Page:The Rocky Mountain Saints.djvu/90

56 "Behold I have commanded my servant Baurak Ale [Joseph Smith] to say unto the strength of my house, even my warriors, my young men and my middle-aged, to gather together for the redemption of my people, and throw down the towers of mine enemies, and scatter their watchmen; but the strength of mine house have not hearkened unto my words. I have prepared a blessing and an endowment for them if they continue faithful.  I have heard their prayers and will accept their offering; and it is expedient in me that they should be brought thus far for a trial of their faith."

The Mormons would be very critical over such revelations if found in the history of any other religious people. The very revelation itself instructed Joseph to ask for 500 men of the Lord's house, but should he find difficulty in raising that number he was to be contented with 300; and even with 100 he was not to hesitate, but to hasten to the assistance of his brethren in Missouri, for "the Lord had decreed" the restoration of the exiles. Full of faith and hope, Joseph and "the strength of the Lord's house" reached the place of action, preaching, praying, and exhorting each other to courage, for had not a Hebrew Prophet said that one of the chosen of the Lord should chase a thousand, and two should put ten thousand to flight? Ancient bravery and ancient miracles were thought of and descanted upon during the journey, and the "warriors" were ready for the fray; but when the moment for action arrived, "the Lord" had changed his mind. The hard-working outcasts from Jackson county, it was now said, had not learned to be obedient, they were full of all manner of evil, were not united, and did not deserve to be restored until they had been chastised and learned obedience. How different was the revelation of February in Ohio from that of June in Missouri! At the former date "the Lord" was determined to have a fight and restore the exiles "to their inheritances." At the latter date "the Lord" concluded that the Jackson county Saints deserved all the affliction they had got, and needed a little more of the same chastisement!

"The Lord's" reasons for refusing to restore the people to Jackson county were probably very satisfactory, for such a bad and undeserving people as they were now represented to be, could not be expected to command so great a manifestation of divine power as would have been necessary to restore them