To the Saints of God

It may not be amiss, under the present state of things, to say a few words to the saints by way of encouragement, at this time of excitability and rumor. The things that have been transpiring around us have had a tendency to call forth our reasoning and reflective powers; Solomon, who was a wise man in his day, and set his mind to search out wisdom, reflected both upon the good and the evil, and has left us the following useful and instructive admonition, "in the day of prosperity be joyful; but in the day of adversity consider." We, all of us, have our friends, our connexions [connections], our families and associations; and we find that the ties of friendship, consanguinity, and brotherhood, have indissolubly united us together with a thousand endearing associations; we have embraced the one common faith, even that "which was once delivered to the saints," we have been privileged with hearing the everlasting gospel, which has been delivered unto us by the spirit of prophecy; by the opening of the heavens; by the gift of the Holy Ghost; by the ministering of Angels, and by the power of God: we have left our connexions [connections], our countries, our friends and homes, at the command of God, that we might come to Zion, obtain an inheritance among the saints, fulfil [fulfill] the requirements of Jehovah, and be instructed in the revelations of heaven. Thus located, and thus situated, in possession of the one common faith and hope, the same prospects and desires, a kindred sympathy runs through the whole body even the body of Christ, which, according to Paul's statement, is his church; and no one part of the body can be injured without the other parts feeling the pain, for says Paul, if one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; and if one member rejoice all the rest are honored with it. If the weakest and most feeble of the saints of God receive and injury, if he is opposed, injured or imposed upon by an enemy, the injury is felt by the whole, as being part of the body, and they stand ready to heal his wound, to rescue him from danger, or to avenge his wrong by all legal measures. If this be so in regard to the weakest members, how much more is it the case when he whom God has appointed to be our prophet and guide, is brought into bondage, through the cruelty and oppression of a misguided, fanatical, and persecuting executive, and an enthusiastic and frantic set of desperadoes, who, regardless of law, of the rights of man, of the principles of justice, and of every thing pertaining to righteousness and truth, would seek to glut themselves with the blood of the innocent; stain with eternal infamy the escutcheons of our country, and wither with a deadly blast the fair fields of freedom and liberty, whose odoriferous perfumes have heretofore been wafted on every breeze, and spread health, peace and contentment throughout the land.

If this, to the saints of God, may indeed be called a day of adversity, we shall do well to take the admonition of Solomon, and 'consider;' if we see mobocracy and lawlessness prevailing; if we see our laws and constitution trampled under foot; if we see our once happy country bleeding at every pore, and her own sons pushing the dagger to her vitals; if we see these glorious principles of liberty, for which our fathers fought, and bled, and died, trampled under foot by a set of lawless miscreants-and mobocracy, anarchy and confusion taking their place, let us consider that in "the last days PERILOUS TIMES SHOULD COME" that there should be "distress of nations with perplexity, men's hearts failing them for fear of those things that are coming upon the earth." And if rulers and governors transgress the laws of right, trample under foot the principles of justice, and disregard those laws which they have pledged themselves to support by the most binding and solemn covenants, let us consider that 'when the wicked rule the people mourn;' and that 'GOD sets up one and puts down another, according to the counsel of his own will;' that all there things are governed by the wise dispensations of Jehovah;

that they are strictly in accordance with the fulfilment [fulfillment] of ancient prophecy, and that they are hastening forward the designs of the great Jehovah, in 'bringing to nought [naught] the cousel [counsel] of the wise,' in vexing the nations of the earth, and in hastening on that time when the earth shall be redeemed; the wicked be destroyed, and 'the righteous alone be exalted.'

If our Prophet is brought into bondage, and his life is sought after, let us 'consider,' it is just the same thing that has taken place with the prophets of the Lord in all ages, and what our Savior prophesied of, saying, 'if ye will live godly in Christ Jesus ye shall suffer persecution.' Stephen had to ask the pious Jews this question, 'which of the prophets have not your fathers killed, which testified before of the coming of the just one of whom ye have now been the betrayers and murderers?' Fortunately for this generation, their fathers had no prophets to kill, but they shew [show] a disposition to tread in the footsteps of the Jewish nation, and to manifest their religion by seeking to destroy from off the face of the earth those whom God hath sent. Our Savior said of the Jews, 'ye are of your father the devil, because his works ye will do,'-and if trampling under foot law--setting at nought [naught] justice and equity, and breaking the most solemn obligations; if hyprocricy [hypocrisy], lying, deception, and seeking the overthrow, and the lives of the innocent, be the works of the devil, we shall not have much difficulty in finding out the parentage of many of this generation.

Concerning the present state of the Prophet, some of our enemies are ready to say, if he be the prophet of the Lord, why is it that he has to flee from the hand of oppression? Why does not his God deliver him? To this we would answer, that he has delivered him hitherto-but if being delivered out of every difficulty, be a sign of a true prophet, then indeed shall we find them very scarce in the scriptures of eternal truth. Moses had to flee from the land of Egypt, and be a stranger in the land of Midian. Job had to suffer the loss of his camels, his oxen, his asses, his flocks and herds, his children, his property and friends. Abraham, at the command of God had to flee from the hand of persecution and go to a land that the Lord would shew [show] him of. Jacob had to flee, fearing the wrath of his brother, and absent himself fourteen years. Elijah had to hide himself three years and a half from the presence of the king, who sought diligently for him in all the nations around to take away his life. Obadiah had to hide the prophets by fifties in a cave, to save them from the hand of persecution. Elisha, David, Jeremiah, Zachariah, and all the prophets more or less had to share the same fate. Paul tells us 'that they were tempted, they were tried, they were sawn asunder; that they had to wander about in sheep skins and goat skins, and to HIDE THEMSELVES in deserts, and dens, and caves of the earth.' Such is the universal testimony of scripture in regard to the prophets of the Lord, and instead of this being an argument against it, it is one, that goes to establish the truth of the prophets calling and profession. Our Savior in speaking of these things says-'if they have persecuted you, they will persecute me, if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call him of his household'-and he has given it as his counsel to flee in time of danger, saying, 'but when they persecute you in one city, flee ye to another.' We find then, that not only the conduct of your prophet, but that of his persecutors also, has been strictly in accordance with the treatment and proceeding of prophets, and that of their enemies also, in every age of the world.

In the day of 'adversity, consider,' says Solomon, consider the situation of your prophet, and let your prayers ascend to the God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, and of Joseph; that he may speedily be delivered, and that his enemies may be confounded. Reflect also upon the duties that you owe to your families, to the church of the living God, and to the saints in general. Slack not your duties in your families, but call upon God for his blessings upon you, and your families-upon your flocks and herds, and all that pertains to you-that you may have peace and prosperity-and while you are doing this, 'pray for the peace of Zion, for they shall prosper that love her.' Think of your duties to the Temple, and the Nauvoo House, and both by precept and example help to build those houses. Consider the state of the afflicted and try to alleviate their sufferings; let your bread feed the hungry, and your clothing cover the naked; let your liberality dry up the tear of the orphan, and cheer the disconsolate widow; let your prayers, and presence, and kindness, alleviate the pains of the distressed, and your liberality contribute to their necessities; do good unto all men, especially unto the household of faith, that you may be harmless and blameless, the sons of God without rebuke. Keep the commandments of God-all that he has given, does give, or will give, and an halo of glory will shine around your path; the poor will rise up and call you blessed; you will be honored and respected by all good men; and your path will be that of the just, which shineth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.-Es.

To the Editor of the Times and Seasons.