Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842
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Source Note
Times and Seasons (, Hancock Co., IL), 2 May 1842, vol. 3, no. 13, pp. 767–782; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.
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Historical Introduction
The 2 May 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons, a periodical published in , Illinois, was the thirteenth number in its third volume.JS purchased the and the newspaper from in February 1842 and was identified as its editor from 15 February to 15 October 1842. Although JS was named as the editor in the 15 February issue, he did not consider himself the editor of the newspaper until the 1 March 1842 issue. , , and others helped JS produce the Times and Seasons from March through October 1842, but JS was directly responsible for the content of the newspaper.The fifth issue that JS oversaw as editor was dated 2 May 1842 and contained a letter to the Saints from the , urging them to fund the construction of the ; letters from missionaries and church members in the eastern and Europe; an extract of the “History of Joseph Smith,” which was printed serially in the newspaper; and reprinted articles from several other newspapers, including the church newspaper in , the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. In addition to this material, the issue also contained editorial content, meaning content created by JS as the editor or his editorial staff for the paper. This content in the 2 May issue included commentaries on articles about mummies, an editorial on the Nauvoo temple, news from proselytizing , commentary on an article about Judaism, and notices concerning temple donations and a position with the printing office staff. Selected editorial content from the 2 May issue is featured here, with individual introductions for each passage.Note that only the editorial content created specifically for this issue of the Times and Seasons is annotated here. Articles reprinted from other papers, letters, conference minutes, and notices, are reproduced here but not annotated. Items that are stand-alone JS documents are annotated elsewhere; links are provided to these stand-alone documents.
Footnotes
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2
See “To Subscribers,” Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, 3:710.
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3
Several of these letters were written to JS and, because of their earlier creation dates, are featured in a previous volume of The Joseph Smith Papers. (See Letter from Eli Maginn, 22 Mar. 1842; and Letter from William Appleby, ca. Mar. 1842.)
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4
The Millennial Star was a monthly church newspaper edited by Parley P. Pratt and first published in Manchester, England, in May 1840. (“Prospectus,” Millennial Star, May 1840, 1:1–2.)
Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.
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5
See “Editorial Method”.
Jacob and Joseph were no doubt, embalmed in the manner of the Egyptians, as they died in that country, Gen. 1. 2, 3, 26. When our Saviour was crucified his hasty burial obliged them only to wrap his body in linnen with a hundred pounds of myrrh, aloes, ahd [and] similar spices, (part of the ingredients of embalming,) given by Nicodemus for tbat [that] purpose: but Mary and other holy women had prepared ointment and spices for embalming it, Matt. xxviii. 59: Luke xxiii. 56: John xxx. 39, 40.
This art was no doubt transmitted from Jerusalem to this continent, by the before mentioned emigrants, which accounts for the finding of the mummies, and at the same time, is another strong evidence of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.—-[Ed.
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SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
Mortal Sickness in .—It is stated in the Times, that a peculiar kind of sickness prevails to an alarming extent in the vicinity of Reading, and that many cases have already proved fatal. Also that a singular and alarming disease has made its appearance at Norristown and the village opposite. It is said that persons in good health are first seized with a giddiness in the head, then a diarrhoe, and immediately after the skin becomes as yellow as gold, convulsions take place, and the individual is a corpse in a few hours after the attack. The disease has baffled the skill of the ablest physicians, and produced the greatest consternation in consequence of its malignant and fatal character. Several deaths occur every day.—-[ Western Atlas.
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Editorial Note
Another piece of editorial content informed readers of a recent donation made by missionary to JS as trustee-in-trust for the . Bernhisel had collected nearly two hundred dollars in donations from Latter-day Saints in for the construction of the . The direction at the end of the passage to “Go and do likewise” echoed a letter from the that was also published in the 2 May 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons, soliciting donations for the temple.
FUNDS.
A certificate of deposite in the “Butchers and Drovers Bank,” , by Doct. , in favor of the Trustee in Trust, has been received at the Recorder’s office, and passed to the credit of the individuals named in the accompanying letter.
Go and do likewise.
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For the Times and Seasons.
TO , , ENG.
by miss .
Dearest Brother, wherefore leave us?
Why forsake thy friends and home?
Of thy presence, why bereave us,
And in foreign countries roam?
Must the dearest ties be broken?
Must affection’s beauties fade?
No: O no, but God has spoken
And his voice must be obey’d.
Thou art call’d to bear Salvation’s
Joyful tidings far abroad—
Thou hast gone to warn the nations,
In the name of Israel’s God.
For the spirit of Devotion
To Messiah’ glorious cause;
Thou hast cross’d the pathless ocean,
To proclaim redemption’s laws.
For the gospel proclamation
Must be sounded far and near;
That the best of every nation,
May in Zion’s courts appear.
Thou art now a standard bearer;
On a distant mountain top;
And perchance, art made a sharer
In privation’s bitter cup
For the Lord designs to prove thee
If his voice thou wilt obey;
Therefore from the friends that love thee,
Thou art parted far away!
Thou art call’d thyself to sever
From the land where kindred dwell!
But it will not be forever—
Time ere long, will break the spell.
Here warm friends await thy greeting—
Noble friends, of Abram’s line—
Here are gentle pulses beating
In soft unison with thine.
Here are daily pray’rs ascending
That th’ appointed time may come,
When thy foreign mission ending,
We shall bid thee “welcome home.”
City of , April, 21st, 1842.
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Editorial Note
In a final notice, JS advertised the position of book binder in the . As the owner of the printing office, JS appears to have wanted to supplement the current office staff. He may have felt such growth was necessary in light of the ’s aspirations to publish JS’s new translation of the King James Version of the Bible and the Book of Abraham.
WANTED,
BY the subscriber, a first rate Book Binder; one who thoroughly understands his business, and of good moral character, will receive good wages, and constant employment, by applying soon, to
J. SMITH.
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The Times and Seasons,
IS EDITED BY
Joseph Smith.
Printed and published about the first and fifteenth of every month, on the corner of Water and Bain Streets, , Hancock County, Illinois by
JOSEPH SMITH.
TERMS.—Two Dollars per annum, payable in all cases in advance. Any person procuring five new subscribers, and forwarding us Ten Dollars current money, shall receive one volume gratis. All letters must be addressed to Joseph Smith, publisher, post paid, or they will not receive attention. [p. 782]
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