--- 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: 23 published: 1843-10-15 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "β€œTo the Elders and Churches Abroad,” *Times and Seasons* 4, no. 23 (October 15, 1843): 360–361." printed_title: TO THE ELDERS AND CHURCHES ABROAD. source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1843-10-15_4_23 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v4n23.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_1843-10-15_4_23 start_page: 360 end_page: 361 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_1843-10-15_4_23 publication_year: 1843 --- # To the Elders and Churches Abroad "The Twelve," on their late mission to the eastern states, discovered that the publications at Nauvoo, were very little patronized by the saints and branches, in the various sections of the country where they passed, while the common newspapers of the day received a liberal support, by those who pretend to 'hunger and thirst after righteousness.' They feel justified therefore, in reprobating such a course, as detrimental to the general good of the whole church, that shows a lack of charity in the elders. 'Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?' Nauvoo at present, is the seat of the First Presidency; the place of the gathering for all saints, and the great centre [center] of the world for pure religion, revelation, truth, virtue, knowledge and every thing else preparatory to the coming of the Son of Man; the best news, the best people, and the best plan of salvation must be there, Wherefore, Resolved, Unanimously, that the travelling [traveling] elders are hereby instructed to use due diligence in obtaining subscribers for the 'Times and Seasons,' and 'Nauvoo Neighbor,' and forward the pay, by safe hands, to the publishers at Nauvoo; that the saints and the world may receive 'line upon line, and precept upon precept; here a little and there a little,' together with such extracts of translations and revelations, as the Presidency of the church may direct, for the edification of the whole body of the church, in righteousness. Done in council, at Nauvoo, November, 1843. BRIGHAM YOUNG, President of the Twelve. WILLARD RICHARDS, Cl'k. Will the elders and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, unto whom the above resolution may come, or into whose hands it may fall, permit me, as an humble servant of Jesus Christ, to urge the necessity and importance upon you of giving diligent heed to the council offered in the foregoing resolution of circulating the Times and Seasons and Neighbor far and wide, to the extent of your influence. Shall I say that we have struggled through many difficulties until the present time, to maintain the press and circulate our periodicals to the churches abroad, for their benefit? I could say it in truth, but if I had no other motive in view, than my own personal pecuniary benefit, I would not call your attention to the subject, I would remain in silence. But the motive that stimulates me to action upon this subject, is of far more importance than my own temporal good. We as a people, have been called to pass through scenes of a peculiar nature and events of a singular character, for the last few years of our lives. A mighty struggle has been made by certain powers on earth, to crush the voice of those scenes and events in the dust, that they should not be heard by man. But a voice is destined to be heard, it can, it must, and shall be heard, as the voice of thunders, until it penetrates the ears of the wise and good, friends and foes, Judges and Counsellors [Counselors] , Governors and Presidents, Kings and Princes, saying, to all that hear, that oppressed American citizens are asking for those blessings, rights and privileges to be restored unto them, which God has destined for all his rational offspring, and which the constitution of the United States, and each state guarantee unto all her citizens; but have been unconstitutionally, unlawfully, unjustly, and inhumanly [inhumanely] taken from them by the blood stained state of Missouri. Let me ask you then ye elders of Israel, where is the mouth peace of this voice that is to speak until the ears of man shall hear, and their hearts shall feel, if it is not in Nauvoo? If this be the case, then let duty be the mainspring of your actions. Foster not those engines that would trample your rights in the dust with impunity, turn a deaf ear to the cry of the oppressed, and seek to hush the voice of the innocent blood of the saints that has been poured out like water upon the ground, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. The period has arrived when that veil of falsehood and misrepresentation that has been drawn like a dark curtain over America to cover the black deeds of Missouri in their unhallowed persecutions against the saints, must be drawn back, that the world may have a view of the scene. But few heretofore have been made to believe the truth as it has existed, in scenes that have transpired in that state. Every engine that could be employed, has been put in operation to prejudice the minds of community against us as a people and lay the blame upon the saints, in order to draw a veil over the black deeds of Missouri; but the blood of the innocent cries from the ground, and that cry will not only be heard by man, but it will continually enter into the ears of that God who rules the armies of heaven, and holds the destinies of the nations of the earth, until their blood is avenged, and what the nation will not do, God himself will perfect. The time has now come when the travelling [traveling] elders and presidents of all the churches abroad in the vineyard, and also private members, can do much good, not only in circulating our papers among the saints, but all good and honorable men.-Things are about to transpire, appeals are about to be made through the channel of the press, that we want all to hear and to feel; and let not the sound thereof enter the ear and die away like the sound in the distance, but let it be written as with an iron pen upon the tablets of your hearts, and a record of the same be carefully preserved in your houses for your children and your children's children, unto the latest generation, that they may learn the history of the persecution of the saints, the rise and progress of the church, and the deeds of their fathers. I would to God that not only every family of saints in Nauvoo, but throughout the world, would carefully peruse and preserve a copy of each volume of the Times and Seasons, as they are issued form the press, not only for their present benefit, but as a future history, and I hope and trust, from this time forth, all the elders abroad will be awake to this subject, and sustain, support, and uphold that organ that will maintain your rights, and the rights of all the persecuted and oppressed.-While on my mission in the east, in company with the quorum of the Twelve, I devoted a portion of my time for the cause of the press, and was sorry to find any indifference manifested among the saints about taking or circulating the periodicals published in Nauvoo, while other papers were liberally supported; for I deem it to be of great importance to the churches abroad to have the privilege of receiving instruction from the Presidency of the church while separate from them, or before they have an opportunity of assembling here.-An account of the travels of the quorum of the Twelve during the past season, or minutes of the conferences which they held have not as yet been published, but probably something upon this subject will appear soon, in future numbers of the Times and Seasons. The present volume will soon close, and many things of interest to the saints will no doubt follow in the next volume, and it is desired that those who wish to contribute their papers will forward their subscriptions as early as possible, that they may commence at the beginning of the volume. May the Lord inspire the hearts of all the saints to labor while the day lasts, and do good while they have an opportunity, lest night come when no man can work. W. WOODRUFF.