| 674 like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightening; and all they who are not found written in the book of remembrance, shall find none inheritance in that day, but they shall be cut asunder and their portion shall be appointed them among unbelievers, where is wailing and gnashing of teeth. These things I say not of myself, therefore, as the Lord speaketh, he will also fulfill.
And they who are of the high priesthood, whose names are not found written in the book of the law, or that are found to have apostatized, or to have been cut off out of the church; as well as the lesser priesthood, or the members, in that day shall not find an inheritance among the saints of the most High; therefore it shall be done unto them as unto the children of the priest, as you will find recorded in the second chapter and sixty first and second verses of Ezra.
Now, brother William, if what I have said is true, how careful had men ought to be what they do in these last days, lest they are cut short of their expectations, and they that think they stand should fall, because they keep not the Lord's commandments; while you, who do the will of the Lord and keep his commandments, have need to rejoice with unspeakable joy, for such shall be exalted very high, and shall be lifted up in triumph above all the kingdoms of this world; but I must drop this subject at the beginning.
Oh Lord, when will the time come; when brother William, thy servant, and myself, shall behold the day that we may stand together and gaze upon eternal wisdom engraven upon the heavens, while the majesty of our God holdeth up the dark curtain, until we may read the round of eternity, to the fulness [fullness] and satisfaction of our immortal souls? Oh Lord God; deliver us in thine own due time from the little narrow prison, almost as it were, total darkness of paper, pen and ink;-and a crooked, broken, scattered and imperfect language.
I have obtained ten subscribers for the Star, &c.; love for all the brethren.
Yours in bonds; Amen.
JOSEPH SMITH, Jun.
COMMUNICATIONS.
DEAR BROTHER:-I feel like breathing out a little of the feelings of my soul in relation to the happy session and termination of our October conference, which has equalled [equaled], if not surpassed, in point of harmony and good order, any conference I have ever witnessed.
It has been remarked by some that we would be broken up, scattered, thrown into confusion and disorder, in consequence of having lost our Prophet and Patriarch, Joseph and Hyrum Smith; but I think that those who were present at our late conference found that it was not so. When, I would ask, was there ever a greater unanimity of feeling, better order, a greater disposition among the saints to do the will of God than on this occasion? I say never! And then when we reflect that there were near one hundred ordained to the high priesthood, and over five hundred ordained into the quorums of the seventies, we might ask, when was there ever so glorious a prospect for the spread of truth and intelligence as at the present time? [I?] would again reply, never!! Although I am well aware that our strength does not altogether depend upon the multitude of men or means without authority, or with it, but in the power of omnipotence, yet who can help but believe that those eleven quorums of seventies which were organized during this conference will make a mighty stir in satan's kingdom and sectarian babylon, for their hearts seem to be united and full of those principles of salvation and virtue which flow from the proper source.
I was pleased to hear President Young and others of the Twelve, exhort the saints to patronize their friends and let the speculating merchants alone; for we have had experience enough to teach us that they only come here to pick up our money, and when they can't get money enough, to suck our blood. Where is the merchant, the lawyer or the doctor, who has used his means and his efforts to build up this people or this city. I say there has none come here yet, and why should we patronize them. Do they not almost invariably trample on our ordinances and try to corrupt our citizens by secretly and unlawfully introducing and vending whiskey and other intoxicating drinks, and by practising [practicing] in our midst those things which we despise and deprecate, such as adultery, whordoms, gambling, swearing and every other evil work? I say they do; and when our city officers take the necessary measures to put a stop to these things, they set up a most hedious [hideous] howling, and with all other characters of like cloth, cry oppression delusion, fanaticism, &c. &c., and are among the foremost to join with a mob to overthrow us; and I have long been convinced that we had no cause to thank them, that we were not mobbed long ago. I say too, let them alone. Do not go near them. Pay no regard to them only when they trample upon our rights, and
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