Note to come in page 1404

<​January 1​> Sunday Morning January 1. 1843 The Speaker of the House of Representatives called on me to say we might have the Hall for preaching this day. Had a pleasant interview with , , Senator Gillespie and others. In reply to I stated that the most prominent point of difference in sentiment between the Latter Day Saints and Sectarians was, that the latter were all circumscribed by some peculiar creed, which deprived its members the privilege of believing any thing not contained therein: Whereas the Latter Day Saints have no creed, but are ready to believe all true principles that exist, as they are made manifest from time to time— At the suggestion of the Company I explained the—— nature of a prophet, If any person should ask me if I were a prophet I should not deny it, as that would give me the lie; for according to John “the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy”; therefore if I profess to be a witness or teacher, and have not the spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus, I must be a false witness: but if I be a true teacher and witness I must possess the Spirit of Prophecy and that constitutes a prophet, and any man who says he is a teacher, or preacher of righteousness, and denies the Spirit of Prophecy, is a liar [HC 5:215] and the truth is not in him, and by this key, false teachers and imposters may be detected. At half past 11 A.M. we repaired to the Representatives Hall, where—— Elder preached from the 3rd. chapter of Malachi to most of the members of the Legislature, and the various departments of the . I dined with at one P.M. and at half past two returned to the Hall and heard preach from Revelations 14 chapter 6 and 7 verses on the first principles of the Gospel. There was a respectable congregation who listened with good attention, notwithstanding the great anxiety to “see the Prophet” I supped at brother Bowman’s where I saw Sister Lucy Stringham (who was one of the first fruits of the Church at , New York) and many more of the Saints— at 7 I returned to ’.

<​2​> Monday 2. after breakfasting with , I prophecied in the name of the Lord that I should not go to dead or alive— at 9 ½ A.M. repaired to the Court Room, and at 10 took his seat on the bench, accompanied by several Ladies. My case was called up, when the Attorney General of , requested the case to be continued till the next day, and Wednesday morning was set for my trial. My Attorney filled some objections to points referred to in the , and at half past 10 I repaired to the Senate Lobby, and had conversation with several Gentleman, [p. 1433]