Now the long, long looked for period at last arrives; and the auspicious morn, is hailed by a countless throng of angels, one of which announces to the watching shepherd, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.—” A star appeared in the east, and its meaning was understood by the Magi, who prosecuted their journey over dreary mountains, sandy deserts, and barren plains, in pursuit of the new born king; till at length coming to Bethlehem, “entering the house they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” In this kind act they acknowledged this infant Prophet, Priest and King.—Simeon was a man who waited for the consolation of Israel: “and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord, Christ:” And beholding that promise fulfilled—“took the child in his arms,” and in a poetical strain uttered words of prayer and praise.—“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou has prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” There was one Philip who desired to see the days of the son of man, who after he had seen Jesus came to Nathanael and said unto him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophet did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Now we see him passing through the world as a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.—” His journey was that of benevolence, and his labour that of love: until he offered himself a vicarious sacrifice—was numbered with [p. 714]