Show LIFE OF JOSEPH SMITH september 1835 1 I wrote the following 0 communication to john whitmer whitener tiner esquire editor which was published in the messenger a and I 1 advocate page ac 1 ta the elders of the church of latter defy day saints after so long a time and after so kanj things have been said I 1 feel it my duty to drop I 1 a few hints that perhaps the elders traveling theoti through rh the world to warn the inhabitants ot the eai earth th to flee the wrath to come and save themselves from this untoward generation may may be aided in a measure in doctrine and in the way of their duty I 1 have been laboring ro this cause for ei eight ht years durin during 0 which time I 1 have traveled much and have had much exper 1 bence I 1 removed from seneca county new york I 1 to geauga geaugh 0 county ohio in february 1631 having received by an heavenly vis vision ion a commandment in june following 7 to take my journey to the western boundaries of the state of missouri and there designate the very spot which was to be the central spot for the commencement comi I 1 men cement of the gathering to together I 1 ether of those who embrace the fullness odthe ot the everlasting gospel J 1 accordingly undertook the journey with certain onos ones of my iny b breth renand after a long and tedious journey suffering 0 miny many privations and handsh hardships fips 1 arrived in jackson county Missouri and after 1 ei viewing the country seeking diligently at the hand of god he manifested himself unto me aw and I 1 designated to me and others the very spot upon which he designed n to commence commance the work of the gathering 0 and the up building aill of an holy city which should be called zion bof zion because it is to be a place of righteousness and all who build thereon are to worship the true and living e god and all believe in one domine doc cine even the d doctrine of our lord and savior jesus christ thy watchmen shall lift up the voice with the voice too together ether shall they sing 81 ng for they shall see eye t to 0 eye when the lord shall brint bring amin again zion isaiah 52 8 here we pa pause use F for or a moment to make a few aglace remarks upon the idea of gathering gatherine to this place it is well known that there we were re lands belonging elon to the government to be sold to individuals I 1 vi and it w was s understood by all at least we believed so that we lived in a free country a land of liberty and of laws guaranteeing to every man or any any company of men the right of purchasing lands and settling settling and living living upon them therefore we thought troug i no harm in advising the latter day saints or cormons mormons Mor mons 51 as they are reproachfully called to gather to this place inasmuch as it was their duty mid ind it was well understood so to be to purchase lse with money lands and live upon them not infringing I 1 upon the civil rights of any individual or community comm community unit y of people always keeping in in view vier the s acing aying ssi yin do unto others as you yon would wish to have others to do unto you following also i the good injunction deal justly love mercy 1 and walk humbly with thy god these were our oar motives in teaching the people I 1 or latter day saints to gather together beginning at this place and inasi inasmuch nuch as there are those who have had different terent dif views from this we feel that it is a cause of deep regret for be it known unto all men that our brinak I 1 plea pies concerning this thing have not been such as have been represented represent il by those who we have every reason to believe are designing de 8 ning and I 1 wicked men that have said that t this h awas wag our doctrine to infringe upon the rights of a peo 1 pie who inhabit our civil and free country such as to drive the inhabitants of jackson county from their lands aud take possession ion thereof unlawfully far yea far b be e pa such a principle from our hearts it never entered into our oar minds and we only say that god shall reward such in that day when he shall come to make up his jewels but to return to my subject after having a ascertained 8 certa ined the very spot and having the h happiness appi of seeing quite a number of the families 1 of my brethren comfortably situated upon the land I 1 took leave of them and journeyed back to ohio and used every in influence luence and argument that lay in my power to get those who believe 3 in the everlasting covenant whose circumstances would admit and whose families were willing to remove to the place ace which I 1 had designated to be the land of zion ion and thus the sound of the gathering and of the doctrine went abroad into the world and many many we have reason to fear having a zeal no not t according to 0 knowledge not understanding the pure principles of the doctrine of the church have no doubt in the heat beat of enthusiasm taught I 1 and said ganv many things I 1 1 which are derogatory to the genuine character t er and pr principles in c lea of th the church and for these things we are heartily v sorry and would apologize if apology ily would do any good but we pause here and offer a remark up nano the saving roving which we learn has gone abroad and has been handled in a manner detrimental