We live in the land of Zion; on the side of the North.  Gentiles murdered most of the Native Americans; who are a part of the house of Israel through Joseph, the son of Jacob.  When Jesus returns, this land will again be their inheritance.  Those Gentiles from the last Gentile dispensation, the daughter of Zion , will help gather Joseph; and will share in their inheritance.  The other Gentiles will suffer; even as Israel suffered.  The only hope for these Gentiles is to know the God of Israel, obey the gospel, and walk on the path of light.

Excerpts from the History of the Priesthood

By Benjamin Winchester

I will now invite the attention of the reader to the xviii chap. of Isaiah, which certainly contains an account of a most pleasing view that he had, of not only the establishment of the before mentioned kingdom; but of the place or land upon which it was to be commenced, which he thus describes: "Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia; that sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying go ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to at people ter­rible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! All the in­habitants of the world and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when He lifteth up an ensign upon the mountains; and when He bloweth the trumpet hear ye."

Now any person who is acquainted with the Hebrew lan­guage, knows that an improvement in the translation of the above can he made with propriety:-‑It should read thus: "Ho! to the land shadowing with (or in the symbol of,) wings, that lies beyond the rivers of Cush .  This by no means changes the sense; but reduces it to the modern style of phraseology, which I trust will greatly assist the reader in understanding the true meaning of the prophet.

But now the question is, what land does the prophet ad­dress these words to?  In order to correctly come at this, we must first consider that the prophet resided at Jerusalem, or somewhere near that city; secondly, to find the land that he speaks of, it is necessary to be certain as to the location of the land of Cush or Ethiopia.

The general name that the Jews gave to all the north‑part of Africa was, "the land of Cusheamm." Ethiopia proper, is situated south, and south‑west of, Egypt, and is now called Abbysinia; but according to Herodotus, the Ethiopian nations were very numerous; and it is evident that the Greeks, and Romans, called the most of. the African nations Ethiopians. The writer of the celebrated voyage of Hanno, (which is to be found in Mr. H. Murray's Encyclopedia of Geography,) a Carthagenian navigator who attempted to sail round Africa, gives an account of Ethiopians near the Straits of Gibraltar, or Pillars of Hercules; also that he sailed twelve days along the western coast of Africa, which he says, was then inhabited by Ethiopians, who were very numerous.  This coast in now called the coast of Morocco; hence, the ancient Moors were called Ethiopians or Cushites.  Indeed, after a careful research into the history of this people, I have come to the following conclusion.‑-Cush was the son of Ham, and his progeny, soon after the flood, settled somewhere in the neighborhood of the river Euphrates; but at a very early period, some of them emi­grated to Africa, and at first, located somewhere about the head waters of the Nile.  According to Josephus, these Ethiopi­ans were a powerful nation in the days of Moses; and also, that they inhabited the country that lies south, and south‑west of Egypt; but they were a warlike people and had a great de­sire for conquest; hence, they soon spread over the north part of Africa: and in consequence of their inhabiting the greatest part of this continent, which was then known to the civilized nations, the Jews called it the land of Cush or Cusheam; but the Greeks, and Romans gave it the general name of Ethiopia, and the people they called Ethiopians, the same as we give the inhabitants of all Europe, the general name of Europeans; al­though, they are divided into many nations; therefore, it is evident that in the days of Isaiah, the north part of Africa was called Cush, and the rivers that the prophet alludes to, are those that flow into the Mediterranean sea along the coast of the Barbary states; and also those that flow into the Atlantic Ocean along the coast of Morocco.  Now I presume that from the foregoing, the reader will readily discover that the prophet alludes to a land that lies directly west of Jerusalem, which course strikes the Atlantic somewhere on the coast of Morocco; but still beyond this, is the land in the symbol of wings, which must certainly be America; for this reason, no other land will answer the description of the prophet.  Indeed, if the prophet does not speak of this land, then he has wrote a mess of incomprehensible nonsense.

But there is also another view, that may be taken of this subject, which perhaps will reflect new light upon it. The word Nahar not only means river, but has another signification, which is, light or knowledge.  In Isaiah's day, the Carthagenians were the greatest navigators of the world, and it is asserted, that they considered as exclusively theirs, all the Mediterra­nean sea, west of a line stretched across from Carthago to Sicily, and that they captured all the vessels, and put to death the crews, of all other nations that were found navigating within these forbidden precincts.  They were also the first that navi­gated about the Pillars of Hercules, the south western coast of Europe, and the western coast of Africa.  In a word, in these ancient times they had the most extensive knowledge of the sea, coasts, and islands, in these parts, of any other nation; therefore, as the word Nahar signifies light or intelligence as well as river, perhaps, the prophet alludes to a land that is beyond the extreme knowledge of the Ethiopian or Cushite navigators.  However, either of the above explanations, makes the idea perfectly plain, that the prophet points to America .

Again, North and South America, as will be seen from a miniature drawing of them on a map, in form and shape, very much resemble the wings of a bird; hence, it is a land in the symbol of wings, and in this respect, no other part of the globe will answer this description of the prophet.  Some writers how­ever, contend that the prophet alludes to the eagle with out­spread wings upon the American ensign or flag; but let this be as it may, the case is equally plain if we take it either way.

"That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, go ye swift messengers of the nations," &c.  From this it appears, that ambassadors or the servants of the Lord, are to be sent from this land to the nations of the earth; but the idea of their being transported over the sea in "vessels of Bulrushes," is a novel affair indeed; however, it is probable that the prophet did not intend to con­vey any such idea.  The Hebrew word gomey which is here rendered bulrushes, has at least three significations; the first, is to drink or swallow hastily; the second, is to impress; it is also a general name for certain species of the vegetable king­dom, such as reeds, bulrushes, and papyrus.  But in my opin­ion the second import of the word should be used; for it makes the passage read intelligibly, and seems to convey the intended idea of the prophet. Job speaking of the war horse, says, as it is translated in the bible: "He (yegomey) swalloweth the ground with the fierceness of his rage:" (Job. 39:24.) a horse does not swallow the ground; therefore, it should be rendered, "he impresseth the ground" that is, he maketh pits in the earth with his feet, deep impressions or tracks with his hoof, by which he prevents any retrograde motion; but rusheth or pro­pels himself forward with force, and great velocity; therefore, it is certainly more sensible to read the above, "vessels im­pressing the face of the waters," instead of "vessels of bul­rushes:" for it is not probable that vessels will ever be made of such material to escort the servants of God over the sea.

Indeed, does not the prophet aptly describe our steamvessels or ships: for it is by the action of the wheels upon the water, that propels the vessel swiftly forward; or in other words, the prophet saw in vision swift running, or rushing vessels, that move speedily along against the wind and tide.  If this is not the meaning of the prophet, then it certainly should be translated "vessels of papyrus."  Historians say, that papyrus, is a flaggy shrub that grows in the marshes about the river Nile; the roots and body of it, were anciently used for fuel, and sometimes for timber, for ships or vessels, (such as were used in early times;) the bark was used as a substitute for paper, (which was not then invented,) for weaving apparel, and for ropes and sails for ships; hence, as the prophet saw our land with all the modern improvements; and also, our majestic maritime vessels, with all their sails spread, and the servants of God on board, he called them vessels of papyrus, perhaps, for the want of a better term; for he had probably seen vessels that were propelled by the action of the wind upon papyrus canvass, and those which he saw in vision, resembled them more than any others that he had ever beheld. Either one of the foregoing explanations, makes the subject perfectly plain; but for my own part I prefer the former.

"To a nation terrible from their beginning hitherto," &c.

