Show fi I 1 Copy copyright rigi t secured HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH seith smitha 00 i 1 july uly 1842 issued an editorial in the limesand times Time sand and seasons on the government of god as follows te the government govern lent of the almighty t has always been beer been very dissimilar to the q government yern ment 4 of f men whether we refer to his bis religious religious govern government mer t or to the government or of nat hat nations ions lons the government of god has always tended t to 0 promote peace harmony strength and happiness while white that of mair has been bee p productive of confusion disorder weakness vand and misery r the greatest acts of the mighty men have been to depopulate nations natio nand tand rand to overthrow kin kingdoms doms and whilst they have exalted themselves aud and nd become coms come glorious jt it has been beenk at the expense of the fives of the innocent the blood of or the oppressed thet tha moans of the tha widow and the tears of the orphan I 1 egypt babylon grecoe persia carthage rome e eacil cli cil vre were ire raised to dignity amid the clash of arms arins and the din of war and whilst their triumphant leaders led jed forth their victorious armies to glory aud and victory their ears were sainted saluted with pith the tile groans of the dying and the misey and nd distress of the human family before thein them the earth was a paradise pa dise and behind them a desolate wilderness their kingdoms were founded in caina carnage e and bloodshed and sustained by oppre oppression sa ii ty tyranny ranny and despotism the designs of god anthe on other hand have been heen to promote ote the universal good of the universal world to establish peace and goodwill among men to promote 0 the p principles of eternal truth to bring about a er t a state of things that shall finite unite man to his fellow mani man cause the world to beat their swords into theirs their spears peats nto into pruning hooks looks mak make the nations of the tiie earth dwell in peace and to bring br i about the millennial glory when the earth shall shail all zil yield its increase resume its Paridi sean glog glory and become as the garden of the tiie lord the we great arid and wise of ancient lays days have hava failed hi ta all their attempts to promote eternal power peace and grid happiness their nations have crumbled to pieces their thrones have been cast down in their turn and their cities and their mightiest works of art have been annihilated or their dila towers or time worn monuments have haie left us but feeble traits of their former benc cenik e and ancient grandeur they proclaim as with a voice of thunder those imperishable truths that mans strength is weakness his wisdom is his glory is his shame I 1 monarchical and republican forms of 0 government of their various kinds and grades have in their thein turns turn been raised to dignity di nIly and prostrated in the dust the plans of the greatest politicians the wisest senators and most pro found statesmen have been exploded and the proceedings F s of the tilo greatest chieftains the bravest generals and end the wisest kings have fallen to the ground nation has succeeded nation and we have leavo inherited nothing but their folly history records their pue puerile riler plans their short lived glory their feeble intellect and their ignoble deeds haye have in knowledge know pedge fedge or intelligence where ii is there a man marn that can step forth and alter the destiny of nations and promote the happiness of the world or where is there a kingdom or ar nation that can promote the universo sj ir happiness of f its oali own subjects or even their general well being our nation which possesses greater resources than any other is rent from centre centra to circumference with panty strife political imi Mr ii trinie igue and sectional interest our counselors are panic manic struck our legislators are astonished and our seila sella senators tors are confounded our merchants are paralyzed our tradesmen are disheartened heartened dis our mechanics out of employ our fd farmers distressed and ind our poor crying for bread our banks are broken our credit ruined and our states o overwhelmed in debt yet we are and have been in peace whit what is the matter are we alone in this thing verily no with mth all our evils we are better situated aitu a cited than any other nation let egy egypt p turkey spain france italy portugal ger germany ariy riy england china chin or gr any other oilier nat ual on speak and tel tell the tale of t their ein eln rouble trouble their perplexity and distress and we hould find that their cup 1 was full and that they were preparing to ariti drink k the dregs of sorrow engl Eng england ind lind that boast boasts of her literature her science commerce ac has her hands reeking with the blood of the innocent abroad and she is saluted with the tho cries of the tha oppressed at home chartism OConnell ism and radicalism are gnawing her vitals at home and ireland scotland canada and the tho east eat are threatening her destruction abroad france is rent to the core intrigue treachery chery and treason reason lurk in the dark and murder and assassination stalk horth forth at noonday turkey once ones the glory of european nations has jias been