History of Joseph Smith

CONTINUED.

Kirtland Mills, Ohio, Dec. 10th, 1833.

Beloved Brethren:

E. Partridge, W. W. Phelps, J. Whitmer, A. S. Gilbert, J. Corrill, I. Morley, and all the saints whom it may concern:

This morning's mail brought Bishop Partridge's, and Elders Corrill's and Phelps letters, all mailed at Liberty, Nov. 19th, which gave us the melancholy intelligence of your flight from the land of your inheritance, having been driven before the face of your enemies in that place.

From previous letters we learned that a number of our brethren had been slain, but we could not learn from those referred to above, as there had been but one, and that was Brother Barber, and Brother Dibble was wounded in the bowels. We were thankful to learn that no more had been slain, and our daily prayers are, that the Lord will not suffer his saints, who have gone up to his land to keep his commandments, to stain his holy mountain with their blood.

I cannot learn from any communication by the spirit to me, that Zion has forfeited her claim to a celestial crown, notwithstanding the Lord has caused her to be thus afflicted, except it may be some individuals, who have walked in disobedience and forsaken the new covenant; all such will be made manifest by their works in due time. I have always expected that Zion would suffer some affliction, from what I could learn from the commandments which have been given. But I would remind you of a certain clause in one which says, that after much tribulation cometh the blessing. By this, and also others, and also one received of late, I know that Zion, in the own due time of the Lord, will be redeemed; but how many will be the days of her purification, tribulation, and affliction, the Lord has kept hid from my eyes; and when I enquire [inquire] concerning this subject, the voice of the Lord is, be still, and know that I am God! all those who suffer for my name shall reign with me, and he that layeth down his life for my sake shall find it again.-Now there are two things of which I am ignorant, and the Lord will not shew [show] them unto me perhaps for a wise purpose in himself; I mean in some respects: and they are these, why God has suffered so great a calamity to come upon Zion; and what the great moving cause of this great affliction is: and again, by what means he will return her back to her inheritance, with songs of everlasting joy upon her head. These two things, brethren, are in part kept back that they are not plainly manifest, in consequence of those who have incurred the displeasure of the Almighty.

When I contemplate upon all things that have been manifested, I am sensible that I ought not to murmur and do not murmur only in this, that those who are innocent are compelled to suffer for the iniquities of the guilty; and I cannot account for this, only on this wise, that the saying of the Savior has not been strictly observed: "If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee; or if thy right arm offend thee, cut it off and cast if from thee." Now the fact is, if any of the members of our body are disordered, the rest of our body will be effected with them, and then all is brought into bondage together, and yet, notwithstanding all this, it is with difficulty that I can restrain my feelings, when I know that you, my brethren, with whom I have had so many happy hours, sitting, as it were, in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; and also, having the witness which I feel, and ever have felt of the purity of your motives, are cast out, and are as strangers and pilgrims on the earth, exposed to hunger, cold, nakedness, peril, sword, &c.; I say when I contemplate this, it is with difficulty that I can keep from complaining and murmuring against this dispensation; but I am sensible that this is not right, and may God grant, that notwithstanding your great afflictions and sufferings, there may not anything separate us from the love of Christ.

Brethren, when we learn your suffering it awakens every sympathy of our hearts, it weighs us down; we cannot refrain from tears, yet, we are not able to realize, only in part, your sufferings: and I often hear the brethren saying, they wish they were with you, that they might bear a part of your sufferings: and I myself should have been with you, had not God prevented it in the order of his providence; that the yoke of affliction might be less grievous upon you; God having forewarned me, concerning these things, for your sakes; and also, Elder Cowdery could not have lightened your afflictions by tarrying longer with you, for his presence would have so much the more enraged your enemies; therefore, God hath dealt mercifully with us.

O brethren, let us be thankful that it is as well with us as it is, and we are yet alive, that peradventure, God hath laid up in store, great good for us in this generation, and grant that we may yet glorify his name.