This certainly alludes to the Jews or house of Israel, who were a powerful people at their beginning; but since that, they have been scattered among the nations, and in a manner trodden down.  "All the inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when He lifteth up an ENSIGN upon the moun­tains," &c.  An ensign is a flag or banner having on it figures, and emblematical representations of the nation to which it belongs: for instance, when the noble patriots of America, declared themselves a free and independent people, they hoisted an ensign, upon which was inscribed an appropriate motto, which they carried with them into the field of battle, where they manfully maintained their cause.  This ensign was a new one; hence, it signified, that a new nation had, or was just in the act of taking its place in rank of political governments.  Therefore, this ensign of the Lord, implies nothing more nor less, than His kingdom established on this land, figura­tively speaking, with its flag, the banner of truth or the gospel, held up to the world, which plainly indicates, not only its char­acter, but shows that God has established a rallying point for His people: or in short, as the prophetic vision rolled before the prophet's mind, he saw the establishment of the kingdom of God in the latter‑days upon this continent, from whence the servants of the Lord shall go, and proclaim the fullness of the everlasting gospel to all the nations of the earth.  This corre­sponds with my previous dissertation upon what Daniel says about the "stone of the mountain."  Mr. Jackson a Jew by birth, and an excellent Hebrew scholar, and also the editor of a periodical called "The Jew," says, while discoursing upon this vision of Isaiah, that the work of God, will commence in America , that will ultimately effect the restoration of the house of Israel , and prepare the way for the appearance of the Mes­siah.  And to me, the subject is perfectly plain; therefore, I set it down as a fact, which is incontrovertible, that the Lord has foretold by Isaiah, that he would first organize His kingdom in the latter‑days upon this land.

The prophet after speaking of this ensign, illustrates by figures, the awful destruction, and calamity that will come upon the wicked soon after this kingdom is organized, and the messengers or servants of the Lord are sent to the nations, which harmonizes with what John says, in the latter part of the xiv chap. of his Revelation.  The prophet concludes by say­ing, that a people that were "scattered and trodden down," shall be brought to Zion, for a present to the Lord.

Isaiah speaks of this ensign in another place thus "And He will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold they shall come with speed swiftly." (Is. 5:26.)  The reader will see, by an examination of the context, that the above is a latter‑day work, which is evident from the fact, the ensign is to be first raised, and then the work that is to follow immediately after, is the gathering of the house of Israel from their dispersed condi­tion.  But it is evident, that the prophet does not allude to any ensign, that ever was, or will be, first lifted up at Jerusalem : for this reason, he says it was to be lifted up "from far," that is, upon some distant land.  He certainly would not have said this of anything that was to transpire in his own neighbor­hood.

Thus far I have commented upon the evidence, that I have presented, upon somewhat of an extensive scale, in order to settle the question with regard to the place where the kingdom of God of the last days, was to be established, and thus to lay a good foundation for my argument; but hereafter, I shall com­ment upon the testimony in a more general way.  Indeed, a prospect of more volubility than I desire at present, admon­ishes me to pursue this course.

In order for the reader to comprehend or understand, the various passages of scripture which I shall hereafter insert as evidence, he should bear in mind one important fact, which is, that when Christ made His appearance the first time, He did not gather the Israelites that were then dispersed, neither did He restore the kingdom to them.  Although, the most sanguine expectation of the Jews, and even of the apostles at the onset of their calling, was that He would do it; but the Jews as a nation rejected Him, after which He said to them: "How oft would I have gathered you, as a hen gather her chickens under her wings, and ye would not."  "Behold, your house shall be left unto you desolate."  "Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."  Instead, of gathering them at that time, He transfered His spiri­tual kingdom to the Gentiles; but said of the Jews: "They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."  The apostles interrogated Him thus: "Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel ?"  His answer was: "It is not for you to know the times and seasons, which the Father has put in His own power."  This shows that the apostles were not called to go and gather Israel; therefore, all the predictions of the prophets that relates to their general restoration, and the re‑establishment of the kingdom with them, were not fulfilled in the days of the apostles; but will be in the latter‑days.-‑But I must hasten.

Isaiah in the xi chap. of his prophecy, is very plain upon this subject; after speaking of the triumphant appearance of Christ, he says, that the wolf and the lamb shall dwell to­gether, the lion eat straw like the ox, and that nothing shall hurt or destroy in all the Lord's holy mountain; also that the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.  He then tells how all this shall be brought about, which is as follows: "And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be glorious."  The servants of the Lord will proclaim to all nations, that Christ is the Saviour of mankind, and that He is the founder of this kingdom that I have been speaking about; therefore, they will hold Him up as an ensign, to all the world, and many out of all nations, will be inducted into this kingdom, and thus place themselves under His protection.

The prophet thus proceeds: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shiner, and from Hamath, and from the Islands of the sea.  And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."  We know when the Lord set His hand the first time to establish His people upon their land; but the question is, when did or will He, do it the second time?  It certainly was not done at the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, be­cause they were not then gathered "from the four corners of the earth;" neither were the outcasts, or ten tribes of Israel, who were taken away as captives by Shalmaneser king of Assyria, and located in the cities of the Medes, restored at that time: for Josephus, who flourished sometime after the birth of Christ, says they had not then returned.  And we know that He did not do it, at the commencement of the Christian dispensa­tion: for He pronounced a woe upon them, and their city; and also said, they should be carried captive into all nations; there­fore, the above must be received as a prediction of the estab­lishment of the kingdom. of God, and gathering of Israel in the last days. Indeed, the fact that it is to immediately precede the happy day of rest or Millenium, when the knowledge of God shall cover the earth, establishes this idea beyond doubt.

The following shows that in the execution of this majestic work, mighty miracles will be performed: "And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with His mighty wind shall He shake His hand over the river, and smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dry shod.  And there shall be an highway for the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria ; like, as it was to Israel in the day that He came up out of the land of Egypt ."

But says one, if the Latter‑day Saints, are called of God to assist in the performance of the above work, why not go to the Israelites immediately with this boon of consolation, and not disturb the quiet of the Gentiles, who are so prejudiced against it?  The following serves as an answer to this: "Thus saith the Lord God, behold, I will lift my hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders." (Is. 49:22.)  It will be seen from the context, that the prophet is here speaking of the work, that is to effect the restoration of Israel. Indeed, the whole chapter is most sublime, and positive upon this important subject.  But ac­cording to the above quotation, the Lord was to first lift up His hand to the Gentiles; or in other words, He was to orga­nize His kingdom among them.  The idea is, that it was to be vice versa from what it was at the opening of the Christian dispensation, whereas then, the work was commenced among the Jews, that is, Christ called His apostles from among them, offered to give them the kingdom, sent His disciples to preach the gospel to them; and in a word, He lifted up His ensign to them; but they refused to rally around it, or to enlist in His cause; therefore, it was taken to the Gentiles, who were ulti­mately benefited by it: for said Paul: "Seeing ye count your­selves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles."  But the Lord was to commence His work of the last days among the Gentiles, raise up servants, and send them to all the na­tions, to preach the gospel, and warn them of the important events that are to immediately transpire; and as soon as this is done, He will send His servants to the scattered tribes of Is­rael, and thus they will be brought to a knowledge of the truth, and ultimately restored to their legal inheritance, and thus be benefited by this work, which is agreeable to what our Sav­iour said: "The first shall be last, and the last first."

