| 25 TIMES AND SEASONS
COMMERCE, ILL. DEC. 1839.
We are favored with several communications from traveling Elders, who, in almost every instance, make the Macedonian call, "come over and help us;" as they have more calls for preaching than they can possibly fill. Also, great inquires are made for Books of all kinds, which have been published in the church, and as they are all disposed of, and not a copy, of scarce a single work now to be obtained, therefore the Presidency and high council of this place, having taken the subject into consideration, passed the following resolution:
"Resolved, That Ten thousand copies of a Hymn Book, be printed; also that the Book of Mormon be re-printed in this place, under the inspection of the Presidency, as soon as monies [moneys] can be raised to defray the expenses."
FROM THE ELDERS ABROAD
Elder Henry Dean, writes from Lancaster county, Pa. under date of Sept. 30th 1839. After giving a suscinct [succinct] account of his travels and labours [labors] through different parts of Pennsylvania, he says: I am now in Lancaster county, near Strasbury, in company with brother Davis, we are raising a church in this place, and we expect it will be a middling large Branch: there are 3 baptized, and 5 or 6 more to be baptized to day, and a good number more in this place believing; and I can say, the work is gaining ground in these parts, though the labourers [laborers] are few. The work is prospering every where the elders have been. We desire an interest in your prayers, that we may pull down priest-craft in this place, and raise the standard of truth in its stead.
Brother A. Petty writes, from Dover, Stuart county, Tennessee, in which he informs us, that the work of the Lord is still rolling on in the south: "Some few are still coming into the church in this country, brother Brandon has lately baptized four, and he thinks there is a prospect of more."
Brother Nathaniel Holmes, writes from Georgetown Mass. dated October 11th 1839, by way of encouragement to the Saints, he says: we would say to the brethren in that place, we feel anxious for your prosperity, the few members of the little church remaining in Georgetown and vicinity, are firm in the doctrine of the gospel revealed in these last days, and I trust will out-ride the storm of persecution; from the signs in the heavens, and on the earth, we look for the fulfilling of the ancient prophets, apostles, and Jesus himself, on this generation.
Elder G. H. Brandon, writes from Benton county, Tennessee, under date of Sept. 3d 1839. He states that the work of God is going on in that place, the honest in heart are still embracing the truth in Benton county, he has baptized 5 and organized a branch of the church called the charity branch, consisting of 8 members: he also says; "The people seem to be much inquiring. I have more calls for preaching that I can fill; the enemy is raging on every hand, yet the work seems to be spreading very fast at present, insomuch [inasmuch] , that where I had calls last fall and winter, I now have so many that I cannot fill them all; where I had no bounds, they have become so large, that I am called as mush as 25 miles from home in different directions. We would take it as a great blessing if some of the Elders would visit us this fall."
Elder James Blakeslee writes from Waterville, Oneida co. N. Y. under date of July 22nd, in the following language.
Since last fall, through the goodness and mercies of our God, I have been enabled to organize two branches of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, consisting of about sixty members; one in Boonville, Oneida county, and the other in Williamstown, and Amboy, Oswego county N. Y., and I have baptized between twenty and thirty in this region, within about one month; there are many believeing [believing] in this north country, notwithstanding the troubles which have befallen the saints in the west, in their great persecution; yet the work of our God rolls forth in mighty power, being propelled by the power of Israel's God. The saints in this country are
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