| 593 father requested me not to do so. I complied, and the house was brought to order after much debate on the subject, and we proceeded to business.
"The decision of the council in the case of Brother Elliot, was, 'that the complaint was not without foundation, yet, the charge has not been fully sustained, but he has acted injudiciously, and brought a disgrace upon himself, his daughter, and upon this church, because he ought to have trained his child in a way that she should not have required the rod at the age of fifteen years.' Brother Elliot made his confession and was forgiven. Sister Elliot confessed her wrong and promised to do so no more, consequently the council forgave her. And they were both restored to fellowship.
"Friday, 30. At home. Mr. Francis Porter, from Jefferson County, New York, a member of the Methodist Church, called to make some inquiry about lands in this place (Kirtland), whether there were any valuable farms for sale, and whether a member of our church could move into this vicinity, and purchase lands, and enjoy his own possessions and property, without making them common stock. He had been requested to do so by some brethren who live in the town of Leroy, New York. I replied that I had a valuable farm joining the Temple Lot I would sell, and that there were other lands for sale in this place, and that we had no common stock business among us; that every man enjoys his own property, or can, if he is disposed, consecrate liberally or illiberally to the support of the poor and needy, or the building of Zion. He also inquired how many members there were in this church. I told him there were about five or six hundred who communed at our chapel, and perhaps a thousand in this vicinity.
"At evening I was presented with a letter from Brother William Smith, the purport of which is, that he is censured by the brethren on account of what took place at the council last night, and wishes to have the matter settled to the understanding of all, that he may not be censured unjustly, considering that his cause was a just one, and that he had been materially injured. I replied that I thought we parted with the best of feelings, that I was not
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