Respected Friends and Brethren,

As this is a day of great developements, and wonderful explosions, it stands every person in hand, to look well on all sides before they judge. In the first place we should understand, that when a man has enemies that have sworn to do him all the injury they can, out of malice and revenge, it will be expected that all manner of lies will be put into circulation concerning him.

Now I will just suppose a case, and then leave the matter for you to judge. Suppose you had an enemy, and he was to report five slanders concerning you, to the injury of your character; and you were to call a council of eight men of the first respectability, (Elders in Israel) and then prove four of the slanderous reports to be false; what ought the people to think of the fifth one? This is exactly the true statement of the case; only, the fifth one was not known at the time of the council, and never would I presume, if it had not have been to help these Mormon Apostates to carry out their plans of putting me down, and that was manufactured out of whole cloth, -- a notorious falsehood; and now you have to judge between the weight of testimony for me and the testimony against me, and see which is the strongest, and entitled to the most credit. I have herein inserted the names of the persons used against me, and wish to place them along side of the names of the following councilors, for your inspection and candid judgment.

2                                 SLANDER  REFUTED.                                



High pressure locomotive.
ENEMIES' TRAIN -- EXPRESS LINE
==> This line leaves every hour, precisely to a minute
Fare reduced -- half price -- 12 1/2 cts.

No. 1. on the list is Zilph Hornor, with three, four or five illegitimate children in her arms, (She speaks for herself.)

No. 2. Is Sarah Burtis, who was suspended from the fellowship of the church, for disorderly conduct in meeting, as a mocker, frowner, and other unchristian conduct, and a liar as the certificates of certain individuals plainly show, in a pamphlet, entitled 'Defence of Elder Wm. Smith, against the Slanders of Abraham Burtis and others."

No. 3. A statement that Mr. Burtis says Hannah W. Allen has made, and as I never saw the statement, and it has never been proven true, I do not know that Hannah W. Allen, ever attached her name to any such statement, written or verbal, therefore it amounts to no testimony at all, true or false.

No. 4. The forth and last is Elizabeth Hornor, sister to the first in this train on the list, and a liar, as the following certificate will prove

This is to certify, that Elizabeth Hornor was present at the council mentioned, when all the members present were called upon, if they had any thing against Eld. Wm. Smith, to bring it forward, that I heard her say that she had nothing against him.     ANN MOORE.

                                SLANDER  REFUTED.                                 3

consequently they are not entitled to the least credit whatever. The witness of one person (if true) is not sufficient to condemn an Elder, without that witness could prove his or her statement by two or three witnesses and then the testimony is to be weighed and looked upon, according to the character or credibility of the witness, and if every one of the above named persons, were to swear to every word that Burtis has said, their testimony would be entitled to no more credit than what their characters truly merit; for my own part, I believe it would not amount to much in the minds of reasonable and judicious men, with Zilph Hornor at the head of the train, and Charless Asson and A. Burtis, as firemen, with their worthy confederates can punch up the fire, and raise the steam, on the most approved plan of high pressure locomotive, go ahead of modern times with every car chained to its fate, they will (no doubt) soon arrive in port, unless the leading car should run off the track; which depends very much on the management of the head engineers.

But lest there be a bursting of boilers, I have concluded not to take passage on this train, for the fare, 12 1/2 cents, is too cheap for the times.

ELDERS'  NAMES  OF  COUNCIL.

James Curtis, Israel Ivins, Joseph H. Newton, J. M. Grant, I. R. Robbins, B. Winchester, John Sill, Wm. Smith, Wm. Richards.

Seven of the above voting to cut Burtis off from the church, Winchester voting to suspend and take his license, but not to cut off. It would be a singular thing, indeed, if A. Burtis could make the people believe that the above council made a mistake, and cut off the wrong man, and that seven councilors out of nine should all be wrong, and Abraham Burtis right. But all who please may rely on the testimony of the enemies' row.

And I will risk my cause upon the decision of the councils of Heaven, composed of the Elders of Israel here on earth.

