Beware of Deception!!

Tidings have just reached us here that certain men in the eastern countries, Ohio and other places, professing to be Latter-day Saints, are very busy in selling Illinois lands, and exchanging them for real estate and other property in the east. I would inform all the saints every where, that this operation is a field for greater and more extensive fraud than any other with which I am acquainted.

You may give some irresponsible, worthless creature a clear title to your homes in the east, with the expectation of finding good land here in exchange with a good title &c. &c. But when you come, you may find your land in a swamp, in the middle of an extensive prairie, ten or fifteen miles from any timber. I will venture to give it as my opinion that those miserable speculators are knaves and villains; professing to be saints, and trying to help the church and build; up the cause, when they have no license from the authorities of the church here.

I say again, beware of those "wolves in sheeps clothing." Whenever any such operation is deemed beneficial to the saints by those who know and understand these things, some competent responsible person will be sent, duly authorised [authorized] with documents from under the hands of the Twelve that reside in this city. Otherwise you may find to your sorrow that you will have to pay for your lands twice over before you get good titles. I therefore warn you, as a watchman of your interests, to hold on upon your homes until you know certainly what you are doing.

ORSON HYDE.

(->) Prophet please copy.