Presidet Brigham Young ... said that he had had the persecutions of the saints before him all the morning that He was righteously angry. He was so angry he could not preach. But He did preach in the power of God & told the people his Feelings. ...
... President Young was now to have his last interview with [Captain Van Vleit] ...
If the government of the United States perish in sending Armies to destroy us in the name of the Lord we shall Conquer them. If the Government Calls for volunteers in Calafornia & the people turn out to come to destroy us they will find their own buildings in flames before they get far from home & so throughout the United States. Again if they Commence the war I shall not hold the Indians Still by the fist any longer for white men to shoot at them but I shall let them go ahead & do as they please and I shall Carry the war into their own land and they will want to let out the Job before they get half through.
And even should an Armey of 50,000 men get into this valley when they got here they would find nothing but a Barren waste. ...
Again you may tell them they must stop all emigration across this Continent for they Cannot tread in safety. The Indians will kill all that attempt it. ...
Capt Van Vleit said that if Our Government pushed forward this thing & made war upon us He should withdraw from the Army for he would not have a hand in sheding the blood of American Citizens.
After closing His remarks Presidet Young said God had set up his kingdom upon the Earth & it was here & the Lord would sustain that kingdom & he would destroy all that fought against it And if the Armies of the United [States] Came against us the Lord would permit them to be destroyed.
[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
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