John Ferrier talks with the Prophet.

           ThreeweekshadpassedsinceJeffersonHopeandhiscomradeshaddepartedfromSaltLakeCity. JohnFerrier’sheartwassorewithinhimwhenhethoughtoftheyoungman’sreturn,andoftheimpendinglossofhisadoptedchild. Yetherbrightandhappyfacereconciledhimtothearrangementmorethananyargumentcouldhavedone. Hehadalwaysdetermined,deepdowninhisresoluteheart,thatnothingwouldeverinducehimtoallowhisdaughtertowedaMormon. Suchamarriageheregardedasnomarriageatall,butasashameandadisgrace. WhateverhemightthinkoftheMormondoctrines,uponthatonepointhewasinflexible. Hehadtosealhismouthonthesubject,however,fortoexpressanunorthodoxopinionwasadangerousmatterinthosedaysintheLandoftheSaints. 

           Yes,adangerousmatter—sodangerousthateventhemostsaintlydaredonlywhispertheirreligiousopinionswithbatedbreath,lestsomethingwhichfellfromtheirlipsmightbemisconstrued,andbringdownaswiftretributionuponthem. Thevictimsofpersecutionhadnowturnedpersecutorsontheirownaccount,andpersecutorsofthemostterribledescription. NottheInquisitionofSeville,northeGermanVehm-gericht,northeSecretSocietiesofItaly,wereeverabletoputamoreformidablemachineryinmotionthanthatwhichcastacloudovertheStateofUtah. 

           Itsinvisibility,andthemysterywhichwasattachedtoit,madethisorganizationdoublyterrible. Itappearedtobeomniscientandomnipotent,andyetwasneitherseennorheard.