The following comes from:
“A Prophecy,”
Santa Cruz Weekly Sentinel (Santa Cruz, California) 8, no. 31 (January
9, 1864): 1
Notice how Joseph Smith is said to be a “shrewd guesser”; he is not
critiqued for making an “obvious” prediction, all the more interesting at the
U. S. Civil War was still a reality (it would not end until 1865):
A PROPHECY.—The following is an
extract from an article in a little pamphlet called "Pearl of Great
Price," published in Liverpool, England, in 1851. The publisher's name is
F. D. Richards, 15 Wilton street. The article was written by Jo Smith, the
Mormon prophet. It will be seen that Jo was a shrewd guesser:
"Concerning the wars that
will shortly come to pass, begining at the rebellion of South Carolina, which
will eventually terminate in the death and misery to many souls. The day will
come that war will be poured upon all nations, begining at that place; for
behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and
the Southern States will call on other nations even of the Great Britain, as it
is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend
themselves, and thus war shall be poured out on all nations. And it shall come
to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, and shall
be marshaled and disciplined for war."
Further Reading:
Resources on Joseph Smith’s Prophecies
