COWDERY'S LETTERS -ON THE- A— 1. BRINGING IN —OF THE— New Dispensation ,r_ . (f BURLINGTON, WIS. , .,^„ i Free Press Print. M3t635 I 1899. V 1 W CSS PREFACE. It will soon be three score and ten years since the Book of Mormon first appeared in the English language, and though opposed as no other book in that language, it still stands to witness among a- cloud of other wit nesses that God through the instru mentality ot the unlearned Joseph Smith, did commence a dispensation called "the dispensation of the full ness of times." And if "the little stone cut out of the mountain with out hands," has not become a. great mountain and filled the whole earth, it has nevertheless stirred up the na tions at its presence and become a I)ower which the great ones among men cannot ignore. "Joseph Smith and OliverCowdery taught only in the schoolhouse ofthe Almighty; educated only by that spirit of intelligence which God gives in rich abundance to all who seek un- t(} him for wisdom and knowledge, have Htamped their footprint upon time and the, ages, as they roll by, shall not obliterate it. Mormonisin is now a moral, a philosophical and a national element which imprints it self on the face of society everywhere and men cannot pass it by if they will " "It is despised only by men who know next to nothing about it, or men of a past age. The generations coining have to look it in the face. It will meet them at all times— in all places." "With its two or three hundred thousand believers; its prominence in several national comnnities; its num erous and sucessful missions in all parts of the world, and its divine in telligence, what shall prevent its till ing the whole earth ? Who shall stop Its progress, till it realizes in its his tory the wildest vagaries in the dreams of the instruments in its founding?" "Religious men, and they make up the great body of the human race, all acknowledge revelation from God in t C83 past ages. Is there any reason why God, who revealed himself to his creatures in past ages, should not in this?" "The same state of facts, which rendered a communication of the divine will necessary for the sal vation of mankind in the days of Jesus Christ, equally exist and render such a communication necessary to the present generation." "The Jews, who were possessed of the oracles of God, had divided into a great variety of sects and parties, each having its own peculiar faith and its own ijeculiar religious cere monies and practices, sustained by its sectarian interpretation of the scriptures; and they were unable to come together in the unity of the fnith, or the knowledge ofthe law vf God. They were tossed ab(mt by every wind of doctrine; carried away by novel and strange interijretations and unfounded theories, separating farther and farther from the faith de livered to the saints and substituting the wildest oijinions for the true faith." "If, amid all the contending fac tions, a single one had preserved the true faith and the regular adminis tration of the sacraments and - ordi nances pertaining thereto, the leaven that was in them might have leaven ed the whole lump and secured the salvation of such as delighted in the truth and took pleasure in righteous ness." "But the whole world being gone out of the way, and not one that knew God, or understood his law, it was necessary tor the salvation ot man that a dispensation ot the law of God, and the gospel of the resur rection, and life everlasting should be given, to bring men to God." "Such a dispensation was given to prophets, aiiostles, evangelists and teachers, accompanied with spiritual gifts, inspiration, healings, miracles and prophecy." PBEFACK. "So in the present age previous to the institution of Mormonism, the , Christian nations were divided into more than six hundred different sects, each -having its own faith and its own diverse and peculiarinstitutions as a substitute for thS'lavv of God; and no tuo in the six hundred able to see eye to eye." , "Among all these sects there was not one that knew or understood that God's law was a full and final rule of right in all cases. So blind they could not see the light of the sun to be guided by it; they each at tempted to make a lamp of their own to light their footsteps." "Laws confessedly human were es tablished to guide men in all the sub- stanqe ot their actions. Itwas only in shadows and forms that they pre tended to be guided by the law of God, according to their several inter pretations of it." "In the midst of all ¦(his darjiness the divine light was poured out upon mankind as ot old by the revelation of God through the voice ot prophets and apostles. God devised no new mode ot communication, andselected no new kind of instruments. He chose simple and unlettered men from the field — Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery— to be witnesses of the same gospel which Christ received." "According to the prediction of John the Revelator (Rev. 14:6), he sent his angel through the midst ot heaven, to them who dwell on the earth, with the everlasting gospel ot which he made them witnesses Uy all nations, and to every kindred, tongue and people." "This little work, consisting ot eight letters to William W. Phelps, on the bringing in of a new dispensa tion, is Oliver's testimony, by which he being dead yet speaketh, it will live when the nations of the earth are broken. Though the languagein which it is written shall beforgotten, it shall be fresh in the courts ot heav en, while truth remains, and God lives." Notwithstanding the oft repeated assertion of the clergy of modern times, that the "canon of scripture is full," that revelation has ceased, and is no longer needed, and that it closed with John the Revelator on the Isle of Patmos; yet there is no fact more clearly' written in the scriptures than that God will give a. dispensation in the latter days, or in ¦that generation that iinniediately goes before his second coining upon the earth to prepare a people to meet him at his coming and to gather and redeem Israel from the nations ofthe earth. All the prophets Of God, in their day and in their writings, regarded the Almighty as a revealer of secrets; and there is not a single passage in the whole Bible that teaches in any way that he has ceased to be such a. revealer of secrets, or that he will ever cease to reveal himself to the honest in heart who realy believe in •his promises It would be neither reasonable nor just on the part ofthe. Almighty to withhold knowledge from anyone, who sincerely wished , to know and to do his will, and who asked him in faith according to his requirements, believing that he should receive. That God IS a revealer of secrets to day, as well as in all the past, is as clearly one of God's attributes as that justice and mercy are, or as clearly as that knowledge and wis dom are, or as that non-respect of persons is, or that he is without vari ableness, or that he cannot lie,- or that almighty power and omnipres ence are other attributes of his. These and many other unchanging attributes all are required to believe perpetually exist in God, and why, or for what i-eason should we refuse to believe him a revealer of secrets now, any more than, in the past? Da.niel says, "He giveth wisdom un to the wise and knowledge tO' them that know understanding: He re- vealeth the deep and secret things. He knoweth what is in the darkness, a,nd the light dwelleth with him. * * * Tiie secret which the king hath demanded of the wise men, the astrologers, (the astronomers,) the magicians, (the priests of Babylon,) the soothsayers, (or sorcerers, deal ers with familiar spirts,) cannot make known to the king, bui ihere is a God in heaven thnt revealeth prkkace. Ill secrets, and maketli known to the King Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream and the visions ot thy head are these. As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind, up on thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter, and he (God) tliat re vealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall cometo pass " And when the entirely forgotten dre.ini was again brought to the memory of the king with its grand interpretation, the king breaks out joyfully saying, "Of a truth it is that your God'is a God of gods, and a lord of kings and {I revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldst reveal this secret." This is the testimony of Daniel, the prophet, touching the noblest attribute ot God, namely: that he is a revealer of secrets. And the Patriarch Joseph in Egypt many generations before said, "do not interpretations belong to God?" or in other words, do not the reveal ing of secrets belong to God? and in the interpretations which he gave both of Pharaoh and his two fellow prisoners dreams, they prove that it was the same God that revealed se crets in all these cases . Moses says, "The things that a,re revealed belong .to us and our children, but the secret things belong unto God," that is, it belongs to God to reveal fiecrets that are ot the highest value to mankind. (See 2d Chap, of Daniel, Gen 40:S, Dent. 20:29 ) "Is it not because there is no God in Israel that ye go to intjuire ot Baal-Zebub, the god ot Ekron? Now, therefore, thus'saith the Lord, Thou Shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die." (2d Book of Kings, 1:1 to 6.") So Saul died for his trans gression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord which he kept not, and also for asking counsel ot one that had a familiar spirit, * * * and enquir ed not ofthe Lord, therefore he slew him and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse." (Isit Chron. 10:12 to 14.) "And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have famil iar spirits, (spirit medium.) * ' ¦* Should not a people seek unto their God for the living [to hea.r from] the dead?" Isaiah 8:19-20.) "Where there is no vision, the peo ple perish, but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." (Prov. 29:18.) "By a prophet the Lord led Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved." (Hosea 12:13.) And whoever heard of Israel, or in tact, any other people being long preserv ed without such a prophet? "When ever the .Jews began to reject their prophets they began to ripen rapidly for destruction," says Joseph Smith, the seer, and who does not know that that is true? "Unto thee will 1 cry, O Lord my rock; be not silent to me; lest if thou be silent unto me, I become like them that go down to the pit," that is, like them who die withoutsalvation. (Ps. 28:1.) Jesus says: "If ye then feeing- ev/V, know how to give good gifts unto j'o ur children, how znucfi more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him?" (Math. 7:11.) "It two of you shall agree on earth, as touching anything which they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father, which is in heav en." (Math. 18:10.) "And whatsoever weask we receive ot hiin, because we keep his command ments." (1st John 3:22.) "And this is the confidence that we have in hiin, that it we ask anything according to his will he heareth us; and it we know that he hear us, whutsoever we fisk we knowthat we have the petitions that we desired of him." (1st John 5:14-15.) "If an.y of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giv.eth to all men libemlly and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him; but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, tor he that wavereth is like a wave ot the sea driven with the wind and tossed." (James 1:5-6.) Paul prayed that his followers might have "the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the ..knowledge of God." Moreover, he entreated them to covet earnestly the best gifts of the Holy Ghost, the gift of prophecy, IV preface. the gift of revelation, and someseven or eight other gifts, among which is the gift of heaUng by the laying on of hands, by the prayer of faith, and the working of miracles. And the last words of the resurrected Savior be fore his ascension into heaven were, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, teach ing them to observe nil things what soever I have commanded you," and promised that the gifts of the Holy Ghost should follow them that believed on him and upon the condi tion that they observe all things which Christ commanded them. "Lo," said he, "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Eph. 1: 17: Math. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15 to 20; 1st Cor., chap. 12 and chap. 13.) And after all these testimonies and the numerous other passages not insert ed here, all encouraging the honest and sincere enquirers after truth to seek unto God for wisdom and knowl edge by revelation, yet the clerg-y of our time all divided up among one another, upon almost every known principle of doctrine, following clash ing creeds anddoctrinesofmen, which Jesus and all the prophets and apos tles of the past condemned, are all ready to condemn the inno cent young man Joseph Smith, and his three other witnesses as imposi- tors, because they testified that God and the angels of his presence reveal ed the Book of Mormon, and gave them directions how to organize his church upon the apostolic pattern. But that is nothing new under the sun, for, from the words of Jesus, it seems that, "so did their fathers unto the prophets of God in all the past ages." This very class of men saida,/7 manner ot evil, against them falsely because they claimed that God sent them to warn mankind and institute his laws and commandments among men that they might be saved tem porally and spiritually from calami ties that were then self-evidently coming upon them. Who turned the people to scorn and reproach Noah? Without doubt it was the priests of that time. Who were the magicians of Egypt who arrayed themselves against Moses and led the Egyptians to destruction ? Why, they were the priests of that time. They did not want any more of the word of God; they had enough, and any one who came along with the word of God could be nothing else than an impos- itor. Who opposed the prophets of Israel all along from Samuel to Jere miah, and from Jeremiah to Daniel, and from Daniel to the ministry of Jesus Christ? Simply that same class of priests who cry out against revel ation from God who say, "a Bible a Bible, we have got a Bible and we need no more of the w^ord of God," "The canon of scripture is full, and there is no need of any more revela tion." It any man comes along as a prophet of God, instead of testing his claims by the word of God, they simply say', "set 'him dovvn as a false prophet because the scriptures as sures us that only false prophets are to arise in these days." All these sayings have been started by the clergy of this generation, and no doubt such were the opposing re marks of many ot the priests of the past in opposing theproplietsot their generations. "We kiiovv that God spoke unto Moses, but as for this fel low (Jesus), we know not whence he is." And just so the priests or ma gicians of Egypt no doubt cried out, or would no doubt allow that they knew that God spake to Noah and to Enoch, and to Adam, but as tor this fellow Moses, "we know nothing about him," And yet from the days of Adam to Joseph Smith, no one of the leading prophets that ever caine among men, but were all (irophesied of hy the prophets who went before. And that prophets are to arise in the last days, and mighty ones too, is as clear and overwhelming as any thing ever written by any of tlie ^ ^^ propliets. The paragraphs in quotation in the above preface are .VIr. Strang's preface to Oliver Cowetters. Glared to the world in. these last days, in a manner not to be forgot ten while heaven gives me common intellect. And what serves to render the reflection past expression on this point is, that from his hand I received baptism, by the direction of the an gel of God— the first "received into this church in this day. Near this time of the setting of the sun, Sunday evening, April 5,1829, my natural eyes, for the first time beheld this brother. He then resided in Harmony, Susquehanna county, Penn. On Monday, the 6th, I assist ed him in arranging some business of a temporal nature, and on Tues day, the 7th, commenced to write the Book of Mormon. These were days never to be forgotten — to sit under the sound ot a voice dictated by the inspiration ot heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of thistiosom. Day after day I continued, uninterrupted, to write from his mouth, as he trans lated, with the Urim and Thummim, or, as the Nephites would have said, Interpreters, the histor.v, or record, called the Book of Mormon. To notice, even in few words, the interesting account given by Mor mon, and his faithful son .Moroni, ot a people once beloved and favored ot heaven, would supercede my pres ent design; I shall therefore defer this to a future period, and, as I said in the introduction, pass more directly to some tew incidents immediately connected with the rise of this church, which may be entertaiidng to some thousands who have stepped for ward, ainid the frowns of bigots and the calumny ot hypocrites, and em braced the gospel of (JIhrist. No men in their sober senses could translate and write the directions given to the Nephites, from the mouth of the Savior, of the precise manner in which men should build up his church, and especially when corruption had spread an uncertainty over all forms and systems practiced among men, without desiring a priv ilege ot showing the willingness of the heart by being buried in the liq uid grave, to answer a good con science by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. After writing the account given of the Savior's ministry to the remnant of the seed of Jacob, upon this conti nent, it was easily to be seen, as the prophet said would be, that dark ness covered the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the peo;ple. On reflecting further, it was as eas ily to be seen that amid the great strife arid noise concerning religion, none had authority from God to adr minister the ordinances of thegospel. For, the question might 1)6 asi,ed, have me. I aut'iority "to ndminister in the name ofy Christ who den.