Here follows a certificate given me by the council, signed by the President and Clerk, in the name of the council.

To all whom it may Concern:

This is to certify, that we, the undersigned members of the above Council, do hereby state, that Elder William Smith, was not before us for trial, that no charge was prefered against him, and that the Council was not called to try him, but on the contrary, that Elder William Smith prefered charges against Elder A. Burtis, and that we were

4                                 SLANDER  REFUTED.                                

called, convened together, by Elder Wm. Smith, and held a council expressly to try Elder Burtis.

That Elder William Smith, did, of his own free will and accord, bring forward testimony, sufficient to our full satisfaction, or any reasonable man, or set of men, (whose minds were unbiased and untrammelled,) to prove himself clear of the foul charges that Elder Burtis and others had circulated concerning him, prefectly exonerating himself from any implication, in the fowl [sic] aspersions, that had been heaped with an unsparing hand upon him.
J. M. GRANT, President of said Council,   JAMES L. CURTIS,
JOSEPH H. NEWTON, Clerk,                    ISRAEL IVINS,
ISAAC R. ROBBINS,                                 B. WINCHESTER,
WM. RICHARDS.

THIS is to certify, that we, the members of the Smith family, in consideration of Mother Smith have received from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a deed of conveyance of a house and lot in the city of Nauvoo, Hancock county; built and occupied by Joseph B. Noble, valued, in ordinary times, at the sum of twelve hundred dollars. We hereby in consideration of the above named and mentioned donation, and deed of conveyance, declare ourselves perfectly satisfied with the dealings of said church with Mother Smith; and freely acknowledge that the said church is hereby released from all moral and legal obligation to us of either of us.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands, this thirteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty six, at Nauvoo, Hancock county, Illinois.

Verily I say unto you, my servant William Smith, that the time has come when it is needful that my Vineyard should be pruned with a faithful and mighty pruning, for there never was a time when the hearts of my people mourned more bitterly, or in which the cries of the innocent ascended upon high with greater fervency in pure and acceptable prayers for deliverence [sic], for grievous wolves have crept into my flock, and like subtle foxes destroyed almost all of my beautiful vineyard: and it grieveth me that I should cut down all the trees thereof — for in the latter part of the third chapter of the Book of Jacob, in the Book of Mormon, my purposes are made manifest. What more could I have done? I have been a Father unto them, yet they, in the pride of their heart, would not hearken to my counsel, nor to the counsel of my servant Joseph and the brethren of his father’s house, for they have oppressed the poor and built to get gain, and not to do my will. They have robbed God, and yet they say, in what have we robbed God? In tithes and in offerings by which ye clothe yourselves in fine apparel and say, have we not the power of God? Yet ye distress the poor and neglect the widow and fatherless children, whose cries have come up before me, saith the Lord your God. Such works are an abomination unto me, and I give unto thee a commandment, even unto my servant William Smith, that thou shalt call on the honest in heart to gather themselves together in fasting and prayer, and to purify their hearts for the judgment of the great day; for great troubles await the rebellious in this generation yet the obedient and pure in heart shall find rest to their souls. Therefore, my servant William, gird up thy loins and put on thy whole armor for the work whereunto I have appointed thee, for though thy spirit has not been altogether pure, yet because thou hast humbled thyself before me, and because of the integrity of thy heart in the proclamation of the truth, and because thou hast nobly and manfully defended the cause of thy father’s house, the cause of the innocent and my servant Joseph who was the Prophet and head of the Church in these last days, a church of my own right hand’s planting, not to be destroyed or thrown down; yea, because of these things I have forgiven thee, and accepted thy offering. I said unto my servant Joseph that his blessing should remain upon the head of his posterity, and be handed down through the lineage of his father’s house according to the flesh; therefore the true Church continueth with this priesthood — that same high-priesthood with which thou art invested and to which thou hast been ordained by my servant Joseph, thy brother, and which thou dost inherit by lineage from thy father Joseph Smith, jr., who was a descendant of Joseph the son of Jacob who was sold into Egypt; and no power on earth can deprive thee of thy authority and priesthood. Moreover I have appointed thee, my servant William Smith, to take the place of my servant Hiram Smith, thy brother, as Patriarch unto the whole Church, and to preside over my people, saith

