to lay our case before the world to be weighed in the balances of public opinion. Now, therefore, as citizens of the United States and leading Elders in the Church of the Latter-Day Saints residing in the state of Missouri, in behalf of the Church we the undersigned do make this solemn appeal to the people and constituted authorities of this nation and to the ends of the earth, for Peace; that we may have the privilege of enjoying our religious rights and immu- nities and worship God according to the dictates of our own ...

from God, and while every event that transpires around us, in evidence of the truth of them, and an index that the great and terrible day of the Lord is near, we intreat the philanthro- pist, the moralist and the honorable men of all creeds, and sects, to read our publications, to examine the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Commandments, and listen to the fulness of the gospel, and judge whether we are enti- tled to the credit of the world, for honest motives and true principles. A cloud of bad omen seems to hang ...

December 22, 1856 ~ Monday 22nd we spent the fore part of the day in the Legislature I took dinner with the Presidency & Twelve & members of the Council I Attended the seventies meeting in the evening Elder O Hyde W. Woodruff L. Snow & F. D. Richards [FIGURES] of the Twelve were present & a house full of the presidents of the 70s The first business that was Attended to was to Bring up G P. Stiles for Adultery He ...

He did not approbate the procedings at the close I went to the 17th ward & preached to the people Brother Cummings spoke before me & Brother Wright & I followed them we had the spirit of God & my mind was open & I enjoyed the meeting well. I told the people to seek for happiness by doing the works of wrighteousness & not seek for happiness by doing evil for that was contrary to the principle of Salvation as taught by the Lord our God. I ...

one from Ozem Woodruff, one from Shuah Moulton to Phebe President Young Brought me Received a great amount of Letters I remained in the office with O Hyde F. D. Richards & others till 10 oclok May 30, 1857 ~ Saturday 30th we recieved a great amount of papers from the mail to day G A Smith came into the Historians office & had a long talk upon matters ...

July 23, 1857 ~ Thursday 23rd we camped last night in the Big Cotton wood at the place whare the Brethren were cutting granite for the Temple Brothers Rich & A Lyman camped with me G A Smith & many others in fact the whole road was lined with waggons for miles & they camped whare ever they could drive out of the road we arose this morning before 3 oclok & started on our road the Twelve ...

He wished Capt Van Vliet to report at Washington Just as things were here He said I have seen the suffering of this people through the Persecutions of the people of the United States for the last 25 years and I will not bear it any longer. we have always treated the United States officers well but they have constantly lied abo- ut us & tried to destroy us all the time. we would still have received their govornors & officers if they had sent them here ...

f Oct 26 for their families but to war. I think it is better to let the Army alone this winter they will die many of them and others desert & many be weakened with the scurvey & in the spring we will wipe them out if necessary if they do not go away. we do all of our Business in the name of Israel God and they in their own way. The whole matter can be sumed up in these few words we are here at home by our ...

March 3, 1858 ~ Wednesday March 3rd I spent most of the day in the Endowment House we gave Endowments to 53. My Men commenced gardning to day March 4, 1858 ~ Thursday 4th [FIGURES] I wrote a lengthy communication to Col T. L. Kane giving a reason of our hope and faith and the cause of ofur defending ourselves in these vallies of the mountains it contained 6 pages of fools cap I spent most of the day in the

Aug 9th of the United States as we always have done then our difficulties will be settelled as far as they can be but this people will not be driven from these mountains we shall fight first. we do take the liberty to speak of the acts of men when they debase themselves by their acts, but this People hold the Constitution of the United States sacred. Now should I speak about Judge Eckles who came & spent the winter in Green River Country & hadd ...