Next let us enquire whether there are any intimations in Scripture concerning the wives of Jesus. We have already, in the 9th No. of this volume, spoken of the endless increase of Christ's government. Now, we have no reason to suppose that this increase would continue, unless through the laws of generation, whereby Jesus, like His Father, should become the Father of spirits; and, in order to be-ness, and hatest wickedness: therefore come the Father of spirits, or, as Isaiah says, "The Everlasting Father," it is necessary that He should have one or

ist here calls God, is represented in the [orable Wives." King James' translanext verses as having "honorable tors were not willing that this passage Wives." If any should still doubt should have a literal translation, acwhether this prophecy has reference cording to the former English renderto the Son of God, they may satisfying, lest it should give countenance to themselves by reading Paul's applica- Polygamy; therefore they altered the tion of these passages in the eighth translation to honorable women instead and ninth verses of the first chapter of wives; but any person acquainted of his epistle to the Hebrews: "But with the original can see that the first unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, translators have given the true renderGod, is forever and ever; a sceptre of ing of that passage. Indeed, the very righteousness is the sceptre of thy next sentence most clearly demonkingdom. Thou hast loved righteous- strates this; for the Son of God is ness and hated iniquity; therefore God, represented as having a "QUEEN" even thy God, hath annointed thee standing upon His right hand, clothed with the oil of gladness above thy "in a vesture of gold." This Queen fellows." Paul applies the words of is exhorted in the following endearing the prophet David to the son of God, language; "Hearken, O daughter, and to the annointed Messiah, who is consider, and incline thine ear; forget called God, and whose "throne is forever and ever." Let it be remembered, then, that the Son of God is expressly represented as having "hon

also thine own people, and thy father's house; so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty, for he is thy Lord; and worship thou Him." (Verses 10, 11.) (To be continued.)

NOTICE.

The SEER will be continued for the year 1854, on the same terms as the first volume. All those who wish to become subscribers for the second volume should send in their names, address, and subscription money without delay, as we desire to know immediately about how many copies of the first number to publish, that we may not be under the necessity of issuing, at much expense, a second edition to supply their demands. Our subscribers for the first volume need not expect to receive the second without complying with the terms of advance payment. Should any of our subscribers wish to emigrate to Utah next season, they can, by notifying us of their intentions, receive the balance of their numbers in that Territory without any additional expense. Our agent for Utah is Orson Pratt, jr., Salt Lake City. All subscribers in that Territory, by forwarding to our agent there $1 in advance, will receive their papers from him through the mail or otherwise, as they may direct.

Every family of the Saints should take the SEER. And those who have means should take one copy for each of their children, for they will be greatly sought after in years to come, when they cannot be obtained without the expense of reprinting.

All the back numbers of the first volume can still be obtained.-Editor.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, See Ye, when Hc lifteth up an Ensign on the Mountains.-Isaiah xvIII, 3.

VOL. I.

NOVEMBER, 1853.

No. 11.

SECOND EPISTLE OF ORSON PRATT,

To the Saints scattered throughout the United States and British ProvincesGREETING:

DEAR BRETHREN: With a heart full | In the midst of these dreary wastes, of gratitude to the great Giver of every may be seen, here and there, beautiful good and perfect gift, for His manifold and fertile valleys, watered by crystal mercies and blessings so liberally bestowed upon His people in the last days, I again attempt to communicate to you, through the medium of an Epistle, such items of intelligence and instruction, as will, no doubt, be interesting to you to learn.

