take them. I had a perfect horror of debt, for I knew that when a
man was in debt he was in nearly every respect a slave, and that
if I got in debt it would worry me and keep my mind from that
quiet repose so necessary for contemplating the beauties of
nature and communing with the Spirit regarding holy subjects.

Just before the election of August, 1838, a general notice was
given for all the brethren of Daviess County to meet at Adam-on-
Diamond. Every man obeyed the call. At that meeting the males
over eighteen years of age were organized into a military body,
according to the law of the Priesthood, and called The Host of
Israel. The first rank was a captain with ten men under him; next
was a captain of fifty - that is, he had five companies of ten;
next, the captain of a hundred, or of ten captains and companies
of ten. The entire male membership of the Mormon Church was then
organized in the same way.

This, as I was informed, was the first organization of the
military force of the Church. It was so organized by command of
God, as revealed through the Lord's prophet, Joseph Smith. God
commanded Joseph Smith to place the Host of Israel in a situation
for defense against the enemies of God and the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.

At the same Conference another organization was formed - it was
called the Danites. The members of this order were placed under
the most sacred obligations that language could invent. They were
sworn to stand by and sustain each other; to sustain, protect,
defend, and obey the leaders of the Church, under any and all
circumstances unto death; and to disobey the orders of the
leaders of the Church, or divulge the name of a Danite to an
outsider, or to make public any of the secrets of the order of
Danites, was to be punished with death. And I can say of a truth,
many have paid the penalty for failing to keep their covenants.

They had signs and tokens for use and protection. The token of
recognition was such that it could be readily understood, and it
served as a token of distress by which they could know each other
from their enemies, although they were entire strangers to each
other. When the sign was given it must be responded to and
obeyed, even at the risk or certainty of death. The Danite that
would refuse to respect the token, and comply with all its
requirements, was stamped with dishonor, infamy, shame, disgrace,
and his fate for cowardice and treachery was death.