The Brigham Young Center

G. S. L. City, May 9. 1861.

Elder Walter Murray Gibson,
San Francisco Cal.

Dear Brother
Your favor of the 28 March is before me, in which I am pleased to learn your desires are still ardent to be with the Malay races, to instruct them in the ways of the Gospel. I am gratified in two ways, one to learn of your continued zeal and faithfulness, and the other that the Shemetic races may be in the enjoyment of the Spirit of the gospel, through your instrumentality.

In regard to enemies their malice usually acts as a stimulant to increase our diligence to accomplish our work quicker. Neither is it to be wounded at that Devils should direct the ill will of evil men against the servants of the Lord Indeed it appears to be the privilege of Satan to harrass those who are trying to roll forth this work, we have an instance of this kind in the life of Joseph Smith, the Prophet for immediately after he obtained the plates through the direction of the Angel, his persecutions were intolerable, and every stratagem used to get the plates away from him. This opposition seems to accompany every man that is governed by an inspiration from a good source; The history of Christopher Columbus affords an example of this kind. You will remember the mutinous conduct of his Sailors before he spied the land of America.

If we were to argue the reason why the Lord suffers any annoyances to afflict those who are so emphatically doing his will we might come to this conclusion that Satan and his Angels are not yet bound and they still retain certain prerogatives until they are.

In the parable of the Sower which Jesus gave to his disciples which we find in the writings of St. Matthew there is also another instance of the power of the enemy who sowed tares after the good seed had been sown. Altho Jesus remarked to St Peter that Satan had desired to sift him like wheat, What for? for the purpose of overcoming the head of the Church which was Peters position after the ascension of the Savior. And in our own day, so recently the United States sending an army to Utah to exterminate us is a proof that evil influences are always at work to hinder the establishment of truth and righteousness upon the Earth.

It frequently happens that rogues fall out and then sometimes honest people get their own; a case of this kind is now transpiring in the bitter conflict of the North & South, and if I do not triumph

(in pencil: Here followed the revelation ab about the South rising against the north--)