[William Clayton Writings] /17th HCK tells WC that Emma says somebody stole some of her money ... Clayton sees this as a plot by Emma to discredit him. (1)
-- Aug 18, 1844
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 18th Sunday I met a vast congregation of the Saints at the grove to hear a discourse from President Young upon the present excitement that is through Nauvoo in consequence of unwise teaching by some that are trying to draw away a party after them. The following is a synopsis of the discourse:
President Young arose and said that he had many things to speak of. It was my mind in the first place that we should have suitable time to meditate upon all matters and weigh them, even evry subject wharein we felt interested. When the question was asked me if they Should continue to Baptise for the dead, I said I had no council to give upon that subject at that time but should think it not best to attend to it at that time.
I have learned some things I did not know when I came home. I discover a disposition in the sheep to scatter abroad now the shepherd is taken away. I do not say that it will never be right for this people to go from here or scatter abroad but let them wait untill the time comes & untill they get Council to do so.
The report has gone forth through the city that the Twelve has a secret understanding with those men who are going away to take a company with them, that they shall take all they can but the Twelve will blow it up in public but privately wish it to go on. But if it was the last words I had to say before going into the Eternal world I would swear by the Holy Trinity that it was utterly fals and not a word of truth in it.
Their is no man [with] any right to lead away one soul out of this city by the consent of the Twelve, except Lyman Wight and Geo Miller had the privilege of taking the Pine Company whare they pleased. But not any other soul has the consent of the Twelve to go with them. Their is no man [who has] any liberty to lead away people into the wilderness from this Church or to lead them any whare els not by the consent of the Twelve or the Church except the case above named. And I tel you in the name of Jesus Christ, that if Lyman Wight & Geo Miller take a course contrary to our Council, and will not act in consert with us but take a course against us they will be damned and go to destruction. And if men will not stop striving to be great and exhalted and lead away parties from us and strive to weaken our hands they will fall and not rise again, and I will destroy their influence in this church with the help of God and my brethren.
I wish you to distinctly to understand that the Council of the Twelve is for evry family that does not belong to the Pine Company to stay here in Nauvoo, and build up the Temple & get your endowment. Dont scatter. United we stand divided we fall. It has been whispered about that all that go into the wilderness with Wight and Miller will get their endowment. But they Cannot give an endowment in the wilderness. If we do not Carry out the plan Joseph has laid and the pattern he has given for us to work by we cannot get any further endowment. I want it to sink deep into your heart that you may remember it.
I repeat it: Let me reason with you. If you stir up the flame of dissent will you get an endowment? No. You get a party to run here and another there, and divide our strength and weaken our hands and we will be left and our enemies will flock around us and destroy us. In that case you will not get your endowment but will sink and not rise go to hell and not to the bosom of Abraham.
Do the people leave here because they are afraid? What are you Cowards? Do you fear those that have power to kill the body and have no other power more than him that has power to cast both Soul and body in hell? If you leave this place for fear of the mob before God tells you to go you will have no place of rest but you will flee from place to place and go like the jews untill God raises up some other people to redeem you for if the devil scares you from this place he will scare you from all other places. Let no man go from this place but the pine Country brethren. But stay here. Sow plant build, put your plow share into the prairies. One plow share will do more to drive off the mob than two guns. Let us stay here with the bones of Joseph and Hiram Samuel Carloss and father Smith.
Joseph has said if I am slain in battle or fall any way I want my body laid in Nauvoo. I had rather have the dead body of the prophet than some men who are alive, and I should rather have the Clothes of the prophet stuffed with straw for President than any man whose name is now before the nation for a Candidate for he would not do so much harm.
We want to build the Temple in this place if we have to build it as the Jews built the walls of the Temple in Jerrusalem with a sword in one hand and the trowell in the other. How easily men are scared. This Child was never frightend yet and I know of other men who are not.
Do you suppose the mouth of God is Closed to be opened no more unto us? If this was the Case I would not give the ashes of arie straw for the salvation of the Church. If God has Ceased to speak By the Holy Ghost or revelation their is no salvation but this is not the Case.
Their seines to be a disposition by many to leave Nauvoo & go into the wilderness, or some whare els. But what if we should go into the wilderness and we should ask God to give us an endowment, and he should ask if we were driven from Nauvoo and who drove you? The devel drove us, would be the answer. Well he might say did you not know that I had power over the devil? Yes but one Said that I would not give a Jack knife for all Nauvoo and another Said I would not give a pair of mules for the best farm in Hancock co and I was afraid would the Lord give an endowment to a people that would be fritened away from duty. Those that are wishing to lead away parties contrary to Council I would not wish them damned worse than to have a company after their own liking for they will soon quarrel among themselves.
And if we should go to the wilderness and ask the Lord to give us an endowment He might ask us saying did I not give you rock in Nauvoo to build the temple with? Yes. Did I not through my providence furnish men to quiry & cut the stone & prepare them for the building? Yes. Did I not give you means to build the Temple there? Yes. Vary well had you have died in Nauvoo on the walls of the Temple or in your fields I would have taken you to glory and raised up men to officiate for you and you would have got the highest glory. Did you make a sacrafice by tithing? No. Well I dont wonder you did not believe I had power over the devil. Such may go away. But I want to have the faithful stay here to settle the city.
