History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day...

I cannot proceed unless some person shall be willing to make the proper information before me. I now request you to inform me whether the "Mormons" are willing to take legal steps against the citizens of Jackson county; whether they wish to return there or not; and let me know all the matters connected with this unhappy affair. It will be necessary for you to see the persons injured, and be informed of their desires and intentions. The military force will repair to Jackson county, to aid the execution of any order I make on this subject. Be particular in your information to me. I am willing to go any time to {446} Jackson county, for the purpose of holding a court of inquiry, and binding over to keep the peace such persons as I shall think ought to be restrained.

It is a disgrace to the state for such acts to happen within its limits, and the disgrace will attach to our official characters, if we neglect to take proper means to insure the punishment due such offenders.

I wish to know whether Joshua Lewis and Hyrum Page handed the writ to the sheriff of Jackson county, that I made and issued on their affidavit, against some of the ringleaders of the mob in Jackson county, dated the sixth of this month.

I will know why he refused to execute the writ, if it ever came to his hands. Inquire into this subject and let me know. I should be glad to see you, and agree upon what course to take. After you have sufficiently informed yourself, come down and see me. As you live near the scene of these outrages, you are better able to receive all information necessary, and prepare for future action, than I am.

Write me as soon as you are properly informed, and state when you can come down and see me on this business. Keep copies of all the letters you write on this subject.

Your friend,

(Signed) John F. Ryland.

November 22.My brother Don Carlos came to live with me and learn the art of printing.

Hyde and Gould Return to Kirtland.

Elders Orson Hyde and John Gould returned from Missouri to Kirtland on the 25th, and brought the melancholy intelligence of the mob in Jackson county persecuting the brethren.

Elder A. S. Gilbert wrote the Governor of Missouri as follows:

(Confidential.)

Liberty, Clay County,

November 29, 1833.

Dear Sir:Yesterday I saw Mr. Doniphan, an attorney of this place, who informed me that he saw the Attorney-General, Mr. Wells, in Saline county, last Saturday week, and that Mr. Wells had acquainted him with your intention of ordering a court of inquiry to be held in Jackson county, in relation to the late riotous proceedings in that county. Mr. Doniphan is of opinion, from the conversation he had with Mr. Wells, that said order will be suspended till a communication is received from our people, or their counsel. This is therefore to acquaint your Excellency, that most of the heads of our Church had an {447} interview yesterday on the subject of an immediate court of inquiry, to be held in Jackson county; and by their request to me, I hasten to lay before your Excellency serious difficulties attending our people on an immediate court of inquiry being called.

Our Church is at this time scattered in every direction: some in the new county of Van Buren; a part in this county; and a part in Lafayette, and Ray. Some of our principal witnesses would be women and children, and while the rage of the mob continues, it would be impossible to gather them in safety at Independence. That your Excellency may know of the unabating fury with which the last remnant of our people remaining in that county are pursued at this time, I here state that a few families, perhaps fifteen or twenty, who settled themselves more than two years ago on the prairie, about fifteen miles from the county seat of Jackson county, had hoped from the obscurity of their location that they might escape the vengeance of the enemy through the winter; consequently they remained on their plantations, receiving occasionally, a few individual threats, till last Sunday, when a mob made their appearance among them; some with pistols cocked, and presented to their breasts, commanded them to leave the county in three days, or they would tear their houses down over their heads, etc., etc.

Two expresses arrived here from said neighborhood last Monday morning, for advice, and counsel advised their speedy removal for the preservation of life and their personal effects. I suppose these families will be out of the county of Jackson this week. In this distressed situation, in behalf of my brethren, I pray your Excellency to await a further communication, which will soon follow this, setting forth among other things the importance of our people being restored to their possessions, that they may have an equal chance with their enemies in producing important testimony before the court, which the enemy are now determined to deprive them of. I trust that your Excellency will perceive the agitation and consternation that must necessarily prevail among most of our people at this day, from the unparalleled usage they have received, and many of them wandering at this time destitute of shelter.

An immediate court of inquiry called while our people are thus situated, would give our enemies a decided advantage in point of testimony, while they are in possession of their own homes, and ours also; with no enemy in the county to molest or make them afraid.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. S. Gilbert.

To his Excellency Daniel Dunklin, Jefferson City, Mo.

I have seen and read the above letter, and on reflection, I concur {448} entirely in the opinion therein expressed. I also think that at the next regular term of the court, an examination of the criminal matter cannot be gone into, without a guard for the court and witnesses.

(Signed) Amos Reese.

Remnants Scattered.

New Church Press.

About the 1st of December, Elder Cowdery and Bishop Whitney arrived at Kirtland with a new press and type, and on the 4th commenced distributing the type.

December 5.I wrote to Bishop Partridge, Liberty, Clay county, Missouri, as follows:

Kirtland, December 5, 1833.