There is no necessity for anything more positive than the following: "Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither He had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks." (Je. 16:14­16)  So great and majestic will be the work of the Lord, and so marvellous the deliverance of the house of Israel, that they, in order to extol the power of God, will not refer to His works and miracles, that He performed when He delivered them from Egyptian bondage; but to the power and majesty, that He will display in restoring them from the north country, and all parts of the earth.  The fishers and hunters, alluded to, are certainly the servants of God; and mark, they are to be called, and sent by Him, and not by men.

Peter while preaching to the Jews, alluded to this impor­tant work in the following words: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive [retain] until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." (Ac. 3:19‑21)  It appears from this, that just before Christ comes the second time, He will commence the work of restoration.  In the apostolic age, the Jews were dispersed; but just before Christ comes, they shall be gathered together again.  The church has apostatized, and thus corrupted the priesthood; but the prophets that Peter refers to, have said that it should be re- stored; or in other words, they have predicted that which implies it.  Indeed, I infer from the above, that Peter was aware that God would do a great work in the latter‑days; and also, that Christ shall come at the time this work of restoration is going on, and finish it.

Paul speaks of this work thus: "Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good plea­sure which He hath purposed in Himself that in the dispensa­tion of the fulness of times, He might gather together in one, all things in Christ, both which are in the heaven and which are on earth, in Him." (Ep. 1:8‑10) I presume by this time, the reader has no doubt but that God has yet a majestic work to perform, a portion of which is to gather all His saints together, from all parts of the world; therefore, admitting the apostle alludes to the gospel dispensation, and as he knew, there would be a general "falling away;" consequently, he must refer to the renewal of it, that the great work of God may be carried into execution: and it will be remembered, that the Latter‑Day Saints, do not contend for something altogether new in this respect; but for a renewal of the above dispensation.

I have now arrived to the proper place for the introduction of the subject of the Book of Mormon, that is, the evidence by which it is sustained; a synopsis of which, I intend to give.  And although, it is inseparably connected with the subject, that the attention of the reader has latterly been called to; but not being partial to long chapters, I close this one here, and shall commence a new one with the above subject.” (History of the Priesthood, pp. 117-128)

The subject of the "Book of Mormon," or the evidence by which it is sustained, is immediately connected with the one that is briefly discoursed upon in the preceding chapter; there­fore, in this I only continue the subject, in order to give the reader a correct, and general idea of the majestic work that the Lord has promised to perform in the latter‑days.

It would be unreasonable for me to attempt, to present to the reader all the evidence that there is to sustain the authen­ticity of this Book, in the narrow space that I have in this work to devote to it: for it would require volumes larger than this to contain it; therefore, I shall only present in a very brief man­ner, some of the most important parts of it.‑-But I will first give a historical sketch of the manner in which it was discov­ered; of what people it is a history, and of the doctrine it incul­cated.

This Book was discovered to Mr. Joseph Smith, about A.D., 1827, by the agency of an angel: from this to 1830, he occupied a good portion of his time in translating it, in which year it was published to the world.  It contains a history of a people that were Israelites of the tribe of Joseph, who emi­grated from Jerusalem to this continent about six hundred years before Christ.  The account runs thus.  A short time before the Babylonish captivity, the Lord commanded a man by the name of Lehi, who was a righteous or just person, to lead his own family, and another one by the name of Ishmael, out of Jerusa­lem, promising them, that He would direct them to a choice and good land.  This command was obeyed, and the company at length reached the shore of the ocean, where they were di­rected by the Lord to build a ship of sufficient dimensions to transport them over the sea.  After every thing was made ready, they set sail, and in a reasonable length of time, they safely landed upon this land.  Lehi had several sons; but soon after they came here a separation took place between them, and in process of time they became two powerful nations, who were called Lamanites and Nephites; the former took their name from Laman the eldest son of Lehi; and the latter, from Nephi his third son.  The Lamanites were a stubborn and warlike people, and of a roving disposition; the present aborigines of this continent, are their progeny.  The Nephites were agricul­turists, and a civilized people, who built splendid cities; and also, large temples and spacious edifices, in which they held public worship.  The remains of these cities and temples, are to be seen in Central America , and elsewhere, in both the north and south parts of the continent; the discovery of which has excited the curiosity and astonishment of the learned so much of late.

The Nephites at times were faithful to God, at others, they were rebellious. The Book of Mormon, is an abridgement of the writings of the prophets, and good men of this people, and gives an account of their religion, some of their revelations, their wars with the Lamanites, and also their final over­throw as a nation.  But the manner in which this book was preserved, is as follows.

In the latter part of the fourth century, the Nephites began to rapidly degenerate into apostacy, and the Lord foreseeing their final destruction, commanded Mormon, who was one of their prophets, to collect together the sacred writings of their former prophets, and to compile them, and engrave an abridge­ment of them upon metalic plates or tablets, (which was the material they used for writing upon).  He however, was slain by his enemies before the completion of this work; consequently, it fell into the hands of his son Moroni, who saw the entire destruction of the Nephites by the hands of the Lamanties; and also finished writing or engraving this work, and then prepared a safe and convenient place, in which he deposited it with the expectation, and indeed, with a promise from the Lord, that it should be brought to light in the latter‑days, for an important purpose.

This record was deposited in an archive prepared for it on a hill that was anciently called Cumora, now in the township of Manchester, Ontario county, New York; where it remained in safety, until it was discovered to Mr. Smith, as I have al­ready mentioned, who translated it into the English language, by the means of the Urim and Thummim, (a similar instru­ment to the one that is mentioned in the former part of this work,) and the power of God. For other particulars concern­ing the manner in which this Book has been brought before the public, I refer the reader to the Book itself, and other works in which an elaborate account of the whole transaction is given.

This Book contains no new code of morals nor any new gospel or doctrine; but in this respect perfectly harmonizes with the bible.  It however, contains several prophecies con­cerning the work of the Lord in the latter‑days, that are new and interesting to us, yet they do not conflict with the bible. The historical part of it, differs from that of the bible, because it is a history of a different nation or branch of the house of Israel .

The utility of this Book, or rather, the objects, the Lord had in view in bringing it to light, are as follow.  First, it re­veals or brings to light many important things that were be­fore hid in the labyrinth of mystery and darkness, which will help to fill up the library of sacred intelligence, that is to del­uge the earth, as the water does the sea.  Secondly, it reveals an important fact, which is that the aborigines of this conti­nent are Israelites, so that when the fishers and hunters, that Jeremiah mentions, are sent to gather Israel, may know that they are a branch of this people.  Isaiah says, that when the Lord shall make an everlasting covenant with the house of Israel: "Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: and all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed that the Lord hath blessed." (Is. 61:8, 9)  Many of the Israelites are mixed with the Gentiles; therefore, how are they to be designated, so that the Gentiles shall know that they are of that race?  I reply, that the only way of doing it, is by revelation from the Lord. In­deed, the Book of Mormon, is intended to be of particular benefit to the Red men of the forest: for it will in the due time of the Lord, be taken to them; and thus they shall have a knowl­edge of their origin, and many prophecies that relate to their conversion, which with the attendant power of God, will have a most desirable effect upon them, and cause them to lay down their weapons of warfare, and to engage in the service of God.  Thirdly, this Book contains the testimony of a nation or people that inhabited this land, who affirm that Christ is the Son of God or true Messiah.  This people at the time this testimony was written, were secluded from the oriental nations, without any means of communication, which  rendered it impos­sible for them to form any collusion; therefore, as the Book of Mormon is well authenticated, by not only scriptural and in­ternal evidence, but by the testimony of thousands of living witnesses, who are persons of undoubted veracity, when the servants of God go to Israel, and even to the heathen nations that do not believe in Christ, it will be of great service to them, because it and the bible contain the testimony of two nations widely separated from each other, agreeing to one thing, and that is, to the truth of the Christian religion: "By the mouth of two or three witnesses, shall every word he established."  Cer­tainly, the testimony of two nations, is better than one, espe­cially when they perfectly agree.  In a word, the effect that this Book is intended to have, is this, it is to be an instrument in the hand of God, to convince Israel, and others, that Christ is the true Messiah, and to cause Zion's watchmen to see eye to eye, and all the honest followers of Christ to believe, know, see, and practice alike.  And any person, who says that a belief in it tends to, or even does, have any other effect upon its advo­cates than the above, shamefully misrepresents it.  Other causes may influence individuals to do wrong; but such causes, are abstract from the bible, or Book of Mormon.