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[the] Lord your God, and no power shall remove thee therefrom; and thou shalt be the Prophet, Seer[,] Revelator, and translator unto my church during the minority of him whom I have appointed from the loins of Joseph thy brother; go on, therefore, and organize and set in order all the branches, for I have given thee full power and authority. Now if the lawful heir of Joseph whom I have appointed as Prophet, Seer[,] Revlator [sic], and Translator, shall be true and faithful, and shall serve me with a perfect heart and a willing mind in his minority, he shall be great in his majority, even like unto Joseph, thy brother; but if he does that which is wicked and corrupt before me, and hardens his heart and stiffen his neck with pride and rebellious scism [sic], then thou my servant William, shall continue to exercise all the authority with which I have this day invested thee, and thou shalt not only be the successor of Hiram, thy brother, but of Joseph, thy brother also, in all things; and if thou shouldst transgress, I will chastise thee with sore and grievous buffetings — be thou faithful, therefore, and humble thyself before me, saith the Lord thy God, and I will uphold thee, and thy authority shall never end — for thou art the "President of the High-Priesthood of the Church." Now let the elders understand the true order of Heaven, for the kingdom cannot be perfect without a president of the high-priesthood, inherited by lineal descent, — therefore I say unto my servant William Smith, arise and set all things in order, and according to the pattern made known in the revelations given unto my servant Joseph, as recorded in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants: for unto my servant William have I given to act in the place of the legal heir of Joseph whom I have appointed to receive commandments for my church, if he continue faithful. Now hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, for those who were my servants, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Willard Richards, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Hyde, George A. Smith, and all who follow them into the wilderness or hearken to their abominable and iniquitous counsels which are not of me, are cut off from before my face and my power have I taken from them, and they are removed out of their place, and others will I put in their stead, for they are like salt that has lost its savor, and are only fit to be hewn down and cast into the fire: but those who will humble themselves and repent of their abominations, and return to the true order of the church as established by my servant Joseph, will I pardon and accept: provided they hearken to the counsel of the three presiding high priests, my servant William and his two counsellors in the Presidency. I will accept the former free-will offerings of my people; yet no more will I accept them at the hands of those who were my servants, but have spoiled my vineyard, for upon them cometh wailing, distress calamity and destruction unless they speedily repent; for have not the wicked and corrupt rulers of my people taught their branch to steal from and wrong the Gentiles? [W]hen I have said "Thou shalt not steal:" and have they not taught other abominable doctrines and formed secret combinations whereby many have transgressed the laws of the land and disobeyed my commandments, even those which were given unto my servant Joseph as a law unto my church? Yet many of my chosen ones shall tarry and find deliverance, and shall not go into the wilderness, but shall remain in their inheritances, and in the stakes, and shall be blessed of me.

No acceptable endowments will be given in the Temple my people have builded unto me, because of their sins, and because of the pollution of that holy land, and the defiling of my house. All the baptisms for the dead performed before the death of my servant Joseph are acceptable unto me, and from this time let my servant William appoint stakes in every state, and let this ordinance, and all washings, anointings, endowments, and other ordinances, be performed by those whom I shall hereafter appoint in those stakes until I shall command otherwise; for it is needful that my people should continue to work and to preach the gospel to the gentiles, at present, and to save their dead, for so I commanded my servants in all ages of the world; and my kingdom and the glory thereof shall not fail, neither shall it be given unto another people. I further command my people to return to peace, and

