| 649 I dont [don't] wish to be crowded. I then proposed to him, that myself and the brethren of the Twelve would call in the evening and converse with him further on the subject, to which he agreed. In the evening eight of the Twelve together with bishop Whitney, went to elder Rigdon's and conversed a-while; and finding matters as before stated, we concluded we would go over to Dr. Richards' and there council together what was best to do on the subject. In our council we deemed it necessary to demand his license, and say to him he could not hold it any longer, unless he retracted from his present course and repent of his wickedness. A committee of three was chosen, who went over and demanded his license, but he refused to give it up, at the same time saying, 'I did not receive it from you, neither shall I give it up to you.' On the strength of this, we published a notice in the Neighbor that there would be an action on his case before the church to day.
We have now the quorum before us, before which he will be tried, with the oldest bishop at their head; and I shall leave the subject for the brethren to take it up, and it is left for us to decide whether we are Latter Day Saints or not.
President Loung [Young] said further that the Twelve are to be regarded as witnesses in this trial, and not as judges. We present ourselves before the High Council as witnesses, and we are prepared to bring other witnesses forward if necessary. There will be some who will say that this is not a fair trial, because the opposite party are not here. They have had sufficient notice and time to make their objections, and if they dont [don't] appear to make their defence [defense] it will prove to me that they are guilty. Elder Rigdon has not conducted himself like a man of God, he has not conducted himself like a prophet of God, nor a counsellor [counselor] to the first president, since he came here. We prefer these charges against him, and the High Council will be obliged to act.
Elder Orson Hyde arose and said as follows: I thought I would present to your view, some things which have transpired since the death of our beloved Prophet and Patriarch, Joseph and Hyrum Smith, who were murdered by the mob. I was in New Haven when I first heard the news, but hardly crediting the report; I went from thence to New York, where I learned the same things, then I concluded I would start to Boston. When I arrived at Boston I met with President Young and one or two others of the Twelve. We held a council together and it was decided to write to elder Rigdon at Pittsburg [Pittsburgh]. I was appointed to write the letter. I informed elder Rigdon of our conclusions, and stated to him that we had decided to return immediately to Nauvoo, and that we should go by the lakes, inasmuch as we deemed it safer and quicker to go that way, than to go through Pittsburg [Pittsburgh]. I stated also that it was the desire of the twelve, that Elder Rigdon and Elder Page should meet us at Nauvoo, and after we had rested and mourned for our martyred brethren, we would sit down together and hold a council on the very ground where sleeps the ashes of our deceased friends. This letter was received by Elder Rigdon as we have since learned. Well what does he do? He comes directly to Nauvoo.-He arrived before the Twelve could get there. He immediately entered into measures to call the church together to appoint a Guardian, and was very anxious to crowd an action before the Twelve arrived, when he knew it was the request of the Twelve to sit in council together with him before any action was taken before the public. He represented to the congregation that it was necessary that he should return home immediately on account of the situation of his family. Providentially the Twelve came before he had accomplished his designs, and an action was taken before the public, and he was defeated. The church unanimously voted to sustain the Twelve in their office as appointed by President Joseph Smith and the church-since that action was taken Elder Rigdon has shown no more anxiety to return to Pittsburg [Pittsburgh]. Now I would ask this congregation, if Elder Rigdon had known that he was commanded to take the lead of this people, would he have had any reason to fear his success, if he had been sure God had appointed him? Were the Twelve jealous that they should not stand in their place? I heard no such thing. We wanted to sit in council together, and felt that whatever the spirit dictated that should be our course. There is a way by which all revelations purporting to be from God through any man can be tested. Brother Joseph gave us the plan, says he, when all the quorums are assembled and organized in order, let the revelation be presented to the quorums, if it pass one let it go to another, and if it pass that, to another, and so on until it has passed all the quorums; and if it pass the whole without running against a snag, you may know it is of God. But if it runs against a snag, then says he, it wants enquiring [inquiring] into: you must see to it. It is known to some who are present that there is a quorum organized where revelation can be tested. Brother Joseph said, let no revelation
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