--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1841 to 1842. 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: 3 number: 14 published: 1842-05-15 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“Letter from G. Walker,” *Times and Seasons* 3, no. 14 (May 15, 1842): 787–789." printed_title: LETTER FROM G. WALKER. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1842-05-15_3_14 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v3n14.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_1842-05-15_3_14 start_page: 787 end_page: 789 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 1842 (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_1842-05-15_3_14 publication_year: 1842 --- # Letter from G. Walker Manchester, Jan. 29th 1842. TO PRES'T YOUNG, ELDERS KIMBALL, & RICHARDS. Beloved Brethren, I have often had a desire to hear from you, and also to write a few lines to you, but have deferred writing until I could inform you definitely the time when I had reason to expect the privilege of taking my departure from this land would be granted me, and my way made clear, so that I could set my face Zionward. I and my family purpose, if it be the will of the Lord, to set sail for the land of Zion in September next; and we desire an interest in your prayers to the God of Jacob, that our way may be opened, and our wishes realized. We were glad to hear of the safe arrival of yourselves and the rest of your brethren, and of the prosperity of the work of the Lord in Zion; and we trust that you are now rejoicing with your families, and with the saints of the Most High, in hope of the glory of God. I was sorry that we were prevented leaving England at the time of your return, but was reconciled when I reflected upon the parting words of Elder Richards, "That it was for a wise purpose which we could not then see; but which would be made manifest to us." Since then circumstances have transpired, which caused me to rejoice that I was disappointed leaving England when I had intended. Soon after your departure a clergyman of the Church of England called upon my employer, to request that he might have an interview with me, as he had a wish to propound certain questions to me; upon his request being complied with, we retired to a private room, when he produced a long list of questions written down, opposite to which he wrote my answers. The rise of the church, priesthood, doctrines, offices, sacraments &c. were the principle queries he advanced. When he demurred to any of our principles I was proceeding to explain, but he cut my discourse short by saying he would not hold any controversy, his object being only to obtain information. After the disposal of his queries he wished to be informed where he could obtain the whole of the publications of the Latter day Saints as he wished to be in possession of them, I informed him at 47 Oxford Street, and he promised to send for them. Soon after the visit of this reverend gentleman, I had reason to suspect that undermining operations were in progress against me, I therefore tendered my resignation to the directors, but they would not accept it, and very soon afterwards a public accountant was employed by them to investigate their accounts for several years back, and I was happy to be enabled to answer satisfactorally [satisfactorily] every question that was asked of me respecting them. After this another minister sent a lengthy article extracted from an American paper, purporting to be the production of a Mr. Anthony, with a request that I would "read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the same." I replied to the statements of Mr. A. and after disposing of them paragraph for paragraph, I told him that I was obliged by his favoring me with it, inasmuch as it satisfied my mind, and was confirmatory of the prediction of Isaiah being fulfilled, seeing that Mr. A. admitted that "the words of the book were delivered to the learned &c. I then proceeded to contrast the Church of England with the churches established by the Apostles; but he has not acknowledged the receipt of my letter as yet. The Clergy are building ten new churches in this town and neighborhood, and are employing additional curates to go round to the houses of their parishioners, to coerce or intimidate them into an attendance upon their services, in fulfillment of the words of Paul, "In the last days perilous times will come, &c. that they would have a form of godliness, but deny the power, and would creep into houses to lead captive silly women, &c." See 2 Timothy, 1st ch. 1 to 8th verses. These curates make repeated visits, generally when the heads of families are from home, and take especial care to enquire [inquire] where the family are employed, and what place of worship they attend &c. and leave tracts for the family to read. One of the Rev. Hugh Stowel's curates has paid several visits to my house, but always in my absense [absence], although he was requested to call when I was at home, and informed the time, when he might meet with me. The following discourse took place in our own neighborhood. Curate. What religion may you be my good woman? I am a church woman sir. What church do you usually attend? I never attend any sir. After reprimanding the woman for pretending to be one of his flock, while she absented herself from the fold, he went to the house of a poor woman who had lately joined the saints. "I am a minister of the church of Jesus Christ in England, and have called to enquire [inquire] what school you send your children to, and what religion you profess?', The woman replied she was a "Latter Day Saint." "Oh delusion! delusion!!" he rejoined, and began to rail against the saints; whereupon she