The First Presidency then issued a statement on August 22, 1992, defending the committee based on an 1839 letter from Joseph Smith. The letter came while Smith was in prison after a period of intense persecution (see 1838 Mormon War), now canonized by the church (D&C 123), that directed church leaders to establish a committee for "gathering up a knowledge of all the facts, and sufferings and abuses put on" church members, and the "names of all persons that have had a hand in their oppressions".
Following this, The First Presidency released a statement on August 22, 1992, defending the committee by referencing a 1839 letter from Joseph Smith. This letter was written while Smith was imprisoned after experiencing intense persecution (1838 Mormon War), which is now considered scripture (D&C 123) and instructs church leaders to create a committee to collect facts about church members' hardships and gather information on those who contributed to their suffering.