Minutes and Testimonies, 12–29 November 1838 [State of Missouri v. Gates et al. for Treason]
Source Note
Minutes and Testimonies, , Ray Co., MO, 12–29 Nov. 1838, State of MO v. Gates et al. for Treason (Fifth Judicial Circuit of MO 1838); unidentified handwriting; 126 pages; Eugene Morrow Violette Collection, State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia.
came on us to molest us, we would establish our religion by the sword & that he would become to this generation a second mahommet— About April last, I heard Joseph Smith Jr & , (who appeared to be vexed on account of troubles & lawsuits they had had) say, that they would suffer vexatious lawsuits no longer. & that they would resist even an officer in the discharge of his duty— Smith said he had been before Courts some twenty odd times & always cleared they had never found any thing against him, & that made him of age and he would submit to it no longer— I heard ’s 4th of July speech. I heard him say he would not suffer people to come into their streets & abuse them, nor would they suffer vexatious law suits.— In substance he further remarked, that neither will we suffer <permit> any man or set of men to institute vexatious law suits against us, to cheat us out of our just rights, if so <they do> woe be unto them”— This mormon church has been represented as being the little crush stone spoken of by Daniel, which should roll on and crush all opposition to it, and ultimately to <should> be established as a temporal as well as a spiritual kingdom— these things were to be carried on through the instrumentality of the Danite band <as far as force was necessary> if necessary, they being organized into bands of tens fifties &c. ready for war— The teachings of that Society led them to prohibit the talkings of any persons against the presidency, so much so that it was dangerous for any man to speak set up opposition to any thing that might be set on foot [p. [31]]