Letter to N. C. Saxton, 4 January 1833

Considering the Liberal prisciples [principles] upon which  your interesting and valuable paper is published and  myself being a subscriber and feeling a deep intrist  in the cause of Zion

In JS’s earliest revelations “the cause of Zion” was used to broadly describe the work JS was called to do. However, the term Zion was soon used more specifically to describe a community of believers who live in harmony and equality. The Book of Mormon explained...

View Glossary

and in the happiness of my brethren  of mankind I cheerfully take up my pen to contribute  my mite at this every [very] interesting and important period

For some length of time I have  been car[e]fully viewing the state of things as now appear  throug[h]out our christian Land and have looked at it  with feelings of the most painful anxiety while upon  the one hand beholding the manifested withdrawal of Gods  holy Spirit and the vail of stupidity which seems to  be drawn over the hearts of the people and upon the  other hand beholding the Judgments of God that have swept and  are still sweeping hundreds and thousands of our race (and I fear  unprepared) down to the shades of death with this solemn and alarming  fact before me I am led to exclaim [“]O that my head were waters and  mine ey[e]s a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night &c,”  I think that it is high time for a christian world to awake out of sleep  and cry mightely to that God day and night whose anger we have  Justly incured. Are not these things a sufficient stimulant to  arouse the faculties and call forth the energies of evry man  woman and child that poseses feeling of sympathy for his fellow[s] or  that is in any degree endeared to the bud[d]ing cause of our  glorious Lord; I leave an inteligent community to answer  this important question with a confession that this is what  has caused me to overlook my own inability and expose my  weakness to a learned world but trusting in that God. who has said  these things are hid from the wise and prudent and reve[a]led unto babes  I step forth into the field to tell you what the Lord is doing and  what you must do to enjoy the smiles of your saviour in these  last day[s]—— The time has at last come arived when the  Gods of Abraham of Isaac and of Jacob has set his hand again  the seccond time to recover the remnants of his people which have [p. 14]