Oct 3^rd 1885
we have arived at a strange state of affairs in the
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
I have recorded many Events in my Journals of
the History of the Church for the Last 50 years of my
life we have been persecuted by individuals
villages towns counties states and Now the whole
great Nation of the United States of some
60000000 of people have set their hand to destroy
the Church & Kingdom of God from off the Earth
The Congress Passed Laws in 1862 Against the saints
for practicing poligamy it being a tenit of our religion
the Nation was not ripe Enough to inforce untill
of late in 1882 Congress passed a law making
it a crime to cohabit with our wives made
it a fine of $300 and imprisionment 6 months
Marshals & Judges were sent to Utah to
exicute this Law And the whole government
is turning it into persecution and striving to destroy
the saints & church & kingdom of God from off the Earth but they
are strugling to try to do it under pretence of Law. The Judges
& Marshals seem perfectly insane Judge Zane puts
the penalty of those who will not Deny the faith to the full extent
of the Law then Blackguards the prisioners calls their
wives Prostitutes & Children Bastards For cohabitation
all who do not Deny the faith are sent to Prision 6 month
& have to pay a fine of $300. Judge Zane Desides that a
man can be indicted for Every Month During the 3 years
which would make 36 Indictments, 18 years imprisionment, $10800 fine

But the Dimocratit Judg Powers dont want to be out done by
a Republican Judge so he de[c]ides the Law will allow him to
bring in an Indictmen for Every day during the 3 years, which
would make 1095 indictments which would make
6570 months imprisionments or 547 1/2 years and $300 dollars
fine for Each Indictment would be $328,500 dollars
so they by this ruling they will imprision a Latter Day
Saint During Life & take all the property He has. Now comes
the last & trials of the saints. These Judges have formed a
platfore for the Elders of the church to stand upon & deside
which they will serve Either God or Baal And as they
come to trial some take one side & some the other out of
the whole Number so far up to date has been five persons
whove Deserted their wives & children, Broaken their covenants
Denyed thir religion & dishonored God, viz Arnold C. V. Spencer
Bishop John Sharp T O Angel Jr & Septmas W Sears
while Bishop Clawson ^& Son^ A. M. Cannon A. M. Musser P. P. Pratt
Brown of Ogen Watson & many others prefer to go to prision
with Honor than to have Liberty with Dishonor and this
is now the test which is to try all the Elders of Israel who
have obeyed the Celestial Law of Marriage. As a Historian
I would say I would rather be shot dead, in the streets, or
struck with lightnigng, than to Desert my children Break
my covenants turn my wives into the street & desert
them with whom I have made sacred Covenants, Deny
my religion & Dishonor God. The decision Iwe now make
will decide our Destiny for all time & Eternity. We
have but a short time to live here but a long Eternity to

Live on the other side of the Veil. And any man who
is faithful to his wives & children, his covenants his religion
& his God in this life if it costs him fines, imprisionment
Bonds, or Death No power, beneath the Heavens, can deprive
him from Enjoying the society of his wives, & children
his family and friends. The prophets & Apostles & the
society of God & Lamb, to all Eternity after the Resurrection

Oct 3 I rode to Atkins with W^m H Thomps & spent the day 16 m[iles]