CHAPTER 16.

1834.

SPECIAL PRAYERS COUNCIL OF HIGH PRIESTS - ORGANIZATION OF THE HIGH COUNCIL-WORD OF WISDOM-MESSENGERS FROM ZION ARRIVE-REVELATION ON ZION-WORK IN CANADA-IN MAINE-MISSION EAST-PURPOSE OF ZION'S CAMP-HURLBUT BE FORE THE COURT-H. SMITH AND L. WIGHT GO TO ZION VIA MICHIGAN-PREPARATIONS FOR STARTING TO ZION-REVELATION TO ENOCH-NAME OF THE CHURCH-THE START FOR ZION-KIM BALL AND PRATT ON THE PURPOSE OF THE EXPEDITION.

Special prayers.

THE year 1834 opened with activity upon the part of the church in Kirtland. The leading officers humbled themselves in special and earnest prayer for certain purposes. Of this and other items of history the writings of Joseph Smith are the best authority. He states:"On the evening of the eleventh of January, Joseph Smith, Jr., Frederick G. Williams, Newel K. Whitney, John Johnson, Oliver Cowdery, and Orson Hyde united in prayer, and asked the Lord to grant the following petitions:

"That the Lord would grant that our lives might be precious in his sight, that he would watch over our persons, and give his angels charge concerning us and our families. that no evil nor unseen hand might be permitted to harm

us. ...

"That the Lord would grant that Brother Joseph might prevail over his enemy, even Doctor Hurlbut, who has threatened his life, whom Joseph has caused to be taken with a precept; that the Lord would fill the heart of the court with a spirit to do justice, and cause that the law of the land may be magnified in bringing him to justice.

"That the Lord would provide in the order of his providence the bishop of this church with means sufficient to discharge every debt that the order owes, in due season, that the church may not be brought into disrepute and the saints be afflicted by the hands of their enemies.

That the Lord would protect our printing press from the

hands of evil men, and give us means to send forth his record, even his gospel, that the ears of all may hear it, and also that we may print his Scriptures; and also that he would give those who were appointed to conduct the press wisdom sufficient that the cause may not be hindered, but that men's eyes may thereby be opened to see the truth.

"That the Lord would deliver Zion, and gather in his scattered people to possess it in peace; and also, while in their dispersion, that he would provide for them that they perish not by hunger or cold; and finally, that God, in the name of Jesus, would gather his elect speedily, and unveil his face, that his saints might behold his glory, and dwell with him. Amen. . .

"On the 22d, the Presidency of the High Priesthood wrote from Kirtland to the brethren in Christ Jesus, scattered from Zion, scattered abroad from the land of their inheritance; Greeting:-We your companions in tribulation embrace the present opportunity of sending you this token of our love and good will, assuring you that our bowels are filled with compassion, and that our prayers are daily ascending to God in the name of Jesus Christ in your behalf.

We have just received intelligence from you through the medium of Brother Elliott, of Chagrin, making inquiries concerning the course which you are to pursue. In addition to the knowledge contained in the above on this subject, we say if it is not the duty of the Governor to call out and keep a standing force in Jackson County to protect you on your lands, (which it appears, must be done, as we understand. the mob are determined to massacre you if the Governor takes you back upon your lands and leaves you unpro. tected,) it will become your duty to petition the Governor to petition the President to send a force there to protect you when you are reinstated.

The Governor proposes to take you back to your lands whenever you are ready to go, (if we understand correctly,) but cannot keep up any army to guard you; and while the hostile feelings of the people of Jackson County remain unabated, probably you dare not go back to be left unguarded. Therefore, in your petition to the Governor, set

all these things forth in their proper light, and pray him to notify the President of your situation, and also petition the President yourselves, according to the direction of the Lord. We have petitioned Governor Dunklin in your behalf, and inclosed it in a printed revelation, the same as this, which we now send to you. The petition was signed by something like sixty brethren, and mailed for Jefferson City, one week ago, and he will probably receive it two weeks before you receive this.

"We also calculate to send a petition and this revelation to the President forth with, in your behalf, and then we will act the part of the poor widow to perfection, if possible, and let our rulers read their destiny if they do not lend a helping hand. We exhort you to prosecute and try every lawful means to bring the mob to justice, as fast as circumstances will permit. With regard to your tarrying in Clay County, we cannot say; you must be governed by circumstances; perhaps you will have to hire out, and take farms to cultivate, to obtain bread until the Lord delivers.

