| 380 sober, industrious, and diligent in business; observing to work six days, and resting on the seventh, both men and women and beasts of burden, as much as meeting together for sacramental and devotional purposes will permit. Keeping away from saloons, and liquor shops; and spending no time in useless and idle occupations, but taking recreation in innocent amusements and employments aside from daily toil, in proper seasons and under proper circumstances. Seeking for good men to serve as officers in administering the affairs of society, local, county, state and national, and maintaining such officers in the discharge of their duties in the enforcement of law.
The laws of the state of Iowa, with some few exceptions are most excellent; we believe that such is the case also with the laws of Missouri; and certainly the Supreme Court has made one most excellent decision; that if a man be sufficiently sane as to be conscious when committing crime that it is wrong and he ought not to do it, he is of sufficiently sound mind to be held to the strictest accountability, and be punished for his crime.
Much as the Saints may have suffered in the past in the states of Missouri and Illinois, the time to complain is passed away. The last appeal to earthly tribunals was made long ago, and the case left for the final arbitrament and the decision of the Supreme Judge of the whole earth; and so far as the Saints are concerned, that case can not again be reopened and pleadings heard here; it is unwise therefore that the sufferings be unnecessarily paraded and aired. Of course the telling of the trials and sorrows incident to those days of trouble, at proper times and in proper places, may be permissible and productive of good; but to hold them subject to earthly redress is an injurious policy and can only result in further distress, possibly trouble.
About this time the recently erected chapel in Salt Lake City was dedicated. Elder W. W. Blair, writing of the occasion, stated that the services were very pleasant and quite successful. Elders W. W. Blair, R. J. Anthony, M. T. Short, and William Gibson, of the missionary force, were present. January 16 Elder Blair left Salt Lake City for the East, arriving at Lamoni, Iowa, the 25th.
There was some persecution in the South, and as a literary curiosity we record without change, or correction, a letter received by Elder G. S. Hyde, at Buchanan, Tennessee, it having been left on the stand where he was preaching. The writer evidently supposed that the preacher was Elder F. P. Scarcliff, who was also in the country at the time:
MR. SCARCLIFF
Sir Wee the Citizenes of this Neighborhood have bin Informed that you have an Oppointment to Preach here to Night Wee will advise
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