Times and Seasons (, Hancock Co., IL), 2 May 1842, vol. 3, no. 13, pp. 767–782; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.
Historical Introduction
The 2 May 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons, a periodical published in , Illinois, was the thirteenth number in its third volume.JS purchased the and the newspaper from in February 1842 and was identified as its editor from 15 February to 15 October 1842. Although JS was named as the editor in the 15 February issue, he did not consider himself the editor of the newspaper until the 1 March 1842 issue. , , and others helped JS produce the Times and Seasons from March through October 1842, but JS was directly responsible for the content of the newspaper.
The fifth issue that JS oversaw as editor was dated 2 May 1842 and contained a letter to the Saints from the , urging them to fund the construction of the ; letters from missionaries and church members in the eastern and Europe; an extract of the “History of Joseph Smith,” which was printed serially in the newspaper; and reprinted articles from several other newspapers, including the church newspaper in , the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. In addition to this material, the issue also contained editorial content, meaning content created by JS as the editor or his editorial staff for the paper. This content in the 2 May issue included commentaries on articles about mummies, an editorial on the Nauvoo temple, news from proselytizing , commentary on an article about Judaism, and notices concerning temple donations and a position with the printing office staff. Selected editorial content from the 2 May issue is featured here, with individual introductions for each passage.
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.
The Millennial Star was a monthly church newspaper edited by Parley P. Pratt and first published in Manchester, England, in May 1840. (“Prospectus,” Millennial Star, May 1840, 1:1–2.)
Lord. The then numbered about fifty members, and three priests; now there are nearly four times that number of members. . . . Scores are believing in many of the adjoining towns and we are almost daily.
“Last Sabbath was a day long to be remembered; there were seventeen , and several ordained to offices in the church. In the evening when I gave my farewell address, there were hundreds to listen, many of whom could not get into the chappel.”—Mil. Star, Jan.
In , , Birmingham, , and in different parts of England, Scotland, and Wales, the work of God is rolling forth with great rapidity.
We have also received many interesting communications from different parts of the . The little stone rolls forth with unprecedented rapidity, and many are joining the standard of truth. We extract the following.
writes from Utica, N.Y.; and states that the work is rolling forth in all that district of country where he has travelled; he has lately organized a in Utica, of 30 members, and wishes the saints, and traveling elders to be notified that their will be a held in the City of Utica, on the 11th of June, commencing at 11 o’clock, P. M.
————
Editorial Note
A fourth editorial section commented on an article titled “The Jews,” which was reprinted from a newspaper identified as the Jewish Intelligencer. Earlier in 1842, several articles concerning Judaism and the Jewish people appeared in issues of the Times and Seasons, some of which were also identified as having been copied from the Jewish Intelligencer. The article reprinted in the 2 May issue contained a fictional dialogue between a Jewish rabbi and a Christian missionary from the Society. In the commentary on and analysis of the dialogue, the Times and Seasons editorial staff seemed sympathetic to the situation of the rabbi, disparaged the unacknowledged Christian appropriation of Jewish scripture, and censured the Christian missionary for being sent to proselytize without divine authority.
THE JEWS.
Conversation between a Jewish Rabbi andMr. Ewald Missionary.
On the Trinity he says I opened the Sohar Parsha Ackremoth, I read the mystery of Eloheim, in this there are three degrees, and every one of them subsists by itself and yet all of them are one, and united together in one, nor can they be separated from one another.
Rabbi Judedea said, this is a mystery about which I am not permitted to speak.
In speaking of Jesus the Rabbi said not one of the wise men believed on him; all his disciples were poor ignorant fishermen and daily laborers.—We read in Cabala that the Holy Ghost descends only on a wise man, or a rich man, or a valiant man.
M. The Yalkut says that in the days of the Messiah the swine shall be lawfully eaten by the Jews.
R. You do not understand the meaning of this passage our wise men explain it thus:—“When Israel were carried away to Babylon all the fishes of the Holy land emigrated with them; and when they returned the fish returned with them, except one fish Mashpa, who remained and would not return; he said he would stay till Messiah came; the Rabbies gave him then the name of Haser, (i.e.) returning and therefore the Yalkut said that in the times of the Messiah the Haser will be lawfully eaten by the Jews but you understand by Haser the swine, while we understand the fish.[”]
M. Speaking of the Messiah, he is the only begotten of the Father before the world.
R. Who tells you that?
M. The New Testament.
R. This is no authority with me.
M. What do you make of Gen. xlix, 10.
R. There are yet rulers of Israel for instance in Constantinople.
M. Have you ever read our New Testament?
R. No, I have them burned as often as I can. . . . . . But if he whom you call Christ were the Messiah would not the Sanhedrim who were the wisest men on earth, have believed in him.
M. Have your wise men ever believed the messengers of God? How did they treat them? Your fathers killed all the prophets.
R. It is for that we are in gallooth.
M. You are in gallooth because you did reject Christ:—this is your gallooth here, and your gallooth in the world to come is greater. . . . . . The Missionary then spoke of Messiah &c. &c. The Rabbi answered: well, well, you believe it;—well we do not.
M. Then you will have no part of the world to come, you will reject the message which has been sent to you from God, by the prophets which we quote.
R. The prophets have been sent to us it is true; but when they have spoken evil of Israel, God has killed them; therefore take care how you speak. On account of the sin which Isaiah committed in saying “Wo is me for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips; and dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips,” he was killed by God; God sent an angel who put something on his lips by which he was killed, . . . . . a live coal on his lips from which he died.— -[Jewish Intelligencer.]-
It is very difficult to ascertain which of the above have displayed the most [ig]norance in re [p. 780]
This summary comes from articles in the November 1841, December 1841, and January 1842 issues of the Millennial Star. (See Minutes, Manchester, England, 17 Oct. 1841, in Millennial Star, Nov. 1841, 2:105–106; Editorial, Millennial Star, Dec. 1841, 2:124–125; and George J. Adams, Liverpool, England, 14 Dec. 1841, Letter to the Editor, Millennial Star, Jan. 1842, 2:141–143.)
The article has not been located but was likely published in an issue of the Jewish Intelligence, often referred to as the Jewish Intelligencer, which was the official publication of the London Society for Promoting Christianity amongst the Jews, based in London, England. The Intelligence was first published in 1835 and continued publication into the 1880s. Another publication called the Jewish Intelligencer was printed in New York by the American Society for Meliorating the Condition of the Jews in New York City, but it appears that that periodical had ceased publication by 1838. (Gidney, History of the London Society for Promoting Christianity, 145, 413; “Service for the Day of Atonement,” Jewish Intelligence, Nov. 1848, 14:335; “Persecution of the Jews in the East,” Standard [London], 4 Aug. 1840, [1]; “Anniversary of the American Society for Meliorating the Condition of the Jews,” Jewish Intelligencer, Sept. 1836, 1:76.)
Gidney, W. T. The History of the London Society for Promoting Christianity amongst the Jews, from 1809 to 1908. London: London Society for Promoting Christianity amongst the Jews, 1908.
Jewish Intelligence, and Monthly Account of the Proceedings of the London Society for Promoting Christianity amongst the Jews. London. 1840–1849.