| Show I 1 I 1 copyright secured 1 HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH MARCH manch 1839 while I 1 was in jail the following statements were made by the witnesses and sent to Col colonel coloniel ofiel price namely william E mo me lellin is guilty of entering the house of joseph smith jr in the city of far west and plan plundering dering it of the following articles viz one roll of linen cloth a quantity of valuable buttons one piece of cassimere cassimere a quantity of very valuable books of great variety a number of ve stings with various other articles of value said mcclellin Mc Lellin was aided and assisted in t the above transactions ns by bv harvey green BIL burr bigga I 1 awl aud haarlow the above mentioned william E malel lin also came to and took away from the stable of the said above mentioned joseph smith jr ir P one g gig ig and harness with some other articles which cannot now be called to mind aided and assisted by burr riggs 0 1 which can be proven by the follow following I 1 n r witnesses caroline clark james mal h 0 if land mrs hinkle joanna carter J is guilty of entering the house of joseph smith jr in the city of far west in company with Sar shiel woods and another man not known aud ald taking from a trunk trunk the property of james an inmate of said house 1 one gold ring which they carried a away wa y also of bre breaking a ki ida open a sealed letter which was in said trunk inside a I 1 pocket book in which also was the ring above mentioned besides t tossing ossin and abusing the rest of the contents of of said trunk trank which can be proven by the following persons mrs emma smith mrs sally hinkle caroline dark clark james monday about this time elders kimball and turley started on their mission mission to see the gove governor rn or they called on the sheriff of ray county and jailer for a copy of the by which the prisoners 1 I were held in custody but he confessed confessed he had none they went to judge kini king and he made out a kind of at this time we had been in prison several months without even a and chattoo that too for crimes said to have been committed in another county kimball and turley took all the papers by which we were held 0 or r which were then made out for them with our petitions to the supreme judges and went to jefferson cit city the governor was absent the secretary of state treated them v very er kindly and w when hen he as saw the papers co coad U d hardly believe those were all the documents by which the prisoners were held in custody for they were illegal lawyer doniphan had also deceived them in in his papers and sent them off with such auch documents that a change of venue could not be effected in time the secretary was astonished at judge byng W acting as he did but bat said he could do nothing ming in the pr premises ems and if the governor were present he could do nothing but the secretary wrote a letter to judge king the brethren then theia started to find th the e supreme jad judges es and get writs of habeas corpus and after after riding hundreds of miles to effect this ob object I 1 act returned to libert liberty on the mav march having seen matthias Matthi 98 mcgirk girk george tha thompkins kina and john 0 edwards the su supreme reme judges judges but did not obtain the of writ or habeas corpus in consequence of a lack of the order of commitment although the J judges 11 adges seemed to be friendly we were informed that judge king said that there was nothing against my brother hyrum only he ws was a friend to the prophet he also said there was nothing against caleb baldwin and mcrae brother horace cowan was put into liberty jail today to day for debt in consequence of persecution of the mob during their absence I 1 continued my epistle to ir 0 the church of latter day saints as follows we continue to tb offer further farther reflections to bishop partridge and to the church of jesus christ of latter day saints whom we love with a fervent tove and do always beat them in mind in all our prayers to the throne of god it still seems to bear heavily on our minds that the church would do well to secure to themselves the contract of the land which is proposed to them by mr isaac galland and to cultivate the friendly dealings fea lings of that gentleman inasmuch as he shall prove himself to be a man of honor and a friend to humanity we really think that his letter breathes that kind of a spirit if we can judge correctly and isaac van Allen Esq the A attorney general of iowa that peradventure such men may maybe be wrought upon by the providence of god to do good unto his people governor lucas also we suo suggest hegt the idea of praying fervently for all me men n who manifest any any degree of th 1 for the suffering chi children larex of god we e think that peradventure the united states surveyor of the iowa Terri territory tor may be of p preat reat benefit to the church if it be e the will of god to this end if righteousness should be manifested as the girdle of our loins it seems to be deeply impressed upon our minds that the saints ought to lay hold of every door that shall seem to be opened u ute to them to obtain foothold on the ear bartyl and be making all the preparation that is within the power of for the terrible storms that are now gathering in the heavens with darkness and gloominess and thick darkness as spoken of by the prophets which cannot be now of a long time lingering gring for there seems to be a whispering that tat the te angels of heaven who have been entrusted with the council of these matters for the last days have taken counsel together and among the rest of the general affairs that have to be transacted in their honorable council they have taken cognizance of the testimony of those who were murdered at hauns mills and also those who were martyred marty red with D W patten and elsewhere aad have passed some decisions peradventure in favor of the saints and those who were called to suffer without cause these decisions will be made known in their time and they will take into consideration all those things that offend we have a fervent desire that in your general conferences everything everything thing should shoula be discussed with a great evey deal dea of care and propriety test lest you grieve the holy spirit which shall hall be poured out at all times upon your heads beads when you are exercised with those principles of righteous righteousness nes that are agreeable to the mind of god and are properly affected one toward another and are careful by all means to remember those who are in bondage and in heaviness and in deep affliction for your sakes and if there are any among you who aspire after their own ae aggrandizement and seek their own opulence while their breth brethren reif are groaning in poverty yand and are under sore trials and temptations they cannot be benefited by the intercession of the holy spirit which mabeth intercession for us day and nig night with groenings groan ings that cannot be uttered we wd ought at all times to be very careful that such hiah elgh mindedness never have place in in our hearts 5 but condescend to men of low estate and with all long suffering t bear ta the infirm infirmities iVies of the weak eluid D mere idera are mi 4 u banow canow lowr 1 I int bno o chosen and why ar are e they tey not chosen because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world and aspire to the honors of men that they do not learn this one lesson eson that the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven li eaven and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness that they may be e conferred upon us it is true but when we undertake to cover our sins or to gratify il 7 our oar pride or vain ambition or to exercise cise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men i in n any n degree of unrighteousness behold the h heavens