Dear Brethren:We have just received a letter from Brother Phelps, dated 6th and 7th November, at Liberty, which gives us the painful intelligence of the rage of the enemy, and your present unsettled situation. But I must inform you that there is a great dubiety resting upon our minds, with regard to the true state of affairs of Zion; for there seems to be some difference in the statements of Elder Phelps' letter, and that of Elder Hyde's communication to the editors of the Missouri Republican.[1] Elder Hyde states that "on Monday, the 4th, the mob collected in Independence, to the number of two or three hundred, well armed; that a part of their number went above Blue, to drive away our people, and destroy our property; but they were met by a party of our people, who, being prepared, poured a deadly fire upon them; two of their number fell dead on the ground, and a number were mortally wounded, among the former was Brazeale.

"Tuesday morning there were a number of the mob missing, and could not be accounted for; and while we were at Liberty landing, on Wednesday, a messenger rode up, saying that he had just come from {449} the seat of war, and that the night before, another battle was fought, in which Mr. Hicks fell, having three balls and some buck-shot through his body, and about twenty more shared a similar fate; and also, that one or two of our men were killed, and as many wounded; and he (Hyde) heard the cannonading distinctly; and also, stated that the man who broke open the store, took Gilbert, Phelps, and one more, for false imprisonment, and put them in prison, and as near as he could learn, never to let them escape alive."

This statement of Elder Hyde is somewhat different from that of Elder Phelps, who states that "on Friday night the brethren had mustered about forty or fifty men, armed, and marched into the village, took one prisoner and fired one gun (through mistake); and on Saturday the mob fell upon our brethren above Blue, and one of Manship's sons was mortally wounded. On Monday a regular action was fought near Christian Whitmer's, under the command of Elder David Whitmer. We had four wounded; they had five wounded and two killed, viz.: Linvill and Brazeale. From Friday till Tuesday, our brethren were under arms, when one hundred and fifty of them came forth, like Moroni, to battle. On Tuesday morning the mob had collected to the number of three hundred, and before any blood was shed, we agreed to go away immediately, and the enemy took our guns."

Elder Phelps also states that "since the above was written (viz.: on the 6th), another horrid scene has transpired: after our people surrendered their arms, a party of the mob went above Blue, and began to whip, and even murder; and the brethren have been driven into the woods, and are fleeing to the ferry; and also the mob have hired the ferrymen to carry them across the river (but they made the brethren pay the ferryage); and it was reported that the mob had killed two more of the brethren."

It appears, brethren, that the above statements were made mostly from reports, and there is no certainty of their being correct; therefore, it is difficult for us to advise, and we can only say, that the destinies of all people are in the hands of a just God, and He will do no injustice to any one; and this one thing is sure, that they who will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution; and before their robes are made white in the blood of the Lamb, it is to be expected, according to John the Revelator, they will pass through great tribulation.

I wish, when you receive this letter, that you would collect every particular, concerning the mob, from the beginning, and send us a correct statement of facts, as they occurred from time to time, that we may be enabled to give the public correct information on the subject, and inform us also of the situation of the brethren, with respect to their means of sustenance.

{450} I would inform you, that it is not the will of the Lord for you to sell your lands in Zion, if means can possibly be procured for your sustenance without. Every exertion should be made to maintain the cause you have espoused, and to contribute to the necessities of one another, as much as possible, in this your great calamity, and remember not to murmur at the dealings of God with His creatures. You are not as yet brought into as trying circumstances as were the ancient Prophets and Apostles. Call to mind a Daniel, the three Hebrew children, Jeremiah, Paul, Stephen, and many others, too numerous to mention, who were stoned, sawn asunder, tempted, slain with the sword, and wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and in mountains, and hid in dens and caves of the earth; yet they all obtained a good report through faith; and amidst all their afflictions they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to receive persecutions for Christ's sake.

We know not what we shall be called to pass through before Zion is delivered and established; therefore, we have great need to live near to God, and always to be in strict obedience to all His commandments, that we may have a conscience void of offense toward God and man. It is your privilege to use every lawful means in your power to seek redress for your grievances from your enemies, and prosecute them to the extent of the law; but it will be impossible for us to render you any temporal assistance, as our means are already exhausted, and we are deeply in debt, and know of no means whereby we shall be able to extricate ourselves.

The inhabitants of this county threaten our destruction, and we know not how soon they may be permitted to follow the example of the Missourians; but our trust is in God, and we are determined, His grace assisting us, to maintain the cause and hold out faithful unto the end, that we may be crowned with crowns of celestial glory, and enter into the rest that is prepared for the children of God.

We are now distributing the type, and intend to commence setting today, and issue a paper the last of this week, or beginning of next. We wrote to Elder Phelps some time since, and also sent by Elder Hyde, for the list of names of subscribers to the Star, which we have not yet received, and, until we receive it, the most of the subscribers will be deprived of the paper; and when you receive this, if you have not sent the list, I wish you to attend to it immediately, as much inconvenience will follow a delay.

We expect shortly to publish a political paper, weekly, in favor of the present administration; the influential men of that party have offered a liberal patronage to us, and we hope to succeed, for thereby we can {451} show the public the purity of our intention in supporting the government under which we live.