Trial of Elder Rigdon

Minutes of a meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, held on the meeting ground in the city of Nauvoo, on Sunday, Sep. 8th, 1844

Present, of the quorum of the Twelve, President Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, P. P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, Orson Hyde, George A. Smith, John Taylor and Amasa Lyman.

The High Council organized themselves with Bishop Newel K. Whitney at their head, as follows: William Marks, President of the Stake, and Charles C. Rich, Councillor [councilor]; Samuel Bent, James Alred, Lewis D. Wilson, Alpheus Cutler, David Fullmer, George W. Harris, Thomas Grover, Aaron Johnson, Henry G. Sherwood, also Reynolds Cahoon, Asahel Smith and Ezra T. Benson, in the place of three absent members.

At 10 minutes after 10 o'clock, President Young requested the choir to sing a hymn, which was done; and the services opened by prayer from elder Orson Hyde, after which the choir sung another Hymn.

President Young then arose and addressed the people in substance as follows:-

I will call the attention of the congregation to the subject which is designed to be laid before you to-day. But I will first make a request that the police will attend to the instructions given them by the mayor this morning, and that is, to see that there is perfect order in the outside of the congregation. We are not afraid of disturbance here, but there is generally some disposed to talk on the outside, which prevents those from hearing who are near them, and we wish all to hear what is said from the stand.

I have frequently thought lately of Paul's words when he said 'much every way,' 'some for Paul, some for Appollos, some for Cephus and some for Christ:' and I believe there are a great many here for Christ. I will make the application of Paul's words to us: 'Much every way.' Some for Joseph and Hyrum, the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, the Temple and Joseph's measures; and some for Lyman Wight, some for James Emmett and some for Sidney Rigdon, and I suppose some for the Twelve.

The business of the day will result in this thing: all those who are for Joseph and Hyrum, the Book of Mormon, book of Doctrine and Covenants, the Temple and Joseph's measures, and for the Twelve; they being one party; will be called upon to manifest their principles openly and boldly. Then we wish all who are of the opposite parties to enjoy the same liberty, and to be as decided and bold, and to show their principles as boldly, and be as decided as they are in their secret meetings and private councils. If they are for Sidney Rigdon; and believe he is the man to be the first president and the leader of this people, we wish them to manifest it as freely as they do in other places; because this will form another party.

We want all those who are for Lyman Wight and his measures, to show themselves openly and boldly; and all those for James Emmett and his measures, to show themselves.-We wish them to withdraw today without fear and to be as bold here as they are in other places. They may as well show themselves boldly, for I know where they live, and I know their names: I can point them out if necessary. Those who wish to tarry and build up the city and build the Temple, and carry out the measures and revelations of our martyred prophet, we wish to know who they are. Now all those who decline going either way, but secretly slander the character of Joseph Smith and the Twelve, my fellowship will be withdrawn from them without any further ceremony. If there are not more than ten men who hang on to the truth, and to Joseph and the Temple, and are willing to do right in all things, let me be one of that number. If there should be but ten left, and their lives should not be threatened; threatened with destruction by mobs, the Temple not be built &c., because they are determined to do right, let me be one that is martyred

for the truth. I have travelled [traveled] these many years in the midst of poverty and tribulation, and that too with blood in my shoes, month after month to sustain and preach this gospel and build this kingdom; and God forbid that I should turn round and seek to destroy that which I have been laboring to build up.

It is written in the book of Doctrine and Covenants, that the president can be tried before the bishop and twelve high priests, or the high council of the church. There are many present this morning who were present at the organization of the quorum in Kirtland. We have here before us this morning, the high council, and bishop Whitney at their head, and we will try Sidney Rigdon before this council and let them take an action on his case this morning; and then we will present it to the church, and let the church also take an action upon it. I am willing that you should know that my feelings for Sidney Rigdon as a man, as a private citizen, are of the best kind. I have loved that man and always had the very best feelings for him; I have stood in defence [defense] of his life and his house in Kirtland, and have lain on the floor, night after night, and week after week, to defend him. There are those who are following Sidney for whom my heart is grieved, I esteom [esteem] them as good citizens. But when it touches the salvation of the people, I am the man that walks to the line.