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teach war no longer; but humble themselves before me, and be of a meek and lowly spirit, and do the works of righteousness — forsaking all their abominations: and let the Smith family gather themselves together, and not go into the wilderness, for so I have commanded. Let them give heed to the counsel of my servant William, and remain in the inheritance that I have appointed to my servant Joseph. The wicked and the abominable may flee from before me and seek to hide themselves in the wilderness; but the true and faithful shall not be moved out of their place, for it is by transgression and not by me that any are removed and seek to hide themselves in the wilderness. Again I say unto my people that the time has not come for you to hide up in your chambers; for none will seek to hide themselves either in their chambers or by fleeing to the wilderness but the adulterers, the whoremongers, the thieves, the liars, the hypocrites and the abominable, — therefore, obey my voice and continue to labor, to build up the church, to cease to do evil and learn to do well, to be holy and watch unto prayer, to obey the laws of the land, and honor the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and obey the scriptures of Divine Truth contained in the Old and New Testaments; for, verily I say unto you that it is wisdom in me that all these things shall be done. And my aged handmaid who is the mother of the Prophet I counsel to continue to remain in the land of her inheritance, and the glory of my kingdom shall continue to roll on, for this is the land of Joseph and the land I have appointed for the Zion of the last days and the gathering of my people; and verily I say that he that selleth the Temple shall be as Esau who sold his inheritance for a mess of pottage — for his inheritance another shall inhabit. The Temple that is built out of the tithings of the poor may be sanctified by prayer because of the poor of my people; yet no ordinance performed therein will I bless, until the wicked shall cease to pollute that sanctuary: then will I pour out upon all that are pure in heart a blessing and endowments shall be given as I have said, but not until an atonement is made because of the wicked rulers of my people. Now as the Temple has not been built according to the pattern given to my servant Joseph, I will not accept therof until the atonement be made and my people hearken to my counsel: so let all very saints be sober and watch unto prayer, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord, for my coming is nigh even at your doors. And the work of my servant Joseph I have accepted, and to none have I given power to do his work over again, nor are his labors disannulled; therefore all your sealings and baptisms performed under his hand or by his appointment shall stand forever, and none shall have authority by law and right to disinherit his brethren of his own father’s house — and now I say unto my servant William stand in they lot and place, thou hast authority to perform the work whereunto I have appointed thee, and lead my people into all truth and endow the faithful with the rich blessings, which I have committed to thy care, and which thou shalt confer on all who will hearken to my counsels: and thine adversaries shall be broken to pieces, for out of heaven I will thunder upon them. I will judge the ends of the earth, and give strength to my chosen one and exalt the horn of mine Anointed. 

Brother William is as the fierce lion which divideth not the spoil because of his much strength, and in the pride of his heart he will neglect the more weighty matters until his soul is bowed down in sorrow, and then he shall return and call on the name of his God and shall find forgiveness, and shall wax valliant [sic] in the cause of truth, therefore he shall be saved to the uttermost and shall be endowed with power from on high, at his rebuke in the name of the Lord, the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped, the tongue of the dumb shall be made to speak,

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and the lame man shall leap as an hart, and his adversaries shall not have power to withstand his words. Hell shall tremble because of him, and Satan shall flee from before his face, and he shall be as a roaring lion of the forest in the midst of his prey. So shall his hand be in the midst of his enemies, among those who know not the Lord, and seek the injury of the righteous; and the hand of his generation shall be lifted up also against those who are set on high, that fight the God of Israel; fearless and undaunted shall they be in battle, avenging the wrongs of the innocent and relieving the oppressed. Therefore the blessings of the God of Jacob shall be on him to the uttermost, and in the midst of his house from generation to generation forever, and he shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall come up before the Lord like a full shock of corn laden with his tens of thousands as a reward of his labors, with songs of everlasting joy, with hosannas upon his lips to God and the Lamb to go no more out. Amen.                                   JOSEPH SMITH

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TO  THE  SCATTERED  SAINTS.

