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Times and Seasons, 15 August 1842

Source Note

Times and Seasons (, Hancock Co., IL), 15 Aug. 1842, vol. 3, no. 20, pp. 879–894; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.

Historical Introduction

The 15 August 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons was the twelfth JS oversaw as editor. The issue reprinted a letter from the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star detailing the Saints’ “first Foreign Mission” to Great Britain, which lasted from 1837 to 1838. The issue also continued the serialized “History of Joseph Smith” and reprinted the conclusion of an account from the Bostonian of a “Great Discussion on Mormonism” that had recently taken place in between Latter-day Saint missionary and Methodist minister George Montgomery West.
In addition, the issue included editorial content created by the staff of the paper. These items included an account of the history of persecution endured by the ; a short treatise on the spiritual power of knowledge; a note about unwelcome “loafers” in , Illinois; and an obituary for , a in the church. The issue concluded with a notice asking those indebted to JS’s deceased brother to pay their debts to his widow, . The extent of JS’s involvement in the creation and oversight of the issue’s content is difficult to ascertain, especially since he spent early August preoccupied with attempts to extradite him to and had gone into hiding by 10 August to avoid arrest and possible extradition. Regardless, as editor of the paper, JS assumed responsibility for all published content.
Note that only the editorial content created specifically for this issue of the Times and Seasons is annotated here. Articles reprinted from other papers, letters, conference minutes, and notices, are reproduced here but not annotated. Items that are stand-alone JS documents are annotated elsewhere; links are provided to these stand-alone documents.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    Despite the 15 August date, a notice in the issue was dated 20 August, suggesting the issue’s publication was delayed until that date or later. John Taylor helped JS edit the Times and Seasons, but JS, as editor, assumed primary editorial responsibility for the content in the issues. (“Books of Mormon,” Times and Seasons, 15 Aug. 1842, 3:894; Woodruff, Journal, 19 Feb. 1842; “To Subscribers,” Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, 3:710.)

    Woodruff, Wilford. Journals, 1833–1898. Wilford Woodruff, Journals and Papers, 1828–1898. CHL. MS 1352.

  2. [2]

    Times and Seasons, 15 Aug. 1842, 3:879–886. West was a Methodist preacher and Christian apologist in Boston who denounced the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first half of the article appeared in the previous issue of the Times and Seasons. (“Great Discussion on Mormonism,” Times and Seasons, 1 Aug. 1842, 3:865; Tyler Parsons, Boston, MA, 14 June 1842, Letter to the Editor, Boston Investigator, 15 June 1842, [3]; Letter from Erastus Snow, 22 June 1842.)

    Boston Investigator. Boston. 1831–1904.

  3. [3]

    JS, Journal, 10–13 and 17 Aug. 1842. JS returned to Nauvoo the night of 19 August, about the time this issue was published, but he remained in hiding. (JS, Journal, 19 Aug. 1842.)

  4. [4]

    See “Editorial Method”.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Times and Seasons, 15 August 1842 *Times and Seasons, 15 August 1842 *Times and Seasons, 15 August 1842 *Times and Seasons, 15 August 1842
*Times and Seasons, 15 August 1842
*Letter from Lorenzo D. Wasson, 30 July 1842 Times and Seasons, 15 August 1842 Letter from P., before 15 August 1842 Times and Seasons, 15 August 1842

Page 894

NOTICE.
The members of the , who have been to the , and have not become members of the of , and had their names enrolled on the Record Book thereof, are hereby notified, that, upon their arrival in this place, it is their duty to apply to the Quorum for admission, pursuant to one of the regulations thereof.
,
President of the Quorum.
,
Clerk of the Quorum,
, July 31st, 1842.
 
————
Poetry.
————
LINES.
Addressed to father Tyson, after the melancholy event of the death of his son, accidentally killed by the discharge of a rifle.
 
Thou aged saint, can words avail—
Can tears afford relief?
Can human sympathies prevail,
To soothe thy bosom’s grief?
 
In life how suddenly betide
Those evils that destroy!
’Twas but a moment to divide
Thy hopes, and blasts thy joy!
 
Deep is the wound and keen the dart—
It stings thy inmost soul—
And through the fibers of thy heart
Affliction’s waters roll!
 
But cease thy sorrow—peace—be calm
And let thy tears be dry—
Sweet consolation’s softest balm
Is flowing from on high.
 
It is the Lord—his ways are just—
There’s mercy in his rod;
Thou know’s, his goodness and can trust
The true and living God.
 
Great are the blessings now in store
For thee, in faithfulness:
Look thro’ thy sorrows and adore
The hand that smites to bless.
 
This sudden stroke has rent a chord
In twain that bound you here;
But glorious will be your reward
When in that blessed sphere.
 
When all is joy, you will rejoin
Your dear and fav’rite son;
And glory in this deep design
Of the Eternal One.
 
