By Jerald and Sandra Tanner
While browsing through the books at James Wardle’s extensive library on Mormonism, we came across a book with the title, “The Reed Peck Manuscript.” Upon examination, we found that it contained photocopies of a handwritten document written in 1839 by Reed Peck. We found this document to be extremely interesting because of the information it contained concerning the Mormon war in Missouri and the Danite band.
After reading this manuscript, we felt that it should be made available to the general public. Upon further investigation, we found that Lu B. Cake had printed the entire manuscript in 1899, and that it was in the public domain.
We have now printed this entire document, following the original manuscript faithfully with regard to spelling and punctuation.
On pages 9 and 10 (of our printing), Reed Peck made this statement:
Some time previous to this secret meetings had been held . . . ignorant of the nature of these meetings I attend[ed] one about the last of June and heared a full disclosure of its object—Jared Carter Geo W. Robinson and Sampson Avard, under the instruction of the presidency, had formed a secret military society, called the “daughter of Zion” and were holding meetings to initiate members. The principles taught by Sampson Avard as spokesman were that, “As the Lord had raised up a prophet in these last days like unto Moses it shall be the duty of this band to obey him in all things, and whatever he requires you shall perform being ready to give up life and property for the advancement of the cause. When any thing is to be performed no member shall have the privilege of judging whether it would be right or wrong but shall engage in its accomplishment and trust God for the result.
“It is not our business or place to know what is required by God, but he will inform us by means of the prophet and we must perform If any one of you see a member of the band in difficulty in the surrounding country contending for instance with an enemy, you shall extricate him even if in the wrong if you have to do with his adversary as Moses did with the Egyptian put him under the sand and both pack off to Far West and we will take care of the matter ourselves. No person shall be suffered to speak evil or disrespectfully of the presidency The secret signs and purposes of the society are not to be revealed on pain of death” . . . The blood of my best friend must flow by my own hands if I would be a faithful Danite should the prophet command it Said A McRae in my hearing “If Joseph should tell me to kill Vanburen in his presidential chair I would immediately start and do my best to assassinate him let the consequences be as they would . . .”
On page 13 of the Reed Peck Manuscript, we find the following concerning John Corrill’s failure to obey a revelation:
John Corrill observed to a person in Far West that he did not “think it his duty to unite with the firm and that he had no confidence in the revelation that required it.” Joseph Smith and S Rigdon learning that he had made this observation, chid him severely for his rebellion in the presence of several persons. Smith said to him, “if you tell about the streets again that you do not believe this or that revelation I will walk on your neck sir,” at the same time smiting his fists to evince his great rage. He talked of dissenters and cited us to the case of Judas, saying that Peter told him in a conversation a few days ago that himself hung Judas for betraying Christ. He also said, “if you do not act differently and show yourself approved you shall never be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven—I will stand at the entrance and oppose you myself and will keep you out if I have to take a fisty cuff in doing it.”
B. H. Roberts, the Mormon Historian, admitted that Sidney Rigdon (who was a member of the First Presidency) preached a sermon in which he inferred that the “dissenting brethren” should be “trodden under the foot of men.” Reed Peck made this statement concerning this sermon:
S. Rigdon took his text from the fifth chapter of Matthew “Ye are the salt of the Earth but if the salt have lost his savour wherewith shall it be salted, it is henceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and be trodden under foot of men.” From this scripture he undertook to prove that when men embrace the gospel and afterwards lose their faith it is the duty of the Saints to trample them under their feet. He informed the people that they had a set of men among them that had dissented from the church and were doing all in their power to destroy the presidency laying plans to take their lives & c., accused them of counterfeiting lying cheating and numerous other crimes and called on the people to rise en masse and rid the county of such a nuisance. He said it is the duty of this people to trample them into the earth and if the county cannot be freed from them any other way I will assist to trample them down or to erect a gallows on the square of Far West and hang them up as they did the gamblers at Vicksburgh and it would be an act at which the angels would smile with approbation. Joseph Smith in a short speech sanctioned what had been said by Rigdon, though said he, I don’t want the brethren to act unlawfully but will tell them one thing Judas was a traitor and instead of hanging himself was hung by Peter, and with this hint the subject was dropped for the day having created a great excitement and prepared the people to execute anything that should be proposed. (The Reed Peck Manuscript, pages 6 and 7)
Dr. Hugh Nibley, of the Brigham Young University, claimed that Joseph Smith did not know anything about the Danites. Reed Peck, however, claimed that the First Presidency knew about the Danite Band:
At a meeting for the organization of the Danites Sampson Avard presented the society to the presidency who blessed them and accepted their services as though they were soon to be employed in executing some great design. They also made speeches to the society in which great military glory and conquest were represented as awaiting them . . . (The Reed Peck Manuscript, page 11)
Originally appeared in:
Jerald and Sandra Tanner, “Reed Peck Manuscript,” Salt Lake City Messenger, no. 6, January 1966, 2.