I am informed that elder Rigdon is sick; I am also informed that he and his party have had a council this morning, and have concluded not to say anything in their own defence [defense], thinking that would be best for them. I have no idea that elder Rigdon is any more sick than I am: any how, we would have a right to try his case, for he had sufficient notice to prepare himself if he had been disposed. We gave him notice last Tuesday evening, and had it published in the Neighbor, and was he sick he could have sent us to have the case deferred. I heard Elder Rigdon's discourse last Sunday, myself; I heard him pour blessings upon this people in an unbounded degree; I heard him encouraging the building up of this city and the Temple; he said he was one with us, and left his blessing upon the congregation. The congregation says to him: 'go in peace.' I said upon the back of his statements, you see that brother Rigdon is with us. I have not seen that brother Rigdon has been with us since he returned from Pittsburg [Pittsburgh]; I have known that he was not with us in spirit, but I took him at his word. The spirit reveals many things which it would not do to tell the public, until it can be proved. But to come to the point. On Tuesday last, I heard that elder Rigdon had a meeting the night previous, and had ordained men to be prophets, priests and kings. I concluded to go see elder Rigdon, and asked Elder Hyde to go with me. We went into his house, and after the usual compliments, I set [sat] down directly opposite him, and took hold of his hand. I looked him right in the face and asked him if he had a meeting last night, here, in which men were ordained to be prophets, priests and kings? He replied no. We had no meeting here; had we brother Soby?

'Well, did you have a meeting any where, brother Rigdon, in which men were ordained to be prophets, priests and kings?'

'Well, I don't know; did we have a meeting last night, brother Soby? Yes, I believe there was one last night; wasn't there brother Soby, up at your house?'

I saw the disposition of elder Rigdon to conceal the truth and equivocate, and I determined to know the whole secret. I said to him again. 'Elder Rigdon, did you not ordain these men at that meeting last night?'

He replied, 'yes I suppose I did.'

I then asked brother Rigdon, by what authority he ordained prophets, priests and kings?

With a very significant air he replied 'oh, I know about that!'

I will not attempt to describe the feelings I had, nor the look of his countenance, but he equivocated very much. He said there was no meeting here last night, and then finally said, I believe there was a meeting at brother Soby's. I questioned him till he acknowledged that they ordained men to be prophets, priests and kings.

I then asked brother Rigdon; 'do you not think, really, that you hold keys and authority above any man, or set of men in this church, even the Twelve?'

Says he, 'I never taught any such doctrine, did I, brother Soby?'

Says I, 'brother Rigdon, tell me the truth, do you not think so?'

He replied, 'yes I do.'

Says I, 'that tells the whole story. Brother Joseph never undertook such an important business as you are engaged in, without consulting his brethren, and especially the Twelve, if they were present.' I felt delicate in asking elder Rigdon these questions, but I knew it was my duty to find out the secret of the whole matter. To evade answering the questions I put to him, he finally said dont [don't] crowd upon my feelings too much; my feelings are tender, and

I dont [don't] wish to be crowded. I then proposed to him, that myself and the brethren of the Twelve would call in the evening and converse with him further on the subject, to which he agreed. In the evening eight of the Twelve together with bishop Whitney, went to elder Rigdon's and conversed a-while; and finding matters as before stated, we concluded we would go over to Dr. Richards' and there council together what was best to do on the subject. In our council we deemed it necessary to demand his license, and say to him he could not hold it any longer, unless he retracted from his present course and repent of his wickedness. A committee of three was chosen, who went over and demanded his license, but he refused to give it up, at the same time saying, 'I did not receive it from you, neither shall I give it up to you.' On the strength of this, we published a notice in the Neighbor that there would be an action on his case before the church to day.

We have now the quorum before us, before which he will be tried, with the oldest bishop at their head; and I shall leave the subject for the brethren to take it up, and it is left for us to decide whether we are Latter Day Saints or not.

President Loung [Young] said further that the Twelve are to be regarded as witnesses in this trial, and not as judges. We present ourselves before the High Council as witnesses, and we are prepared to bring other witnesses forward if necessary. There will be some who will say that this is not a fair trial, because the opposite party are not here. They have had sufficient notice and time to make their objections, and if they dont [don't] appear to make their defence [defense] it will prove to me that they are guilty. Elder Rigdon has not conducted himself like a man of God, he has not conducted himself like a prophet of God, nor a counsellor [counselor] to the first president, since he came here. We prefer these charges against him, and the High Council will be obliged to act.

