Great Persecution of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Illinois

After we had began to realize the abundance of one of the most fruitful seasons, known for a long time, and while many hundreds of saints were laboring with excessive, and unwearied diligence to finish the Temple and rear the Nauvoo House, suddenly, in the forepart of September, the mob commenced burning the houses and grain of the saints in the south part of Hancock county. Though efforts were made by the Sheriff to stay the torch of the incendiary and parry off the deluge of arson, still

a "fire and sword" party continued the work of destruction for about a week, laying in ashes nearly two hundred buildings and much grain. Nor is this all: as it was in the sickly season, many feeble persons, thrown out into the scorching rays of the sun, or wet with the dampening dews of the evening, died, being persecuted to death in a CHRISTIAN land of law and order; and while they were fleeing and dying, the mob, embracing, doctors, lawyers, statesmen, Christians of various denominations, with the military from colonels down. were busily engaged in filching or plundering, taking furniture, cattle and grain. In the midst of this horrid revelry, having failed to procure aid among the "old citizens," the Sheriff summoned a sufficient posse to stay the "fire shower of ruin," but not until some of the offenders had paid for the aggression with their lives.

This, however, was not the end of the matter. Satan sits in the hearts of the people to rule for evil, and the surrounding counties began to fear that law, religion, and equal rights, in the hands of the Latter-day Saints, would feel after iniquity, or terrify their neighbors to larger acts of "reserved rights," and so they began to open a larger field of woe. To cut this matter short they urged the necessity, (to stop the effusion of blood,") to expel the church, or as they call them, the Mormons, from the United States, "peacably [peaceably] if they could, and forcibly if they must," unless they would transport themselves by next spring-Taking into consideration the great value of life, and the blessings of peace, a proposition, upon certain specified conditions was made to a committee of Quincy, and which it was supposed from the actions of conventions was accepted. But we are sorry to say, that the continued depredations of the mob and the acts of a few individuals, have greatly lessened the confidence of every friend of law, honor and humanity, in every thing promised by the committees and conventions, though we have already made great advances towards fitting for a move next spring.

A few troops stationed in the county, have not entirely kept the mob at bay: several buildings having been burnt in the month of October.

We shall, however, make every exertion on our part, as we have always done, to preserve the law and our engagements sacred, and leave the event with God, for he is sure.

It may not be amiss to say, that the continued abuses, persecutions, murders, and robberies practiced upon us, by a horde of land pirates with impunity in a christian republic, and land of liberty, (while the institutions of justice, have either been too weak to afford us protection or redress, or else they too have been a little remiss) have brought us to the solemn conclusion that our exit from the United States is the only alternative by which we can enjoy our share of the elements which our Heavenly Father created free for all.

We then can shake the dust from our garments, suffering wrong rather than do wrong, leaving this nation alone in her glory, while the residue of the world, points the finger of scorn, tiil [till] the indignations and consumption decreed, makes a full end.

In our patience we will possess our souls and work out a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, preparing, by withdrawing the power and priesthood from the Gentiles, for the great consolation of Israel, when the wilderness shall blossom tas [as] the rose, and Babylon fall like a millstone cast into the sea. The just shall live by faith; but the folly of fools, will perish with their bodies of corruption: then shall the righteous shine: Amen.