He then proceeded to the house of Mr. Cook, on the Weber River, about thirty miles northward from the city.
Not only the Cooks, but a number of their neighbors, now began to entertain favorable opinions of the claim of their new acquaintance to inspiration.
Others who conceived that the divine right of Brigham was being endangered or infringed upon, determined to put Morris to death, or drive him from their midst. But Bishop Cook stood in the way.
In this emergency President Young was appealed to, who sent two high ecclesiastics, Messrs. John Taylor and Willford
Woodruff, both Apostles, to investigate the matter. They appointed a general meeting at South Weber, and invited the Bishops of the surrounding settlements, with as many of their people as possibly could, to attend.
The meeting convened on the 11th of February, 1861, and the delegates commenced their court of inquiry by demanding whether there was a man in the ward who professed to be a prophet? And whether there were any individuals who entertained him, or professed faith in his claims?
To the astonishment and consternation of the Mormons, seventeen of the believers, with Bishop Cook at their head, arose and declared that they would enjoy and defend the right of conscience, by adhering to their new faith, though it should bring upon them the most bitter persecution, and the loss of their lives. An old man named Watts arose, and in an inflammatory speech, recommended that the adherents of the new Prophet should be "cut off under the chin," and laid away in the brush; at the same time accompanying his words with a motion of the hand, drawing it across his throat. This, he said, was what ought to be done, according to his understanding of the laws of the church.
After some further discussion, in which Watts was boldly rebuked by Cook for the utterance of such sentiments, the question was put to the parties on trial, whether they believed that Brigham Young was a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. They all answered in the negative. Mr. Taylor testified that he knew Brigham to be such, and said those who believed to the contrary must be excommunicated from the church. They were then subjected to the process of excommunication.
It will be noticed that the right of Brigham to preside over the church as its temporal head, was not questioned by Morris or his followers.
From this time the followers of Morris increased in numbers with wonderful rapidity.