| 139 chapter, first verse, which saith, '"Put on thy strength, O Zion:"? And what people had Isaiah reference to?'
"He had reference to those whom God should call in the last days, who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel; and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood, which she (Zion) has a right to by lineage; also to return to that power which she had lost.
"What are we to understand by Zion's loosing herself from the bands of her neck, second verse?
"We are to understand that the scattered remnants are exhorted to return to the Lord from whence they have fallen, which if they do, the promise of the Lord is that he will speak to them, or give them revelation. See the sixth, seventh, and eighth verses. The bands of her neck are the curses of God upon her, or the remnants of Israel in their scattered condition among the Gentiles.'"-Millennial Star, vol. 16, pp. 114, 115, 117, 118.
About this time a disaffection which had been growing for some time culminated in the expulsion from the church of several prominent men, among whom were two of the presidents of the church in Missouri: John Whitmer and W. W. Phelps.
A conference and a meeting of the High Council were held, in which this matter was considered and disposed of. We give the minutes of these from the history of Joseph Smith, as published in the Millennial Star, volume 16, which was not published during the lifetime of Joseph Smith or D. W. Patten. Further than this we know nothing of the merits or demerits of this unfortunate controversy. We are not interested in criminating the men involved on the one side, nor in shielding those on the other. We therefore give the record as it appears for what it may be worth.
It will be observed that the minutes of the conference are signed by John Murdock, Moderator, and T. B. Marsh, Clerk.
The minutes of the High Council are signed by Thomas B. Marsh and David W. Patten, Presidents, and Ebenezer Robinson, Clerk. So whatever sentiment these minutes contain
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