Show FIFTH GENERAL EPISTLE of tho lhea presidency of the church of jesus chhist christ of latter day saints from great salt lake valley state of deseret to the saints sd kte kwe scattered throughout the earth greetin greeting BELOVED ever mindful of the redeemers kingdom and of your our inter de 1 est th therein ersin eroin we gladly improve the present moment in expressing to you our watchfulness and care concerning you and concerning those things which may tend to your present I 1 happiness ind and future exaltation there is nothing that transpires around us but what has lias its ita tendency to good or evil and while we are in the world and are surrounded by circumstances and events which have a bearl mg ing on m our welfare either for or against agrain st it ioe loc becomes comes ua as as saints of the most high to i and become informed and to treasure up knowl knowledg and wisdom concerning all things thina that tint are transpiring on earth and in the heavens so far as it erns us and we are permitted to know and 1 in hell bell too that we maybe may be ready to shun every evil tendency and embrace all good and if through our pen the wisdom of god shall be made manifest for your good comfort consolation and salvation the greatest joy of our hearts will be realized the church of which yu W eu are members was organized on the gih gib of april 1830 then consisting of six individuals since which time it has lias continued contina d to increase and to be persecuted and drien from town to town from county to county and from state to state and out of the states until its resting place in the wilderness and vallies of the mountains is about three thousand miles from the place of its organization in the state of new york and in those persecutions prophets and apostles have been martyred marty red for the truths sake and the elders have been scattered abroad an the four fonn quarters of the earth and the islands of the sea pr preaching eachin cachin 9 i as they went faith on the lord jesus christ repentance baptism for the remission of sins the laying on of hands for the tho reception of the holy ghost the lords supper the gathering the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment and hundreds of thousands have believed and yielded obedience to the heavenly message and are patiently wai wal waiting waiting walting the second comi lord lori jesus christ who ere ion lon iong long ang feel feet again on mount olivet and make himself manifest unto israel according to the predictions of the ancient prophets for israel must be gathered from froni all nations and la be acain established in the land of their inherit inheritance hue eUe and behold the wounds in the hands and side of him whom they have pierced and acknowledge him as their savior their redeemer t the holy one of israel the catheri gathering ng of ise lse israel I 1 lias has already commenced judea udea is is receiving receiving its ancient inhabitants and the holy city is rebuilding building re which is one ohp prominent sign of the near approach of the bies bles messiah siah during daring the twenty one years since the organization of the church the gospel has been preached in europe asia africa anrica america the east and west indies and on many islands and clu ciu clusters of islands in the atlantic and pacific many thousands of the saints have gathered from various P parts of the earth unto zion to america the land which god has pointed out as a place of safety for his people in these last days daye and which will prove a place of refuge for kings and princes and nobles and honorable men of the earth cfall of all ail nations whether rich or poor who are disposed to seek refuge therein when the overflowing scourges urges of gods wrath shall destroy the nations and depopulate the earth on account of the tiie multiplied infidelity and abominations of the inhabitants thereof the unparalleled spread of the gospel in so short a space of time and the rapid gathering in V of the saints is another token of messiahs near approach the increasing convulsions of the nations the multiplied wars and rumors of wars the internal dissensions which threaten the disunion and overthrow of the best governments on the earth the increasing plagues and ock ness in new and diversified forms baffling the skill ol 01 the ablest physicians and causing the wisdom of their wisest to perish the increasing divisions among professing christian parties and members of tile the same party showing daily a greater and greater want of that union which must exist to secure the perpetuity of the principles of righteousness among any people and without which gods kingdom cannot exist on earth or in the heavens the increase of whirlwinds whirl winds hurricanes tornadoes and earthquakes tile the increase of the loss of life by shipwreck and tempest by steamboat explosions and burnings the destruction st of life and property by murder and robbery burglary and thell theft the fearful sights and str strange antye signs and Q knockings knock ings and ad noises fred frequently antly exhibited in the heavens and on the earth the increase of seers and wizards and diviners dividers div iners and familiar spirits and soothsayers and as gers who are charming the nations with their in magic their i c arts lulling P the tile