---
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: 2
published: 1841-11-15
publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor
publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois
language: en
type: article
reference: "“The Time of Its Fulfilment [Fulfillment],” *Times and Seasons* 3, no. 2 (November 15, 1841): 593–598."
printed_title: THE TIME OF ITS FULFILMENT [FULFILLMENT]
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1841-11-15_3_2
  transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v3n02.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_1841-11-15_3_2
start_page: 593
end_page: 598
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_1841-11-15_3_2
  publication_year: 1841
---

# The Time of Its Fulfilment [Fulfillment]

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The Apostles were in expectation of its immediate fulfilment [fulfillment], while Jesus was yet with them, until he taught them better. They inquired of him, saying, "Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel?" But he answered them, saying "It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his own power." As much as to say, that it was no part of their mission, and was not to be fulfilled in their day. So, being corrected in this thing, the Apostle Peter afterwards informs us (Acts iii.) that the heavens must receive Jesus Christ until the times of restoration of all things spoken of by the Lord, by the holy prophets, and that at the times of restitution God would send him again. Jesus himself speaks of the same time when he says, (Luke xxi.) "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Paul also comes to the same point of time, (Romans xi.)-"Blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fulness [fullness] of the Gentiles is come in."

These texts all have an allusion to one and the same time, viz., the revolution of which we have spoken.

The Lord, (Luke xxi.) after speaking of the signs of his coming says, "When ye see these things begin to come to pass then know that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand," and then says that the generation who are witnesses of these signs beginning to come to pass will not pass away till all shall be fulfilled, including his second coming and kingdom.

Now the kingdom of God here spoken of, cannot possibly allude to the kingdom of God which was set up in the days of the Apostles, for that kingdom was already at hand when the Saviour [Savior] predicted these things, and was set up immediately after his resurrection, and without the signs, spoken of in the 21st of Luke, having come to pass. Therefore he must have alluded to the kingdom of which

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Daniel and others spoke, which was to be set up "in the days of these kings," as represented by the feet and toes of the image; and it is well known to your Majesty and to all Christendom that these ten kingdoms out of the ruins of the Roman empire did not arise until many hundred years after the days of the Apostles.

Let us here enumerate the signs spoken of which are to precede the Messiah's second coming, and the setting up of his kingdom. "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the earth; distress of nations, with perplexity-the sea and the waves roaring, men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken, and then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

I beg leave barely to remind your Majesty that these signs have for the last ten years been fulfilling in the eyes of all people. I need not here particularize or point out their fulfilment [fulfillment], for passing events are too notorious to be hidden. I now beg leave to call the attention of your Majesty to an important discovery, which has poured a flood of light upon these subjects, and which has actually revealed and demonstrated that the present age is the time of their fulfilment [fulfillment]. I allude to the discovery of an ancient record among the antiquities of America, a copy of the translation of which was lately presented to your Majesty and another to his Royal Highness Prince Albert, by Mr. Brigham Young. The discovery of this record, and the things connected with it, as they are now ushering in upon the world, are of more importonce [importance] than any single event which transpired in modern times. The discovery of America by Columbus 300 years since opened a new [new] era upon the world, and poured a flood of light upon the startling nations. They awoke from the slumber of ages and gazed with astonishment and wonder. As the first transports of admiration [admiration] subsided, a spirit of enterprise seized the peosle [people], and a new impulse was given to the minds of men, which has resulted in mighty changes in the scientific, commercial, and political departments, and which has mainly contributed in forming all the great outlines of modern character.

But it remained for the nineteenth century to open a treasure of knowledge, and to present to the world a discovery more extensive in its information, more glorious in its intelligence, and of greeter [greater] magnitude in its final bearing upon men and things, than all the discoveries of Columbus and his contemporaries. I allude to this ancient American record. By this means the history of the past, in relation to half the world, has been opened as far back as the confusion of languages at Babel. A nation [nation] whose "bones are dried" and whose ruined temples and monuments have reposed for ages in silent, solemn, and awful grandeur, has now spoken from the dust and revealed to the world their history, and with it their prophecies and their testimony of Jesus as the risen Messiah and the Saviour [Savior] of the world, not of Asia only, but of America also. From this record we learn the astonishing fact that the Gospel was revealed among the ancient inhabitants of that continent, and the risen Jesus ministered in person to them, setting in order all the offices and ordinances of his kingdom, and opening all the great outlines of his doctrine, together with a knowledge of the future, down to the times of restoration, of which we have spoken. By this means we are enabled to come to a knowledge of these points of doctrine and prophecy, and to understand clearly that which has been rendered obscure by coming down to us through the dark ages, robbed of its plainness by priestcraft and superstition, and mingled with the traditions of men. By this means we are enabled to understand definitely the signs of the times, and how and when the prophecies are to be fulfilled in relation to the great revolution so clearly set forth in this letter. And by this means we understand the fate of the world and the destiny to which the nations are hastening.

