he rose, and requested the privilege of making some re-
marks. I repeated my refusal, and as he was disposed to
be pertinacious, I told him that if he did not sit down im-
mediately I should put him in charge of a police officer. At
that he caved. After meeting he came up to me and said
that it was the weight of his responsibility under which he
was laboring which induced him to rise. I replied that it
was just such a responsibility as the Devil had ever felt. He
evidently intended to arouse, if possible, a feeling of sympathy
in the minds of the people in his favor, but he failed most
signally, and when he was compelled to sit down I caught
sight of an expression on his face of baffled and disappointed
hate. Not knowing where he might direct his steps I wrote a
circular to the Presiding Elders throughout the mission, putting
them on their guard against the insidious approaches of such
"wolves in sheeps' clothing." I warned them particularly against
permitting themselves, or any of the Elders and Saints under
their jurisdiction, bto be drawn into a arg discussuion with this
man or any others with similar pretensions, telling them to
adopt the let-them-alone-severely policy. I learn by letter
from Elder Mills, that he was at West Bromwich last Sunday,
in company with some old apostates, and arose to "say a word
by way of bearing testimony," but they ^(the brethren)^ had been put upon
their guard by the counsel which had been given, and they
would allow no such thing. After meeting he wanted to
speak, and attempted to inweigh against Polygamy. The
Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Mormon and the Bible were
about to be appealed to, when the brethren told him to desist
at once, and they ordered the room to be cleared, as meeting was
over. It was in this town where he married his wife before he
(4)
he rose, and requested the privilege of making some remarks. I repeated my refusal, and as he was disposed to
be pertinacious, I told him that if he did not sit down immediately I should put him in charge of a police officer. At
that he caved. After meeting he came up to me and said
that it was the weight of his responsibility under which he
was laboring which induced him to rise. I replied that it
was just such a responsibility as the Devil had ever felt. He
evidently intended to arouse, if possible, a feeling of sympathy
in the minds of the people in his favor, but he failed most
signally, and when he was compelled to sit down I caught
sight of an expression on his face of baffled and disappointed
hate. Not knowing where he might direct his steps I wrote a
circular to the Presiding Elders throughout the mission, putting
them on their guard against the insidious approaches of such
"wolves in sheeps' clothing." I warned them particularly against
permitting themselves, or any of the Elders and Saints under
their jurisdiction,to be drawn into a discussuion with this
man or any others with similar pretensions, telling them to
adopt the let-them-alone-severely policy. I learn by letter
from Elder Mills, that he was at West Bromwich last Sunday,
in company with some old apostates, and arose to "say a word
by way of bearing testimony," but they (the brethren) had been put upon
their guard by the counsel which had been given, and they
would allow no such thing. After meeting he wanted to
speak, and attempted to inweigh against Polygamy. The
Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Mormon and the Bible were
about to be appealed to, when the brethren told him to desist
at once, and they ordered the room to be cleared, as meeting was
over. It was in this town where he married his wife before he
"Letter from George Quayle Cannon, 24 February 1863," p. 4, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, accessed April 28, 2024, https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/g86Z