streams, formed by the melting snows which are deposited, during the winter, in vast abundance upon the surrounding mountains. During the summer, it is seldom that a sufficient quantity of rain falls for farming purposes; hence, the husbandman is obliged to resort to the Utah, the great central gathering process of irrigation: this is accomplace for the Saints throughout the plished by forming artificial canals and world, is in a very prosperous and flour- channels in which the water is conveyed ishing condition: her settlements are from the higher elevations near the base rapidly extending throughout the of the mountains to the lower portions breadth of the Territory, north and towards the centres of the valleys, and south. This Territory is included be- is used at such times and in such quantween the parallels of 37° and 42° tities, as are considered necessary by the North, and between the meridians of agriculturist. 29° and 43° West of Washington; or in other words, it is about 350 miles broad from North to South, and about 650 miles long from East to West, including an area of about 225,000 square miles. The Legislature, during its first session, in 1852, divided the Territory into twelve counties, namely: Weber, Davis, Desert, Green River, Great Salt Lake, Utah, Tooele, Juab, Millard, San Pete, Iron, and Washington. These counties are mostly bounded by meridians and parallels of latitude, and in-year round. clude the whole Territory. By far the greater portion of this Territory consists of mountains and deserts entirely unfit for the habitation of man or animals.

Grains and vegetables of every description that are produced in the same latitudes in the States, grow in the most luxuriant abundance. Young fruit trees seem to be thrifty and doing well: some peaches have been produced for two or three years past. It is one of the best grazing countries in the world; the fine bunch grass will fatten cattle and horses equal to grain: it is seldom that farmers cut much hay, for the cattle can generally find good grazing the

Timber for building purposes, is not found in the valleys, but is procured from the mountains, and consists principally of pine and fir. Wood for fuel

is also generally obtained in the mountains, although in some of the more southern parts a scrubby cedar grows in places in the valleys: it is quite expensive and tedious to procure the necessary timber and fuel. Coal and iron ore abound in the southern counties, and probably in many other places where they are not yet discovered. And most happily gold, silver, and other precious metals do not, to any great extent, trouble Utah's soil; or at least, the people have not been so unfortunate as to discover them, during the infancy of their settlements.

Many of the fresh water lakes and larger streams are well stored with fish, of which the salmon trout is the principal. Game is rather scarce; although in the mountains and uninhabited valleys there are occasionally seen some few antelope, deer, elk, mountain sheep, foxes, wolves, and grizly bears. Large quantities of wild fowl, principally geese and ducks, abound in the vicinity of lakes and water courses.

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to the four points of the compass: heavy showers are rare, but when they do cone, they are generally accompanied with thunder and hail, and sometimes with strong winds.

The lowest of these vallies are elevated more than 4000 feet above the sea level; while the elevation of some of the more southern ones, where settlements are formed, is near 6000 feet. The mountains, ir many places in the immediate vicinity of the settlements, tower up in rugged majestic grandeur from 4000 to 7000 feet in perpendicular height above the vallies. The suminits of these mountains, whitened with eternal snows, glisten in the sunbeams and exhibit sceneries of the most dazzling splendor and picturesque beauty, as it covered with the glories of heaven like Sinai of old.

There are several small tribes or rather bands of Indians, inhabiting different parts of the territory, who are sunk in the lowest depths of darkness, degradation, and misery. These bands. The climate in midsummer is dry wander over the territory, often robbing and hot; the thermometer, during the and murdering one another, and stealmiddle of the day, frequently ranging, ing whenever they have a favorable in the shade, from 90° to 105° Faliren- opportunity. They live mostly on heit; evenings and mornings generally berries, roots, crickets, fish, and such cool, being refreshed by mountain small game as they may be able to probreezes. The atmosphere is pure and cure with the bow and arrow. They healthy, and very bracing and invigor- are almost entirely naked. Sometimes, ating to the system. That dreadful though very rarely, they have tents or Scourge the cholera-which has found wigwams formed of the skins of animals; its way into almost every nook and cor- but most generally they live in caves or of our globe, has not yet been per- in a thick cluster of bushes without mitted to scale the summit of the much shelter except a few limbs of "everlasting hills," and enter those small trees, bent down and loosely healthful vales. The winters are mild. covered with branches. Since the settSnow, seldom falling in the valleys but lement of the Saints in that territory, a few inches in depth, soon disappears their condition is being greatly im under the warming influences of the proved: many are beginning to labor bright rays of the sun, as they pene- and thus furnish themselves with food, trale, without much obstruction, the and blankets, and in some instances serene, almost cloudless, and rarefied with houses which the saints have atmosphere of that elevated region. erected for them: although of late, Spring and autumn are also mild; through the treacherous, restless, and though given to more sudden transitions warlike spirit of Walker, one of their from cold to heat, and from heat to principal chiefs, they have been stirred cold, than climates of the same latitudes up to hostilities, and have committed on the Adantie coast. Vines, vege- some depredations; but through the tables, corn, d ́e,, are frequently injured wise and energetic policy of Gov. by untimely frosts. Winds are exceed Young in placing all the settlements ingly variable, shifting almost every day in a state of defense, and in giving

