| 63 world since the beginning, which were written in thy law, that men may find thy path, and that they which will live in the latter day may live;' and according to his faith it was done, his request was granted, and he was commanded to prepare for the task he had taken upon him. It is recorded that during the next forty days, the five ready writers he was commanded to take with him, wrote from his mouth two hundred and four books, or as the marginal reading has it, nine hundred and four books. Those books, it appears, were written for the express purpose of being a guide to the people in the last days, that those who desired to live might live. But the question at once arises, Where are those books? where are those writings that in those latter times were to be a guide unto life, for those that sought it? I answer, those pamphlets that have been published at Springfield, Illinois: the first in 1842, entitled, 'The Words of Righteousness to all Men;' the second in July, 1845, 'A Warning to the Latter Day Saints;' and the third in March, 1848, 'The Word of the Lord to his People,' contain a part of those ancient Writings of Esdras, which I have written since 1838.
"The manner in which I obtained them is as follows: When in Kirtland, Ohio, in the year 1837, being at that time ten years of age, I saw a vision in which I was shown a large round table and on it a vast quantity of writing, etc. I inquired what was the interpretation, and was told 'The round table denotes equality, and the writings are ancient records that are to be written.' The vision passed away, and I did not then know anything about the books of Esdras, and I had not the least idea what those records were.
"Time passed on, and in August of the following year, (1838,) when near Dayton, Ohio, I saw in another vision a large number of books in the English language, and was told, 'These are the lost books of Esdras.' I read the titles of some of these volumes. One was 'The Words of Righteousness to all Men.' The vision then passed from my sight, and I obtained no light as to what was the value of those books, or by whom they were to be written; in fact, I was
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