Elder Orson Hyde arose and said as follows: I thought I would present to your view, some things which have transpired since the death of our beloved Prophet and Patriarch, Joseph and Hyrum Smith, who were murdered by the mob. I was in New Haven when I first heard the news, but hardly crediting the report; I went from thence to New York, where I learned the same things, then I concluded I would start to Boston. When I arrived at Boston I met with President Young and one or two others of the Twelve. We held a council together and it was decided to write to elder Rigdon at Pittsburg [Pittsburgh]. I was appointed to write the letter. I informed elder Rigdon of our conclusions, and stated to him that we had decided to return immediately to Nauvoo, and that we should go by the lakes, inasmuch as we deemed it safer and quicker to go that way, than to go through Pittsburg [Pittsburgh]. I stated also that it was the desire of the twelve, that Elder Rigdon and Elder Page should meet us at Nauvoo, and after we had rested and mourned for our martyred brethren, we would sit down together and hold a council on the very ground where sleeps the ashes of our deceased friends. This letter was received by Elder Rigdon as we have since learned. Well what does he do? He comes directly to Nauvoo.-He arrived before the Twelve could get there. He immediately entered into measures to call the church together to appoint a Guardian, and was very anxious to crowd an action before the Twelve arrived, when he knew it was the request of the Twelve to sit in council together with him before any action was taken before the public. He represented to the congregation that it was necessary that he should return home immediately on account of the situation of his family. Providentially the Twelve came before he had accomplished his designs, and an action was taken before the public, and he was defeated. The church unanimously voted to sustain the Twelve in their office as appointed by President Joseph Smith and the church-since that action was taken Elder Rigdon has shown no more anxiety to return to Pittsburg [Pittsburgh]. Now I would ask this congregation, if Elder Rigdon had known that he was commanded to take the lead of this people, would he have had any reason to fear his success, if he had been sure God had appointed him? Were the Twelve jealous that they should not stand in their place? I heard no such thing. We wanted to sit in council together, and felt that whatever the spirit dictated that should be our course. There is a way by which all revelations purporting to be from God through any man can be tested. Brother Joseph gave us the plan, says he, when all the quorums are assembled and organized in order, let the revelation be presented to the quorums, if it pass one let it go to another, and if it pass that, to another, and so on until it has passed all the quorums; and if it pass the whole without running against a snag, you may know it is of God. But if it runs against a snag, then says he, it wants enquiring [inquiring] into: you must see to it. It is known to some who are present that there is a quorum organized where revelation can be tested. Brother Joseph said, let no revelation

go to the people until it has been tested here. Now I would ask, did Elder Rigdon call the quorum together and there lay his revelation before it, to have it tested? No, he did not wait to call the quorum; neither did he call the authorities together that we have here.-He endeavored to ensnare the people and allure their minds by his flowery eloquence; but the plan was defeated. The voice of the people was in favor of sustaining the Twelve to be their leaders. I tell you it is no enviable place for one of that quorum to stand in, and act as the leader of this people. The shafts of the enemy are always aimed at the head first.-Brother Joseph said some time before he was murdered. "If I am taken away, upon you, the Twelve, will rest the responsibility of leading this people, and do not be bluffed off by any man. Go forward in the path of your duty though you walk into death. If you will be bold and maintain your ground the great God will sustain you." And now inasmuch as a charge has been laid upon us, it will be inquired in a day to come if we have been faithful to the charge, and we are responsible for what has been laid upon us.

