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Times and Seasons, 15 October 1842

Source Note

Times and Seasons (, Hancock Co., IL), 15 Oct. 1842, vol. 3, no. 24, pp. 943–958; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.

Historical Introduction

JS, assisted by and , served as editor for the 15 October 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons, the twenty-fourth and final issue in the third volume. It is highly unlikely that JS played any significant role in writing editorial content for this particular issue, because he spent much of October in hiding in Henderson County, Illinois. Nevertheless, as the newspaper’s editor, he was ultimately responsible for its content. This was the last issue published under JS’s editorship.
The non-editorial content in the issue, which is not featured here, included an installation of the serialized “History of Joseph Smith” and several articles reprinted from other newspapers on the impact of violence and disease in various places around the world, including the outbreak of cholera in Europe, the slaughter of Chinese forces by British soldiers in China, ongoing labor protests in , and the destruction in Cuba caused by a recent storm.
Editorial content in this issue included commentary on biblical history, a rebuttal of rumors that JS had fled to , and criticism of published comparisons of the Bible with the writing of William Shakespeare. Additional editorial content included a defense of JS’s decision to hide from law enforcement officials who were seeking his arrest and his extradition to ; a passage countering opinions that the Latter-day Saints should flee , Illinois, in order to avoid future persecution; and an article presenting evidence for Christianity’s general falling away from the primitive church described in the New Testament. Furthermore, the editors included comments on reports of ’s lectures in , a description of a pamphlet wrote about the church written in German, an introduction to a brief history of Australia, and a request for church members to renew their subscriptions to the newspaper.
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]

    See Historical Introduction to Times and Seasons, 1 Sept. 1842.

  2. [2]

    JS, Journal, 7–29 Oct. 1842.

  3. [3]

    Notice, 15 Nov. 1842.

  4. [4]

    “History of Joseph Smith,” “Passing Events,” “Butchery in China,” “Disturbances in the Provinces,” and “Great Gale at Havana,” Times and Seasons, 15 Oct. 1842, 3:943–948.

  5. [5]

    See “Editorial Method”.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Times and Seasons, 15 October 1842 *Times and Seasons, 15 October 1842 *Times and Seasons, 15 October 1842 *Times and Seasons, 15 October 1842 *Times and Seasons, 15 October 1842 *Times and Seasons, 15 October 1842 *Notice, 11 October 1842
Times and Seasons, 15 October 1842
History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843] “History of Joseph Smith” Letter from “Old Fifty,” 15 October 1842 Times and Seasons, 15 October 1842

Page 957

Editorial Note
The eighth editorial selection from this issue, titled “From Abroad,” announced the publication of a new pamphlet by . On his way to and from his mission to Palestine in 1840 and 1842, Hyde stopped in , where he wrote a pamphlet in German titled Ein Ruf aus der Wüste (A cry out of the wilderness). The pamphlet summarized the history of JS and the founding and building up of the . An English translation of the preface appeared earlier in this issue of the Times and Seasons under the headline “News from the Old World.”
FROM ABROAD.
With much gratification, we give the translation from the German, of ’s “preface” to his pamphlet, containing 115 pages addressed to the inhabitants of that section of the Lord’s vineyard. We mean to give some extracts from the body of the work in the next number of this paper. The subject, we understand, is simple, and the language dignified, especially for one who learned as he went and wrote as he came; in another tongue: the Lord is there.
 
————
Editorial Note
Another editorial selection, titled “New Holland,” preceded a brief history of the discovery and colonization of Australia. The history was extracted and reprinted from a published collection of recent lectures on colonization by Herman Merivale, a professor at the University of Oxford. The editors of the Times and Seasons explained that they thought it helpful to members to understand the history of the countries to which the church was sending missionaries. In July 1840, an English convert named an and sent him on a mission to Australia.
NEW HOLLAND.
As we have sent to India, Australia, &c. we glean whatever scraps of history, relating to these far abodes of men, for the benefit of the saints and all that feel an interest in the wellfare of Israel. Every ear has to hear the fulness of the gospel, and every heart has to be penetrated with the truth. But to our history of that far distant land:—
“Australia.—Passing by the Mauritius, a flourishing Island, formerly a French possession, but exhibiting no very remakable difference in its economical condition from that of the West India colonies, unless in its great fertility; and Ceylon; in which colonization, properly so called, has scarecely commenced; we arrive at Australia, the land of promise to modern emigrants, and the most remarkable field of British industry, out of the limits of Britain, at the present day. After the coast of New South Wales had been discovered by Captain Cook, it was made a penal seettlement, with a view to rid our jails of the number of prisoners, who were accumulating there. In 1757, the Sirius frigate landed 800 convicts at Botany Bay. The coast of that inlet which had appeared so tempting to Captain Cook, was soon found to afford nothing but swamps and sand; an instance, among many, of the ease with which Government has allowed himself to be misled by the reports of naval discoverers, to many of who all land is much alike, and who, even better qualified to judge, see the tract they have explored only at one season of the year, and are almost certain to be unreasonable either in their praises or their disapprobation. On the 26th of January, 1788, the little colony moved to Sidney. In the fifty years which have since elapsed, the progress of New South Wales has been so astonishing as far as regards the production and accumulation of wealth, as to afford the most remarkable phenomena in colonial history. In 1749 the first havest was reported; in 1790 the first permanent settler (a convict) took possession of the plot allotted to him. In 1793 the first purchase of colonial grain (1200 bushels) was made by government. The first newspaper was printed in 1802. In 1803 Mr. Macarthur exhibited in the first sample of Merino wool from the sheep of the colony. In 1807, 245 pounds of that wool were exported from Sidney; in 1820, 100,000 lbs.; in 1830, 3,564,532 pounds; in 1840 about 7,000,000,000 lbs. Sydney is now a fine city, with all the appurtenances of a great provinicial town, and exhibiting much greater signs of wealth than one of similar size would display in ; and an acre of land, within the town boundaries, sold lately for $20,000.—-[Merrivale on Colonies.
 