The following are the principal objections that are urged against this work; first, that it contains a new gospel; but ev­ery person that has ever read this Book, knows this to be false; therefore, it is no objection, because it is founded upon noth­ing but an imagination.  Secondly, that the bible contains all the revelations, and inspired writings that God ever intended the human family should have; or in other words, that the canon of the scriptures is full; therefore, we need no more.  This idea, is one of the greatest pieces of ignorance and bigotry, that pretended Christians, have ever favoured us with.  Whoever has carefully read the scriptures, knows that the prophets, and apostles, refer to several inspired books that are not in the bible; such, for instance, as the Book of Gad the Seer, of Nathan the prophet, of Shemeiah the prophet, Visions of Iddo the Seer, &c., &c.  Indeed, if we credit the scriptures, we must believe that God never gave any unnecessary revelations, and also, that but a portion of them have been perpetuatad to us; therefore, the idea that the bible contains all the sacred writ­ings that God intends His people shall ever possess, is only fit for a bigot to amuse a silly multitudes with.  Thirdly, it is ar­gued from the following, that no revelations were to be given after the days of the apostles: "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book." (Re. 22:18.)  John only refers to his Book of Revelation, and not to the bible: for at this time, the New Testament writings were not compiled; and it is probable he had never seen them all.  If he by this expres­sion debarred God of the privilege of giving a revelation, or any person of the right of receiving one, and of writing by inspiration, then the curse must have fallen upon himself; for it is a historical fact, that he wrote his three Epistles, and Gos­pel, after this.  But if we adopt this as a rule by which we reject all revelations, and inspired writings after John, then by the same rule, we must discard nearly all the bible: for both Moses and Soloman, have given a similar commandment. (See De. 4:2: and Pro. 30:6.)  The Book of Mormon, is no addition to John's Revelation; but like any other book, it is independant by itself; therefore, it does not in the least conflict with John. Certainly, there are no reasonable objections against this Book to be found: men may fancy them; but they are instantaneously put to flight, when the brilliancy of truth is brought to bear upon them, like the rebellious rabble before the mighty host of warriors.

Now the contents of this Book, are not so much ob­jected to, as the miraculous manner in which it was brought to light, and indeed, this is the uniform objection that has ever been urged against all the great and marvellous works of God: for it is the disposition of man, to credit a thing so far as God has nothing to do with it; but when it borders on the miracu­lous, then it becomes odious to him: for this reason, the Greek philosophers regarded the idea of the resurrection of Christ as foolishness.  Again, the Jews at times found no particular dif­ficulty in believing in the prophets, and their testimony, who were dead and gone; but with wanton cruelty, they oppressed, and persecuted those that were cotemporary with them.  Christ and His disciples were dispised in their day; but now it is a disgrace not to believe in them.  But if God should send an apostle or prophet, to the Christian world in this our day, he would meet with scorn, and abuse from every quarter. Indeed, if the apostle Paul who has so many fine chapels and churches named after him, should disguise his person, appear and preach the same doctrine, believe in immediate revelation, the admin­istration of angels, exhort the people to contend for the same spiritual gifts, and to earnestly contend for the same faith, in our own times, that he did in his day, he would be denied the privilege of even standing upon their steps, much. less in their fine pulpits, to proclaim his sentiments.

Again, we are very apt to say that God done many marvel­lous works some thousands of years ago, and will perhaps, do the like at some period hence; but nothing of the kind in our day or generation.  But why not these things be done in our time, if the occasion calls for them, as well as before or after?  Reader, let us lay aside all our bigotry, our superstition, our prejudice, our creeds, our delusions, our sectarianism, our fears, our unbelief, and our partyisms, and thus untrammel our so­ber senses, and then, under the consideration that God is the same in all ages, our reply to the above question will be, that it is just as reasonable for us to believe that God will do such things now as at any other time, and that a belief in the present, an immediate performance of these things, should be no more diffcult for our capacities to digest than in those past or future.  But now add to this the incontestible fact, that God has foretold by His prophets that in the latter‑days, He would do a miraculous or majestic work, and where is any room left for doubt.-‑But now for the evidence by which this work is sustained, a synopsis of which, I intend to give.

Now the most important class of evidence by which the authenticity of this work is established, is the predictions of the prophets, relative to a thing of the kind.  When we succeed in adducing an overwhelming amount of testimony of this char­acter, then all that will remain to be authenticated, is whether or not this Book, is the one the prophets allude to, or a forgery, which can only be determined by its effects, also by circum­stances, its internal evidence, and the testimony of living wit­nesses; when all these return a verdict in its favour, then it is established beyond successful contradiction, and entitled to the full confidence of the community.  But slander, sarcasm, disgusting epithets, shameful misrepresentation, traducing of character, persecution, mobs, wanton denunciations from the pulpit, the cry of delusion, fanaticism, Mormonism, false prophets, and imposture, is no argument to countermand any­thing that is sustained by the above evidence.-‑But I must hasten.

In order to sustain the authenticity of this Book, I shall first prove that America was inhabited by a civilized nation more than a thousand years ago; secondly, that this people together with the Indians of the forest, were and are, the prog­eny of Joseph; thirdly, that it was not only their privilege to receive revelations from the Lord and write them, but that they did do it; fourthly, that these sacred writings were to be preserved, and be brought forth by the power of God, and be instrumental in commencing His great work, which shall affect the restoration of the house of Israel.

The recent discoveries of American antiquities, such as the remains of once splendid cities, spacious temples and edifices, and extensive quantity of hieroglyphics, catacombs, obelisks, acquaducts, viaducts, &c., &c., is sufficient to convince any rational person that a nation existed upon this continent ante­rior to its discovery by Columbus, who were enlightened, and understood arts and sciences to no inconsiderable extent; how­ever, this is a matter of public notoriety, and admitted by all the learned of the age.  A celebrated writer, speaking of the antiquity of one of these cities that lies near Palenque, remarks: "In surveying its ruins, the traveller is led to believe that it was founded at as early a period as the renowned cities of Egypt."  "The antiquity of this city is manifest not only from its nameless hieroglyphics and other objects; but from the age of some of the trees growing over the buildings where once the hum of industry and voice of merriment were heard.  The con­centric circles of some of these trees were counted, which showed that they were more than nine hundred years of age."  Again, if this people possessed the power, or understood the art of writing their thoughts, it is quite probable that they wrote a history of their national affairs, if not of their religion.‑But I shall now show that they were Israelites.

