LDS Against the State of Deseret

Your petitioners respectfully represent, that whereas efforts are now being made by the Salt Lake Mormons to obtain (by false representations and fallacious pretensions) from the government of the United States a State organization to be called the State of Deseret; and whereas we believe that it would be highly detrimental to the best interests of our country to comply with their request; we do therefore respectfully petition your honorable body to provide some other way for the government of the Salt Lake settlement. Your petitioners know most assuredly that Salt Lake Mormonism is diametrically in opposition to the pure principles of virtue, liberty, and equality, and that the rulers of the Salt Lake church are bitter and inveterate enemies to our government. They entertain treasonable designs against the liberties of American free-born sons and daughters of freedom. They have elected Brigham Young (who is the president of their church) to be the governor of the proposed State of Deseret. Their intention is to unite church and state; and whilst the political power of the Roman pontiff is passing away, this American tyrant, is endeavoring to establish a new order of political popery in the recesses of the mountains of America. We have authentic information that more than 1,500 Salt Lake Mormons took the following oath in the temple of God at Nauvoo:

2 Mis. No. 43. .

nation, and to keep the same intent a profound secret, now and forever. So help you God."

We might mention the names of many individuals who have confessed publicly that the above oath was administered to these people.

The rulers of the Salt Lake church hypocritically pretend to venerate the name and character of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that they may retain their popularity among that people who believe that he was a true prophet. These rulers are apostates from the true church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which church Joseph was president of. They teach and practice polygamy, and are thereby treating with the bonds of wedlock, placing themselves on a level with the brute creation. Surely your honorable body will not lend your aid to legalise adultery, fornication, incest, and all manner of wickedness. These men have left their for their country's good. They have left it that they might escape the punishment which their crimes had invoked. They have been guilty of murders, treason, fornication, robbery, counterfeiting, swindling, blasphemy, and usurpation of power both political and ecclesiastical; and we would beseech your honorable body to send an armed force to bring them back from their hiding-place, that they may be legally tried for some of their offences.

Their governor, Brigham Young, openly declared, at various times, before large congregations, both in Nauvoo and at Council Bluffs, that those who went to California should toe the mark, (that is, obey him) or they should be circumscised across the throat. He hired men to assassinate the lawful president of the church, namely William Smith, the brother of Joseph Smith, in order that he might with greater facility usurp the office of president of the church. He was foiled in various attempts to take away the life of the true and lineal successor in the presidency, who now has the privilege of informing your honorable body of the political intrigues and tyrannical designs of these wicked men. He has robbed and plundered President William Smith; entering into his house, he even took the last bed, his children's clothing, horses, wagons, &c., amounting to some eighteen hundred dollars worth of property. Brigham Young also swindled President William Smith out of a printing establishment, including press, types, &c., and real estate in the State of Ohio. He has also carried on a system of robbery and oppression towards the mother and widow of the Prophet Joseph Smith. This is the character of the man who is the political and ecclesiastical governor of the Salt Lake colony; this is the man who stated publicly in Nauvoo that none should live to come back from California to tell any tales; this is the man that told his followers that they should not do military duty for the United States, and afterwards sold 500 men unto the United States. He and his confederates swindled these men and their families out of their bounty money, and spent it in riotous living with their harlots. The cries of the widows and the fatherless are ascending up to Heaven day and night in consequence of the oppression of these men. The Salt Lake settlement is like Sodom and Gomorrah. Many of its inhabitants would rejoice if they could extricate themselves from the miseries, cruelties, oppression and degradation in which they are placed by the stratagems and deceit of these task-masters. Lend, lend your aid, O ye rulers of republican America! save the helpless females of the Salt Lake territory from a life of misery, degradation, and vice; many of them have been flagrantly

WILLIAM SMITH,
ISAAC SHEEN,

Presidents of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

We, the members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in Covington, Kentucky, respectfully request your honorable body to grant the prayers in the above petition,

WILLIAM G. JARMAN,
GEORGE BAILEY,
OTIS HOBART,
JAMES GODIE,
ROBERT COLBERTSON.