| 484 out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth. with which I the Lord am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually; for I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance: nevertheless he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord, shall be forgiven, and he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received, for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of hosts.
And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth, I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh, for I am no respecter of persons, and willeth that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh, the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion: and also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world.
Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophesies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.
What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself, and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice, or by the voice of my servants, it is the same: for behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever: Amen.
To the Editor of the Times and Seasons.
Nauvoo, March, 1844.
Elder Taylor:-
Dear sir-On the 25th of October, last, we left this place for Mississippi; we arrived at Vicksburg on the 4th of November, proceeded back in the country fifty miles, where we had the pleasure of getting in company with brother Benjamin L. Clapp, who had just recovered from a long and severe attack of fever. We remained there a few days; three of us then started together; brother Clapp for Tuscaloosa, Alabama; we, for Pleasant Spring, Kemper County, where we arrived on the 20th of November. Brother Clapp stopped with us, intending to stay but a few days, the weather however being very unfavorable and an immense quantity of rain falling; caused trvelling [traveling] impossible; he then come to the conclusion to remain until the weather become more favorable. We began to preach, and had very large and attentive congregations, and more calls in a short time than could possibly be attended to by us. In a few days we had a Methodist minister to make an attack upon us: being ready, determined, and as he thought, able, to put us down, not knowing anything about the doctrine we preached, or the principles we held forth: he came out in full array, and perfectly full of everything but the spirit of God and truth.
He made a perfect failure, as all do, when they come in contact with the truth, by error and falsehood; he however succeeded finally in opening the door of disgrace and falsehood to his heart, and his followers many of them saw it very plain, that he was a wolf in sheep's clothing; and that he had been teaching for hire; that when they heard the true principles of the gospel set before them, by those that were authorized and commissioned to do it, they immediately saw the error of their ways, repented, and were baptized for remission of sins, and hands laid on them for the reception of the Holy Ghost.
We all three continued to preach in the surrounding country, having calls on the right and left, until the last of January. During this time we organized two branches of the church: one consisting of twenty-two members, known as the Kemper county branch at Pleasant Spring, in which we ordained three elders, one priest, one teacher, and one deacon: and also a branch of thirty-seven members; three elders, one priest, one deacon, known as the Running Water Branch, in Noxubee county.
There was a spirit generally manifest through the country to hear preaching. There were some few priests that would stay at a distance and howl, but would not come up like men of God, and if they found they were in possession of errors, trade them off for truth which would make them free.
Notwithstanding many that had embraced the gospel, had evidence to satisfy them of the truth of the work they had embraced, and some enjoying the gifts of the gospel, yet this was not sufficient to convince them of the error of their ways. But we are pleased to be able to say that many more were believing the doctrine, while those that had obeyed were enjoying its blessings.
We left brother Clapp industriously engaged among the people, and with a prospect of many more joining the church. He was of the opinion when we left him, that the prospects were more flattering than he had had in any former mission.
So Sir, you will see, notwithstanding there has been comparatively but few elders as yet
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