then given to the
people through his Prophet, Joseph Smith, the Saints would be
driven from State to State, from city to city, from one abiding
place to another, until the members would die and waste away,
leaving but a remnant of the Saints to return and receive their
inheritance in Zion (Jackson County) in the last days.

Sidney Rigdon was then the mouthpiece of Joseph Smith, as Aaron
was of Moses in olden times. Rigdon told the Saints that day that
if they did not come up as true Saints and consecrate their
property to the Lord, by laying it down at the feet of the
apostles, they would in a short time be compelled to consecrate
and yield it up to the Gentiles; that if the Saints would be
united as one man, in this consecration of their entire wealth to
the God of Heaven, by giving it up to the control of the
Apostolic Priesthood, then there would be no further danger to
the Saints; they would no more be driven from their homes on
account of their faith and holy works, for the Lord had revealed
to Joseph Smith that He would then fight the battles of His
children, and save them from all their enemies; that the Mormon
people would never be accepted as the children of God unless they
were united as one man, in temporal as well as spiritual affairs,
for Jesus had said unless ye are one, ye are not Mine; that
oneness must exist to make the Saints the accepted children of
God; that if the Saints would yield obedience to the commands of
the Lord all would be well, for the Lord had confirmed these
promises by a Revelation which He had given to Joseph Smith, in
which it was said:

"I, the Lord, will fight the battles of my people, and if your
enemies shall come up against you, spare them, and if they shall
come up against you again, then shall ye spare them also; oven
unto the third time shall ye spare them; but if they come up
against you the fourth time, I, the Lord, will deliver them into
your hands, to do with them as seemeth good unto you; but if you
then spare them it shall be accounted unto you for righteousness."

The words of the apostle, and the promises of God, as then
revealed to me, made a deep impression on my mind, as it did upon
all who heard the same. We that had given up all else for the
sake of the gospel felt willing to do anything on earth that it
was possible to do to obtain the protection of God, and have and
receive His smile of approbation. Those who, like me, had full
faith in the teachings of