This ancient record was discovered in 1827, in Western New York, in the bowels of the earth, where it had been concealed for 1400 years. It was there deposited by a holy prophet, whose name was Moroni, in order to preserve it, at a time when a great naiion [nation] was overthrown. It was translated and published in English in 1830. Since that time it has been a principle means in the hands of God of working a greater revolution among men than was ever known in so short a time. It has given rise to the

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Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, who were first organized with six members on the sixth of April, 1830, but who now number many thousands, both in America and Europe.

This Church professes to hold to the ancient order of the Gospel, as revealed both in the Bible and in this American record. They discard infant baptism, as an invention of priestcraft, and hold to the baptism of penitent believers for remission of sins, and to the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands in the name of Jesus; and to the gifts of healing, prophecy, miracles, &c., as Jesus has promised in his Word.

The Church of the Saints thus organized upon the ancient order and faith once delivered to the saints, must grow and flourish, and spread among all nations, and must increase in faith, and power, and might, and glory, until, as a bride adorned for her husband, she is prepared for her coming Lord, and for the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Perhaps a few words of one of the prophets, as contained in this ancient record, will serve to shew [show] what is at hand to be fulfilled, in plainer terms than any modern style of language can express. From the 57th page of the first Book of Nephi, as contained in this ancient record, I extract the following: --

"The Lord will proceed to make bear his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel. Wherefore he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheitance [inheritance]; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Saviour [Savior] and their Redeemer, the mighty one of Israel. And the blood of that great and abominable Church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads, and they shall be drunk with their own blood. And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord; and all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed. And that great whore, who hath perverted the ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable Church, shall tumble to the dust, and great shall be the fall of it. For, behold, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble, and the day cometh that they must be burned. For the time soon cometh that the fulness [fullness] of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men, for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous; therefore he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness [fullness] of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear, for they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire. Behold, I say unto you, that these things must shortly come, yea, even blood, and fire, and vapour [vapor] of smoke, must come, and it must needs be upon the face of this earth; and it cometh unto men according to the flesh, if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel; for behold the righteous shall not perish; for the time surely must come, that all who fight against Zion shall be cut off. And the Lord will surely prepare a way for his people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he spake saying, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto me; him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you." And it shall come to pass, that all those who shall not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.

And now I Nephi declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel, wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness; and the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded. But it is the kingdom of the Devil which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh; for the time speedily shall come that all the churches which are built up to get gain, and all those which are built up to get power over the flesh, and those which are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh, and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity,-yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the Devil are they who need fear and tremble, and quake; they are those

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who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble. And the time cometh speedily that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great glory. And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth, and he numbereth his sheep and they know him, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture."

I have given the above extract from this ancient prophecy, in order that your Majesty, and the people of your dominion, may be aware of future events which are nigh, even at the door.

I must close this letter by forewarning the Sovereign and people of England, in the most affectionate manner, to repent and turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart. When I say repent, I mean my message for the lords and nobles, clergy and gentry, as well as Sovereign and people. Let them deal their bread to the hungry, their clothing to the naked,-let them be merciful to the poor, the needy, the sick and the afflicted, the widow and the fatherless,-let them set the oppressed free, and break every yoke; and in order to be able the more effectually to do this, let them dispense with their pride extravagance, their luxury and excess; for the cries of the poor have ascended up to heaven their groans and tears have ascended up before the Lord, and his anger is kindled; and he will no longer suffer their sufferings to go unnoticed.

In short, let them bring forth fruits meet for repentance, and come and be baptised [baptized] in the name of Jesus for remission of sins, and then shall they receive the Holy Spirit, and become the saints of the Most High, the children of light; and signs shall follow them that believe, the sick shall be healed in the name of Jesus, devils shall be cast out, the deaf shall hear and the dumb shall speak, and the poor shall have the gospel preached unto them.