foolish to sleep with their magnetic influence dec deceiving ci ing priests and people by their necromancy calling rai ral rain snow and fire from heaven and scattering abroad the hoar frost like a winters night in their halls of science and tha tho people supporting them by their faith influence and money leaving the poor the sick the widow and the fatherless to mourn foz for to the comforts of imo life in the solitary and the too general corruptions corrupt ions and abominations and defilements defile ments menta and polluted practices of all flesh upon the face of the earth all all these signy signs and multitudes more of a like nature now existing are tho the fulfillment of the prophecies not only of tile the ancient andew prophets but more particularly ai he afe latter day prophet and apostle seer and revelator J joseph pil smith who opened up the way of life and salvation to this generation by tile tiie power of the everlasting priesthood which was restored to earth through him and who prophesied and bore witness that all these and many an more like things should come to pass in in alis this generation as sign signs bf the second coming of the son of man which is near at hand and verily his testimony is true and his liis testament is in force for he be has sealed it with his blood therefore hear it all yo yc ends of tile the earth believe on jesus be baptize his name for the remission of your sins and do all things lie he shall command and you shall be saved in the presence presence of god and the lamb and there is no other way by which you can be saved of the day and the hour of the coming comier of christ no man it is not yet nei nel neither is it far there are arc prophecies yet to be fulfilled before hat event takes place therefore let no man deceive the saints with vain philosophy and false prophecy for false prophets will arise and deceive the wicked and if possible the good but while philp the wicked fear and tremble at surrounding j judgments the saints will watch and pray and a waiting the final event in patience will 1001 look calmly on the passing scenery of a corrupted world and view transpiring events as confirmation fir of their faith in the holy gospel which they profess and rejoice more and aoe awe as multiplied signs shall confirm the approach odthe of the millennial day the saints at home are making preparations to receive the saints from abroad and we feel grateful to our heavenly father that we can bear witness in truth that the choice blessin blessings s of the god oi of abraham have rested upon his people in in the vallies of the mountains since we ive last wrote you the winter his has been mild compared with most winters and much business lias has been transacted which could not have been done had the weather been severe several grain and lumber mills have been erected in the various set beme tl effle the past winter many shingles 42 he e b a made and all that is wanting to briar ih in into immediate use is nails and let ibe ehe saints 8 a ilits coming hither remember this ia p r wull fill ir lairs and various articles of furniture furn furu are mi 1 pv mg in our midst two or varee three thresh pa chines chinea have been in fil oper I 1 i in our valley the past fek frk f fi ai a tl v inter riter uli ull i ilch inch h have hove saved the labor of v hunan d a I 1 i inch which has been app it A 1 to atit ot ii r berts borts 1 acts of improvement j i hehl behl 4 v will i I 1 II 11 be want of for thresh j valk wilt 0 J arsent LI i a ion aon on and alx e ev bariou dinou i 1 li I ments or other otier vallies a N is no i ii oi duncing dunging too many or i ny fanni fanin koll irons irons ond end the most a drab r i 1112 the same abiva j ditc r er r to be fc fo it en by the 3 11 i L ting i r 11 i that tb th nio nic st t highly libor labor vit vin tit ina lna chint cfall of kinds LI eil 1 t any con COD community ID I 1 unity can Y V d to t r advant ame anc in Dc deseret seret liv i ot of ae 1 G on tile tiie lih mth I 1 tot not other othey lier ller 11 r home hom anns bonfe p I lelli i ith th chuh h c can i n sow r ahr afan r i 1 arn thet thel lor bor bur of 10 men a i ar s i r n ny v ot hinl hini li nl of busine necessary i i nin 1 is s could to h min win mediately edia edla tely r 6 bioni V i i lu aid ald nid goforth go forth b the he g 1 I nd the i oi n t an i preparations t i 0 uit plyn i ni lation bufler ir i r no mater v vl wl i under ex tj tin lin circum 9 viere ilore i yh h for all ap ti to do who are arc I 1 lu tv prepa r tiie the of others c i iltis if it not ot wisdom to send many i r i freig greig f dicig i us iia at p x nt 0 mi mirril leli ieli hi h i js as so fu f a completed d u fall fail 1 r the sever I 1 apartments part ments 1 11 i 1 hirough the n inter to th g it oy joy ft i I 1 3 people tile the warm sir j ti hoi I 1 v i as is d nd dedic I 1 pra hycl hyel 1 ft tivai on thc jhc 2 of N it i r sin sin v ich ach li rh time the he honse hunse has I 1 i a n don non n to ai h public for haith he alth aith and p tha thi hii bil un store h b u uie uye e was i as enc il t fail fall jd d is far ITT completed that tint one a a i t has be i used ac d for a store another fr f r agi r y cf gi g i others for mechanic s aa sa i A hiie blie 4 ie the c rs have been filled with vt rt 1 anah ande sand fh wille wilde h e in