<​August 31.​> Friday 31st. Camp passed through Richmond, and over white Water River and through Centreville, Jackson Township, to Germantown and encamped in a stubble field, near the Town, bought corn standing in the field, for their horses at ten dollars per acre, This day travelled Eighteen Miles.

<​​> I spent a considerable time this day in conversation with brother , in consequence of some expressions made by him in presence of several brethren who had [HC 3:65] not been long in the place, ’s conduct for some time had been very unbecoming, especially in a Man in whom so much confidence had been placed. He said he would not yield his judgment to any thing proposed by the Church, or any individuals of the Church, or even the voice of the great I AM, given through the appointed organ, as revelation, but will always act upon his own judgment, Let him believe in whatever religion he may. He stated that he “would always say what he pleased for he is a Republican, and as such he will do, say, “act and believe what he pleases”— Mark such Republicanism as this: a man to oppose his own judgment to the judgment of God, and at the same time to profess to believe in the same God, when that God has said the Wisdom of God is foolishness with men, and the wisdom or judgment of Men is foolishness with God. also made some observation to which he afterwards acknowledged were correct, and that he understood things different after the interview from what he did before. [HC 3:66]

<​September 1 City of Zion appointed​> Saturday September 1. 1838— The First Presidency with (as Surveyor) started this morning for the (as it is called) kept by , some fourteen or fifteen miles from directly north, For the purpose of appointing a City of Zion, for the gathering of the Saints in that place, for safety and from the Storm, which will soon come upon this generation, and that the brethren may be together and that they may receive instruction to prepare them for that great day which will come upon this generation as a thief in the night.

There is great excitement at present among the Missourians seeking if possible an occasion against us, they are continually chafing us, and provoking us to anger if possible, one sign of threatning after another. but we do not fear them For the Lord God the Eternal Father is our God and Jesus the Mediator is our Savior, and in the great I AM is our strength and confidence, we have been driven time after time, and that without cause, and smitten again and again, and that without provocation, until we have proved the world with kindness, and the world proved us that we have no designs against any man or set of men— That we injure no man. That we are peacible with all men, minding our own business, and our business only, we have suffered our rights and our liberties to be taken from us, we have not avenged ourselves of those wrongs, we have appealed to Magistrates, to Sheriffs, to Judges, to [HC 3:67] Government and to the President of the , all in vain, yet we have yielded peacibly to all these things, we have not complained at the Great God, we murmured not, but peacibly left all, and retired into the back country in the broad and wild Prairie, in the barren and desolate plains, and there commenced anew, we made the desolate places to bud and blossom as the rose, and now the fiend like race are disposed to give us no rest, Their Father (the Devil) is hourly calling upon them to be up and doing, and they like willing and obedient Children need not the second admonition, But in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God we will endure it no longer, if the Great God will arm us with courage, with strength and with power, to resist them in their persecutions. We will not act on the offensive, but always on the defensive, our rights and our liberties shall not be taken from us, and we peacibly submit to it, as we have done heretofore, but we will avenge ourselves of our enemies, inasmuch as they will not let us alone, But to return again to our subject— We found the place for the City, and the brethren were instructed to gather immediately into it, and soon they should be organized according to the Laws of God— A more particular history of this City may be expected hereafter, perhaps at its organization and dedication, We found a new route home, saving I should think three or four miles, we arrived at about the close of day light. [p. 818]