3rd. O ye Elders of Israel! lift up your heads and rejoice, for the day of your redemption draweth nigh, comfort yourselves, by pondering in your hearts the grand events which will transpire at the morn of the millenium; when there shall be no mobs, to rise up against you; no weapon formed against you by lawless marauders; and no tongue to scandalize your character, by vain and groundless reports; knowing that this blessing will be placed upon your heads, when you return from your ministry; and when the Judge of the whole earth shall say, well done thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make the[e] ruler over many things; enter thou into the joys of thy Lord.

4th. Lift up your heads then, ye Elders of Israel, say to the North, give up, to the South, keep not back. Say to the Isles of the sea, be glad, and to the Kingdoms of the earth rejoice; for the Lord our God is about to establish a Kingdom, which cannot be thrown down, neither can the gates of hell prevail against it.

5th. Therefore, rejoice ye Elders of Israel; believe not the slangs and foul reports against our Beloved Brethren, Joseph Smith Jr. and , they are groundless, and as black as the apostate Authors, who will not protect that little stone that is hewn out of the mountain without hands, and who exerts their utmost endeavors to impede the progress of the Kingdom which God has set up, for the salvation of man in these last days.

6th. Be of good cheer then, ye ministers of the gospel, always abounding in faith and good works; ponder the paths of your feet; acknowedge the hand of God in all things; be instant in prayer, and your heavenly Father will direct your steps, lead you into all truth, and the Spirit of the living God will dwell richly upon you: even so Amen.

Having a general knowledge of many of the counties in upper , and the welfare of the brethren of the church of Latter Day Saints in view: I will give a short history of the situation of the County of , and the regions round about.

is situated about 50 miles North of in , on a beautiful elevated prairie, so that when the traveller approaches the town, though several miles from it, the eye catches the beautiful prospect, which leads the mind to wonder that a people almost wholly destitute of means, could accomplish so great work in so short time.

The County of , is a beautiful elevated prairie County, interspersed with valleys, and beautiful groves of timber; the face of the country, is generally high and rolling, and renders it as healthy, as any part of the .

The soil is very productive, insomuch that forty or fifty bushels of corn per acre is but midling yield, and equally as good for wheat, and all other kinds of grain, which is natural to the Western and Southern States.

Dear Brethren:

Whereas, many have taken into hand to set forth the order of the kingdom of God on earth, and have testified of the grace of God, as given unto them, to publish unto you.

I also feel it my duty to write unto you, touching the grace of God given unto me, to youward; concerning the dispensation we have received; which is the greatest of all dispensations.— And has been spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began.

In this, my communication to you, I design to notice some of these prophecies.

Now the apostle Paul says on this wise, “For I would not brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, (lest you should be wise in your own conceit,) that blindness in part has happened unto Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion a Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”

What is that he says! “For I would not have you ignorant,” ignorant of what? why of this mystery, that blindness in part had happened unto Is [p. 39]