Now if the rulers, clergy, and people of England hearken to this message, they shall have part in this glorious kingdom so clearly set forth in this letter; but if they will not hearken to the words of the prophets and apostles, they will be overthrown with the wicked, and perish from the earth.

The Lord God of Israel hath sent his angel with this message to the children of men; "to them that dwell upon the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying, with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to him: for the hour of his judgments is come, and worship him that made Heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."

With sentiments of profound respect, and with the most anxious desire for the welfare and prosperity of the Sovereign and people of England, I have the honour [honor] to subscribe myself,

Your Majesty's humble Servant And Loyal Subject,

PARLEY P. PRATT.

Manchester, May 28, 1841.

Manchester, August 15, 1841.

To Brigham Young, and H. C. Kimball.

Dearly Beloved Brethren,

I feel it my duty to write to you, hoping you will forgive me for not writing sooner. The night I left you I went to Berkenhead, stopped all night, preached the gospel to them, they never heard it before; came over to Liverpool about the time your ship was going down the river. I prayed that the Lord would give you a prosperous voyage. I saw sister Blackurst on board the Lyons, I believe she was the only saint on board. Br. Stafford went about a week afterward. The same afternoon I returned home by railway. When I went to take my seat in the carriage [carriage] I was moved to speak to a woman that sat near me; she told me she had been lodging at a house where some people were stopping of the name of "Latter Day Saints," never heard of such a sect before. She said they were going to the promised land 1500 miles beyond New York, that they were the happiest people she ever was with, for they sung the most beautiful hymns she ever heard; and would like to know where to meet with them. Then I opened my mouth and from the same circumstance told her of the work the Lord commenced in these last days; she believed it all, and went with me to the Star office; bought a "Book of Mormon" and "Voice of Warning." She lives at Leeds, and told me she would receive any of the servants of the Lord that would come. It made my soul rejoice to hear this.

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Elders Marsden and Carrigan have been laboring there a short time, baptized her and several others, the reason I write this is in seeing the effect of our brothers and sisters letting their light so shine before this woman (even in a lodging house,) that she can now glorify her Father which is in heaven. I gave your love to Br. and Sister Walker he said it was all for the best, his father-in-law was shoped [stopped?] again at his former place: They will leave here next February.

Br. Hyde preached 25th of April morning and evening, related the vision he had seen calling him to Jerusalem, there was a collection made for him, and several gave him small sums of money, my master sent him a piece of silver: May 2d, Br. Hyde was at Stockbridge, several saints went in a spring cart, I followed by coach to play the organ for them: (after first baptising [baptizing] a young man that was once my teacher in the Sunday school,) we had a good day, they made a collection for him, he left Manchester on the 4th of May: he has been laboring in London but has since left for Holland.

Br. Joseph Brotherton is laboring near Bedford; there is a good work going on there, also in London. Br's. Adams and Snow are laboring in that part.

The corn law repealers had a procession: they exhibited loaves on the top of poles, some were very large representing the American loaf, while others were very small showing the size of the English loaf.

Thursday we had a fast day: met about 9 A. M.; opened by singing and prayer by Br. Pratt. After several had prayed and testified to the truth, Br. Pratt then spoke on the office of patriarch and the blessings arising out of it. Patriarch AIbinson then laid hands on the following; viz. Elders Goodfellow, John P. Smith, C. Miller, and W. Berry; Also sister Alice Hardman, being the first baptized in Manchester: we adjourned at 5 P. M. met again at 7 o'clock. Br. Pratt spoke on temporal salvation, we had a good day of it.

Br. Pratt received an invitation from a Socialist to preach in the Hall of Science. He preached there on the 11th of July, a female lecturer discussed with him the two following nights. The principal subject was, the resurrection: she said it was impossible for God to raise the dead, but Br. Pratt showed the possibility [possibility] of it so well that she acknowledged that he had explained it very well. She then said he could not prove any prophecies fulfilled, he then spoke on the Book that had been found as a proof; she did not reply to this, but began to rail against the church saying, the signs did not follow the believer if they did we must show her one then she would become a Latter Day Saint. I have heard that many of them were pleased with Br. Pratt, one said to me he wondered how it was, that Parley Pratt could have reason and absurdity in him, at the same time.-I think good will come out of it, the work of the Lord is rolling steadily in this land, confirming a few each Sunday: this day we have confirmed 14 in Carpenter's Hall, and I may say the Lord is adding to the church daily such as shall be saved, two, that were followers of John who have obeyed the truth, one has shaved, the other wears his beard yet, the former has been ordained to the priesthood and is likely to become a useful servant of the Lord.

