| 11 poor, invited me to their homes, that they might learn the particulars concerning this work.
Thus I continued laboring and making the things of God plain to their understandings; some weeks preaching as often as ten or eleven times. The last of September, Elder O. Pratt came from the city of N. Y. and preached in this region of country several times, which was the means of doing much good.
On the 1st of Oct. a number came forward, and embraced the fullness of the everlasting gospel, by obeying the ordinance of baptism. I continued preaching and baptizing, till the last of Dec. when I called the saints together, at Hornerstown, in order to organize a branch of the church in that place. Josiah Ells, (formerly a Methodist preacher,) was set apart by the voice of the members, and ordained to the office of an Elder; the work of the Lord still rolled on.
January 28th., 1839, I took my leave of the saints, which then numbered 26, to go to the State of Mo. I went as far as Lightersburgh, Md. where I got more particular information of the late persecution in the State of Mo.-I then concluded, that my labors would be of more use in the world, than at home; consequently, after preaching several times to the saints in Lightersburgh, I returned to the State of N. J. with a view of again proclaiming the truth, to the people of that state. By request of some of the citizens, I went to preach, in a town called Toms River, situated near the sea shore; some members of certain sect, in the place locked up the school house. A congregation assembled, and with them, some noble minded men, who had an independent spirit; the door was opened, and I preached to an attentive congregation. I preached several times in the place, and baptized 11 persons. April 1st, elders L. Barnes and H. Sagers visited the branch of the church in that State, and preached several times, as they were on the way to the city of N. Y. They told me that they had been preaching in Chester Co. Pa. and had baptized four, and they thought that there was a foundation laid, for a still greater work.-On elder Barnes' return from the city, he held a debate with a Quaker preacher, and nobly defended the truth, he preached several times in that region of country, and baptized 5, then returned to Pa. On the 9th of May, I took my leave of the saints in that State, to come to Illinois. I find by looking over my Journal, that since I commenced laboring in the State of N. J. which was chiefly confined to Monmouth, Burlington and Mercer counties, that I have preached 200 sermons, baptized 40 persons, visited the saints in the city of N. Y. several times; and I feel myself authorized to say, that the work of the Lord is gaining ground, in the region of country where I have been laboring.
May the Lord inspire his servants, with a renewed zeal, that they may go forth, and bear a faithful testimony, to the inhabitants of the earth, that this work might hasten on, till all nations shall hear the sound, and until Zion shall become a peaceful home, and peace flow like a river to all the people of God. Yours respectfully, B. Winchester.
TIMES AND SEASONS
COMMERCE, ILL. NOV. 1839
A WORD TO THE SAINTS.
It may be expected by some, who are not acquainted with all the circumstances attending the printing establishment had in the church, that the proprietors of this press should supply the subscribers of the "Elders Journal," with the remaining numbers of that paper, which was their due when we were broken up by the mob in Missouri; but this idea we are confident they will abandon, when they learn the fact, that the proprietors of the Journal, while conducting that paper, sustained the loss of anentire [an entire] establishment in Kirtland Ohio, in Jan. 1838, after which, with much difficulty, they procured another press and resuscitated the paper at Far West Mo. where they had the opportunity of publishing two numbers only; when persecution raged to that extent, that they were compelled to leave the State, with the loss of nearly all their property. Thus, while many of you have sustained the loss of but 67 cents, they have not only lost all their property, but have been driven by their cruel and hard-hearted persecutors, from their peaceful and happy homes, and are now strangers, sojourning in a strange land; which verifies the saying of the Savior, when speaking to his disciples, where he says, "if ye were of the world, the world would love his own, but because ye are not of the world; but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."
But notwithstanding all these circumstances, being partakers in the deep afflictions through which the saints were called to pass in Missouri, we have been permitted, by the blessing of heaven, to obtain the necessary apparatus, and will publish, for the benefit of the saints, a monthly paper, which we now offer to them on reasonable terms; but owing to our peculiar circumstances, we shall be under the necessity of requiring pay on subscriptions, in advance, as our expenses are, necessarily, very heavy, and nothing but cash in hand will defray
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