| 180 conferences of late, the minutes of which will soon be forwarded to you.
The saints in this region are strong in the faith, and are making the necessary preparations to remove west; some are going west this season, others are doing all in their power to be ready to go next. We should be glad to have one of the agents who has authority to exchange lands (as they are passing,) call on the different branches of the church in this region; for instance, the Hamilton church, the Boonville church in Oneida co. N. Y. the Williamstown and Amboy churches in Oswego co. N. Y. The saints here are very anxious to remove west and settle with their brethren. I saw Elder Bates a few days since, he had just returned from Canada, and said many of the saints in that place were removing west, and that many had been added to the church in that region the present aeason [season]. We have many and very pressing calls for preaching in almost every direction, and for many miles distant which we cannot fill; and on learning from the 8th number of your interesting paper, which came to hand a few days since, of the spread of the gospel in the old world; and the call for twenty of the seventies to go to that country, to assist in the great work of God, truly it made our hearts rejoice, while we can pray the Lord of the harvest, to send forth more laborers into his vineyard, that the wheat may be secured in the garners, to possess eternal life; and I now say to my brethren, the seventies who have not as yet gone forth into the harvest field to labor, (if any such there are;) my dear brethren, arise and gird on your armour [armor], and walk forth into the field, and clear your skirts of the blood of souls, by testifiing [testifying] unto this generation of those things which God has communicated unto his servants; for the salvation of this generation.
Since writing the above I have visited the church at Amboy and Williamstown, attended a special conference, in that place, at which, a new branch of the church was organized, in the town of Albion, Oswego co. at a place called Pineville, the Elders are requested to call on them as they are passing. A company of saints consisting of about 35 souls in all, with six two horse waggons [wagons] and one two horse carriage, with Elder Truman Gillett jr. to lead them, set out for Nauvoo, while I was at Amboy; and a company of saints from Boonville are about starting for the same place, led by elder Hiram Hoyt. Truly my heart rejoices to see the work of the gathering roll on. J. BLAKESLEY.
Amboy, Oswego co. N. Y. July 8, 1840
MESSRS. ROBINSON AND SMITH. Dear Brethren, It is with feelings of pleasure that I avail myself of a few leisure moments to drop a few lines to you, to let you as well as all the friends of truth, know of the advancement of the cause of our Redeemer in this part of the vineyard of the Lord. I have been laboring since about the first April in the counties of Jefferson, Oswego, Onondaga and some in Oneida, N. Y. And truly the cause of God is rolling forward with a mighty impetus, propelled by the hand of Israels God.-Truth is advancing; error and false doctrine is receeding [receding], priest craft is falling; priests of Baal are howling, saints are rejoicing, (and the word of God grows and multiplies,) yes notwithstanding all the lies, slanders and scurrillous [scurrilous] reports out in circulation by hirling [hireling] priests and their supporters, whose craft are in danger by the forth coming of the truth; the cause and kingdom of God is rolling forward as steady as the bright luminary of day; and will continue to roll until the honest in heart are gathered out of Babylon, until the wheat is gathered from among the tares, untill [until] wickedness is swept from the earth; the earth cleansed from its pollution, Christ makes his his appearance in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory to reign on the earth a thousand years with his saints while satan is bound. There are two or three hundred saints or more, in the above mentioned counties who have come in through the instrumentality of different Elders.
I have baptized since the first of April or a short time previous some sixteen or eighteen, and some are to go forward next Sabbath; and multitudes believing, who I think will obey soon, I never saw such calls for preaching.-East, West, North and South, the Macedonian
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