| 992 TIMES AND SEASONS.
"TRUTH WILL PREVAIL."
VOL. VI. NO. 15.] CITY OF NAUVOO, ILL. AUG 15, 1845. [WHOLE NO. 123.
HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH.
Continued.
At a council of the high priest and elders at my house, in Kirtland on the evening of the 12th of February, I remarked, that I should endeavor to set before the council the dignity of the office which had been conferred on me by the ministering of the angel of God, by his own voice, and by the voice of this church that I had never set before any council in all the order of it, which it ought to be conducted, which, perhaps has deprived the councils of some, or many blessings.
And I continued and said, no man is capable of judging a matter, in council, unless his own heart is pure, and that we frequently are so filled with prejudice, or have a beam in our own eye, that we are not capable of passing right decisions, &c.
But to return to the subject of order: in ancient days councils were conducted with such strict propriety that no one was allowed to whisper, be weary, leave the room, or get uneasy in the least; until the voice of the Lord, by revelation, or by the voice of the council by the spirit was obtained, which has not been observed in this church to the present. It was understood in ancient days, that if one man could stay in council, another could; and if the President could spend his time, the members could also: but in our councils, generally, one will be uneasy, another asleep; one praying, another not; one's mind on the business of the council, and another thinking on something else, &c.
Our acts are rendered, and at a future day they will be laid before us, and if we should fail to judge right and injure our fellow beings, they may be there, perhaps, condemn us; there they are of great consequence and to me the consequence appears to be of force, beyond anything which I am able to express, &c. Ask yourselves, brethren, how much you have exercised yourselves in prayer since you heard of this council; and if you are now prepared to sit in council upon the soul of your brother?
I then gave a relation of my situation at the time I obtained the record, the persecutions I met with, &c., and prophecied [prophesied] that I would stand and shine like the sun in the firmament, when my enemies and the gainsayers of my testimony shall be put down and cut off, and their names blotted out from among men.
The council proceeded to investigate certain charges presented by Elder Rigdon against Martin Harris, one was, that he told A. C. Russell, Esq. that Joseph drank too much liquor when he was translating the Book of Mormon, and that he wrestled with many men and threw them, &c.; and that he (Harris) exalted himself above Joseph, in that he said, "Brother Joseph knew not the contents of the Book of Mormon, until it was translated, but that he, himself knew all about it before it was translated."
Brother Harris said he did not tell Esq. Russell that Brother Joseph drank too much liquor while translating the Book of Mormon, but this thing occurred previous to the translating of the book; he confessed that his mind was darkened, and that he had said many things inadvertantly [inadvertently], calculated to wound the feelings of his brethren, and promised to do better. The council forgave him, with much good advice.
Brother Rich was called in question for transgressing the word of wisdom, and for selling the revelations at an extortionary price, while he was journeying east with father Lyons. Brother Rich confessed, and the council forgave him upon his promising to do better and reform his life.
ORSON HYDE, Clerk.
Liberty, Clay county, Mo., Feb. 13, 1844.
A. Leonard Esq; Dear Sir:
I received a line from Wm. Pratt, who called on you a few weeks since, to enquire [inquire] if your service could be secured in the prosecution of claims for damages by our church against the citizens of Jackson county, and by his letter it appears that you are willing to engage. So far as I have conversed with the principal leaders of our church, they are desirous to secure your services, which also meets the approbation of our counsel in this county, viz: Messrs. Reese, Doniphon [Doniphan], Atchison and Wood.
I write this a few moments before closing the mail, and have not time to state particulars, as to the extent of the suits, &c., but believe that four or five suits have been brought by Phelps & Co., for the destruction of the printing office &c., &c., and by Partridge and others for personal abuse, &c. I understand that at the next Monday term of the circuit court, petition will be made for a change of venue in Jackson county, and I suppose no case can be tried before next June or October term. If it is expedient some one of our people will call on you
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