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Times and Seasons, 16 May 1842

Source Note

Times and Seasons (, Hancock Co., IL), 16 May 1842, vol. 3, no. 14, pp. 783–798; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.

Historical Introduction

The 16 May 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons was the sixth issue of the newspaper JS edited. It featured a variety of items, including “A Fac-simile from the Book of Abraham. No. 3,” with an explanation of various figures depicted in the facsimile, a serial installment of the “History of Joseph Smith,” letters from British members, and reprinted articles from the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star and Dollar Weekly Bostonian. In addition, the 16 May 1842 issue included three editorial comments, written by JS or the staff of the newspaper, which are featured here. JS’s level of involvement is unclear—he may have directed their creation or reviewed the material once written—but as editor he assumed editorial responsibility for all of the content in the issues of the paper published during his time as editor.
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

  1. [1]

    A letter to the editor from an individual identified only by the initials “I. T.” related and refuted discussions of the church in the Baptist periodical the Cross and Journal, published in Columbus, Ohio.

  2. [2]

    “To Subscribers,” Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, 3:710. JS was identified as editor of the newspaper from 15 February to 15 October 1842. Although JS was named as the editor of the 15 February issue, he began editing the newspaper with the 1 March issue.

  3. [3]

    See “Editorial Method”.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Letter from Alfred Cordon, 17 February 1842

Page 791

them well. He has not troubled himself with the subject referred to in the text, at all:—but perhaps it is not elegant, or orthodox, for evangelical ministers to adhere to the scriptures; and therefore he preached from the text. “Unite yourselves to the people of God.” Well now, who are the people of God? Which, of all the multifarious sects shall I join? He answers, “join some evangelical church.” But then, what is an evangelical church? Is it a church that believes part of the scriptures; or one that believes all of them; or one that believes none of them? I see that Mr. Knapp has preached from the scriptures; consequently he has not much confidence in them, or he would have quoted their authority. Perhaps the church that he belongs to is evangelical;—but then he advises, in the fifth paragraph, to “search the scriptures. If you have any irreligious books, novels, or books on Universalism, burn them up.—What kind of novels am I to burn? Religious novels, or is it only irreligious novels? I think a religious fiction, or lie, must be as bad as an irreligious one. Well, to search the scriptures is good, but it seems to me as though Mr. Knapp would have me search, study, and read them as I would Homer’s Illiad, Euclid, or Virgil, to obtain a refined taste, and a classical education, rather than to be governed by its precepts; for the scriptures say nothing about burning Universalists books, &c.; but they tell me to “prove all things, and to hold fast that which is good.” Now if Universalism be false let me prove it false by the scriptures, and not burn their books unread. I perceive, however, that the Universalists, in the estimation of Mr. Knapp, are not an evangelical church.
In looking over the same paper, I find under the head of “communications,” upon the subject of Mormonism, the following:—
SCRAPS FROM IOWA, No. 2.
MORMONISM.
1. Preventative.—If they have no foothold in your neighborhood or town, pay no attention to them. This has often prevented them from doing much mischief.
2. Remedy.—If they are making proselytes in your neighborhood or town meet them at once, and if you are acquainted with the history and absurdities of Mormonism you may expose them, but never fail to prove the following things:
First. That many of the miracles of Moses, Christ and Apostles, were performed publicly, in the presence of enemies and friends to induce faith. Ex. iv. 21, 30, 31. “Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel, and Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people, And the people believed.” Ex. viii. 6–10. “The Lord spake unto Moses, and unto Aaron saying, when Pharoah shall speak unto you saying, shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, take thy rod and cast it before Pharoah, and it shall become a serpent.” John ii. 23. “Now when he was in Jerusalem, at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did,”—not before they saw his miracles. John, iv. 45. “The Gallileans received him having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem, at the feast.” Of five loaves and two fishes he fed five thousand men, besides women and children, Matt. iv, 16–21. While his enemies were watching him he healed a man’s withered hand, Mark, iii. 1–5. Luke vi. 6–10. He raised the dead when his enemies were present. John, xi. 43–46. His enemies admitted the genuineness of his miracles, John, xi- 47. “Tongues were also a sign to those who did not believe. 1 Cor. xv. 22. “Tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.”
Second. That when Christ declined to give a sign except the sign of Jonas, &c. it was because he had publicly given enough, and that when humbugites try to avoid detection by saying that no sign shall be given it is a mere get-off and betrays their consciousness that they cannot do what they pretend to do.
Third. That when Christ required faith in some that he healed, it was because he had before proven by his public miracles that he could heal the sick. This is very different from requiring folks to believe without evidence.
Fourth. That those miracles of Christ which were comparatively private, were not those on which he relied to prove his Messiah-ship. Hence in some cases he did not approve of their being told, Matt. viii. 4. “See thou tell no man.” Mark, vii. 35: Luke, v. 14.
Fifth. That when the gift of tongues were employed on the day of Pentecost, there were persons present who understood the different languages that were spoken, hence, all was in place, all was right. Afterwards as only two or three [p. 791]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Times and Seasons, 16 May 1842
ID #
8148
Total Pages
16
Print Volume Location
JSP, D10:58–62
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