| 648 its perusal without a deep and settled conviction of the truth of its principles.
The author has now in possession the testimony of hundreds of people from different States and Nations, all bearing witness that this work has been a means in the hands of God of saving them from infidelity-and from Sectarian error and delusion, and guiding them into the light of truth.
All these considerations, and an intense desire to impart the truth to mankind as widely as possible, have induced the author to send forth this new edition; which he greatly desires may prove a blessing to thousands who are yet grovelling [groveling] in darkness and superstition, and lead them to the true fold of God.
If there be any thing to admire, or any thing praiseworthy in this work, the author has no claim to the honour [honor], or the praise; it is justly due to HIM who is the source and fountain of all Truth. The author was an husbandman, inured to the plough [plow]-unpolished by education, untaught in the schools of modern Sectarianism, (falsely called "Divinity")-reared in the wilds of America, with a mind independent, untramelled [untrammeled], and free. He drank of the pure fountain of truth, unsullied and unmixed, as it unfolded in majesty of light and splendour [splendor] from the opening heavens in all the simplicity of its nature. As such it has flown from his pen in the following volume,-not veiled in mystery-not dressed in the pomp of high sounding names, and titles, and learned terms-not adorned in the gay attire of eloquence flowing from the imagination and the passions; but standing forth in the undress of its own native modesty, as if conscious of the purity and innocence of its nature.
He is indebted not only to the Spirit of truth for the principles contained in this work, but also to several men who have been made the instruments in the hands of God to reveal the knowledge of God to this generation, and to be the founders and leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Among the foremost of these he would make honorable mention of Presidents Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, by whose instrumentality most of these glorious truths (so well known to the ancients) have been restored to the knowledge of the world-and whose zeal, labours [labors], and sufferings will stand forth as a bright memorial to all succeeding ages; and be celebrated by happy millions yet unborn. With an assurance that the principles of this work will yet prevail over the whole earth, this new edition of the Voice of Warning is now sent forth, and should the author be called to sacrifice his life for the cause of truth, yet he will have the consolation that it will be said of him as it was said of Abel: viz. "He, being dead, yet speaketh." PARLEY P. PRATT.
Manchester, England, Sept. 1st, 1841.
COMMUNICATIONS
NAUVOO, DEC. 28, 1841.
Dear Br. Robinson:-I beg leave to express to you and, the church at large the feelings of my heart on my return from England to this place.
Four years last June I left Kirtland in company with our beloved brethren who composed the first mission to that land; the main body of the church at that time were in Kirtland, and we left our beloved President and Prophet, confined to his bed by sickness, and the enemies of the truth were raging with madness, ready to devour; when I look at what has been done since that time, in spite of all that then threatened, and all that has opposed, when I read of the work performed, the persecution endured and surmounted, in Far West, which I need not recapitulate; with a general knowledge of what has been done beyond the many waters, first in England, and from thence spreading to other lands, and even to islands afar off, I behold many thousands exclusive of America, included in the new and everlasting covenant; or near one thousand already gathered out from thence, and after a journey of six thousand miles by water, and then crossing your prairie some twenty miles, I found by the light of the moon, some neat cottages, fenced round with pickets, a sight which I had not beheld in all my journey through this land, of one thousand miles. I saw the hand of industry had been here, I asked are we at our journey's end? the answer was no we have two miles to go yet; I had heard that Nauvoo contained 1200 houses, but I did not expect to find a city spreading itself beyond the reach of the eye from one point, I soon came in sight of the foundation of a large and spacious building, this is the Temple, we passed from street to street till we came near to the bank of the river. In this Temple
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