had something better, purer, nobler, | he belonged, Mr. Richards "testified higher. What was the beginning the that the Church of the Saints was great origin of the Church of England? building up the kingdom of God."Who was that monarch who, having Mr. O. PRATT next spoke in continuone wife, and being desirous of having ation of the subject, and prophesied others, was refused by the Pope? the great growth of the Mormon faith, King Henry VIII. did not consider the return of the believers to build up that he was bound to one woman, a temple in the land from which they therefore he took other wives. But had been driven by the United States (asked the speaker) why did he not go to Utah. He also prophesied utter the whole length? why did he not annihilation, if not something worse, come out a whole man? and who knew to Great Britain, America, and all but that if he had then established the other nations, if they did not awaken religion of the Latter-day Saints, God in time to the truth, and embrace the would have bestowed upon him great doctrine of the Saints. In support of prosperity? God was now about to his remarks, he quoted portions of the call the nations to account for the 29th chapter of Isaiah, and also regreat sin to which he had alluded, and ferred to the Book of Mormon.-The he (the speaker) asked "how far short proceedings were brought to a close are the sins of the present time of the by the singing of a hymn by an efficisins of Sodom and Gomorrah?" In a ent choir, placed under Mr. Cook. It few concluding phrases, characteristic was announced that several other of the members of the class to which meetings will be held during the week.

ANCIENT ECLIPSES.
(From The Athenæum, Feb. 9th, 1867.

A short time before his decease, the late Dr. Hincks communicated to the Royal Academy of Sciences at Berlin, a paper On a newly-discovered Record of Ancient Lunar Eclipses,' which has just been published in the Monatsbericht of the Academy. He made the discovery in the last volume of the 'Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia,' published by the British Museum, during a particular search for all the inscriptions that appeared to have an astronomical character. Among a great deal which he confesses he does rot understand in plate 39, No. V., described as part of an astronomical tablet, he met with three statements, "the meaning of which appeared to him absolutely certain." They are as follows: In the month Nisan, on the fourteenth day, the moon was eclipsed." "In the month Tisri the moon was eclipsed." "In the month Sabat the moon was eclipsed." To the second of these statements a sentence is added in the original, explaining that "the moon emerged from the shadow while the sun was rising."

Having published in the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy a table, by which the commencement of each Assyrian year might be ascertained, Dr. Hincks set himself to a careful investigation of these eclipses, with a view to fix the date of their occurrence. If that could be done, highly valuable conclusions would be obtained, of which astronomers would be only too glad to avail themselves. After an elaborate calculation, the details of which are given in the paper, he satisfied himself that the three eclipses had been seen as described, that the second occurred about the time of sunrise, on the 13th of September, 701, at the beginning of the reign of Sennacherib. Such an eclipse is so very unusual that, if seen, Dr. Hincks assumes it would certainly be recorded, and he asserts that at the date above given, phenomenon was visible somewhere under the parallel of Nineveh." And he continues, " According to Hansen's Tables, the moon would be very far, perhaps half a degree, beyond the place which would allow the phenome

this

non to appear in the longitude of Nineveh. If, then, it be a fact that it was observed there, it furnishes astronomers with a most important datum for correcting the lunar tables." Dr. Hincks expresses his belief that professed astronomers will find it possible to reduce all the observations of the eclipses which he has mentioned, to harmony with calculations, by adopting the values of certain specified coefficients of Prof. Adams; and by computing all the elements of the eclipse for a time later than that of the actual time of observation by a small fraction of a day, multiplied by the square of the number of centuries from A.D. 1800. He points out that this

last correction, which acts in the opposite direction to Adam's, is due to the retardation of the diurnal motion caused by the tides. These are the leading facts of this interesting communication; for the profound technical arguments by which the author's views are supported, we must refer the reader to the paper itself. Who would have expected when Mr. Layard began his excavations at Nineveh, that they would give up particulars of eclipses which happened 700 years before the Christian era, and supply to astronomers of our day a means of rectifying one of the most important questions in their favorite science?

THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS' MILLENNIAL STAR.

SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 1867.

A WORD TO THE MISSIONARIES,

THE servants of God are sent forth to save men and women, and not to destroy them by evil examples. Missionaries are called by the Prophets of God, and sent forth by the voice of the General Conferences of the Saints: they are set apart for their respective missions, under the most solemn charges, and by the laying on of the hands of an inspired Priesthood. Great and inestimable blessings are pronounced upon them, on conditions of strict obedience to the word of God, and to the counsels of heaven. The great majority of these missionaries engage in the holy work of the ministry, with fervency of spirit, with purity of thought and desire, with earnestness of purpose, and unwearied zeal, with continued prayer and watchfulness, lest in the hour of temptation they fail. Such are abundantly blessed; the same good Spirit which so richly imbues their own hearts, infuses itself into every Branch, and Conference, and District, where they labor. The Saints partake joyfully of the ministrations of the Spirit, as well as of the word; they are fed, strengthened, comforted, are full of joy, full of heavenly life: vigor, animation, faith, hope, good works, zeal in attending meetings, confidence and love towards each other, reign triumphantly in their midst. And it may truly be said, as is the faithful

shepherd among them, so are his numerous flocks: he knows his sheep and feeds them; they know his voice and follow him.

