| 10 on the trial of Gladden Bishop, (who had been previously tried before the Council of the Twelve, while on their mission in the east,) who had by their request thrown his case before the High Council in Kirtland for investigation; and the Twelve considered that their proceedings with him were in some degree discountenanced.
"Elder Marsh then gave way to his brethren, and they arose and spoke in turn until they had all spoken, acquiescing in the observations of Elder Marsh, and made some additions to his remarks, which were as follows: that the letter in question, which they received from the Presidency, in which two of their members were suspended, and the rest severely chastened, and that too upon testimony which was unwarrantable; and particular stress was laid upon a certain letter which the Presidency had received from Doctor Warren A. Cowdery, of Freedom, New York, in which he preferred charges against them, which were false, and upon which we (the Presidency) had acted in chastening them; and therefore the Twelve had concluded that the Presidency had lost confidence in them; and that whereas the church in this place had caressed them, at the time of their appointment to the apostleship, they now treated them coolly, and appeared to have lost confidence in them also. 2
"They spoke of their having been in the work from the beginning almost, and had borne the burden in the heat of the
"NOTICE
2 "Is hereby given to all whom it may concern, that Messrs. T. B. Marsh and others, denominated the 'Twelve,' while on their mission to the East, last season, received a letter from the Presidency of the church in which they were censured for neglecting to teach the church in Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York, the necessity of contributing of their earthly substance for the building of the house of the Lord in this place. The rebuke from the Presidency (as the undersigned has been informed) was predicated upon a letter addressed by him to the Presidents or some one of them, stating that they, the Twelve, taught no such thing. The undersigned, although actuated by the purest motives at the time he wrote, believing he had stated nothing but the truth, has since become satisfied from the best of evidence that that particular item in their instructions was not omitted as he had represented, he therefore most deeply regrets it, being sensible as he now is that he was the cause (although innocent) of wounding the best of feelings, and depressing spirits buoyant with hope, while in a field of useful labor at a distance from home.
W. A. COWDERY.
"Kirtland, March 7, 1836."
-Messenger and Advocate, vol. 2, p. 263.
(page 10) |
