--- 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: 15 published: 1842-06-01 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "β€œAn Epistle,” *Times and Seasons* 3, no. 15 (June 1, 1842): 809–810." printed_title: AN EPISTLE source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1842-06-01_3_15 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v3n15.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_1842-06-01_3_15 start_page: 809 end_page: 810 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_1842-06-01_3_15 publication_year: 1842 --- # An Epistle Of the High Council of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in Nauvoo, to the saints scattered abroad, greeting: Dear Brethren: inasmuch as the Lord hath spoken; and the commandment hath gone forth for the gathering together of his people from Babylon, that they partake not of her sins, and receive not of her plagues" it seemeth "good unto us, and also to the Holy Ghost" to write somewhat for your instruction, in obeying that commandment. That you have no need that we exhort you to the observance of this commandment, is evident; for yourselves know that this is that which was spoken by the Lord in the parable of the Tares of the field, who promised that in the harvest he would say to the servant, "gather the wheat into my barn" the signs of the times proclaim this; the end of the world; and thus admonish us to the performance of this duty. "Yet notwithstanding the spirit testifieth of these things, and you desire with great anxiety to gather with the saints; yet are many of you hindered even to this day:" so that to will to obey the commandment is present; but how to perform, you find not." Feeling therefore, the responsibility binding on you to observe the statutes and commandments of the Lord, and living in the midst of a generation that are ignorant what the mind of the Lord is concerning his people, and of the things that belong to their peace: we are well aware of the embarrassments under which many of you labor in endeavoring to obey the laws pertaining to your salvation. It is then no marvel that in this day when darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness of the times in which they live, should mock at the gathering together of the saints for salvation, as did the anti-diluvian at the mighty work of righteous Noah in building an ark in the midst of the land, for the salvation of his cause by water, seeing then that such blindness hath happened to the gentile world which to them is an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation," and that of God, think it not strange that you should have to pass through the like afflictions which all your brethren then saints in all ages have done before you; to be reviled, persecuted, and hated of all men, for the name of Christ and the gospel's sake, is the portion of which all saints have had to partake who have gone before you. You then can expect no better things than that there be men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the truth, who will evil entreat you, and unjustly despoil you of your property and embarrass you in pecuniary matters, and render it the more difficult to obey the command to gather with the saints pretending to do God service, "whose judgment now lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." But brethren with all these considerations before you in relation to your afflictions, we think it expedient to admonish you, that you bear and forbear, as becometh saints, and having done all that is lawful and right to obtain you come short of obtaining it, commit the residue to the just judgment of God, and shake off the dust off your feet as a testimony of having so done. Finally, brethren, as it is reported unto us that there be some who have not done that which is lawful and right, but have designedly done injury to their neighbor, or creditor by fraud, or otherwise thinking to find protection with us in such iniquity: let all such be warned, and certified, that with them we have no fellowship when known to be such, until all reasonable measures are taken to make just restitution to those unjustly injured. Now therefore let this epistle be read in all the branches of the church, as testimony, that as representatives thereof, we have taken righteousness for the girdle of our loins, and faithfulness for the girdle of our reins," and that for Zion's sake we will not rest; and for Jerusalem's sake we will not hold our peace, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth." Your brethren and servants in the kingdom and patience of Jesus. WILLIAM MARKS,} AUSTIN COWLES,} Presidents CHARLES C. RICH.} JAMES ALLRED, ELIAS HIGBEE, GEORGE W. HARRIS, AARON JOHNSON. WM. HUNTINGDON, SEN. HENRY G. SHERWOOD, SAMUEL BENT, LEWIS D. WILSON, DAVID FULMER, THOMAS GROVER, NEWELL KNIGHT, LEONARD SOBY, Attest, HOSEA STOUT, Clerk. May 22, 1842.