Er L[orenzo] D. Wasson said . . . We have a man [Lucien Woodworth] delegated by this council, now offering to buy Texas. No doubt he is there, endeavoring to negotiate for Texas and are we going to desert him? No. We have sent to Congress, and no doubt our petition will be granted, to raise 10000 troops. He dont think we are playing childs play. He is in favor of moving the seat of government to Nauvoo. Our president dont care to go to Washington. We come here to establish such a kingdom as never was established. Our Elders are considered as the most ignorant men in the world, but when they open their mouths, they silence the multitudes. We calculate to revolutionize the world by intelligence. The feelings of men are blunted by ignorance. War has on all occasions made men savage.

The chairman [Joseph Smith] said in relation to Nauvoo, that if we can accomplish our object it places us on a firm and strong footing, because if we have the sanction of Congress to our Charter it will make us an independant government. It will set us everlastingly free, and give us the United States troops to guard us and protect us from any invasion. Perhaps it is not necessary that we should go to Texas, it is necessary that we should establish independant governments there. We consider ourselves the head, and Washington the tail. We can make laws and send them abroad and not say anything to them about it, untill we get ourselves firmly set beyond their power. I have no disposition to go to Texas, but here is Lyman Wight wants to go; and if we can get our petition granted he will go and raise volunteers, and go and protect Texas. We must use policy. We can go on and have our laws and call it a part of our religion and they cannot interfere untill we get strong enough to protect ourselves. It is not wisdom to use the term “king” all the while. Let us use the term “proper source” instead of “king” and it will be all understood and no person can take advantage. A man can preach through all the world and use words which the devil cannot detect.

There is a distinction between the Church of God and kingdom of God. The laws of the kingdom are not designed to effect our salvation hereafter. It is an entire, distinct and separate government. The church is a spiritual matter and a spiritual kingdom; but the kingdom which Daniel saw was not a spiritual kingdom, but was designed to be got up for the safety and salvation of the saints by protecting them in their religious rights and worship. Any thing that would tolerate man in the worship of his God under his own vine and fig-tree would be tolerated of God. The literal kingdom of God, and the church of God are two distinct things. The gifts of prophets, evangelists &c never were designed to govern men in civil matters. The kingdom of God has nothing to do with giving commandments to damn a man spiritually. It only has power to make a man amenable to his fellow man. God gave commandments that if a man killed &c he should be killed himself, but it did not damn him. In relation to the constitution of the United States, there is but one difficulty, and that is, the constitution provides the things which we want but lacks the power to carry the laws into effect. We want to alter it so as to make it imperative on the officers to enforce the protection of all men in their rights

He then shewed how the constitution ought to be amended.

Men are complaining all over the United States, and we have the most reason to complain.

The committee must go to work and accomplish the amendment.