handed him the bible, and requested him to read the place where she casually opened to, namely, the iii. ch. of Micah, and to preach her a discourse from that part of the bible; but he retreated from before her and has not troubled her since. The Lord Bishop of Chester, and the protestant Clergymen, have hired a person of the of Brindley to go about lecturing against the saints, and have commenced a monthly periodical in which the foul slanders heaped upon the saints in America and elsewhere retailed out to satisfy the malice of the enemies of truth. The Manchester Courier has had several articles against our society and principles, and the old Spaulding Romance has been resusitated [resuscitated] for the occasion. The Rev. Charles Burton, Doctor of Laws, minister of "All Saints," has been several times to see me lately, and upon one occasion invited me to his house where I went and discussed our principles for several hours, until he was glad to withdraw from the contest; I found him ignorant in a great measure of what the bible contains respecting the latter days. He admitted that the saints would reign on earth. The great work of the Lord is still progressing in spite of all the opposition of lying priests and their auxilaries [auxiliaries] of the newspaper press. I baptized Elizabeth Smith, who resided with us when you were in England, and she purposes coming out to America along with us. There is very great distress among the operatives and the poor generally, and great excitement respecting the agitation of the repeal of the corn laws. Great fires have frequently occurred at the commencment [commencement] of this year; a large carrier's warehouse was consumed by fire, about from L200,000 to L300,000, ($1,000,000 to $3,000,000) worth of cotton and grain &c. destroyed. It was the Union Co's. carrying warehouse, Piccadilly. There is great depression in almost every branch of manufacture, and great perplexity; and I am daily more and more convinced that the time is not far distant when Babylon the great will be fallen, and become a desolation, and the kings and the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her and she will be cast down even as a great millstone cast into the sea and will be found no more at all. We were glad to hear of the safe arrival of the Tvrian [Tyrean ?] ship's company at Nauvoo by Brother Brotherton's letter which arrived here about a week ago. Elder Pratt was well a few days ago, as also Sister Frost and the children, although they have been sick of late, as also has Sister Olive Pratt, but she is now recovering. We should rejoice to hear from you; and Sister Walker desires that you will convey her love to Sister Richards, and Heber John, and she desires to hear from her. Please to present my kind regards to the highly favored individual even Br. Joseph the prophet of the Most High; and to the brethren whom I enjoyed sweet converse with in England. Especially present our kind regards to Brother Brotherton, and his family; to Brothers and Sisters McIlirick, and Barlow, Willis, Batemans, Wilsons and all the saints; Brothers Clark, Turley, Clayton, &c. I opened a place for preaching at Blakesly, about six weeks ago, and there were three baptized and confirmed there last week. I was with Elder John Brotherton at Middleton on Sunday last, where he and Elder Hardman had obtained a room to preach to the Chartists. We have also a place opened at Didsbury and Heaton. About three weeks ago there was a letter inserted in the Manchester Courier by a writer who signs himself R. P. calling upon the clergymen of the Church of England, and the respectable inhabitants, and the most respectable and intelligent of the police, to attend our meetings at the Carpenters Hall, as they had fondly hoped that the system would have fallen to the ground by the weight of its own absurdity; but they found that there was method and consistency in the apparrent [apparent] madness of these deluded people, and that expectations were vain; as they observed that there was considerable consistency displayed, and method attending our arrangments [arrangements], there being an emigration office established in this town &c. The writer suspected there was a genuine American trick being practised [practiced] by the interested parties at the head of the system, to decoy the ignorant and unwary to perish in the swamps of New Orleans, and that they were draining the country of their best artists; and that it was high time some steps were taken to put a stop to such practices. We have since discovered that the writer is no other than Robert Philips, Esq. an extensive manufacturer, and merchant, brother to Mark Philips, Esq. another great manufacturer and member of Parliament, for the Borough of Manchester. The Editor of the Courier has been playing upon the same string for several weeks since, and feels satisfied that the exposure which he has given the whole system, it must inevitably die away. He was therefore satisfied with having done his duty, and could safely leave them to the management of the proper parties, and recommended the police to do their duty. It appears that the gallant officer at the head of the police, (Sir Charles Shaw,) has too much discretion and good sense to be set on like a dog to worry out a society of Christians, because the editor of the Puseyite Oracle, pointed the finger of scorn at them. Because they dared to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience. I should have liked very well for the police to have been there on Sunday last, for three persons had to be put out, by the brethren for disturbing the meeting in the sacrament services. I remain beloved brethren Your Bro. and fellow laborer G. WALKER.