shorn shora of her strength th has dwindled into her dotage and has been ob obliged ig wed ged to ask her hr allies to propose to her tributary terms terms of peace anil anel russia and egypt are ara each of them opening their jaws to devour ller hen spain has been the theatre of bloodshed of misery and woe for years past syri syril ii 13 now convulsed with war and bloodshed the great and powerful empire of china which lids iwa for centuries resisted the attacks of i lias has elcome tributary to 0 o a f fortiori lort fort iiri foe air lir but lut teriza thrown down nany oft caha de coyed und and jaci i f eget t n her villages deserted darted we might mention the eastern rajah the miseries and oppressions oppress ions ious of the irish the convulsed state of or central ai america the situation of texas and Al mexico exico the state of greece greice switzerland and poland nay the world itself presents one great theatre of misery woe woo and distress of nations with perplexity all alt all till speak witha with a voice of thunder that man is not fiot able to govern himself to legislate for himself to protect himself to promote his own good nor the tiie good ef of the world it has been the design of jehovah froni from the commencement of the world and is his p purpose it 10 ise ile now to regulate th the affairs of the world I 1 in his lit own time to s stand land as head of the universe and take the reins of government into his awn own hand when that Is s done judgment will be i administered in righteousness anarchy and con fusion willbe wili will be des destroyed troyed and nations will lil ill learn war no more it ii 14 for want of this great govi ernins principle that all this tills confusion has exist 1 ed for it is not in man that walseth wal keth to direct i his steps this we have fully hown shown I 1 if it there was anything great or good in the world it came from god the construction of the first vessel was given to noah by revelation I 1 the design of the ark was given by god a pattern I 1 of heavenly thi things nas aas the learning of the egyptians and their knowledg knowledge of astronomy I 1 was no doubt taught them by abraham and i joseph as their records testify who received it from the lord the art of working in br brass ass i sil sli silver sliver 1 lver gold and precious stones was taught by revelation in the wilderness the architectural designs of the temple at jerusalem together with its ornament and beauty was given of god I 1 wisdom to govern the house of israel was given to Sol soi solomon ornon and to the judges of israel and if he had always been their king and they subject to liis his mandate and obedient to his laws they would still have been a great and mighty people I 1 the rulers of the tha universe and find the tha wonder of the 1 world I 1 if or darius or cyrus or any other king possessed knowledge or power it 1 was from the same source as tho tha scriptures abundantly testify if then tilea god puts up one and sets down another at his pleasure and made instruments of kings fan known to themselves to fulfill fulfil his prophecies how muc much ai more was lie he able if man would have been subject to his mandate inundate to regulate the attics of this av world orld and end promote I 1 peace and happiness among the tile human family the lord has ha at various times co commenced this kind of government and tendered his services to the human family he selected enoch whom he directed and gave his law unto and to the j people who were with him and when the them world 1 i in general would not obey the commands of god goe after walking with god he translated enoch and his church and the priesthood or government of heaven was taken away I 1 I 1 abraham was guided in all his family affair by I 1 I 1 the lord was conversed with by angels and by the eLoid th loid was oid old told where to go and when to stop and prospered exceedingly in all that he put I 1 his ln a hand unto it was because he be and his family obeyed the counsel of the lord I 1 j when egypt was under the superintendence I 1 of joseph it prospered because be he wis was taught of god when they tiley oppressed the israelites destruction came cams upon them when the children of israel were chosen with moses at their head md bey they were to be a peculiar people among whom god should place his name their motto was the i lord is is our lawgiver the lord is our judge the lord is our king and lie he shall reign over us while in this state they might truly say happy i is that people whose god is the tiie lord their government was a theocracy they had god to make their laws and men chosen by him to ad minister them lie was their god and they were his liia people moses received the word of the lord from god himself he be was the mouth of god to aaron astron and aaron taught the people in both civil and ecclesiastical they were both one there distinction so will it be when the purposes of god shall be accomplished when the lord shall be king over the whole earth and 14 jerusalem his thione throne the law shall go 0 forth from zion and the word of the lord from jerusalem this ii is the only thing that can bring about the restitution of all things spoken of by all the holy i prophets since face the world was the dispensa I 1 tion lion of the falness of times when god