GREETING OF PRESIDENT WILLIAM S. PHILLIPS TO THE SAINTS IN WALES
DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS,--I have not had the privilege of greeting you for a long time through means of the TRUMPET, because so many excellent Epistles have filled it, some which contained glad tidings from Zion. I feel thankful to have this opportunity of giving a word of counsel to the Saints under my presidency. I have been visiting the bigger part of the districts in the South, and I testify with joy that I have never before seen the Saints in such good condition as they are now in; and the churches in Wales have taken hold in the Kingdom of God in faith with all their heart, and all their soul, and all their strength, which causes great joy to me to see all the body working, as if the dreadful day were at hand; and they are all like the ant gathering in the summer for the winter, while all the religions of this age are shouting, "Peace, peace, blissful peace," building, planting, etc., and trying to trample the servants of God under their feet. Oh, a dreadful day awaits the ungodly and all the workers of lies! Wo, wo, wo unto all the unbelievers of Wales! those who have refused the prophets who have been born in their midst; they will suffer for this in the coming years. But let us go forward, leaving that between God and the unbelievers, recognizing that our calling is to save the Saints from among them and take them to that country which God has hidden with water until these last days so that the wise men could not give any
notice concerning its existence. And let all the Saints thank him for his goodness and his preparations in their behalf, for having kept the mountains of Ephraim hidden from the nations so that the children of Ephraim can be gathered hom from among every nation to rejoice in the land of their fathers, a land which has been given to them and their children as an inheritance forever and ever. And now we proclaim through the TRUMPET, Flee homeward, yea, Saints, flee, for our home is not here; this is a place where the Priesthood of God is scorned.
Let those who have wealth flee; yea, and let everyone who has ten pounds flee. Let the poor prepare; be ready, for in the hour you do not suspect will you be called. We cannot answer yet which of you will get to emigrate next time; but be ready so that you all can go, as the end will be but a few years. We want all the Presidnets and all the Saints to work diligently for the Perpetual Emigration Fund, and we hope that all the Saints throughout the country will have the Spirit that is presently here and in this letter. Appoint good men in each Branch to collect each week for the Perpetual Emigration Fund. We intend to get hundreds of pounds in each quarter from Wales instead of about thirty pounds which has come in before. We counsel those brethren who have money to put it into this Fund to gather the poor home. There are many of the wealthy who intend to contribute to this Fund when they begin their journey to Zion. But please notice that we need them to contribute now; it will be too late then, for we need to arrange for the poor to go the same time they do to Zion.
I now intend to visit the counties of the North; and I desire a share in the prayers of the Saints in order to open the closed hearts throughout the country. And I pray to God, the Eternal Father, to bless the church throughout this principality in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
14, Castle St., Merthyr, August 1, 1852.
WILLIAM S. PHILLIPS
[Translated from the original in Welsh in Udgorn Seion, 1852, p. 257-9, by Ronald D. Dennis, 1529 W. 1170 North, Provo, Utah]
