When we our property to the Lord, it is to administer to the wants of the poor and needy according to the laws of God, and when a man consecrates of dedecates his wife and children to the Lord, he does not give them to his brother or to his neighbor; which is contrary to the law of God, which says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife” “He that looketh upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already in his heart.”— Now for a man to consecrate his property, his wife and children to the Lord is nothing more nor less than to feed the hungry, cloth the naked, visit the widows and fatherless, the sick and afflicted; and do all he can to administer to their relief in their afflictions,and for himself and his house to serve the Lord. In order to do this he and all his house must be virtuous and “shun every appearance of evil.[”] Now if any person, has represented anything otherwise than what we now write they have willfully misrepresented us.

We have learned also since we have been in prison that many false and pernicious things, which were calculated to lead the saints astray and do great injury, have been taught by , who has represented them as coming from the ; and we have reason to fear, that many other designing and corrupt characters, like unto himself, have taught many things, which the presidency never knew of, until after they were made prisoners which, if they had known, they would have spurned them and their authors as they would a serpent.

Thus we find, that there has been frauds, secret abominations, and evil works of darkness going on leading the minds of the weak and unwary into confusion and distraction, and all of which has been endeavored to be palmed upon the presidency, who were ignorant of these things which were practised upon the church in our name. And now brethren what can we enumerate more, is not all manner of evil of every description spoken against us falsly, yea we say unto you falsly. We have been misrepresented misunderstood and belied, and the purity of our hearts have not been known. And some have gained influence by their hypocracy sanctified appearence and the pious discourses which they have delivered. And our souls have been bowed down and we have sufferd much distress in conse-quence thereof, and truly we have had to wade through an ocean of trouble.

We could enumerate the names of many who have acted in a mean and dastardly manner, some of whom we once considered our friends men whom we once thought would never conde-scend to such unhallowed proceedings, but their love of the world and the praise of men has overcome every feeling of virtue, and they have yielded obedience once more to their old master, consquently their last end will be worse than the first. It has happened to them according to the words of the Savior. [“]The dog has returned to his vomit, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.” If those under Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses, of how much severer punishment, suppose ye, shall those be thought worthy, who have betrayed and denied the , by which they were sanctified, and called it an unholy thing; and have done despite to the spirit of grace. Again we would say inasmuch as their is virtue in us; and the of the kingdom have not been taken from us; and the holy has been confer’d upon us, (for verily thus saith the Lord, be of good cheer, for the keys I gave unto you are yet with you;) therefore we say unto you dear brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we deliver these characters unto the buffetings of satan until the day of redemption that they may be dealt with according to their works and from henceforth shall their works be made manifest.

And now dear and well beloved brethren, to you who have continued faithful, both men women and children, we exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus to be strong in the [p. 85]