————
Editorial Note
The 15 August 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons also included an obituary for , a prominent member of the who had died on 31 July 1842. Knight had served as in the church, as a member of the City Council, and as a guard in the . He also was a member of Nauvoo’s Freemasonry lodge.
DIED.—In this , on Sunday the 31st day of July last, , aged 38 years. was one of the of this , and a man favored of God, and respected by all good men. He had been long in the church and had always adorned his life, works and profession, with that decorum virtue and humility, which ever characterizes the true followers of our blessed Jesus.
Warring the great warfare of a saint, he has waded through the midst of persecution, over the blood stained prairies of , in the chilling blasts of winter, comforting the fleeing saints, and administering to the wants of his own family; yea, through great tribulations, heart and hand with his brethren; he was ever ready to give a reasonable answer for his hope in things to come; and showed by his actions as well as words, that he meant to live godly in Christ Jesus, although he suffered persecution. Though he has been removed, as it were in the midst of life, yet in the assurance of a glorious resurrection, he has died the death of the righteous: henceforth there is laid up for him a crown that fadeth not away. “Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord!”
 
————
Editorial Note
The final editorial item in the 15 August 1842 issue was a notice urging readers to pay off debts owed to , brother to JS, who had died a year earlier, so that his widow, could have her needs met. Don Carlos Smith had been an editor and proprietor of the Times and Seasons along with . The debts may have included, among other things, outstanding subscription fees to the Times and Seasons.
REMEMBER THE WIDOW.
Patrons indebted to the late publisher of this paper, , deceased, are requested to make payment to Mrs. Agnes M. [Coolbrith] Smith, his widow: she is in need and will be glad to receive provisions of those in this section, and money fram more distant debtors without further dunning them.
 
————
BOOKS OF MORMON, &C.
Just published and for sale, Books of Mormon, and Hymn Books, together with some other publications in defence of the faith of the saints.
, Aug. 20, 1842.
 
——————————
The Times and Seasons,
Is edited, printed and published about the first and fifteenth of every month, on the corner of Water and Bain Streets, , Hancock County, Illinois, by
JOSEPH SMITH.
TERMS.—Two Dollars per annum, payable in all cases in advance. Any person procuring five new subscribers, and forwarding us Ten Dollars current money, shall receive one volume gratis. All letters must be addressed to Joseph Smith, publisher, post paid, or they will not receive attention. [p. 894]
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Page 894

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Times and Seasons, 15 August 1842
ID #
8154
Total Pages
16
Print Volume Location
JSP, D10:383–397
Handwriting on This Page
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Footnotes

  1. [49]

    Knight suffered losses and expulsion along with other Saints in Missouri in 1838 and 1839. Reflecting on this suffering in February 1839, he wrote, “I am of the opinion that all citizens of these United States that do not know how to pity Mormons will some time know it.” Knight pledged that he was willing to “lay down my life for my liberty, and more, am willing to do it for my friend that is deprived of his liberty.” After relocating to Illinois, Knight also functioned as an agent for the church to facilitate the purchase of land in Iowa Territory and Illinois. (Vinson Knight, Spencerburg, MO, to William Cooper, Perrysburg, NY, 3 Feb. 1839, Vinson Knight, Letters, CHL; “Joseph Smith Documents from September 1839 through January 1841”; Lee Co., IA, Land Records, 1836–1961, vol. 1, pp. 507–509, 29 May 1839, microfilm 959,238; vol. 2, pp. 3–6, 13–16, 26 June 1839, microfilm 959,239, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)

    Knight, Vinson. Letters, 1839 and 1842. Typescript. CHL.

    U.S. and Canada Record Collection. FHL.

  2. [50]

    See Revelation 14:13; and Revelation, 30 Aug. 1831 [D&C 63:49–50].

  3. [51]

    Don Carlos Smith died in August 1841, likely of tuberculosis. He had coedited the Times and Seasons from November 1839 until his death. (“Death of General Don Carlos Smith,” Times and Seasons, 16 Aug. 1841, 2:503; Letter to Oliver Granger, 30 Aug. 1841; Crawley, Descriptive Bibliography, 1:91–92.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Crawley, Peter. A Descriptive Bibliography of the Mormon Church. 3 vols. Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1997–2012.

  4. [52]

    Because Nauvoo was cash poor, bartering and payment with provisions were common practices. (See Nauvoo City Scrip, 14 July 1842.)

  5. [53]

    Dunning meant, among other things, urging debtors to pay their debts. (“Dunning,” in American Dictionary [1828].)

    An American Dictionary of the English Language: Intended to Exhibit, I. the Origin, Affinities and Primary Signification of English Words, as far as They Have Been Ascertained. . . . Edited by Noah Webster. New York: S. Converse, 1828.

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