--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1840 to 1841. 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: 2 number: 15 published: 1841-06-01 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "β€œTo The Saints Abroad,” *Times and Seasons* 2, no. 15 (June 1, 1841): 434–435." printed_title: To The Saints Abroad source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-06-01_2_15 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v2n15.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_1841-06-01_2_15 start_page: 434 end_page: 435 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 1841 (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_1841-06-01_2_15 publication_year: 1841 --- # To The Saints Abroad The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, anxious to promote the prosperity of said church, feel it their duty to call upon the saints who reside out of this county, to make preparations to come in, without delay, This is important, and should be attended to by all who feel an interest in the prosperity of this the corner stone of Zion. Here the Temple must be raised, the University be built, and other edifices erected which are necessary for the great work of the last days; and which can only be done by a concentration of energy, and enterprise. Let it therefore be understood, that all the stakes, excepting those in this county, and in Lee county, Iowa, are discontinued, and the saints instructed to settle in this county as soon as circumstances will permit. Joseph Smith. City of Nauvoo, Hancock co., Ill., Amy 24th 1841. Burslem, 29th March, 1841. Elder D. C. Smith, I sit down in haste, at this time, to give you an account of the prosperity of the work of God in this region, as I expect to leave here for Manchester to-morrow morning in company with Elder Woodruff, who is now here, to attend the general conference on the 6th April; after which, we expect, as soon as our circumstances will admit, to leave England for home. The Steam Ship carrying the Royal Mail, will sail from Liverpool on the 3rd April, and will carry a letter to you six weeks before we shall reach if we have a good passage. The work is prospering in this country steadily, and with majesty and power, truly worthy the cause of truth; hundreds are embracing the gospel, and thousands are rejoicing in the truth. To give your readers a proper account of the progress of the work I will give you an extract from the minutes of our quarterly conference held in the Magistrate's Assembly room in Stanly, on the 28th March. Meeting was called to order by Elder Woodruff at half past ten in the morning, Elder G. A. Smith was chosen president and Asa Shaw and T. Filcher were nominated clerks; and as the assembly was large Elders Player, Simpson, Taylor and Bowers, were appointed to preserve the order of the day. There were represented 17 branches, 663 members, 49 elders, 54 priests, 25 teachers, 14 deacons; showing an increase since I first came to the Potteries of 570 including those who have removed, and an increase of 141 in the last three months. The conference then proceeded to ordain 5 elders, 8 priests, 4 teachers, and 1 deacon. The voice of the meeting was called on each one separately and unanimously caried [carried]. The meeting then adjourned until half past two o'clock, and met according to appointment, and was called to order by the President, who opened by prayer. Elder G. A. Smith then mentioned the case of Jas. Monford, and called upon Elders Woodruff and Cordon to make some remarks, who stated the case to the meeting, informing them that Br. Monford had been disfellowshiped by the council of officers, for using magic, and telling fortunes &c. and enquired [inquired] of the meeting if they sanctioned the proceedings of the officers, which was done by a unanimous vote. Moved, and carried, that letters of recommendation and acknowledgement [acknowledgment] of gratitude for their labors be presented to Elders W. Woodruff and G. A. Smith. Suitable instructions were then given to the officers by Elders Woodruff and Smith, Elder Woodruff then administered the sacrament. The minutes of the Conference were then read and accepted, there being present 18 elders, 34 priests, and 11 deacons. Conference was dismissed with prayer by the President. G. A. Smith, Chairman, G. Shaw } T. Filcher} Clerks. March 30th.-Star office Manchester. After a ride of forty miles, Elder Woodruff and myself, arrived in safety at Manchester, Elder Pratt and family are in good health, all the Twelve are expected at Manchester this week. We have just received the 7th No. of the Times and Seasons, and three Nos. of the Gospel Reflecter, published at Philadelphia, and also a letter from Joseph Smith, with other papers from home. I feel very glad to get so good news from home. Br Joseph's letter is very interesting. Please remember me to all my friends, my aged parents in particular. G. A. Smith Burslem, 29th March, 1841. Br. D. C. Smith- The following is a brief sketch of my journey from London to this place, Elder Kimball left London on the 19 Feb., I left on the 26th, and arrived at Bristol on the same day, where I found Elder Kington, who was busily engaged in the work of the Lord in that city, and had established a small branch of 14 members, I tarried here a short time and preached three times in a theatre [theater], had full congregations, good attention, and baptized one, and there appears a good prospect of a work in that city. Population of Bristol 200,000. While there, I visited the suspension bridge now erecting across the river Avon, at St. Vincents Rocks, Clifton; which bridge is I00 [100] feet in height above the river, and 700 in length. I spent one evening in Monmouth, on the borders of Wales, preached to a full congregation, several offered for baptism after meeting. On the 8th March, I attended a conference in Garway, Elder Levi Richards was chosen President, James Morgan Clerk, heard four branches represented containing 134 members; three were ordained to the ministry. I also preached at Legwardine, Shucknall Hill. Leadbury, Dymock, and Turkey Hall, to full congregations, and find the work of the Lord still progressing throughout that region. The excitement upon the subject in the city of Hereford has been so great, that it has assembled together in the Market place 3000 persons at a time, to hear something upon the cause of Latter Day Saints. On the 15 March, I attended the Gadfield Elm Conference, which met at the Gadfield Elm Chapel. Elder W. Woodruff was chosen President, John Hill Clerk, and heard 18 branches represented, containing 408 members, 8 elders, 32 priests, 11 teachers, I [1] deacon; when such business was transacted, as was deemed necessary. I also met large congregations at Keysen, Street, Coldville, Browcut, Dunclose, Frooms Hill, and Stanly Hill, and left many churches on the right and left, which time would not permit me to visit. I also met with the Frooms Hill Conference on the 22nd March, at Stanly Hill, Herefordshire, there being present 1 of the traveling high council, 2 high priests, 20 elders, 31 priests, 9 teachers, 2 deacons. Elder Levi Richards was chosen President and Elder Woodruff Clerk. On this occasion, I heard represented 30 branches, containing 997 members, 24 elders, 66 priests, 27 teachers, 7 deacons and 6 were ordained to the ministry. The sum total represented at these conferences is as follows: 1539 members, 36 eld. 103 priests, 41 t'h's. 7 deacons, all of which have embraced the work in that part of the vineyard, in the term of one year, besides many members and officers, who have emegregated [emigrated] to America: and I am happy to say that the saints and the officers, and members, have universally been ready to hearken to counsel, and give heed to our instructions, and it was with no ordinary feelings, that I took my farewell of those churches who have been so ready to receive and embrace the truth. I called upon the saints in Birmingham and Grits Green, but had not time to hold any meetings among them. I arrived in Hanly on the 25th where I had the privilege of again meeting with Elder Smith, and was rejoiced to find the churches universally prospering in Staffordshire. I spent one evening with the church at Longton, and baptized 7, and have had the privilege of sitting with Elder Smith in the Staffordshire Conference, the minutes of which he has already presented before you, we now feel that our labors are about closing in this land at present as the Manchester Conference will be the last we shall hold in England, during this mission, as we shall then immediately leave for home, and I truly feel thankful unto our Heavenly Father, for his mercies unto me and my brethren since we have been in this land, for great has been the mercy of God unto us, at the same time we also rejoice at the prosperity of the saints in Nauvoo, and the progress of the work throughout the United States: and my prayer is, that the Lord will bless us in returning to the bosom of our families, and the society of the saints. W. Woodruff.