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Testimonies for the Church Volume 1
and by recent confessions from nearly all the members of this church,
that some one or more of the false reports have been fully credited by
nearly all and that those professed Christians have cherished feelings
of censure, bitterness, and cruelty against us, especially against my
feeble husband who is struggling for life and liberty. Some have had
a wicked, crushing spirit and have represented him as wealthy yet
grasping for money.
Upon returning to Battle Creek, my husband called for a council
of brethren to meet with the church that matters might be investigated
before them and false reports met. Brethren came from different parts
of the state, and my husband fearlessly called on all to bring what they
could against him that he might meet it openly and thus put an end to
this private slander. The wrongs which he had before confessed in the
Review he now fully confessed in a public meeting and to individuals,
and also explained many matters upon which false and foolish charges
were based, and convinced all of the falsity of those charges.
And while looking up matters relative to the real value of our
property, we found to his astonishment, and that of all present, that it
amounted to only $1,500, besides his horses and carriage, and remnants
of editions of books and charts, the sale of which for the past year, as
stated by the secretary, has not been equal to the interest on the money
he owes to the Publishing Association. These books and charts cannot
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at present be regarded of much value, and certainly not to us in our
present condition.
When in health, my husband had no time to keep accounts, and
during his sickness his matters were in the hands of others. The inquiry
arose: What had become of his property? Had he been defrauded?
Had mistakes been made in his accounts? Or had he, in the unsettled
condition of his affairs, given to this and that good object, not knowing
his real ability to give and not knowing how much he gave?
As one good result of the investigation, confidence in those who
have had charge of accounts relative to our affairs is unshaken, and
we have no good reason to conclude that our limited means can be
attributed to errors in the accounts. Therefore in looking over my
husband’s business matters for ten years, and his liberal manner of
handing out means to help the work in all its branches, the best and
most charitable conclusion is that our property has been used in the
cause of present truth. My husband has kept no accounts, and what he