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Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842

Source Note

Times and Seasons (
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Hancock Co., IL), 2 May 1842, vol. 3, no. 13, pp. 767–782; edited by JS. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.

Historical Introduction

The 2 May 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons, a
church

The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...

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periodical published in
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, Illinois, was the thirteenth number in its third volume.JS purchased the
printing office

Located at four different sites from 1839–1846: cellar of warehouse on bank of Mississippi River, June–Aug. 1839; frame building on northeast corner of Water and Bain streets, Nov. 1839–Nov. 1841; newly built printing establishment on northwest corner of ...

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and the newspaper from
Ebenezer Robinson

25 May 1816–11 Mar. 1891. Printer, editor, publisher. Born at Floyd (near Rome), Oneida Co., New York. Son of Nathan Robinson and Mary Brown. Moved to Utica, Oneida Co., ca. 1831, and learned printing trade at Utica Observer. Moved to Ravenna, Portage Co....

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in February 1842 and was identified as its editor from 15 February to 15 October 1842.
1

See Agreement with Ebenezer Robinson, 4 Feb. 1842.


Although JS was named as the editor in the 15 February issue, he did not consider himself the editor of the newspaper until the 1 March 1842 issue.
John Taylor

1 Nov. 1808–25 July 1887. Preacher, editor, publisher, politician. Born at Milnthorpe, Westmoreland, England. Son of James Taylor and Agnes Taylor, members of Church of England. Around age sixteen, joined Methodist church and was local preacher. Migrated ...

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,
Wilford Woodruff

1 Mar. 1807–2 Sept. 1898. Farmer, miller. Born at Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut. Son of Aphek Woodruff and Beulah Thompson. Moved to Richland, Oswego Co., New York, 1832. Baptized into Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Zera Pulsipher,...

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, and others helped JS produce the Times and Seasons from March through October 1842, but JS was directly responsible for the content of the newspaper.
2

See “To Subscribers,” Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, 3:710.


The fifth issue that JS oversaw as editor was dated 2 May 1842 and contained a letter to the Saints from the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Members of a governing body in the church, with special administrative and proselytizing responsibilities. A June 1829 revelation commanded Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer to call twelve disciples, similar to the twelve apostles in the New Testament and ...

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, urging them to fund the construction of the
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
temple

Located in portion of Nauvoo known as the bluff. JS revelation dated Jan. 1841 commanded Saints to build temple and hotel (Nauvoo House). Cornerstone laid, 6 Apr. 1841. Saints volunteered labor, money, and other resources for temple construction. Construction...

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; letters from missionaries and church members in the eastern
United States

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

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and Europe;
3

Several of these letters were written to JS and, because of their earlier creation dates, are featured in a previous volume of The Joseph Smith Papers. (See Letter from Eli Maginn, 22 Mar. 1842; and Letter from William Appleby, ca. Mar. 1842.)


an extract of the “History of Joseph Smith,” which was printed serially in the newspaper; and reprinted articles from several other newspapers, including the church newspaper in
England

Island nation consisting of southern portion of Great Britain and surrounding smaller islands. Bounded on north by Scotland and on west by Wales. Became province of Roman Empire, first century. Ruled by Romans, through 447. Ruled by Picts, Scots, and Saxons...

More Info
, the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star.
4

The Millennial Star was a monthly church newspaper edited by Parley P. Pratt and first published in Manchester, England, in May 1840. (“Prospectus,” Millennial Star, May 1840, 1:1–2.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

In addition to this material, the issue also contained editorial content, meaning content created by JS as the editor or his editorial staff for the paper. This content in the 2 May issue included commentaries on articles about mummies, an editorial on the Nauvoo temple, news from proselytizing
elders

A male leader in the church generally; an ecclesiastical and priesthood office or one holding that office; a proselytizing missionary. The Book of Mormon explained that elders ordained priests and teachers and administered “the flesh and blood of Christ unto...