After the Twelve returned I went to see Elder Rigdon and requested him to meet us in council; I invited him to attend but he said he was sick; well, I dont [don't] know but he was sick, but I am informed he went the same day and held a meeting somewhere outside the city.-To-day, there is an excuse. He says he is sick, perhaps it is so. In our conversation on Tuesday evening, when he said he had the keys and power he said he did not claim jurisdiction over the Twelve, he claimed jurisdiction over no man. Says I Elder Rigdon, if the Twelve were to transgress would you call them to account? He replied no, I have no jurisdiction over them. But was brother Joseph here and he was to see the Twelve do wrong, we would not have time to wink more than twice, before he would be upon us with a rod and drive us back to the path of duty again. Elder Rigdon says he claims no jurisdiction over the Twelve, nor the Twelve over him. Says I Elder Rigdon such a course as this will lead to a division of the church. He replied there will be a good many churches built up all over the world, I asked if all these churches would be subject to one common head. He answered they would not. Elder Young replied, then there will be many bodies. He replied, Oh no! I then said where there are many heads there is no head at all; and a thing that has got many heads must be a hydra,- a monster: a house divided against itself cannot stand. Elder Rigdon is now going to work to make a division, and yet he said on the stand, he did not want to make a division. When any man comes here with a revelation purporting to be from God, we feel in duty bound to question its validity. This is a kind of furnace to prove all things, and Elder Rigdon dont [don't] like to come into the furnace.

I will now give some testimony which has been handed to me concerning what Elder Rigdon has said. Those who have testified here are ready to testify to the same before the congregation if it is necessary.

I shall omit names unless called upon, and then they shall be forthcoming. One of Mr. Rigdon's party said to this brother, you are a pretty strong Twelve man I believe: are you not? He answered: I am no party man-but am desirous to obtain the truth. Mr. Rigdon's friend then said, if you will not tell it to the Twelve, I will tell you our plans. He then communicated unto me their designs. The substance of which was as follows: that Elder Rigdon was going to feel of the minds of the branches, and then the people of Nauvoo, until he got strong enough to make a party, and if he found that he could raise influence to divide the people he would do so, and let the remainder follow the Twelve.

Elder Hyde continued and said: this was said previous to his discourse at La Harpe; then he comes here, and says I have no authority, I have no jurisdiction over this people whatever. We knew by the spirit that this was in Elder Rigdon's heart before, and we wanted to bring it out. This shows that the whole plan was matured at the time he said he did not want to divide the church-he had no jurisdiction, &c., and he let out the roots of it on Tuesday evening, when we conversed with him. When we demanded his license, he said, "I did not receive it from you, neither shall I give it up to you." He then threatened to turn traitor. His own language was, inasmuch as you have demanded my license, I shall feel it my duty to publish all your secret meetings, and all the history of the secret works of this church, in the public journals. He intimated that it would bring a mob upon us, says he, I know what effect it will have; there is a rod and a scourge awaits this people. Says I, Elder Rigdon if you want the honor of bringing distress upon this people, you may have it, you may have the honor of it here, and you may have the honor of it in eternity; and every effort you make to bring distress upon this people, will recoil back upon your own head. I have been told since, he was angry and did not

mean to do as he said; but I would ask this congregation, can a man say what is not in his heart? I say he cannot, for "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." (Elder Young says he can prove that Elder Rigdon made use of the same expression previous to our visiting him last Tuesday.) I replied to him and said, we have counted the cost and it can't cost us more than our lives, and we have got them ready to pay. Now what was the idea conveyed by Elder Rigdon's expressions, it was this, if you will let me alone, and not oppose me in measures, although you are a wicked and iniquitous people, we will be hail fellows well met, and all fellowship together; but if you oppose me, I will expose all your secret wickedness, I will expose all your iniquity. Now I dont [don't] know of any man in this church that has gone deeper into matters than he did in Far West in his oration on the 4th of July. He was the cause of our troubles in Missouri, and although Brother Joseph tried to restrain him, he would take his own course, and if he goes to exposing the secrets of this church, as he says, the world will throw him down and trample him under their feet.

Before I went east on the 4th of April last, we were in council with Brother Joseph almost every day for weeks, says Brother Joseph in one of those councils there is something going to happen; I dont [don't] know what it is, but the Lord bids me to hasten and give you your endowment, before the temple is finished. He conducted us through every ordinance of the holy priesthood, and when he had gone through with all the ordinances he rejoiced very much, and says, now if they kill me you have got all the keys, and all the ordinances and you can confer them upon others, and the hosts of Satan will not be able to tear down the kingdom, as fast as you will be able to build it up; and now says he on your shoulders will the responsibility of leading this people rest, for the Lord is going to let me rest a while. Now why did he say to the Twelve on YOUR shoulders will this responsibility rest, why did he not mention Brother Hyrum? The spirit knew that Hyrum would be taken with him, and hence he did not mention his name; Elder Rigdon's name was not mentioned, although he was here all the time, but he did not attend our councils.

