Mormon History, Nov 2, 1845

[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 2d Sunday I Wilford Woodruff Son of Aphek Woodruff have read the Book of Mormon much during the Last twelve years of my life And my soul de-lighteth much in its words teaching and Prophesyings And in its Plainness. I rejoice in the goodness and mercy of the God of Israel In Preserving the precious Book of Mormon & bringing it to light in our day & generation. It teaches the honest & humble mind the great things of God that were performed in the land of promise now called America in Ancient days And also the great things of God that are nigh even at the doors Concerning the resteration of the Lamanites the knowledge of there linage & fore fathers when they will throw of the veil of ignorance darkness And superstition sease there customs of Idleness filtheness wars & contentions one with another And wake up out of there fourteen hundred years slumber of Darkness & Come to the knowledge of the true God which there fathers worshiped untill they
fell into transgression.
Also this Precious treasure sets Clearly before the honest reader the fate & Destiny of the American Nation And all the gentile Nations of the Earth. Unless they spedily repent of there sins & humble themselves before God they will be destroyed from of the land.
The Jews Are also spedily to be gatherd home & Jerrusalem rebuilt to be prepared for the coming of the Mesiah their King.
Great and important events are nigh even at the doors with both Jew and Gentile. The commencment of this great work & dispensation was like a grain of mustard seed even small. The Plates containing the Book of Mormon was revealed to Joseph Smith & deliverd unto him By an Angel of God in the month of September 1827 & translated through the Urim & Thum-mim into the English language by Joseph Smith the Prophet Seer & revelator who was raised up out of the loins of Ancient Joseph to esstablish this work in the last days.
The first branch of the Church was esstablished on the 6
th day of April AD 1830. As the Church increased in numbers persecution began to increase. The Evening & morning Star was published in Jackson Co Mo. Commenced June 1832 ending Sept AD 1834 during which time the Saints had to pass through a great persecution. Had their houses & property burned.
The Messenger And Advocate began to be Published in Kirtland Ohio October AD 1834 And ended with the Elders Journal Aug 3d 1838 during which time there was Also much Persecution Among the saints. During this Publication about 10,000 souls were driven in the fall of 1838 out of the State of Missouri into the State of Illinois. Numbers of them [were] shot & murdered for there faith.
The Times & Season commenced in its Publication in the month of Nov 1839 in the town of Commerc, Afterwards name Nauvoo which is now City of Joseph. This Publication has continued from that time untill the present month Just five years being now on the VI volumn. During this period the Saints have Also suffe
red much persecution.
On the 27th Day of June 1844 Joseph Smith the Prophet & Hiram Smith the Patriarch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was basely shot & martered while in Prision whare they were Cast unlawfully by there persecuters. They were martered by An American Gentile mob And may the Lord Avenge there blood in his own time & way. The Prophet Joseph gave the quorum of the Twelve Apostles there endowment A few months befor his death.
The wasp was Published commencing April 1842 ended April 1843 just one year.
The Nauvoo Neighbor was published commencing on the 1st of May 1843 & has continued untill the present time. Is now in its third volumn.
The Millennial Star was Published in Liverpool England commencing May 1840. Has been published untill the present time. Are now publishing the VI vol.
The New York Prophet was first published on the 18 May 1844. Continued untill May 1845 Just one year. Its name was then Changed into the New York Messenger. The f
irst No was struck off July 1845 & is published up to the present time.
Thus from A little mustard seed the kingdom of God has grown in 15 years untill the sound thereoff has gone as it were over the earth. The Church are now publishing four Papers two weekly & two semi monthly.
The Book of Mormon has had three editions published in America And only one in England. Doctrins & Covenants of Revelations of God given through his servant Joseph have been published in three editions in America And one [in] England. Both the book of Mormon & Covenants have been sterotyped. The bible has also been translated also the book of Abraham by the Prophet Joseph before his death.
The Saints number in England Ireland Scotland wales & the Isle of Man about 12,000 souls besides their Children And about 50,000 souls in America besides their Children. We have small branches in Australia & the South Sea Islands besides.
Other Publications we have published many thousands of the proclamations of t
he Twelve Apostles to the Kings Lords Presidents Rulers & people of all Nations. P. P. Pratt published many thousand of them in America. I Willford Woodruff Published 20,000 of them in Liverpool England.
The Evening & Morning Star was first published in Missouri By W. W. Phelps & others Afterwards republi[shed] in kirtland Ohio by F G Williams &c.
The Messenger & Advocate was published by F G Williams &c & Edited by 0 Cowdery untill the 9th No. It was then Edited by John Whitmer untill the II vol no 7 was again Edited by O Cowdery. 5 & 6 No of the 3d vol was published by J Smith & S Rigdon And Edited By W A Cowdery & published by Wm. Marks to the end of the vol.
The Elders Journal being ownly 4 No ever published was Edited by Joseph Smith & Published by Thomas B Marsh.
The Times & Seasons was Edited & published by E Robinson & Don Carlos Smith untill the 4th No of the 2d vol which was Edited & published By D.C. Smith Alone untill the 13 No of the 2d vol when he was joined By
Robert B Thompson untill the (20 No) which contains an account of the Death of the Noble Don Carloss Smith And the vary next No (No 21 vol 2) Also contains An account of the Death of Robert B Thompson. So in two weeks the Editors & Proprietors both died. It was then Edited & Published [by] E Robinson untill the 8th No & the 3d vol After which it was Edited And Published by Joseph Smith to the end of the third vol. The whole of the 4th vol was Edited & Published by John Taylor & Wilford Woodruff. And the 1 & 2d Nos of the 5 vol And from that time untill the Present the 5 & 6 vol has been Edited And Published by John Taylor.
The first 31 Nos of the wasp was Published & Edited By Win. Smith. The remainder was Edited & Published by John Taylor & Willford Woodruff.
The first vol of the Neighbor was Edited & published by J Taylor & W Woodruff. Since that time by J. Taylor.
The Millennial Star was Edited And Published by P P Pratt untill the 6 No of the 3d vol. It was then Edited
and Published by Thomas Ward to the end of the Vth vol. It was then Edited & Published by T Ward & W. Woodruff.
The New York Prophet was Published the first 6 numbers by a committee called the board of controll. It was then Edited by William Smith And published by S Brannan from the loth No to the 26 After which S Brannan was both publisher And Editor to the 50 No after which it was Edited by P. P. Pratt. The New York Prophet is Published by S Brannan & Edited by P P Pratt.
Thus endeth an account of the publications of our periodicals up to the present time.
The Lord God has spoken Concerning Zion of the last days many great & glorious things By Isaiah & many other Prophets on the continant of Asia And Also by the Prophets And Apostles of Ancient days in America as well as in this last dispensation. Therefore Zion must arise and flourish for the Lord has spoken it. The gentiles know not the day of there visitation No more than the Ancient Jews did before there fall. But the
day is at hand when they will feel the wrath of God for the bitter branches of the tree are about to be cut off to make room for the good fruit.
The seed of Ephraim in the west will soon arise with Zion & put on her beautiful garments. The House of the Lord shall be built upon
the top of the mountains & many poeple will flow unto it And Ephraims Nobles will be of himself & his Governer precede out of the midst of him. May the Lord hasten it in his time And fulfill his promises to Zion Jerresalem the House of Israel is the prayer of the Lords anointed.

[source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

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