| 26 growing stronger and stronger, of late, and are very anxious to remove and suffer with their brethren in Zion, and the probability is, (nothing in providence forbiding [forbidding]],) a large company will remove west next season. We were very happy to hear from our beloved brother Joseph Smith jr. and others, and that they were restored to the sweet society of their families, and brethren in Christ: they have had the prayers of the saints in their behalf, for their deliverance in this region, ever since we first heard of their being confined in prison; and we have great reason to praise the Lord, that he has thus far granted our petition in relieving our beloved brethren from the prison; and our sincere prayer to God, is, that he would set at liberty the rest of our beloved brethren, who are still in confinement, and we will ever pray and praise his holy name.
Elder B. Winchester writes from Philadelphia, Pa. under date of Oct. 21st. from which we learn that he has introduced the gospel into that city with good success; many are embracing the truth; he solicits help on the strongest terms; some faithful elder would be doing their Masters business, if they would call and lend him assistance.
Thus the work of God continues a steady and unimpeded course, and though its progress is slow, yet it will continue to roll forth, until the honest in heart are gathered out, and Israel "hunted from every mountain, and from every high hill, and out of the holes of the rocks;" and nothing can hinder it in its decreed course; although the threshing flail of Missouri, with the combined powers of hell, has pounced heavily upon the church of God, yet, (like striking the mustard stalk when ripe,) it has only served to scatter the seed, (the word) throughout, not only the small Garden of the United States, but across the mighty ocean, among foreign nations; and it will continue to spring up, and grow, and bear fruit, until the bursting heavens shall reveal the Son of God, and that to the final consumation [consummation] of all those "that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," when the church of the Most High, who have been persecuted, smitten and afflicted for the testimony of Jesus Christ, yea, even those who love his appearing, unto them shall he appear the second time, without sin unto salvation, and that to the joy of their hearts.
Pleasant Garden, Putnam co. Indiana.
October, 18 1839
TO D. C. SMITH, E. ROBINSON:
Dear Brethren,
In great haste I improve this opportunity of addressing a few lines to you, to inform you where I am laboring, and the fruits that attend the same. I left Springfield on the third of September, for the East, more particular to visit my friends, and consequently took my wife along, we traveled about 80 miles from Springfield, and my horse was taken sick and I was obliged to stop; I went to preaching for one week, baptized five; I continued my journey on East, crossed the Wabash river at Terre-Haute, continued on twenty five miles and stoped [stopped] in Pleasent Garden, to take supper; the people found out that I was a Mormon, and they wanted me to stop and preach the same evening, which I did; but the people were not content and wanted I should preach the next evening, which I did; after I had preached the second time the people began to cry out that the Mormons were not driven from Missouri, for preaching such doctrine as that, but in order to prove their own statement false, on the third evening, after meeting they took my carriage and drawed it about one mile into the woods, broke it very badly; they also took off one of the wheels, and carried it off, and I have never heard from it since: however, I have got a new one made, and the people made a collection and paid for it, and of course while I was getting my waggon [wagon] repaired, I kept preaching to the people, which I did for seven nights in succession; then the people began to invite me into other places, I was invited to go to Green Castle and preach in the court house, which I have done five times, without being disturbed but once, and the man that disturbed me was fined five dollars. I have held 33 meetings here, and have calls, more than I can
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