When we were coming away last Tuesday evening, Elder Rigdon said you are not led by the Lord, and I have known it for a long time that you were not led by the Lord. In his discourse before the people the first Sunday after he came here, he stated that Joseph Smith yet holds the keys of this kingdom, for he had seen it since he was dead. When Elder Rigdon made this remark, says I to him, I defy any man to show that we have adopted any measure, only what Joseph has directed us.-We have all the while sought to carry out those measures which he has labored at such pains to establish. Now if Brother Joseph yet holds the keys of this kingdom, I would ask how is any man going to get by Joseph into celestial kingdom of God, if they oppose and seek to destroy the principles laid down by Brother Joseph. They can't get over it neither can they get by him. I will now leave the subject with Brother Parley for he is a witness in the matter.

Elder Parley P. Pratt arose to give his testimony concerning this case. He said in the first place I will say that there is no man present, save one, who has been acquainted with Elder Rigdon longer than I have. Elder Hyde knew him before I did. I have been in church fellowship with him for 15 or 16 years. I was a member of the same church with him before we heard this gospel; I was the first man who presented the Book of Mormon to him, and bore testimony to him concerning the gospel. I witnessed his coming into this church, I have feelings for him as a friend of the strongest kind, and ever have felt an interest for him, I would be amongst the first to rejoice to see him walk up as a counsellor [counselor] with us. I have no feelings but in his favor. But the salvation of this church is of far more importance than anything else, and we are determined to walk up to our duty, let it come against whom it may. After Brother Rigdon came from Pittsburg [Pittsburgh], I waited on him to bid him welcome, but he was so crowded with friends shaking hands and welcoming him back that I said to him Elder Rigdon, you are busy to day, but to-morrow morning the few of the Twelve who are here will want to meet with you, and sit down in council together. We expect to hear you preach. In the morning I called upon him to go with me to Brother Taylor's, as we had to hold our councils at Elder Taylor's, he being confined to his bed, by the wounds he received from the mob. He made an excuse, saying, that he was engaged with a strange gentleman, and could not leave him then, but would come when he got through. We waited until it was almost meeting time, and instead of coming to meet with us, he went directly to the meeting. He came here and preached, and related his vision or revelation to appoint a guardian.-We still deferred and waited to meet with him in council, until, to our astonishment, without

our knowledge he caused an appointment to be made for the next Thursday for the church to choose their guardian; and they to [too] in the absence of the more part of the quorum of the Twelve, and even without consulting the high council of the church. I knew such a course would divide the church, and I protested against it, and determined to come to the stand if the motion was to proceed and dismiss the meeting. It fortunately happened that the Twelve came in time to attend the meeting which was changed by them into a special conference. We made another effort to get Elder Rigdon to sit in council with the quorum of the Twelve. We met at the time appointed and waited something like three hours before he came. He finally came and we then asked him to give us the relation of his vision or revelation, which he did. He said it was shewn [shown] to him that there were no authorities left in the church who could act. When Joseph was alive the people had confidence in the quorums, but now they had not that confidence; the people must choose some man they can have confidence in, to act. Said I to him, Elder Rigdon, there never was a time when the people were more willing to hearken to council and be agreed, than they are now.-Said I, has not the Almighty God established authorities in this church by Joseph Smith, such as the quorum of the Twelve, the high council and other quorums, and have they not power to act, and will they not be damned if they do not act; and will the people not be damned if they do not give heed to these authorities? He answered, yes; when not twenty minutes before he said there was no authorities in the church! Said I, Elder Rigdon, I object to that meeting you got up, in the name of the Twelve. It is got up without the consent or advice of those of the Twelve who are here, at present we dont [don't] need to adopt any new measures, we only need to carry out the measures which God has revealed, and when we have done this, God will give us more; and on these grounds, I object to the meetiug [meeting]. Says he, there is no need to appoint another officer. We have only to sustain the officers, as they are already organized; and I pledge myself there shall be no other business brought up on Thursday, only the regular prayer meeting. When I had got the pledge from him I told the people that Thursday's meeting would only be a prayer meeting. But after this some of the people went to him and he turned round again, and said it was a business meeting. I know that he said no business should be done at that meeting, and afterwards said it should be a business meeting. I then saw that this was a deep and cunning plan laid to divide the best people that ever lived.

