| 1016 and good men. Those men who have done the most, are the nearest square. I want the Twelve, and the Committee, and all the people to settle with the Trustees, and not go away in debt to the Lord; and then we will have abundance to take away the poor.
Elder Kimball moved, that the Twelve, the Temple Committee, and all others settle with the Trustees in Trust; and that the Trustees in Trust settle with the Presidency of the church; seconded and carried. Elder Kimball remarked, we shall now expect a settlement from all those who have the wherewith, or you need not expect an endowment in this house. President Joseph Smith said he would stand at the door with the books: you will not see him, but you will see his successors, who will carry ont [out] his designs.
Elder G. A. Smith said; the next item was of very great importance: there has been more powder and ball wasted within the last two weeks, than would supply all the people with meat for three months, if they were in a game country. What is the use of this waste? You cannot wake up in the night, but you hear them cracking away. You can hardly walk the streets, but sometimes a bullet will whistle over your head. Men say they are afraid their guns won't go off, it is wet; then I am in favor of getting something to draw them: I hope there will be no more firing. If there was a mob in sight, you have time enough to load your guns and fire on them. I want the powder and lead saved, so that when you get to your journey's end, you can sustain yourselves with food.-Save your powder, caps, and lead. I move that this conference discountenance all firing in the city, by any man, by night or by day, in every possible manner; seconded and carried.
Elder H. C. Kimball said; there are a good many complaints of late, and I am sorry to hear it, of some of the neighbors having had their cattle shot. Bro. John Benbow has had fifteen wounded. I am ashamed of a man who will do sueh [such] things. The man that will destroy his neighbor's property in that way, I will prophesy that the hand of God will be upon him until he makes restitution, and he will not prosper.
Moved, that all persons who have been guilty, or may be hereafter, of shooting cattle, shall be cut off from the church, unless they make restitution; seconded and carried.
Moved, that all persons, who will not take care of their unruly cattle, shall be cut off from the church; seconded and carried.
President Young said; I have a little corn, if it is destroyed it may all go before I will have revenge. I am for keeping orderly and obeying counsel. When we first (again) preached in the grove, I charged the brethren not to let their cattle get into the gardens of the widows and the sick; and if the widows shot them, I would stand between them and harm, and some one, of the Friday following, shot my only cow. I would have given five half eagles to bring her back again. she was reared by my wife, while I was on my mission to England, and was so gentle that my children could sit under her and milk her and play between her horns without fear of being hurt.-Take care of your cattle, and feed them with your corn stalks, cabbage, slops, &c., and he again charged the brethren not to touch any property which did not belong to them; even if it be only a rail. He said, in Quincy they have decided that we shall not have any more law suits. Judge Purple has agreed not to hold any more courts in this county: (though we hear he will. They are going to collect funds, as they say, to assist the poor to move out of Nauvoo. If they have a mind to bestow any thing, let them give it to the Trustees, to be dealt out by them. We don't know but they will yet do as they did in Missouri-take our own property, and sell or bestow it upon us again at an extortionate price, and call it a deed of charity. I will tell you what it will be-a stink offering.
Brother William Clayton then read a letter from Major Warren, respecting the arrest of one Smith, for felony, yesterday.
Moved, that this conference adjourn until the 6th of April next; seconded and carried.
WILLIAM CLAYTON, }Clerks of
THOMAS BULLOCK. }Conference.
TIMES AND SEASONS
CITY OF NAUVOO,
NOV. 1, 1845.
GREAT PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS IN ILLINOIS.
After we had began to realize the abundance of one of the most fruitful seasons, known for a long time, and while many hundreds of saints were laboring with excessive, and unwearied diligence to finish the Temple and rear the Nauvoo House, suddenly, in the forepart of September, the mob commenced burning the houses and grain of the saints in the south part of Hancock county. Though efforts were made by the Sheriff to stay the torch of the incendiary and parry off the deluge of arson, still
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