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 choir sung an Hymn. Prayer by Er Another Hymn was sung——
resumed his discourse on the history of the church He made his own text— he got tired of ransacking the old book to find text— he had heard many a story spoiled with a bad text— he shant do so any more in these last days.
The church of Christ then was his text— he repeated the saying all those persons that were acquainted with this church from its organization and had turned away and said they did not believe it— they lied— he knew they did believe. there was nothing could prevent him from believing it— it was forced upon him He gave the reasons why some things were then held in secret— those things are now told in public. the plans devised in the secret chambers were not evil ruinous abominable or corrupt. There never will be any thing but will become your property— you will know it. The time is coming when it is to be proclaimed, when every eye shall see it and every hear ear hear— He would now give some more incidents of the history of the church There are items in the history of the church which you do not know. I have seen the time when God was revealing his will in secret places. He spake of a time when the prest. & himself had been locked up for weeks and had no time only to eat found. It was found out we were there, bandittis came to the place— some 20 or 30 men came rushing to the place cursing & blaspheming.
This was the reason why we were shut up. They never cease their warfare— At one time the heavens were opened for hours and we witnessed the thrones around us and had views of eternal things. A Gentleman from having heard rumors of the Mormons came to see us One night he went out of my house and found in the fence one after another a dozen men— he returned into the house in fury and got his pistols and said he would [p. 8]