In the meantime, I endeavored to talk him out of his plot against Law, and gave Law a few hints of his danger, but not of a pointed or definite character, for fear that he would be hasty, yet sufficient to put him on his guard. In order that I might be able to get all the information I desired, concerning the secret designs against me, I commenced a correspondence with Hyrum Smith's daughter, and so completely won her confidence, that she watched every movement and reported to me her observations. From her, I obtained many valuable items, and amongst the rest, the truth of a certain rumor that had been afloat in town, concerning Joe's having feigned a revelation, that he should have the wife of William Smith married to him spiritually. This was in the winter of 1842-'3, while William was in the Legislature and previous to my last residence in Nauvoo. His wife wrote to him, and told what overtures Joe had made, which greatly exasperated William, and produced quite a disturbance in the Holy City. When William returned to Nauvoo, he gave the people's Prophet a grand flogging. Lavina, (Hyrum's daughter) in her conversation with me, declared the above statement true, and said that that was not the worst. I pressed her to tell me all, and finally she said that about the latter part of May, 1844, Joe had feigned a revelation to have Mrs. Milligan, his own sister, married to him spiritually. This was just after William Smith had left Nauvoo to preside over a branch of the church at Philadelphia; Joe and he having hushed up their differences. When this revelation was made know to Mrs. Milligan, she wrote to William, giving an account of Joe's conduct and said she should go back to the State of Maine and spend the summer. When she received an answer from William, she accordingly did go. In his answer, William gave Mrs. Milligan a good piece of advice concerning Lavina; and cautioned her not to let Joe get advantage of her. Previous, however, to this answer arriving, he had a revelation concerning Lavina, who was at that time living with him and attending on her Grandmother. Lavina went to her aunt, Mrs. Milligan, for advice, and enquired of her if this was lawful in the sight of God. Mrs. Milligan told her not to submit, and wept bitterly to think Joe was so base as first to try seduce William's wife, then his own sister, and lastly his niece. She advised Lavina to leave Joe's house and to shun it as she would a house of ill fame. Accordingly, Lavina did so.

About this time, I had a conversation with Joe, (who, it will be recollected still professed great friendship for me, doubtlessly for sinster purposes), which turned on the spiritual wife doctrine. Joe had been drinking quite freely, and I broached the subject of the rumor concerning Mrs. Milligan and Lavina. Joe would not own that he had tried his own sister, but confessed the whole matter in relation to Lavina; and said that he got Hyrum to consent to it by giving him one of his spiritual girls, whom Hyrum loved dearly, (a Miss S.) He said that he had lost Lavina by the foolishness of Clayton but, said he, 'I'll have her yet.' This William Clayton is one of Joe's private clerks and a ready cat's paw for all manner of base work. He has lived with his wife and wife's sister in common for the last year, and has children by both of them. This is the man who Joe had set to work to lead his niece into the paths of iniquity, aiding him by feigned revelations. But this innocent girl had timely warning from her aunt, who admonished her not to hearken to the foul counsels of her father and uncle, and was thus saved from the pit into which so many had fallen. In relation to Mrs. Millican, I would observe, that although not personally acquainted with her, I have frequently heard her spoken of by Joe's spiritual wives, who never failed to eulogize her as a noble and excellent woman. I have heard some of them say, after my depicting their desperate condition to them, 'Oh that I had taken the advice of Mrs. Milligan, I might then have been saved from all this infamy to which I am now reduced.' From which it will appear that Lavina was not the first she had warned.