The reader will doubtless remember that it was customary with the ancient patriarchs previous to their death, to collect their children together, and lay their hands upon them, and bless them with a patriarchal blessing, and predict what was to befall them, and their posterity in future ages.  For this pur­pose, Jacob collected his twelve sons around him, and blessed them as above; but when he placed his hands upon Joseph's head, he said: "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him; but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) Even by the God of thy father who shall help thee; and by the Al­mighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breast and of the womb: the blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors, unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separated from his brethren." (Ge. 49:22‑26)  It must be admitted that this blessing relates to a temporal inheritance, as well as to the blessing of heaven; but we will examine it specifically; first, Joseph was to be like a bough by a well and his branches or posterity were to run over the wall.  This is a comparison to show the fruitfulness of Joseph, and that his branches should become numerous, and extend over some supposed limits or given boundary; but match with this what David says about Joseph, whom he also, compares to a vine, and it makes the subject plain.  "Thou prepardest room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.  The hills were cov­ered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like goodly cedars; she sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches into the river." (Ps. 80:9‑11)  From this we learn that the tribe of Joseph, after they were located in the land of Canaan, were to increase to an astonishing rate, and their branches to extend beyond the given boundary of their inher­itance in that land, and reach unto the sea; also that his bless­ing prevailed above or was greater, and reached beyond the blessing of Jacob's ancestors, who were Abraham, and Isaac, and the inheritance they ceded to him as a blessing, was the land of Canaan. Indeed, it is abundantly evident that Jo­seph, was to have a land, not only beyond Canaan , but one larger than it is.  Furthermore, his blessing, or rather his branches in fulfilment of it the above, were to extend to the utmost bound or most distant hills, (of course from where Jacob then stood.)  Thus we discover, that the branches of Joseph were to extend, or emigrate to the most distant hills of the earth.  The foregoing is a prophetic history of Joseph's prog­eny, which traces them to Canaan where they became numer­ous, and from thence, branches of them extended to the most distant part of the earth, where they have inhabited the land, that Jacob promised them, which is even greater than that which was given to him by his fathers.

Now this prophecy must apply to America, its ancient in­habitants, and present aborigines; for the most obvious rea­son, it cannot be with any propriety applied any where else.  But we will now turn back to the xlviii chap. of Genesis, in which we shall find something that is still more positive.­  Jacob blessed Joseph's sons, and thus predicted what should happen to them or their posterity in future ages: "And now thy two sons Ephraim and Manasseh," "are mine: as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine."  "And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly."  "And he blessed Joseph and said," "the an­gel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."  "And Joseph said unto his father, not so, my fa­ther; for this is the first born; put thy right hand upon his head.  And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations."  When we put the sense of the above together, we discover that Ephraim and Manassah, were to grow into a multitude of nations in the midst of the earth.  Now let the learned search from one extremity of the earth to the other, to find where this prophecy has been fulfilled, and when they are done, they will be obliged to admit that nothing of the kind ever transpired upon any part of the Old world.  Indeed, Jacob aptly describes the present condition of the American Indians: for they are divided into several hundred different tribes or nations; in a word, they are a multitude of nations in the midst of the earth.

It is said in the v. chap. of 1 Chro., that in consequence of the transgression of Reuben, the birth‑right fell to the sons of Joseph; therefore, Jacob named his name upon them, commit them to the charge of his guardian angel, and conferred the greatest blessing upon them, with regard to a temporal inher­itance; and certainly, under the consideration that Joseph was to have a land even larger than Canaan at the extremity of the earth, is not the evidence conclusive, that this delightful land, is a land of promise to the progeny of Joseph.

Moses while blessing this tribe, or rather while prophecying concerning them, says; "Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, and for the precious fruits of the earth," &c. (De. 33:13‑17)  The prophet Hosea speaking of the children of Ephraim says: "When the Lord shall roar, they shall tremble from the west." (He. 11:10.)  This at once settles the point that the Ephramites were to inhabit a land somewhere west of Palestine; but we cannot find them in any age to a multitude of nations, either in Europe or Africa; hence, the rational conclusion must follow, which is that the foregoing predictions relate to a branch of the tribe of Joseph upon this continent.

Christ said on a certain occasion: "I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  This shows that His mission in person was exclusively to the Israelites.  But with a view of executing it, He said at another time: "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (Jne. 10:16.)  Some suppose that this al­ludes to the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles; but this cannot be: for this reason, Christ was to visit the people that He alluded to in person, and they were to hear His voice.  The Book of Mormon accounts for this singular declaration by recording the fact, that Christ after His resurrection, visited the people upon this continent, proclaimed to them the same gospel that He did to the Jews, commissioned individuals to preach it to the people throughout the land, and to establish His church.  Thus the people upon this land, and the primitive Christians of the Old world, had one universal fold, and but one shepherd.  One of the prophets, while speaking of the glo­rious effects of the work of the Lord in the latter‑days, says: "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering." (Zeph. 3:10.)  In the preceding chapter, we settled the point with re­gard to the land that lies beyond the rivers of Ethiopia; there­fore, I only add, that the above alludes to the Israelites upon this continent.‑-But according to promise, I will now prove that the above people received revelations from the Lord.

Paul said in his discourse to the Athenians "And [God] hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth, (of course America not excepted;) and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord, if happily they might feel after Him, and find Him though He be not far from every one of us." (Ac. 17:26, 27)  It is plain from this, that it is the privilege of all nations to seek after the Lord, and find Him, or to receive immediate information from Him.  But I again cite the reader to Jacob's prediction concerning the posterity of Joseph, in which he said, that God would bless them with the blessings of heaven.  Moses makes a similar declaration, which must allude, to the Spirit of prophecy, and other Spiritual blessings which they were to receive.  The gos­pel is certainly a precious thing from heaven.

Now if this people received the Spirit of prophecy, it was their privilege to write their predictions, which they most cer­tainly did do: for Hosea, speaking of the Ephraimites by the Spirit of prophecy, says: "I have written to him the great things of my law; but they were counted as a strange thing." (He. 8:12.)  This is indeed very plain‑-as I have before observed, the Book of Mormon is intended to particularly benefit the Ephraimites or aborigines of this continent; and it is surely regarded as a very strange thing. But, admitting this people had a sacred record as I have before intimated, the question now is, whether or not it was to be preserved and brought to light in the last days?  David says: "The words of the Lord are pure words; as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  Thou shalt keep them, 0 Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever." (Ps. 7:6, 7)

The following is definite: Ezekiel after describing a vision that he had of the resurrection of the dead, commences a new subject by saying: "The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, moreover thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, for Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick and write upon it, for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: and join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand: and when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?  I say unto them, thus saith the Lord God, behold, I will take the stick of Jo­seph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and they shall be one in mine hand." (Eze. 37:15‑19.)  In order to understand the above, the reader should keep in mind, that the prophet in several of the preceding chapters wholly dwells upon the subject of the restoration of Israel, and the ushering in of the Millennium; but in this, he tells how it was to commence.-‑First, he was commanded to present to his brethren two sticks with writings upon them, one for Judah, and the other for Joseph in the hands of Ephraim; and when we consider that it was an, ancient custom of the Jews to write their works upon parchments, and roll them upon sticks, we conclude that these must be regarded as samples which represent two important books or writings.  Then follows the pre­diction, which explains the matter.  "Thus saith the Lord God; behold, I will take the stick of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim, and place it with the stick of Judah and they shall become one in mine hand."  The stick of Judah evidently stands for the bible, and that of Joseph for the Book of Mormon; and mark, the latter was to be brought forth by the power of God, and placed with the former. In a word, this Book has been brought to light, in exact fulfilment of this prophecy, and is one, or agrees with the bible, as far as testimony to important truths and doctrine, is concerned.