strict counsel to the saints to act only en the defensive, it is to be hoped that they will soon see their folly, and cease their hostilities, and learn that the saints are their friends, and not their enemies.

which may be mentioned the Social Hall and Council House; in the latter of which the Legislature have as yet held their sessions.

Great attention is being paid to the erection of school houses, and the education of youth. And it is to be fondly hoped, that the rising generation in Utah will be generally and thoroughly educated in every useful branch of learn

The population of Utah numbers from thirty to thirty-five thousand and is annually increasing by the emigration of the saints from the different nations of the earth. A chain of settlements |ing and science. A foundation is being have been formed extending north and laid, broad and deep, to accomplish south some 350 miles. Many small this most desirable object. It is in cities have been founded and incorpo- contemplation to erect a magnificent rated with certain powers and privileges University in which the higher departby the Legislature. The following are ments of science will be extensively some of the principal villages and cities taught; that Utah, being filled with of the territory, named in the order of the knowledge of heaven and earth, their succession, commencing on the may be as a great light upon the mountnorth: Brownsville, Ogden, Great Salt ains which shall be seen by the nations Lake, Lehi, Provo, Springville, Nephi, afar off, and cause many of them to exManti, Fillmore, Parovan, and Cedar claim, "Come let us arise, and go up cities. Fillmore city, being near the unto the mountains of Zion, unto the centre of this chain of settlements, is house of God of Jacob, that we also appointed as the seat of government, may be taught in His ways and inat which place the state house is being structed in His paths; for there are no built. Great Salt Lake city is by far people like the inhabitants of Zion, full the largest and most populous in the of wisdom, knowledge, and power; territory; it covers an area of several their laws are founded in justice, equity, square miles and contains from eight and truth; and their officers execute to ten thousand inhabitants. The streets righteousness in the land; peace and are eight rods wide, crossing each other salvation are within their borders; and at right angles, and running north and the Holy One of Israel is their strength south, cast and west; each block con- for evermore." tains ten acres and is divided into eight The most of the buildings in Utah lots, each ten rods wide by twenty are constructed of "adobies" or sunlong, affording an acre and one quarter dried brick which, when properly made, for a building spot and garden to each are not only durable but impart beauty family. One of these Squares was re-to the edifices, erected with them, served for public buildings, en which a giving them the appearance of stone. tabernacle has been erected and completed that will accommodate about 3000 persons. A temple also is to be reared upon the same, the foundation of which was laid on the sixth of April last. This whole block is fast being enclosed by a high wall, encircling a large public joiners' shop which is to be used in the construction of the temple. With common prosperity and the bless-utensils, hardware, earthen-ware, tinings of heaven in a few years will be seen a large and magnificent temple with its towers pointing towards heaven, erected upon that lovely and consecrated spot. There are several other public buildings in the city, among

Many good flouring mills are in operation, and also many saw miils. It is the intention of the Saints to establish manufactories of various descriptions, and as much as possible produce within themselves from the raw material, all kinds of useful machinery, cloths, domestics, prints, shawls, hats, leather, pots, kettles, stoves, all kind of farming

ware, chairs, tables, bedsteads, sugar, paper, glass, nails, mechanic tools, and every thing else which will tend to the peace, comfort, welfare, prosperity, and happiness of the territory. Many of these branches of buisness are already