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.
driven in the wilderness, and the priesthood or authority by which men act in the name of Jesus Christ had been caught up unto the throne of God, until the dispensation of the fulness of times should be ushered in by the ministry of Angels, in fulfilment of many prophecies of the Scriptures. He then set forth the scarlet colored beast, and her daughters who compose the present sectarian world. He also showed that every sect on earth at the present time received their priesthood or authority through the church of Rome or no-where, for they all deny a later revelation than eighteen hundred years ago. He then appealed to the people, declaring that the Latter Day Saints were the only people on earth that believed in revelations in this age, and that they were the only society on earth that were contending for the faith once delivered to the saints—and that the sects of the present time plainly told the people that the gifts of God could not be enjoyed, “for they were all done away in this enlightened age.” He then declared that God had in fulfillment of his word, re-organized the church with all the officers, ordinances, gifts and blessings, according to the New Testament pattern; that the bride, the Lambs’ wife, that is, the Church, should make herself ready to enter in at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
At the close a gentleman arose and told if he would work a miracle he would believe and be baptized, for all the servants that God ever sent worked miracles to convince the people. then arose and said he thought God had sent many prophets that did not work miracles, and named Noah and about a dozen others; he then showed that Christ said a wicked and an adulterous generation seek after a sign—that the devil was the first sign-seeker in the days of Christ. He then held up the Bible, and said if the gentleman would show him one place in the New Testament that a servant of God ever gave a sign to make a man believe, he would do the same sign forthwith—this the gentleman failed to do, and so the matter ended. In conclusion, I must say, that notwithstanding I am no Mormon, yet as far as I have heard them, they preach the truth.
A Lover of Truth.
, June 8th, 1842.
N. B. delivers three lectures more before he leaves—one on the Book of Mormon, one on Zion, and one on the pouring out of the vials of God’s wrath. If he produces anything worthy of notice, you may hear from me again.
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AWFUL DESTRUCTION OF LIFE—TERRIBLE EARTHQUAKE IN THE ISLAND OF ST. DOMINGO.
From Le Patriote of Port au Prince of 11 May.
On Saturday, the 7th inst., at twenty minutes past seven, in the evening, we experienced some severe shocks of an earthquake, which put the whole town in commotion. At mid-day a large meteor was perceived passing to the east. The heat was excessive, and thick clouds hung over the neighboring mountain, going in every direction from the southeast to the northeast. The seamen who were in the roads report that they felt the shock before they saw the houses shake, which would indicate that the shock came from the east. Many persons, however, think they observed that the oscillations came from the north and went south.
There were two very decided shocks—the first was not as long as the second; the latter was the most violent, and lasted about three minutes. All abandoned their houses, and the streets were filled with the affrighted population. But a little more, and Port au Prince would have been the scene of a disaster similar to that of 1770, a fatal, year, which occured to the minds of every one.
There is scarcely a single brick or stone house which has not suffered damage; they are all more or less damaged. Some, it is said, are scarcely habitable. The façade of the Senate House, on which is sculptured the arms of the Republic, surmounted by the tree of liberty, were detached from the edifiece, and broken into pieces by the fall. The interior of the building has also received some damage.
In the night, between Saturday and Sunday, two shocks were again felt, but not as violent as the firist—one at 10 o’clock, and the other at 12. At 11 o’clock in the morning of Sunday came another shock; mass at the church was interrupted, and those officiating at it, ran away, and many females fainted.
Monday, at 11 o’clock in the morning, another shock.
The weather during these three days had a lowering, and at times a threatning appearance. Monday evening, a little rain, with excessive heat before and afterwards; night cool. Tuesday, a change of weather, return of the breeze, and appearance of rain. [p. 836]