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, commentary on an article about Judaism, and notices concerning temple donations and a position with the printing office staff. Selected editorial content from the 2 May issue is featured here, with individual introductions for each passage.
Note that only the editorial content created specifically for this issue of the Times and Seasons is annotated here. Articles reprinted from other papers, letters, conference minutes, and notices, are reproduced here but not annotated. Items that are stand-alone JS documents are annotated elsewhere; links are provided to these stand-alone documents.
5

See “Editorial Method”.


Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See Agreement with Ebenezer Robinson, 4 Feb. 1842.

  2. [2]

    See “To Subscribers,” Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, 3:710.

  3. [3]

    Several of these letters were written to JS and, because of their earlier creation dates, are featured in a previous volume of The Joseph Smith Papers. (See Letter from Eli Maginn, 22 Mar. 1842; and Letter from William Appleby, ca. Mar. 1842.)

  4. [4]

    The Millennial Star was a monthly church newspaper edited by Parley P. Pratt and first published in Manchester, England, in May 1840. (“Prospectus,” Millennial Star, May 1840, 1:1–2.)

    Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star. Manchester, England, 1840–1842; Liverpool, 1842–1932; London, 1932–1970.

  5. [5]

    See “Editorial Method”.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Times and Seasons , 2 May 1842
*Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842
*Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842 *Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842 *Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842 *Letter from Eli Maginn, 22 March 1842 Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith” Notice, circa 2 May 1842 Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842 *Letter from William Appleby, circa March 1842 Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842

Page 774

More Prophecy.—Joe Smith, in his last “Times and Seasons,” gives us another slice of the “Book of Abraham,” embracing a synopsis of his geology and astronomy, illustrated with a curious map of the Mormon Solar System. Joe also gives his readers a bit of his auto-biography—quite rich it is, too.
The Mormon Movement.—Nea[r]ly two hundred more Mormons, very respectable looking saints, arrived at
New Orleans

Settled by French, 1717. Acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803. City, port of entry, and parish seat of justice. Population in 1840 about 100,000. Important trade center on Mississippi River. Branch of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints established...

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recently, on their way to
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

More Info
, the head quarters of Joe Smith and the Mormons. The prophet is adding to his religious empire every day—and who can set bounds to it? He is president, priest, and prophet, and whenever he is in a difficulty, he says that he has a direct revelation from heaven, that settles the point at once.
Mr.
James G[ordon] Bennett

1 Sept. 1795–1 June 1872. Journalist, newspaper owner. Born at Newmill, Keith, Banffshire, Scotland. Catholic. Moved to Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, ca. 1815; to Halifax, Halifax Co., Nova Scotia, 1819; to Boston; to New York, ca. 1822; to Charleston...

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, is a little too fast about the finding of the records; it will be seen by the following that “Joe Smith,” knew what he was doing.
EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES.
These Mummies, with seven others, were taken from the Catacombs of Egypt, near where the ancient, and we may say, almost unparalleled city of Thebes once stood, by the celebrated French traveller Antonio Lebolo; at a great expense, under the protection of the French Consul,
7

Lebolo was an antiquities dealer. Born in Italy in 1781, he moved to Egypt and in the 1820s was employed by Bernardino Drovetti, a French consul to Egypt. Using his connection to Drovetti, Lebolo was allowed to excavate and sell artifacts near the modern city of Luxor, where the ruins of the ancient city of Thebes are located. (Tyldesley, Egypt, 72–74; Count Carlo Vidua, Cairo, Egypt, to Count Pio Vidua, 28 June 1820, in Balbo, Lettere del Conte Carlo Vidua, 176–177; Peterson, Story of the Book of Abraham, 36, 43–67; see also Historical Introduction to Book of Abraham Manuscript, ca. Early July–ca. Nov. 1835–A [Abraham 1:4–2:6].)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Tyldesley, Joyce. Egypt: How a Lost Civilization Was Rediscovered. London: BBC Books, 2005.

