Show COURSE why he apostatized from the church THE historical FACTS BEAR ING ON THE QUESTION alie forbearance of the church in dealing with him editor ot the in your issue of tuesday the inot I 1 am reported to have made the remark during conference that david was iu adultery at a certain time in his life this is an error I 1 said that I 1 understood david whitmer had accused the prophet of departing from the faith delivered to him while the latter and others had accused whitmer oliver cowdery and some others of being guilty of various sins some were charged with being hypocrites and traitors while others had eyes full of adultery etc several persons not having church history in their possession have sent to us many inquiries of late in relation to the cause of mr Whit mers apostasy apo stacy we have deemed it beat to answer them briefly in the language of recorded history we find the following from ake pen of the prophet recorded in the millennial star volla page 76 september 1837 DEAR oliver cowdery has been in transgression but as he is adov chosen as one of the presidents or counsellors Coun I 1 trust that he will yet humble himself and magnify his calling but if he should not the church will soon be under alie necessity of raising their hanas against him therefore pray for him david whitmer leonard rich and others have been in transgression but we hope that may be humble and ere long make satisfaction is to the church otherwise they cannot retain their standing therefore we say unto you beware of all disaffected characters for they como riot to build up but to destroy and scatter abroad though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel or introduce an order of ti lings other than those which ye have received and are authorized to receive from the first presidency let him be accursed may god almighty bless you all and keep you unto the coming and kingdom of our lord and savior jesus christ yours in the bond of the new covenant JOSEPH SMITH JK on page vol 16 star we find the following april 1838 the following charges were preferred against david whitmer before the high council at far west in council assembled ast 1st for not observing the word of wisdom ad for conduct in neglecting to attend meetings in uniting with and possessing the same spirit as the dissenters diss entera ad in writing letters to the dissenters in kirtland unfavorable to the cause and to the character of joseph smith junior ath in neglecting the duties of his calling and separating himself from the church while he had a name among us ath for signing himself president of the church of christ after he had been cut off from the presidency in an insulting letter to the high council after reading the above charges together with a letter sent to the president of said council a copy of which may be found in far west decord book A the council considered the charges sustained and consequently considered him david whitmer no longer a member of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints the action taken on april 13 1838 is evident proof that the transgression alluded to in september 1837 had not been cancelled by tence and humility before the lord for he buffered himself to be cut off from the church in preference to complying with the rules of church discipline eight months after this action was taken bv the high council at far west we find according to the te simony of joseph smith that the act was inspired by the inspiration of the spirit of truth on sunday dec the prophet wrote while in liberty jail missouri know assuredly dear brethren that it is for the testimony of jesus that we are in bonds and in prison but we say unto you eliat we consider that our condi tion is better notwithstanding our sufferings fe than those who have persecuted us and smitten us and become false witness against us and wo most au believe that who do bear false witness against us do seem to have a great triumph over us for the present but we want you to remember hainan and mordecai you knovs that diaman could not bo satisfied sr inna no he baw mordecai at the kings gate and he sought the life of mordecai Morde dai and the people of the jews but alio lord so ordered it that hainan was hanged upon his own gallows so shall it come to pass poor hainan in the last days those who have sought by unbelief and wickedness and by the principles of to destroy us and alie people of god by killing and scattering abroad and willfully and maliciously delivering us into the hands of murderers desiring to be put to death there by having us dragged about in chains and cast into prison and for what baue it is because we were honcan men and were determined to defend alie lives of the saints at the expense our own I 1 say unto you that those who have thua d ely treated us like haman I 1 e hanged upon their own pal lown or in other words shall fall into their own in and snare and ditch and trap which they have prepared for us and shall go backwards and stumble and fall and their names shall bo blotted god reward them according to all ther abominations I 1 would remember william E mcclellin who comes up to ua as one of jobs comforters god suffered such kind of beings to afflict job but it never entered into hearts that job would get out of it at all this poor man who professes to bo much of a prophet lias no other dumb ass to ride but david whitmer to forbid liis madness jhc n he goes up to curse israel and aliis asa not being of alie same kind as balsams Bala ams therefore ther eforo the angel notwithstanding appeared unto him yet lie could not penetrate liis understanding sufficiently so but what he brays out curlings cur sings instead of blessings poor ass whoever lives to pee it will eee him and his rider perish like those who perished in the gainsaying gain saying of korah or after the samo condemnation in fine we have waded through an ocean of tribulation and mean practiced upon us by the ill bred and the ignorant such aa hinkle corrill phelps heed perk inson and various others who aro 0 o very ignorant aliat they cannot appe ir respectable in any decent and civilized society and whose eyes are full of adultery and cannot cease from sin such characters na mcclellin john whitmer david whitmer martin harris aro too mean to wo had like to have forgotten them marsh and another whose hearts are foil of corruption choso whoso cloak of hyp was not sufficient to shield them or to hold them up in the hour of trouble who after having escaped the ions of the world through the knowledge of their lord and savior jesus christ and became again entangled and overcome their latter end ia worse than the first but it has happened unto them according to the voice of the savior the dog has returned to hia vomit nod the sow that was washed to her wallowing iu the mire oliver bowdary Cow dary martin harris and thomaa B marshy united themselves with the church before their death but D whitmer died as he had lived for fifty years an apostate having denied in his heart the authority of the priesthood and fancied that joseph bad transgressed and that he now or lately has started a church of his own this thought he claims lias been in his heart ever since june 1838 he claims that it was an inspired thought still he has been disobedient to his own conscience and has been dormant unfruitful and seemingly of not much service to mankind as a minister of righteousness since that time it is apparent that he has been faithful to his testimony to the end of his life in relation to the history of the Nep hites wherein he testified that an angel of god came down from heaven and he brought and laid before hia eyes the plates and the engravings thereon may he be rewarded tor his faithfulness in aliis D JOHN provo CITY march |