As Kirtland was the first Stake to be reared as an ensign to the nations of the Earth, many came together and commenced to build. All moved speedily. Lots of small dimensions soon raised in price, from fifty to two thousands dollars a lot. Farms in the suburbs of the city soon raised, from ten and fifteen dollars per acre to one hundred and fifty in some cases. All moved fast; all were in business.

Yet money was scarce. That, almost to a man, they wanted to borrow. And property was continually raising in and around the city of Zion. They at last decided that a city could not prosper without a [currency] of its own. They of the Church soon met by hundreds, and subscribed to a bank. Capital stock was called for, the books were opened, capitalists came forward and showed their good will to establish a Bank, as it was said to be a Revelation from God to do it. They signed from one thousand dollars cash to five thousand dollars. There was no lack of capital to start on. The instalments were soon called in, but those that signed the least, I think, in the most of cases, payed in the most stock. No time was lost to start a currency. Money was soon so plenty that hardly a man but what had a bag full of bills of the Kirtland Safety Funds to do business. Every thing seemed to move with life and animation. Hardly a man but what had credit to get of their currency. Pedlars went in every direction to change and put off as chances should occur. But to their surprise, they were soon sounded. That did many surprise, as their Bank was said to be established by a Revelation from God. Many contended that it could not be put down by man. They soon formed a union with the Monroe Bank of Michigan Territory. That added to their circulation of currency/ But their God soon failed them, it seems, and their currency went down and Monroe currency did but just go it.

As Pedlars went to and fro from the Bank,

In connection with business men,

From different parts of the land,

They soon see themselves in difficulty.

As gold and silver began to be scarce,

They got hold of a quantity of boxes,

And nearly filled them with sand,

Lead, old iron, stone, and combustibles,

And covered it up with clean coin.

That darkened the deception beneath,

That showed they were not to be run,

By the men of the world.

But the skim on the top soon disappeared.

And the currency, city lots, and farms,

All went down to their value.

As thousands on thousands of dollars

Had been paid out for lands,

That had made payments but in part,

Their lands went back to satisfy a security bond,

To those of whom they had bought.

At the same time in the city of New York many had been credited for goods, to a large amount. Also in other business places; and so many demands about [home] that it was with the greatest difficulty that they got so as to clear out and go to Missouri, from Ohio.

At the rise or start of the Church in Kirtland, a company went to Jackson county, Missouri, there settled to make ready a city that, of it much was said. But their stay there was but short, as trouble soon arose; that the people of Jackson county arose and threw them out. They mostly went into Clay county, staid there a short time, dissatisfaction arose, that an armed force arose from Kirtland, Ohio, of some hundreds to go up and settle the difficulty. Many of them died of the Cholera, and otherwise, but nobody killed. It appears that they had their labor for their pains.

Many that went up on this occasion in the heat of the summer, to make all straight, were called to return to the mother dust. Difficulties soon arose in Clay county; that the Mormons were again crowded, that they went into Caldwell and Davis counties, in Missouri, and made settlements in both counties.