Balbo, Cesare, ed. Lettere del Conte Carlo Vidua. Vol. 2. Torino, Italy: Presso Giuseppe Pomba, 1834.

Peterson, H. Donl. The Story of the Book of Abraham: Mummies, Manuscripts, and Mormonism. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1995.

by consent of Mehemet Ali, the Viceroy of Egypt. It is to be noticed that several hundred Mummies, differently embalmed were found in the same catacomb, but only the eleven in a state to be removed. The seven have been sold to gentlemen for private museums, and in consequence are kept from the eye of the public.— They have been exhibited in
Philadelphia

Port city founded as Quaker settlement by William Penn, 1681. Site of signing of Declaration of Independence and drafting of U.S. Constitution. Nation’s capital city, 1790–1800. Population in 1830 about 170,000; in 1840 about 260,000; and in 1850 about 410...

More Info
and Baltimore, to crowded audiences; in the latter place, although only engaged for two weeks, the exhibition was prolonged to five weeks, with attraction. Of all the relics of the ancient world that time has left, the Mummy is the most interesting. It is a well known fact, recorded in both sacred and profane history that men were embalmed, which science has attracted the learned for ages. All other antiquities are but the work of man, but Mummies present us with the men themselves—they are the personages, preserved in human form, for the gaze and attraction of people who are occupying down the stream of time centuries from those—they have certainly been conspicuous actors in those mighty scenes of which the history of Egypt is full. An hundred generations have passed away, and new empires have began since this flesh was animated—since these eyes were bright, and this tongue was eloquent, and the heart beat within this breast. These strangers illustrious from their antiquity, may have lived in the days of Jacob, Moses, or David, and of course some thousand years have elapsed since these bodies were animated with the breath of life! History records the fact, that the higher class concealed their knowledge from the lower, in figures and hieroglyphic characters—A few of those, upon papyrus,
8

For more information on the papyri JS acquired, see “Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts.”


used by the Egyptians for writing, will be exhibited with the Mummies.
9

Following this paragraph, Chandler’s certificate of authenticity for the mummies is reproduced. The certificate had first been published in the December 1835 issue of the Messenger and Advocate. (Oliver Cowdery, “Egyptian Mummies—Ancient Records,” Messenger and Advocate, Dec. 1835, 2:234–235.)


Comprehensive Works Cited

Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

Having examined with considerable attention and deep interest, a number of Mummies from the catacombs, near Thebes, in Egypt, and now exhibited in the Arcade, we beg leave to recommend them to the observation of the curious inquirer on subjects of a period so long elapsed; probably not less than three thousand year ago. The features of some of these Mummies are in perfect expression.— The papyrus, covered with black or red ink, or paint, in excellent preservation, are very interesting. The undersigned, unsolicited by any person connected by interest with this exhibition, have voluntarily set their names hereunto, for the simple purpose of calling the attention of the public to an interesting collection, not sufficiently known in this
city

Port city founded as Quaker settlement by William Penn, 1681. Site of signing of Declaration of Independence and drafting of U.S. Constitution. Nation’s capital city, 1790–1800. Population in 1830 about 170,000; in 1840 about 260,000; and in 1850 about 410...

More Info
.
JOHN REDMAN COXE, M. D.
RICHARD HARLAN, M. D.
J. PANCOAST, M. D.
WILLIAM P. C. BARTON, M. D.
E. F. RIVINUS, M. D.
SAMUEL G. MORGAN, M. D.
I concur in the above sentiments, concerning the collection of Mummies in the
Philadelphia

Port city founded as Quaker settlement by William Penn, 1681. Site of signing of Declaration of Independence and drafting of U.S. Constitution. Nation’s capital city, 1790–1800. Population in 1830 about 170,000; in 1840 about 260,000; and in 1850 about 410...

