Appeal and Testimony.
We appeal to every unconverted soul to whose notice these words shall be brought, to stop and reflect upon the importance of the message we declare. The note of warning is not to one nation or people, but to this whole generation of men. The proclamation of the Gospel, that was to be delivered by a holy angel in the latter days, was to be to "every nation, kindred, tongue and people." It was to be universal. None were to be exempt; not even those who would be professed followers of the Savior, for all were to be, at the time of the beginning of the restitution of all things, out of the way of the True Shepherd.
Reader, we appeal to you to step forward and, with an unbiased mind, investigate, that you may be able to intelligently decide whether or not the claim of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints be legitimate or otherwise. Be "fearless of the world's despising," for this was the independent position assumed by the former-day disciples of the Redeemer. Think of the great prize that awaits him who listens to the voice of the True Shepherd, rather than to the alluring popular praise of the multitude, and endures to the end.
We not only plead with you to consider the eternal welfare of your own soul, but, in the name of Jesus Christ, we testify to you that God the Eternal Father, has at last broken the speechless gloom of centuries. He has spoken from heaven and established his authority on the earth. If you have, by evil and false reports regarding the Saints, been surrounded by prejudice, break down the repulsive barrier. Draw the bolts and throw open the shutters of your mind, that the glorious sunlight of eternal truth may enlighten your soul with its illuminating beams. Remember the Saints of former days: how they were vilified, abused, maltreated and murdered for the truth's sake. Search diligently for the truth as it is in Christ, and when you have found it, treasure it as a gem of priceless value. It will lead you to seek for a duly commissioned servant of the Most High God, and inspire you to request him, after you have repented of your sins, to baptize you for the remission of the same, and to lay hands upon your head that you may receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for thus did the ancients. Your thus becoming "like a little child," by obedience to the Lord's will, makes you a citizen of the kingdom of God, and by continued faithfulness, you can know, and not merely believe, that the doctrine, instead of being human, is divine.
Liverpool, England, January 12th, 1880.