\' reve lations? when his testimony is no less than the spirit ot prophecy? and his religion base' I, built and sustain ed by immediate revelations ill all ages of the worhl , when he has had a people on earth? If these tacts were liuried, and care fully concealed b.y men whose cr^jft would have been in danger, if OTice permitted to shine in the faces of men, they ¦were no longer to us; and we only waited for the commaud- mi^nt to be given, Arise and be bap tized. This was not long desii-ed betorait was realized. The Lord, who is rich in mercj' and ever willing to answer the consistent jjrayer of the humble, after we had, called upon him in a fervent manner, aside from the abodes of men, condescended to manifest to us his will. On a sudden, as from the jBidst of eternit.y, the voice of the Redeemer spake peace to us, while the veil was parted, and the angel ot God came down clothed with glory, and delivered the anxiously looked for message, and the ke.ys of the gos pel ot repentance. What joy! what wonder! what amazement! While the world were racked ami distracted — while millions were grop ing a'^ the blind tor the wall, find Avhile all men were resting upon un certainty as a general mass, our eyes beheld— our ears heard. As in the blaze ot day; yes, more— above the glitter of the May sunbeam, which then shed its brilliancy over the face' of nature. Then his voice, though mild, pierced to the centre, and his words, "I am thy fellow sfervant," dispelled every fear. We listened— we NPMBER 11. gazed— we admired . It i\ as the voice ot the angel from glory —it was a mes sage from the Most High; and as we heard we rejoiced, while his love en kindled upon our souls, and we were wrapt in the vision ot the Almighty. Where was room tor doubt?" No where; uncertainty had fled, doubt had sunn, no more to rise, while fic tion aud deception had fled forever. But, dear brother think further, think for a moment, what joy filled our hearts, and with what surprise we must have bowed, (for who would not have bowed the knee for such a blessing?) when we received un der his hand the holy priesthood, as he said, "Upon you, my fellOw ser vants, in the name ofMessialp, I con fer this priesthood and this authority, which shalltremain upon earth, that the sons ot Levi may yet offer an of fering unto the Lord in righteous ness." I shall not attempt to paint to.^ on the feelings ot this heart, nor the ma jestic beauty 9,nd glory which sur rounded us OM this occasion; but yori willsbelieve me when I say, that earth nor men, with the eloquence ot time, cannot begin to clothe language in as interesting and sublime a manner as this holy personage. No; nor has this eartji power to give the jo.\', to bestow the peace, or comprehend the wisdom which was contained in each sentence as they were delivered by the power of the Holy Spirit. .Man may diceive his fellow inan;deception ni.ay follow deception, and the chil dren of the wicked one may have power to seduce the foolish and un taught, till na.nght but fiction feeds the man.\ , and the fruit of fnlsehood ca.rries in its current the giddy to the grave; but one touch with the finger of his love, yes, one raj'^ ot glory from the upper world, or one word from the mouth ot the Savior, from the bosom of eternity, strikes it all into insignificance, and blots it forever from the mind. The assurance that we were in the presence of an angel; the certainty that we hearil the voice, of Jesus, and the truth unsullied as it fiowed from a pure personage, dictateil b.\' the « ill of God, is to me, past description and I shall ever look upon this ex pression of t)ie Savior's goodness with wonder and thanksgiving while I am permitted to tarry, and in those mansions where perfection dwells and sinneverconies, I hope to adore in that DAY which never shall cease. I must, close for the present; my candle is quite extinguished, and all nature seems locked in silence, shroud ed in darkness, and enjoying that re pose so necessary to this lite. But the period is rolling on when night will close, and those who are found worth.\- will inherit that city where neither the light of the sun or moon will be necessary; for theglory of God will lighten it, and the Lainb'^ uill be the light thereof. O. Cowdery. LETTER II. , Sept. mh, mu. Dear Brothiou:— In my former let ter to you I promised to commence a m-bre particular and minute history of the rise and progress of the Lntter Day Saints; and publish, for the ben efit ot inquirers, and all u ho are dis posed to learn. There are . certain tacts relative to the works ot God, worthy the consideration and obser vance ot every individual, and ever.v society: — They are thnt he. never works in the dark — his works are al- vva.vs performed in a clear, intelligible manner; and another point is, that he never works in vain. This is not the case with men; but might it not be? When the Lord works, he accom plishes his purposes, and theetfectsot his power are to be seen afterward. Ill view of this, suffer me to make a few remarks by way ot introduction. The works of man may shine for a season with a degree ot brillianc.\ , but time changes their complexion; and whether it did or not, all would be the same in a little space, as noth ing except thatwhich v\ as erected by a hand which never grows weak, can remain v\hen corruption is consum ed. I shall not be required to adorn and beautify my narrative witharelation of the faith of Enoch, and those who COWDERY'S LETTERS. assisted hinl to build up Zion, which fled to God— on the mountains of which was commanded the blessing, life forever more — to be held in reserve to add another ray of glory to the grand rcjtinue, when worlds shall. rock from their base to their centre; the nations of the righteous rise, from the dust, and the blessed millions of the church of the first born shout his tri umphant coming, to receive his king dom, over which he is to reign till all enemies are subdued. Nor shall I write the history ot the Lord's church, raised up according to his own instruction to Moses and Aaron; of the perplexities and dis couragements which came upon Is rael for their transgressions; their or ganization upon the land ot Canaan, and their overthro w and dispersion among all nations, to reap the re ward ot their iniquities, to the ap pearing of tiie Great Shepherd, in the flesh. But there is, ot necessity, a uni formity so exact; a manner so pite- cise, and ordinances so minute, in all ages and generations whenever God has established his church among men, that should I have occasion to recur to either age, and ijarticularly to that cha-racterized by the advent of the Messiah, and the ministry ot the apostles of that church; v\ ith a cursory view ot the same till it lost its visibility on earth; was driven into darkness, or till God took the holy priesthood unto himself, where it has been held in reserve to the present century, as a matter of right in this free country, I may take the privilege. This may be doubted by some— in deed by many— as an admission of this point would overthrow the popular systems of the day. I can not reasonably expect, then, that the large majority of professors will be willing to listen to my argument for a moment; as a careful, impartial and faithful investigation of the doc trines which I believe to be correct, and the principles cherished in my bosom— and believed by this church —by every honest man, must be ad mitted as truth. Of this I may say as Tertnlian said to the Emperor \vhen writing in defence of the saints in his day: "Who ever looked well into our religion that did not em brace it?" Common undertakings and plans of men may be overthrown or de stroyed by opposition. The systems of this «orlrl ma.\' be exjilodedor an nihilated, by oppression or falsehood; but- it is the reverse with pure reli gion. There is a power attendant on truth that all the arts and designs of men cannot fathom; there is an increasing influence which rises up in one place the moment it is covered in another, and tht more it is traduced and the harsher the means employed to effect its extinction, the more nu- riierous are its votaries. It is not the vain cry ot delusicjn from the giddy multitude; it is not the sneers of bigots; it is not the frowns of zealots, neither the rage of princes, kings nor eiiiperors, that can prevent its influence. <• The fact is, as Terlulian said, no man ever looked carefully into its coiisistenc.\' and propriet.v withcrat embracing it It is impossible;- that light which enlightens man, at once enraptures him; that intelligence which existed befori' the world was, will unite, and that wisdom in the Divine econoin.y will be so conspicu ous, that it will be embraced, it \\ill be observed, and it must be obeyed. Look at pure religion, whenever it has had a place on earth, and you willalwa.\s mark the same charac teristics in all its features. Look at truth (without which the former could not exist), and the same pecu liarities are apparent. Those w ho have been guided by them, have al- w!i.\ s shown the same principles; and those who vvere not, have as uni formly sought to destroy their influ ence. Religion has had its friends and its enemies; it advocates^ and its oppo nents. But the thousands of years which have come aud gone have left it unaltered; the millions who have embraced it, and are now enjoying tliat bliss held forth in its promises, liave left its principles unclianged. and its influence upon tliu honest heart unweakened. NOMBKR II. The many oppositions which it has encountered; the millions of calum nies, the numberless reproaches and the myriads ot falsehoods, have left its fair form unimpaired, its beauty untarnished, and its excellence as superior; while its. certainty is the same, and its founda.tioii upheld by the same God. One peculiarity of men I wish to notice in the early part of my narra tive. So tar as my acquaintance and know^ledge ot men and their history extends, it has been the custom ot every generation to boast ot and ex tol the a,cts of the former. There has ever been an apparent blindness common to men, which has hindered their discovering the real worth and excellence of individ uals ¦while residing with them; but when once deprived of their society, w(U'th and counsel, they were ready to exclaim, how great and intestible were their qualities, and how prec ious is theirmemory. The vilest and most corrupt are not exempt from this charge; even the Jews, whose former principles had become degenerated, and whose religion was a mere show, were found among that class who were ready to build and garnish the se pulchres of the prophets, and con demn their fathers tor putting them to death, making important boasts of their own righteousness, and of their assurance of salvation, in the midst of which they rose up with one consent, and treacherously and shamefully betrayed and crucified the Savior of the world. No wonder that the inquirer has turned aside with disgust, nor mar vel that God has appointed a day when he will call the nations before him, and reward every man accord ing to his works. Enoch walked w-ith God, and was taken home without tasting death. Why were not nil converted in his day and taken with him to glory? Noah, it is said, was perfect in his generation; and it is plain that he had communion with his maker, and by HIS direction accomplished a work the parallel of which is not to be found in the annals of the worhl: Why were not the world converted that the flood might have been stayed? Men, from the days ot our father Abraham, have talked, boast ed, and extolled his faith; and he is even represented in the scriptures- the father of the faithful. Moses talked with the Lord face to face; received the great moral law, upon the basis of which those of all civilized governments are founded; led Israel forty years, and was taken home to receive the reward ot his toils — then Jacob could realize his worth. Well was the question asked by Our Lord, "How can the children of the briilechamber mourn.while the bride groom is with them?" It is said that he traveled and taught the righteous principles of his kingdom, three years, during which he chose twelve men, and ordained them apostles, and chose others to preach and administer ordinances. The people saw and heard — they vvere particularly benefited, many ot them , by being healed of infirmities and di.'^eases; of plagues and devils; they saw liini walk upon the water; they saw the winds and waves calhied at his comuiaild; they saw thousands fed tu the full « 1th a pit tance, and the very powers ot dark ness tremble in his presence — and like others before them, considered it as a ¦ dream, or a common occurance, till the time ¦was fnl lillefl , and he was offer ed up. ¦yet while he was with themhesaid you shall desire to see one ofthe days of the Son ot Man, and shall not see it. He kufw that calamity would fall upon that i)eople, and the wrath of heaven overtake them to their overthrow; and when that devoted city was surrounded with armies, well may we conclude that they de sired a protector possessing sufficient power to lead them to some sate place aside from the tumult of the siege. Since the apostles tell asleep, all men who profess a belief in the truth of their mission extol their virtues and celebrate their fame. It s^ems to have been forgotten that they were men of infirmities and subject COWBEKY'S I.ETTE.RS. to all the feelings, passions and im perfections common to other men. But it appears that they, as others were before them, are looked upon as men of perfection, holiness, purity and goodness, tar in advance ot any since. So were the characters of the prophets held in the days of these apostles. What can be the difference in the reward, whether a man died for righteousness' sake in the days of Abel, Zacharias, John, the twelve apostles xhosen at Jerusalem, or since? Is not the life of one equally as precious as the other? and is not the truth just as true? But in reviewing the lives and acts of men in past generations, wherever we find a righteous man amongthem there always were excuses for not giving heed or credence to his testi mony. The people could see his im perfections; or, it no imperfections, supposed ones, and were always ready to frame an excuse upon that for not believing. No matter how pure the principles, nor how precious the teachings — an excuse was want ed — and an excuse Avas had. The next generation, perhaps, was favored with equally as righteous men, who were condemned upon the same principles of the former, while the BjCts and precepts ot the former were the boast ot the multitude; when, in reality, their doctrines wf re no more pure, their exertions to turn men to righteousness no greater, neither their walk any more circum spect — the grave of the former is con sidered to be holy, and his sepulchre is gmrnished, while the latter