shall i gather together all tiling in one other at j tempts to promote universal peace and happiness in the human family have proved every effort has failed every every plan and design desi agn has fallen to the tha ground it needs the tiie wisdom of god the intelligence of god I 1 and the power of or god to accomplish com this the tile world hat hai ha had a fair trial for fur six thousand years the lord will try the seventh i thon thousand sand liim hims eln pir ir ho he whose right it is will possess the kingdom and reign until he lie has put all things under his hia feet fret iniquity will hide ite lie hoary head satan will be bound and the works of darkness destroyed righteousness will wih be put to the tho line and judgment to th the a plu piu plummet in imet and RI id he t aliat ile lie t fears gears the tha jord tord will alone alona be exalted in that day bobrin to bride brine about this states statts of things there here must of necessity ha be great confusion mong the nations distress of nations m with ith perplexity am I 1 asked what is ile lie the cause causa of the present distress 1 I would answer 1 shall shail there bs be eyll eril iu u a ait cit yand the lord lori hath not done iti ita it 31 4 i jf i 1 i i 11 il 1 14 l 4 i the earth is i s groaning under corruption oppression tyranny and bloodshed and god is comin coming 9 out of his hiding place as he said he be would do to vex the nations of the earth daniel in his vision sav saw convulsion upon convulsion he dasaw saw till lil ill ti rones irones were cast cost down and the ancient of days did sit and one was brought before him like unto the son sod of man and all nations kindreds tongues and tind people did serve aud add obey him it is for us u to b 3 ng righteous oteous that we e may be wis wise and understand for none of the wicked nicked shall shail understand but the tile wise shall understand and they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever As a church and a people it be lioves us to be wise and to seek to know therill the will of god and then bo be willing to do it for blessed is he that heareth the he word of the lord and keeneth it say lle ile lie the scriptures watch and pray always says our savio savior that ye may be accounted worthy to escape the things that are coming on the earth and to stand before the son of man alan 1 if enoch abraham moses the children of israel andall andali gods people were saved by uy keeping the commandments commandment of god cod we if saved at all shall bo be saved upon the same principle As god governed abraham isaac and jacob as families and the children of israel as a nation so we as a church must be under his guidance if we are prospered preserved and sustained our only confidence can be in god our only wisdom ol 01 obtained from him and lie lia alone must be our protector 0 and safeguard spin spiritually ritually and kempor temporally a liy or we fail fall i f we have been chastened chasteney chast ened by the hand of dod bod god heretofore for not obeying his commands although we never violated any human law ar or transgressed any human precept yet we have treated lightly his commands and departed from his big ordinances and the lord has bag chastened chasteney chast ened us sore and we have felt his big arm and kissed the tiie rod let us be wise in time to come and ever re member chatto that to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams the lord has told us to build the temple and the nauvoo housea Hou hon seand and that command is as binding upon us as any other and that man who eng engages not in these things is as much a transgressor as though he broke any other command he is not a do doer er of gods goda wil win nor a fulfiller of his laws in regard to the building up of zion it has to be e done by the council of jehovah by the revelations of or heaven beaven and we should feel to av say if the he lord go not with us carry us not up hence ilece 11 we would say to the saints that come here ve ye have lave laid the tile foundation for the gathering of gods people to this tin s place and expect that when the saints do come they will be under the council of those that god lias ilas ha s appointed the twelve are set apart to counsel the saints pertaining to this matter and we expect that those who comei come here will send before them their wise men according ng to revelation or if not practicable be subject tot toi the counsel that god has given or they cannot connot receive an inheritance among imong the saints or be considered as gods people and they will be aeilt with as transgressors of the laws of or god we are trying here to gird up our loins anci and purge from our midst the workers of iniquity and we ure hope that when our brethren arrive from abroad they will assist us to roll forth thi this s good work and to accomplish this great design that zion may be built up in righteousness and all nations i flock to her standard that as gods people under his direction and obedi obedient erit to his law we may grow up in righteousness and truth ruthn ruthy that 1 when n liis his purposes purpose shall bo be accomplished we may receive an inheritance among those that are sanctified 5 j saturday IG 16 rode on the prairie with my clerk lerk to show some land to brother russell from new ew york |