The prophet continues the subject as follows: "Thus saith the Lord God, behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all, and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms, any more at all." Indeed, it is plain from this, that the union of the two sticks or books, was to be the commence­ment of the work, that will ultimately effect the gathering of Israel .  How completely this agrees with all that is said, in the preceding chapter.‑-The stone of the mountain was to com­mence its motion upon this land. The ensign of the Lord was to be raised here, His kingdom organized, and His ambassa­dors or messengers were also to be sent from the same place.  This Book, as I infer from the foregoing, was to come forth here at the commencement of this majestic work of God, and be an instrument in His hand, to do much towards the accom­plishment of His purposes.  Surely, all these prophecies form a connected chain of testimony that cannot be broken, for all agree to one thing.‑-But more of this hereafter.

It is plain from what Ezekiel says in the latter part of the above chapter, that this is a work of the last days; for he says, that when Israel are gathered, one king shall rule over them, and that they shall never be divided or dispersed again, neither shall they sin nor defile themselves any more forever; also that God shall make an everlasting covenant with them, and that His tabernacle and sanctuary shall be in the midst of them forever more. Certainly, no intelligent person will pretend to say all of this has been fulfilled.

David while speaking of the restoration of the house of Israel , thus observes: "Mercy and truth are met together, righ­teousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.  Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good: and our land shall yield her increase.  Righteousness shall go be­fore Him, and shall set us in the way of His steps." (Ps. 85:10­13)  Christ said: "Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth;" thus the word of the Lord and truth are synony­mous; therefore, we learn from the above that truth was to spring up out of the earth, and heaven at the same time be propitious: and that which was to immediately follow, is the setting of Israel in the way of the Lord's steps.  In short, in the above, the Psalmist aptly describes the Book of Mormon.

We will now turn to the xxix chap. of Isaiah, which is certainly very conclusive upon this important subject.‑-He first speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem, which he uses as a comparison to show what awful calamities, and judgments, will come upon the nations that fight against Zion: (he here alludes to the Zion of the latter‑days.)  He then describes the condition the of Jews and Gentiles, after the above destruc­tion, down to this day, thus: "Stay yourselves and wonder, cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.  For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the sears hath He cov­ered."  This is a very accurate description of the condition of both the Jews and Gentiles at the present time.  They are drunk with their own folly, and superstition, they also deny immedi­ate revelation or inspiration; therefore, the Lord has ceased to raise up prophets among them, and in a word, a spiritual dark­ness hovers over them, comparatively like that of Egypt, or as the prophet says: "Darkness covers the earth, and gross dark­ness the people."  But in the midst of this darkness, or rather at the time it reigned so pre‑dominant, this astonishing Book was to be brought forth, as follows: "And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed which men deliver to one that is learned, saying read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot for it is sealed: and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.  Wherefore the Lord said, forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouths, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their hearts far from me, (this has been a common complaint against the Jews, not only in the days of Christ but ever since,) and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."  All that I have to say about the above prediction, is that the Book of Mormon has been brought to light in exact fulfillment of it, and that it is the commence­ment of a marvellous, and wonderful work of God, which shall produce the following astonishing effects.  The deaf shall hear the words of this Book, the blind shall see out of obscurity and darkness; the meek shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel;" the house of Israel are to be redeemed or converted to the Lord, so that they shall "sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and fear the God of Israel:" and to crown the climax, this Book is to cause "those that err in spirit to come to understanding, and those that murmur to learn doctrine."

Any person who will carefully read the Book of Mormon, will find internal evidence, (I mean positive predictions that are being fulfilled daily,) that is sufficient to entitle it to the credit of the most incredulous.  But for the testimony of living witnesses, I refer the reader to the latter part of the Book itself, where you will find as definite an affirmation to the truth of the work, as the prophets and apostles ever made in attestation of the important truths which they proclaimed.

Soon after this Book was discovered, the Lord sent His angel with the Holy priesthood, which was conferred upon Mr. Smith, and 0. Cowdery who as a scribe assisted in the work of translation: they immediately baptized each other, and also others that believed the work.  On the sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty, the church, which then consisted of but six members, was or­ganized.  Some of these were ordained to the ministry, who immediately commenced proclaiming the fulness of the ever­lasting gospel, baptizing, and organizing branches of the church.  Indeed, the work commenced to spread rapidly, and has continued to do so ever since, and thousands have been gathered into the fold of Christ, not only in the United States; but in the Canadas, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and elsewhere.

As soon as the church was organized as above, the Lord began to bestow His Holy Spirit upon the faithful; and some were blessed with the ministry of angels, others had heavenly visions, the sick were healed, and evil spirits cast out by faith in the name of Christ.  Indeed, the Lord has not only restored the priesthood; but the gifts of the Spirit, and blessings of the gospel of peace.

As respects the officers of the church,‑-I will here say, that they correspond in every particular with those of primi­tive times; and in a word, God has restored the ancient order of His kingdom, and commenced to prepare the way for His second advent.-‑But as prophetic declarations concerning the establishment of Zion for the Millennium abound throughout the scriptures, I deem it prudent to make a few observations upon the same, in order to do honour to the cause of God, and to connect the subject‑matter of my history together.

The Psalmist says: "Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea the set time, is come.  For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and the favour of the dust thereof."  "When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in His glory."  "This shall be written for the generation to come, and the people which shall be cre­ated shall praise the Lord." (Ps. 102:13‑18)  The Mount Zion at Jerusalem , was in existence at the time David wrote this psalm; therefore, he must refer to some other zion besides it; for the appearance of the Lord in His glory is yet in the future.  Christ speaks of His coming in great glory, and with His an­gels, at the end of the world. John, while speaking of things he saw in the future, says: "I saw the Lamb of God standing, upon Mount Zion with a hundred and‑forty‑four thousand of His saints," &c.: and mark David says, "when the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory;" hence I contend that he alludes to a Zion to be built up just before Christ comes.  The saying, "this shall be written for a generation to come," &c., carroborates this idea. David, speaking of this city in another place, says: "Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King." (Ps. 48:2.)  Again, he speaks of this city as being located somewhere in the fields of the wood or wilder­ness. (Ps. 132:6.)  I have before proved that the xviii chap. of Isaiah, is addressed to this continent; and as he speaks of the establishment of Zion in connection with the setting up of the ensign of the Lord, I infer that this land is the place where it shall be located.  But according to David, it is to situated on the sides of the north; match this with what Isaiah says, and then it is plain, that Zion is to be located somewhere in North America.  What is said about the fields of the wood, is an exact description of the natural fields, or the beautiful praries that abound in the central part of the continent; there­fore, I conclude that Zion is to be located near the center of North America . It is said in the Book of Mormon, that Zion or the New Jerusalem, shall be built upon this land.

Now the matter stands thus, the Jews or tribe of Judah and others, will return to Palestine, and rebuild Jerusalem, which is situated near the center of the eastern continent; but upon this, the Lord will cause the New Jerusalem or Zion to be built, to which the tribe of Joseph and the saints that receive the gospel among the Gentiles, will gather or emigrate.  Joel, speaking of the great and notable day of the Lord, says: "In Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, there shall be deliverance for those that call upon the name of the Lord."  Thus these cities will be places of refuge or safety for the saints, when the Lord pours out His fury upon Babylon the Great, and the wicked in general.

The following shows that Zion and Jerusalem, were to be located upon two separate lands: "For Zion's sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the sal­vation thereof, as a lamp that burneth.  And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.  Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.  Thou shalt no more be termed forsaken: neither shall thy land any more be termed desolate; but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah; for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married." (Is. 62:1‑4.)  Now it is said, that when the Lord created the earth, He gathered the waters unto one place; therefore, the earth could not have been split up into islands and continents, as it now is. It is also said, that in the days of Peleg, the earth, (not the human family,) was divided.  It is probable that in his day some mighty convulsion of the earth took place, which rent it in twain; but when Christ comes there will be a general time of restoration; consequently, the two continents will be brought together, and thus the land of Zion, will be joined to the land of Jerusalem.  Indeed, pro­phetical declarations about this Zion , abound throughout the writings of the prophets; but for the want of room, I am obliged to omit inserting them.