is de prived of a dwelling among men, or even an existence upon earth. Such is a specimen of the depravity andin- consistencv of men, and such has been their conduct towards the righteous in centuries past. When John, the son of Zacharias, came among the Jew s, it is said that he came neither eating bread nor drinking wine. In another place it is said that his meat was locusts and wild honey. The Jews saw him, heard him preach, and were witnesses of the purity of the doctrines advocated— they wanted an excuse, and they soon found one— "He hath a devil." And who, among all generations, that valued his salvation, would be taught by, or tollow,-one possessed of a de-vil? The Savior came in form and fash ion of a man; he ate, drank, and walked about as a man; and they said, "Behold, a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend ofj pubh- cans and sinners." You see an excuse was wanting, but not long wanting till it was found. /Who would follow a dissi pated leader? or who among the righteous Pharisees would acknowl edge a tnan who would condescend to eat with publicans and sinners? This was too much— they could not endure it. An individual teaching the doctrines ot the kingdom of heaven, and declaring that the king dom was nigh, or that it had al ready come, must appear different from others, or' he could not be re ceived. It he were athirsthemustnotdrink, if faint he must not eat, and it weary he must not rest, because he had as sumed the authority to teach the world righteousness, and he must he different in manners andnn constitu tion, if not in form, that all might be attracted by his singular appearance; that his singular demeanor might gain the reverence ot the people, or he was an impostor — a false teacher — a wicked man — a sinner— and an accomplice of Belzebub, the prince of devils. If singularity ot appearance or dif ference of manners would command respect, certainly John vvould have been reverenced and heard. To see one coming from the wilderness, clad with camel's hair, drinking neither « ine nor strong drink, nor yet eat ing common food, mus^t have awak ened the curiosity ot the curious to the fullest extent. But there was one peculiarity in this man common to every righteous man before him, for which the people hated him, and for which he lost his life — he taught holiness, proclaimed repentance and baptism tor the re mission ot sins, warned the people NUMBER II. of the consequences ot iniquity, and declared that the kingdom ot heaven was at hand. All this was too much. To see one dressed so ridiculously, eating no common food, neither drinking wine like other men, step ping in advance ot the learned and reverend Pharisees, wise doctors and righteous scribes, and declaring, at the same time, that tlie Lord's king dom would soon appear, could not be borne — he must not teach — he must not assume — he must not at tempt to lead the people after him— "He hath a devil." The Jews were willing (professedly so) to believe the ancient prophets, and followed the directions ot heav en as delivered to the world by them; but when one came teaching the same doctrine, and proclaiming the sa:me things, only that they were near er, the.v would not hear. Men say if they could see they would believe; but I have thought the reverse in this respect — if they cannot see they Avill l^elieve. One ot two reasons may be assign ed as the cause why the messengers ot truth have been rejected— perhaps both. The multitude saw their imperfections, or supposed ones, and from that framed an excuse tor rejecting them; or else, in conse quence ot the corruptions of their own hearts, when reproved, « ere not willing to repent; but sought to ma.ke a man an offender for a word, or for wearing camels' hair, eating locusts, drinking wine, or showing friendship to publicans and sinners. When looking over the sacred scrip tures we seem to forget that they were given through men ot imperfec tions, and subject to passions. It is a general belief that the ancient prophets were perfect — that no stain or blemish ever appeared upon their characters while on earth, to be brought forward by the opposer as an excuse for not believing. The same is said of the apostles; but James said that Ellas [Elijah] was a man subject to like passions as them selves, and yet he had that power « ith God that in answer to hispra.v- er it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and a half. There can be no doubt but those to whom he wrote looked upon the an cient prophets as a race of beings su perior to any in those days; and in order to be constituted a prophet ot God a man must be perfect in every respect. The idea is that he must be perfect according to their signification of the word. If a people were l)lessed*with prophets, they must be the individuals who were to prescribe the laws by which they must be governed, even in their private walks. The generation following were ready to suppose thatthosemen who believed the word of God were as perfect as those to whom it was de livered supposed it must be, and were as forward to pie- seribe the rules by which they were governed, or rehearse laws and declare them to be the governing principles of the prophets, as though they themselves held the keys ot the mystgries ot heaven, and had searched the ai'chives ot the genera tions ot the world. You will see that I havemademen- tion of the Messiah, of his mission in to the world, and of his walk and outward appearance; but do not un derstand me as attempting to place him on a level with men, or his mis sion on a parallel with those of the prophets and apostles — farfromthis. I view his mission such as none other could fill; that he was offered up without spot to God a propitiation tOT our sins; that he rose triumphant and victorious over the grave, and him that has the pow-ei- of death. This no other man could do. It required a sinless sacrifice — man is sin ful. It required a pure ottering — man is corrupted. It required a perfect atonement — man is unholy. I have, then, as you will see, made mention ot our Lord, to show that individuals teaching truth, whether perfect or imperfect, have been look ed upon as the worst of meij. And that even our Savior, the great Shep herd of Israel, was mocked and dfrid- ed, and placed on a parallel « Ith the prince of devils; and the prophets and COWDERY'S LETTERS. apostles, though at this day, looked upon as perfect as perfection, were considered the basest ot the human family by those among whom they lived. It is not rumor, though it is watt ed by every gale, and reiterated by every zephyr, upon which we are to found our judgments of one's merits or demerits . It it is, we erect an altar upon which we sacrifice the most perfect of men, aSd establish a crite rion by which the vilest of the vile may escape censure. But lest I weary you with too many remarks upon the history of the past, after a few upon the pro priety of a narrative of the description I have proposed, I shall proceed. O. COWDERY. LETTER III. , Dec. 29th, 1834. Dear Brother: — After a brief si lence I proceed agreeable to my prom ise, upon the subject I proposed in my first letter. Perhaps an apology for brevit.v may not be improper here, as many important tacts trans piring in the organization and estab lishing of a society like the one whose history I am about to give to the world, are overlooked or lost, and soon buried with those who were the actors; which will prevent my giving those minute and particular reflec tions which I have so often wished might have cliaracterized the acts of the apostles and the ancient saints. But such facts as are within my knowledge will be given, without any reference to inconsistencies, in the minds of others, or impossibili ties, in the feelings ot such as do not give credence to the system of salva tion and redemption so clearly set forth and so. plainly written overthe face of the sacred scriptures. Upon the propriety, then, of a nar rative of this kind , I have briefly to remark: It is known to you that this church has suffered reproach and persecution from a majority of man kind who have heard but a rumor, since its first organization. And further, you are also convtr- sant with the fact that no sooner had the messengers ot the fullness of the gospel began to proclaim its heaven ly precepts and call upon men to em brace the same, than they vvere vili fied and slandered by thousands who never saw their faces,, and knew naught derogatory of their charac ters, moral or religious. Upon this unfair and unsaint-like manner of procedure they have been giving in large sheets their own opinions of the incorrectness of our system, and attested volumes of our lives and characters. Since, then, our opponents have been . thus kind to introduce bur cause before the public, it is no more than just that a correct account. should be given; and since tliey have invariably sought to cast a shade over the truth, and hinder its influ ence from gaining ascendency, it is also proper that it should be vinili- cated, by laying before the world a correct statement of events as they have . transpired from time to time. Whether I shall succeed so far in my purpose as to convince the pub' lie of the incorrectness of those scur rilous reports which have inundated our land, or even but a small por tion of them, will be. better ascer tained when 1 - close than when I commence; and I am content to sub mit it before the candid for perusal, and before the Judge ot all for in spection, as I most assuredly believe that before him I must stand and answer for the deeds transacted in this life. Should I. however, be instrumen tal in causing a few to hear before they judge, and understand both sides of this matter before they con demn, I shall have the satisfaction of seeing them embrace it, as 1 am cer tain that one is tlie inevitable fruit ot the other. You will recollect that I informed you in iny first letter that this his tory wOuid necessarily embrace the lite and chara.cter ot our esteemed friend and brother, J. Smith, J k., one of the presidents of this church, and for information on that part of the subject I refer you to his communi cation accompanjnng this.> I shall, NCMBER III. therefore, pass over that, till I come to the 17th year of his life. It is necessary to premise this ac count by relating the situation ot the public mind relative to religion, at this time. One Mr. Lane, a pre siding Elder of the Methodist church, visited Palmyra and vicinity. Elder Lane was a ¦talented inan,possessin,g a good share of literary endowments, and apparent humility. There was a great awakening or excitement raised on the subject of religion, and much inquiry for the word of life. Lnrge additions were made to the Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist churches. Mr. Lane's manner of communica tion was peculiarly caculated to awaken the intellect ot the hearer, and arouse the sinner to look about him tor safety- much good instruc tion was always drawn from his dis courses on the scriptures, and in com mon with others, our brother's mind became awakened. For a length of time the reforma tion seemed to move inaharmonious manner, but, as the excitement ceas ed, or those who had expressed anx ieties had professed a belief in the pardoning influence and comlescn- sions ot the Savior, a general strug gle was made by the leading charac ters of different sects, tor pros'lytes. The strife seemed to take the place of that apparent union and harmony which had previously characterized the moves and exhortations ot the old professors, and a cry— I am right -^you are wrong— was introduced in their stead. In this general strife for followers, his mother, one sister, and two of his brothers, were persuaded to unite with the Presbyterians. This gave occasion for further reflections; and, as will be seen in the sequel, laid a foundation, or was one means of lay ing the foundation for the attesta tion of the truths, or professions ot truths, contained in that record call ed the word of God. After strong solicitations to unite with one of those different societies, and .seeing the apparent prosel.vdng disposition manifested with equal warmth bv each, his mind was led to more seriously contemplate the importance of a move of this kind. To profess Godliness without its be nign influence upon the heart was a thing so foreign from his feelings that his spirit was not at rest day nor night. To unite with a society professing to be built upon the only sure foun dation, and that profession be a vain one, was calculated, in its very na ture, the more it was con tern pifated, the more to arouse the mind to the serious consequences ot moving hast ily, in a course fraught with eternal realities. To say he was right, and still be wrong, could not profit; and among so many, some must be built upon the sand. In this situation ¦where could he go? If he went to one he was told they were right, and all others wrong — it to another, the same was heard from those. All professed to be the true church; and it not, they were certain ly hypocritical, because, it I am pre sented vA'ith a systein ot religion, and inquire of my teacher whether it is correct, and he informs me that he is not certain, he acknowledges at once that he is teaching without authori ty, and acting without acommission. ' If one professed a degree of author ity or preference in consequence of age or right, and that superiority was without evidence, it was insutfl- cient to convince a mind once arous ed to that degree of determination which at that time opened upon him. And upon farther reflection, that the Savior had said that the gate was straight and the way narrow that leads to lite eternal, and that few enter there; and that the way was broad, and the gate w ide which leadeth to destruction, and that many cro" ded its current, a proof from some source was requiri-d to settle the mind and give peace to the agitated bosom. It is not tre(iuent that the minds ot men are exercised w ith proper deter mination relative to obtaining a cer tainty ot the things of God. They are too apt to rest short ot that as surance which the Lord Jesus has so freely ottered in his word to man, and which so beautifully characterizes his 10 COWDERY'S LETTERS. whole plan ot salvation, as revealed to us. Oliver Cowdisry. LETTER FROM JOSEPH SMITH TO O. COWDERY. Kirtland, Dec. 29th, 1834. Dear Brother;— Having- learned from your lettier to :Wm. W. Phelps that you were not only about to give a history ot the rise and progress of the Ohurch of the Latter Day Saints, but that said history would necessar ily embrace my life and character, I have been induced to give you the time and place of my birth; as I have learned. that many of the opposers of those principles which I have held forth to the world profess a personal ac quaintance with, me, though when in my presence represent me to be another person in age, education and stature from what I am. I was born (according to the record of the same, kept by my parents) in the town of Sharon, Windsor Co., Vt., on the a3d of De cember, 1805. At the age of ten my father's family re moved to Palmyrfi, N. Y., where, and in the vicinity of which, I lived until I was twenty- one years old— the li,tter part in the town of Manchester. During this time, as is common to most, or all youths, I fell into many vices and follies ; but as my accusers are, and have been for ward to accuse me of, being guilty of gross and outrageous violations of the peace and good order of the community, I take the oe-, oasion to remark that, though, as I have said above, as is common to most, or all youths, I fell into many vices and follies, I have not been guilty of wronging or injuring any man or society of men ; and those iniperf eetions to which I allude, and for which 1 have often had occasion to lament, were a light, and, too often, a vain mind, exhibiting a foolish and trifling conversation. This being all, and the worst, that my ac cusers can substantiate against my moral character, I wish to add that it is not with out a deep feeling of regret that I am called upon, in answer to my own conscience, to fulfill a duty I owe to myself, as well as to the cause of truth, in making this public con fession of my former uncircumspect walk and trifling conversation ; and more particu larly, as I often acted in viola,tion of those holy precepts which I knew came from God. But, as the Articles and Covenants of the Church of .lesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are plain upon this particular point, I do not deem it important to proceed further. I only add that I do not, ana never have, pretend ed to be any other than a man sub.iect to pas sion, and liable, without the assisting grace ot the Savior, to deviate from that perfect path in which all men are commanded to walk. 1 am, with feelings of esteem, your fellow laborer in the Gospel ot our Lord. .lOSEPH SMITH. LETTER IV. , Jan. 28th, 183.5. Dear Brother:- In my last 1 ] apologized for the brief manner in which I should be obliged to give, in' many instances, the history of this church. It was not my wish to be under stood that I could not give the lead ing items of every "important occur ance; at least so. far as would effect my duty to my fellow men, In such as contained important information up on the subject of doctrine, and as woulji render it intelligibly plain; but as there are, in a great house, many vessels, so in a history of a work of this magnitude, many items which would be interesting to those who follow, are forgotten. In fact, I deem every manifestation ot the Holy Spirit, dictating the hearts of the saints in the way ot righteousness, to to be ot importance, and this is one reason why I plead an apology. You wiU recollect that I men tioned the time of the religious excite ment in Palmyra and vicinity to have been in the 17th .v ear of our brother J. Smith. Jr.'s, age. This brings the date down to the year 1828. I do not deem it to be necessary to write further on the subject of this excitement. It is doubted by many whether any real or essential good ever resulted from such excitements, while others advance their propriety with warmth. The mind is easily called up to re flection upon a matter of such deep importance, and it is just that it should be: but there is a regret oc- cup.