to the cause of truth by saying rating that in preaching the doctrine oi of gather gathering mg we break huffam up fam 1 1 1 alies and give license for men to leave their families women their husbands children their par parents ants and slaves their masters thereby de the or ar and n breaking up the harmony an and d peace bace of society we shall here show our faitt faith and thereby as we humbly trust put an end to these false and wicked misrepresentations at ons aich have caused we have every rea believe le ron 0 to relieve lieve thousands to think they were loin loing god gods Is service when they were ing ng the children of god whereas if they could lave enjoyed the true light and had a just un ter standing of our principles they would have embraced ekr eed them with all t their hei r hearts and been rejoicing in in the love of the truth and now to our doctrine on this subject we shall commence om mence with the first principles of tb ohp gos lel el which are repentance and baptism for the emission emission 0 of f sins and the gift of the holy ghost by the laying on of the hands this we believe to be out duty to to all mankind malind the croc doctrine trino of repentance which wi w alfalfa sh an endeavor to show from the following quota quotations tin n then opened he their understanding understanding 7 th IT they might understand the scriptures and said unto them thus it is written and thus it begov ed christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at jerusalem luke 24 45 46 47 by this we learn that it behoved behaved christ to suffer and to be crucified and rise again on the third day fur for the express purpose ehlt repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all nations then peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of jesus christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the holy ghost for the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that thai are afar off even as many as the lord our oar god shall call acts act 2 38 39 by this we learn that the promise of the holy ghost is unto as many as the doctrine of repentance pen tance was to be preached which was unto all nations and we discover also that the promise w was as to extend by lineage for peter says not only unto you but unto your children i and unta unto all that are afar off from this we infer that it was to continue unto their childrens children and even unto as many as the lord ther god should call we discover here that tha t w e are blading blending two principles together in these quotations agthe the first is the principle of repentance and the second is the principle princile le of the remission of sins and we learn from deter peter that remission of gins is ia obtained by baptism in the name of the lord jesus christ and d the gift of the holy ghost follows inesita ably tor for says peter you shall receive the holy ghost 11 therefore we believe in preaching the dop doc I 1 I 1 1 trine of repentance in all the world both oth to old and young oune rich and poor bond and free as we shall tv ende endeavor avor to show hereafter how and in 1 what manner and how far it is binding on the consciences of mankind making proper dis ions between old and young men women children and servants but bia we discover in or I 1 ler der to be bene fitted by the doctrine of repent j nee ance we must believe in obtain obtaining ina the r remission i of sins and in order to at 0 obtain ain the remission ni assion of sins we must believe in the doctrine of ba baptism in the name of the L lord ord jesus ch christ t and if we ve believe in baptism for the remit remission of sins we may expect a fulfilment fulfillment of the promise of the holy ghost for the promise extends to all whom the lord our god shall CAU all and hath he not surely said as you will and nd in the last chapter of revelations and vie b 1 S spirit irit and the bride say come and let him that hat heareth heareth say come and let him that is lat athirst hirsE come and whosoever will let him take f the water of life freely 11 rev 22 17 i again the savior says isay s come unto me all ye t that at labor and are heavy laden and I 1 will give you rest take my yoke upon you and earn of me for I 1 am meek and lowly lovly in heart I 1 ind ye shall find rest unto your souls doulk for my my foke oke is is aas easy and my mv burden is light 0 matt alati 1128 11 2829 9 I 1 30 0 again isaiah says look unto me ind and be ye re saved all the ends of the earth for I 1 am god ind there is none else I 1 have sworn by my belf and the word is gone out oat of my mouth in and shall not return that unto ne every knee shall bow and every tongue shall wear surely shall one say in the lord have I 1 righteousness and strength even to him shall iken aen come and all that are incensed against him bim shall be ashamed isaiah 45 22 23 24 I 1 and to show further connections in proof of ti tie e doctrine above named we quote the follow i ag scriptures I 1 j him hath god exalted with his right hand to t be a prince and a savior for to give re pin tance ce to israel and forgiveness of sins ani and we WB are his bis witnesses of these things and so is a aso so the holy ghost whom god hath given to dem that obey him acts 5 31 32 but when they believed