On last Sunday we heard preaching all day about things along way ahead-terrible battles to be fought somewhere by the brook Kedron. Their preaching gave me a text which I want to preach from, it is somewhere in Webster's Spelling Book, and I suppose the little boys can tell me where. However it is a story of a "country maid and her milk pail," &c. The moral was that when men suffer their imaginations to be amused with things along way ahead, they suffer loss by neglecting those things which immediately concern them.-The great God said through Joseph-build this temple; I give you a sufficient time to build it, and if you do not build it by the appointed time, you shall be rejected as a people with your dead. I thought we were concerned in building up this place and defending it, and while we were immediately concerned in all these important matters, the day was spent in talking about Queen Victoria, battles, &c., and things which were calculated to draw our minds away from those things wherein our eternal interest is at stake. When he blessed the people I said amen, and when he said our persecutions were about over, and cried peace, peace, I hoped it would be so, if we could get it. He did by hard straining get it out that we might go on and build the temple and build up the city.

On Tuesday as has been stated we went to Elder Rigdon's house, when I had heard that he had been ordaining men to unheard of offices. These men were in no quorum, and under nobody's direction, nor authority, but Elder Rigdon's own revelations. We protested against it. He claimed he had authority and keys over any one else. By and bye we had more of his revelations. Says he, I saw all this before I left Pittsburg.[Pittsburgh] I then charged him with endeavoring to palm upon the people, false revelations and lies in the name of the Lord. He then gave us another slice of his revelation, in addition to what he had already told us. It was that he was to help fight a bloody battle in some appointed place, the particulars of which had been revealed to him.-This battle was not to be a war of words, not a battle with the tongue, but says he, "with the 'sword,' and it will be a bloody battle; the great God has revealed it to me, and no one shall beat me out of it!" Says I to him, if you build up churches and ordain men to preach who are not subject to the Twelve, how are they to be governed. Suppose the Twelve,

having authority to regulate all the churches in all the world according to the book of Doctrine and Covenants, should publish an epistle to the churches, they will say, who are the Twelve? We are not under the authority of the Twelve. Will not this be the result!

I asked the question to one of his new prophets, do you consider yourself under the direction of the Twelve? He hesitated a while and replied, "I hope Elder Rigdon and the Twelve will be united and walk together, if not I shall not be under the direction of the Twelve, only so far as they agree with Elder Rigdon. I shall be under the directions of the revelations as given to Elder Rigdon, I regard him as my prophet, seer, and revelator." And the old revelations require us to build this temple, that we may receive our endowment, and all the ordinances and priesthood, whereby we may save ourselves and our dead. The new revelation is to draw the people to Pittsburg [Pittsburgh], and scatter them abroad; and do any thing and every thing but that which the old revelations bid us do. Some of the brethren, Elders Young, and Orson Pratt, and others then said to him that the matter must be settled before he went away to Pittsburg, [Pittsburgh] either one way or the other. We labored with him till near twelve o'clock, but the split seemed only to grow wider and wider. Says I, Elder Rigdon, if the God of heaven has sent me to tell what will be, you will never fulfill your revelation; I have no more confidence in your revelations than I have in Gladden Bishop's. One said he would marry the Queen of England, and the other said he would take her by the nose. Now brethren it was for this ordaining men to unheard of offices in an illegal manner, and the proceedings of their secret meetings, that the fellowship of the Twelve was withdrawn from Elder Rigdon.-I was one of the committee who went to demand his license, and acted as spokesman. I made the demand in a respectful manner, taking care not to do anything intentionally to wound his feelings. When I demanded his license he refused to give it up as has already been observed, and says he, I shall now take the liberty to publish to the world, all the secret works of this church, and stir up the world against you, and says he, I know the result both on you and the church, and myself, this was letting out a little more of his revelation.-He then said, I have sat and laughed in my sleeve at the proceedings of the Twelve this evening, for they have been fulfilling in this last act, the vision I had at Pittsburg [Pittsburgh]. I knew you would withdraw fellowship from me, I knew you would oppose me, in all my movements. It was shown to me in the vision before I left Pittsburg.[Pittsburgh] Thought I to myself, O consistency, where hast thou fled? Here are revelations manufactured as fast as they are needed to suit the circumstances.