I presume the reader is by this time, convinced that America is a promised land to the tribe of Joseph; therefore, the moun­tains of this land are the mountains of Israel, as much so, as those of Canaan; and if any of the Israelites should gather to Zion, they would not do that which would in any respect con­flict with what Ezekiel says, about Israel being made one na­tion upon the mountains of Israel.  In short, the Lord's ensign was to be raised, the Book of Mormon or a record of the tribe of Joseph brought forth here, and Zion is also to be located here; and I shall now prove that the Lord will make instruments of this tribe, particularly the Ephraimites, to accom­plish His work in the latter‑days.

The Lord says through David: "Ephraim, is the strength of my head; Judah is my lawgiver."  Hosea says: "Ephraim hath mixed himself among the people."  It appears from the above, that the tribe of Ephraim, with the exception of the aborigines of this country, have been scattered and mixed with the Gentiles; but the Lord can designate them from others; therefore, He will bring them into His kingdom, and make them His ministers, and thus regard them as the strength of His head.  The following demonstrates this: "His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to (or from) the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh." (De. 33:17.)  Thus the tribe of Joseph are to be instrumental in gathering the saints of God together, from the ends of the earth.  This tribe have never as yet done a work of this kind; there­fore, it is in the future.  Jeremiah in the xxxi chap. of his prophecy, says: "For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the Mount Ephraim shall cry, arise ye, and let us go to Zion unto the Lord our God.  For thus saith the Lord, sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, 0 Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.  Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.  They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first‑born."  The idea is that when the Lord gathers all Israel, the tribe of Ephraim will be the first‑born, because they will receive the gospel first, or be inducted into the kingdom of God, and thus be born of Him.  The reader will do well to carefully examine the remain­der of the above chapter, for it is most sublime upon the resto­ration of Israel.

Paul writes about the restoration of Israel , thus: "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mys­tery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blind­ness in part is happened to Israel , until the fulness of the Gen­tiles be come in.  And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is writ­ten, there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." (Ro. 11:25‑27)  It must be admitted that the apostle here alludes to the gathering of Israel, and the restoration of the kingdom to them: and the Deliverer that is to turn ungodliness from them in­ cludes not only Christ, but the work that He is the author of, that was to commence in Zion, or upon this land. Again, there are several passages in the bible which intimate that Christ will appear to His people in Zion, as He did to the apostles after His resurrection, and do something that will give His work an astonishing impetus; perhaps, He will endow His ser­vants with great power, just before they are sent to Israel.

The prophet speaking in the name of the Lord of Israel, after their restoration, says: "And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin: and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy coun­sellors as at the beginning." (Is. 1:25, 26.)  Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and others, who were priests of the Lord were the judges and counsellors of Israel at the beginning; therefore, I infer that when the Lord restores the kingdom to Israel , He will raise up prophets, and priests among them.  Isaiah says, in another place: "And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar oft, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.  And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord, out of all nations, upon horses and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord.  And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord.  For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain." (Is. 66:19‑22)  In the above, we are not only informed of the manner the house of Israel will be gathered; but that the Lord will cause many of them to be ordained as priests and Levites, which shows that the fulness of the priesthood will be restored to them, even to the Aaronic order of it.

Isaiah in another place, speaking of the restoration of Is­rael , and the rebuilding of Jerusalem , says: "And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desola­tions, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.  And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the aliens, shall be your ploughmen, and your vine‑dressers.  But ye shall be named the priests of the Lord; men shall call you the ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall you boast yourselves." (Is. 61:4‑6)  Can any reasonable person, after reading the above, dispute that the Lord will restore the king­dom to Israel, and in a word, make them a kingdom of priests?  Moses intimates that it was the intention of the Lord in his day, to do this; but it appears, that in consequence of their wickedness, it has been deferred until they shall be restored to their lands and receive Christ as their Messiah.

Jeremiah in the xxxiii chap. of his prophecy, dwells largely upon the restoration of Israel, and says: "And I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.  And I will cause the captivity of Judah, and the captivity of Israel, to return, and will build them as at first.  And will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me."  "For thus saith the Lord, David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel."  We learn from the above, that the Lord will not only gather Israel; but will restore the kingdom unto them, and that a descendant of David shall reign over them forever.  The prophet con­tinues the subject by saying, that the Levitical order of priests shall be perpetuated.  Malachi, speaking of the coming of Christ, says: "He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." (Mal. 3:3.)

Jeremiah says, that the Lord shall make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and Judah; and after it, he says: "They shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, with the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Je. 31:34.)  Some suppose this covenant took effect with Israel, at the opening of the Christian dispen­sation, because the apostle Paul refers to it in his epistle to the Hebrews; but whoever will carefully examine the whole of this epistle, will discover, that he reasons to countermand a certain idea of the Jews, which is, that there was to be no other order of worship or of religion, except that which is set forth in the Mosaic economy.  Paul refers to this covenant to prove that there was to be a new order, or that there was to be some change; but he does not say, that it took effect in his day.  Cer­tainly, nothing is more evident from the prophets, than that this new covenant will take effect at the time the house of Israel are restored, and they receive Christ as their Messiah.

Ezekiel is plain upon this point: "As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm; and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: and I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the coun­tries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out; and I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and  there will I plead with you face to face.  Like as I pleaded with your fa­thers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt , so will I plead with you, with the Lord God.  And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the cov­enant." (Eze. 20:33‑37.)  Now we learn from the above, that the Lord will not only gather the house of Israel, but that He will display His mighty power in the performance of miracles; and also, that He will plead or converse with them face to face as He did with their fathers, and surely no person will say, that this has been fulfilled.

It is evident from the prophets, that all the saints will be gathered together before Christ comes, whether they be Jews or Gentiles by descent. Isaiah in the lx chap. of his prophecy, speaking of the establishment of Zion , says: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross dark­ness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.  Lift up throe eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.  And thou shalt see, and flow together, and thoe heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee."  "Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows!  Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God."  "And they shall call thee, the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel."  It is plain from the above that many of the Gentiles will come to Zion , and bring their wealth with them to build up the city,  and make it ready to receive Christ.  The prophet continues the subject by speaking of this city and the glory of it, in the Millennium, when the Lord shall dwell in it, and also, be the light of it.

The prophet in another place, speaking of the gathering of the saints, says; "Fear not; for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north give up: and to the south, keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory." (Is. 43:5‑7)  Jeremiah says: "Therefore fear thou not, 0 my servant Jacob, saith the Lord, neither be dismayed, 0 Israel : for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.  For I am with thee, with the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure and will not leave thee altogether unpunished:" (Je. 30:10, 11.)  It appears from the above, that about the time the Lord gathers Israel, He will destroy all the nations, among whom they have been dispersed.  Christ said, that the Jews should be "carried captive into all nations;" and indeed, to what nation could we go at the present time where we should not find Jews: consequently, I infer that it its necessary for all the saints to be identified with Israel; or in other words, to be adopted into the family of Abraham, and thus be gathered and numbered with them, in order to escape the calamities that God will bring upon the wicked.

