--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1842 to 1843. 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: 4 number: 19 published: 1843-08-15 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“Introductory Invocation,” *Times and Seasons* 4, no. 19 (August 15, 1843): 303–304." printed_title: INTRODUCTORY INVOCATION. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1843-08-15_4_19 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v4n19.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_1843-08-15_4_19 start_page: 303 end_page: 304 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 1843 (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_1843-08-15_4_19 publication_year: 1843 --- # Introductory Invocation Thou great eternal of eternity! Its ample folds:-Improvement's rapid march Thou God of Abraham, I look to thee: Was heralded-Intelligence was borne [born] Thou Omnipresent one! incline thine ear, On floating pinions, o'er the face of earth: And me, a child of ;dust, vouchsafe to hear. And yet, in spite of all the noisy boast, It was an age of darkness. Shadows dark The Seer and Prophet of the latter days Envelop'd deeply the broad scenery Is now my theme-his hist'ry help me trace; Of the religious world. The praise of truth And thy approval, Lord, shall prompt my pen, Was loudly trumpeted by multitudes, Regardless of the praise or blame of men. And multitudes, before its empty name: Wisdom and knowledge, light and truth are thine- Some, for the sake of honor, some for ease, Let thy intelligence around me shine: And some, by motives pure as heav'n inspir'd; Give pow'r of thought, this matter to indite- But more, by far, for filthy lucre's sake, Instruct me what, instruct me how to write. Were daily bowing down and worshiping [worshipping]. With Truth's bold eloquence, my mind inspire, The people and "heaped up unto themselves And touch my mind with celestial fire: teachers with itching ears." All Christendom Thy approbation, is the boon I claim; Of priests without a priesthood. Ev'ry form With that, it matters not who praise or blame. And shadow of authority, which they * * * * * Held in possession, had been smuggled from The nineteenth century was spread out The great apostate mother church of Rome! The heav'ns above were sealed. The glorious lamp The hecatombs that have been offer'd yet Of inspiration had withdrawn its rays In sacrifice to heathen deities. Of pure supernal light‚ Jehovah's voice The God of Abra'm has a purpose which For centuries, by man had not been heard! From all eternity he had decreed The light that God ordain'd to emanate To execute upon the earth. The Lord From the long treasur'd page of Holy Writ; Makes use of human instruments By human sacrilege and foul abuse, For the accomplishment of his designs. By adding shade to shade of mysticism; Became adulterated and obscur'd! In every age in which he has perform'd His mighty works, he rais'd up chosen men, Faith had been long exterminated: Faith, Commission'd by himself-invested with The principle of pow'r pertaining to His own authority; thro' whom he spoke The holy Priesthood which the Lord confer'd To the inhabitants, and by whose means On man in former times-the pow'r by which He mov'd-he roll'd his mighty purpose forth. He rent the vail [veil] and gaz'd on heav'nly things, Or drew the curtain of futurity Noah was call'd in his degen'rate age, Aside, and converse held with distant scenes, To teach the principles of righteousness Closely envelop'd in the years to come. To a corrupt, stiffnecked race of men: To seal the testimony and bind up the law. Some truly thirsted for the precious gifts, The light, the glory and intelligence When God would call his people out Of ancient times: while others vainly thought From under Egypt's yoke, he gave command The history contained the essence of To Moses, whom he had rais'd up to lead The things declar'd-that the rehersal [rehearsal] of To Canaan's land, the tribes of Israel. Those blessing, had transfer'd the blessing down: The ancient prophets all have testified As tho' a hungry man could satisfy That in the latter days the Lord would do His appetite upon the bare belief. A work in magnitude and interest, That other starving persons had been fed. Surpassing ev'ry work perform'd below, Since earth was moulded [molded] in it spheric form. The priesthood gone-the church was but a wreck; And like a ship without a rudder, toss'd At length the time, the chosen time arriv'd Upon the boist'rous waves of changeful Time, For the commencement of the glorious work, While the ancient order was extinct. The restitution of all things; which shall Restore the earth to its primeval state, The Urim and the Thummin hid away; And usher in the long expected reign The human mind was left to wander through Of Jesus Christ. The mazy fields of 'erring reason;' and To float at large upon ærial forms; But where's a mighty man Borne [born] onward by contingences' [contingencies] fickle breath. Like unto Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Hence, mental abberations [aberrations] oftentimes Or Moses,, who can stand in battle's front Assum'd a threat'ning aspect, and appear'd Amid the persecuting rage of men, Impervious as the darksome catacombs And guide the helm of turn and overturn, Of ancient structure; sometimes swelling to Amid the wreck of ev'ry human scheme; Gigantic size, on which was sacrificed While God shall revolutionize the world? A sum of happiness of more amount Than could be purchas'd by the price of all Jehovah knows.-His eyes was fix'd on one Whom he had chosen from eternity; And in his choice, he counsel'd not with man. The one, of all mankind, whom God ordain'd Is now the subject of the writer's pen. The Times and Seasons, IS EDITED BY JOHN TAYLOR. Printed and published about the first and fifteenth of every month, on the corner of Water and Bain Streets, Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, by JOHN TAYLOR AND WILFORD WOODRUFF. TERMS.-TWO DOLLARS per annum, payable in all cases in advance. Any person procuring five new subscribers, and forwarding us Ten Dollars current money, shall receive one volume gratis. All letters must be addressed to John Taylor, editor, POST PAID, or they will not receive attention.