BELOVED BRETHREN: — Having been appointed by a special Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, to write you, setting forth the true order of the Church, and the causes of our present troubles, we enter upon the duty devolving upon us, praying that God, who sees and knows the intents of our hearts, to indite [sic] the matter of this Epistle:

Viewing, as we do, the perilous condition that the Church is in, it is with mingled feelings of joy and grief that we take our pen to write, and we sincerely hope that the Brethren will not misconstrue our intentions on this subject, for we truly feel anxious that something should be done for the Salvation of the church, and it is our desire that the spirit of humility, charity and truth should characterize our present undertaking, while we attempt to remove the stumbling blocks that have been placed before the world by those who have not honored their profession. While we write, we must say, that in order to do justice to our feelings, for some time past we have been disgusted, and grieved at heart, at the many discordant factions that have destroyed the peace of the church. We cannot view these evils in any other point of light, than a departure from the faith, and a usurpation on the part of some to lead the church that God has not appointed to that authority. The evils that have broken up Nauvoo are not without a cause, and the greatest evil that ever cursed any people or nation is usurpation and the violation of law and rights, and such is the true doctrine taught by them, that the gospel is taken from the Gentiles as a mark not only of their assumption of power, but an evidence of their departure from the true faith of the church — and we also view this as among the principal causes that have overthrown our brethren, and for no other cause than to hide the crimes they have committed, have they sought their abode in the wilderness. We feel confident that the feelings of hundreds, yea, thousands, of our scattered brethren will respond to the sentiment when we say, that this removal to the wilderness must end in the destruction of the lives of most of those who have ventured to this uncalled for and hazardous undertaking.

The bones of our brethren and sisters must lie bleaching upon the Western wilds, and for no other cause than that of gratifying their ambitious rulers, by screening them from the just penalties of the law; and we have no need to tell our brethren, that the more civilized portion of this land will afford us all the facilities necessary for carrying forth the work of God, without so much peril in parts of the earth where the priesthood is not needed. The time has not come to carry the gospel to the sons of Ephram [sic], and the plea set up by some that such is the fact, and that God has cursed the gentile nation, we can view in no other point of light than as a pretext to justify these men in their usurpation and wickedness. The fact that the Indians have proven recreant to the promise made by those men, have also proven their prophecy as we are now gravely told. Since their defeat, starvation and want, they are about to return their gospel to us again. Another instance of the hypocricy [sic] of these men — you will notice the notwithstanding all their professions of enmity against the government, they enlisted 500 of their elders in the war with Mexico. A singular way indeed to carry the gospel to the Sons of Jacob!

We are particular dear brethren, in calling your attention to some of these points, that you may see the gross impositions that have been practised upon the church, and by whom; and also that you may see who it is that has brought upon us our present trouble and distress.

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(under construction -- text not yet proofread)

In investigating the claims of J. J. Strang, the [same] evils, in part, have characterized this man. It is a notorious fact, that in every instance where men have usurped their authority they have made loud boasts of the law, and have pretended to build their favorite schemes and false claims upon the established laws of the church. Yet their works have proven them to be violators of the law. It is the profession they make that in many instances has allured some of our brethren in their nefarious schemes. We cannot admit that Strang has any claims to the leadership of the church; and what evidence there may be that has given this man any notoriety whatever, we consider him a par with his phosphorus deception practised upon the people at Voree. Consequently it proves nothing in has favor, but a deceiver, and the people deceived who follow him; to say anything of his Pontificate, J. C. Bennett, (his, Strang's, right-hand man), Dukes, Lords & Cardinals, the introduction of offices into his church, that did not belong to [the] church of Christ; and however much we may appreciate the zeal and labor of those who cry out for a reform in the church, yet we must deprecate the idea of any departure there may be from the strict rules and laws of the church; we feel ourselves justified in saying that there is no other principle upon which the church can continue to be built up and prosper in the land, but strictly adhering to the order of the church and following out the principles of righteousness as laid down in our books. We most assuredly have reasons to exact [sic - expect?] this manner of conduct and consistency in character and course, in those who claim to be our leaders, or we are not authorised by the word of the Lord to receive them as the servants of God. Christ says "the tree is known by its fruit," neither can we coincide with the views of some, who in church building are laying their foundation (not upon the foundation of prophets and apostles,) upon what they call the transgressions of the martyred prophet -- receiving and rejecting a part of his mission -- alleging also that a part of his revelations were from God and a part of them the works of a fallen prophet. That Joseph may have committed errors in his lifetime, we do not pretend to deny. But we are constrained to the belief that he lived and died a Prophet of God -- or we are led to the conclusion that the whole system of Mormonism connected with the Prophet is a humbug from the beginning. We hold that it is the abuses (and not in the use) of the principles of Mormonism, that has brought us into this disrepute before the world. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as other men, and it would be singular indeed if Joseph Smith had committed no offences while he lived to the time of his death! It is true he was slain by his enemies, but we are not authorized to reject the mission of the Prophet during any period of time prior to his death while God upheld and sustained him at the head of his church, and however much men may glory in the death of Joseph Smith, we can only say that such has been the fate of Prophets more or less in all ages of the world, and not without the change [sic - charge?] of crime, they have been slain: -- Stephen they stoned to death, the apostles were slain, and Christ they hanged on a tree, as treasonable characters; and so they fell as Joseph died, (but not as a fool dieth,) by the hands of their enemies.

