History, 1838–1856, volume F-1 [1 May 1844–8 August 1844]

  • Source Note
  • Historical Introduction
Page 286
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<​July 28​> A variety of subjects were called up, each one expressing his feelings freely. Prest said he wished me to keep an account of things as they were passing, as he should look to me for his journal at a future day. said that Joseph told him, while in , Mo., in 1839, he would not live to see forty years, but he was not to reveal it till he was dead.”
29 July 1844 • Monday
<​29​> <​See Addenda Page 9.​> [HC 7:212]
30 July 1844 • Tuesday
<​30​> Tuesday 30. Elder , brother of the martyred prophet and died. -[See Addenda Page 9.
The brethren of the Twelve arrived at Mackinaw. The steamer stopped a short time, took in some fish, and took some boats with indians in tow. There was a feeling of prejudice manifested by the passengers of the boat against the [HC 7:213] brethren, because they did not mingle with them in their nonsense and folly, and this spirit is more or less manifest throughout the world.
31 July 1844 • Wednesday
<​31​> Wednesday 31. Elder arrived in .
The following from the appeared in the Neighbor:—
To the people of , in Hancock County.
“I am continually informed of your preparations and threats to renew the war and exterminate the Mormons. One would suppose that you ought to rest satisfied with what you have already done. The Mormon leaders, if they ever resisted the law, have submitted to its authority. They have surrendered the public arms; and appeared to be ready to do anything required, to make atonement for whatever wrong may have been done. Since the assasination of their two principal leaders, under circumstances well calculated to inflame their passions, and drive them to excesses for the purposes of revenge, they have been entirely peaceful and submissive; and have patiently complained. There has been no retaliation, no revenge, and, for anything I can ascertain, there will be none. Those of your people who are charged with being the most hostile to them, have lived, if they knew it, in perfect security from illegal violence. I am anxious for a pacification of your difficulties. You cannot drive out, or exterminate the Mormons. Such an effort would be madness, and would not be permitted by the people of the . You cannot be sustained in it either by force or law. You are binding yourselves to your weakness, and keeping up an agitation which must fail of the purpose intended, and recoil with terrible energy upon our yown heads. I exhort you to reconsider your infatuated resolutions. Try your Mormon neighbors again, and if you cannot dwell together in amity, you may at least refrain from injuring each other. From the moderation of the Mormons, under what they conceive to be the deepest injury, you might well hope that if they ever entertained designs inconsistent with your liberty and happiness, that those designs have been abandoned. They are also interested in preserving the peace.— It is not natural to suppose that they, any more than yourselves, wish to live in continual alarm. They hope for quiet, and will be peaceful and submissive in order to enjoy it. But you are con[HC 7:214]tinually driving them to desperation by an insane course of threatening and hostility, and depriving yourselves of peace by the same means used to disquiet them.
“If I have said anything severe in this address, I pray you, attribute it to my deep conviction that your course is improper and unwarrantable. Such is the [p. 286]
July 28 A variety of subjects were called up, each one expressing his feelings freely. Prest said he wished me to keep an account of things as they were passing, as he should look to me for his journal at a future day. said that Joseph told him, while in , Mo., in 1839, he would not live to see forty years, but he was not to reveal it till he was dead.”
29 July 1844 • Monday
29 See Addenda Page 9. [HC 7:212]
30 July 1844 • Tuesday
30 Tuesday 30. Elder , brother of the martyred prophet and died. -[See Addenda Page 9.
The brethren of the Twelve arrived at Mackinaw. The steamer stopped a short time, took in some fish, and took some boats with indians in tow. There was a feeling of prejudice manifested by the passengers of the boat against the [HC 7:213] brethren, because they did not mingle with them in their nonsense and folly, and this spirit is more or less manifest throughout the world.
31 July 1844 • Wednesday
31 Wednesday 31. Elder arrived in .
The following from the appeared in the Neighbor:—
To the people of , in Hancock County.
“I am continually informed of your preparations and threats to renew the war and exterminate the Mormons. One would suppose that you ought to rest satisfied with what you have already done. The Mormon leaders, if they ever resisted the law, have submitted to its authority. They have surrendered the public arms; and appeared to be ready to do anything required, to make atonement for whatever wrong may have been done. Since the assasination of their two principal leaders, under circumstances well calculated to inflame their passions, and drive them to excesses for the purposes of revenge, they have been entirely peaceful and submissive; and have patiently complained. There has been no retaliation, no revenge, and, for anything I can ascertain, there will be none. Those of your people who are charged with being the most hostile to them, have lived, if they knew it, in perfect security from illegal violence. I am anxious for a pacification of your difficulties. You cannot drive out, or exterminate the Mormons. Such an effort would be madness, and would not be permitted by the people of the . You cannot be sustained in it either by force or law. You are binding yourselves to your weakness, and keeping up an agitation which must fail of the purpose intended, and recoil with terrible energy upon our yown heads. I exhort you to reconsider your infatuated resolutions. Try your Mormon neighbors again, and if you cannot dwell together in amity, you may at least refrain from injuring each other. From the moderation of the Mormons, under what they conceive to be the deepest injury, you might well hope that if they ever entertained designs inconsistent with your liberty and happiness, that those designs have been abandoned. They are also interested in preserving the peace.— It is not natural to suppose that they, any more than yourselves, wish to live in continual alarm. They hope for quiet, and will be peaceful and submissive in order to enjoy it. But you are con[HC 7:214]tinually driving them to desperation by an insane course of threatening and hostility, and depriving yourselves of peace by the same means used to disquiet them.
“If I have said anything severe in this address, I pray you, attribute it to my deep conviction that your course is improper and unwarrantable. Such is the [p. 286]
Page 286