History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842]

  • Source Note
  • Historical Introduction
Page 1320
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<​April 12​> peace offering, which shall bind [HC 4:592] the brethren together in the bonds of eternal peace and love and union; and joy and salvation shall flow forth into your souls, and you shall rejoice and say it is good that we have hearkened unto Counsel, and set our brethren free, for God hath blessed us. How can we prosper while the church, while the presidency, while the bishops, while those who have sacrificed every thing but life, in this thing, for our salvation, are thus encumbered? it cannot be— arise then, brethren, set them free, and set each other free, and we will all be free together, we will be free indeed. Let nothing in this Epistle be so construed as to destroy the validity of contracts, or give any one license not to pay his debts. The commandment is to pay every man his dues, and no man can get to heaven while he justly owes his brother or his neighbor, who has or can get the means and will not pay; it is dishonest, and no dishonest man. can enter where God is. We remain your brethren in the Gospel of peace— — President—
, , ,
,, ,
, ,, Clerk—
Military Appointment— of <​Long Island​> is hereby appointed Inspector General of the Nauvoo Legion, with the rank and title of Major General: his place to be supplied when absent, by the Major General of the Legion City of . Ill. April 12 A D 1842. Joseph Smith Lieutenant General. [HC 4:593]
13 April 1842 • Wednesday
<​13​> Wednesday 13. I introduced Messrs. , and Robinson into the Lodge Room in the morning, and , and in the evening.
About 150 Saints from England landed in from the Steamer Louisa, and about 60 from the Amaranth.
14 April 1842 • Thursday
<​14​> Thursday 14. Esqre. Lawyer from arrived and commenced an investigation of the principles of General Insolvency in my behalf according to the Statutes, for the United States Congress had previously instituted a General Bankrupt Law, by which any individual who was owing to a certain amount more than he was able to pay, could make out a Schedule of his property, and of debts due from himself and by a specified process, pass the same in the hands of a Commissioner, Government Agent or “Assignee” who would make a dividend of all his effects, and pay his creditors whatever per centage his property amounted to, and then the individual was at liberty to start anew in the world, and was not subject to liquidate any claims which were held against him previous to his insolvency, although his property might not have paid but the least per centage or none at all. The justice or injustice of such a principle in law, I leave for them who made it, the ; Suffice it [HC 4:594] to say the law was as good for the Saints as for the Gentiles, and whether I would or not, I was forced into the measure, by having been robbed, mobbed, plundered, and wasted of all my property, time after time in various places, by the very ones who made the law, namely, the people of the , thereby having been obliged to contract heavy debts, to prevent the utter destruction of myself, family, and friends, and by those who were justly and legally owing me, taking the advantage of the same act of [p. 1320]
April 12 peace offering, which shall bind [HC 4:592] the brethren together in the bonds of eternal peace and love and union; and joy and salvation shall flow forth into your souls, and you shall rejoice and say it is good that we have hearkened unto Counsel, and set our brethren free, for God hath blessed us. How can we prosper while the church, while the presidency, while the bishops, while those who have sacrificed every thing but life, in this thing, for our salvation, are thus encumbered? it cannot be— arise then, brethren, set them free, and set each other free, and we will all be free together, we will be free indeed. Let nothing in this Epistle be so construed as to destroy the validity of contracts, or give any one license not to pay his debts. The commandment is to pay every man his dues, and no man can get to heaven while he justly owes his brother or his neighbor, who has or can get the means and will not pay; it is dishonest, and no dishonest man. can enter where God is. We remain your brethren in the Gospel of peace— — President—
, , ,
,, ,
, ,, Clerk—
Military Appointment— of Long Island is hereby appointed Inspector General of the Nauvoo Legion, with the rank and title of Major General: his place to be supplied when absent, by the Major General of the Legion City of . Ill. April 12 A D 1842. Joseph Smith Lieutenant General. [HC 4:593]
13 April 1842 • Wednesday
13 Wednesday 13. I introduced Messrs. , and Robinson into the Lodge Room in the morning, and , and in the evening.
About 150 Saints from England landed in from the Steamer Louisa, and about 60 from the Amaranth.
14 April 1842 • Thursday
14 Thursday 14. Esqre. Lawyer from arrived and commenced an investigation of the principles of General Insolvency in my behalf according to the Statutes, for the United States Congress had previously instituted a General Bankrupt Law, by which any individual who was owing to a certain amount more than he was able to pay, could make out a Schedule of his property, and of debts due from himself and by a specified process, pass the same in the hands of a Commissioner, Government Agent or “Assignee” who would make a dividend of all his effects, and pay his creditors whatever per centage his property amounted to, and then the individual was at liberty to start anew in the world, and was not subject to liquidate any claims which were held against him previous to his insolvency, although his property might not have paid but the least per centage or none at all. The justice or injustice of such a principle in law, I leave for them who made it, the ; Suffice it [HC 4:594] to say the law was as good for the Saints as for the Gentiles, and whether I would or not, I was forced into the measure, by having been robbed, mobbed, plundered, and wasted of all my property, time after time in various places, by the very ones who made the law, namely, the people of the , thereby having been obliged to contract heavy debts, to prevent the utter destruction of myself, family, and friends, and by those who were justly and legally owing me, taking the advantage of the same act of [p. 1320]
Page 1320