help I gave them.

The result of the trial was that I was ordered to confess I had
been in fault; that I was alone to blame, and must ask the people
to forgive me. If I refused I was to be cut off from the Church.

To a man in my situation it was equivalent to death to be cut off
from the Church; my wives would be taken from me, my property
consecrated to the Church, and I turned adrift, broken and
disgraced, and liable to suffer death at the hand of any brother
Danite who wished to take my life to save my soul. I replied that
in justice to myself I could not make such confession, but, if
nothing else would do, I would say as the Council commended me to
say - that is, I would make the confession. I was told that this
would not do; that no whipping of the devil around a stump would
do them; my confession must be full and unconditional.

What the result would have been I cannot say, for just then a
messenger returned, saying that Brigham was near at hand, on his
return with the pioneers who had gone out with him to look for a
resting place for the Saints. This stopped proceedings.

The majority of the people rushed forth to meet Brigham. I
returned home, conscious of my innocence and willing that the
people should have the first show to talk to Brigham and give him
their side of the case. I did this so that I might see how much
he could be stuffed.

The people told their story and misrepresented me in every way;
they told Brigham how I had divided the land, and said that I and
Father Morley both declared that he had ordered me and my family
to take the cleared land.

Brigham sided against me.

After that there was nothing left undone by many of the people to
irritate or injure me or my family.

My property was stolen, my fences broken down, and everything
that vile men could imagine or work up by studying deviltry was
done to make life a burden to me. I had raised over seven
thousand bushels of corn, and everyone had a good crop. I had a
large lot filled up in the husk, and I let my cattle run to it so
as to keep them fat during the winter, that I might drive them
over the plains in the spring. My enemies took advantage of my
position, and drove my cattle from my own corn pile and put them
into the estray pound. I offered to put all the corn I had into
their hands as security, until I could have a meeting called to
examine into the charge. I wanted my cows at home, for we needed
the milk. I had a large family