Minutes and Discourses, 6–8 April 1844, as Reported by William Clayton
Source Note
General conference of the church, Minutes, and JS, Discourses, Nauvoo, Hancock Co., IL, 6–8 Apr. 1844; handwriting of ; dockets in handwriting of Robert L. Campbell and Jonathan Grimshaw; thirty-eight pages; General Church Minutes, CHL.
The men gave in affidavit that said they would go into to tooth and nails— would not believe they would do it if swore it on a stack of Bibles as big as Mount Etna. Made those observations for the purpose of putting of putting down prejudice. If I was as full of the devil as an egg of meat and you undertook to oppress me nether if I was full of the spirit of God. Never undertake to destroy men because they do some evil thing. We ought to be careful what we say and take the example of Jesus cast over the mantle of charity and try to cover their faults. We are made to enlighten and not darken one another. Save and not destroy men—
It is well enough to root up conspiracy— but if you are in the right tract having God to guide you he will save you for God will save you if he have to destroy the wicked as by fire. I intend to put down all false influence. All that brothe[r] said was all right,— but it was said by the rascal . If I thought I should be saved and any in the con[ference] be lost I should not be happy, for this purpose Jesus effected a resurrection. Can prove it out of the Revelations. Would not serve a God that had not all wisdom and all power— the reason why I feel so good is because I have a big carcase— their are men with small bodies who have got souls like Enoch. Believe we have gathered all the big souls the gospel has been able to reach. The gospel goes all over creation searching out the big souls. It works just like a God We will gather all the big souls out of evry nation. You neve[r] saw a better people. There is a thing called an eye st◊◊◊ The gospel is similar and brings all the big souls up to Zion then will have a people big enough to be saved. Popery could not write what Enoch preached. Spt [spirit] caught upon a high mountain— showed him the distress of the people— destruction of the world— his heart sweled wide as eternit[y]. Popery could not receive any thing so large as that— Evry society are just like them— god has constituted them according to their capacity [p. 10 [22]]