philip preaching the things concerning the king kingdom doin of god and the naifie name of jesus christ they were ba baptized both bath men and women then simon hi himself believed also and when he was baptized he I 1 continued with philip and wondered beholding I 1 the miracles and signs that were done now when the apostles which were at jerusalem heard that samaria had received the word of god they sent unto them peter and john who when they were come down prayed for them that they might receive the holy ghost for as yet he be was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the name of the lord jesus then laid they their hands bands on them and they received the holy ghost I 1 and as they went on their way they came onto auto a certain wal water ter and the eunuch said see here is water what doth hinder we me to be bap ze and n philip said if thou belie veat with jail 1 H thine heart thou and he answered jand 1 ad said I 1 believe that jesus christ is t the he son of god and he commanded the chariot to stand still and they went down both into the clater ater both philip and the eunuch and he tied bi him M and when they were come up out 0 of the water the spirit of the lord caught away philip and the eunuch saw him no more and he went on his way rejoicing but philip 1 was found at azotus and and passing assing through he j preached in all the cities ti till fahe he came to cesarea acts 8 12 13 to the end while awhile peter yet these words the 11 holy 01 ghost fell on all ad them which heard beard the I 1 wow word and they of the circumcision which believed were astonished as many as came with peters peter because that on the gentiles also was poured out the gift of the holy ghost for they heard theto them speak with tongues and magnify god then answered peter can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy ghost as well aa we and he commanded them to be baptized in tho the name of the lord then prayed they him to tarry certain days acts 10 44 to 48 and on the we went out of I 1 the city 4 by a river side where prayer was wont went t to 0 be made and we sat down and unto the women who resorted thither and a certain woman named lydia a seller of purple of the city of thyatira which worshipped wor shipped god heard us whose heart beart the lord opened that she attended unto the things spoken of by paul and when she was baptized and her io household she besought us saying saving if ye have judged me to be faithful to the lord come into my house and an abide there and she constrained constrain sd us us 11 band and at midnight 15 paul and silas prayed and eang sang 11 praises to 1 god I od and the prisoners heard beard them and suddenly there was a great earthquake ike so that the foundations foundation of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and every ones hands bands were loosed and the keeper of the prison awaking in out of his sleep tind and seeing I 1 the prison doors open he drew out his bis sword and would have killed himself se if supposing that the boft att abt wilt 4 a voice i saying apik i ia r t thyself no harm for we are all here then he called for a light and ana sprang in and came trembling and fell down before paul and st silas 11 as and brought them out and said sirs what must I 1 do to be saved and they said believe on the lord jesus christ and thou be saved and thy house bouse and they unto him the word of the lord and to all that were in his house honse and he took them the mroe hour of the night and washed their stripes and was baptized he and all his straightway and when he had brought za the them m into his house he set meat before them and rejoiced beli believing evina in god with all hit his house acts 1613 16 13 to 15 25 to 35 and it came to pass ass that while apollos was at corinth paul tavina havins passed through the upper co ests came to ephesus and finding certain disciples he said unto them have ye received the holy ghost since ye befi believed eved and they said unto him we have not so much as heard whether there be any any holy ghost and he said unto them unto whit then were ye baptized and they said y unto johns baptism then said paul john verily baptized with the baptism of repent repentance anee saying unto the people that they should believe on him which should come after him that is on christ jesus when they heard this they were baptized in the name of the lord jesus and when paul had laid his hands upon them the holy ghost came on them and t ier le sp ika tk 3 with tongues and prophesied acts ly IU I 1 to 6 and one ananias a devout man according 1 to the law having a good report of all the jews which dwelt there came unto me and stood I 1 i and said unto me brother saul receive thy sight eight and the same hour bout I 1 looked upon him and he said the god of our fathers hath chosen thee that thou should st know his will and see that just one and should st hear the voice of his mouth month vor for thou be his witness unto fill all imen men of what thou hast seen been and heard and now why tamest tar riest thou arise and be baptized a and nd wash anav thy sins calling on the name of the lord acts 22 12 to 16 I 1 for when for the time ye te ought to be teachers ye ve have need deed that hiie one teach you again which |