\ ing the heart when we consider the deep anxiety of thousands, vvho are led away w ith a vain imaginn- tion, or a groundless hope, no better than the idle wind or the spider's w eb. But if otliers were not beneflted, our brother v\' as urged forward and strengthened in the deterin in ation to kno^w for hiinself ot the certaint3'aMd reality ot pure and hoi \ religion. And it is only necessary for inS to sav, that while this excitement continued, he continued to call upon the Lord in secret for a full manifestation of divine apprpbation, and for, to him, the all-important inforiHation, if a Supreme being did exist, to have an NDMBER IV. 11 assurance that he w^as accepted of him. This, most assuredly, was correct- it was right. The Lord has said, long since, and his word remains steadfast, 'that to him who knocks it shall be opened, and whosoever will may come and partake ot the w aters ot life freely. To grant a humble, penitent sinner a refreshing draught from this most pure of all fountains, and most de sirable of all refreshments, to athirs- ty soul, is a matter for the full per formance of which the sacred record stands pledged. The Lord never said— "come unto me, all that labor and are heavy laden , and I will give you rest," to turn a deaf ear to those who jiere weary, when they call upon him. He never said by the mouth ot the prophet— Ho, every one thatthirsts, come yeto the waters, without passing it as a firm decree, at tlie same time, that he that should after come should be fill ed with a joy unspeakable. Neither did he manifest by the spir it of John upon the isle— "Let him that is athirst come," and command him to send the same abroad,- under . any other consideration than that "whosoever would, might take ofthe water of lite freely," to the remotest ages of time, or while there was a sinner upon his footstool. These sacred and important prom ises are looked upon in our day as being given, either to another people, or in a figurative form, and conse quently require spiritualizing, not withstanding they are as conspic uously plain, and are meant to be un derstood according to their literal reading, as those passages which teach us ot the creation ot the world, and of the decrees ot its .Maker to bring its inhabitants to judgment. But to proceed with my narrative:- On the evening of the 21st ot Sep tember, 182B, previous to retiring to rest our brother's mind was unusu ally wrought up on the subject w hich had so long agitated Ids mind-his heart was drawn out in fervent pray er, and his whole soul was so lost to everything of a temporal nature, that earth, to him, had lost its charms, and all he desired was to be prepared in heart to commune with some kind messenger who could communicate to him iihe desired information of his acceptance with God. At length the family retired, and he, as usual, bent his way, though in si lence, where others might have rest ed their weary frames locked fast in sleep's embrace; but repose had fled, and accustomed slumber had spread her refreshing hand over others be side his— he continued still to pi-a.v — his heart, though once hard and ob durate, was softened, and that mind which had often flitted, like the wild bird of passage, had settled upon a determined basis not to be destroyed or driven from its purpose. In this situation hours passed un numbered — hOw many or how few I kno w not, neither is he able to in form me; but supposes it must have been eleven or twelve, and perhaps later, as the noise and bustle ot the family, in retiring, had long since ceased. While continuing in prayer for a manifestation" in some way that his sins were forgiven; endeavoring to exercise faith in the scriptures, on a sudden a light like that of day. only ot a purer and tar more glorious ap pearance and brightness, burst jnto the room. Indeed, to use his own (lescriptlon, the first sight was as though the house was filled with consuming and unquenchable flre. This sudden ap pearance ot a light so bright, as must naturally be expected, occasioned a sliock or sensation, visible to the ex tremities ot the body. It was, hnyy- ever, followed with a calmness and serenity ot mind, and an overwhelm ing rapture of joy that surpasseth understanding, and in a moment a personage stood before him. Notwithstanding the room was previously filled with light above the brightness ot the sun, as 1 have be fore described, yet there seemed to be an additional glory surrounding or accompanying this personage, whidh shone with an increased degree of brilliancy, of which he was in the midst; and though his countenance was as lightning, yet it was of a 12 COWDERY'S LETTERS. pleasing, innocent and glorious ap pearance, so much so that every fear was vanished tram the heart, and nothing but calmness pervaded the soul. It is no easy task to, describe a mes senger from theskies— indeed, I doubt there being an individual clothed with perishable clay who is capable to do this work. To be sure, the Lord appeared to his apostles after his resurrection, and we do not learn as they were in the least troubled to look upon him; but from John's description upon Patmos, we learn that he is th^re represented a,s most glorious in ap pearance; and from other items in the sacred scriptures we have the fact recorded where angels appeared and conversed with men, and there was no difficulty on the part of the individuals, to endure their presence; and others where their glory was so conspicuous that they could not en dure. The last description or ap pearance is the one to which I refer, when I say it is no easy task to de scribe their glory. But it may be well to relate the particulars as far as given. The stature of this personage was a little above the common size of men in this age; his garment was perfectly white, and had the appearance of being without seam. Though tear was banished from his heart, yet his surprise was no less when he heard him declare him self to be a messenger sent by com mand of the Lord, to deliver a spec ial message, and to witness to him that hi.s sins were forgiven, and that his prayers were heard; and that the scriptures might be fulfilled, which say^God has chosen, the fool ish things ot this world to confound the things which are might.^ ; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen; yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things which are, that no flesh should glorv in his presence. Therefore, says the Lord, I will proceed to do a marvelous w ork a.mon^ this people, even a marvelous work and wonder; the wisdom ot their vrise shall perish, arid the un derstanding of their prudent shall he hid; for according to Ms covenant which he made with his ancient saints, his people, the house of Is rael, must come to the knowledge ot the gospel, and own the IMessiah whom their fathers rejected, and with them the fullness of the Gen tiles be gathered in, to rejoice in one fold under one Shepherd. - This cannot be brought about un til first certain preparatory things are accomplished, for so has the Lord purposed in his own mind. He has, therefore, chosen you as an instrument in his hand to bring to light that which shall perform his act, his strange, act, a.n(t bring to pass a marvelpus work and a won der. Wherever the sound shall go it shall cause the ears of men to tin gle, and wfierever it shall be pro claimed, the pure in heart shall re joice, while those who draw near to God with their mouths, and honor him with their lips while their hearts are tar from him, will seek its over throw, and the destruction of those by whose hands it is carried. Therefore, marvel not if your name is made a derision, and had as n hv- vvord among such, if you are the in strument in bringing it, by the gift of God, to the knowledge of the people. He then proceeded and gave a general account of the promises made to the fathers, and also gave a history of the aborignes of this country, and said they w ere hteral descendants of Abraham. He repre sented them as once being an en lightened and intelligent people, pos sessing a correct knowledge of the gospel, and the plan of restoration and redemption. He said this historv was written and deposited not tar from that place, and that it was our brother's privilege, if obedient to the coiii- mandments of the Lord, to obtain, and translate the same by the means of the Urim and Thummiin, which were deposited tor that purpose with the record. Yet, sa,id he, the scHpture must be N0MBER V. 13 fulfilled before it is translated, which says that the words of the book, which were sealed, were presented to the learned; for thus has God de termined to leave men without ex--' cuse, and show to the meek that his arm is not shortened that it cannot save, A part of the book was sealed, and was not to be opened yet. The seal ed part, said he, contains the same revelation which was given to John upon the isle of Patmos, and when the people ot the Lord are prepared, and found worthy, then it will be unfolded unto them. On the subject of bringing to light the unsealed part of the record, it may be proper to say, that our brother was expressly informed that it must be done with an eye single to the glory ot God; if this considera tion did not wholly characterize all his proceedings in relation to it, the adversary of truth would overcome him, or at least prevent his making that proficiency in this glorious work which he otherwise would. While describing the place where the record was deposited, he gave a minute relation of it, a,nd the vision of his mind being opened at thei, same time, he was permitted to view it critically; and previously being ac quainted with the place, he was able to follow the direction ot the vision, afterward, according to the voice of the angel, and obtain the book, I close for the present by subscrib ing myself 8.8 ever, your brother in Christ. Oliver Cowdery. LETTER V. -, Feb. 28. 1835. Dear Brother:— You will notice in my last, on rehearsing the words ofthe angel, when he, communicated to our brotherT-t.hat his sins were forgiven, and tha-t he was called of the Lord to bring to light, by the gift of inspiration, this important in telligence, an item like the followitig: "God has chosen the foolish things of the ¦world, and things which are despised, God has chosen," &c. This, I conceive to be an import ant item. Not many mighty and noble were' called in ancient times. because they always knew so much that God could not teach them, and a man that would listen to the voice of the Lord and follow the teach ings ot heaven, always was despised, and considered to be of the foolish class, Paiil proves this fact, when he says, "We are made as the filth of the world— the off-scouring of all things unto this day." I am aware, that a rehearsal of visions of angels at this day, is as inconsistent with a portion of man kind as it formerly was, after all the boast of this wise generation in the knowledge of the truth; but there is a uniformity so complete, that, on the reflection, one is led to rejoice that it is so. In my last I gave an imperfect de scription of the angel, and was obliged to do so, for the reason, that my pen would fail to describe an an gel in his glory, or the glory of God. I also gave a tew sentences which he uttered on the subject of the gather ing ot Israel, &c. Since writing the former, I have thought it would, perhaps, be inter esting to give something more full on this important subject, as well as a revelation of the gospel. That these holy personages should feel a deep interest in the accomplishment of the work of the Lord, in the last days, is consistent, when we view, critically, « hat is recorded in the savings of the holy Scriptures. You will remember to have read in Daniel — "And at that time, [the last days,] shall Michael stand up, the great prince, who stands for the children of thy people;" and also in Revelations^"I am ¦thy fellow ser vant, and of thy brethren the proph ets." — Please compare these sayings with that singular expression in Heb., "Are the angels not all minis tering Spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salva tion?" And then let me ask nine questions:— First: Ai-e the angels now in glory the former prophets and servants of God? Second: Are thy brethren of those who keep his commandments on earth? and, third: Have breth ren and fleshy kindred, in the king dom of GOd, feelings of respect and 14 COWDERY'S LETTERS. condescension enough to speak to each other, though one may be in heaven and the other On the earth? Fourth: If angels are ministering spirits, seht forth to minister for those who shall be heirs 01 salva tion, will they not minister for the heirs? and, fifth: if they do will any one know it? Sixth: Will Michael, the archan gel, the great prince, stand up in the last days tor Israel? Seventh: will he defend them from their enemies? Eighth: will he lead them, as they were once led? and, ninth: if so, will he be seen? These questions I leave without answeriiig,- because the rea soning is so plain, and so many might be brought, that they must beat hand in the heart and mind ot every saint. But to the gospel, and then' to the gathering. The great plan ot redemption, be ing prepared before the fall of man, and the salvation of the human fam ily being as jirecious in the sight ot tiie Lord at one time as at another, before the Messiah came in the fiesh and was crucified, as after the Gos pel was preached, and many were found obedient to the same. This Gospel being the same from thf be ginning, its ordinances were also un- changable. Men were commanded ' to repent and be baptized in water, in the name of the Lord: and were then blessed with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit being thus given, men were enabled to look forward ¦to the time of the coming ot the Son ot Man, and to rejoice in that day, be cause through that sacriflce they looked for a remission of their sins, and for their redemption. Had; it not been -tor this plan of salvation, which God devised before the tall, men must have remained miserable forever, after transgressing the first commandment; because in consequence otthat transgression he had rendered himself unworthy the presence of his .Maker. He being therefore cast out, the gospel was preached, a,nd this hope of eternal life was set before hiin-, by,i:he minis tering of angels who delivered it *as they were commanded. Not only did the ancients look for ward to the tiriie ot the cdiriing of the Messia,H in the flesri, vritli d'eligfit, but there was another daytbr^Bich tliey sOught arid for which they pray ed. Knowing as they' did, that the tall had brought ujiOn theui 'death, a.nd that man was sensual and evil, they looked for a day vyheh the'earth might again