| 721 your brethren in Zion, for their rebellion against you at the time I sent you."
Brother Joseph, and certain others, have written to you on this all important subject, but you have never been apprized [apprised] of these things, by the united voice of a conference of those high priests that were present at the time this commandment was given.
We therefore, Orson and Hyrum, the committee appointed by said conference to write this epistle, having received the prayers of said conference that we might be enabled to write the mind and will of God upon this subject; now take up our pen to address you in the name of the conference, relying upon the arm of the great head of the church.
In the commandment above alluded to, the children of Zion were all, yea, even every one, under condemnation, and were to remain in that state until they repented and remembered the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon, and the former commandments, which the Lord had given them, not only to say but to do them, and bring forth fruit meet for the Father's kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and a judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion: for shall the children of the kingdom pollute the holy land? I say unto you nay!
The answers received from those letters, which have been sent to you upon this subject, have failed to bring to us that satisfactory confession and acknowledgement [acknowledgment], which the spirit of our Master requires: we, therefore, feeling a deep interest for Zion, and knowing the judgments of God that will come upon her except she repent, resort to these last, and most effectual means in our power, to bring her to a sense of her standing before the Most High.
At the time Joseph, Sidney and Newel left Zion, all matters of hardness and misunderstanding were settled and buried, (as they supposed) and you gave them the hand of fellowship; but, afterwards, you brought up all these things again, in a sensorious [censorious] spirit, accusing Brother Joseph in rather an indirect way of seeking after monarchial [monarchical] power and authority. This came to us in Brother Carroll's letter of June 2nd. We are sensible that this is not the thing Brother Joseph is seeking after, but to magnify the high office and calling whereunto he has been called and appointed by the command of God, and the united voice of this church. It might not be amiss for you to call to mind the circumstances of the Nephites and the children of Israel rising up against their prophets, and accusing them of seeking after kingly power, &c., and see what befel [befell] them and take warning before it is too late.
Brother Gilbert's letter of December 10th, has been received and read attentively, and the low, dark, and blind insinuations, which were in it, were not received by us as from the fountain of light, though his claims and pretensions to holiness, were great. We are not unwilling to be chastened or rebuked for our faults, but we want to receive it in language that we can understand, as Nathan said to David, "Thou art the man." We are aware that brother G. is doing much, and a multitude of business on hand; but let him purge out all the old leaven, and do his business in the spirit of the Lord, and then the Lord will bless him, otherwise the frown of the Lord will remain upon him. There is manifestly an uneasiness in Brother Gilbert, and a fearfulness that God will not provide for his saints in these last days, and these fears lead him on to covetousness. This ought not so to be; but let him do just as the Lord has commanded him, and then the Lord will open his coffers, and his wants will be liberally supplied. But if this uneasy, covetous disposition be cherished by him, the Lord will bring him to poverty, shame, and disgrace.
Brother Phelps letter is also received of Dec. 15th, and carefully read, and it betrays a lightness of spirit that ill becomes a man placed in the important and responsible station that he is placed in. If you have fat beef and potatoes eat them in singleness of heart, and boast not yourselves in these things. Think not, brethren, that we make a man an offender for a word; this is not the case; but we want to see a spirit in Zion, by which the Lord will build it up; that is the plain, solemn, and pure spirit in Christ. Brother Phelps requested in his last letter that Brother Joseph should come to Zion; but we say that Brother Joseph will not settle in Zion until she repent and purify herself, and abide by the new covenant, and remember the commandments that have been given her, to do them as well as say them.
You may think it strange that we manifest no cheerfulness of heart upon the reception of your letter; you may think that our minds are prejudiced so much that we can see no good that comes from you; but rest assured, brethren that this is not the case.
We have the best of feelings, and feelings of the greatest anxiety for the welfare of Zion: we feel more like weeping over Zion than we do like rejoicing over her, for we know the judgments of God hang over her, and will fall upon her except she repent, and purify herself before the Lord, and put away from her every foul spirit. We now say to Zion, this once, in the name of the Lord, repent! repent! awake, awake, put on thy beautiful garments, before you are made
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