We have preachings sometimes at the Great Lamp in the market place, to a respectable and attentive people. The Hall is attended as usual: it has been ordered by the council, that the elders and priests present at any meeting in the Hall, take their seats on the form level with the speaker, this looks something like order and has a good effect.

In Scotland there has been a few led away by a Mr. Rols, who has written against the church but has been replied to in a very able manner by Br. Pratt. It is in the 3d No. of the Star vol. 2d. Br. Pratt has been to Scotland since, and some have come back again to the fold of Christ. The saints in that part, are generally rejoicing in the Lord and in the gifts of his holy spirit.

I expect there will be two or three ships full of saints leaving Liverpool this fall: I believe there has a number given in their names already; the first ship will sail about the 15th of September. There is a notice in the 4th Star, to those wishing to go by the 15th, to send their names together with their money by the 5th of September. This is the principle Br. Fielding is going to act upon as it will save much confusion.

There are the following families coming in the first ship; viz. Father Brotherton's, Br. McIldrick's, Br. Thomas Miller's;

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sister Sarah Perkins is coming, she is included with his family, Br. Bateman's, Br. Heape's, and others from Pendlebury, Oldham, Duckenfield, Stockport, as well as many other towns in the country. I believe Br. William Berry is coming; I am coming myself in the course of 5 or 6 years. My health is very good, thank the Lord for it; I am still in the same situation, the Lord gives me favor in the eyes of my employer, although many have told lies to him and reported false things about me, but he does not believe them; some are of a very bad nature. My wife and children are well, little Heber gets very stout and sharp, my mother-in-law is about the same eats her meat well but still lies in bed, my mother is rather fretful about Thomas' coming, she goes to the Hall now and then, she is not baptized, I have hopes she will be soon: my sister Catharine is much better, she is willing to come to America. Br. Charles sends his love to you all and to Joseph Smith (although he has not seen him) knowing him to be a prophet of the Most High, and you the servants of the Lord: my sister Susannah is well, she sends her love to you. I have felt lately, as though I was short of something; and what do you think it is; I will tell you: I think if I should hear from you I would be in possession of that I am short of at present. I was asking Br. Pratt if he had any word to send to Zion, he said yes; you can say that neither myself nor the Manchester church has received a letter from any of the quorum, while he can hear of letters going to London and other places; he wonders what you are about, and so do I: you must not think we have forgotten you, for there are a few yet in Manchester that love and think much of you.

I cannot close this letter without testifying to the truth of the work of the Lord. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet called of God to do a great work in this generation, and whosoever shall seek to destroy him shall be confounded, that the Book of Mormon contains the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ, and whosoever obeys the truth shall come to the light, and they shall know whether it be of God or not. I know that you are his servants to minister salvation to the nations of the earth, that this work is that which was spoken of by many of the prophets of old, that these days are the days spoken of by Jesus Christ that should be like the days of Noah and of Lot; the signs of his coming are seen and heard in this part of the vineyard. There has been seen at midnight a bright personage in the air; it changed into the form of an eye and then disappeared: it was first seen as a star descending and ascending. One Saturday night as I was going home about 12 o'clock, I could not help admiring the stars for they were so bright as soon as I entered the street I live in I was enveloped in a great light, I stopped in a moment then it left me: I looked up and saw a horizontal light in the sky, it was wide at the south end, and narrow at the north in the form of a club or trumpet.

Shipwrecks, floods, houses and workshops falling, great and destructive fires, sudden deaths, (there have many fell down dead in the streets: one man was refused admittance to the love feast in the independent Methodist chapel Hanover street, he fell down dead at the door,) Banks breaking, men's hearts failing them for fear, because no man buyeth their merchandise, shop keepers and manufacturers failing, many accidents on the railways.

The ship will sail for New Orleans, they expect to get to Nauvoo by December. I request an interest in your prayers that I may be found faithful to the grace given me, for I feel myself one of the weakest of the weak. However I feel determined by the help of the Lord to improve the talent given me. Give my love to Joseph Smith, and all the brethren. Farewell, may the peace of Jesus be with you all, Amen.

WILLIAM MILLER