316 work like a tiger, now he blackens me of not performing enough and wants to give me twelve cents a day. . . .
I got the epitome of faith printed here, one thousand copies for sixteen francs (three dollars and twenty cents), in larger letters than in our own printing, which I distribute among the people. I can get the Plan of Salvation printed, one thousand copies for fourteen to fifteen dollars, in a small printing-office, where I got the above printed, but they have no plates; so I went to Zürich in a larger establishment; there they asked me twenty dollars for the printing and about fourteen dollars for the plates. Tracts I must have, there is no question, and be therefore kind enough to send me means to get some tracts printed, and I believe the Plan of Salvation is one of the best we have, I have the translation yet. It was preserved here so please make no delay about it, if the work has to be prosecuted, and send me the means at once. I can exchange greenbacks very well here, better than gold.
The Herald, the welcome messenger, comes regularly; O, if only the Saints here could read the same, it would encourage them greatly, but everything has its time.-The Saints' Herald, vol. 27, p. 256.
An editorial in the Herald for July 15, contains some excellent suggestions regarding church government and the safeguards thrown around the church in the law. For the sake of these things we insert it. It is as follows:
The Saints can have no positive assurance that any man in their association may not and will not fall into personal transgression, or become the prey of personal vanity and ambition, through which he may make the attempt to lead disciples after him. But that the church will suffer any serious loss by the Saints being led away after him, depends whether the laws by which the liberties and safety of the body are secured are correctly known, and there be found men of courage to see them rightly administered; as there is ample assurance given to the church that they may not be led away after false doctrines, by which their liberties shall be lost.
Before any new and false doctrine, though advanced by the presiding elder of the church, could be accepted to any great extent, to the subversion of the faith of the many, thus endangering the leading away the church, it is subject to challenge from any one who may deem it important, and then must pass the ordeal provided in the church articles.
There are three bodies of judges who may pass upon the matter: the Presidency, the Twelve, and the Seventy; and while these quorums are filled with reasonably fearless and independent thinkers, there is little danger of any serious schism, by reason of ambitious leaders.
But under the supposition that the dangerous element lies lurking in the body first named, the Presidency, there remains the other two bodies, consisting of a larger number of men, where, as a matter of course, there
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