Diary Excerpts of George Laub, 1814-80

[Note: The following excerpts from the diaries of George Laub are provided for research purposes only, not for copyright publication. Copies are available at various Utah and Western libraries.]

(Page 9.) Joseph Smith (said) "But Satan or Lucifer being the next heir (after Jesus) and had allotted to him great power and authority even the prince and power of the air; spoke immediately and boasted of himself and saying, send me I can save all and sinned against the Holy Ghost because he accused his brethren and was hurled from the Counsel for striving to break the Law immediately . . . and they hurled Satan out of his place and all them that would not keep the sayings of the Counsel.

(Page 14.) Hyrum Smith (preached and quoted) . . . Chapter 28 of I. Sam. Verse 13. . . the woman was a woman of God, possessed of the Spirit of God and as Samuel was sealed to his wife and family in the Everlasting Covenant of the Sealing Power, therefore they all had to come with him because he was the head of the family and the woman had power with God to go to the world of spirits and bring him forth, therefore she cried with a loud voice; and then said, `I saw Gods ascending out of the earth.'

(Page 18.) . . . Brother Joseph called a meeting at his own house and told us that God showed to him in an open vision in daylight that if he did not destroy that printing press (Nauvoo Expositor) that it would cause the blood of saints to flow in the streets and by this was that evil destroyed. . . I write what I know and seen and heard for myself.

(Page 22.) . . . But the time our prophets Joseph and Hyrum was taken out to their slaughter, Brother Joseph told us we should take good care of ourselves, that we were good boys and should obey the commandments; this was about the last words he spoke unto us to keep the Commandments of the Lord. He then told the officer that his boys (guards) had only one fault and that was they were too good too pure to live in this ungodly generation, and so bade us take care of ourselves. . . .

(Page 23.) Brigham Young (spoke) "But the devil being one of the organization of the heavenly body, third in power, prince of the air, saw. . . that Jesus was the most acceptable before the Father, he loved righteousness and hated iniquity, this gave a jealousy to him and he began to accuse the brethren which soon hurled him (to the earth).

(Page 27-28.) B. Young (said) "Satan gets place in the hearts of men and will lead them astray by not watching. . . . Now we see if there are any possessed with devils they will froth and foam and cut themselves, for they do not know what aileth them, for these spirits strive against one another trying to see who will be the greatest of them for they have no order nor organization that can reign in peace or order.

(Page 30.) Now I will relate some of the prophecys that I heard our beloved Brother Joseph Smith declare while filled with the spirit of the living God in the name of Jesus Christ, that if they put him in for ruler of this nation, he would save them and set them at liberty, but if they refuse they shall and will be swept off that there will not be any more than a grease spot of them left; also while filled with the spirit he prophesyed in the name of Jesus Christ, that if the Missourians would not redress the wrongs of the Saints that the red hot wrath of the Almighty God would be poured out upon them and the Rulers of this nation also and Missourians should be destroyed of a meaner people than themselves.

(Page 34.) Dec. 12, 1845. Now in this time I attached myself to John D. Lee's family to become his adopted son in the order of God and obedience of the gospel and in this time the Endowment commenced in the house of the Lord, the Temple in Nauvoo. John D. Lee was one amongst the first that was chosen to receive his Endowment.

(Page 35.) . . . on the 19th of Dec. 1846, I was chosen to enter into the House of the Lord in Nauvoo to receive my Endowment. . . after this I was permitted to enter into the Temple frequently passing and repassing from one apartment to the other and the old and young men and maidens went forth in their dances, this was pleasing to the Lord. . . .

Jan. 6, 1846. I took unto myself a wife one of the daughters of Benjamin Megenes, whose name was Mary Jane (Born Jan. 11, 1831, in Penn.)

(Page 37.) I and my wife, Mary Jane, with many others was adopted into John D. Lee's family, thus I took upon myself the name of Lee in this manner; George Laub Lee and my wife's name Mary Jane Laub Lee. This order of Adoption will like the chain of the Priesthood in such a way that it cannot be separated by covenanting before Gods, Angels, and the present witnesses we covenant together for him to be a father unto those who are sealed to him to do unto them as he would unto his own children and to council them in righteousness. . . . Father Lee being filled with the spirit, embraced us in his arms and blessed us in the name of the Lord, that we should become mighty on the earth.

(Page 41.) Now on the 8th day of March and we had a barrel of wine, this we distributed in the Quroum also some oil which was Quorum property, a present to me by Weydler.

(Page 42.) Orson Hyde (spoke). . . "Wo unto the rich, inasmuch as you do not open your hearts and help the poor you shall be cursed and we do not want you to go along with us for I will be a danite unto them. I will throw myself across their path and I will be their accuser when we get up to the Camp and they shall not prosper for I will be their accuser. . . .

(Page 60.) . . . and if we felt merry praise the Lord in singing and music and dancing. If we feel sad to call on the Lord and he will revive us. Now there was a demand made of the Seventy's to put a floor in the council house and we should enjoy ourselves in the dances this was done immediately and we praised the Lord in singing and music and dancing, and on the 28th of January, I and my wife Mary Jane attended and it was a joy and comfort to our souls. The dance was opened by prayer of H. C. Kimball by each calling on their pardner and kneeling on the floor in our devotion to our Heavenly Father to bless the music and people (Winter Quarters).

(Page 66.) (Benjamin Megenness) . . . called Brother or Father John D. Lee all the hard names he could think, such as black leg, liar, theif, robber, cheater, and covets and (then) Elizabeth. . . asked him why B. Young gave him (Lee) place in the Church where he was; for he was in high estimation and the answer to this he made to her was why Joseph Smith (had) such (company) and rode with them.

Conference April 6, 1847, at Winter Quarters. B. Young was teaching the people to get the spirit of the Lord and to keep the spirit of the Lord for he seen Joseph in a dream and he told him to tell this people to get the spirit and to keep it and that he told him again and again and to try all spirits that they may know good spirit from evil ones and not to bar their hearts against any but cleave to the good for this is the way to try the different spirits.

(Page 67.) April 8, 1847. . . Lee. . . promised to send me and my wife with the first company after the prairies. I still trusted in his promise. . . . the team that hauled my goods was too weak and could not perform their journey to any satisfaction so the 9th I took two yoke of oxen of J. D. Lee (he was away at the time) . . . when he came home and found that I had done as I had, he was very angry and used harsh language, this gave me great feelings and we had a very hot contention and I could see no occasion on his side for doing so . . . . then I asked him if he was going to send me in the first company. He told me not and said there was no use of that course then I told him I would go to Missouri to work . . . he granted that I should go . . . I told him I could work at my trade and make me and my wife a good outfit. . . . He lost my cow for me, promised to replace one for me again but has not yet done it. . . I know not if he will or not hereafter. Again I did about one hundred and fifty dollars worth of work for him in Nauvoo doing joiner work on a house he never paid me more than about thirty-five. Now if this is a part of the law of adoption, I do not understand it in all points as I told him one day (But) I told him I never could find any law that required more than the tenth of all a man possessed and if there was . . . .