rest, and appear as in the beginning — ¦svhen evil' might be unknown upon its face, arid all crea tion enjoy one undisturbed peace tor a thousand years. This being sought for in faith, it pleased the Lord to covenant with them, to roll on his purposes until lie should bring it to pass— and though m any generations were to be gath ered to their fathers, yet the right eous, those ' who should, in their lives, embrace the gospel, and live obedient to its requirements, rise and inherit it during this reign ot peace. From time to time the faithfiil ser vants of the Lord have endeavored to raise up a people who should he found worthy td inherit this rest, (for it was called the rest of the righteous or the day of the Lord's rest, prepared for the righteoute;) but were not able to sanctity theih that they could endure the presence ot the Lord, excepting Enoch, xvho, with his people, fOr their righteodsness, vvere taken into heaven with a prom ise that they should yet see that day when the whole earth-should be cov ered with glory. Moses labored diligently to effect this object, but in consequence of the transgressiohs and rebellions ot the children of Israel, Go.d swore in his wrath th'at they should not enter into his rest; and in' consequence of this decree, and their transgressions since, they have been scattered to the four winds, and are tlius tp re main till the Lord gathers them b.v his own powei*. To a remnant of them the gospel jvas preached by the .Messiah in per son, but they rejected his voice, thou.gh it was ra:ised dail.v among them.. The apostles continiifed to hold forth the same, after the cruci- fiction and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, until they would heat it no •NUMBER V. 15 longer; and then they were command ed to turn to the Gentiles. They however labored faithfully to turn that people from error, that thay might be the happy partakers of mercy, and save themselves from the impending storm that hung over them. They were commanded to preach Jesus Christ night and day — to preach through him the resurrec tion from the dead — to declare that all who would embrace thegospel.. repent, and be baptized for the remis sion ot their sins, should be saved — to declare that tills was the only sure foundation on ¦which they coidd build and be safe — that God had a,gain vis ited his people in consequence of his covenant with their fathers, and it they would they might be the first who should receive these glad tidings, and have the unspeakable joy ot car rying the same to all people; tor be fore the day ot rest comes, it must go to all nations, kindreds and tongues. But inconsequence of their reject ing the gospel, the Lord suffered them to be again scattered; the land to be wasted and their beautiful city to be trodden down ot the Gentiles, until their time should be fulfilled. In the last days, to fulfill the prom ises to the ancient prophets, when the Lord is to pour out his spirit up on all fiesh he has determined ¦to bring to light his gospel, to the Gen tiles, that it may go to the house ot Israel. This gospel has beenprevert- ed, and men have wondered in dark ness. That commission given to the apostles at Jerusalem, so eas.v to be understood, has been hid from the world, because of evil, and the hon est have been, led by the designing. till there. are none to be found who . are practicing the ordinances of the gospel, as they were anciently deliv ered. But the time has now arrived, in which, according to his, bovenants, the Lord will manifest to the laithtul that he is the same yesterday, to-day and forever, and that the 'cup of suf fering of his people, the fiouse" of Is rael, is nearly filled; and tliat the way may be prepared 'before their face he will bring to thS knowledge of the people the gospel , as it ¦w'as preached by his servants on the land, and manifest to the obedient the truth of the same, by the pow er of the Holy Spirit; for the time is near when his sons and daughters will prophesy, old men dream dreams, and young men see visions, and those who are thus favored will be such as em brace the gospel as it was delivered in old times and they sliall be blessed with signs following. Farther on the subject of the gath ering of Israel. This was perfectly understood by all ancient prophets. Moses prophesied of the affliction which should come upon that people even after the coming ot the Messiah, where he said: and evil will befall j'ou in the latter days; because ye » ill do evil in the sight of the Lord, to pro voke him to anger through the works of your hands. Connecting this with a prohecy in the song which follows — remembering the expression — "in the latter days" where the Lord foretells all their evil, and their being received to mercy, to such as seek the peace of Israel much instruction may be gained. It is as follows: "I will heap mischief upon them; I vyill spend mv arrows upon them. They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents ot the dust. The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suck ling with the man of gray hairs." But after all this, he will judge their enemies and avenge them of theirs; tor he says: — "It I whet my glitteringsword.and my hand take^th hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to my enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh," After all this — after Israel has been restored, and afflicted and his ene mies have also been chastised, the Lord says: "Rejoice, O ye nations. with his people; for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will ren der vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land and to his people."- 16 COWDERY S LETTERS. I will give a further detail of the promise to Israel, hereafter, as re hearsed by the angel. Accept assur ance of my esteem as ever. Oliver Cowdery. LETTER VI. March 28th, 1835. Dear Brother:— I gave, in my last, a few words on the subject of a few items, as spoken by the angel at the time the knowledge of the record of the Nephites was communicated to our brother, and in consequence of the subject of the gospel and that of the gathering ot Israel being so con nected, I found it difficult to speak of the one without mentioning the other; and this may not be improper, as it is evident that the Lord has de creed to bring forth the fullness ofthe gospel in the last da.vs, previous to gathering Jacob, but a preparatory work, and the other is to follow in quick succession. This being ot so much importance, and of so deep interest to the saints, I have thought best to give a farther detail of the heavenly message, and if I do not give it in the precise words, shall strictly confine myself to the facts in substance. David said, (Ps. c.,) "Make a joy ful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands (that is, all the earth.) Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing." — This lie said in view of the glorious period tor which he often prayed, and was anx ious to behold, whicli he knew could not take place until the knowledge of the glory of God covered all lands, or all the earth. Again he says, (Ps. cvii.,) "O give thanks unto the Lord, tor he is good: For his mercy enduretli forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so; whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy; and gathered out ofthe lands from tiie east, and from the west; from the north and from tlie south. "Tiiey wandered in the wilderness, in a solitary wav; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, tlieir soul fainted in therii. Thenthey cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out ot their distresses; and he led them in the right way, that they might go to the city of habitation." Most clearly was it shown to tlie prophet, that the righteous should be gathered from all the earth. He knew that the children of Israel were, led from Egypt by the right hand of the Lord, and permitted to possess the land of Canaan, though they were rebellious in the desert; buthefarther knew that they were not gathered from the east, the west, the north and the south, at that time; for it was clearly manifested that the Lord himself would prepare a habitation, even as he said, wlien he would lead them to a city of refuge. In that, David saw a promise for the righteous, (see Ps. cxliv.,) when they should be delivered from those who oppressed them, and from the land of strange children, or the ene mies of the Lord; that their sons should be like plants grown up in their youth, and their daughters like corner stones, polished after the sim ilitude of a beautiful palace. ¦ It is then that the sons and daugh ters shall prophesy, old men dream dreams, and young men see visions. At that time the garneirs of the right eous will be full, affording all manner ot store. It was while conteniplating this time, and viewing this happy state of the righteous, that he farther says: The Lord shall reign' forever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all gener ations — Praise ye the Lord. Isaiah, who was on earth at the time the ten tribes of Israel were led away captive from the land of Ca naan, was shown not ohly their ca lamity and affliction, but the time when they were to be delivered. After reproving them for their cor ruption and blindness, he prophesies ot their dispersion. He says: Your country is desolate, your cities are burnt with fire: Your land, stra.ng- ers devour it in your presence, and it is thus made desoiatej being over thrown by strangers. He further says, while speaking ot the iniquity ot that people: Thy princes are rebellious, and companT ions of thieves: every one loves gifts, and follows after "rewards: They NUMBER VI. judge not the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come unto them. Therefore, says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One ot Is rael, Ah, I will ease me of my adver saries, and avenge me of my enemies. But after this calamity has befallen. Israel, and the Lord has poured up on them his atflicting judgments, as he said by the mouthof Moses— 1 will heap mischiets upon them; I will spend my arrows upon them; they shall be afflicted with hunger, and devoured with burnjng heat, and with bitter destruction: I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them; with the poison of serpents ot the earth— he will also fulfill this further prediction uttered by the mouth of Isaiah: — I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: and I will re store thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward you shall be called thecit^ fjf righteousness, the faithful city." Then w^ill be fulfilled, also, the saying of David: And he led them forth by the right way. that they might go to a eity of habitation. Isaiah continues his. prophecy con cerning Israel, and tells them what would be done for them in the last days; tor thus it is written: The word that Isaiah,, the son ot Amos, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem . And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalt ed above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say. Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the. word ot the Lord from Jerusaleni.. Aud he shall judge among the na tions, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plough shares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war a.ny more. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of his people in Zion, and upon their assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a fiamingfirebyni'ght: for upon all ¦ the glory shall be a defence, or above shall be a covering and a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle tor a shadow in the day time from the heat and tor a plfice of refuge, and tor a covert from storm and from rain. And his people shall dwell safely, they shall possess the land forever, the land which was promised to their fathers for an everla.sting inheritance: tor, behold, says the Lord by the mouth of the prophet: The day will come that I will sow the house ot Isi'aelwith the seed ot man, and with the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and des troy, and to afflict; so will I wratch over them, to build and to plant, says the Lord. For tills happy situation and bless ed state of Israel, did the prophets look, and obtained a promise, that, though the house ot Israel and Judah should violate thecovenant, the Lord in the last days would make with them a new one; not according to the one which he made with theirfathers in the day that he took them by the hand to lead them out ot the land of Egypt; which, said the Lord, my cov enant they broke, although I was a husband and father unto them; but this shall be the covenant that I w ill make with the house ot Israel: Af ter those days, says the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and will, write it in their hearts; and I Avill be their God, and they shall be my people. Fur thus says the Lord, I will bring again the captivity ot Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwell ing places; and the city shall be bullded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving, and the voice of the'm that make merry: and I will multijply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they Shall 18 COWDERY'S LETTERS. not be small. Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their con gregation shall be established befcire me, and I will punish all that oppress them. Their nobles shall be of them selves, and their governor shall pro ceed from the midst of them. At the same time,- says the Lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people; I will bring tiiem from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth; I will say to the north. Give up, and to the south, keep not back: bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends ofthe earth. And in those days, and at that time says the Lord, though Israel and Ju dah have been driven and scattered, they shall come together; they shall even come weeping; for with suppli cations will I lead them; they shall go and seek the Lord their God, They shall ask the way to Zion,, with their faces thitherward, and say. Come and let us 'join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten; and watchmen upon Mount Ephraim shall say, Arise, and let us go up to Zion. unto the holy .Mount of the Lord our God; for he will teach us ot his ways, and instruct us to walk in his paths. That the way tor this to be fully accomplished may be prepared, the Loi-d ¦will utterly destrOj- the tongue of the Egyptian sea, and with his mighty wind shake his hand overthe river and smite it in its seven streams, and make men go Over dry-shod. And there shall be a highway tor the remnant ot his people, which shall be from Assyria, like as it was to Israel when they came up out of the land of Egypt. . And thus shall Israel come: not a dark corner of the earth shall rema.in unexplored, nor an island ofthe seas be left without being visited; for as the Lord has removed them into all corners of the earth, he will cause his mercy to be as abundantly manifest ed in their gathering as his wrath in their dispersion, until they are gath ered according to the covenant. He will, as he said by the prophet. send tor many fishers, and they shall fish them; and also send 'for rnany hunters, who shall hunt them; not as their enemies, have, to afflict, but with glad tidings of great joy, ¦with a message of peace, and a call for their return. 