| Show I 1 TENTH GERERAL EPISTLE of the presidency of the church Chur ciot of jesus christ of latter day saints to the biats scattered abroad thi throughout kouhout hout the earth GREETING BELOVED BRETHREN this short epistle we now send you testifying that we always hold you ill lively remembrance in our hearts and before the throne of our father in in heaven humbly acknowledging that the goodness of our god baill continues to abound towards his gathering israel both in in the fruitfulness illness of the past season and tile the many confirmations masons of the faith of such as diligently keep his bis commandments without wavering man adny y appreciate appie cute tile the privilege pini lege ol of their adoption into inlo tile the glorious gl onous kingdom ot of our redeemer and also tho covenants of promise whereby the faithful are made partakers par takers of the divine nature then their peace consequently abounds und and their pathway readily shines brighter in every successive step ot of their delightful antl and d yet et peculiar journey striving to keep pace W with the unfolding signs of the times and lending bo li ears to tile the of tile tha holy spirit and with eyes fixed filed vigilantly upon all movements that c can n in in any way help heip to interpret the opening design s of tile the i a her concerning tile the great latter day work 0 il hearts are often ft rejoiced with the increased dawn and bi brightness ol of tile the longy lobig promised romme d d day is y of the restoration ot of the remnants ol of jacob acob aud and tile full comple tion of the lords howe house in tile the tops of the mountains 1 the best beat observers of morning light asua usua usually 11 y 1 lie he very low so that any observable object that is liboi abbie e them cannot well escape tile the scrutiny of their watchful eye the meek dud and lowly in heart are always satisfied to them mem the work ol of tile the father progresses just fast enough to them the work could not bo be bettered though it should move faster or slower why tie cause they live by their faith it in every word that edeth deth from the mouth of god they have riano renounced incel their own righteousness knowing that they cannot of themselves survey tile the end froin the begin beginning ning and co consequently cannot judge of tile the things ol 01 god only by the spirit ol of god the world by wisdom do not know kilow god but the meek saint by the spirit spat of god judges all things who cau call tell without the spirit of god or the immediate revelations irom above when and where it is is a time to build and to plant and which of two or of in many any things will prospera prosper 7 who can tell how noir a desolating ack bickness kness ness may bo be or a pinching famine or a great gi eat division of the nations in in a war tile the true answer to these questions is is ho he only who knows tile the end from the beginning und and such as he appoints to receive the manifestations of his will the kingdom ot of god cometh without observation ou oil tile of april lust last the governor visited some of the southern settlements passed palmyra a new town that had sprung up in in the short period of a few weeks and staid at ai payson and nephi in his jou ney ou oil tile the of the sane same month our brethren ethien br A lyman and C C rich started for san bernardino Bernard mo on the the brethren at allreds alfreds All reds settlement were warned to build a fort and caral and subsequent events have proved the necessity of the warning although the presidency did not return home till the ad ot of may still the journey houi joui ney was performed a period of considerable frosts hail and snow and at spanish fo k the waters overflowed their usual barriers to that de degree that the wagons were obliged to be taken over gee he a stream by the hands bands of the brethren the waters during the past season have rustled rushed down the mountains in greater abundance than in any previous year since the saints settlement in the valley on the of may the nauvoo legion had a 9 general parade and as late as the of the same month the frost was sufficiently severe to kill potatoes and vines on the he delegate to congress hun J M bernhisel arrived in the cit city y of great salt lake cheerful and blessed on the lat ot of june the Legis lal ure of utah celebrated their anniversary which happened to be on prest B youngs birth day by a legislative ball and went into pelic session on the ad and ad at I 1 ais period the waters became very high doing damage in in many places in in the city I 1 from the missouri when the waters of the valley W were ere very high doing much damage necessitating a ferry across the river jordan through the loss of the principal bridge big cottonwood was rendered impassable at the same time while the snow wits was fifteen teet feet deep in north kanyon and strange as it may seem to the inhabitants of some countries t e I 1 a field of wheat wis was harvested on the 2 3 th almost 1 I t in the immediate vicinity of such immense ties mountain show mountain snows or frightful torrents of water with thunder and hail trying their fury upon the emigrants in in tin 9 betin f ft their animals of if burdt d n iii nave as yet decieri d the gad seeking sec king emi grat gritu I 1 t choin pir sn ng dg lits im f avio ritu idol through rough til biffi 11 flies in the ali spring ot of lie avar afteu gre later ater biffi 0 aud move inor to lj li alah a d than the saints in in tile the ot ol utu her our own people hive have eap exp experienced the loss of bonit cattle and lin fit anew bention ce of f frosty roty in I 1 fills and amt lim s i 1 I chrt sh rt I 1 ire be becore wre pit aly i auld I 1 tf convey anve f k 1 to them the in im the pi ain yet et their can I 1 f c jurite tj 1 as barrk bl s or even seven G tile haw have made inside a great i orl on hie hillh aich with iut the painful ser servitude ot of ta k ing it 11 edi cine or p tying g doctors do cUire billa aud generally e n e rally they have learned by the journey to set I 1 fight light by the luxuries and superfluities that in in I 1 0 some countries and circumstances circumstances I 1 require a life 0 of f servitude to supply 1 our emigration over the plains have mostly arrived here the rear lear company under tinder