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Source: Church History Vol. 1 Chapter 18 Page: 506 (~1834)

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506 Government, and where it was calculated to purchase of those who were unwilling to reside with the church as a society, all lands that could be bought, for the purpose of building up a holy city unto God, a New Jerusalem, a place which we were desirous to call Zion, as we believe a place of refuge from the scourges and plagues which are so often mentioned in the Bible by the prophets and apostles, that should be poured out upon the earth in the last days; and whereas the inhabitants of Jackson County, Missouri, have leagued and combined against said church, and have driven the saints from their lands, and taken their arms from them, and burned down many of their houses, without any provocation; and whereas we have petitioned the Governor of this State, and the President of the United States, for redress of wrongs (the law being put to defiance in Jackson County), and for redemption of rights, that we might be legally repossessed of our lands and property; and whereas the said inhabitants of Jackson County have not only bound themselves to keep us out of that county, but have armed themselves, cap-a-pie, and even with cannon for war; and whereas our people, residing in the Upper Missouri, have recently armed themselves for military duty and self-defense, seeing their arms taken from them by the inhabitants of Jackson County, were purposely kept from them; and whereas a number of the members of the church in the East have emigrated to this region of country to settle and join their brethren, with arms to answer the military law, which has created some excitement among the inhabitants of the upper counties of this State; whereupon, to show that our object was only the peaceable possession of our rights and property, and to purchase more land in the regions round about, we met a committee from Jackson County for compromise; and our emigrating brethren met some gentlemen from Clay and other counties to satisfy them that their motives were good, and their object peace, which they did; and whereas the propositions of the Jackson committee could not be accepted on our part, because they proposed to 'buy or sell,' and to sell our land would amount to a denial of our faith, as the land is the place where the Zion of God shall stand, according

(page 506)

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