--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1839 to 1840. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 1 number: 7 published: 1840-05 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“Important Church News,” *Times and Seasons* 1, no. 7 (May 1840): 108–110." printed_title: IMPORTANT CHURCH NEWS. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1840-05_1_7 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v1n07.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1840-05_1_7 start_page: 108 end_page: 110 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1840 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1840-05_1_7 publication_year: 1840 --- # Important Church News From a communication addressed to us by elder J. Wood, dated Nov. 18th, we learn that a small branch of the church has been organized about nine or ten miles north west of Burlington, Iowa Territory: Its length forbids an entire insertion, we therefore extract the following, in order that elders passing may give them a call. "During my stay here I baptized two; organized a church of about twelve members, ordained a teacher and a deacon, turned much prejudice, convinced some of the truth; and have no doubt, but if a judicious proclaimer of the word would go there, he would be blessed by bringing souls unto Christ." The following is a short extract of a lengthy letter written by elder Duncan McArthur, dated Bethel, Oxford co. Me. March 25th. After giving an account of his travels, and labors in several counties, he proceeds: "I left Vershire on the 10th of Sept. in company with bro. P. Sessions for this place, arrived here on the 19th, found bro's. York and Carter sick with the fever and ague, unto whom we administered, and commenced laboring in this part of the vineyard of our God; here we labored incessantly until the 4th of Nov. and baptized five. We went into the town of Errol, Coos co. N. H. found a few brethren, preached a number of times in that place, baptized two, organized a branch of the church, ordained a teacher, and returned: then bro. Sessions took bro. York, and went east about fifty miles to the town of Farmington, baptized two, and returned to this place. I travelled [traveled] South to the city of Portland, held meetings in Saco, Buckston, Scarborough and Remond, returned to this town and baptized two. On the 23rd of Nov. I again fell in company with bro's. York and Sessions, held several meetings in company with them in this vicinity and on the 14th of January, we all went east as far as Dixfield; tarried there until the 20th: we again separated; they went as far as the town of Solon preaching in the several towns as they passed through the country the people had never heard the gospel in its fulness [fullness] before; they had calls for preaching on every hand.-I travelled [traveled] and preached in Welton, Farmington, Strong, Philip, and Dixfield. baptized two in Farmington, seven in Dixfield, and returned to this place where I have been laboring ever since. * * Bro's. York and Sessions returned to this place a few days since; they baptized one in Farmington on their return. * * We have succeeded in gathering a few of the scattered Israel from the hedious [hideous] mountains of the north over which we have to pass in this country. We are all strong, in the faith of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, knowing that God is with us. waiting with patience for the redemption of Israel and the coming of the Son of man in glory." Elder Samuel Phelps, writes from Kirtland, Ohio, under date of March 9th, from which we learn that the work of the Lord is still going on in that section of country, a conference was then in session in the town of Nelson, Portage co. Some were being baptised [baptized] many were believing: a branch of the church was organized in Nelson consisting of thirteen members It will be recollected that, in the section of country where elder Phelps is laboring, only a few years since, bro's. J. Smith jr. and S. Rigdon were dragged from their beds in the dead hour of night by a ruthless banditti, (in the town of Hyram,) and most unmercifully beaten, tarred and feathered, and left on the ground as dead. The mob had supposed this would put an end to "Mormonism," as they call it, but to the contrary "Mormonism" has spread far and wide; and they now begin to "pant for the word of life," (the gospel:) and we hope that the word of life will continue to be proclaimed in their ears, until those who have been engaged in dragging inocent [innocent] men from their peaceful abodes, and mutulating [mutilating] their flesh &c. with intent to kill, will repent before God and "preach him whom they once persecuted," they stand in need of reform, and unless they do repent God will sweep them from the earth, in the day of his power. The following is a Paragraph taken from a letter written by elder Zechariah Wilson to Josiah Butterfield. "On the 24th of July, I commenced lifting my voice in declaration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in Johnson co. I11. and in the adjoining counties where I continued until the 5th day of Jan. I reached 66 public sermons, held one debate, organized 2 churches, one on the Ohio river consisting of 18 members, the other in Union co. with 8 members, making 26 in all. I ordained one elder and one teacher: I left the brethren in good faith enjoying the gifts and blessings of the gospel." The cause of truth is yet spreading in South Carolina, as we learn from a letter written by elder Lysander M. Davis dated Newbery March 30th, I have baptized three since I last wrote, and trust that the good seed is sown in the hearts of many other honest persons. If you have any elders to spare, who will be so faithful as to enable them to preach by the spirit of God, send them here, for they may be very useful in this part of our Lord's vineyard. Elder Landers writes from Henderson Grove, Knox co. Ill. under date of Feb. 24. A conference was held in that place on the 17th of Feb. and a branch of the church organized consisting of 14 members: during his stay in that place, (which was about four weeks,) seven were baptized, there are great calls for preaching in that section of country. The following paragraph is from elder George P. Dykes, dated Nauvoo, April 10th. Having just returned from a short mission in the south part of this state I take this opportunity of informing the saints, through your valuable paper, that I have not been altogether idle this last winter. I left home Dec. 1839 * * pursued my journey till I found br. Moses Morse at Millville, who agreed to go with me, and after a short stay at his home we left for the Grand Chain on the Ohio river; we traveled through 9 co's teaching the people both in public and in private until we came to Union co. where we stoped [stopped] and preached about a week, baptized two, and then went to Johnson co. where we spent another week in preaching to the people, baptized one and then left and went to Pope co. and began to preach to the people, and continued until the 27th of Feb, when br. Morse left. I still continued preaching to the people untill [until] the 25th of March, in which time I baptized 9, delivered 20 public sermons and spent much of the time in private conversation, as their were many enquiring [inquiring] truth; the little branch we raised in Pope co. we organized, and ordained one of their members, Joshua Holden, an elder a man of a strong mind and well skilled in the scriptures. The name of the branch is masack. With respect I subscribe myself yours &c. G P. DYKES. The following is a short extract of a letter written by elder Benjamin Winchester dated Philadelphia, April 20th. "Since my last letter I have baptized forty persons; the work of God is prospering here: * * A Babbit is here &c. Since writing the above. elder Babbit has baptized fifteen in this city." Brother H. Kellogg, writes from Kirtland, Ohio under dale of April 27th, the following is an extract. Dear brother, the Lord is reviving his work in this place; there is more or less baptised [ baptized] here every week, we have about 125 members in the society here, and more going to be baptised [baptized] next Thursday. Many of the old inhabitants of this place, have been standing and looking on until they are convinced that this is the work of the Lord, and are willing to embrace it. He further says: We have had a letter to day from Elder Charles Thompson, he is preaching a little east of Buffalo, N. Y. and has raised up a church in that place of forty members It can plainly be discovered from the foregoing extracts, that there never has been a time, in which the cause of truth spread more rapidly, than at the present; in almost every-place where the elders are laboring, they are laboring with good success: they are continually baptising [baptizing] and organizing new branches of the church; and it is one general complaint that they have more calls, than they can possibly fill: the cry is, the harvest is great, more laborers! more laborers! we want help! the people are thirsting for the word of the Lord: The earth is truly in commotion, men's hearts are failing them in consequence of those things that are coming on the earth: God is begining [beginning] to manifest to the world, not only by his own voice from the heavens, but in the whirlwind, and in the fire, and in the tempest, and in the floods that he is a God of revelation, and from the signs of the times, every true believer in the scriptures must acknowledge that the coming of the Lord is nigh at hand. "Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."