'Audit will come to pass, that though the house of Israel has forsa ken the Lord, and bowed down and worshiped other gods, "which were no gods, and been cast out before the face of the world, they will know the voice of the Shepherd when he calls upon them this time; for soon his dfiy of power comes, and in it his people will be ¦vyilling to hea,rken to his coun sel; and even how are they already beginning to be. stirrefd up in their hearts tosearch for -these things, and are daily reading the ancient proph ets, a,nd are making the times, and seasons of their fulfillment. Thus God is preparing the way for their return. But it is necessary that you should understand, that what is to be ful filled in the last days, is not only tor the benefit. of Israel, but the Gentiles, it -they will repent and embrace the gospel, tor they are to be remembered also in the same covenant, and are to be fellow heirs with the seed of Abraham, inasmuch as theyaresoby faith — for God is no respecter ot per sons. This was shown to .Moses, when he wrote— Rejoice, O yenations, with his people. c In consequence of the transgression ot the Jews at the coming of the Lord, the Gentiles were called into the kingdom, and for this obedience, are to be favored with the gospel in its fulness first, in the last davs, tor it is written,— The first "shall -be the last, and the last (irst. Therefore, when the fuhiess of the gospel, as was preached by the right- eons, upon this land, shall come forth, it shall be declared, to the Gentiles first, and whoso shall repent shaU be delivered, for they shall understand the plan of salvation and restoration for Israel, as the Lord manifested to the ancients. They shall be baptized with water and with the spirit— they shall lift up their hearts with joy and gladness, NUMBER VI. 19 for the time ot their redemption shall also roll on, and tor their obedience to the faith they shall see the house of Jacob come with great glory, even with songs of everlasting '.joy, and with him partake of salvation. Therefore, as the time draws near when the sun is to be darkened, the moon turn to blood, and the stars fall from heaven, the Lord will bring to the knowledge of • his people his commandments and statutes, that they may be prepared, to stand when the earth shall reel to and fro as a drunken man, earthquakes cause the nations to tremble, and the destroy ing angel goes forth to waste the in habitants at noon-day: for so great are' to be the calamities which are to come upon the inhabitants of the earth before the coining ot the Son ot Man the second time, that whoso is not prepared cannot abide; but such as are found faithful, and remain, shall be gathered with his people and caught up 'to meet the Lord in a cloud, and so shall they inherit eter nal lite. I have now given you a rehearsal of what was communicated to our brother, when he was directed to go a,nd obtain the record of the Nephites. I may have missed in arrangement in some instances, but the principle is preserved, and you will be able to bring forward abundance ot .corrob orating scripture upon the subject of the gospel and ot the gathering. You are aware ot the tact, that to, give a minute rehearsal of a lengthy Interview with a heavenly messenger, is very difflcult, unless one is assisted immediately with the gift of inspira tion. There is another item I wish to notice on the subject of visions. The spirit, you know, searches all things, even the deep things ot God. When God manifests to his servants those things that are to come, or those which have been, he does it by unfolding them by the power of that spirit which comprehends all things, always; and so much may be shown and made perfectly pla.in to. the un derstanding in a short time; that to the world, who are occupied all their life to learn a little, look at the rela tion of it, and are disposed to call it false. You will understand then, by this, that while those glorious things were being rehearsed, the vision was also opened, so that our brother was per mitted to see and understand mucii more full and perfect than 1 am able to communicate in writing. 1 know much may be conveyed to the under standing in writing, and many mar vellous truths set forth with the pen, but after all it is but a shadow, com,- •pared to an open vision "of seeing, hearing and realizing eternal things. And it the tact was known, it would be found, that ot all the heavenly communications to the ancients, we have no more in conaparison than the alphabet to a quarto vocabulary. It is said, and I believe the account, that ,. the Lord showed the'brotherof Jared [Moriancumer] all things which h ere ¦to transpire from that day totheend of. the earth, as well as those which had taken place. I believe that .Moses was permitted to see the ^ame, as the Lord caused them to pass in vision before him as he stood upon the mousit; I believe that the Lord Jesiis told many things to his apostles which arenot written, and after his ascension unfolded all things unto them; 1 believe that Ne- phi, the son of Lehi, whom the Lord brought out of Jerusalem, saw the . same; I believe that the twelve upon ,this continent, whom the Lord chose to preach his gospel, when he came down to manifest to this branch of the house of Israel, that he had other sheep who should hear his voice, were a.lso peririitted to behold the same mighty things transpire in vision be fore their eyes; and I believe that the angelMoroni, whose words I have been rehearsing, who. communicated the knowledge of the record ot the Nephites in tiiis age, saw also, before he liid up the saihe unto the Lord. great and marvellous things, which should transpire when tiie . same should come forth; and I also beheve; tiiat God will give line upon line, pre cept upon precept, to iiis saints, until all these things w ill be unfolded to them, and tliey finally sanctified and brougiit into the celestial glory. 20 COWDERY'S LETTERS. where tears will be wiped from all faces, and sighing and sorrowing flee away. May the Lord preserve you from evil, and reward you richly for all your afflictions, and crown you in his' kingdom. Amen. Accept, as ever, assurances of the fellowship and esteem ot your un worthy brother in the gospel. O. COWDEKY. LETTER VII. , April 28, 1835. Dear Brother: — You will remem ber that in my last I brought my subject down to the evening or night ot the 21st of September, 1823, and gave ian outline of the conversation ot the angel upon the important fact of the blessings, promises and cove nants to Israel, and the great mani festations of favor to the world in the ushering in of the fullness of the gospel, to prepare the way for the second advent of the Messiah, when he comes in the glory of the Father, witli the holy angels. A remarkable fact is to be noticed with regard to this vision. In an cient time the Lord warned some of his servants in dreams: tor instance, .loseph, the husband of ,Mary, was Avarned in a dream to take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt; also the wise men were warn ed of the Lord in a dream not to re turn to Herod; and when "out of Egypt the Son was called," the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph again: also he was warned in a dream to turn aside into the parts of Galilee. Such were the manifestations to J qs- eph, the fa.vored descendant of the father of the faithful, in dreams, and in them the Lord fulfilled his pur poses. But the one of which I have been speaking is what would have been called an open vision. And though it was in the night, yet it was not a dream. There is no room for conjecture in this matter, and to talk of deception would be to sport with the common sense of every man who knows when he is awake, when he sees and when he dOes not see. He could not have been deceived in the fact that a being of some kind appeared to him; and that it was an heavenly one, the fulfillment of his words so minutely, up to this time, in addition to the truth and word of salvation which has been developed to this generation, in the Book ot Mormon, ought to be conclusive evi dence to the mind of every man who is pri^vileged to hear the same. He was awake, and in solemn prayer, as yon. will bear in mind, when the angel made his appearance; from that glory which surrounded him, the room was lit up to a perfect brilliancy, so that darkness wholly disappeared: he heard his words with his ears, arid received a joy and hap piness indescribable by hearing that his own sins were forgiven, and his former transgressions to be remem bered against hini no more, if he then continued to walk before the Lord according to his holy command ments. He also saw him depart, the light and glory withdraw, leaving a calmness and peace of son! past the language of man to paint. Was he deceived? Far from this; for the vision was renewed twice before • morning, un folding farther and still farther the mysteries of godliness and those things to come. In the morning he went to his labor as usual, but soon the vision of the heavenly messenger was renewed, instructing him to go immediately and view those things of which he had been informed, with a promise that he should obtain them if he followed the directions, and went with an eye single to the glory ¦ of God. Accordingly he repaired to the place which had been thus described. But it is necessary to give you more fully the express instructions of the angel, with regard to the object of this work in which our brother had now engaged. He was to remember that it was the work of the Lord, to fulfill certain promises previously made to a branch of the house of Is rael of the tribe of Joseph, and when it should be brought forth must be done expressly with an eye, as I said before, single to the glory of God,'' NUMBER VII. 21 a.nd the welfare and restoration of the house of Israel. Youwill vnderstand, then, that no motive>of a pecuniary or earthly na ture, was to be suffered to take the lead of the heart of the man thus fa vored. Theallurments of vice, thecoii- taminating influence ot wealth, with out the direct guidance ot the holy spirit, must have no place in the heart nor be suffered to take from it that warm desire for the glory and kingdom of the Lord, or, instead of obtaining, disappointment and re proof would most assuredly follow. Such was the instruction, and this the caution. Alternately, as we could naturally expect, the thought of the previous vision was ruminating in his mind, with a reflection of the brightness and glory of the heavenly messenger; but again a thought would start across the mind on the prospects ot obtaining so desirable a treasure — one in all human probability suffi cient to raise him above the level with the common earthly fortunes of his fellow men, and relieve his family from want, in which by misfortune and sickness they were placed. It is very natural to suppose that the mind would revolve upon those scenes which had passed, when those who had acquired a little of this world's goods, by industry and econ omy, with the blessings ot health or friends, or by art and intrigue, from the pockets of the day laborer, or the widow and tlie fatherless, had pass ed by with a stiff neck and a cold heart, scorning the virtuous because they were poor, and lording over those who were subjected to suffer the miseries of this life. Alternately did these, with a swift reflection of the words of the holy messenger — Remember, that he who does this work, who is thus favored of the Lord, must do it with his eye single to the glory ot the same, and the welfare and restoration of the scattered remnants of the house of Israel— rush upon his mind with the quickness ot electricity. Here was a struggle, indeed; tor when he calmly reflected upon his er rand, he knew that if God did not give, he could not obtain; and again, with the thought or hope of obtain ing, his mind would be carried back to its former reflection of poverty, abuse, wealth, grandeur and ease, until before arriving at the place de scribed, this wholly occupied his de sire; and when he thought uppn the fact of what was previously shown him, it was only with an assurance that he should obtain, and accom, pHsh his desire in relieving himself and friends from want. A history of the inhabitants who peopled this continent, previous to its being discovered to Europeans by Columbus, must be interesting to every man; and as it would develop the important fact that the present race were descendants of .Abraham, and were to be remembered in the immutable covenant ofthe Most High to that man, and be restored to a knowledge of the gospel, that they, with all nations, might rejoice, seem ed to inspire further thoughts otgain and income from such a valuable his tory. Surely, thought he, every man will seize with eagerness this knowledge, and this incalculable income will be mine. Enough to raise the expecta tions ot any one of like experience. placed in similar circumstances. But the important point in this matter is that man does not see as the Lord, neither are his purposes like his. The small things ot this life are but dust in comparison with salvation and eternal life: It is sufficient to say thatsuch were his reflections during his walk of fro in two or three miles— -thedistance from his father's house to the place point ed out. And to use his own wordsit seemed as though two invisible pow ers w^ere influencing, or striving to in fluence his mind — one with the reflec tion that if he obtained the object ot his pursuit, it would be through the mercy arid condescension ofthe Lord. a.nd that every act or performance in relation to it, must be in strict ac cordance with the iiiBtruction of that personage who communicated thein- telligence to him first; and the other with the thoughts and refiecti 0ns like those iircviously mentioned — con- 22 COWDERY'S LETTERS. trasting his former and present cir cumstances in life with those to come. That precious instruction recorded on'the sacred page — pray always — ¦which was expressly impressed upon him, was at ' length entirely forgot ten, and, as I previously remarked, a fixed determination to obtain and aggrandize himself, occupied his mind when, he arrived at the place where the recorti -was found. I must now give you some descrip tion ot the place where, and the ma.n- ner in which these records' were de posited. You are acquainted with the mail road from Palmyra, Wayne Co., to Canandaigua, Ontario Co., N. Y.,and also, as you pass from the former to the latter place, before arriving at the little village Of Manchester, say from three to four, or about four miles from Palmyra, you pass a large hill on the east side of the road. Why I say large is because it is as large, perhaps, as any in that country. To a person acquainted ysrith this road, a description would be unnecessary, as it is the largest and rises the high est of any on that route. The north end rises quite sudden until it assumes a, level with the more southerly extremity, and I think I may say an elevation higher than at the south a short distance, say halt or three-fourths of a mile. As you pass toward Canandaigua it lessens gradually until the surface assumes its common level, or is "broken by other smaller hills or ridges, water courses and ravines. I think 1 am justified in saying that this is the highest hill for some distance round, and I am certain that its appearance, as it rises so suddenly from a plain on the north, must attract the notice of the traveler as he passes by. At about one mile west, rises another ridge Of less height, running parallel with the former, leaving a beautiful vale between. The soil is of the first quality tor the country, and .under a state of cultivation, which gives a prospect at once im posing, when one refiects on tlie tact that here, between these hills, the en tire power apiid national, strength of both the Jaredites and Nephites were destroyed. • • • By turning to the ,529th and 630th pages ot the Book of Mormon you will read Mormon's account of the last great struggle ot his people, as they were encamped round this hill Cumorah. [1st edition.] In this val ley fell the remaining strength and pride of a once po^werful people, the Nephites^-once so highly favOred- of the Lord, but at that time in dark ness, doomed to suffer extermination by the hand of their barbarous and , uhciviled brethereh. From the top of this hill. Mormon, ¦with a few others, after the battle, gazed with horror upon the mangled remains of those who, the day before, were filled with anxiety, hope or doubt. A few had fled to the south, who were hunted down by the viC' torious party, and all who would not deny the Savior and his religion were put to death. Mormon himself, according to the record of his son Moroni, was also slain. But a long time previous to this national disa,ster, it appears from his own account, he foresaw approaching destruction. In tact, if he perused the records of his fathers, which were in his possession, hecould have learned that such would be the case. Almah, who lived before the coining of the Messiah,, prophesies this. He, however, by divine ap pointment, abridged from these rec ords, in his own style and language, a short account of the more impor tant and prominent items, from the days, of Lehi to his own time, after which he deposited, as he says, on the 529th page, all the records in this same hill, Cumorah, and afterwards gave his small record to his son Mo roni, which, as appears from the same, he finished, after witnessing the extinction ot his people as a- na tion. It was not the wicked w-ho over came the righteous: far from this; it was the wicked against the' wicked, and by the wicked the wicked were punished. The Nephites, who were once enlightened, ,had fallen frorii a more elevated standing as to favor and privilege before the Lord, in con- NUMBER VII. 28 sequence ot the righteousness of their fathers, and now falling below, for such was actually the case, were suf fered to be overcome, and the land was left to the possession of the red men, who were without intelligence, only in the affairs of their wars; and having no records, only preserving their history by tradition from father to son, lost the account of their true origin, and wandered from river to river, from hill to hill, from moun tain to mountain, from sea to sea, till the land was again peopled, in a measure, by a rude, wild, revengeful, warlike and barbarous race. Such are our Indians. This hill, by the Jaredites, was call ed Ramah: by it, or around it, the fa mous army ot Coriantumr pitched their tents. Coriantumr was thelast king of the Jaredites. The opposing army were to the west, and in this same valley, and near by, from day to day, did that mighty race spill their blood, in wrath, contending, as it were, brother against brother, and father against son. In this same spot, in full view from the top of this same hill, one may gaze with aston ishment upon the grirand which, was twice covered with the dead and dy ing ot i)ur tellovv men. Here may be seen where once sunk to naught the pride and strength of two mighty nations; and here may be contemplated, in solitude, while nothing but the faithful record of Mormon and Moroni is now extant to inform usot the fact, scenes of mis ery and distress— the aged, whose sil ver locks in other places and at other times would command reverence; the mother, who in other circumstances would be spared from violence; the infant, whose tender cries would be regarded and listened to with a feel ing of compa,ssion and tenderness; and the virgin, whose grace, beauty and modestv would be esteemed and held inviolate by all good men and enlightened and civilized nations, alike disregarded and treated with scorn. , , , In vain did the hoary head and man ot gi-ay hairs ask for mercy; in vain did the mother plead for com- pas.sion; in vain did the helpless and harmless infant weep tor very an guish, and in vain did the virgin seek to escape the ruthless hand of re vengeful toes and demons in human form — all alike were trampled down by.feet of the strong, and crushed be neath the rage of battle and war. Alas, wh(} can reflect upon the last struggles of great and populous na tions, sinking to dust beneath the •hand of justice and retribution, with out weeping over the corruption Of the human heart, and sighing for the hour when the clangor of arms shall no more be heard, nor the calamities ' of contending armies no more experi ence for a thousand years? Alas, the calamity of war, the extinction ot nations, the ruin ot kingdoms, the fall ot empires and the dissolution ot governments ! O the misery, distress and evil attendant on these ! Who can contemplate like scenes without- sorrowing, and who so destitute Ot commiseration as not to be pained that man has fallen so low, so far be neath the station in which he was created ? In this vale lie commingled, in one mass ot ruin, the ashes of thousands, and this vale was destined to con sume the fair forms and vigorous sys tems of tens of thousands ot the hu man race— blood mixed with blood, flesh with flesh, bones with bones, and dust with dust When the vital spark which animated their clay had fled, each lifeless lump lay on one common level— cold and inanimate. Those bosoms which had burned with rage against each other for real or supposed injury, had now ceased to heave with malice; those arms which were, a few moments before, nerved with strength, had a,like be come paralyzed, and those hearts which had been fired with revenge had now ceased to beat, and the head to think— in silence, in solitude, and in disgrace alike, they have long since turned to earth, to their mother dust, to await the august, and to millions, awful hour, when the trump of the Son of God shall ech(j and re-echo from the skies, and they come forth, quickened and immortalized, to not only stand in each other's presence, 24 COWDERY'S LETTERS. but before the bar ot him who is Eternal. With sentiments of pure respect, I conclude by subscribing myself your brother in the gospel, O. Cowdery. LETTER VIII. , May 28, 1835. Dear Brother:— In my last I said I should give, partially, a description of the place where, and the manner in which these records were deposit ed. The first promise I havefulflUed, and must proceed to the latter: — The hill ot which I have been speak ing, at the tiirie mentioned, present ed a varied appearance: the north end rose suddenly from the plain, forming a ijromontory without timber, but covered with grass. As you passed to the south you soon came to scat tering timber, the surface having been cleared by art or by wind; and a short distance further left, you are surrounded with the common forest of the country. It is necessary to observe that even the part cleared was only occupied for pasturage, its steep ascent and narrow summit not admitting the plovA' ot the husbandman with any degree of ease or profit. It was at the second mentioned place where the record was found to be deposited, on the west side of the hill, not far from the top down its side; and when myself visited the place in the year 1830, there were several trees stand ing—enough to cause a shade in sum mer, but not so much as to prevent the surface being covered with grass — which was also the case when the record was first found. Whatever may be thefeeUngot men on the refiection of past acts which have been performed on certain por tions or spots of this earth, I know not, neither does it add or diminish to nor from the reality ot my subject. AVhen Moses heard the voice of God, at the foot of Horeb, out of the burn ing bush, he was commanded to take his shoes off his feet, for the ground on which he stood was holy. The same may be observed when Joshua beheld the Captain of the Lord's host by .Jericho. And I confess that mv mind was filled with many reflec tions: and though I did .not then loose my shoe, yet with gratitude to God did I offer up the sacrifice of my heart. How far below the surface these records were placed by Moroni, I Am unable to say; but from the fact that they had been some fourteen hundred years buried, and that too on the Side of a hill so steep, one is ready to conclude that they were some feet below, as the earth would naturally wear more or less in that length, of time. But they being placed toward the top of the hill, the ground would not remove as much as two-thirds, perhaps. Another circumstance would pre? vent a wearing of the earth: in all probability, as soon as timber had time to grow, the hill was covered, after the Nephites were destroyed, and the roots of the same would hold the surface. However, on this point I shall leave every man to draw his own conclusions, and form his own speculations, as I only promised to give a description of the place at the time the records were found in 1823. It is sufficient tor my present pur pose to know that such is the fact: that in 1823, yes, 1823, a man with whom I have had the most intimate and personal acquaintance, for al most seven years, actually discover ed, by the vision of God, the plates from which the Book ot Mormon, as much as it is disbelieved, was trans lated. Such is the case, though men rack their very brains to inventfalse- hood, and then waftthem upon every breeze, to the contrary notwith standing. I have now given sufficient on the subject of the hill Cumorah — it has a singular and imposing appearance for that country, and must excite the curious enquiry of every lover of -the Book of Mormon: though I hope never like Jerusaleni, and the sepul chre ot our Lord, the pilgrims. In my estimation, certain places are dearer to me for what the,y now contain than for what they have con tained. For the satisfaction of such as believe I have been thus particu lar, and to avoid the question being NUMBER VIII. 25 a thousand times asked, more than any other cause, shall proceed and be as particular as heretoft^re. The manner in which the plates were de posited: First, a hole of sufficient depth (how deep I know not) was dug. At the bottom of this was laid a stone of suitable size, the upper surface be ing smooth. At each edge was plac ed a large- quantity of cement, and into this cement, at the four edges ot this stone, were placed, erect, four others, their bottom resting in the cement at the outer edges Of the first stone. The four last named, when placed erect, formed a box, the cor ners, or where the edges of the four came in contact, were also cemented so firmly that the moisture from without was prevented from enter ing. It is to be observed, also, that the inner surfafce of the four erect, or side stones, was smooth. This box was sufficiently large to admit a breast plate, such as was used by the an cients to defend the chest, &c., from the arrows and weapons ot their en emy. From the bottom ot the bo-x, or from the breastplate, arose three small pillars, composed of the same description ot cement used on the edges; and upon these three pillars was placed the record of the children of Joseph, and of a ipeoi)le'who left the tower tar, tar before the days ot Joseph, or a sketch of each, which, had it not been for this, and the nev er-tailing goodness of God-, we might have perished in our sins; havingbeen left to bow down before the altars ot the Gentiles, and to have paid hom age to the priests of Baal. I must not forget to say that this box, containing the record, was cov ered with another stone, tilie bottom- surtace being flat and the upper crowning. But those three ^illarg were Hot so lengthy as to cause the plates and the crowning stone to comein contact. I have now given you, according to my promise, the manner in which this record was de posited; though when it' was first vis ited by our brother, in 1823, a part ot the crowning stone was visible above the surface, while the edges vVerecon-' cealed by the soil and grass, from which circumstance you will see, that however deep this box might have been placed by Moroni at first, the time had been sufficient to wear the earth so that it was easily discover ed, when once directed, and yet not enough to make a perceivable differ ence to the passer by. So wonderful are the works of the Almighty, and so far from bur find ing out are his ways, that one who trembles to take his name into his Ups, is left to wonder at his exact providences, and the fulfillment of his purposes in the event of times and seasons. A tew years sooner might have found even the top stone con cealed and discouraged our brother from attempting to make a further effort to obtain this rich treasure, for tear ot discovery; and a few later might have left the small box uncov ered, and exposed its valuable con tents to the rude calculations and vain speculations ot those who neith er understand common language nor tear God. But such would have been contrary to the words of the an cients, and the promises made to them: and this is why I am left to ad mire the works and see the wisdom in the designs ot the Lord in all things manifested to the eyes ot the world: they show that all "human in ventions are like vapors, while his word endures forever and his prom ises to the last generation. Having thus digressed from my main subject to give a few items for the^pecial l>enefit of all, it will be necessary to return and proceed as formerly. And it any suppose I have indulged too freely in reflections, I will only say,- that it is my opinion, were one to have a vievv of the glory ot God which is to cover Israel in the last days, and know that these, though they may be thought small things, were the beginning to eftect the same, they would be at a loss where to close, should they give a moment's v'ent to the imaginations of the heart. You will have wondered, perhaps, that the mind ot our brother should be so occupied with the thoughts of the goods of this world, at the time 26 COWDERY'S LETTERS. of arriving at Cumorah, on the morning of the 22d of September, 1823, after having been wrapped in the vision of heaven during the night, and also seeing and hearing in open day; but the mind of man is easily turned, if it is not held by the power of God through the prayer of faith, and you will remember that 1 have said that two invisible powers were operating upon his mind during his walk from his residence to Cumorah, and that one urging the certainty of wealth and ease in this life had so powerfully wrought upon him, that the great object so carefully and im pressively named by the angel, had so entirely gone from his , recollection that only a fixed determination to obtain now urged him forward. In this, which occasioned a failure to obtain, at that time, the record, do not understand me to attach blame to our brother; he was young, and his mind easily turned from cor rect principles, unless he could be fa-, vored with a certain round of expe rience. And yet, while young, untra- ditionated and untaught in the sys tems of the world, he was in a situa tion to be led into the great work of God, and be qualifled to perform it in due time. After arriving at the repository, a little exertion to move the soil from the edge of the top of the box, and a light pry, brought to his natural vis ion its contents. No sooner did he be hold this sacred treasure, than his hopes were renewed, and he supposed his success certain; and without first attempting to take it from its long place ot deposit, he thought, perhaps there might be something more, equally as valuable, and to take only the plates, might give others an op portunity of obtaining the remain der, which, could he secure, would still add to his store of wealth. These, in short, were his reflections, without (mce thinking of the solemn instruction of the heavenly messen ger, that all must be done with an express view ot glorifying God. On attempting to take possession of the record, a shock was produced upon his systein, by an invisiblepow^- er, which deprived him, in a measure, ot his natural strength. He desisted tor an instant, and ¦then madeanoth- er attempt, but was more sensibly shocked than before. What was the occasion of this he knew not — there was the pure, unsullied record, as had been described— he had heard of the power ot enchantment, and a thous and like stories, which held the hid den treasures of the earth, and sup posed that physical exertion and per sonal strength was only necessary to enable him to yet obtain the object ot his wish. He therefore made the third at tempt, with an increased exertion, when his strengh failed him more than at either of the former times, and without ijreineditating he ex claimed, ¦why can I not obtain this book? Because you have not kept the commandments of the Lord, an swered a voice, within a seeming short distance. He looked, and, to his astonishment, there stood the angel who had previously given him the directions concerning this matter. In an instant all theformerinstruc- tions, the great intelligence concern ing Israel and the last days, were brought to his mind: he thought ot the time when his heart was fervent ly engaged in prayer to the Lord, when his spirit was contrite, and when his holy messenger from the skies unfolded the wonderful things connected with this record. He had come, to be sure, and found the word of the angel fulfilled concerning -the reality of the records, but he had tail ed to remember the, great end for which they had been kept, andin con sequence could not have p,ower to take them into his possession and bear them away. At that instant he looked to the Lord in prayer, and as he prayed darkness began to disperse from his mind, and his soul was lit up as it was the evening before, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit; aiidaigaiii did the Lord manifest his condescen sion and mercy: the heavens were opened, and the glory of the Lord shone .around about and rested upon bim. , „ While he thus stood gazing and ad miring, the angel said,. Look,— and NUMBER VIII. 27 as he thus spake he beheld the prince of darkness, surrounded by his in numerable train of associates. All this passed before him, and the heav enly messenger said: All this is shown, the good and the evil, the holy