I feel thankful that there have no more denied the faith: I pray God in the name of Jesus that you all may be kept in the faith, unto the end: let your suffering be what they may, it is better in the eyes of God, that you should die, than that you should give up the land of Zion, the inheritances which you have purchased with your monies; for every man that giveth not up his inheritance, though he should die, yet, when the Lord shall come, he shall stand upon it, and with Job in his flesh he shall see God. Therefore, this is my counsel, that you retain your lands, even unto the uttermost, and seek every lawful means to seek redress of your enemies, &c. &c.; and pray to God, day and night, to return you in peace and in safety to the lands of your inheritance: and when the judge fails you, appeal unto the executive; and when the executive fails you, appeal unto the president; and when the president fails you, and all laws fail you, and the humanity of the people fails you, and all things else fail you but God alone, and you continue to weary him with your importunings, as the poor woman did the unjust judge, he will not fail to execute judgment upon your enemies, and to avenge his own elect that cry unto him day and night.

Behold he will not fail you! He will come with ten thousand of his saints, and all his adversaries shall be destroyed with the breath of his lips! all those who keep their inheritances, notwithstanding they should be beaten and driven, shall be likened unto the wise virgins who took oil in their lamps. But all those who are unbelieving and fearful, will be likened unto the foolish virgins, who took no oil in their lamps: and when they shall return and say unto the saints give us of your lands, behold there will be no room found for them. As respects giving deeds: I would advise you to give deeds as far as the brethren have legal and just claims for them, and then let every man answer to God for the disposal of them.

I would suggest some ideas to Elder Phelps, not knowing as they will be of any real benefit, but suggest them for consideration. I would be glad that he were here, but dare not advise, were it possible for him to come, not knowing what shall befal [befall] us, as we are under very heavy and serious threatenings from a great many people in this place.

But perhaps, the people in Liberty may feel willing, God having power to soften the hearts of all men, to have a press established there; and if not, in some other place; any place where it can be the most convenient, and it is possible to get to it; God will be willing to have it in any place where it can be established in safety. We must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Again, I desire that Elder Phelps would collect all the information, and give us a true history of the beginning and rise of Zion, her calamities, &c.

Now hear the prayer of your unworthy brother in the new and everlasting covenant: O my God! thou who hast called and chosen a few, through thy weak instrument, by commandment, and sent them to Missouri, a place which thou didst call Zion, and commanded thy servants to consecrate it unto thyself for a place of refuge and safety for the gathering of thy saints, to be built up a holy city unto thyself; and as thou hast said that no other place should be appointed like unto this; therefore, I ask thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to return thy people unto their houses, and their inheritances, to enjoy the fruit of their labors; that all the waste places may be built up; that all the enemies of thy people, who will not repent and turn unto thee, be destroyed from off the face of the land; and let a house be built and established unto thy name; and let all the losses that thy people have sustained, be rewarded unto them, even more than four fold: that the borders of Zion be enlarged forever, and let her be established no more to be thrown down; and let all thy saints when they are scattered like sheep and are persecuted, flee unto Zion, and be established in the midst of her, and let her be organized according to thy law, and let this prayer ever be recorded before thy face; give thy Holy Spirit unto my brethren, unto whom I write; send thy angels to guard them, and deliver them from all evil; and when they turn their faces towards Zion, and bow down before thee and pray, may their sins never come up before thy face, neither have place in the book of thy remembrance, and may they depart from all their iniquities; provide food for them as thou doest for the ravens; provide clothing to cover their nakedness, and houses that they may dwell therein; give unto them friends in abundance, and let their names be recorded in the Lamb's book of life, eternally before thy face; Amen. Finally, brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all until his coming and kingdom; Amen.

JOSEPH SMITH, jr.

December 12th. An express arrived at Liberty, from Van Buren county, with information, that those families, which had fled from Jackson county, and located there, are about to be

driven from that county, after building their houses, and carting their winter's store of provision, grain, &c., forty or fifty miles. Several families are already fleeing from thence. The contaminating influence of the Jackson county mob, is predominant in this new county of Van Buren, the whole population of which is estimated at about thirty or forty families. The destruction of crops, household furniture and clothing is very great, and much of their stock is lost. The main body of the church, is now in Clay county, where the people are as kind and accommodating as could reasonably be expected. The continued threats of death to individuals of the church, if they make their appearance in Jackson county, prevents the most of them, even at this day, from returning to that county, to secure personal property, which they were obliged to leave in their flight.