| 312 commandments of God through Jesus Christ, respectfully show:-
"That we your petitioners, having purchased lands of the United States, and of the State of Missouri, and of the inhabitants of said State, for the purpose of improving the same and peaceably enjoying our rights, privileges, immunities, and religion, according to the Constitution and laws of the State and National Governments, have suffered unjustly and unlawfully in property, in person, and in reputation, as follows: First. In the spring of 1832, some persons, in the deadly hours of the night, commenced stoning or brickbatting some of our houses and breaking in our windows, disturbing ourselves, our wives, and our children; and also, some few days after, they called a county meeting to consult measures to remove us, but after some confusion among themselves, they dispersed with doing no more than threatening, on that day. In the fall of the same year, they or some one, burned a large quantity of hay in the stack; and soon after commenced shooting into some of our houses, and at many times insulting with abusive language.
"Secondly. About the middle of July last, yea, in fact, previous, they commenced brickbatting our houses again, and breaking in our windows. At this time, July 18, the following document was in circulation:-
"'We, the undersigned, citizens of Jackson County, believing that an important crisis is at hand as regards our civil society, in consequence of a pretended religious sect of people that have settled and are still settling in our county, styling themselves Mormons, and intending as we do to rid our society "peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must," and believing as we do that the arm of the civil law does not afford us a guarantee, or at least a sufficient one against the
be a means of doing good, if those who are immediately interested in the same, give heed to them.
Dear brethren in the new covenant, accept this as a token for a salutation in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, from your brethren in Zion. While we are permitted to witness the great things which are continually taking place in fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the last days, as the children of God are gathered home to prepare themselves for the supper of the Lamb, our language, that is, the English tongue, fails to express our joy.-Evening and Morning Star, pp. 219-222.
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