BY ORSON SPENCER, A.B., President of the Church of Jesus Christ of L.D.S., in Europe . IN REPLY TO THE REV. WILLIAM CROWELL, A.M., Boston, Massachusetts , U.S.A. "THE WISE SHALL UNDERSTAND."—Daniel. LIVERPOOL: PUBLISHED BY ORSON SPENCER, 39, TORBOCK STREET. 1848. LIVERPOOL: PRINTED BY R. JAMES, SOUTH CASTLE STREET. THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE LETTER FROM THE REV. W. CROWEL A. M. LETTER I. GENERAL INTRODUCTORY REMARKS LETTER II. IMMEDIATE REVELATION LETTER III. ON FAITH LETTER IV. ON WATER BAPTISM LETTE

The Author has, for some time, felt desirous to see the most prominent subjects of the faith of Latter-day Saints brought before the public in continuous order, in one volume. This series of Letters was called forth by the letter of inquiry prefixed, from the pen of the Rev. William Crowel. This gentleman was at the time, and still is (for ought I know) Editor of " The Christian Watchman ," Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.—a leading paper of the Baptist denomination in the United States. The Editor

Boston, October 21, 1842. MY DEAR SIR,—On the confidence of an old acquaintance and kindly intercourse, I have long wished to address a friendly line to you; for, I am sure, you have not forgotten the pleasant, though brief, interviews which we enjoyed at Middlefield. Since I saw you there, a great change has taken place, as I have been led to believe, in your religious views, and a corresponding one in your relations and circumstances; still, I trust, that you have not forgotten the claims of f

GENERAL INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. Nauvoo November 17, 1842. My Dear Sir,—I received yours of the 21st ult. about a week since, but many engagements have prevented a more early reply. Your inquiries were interesting and important, and I only regret that I have not more time and room to answer them as their importance and minuteness demand. I am not at all surprised that my old friends should wonder at my change of views; even to this day it is marvellous in my own eyes, how I should be separated from

IMMEDIATE REVELATION. Liverpool, May 15, 1847. Reverend Sir,—Agreeable to promise made in my first answer to your letter, I now resume my pen to inform you, in a series of letters, of the distinguishing tenets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to the faith which I myself do entertain, with all sobriety and integrity of heart, before God and all good men. I had hoped, however, that more leisure would have favoured me, not only that I might more minutely and perspicuous

ON FAITH. Liverpool, June 1, 1847. Reverend and Dear Sir,—The next subject to which I will invite your careful consideration, is that of FAITH. Do not be surprised that I should attempt the investigation of a subject so common-place, with the view of imparting any new or useful instruction. The numerous elaborate treatises that have heretofore been bestowed upon this subject, have, I boldly aver, been like Goliath's armour against David—massive and imposing, but, at the same time, alike inapplic

ON WATER BAPTISM. Liverpool, June 14, 1847. Reverend and Dear Sir,—You, sir, need no argument to convince you that WATER BAPTISM is the first ordinance, after faith and repentance, that initiates the believer into the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is to be established upon the earth, according to the pattern of the heavenly order, which is the first principle taught in the memorable prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, which prayer will be pertinent to all believers on earth, until the object o

THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST. Liverpool, June 29, 1842. Reverend and Dear Sir,—The subject of my fifth letter is one of surpassing importance. It is, sir, the "GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST," by the laying on of hands. The magnitude of the subject warrants me to say, in few words, what belongs to it, without those copious scripture references which you can look after at your leisure. If you will honestly listen to my description of the office-work of the Holy Ghost, you will clearly perceive, that, since

APOSTACY FROM THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH. Liverpool, July 12, 1847. Reverend and Dear Sir,—The subject of my sixth letter is APOSTACY FROM THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH. If modern christianity is only an enlargement of the system of early apostacy from the true Apostolic Church of Christ, it certainly deserves the most serious consideration. It shall be my direct object in this epistle to show, that modern christianity possesses such a faint resemblance to that system of faith established by Jesus Christ and h

THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF AN APOSTOLIC CHURCH. Liverpool, August 28, 1847. Reverend and Dear Sir,—The next subject in the order of my promise, contained in my first letter to you, is, THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF AN APOSTOLIC CHURCH, after the similitude and power of the primitive church. Such an occurrence as this, truly demands proof of a palpable and satisfactory order, which, by the help of God, I will proceed to give you. The beloved apostle John, who survived many of his fellow-labourers in the g

THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD. Liverpool, September 13, 1847. Reverend and Dear Sir,—In this epistle I shall endeavour to set before you a description of the person, abode, and character of THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD. In so doing I trust it will not be imputed to arrogance if I borrow my apology from the language of St. Paul:—"As I passed by I beheld an altar with this inscription, 'To the Unknown God.' Whom ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." The people of Paul's day had for several generati

THE PRIESTHOOD. Liverpool, September 30, 1847. Reverend and Dear Sir,—In close connexion with an account of the character of God, I will proceed to give you a brief and succint description of THE PRIESTHOOD. It is feared, however, that the present subject will not be more congenial to your views than the foregoing. Still it shall be treated according to the spirit of the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, which you ardently profess to believe. You will admit that God is the righteous Ruler

ON GATHERING. Liverpool, October 13 , 1847. Reverend and Dear Sir,—You have doubtless been ready to ask, time and again, why this GATHERING together of such large bodies of Saints? Why can they not stay in their former residences, like other christians? And may they not do more good to their fellow-men by scattering about amongst the people promiscuously? Why, go away off to some distant part of the earth? is not the Almighty God to be found as much in one place as another? Furthermore, says one

THE LATTER-DAY JUDGMENTS. Liverpool, October 28, 1847. Reverend and Dear Sir,—THE LATTER-DAY JUDGMENTS, the subject of my present letter, deserve a careful consideration among the topics peculiar to Latter-day Saints. You must be already aware that it is a part of my faith that God designs to set up his kingdom on the earth , in order that the meek may inherit the earth as their celestial abode; and as He will not employ His enemies to administer even temporal affairs within the bounds of His ki

ON THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS. Liverpool, November 14, 1847. Reverend and Dear Sir.—THE RESTITUTION OF ALL THINGS, is a subject deserving rather a volumious treatise than the contracted limits of a single letter; still some out-standing features of this very prominent part of scripture revelation shall be briefly touched upon. The apostle says that the heavens must receive (Jesus) until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets sin

MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS ON RESTITUTION. Liverpool, November 30, 1847. Reverend and Dear Sir,—A question has sometimes been asked concerning infants—with what bodies will they come forth? Will they be raised in the stature of manhood or adult size? We believe not; but as they fall, so will they rise again—the size of their stature when they rise, will be the same as when they fell asleep in death. Little children are the subjects and residents of the kingdom of heaven. Their angels do always behold

SUMMARY AND FINAL APPEAL. Liverpool, December 13, 1847. Reverend and Dear Sir,—Having given you an epitomised view of the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in a short series of Thirteen Letters, I now make this SUMMARY AND FINAL APPEAL to you, and to all persons to whom the foregoing Letters may come. Before parting with you, I will endeavour to obviate some objections that might be supposed to arise, and give some further confirmatory proof of the truths that have be

Liverpool, December 20, 1847. Americans and countrymen!—Farewell! I have been exiled from your soil for cherishing the inalienable rights of man. The principles of liberty and heaven-born truth have been the exclusive cause of the lawless banishment of thousands, of which number I am one. My wife and worthy brother have fallen victims to this cruel violation of constitutional rights. For nearly two years my six motherless children, between the tender ages of six and fifteen, have been inhumanly

The following articles, on the Night of the Prophet's and Patriarch's Martyrdom, together with the suffering exit of the author's lamented wife, are inserted in this volume in order to perpetuate the memories of the "just," and render to the heavens a tribute of gratitude for their manifest interest in the tried condition of Saints on earth: Twenty-seventh of June, 1844. Eventful period in the calendar of the 19th century! That awful night!! I remember it well—I shall never forget it! Thousands

Catherine Curtis Spencer died on the 12th of March, 1846, at Indian Creek, near Keosaqua, Iowa territory, at the age of thirty-five years, wanting nine days. In one month from the time of her departure from Illinois to the wilderness, she fell a victim to the cares and hardships of persecution. The youngest daughter of a numerous family, brought up in affluence and nurtured with fondness and peculiar care as the favourite of her father's house; her slender, though healthy frame, could not endure

Suggested on reading the Author's first Letter in the Series . BY MISS E. R. SNOW.   "My heart is fix'd"—I know in whom I trust.   'Twas not for wealth—'twas not to gather heaps   Of perishable things—'twas not to twine   Around my brow a transitory wreath,   A garland deck'd with gems of mortal praise,   That I forsook the home of childhood; that   I left the lap of ease—the halo rife   With smiling friendship's soft and mellow tones—   Affection's fond caresses, and the cup   O'erflowing with