charge of capt john brown being within a few miles ot of the city they have found the land journey very healt healthy by and met I 1 with no serious senous impediments on their route loute I 1 1 some depredations have been committed upon our citizens by tile the more ungovernable portion of indians lud ians which it is is hoped will ill be checked without any very ser serious ious hostilities on the part pait of the inhabitants ot of utah territory on the lath of july bro creel yas was shot while standing sentry at payson paydon by an indian belonging to walkers baud band since that tune a few others have been killed by the indians two were shot while riding express from fillmore city but brethren br ethien let us not be shaken ill in our oui minds by these use U se outbreaks committed by tile savage remnants that su surround r ro und us the lord our redeemer lias has a purpose to by these long degraded and oft often e n I 1 much abused descendants of auraham and when the saints shall haqq learned to do as well as kamau ill in proportion to their knowledge and long iong exper experience iel we may reasonably expect little moie difficulty horn from that source i 1 this chastening cha from our endes en ermes may prove to be ba a timely warning and benefit to many to aroune themselves from their lethargy and neglect of express and timely co counsel misel while the immediate and perhaps un unoffending offending victims of their cruelly have not lallen fallen 1 to tile the earth unnoticed by our heavenly father the I 1 0 rigorous discipline which 0 ir enemies are sometimes some timea I 1 allowed to o inflict upon the saints us as a body for negligence of their salvation may sometimes contribute I 1 to keep them from errors much more to be dreaded than the chasten ings which are designed to forewarn them the promises of god concerning the restoration of israel cannot fail and nothing should divert v ert our faith and our prayer from the constant cou expectation pec tation of their fulfillment you will perceive by reference to the minutes of I 1 our last general conference that the time lids has come coille for the tha leaven of salvation to be offered to the remnants that dwell on tile the continent of america while the church of jesus christ of latter day saints are aie carrying the gospel tu to every considerable consid crable and distant portion of the inhabitants of the earth not excepting any nation however distant we can not seal up our testimony concerning the degraded s sons ons 0 of f abraham on our immediate borders without offering them the same glorious gospel which their fathers so meekly md and nobly obeyed in the day of then their visitation but the elders abroad will not slacken their hands on this account for if they persecute in in one naion and cast you out go to the first door that is is open in in the next nation that will receive you and spare spar not your exertions from the rising to the setting of the sun till every ear has had the opportunity to hear the gospel of salvation active preparations are now in operation to wall ill in the cities and all the considerable throughout the territory the I 1 he twelve apostles with few exceptions have recently received important appointments point ments to the charge of considerable sections of the territory and will repair to the field of their missions us as soon as practicable and the facilities for in instructions to all tile the cities and settlements through the territory will be ner eased by tile twelve officiating personally among the people that dwell in m di different Terent locations it is intended to make increased efforts for gathering the saints from distant lands and while some borne means at home can and will be spared to assist foreign saints to gather to the aF appointed pointed places of safety over and above the e expense of accumulated efforts to build and fortify cities and towns and send out a larger number of missionaries missionaries we would still remind saints in england and ese eise where that have a stewardship over a portion of earthly treasures t that at now they may enjoy the privilege of helping themselves to come to zion and also of helping such as cannot help themselves even the lords poor and receive their reward iu in the elie resurrection of the just finally brethren slacken not your hands but be diligent to do with your might a good work in every just and laudable and prove your own selves by embracing every opportunity to be useful and magi magnify fily your callings that you may be counted worthy ot of eternal life live your religion so manifestly and indisputably that you may reel feel the p peaceful easeful and purifying fruits fruita of it and the power thereof lest temptations seize upon you that you have not power to withstand and you lose what you have seemed to gain let not your lives be uch such that your own heats will condemn condell you lest est IM he who is greater than your hearty hearts sil should bould pre prefer er c harges charges against you lar far more and greater than a misty darkened mind has supposed ever remember dear brethren that if you would be righteous like your ht hi aveney father his righteousness comes by revelation through your faith be content with nothing short odthe revealed will of your heavenly father for being built upon this foundation the floods of error and temptation that must come upon all them that dwell upon the earth will not be able to overthrow you remember the teachings of your prophets joseph and brigham and obey them think of the leac teachings I 1 it ll 11 gs of the conference minutes li minutes which accompany this episale ep walk humbly before your heavenly father and do his will if any presidency of the va various i ous branches of the church in the different nations nation have the opportunity of forwarding the saints froin from tile the torrid zone to sau san padro or sau san diego gal cal send them let them go directly to presidents amasa ly man and charles 0 rich sail bernardino und and take their counsel and may god our heavenly father give you wisdom in all things lings ti elders sisters and friends that you yo u may meet us in the celestial kingdom is the prayer of your brethren BRIGHAM YOUNG HEBER C KIMBALL W RICHARDS great salt lake city oct 13 1853 |