And in regard to this most unhappy affair, viz: the death of our Prophet and Patriarch, we most sincerely regret and sympathise with you on this subject, and although grievous wolves have entered in to destroy the flock on the dissolution of the Prophet, yet marvel not, dear brethren, these things must be or the Scriptures could not be fulfilled, for Paul plainly tells us there should be a departure from the faith, and perilous times should come in the last days and that the day of the Lord Jesus should not come except there be a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed the son of Perdition. This we conceive to be the true state of affairs; yet we would say to the brethren, take courage, God has not left himself without a witness, neither will he suffer things always to remain in their present condition. Joseph is yet alive; we speak figuratively. Absalom sought to steal the hearts of the people to destroy David and overthrow his kingdom, but did not prevail, as in the present case. The works of all those will be brought to nought, who have, by treachery and deceit, sought to destroy the Smith family, the lawful Priesthood of the Church, and more particularly William Smith, one of the subjects of this Epistle, to whom we wish now to call your attention as the only remaining brother of the martyred Prophet, as a man approved of by God, and from our own personal acquaintance with him for the last twelve months, we have no hesitancy in saying that we place the most implicit confidence in his teaching and doctrine and since he has been amongst us and the spirit of God has borne witness with our spirits that he is a servant of God, and further, we feel it our indispensable duty to state that we believe that this, our Brother William Smith, has been most unrighteously dealt with by those who have usurped the authority of the church. We feel that injustice has been done to this family,

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(under construction -- text not yet proofread)

and it is a fact that cannot be denied that at the death of Joseph and Hiram Smith, the right of the Patriarchal Priesthood belonged to William Smith, and we also think that here is a point of authority that has been heretofore unnoticed by the Church, but the Brethren cannot help but see that notwithstanding the Twelve had a right to ordain Evangelical ministers in all large branches of the Church, yet this did not give them power to ordain a Patriarch over the whole Church, which authority belonged to the first Presidency, and you will readily see the Twelve had not this power as they were a travelling High Council and not a local Presidency. -- Book of Doctrine and Covenants, 2d edition, page 103, the Brethren will also notice that William held equal authority in the quorum of the Twelve at the death of his brothers, and therefore the impropriety of his Brethren assuming the right to ordain him to an office that belonged to him of right and which he had received from a higher power in the Church, which office the Twelve had no control over, consequently had not the power to cut him off from the Church. We deem it most absurd that the Twelve should claim this right to ordain one of their number holding equal authority with themselves and place him under the direction of their Presidency; it is well known that in Hiram Smith's lifetime the Twelve had no right to preside over his Patriarchal priesthood, then, we would ask, what right have they to claim the Presidency over his successor in office? A stream can never rise higher than its fountain. The authority that the Twelve had had not power to give they most assuredly could not take away this superiority of power William held by birthright from his father, combined with the ordination of his brothers to the Apostleship, and also to the office of Prophet, Seer and Revelator, presents us, as we view it, a full and [------ -------] to the Presidency of the Church, and no man could [present] a stronger claim, and the attempt [------] of any to set aside this authority from the Church is a gross violation of the law and rights, and an act of injustice towards those who were among the first to lay the foundation of this great work of God in these last days, and have always sustained so exalted a station in the Church, and have suffered in all its afflictions, and now to set this family aside, regardless of the word of God, is an outrage that should not be countenanced by the Brethren abroad lest a greater evil come upon them. -- The investments of right by lineage, the Brethren will find recorded in the Book of Covenants, section 6th, paragraph 3, also sec. 3 par. 18, also sec. 4 par. 2. We deem these quotations sufficient on this subject, and in regard to the true order of the Church, we find it laid down in the Book of Covenants in the following order:

First, a Presidency of three, sec. 3 par. 11.

Secondly, the traveling High Council, to act under the direction of the First Presidency, par. 12, and in addition to this is the council of twelve High Priests who form a standing council for the Church in Zion, including the Seventies, Elders, Bishop, Priests, Teachers & Deacons, all acting in their several capacities as defined in the Book of Covenants.

Third, We hold the Book of Covenants as a law unto the Church until the coming of Christ, immutable and unchangeable, therefore we have no right, neither an angel from Heaven to violate this law. Provisions are also made in this law for the filling up of vacancies that may occur, without the administration of an angel for that purpose, sec. 13 par 4, sec. 5 par 5 and 6.

The gate into the Church is baptism, and the right to the Presidency of the Church comes by ordination of those having authority in the church, and by the appointment of the church. The Presidency may also be appointed by revelation and acknowledged by the church in his administration, and such is the power and authority invested in this our Brother William Smith, and we now call upon you, as servants of the Living God, to rise up and lay hold.

And help us to roll on the great work of God. The time is fast hastening when the Gospel must be preached in all the world for a witness, and then shall the end come. This prophecy of the Savior has not yet been fulfilled; scarcely one-fourth of the world have heard the sound of the Gospel, hundreds, yes thousands of our fellow-mortals have not enjoyed the light that we enjoy, and the Macedonian cry is [heard] from all parts of our land, "Come over and help us[."] [T]he Gentiles, have not been sufficiently warned of the near approach of the Savior, and will you neglect your high calling and let this cause, more precious than silver and gold, sink on your hands and surrender [your ----ed] to the God of this world? We [c-----] you

[ 8 ]

by the love and respect you have for the martyred Prophets, to come out of your hiding places and sound the Gospel trumpet to the people; we conjure you to lie still no longer while the spirit and bride say come. We ask, shall the Macedonian cry remain unheard and sinking inquiring souls to be left to die? The Gospel is glad tidings of great joy, and is the same we had embraced from the beginning, pure and holy, its intrinsic qualities are worth possessing, and oh! that it could be proclaimed and its healing influence fill every heart; then would the captive go free and the chains of the prisoners fall off; peace and not war would fill every part of our land; the warriors club return to his hearth and the soldier to his home, to comfort the bleeding heart, and administer joy to his wife and friends.

We hope that the Saints will gather with us, and help to strengthen and build up this stake of Zion — Palestine the city of our God. With sentiments of esteem and high considerations for your future welfare and happiness in the kingdom of our God, we subscribe ourselves your humble servants and fellow-laborers in the Gospel. Amen.

                                                                        Philadelphia, Nov. 1848.
Dear brethren: — Permit us to say to you that it was Joseph’s instructions to the Church to divide these United States into districts, and appoint stakes in every State, and High Priests to preside over each district, that the poor, the lame, the halt, and the blind might have the gospel preached to them. But the council of Brigham Young notwithstanding this Divine injunction of the Prophet, have fled to the wilderness in the far off west — and now invites the Saints to gather with them to perish in a desert land, Brethren we say, and God says stay at home, you can get salvation in this land without going to the valley of the Great Salt Lake, Brigham Young’s hiding place (or Sareglo [sic] Eden,) the Saints will understand therefore, that it will be their privilege if they desire it, to be baptised for their dead, and attend to all of the ordinances of God’s House, in the respective Branches of the Church where they reside, so far as the servants of God are permitted to administer.