We shall require the 10th of all your property for the tithing for the building of the Temples the poor and for the Priesthood. I want my support and living by the Church hereafter so that I can give my whole time to the business of the Church. I have always supported myself heretofore in all my travels and labours. While in England one year, we circulated 60,000 tracts upon our doctrin. This ought to be done in all the world.
The testitor has always lived untill now, but he has now sealed his testimony with his blood and his testiment should now be put in force. While the testator lived it was all in his hands but now he is dead. Their is no remission of Sins without the Sheding of Blood. You will soon wake up and know things as they are. Their has been a great dept paid. Their will be no need of more Blood of the Saints being Shed at present. By and by you will understand and see that all is right. WO, WO, WO, unto all who have shed the blood of the Saints and the Lords Anointed. It must needs be that offences come but wo unto that man through whome they come.
To those that want to go away from this place I would say wait untill the time Comes. I will give you the key. North and South America is Zion and as soon as the temple is done and you get your endowment you can go and build up stakes but dont be in haste. Wait untill the Lord says go.
If you have the spirit of God you can discover right from wrong. When all is right with the priesthood A man is rises up and speaks in the spirit of God and just right. All will say Amen. But when a man rises up and talks as smooth as oil if he is not right their will be many queries about it. It will not satisfy the body. I give this as a key. You may go all over North and South America & build up stakes when the time comes. The continant of America must be organized into districts and Presiding elders appointed over each district. The time has come when all things must be set in order. I have had these things upon my mind a long time.
The time has come now for bickerings to scease. Their must be a strict order of things, and we are no longer bound to harbor black legs, Counterfieters, boges makers. We know all about them.
They have been in our midst long enough. I advise all the Saints to have no dealing with such men. Let them alone. The time has come that they should be wiped out of our midst. Let those men alone. Let the ungodly dealers alone.
And as to the doctors who are in our midst who are our enemies I would say let them alone, for I have no boubt but that three to one who have died in this place had a doctor and I would say wo unto ye Lawyers for their whole Study is to put down truth and put a lie in its stead. I want the Lawyers to know that we have common sens. They want to make you believe that when you spell Baker it means Cider or whiskey. Now let the Lawyers and doctors alone and leave all bitterness and evil speaking alone and you will build the Temple and get an endowment. All ye Lawyiers go away and let us alone, and when we want you and we get full of the devil we will send for you. We may then have a more convenient season but go thy way for this time, and I want to say to all Saints do not harbor black legs counterfeiters, and bogas makers. Wipe them away. It is time to carry out the design of our prophet. Do scease to employ doctors Lawyers & Merchants who will empty your purs and then mob you.
Store your grain in Nauvoo for you will want it here, to eat while you are bilding the Temple. I want to say to the hands upon the Temple be united and I want to say to the committee dont turn away any person because he is an Englishman Scotchman Irishman or any other nation, but employ evry man you can and build the temple and your homes. I had rather pay out evry sent I have to build up this place and get an endowment If I was driven the next minute, without any thing to take with me.
As to the doctors let them go. I can prove that a doctor in this place doctored a woman that was in the family way and did not know it untill she was deliverd, and both woman and Child died, and if you will employ them you will all die, but the time has come when you need no longer to support them.
Their is a distinction between the law of the Land and the law of the Church. You have the privilege of keeping all shops that does not come in contack with the Law of the state county or city. So I will evade the law says the dealer and give away whiskey and sell a little tobaco or sumthing & charge enough for both. But the law of the Church will reach such men if they are members for they will be cut off.
I had a dream which I will here relate. I saw a fruit tree, & I went into the tree in search of fruit. I soon discoverd that some of the main branches on top going from the main body was dead. It seemed necessary to cut off the dead branches in order to save the tree. So I told some person to help me cut them off & they steped on to a large green limb. They were afraid it would break, so I put my sholder under it & held it up while he cut off the dead branches. It cracked the green limb but it did not break. After we cut of the dry limbs the wounds healed up and the tree grew finely.) Now let us cut of the dead branches of the Church that good fruit may grow and the voice will soon be herd Go and build Zion and the great Temple of the Lord.
A word unto the Seventies. They will be organized into their different quorums and a Presidency of seven men will be chosen out of the first seventy to preside over each quorum. Now as you have been warned let evry man warn his Neighbor.
The Saints assembled in the afternoon and was addressed by Elder H. C. Kimball & followed by President Young. I did not attend myself and hence did not take notes but they had an interesting time. They warned the Lawyers and Doctors of the iniquity and Preached righteousness to the Saints.
I spent the afternoon at home writing. And in the evening in company with Mrs Woodruff I rode out to Br John Benbow and spent the night. Had some trouble getting there but had a good visit with them. We came to the Conclusion to leave our ownly son named Wilford Olsen with Br and Sister Benbow while we should take our mission to England. (2)
Footnotes:
1 - Fillerup, Robert C., compiler; William Clayton Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings, A chronological compilation of the personal writings of William Clayton while he was a resident of Nauvoo, Illinois. http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries
2 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
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