From some time in the remote past till this day, I must have had several occasions to have come into contact with the Lotus Sūtra, and to have become a believer as well. As a consequence of this, I was probably able to withstand one or two instances of persecution; but since these tenacious obstacles have occurred in close succession, my faith may have been broken and weathered away. This time, regardless of what kind of difficulty I am to face, I proclaim that I am determined not to back down. Thus, I spoke up and have experienced this kind of persecution from time to time, just as is predicted by the sūtra.

Misawa-shō, A Letter to Lord Misawa of Suruga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 241