"We sent you a fifty dollar United States note some time ago. If you have received it, please acknowledge the receipt of it, to us, that we may be satisfied you received it. We shall do all that is in our power to assist you in every way we can. We know your situation is a trying one, but be patient and not murmur against the Lord, and you shall see that all these things shall turn to your greatest good.

"Inquire of Elder Marsh and find out the entire secret of mixing and compounding lead and antimony, so as to make type metal, and write us concerning it. Joseph has sent you another fifty dollar note, making in all one hundred dollars; write us concerning it. There is a prospect of the eastern churches doing something pretty handsome towards the deliverance of Zion, in the course of a year, if Zion is not delivered otherwise.

Though the Lord said this affliction came upon you because of your sins, polluting your inheritances, etc., yet there is an exception of some; namely, the heads of Zion, for the Lord said your brethren in Zion begin to repent, and the angels rejoice over them, etc. You will also see an excep

tion at the top of the second column of this revelation: therefore this affliction came upon the church to chasten those in transgression, and prepare the hearts of those who had repented, for an endowment from the Lord.

"We shall not be able to send you any more money at present, unless the Lord puts it into our hands unexpectedly. There is not quite so much danger of a mob upon us as there has been. The hand of the Lord has thus far been stretched

out to protect us. Doctor P. Hurlbut, an apostate elder from this church, has been to the State of New York, and gathered up all the ridiculous stories that could be invented, and some affidavits respecting the character of Joseph, and the Smith family, and exhibited them to numerous congregations in Chagrin, Kirtland, Mentor, and Painesville, and fired the minds of the people with much indignation against Joseph and the church.

"Hurlbut also made many harsh threats, etc., that he would take the life of Joseph, if he could not destroy Mormonism without. Bro. Joseph took him with a peace warrant and after three days trial, and investigating the merits of our religion, in the town of Painesville, by able attorneys on both sides, he was bound over to the county court. Thus his influence was pretty much destroyed, and since the trial the spirit of hostility seems to be broken down in a good degree, but how long it will continue so we cannot say.

"You purchased your inheritances with money; therefore, behold, you are blessed; you have not purchased your lands by the shedding of blood, consequently you do not come under the censure of this commandment, which says, 'If by blood, lo your enemies are upon you, and ye shall be driven from city to city.' Give yourselves no uneasiness on this account.

Farewell in the bonds of the new covenant, and partakers in tribulation.

"(Signed)

ORSON HYDE,

"Clerk of the Presidency of the Church." -Times and Seasons, vol. 6, pp. 963, 976, 977.

A council of high priests was held at the house of President Joseph Smith, in Kirtland, Ohio, on February 12, 1834, of which Joseph states:

Council of high priests.

"At a council of the high priests and elders, at my house, in Kirtland, on the evening of the 12th of February, I remarked that I should endeavor to set before the council the dignity of the office which had been conferred on me by the ministering of the angel of God, by his own voice, and by the voice of this church; that I had never set before any council in all the order of it, which it ought to be conducted, which, perhaps, has deprived the councils of some, or many blessings.

"And I continued and said, No man is capable of judging a matter, in council, unless his own heart is pure; and that we frequently are so filled with prejudice, or have a beam in our own eye, that we are not capable of passing right deci sions, etc.

"But to return to the subject of order: In ancient days councils were conducted with such strict propriety that no one was allowed to whisper, be weary, leave the room, or get uneasy in the least; until the voice of the Lord, by revelation, or by the voice of the council by the Spirit, was obtained; which has not been observed in this church to the present. It was understood in ancient days, that if one man could stay in council, another could; and if the President could spend his time, the members could also; but in our councils, generally, one will be uneasy, another asleep; one praying, another not; one's mind on the business of the council, and another thinking on something else, etc.

"Our acts are rendered, and at a future day they will be laid before us, and if we should fail to judge right and injure our fellow beings, they may be there, perhaps, condemn us; there they are of great consequence, and to me the conse. quence appears to be of force, beyond anything which I am able to express, etc. Ask yourselves, brethren, how much you have exercised yourselves in prayer since you heard of this council; and if you are now prepared to sit in council upon the soul of your brother?

"I then gave a relation of my situation at the time I obtained the record, the persecutions I met with, etc., and prophesied that I would stand and shine like the sun in the firmament, when my enemies and the gainsayers of my testi