Show 7 L AA 90 all 2 1 A OUT OF THE UNITED STATES As antagonisms became more intense and actual conflicts between the mormons cormons and their opponents more frequent brigham brig ham young began definite plans to fulfill the prophecy of joseph smith that the saints would yet become a great and ml mighty aty people in trie midst of the roly rocky mountains in the fall and winter of 1845 46 preliminary arrangements were made for the geat trek not only had there been careful study of all reports of the west but action was taken to accomplish com the great design A general council of the church was called r on september at which it was resolved to select a committee of fifteen hundred to go to salt lake valley about which they had already learned so much this mexican area was certainly becoming an all appealing objective it seemed for the present at least they must leave the country they loved a country whose constitution they revered as divine and find an asylum elsewhere and so such expression as the following were given vent to all things are in preparation for a commencement of the great reat move of the saints out of the united states it is reduced to a solemn reality that the rights and property of us all as well as the common religious beliefs of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints cannot be protected in the realms of the united states and of course from one to two hundred thousand souls must quit their freedom among free men and go wi re the land the elements and the worship of god are fee again may god continue con tinus the spirit of fleeing from false freedom and false dignity till every saint is removed to where he can sit under his own vine and fig tree without having to molest or make afraid brigham young said in regard to a proposition one miller made for the saints to go to the nueces nieces strip in texas 1 I told him his views were visionary we should go to the great basin where we would gain a nucleus of power to cope with mobs from apostle john taylor this we owe the united states nothing we go out as exiles from freedom orson pratt speaks of being exiles of a wicked nation in a letter by john bennion to his parents in liverpool england december D cember 27 1945 the following interesting te comments are made this place nauvoo was a wilderness a short time ago within about five years there has bas been about twenty thousand settle in the country this people have been at work to build up this place as though they were going to stay here generation after generation the murder of two of our best men the taking away of the city charter the sod lenng a nd burnings have gone up before the jud judge ge of all the earth who will do right we now consider it best to leave this wicked country in the face of the persecutions dobbings mob bings and dr ivings the saints endured it is no wonder that such ent statements should be made aie the consequence of all this to follow the sixth of dr wm win J snows articles will apgear next week |