Times and Seasons, 15 August 1842
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Source Note
Times and Seasons (, Hancock Co., IL), 15 Aug. 1842, vol. 3, no. 20, pp. 879–894; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.
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Historical Introduction
The 15 August 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons was the twelfth JS oversaw as editor. The issue reprinted a letter from the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star detailing the Saints’ “first Foreign Mission” to Great Britain, which lasted from 1837 to 1838. The issue also continued the serialized “History of Joseph Smith” and reprinted the conclusion of an account from the Bostonian of a “Great Discussion on Mormonism” that had recently taken place in between Latter-day Saint missionary and Methodist minister George Montgomery West.In addition, the issue included editorial content created by the staff of the paper. These items included an account of the history of persecution endured by the ; a short treatise on the spiritual power of knowledge; a note about unwelcome “loafers” in , Illinois; and an obituary for , a in the church. The issue concluded with a notice asking those indebted to JS’s deceased brother to pay their debts to his widow, . The extent of JS’s involvement in the creation and oversight of the issue’s content is difficult to ascertain, especially since he spent early August preoccupied with attempts to extradite him to and had gone into hiding by 10 August to avoid arrest and possible extradition. Regardless, as editor of the paper, JS assumed responsibility for all published 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.
Footnotes
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1
Despite the 15 August date, a notice in the issue was dated 20 August, suggesting the issue’s publication was delayed until that date or later. John Taylor helped JS edit the Times and Seasons, but JS, as editor, assumed primary editorial responsibility for the content in the issues. (“Books of Mormon,” Times and Seasons, 15 Aug. 1842, 3:894; Woodruff, Journal, 19 Feb. 1842; “To Subscribers,” Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, 3:710.)
Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.
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2
Times and Seasons, 15 Aug. 1842, 3:879–886. West was a Methodist preacher and Christian apologist in Boston who denounced the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first half of the article appeared in the previous issue of the Times and Seasons. (“Great Discussion on Mormonism,” Times and Seasons, 1 Aug. 1842, 3:865; Tyler Parsons, Boston, MA, 14 June 1842, Letter to the Editor, Boston Investigator, 15 June 1842, [3]; Letter from Erastus Snow, 22 June 1842.)
Boston Investigator. Boston. 1831–1904.
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3
JS, Journal, 10–13 and 17 Aug. 1842. JS returned to Nauvoo the night of 19 August, about the time this issue was published, but he remained in hiding. (JS, Journal, 19 Aug. 1842.)
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4
See “Editorial Method”.
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1
TIMES AND SEASONS.
“Truth will prevail.”
Vol. III. No. 20.]- CITY OF , ILL. AUG. 15, 1842. -[Whole No. 56
From the Millenial Star.
MISSION TO ,
Or the first Foreign Mission of the Latter Day Saints.
About the first of June, 1837, was called by the spirit of revelation, and set apart by the of the , then at , Ohio, (N. A.) to preside over a mission to , accompanied by Elder who was set apart for the same work at the same time. In a few days brother , a , was set apart; and on the eve of the 12th, Elder , (having been absent several months, on a long journey, and having returned the day previous,) was called and set apart for the same mission.
The following morning, Tuesday 13th these brethren gave the parting hand, bid farewell to home, and without purse or scrip started for . They were accompanied 12 miles to , on Lake Erie, by Elders , , and Brother , and sisters , Rhoda Young Green, , (brother and accompanied the mission to , and brother Fitch Brigham to Utica,) and others, with whom they parted in the P. M. and went on board a steamer for , where they arrived next day.
At this place the brethren expected to receive some means from to assist them on their journey, but were disappointed. In the evening they took passage on a canal boat, and arrived in on the 19th ( having gone forward to from .)
proceeded to , and on the 20th, accompanied to his father’s house in , Massachusetts, 30 miles east, where they spent one day, and having received some assistance from his friends, bade them farewell for the last time, (his father and mother having since died, also a sister whom he left in ) and on the 21st returned to , and arrived in on the 22nd, where they found brothers and ; also, elders John Goodson, Issac Russell, and , priest, (who had come from to join the mission) anxiously waiting their arrival, so that they might take passage on board the United States, which was to sail next day, but they arrived too late.
In received some further means quite providentially, and on the 23rd the brethren engaged passage to on board the Garrick, which was to sail on the 1st of July.
In the meantime the brethren received every possible assistance from Elder , for at that time he was the only member of the church residing in the , and having no house of his own, he procured his father’s store house for the use of the brethren, where they lodged on the floor, amid straw and blankets one week, eating their cold morsel, and conversing with the people as they had opportunity; for no place could be procured to preach in,—and there was no one to receive them into their houses.
Sunday the 25th, the brethren held a council at their lodgings, (Mr. Fordham’s store) and organized ready for taking their departure.
29th, the brethren sealed, superscribed and forwarded 180 of elder ’s “Timely Warnings,” to the ministers of the different denominations in the , and went on board the Garrick, which hauled out into the river and cast anchor. July 1st, the ship weighed anchor and was towed to the Hook by a steamer, where she spread sail, and in four and a half hours was out of sight of land.
With the exception of a strong wind on the 12th, there was generally a gentle breeze from the north west during the voyage. On the 16th, preached on the aft quarter deck, and on the 18th Cape Clear was visible, (18 days out of sight of land) and on the morning of the 20th the brethren landed in , 20 days from .
Here elders , , and found themselves on a foreign shore, surrounded by strangers, without the first farthing in their possession; but the brethren unitedly took lodgings in a private house in Union street, till after the inspection of the ship: and on Saturday the 22d, took coach for . [p. [879]]
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