progress of fm fin im n nr building has hitherto been Z retarded at f i for lack of lumber but the prospect s an h i nore flattering for the future the arl lal f of the university lands by a sur sun hta ta tal slone ai sine ap wall is commenced and pro grasst gri gr shi sst g m aih sih with a prospect of being completed thi thid i s ssan svan eaon baon great loes loss has been sustained hitherto by the stray straying inn ing of cattle but the tithing t I 1 I 1 I 1 n g pasture a large tract of land on the northern nort lieg illg border of the city is so faz far enclosed by bs fence and ditch that it will soon be com earn bitted and be of gnat utility this seaon season sea on ka mch farm rm is partly fenced all who can bring wire no 9 will find it of great advantage in fencing in the valley the state has appropriated two thousand dollars towards opening a woollen manufactory torain in this valley the present season and any amount of raw cotton or cotton yarn which may be baright hither will pr prove 0 y e highly useful to combine in certain fabri fabrics c s with the wool which grows in the valley our pottery is nearly completed and we nye ara are expecting to use china ware vare of our oar own manufacture in a few weeks cutlery establishments lish ments have commenced in the city on a small scale but more laborers are needed the snow fell on the mountains surrounding this valley OB on the loth of october and has ha s continued to the present time but in the valley there was no snow till the of november about seven inches indies deep and the first severe frost was on the ath and again on the of december about four inches of snow fell and at other times the snow has fallen but seldom over four or five fire inches in the valley during one storm the last two n nights ats in february uary nary were the coldest during during t the winter mot afoot of the month of march maich was very pleasant and was improved by the farmers in riat Kiat keatting putting ting in wheat Therewa there was snot not so rw much w wheat eat sown in the valley last fall as there was ivas the fall previous but considerable has lias been sown gown this thia spring the spring i so sowing wi is quite as sure a crop as the winter and equal i in n quantity and quality the Thelast last week in march and girst first in april have been visited with high winds ands alternate from south and nort north i westi I 1 go lne ine slight showers and some sno snow W balls w aue erfour or four gour inches durin duding during 1 nig night ewo off during dub due nex next t day and w continue finues the principle business of the day 2 and of may be continued from four to six weeks elder am arrived by the northern route oria orla fria D F inan anan if on the of september pr and oder C C rich by the pame game ame route arrived on the 16 leth th of november each accompanied d by a company of 30 to 50 of the brethren on thelt their return from the gold mines odthe of the product of bc which the they y brought ver vrr very y little with them some tome were compelled to borrow to get bame bane and many who remained at tile the mines would gladly have returned home if they could have procured means december ath elder george eorge A smith left this city with men a few families and a good supply of teams seeds and tools for the purpose of establishing a settlement setU ement at iron county little salt la lake k e about 25 0 miles nearly sooth south we lear leamay liby riby an express thit the colony have located in a good rood place excellent soil and water plenty of wood iron ore and alum with some prospect of atone coal a afield field acres and of it sown and that they spied to sow the whole this season and their houses which are to constitute a fort and their meeting house are progressing rapidly the name odthe of the place is cedar city november the tile quorum cf rf seventies in conference agreed to ta erect an extensive rotunda rot unaa kin Uin in great sait salt lake lahe city to be called the seventies ile fla hall hali iii ili of science I 1 and joseph young their president was appointed trustee and superintendent of the work the foundation of the tiie hall is commenced on east temple and second south S streets shares are twenty give five dollars and the seventies abroad will d well to forward their meana metris for the hall to the trudee tru tee itee ina ini auch aach ax a they les re to owa own shires and par take of the blessings of the hall on their return all the elders of the different quorums are permitted to take shares tho the design is highly commendable to the brethren and end such a building is much needed in this place at a special session bession of the great salt lake county court on the ad U of january a few tr ancient ent men were convicted of stealing and sentenced to hard bard labor for various terms who anter afler serving a portion of their time were pardoned by the executive and have gone on their way to california the place of their original destination this was the first jury trial there had been in the state of deseret since its organization mid and the first occasion for the tiie ofa grand jury it is supposed that about three hundred emigrants who quartered in the tiie valley the past winter have llave left for the tiie gold mines this thin spring many emigrants on |