————
TO THE SAINTS IN NAUVOO, AND SCATTERED ABROAD.
This may certify that Joseph Smith, the Trustee in Trust, for the , called upon the on the 1st inst. to present their books and acounts for examination, and to give account of their work at the . After carefully and attentively examining and comparing their books and accounts, the Trustee expressed himself well satisfied with the labors and proceedings of the Committee, and ordered that this be published in the Times and Seasons, that the saints may know the fact and be thereby encouraged to double their exertions and forward means to roll on the building of the in .
It was also ordered that the be henceforth removed to the near the ; all property and means must therefore be brought to that place, where it will be recorded in due form.
, Clerk, and Recorder for the .
, October 11, 1842.
 
————
Editorial Note
The final editorial selection from this issue, titled “End of the Third Volume,” announced the end of the third volume of the Times and Seasons. The editors urged readers to subscribe to the fourth volume, promising continued improvement in the quality of the newspaper. According to the paper’s prospectus, subscriptions to the Times and Seasons cost “$2,00 per annum, in advance.”
END OF THE THIRD VOLUME.
This number closes the third volume, and while we return our thanks for the patronage thus far bestowed, and solicit a continuation of support for the fourth, we would inform our readers and all those that may want them, that we have back numbers of the last three volumes, on hand to supply the call of such as may order them. It is our intention to render the coming volume as worthy as, or, more worthy than, the preceding ones: not that we would say that exertions, pains, or dilligence have been heretofore spared, but that the increase of our numbers as a , and the increase of interesting signs and scenes abroad in the earth, are ample inducements for us to work while the day lasts. [p. 957]
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Page 957

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Times and Seasons, 15 October 1842
ID #
8158
Total Pages
16
Print Volume Location
JSP, D11:155–174
Handwriting on This Page
  • Printed text

Footnotes

  1. [85]

    This pamphlet contained one of the earliest public accounts of JS’s vision of deity. (Orson Hyde, Ein Ruf aus der Wüste, eine Stimme aus dem Schoose der Erde [Frankfurt: Im Selbstverlage des Verfassers (by the author), 1842]. English and German translations of portions of the pamphlet are available on this website.)

  2. [86]

    “News from the Old World,” Times and Seasons, 15 Oct. 1842, 4:949–951.

  3. [87]

    No excerpts from Hyde’s tract appeared in the next issue of the Times and Seasons.

  4. [88]

    Merivale, Lectures on Colonization and Colonies, 117–118.

    Merivale, Herman. Lectures on Colonization and Colonies, Delivered before the University of Oxford in 1839, 1840, and 1841. Vol. 1. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1841.

  5. [89]

    “News from the Elders,” Times and Seasons, 1 Dec. 1840, 2:228; see also Devitry-Smith, “William James Barratt,” 53–66.

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

    Devitry-Smith, John. “William James Barratt: The First Mormon ‘Down Under.’” BYU Studies 28 (Summer 1988): 53–66.

  6. [90]

    Reports from members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1840 described the expansion of missionary work internationally, with missionaries sent to the East Indies and Australia. Apostle Heber C. Kimball stated that the quorum sent convert William Donaldson, who was a British soldier, to “the East Indies.” A subsequent letter from Donaldson indicates that in this instance, Kimball’s reference to “the East Indies” meant India. (Letter from Heber C. Kimball, 9 July 1840; “News from the Elders,” Times and Seasons, 1 Dec. 1840, 2:229; Letter to Quorum of the Twelve, 15 Dec. 1840.)

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

  7. [91]

    Ebenezer Robinson, “Prospectus for the Third Volume of the Times and Seasons,” Times and Seasons, 15 Nov. 1841, 3:577.

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

  8. [92]

    See John 9:4.

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