| 460 21st chapter of Judges, that when the children of Benjamin had sinned against God, and had been nearly destroyed, and their wives and children cut off, that they made use of a stratagem, in order that they might obtain more wives, and went to Shiloh, where there was a yearly feast of the Lord; and where the daughters of Shiloh came forth in the dance.
At the time that the Lord delivered the children of Israel out of the hands of the Egyptians, "Miram [Miriam], prophetess, sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, sing ye to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously, the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea;" Exo., xv; 18. In all of the above instances, it was adopted for the purpose of celebrating the praise of God. Such was the case with David on his return from slaying Goliah [Goliath]: "Did they not sing one to another, of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousand, and David his ten thousand;" 1st Samuel, xxi; 11.-When Japthah had gained a signal victory over the Ammonites, his daughter "came out to meet him with timbrels, and dances," and David, in speaking of Israel, says: "Let them praise his name in the dance; let them sing praises unto him with timbrels and harp." From the whole of the above, it is very evident that dancing was always used as part of the service of God, and not as an idle recreation; and that it was generally practiced to celebrate some signal victory, some remarkable deliverance, or on some particular days of religious festivity or rejoicing; and Jeremiah in speaking of the blessings that shall flow to his people in the last days, looks at it in this point of view, and says: "Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from sorrow."
This then is the kind of dancing spoken of in the scriptures, and if we are asked what our views are concerning dancing, we can only answer, that they are just such as the scriptures set forth, and when we can see such a dance, we shall join in it heartily. We do not consider that the dancing that is now practiced is of that kind. We never heard God's name praised, nor his glory exalted in any of them. Nor do we think that there is the least desire to glorify God in the dancing of the present day. So far then as the dancing that is now practised [practiced] is concerned; we do not believe that it is a scriptural dancing; or the thing that was practised [practiced] in former days, and that it has not a tendency to glorify God, or to benefit mankind. As an abstract principle, as we stated before, we have no objections to it; but when it leads people into bad company and causes them to keep untimely hours, it has a tendency to enervate and weaken the system, and lead to profligate and intemperate habits. And so far as it does this, so far it is injurious to society, and corrupting the morals of youth. Solomon says that "there is a time to dance:" but that time is not at eleven or twelve o'clock at night, nor at one, two, three, or four o'clock in the morning.
ELDER TAYLOR-
Sir: If you should judge the following to be of any interest to your readers, it is at your disposal. W. W. Woodruff.
Pleasant Springs, Kemper co., Miss.,
January 29th 1844.
ELDER WOODRUFF-
Dear Sir: It is not with an ordinary degree of satisfaction that I embrace the present opportunity of writing a few lines to you, to let you know where I am and what I am doing. I left home on the 12th of August last; came down the river to Vicks Burg; travelled [traveled] into the country about forty miles; preached a few times; was taken very ill, and remained unable to preach for about four weeks. I then got better and began to preach as soon as I felt able. In company with elders Hewet and Gully, I started for Alabama, traveled about 140 miles and came into Kemper county, where I am now. The weather being rainy, and the waters high, we commenced preaching the everlasting gospel. Large congregations turned out to hear and many soon began to believe. The waters still continued high and I continued to preach in this and adjoining counties, until I, with the help of my brethren, have succeeded in organizing two branches of the church consisting of 6 and 7 members. The spirit of the Lord has been poured out, and some have spoken in tongues while others have rejoiced in the blessings of the new and everlasting covenant. I have not yet been to Alabama; the waters have continued so high that it has been impossible to get there. it happened pretty much by chance, a few days ago, that I got hold of one of the late numbers of the Times and Seasons, in which I discovered an article on the necessity of a more extensive spread of your very valuable paper, upon which I determined to use what influence I could in that way, and feel still determined, with the help of the Lord to be the means in the hands of God of spreading this work as far as I can, both by preaching and obtaining subscribers for both the Times and Seasons and Neighbor.-Brother S. Gully, the bearer of this, will hand
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