withdraw themselves the spirit of the lord is grieved and when it is withdrawn amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man behold ere era he be is aware he is left unto himself to kick against the pricks to persecute the saints an and a to fight against god gocy i wo we have learned by sad experience that it is the nature fatute and disposition of almost all men as soon as they get a little authority a as they suppose they will immediately begin to exercise exercise unrighteous dominion hence in many n y are called but few are chosen no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the Priesthood only by persuasion by long suffering by gentleness and meekness and by love unfeigned I 1 by kindness and pure pare knowledge which s shall all greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy and without guile reproving betimes with sharpness when moved upon by the holy ghost and then showing forth afterwards wards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved lost he esteem thee to be his enemy that he be may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death thy bowels also alsko being full of charity towards all men and to the household of faith and virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly cea singly then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of god and the doctrine tri of the priesthood shall distil dastil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven the holy ghost shall be thy constant companion and thy sceptre an unchanging sceptre of righteousness and truth and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ver ever the ends of the earth shall enquire after tx thy name and fools shall have thee in derision dision and hell shall rage against thee while the pure in heart and the wise and tha th noble and the virtuous shall seek counsel and authority and blessings constantly from under thy hand and thy people shall never be turned against thee by the testimony n of traitors and although their influence shall cast thee into trouble and into bars and walls thou shall be had in honor and but for a small moment and ty thy voice shall be more terrible in the midst of f thine enemies than the fierce lion hon because of thy righteousness and thy god shall stand by thee forever and ever if thou art called to pass through tribulation lations if thou art in perils among false brethren en if thou art in perils among among robbers if thou art iu in perils by land or b by y sea if thou art accused with all manner of false accusations if thine enemies fall upon thee if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife and of thine offspring ind and thine aine elder son although but six years of age shall cling to thy garments and shall say my father my I 1 father why cant you stay with us 0 0 my father what are the men going to do with you and if then be shall be thrust from i thee by the sword and thou be dragged to I 1 I 1 prison and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for blood of the lamb and if thou should st be cist cast into the pit or into the hands of murderers and the sentence of death passed upon thee if thou be cast into the deep if the billowing surge conspire against thee if fierce winds become thine enemy if the heavens gather bla blackness ekness and all the elements comb combine ifie to hedge up the way hali and above all if the very jaws of hell shall gape open her mouth wide after thee know thou my son that all these things shall give theo thee experience and shall be for thy good the son of man hath descended below them a all art thou greater than he therefore hold on thy the priesthood shall remain with thee for their bounds are set they cannot pass thy days are known and thy years shall not be numbered less therefore fear not what man can k 0 for god shall be with you forever and aver er now brethren I 1 would suggest for the consideration of the conference conferee Con feren of oe its being carefully and wisely understood by the council or conferences that our brethren scattered abroad who understand the spirit of the gathering that they fall into the places of refuge and safety that god shall open unto them between kirtland and far west those from the east and from the west and from far countries let leathem ahem them fall in somewhere between those two boundaries in the most safe and quiet places they can find and let this be the present understanding until god shall open a more effectual door for us for further farther considerations and again we further farther suggest for the consideration of the council that there be no organization of large bodies upon common stock principles in property or of large companies of firms until the lord shall signify it in a propel r er manner as it 0 opens such a dreadful eld field for the avaricious and the indolent and corrupt hearted to prey upon the innocent and virtuous and honest we have reason to believe that many things were introduced among the saints before god had signified the times and notwithstanding th the principles and plans may have been good yet aspiring men or in in other words men who hadnot had not the substance of godliness about them perhaps i undertook to tb handle edge tools children childr en you know are fond of tools while they are not yet able to use them time and experience however is the only safe remedy against such evils there are many teachers but perhaps not mana man fathers fathera there are times coming when god will signify many things which are expedient for the well being of the saints but the times have not yet YA come but bat will come as fast as there can be found place and receptions for them and again we would suggest for your consideration the propriety of R all the saints gathering up a knowledge of all the facts and suffer suffering sufferina inK and abuses put upon them by bv tile people or dranis inis affa ar aaa or an iwo property and amount of damages which they have sustained both of character and personal injuries as well as real property and also the names names of all persons 1 that have had a hand in their oppressions oppress ions as far as they can get hold of them and find them out and perhaps a committee can be a pointed appointed to find out these things and to tate take statements and affidavits and also to gather up the libelous publications that are afloat and all that are in the magazines and in the encyclopedias and all the libelous histories that gre are published and are writing and by whom and present the whole concatenation of diabolical rascality and nevare ous ous and murderous impositions that have been bean practised practiced upon this people that we may not only publish to all the world but bu t present them to the heads of government in all their dark and hellish hue as the last effort which is enjoined on us ds by our heavenly father before we can fully and completely claim that promise which shall call eim him forth from his hid hiding in place and also the whole nation may be left without excuse before he can send forth the power of his mighty arm it is agn an imperious duty that we owe to god to angels with whom we shall be brought to stand and also to ourselves to our wives and children who have been made to bow down with grief sorrow and care under the most damning hand of of murder tyranny and oppression supported fed and urged on and upheld by the influence of that spirit which hath so strongly y riveted the creeds of the fathers who have inherited lies upon the hearts of the children and filled the world with confusion and has been growing stronger and stronger and is now the very main spring of all corruption and the whole earth groans under the weight of its iriqui ty it is an iron joke yoke it is a strong band they are the very handcuffs hand and cuffs and chains and shackles and fetters ot of nen therefore it is an imperious duty |
