meeting, and required to be
in St. George on the following Wednesday, at 2 p. m. All parties
agreed to this, and after talking over the whole thing I again
parted with Brigham in a very friendly manner. I went to
Washington and stayed with my family there. The next morning I
started for Harmony, to visit my family at that place, and make
arrangements for the rehearing that was to me of the greatest
consequence. I then considered that if I was cut off from the
Church I might better be dead; that out of the Church I could
find no joys worth living for.

Soon after I left Washington Erastus Snow, one of the twelve
apostles, arrived at my house and asked for me. My family told
him I had gone to Harmony to arrange for the new hearing and
trial before the Church authorities. He appeared to be much
disappointed at not meeting me, and told my family that Brigham
had reconsidered the matter, and there would be no rehearing or
investigation; that the order cutting me off from the Church
would stand; that he would send a letter to me which would
explain the matter, and the letter would reach Harmony about as
soon as I did. On the next Tuesday night an anonymous letter was
left at my house by one of the sons of Erastus Snow, with orders
to hand it to me. The letter read as follows:

John Doyle Lee, of Washington:

Dear Sir: If you consult your own interest, and that of those
that would be your friends, you will not press an investigation
at this time, as it will only serve to implicate ones who would
otherwise be your friends, and cause them to suffer with, or
inform upon you. Our advice is to make yourself scarce, and keep
out of the way.

There was no signature, but I knew it came from Apostle Snow,
written by orders of Brigham. When I read the letter I saw that I
had nothing to hope from the Church, and my grief was as great as
I could bear. To add to my troubles, Brigham sent word to my
wives that they were divorced from me and could leave me, if they
wished to do so. This was the hardest blow I ever received in my
life, for I loved my wives. As the result of Brigham's advice
eleven of my wives deserted me, and have never lived with me
since that time.

Afterwards I was arrested (on or about the 9th of November, 1874)
and taken to Fort Cameron, in Beaver County, Utah Territory, and
placed in prison there. A few days after my arrest I was visited
in prison by Brothers George A. Smith, Orson Hyde, Erastus Snow,
A. F. M