10. Fearing that silence as to the specific offenses of Oliver Cowdery might leave the reader to fancy that his wrong doing was more serious than it really was, I here state the charges against him sustained before the High Council at Far West, in 1838: 1st. "Persecuting the brethren by urging on vexatious law suits against them, and thus distressing the innocent. 2nd. Seeking to destroy the character of Joseph Smith, Jr., by falsely insinuating that he was guilty of adultery. 3rd. Treating the Church with contempt by not attending meetings. 4th. Leaving his calling, to which God had appointed him by revelation, for the sake of filthy lucre, and turning to the practice of law. 5th. Disgracing the Church by being connected in the 'bogus' business, as common report says." (See _Millennial Star_, vol. 16, p. 133; also _Missouri Persecutions_, p. 179.) It should be observed that upper Missouri in 1838 was infested with a gang of sharpers engaged in counterfeiting the United States currency, and rumor, for a time, connected Oliver Cowdery with them: but whether he was, or was not, guilty of such connection was not proven before the council, it was merely proven that "rumors" connected him with those criminals. It should also be said that Oliver Cowdery was not present at the council which acted on his case; though of course an opportunity was given him to be present. How many of the charges brought against him would have failed had he been there to oppose them, one may not conjecture. It was a general time of turbulence in the affairs of the Church. A wave of wild land speculation swept through the country, and the Saints and some leading elders became entangled in it. Charges and counter charges were made; brethren misunderstood one another and became estranged in their feelings, and pride and bitterness prevented reconciliations. It was under such circumstances that Oliver Cowdery for a time was lost in the mists. 11. _Deseret News_ of April 13, 1859. 12. _Millennial Star_, vol. 40, p. 774, Pratt and Smith statement. 13. This was said in 1887. 14. Address _To All Believers in Christ_, p. 8. CHAPTER XVII. DIRECT EXTERNAL EVIDENCES--THE TESTIMONY OF THE THREE WITNESSES--SUBSEQUENT LIFE AND TESTIMONIES. Continued. DAVID WHITMER.