There are many more passages that are explicit upon the great work of the Lord in the Latter‑Days; or in other words, upon the important subjects that are before discoursed upon; but for the want of room, I will only refer to those which I have not already quoted or referred to, that the reader may, without any inconvenience, examine them at leisure.‑See Ps. 1:4, 5: Is. 2nd ch: Mi. 4th ch: Is. 4th ch: De. 28:21, 22: De. 35th ch: De. 40:1‑10: De. 42:9‑14: De. 52nd ch: De: 54:11­17: Je. 3:16‑18: De 4:6, 7: De. 23:3‑8: De. 30th ch: De, 32:37‑42: De. 46:27, 28: Eze. 34:23‑31: De. 36th ch: Ho. 3:4, 5: Joel, 2:15‑32: De. 48th ch: Am. 9:8‑16: Zep. 3:8‑21: Zec. 1:14‑17: De. 2nd ch: De. 8:1‑8: De. tenth ch: De. 41:5­13: De. 14th ch.

As soon as the house of Israel are restored, Christ will come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, sub­ject the earth unto Himself, and then reign over His people as King of kings, and Lord of lords.  Indeed, the second advent of Christ, has been the theme of all the patriarchs, prophets, and saints, in all ages of the world, and should even now, be re­garded as a matter of major importance to all Christians: for it is a doctrine; or in other words, it is a sure promise that ad­ministers consolation to all the faithful, and sincere lovers of the truth; but as there are different opinions with regard to the manner in which He will come, and the work to be accom­plished at the time, I deem it necessary to offer a few remarks upon the same.

Some contend that He will not come personally, but spiri­tually, and reign in the hearts of His people; and thus produce a millennium, and fulfill the numerous passages that allude to the above important event.  Nothing however is more evident to me, from the scriptures, than that Christ will come person­ally or literally to the earth.‑-The following makes this matter plain: "And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." (Ac. 1:9‑11)  Now if it is a fact, which but few pretend to dispute, that Christ ascended to heaven personally; hence, according to the above it must necessarily follow, that He will come in the same manner.

It appears that after the Jews are gathered back to Jerusa­lem, and have rebuilt it, that many nations will collect their forces, and besiege the city, and succeed in taking one half of it; but at this moment the heavens will be unveiled, and Christ will thus appear: "Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.  And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the cast and toward the west; and there shall be a very great valley: and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.  And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee like as ye flee, from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah; and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee" (or Him.) (Zec. 14:3‑5.)  It is plain from this, that Christ will come and stand upon the place, where the apostles last saw Him.  The prophet continues the subject by describing the universal kingdom of God, and the glorious day, when righteousness and peace shall cover the earth. He says: "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one."

Malachi says: "Behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts; but who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth?  for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap." (Mal. 3:1, 2.)  He also, while speaking of this most eventful day in another place, says: "Then shall ye discern between the righteous and the wicked: be­tween him that serveth God, and him that serveth Him not. (Mal. 3:18.)  For behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.  But unto you that fear my name, shall the Son of righteous­ness arise with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as the calves of the stall." (Mal. 4:1, 2.)  Thus we discover that when Christ comes, He will destroy the wicked, and triumphantly establish His kingdom, in which the saints shall shine forth like the stars of heaven.

Some contend that Christ came at the time Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army; but this is most certainly a mistake; for whoever will carefully read John's Revelation, which was written more than twenty years after the above destruction, will read of this notable event, and things con­nected with it, that we know, are yet in the future.  Christ, speaking of His coming, said: "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Lu. 21:27, 28.)  How striking the contrast:‑-Christ said that at this time, "the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and that their hearts shall fail them for fear," &c.  John says at this time, the kings of the earth, the captains, the grant men, the rich, &c., shall call for the rocks of the mountains to fall on them, and hide them from the presence of the Lamb.  But on the other hand, the saints will rejoice, and hail the day or hour with gladness, knowing that the time of their redemption is at hand; therefore reader, how important it is, that we should be prepared for this awful, yet glorious day.  It is true, we know not the day nor the year: for Christ intimated, that He will come when the world at large, are not expecting Him, for said He: "As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in mar­riage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not till the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."  The Saints of course will be looking for His appearance; and those who are truly faithful, will have their lamps trimmed and burning, so that when the voice of the Bridegroom is heard, they will go out to meet Him with joy, and not with grief: on the other hand, those who are not prepared for the awful crisis, with the utmost consterna­tion and horrible dread, will receive the sad news, depart from me ye wicked, ye cannot enter into my rest:

Paul, speaking of this eventful day, says: "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.  For when they shall say, peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as tra­vail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.  But ye, brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief.  Ye are the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." (1 Th. 5:1­5.)  Indeed, it is evident the saints will anticipate His coming, and know from the signs that will preceed it, that it is nigh at hand.  But admitting, that we shall be called from time to eter­nity, before this day arrives, we should by no means slacken our faithfulness to the Lord: for if we are worthy, when He comes, He will call us out of our tombs, and cause us to share in the delight, and happiness of the day.

Again, the fact that when our Savior comes, all the saints, prophets and apostles, shall be raised from the dead, or have a glorious resurrection, adds lustre and interest to this subject, and makes it a doctrine full of consolation to all the Lord's people.

Paul says; For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.  But every man after his own order; Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His com­ing." (1 Co. 15:22, 23.)  In consequence of the transgression of Adam, death was inflicted upon the human family, and has continued ever since: in this respect, and no other, all die in Adam; but by the power of Christ, all will be made alive.  Again, it is not said that the resurrection of the righteous and wicked will take place at the same time, or that the latter will bask forth into immortal glory or happiness; "but every man," says the apostle, "in his own order; Christ the first fruits, af­terward they that are His at His coming."  Thus the saints, will have a resurrection at His appearing:‑-Christ said: "They that have done good, shall come forth unto a resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of dam­nation."  It will be seen by an examination of the xx chap. of Revelation, that there will be an elapse of a thousand years, between the resurrection of the righteous, and the wicked.

The apostle thus describes this glorious work: "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Him­self shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Th. 4:13­18.) The above is so plain, that any comment whatever is unnecessary.

Job after his property was confiscated, his family destroyed, and he left to languish in consequence of affliction, broke out in the following strain of sublime prophecy: "Oh that my words were now written!  Oh that they were printed in a book!  that they were graven with an iron pen and laid in the rock forever!  for I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter‑day upon the earth: And though, after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." (Job. 19:23‑27.)  Thus Job anticipated the happy day when his Re­deemer shall stand upon the earth, and that his mortality shall put on immortality.

Isaiah speaks of the resurrection thus: "Thy dead men shall live; together with my dead body shall they arise.  Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dews is as the dews of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indig­nation be overpast.  For, behold, the Lord cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." (Is. 26:19‑21)

I certainly have never read anything more sublime upon the resurrection, than Ezekiel's vision of the same, which is recorded in the xxxvii chap. of his prophecy.  It however, is generally spiritualized by the divines of the age, and applied to the convertion of the heathens and sinners, and also, reviv­als among the backsliders; but I prefer the Lord's explanation of it, notwithstanding it is in direct hostility to the popular notions of the age.‑-It reads thus: "Then He said unto me, son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold they say, our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off for our parts.  Therefore prophesy and say unto them, thus saith the Lord God, behold, 0 my people I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.  And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, 0 my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live; and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord."  Thus we learn, that all Israel are to be brought up out of their graves, and not be transported as the poet says, beyond the bounds of time and space, or to some fairy region; but into the land of Canaan or Israel, where they shall reign as kings and priests with Christ, when He subjects the earth and its inhabitants to Himself and sets up His everlasting kingdom. Again, this vision of the prophet establishes the idea of the literal resurrection of the body, beyond successful contra­diction.  The apostle Paul says: "For we know that the whole creation groaneth, and travaileth in pain together until now.  And not only they, but ourselves also,