On the other hand, there are some who do not so strictly remember their covenants: they yield, little by little, to the voice of the tempter: they lose a portion of the Spirit: darkness by degrees creeps over their understandings; barrenness and unfruitfulness enter their minds; their preachings and ministrations, though perhaps accompanied by a multitude of words, are still in a measure lifeless. The result is, like throwing cold water upon their congregations: the animating, life giving power of the Spirit is not there; God is not there to bless; division, strife, lust, or some kind of iniquity, usurp the place of the good Spirit of the Gospel. Deadness, want of faith, carelessness about meetings, and a score of other evils are manifest. What is the cause of all this? We answer, in too many instances, it is the want of a good spiritually minded shepherd. The shepherd has gone astray, some of the sheep follow him; the shepherd is in transgression, the simple minded are encouraged to do evil also; the shepherd is in darkness, and the influence pervades some of the sheep. There is an evil in the camp, and the whole people feel it, and scarcely know the cause thereof.

God has sent his servants to preach righteousness, not by their own wisdom, but by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, sent down from heaven, as saith the Book of Mormon, "Blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth and establish my Zion, in that day, for they shall have the gift and power of the Holy Ghost." If the missionaries live as they have been taught, and as they have covenanted to do, this great promise, which I have just quoted, is certain to be verified upon their heads; and they will have great joy in their labors; for the Lord of the vineyard will most assuredly labor with them, and the power of the Holy Ghost will attend their ministrations both of the word and of ordinances; and the honest in heart, both among the Saints and the strangers who may, from time to time, be present, will feel this power, and it will do them good, and the great work of God will abundantly prosper, if not among the wicked, yet in their own hearts and in the hearts of the Saints.

But when an Elder of Israel, either high or low, so far forgets his covenants, as to place an undue affection upon this, that, or the other sister, and suffers his mind to be, in the least degree, drawn aside by beauty or other graces, to court or woo her affections, or to exhibit an unwarrantable familiarity in words, or in kisses, or in embraces, or in any other manner, calculated to weaken, in the smallest degree, those great safeguards of heavenly virtue, so pleasing to God, he is on dangerous ground, and the sooner he forms an irrevocable resolution to resist the dangerous temptation, the better it will be for his future peace and happiness, and for the faithful prosecution of the great work unto which he is called.

This country is not the place for the Elders of Israel to seek or woo the affections of women, with the intention of making them their future wives. God has not called you into this foreign country, for any such purpose; you have a work of vast magnitude before you the salvation of the Lord's elect-you are sent to preach repentance, and the acceptable year of the Lord -you are sent before the face of the Lord to prepare the way before him, to warn the people, and to prophesy of coming judgments, to be examples of the

strictest virtue and righteousness, among all Saints, to check every species of vice, to sternly rebuke all unbecoming familiarities between the sexes, and to teach unsullied purity and virtue. Can you indulge in sin, and rebuke others for sin? Can you teach the strictest virtue and chastity among the sisters, and indulge in imprudence yourselves? If an Elder of Israel encourages a sister to accompany him from Branch to Branch, or from Conference to Conference, does he suppose that his brethren are so blind, that they cannot see the impending danger that threatens him? Is such an example praiseworthy, or calculated to strengthen other missionaries in resisting similar temptations? O brethren, remember Zion, remember your endowments in the house of the Lord, remember the sacred covenants of virtue that were intended to govern you, not only in Zion, but in all the earth. And when you remember, pause and reflect, reform and shun, not only evil, but its appearance. He who will do these things will be ar more abundantly blessed; and God will reward him with wives and children in their time, and with the rich abundance of his Spirit, and with the gifts and power of the Holy Ghost.

This very mission, upon which you are now engaged, will have a bearing, either for good or evil, throughout all your future lives: let it then be a blessing upon your heads, a seal of good things upon your households forever let it be a diadem of beauty upon your foreheads,-a gem of light upon your hearts,—and a star of glory in your crowns of rejoicing, henceforth, worlds without end.

O. P.

RELEASES.--Elder William R. Smith, President of the District, comprising Manchester, Liverpool, and Preston Conferences, has been, on account of ill health, released, with permission to return home. Brother Smith has labored in this country, with unceasing diligence, for nearly two years, and is highly esteemed among the Saints of his District.

Elder Brigham W. Kimball, President of the Nottingham Conference, has been released to return home, on account of a dangerous affliction upon the lungs. Brother Kimball has been about three years in the Mission, and has labored with great zeal; his ministrations have undoubtedly been a blessing to many, and will prove a great source of consolation to him through life.

DEPARTURE.-Elders William R. Smith and Brigham W. Kimball, took passage on the steamer City of Boston, which left Liverpool on the 27th of February for New York. It is the intention of these brethren, if health permits, to visit their relatives in the States, prior to crossing the Plains to their mountain home. May God bless them, and preserve them from the raging elements, and from the destroyer, and return them in safety to their relatives and friends in Zion.

APPOINTMENT.-Elder Nicholas Groesbeck, now laboring in the Derbyshire Conference, is appointed to preside over the Nottingham Conference, under the direction of the President of the District.

CORRESPONDENCE.

CORRESPONDENCE.