27^th A, rainey day I arose sick in the
morning In consequence of hard labor
& being heted the day before I was confined
to my bed the fore part of the day
In the afternoon I met in council with
the Twelve & first Presidency when the
case of Benjamin Winchester was brought
up on trial for improper conduct slandering
the Saints in Philadelphia for rejecting
the council of Hiram, Joseph, & the Twelve
& tearing to peaces the saints instead of building
up Hyrum plead for mercy, Joseph for
Justice, & the Twelve decided according to
testimony, & in all we had an interesting time
Elder winchester was refractory & out of
order, Joseph wished the Twelve or President
of the quorum to call the house to order
Several Letters were read touching the subject
after which Elder winchester made a lengthy

speach trying to justify himself was followed
by President Hyram Smith plead in behalf of
winchester on the side of mercy Elder George
J. Adams gave his testimony against winchester
then Elder Winchester followed Adams &
both spoke sever[al] times then President Joseph
Smith Arose & rebuked Elder winchester in
the sharpest manner said he had a lying
spirit & had lied about him & told him of many
of his errors after hearing the testimony Elder
B. Young President of the quorum of the Twelve
said he had made up his mind & his decision was
that Elder winchester should give up his licence &
cease Preaching untill he should reform. President
H Smith said he should not like to have such a
decision given without another trial & give Elder
winchester a chance to get more testimony if
he could, President Young said he should then
prefer to have case turned over to the High Council
President Joseph Smith said it was not the
business of the High Council they could not try
him it belonged to the Twelve & them alone
for it was concerning matters abroad & not
in Nauvoo. The high council was to trye
cases that belong to the city & the Twelve to
regulate the churches & Elders abroad in all
the world & Elder winchester case comes
under the Jurisdiction of the Twelve & them alone
President H Smith urged that the case should
be put off untill tomorrow President J. Smith said
the case might be put off untill tomorrow at 10 oclok
if it would do any body any good. President
B. Young arose & spoke in the majesty of his
calling & among other remarks said his
mind was made up & the remarks of Brother

May 27
Hyrum or of Br Joseph had not altered
it as for himself he would not sit upon the
case another day he considered it an insult
upon his office & calling as an apostle of Jesus
Christ & he would not bear it as for the rest of
the Twelve [they] might do as they pleased as for
himself he would not do it Benjamin winchester
has despised & rejected the council of the
presidency & the Twelve had said they had no
Jurisdiction over him in Philadelphia & to say
whare he should go &c but he & others will find
their is power in the Twelve we know through
whom we have received our power & who
are our benefactors & we are thankful for
it Benjemin Winchester has never for the first
time received our council but has gone
contrary to it no ^one^ is safe in his hands he
calls Hiram an old granny & slanders evrybody
he says their is a contradiction betwen Hiram
& the Twelve, their is no contradiction between
us & Hiram is there Br Hiram, (Hiram answers
No) After B Young closed President J. Smith
said he would give us a little counci[l] if we saw
fit to except it, he thought it proper for us to
silence elder winchester take his lisence &
have him come to Nauvoo & if he would not
do that let him go out of the Church, it
was then Mooved & seconded that Elder
winchester be silenced & give up his lisence
& come with his family to Nauvoo which was
carried unanimously

Br Joseph then addressed the Twelve
& said that in all our councils esspecially
while on trial of any one we should see &

observe all things appertaining to the
subject & sdisern the spirit by which either
party was governed we should be in a
situation to understand evry spirit &
Judge wrighteous judgment & not be
asleep we shhould keep order & not
let the council be imposed upon by
unruly conduct. The Saints need not
think because I am familiar with them
& am playful & cheerful that I am ignorant
of what is going on inipuity cannot
be retained in the Church of any kind
& it will not fare well whare I am for
I am determined while I do lead the
Church to lead them right

Br Joseph further remarked as concerning
Elder Adams that he had given
satisfactions to him concerning the things
whareof he was accused he had confesced
all wharein he had done wrong & had asked
for mercy & he had taken the right course
to save himself that he would now begin new
in the Church. After much instruction
was given from Joseph the council adjour
ned.