Last Sunday elder Rigdon said we were a blessed people. Now he says he has known ever since he left Pittsburg [Pittsburgh], that this same blessed people would cut him off before he left them.

He further said, 'I am not going to injure this people; I dont [don't] want to make a division,' and soon after said, 'I know this people have not been led by the Lord for a long time.' He was talking about exposing our secrets; elder Hyde then said he was glad he had got at the roots of his feelings; elder Rigdon replied 'I dont [don't] do it with a design to injure this people, as before stated.'

Now the quorum of the Twelve have not offered a new revelation from the time of the massacre of our beloved brethren, Joseph and Hyrum, but we have spent all our time, early and late, to do the things the God of heaven commanded us to do through Brother Joseph. Here are the principles of brother Joseph, our prophet, who laid the foundation of this work, and the Twelve have labored to carry them out. We have not said, go to Black river, nor to Prairie du Chein, nor to Pittsburg,[Pittsburgh] but we have said take the sword of the spirit, tlfings [things?] commanded and enjoined by brother Joseph. Only think of the idea, after blessing the congregation in the manner he did last Sabbath, in two days after he says this people have not been led by the Lord for a long time, and I have known it: And why? Because we fulfilled his own revelation by cutting him off from the church; but if we had not cut him off nor opposed him in his secret corner of treachery apostacy, [apostasy] we should have been a very good people, and we would all fellowship together.

I will here read from the book of Doctrine and Covenants, page 102, new edition, paragraph 11, to show concerning the legal authorities of this church: (See D. C.)

Now you ask where is the proper authority and power for us to look to? We answer here is a power and authority equal to the first presidency; equal and nothing more. But suppose you uphold elder Rigdon's theory, what have you got? You have got one of the quorum which does not even form a majority, and consequently has no power to act. But if it would make no odds who you look to for your leaders, if they are not chosen and upheld by the faith and prayer of the church, and then they

must walk according to the revelations, or there is no power in their appointment. I say and bear testimony that the things revealed to Sidney Rigdon touching the great battles to be fought some where; the secret meetings;-the ordination of officers, and the government of this church, is a revelation of falsehood and delusion, calculated to lead the people astray. It will result in open apostacy [apostasy], and is designed to bring destruction upon us, or else it will result in speedy repentance and a turning round to the principles and revelations laid down by our martyred prophet.

Elder O. Hyde arose again and said he wanted to relate a little story, It is only about two minutes long, and I think it will serve to illustrate the present position of the church. Elder Rigdon's remarks not only authorized, but courted a division of the church, and at the same time he acknowledged that he had no jurisdiction over the church whatever. The, story is this, 'in the days of King Solomon there were two women who lived in the same house, and each had a child. One night one of the women overlay her child, and when she awoke her child was dead. As soon as she discovered this, she took her own dead child and placed it by the side of the mother of the living child, and took the living child to herself. When the mother of the living child awoke in the morning to give her child suck, behold it was dead; but when she had considered it, she found it was not her child; and the other woman said nay: but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said no; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son.-They then referred the matter to King Solomon, who said, the one saith this is my son that liveth, and thy son is dead. And the other saith, nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And, the King said, 'bring me a sword,' and they brought a sword before the King, and the King said; 'divide the living child in two, and give the half to the one and a half to the other.' But the woman whose the living child was, said to the King, 'O my lord the King, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it;' for her bowels yearned over her son. But the other said, 'let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.' Now brethren the Twelve say let not the child be divided;-but elder Rigdon says let the child be divided, for I profess to have no claim or jurisdiction over it; and I believe if the great God would speak from heaven this morning, he would say to the Twelve, you are the mother, (or rather the father) of the living child, and the church shall not be divided, for I say it in the name of the great God. I say let not, the child be divided; let it live; and all the congregation said amen.

