Minutes and Testimonies, 12–29 November 1838 [State of Missouri v. Gates et al. for Treason]

A short time after & the Whitmers left — (some time in June) and <​​>— invited me to a danite meeting; I went— The only speaker was who explained the object of the meeting, and said that its object was that they might be perfectly organized, to defend our <​them​>selves against mobs— that we were all to be governed by the presidency, & do whatever they required— and uphold them and that God had raised up a prophet that we were not to judge for ourselves whether it were right or rong that God had raised us a prophet who would judge for us, & that it was proper we should stand by each other in all cases, and <​he​> gave us an example,— if we found one of the danites in <​a​> difficulty in or for instance we should, as Moses did the Egyptian, put the man rescue him, if we had to do with his adversary, as Moses did with the Egyptian, put him under the sand— it made no difference whether the Danite <​was to blame​> or not, they would pack him off to , & there be taken care of— The question was asked from<​whether it would extend the legal ​> a civil process. this man should or not— & he replied not— The Danite oath was administered in this meeting— to about 30 or 40 persons— A , told me that the who the head officers of the Danite band were, that was colonel that he was Lieut. Colonel and [p. [55]]