| 279 Mr. Editor:
SIR, Having been on a short mission of about five months, I wish, through the medium of your paper, to give the church an account of my stewardship.
I left Nauvoo on the 25th of January last, and on the 24th of February I arrived at Palmyra, St. Clair county Michigan, and commenced preaching in that place on the 27th. I preached about one hundred times in that county, principally along the river St. Clair, and Lake Huron-baptised [baptized] seventeen, and organized fifteen of them into a branch of the church, to be called the St. Clair Branch. Many more were believing the gospel as preached by us.-Thus "truth will prevail." I would recommend any of the elders that are travelling [traveling] that way, to call and visit the branch (it is near Newport, St. Clair river,) and give them farther [further] instruction in the things of the kingdom, that God's will may be done on earth as it is done in heaven.
Yours respectfully in the bonds of the new and everlasting covenant.
ARZA ADAMS.
TIMES AND SEASONS
CITY OF NAUVOO
TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1843.
We have to apologize to our readers for having published nothing else but the trial of JOSEPH SMITH, in the last two numbers. Nothing but circumstances of an extraordinary nature could have caused us to have pursued such a course; but this case we consider to be one of unprecedented importance in the history of this church, whether it relates to our civil policy, our municipal authority, or our unparalleled persecutions.
The history of our persecutions in Missouri, have frequently been spoken and written about; but they have hitherto been very imperfectly sketched, and to the present time, men do not know one half of the abominations and crimes that were perpetrated in that state, under the garb of law. It is necessary to mix among the society that suffered, to hear by their own firesides the distressing details; and such are the circumstances connected with many of them, that humanity shudders at the recitals, modesty blushes to unfold the obscenity and corruption, and the feelings of the innocent and virtuous are touched to the quick, while their wounds are made to bleed afresh at the recital of transactions too revolting to be spoken of, and too infamous to be made known. It must be left for eternity to unfold many of these diabolical deeds. Then and then only, when the dark curtain is withdrawn, and the actions of men are made manifest, will the extent of the sufferings of the orphan, and the poor be made known.
Many things, however, too revolting for human nature to contemplate, were developed in the last trial. These may serve as an index to the remainder. Would to God that a more pleasing picture could have been drawn; but these things are but too true, our eyes have seen, and our ears have heard many of them, and we have had but too convincing proof of the truth of the remainder.
We know that among refined society men of improved minds who are educated and intelligent; these things are frequently doubted. It is difficult for them to give credence to corruptions so foul, and deeds so diabolical as those mentioned, having taken place in what is called a civilized country. It is difficult for an honorable high minded man, to believe that human nature could be so fallen, so degraded, so corrupt. Yet, startling as these things are, humiliating to our country and degrading to human nature; they are true, we know they are true.-And however disgusting, revolting and humiliating for us to recite and others to hear; they are part of what we as a people have had to endure for the cause of God, and for the "testimony of Jesus." Under these circumstances, we have handed them to the world in their native colors, that they might be seen and known, and also that they might be chronicled among our archives, and that our children whilst they laud their fathers for their firm unflinching integrity, might execrate the perpetrators of those diabolical deeds; and seek what has been denied their fathers hitherto, by all courts, redress for those wrongs under which they have labored.
This is the first time that evidence has been given in detail before any court, relative to those transactions, and therefore we have published it entire, in its present form, that it might be had and read extensively among the families of the saints; and as the "Neighbor" is not likely to be perpetuated, as the "Times and Seasons" is, we have inserted it for the benefit, not only of ourselves, but of our rising generation.
Again, it is the first time, among the many trials of JOSEPH SMITH that he has had the privilege of being tried before one of our own courts. It has generally been contended that our municipal court had no authority, and one would have thought from the pretensions of many of our legal men that our charter was merely a play-thing, and our ordinances folly; and that
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