and the impure, the glory of God and the power of darkness, that yon may know hereafter the two powers, and never be infiuenced or overcome by that wicked one. Behold, whatever entices and leads to good and to do good, is ot God, and whatever does not is of that wicked one: it is he that fills the hearts of men with evil, to walk in darkness and blaspheme God; and you may learn from henceforth that his ways are to be destruction but the way of holiness is peace and rest. You now see why you could not obtain this record: that the commandment was strict, and that if ever these sacred things are obtained they must be by prayer and faithfulness in obeying the Lord. . They are not deposited here for the sake of accumulating gain and wealth for the glory of this world: they were sealed by the prayer ot faith, and be cause of the knowledge which they contain: they are ot no worth among the children of men, only for their knowledge. On them is contained the fulness ot the gospel of Jesus Christ, as it was given to his people on this land, and when it shall be brought forth by the power, of God it shall be carried to the' Gentiles, of whom many will receive it, and after wards will the seed of Israel be brought into the fold of their Redeem er, by obeying it also. Those who kept the command ments of the Lord on this land de sired this at his hand, and through the prayer of faith obtained the promise,' that if their descendants should transgress and fall away ,,that a record might be kept and in the last days come to their children. These things are sacred, and must be kept so, for the promise of the Liord cimcerning them must be fulfilled. No man can obtain them if Ms heart is impure, because they contain that which is sacred; and besides, should they be entrusted in unholy hands, the knowledge could not come to the world, because they cannot be interpreted by the learning of this generation; consequently they would be considered of no worth, only as precious metal. Therefore, remem ber, that they are to be translated by the gift and power ot God. By them will the Lord work a great and marvelous work: the wis dom of the wise shall become as naught, and the understanding ot the prudent shall be hid; and because the power of God shall be displayed, those who profess to knowthe truth, but walk in deceit, shall tremble with anger'; but with signs and with won ders, with gifts and with healings. with the manifestations of the pow er ot God, and with the Holy Ghost, shall the hearts ot the faithful be comforted. You have now beheld the power of I God manifested, and the power of satan: you see that there is nothing that is desirable in the works ot darkness; that they cannot bring happiness; that those who are over come therewith are miserable, while on the other hand the righteous are blessed with a place in the kingdom of God, where joy unspeakable sur rounds them. There they rest be yond the power of the enemy ot truth, where no evil can disturb them. The glory ot God crowns th«m, and they continually feast upon his goodness and enjoy his smiles. Behold, notwithstanding you have seen this great display ot power, by which you may ever be able to de tect the evil one, yet I give unto you another sign, and when it comes to pass, then know that the Lord is God, and that" he will fulfill his purp poses, and that the knowledge which ¦this record contains will go to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, under the whole heaven. This is the sign: When these things begin to be known, that is, when it is known that the Ltjrd has shown you these things, the workers ot ini quity will seek your overthrow: they will' circulate falsehoods to destroy your reputation, and also will seek to take your lite; but remember this. 28 COWDERY'S LETTERS, if you are faithful, and shall hereafter continue to keep the commandments ot the Lord, you shall be preserved to bring these things forth; for in due time he will again give you a com mandment to come and take them. ¦When they are interpreted, the Lord will give the holy priesthood to some, and they shall begin to pro claim this gOspel and baptize by wa ter, and after that they shall have power to give the Holy Ghost by the laying on of their hands. Then will persecution rage more and more; for the iniquities Of men shall be revealed and those who are not built up»n the Rock vvill seek to overthrow this Church; but it will increase the more opposed, and spread farther and far ther, increasing in knowledge till they shall be sanctified, and receive an in heritance where the glory Ot God will rest upon them; and when this takes place, and all things are prepared, the ten tribes' Of Israel will be reveal ed in the north country, whither they have been for a long season; and when this is fulfilled, will be brought to pass that saying of the prophet — And the Redeemer shall cometo Zion, and unto them that turn from trans gression in .Jacob, saith the Ijord. But, notwithstanding the workers of iniquity sha,ll seek your destruc tion, ¦the arm of the Lord will be ex tended, and you will be borne off con queror, if you keep all. his command ments. Your name shall be known among the nations, for the >vork which the Lord will perform by your hands shall cause the righteous to re joice and the wicked to rage: with the one it shall be had in honor, and with the other in reproach; yet 'with these it shall be a terror, because of the great and marvelous work which shall follow the coming forth ot the fulness of the gospel. Now. go thy way, remembering what the Lord has done for thee.and , be diligent in keeping his command ments, and he will deliver thee from temptations and all the arts and de vices of the wicked one. Forget not to pray, that thy mind- may become strong, that when he shiall manifest unto thee, thou mayest have power to escape the evil, and obtain these precious things: . Though I am unable to paint be fore the mind, a perfect description ot the scenery which passed before our brother, I think I have sa.id enough to give you a field for reflec tion which may not be unprofitable. You see the great wisdom of God in leading him thus far, that his mind might begin to be more matured, and thereby be able to judge correct ly, the spirits. I do not say that he would not have obtained the record had he went according to the direc tion ot the angel^I say that he would; but God knowing all things from the beginning, beganthus toisi- struct his servant. And in this it is-plainly to be seen, that the adversary of triith is not sufficient to overthro"w the work of God. You will remember that I said two invisible powers were operating upon the mind ot our brother while going to Cumorah. In this, then, 1 discover wisdom in the dealings -of the-Lord: it was impossible for any man to translate the Book of -Mor mon by the gift of God, endure the afflictions, and temptations, and de vices of satan, without being over-, thrown, unless he had been previous ly benefited with a certain round -of experience: and had our brother ob tained the record the first -time, not^ kno-wing how to detect the works of darkness, he might have been depriv ed ot the blessing of sending forth the word of truth to this generation. Therefore, God knowing that sa tan would thus lead his mind astray. began at that early honr.'that when the full time should arrive, he- might have a servant prepared to fulfill his purpose. So, ho-vvever affecting to his feelings this repulse might have been, he had reason to rejoice before the Lord and be thankful for the fa vors and mercies shown: that what ever other instruction was necesary to the aecomplishingtbis great work, he had learned, by experience, how to discern betweeiuthe spirit of Christ and the spirit ot the devil, -i. From this time to September, 1827, few occuri-ences wortJhyot-note trans pired. As a tact to be expected, noth- Nu^tnBR vin. 29 ing of importance could be recorded concerning a generation in darkness. In the mean time our brother, of whom I have been speaking, passed the time as others, in laboring for his support. But in consequence of cer tain false and slanderous reports which have been circulated, justice would rec(uire me to say something upon the private life of one whose character has been so shainefullv traduced. By some he is said to have been a lazy, idle, vicious, profligate fellow. These I am prepared to contradict, and that too by the testimony of many persons with whom I have been intimately acquainted, and know to be individuals of the strict est veracity, and unquestionable in tegrity. All those virtually agree in saying that he was an honest, up right, virtuous, and faithfully indus trious young man. .And those who say to the contrary, can be influ enced by no other motive than to de stroy the reputation of one who nev er injured any man in either property or person. While young, I have been informed, he was afflicted with sick ness; but 1 have been told by those tor whom he has labored that he was a young man of truth and industri ous habits. And I will add further, that it is my conviction, if he had never been called to the exalted sta tion which he now occupies, he might have passed down the stream of time with ease and in respectability, with out the foul and hellish tongue of slander e ver being raised against him . It is no more than to be expected, I admit, that men of corrupt hearts will try to traduce his character and put a spot upon his name; indeed, this is according to the word of the angel; but this does not prohibit me from speaking freely ot his merits, and contradicting those falsehoods — I feel myself bound so to do, and I know that my testimony on this matter will be received and believed, while those who testify to the con- trai-y are crumbled to the dust, and their words swept away in the gen eral mass ot lies when God shall pur ity the earth. Connected with this is the charac ter ol the family; and on this I say as I said concerning the character of our brother— I feel myself bound to de- tend the innocent always, when op portunity offers. Ha.d riot those who are notorious for lies and dishonesty, also assailed the character of the family 1 should pass over them here in silence; but now I shall not for bear. It has been industriously cir culated that they were dishonest, de ceitful and vile. On this I have the testimony of re sponsible persons, who haves'aidand will say, that this is basely false; and besides, a personal acquaintance of seven years, has demonstrated tliat all the difficulty is, they were once poor, and have now, by the help of God, arisen to note, and their names are like to be handed down to poster ity, and had in remembrance among the righteous. They are industrious, honest, virtuous and liberal to all. This is their character; and though many take advantage ot their liber ality, God will reward them; but this is the "tact, and this testimony shall shine upon the records of the saints, and be recorded on the archives of heaven to be read in the day of eterni ty, when the wicked and perverse, who have vilely slandered them with out cause or provocation, reap tlieir reward with the nnjust, where there is weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth — if they do not repent' Soon after this visit to Cumorah. a gentleman from the south parr of the State (Chenango Co.) employed our brother as a common laboi-er, and accordingly he visited that section ot the country; and had he not been ac cused ot digging down all, or -nearly so, the mountains ot Susquehanna, or causing others to do it bj' some art of necromancy, I should leave this for the present, unnoticed. You will remember, in the meantime.that those who seek to vilify his charac ter, say that he has always been no torious for his idleness. This gentleman. Avhose name is Stowell, resided in the town ot Bain- bridge, on or near the head waters of the Susquehanna river. Some forty miles south, or down the river, in the town of Harmon.v, Susquehanna 30 COWDERY^S LETTERS. County, Pa., is said to be a "cave or subterraneous recess, whether entire ly formed by art or not I am unin formed, neither does this matter; but such is said to be the case — where a company ot Spaniards, a long time since, when the country was unin habited by white settlers, excavated from the bowels of the earth ore, and coined a large quantity of money; af ter which they secured the cavity and evacuated it, leaving a part still in the cave, purposing to return at some distant period. A long time elapsed, and this ac count came from one of the individu als who was flrst engaged in the min ing business. The country was pointed out, and the spot minutely described. This, I believe, is the sub stance, so far as my memory serves, though I shall not pledge my veraci ty for the correctness of the account as I have given. Enough, however, was credited to the Spaniard's story, to excite the belief of many that there was a fine sum of the precious metal lying coined in this subterraneous vault, among whom wastheemploy- er; and accordingly our brother was required to spend a few months, with some others, in excavating the earth in pursuit of this treasure. While employed here, he became ac quainted with the family ot Isaac Hale, ot whom you read in several of the productions of those who have sought to destroy the validity of the Book of Mormon. It may be neces sary, hereafter, to refer you more particularly to the conduct of this family, as their infiuence has been considerably exerted to destroy the reputation ot our brother, probably because he married a daughter ot the same, contrary to some of their wish es, and in connection with this, to certain statements of some others ot the inhabitants of that secticm ot country. But in saying this I do not wish to be understood as- uttering aught against Mrs. Smith, (formerly Emma Hale.) She has most certainly evinced a decidedly correct mind and uncom mon amount ot talent and judgment, and a manifest willingness to fulfill, on her part, that saying in sacred writ^"a.rid they t-flrain shall be one flesh" — by accompanying her hus band against the wishes and advice o~t her relatives, to a land ot strang ers: and however I may deprecate their actions, can say in justice, her character stands as fairfor morality, piety and Virtue, as any in the world. Though you may say this is di gressing from the subject proposed, I trust I shall be indulged, tor the pur- ipose of satisfying many who have 'heard' so many slanderous reports ithat they are led to belie-ve them Itrue, becaifse they are not contra dicted, and besides, this generation are determined to oppose every item in the form or under the pretense of revelation, unless it comes through a man who has always been more pure than Michael, the great prince; and as this is the fact, and my opposers have put me to the necessity, I shall be more prolix, and have no doubt, before I give up the point, shall prove to your satisfaction, and to that of every man, that the translator ofthe Book of Mormon is worthy the ap- Jpellation of a seer and a prophet of [the Lord. In this I do not pretend that he is hot a man subject to passions like jother men, beset ¦with infirmities, land encompassed with weakness; but if he is, all men were so before him. and a pretence to the contrary would argue a more than mortal, which would at once destroy the whole system of reUgion of the Lord Jesus; for he anciently chose the weak to overcome the strong, the foolish to confound the wise, (I mean considered so by this world;) and by the foolishness ot preaching to save those who believe. On the private character of our brother I need add nothing further, at present, previous to his obtaining the records of the Nephites, only that while in that Country, some very offi cious person complained of him as a disorderly person, and brought him before the authorities ot the county; but there being no cause of action he w^as honorably acquitted. From this time forward he continued to receive instructions concerning the coming forth ot the fulness of the gospel, from NUMBER VIII. 31 the mouth of the heavenly messen ger, until he was directed to visit again the jjlace where the record was deposited. For the present I close, with a thankful heart thait I am permitted, to see thousands rejoicitrg in the as surance of the promise of the Lord confirmed unto them through the obedience ot the everlasting coven ant. As ever, your brother in the Lord •Jesus, O. Cowdery. YALE UNIVERSITY i^'^,4r^ s^lHlJ&oIfsTsTsb