--- 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: 23 published: 1842-10-01 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“The Temple,” *Times and Seasons* 3, no. 23 (October 1, 1842): 937–939." printed_title: THE TEMPLE. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1842-10-01_3_23 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v3n23.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_1842-10-01_3_23 start_page: 937 end_page: 939 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_1842-10-01_3_23 publication_year: 1842 --- # The Temple If there is any subject in which the saints of the Most High are interested more than another, it is in the completion of the edifice; destitute of a place of worship, and so many thousands subject to the inconvenience of worshipping out of doors where the cold, heat, and damp alternately prey upon the systems of the weak and delicate, and subject them to colds, fevers, and a variety of diseases, renders it imperative upon us to use our energies in building that house. This however is tolerable, when we consider the inconveniences that we have to labor under in the winter season; when instead of having a commodious building to worship in, we are subjected to the inconvenience of worshipping in private houses, or in the best manner that we can, and no matter how important a subject has to be laid before the saints, it is imposible [impossible] for them to hear it, as there is no place for them to congregate in. These, as natural reasons, might be considered sufficient to induce any religious community to use their utmost exertions in the accomplishment of so desirable object. But when we consider the great work in which we are engaged, a work that has been looked forward to with delight by the ancient servants of God; a theme about which all the inspired poets have sung, and all the prophets, from the foundation of the world, have wrote-even the "dispensation of the fulness [fullness] of times, which has been spoken of by ALL the prophets since the world began." God has reserved us as the honored instruments to participate in the blessings glories, and privileges, that "prophets and kings desired to see, but died without the sight. Under these circumstances, blessed with the light and intelligence of heaven, and with direct revelation from the Most High, it behooves us as his people to use the most untiring diligence, and to exert all our energies in the accomplishment of an object so desirable for us to attend to; and so pregnant with importance to the inhabitants of this city. The Lord has given us directions in regard to this affair, and has said, "let the House be built by the tithing of my people." This is a commandment which is binding, which is imperative upon all God's people, and if we consider ourselves his people, we shall feel ourselves bound under the strongest obligations, even that of duty, to our God to fulfil [fulfill] this requisition. We take pleasure in stating that many of the saints have come forward with willingness and cheerfulness, and have tithed and consecrated all, yea more than could have been required of them; whilst others have relaxed in their duty and have been slow to perform their covenants. We know that of late we have had gloomy times; clouds have been gathering around our horizon, and our atmosphere has been impregnated with the foul effluvia of wanton and unmerited persecution; the life of our prophet has been sought after, and many unpleasant circumstances have transpired which in their nature have had a tendency to damp the energies, and slacken the exertions of the saints in the accomplishment of this great work; and as the building of the Temple is principally depending upon the tenth day's labor of the inhabitants of this place, when many are slack, as has been the ease of late, it has a great tendency to retard the work-to dispirit those who are actively engaged, and who feel zealous in the work, and to derange very materially the plans and designs of the committee. There are some few things that devolve upon us to mention, which, though an unpleasant work, we feel the importance of the cause requires at our hands. The committee find themselves very much perplexed in consequence of the brethren not coming forward as usual from their different wards, to perform their tenth of labor. They state that they cannot get sufficient stone quarried to supply the stone cutters at the Temple, and that some of them have been obliged to quit work in consequence, and that unless strenuous exertions are immediately made, and the brethren come up promptly to their duty, the work will be greatly retarded, and perhaps have to stop; at all events the stone cutters will have to stop unless they get an immediate supply of stone. Brethren, such things ought not to be: "let us not be weary in well doing, for we shall reap in due time, if we faint not." We have commenced a good work we have been zealously engaged in it-we have spent a great deal of labor, and toil, and our expectations have been great when we have reflected upon the blessings that would flow to us through that medium. Let us begin this next week and continue our labors "until the topstone shall be raised with shoutings of grace! grace unto it!" The committee state that if they have a sufficiency of stone quarried, they can not only be progressing with the work this fall, but the stone cutters can be employed all the winter, and thus have a great quantity of hewn stone ready to commence with as soon as the spring opens which will greatly facilitate the progress of the work. It may here be necessary to give a word or two of instruction: many of the brethren no doubt out of the best of motives bring guns and watches, and other kinds of property that is not saleable, or easy to dispose of; they give them in at what is considered a fair valuation, yet they are not saleable-they will not purchase either provisions or clothing for those that need, neither will they purchase labor, and they lay as useless lumber the hands of the committee. It is the especial desire of the committee, and absolutely necessary for the prosperity of the work that the brethren in town pay their tenth in labor, and not in property. In regard to the brethren in the country, we would also say a word. Cattle which are neither fit for milking or killing are frequently brought in for tithing, and they lay as dead property on the hands of the committee-as they have no way of feeding them they are put into the drove, from which several have wandered off and been lost; we would therefore advise the brethren to bring in fat cattle which would immediately supply the hands with beef; or otherwise milch [milk] cows that might be disposed of to advantage. Another word on this subject and we have done. Many of the brethren, in their liberality bring in pumpkins, squashes, potatoes, and other vegetables, if, when they were doing this they could bring a little corn meal, flour, butter, pork, or other articles of that kind they would be very acceptable. Perhaps we have said enough on this subject, but we feel the importance of it and therefore speak plainly. It is for you, brethren, to say whether the work shall stand or progress; one thing is certain, that unless that is done all our efforts to aggrandize or enrich ourselves will be vain and futile. We may build splendid houses but we shall not inhabit them; we may cultivate farms but we shall not enjoy them; we may plant orchards, or vineyards, but we shall not eat the fruit of them. The word of the Lord is build my house, and until that command is fulfilled we stand responsible to the great Jehovah for the fulfilment [fulfillment] of it, and if not done in due time we may have to share the same fate that we have heretofore done in Missouri. But leaving duty and interest out of the question, if we wish to receive great blessings from the hands of Jehovah, if we wish to receive our anointing, if we wish the glory of the priesthood to be more fully developed, if we wish to do the will of God and to secure the blessings of the most high God, in fact if we wish to secure our present, our temporal and eternal salvation, we shall build that house. From the Book of Doctrine & Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.