ing watters of a greate rock in a thirsty and a weary land it is like a greate tree under whose branches men from evry clime can be shielded from the burning raies [rays] of an inclemant sun. We bretheren are deprived of the protection of this glorious principal by the cruelty of the cruely by those who only look for the time being for pasterage like the beasts <​of the field only to fill themselves​> and forget that the mormons as well as the presbitareans and those of every other class and discription have equal rights to ptark<​partake of​> the fruit of the great tree of our national liberty but notwithstanding we see what we see and we feel what feel and know what we know. yet that fruit is no les presious and delisious to our taist we cannot be weaned from the milk neither can we be drawn from the breast neither will we deny our religeon because of the hand of oppression but we will hold on untill death we say that God is true that the constitution of the is [true] that the Bible is true that the book of [mormon] is true that the book of covenants [is true] that Christ is true that the ministering [angels sent] forth from God are true and [and] that we have an house not made [with hands] eternal in the heavens, whose [builder and m]aker is God a consolation [which our op]ressors cannot feel when for[tune or fate sh]all lay its iron hand on them [as it has on us] now we ask what is man [remember breth]ren that time and chance hape[neth to all men] we shall continue our reflect[tions in our next.] We subcribe ourselves your sin[cere friends and] bretherin in the bonds of the ever [p. 11]