| 86 in the South, though so far as we know it had spread no farther south than Tennessee at this time. There is also a notice in same paper of a conference to be held in Calloway County, Kentucky, the following September.
But, as in other places, the work was not permitted to be promulgated without serious and violent opposition, as indicated by a letter from Hickman County, Tennessee, June 28, 1836, written by Warren Parrish, and published in the Messenger and Advocate, vol. 2, pp. 365-367. 1
1 This evening while meditating upon the variegated scenes of human existence, the ever fluctuating current of mortal life, which sometimes threatens to overwhelm the way-wandering sons of men like an irresistible torrent and hurry them to an untimely grave, while far separated from those who are bound by the dearest ties of consanguinity, my mind flits back to those happy seasons I have enjoyed in Kirtland, in the society of my brethren and friends. The loss of this society is more than usually impressed on my mind from a combination of circumstances which have transpired since I last wrote.
On the return of Brother Patten and myself from Clarks River, to Brother Utley's we were informed that many of the citizens of that county (Benton) and some of the citizens of Carroll County, had met in convention, headed by a Methodist priest, who was called to the chair, and the county clerk appointed secretary. They drew up resolutions to drive all the "Mormon" (Latter Day Saint) preachers from their coast. These resolutions were signed by the sheriff and many who are sworn to be civil peace officers, to suppress all riots and unlawful assemblies and support and defend the Constitution of the United States and of the State of Tennessee, also military officers who are sworn to do the same. From colonels and majors down through all the grades of officers, enrolled their names with this lawless banditti, to abuse the servants of the living God by abridging their privileges and trampling upon their rights.
We enjoyed our meeting unmolested at Brother Utley's, on Saturday the l9th inst., although almost every breeze brought us news that the mob intended to carry their resolutions into effect and that some hundreds had entered into this conspiracy. In the afternoon a little before sunset a company of some forty or fifty men made their appearance, some on foot, others mounted two on a horse, with guns, sticks, clubs, etc.; they were led by a sheriff colonel, first and second major, with some other officers, and a Methodist priest with a gun on his shoulder.
The sheriff informed us that he had a State's warrant for D. W. Patten, W. Parrish, and W. Woodruff, issued on complaint of Mathew Williams, the Methodist priest and chairman spoken of above, who sware [swear] that we had put forth the following false and pretended prophecy; viz., that Christ would come the second time before this generation passed away, also that four individuals should receive the Holy Ghost within four and twenty hours.
We were credibly informed that the company that were under the control of these noble chieftains consisted of Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians liars, drunkards hog and horse thieves. And so determined were they to force us off at that late hour that it was with much difficulty we could prevail on them to show us any lenity. However, they protracted the time of our appearance before the court until Tuesday
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