More Info
Arcade, and consider them highly deserving the attention of the curious.
W. E. HORNER, M. D.
We have in our possession the four mummies referred to. They together with the records, were purchased of a
Mr. [Michael] Chandler

Ca. 1798–21 Oct. 1866. Antiquities exhibitor, farmer. Born in Ireland. Married Frances F. Ludlow. Immigrated to U.S., ca. 1828. Moved to Ohio, by 1829. Moved to Philadelphia, 1833. Acquired eleven mummies, perhaps in association with others, in New York City...

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who exhibited them in different parts of the
Union

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

More Info
,
10

Chandler exhibited the mummies in nearly a dozen cities in the United States. (See “Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts.”)


and sold them to us in
Kirtland

Located ten miles south of Lake Erie. Settled by 1811. Organized by 1818. Latter-day Saint missionaries visited township, early Nov. 1830; many residents joined Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Population in 1830 about 55 Latter-day Saints and...

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Ohio.
11

In the summer of 1835, JS, Joseph Coe, and an “S. Andrews” purchased four mummies and Egyptian papyri from Michael Chandler for $2,400. (Joseph Coe, Kirtland, OH, to JS, Nauvoo, IL, 1 Jan. 1844, JS Collection, CHL; “Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts.”.)


The above is a copy of the original placards published by
Mr. Chandler

Ca. 1798–21 Oct. 1866. Antiquities exhibitor, farmer. Born in Ireland. Married Frances F. Ludlow. Immigrated to U.S., ca. 1828. Moved to Ohio, by 1829. Moved to Philadelphia, 1833. Acquired eleven mummies, perhaps in association with others, in New York City...

View Full Bio
, whilst they were yet in his possession. [p. 774]
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Source Note

Document Transcript

Page 774

Document Information

Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Times and Seasons, 2 May 1842
ID #
8147
Total Pages
16
Print Volume Location
JSP, D10:15–27
Handwriting on This Page
  • Printed text

Footnotes

  1. [7]

    Lebolo was an antiquities dealer. Born in Italy in 1781, he moved to Egypt and in the 1820s was employed by Bernardino Drovetti, a French consul to Egypt. Using his connection to Drovetti, Lebolo was allowed to excavate and sell artifacts near the modern city of Luxor, where the ruins of the ancient city of Thebes are located. (Tyldesley, Egypt, 72–74; Count Carlo Vidua, Cairo, Egypt, to Count Pio Vidua, 28 June 1820, in Balbo, Lettere del Conte Carlo Vidua, 176–177; Peterson, Story of the Book of Abraham, 36, 43–67; see also Historical Introduction to Book of Abraham Manuscript, ca. Early July–ca. Nov. 1835–A [Abraham 1:4–2:6].)

    Tyldesley, Joyce. Egypt: How a Lost Civilization Was Rediscovered. London: BBC Books, 2005.

    Balbo, Cesare, ed. Lettere del Conte Carlo Vidua. Vol. 2. Torino, Italy: Presso Giuseppe Pomba, 1834.

    Peterson, H. Donl. The Story of the Book of Abraham: Mummies, Manuscripts, and Mormonism. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1995.

  2. [8]

    For more information on the papyri JS acquired, see “Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts.”

  3. [9]

    Following this paragraph, Chandler’s certificate of authenticity for the mummies is reproduced. The certificate had first been published in the December 1835 issue of the Messenger and Advocate. (Oliver Cowdery, “Egyptian Mummies—Ancient Records,” Messenger and Advocate, Dec. 1835, 2:234–235.)

    Latter Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, OH. Oct. 1834–Sept. 1837.

  4. [10]

    Chandler exhibited the mummies in nearly a dozen cities in the United States. (See “Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts.”)

  5. [11]

    In the summer of 1835, JS, Joseph Coe, and an “S. Andrews” purchased four mummies and Egyptian papyri from Michael Chandler for $2,400. (Joseph Coe, Kirtland, OH, to JS, Nauvoo, IL, 1 Jan. 1844, JS Collection, CHL; “Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts.”.)

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