President Joseph Smith read the 11th Ch. 2nd. Corinthians. “My object is to let you know that I am right here on the spot where I intend to stay. I, like Paul, have been in perils, and oftener than any one in this generation; as Paul boasted, I have suffered more than Paul did. I should be like a fish out of water if I were out of persecution; perhaps my brethren think it requires all this to keep me humble. The Lord has constituted me so curiously that I glory in persecution; I am not near so humble as if I was not persecuted. If oppression will make a wise man mad, much more a fool. If they want a beardless boy to whip all the world, I will get on the top of a mountain, and crow like a rooster; I shall always beat them. When facts are proved, truth and innocence will prevail at last. My enemies are no philosophers; they think that when they have my spoke under, they will keep me down; but for the fools, I will hold on and fly over them.

“God is in the ‘still small voice’; in all these affidavits, indictments, it is all of the devil— all corruption. Come on ye prosecutors, ye false swearers; all hell boil over; ye burning mountains roll down your lava; for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had; I am the only man that ever has been able to keep a whole church together since the days [HC 6:408] of Adam; a large majority of the whole have stood by me: neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as me; the followers of Jesus ran away from him; the latter day saints never ran away from me yet. You know my daily walk and conversation. I am in the bosom of a virtuous and good people. How I do love to hear the wolves howl; when they can get rid of me the devil will also go. For the last three years I have a record of all my acts and proceedings; for I have kept several good, faithful, and efficient clerks in constant employ; they have accompanied me everywhere, and carefully kept my history, and they have written down what I have done, where I have been, and what I have said; therefore my enemies cannot charge me with any day, time, or place, but what I have written testimony to prove my actions, and my enemies cannot prove anything against me. They have got wonderful things in the land of Ham. I think the grand jury have strained at a gnat and swallowed the camel. A man named Simpson says I made an affidavit against him &c. Mr.Simpson says I arrested him; I never arrested Mr. Simpson in my life. He says I made an affidavit against him; I never made an affidavit against him in my life. I will prove it in Court. I will tell you how it was: last winter I got ready with my children to go to the to kill hogs; was going to drive. An englishman came in and wanted a private conversation with me; I told him I did not want any private conversations; ‘I demand one of you’! [p. 58]