Elder Amasa Lyman said, so far as I am acquainted with what has been said, it is correct, and the most of it has been under my own observation. It would therefore be useless to recapitulate. But there are some things connected with the history of this event that should speak to the understanding of the individuals to whom this case is to be submitted. The Twelve have already told their mind on the subject and have acted upon it. There is a curiosity connected with the revelation of this individual, who is so favored of heaven as to have gathered the rays of light from the upper world; intelligence and wonderful things, that other men never thought of. Even Gladden Bishop never thought of such wonderful things. Now where has this individual been for these years past? Has he been laboring to support and uphold the man whom God has appointed to bring forth this work? Has he been endeavoring for the last four or five years to build up the principles taught and laid down by the man of God? Here are men present who have travelled [traveled] through the length and breadth of these United States, and to Europe, and some who have traveled as far as Palestine to carry out and establish the principles which have been laid down by our deceased prophet, and yet the great God has not made known to any of these men the wonderful things made known in this revelation. Neither has elder Marks or the twelve received any such wonderful revelation. But this man who has been asleep all the while, when he was not sick, to sleep and smoke his pipe, and take his drink; correspond with John C. Bennet, and other mean, corrupt men. This is the character of the man on whom shines the light of revelation; this is the man who says the Twelve have gone astray and this church is not led by the Lord. This man is made generalissimo of all the armies of the Gentiles, on both sides I suppose; this is the man who is to fight these wonderful battles till the blood of the slain flow as high as the horses bridles in the brook Kedron. Elder Brigham nor any of the Twelve did not get this wonderful power; they have not got the same spirit. But these men who obtain these great revelations carry the spirit about with them; you can smell it as soon as you come near enough to feel their breath. Elder Rigdon's plan is to divide the church, although he claims no jurisdiction.

This wonderful spirit of revelation has fallen on a great many. Here is a revelation

come from Michigan, which points out a Mr. Strang, as the one to take the lead of this people. So Brother Sidney is not the only man who proposes to have been appointed to lead this church. The devil seems to have set a good many hooks and baited them very nice, that some may be sure to catch. Here is another revelation come from the wonderful town of Appanooce; but the Twelve are so wicked they cannot get it. The great John C. Bennet said at the conference when he first came here, that he sustained the same position in first presidency as the Holy Ghost does to the Father and son. He now says that elder Rigdon is to take the presidency, and he is appointed to elder Rigdon's place. Now you see it is impossible for this people to go after them all. When elder Rigdon was in Pittsburg [Pittsburgh] he saw a great many things, and I dare to venture to say, that when the news reaches him of your action to-day, it will bring another slice of his revelation; he no doubt saw it before he left Pittsburg [Pittsburgh]. It is plain beyond a doubt that elder Rigdon came here with a spirit as corrupt as hell; because the effects produced by all his movements are as corrupt as can be. He first told the people he came here to do one thing, afterwards he said he would do another quite opposite. He said God had sent him here to see that the church was built up to Joseph, and the least departure from this, he said, was sure to result in the destruction of the church. He said wo, wo, wo unto this people if they do not make a right choice. And again he says he saw that the people would reject him. He said there was an important passage in the scriptures which had to be fulfilled. He did nor [not] tell us what it was, but we learned that it was that part of Isaiah's prophecy where he says, 'the stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner.' Now it appears that Isaiah's prophesy must be proved true, if it has to ruin the whole church to do it. The Temple must be forsaken and not be finished, and all that Joseph has done must be rejected, to carry out his notion that he (Sidney) was some great one. For the last four or five years we have never heard of Sidney's getting a revelation, but as soon as brother Joseph is out of the way, he can manufacture one to allure the people and destroy them. Now after he has given his testimony to the world; after finding fault with God because he happened to get into jail in Missouri; and because he was poor: yet this is the man that can get such wonderful revelations. Brother Parley and Brigham suffered in Missouri, but did not find fault with God; they dont [don't] get such wonderful things.-Now this is the man who has got the keys of conquest; the keys of David, keys which the Twelve never heard was to be given to man, who had, in a manner, curse [cursed] God to his face. It may be plead that Sidney Rigdon may be mistaken. If he should, it is not the first time he has been mistaken in his revelations. But Joseph Smith never was mistaken in his revelations. He never commenced to do a thing and when he had got it half done, turn round and quit it.

(To be Continued)

Nauvoo, Sept. 15, 1844.

At a meeting of the quorum of High Priests, Samuel James of LaHarp, and Geo. W. Crouse of Nauvoo, for unchristian conduct, were cut off from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, by the voice of said quorum, and ordered to be published in the Times and Seasons, and Neighbor.

GEORGE MILLER, President.

WM. FELSHAW, Clerk of Quorum.