C. W. Wandell wrote a revelation purporting
to come from the Lord through J. J. Strang, to see what effect it would have
upon the strangites. He sent it to Jehiel Savage, who took the article, went on
to the stand, read it to the people and bore testimony that he knew it was from
the Lord.
Brother Wandell seeing it was having
an evil effect upon the followers of Strang, came out and acknowledged that he
was the author of the article, that the Lord had nothing to do with it, and
that Strang never saw it.
Brother Wandell found it unprofitable
and dangerous business to use the name of the Lord falsely, that it was wrong
and produced evil among the children of men; as was the case with William E.
McLellan who undertook to imitate one of the Revelations of Jesus Christ and
failed in the attempt, and although this article of brother Wandell’s showed
that Savage and the followers of Strang, who had forsaken the truth, were more
ready to receive fables than truth and bear testimony that they were of the
Lord; yet no man should use this means to produce such an effect. (Brigham
Young, March 6, 1846, in Manuscript History of Brigham Young, 1846-1847,
comp. Elden J. Watson [Salt Lake City: Elden J. Watson, 1971], 68)
