Great Salt Lake City, Oct. 31st, 1864.
Dear Sir:-
Your favor of 22nd ult. informing me of the conviction of yourself and friends respecting the religious belief and practices of the Latter-day Saints, and your and their decision to throw in your lot with us in this country, has been duly received, and perused with interest. I am pleased to know that have taken pains to carefully read and investigate our doctrines and principles as set forth in our own publicaions, besides perusing what our enemies have say respecting us. This course of reading must have given you a very god idea of us as a people.
You inform me that you and your friends desire to become 'Mormons,' and that you wish to ascertain if the project is feasible, and as to the best method of accomplishing this object. We have Elders in the East who, if you could see them, would readily administer the ordinance of baptism to yourself and friends; the prerequisite being, that you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Saviour of the world, and repent truly and sincerely of all your sins. You see by this, that the project of your becoming <a> Latter-day Saints, or "Mormons" is quite feasible, and the method an easy one for the truly repentant. I should recommend you to take these steps at the earliest opportunity, and if you go forth with a broken and contrite spirit, beleiving in Jesus Christ and determined to forsake all your sins, and are baptize the remission of them, and also have hands laid upon your heads for the reception of the Holy Ghost by one who has the authority to administer these holy ordinances, you will receive that spirit, and it will bear testimony to you that you have obeyed the Truth-- the gospel of the Son of God. When you these steps, and obtain this knowledge, then you will be in a condition to understand our views and position, and you will have the strength necessary to enable you to bear patiently any trials you may have to contend with in your future movements. It is by taking this course, that I and all the Latter-day Saints who have obtained knowledge respecting the gospel of Jesus, know that what the world calls Mormonism, is the truth of Heaven, the gospel of salvation. Jesus said, "If any man will do his (God's) will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself," This is the rule which he gave unto the people when he was on the earth, and by obeying which, they obtained the knowledge that he was indeed what he professed to be--the Son of God. The will of God as set forth by the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost, in the first Gospel sermon which was preached after the resurrection of our Savior of which we have any account, to the repentant Jews when they cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" was "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." By taking this course, they obtained a knowledge from the Lord that the doctrine which they had embraced was of God, and that Peter and his brother Apostles were his authorized servants, They received the Holy Ghost, which took of the things of God and revealed them unto them.
The ordinance through which the Holy Ghost as usually received is plainly alluded to in the 8th Chapter of Acts 14 to 17 verses, and in the 19 Chap. and 6th verse. It is true that Cornelius and his household received the Holy Ghost before they were baptized and had the Apostle's hands laid upon them; but it was evidently poured out upon them to convince the disciples that the Gentiles were as much entitled to the Gospel of Jesus and its saving ordenances as the Jews; for it is stated that they of the circumcision which believed, were astonished, because the Holy Ghost was poured out on the Gentiles, and Peter then asked, "can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost well as we?" This is the only instance, of which we have any account in the Testament, of the Holy Ghost being poured out, before the administeration of baptism and the laying on of hands.
The apostacy of man, through the changing of the ordinances and the transgressing of the laws of God, caused the Holy Ghost and its gifts and the power of God to be withdrawn from the midst of mankind for many generations. For a long period of time there has been no voice from the heavens to enlighten & counsel man; revelation and communication from the Lord to man had ceased through the latter's unbelief and hardness of heart, and he has been left to grope without this aid as were the Jews of ancient days after they turned from the Lord and rejected the messages and messengers which he sent unto tem. But the Lord had predicted, by the mouths of his Holy prophets, that the time come when he would break the silence which had so long prevailed, and commence to perform his great work which should be a marvellous Work and a wonder, "for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish and the understanding and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid." The revelator John, in the 61 verse of his 14 Chapter has left on record how this marvellous work should be commenced. He says that "he saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgement is come." The mi sion of this angel to the earth was to restore again the principles and power which had been withdrawn through man's apostacies, and usher in the work which should prepare mankind and the earth for the coming of the Son of man and the reign of righteousness. The prophet Jeremiah had this work in view when hw wrote what is found recorded in his 31st Chapter 31st--34th verses; and the Prophet Daniel in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream; as recorded in the 2nd Chapter of Daniel 44 and 45 verses. The Book of Isaiah is also full of predictions concerning this great Work and its consummtion in Glory in the last days. Joel says, in his 2nd Chapter and 28 and 29 verses: "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and also upon the servants and upon the handmaid in these days will I pour out my spirit." Micah says, in his 4th chapter, 1st to 4th verses, in alluding to some of the results which follow the re-establishing of the work of God in these days, thus speaks concerning the gathering of the people together for the purpose of being taught in the ways of the Lord and of walking in his paths. "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many pepple, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it."
Time would fail me were I to attempt to give you the numerous evidence be found in the Scriptures concerning His Work; in addition we have the living testimony of the Spirit by which the Lord witnesses unto us that it is <even> that same Work of which the prophets have spoken. We know that the Lord is doing a mighty work in the earth preparatory to the coming of Jesus to reign on the earth. By the proclamation of the pure principles of the Gospel, the inhabitants of the earth will be warned, as Jesus said in the 24th Chapter of Mathew 15 verse, and those who reject that warning will be punished by the Almighty with the severest calamities. It is for this purpose that the Elders of this Church go forth to proclaim these things unto the people, that none may be left without excuse.
I have given you these quotations from the Bible, But we have the Book of Mormon, an inspired Record written by the ancient servants of God on this continent, and the book of Doctrine and Covenants, containing revelations to the Church of God in these days, which agree in their statements with the Bible and thus we have the testemony of three witnesses bearing record of the same great truths; by their testimony every word will be established. Besides th we have works written by our Elders upon doctrine: The Voice of Warning, by Parley P. Pratt, Spencer's Letters by Orson Spencer, and many other works of a similar character.
You may think that I have written you a good long sermon, and quoted a good many scriptures; but all this will profit you nothing unless you humble yourself before the Lord so as to receive his Holy Spirit to enlighten your minds
Yours Respectfully
Brigham Young
P. S.
By addressing a letter to Post Office Box 3957 New York, You can open a communication with an Elder of our Church who is at present in New York by the name of Wm. H. Miles. I have no doubt but that you can make arrangements him to have a personal interview with him, and can learn many things from him that cannot well be communicated in a letter for want of space.
There is a good opening in this country for the investing of means in cotton or woolen factories as a permanent business.
B. Y.